This section covers all issues related to the existence of God, how we should know Him, how to feel His existence, etc.
Many of us would say without hesitation that we love Allah. But there are different levels of love. Some of us may love our parents more than our siblings. We love all of them, but our love for our parents is over and above the love for our siblings. Yet the love that will give us true tranquility in our hearts is the love that prefers Allah over all else…
Some of the attributes of God we cannot know except through His own words revealed to the chosen prophets. In Islam these words are confined to the Qur’an and Sunnah. These sources attribute to God things like being above His Throne, having hands, smiling, etc. The negators take all these attributes to be metaphorical, but the Sunnites’ position is to affirm about God whatever He affirms about Himself …
In the West, two powers are rising: Islam and atheism. These two worldviews are at odds with each other, where atheism claims to be progressive and based on pure logic with God having no part in it, Islam claims to be relevant and reasonable with God as the driving force for all that exists.
In facing offense, one should resort to patience before revenge. Patience gives us time to cool down and think through the situation before we do something that we may regret in the future. Patience is a virtue of those who have inner strength and with patience we acquire respect and the ability to control any situation we are in.
Our assuming the best about God really means pinning our hopes and expectations on Him. We know that God can be severe in punishment as well as most merciful, but we must hope for His mercy and be confident that if we sincerely repent for our sins and strive to do good, we will attain God’s mercy.
No human being can claim to be free from weaknesses and shortcomings. This is the reason why we find oppression and injustice, in one form or another, wherever man-made laws are in force instead of the law of God, and where human authority is obeyed instead of the Divine commands.
When we believe in God, we are responding to our nature, and because it is in harmony with our nature, the existence or absence of faith must have a marked effect on a person’s life.
Dhikr or remembrance of God is a way of linking the heart with the Divine. It provides with the spiritual practices of remembering and re-connecting with what is most meaningful in our lives, God. Muslims find consolation, comfort and strength in the frequent repetition of sacred phrases containing the Names of God and His attributes.
Some of the biggest misconceptions that many non-Muslims have about Islam have to do with the word “Allah”. For various reasons, many people have come to believe that Muslims worship a different God than Christians and Jews. This is totally false, since “Allah” is simply the Arabic word for “God” — and there is only One God. However, it is certainly true that Jews, Christians and Muslims all have different concepts of Almighty God. For example, Muslims, like Jews, reject the Christian beliefs of Trinity and Divine Incarnation. However, this does not mean that
The message of Islam challenges – using the power of persuasion and clarity of proof – those who adopt an inherited religiosity and follow the example of their parents and ancestors as far as their creed and devotions are concerned, just as they inherit their wealth and riches. It also challenges those who adopt religion due to being influenced by their surroundings, just as they adopt traditional norms and conventions.