About this blog

In recent times a plethora of misconceptions, misrepresentation and myths have been forged about Islam
and Muslims. Many western influentials from politicians, policymakers to judges have taken it upon
themselves to undermine the Islamic beliefs, values and rules so to make it palatable to their
egotistic minds and the secular liberal thoughts.

This blog is dedicated:-

1. To argue the point for Islam in its belief and systems and to refute the misconceptions.
2. To expose the weakness and contradictions of all forms of secularism.

27 Dec 2009

When Musa (as) and his people left Egypt

It appeared that Pharaoh would never believe in Musa's (as) message, nor would he stop the torture of the children of Israel. Therefore, Musa (as) prayed to his Lord thus: "Our Lord! You have indeed bestowed on Pharaoh and his chiefs splendor and wealth in the life of this world, our Lord! That they may lead men astray from Your Path. Our Lord! Destroy their wealth, and harden their hearts, so that they will not believe until they see the painful torment."

Allah (swt) said: "Verily, the invocation of you both is accepted. So you both keep to the Straight Way (i.e. keep on doing good deeds and preaching Allah's Message with patience), and follow not the path of those who know not (the truth i.e. to believe in the Oneness of Allah, and also to believe in the Reward of Allah: Paradise etc.)." [Surah Yunus (10): 88-89]

Allah (swt) inspired Musa (as) to conduct his people out of Egypt, but only a few of his people believed in his message. Allah revealed: But none believed in Musa (as) except the offspring of his people, because of the fear of Pharaoh and his chiefs, lest they should persecute them; and verily, Pharaoh was an arrogant tyrant on the earth, he was indeed one of the Musrifeen (polyt heists, sinners and transgressors, those who give up the truth and follow the evil, and commit all kinds of great sins).

The Pharaoh Learns of the Believers' Escape

And Musa (as) said: "0 my people! If you have believed in Allah, then put your trust in Him if you are Muslims (those who submit to Allah's Will)."

They said. "In Allah we put our trust. Our Lord! Make us not a trial for the folk who are Zalimeen (polytheists and wrong-doing) (i.e. do not make them overpower us). And save us by Your Mercy from the disbelieving folk." [Surah Yunus (10): 83-86]

Almighty Allah decided to put an end to Pharaoh's crimes after He had given him several chances. Allah (swt) commanded Musa (as) to depart, and the children of Israel received reluctant permission from Pharaoh to go out of the city for their feast. They prepared themselves to leave Egypt. This later became known as the Exodus. They carried with them their jewels and borrowed a lot of jewels from the Egyptians.
In the darkness of night, Musa (as) led his people towards the Red Sea, and in the morning they reached the beach. By then Pharaoh was aware of their departure, so he mobilized a huge army to pursue them.

The Parting of the Red Sea

The impatient children of Israel soon became agitated and Joshua (Yusha), Ibn Nun, exclaimed: "In front of us is this impassable barrier, the sea, and behind us the enemy; surely death cannot be avoided!"

Musa (as) replied that he would wait for further guidance from Allah. These words filled them with some hope, but man is always impatient for results: they were willing to surrender themselves back into slavery. At that moment Allah (swt) revealed to Musa (as): "Smite the sea with your staff!" Musa (as) did as he was commanded. A fierce wind blew, the sun shone brightly, and in a flash the sea parted, the crests of the waves standing like mountains on each side.

Musa (as) led his people across. This miracle proved Musa's (as) oft repeated claim: "Verily! My Lord is with me!" As they looked back, they saw Pharaoh and his army approaching, about to take the very path which had been opened for them. In great fear and panic, they pleaded with Musa (as) to ask Allah (swt) to close the sea. However, Allah (swt) commanded Musa (as) not to smite the sea with his staff again, for Allah's decree was already in action.

The Death of the Pharaoh

Pharaoh and his army had seen the miracle, how the sea had parted, but being the pretender that he was, Pharaoh turned to his men and proclaimed: "Look! The sea has opened at my command so that I may follow those rebels and arrest them!" They rushed across the parted waters, and when they were midway, Allah commanded the sea to return to its former state.

Terror-stricken Pharaoh, realizing that his end had come, declared out of fear: "I believe that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah in Whom the children of Israel believe, and I am of those who surrender to Him." But Allah (swt) did not accept this declaration from the tyrant, and the waters closed over him, drowning him and his entire army.

The Escape of Musa (as)'s People

Almighty Allah narrated: And We inspired Musa (as), saying: "Take away My slaves by night, verily, you will be pursued." Then Pharaoh sent callers to (all) the cities. (Saying): "Verily! These indeed are but a small band. And verily, they have done what has enraged us; but we are host all assembled, amply fore-warned."
So, We expelled them from gardens and springs, treasures, and every kind of honorable place. Thus We turned them (Pharaoh's people) out and We caused the children of Israel to inherit them.

So they pursued them at sunrise. And when the two hosts saw each other, the people of Musa (as) said: "We are sure to be overtaken."

Musa (as) said: "Nay, verily! With me is my Lord, He will guide me."
Then We inspired Musa (as) (saying): "Strike the sea with your stick." And it parted, and each separate (part of that sea water) became like the huge, firm mass of a mountain.

Then We brought near the others (Pharaoh's party) to that place. And We saved Musa (as) and all those with him. Then We drowned the others. Verily! In this is indeed a sign (or a proof), yet most of them are not believers. And verily, your Lord! He is truly the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful." [Surah Ash Shu'ara (26): 52.68]

Musa's (as) People's Escape and Pharaoh's Death

In another surah Almighty Allah narrated: And We took the children of Israel across the sea, and Pharaoh with his hosts followed them in oppression and enmity, till when drowning overtook him, he said: "I believe that La ilaha illa (Huwa): (none has the right to be worshiped but) He, in whom the children of Israel believe, and I am one of the Muslims (those who submit to Allah's Will)."

Now (you believe) while you refused to believe before and you were one of the Mufsideen (evil-doers, corrupts, etc.). So this day We shall deliver your (dead) body (out from the sea) that you may be a sign to those who come after you! And verily, many among mankind are heedless or our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.). [Surah Yunus (10): 90-92]

The curtain fell on Pharaoh's tyranny, and the waves threw his corpse up on to the western seashore. The Egyptians saw him and knew that their gods whom they worshipped and obeyed were mere slaves who could not keep death away from their own necks.

[Extracted from the article 'Story of Moses (as)' Witness-Pioneer.org Website]
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What they said...

“Islam represented the greatest military power on earth…It was the foremost economic power in the world…It had achieved the highest level so far in human history, in the arts and sciences of civilization...Islam in contrast created a world civilization, poly-ethnic, multiracial, international, one might even say intercontinental.”





[Bernard Lewis, Professor of Near Eastern Studies, Orientalist and Historian, 2001]





"There was once a civilization that was the greatest in the world. It was able to create a continental super-state that stretched from ocean to ocean, and from northern climes to tropics and deserts…the civilization I'm talking about was the Islamic world from the year 800 to 1600… Although we are often unaware of our indebtedness to this other civilization, its gifts are very much a part of our heritage"





[Carly Fiorina, ex-CEO of Hewlett-Packard, 2001]





"For the first three centuries of its existence (circ. A.D 650-1000) the realm of Islam was the most civilized and progressive portion of the world. Studded with splendid cities, gracious mosques and quiet universities where the wisdom of the ancient world was preserved and appreciated, the Moslem world offered a striking contrast to the Christian West, then sunk in the night of the Dark Ages."





[Lothrop Stoddard, Ph.D (Harvard), American political theorist and historian, 1932]





"Medieval Islam was technologically advanced and open to innovation. It achieved far higher literacy rates than in contemporary Europe;it assimilated the legacy of classical Greek civilization to such a degree that many classical books are now known to us only through Arabic copies. It invented windmills ,trigonometry, lateen sails and made major advances in metallurgy, mechanical and chemical engineering and irrigation methods. In the middle-ages the flow of technology was overwhelmingly from Islam to Europe rather from Europe to Islam. Only after the 1500's did the net direction of flow begin to reverse."





[Jared Diamond, UCLA sociologist and Author, 1997]



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[Hamilton Alexander Rosskeen Gibb, Professor at Harvard University, 1932]





“The Muhammadan Law which is binding on all -- from the crowned head to the meanest subject is a law interwoven with a system of the wisest, the most learned and the most enlightened jurisprudence that ever existed in the world.”





[Edmund Burke, British Statesman and Philosopher, 1789]





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[Graham Fuller, Author and former CIA, 1995]





“If there is much misunderstanding in the West about the nature of Islam, there is also much ignorance about the debt our own culture and civilization owe to the Islamic world. It is a failure, which stems, I think, from the straightjacket of history, which we have inherited. The medieval Islamic world, from central Asia to the shores of the Atlantic, was a world where scholars and men of learning flourished. But because we have tended to see Islam as the enemy of the West, as an alien culture, society, and systems of beliefs, we have tended to ignore or erase its great relevance to our own history”





[Charles Philip Arthur George, HRH The Prince of Wales, 1993]





"...Not being subject to the Sharia, Jews and Christians were free to go to their own religious authorities for adjudication of disputes; but in many cases they went instead to the [Muslim] Qadi"





[Richard W. Bulliet, Professor of History and Author, 2004]





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[In his book 'Constantinople', Philip Mansel quotes a rabbi in Turkey writing to his brethren in Europe where they were facing increasing persecution after 1453]





"Praise be to the beneficent God for his mercy towards me! Kings of the earth, to whom his [the Caliph’s] magnificence and power are known, bring gifts to him, conciliating his favour by costly presents, such as the king of the Germans, the king of the Gebalim, the king of Constantinople, and others. All their gifts pass through my hands, and I am charged with making gifts in return. (Let my lips express praise to the God in heaven who so far extends his loving kindness towards me without any merit of my own, but in the fullness of his mercies.) I always ask the ambassadors of these monarchs about our brethren the Jews, the remnant of the captivity, whether they have heard anything concerning the deliverance of those who have pined in bondage and had found no rest."





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[Robert Briffault, Novelist and Historian, 1928]





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[Oliver Joseph Lodge, Writer and Professor of Physics, 1893]





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[Zion Zohar, Jewish scholar at Florida International University, 2005]







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