Rationale

Rationale

Written By: Mehreen Omer

I started out as nothing more than someone. Just like most of the born-muslims in my country, I understood religion to be some part of my life but not something that would pay an important role in my daily routine. I wasn't religious; I didn't pray and when I did it was only the easy prayers of Zuhr or Asr and sometimes Isha. Magrib went too fast for me. So I didn't actually know what I was bringing myself to, although I knew that It was wrong to leave prayers and I shouldn't do that. But again I used to excuse myself with pretty flimsy reasons for not praying, mostly which included “I don't have time, I'm too busy", " I'm too tired" or "I got something very important to do". I knew it was wrong, I felt it within me, but still I set up my own criteria. I thought it was okay to leave prayer when you got some excuses. EVEN THEN I KNEW IT WAS WRONG, BUT SOMETHING KEPT ME PUSHING TOWARDS THAT WRONG. Then there were little things that I didn't do and they coupled up to give some hard time. Anyways, I got on with my life like this. I went through tough times in my life as a girl. My parents had three girls including me and no son, and it was quite frustrating for them to manage us...though I am extremely thankful to them for whatever they've given me. So I compromised with the situation and had this sticker on my head labeled "gloomy". Well time passed and nothing seemed to change. Then I entered this high school. During my O'levels, I went through rather bizarre feeling and I didn't quite have a purpose in life. My grades were going lower and lower and I just didn't know why. I just was deeply affected by what I saw in movies and well kept on trying to get out of real life and live in imagination. During my holidays, my main ambition was to watch a favourite movie or doing something as to improve my skills on something. I didn't basically have any talent, so what I did was planning to do this and that, until I ended up with nothing. Then I found myself a mission, I wanted to have good grades. Just like any other kid, I wanted to make my parents proud. I worked and studied hard and yeah it felt good. My teachers were amazed and I felt "Man......I'm good!” During my last year of O'levels I felt this congestion right within me. I knew I was missing something; I was missing something very important. And I knew what it was......I needed to get back to my religion. But again I didn't have time to do so. My exams were coming up and.....whoa...I really studied hard thanks to Allah that I was able to. I got good grades and well at that point I thought I had secured my

future. I was easily getting admission in good colleges and life seemed good. But the thought..."Hey...it's over now; let's get back to your religion." Right....I didn't what to do...I had some idea.....Hey I had Islamic Studies, I knew my religion? So I said to myself “Islam is based on five pillars, I got testimony, that's for sure...NO NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THAT!" I need to work on prayers, fasting and yeah learn some Duas and invocations. At time did I ...did I....DID I JUST REALIZE THAT "TESTIMONY" , THE VERY THING THAT I GOT RIGHT IN MY FIST, WILL BE THE GREATEST THING TO EVER TROUBLE ME! It was just the beginning....I at that moment knew nothing about life....I started to be religious in a sense I started learning invocations, offering prayers and watching religious programmes. I was confronted with rather extreme ideas with the Molvis and Mullahs here in Pakistan. Some of them prohibited something Allah has made halal for us.....like innovated things in religion and I was just starting to learn. My parents got the wrong picture, they thought I was getting extreme or so. I talked about Hijab to them, and they explicitly without any hesitation said "NO". They wanted me to look likeable...they had this picture of women completely covering themselves up as a from of repression bombarded upon them by the media. It was really hard for me to make them understand that hijab is obligatory and that's the wrong image being potrayed and I want to protect myself. They said that I should be "modern" and brave as the "Women of the 21st century".....and that no one would like me if I cover myself up. Anyways, I got along with that. I was to confront harder things still......and way way way...It was just starting to happen! I went to Umrah during that year and it was such an inspirational visit. I thank and glorify Allah for that. After that Ramadan came, and hey...I was going well! Fasts, Dhikr, prayers of course...and well it felt so good. After that.....everything was to change...I remember exactly it did not took too much of a time after Ramadan....and I seriously fell weak.

One night.....It took just one night...I was on to bed on my way to sleep...when a thought came to my mind? And I'm telling you plainly, I didn't like it and it shook so

much and really hit me so hard, and I felt ... I just felt so weak. The question was “Is there a possibility that whatever you believe is not true? What if it's not true? You spend your entire life following this religion? What if in the end you realize you weren't right? Do you have any proof to support your religion? It was questions rather. I trembled and immediately got up and a voice called inside me: "You should be ashamed that your faith is weak!" That really was hard to swallow. I don't know how I managed to sleep that night. I felt insecure and rather really low. I prayed to Allah to help me, because I was really losing it. Sometimes I would try to stay away from religious stuff, and watch enlightening movies or play sports. I would just say to myself "Well Allah would guide me"...and sometimes I would get frustrated and complain to Allah and ask Him "Why are you not helping me, I’m not that bad!" I actually knew deep within my heart this is got to be the truth, but I didn't have any proof. I've to say this that I didn't know much about religion, neither of my own nor of others. I wanted to know. But my parents were so against me having any religious knowledge because of the media and the deviant secular system present in our area, that I really found particularly hard to buy any sort of "Islamic" books. When I bought, it was in secret. All I could do was to rely on the internet. But did I know at that moment...that the internet is going to get me into more doubt! There were so many sites, so much to search....how do you know which site is telling the truth and which one is laying. What really bugged me was that how do you know that whether even the sources are lying or not? I knew then that things we going to change from then on! What about other people? He's a Christian, because his father is a Christian. She's a Jew, because her father is a Jew. She's a Hindu, because her parents are Hindus...and maybe I'm a Muslim, because my father is a Muslim....so what difference does it makes. The only reason why I say my religion is right is because I was born into it (At that time, even though I had studied Islamiat in school.....I had little knowledge...that shows it's not the knowledge but rather understanding that knowledge and applying it that makes one wise). So I was rather blank on this point....I wondered...what if....well....I do know from what I've studied that Quran is the final revelation and that other holy books were distorted with time...but is that enough proof? Sometimes it

was...sometimes it wasn't...so I decided to get deep into it...I decided to do some hardcore research. So I had this kind of awakening...that these summer holidays were not just about sitting back and relax but rather to start something...to lift my spirits and come closer to Allah......to be more religious...in fact to be religious, because I wasn't religious at all before. To me Ramadan was nothing more than Iftari and Sehri and yeah some spiritual rejuvenation...but I really was living the spirit! So the point is that how grown-up should you be to know the truth about all this faith stuff...well, don't you know how many people there are around the world who have embraced Islam at ages younger than 10....so..Are you too young? You need to think again.....would God send a religion so hard that only the high priests could understand it....No...Islam has been made so easy that people younger than 10 could easily comprehend it. There were times in my life, when I felt it's so unfair...a girl has to suffer more than a boy. It's so easy for a boy to do everything basically. When they have to pray, they just have to do wudhu and start praying...for a girl they have to do wudhu, cover herself and then pray...point is in the soaring heat and humidity...a boy feels nothing, but when you get all sweaty....of course I didn't mind it in winter. And then there were so many things a boy could do and a girl can't...like I went to Umrah, and a man could easily go, see and pray in Riaz-ul-Jannah anytime he likes, but for a woman; it's only at specific times. I hated it when I couldn't make to Riaz-ul-Jannah (a piece of paradise, in the Prophet's SAW mosque), just because there was a huge rush of women and my mom told me to say back, it was only opened at specific times for women. Men could go there as many times as they want in a day.....so I said "It's really not fair...it's not women's fault that they are created like this". Then I heard that they also don't allow women to go into Jannat-ul-Baqi.....I really felt like "IS IT OUR FAULT?" As a girl I was subject to various taunts from my both grandmothers...How biased were they towards my boy-cousins...I really was infuriated but kept my calm. But anyways, life went on like that. I had my relatives who kept on boasting about their sons and ...... well literally felt superior to us! So at times I felt really disheartened...it's so

unfair....My parents would not have ever imagined that they weren't going to be the parents of a man...I had no where to look on, though I had this hope in my heart that Allah is with us....yet I felt that we were "unlucky"! Anyhow, there were other things I needed to worry about....MORE......ALOT MORE!

When it comes to the internet...you just have to be extremely careful! You are subjected to abuses, lies and doubt-creating thoughts. So after some time I joined orkut and started discussing on its communities like "Atheist Vs Theist" or "Does God Not Exist" and several others. Well "Does God Not Exist" really hit me hard....you got bunch load of retards in there who just don't listen but the questions they posed to me...I really didn't have an answer to. I stopped right there and decided that if in the world, I want to get at something; I'm going to have to work hard for it. So I did research....and what a research was it. I came across several propaganda and conspiracies. For some days, it was the terrorism thing that was really bringing me up. I wanted to disprove their saying that "Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims." So there was this 9/11 conspiracy theories I came across. I watched the movie “9/11 was an inside job" and "9/11 in plane site". It really cleared me up, of course the American administration were behind it. I tried to present this website www.911inplanesite.com to the people who argued with me, and they just kept on denying and abusing me. So for some time, I kept away from all this. I started research on "Why Islam?” I came across several websites, some were brought me closer, and some took me away. During that time, a channel started by the name of "Peace TV"...and whoa did it have the affect or what? I watched several lectures of Dr.Zakir Naik and Abdul Rahim Green. Yusuf Estes brought humour along with knowledge. But I all did this in secret; I didn't want my parents to find out. Because they thought that I didn't just have to be too religious......offer prayers and be a good person, that's enough. No one knew what I was going through...I never told anyone, not that I was ashamed to, but rather I knew that they will not be able to help me. It's between me and Allah...and also I didn't want my parents to ban my internet...They didn't know I was doing Islamic research on the internet, although they kept on spying on me every time.

So If I've to tell what sort of questions did I go through; it goes like this: "Does God REALLY exist? And if He does, does he cares for us? Why is religion necessary? Why can't we be just good people? Why Islam? What about other religions? What is the truth and how do we know that it's the truth? I knew satan put these questions into my mind...satan plots, but Allah too plots and the Best of plotters is Allah. Had this questions not come into my mind, I would never have been able to get close to Islam, I would never have been able to realize the beauty of my deen...It all happened, for a good reason...thanks to Allah. So I was exposed to this evolution propaganda. The evolutionists claimed that they've found the fossils and recent discoveries aired by National Geographic seemed to prove evolution. They said that the DNA is the reason why one species turn into another. At that moment, I had very little knowledge...I had studied science....of course...but the my viewpoint of thinking was developed not like a creationist...I never thought that way...They implied that species adapted to their circumstances and developed new mechanisms over millions of years and this all happened through natural selection and mutation. That some mutations are beneficial and this leads to variation and then natural selection! I also used to chat on this site www.justachat.com, and they used to mock me and ask:"Where is God, Why can't we see Him? If there really was a god, wouldn't he just end world poverty? After all the suffering and the cries, Where is God?" I tried to tell them that this was all a test but they were unconvinced and so I also went weak. They made fun of the aids thing that if aids was sent down as a punishment to the adulterers, what about those poor innocent children who are dying everyday. I was just blank at this point, although I tried to tell them that this was a test upon their parents....or a punishment. But at that point, I really didn't quite know the real notion of The Test! Also I came across much that broke me...in the literal sense of the word. There were these statements which claimed that Holy Prophet SAW was a warlord (Astagfirullah) and there many many sites which plainly laid down lies...but I wasn't able to know the truth from the right. It was such a confused situation, but I knew that if Allah put me

into this, He will get me out too. There was so much rubbish being said about Islam. It was quite frustrating. I fell as a victim to these lies. I had this thing in my heart that really hurt me all the way that maybe Allah is so angry at me, He has taken guidance from me, and set my heart hard,...maybe He's not guiding me anymore and set a seal on my heart. I begged to Allah to open my heart and mind, and make my soul know the truth. Sometimes I would be satisfied and tell myself that yeah I believe and it's fine...but then satan would provoke me again...and it was really like...I believed at some times and disbelieved at other times. I came across eBooks like "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins...and I knew that he was conjecturing and was quite prejudiced...but somehow or the other, I wanted more proof. There was this book of Stephen Hawking "Brief History of Time"....and hey...."he does believes in God...He just isn't giving him the proper attributes"...but then I thought "He's a well-known scientist, he knows more than me....if he says so....well....I have to make sure!" Sometimes I just wanted to give up...Life was already too hard for me; this all was just making it harder. And I felt quite impatient, sometimes I would cry...I was uncertain....I became really unreasonable...things I was so sure before then weren't sure, then I used to say "Hey....why not, it's a possibility......maybe it's one in a million, but it can happen....maybe!" Days went on like this and no help came. I was finding it pretty hard to concentrate on my studies and well yes my grades fell...nothing was going right for me. I went through a lot....I considered everything...all the possibilities...sometimes satan just induced me to envision even the impossibilities....and made me irrational...I by the help of Allah realized the wrong early enough though! I considered every religion...ok Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, karma, Sikhism....what about agnostics and atheists...and what are these spiritualists, what do they believe in? For some days I did a lot of comparative religion research on the internet...I listened to lectures of Dr.Zakir Naik and Yusuf Estes on Peace Tv and they really convinced me, also I came across several on YouTube and youtubeislam.com to really give me some relaxation. This debate of Dr.Zakir Naik with William Campbell really made me cry...”Islam is the truth!"

And hey....what, Holy Prophet SAW is mentioned in the bible, the old testament, the Vedas, piranhas and some of the Buddhist scriptures as well.

And how did I know that this man is saying the truth, well the people of the book themselves testified it...and of course there are ways of verification...He wouldn't lie about this in front of the Christians themselves who know the bible really well or the scholars of Hinduism, who know that these verses exist. It's just about interpretation...some can be logical, while others can be illogical.

I have met a lot of people in my life...in real life....but on the internet. The internet is flooded with people of all mentalities. One of the most clever things I did...was that I used a pen-name...Just Rational...this avoids people from harassing you...and they can't know your gender. So do I even need to mention the moral degeneration prevalent in today's society...and you get to know more of it on the internet. It's your choice what to do on the internet...you can degrade yourself or do something virtuous...IT'S YOUR CHOICE....but hey....only if people realize that they are going to be held accountable for their choices, they are going to be wise about it. When you are entering into a university...you are very careful of choosing your field because that is going to affect your entire career and your entire future...won't you be very careful of choosing between different choices when you know it's going to affect your entire hereafter and which is eternal...but of course the disbelievers really don't care, do they....because they don't use sense..and are bent upon their mockery. Must say that internet can both be a menace as well as a benefit...it only depends on how and for what purpose you use it. I read this book "Origin of Species" by Charles Darwin on the internet....and guess what it did to me? I could but just point out the flaws! The evolutionists say that some mutations are beneficial...here, they are just twisting the idea so as to suite their perverted belief. Those mutations that are helpful do not add genetic data to the DNA but in fact degrade it, and so the gene responsible

for causing a particular resistance vanishes and resistance develops...but this is not the kind of mutation that the evolutionists need to support their theory as it's not adding new data but diminishing the already existent ones. Yet there are people who despite all the odds say that even if the probability of the first cell emerging on its own is beyond imagination....still that "beyond imagination" has a number and maybe we were "Lucky" to be the result of that only one chance...And this did not happen in other planets, so there is no life there! Those who say this have either very limited knowledge of science or have come to the conclusion that evolution is impossible but still aren't ready to admit it. How can animate matter emerge from inanimate one by mere chance, and on its own...knowing what it needs and what it doesn't? How can all the parts of the complex cell develop and all of a sudden start deriving nutrients? Come on....get real again. Now there are people who when asked Who created the Universe, would scoff at us and reply "I myself created me!"...They of course themselves know it's irrational to say so....but when asked "How did it all come to be on its own?".....well what a reply they give; “Once there was a huge explosion, which give out matter and energy.....gravity organized it and this is how it is! No room for a Creator!"....this reply was actually given to me in an atheist chartroom. Right so...explosion....Is there any example in the world wherein we have seen order come out of a mere random explosion....Let's take it like this....suppose we leave all the parts of an aero plane in the junkyard and trigger a massive explosion in it....would all the parts assemble to form the aero plane..OFCOURSE you would say this is utter nonsense!! And then they say "gravity" organized it...how come gravity can organize something in just the right order and with just the right angles, and all the galaxies with billions of stars flowing in complete harmony....DOES IT HAVE CONCIOUSNESS....IT'S MERELY BUT A TERM ME USE TO DESRIBE ATTRACTION BETWEEN TWO BODIES...SO GET REAL AGAIN.

This will be INSHALLAH the longest and the most interesting part to write. When everything seemed to go out of hand, when I really was on the brink of a mental collapse, this site literally SAVED me. It showed me the light, when it looked like a dead end.

www.harunyahya.com It's not just one site; you get across several sites as the works of Adnan Oktur who writes under the pen-name Harun Yahya. This website changed me, it changed my entire perception. The first and foremost think I came to know was the PROOF that evolution was nothing more than the world's dumbest ever fairly-tale. Sites like www.darwinismdeciet.com really convinced me and there was no way that I was ever to fall in that trap ever again, thanks to Allah....www.allahexists.com also truly satisfied me. It's extremely well.....only a fool will believe that complexity with harmony CAN come by chance. Whether we look at the universe or whether we look at our own selves...we see intelligent and perfect design....and not only design but rather miraculous systems that deny that they could've come step by step overtime. Is it even possible....that a piece of cell in the womb certainly starts to divide at just the right time, and those cells divide further...some make the heart and some other organs...on their own..as if they are living...even a layman could understand this...but if you have to get scientific; www.creationofman.net The vast beauty in the living organisms on earth and the ecological systems perfectly set up are proof of creation...every creature has its own attributes...miraculous defense and attack mechanisms. When they air documentaries on animal planet...and say "Animals Did it first"....hiding that such things are a result of design...and attributing it to nature...all logical persons would immediately see the truth. As stated in the Quran, there is no reason to doubt....the truth stands clear from falsehood. What the evolutionists do is seek refuge in the phenomena of "adaptation", yet it’s extremely misunderstood and misinterpreted by many today. www.darwinismrefuted.com Once this was done and I had absolute belief in my heart that Allah exists, now I ventured onto the path to find the true deen."What's so special about Islam? Why

can't we take the good teachings of all the religions and live a happy life?"...thoughts like this lingered in my mind. www.miraclesofthequran.com I found this site...and well I was amazed. I never knew that such scientific, historical, mathematical and literary miracles existed in the Quran and perhaps I would've never known had Allah not put me through this...You see everything happens for a good reason, so be patient! Anyways...at that time I thought, that's it...I went straightaway to DEBATE with those blind atheists on different communities, I also did so on the Sky News Discussions...and they brought more questions into my mind...instead of accepting the miracles, they presented to me so-called CONTRADICTIONS in the Quran (Astagfirullah)...I just frowned and ....well...what the? So I decided that's it....I'm going to read the Quran myself to know the truth....YES READ THE QURAN...I did not rely much on the translations, if there was a verse that I needed to find about...I came onto the internet, checked it from various translations, gave my own translation by finding the "English to Arabic Dictionary" at www.guidedways.com and well....THE QURAN WAS THE WORD OF ALLAH. You know I struggled....I started learning about Islam, and this time from the right sources. www.godallah.com, www.scienceislam.com, www.islamtomorrow.com I knew I had come too far...and I wanted the answers...Sometimes, I would take one topic and try to clarify it, I would do my research for days until my heart was filled with contentment. Sometimes something’s really made me go and find out the answers. I had chosen science subjects at my intermediate, so it was also a help in a way. I started buying Harun Yahya books...and they were more than a help. They brought me to life, they helped me think right and listen to the voice of my conscience...You I was saying in the start that I knew deep within my heart that there is only one God and that Islam is the truth...what was that deep within my heart, it was my conscience that was calling to me...It was calling me to right. It was always there inside me, and I realized that if I listen to it, I shall never go astray. But there was another thing inside me, and that was the self. The self is indeed prone to evil; it's not free from blame. But every person has this mechanism of conscience within me that leads him to heedfulness.

One of the things that really benefited me was my interest of knowledge. I was really interested

in

physics.....all

the

mathematical

concepts,

quantum

physics,

cosmology...I really started learning about these things. I came across books of Stephen Hawking...He admitted there was a God, but he was unsure. He gave his own ideas that God created us and then He doesn't takes part in our lives anymore...I came across the book by Hugh Ross "The God Delusion"....somehow or the other when it weakened my faith, it also strengthened it more than weakening it. Because the arguments of such sciences were flimsy. And I came to know this revelation in the Quran:"Satan's scheming is feeble". That really gave me the hope and the inspiration. I knew then that if I just use my intellect and the wisdom bestowed on me by Allah, I will certainly make it a lot easier for me, than previously thought. Yes sometimes, it would really make me glum. Why did it all happen? I should've known these things? Was I missing so much? Hey I did my Umrah before, will I be rewarded for that? But then again I would make myself realize...that it all happened and was happening for a very good reason...to bring me closer to Allah... "Yes it would take time, but I will be rewarded INSHALLAH". I had this thing....I kept imagining the kind of life of an atheist...purposelessness...what good is there, you sleep, you wake, you eat, have fun, work/study, engage in some hobbies......but then what, life's going to end some day..and will we be satisfied...of course not; we’ll always be filled in with that covet to live more. So it so happened that whenever I like was on some fun trip, or something like that...I always had this thing back in my head; "yeah.....we are having fun, it’s good...but it's going to end some day...yeah u should make the most of the time u have...but still it's going to end..so where exactly does point lies?" It's funny when they say, when there's a will, there's always a way. But do they ever realize; that way just pops out on its own....Of course God shows us the way. It's the little things in life that you need to ponder over. But is this the argument....NO, NOT AT ALL. What is the deal? How did I come to know which is the correct deen? Well you need to reason it first of all....Think about it...This world...Is there a God? And if there is...Is it one God or many gods....well if there would've been many gods...this universe would've ceased to exist....even if there's a multiverse...maybe....the universes would've competed against each other, with the result, that there would've been

destruction....So the complete harmony and perfect balance in the laws of nature that we say point out to this one undeniable fact that there is One God.....but wait, what if there is no God (Astagfirullah)....simply if I've to lay down, I would say...God exists because we exist..but you know the atheists...they would say "yeah yeah" and make those with weak faith fall into despair and doubt. I must advice here and it's very crucial...It's not important to be a rocket scientist to know that God exists...not at all, you can be a layman....but you have to know science, at least the basics...you have to know some knowledge of basic sciences...! That's why Islam so clearly states the importance of seeking knowledge and has obliged upon us education. So...well what was keeping me away...The miracles of the Quran, the proof of the prophethood of Prophet SAW......Islam is the fastest growing religion. If it was Astagfirullah a false religion...is there even a possibility that it'll be the fastest growing religion...How many examples have we seen in the world...many people have started different sects....have they been successful,...well most of them haven't got more than a handful...History tells us that Prophet Muhammad SAW was the most trustworthy and truthful person that ever existed..what proof there is...the unbelievers at that time, and still now accept this. And hey...I came across this site www.jesuswillreturn.com and it shows to us the signs of the end times, and many of which have occurred. You can see them and verify them with your own mind and eyes...and what about the perished nations...The three major religions talk about Nuh's flood, the destruction of Pompeii.....but the most authentic and reliable description is to be found in the Quran.....where's the evidence...well recent archaeological discoveries have shown the truth. One very interesting thing is that the Bible uses the word "Pharaoh" for the King at the time of Prophet Yusuf/Joseph AS...and the Quran uses the word "King"...today historical evidence has shown that the title "Pharaoh" was adopted a form of respect 200 yrs after Prophet Yusuf AS. The Quran is the unchanged revelation of God...not a word of it has been changed for 1400 yrs....whereas if u see the Injeel(a part of Bible), it was distorted only a few centuries after Jesus pbuh. Quran is the only holy scripture which has got only one version. Now had it been the task of man...wouldn't it have been ruined over time. You

see this happening to the Hadith (sayings of Prophet Muhammad SAW)...some of them are fabricated...must clarify here...that through the chains of transmission it is extremely easy to differentiate the Sahih (Original) from the Zaeef (fabricated) hadith...so why this dint happen to the Quran...This was because Allah himself promised to protect the Quran. Now imagine a man making such a statement...how can he be sure that the book he has written wont get proliferated centuries after he's gone...wouldn't he make this the responsibility of his predecessors to protect the book?? Also there are explicit statements in the Quran which say that "Woe to the ones who write the book with their own hands and say this is from Allah".....would a man write a book and curse himself in it...how irrational it is to think this way!

When you just open your eyes, you realize that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. People are reverting from all countries, religions and casts. It's amazing when you watch videos on YouTube and realize how so and so young American/German/British etc found his/her way to Islam. Had Islam been an eastern religion, it would not have been applicable in the west. You see Cat Stevens reverting to Islam a decade ago and now he's a popular nasheed artist "Yusuf Islam". I can give you so many examples. We all in this life search for answers...we all question ourselves! The difficult thing is that sometimes we just don't know how to apply our reason to get the answer. The Quran guides us in that. It instructs man to think, to reason, to use intellect...and helps man to ponder over different things in life. Allah says in the Quran that He is not ashamed to make example of even a gnat.....because even in such small things is great scientific proof of creation. Then what else....there's so much to talk. Quran is the Furqan, the Criterion...to help us differentiate between the right and wrong. It has made everything clear so as to stop man from falling into any sort of doubt or as in wondering. People who raise the objection that "well ok if Quran is agreeing with science today....but science keeps on changing, and after some 500 yes or so, well science is going to take a u-turn...then what?"....they say that something that has been proven

right can be proven wrong in the future years and vice versa. They don't realize the sense. A scientist never puts forward his theory hoping that one day it will be proven right...no matter how much it has been disproven! Of course there's only chance of such a thing happening when we know very little about something.....and we are only posing a hypothesis, we are not sure.....CMON, GET REAL! Is it possible that in the future it's going to be proven that the living are actually dead and the dead are actually living....no it can't be...because it's proven..we breathe, we see, we hear....dead can't do these things....so you just need to be logical! So...I was astounded to actually know how little I knew about Islam being a bornMuslim

living

in

a

Muslim

country

(actually

it's

a

so-called

Muslim

country.....Pakistan's rather secular). A Muslim thinks, A Muslim reflects...not on big issues like politics and law.....but on little issues that make us a better human being. Some people don't just want to be good. And they even accept that they are going to be punished. Of course most of them are making a mockery about it, but some know that they are following satan but they think they'll be able to keep their perversity with satan in Hell...and they are so wrong about it because Allah clearly says in the Quran that Hell is under the complete control of Allah, so satan along with his followers will suffer the torment of hell-fire.

So...what was it that was stopping me in the beginning...At sometimes I felt yes I'm over it....at other times I felt as if I'm not done with it and run into despair....who was it? It was satan who brought doubts to me...when I cleared them up, he withdrew and came back again...and then kept on doing it...So it was all an up and down for me. Is that it...? Of course not...But why do you have to be so complicated? Realize the potentials hidden inside you. I again repeat you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that this universe is created, you don't have to be top biologist to know that evolution is nothing more than a fantasy...you just need to use common sense. Even a layman who uses sense and logic would come to know how irrational it is to believe that God doesn't exists seeing the beauties of life and the complex mechanism behind those complex creatures. It cannot all be simply by chance. Then if there is a God...did

He create us for amusement...either for ours or His...?? Allah answers that in the Quran....If He wanted to create us for amusement, He would've derived it from His presence. Old life is one of the things we need to ponder over. If this life was the only life...we wouldn't have grown old. How do cells start to wear out? If evolution happened, wouldn't they just "adapt" (according to the reasoning of evolutions) and live forever. Even a layman could understand. What is it that differentiates us from being human and from being a mere animal.....IT'S INTELLECT...we've been given the conscience which is always calling inside us to the truth, all we have to do is to listen to it. Why do people turn away from religion? It is because the main idea of religion in their minds is the Bible and their myths and mystical rituals and practices, which obviously doesn't conform to reason. And when it comes to other religions, it's Islam...which no way....it's a terrorist religion. Then you have the eastern religions, which have undoubtedly affected the western culture tremendously. Where did this spirituality, lucky gemstones stuff and most importantly the phenomena of horoscopes came from, in the West? It was from the religions like Hinduism, Buddhism and the philosophy of Karma. Because these three religions most suits to their idea of evolution, they accept it. They think that peace can be achieved in yogis and believing in the philosophy of Karma which coincides with Hinduism and Buddhism. Though most people in the west do not believe in reincarnation, they wish it were true because they think that it's the way to tranquility, contentment and solitude. But...It has got unreasonable practices and beliefs that go beyond reason; www.islamandkarma.com

&

www.islamandbuddhism.com

The belief in horoscopes and astrology which has engulfed all circles is actually part of the New Age movement. And what exactly is "New Age".....it's actually a transformation of religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and other deviant sects. The recent popularity of magic and spirituality in the modern world actually had its roots in these perverted beliefs. If man is only to question the irrational situation he is in on his quest to the true path, he would certainly know how misguided he was!

So what was the point.......no religion then....Believe in God and be a good person, why do you have to choose a specific religion? People say there are so many wars and battles fought over religion...everywhere people are trying to enforce their religion over others....WON'T THE WORLD BE A BETTER PLACE WITHOUT RELIGION??? Well yes I agree...the world would be a better place without FALSE religions...and not without the TRUE DEEN....Islam...which is a complete code of life...it's not a new religion...It was there since the beginning of time. And then these agnostics would say.....AHH FORGET IT...YOU ARE DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN! Well.....suppose there's a pack of keys....you tried all the keys to open the door but one is left...you say "I've tried enough...beside, this key doesn't looks any different...”, but that was just the key you needed....just because you based your opinion on mere conjecture, you didn't try it. You cannot say anything about anything unless you first know about it from the right source...and the source would be the person who created the key....not the ones who are using it...GET THE FACT! So I reached my conclusion...that satan will always come and try to create doubts in my heart...and make me irrational! All I've to do is to ask Allah to protect me from his evil whisperings...I need to go strong...Whenever you do a good deed, your faith increases...and when you do a bad deed, your faith decreases. You see...whenever you do a bad deed unintentionally, do a good deed to blot it out as soon as possible. Mostly people think that faith doesn't needs to be proven...you just got to believe! Well what if faith CAN be proven? Some won't listen and say...No it can't be proven so just go away...people like these are no different than a person who rejects a meal after years of his getting only some rotten apples to eat....just because he's not familiar...he just wants it....well, he could've just asked about what he's getting? But he didn't even want to ask? Well leave him alone...Guidance is up to Allah alone. How can we make the blind see, how can we make the deaf hear, how can we make the insane understand? Some people just put hands on their ears and shut their eyes and shout like crazy and don't listen to good advice....WELL IF U R ONE OF THEM....you better change....or pay! How many non-Muslims there are who have written the truth about Islam? You see some prejudices in their works though, but their accounts clearly testify that Prophet Muhammad SAW was indeed a prophet...you can read their biographies on prominent

figures in Islam....and how do you know they are telling the truth, check their information from different sources. This is very similar to the time of Prophet Muhammad SAW...when even his enemy Abu Sufyan testified to the fact that Prophet Muhammad SAW never lied....people knew at the time of Prophet Muhammad SAW that a prophet was coming...it was written in their books. The Jews knew that the time had come for the prophet....Jesus pbuh spoke about it, and there's still evidence of it in the bible. When you get to watch movies like "The Passion of the Christ", "The Nativity Story" and "Gospel of John".....you realize the contradictions and what they are pointing towards. Islam is the fastest growing religion in America and Europe. Who's making them revert to Islam...are there any terrorists who are forcing people to take Shahadah on gunpoint...are there?? How many people revert to Islam daily, and most of them are women. Did those people not check and do research about Islam before accepting Islam? Did those people not check the Quran if there were (Astagfirullah) any contradictions? The Islamic bomb was dropped the day Prophet Muhammad SAW was born...Islam will continue to spread INSHALLAH...It has already overtaken Catholicism...and INSHALLAH one day Islam will be far above Christianity as a whole. It's your choice...YOU CHOOSE, there’s no compulsion in religion.....If you want to listen to your whims and desires, or are worried about what the society or your family will say...well ok ..wait until to meet Allah...and then you'll know what Allah will say...!

What makes a person successful is his desire to know, not to sit back and think that the answers would come to him...he has to search out for the answers. One of the most unique things about Islam is that it provides an absolute description of God...most religions are too vague to perceive Him as being man-like or some smoky thing etc...whereas you will find a pure statement in the Quran concerning this in Surah Ikhlas: Surah Ikhlas When you ask people as to why they reverted to Islam, their top most statement would be as is mine that "Read the Quran!"....so what exactly is in that Quran that makes

people come to the true deen...well read it out yourself....It's language is so powerful, it's literature so abundant...it's message so captivating! Of course, as I mentioned earlier that it's unreasonable to think that all the scientific miracles in the Quran could've been the result of lucky predictions...man would make statements about things he has at least some idea about...but the scientific statements mentioned in the Quran are such that no man of that time could've even imagined to even guess. Then all those scientific miracles in the Quran combined with the mathematical ones make it an indubitable book. It has such verses in it, only by understanding them can make us realize how beautiful a book it is. I must make this clear that anyone who doubts about the existence of Allah or the truth of Islam, is not a believer....he may be close to Islam, but certainly not inside Islam...so anyone who thinks that he would be entered into paradise with doubts is in great delusion. Because there are people who say that "ok, we believe....we want to, but it's very hard to be convinced fully...we have doubts, but we still believe!"....and say that well if it is true, we'll be entered into jannah...and if it's not, well we got nothing to lose! Don't be in such a situation, struggle......and keep struggling! How advanced humanity has become with major advancements in many fields of technology...but has anyone been able to produce a single machine like our brain, it's so complicated that there's a lot that scientists still do not know today. Whenever you see a marvelous piece of art...like you walk by a beautiful painting, you admire it and then ask, "Who has made it?” You get yourself a new machine, you get the instruction manual along with it and the name of the creator, don't you! But this machine of ours...our human body....has been left on its own...it's the most complicated machine on earth, doesn't it requires a Creator and an instruction manual, did it come on its own? Then again we see the Christians completely alienating science from religion.....and then when they see beautiful scenery on the horizon....they sometimes say "It's the finger of God!"(Astagfirullah)...or a nebula shaped like an eye; "It's the eye of God!"...atheists make the same mistake, they ask "WHERE is God? Why can't we SEE Him?"...Both the parties do not realize that God is not within the universe or the universe itself....as being proven by science today "Big Bang"...as time and space came

to exist after the Big Bang....God is also independent of time and space. So as being said in the Quran that no vision can grasp God, but God grasps all! So what else do we need.....people say the Quran talks about the jinns....which they rather mock and say "Ah yes yes, magical creatures, genies......heaven n hell!"....well just because science has not proven that doesn't means they don't exist...in the near future...and it's quite near...INSHALLAH it's going to be proved....as science has reached great height....you know quantum physics....Allah Knows Best! So why exactly are we here....To Serve God...Allah clearly says in the Quran that He did not create Jinn and Man but to worship Him. So why does Allah needs our worship...Allah answers that in the Quran. Allah does not needs our worship...It's rather we of who are in need of worshipping Him. And then Islam teaches us that many previous generations asked the same questions as the misguided people are asking today. They witnessed all the miracles that the Prophets (peace be upon all of them) performed, but even then they didn't accept their humility and had too much pride in their hearts to be subjugated before God...The Lord of All the Worlds!!

They made the same mistake as many are

making today, and they were punished and punished rather severely. www.perishednations.com And then people raise the objections that all the miracles could only have been testified by people of that time, so why blame the generations of today? Well...The Quran is the miracle which could've been testified centuries ago, at the present as well, and will also be able to be testified in the future years to come (INSHALLAH)....of course! Since the Quran is for all times to come after it was revealed, it is certainly "A MIRACLE OF MIRACLES"!

WHERE DOES SALVATION LIE? It's the question everyone is asking these days. They are not satisfied with this life, no matter whether the person is rich or poor...they are always looking for something, some know what it is, some do not....but both belong to

the same category. They just do not think that religion can offer them anything apart from some peace at some specific times when we are engaged in worship...and when that worship's over, the same worldly worries start. Islam takes a very different route on this...It changes you mentality and your outlook on life. One of the things that really brought me close to Islam...was it's rational explanation of the on-going sufferings of the people around the world. When you LOOK TOWARDS the philosophy of Karma...which says that whether people are poor, diseased or needy...It's due to their past deeds in previous life...so a person comes into this life as an animal or in higher form as a human...When you closely examine....you'll see it's irrational to think so, since this life...is extremely flawed.....no matter how rich the person may become, it doesn't makes him any happier...only makes him restless and frustrated rather. Moreover....it works on its own.....how dumb is that? And then you have other religions like Christianity telling us that "God is Love", "Jesus is the Way".....well if then what about a believer in Christ who commits so many wrong deeds and says he'll be forgiven, it’s predetermined for him...also Christianity doesn't provides us with a set criterion for the right and wrong...When you look at Judaism....It's the religion that believes in one God..but yet, so many innovations and so many distorted practices. When you look at Islam...it's a detailed religion with a comprehensive book. It's not merely a religion, but a complete code of life. It's a way of life. It doesn't concerns only some rituals or beliefs but rather every thing you do in your daily routine. It has set laws; like laws of inheritance, divorce etc. It has set punishments for crimes...and pretty fair punishments....people say the Shariah Law is inhumane...the beheadings are awful...some people are against capital punishment. I say...ok....do not enforce capital punishment....and look after the crime rates. UK is an excellent

example...gun

and

knife

crimes

are

soaring

there...why??

purposelessness...and improper punishments...And then when you see someone being murdered or raped (Astagfirullah)...and then the murderer or rapper is punished the "Islamic" way...i.e. being killed...you say "how merciless these individuals are, they could've given him life imprisonment..!".....why be doublestandard...if somebody rapes your loved one...you will be the first one to give him death...why be double-standard for others. If you set the criterion according to your own desires, then you'll pay for it. Islam has the most reasonable rationale set for humanity. Why is there inequality of wealth and children in this world?? It is because

as Islam say "This life's a test!"...your entire life is a test for you...and by patience, this test can be passed...and those who are resolute in their course will find eternal peace and happiness in the eternal abode of paradise...whereas those who listen to their whims and covets, and run after material belongings will suffer the torment of hell FOREVER..! Islam says that Allah has given us free will to decide...we are accountable for our deeds...The Quran shows us the way. In simple words Allah is our Lord; Quran is our guide; Prophet Muhammad SAW is the best example which we can follow and Islam is the way which will lead towards the door to paradise. It’s not only about seeing the evidence...it's also about accepting and understanding that evidence...many know the truth...how many scientists believe in creation, but some are hesitant..fearing what others might say. The scientific world is returning to creationism. The on-going happenings in the world...we should be aware...what's happening, why it's happening. The increase in homicides, suicides, rapes, robberies and other crimes clearly express one fact...People are LOST. You see that gay marriages have become legal in many countries...and now it's a crime to think low of homosexuals. The norms have taken a 180 degree turnover. And you see these religious fanatics who are blindly following their creed...you see every now and then a new group emerging in Christianity and enforcing practices completely unknown to the true religion...The "Doomsday Cult" etc....and people are following such lunacies..why? They just don't think clearly...Some people get the wrong picture and say all religions are just nothing more than fantasies and say "Get Real!". Just because the followers of a particular religion innovate new rituals and beliefs or do something wrong, can we blame the religion for that....obviously not! Suppose there is lock and several keys...a person is trying to open the lock...he chooses the wrong key and then blames the lock.....IS THAT FAIR!! Come one.......GET REAL! Also when you come across people who abuse you and use obscene language...and try to pose flimsy arguments against Islam....you can if you want to discuss with them, but it's better to leave them alone in their ignorance....because they will not believe. Having faith is important but applying that faith is even more important....and Islam is the most practicable way of life...you can achieve guidance from it concerning everything...and every practice of it has science behind it. The eating habits imposed upon us by Prophet Muhammad SAW clearly reveal a healthy lifestyle. There are foods

mentioned in the Quran like fish, olives, figs, milk etc which have so many health benefits...and that doesn't of course mean that only they should be eaten, but rather preferred more. Then there is wudhu...a step towards cleaner living safe from many diseases....and the medical, psychological and health benefits of salat are well....WOW..what a deen Allah has revealed to us...SUBHANALLAH (Glory Be to Him Alone). Then there are voices raised against Islam that we cannot put the Shariah law into practice, and even if we did...what if it doesn't works. Well Saudi Arabia has implemented this law and what about the crime rate....It has one of the lowest crime rates in the world! Then there are objections raised against stoning for adultery....people say "we should forgive, and overlook"....well, that seems good...doesn't

it?

BUT

ACTUALLY

IT

WILL

ONLY

ENCOURAGES

MORE

FORNICATION...if people get the idea that they won’t be punished...why abstain from it?? Never wonder why aids and other sexually-transmitted diseases is one of the leading causes of death around the world. Islam

stands

for

universal

brotherhood...It

absolutely

forbids

racism

and

sexism...Islam came for the benefit of women...before Islam women had no status; they were treated like merchandise...people married them and left them on will, and their sons inherited them. Islam came to shun such practices...."MEN AND WOMEN ARE EQUAL"....was the stance taken by Islam...here it must be stressed that Islam was not a new religion, only the Shariah differed through centuries. I would fill out pages if I continue to write about what Islam tells us.....all I did was to set out in brief what convinced me. Now it's up to you.....do some good research and then it's your choice. You see I being born in a Muslim family was no different than an atheist.....therefore those so-called Muslims who think that they'll get admission into paradise just because they've faith are in great great great delusion. Also those who think that they can choose the way they want and just be good normal persons ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN CRITERIAN WHICH IS EXTREMELY FAULTY....will realize their wrong-doing in Hell. When we buy a new unknown machine....we are given an instruction booklet. But if we choose to do it our way, rather than follow the instructions...well....go ahead...you'll see yourself! You'll destroy that machine....the

creator of that machine has clearly given you instructions, but you choose to go with your own desires. I'm telling you.....one of the biggest things that Islam gives you is "COMMON SENSE"...so utilize it. Sometimes when you are not feeling at the best of your iman (faith), it's better to just stay away from experimentation...but if you think that you can do it, you should get into it and search for the truth. You should always keep track and that's what I did. I downloaded some applications on my mobile from www.searchtruth.com and well....they eased me. What really gave me good company was this social networking site www.muslimspace.com, of course I came here after entering into Islam (Alhamdulilah), but still it provided me with a lot of support. This community's really active, and people respond to each and every question of yours...its like guaranteed. So it's better to put up a question here, where you'll get answered rather quickly...and then also there's no harm in trying www.justaskislam.com or www.islamonline.net where you can put a question to be answered by a scholar of Islam. It's important, isn't it? Religion is normally perceived as no different than culture, tradition and other values. Yet it's something that shapes your entire lives and in fact sets your mentality, on how you look at life. So you better make a wise decision regarding this topic, because it's no kids play....it's not something to be taken lightly! As for the ones who already are Muslims..religion's made easy for them...they should not make it difficult or complicated for themselves. Islam teaches one great thing.....according to a Hadith; amazing is the state of a believer that only good happens to him. Even if something bad happens to him, it's actually good for him. As mentioned earlier since Allah is not bound by time, He knows what’s going to happen to us in the future....of course! So since everything is a test...if we pass this test, we'll be INSHALLAH rewarded for that...we just need to be patient. Whatever happens to us is under the complete control of Allah, and whenever things aren't turning out to be the way we want them to be, it's actually a test....to know the steadfast...not that Allah doesn't already knows, but because we won't have anything to say in the hereafter that we believed..you didn't try us...so why entering us into Hell?

Those who say that the Islamic manner of beheading is rather un-watchable and young people should not be encouraged to see it as it would "scare" & "disgust" them. Well....yes....they encourage young kids to watch wrestling which rather inflicts in them the desire to be "Aggressive" and "unscrupulous"....and yet when the wrestlers are torturing other individuals and using obscene language and creating a dispute over trivial issues...is that humane?, won't that scare young kids? In Islamic Shariah, beheadings are done for wrong practices...and kids should be aware from a very early age what is right and what is wrong....and whereas in wrestling which the media highly promotes, people fight for nothing more than their own pride...is that giving out a good message...I am not comparing punishments in Islam to mere "Wrestling MANIA"...but in fact making those individuals who say that beheading is inhumane; that how biased they are. When I said in the beginning that women have been rather kept behind men in Islam...well now I realize, it's all a test! And moreover we cannot blame the deen, if the followers of that deen do not practice it right...and at times when women are kept behind men, it's for their own good. When I said that women actually rush to get into Riaz-ul-Jannah and that many cannot find a place to pray...it's those women's fault who are rather more bent upon visiting the place and getting forgiven...and missing the real spirit of IMAN. Suppose there's a company which has laid out rules for it's employees...and it says that the entire company is a non-smoking area...but some of the employees still smoke...can we blame the rules for that? Can we....is it just rational to do so? Also I must stress here that there's no point of drawing knowledge from which you don't reach a conclusion. You must reach a decision after knowing all the facts.....because all that facts of course point to something. So after knowing that there is exists only One God and that the Quran could not have come but from a divine source....you must reach the sensible conclusion that Islam is the truth...After knowing the facts, you must ACCEPT them. So Islam is basically a combination of "Love and Fear".....we should also love God, hoping for His Mercy...and we should also fear God, fearing His Wrath. As God is

Most-Forgiving but He is also the Most Just. Allah says in the Quran that Allah doesn't wrongs people, but it is the people who wrong themselves. So don't be amongst the losers. Indeed when Allah says in the Quran that Iman(Faith) increases by doing good deeds and decreases by doing bad deeds....don't we feel like something when we have just helped someone...and feel so low when we have just hurt someone!

I thank you all for reading my series...and I will appreciate if you spread it to those who need it...Thank you and May Allah Guide us all! Ameen! If you want to ask questions, you can always contact me at [email protected].