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Madmcc and Galool

SomaliNet Forum (Archive): Islam (Religion): Archive (Before Dec. 16, 2000): Madmcc and Galool
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concerned sister

Saturday, December 09, 2000 - 09:44 am
It is okey to have a discussion with you as far as our religion permitted us. However, it is good to be honest about your identity i say this because it would be easeir for us to give an answer without assuming anything else. we are somalis mostly those of us here are students or quazi-student but for you whenever i read your posting it does not corrispont to who you claim to be. it dpoes not matter if you say my name is this toady and that tommoroow but if you say i am a soldier but speak like a christian preacher then i would be suspicious about your motives. if you say i am somalian and muslim then not writing in a muslimway then i will be suspicios about you.my massege declare yourselves.

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Moujahida

Saturday, December 09, 2000 - 09:52 am
This is the first message, apart from the folders that some brothers n sisters have created to make us aware about our beautiful religion, that completely & sincerely MAKES A SENSE.

Thank you concerned sister for bringing that out.
I doubt them both. Galool is not what he claims to be and so that whatever Mac.

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sister

Saturday, December 09, 2000 - 10:13 am
I can handle sometimes with Galool but i find bit dificult with the mad one, he is toooooo sheytaan, i dod not like his masseges he should go away as for galool i had this dream( it is true) he has an english accent ( is that true galool)

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Galool

Saturday, December 09, 2000 - 10:34 am
Concernsis, Mouja

Ok let me try to make sense of this. You are saying if I were a White(does the color matter as well)christian missionary, but I claimed to be a Somali Agnostic, it will somehow make a difference to you and shape your responses? This to me is beyond the realms of logic and common sense. Please have a cold drink after Iftar, close your eyes and try to think through this one.

No offense. Please get back to me with your reasons! I am absolutely fascinated by this. This is the Somali conspiratorial mind gone wild!

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Galool

Saturday, December 09, 2000 - 10:43 am
Concernsis, Mouja

Ok let me try to make sense of this. You are saying if I were a White(does the color matter as well)christian missionary, but I claimed to be a Somali Agnostic, it will somehow make a difference to you and shape your responses? This to me is beyond the realms of logic and common sense. Please have a cold drink after Iftar, close your eyes and try to think through this one.

No offense. Please get back to me with your reasons! I am absolutely fascinated by this. This is the Somali conspiratorial mind gone wild!

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Trauntalbgirl

Saturday, December 09, 2000 - 11:04 am
I for one, don't care what they are or claim to be. My goal here is to shed some light on some aspects about Islam or life that people either don't know or distort for whatever reason. Now claiming something that you are not spells deep psychological problems. Suspicion on the other hand is the root of all evil.
Solution you ask? " Science flourishes on critism, dangerous propaganda crumbles before it"

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Anonymous

Saturday, December 09, 2000 - 11:33 am
This is easy:

Galool is white massionary
Mac is a somali atheist.

No need for brain storming, right?

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MAD MAC

Saturday, December 09, 2000 - 12:19 pm
OK, look, anyone who REALLY wants to know the truth about MAD MAC's identity, call me at work. I work from 0830-1700 central European Time. My number at work is (German prefix then..) 731-1690-1212

If you are calling from within Germany it's 0731-1690-1212.

Anyone who really wants to know can get me there. I'm the only one who answers that phone, it rings right in my office.

I am a Major in the United States Army who served in Somali, just as I said I am. If you really want to know, just call.

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Trauntlabgirl

Saturday, December 09, 2000 - 03:00 pm
Mad_Mac: Allow me to be a bit out of character here. NOt that I care about who you are or who you claim you are, but with all due respect, do you think Somalis are really stupid? I mean for them to find out who you are, they have to do it through you, and call a number where you are the only one who answers...lol..is it just me or are people getting to you to the point you are losing the sense of "intelligence" you have demonstrated on this pages. I mean, it looks to me like you want to be the juge, jury and the defendent in the case against you.

Just an observation.

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formerguest.

Saturday, December 09, 2000 - 03:07 pm
It is me again and hallow troops.(I couldn't keep my promise of staying away).

First:

TLG, I saw your answers to Galool about women and Islam. I have to admit, I couldn't come up with an answer that would make sense as yours did. Keep up the good work.

Galool.

I am wondering, were you taught islam before you became this fraudulent guy?. I am worried for your somali kids. I envision these somali looking guys coming up to me one day and saying: "Uncle, my father was somali and we don't know why we are not muslims". Sad thing indeed. Give them a chance. I assumed your wife is non-somali. You are in need of understanding islam from the start including SHAHADA and what it means. Your witt hasn't been serviced as it might have been.


MAD MAC.

You not gonna believe this but I will try to call just to hear how you sound. Do you accept COLLECT-CALLS?.


See ya.

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Dr Mustafa Mahmoud

Saturday, December 09, 2000 - 03:18 pm
Ladies and Gentleman,

My ex-student Galool,

I thought i did a good job when i passed you in my class. Obviously, you cheated that Final Exam.
TLG, please go and see what book he has in his hands, i wonder what is whether it is "a dialogue with an atheist", "the PlayBoy". It's clear that it is not the "Quran"

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formerguest.

Saturday, December 09, 2000 - 03:22 pm
Moujahida and conerned sister:

I appreciate your interest and concern for your faith. The best way to stay ahead of the game is to get education. It is very easy. One hadith every day or one verse everyday can suffice with their practice as much as you can. Keep your strengths.

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Trauntlabgirl

Saturday, December 09, 2000 - 07:01 pm
Procrastination...Somalinet isn't helping :-(

Dr. Mustafa... "dialogue with an athiest" was a good read I must point out...if Galool was indeed reading that, he would be leading Taraweeh prayers right now :-)

Former Guest: thanks bro. quick question, what does your nick mean?
I've been trying to figure out this nicks: Galool as I was told is the name of a tree (in the Somali language) which is hard to cut, is that right galool? Mad_Mac i'm assuming is madmacist or is it that soldier from that old fairy tell...you know the one that was very kind and wanted to save the world... I think Mel Gibson was the one who acted in the movie...is that right Mad_Mac?
The rest of the nicks are easy to comprehend.

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Dr Mustafa Mahmoud

Saturday, December 09, 2000 - 07:12 pm
TLG,

Then, a good muslim like you, I am sure will indeed recommend Galool, to read it once, twice, nth time. Though, I myself will recommend reading the Quran. Each letter, not word, Each letter worths 10 POINTS OF AJAR. Maa-shaa-allah.

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Ali

Saturday, December 09, 2000 - 11:53 pm
To Mad Mac

If you had really served in Somalia then the Somali War Syndrome should have sickened you. This is an abnormality for all American Soldiers who went to a war. Ashamed!!!

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formerguest.

Sunday, December 10, 2000 - 12:41 am
TLG.

Tough question to answer. Sister, I spent quite some time trying to come up with a username and settled for this one. I don't know what it means really. Doesn't sound too good of an explanation eh?. I wanted "guest" only denoting my stutas in somalinet but then thought it wouldn't work by itself so I added the "former". It doesn't have a significant meaning in my opinion. Just happened to be coincidental. I wish I had more fancy notions behind the makeup of my username and I don't. What do you think sis?. A change is in the works or should I keep mine?.

wasalam.

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concerned sister

Sunday, December 10, 2000 - 03:50 am
To Former and TgL

Okey I see your points but you seem you are missing mine. I have no problme whatever who they are as i said i do not mind discussion but what i would like consistence not whenever i answer a question then next time they will claim to be different person. this is really confusing I think both of you are over confident you are not scholars and i doubt the shcolars will agree with you.

Galool and Mad mac

I did not mean to offend you indeed we can be freinds if you take relogious discussion out of the way.

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MAD MAC

Sunday, December 10, 2000 - 11:01 pm
Salam All

Ali
Well, maybe you're right. I mean, I spend all of my time hanging around you people don't I? And certainly all of my American friends think I'm obsessive when it comes to Somalia. Frankly, i'm not in a position to judge.

T-Girl
Tell me how to prove myself and I will.

Formerguest.
Can't accept collect calls, it's a government line. But I tell you what, you send me your number to my E-Mail address and I give my word, I'll call you.

iikorpsg2of@hq.c5.army.mil

Until then, Nabad Gelyo

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Idea

Monday, December 11, 2000 - 01:41 am
Galool,

"the Idea of faaiziin seems to have come from Adam Smith's ugliest dreams"

lol, man! you are funnier than i thought. It would have been a great entertainment for you if you have ever heard what i did to thatpoor fella in one of my classes!!Was wondering what an intellect like you would have suggested the next african revolution should look like? GB was in the form of industrial revolution; America in the form of Trade Policy?!Think about it.

MM,
ofcourse somalis are bizzare,lol. Been under the impression since you have been hanging here for long time, had developed a taste for their irony!
Lately, was think about the comment that u left when i was talking about that tribal stuff. Listen, to one of my weirdest ideas: Somalis were phaorahs!!!

TLG:
"I FOR ONE..."
whenever u use that word say "acudi beelaahi meen qawoul kalimat ANA?!!! Was under an impression that the over usage of the word "I" has a root of the whispering of the Satan. So, keep that in mind.
By the way : "ANA" IS "I"

peace to all good heart ppl

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Trauntlabgirl

Monday, December 11, 2000 - 09:26 am
Dr. Mustafa: masha Allah...you are the wiser one since you recommended the Quran. You might wanna take back your comment about me being a good muslim. Don't even know what to recommend.

FormerGuest: Thanks for the explanation. I think you should keep the nick. Whether it has a meaning or not, it sounds cool and challenging :-)
By the way, couldn't help noticing the "eh", are you a Canuck?

ConcernedSis: I'm sorry sis if anything I said offended you. I'm new to this forums (ok, not that new, a month or so old). I have never claimed to be a scholar, (and neither has Formerguest, from what I've read). If anything, my knowledge about Islam is in its early stages of development. So, i won't be surprised if the scholars disagree with me. I understand your concern about the individuals in question. However, my take on this is that you answer what you can about thier claims and just ignore what you can't. After all, truth is distinct from falsehood. I'm actually against the idea of creating folders for them and advertising them. You are making them more important than they actually are. Again, that is just me. I have weird ways of dealing with things.

MadMac: how do you prove yourself? You shouldn't be asking me. "I'm a good damn analyst. I take limited information and device a strategy" does that ring a bell?

Idea: lol sis. au'dhubillahi mina shaydani rajeem...why are you grilling me by the way? Don't you have exams to study for? hey, English is not my mother tongue...though sadly i don't have any other for that matter. So don't mind the " I for one" thing.

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concerned sister

Monday, December 11, 2000 - 09:39 am
TGL,

I see your point but creating a fold will not make any advert fot them we do not have product or electrols here lol. secondly, I understand that you are trying to respond but sister do you know there are young brothers and sisters that do not have that much knowledge of islam. what can happen is that it is opens a door for the sheytaan, you see what i mean. they have english as a mother tongue and as i understand you do not. but the guys have they can use the language in anyways.

you see i do not hate them and i would love them to understand islam and i will pray for that.
but remember there is a hadith that says ( roughlY) that Allah can chabnge the Qulub. it is best to avod discusions. i know it is easy to enjoy or may be that is whta the guys are enjoying but we are muslims we should be concern about the consequense.

wa bilaahi towfiq

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Idea

Monday, December 11, 2000 - 01:05 pm
TLG,

Acudi meen qadab Allah, waa meen al-shaydan, waa meen shaar nafsii. Walaahi that was not any kind of trick rather an advise. You are too dear to my heart n will hate anything to hurt you.

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Trauntlabgirl

Monday, December 11, 2000 - 01:20 pm
Concernedsis,
Point well taken. But, what is the alternative? Leave them synthesize doubts in the minds of the young bros/sis that visit this place? The scholars have said that there are two ways of spreading knowledge. One is through the traditional teacher/student format, and the other is by refuting the falsehood attributed to Islam. And they added that the latter takes precedence in the light of what is happening today. Can't speak for others, but I'm not enjoying this. Ok, may be those conversations where Islam is not under attack. But, I can't see how anyone enjoys constantly defending their beleives, especially when we know(or suspect) that the perpetrators know better, and are doing this coz they have succumbed to their desires.

FYI, I have a clear command of the English language(just as good as native speaker). The earlier comment was made out of humbleness. How the individuals in question formulate their ideas has lil' to do with the Language (Ok, may be a bit). If anything, it has more to do with expereience, determination, time, and may be "knowledge", some of which increase with age. As for some, like the age thing, I can only blame my parents for having me late(May be not blame, but you get my point). For the others, i'm working on them.

I finished my exams today, so i'm basically free to do essays on Somalinet forumss till January...why do i have a feeling I know who you are, friend? If you are who I think you are and you made me write this long response, then you are in trouble. If not, forgive me.

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Trauntlabgirl

Monday, December 11, 2000 - 01:23 pm
Idea: sniff sniff, i'm touched :-)

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formerguest.

Monday, December 11, 2000 - 06:13 pm
Asalaamu caleikum.

TLG.

You couldn't help noticing the canuck eh?. No Sis, I am not canuck but next door neighbour.

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MAD MAC

Monday, December 11, 2000 - 09:43 pm
T-Girl
Well then I'll stand by my original solutions. You can E-Mail me or you can call me. If you do neither then you can't say I haven't given anyone the window to confirm my existence.

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Trauntlabgirl

Tuesday, December 12, 2000 - 02:50 pm
Mad_Mac, I hope the "you can e-mail" or "you can call" were general and not directly addressed to me. Remember i'm "not attracted to short white guys", especially if they are "lousy kaafirs".
I never said you didn't give people ways to find out who u are. What i'm saying is the options you choose were bad for " a damn good analyst" of the US army.

Formerguest, thanks for the answers to my questions. I'll end the interview (or intrusion) here :-)

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formerguest.

Wednesday, December 13, 2000 - 12:52 am
TLG.

I hope I didn't sound privy. And no, your questions were not an intrusion of any kind. It was my pleasure to answer your questions. Keep up the good work.

peace.

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common

Wednesday, December 13, 2000 - 03:58 am
Galol

Do you have the courage of a lion.. or is it that you have the cunningness of a fox. The fox is alright until the Lion wakes up. Tell me what happens to you when the Lion wakes up?.

ps: bypass the humanist, appalled at the tyranny of Islam approach and answer the question

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suuban to TLG

Wednesday, December 13, 2000 - 05:00 am
Salaamu calaykum yaa muslimiin

To TLG

Sister,

It is your sister from the chat room. As requested I have read the thread. It just tell us that we need to help this young girl and to contact the sister who brought it to our attention. We are to make contributions so this child can be successfully operated in a Western country.

Salaam

suuban

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Trauntlabgirl

Wednesday, December 13, 2000 - 07:02 am
Salaam to all,

Subaan, thank you very much sis. I will wait for a response from them.

Formerguest, not at all bro. Thanks again.

salaam

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MAD MAC

Wednesday, December 13, 2000 - 08:47 am
T-Girl
Are in insinuating I'm not a damn good analyst? If I wasn't so full of hubris, I'd be insulted. Have a fulfilling Ramadan and a fun-filled eid fest.

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Galool

Wednesday, December 13, 2000 - 09:49 am
Common

I am neither a lion nor a cat. But I do have an anti-beardo abyssinian, a doberman - pincher, specially trained to maul anyone in a turban or sporting a worry bead, and a Gerbil with attitude called Ali (although I am seriously considering re-naming him asad)

Are you this lion then? Nah, I don't think so! not since the girls blunted your bite by adoring you so much! You see, they want you nice'n'sweet and they will slap your wrist whenever you try to roar at me! Ah things women can do to you!

Where is asad by the way? We all miss him, don't we? (I see a whole platoon of wide-eyed young beardos running for cover at the very thought of Asad's return!) No seriously, we do miss you asad. You are irreplacable!

And you don't want to miss discovering all those discrepancies in my after-eid subjects which will explore, among other topics, the following:
Women and Islam: Why cover-up beauty?
Islamic Rule And How it Would Never Work in Somalia
Shall we convert most mosques into shelter for the
deprived?
Quranic Teachers in Infant schools - Should they
be arrested and charged with Child Abuse?

And many more. Discrepancy Hunter's paradise!

PS:
I hope above offends no one. Remember: I just posed questions. If on the other hand, you do wish to be offended, please come back after eid.

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Arawelo

Wednesday, December 13, 2000 - 10:08 am
Galool,

How is Ramadan going?

I would not be offended by any discussion as long as we keep the order the respect to each other and to our different beleafs.
I do not see why you should wait after eid. let us start now;

Do you know that mosques are not only places for worship. During the Prophat pbuh, it served more than that.( I caanot find the words now someone may carry on from there.....


And by the way I changed one of your topics ( it is seriously offensive and to some depicts a bit of hostile) what about;

'' the role of islamic maddrasa in the Muslim lands, worthy'' do you agree.

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common

Wednesday, December 13, 2000 - 10:49 am
Galool

No i ain't the lion, I just threw you open the forums. See i prefer it when you straight up. The "i will respect Ramadhan" thing is patronisingly sick. You are acting like one of those intermeditry ethnics, torn between explaining your inescapable heritage and flaunting your english skills.
What are you restraining yourself for?. verily you are the loser my friend. You shall stand naked before your lord just as Mad mac will and neither, aestiactic appeasing words or appaulse form a nullified Kuffar will save you.
Why did you exchange the high for the low?. What have your earned but worry and misery, plunging your self deeper in the abysis, is not salvation.For your question?, you are the empitome of your very answer
why cover up beauty?, because you don't appreciate beauty my brother, you covet it.
wasalaam

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Galool

Wednesday, December 13, 2000 - 12:59 pm
Common

After Ramadhan, my young friend, after Ramadan.

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Sweetgirl

Wednesday, December 13, 2000 - 05:46 pm
Galool

If arrogance was a crime you'd be on death row, and if the stupid topics you suggested were some kind of a joke then I'm not amused.

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Trauntalbgirl

Wednesday, December 13, 2000 - 06:06 pm
Mad_Mac, no sir no. I'm not hinting at anything. Just bringing to the surface your inane assertions. If I wasn't so full of humility, I would have said more.

Galool, abtee,
Good gracious lord! where should I begin? Where is thy Oxford or Webster? A dog, a rodent and a muslim all in one sentence! I know there is some truth to what Concernedsister said about your skills but u didn't have to go to such lengths to demonstrate your language profeciency! Or is it a practise for those short stories?

Looking at your comment about Common and the girls that adore him, I'm starting to think that there is some truth to that missionary theory. What was it? Devide and conquer? Man!, didn't know it comes in handy even in the 21st centuary. Or is it a new one...kill the morale.
By the way, can you be a lil less condescending with that Ramadhan thing...it is nauseating me. But again, I doubt u would care. The name of your game seems to be sadism. So forget that I mentioned.

Happy Holidays:-)

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MAD MAC

Wednesday, December 13, 2000 - 10:23 pm
T-girl
Inane? There is no way a rationale, attractive woman such as yourself can possibly assert that my arguments are inane!!!! Disagree you may, but inane? A little harsh don't you think? You want to see inane arguments go over to the general page.

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Idea

Thursday, December 14, 2000 - 05:57 am
GilGil Galool,

where did u grow up?
Yaa Allah...mon ami ...je deteste votre morale...c'est uukh...s'l vouz plait...ponder bein!! vouz etes walaali tres malade

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Anonymous

Thursday, December 14, 2000 - 09:43 am
mad mc and galool

are you not giving up this so called freaidship now

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Galool

Thursday, December 14, 2000 - 10:56 am
TLG

I love uniting people, not dividing them. Maybe I was just a little bit jealous. I wish girls adored me in my younger days as well as they do with Common! I have to do all the chasing, usually without success! (hey may be I do have something in common with the lion after all!)

Seriously. I am impressed by the way you gleaned my(unintended) comparison of the dog, the rodent and the muslim from my innocous message. Maybe it is you who should be thinking about writing stories!

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common

Thursday, December 14, 2000 - 11:40 am
Galool

ummh okay.<looking at you strangely> after Ramadhan, i will anticipate my faith crumbling, with the well manicured scratch marks of you and MM on Islam. The Banshees of the website
chuckle chuckle. your remarks will revebrate in history no doubt.Or in the gutter. what was it Ocasr wilde said everyones in the gutter, just some of us looking at the stars. If you lifted your heads out of the gutter, maybe you would see what the rest of us see.
Say Allah is one, ascribe no partner to him and fufill your convenant, do not trangress, for you can not render the earth oblolete nor reach the mountains in height. Beautiful isn't it: Al -Quran
peace (distituibed proportionaly between the belivers and non believers)
wanna here a joke? ,
You know how faint hearted westerners are also going on about how regulatory teh Quran is, i seen the notes of one Middle east course of a roommate of mine, where the teachers had told them to write down that the Quran details the postions of sex.
I seen this article when the journalist asked "which direction do Muslims have to fart".. the Sheikh clearly a joker replied
"in the direction of the non-believer"

Meanwhile, did you guys hear?.. a flight to Miami was delayed for a couple of hours here in London, cause they found <pulling a mysterious scary muslim face to set you in the mood> wait for it....paper with Arabic writing on it in the Toliet.lol. Eventually it was determined that despite the rational reaction of the cleaners to equate the arabic lanaguage with the bomb squad, it was a advertisement for a calender.
God bless the "special relationship" between america and england, for verily we would be lost without their magic. God bless Galol's tender and sweet heart, bursting with a equal amount of cynism and compassion, humanity gotta love it!
one love folk.

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Trauntlabgirl

Thursday, December 14, 2000 - 02:53 pm
Common, loool ...that joke was funny.
while we are in that muslim terrorism joke mood, let me share this.
I had once on my answering machine (after the recorded greetings in Arabic), "if you need a building to be blown up press 1" My/roommate's parents were not amused at this, so I had to delete it :-( (you know how paranoid muslim parents are, specially if they are immigrants..lol.)

Galool, abtee, I like your condescending attitude towards me...it is kinda cute. Regarding the short stories, i think u are being a bit generous. My characters will be genes, enzymes, bacteria, DNA and other things that most people will not relate to. My themes will be transcription, translation, pathways...etc
What are your themes for the short stories by the way?

Mad_Mac, Ok my night in shinning armour. I'm off your case now. Looks like when people can't handle a girl's argument, she has to be reminded that she is a woman. And supprisingly by the same people that are screaming women's freedom from the tyranny of Islam from the mountain tops.
About the general discussions, thanks but no thanks. As it is, it is being said that i'm spending too much time on the net. The powers that be in my life have even threatened to reduce my allowance...lol...due to poor grades as a result of somalinetforumss. So I might have to put the time in a part time job.

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MAD MAC

Thursday, December 14, 2000 - 10:40 pm
T-Girl
Knight in shining Armour. Now that's much nicer. When I return from the Crusades, if my woman has left me (and eventually they always do) I'll give you a call - if I'm not dead. God I crack myself up.

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Trauntlabgirl

Friday, December 15, 2000 - 05:33 am
MadMac, I will be waiting for the call. But will only take it if the name has changed to Abdullah or Abdul-rahman...lol..you crack me up too.
So you liked the Knight in shinning armour part? I resort to Old English at the height of sarcasm, lost on some.

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MAD MAC

Friday, December 15, 2000 - 05:37 am
I kind of had the feeling I wasn't your knight type of dude. Wrong name. And wrong hair. Definately wrong hair. Complexion's probably a shade or two too light as well. A pity too, because I love Somali woman. They just never love me.

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Qoonsade

Friday, December 15, 2000 - 11:20 am
It is glaringly obvious and beyond any shadow of doubt that Galol is KAFIR who lacks the benefits of spiritual grace. it is a fundemental and universally accepted principle among muslims that Galol is not one of us. How can I judge? what ever he writes are full of remarks that entail apastsy from Islam(radah canil islam). It should be clear by know that we never tolerate Galol to distort the true picture of Islam.

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Sweetgirl

Friday, December 15, 2000 - 01:23 pm
What does Galool really mean?

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Trauntlabgirl

Friday, December 15, 2000 - 03:57 pm
MadMac, knight in shining armour, don't worry about the name, the hair or the complexion. I have a few of those types in my family and I love them dearly. But, u know why they (somali women) " just never love you"? It is because u don't wanna say Allah is one, he has no partners, and Muhammed(SAW)is his appostle. Affirm this in your heart and testify it with your tongue. You'll be surprised at the number that will start loving you. Ofcourse you will have to select only upto four. But, I remember reading somewhere (I have a good memory, maashaa Allah) that "you will probably never become one" But then we all say things. So the offer still stands.

Take care Knight :-) and don't lose sleep over the women that "just don't love you" there is life after death, even in relationships.

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Anonymous

Saturday, December 16, 2000 - 07:32 am
lol @ TLG
how do you come up with this sarcastic things?

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Idea

Monday, December 18, 2000 - 01:36 am
TLG,

I pressed 1...haven't seen anything. Woman!!!
lol

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MAD MAC

Monday, December 18, 2000 - 02:57 am
T-Girl
Allah is one and Mohamed is his Prophet. I believe that too. The problem is I don't believe the Qur'an is devine, and that is the part you left out.

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ANON

Monday, December 18, 2000 - 03:31 am
MAD MAC----YES, THE PROBLEM IS THAT YOU DISBELIEVE THE QURAN. IF YOU DISBELIEVE PART OF THE QURAN, YOU DISBELIEVED ALL OF THE QURAN-----ALLAH'S SAYINGS AND THE PROPHET'S SAYS TRUTHFULNESS. YOU ALSO DISBELIEVE THE CREATION OF HELL AND ACCOUNTIBILITY, RIGHT? YOU BELIEVE SATAN WILL GO HEAVEN, RIGHT?

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MAD MAC

Monday, December 18, 2000 - 04:05 am
Anon
Comrade, You gotta pay attention to detail. What I have said is I'm not sure about the after-life. I have proposed several possibilities. I don't claim to know what awaits us in the after-life. A viewpoint I am sympathetic to is the Mormon viewpoint, which claims there are different levels of Heaven, vice Heaven and Hell. Furthmore, I do believe in some parts of the Qur'an. It is patently incorrect to say if I don't believe in all I don't believe in any. I can tell you right now I believe in parts and find other parts suspect. That should be easy enough to understand. As for Satan, if he exists (and this becomes a complex and seperate theme) I'm not sure what his ultimate fate will be, or if there is an ultimate fate. I'm not a big believer in Armagedon and a final end to the biological life, etc.

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ANON

Monday, December 18, 2000 - 04:33 am
MAD MAC----YES, THE MENTION OF THE LIFE IN HEREAFTER, THE ACCOUNTIBLITY, HELL AND HEAVEN IS WHAT IS IN THE QURAN. IN ISLAM, IF YOU DO NOT BELIEVE THESE, YOU DISBELIEVED THE TOTALITY OF THE QURAN. THE PAGAN ARABS WERE NOT BIG BELIEVERS IN THE HEREAFTER ALSO. THE PAGAN ARABS BELIEVED THE EXISTANCE OF ALLAH AND THE TRUTHFULNESS IN MAHAMMAD, BUT THEY REJECTED THE LIFE IN HEREAFTER, THE ACCOUNTIBLITY, HELL AND HEAVEN. THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE SUCH THINGS WERE POSSIBLE TO HAPPEN WHEN THEY LEAVE FROM THIS WORLD, JUST LIKE YOU, MAD MAC. THE FACT IS THAT YOU ARE NOT SURE ABOUT WHAT IS IN THE QURAN AND IF IT IS TRUTH OR NOT. THIS MAKES YOU AN AGNOSTIC (A DOUBTER OR DISBELIEVER), RIGHT?

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MAD MAC

Monday, December 18, 2000 - 05:09 am
Anon
Again we go back to what I said. Certainly I am a disbeliever. At least from your perspective. I definately believe in parts of the Qu'ran. But I recognize that that is not sufficient to be regarded as a Muslim. At least not from a Muslim perspective. Agnostic is close, but no cigar. I have some definate beliefs, some theories I subscribe to but believe could be mistaken, and some things I regard as outright false.

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ANON

Monday, December 18, 2000 - 09:09 am
MAD MAC-----THE PAGAN ARABS ALSO BELIEVED IN SOME PARTS OF THE QURAN, BUT THEY WERE DISBELIVERS. YES, TO BE A MUSLIM, YOU MUST BELIEVE IN ALL PARTS OF THE QURAN. IF ALLAH TOLD THE PROPHET TO ACCEPT SOME OF THE BELIEFS (THE WRONG THEORIES ABOUT THE AFTER LIFE OF THE PAGANS) WHICH THE PAGAN ARABS SUBCRIBED AS TRUTH------IN ORDER FOR THEM TO BE ACCEPTED BY ALLAH-----WHILE THEY REJECTED SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WAS IN THE QURAN-------ISLAM WOULD HAVE BEEN THE RELIGION COMPROMISE, A FLEXIBLE RELIGION THAT ACCEPTS ANYTHING, EVEN A RELIGION THAT ACCEPTS THE THEORIES THAT MAD MAC SUBSCRIBES TO, RIGHT? IF THIS WAS THE CASE, LET'S ALL BE FLEXIBLE SO WE WILL ALL (THE GOOD AND THE BAD, THE BELIEVER AND THE DISBELEIVER----EVEN THE DEVIL) GO TO HEAVEN, RIGHT?--------WRONG.

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MAD MAC

Tuesday, December 19, 2000 - 12:41 am
Define accept. Perhaps we should use the word respect. I can respect your religious beliefs while disagreeing with them.

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ANON

Tuesday, December 19, 2000 - 07:28 am
mad mac----i said before that if i disagree with you that does not mean i disrepect you. the arab pagans came to the prophet many times and requested that he does not say anything about their idols they used to worship in the place of Allah------they will give him whatever he wanted. they offered to him compromise-----when the prophet refused the compromise and continued the preaching of islam (the Oneness of Allah and the the accountablity in the hereafter and the creation of hell and heaven), the pagan arabs started to abuse him and his followers.

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ANON

Tuesday, December 19, 2000 - 07:31 am
mad mac----what i meant to say was that islam does not *accept*----*approves* of and *allows* compromise with the truth.

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MAD MAC

Tuesday, January 30, 2001 - 03:33 am
Asad
We were using different definitions of the word accept. I accept that you believe the Qur'an is divine even though I don't. I accept your choice. Ostensibly Mohammed accepted the pagan Arab choices while stating his position that they were not acceptable.

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ANON

Tuesday, January 30, 2001 - 05:41 am
i don't know about your definition of the word accept. i do not accept unbelief and the prophet never accepted what the pagan arabs accepted. during the prophet's time, some of the leading pagan arabs of makkah had proposed to the prophet a compromise and *acceptance* between islam and their faith, whereby the prophet would accept or concede to their gods an honorable *position*. then, Allah revealed to him a chapter called infidels (kafirun) indignantly repudiates all such suggestions. And this chapter or surah breathes a spirit of uncompromising hostility to idolatry, not acceptance. idolatry was not never *acceptable* to the prophet. "Say thou (O prophet): Infidels! I worship not what you worship (on the other hand I deny and repudiate your gods). Nor are you (at present) the worshippers of what I worship. And I shall not (in future) be a worshipper of what you have worshipped. Nor will you be the worshipper of what I worship (so long as you cling to view of Godhead); so that their can be no common or acceptable ground between the worship of the One and the many----monotheism and polytheism) Your requital shall be yours (recompense due to you as kufars), and my requital shall be mine (recompense due to me as a muslim).

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MAD MAC

Wednesday, January 31, 2001 - 03:27 am
But what I'm saying is that Mohammed accepted the fact that THEY (the Arab Pagans) worshipped idols. He did not say that they did not have the right to worship what they wanted. That's how I'm defining acceptance here. Perhaps a better word would be tolerated. He tolerated it. He did not approve, but he tolerated others choices. That's my point. This is what I mean by accept. I accept that people can do things I don't approve of even as I repudiate them. I accept that my son is Catholic even thuogh I am not. You with me here?

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ANON

Wednesday, January 31, 2001 - 06:28 am
mad mac--the prophet was told to tell these arab pagans their ways was *abhorrent* to him. in fact, the main job of all the prophets of Allah was to bring people out of the worship of creation to the worship of Allah. the arab pagans was told that their requital shall be theirs and the prophet's requital shall be his in the day of judgement-------that there would be no compromise or *acceptance* between islam and unbelief, whereby the prophet would accept or concede to their gods an honorable *position*. i mean, the prophet's job was to tell people that their ways was wrong and they should destroy the idols.

mad mac---unbelief, like homosexuality, is a thing i abhor. if i repudiate your unbelief does that mean i'm not putting up with your unbelief? whatever you as an unbeliever want to do is your business, but if you tell me that i i have to put up with your unbelief or the homosexual life-style, i'm not going to put up with. this is exactly what the homosexual community and unbelievers want from the muslims-----the same things the arab pagans wanted from the prophet---to be put up with and never to be said anything wrong about their ways---their life-style.! when some of the leading pagan arabs of makkah had proposed to the prophet a compromise and *acceptance* between islam and their faith, whereby the prophet would accept or concede to their gods an honorable *position* the prophet refused. in other word, the arab pagans wanted the prophet to stop talking about their idols and never say idol worship is wrong. but Allah informed the prophet to say to these people there would not be compromise----that there can be no common or acceptable ground between the worship of the One and the many----monotheism and polytheism. the prophet continued to talk about the idol worship being wrong and the spirit of uncompromising hostility to idolatry. so what happened then after that------when the prophet continued to preach islam (what is in the Quran)----the arab pagans could not *tolerate* this preaching----so they started to attack, kill and prosecute the prophet and his followers.

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ANON

Wednesday, January 31, 2001 - 10:54 am
Allah said to the prophet in the very first verses of the Quran "O you (Muhammad) enveloped (in garments)! Arise and warm! And your Lord (Allah) magnify! And your garments purify. And keep away from Ar-Rujz (the idols). And give not a thing in order to have more (or consider not your deeds of Allah's obedience as a favor to Allah). And be patient for the sake of your Lord (i.e perform your duty to Allah). 74:1-7. the prophet was told to be patient to the hostile attitude of the obdurate disbelivers, who will jeer at him and his followers. They are expected to disparage him and step up their malice to the point of scheming against his life and lives of all the believers who followed him. in this case, the propeht has got to be patient and is suppose to persevere and display the highest degree of stamina for the sole purpose of attaining the pleasure of Allah in preaching without compromise.

in the beginning, the makkan leaders did not care much about muhammad and took no heed of his teachings. at first, they thought that he was merely a religious philosophist who will just philosophize on godship and religious obligations, but this attitude of indifference soon changed into real apprehension. the arab pagans then started to watch muhammad's call closely. then, they stared to resist, but truth, unlike falsehood, is bound to stay, whereas falsehood is surely perishable. anxiously for fear of spreading his call and producing a change in the prevalent mentality, they made went to war and employed serious of tactics. their leader abu lahab immediately took the initiative and arranged a meeting and addressed the prophet: "these are your uncles and cousins, speak on to the point, but first of all you have got to know that your kinspeople are not in a position to withstand all the arabs. another point you have got to bear in mind is that your relatives are sufficient unto you. if you follow their tradition, it will be easier for them than to face the other clans of quraish supported by the other arabs. verily, i have never heard of anyone who has incurred more harm on his kinspeople than you." the messenger of Allah said: "i celebrate Allah's praise, i seek his help, i believe in Him, i put my trust in Him, i bear witness that there is no god to be worshipped but Allah with no associate. a guide can never lie to his people. i swear by Allah, there is no god be He, that i have been sent as a messenger to you, in particular and to all the people, in general. i swear by Allah you will die just as you sleep, you will be resurrected just as you wake up. you will be called to account for your deeds. it is then either hell forever or the garden (paradise) forever." the prophet's uncle (abu talib) replied: "we love to help you, accept your advice and believe in your words. these are your kinspeople whom you have collected and i am one of them but i am the fastest to do what you like. do what you have been ordered. i shall protect you and defend you, but i can't quit the religion of abdul muttalib". abu lahab then said to abu talib: "i swear by Allah that this is a bad thing. you must stop him before the others do". abu talib, however, answered: "i swear by Allah to protect him as long as i am alive". the arab pagans burst into outrage and disapproval. muhammad's words created a thunderbolt that turned the pagan’s time-honored ideological life-style upside down. they could afford to do nothing before an honest truthful man who was the highest example of good manners and human values. they had never known such an example in the history of their folks or grandfathers. what would they do? they were baffled, and they had the right to be so. following careful deliberations, they hit upon the only target available, i.e. to contact the messenger's uncle (abu talib) once again and request him to intervene and advice his nephew. they addressed abu talib this way: "o abu talib, your nephew curses our gods; finds faults with our way of life, mocks at our religion and degrades our forefathers; either you must stop him, or you must let us get at him. for you are in the same opposition as we are in opposition to him; and we will rid you of him". abu talib tried to appease their wrath by giving them a polite reply. the prophet, however, continued on his way preaching Allah's religion and calling people hitherto, heedless of all their desperate attempts and malicious intentions. abu talib was deeply distressed at this open threat and the breach with his people and their enmity, but he could not affort to desert the messenger too. he said to the prophet: "spare me and yourself and put not burden on me that i can not bear" upon this the prophet thought that his uncle wold let him down and would no longer support him, so he replied: "o my uncle! by Allah if they put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left on condition that i abandon this course, until Allah has made me victorious, or i perish therein, i would not abandon it" the prophet got up, and as he turned away, his uncle called him and said: "come back, my nephew" and when he came back, he said: "go and preach what you please, for by Allah, i will never forsake you". the arab pagans, seeing that the messenger was still intent on his call, realized that abu talib woldl never forsake his nephew even if this incurred their enmity---some of them went to his him once more taking with them a youth called amarah bin al-waleed bin al mugheerah, and said: "o abu talib! we have brought you a smart boy still in the bloom of his youth, to make use of his mind and strength and take him as your son in exchange for your nephew, who has run counter to your religion, brought about social discourd, found fault with your way of life, so that we kill him and rid you of his endless troubles; just man for man" abu talib's reply was: "it is really an unfair bargain. you give me your son to bring him up and i give you my son to kill him! by Allah, it is something incredible!!". al-mutim bin adi, a member of the delegation, interrupted saying that quraish had been fair in that bargain because: "they meant only to rid you of that source of hateful trouble, but as i see you are determined to refuse their favors" having fully perceived that muhammad could never be desisted from his call, the arab pagans, in a desperate attempt to quell the tidal wave of the call, resorted to other cheap means acting from base motives-----scoffing, degrading, ridiculing, belying and all of which leveled at the new converts in general, and muhammad in particular, with the aim of dragging zealotry. again, when this didn't work for them, they again attempted to dissuade muhammad from his principled stand. they invited him to compromise on his teachings and come to terms with their ways in such a way that quits some of his religion and the polytheists do the same, but Allah told the prophet to tell lakum diinakum waliya diin. when this didn't work for them and now that all the schemes and conspiracies of the arab pagans had failed, they resorted to their old practices of persecution and inflicting tortures on the muslims. they started to torture and harassment muslims. serious of persecutions got worsened and accelerated until the situation got so extremely grave, then muslims began to seriously think of feasible ways liable to avert the painful tortures meted out of them. they also began to nurse the idea of killing the prophet which didn’t' work for them. some muslims fled to another country and others went to madinah. "They wish that you shall compromise (in religion out of courtesy) with them, so they (too) would compromise with you" 68:9.

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ANON

Thursday, February 01, 2001 - 05:45 am
"It is also reported that a wretched idolater from Quraish, named 'Uqbah bin 'Abi Mu'ait once trod on the Prophet's neck while he was prostrating himself in prayer until his eyes protruded. More details reported by Ibn Ishaq testify to the tyrants' deeply-established intentions of killing the Prophet (Peace be upon him). Abu Jahl, the archenemy of Islam, once addressed some of his accomplices: "O people of Quraish! It seems that Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is determined to go on finding fault with our religion, degrading our forefathers, discrediting our way of life and abusing our gods. I bear witness to our god that I will carry a too heavy rock and drop it on Muhammad's head while he is in prostration to rid you of him, once and for all. I am not afraid of whatever his sept, Banu 'Abd Munaf, might do." The terrible unfortunate audience endorsed his plan and encouraged him to translate it into a decisive deed. In the morning of the following day, Abu Jahl lay waiting for the arrival of the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) to offer prayer. The people of Quraish were in their assembly rooms waiting for news. When the Prophet (Peace be upon him) prostrated himself, Abu Jahl proceeded carrying the big rock to fulfill his wicked intention. No sooner had he approached closer to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) than he withdraw pale-faced, shuddering with his hands strained the rock falling off. Thereupon, the people watching hurried forward asking him what the matter was. He replied: "When I approached, a male-camel unusual in figure with fearful canines intercepted and almost devoured me." Ibn Ishaq reported that the Prophet (Peace be upon him), in the context of his comment on the incident, said "It was Gabriel (Peace be upon him) , if Abu Jahl had approached closer, he would have killed him. " Even so the tyrants of Quraish would not be admonished, contrariwise, the idea of killing the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was still being nourished in their iniquitous hearts. On the authority of 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As, some people of Quraish were in a place called Al-Hijr complaining that they had been too patient with the Prophet (Peace be upon him), who suddenly appeared and began his usual circumambulation. They started to wink at him and utter sarcastic remarks but he remained silent for two times, then on the third, he stopped and addressed the infidels saying: "O people of Quraish! Hearken, I swear by Allâh in Whose Hand is my soul, that you will one day be slaughtered to pieces." As soon as the Prophet (Peace be upon him) uttered his word of slaughter, they all stood aghast and switched off to a new style of language smacking of fear and even horror trying to soothe his anger and comfort him saying: "You can leave Abul Qasim, for you have never been foolish." 'Urwa bin Az-Zubair narrated: I asked Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As to tell me of the worst thing that the pagans did to the Prophet (Peace be upon him). He said: "While the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was praying in Al-Hijr of Al-Ka'bah, 'Uqbah bin Al-Mu'ait came and put his garment around the Prophet's neck and throttled him violently. Abu Bakr came and caught him by his shoulder and pushed him away from the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and said: "Do you want to kill a man just because he says, My Lord is Allâh?"


THE CONVERSION OF HAMZAH BIN 'ABDUL-MUTTALIB:
In a gloomy atmosphere infested with dark clouds of iniquity and tyranny, there shone on the horizon a promising light for the oppressed, i.e. the conversion of Hamzah bin 'Abdul-Muttalib in Dhul Hijjah, the sixth year of Prophethood. It is recorded that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was one day seated on the hillock of Safa when Abu Jahl happened to pass by and accused the religion preached by him. Muhammad (Peace be upon him), however, kept silent and did not utter a single word. Abu Jahl went on unchecked, took a stone and cracked the Prophet's head which began to bleed. The aggressor then went to join the Quraishites in their assembly place. It so happened that shortly after that, Hamzah, while returning from a hunting expedition, passed by the same way, his bow hanging by his shoulder. A slave-girl belonging to 'Abdullah bin Jada'an, who had noted the impertinence of Abu Jahl, told him the whole story of the attack on the Prophet (Peace be upon him) . On hearing that, Hamzah was deeply offended and hurried to Al-Ka'bah and there, in the courtyard of the Holy Sanctuary, found Abu Jahl sitting with a company of Quraishites. Hamzah rushed upon him and struck his bow upon his head violently and said: "Ah! You have been abusing Muhammad (Peace be upon him); I too follow his religion and profess what he preaches." The men of Bani Makhzum came to his help, and men of Bani Hashim wanted to render help, but Abu Jahl sent them away saying: "Let Abu 'Ummarah alone, by Allâh I did revile his nephew shamelessly." In fact, Hamzah's conversion derived initially from the pride of a man who would not accept the notion of others humiliating his relative. Later on, however, Allâh purified his nature and he managed to grasp the most trustworthy hand-hold (Faith in Allâh). He proved to be a source of great strength to the Islamic Faith and its followers.

THE CONVERSION OF 'UMAR BIN AL-KHATTAB:
Another significant addition to the strength of Islam was the conversion of 'Umar bin Al-Khattab in Dhul-Hijjah, the sixth year of Prophethood, three days following the conversion of Hamzah. ] He was a man of dauntless courage and resolution, feared and respected in Makkah, and hitherto a bitter opponent of the new religion. The traditional account reveals that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) once raised his hands in prayer and said:
"O Allâh! Give strength to Islam especially through either of two men you love more: 'Umar bin Al-Khattab or Abu Jahl bin Hisham."

'Umar, obviously, was the one who merited that privilege.

When we scrutinize the several versions that speak of 'Umar's conversion, we can safely conclude that various contradictory emotions used to conflict with one another within his soul. On the one hand, he used to highly regard the traditions of his people, and was habituated to the practice of indulgence in wine orgies; on the other hand, he greatly admired the stamina of the Muslims and their relentless dedication to their faith. These two extreme views created a sort of skepticism in himind and made him at times tend to believe that the doctrines of Islam could bear better and more sacred seeds of life, that is why he would always experience fits of outrage directly followed by unexpected enervation. On the whole, the account of his conversion is very interesting and requires us to go into some details.

One day, 'Umar bin Al-Khattab set out from his house, and headed for the Holy Sanctuary where he saw the Prophet (Peace be upon him) offering prayer and overheard him reciting the Sûrah Al-Hâqqah (Chapter 69 — The Reality) of the Noble Qur'ân. The Words of Allâh appealed to him and touched the innermost cells of his heart. He felt that they derived from unusual composition, and he began to question his people's allegations as regards the man-composed poetry or words of a soothsayer that they used to attach to the Noble Qur'ân. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) went on to recite:

"That this is verily the word of an honoured Messenger (i.e. Gabriel or Muhammad (Peace be upon him) which he has brought from Allâh). It is not the word of a poet, little is that you believe! Nor is it the word of a soothsayer (or a foreteller), little is that you remember! This is the Revelation sent down from the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists)." [69:40-43]

At that very moment, Islam permeated his heart. However, the dark layer of pre-Islamic tendencies, the deep-seated traditional bigotry as well as the blind pride in his forefathers overshadowed the essence of the great Truth that began to feel its way reluctantly into his heart. He, therefore, persisted in his atrocities against Islam and its adherents unmindful of the pure and true-to-man's nature feeling that lay behind that fragile cover of pre-Islamic ignorance and mentality. His sharp temper and excessive enmity towards the Prophet (Peace be upon him) led him one day to leave his house, sword in hand, with the intention of killing the Prophet (Peace be upon him) . He was in a fit of anger and was fretting and fuming. Nu'aim bin 'Abdullah, a friend of 'Umar's, met him accidentally half way. What had caused so much excitement in him and on whom was the fury to burst, he inquired casually. 'Umar said furiously: "To destroy the man Muhammad (Peace be upon him) this apostate, who has shattered the unity of Quraish, picked holes in their religion, found folly with their wise men and blasphemed their gods." "'Umar, I am sure, your soul has deceived you, do you think that Banu 'Abd Munaf would let you walk on earth if you slain Muhammad (Peace be upon him)? Why don't you take care of your own family first and set them right?"

"Which of the folk of my house?" asked 'Umar angrily. "Your brother-in-law and your sister have apostatized [meaning to say: They have become followers of Muhammad (Peace be upon him)] and abandoned your religion."

'Umar directed his footsteps to his sister's house. As he drew near, he heard the voice of Khabbab bin Aratt, who was reading the Qur'ânic Chapter Tâ-Hâ (mystic letters, T. H.) to both of them. Khabbab, perceiving the noise of his footsteps retired to a closet. Fatimah, 'Umar's sister, took hold of the leaf and hid it. But 'Umar had already heard the voice. "What sound was that I have heard just now?" shouted the son of Khattab, entering angrily. Both his sister and her husband replied, "You heard nothing." "Nay," said he swearing fiercely, "I have heard that you have apostatized." He plunged forward towards his brother-in-law and beat him severely, but Fatimah rushed to the rescue of her husband. Thereupon, 'Umar fell upon his sister and struck upon her head. The husband and wife could not contain themselves and cried aloud: "Yes, we are Muslims, we believe in Allâh and His Messenger Muhammad (Peace be upon him) so do what you will." When 'Umar saw the face of his dear sister besmeared with blood, he was softened and said: "Let me see what you were reading, so that I may see what Muhammad (Peace be upon him) has brought." Fatimah was satisfied with the assurance, but said: "O brother, you are unclean on account of your idolatry, none but the pure may touch it. So go and wash first." He did so, and took the page and read the opening verses of the Chapter Tâ-Hâ until he reached:

"Verily! I am Allâh! Lâ ilâha illa Ana (none has the right to be worshipped but I), so worship Me and offer prayers perfectly (Iqâmat-as-Salât), for My Remembrance." [20:14].

'Umar read the verses with great interest and was much entranced with them. "How excellent it is, and how graceful! Please guide me to Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ." said he. And when he heard that, Khabbab came out of concealment and said, "O 'Umar, I hope that Allâh has answered the prayer of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) , for I heard him say: 'O Allâh! Strengthen Islam through either 'Umar bin Al-Khattab or Abu Jahl bin Hisham.'" 'Umar then left for a house in Safa where Muhammad (Peace be upon him) had been holding secret meetings along with his Companions. 'Umar reached that place with the sword swinging by his arm. He knocked at the door. The Companions of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) turned to see who the intruder was. One of them peeped through a chink in the door and reeled back exclaiming: "It is 'Umar with his sword." Hamzah, dispelling the fears of his friends, said: "Let him in. As a friend he is welcome. As a foe, he will have his head cut off with his own sword." The Prophet (Peace be upon him) asked his Companions to open the door. In came the son of Khattab. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) advanced to receive the dreadful visitor, caught him by his garment and scabbard, and asked him the reason of his visit. At that 'Umar replied: "O Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him), I come to you in order to believe in Allâh and his Messenger and that which he has brought from his Lord." Filled with delight, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) together with his Companions, cried aloud: 'Allâhu Akbar' (Allâh is Great).

The conversion of 'Umar was a real triumph for the cause of Islam. So great and instant was the effect of his conversion on the situation that the believers who had hitherto worshipped Allâh within their four walls in secret now assembled and performed their rites of worship openly in the Holy Sanctuary itself. This raised their spirits, and dread and uneasiness began to seize Quraish.

Ibn Ishaq narrated on the authority of 'Umar (May Allah be pleased), "When I embraced Islam, I remembered the archenemy of Muhammad (Peace be upon him), i.e. Abu Jahl. I set out, and knocked at his door. When he came out to see me, I told him directly that I had embraced Islam. He immediately slammed the door repulsively denouncing my move as infamous and my face as ugly." In fact, 'Umar's conversion created a great deal of stir in Makkah that some people denounced him as an apostate, yet he would never waver in Faith, on the contrary, he persisted in his stance even at the peril of his life. The polytheists of Quraish marched towards his house with the intention of killing him. 'Abdullah bin 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated: While 'Umar was at home in a state of fear, there came Al-'As bin Wa'il As-Sahmy Abu 'Amr, wearing an embroidered cloak and a shirt having silk hems. He was from the tribe of Bani Sahm who were our allies during the pre-Islamic period of ignorance. Al-'As said to 'Umar: What's wrong with you? He said: Your people claim that they will kill me if I become a Muslim. Al-'As said: Nobody will harm you after I have given protection to you. So Al-'As went out and met the people streaming in the whole valley. He said: Where are you going? They replied: We want son of Al-Khattab who has embraced Islam. Al-'As said: There is no way for anybody to touch him. So the people retreated.

With respect to the Muslims in Makkah, 'Umar's conversion had a different tremendous impact. Mujahid, on the authority of Ibn Al-'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) related that he had asked 'Umar bin Al-Khattab why he had been given the epithet of Al-Farouque (he who distinguishes truth from falsehood), he replied: After I had embraced Islam, I asked the Prophet (Peace be upon him): 'Aren't we on the right path here andHereafter?' The Prophet (Peace be upon him) answered: 'Of course you are! I swear by Allâh in Whose Hand my soul is, that you are right in this world and in the hereafter.' I, therefore, asked the Prophet (Peace be upon him) 'Why we then had to conduct clandestine activism. I swear by Allâh Who has sent you with the Truth, that we will leave our concealment and proclaim our noble cause publicly.' We then went out in two groups, Hamzah leading one and I the other. We headed for the Mosque in broad daylight when the polytheists of Quraish saw us, their faces went pale and got incredibly depressed and resentful. On that very occasion, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) attached to me the epithet of Al-Farouque. Ibn Mas'ud (May Allah be pleased with him) related that they (the Muslims) had never been able to observe their religious rites inside the Holy Sanctuary except when 'Umar embraced Islam.

Suhaib bin Sinan (May Allah be pleased with him), in the same context, said that it was only after 'Umar's conversion, that we started to proclaim our Call, assemble around and circumambulate the Sacred House freely. We even dared retaliate against some of the injustices done to harm us. In the same context, Ibn Mas'ud said: We have been strengthened a lot since 'Umar embraced Islam.


QURAISH'S REPRESENTATIVE NEGOTIATES WITH THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH:
Shortly after the conversion of these two powerful heroes, Hamzah bin 'Abdul-Muttalib and 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him), the clouds of tyranny and oppression started to clear away and the polytheists realized that it was no use meting out torture to the Muslims. They consequently began to direct their campaign to a different course. The authentic records of the biography of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) show that it had occurred to the Makkan leaders to credit Muhammad (Peace be upon him) with ambition. They, therefore, time and again plied him with temptation. One day some of the important men of Makkah gathered in the enclosure of Al-Ka'bah, and 'Utbah bin Rabi'a, a chief among them, offered to approach the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and contract a bargain with him whereby they give him whatever worldly wealth he asks for, on condition that he keep silent and no longer proclaim his new faith. The people of Quraish endorsed his proposal and requested him to undertake that task. 'Utbah came closer to Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and addressed him in the following words:
We have seen no other man of Arabia, who has brought so great a calamity to a nation, as you have done. You have outraged our gods and religion and taxed our forefathers and wise men with impiety and error and created strife amongst us. You have left no stone unturned to estrange the relations with us. If you are doing all this with a view to getting wealth, we will join together to give you greater riches than any Quraishite has possessed. If ambition moves you, we will make you our chief. If you desire kingship we will readily offer you that. If you are under the power of an evil spirit which seems to haunt and dominate you so that you cannot shake off its yoke, then we shall call in skilful physicians to cure you.

"Have you said all?" asked Muhammad (Peace be upon him); and then hearing that all had been said, he spoke forth, and said:

"In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. Hâ-Mîm. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur'ân, and none but Allâh (Alone) knows their meanings]. A revelation from Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. A Book whereof the verses are explained in detail; — a Qur'ân in Arabic for people who know. Giving glad tidings [of Paradise to the one who believes in the Oneness of Allâh (i.e. Islamic Monotheism) and fears Allâh much (abstains from all kinds of sins and evil deeds.) and loves Allâh much (performing all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)], and warning (of punishment in the Hell-fire to the one who disbelieves in the Oneness of Allâh), but most of them turn away, so they listen not. And they say: Our hearts are under coverings (screened) from that to which you invite us …" [41: 1-5]

The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) went on reciting the Chapter while 'Utbah sitting and listening attentively with his hand behind his back to support him. When the Messenger reached the verse that required prostration, he immediately prostrated himself. After that, he turned to 'Utbah saying: "Well Abu Al-Waleed! You have heard my reply, you are now free to do whatever you please." 'Utbah then retired to his company to apprise them of the Prophet's attitude. When his compatriots saw him, they swore that he had returned to them with a countenance unlike the one he had before meeting the Prophet (Peace be upon him) . He immediately communicated to them the details of the talk he gave and the reply he received, and appended saying: "I have never heard words similar to those ones he recited. They definitely relate neither to poetry nor to witchcraft nor do they derive from soothsaying. O people of Quraish! I request you to heed my advice and grant the man full freedom to pursue his goals, in which case you could safely detach yourselves from him. I swear that his words bear a supreme Message. Should the other Arabs rid you of him, they will then spare you the trouble, on the other hand if he accedes to power over the Arabs, then you will bask in his kingship and share him his might." These words of course fell on deaf ears, and did not appeal to the infidels, who jeered at 'Utbah and claimed that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) had bewitched him.

In another version of the same event, it is related that 'Utbah went on attentively listening to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) until the latter began to recite Allâh's Words:

"But if they turn away, they say [O Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ]: "I have warned you of a Sa'iqa (a destructive awful cry, torment, hit, a thunder-bolt) like the Sa'iqa which overtook 'Ad and Thamûd (people)." [41:13]

Here 'Utbah stood up panicked and stunned putting his hand on the Prophet's mouth beseeching him: "I beg you in the Name of Allâh and uterine ties to stop lest the calamity should befall the people of Quraish." He then hurriedly returned to his compatriots and informed them of what he had heard.


ABU TALIB ASSEMBLES BANI HASHIM ND BANI AL-MUTTALIB:
The new and welcome changes notwithstanding, Abu Talib still had a deep sensation of fear over his nephew. He deliberated on the previous series of incidents including the barter affair of 'Amarah bin Al-Waleed, Abu Jahl's rock, 'Uqbah's attempt to choke the Prophet (Peace be upon him) , and finally 'Umar's (before conversion) intention to kill Muhammad (Peace be upon him). The wise man understood that all of these unequivocally smacked of a serious plot being hatched to disregard his status as a custodian of the Prophet (Peace be upon him), and kill the latter publicly. In the event of such a thing, Abu Talib deeply believed, neither 'Umar nor Hamzah would be of any avail, socially powerful though they were.
Abu Talib was right. The polytheists had laid a carefully-studied plan to kill the Prophet (Peace be upon him), and banded together to put their plan into effect. He, therefore, assembled his kinsfolk of Bani Hashim and Bani Al-Muttalib, sons of 'Abd Munaf and exhorted them to immunize and defend his nephew. All of them, whether believers or disbelievers, responded positively except his brother Abu Lahab, who sided with the idolaters. A PACT OF INJUSTICE AND AGGRESSION:
The pagans of Makkah held a meeting in a place called Wadi Al-Muhassab, and formed a confederation hostile to both Bani Hashim and Bani Al-Muttalib. They decided not to have any business dealings with them nor any sort of inter-marriage. Social relations, visits and even verbal contacts with Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and his supporters would discontinue until the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was given up to them to be killed. The articles of their proclamation, which had provided for merciless measures against Bani Hashim, were committed to writing by an idolater, Bagheed bin ‘Amir bin Hashim and then suspended in Al-Ka‘bah. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) invoked Allâh’s imprecations upon Bagheed, whose hand was later paralysed.

Abu Talib wisely and quietly took stock of the situation and decided to withdraw to a valley on the eastern outskirts of Makkah. Banu Hashim and Banu Al-Muttalib, who followed suit, were thus confined within a narrow pass (Shi‘b of Abu Talib), from the beginning of Muharram, the seventh year of Muhammad’s mission till the tenth year, viz., a period of three years. It was a stifling siege. The supply of food was almost stopped and the people in confinement faced great hardships. The idolaters used to buy whatever food commodities entered Makkah lest they should leak to the people in Ash-Shi‘b, who were so overstrained that they had to eat leaves of trees and skins of animals. Cries of little children suffering from hunger used to be heard clearly. Nothing to eat reached them except, on few occasions, some meagre quantities of food were smuggled by some compassionate Makkans. During ‘the prohibited months’ — when hostilities traditionally ceased, they would leave their confinement and buy food coming from outside Makkah. Even then, the food stuff was unjustly overpriced so that their financial situation would fall short of finding access to it.

Hakeem bin Hizam was once on his way to smuggle some wheat to his aunt Khadijah (May Allah be pleased with her) when Abu Jahl intercepted and wanted to debar him. Only when Al-Bukhtari intervened, did Hakeem manage to reach his destination. Abu Talib was so much concerned about the personal safety of his nephew. Whenever people retired to sleep, he would ask the Prophet (Peace be upon him) to lie in his place, but when all the others fell asleep, he would order him to change his place and take another, all of which in an attempt to trick a potential assassin.

Despite all odds, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) persisted in his line and his determination and courage never weakened. He continued to go to Al-Ka‘bah and to pray publicly. He used every opportunity to preach to outsiders who visited Makkah for business or on pilgrimage during the sacred months and special seasons of assemblies.

This situation ultimately created dissension amongst the various Makkan factions, who were tied with the besieged people by blood relations. After three years of blockade and in Muharram, the tenth year of Muhammad’s mission, the pact was broken. Hisham bin ‘Amr, who used to smuggle some food to Bani Hashim secretly at night, went to see Zuhair bin Abi Omaiyah Al-Makhzoumy and reproached him for resigning to that intolerable treatment meted out to his uncles in exile. The latter pleaded impotence, but agreed to work with Hisham and form a pressure group that would secure the extrication of the exiles. On the ground of motivation by uterine relations, there emerged a group of five people who set out to abrogate the pact and declare all relevant clauses null and void. They were Hisham bin ‘Amr, Zuhair bin Abi Omaiya, Al-Mut‘im bin ‘Adi, Abu Al-Bukhtari and Zam‘a bin Al-Aswad. They decided to meet in their assembly place and start their self-charged mission from the very precinct of the Sacred House. Zuhair, after circumambulating seven times, along with his colleagues approached the hosts of people there and rebuked them for indulging in the amenities of life whereas their kith and kin of Bani Hashim were perishing on account of starvation and economic boycott. They swore they would never relent until the parchment of boycott was torn to piece and the pact broken at once. Abu Jahl, standing nearby, retorted that it would never be torn. Zam‘a was infuriated and accused Abu Jahl of telling lies, adding that the pact was established and the parchment was written without seeking their approval. Al-Bukhtari intervened and backed Zam‘a. Al-Mut‘im bin ‘Adi and Hisham bin ‘Amr attested to the truthfulness of their two companions. Abu Jahl, with a cunning attempt to liquidate the hot argument that was running counter to his malicious goals, answered that the issue had already been resolved sometime and somewhere before.

Abu Talib meanwhile was sitting in a corner of the Mosque. He came to communicate to them that a Revelation had been sent to his nephew, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) to the effect that ants had eaten away all their proclamation that smacked of injustice and aggression except those parts that bore the Name of Allâh. He contended that he would be ready to give Muhammad (Peace be upon him) up to them if his words proved untrue, otherwise, they would have to recant and repeal their boycott. The Makkans agreed to the soundness of his proposition. Al-Mut‘im went to see the parchment and there he did discover that it was eaten away by ants and nothing was left save the part bearing (in the Name of Allâh).

The proclamation was thus abrogated, and Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and the other people were permitted to leave Ash-Sh‘ib and return home. In the context of this trial to which the Muslims were subjected, the polytheists had a golden opportunity to experience a striking sign of Muhammad’s Prophethood (the white ants eating away the parchment) but to their miserable lot they desisted and augmented in disbelief:

“But if they see a Sign, they turn away, and say ‘This is continuous magic.” [54:2]

The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) left his confinement and went on preaching his Faith as usual. Quraish, likewise, repealed the boycott but went on in their atrocities and oppression on the Muslims. Abu Talib, the octogenarian notable, was still keen on shielding his nephew but by that time, and on account of the series of tremendous events and continual pains, he began to develop certain fits of weakness. No sooner had he emerged victorious from the inhuman boycott, than he was caught in a persistent illness and physical enervation. The polytheists of Makkah, seeing this serious situation and fearing that the stain of infamy that the other Arabs could attribute to them in case they took any aggressive action against the Prophet (Peace be upon him) after he had lost his main support, Abu Talib, took a decision to negotiate with the Prophet (Peace be upon him) once more and submit some concessions withheld previously. They then delegated some representatives to see Abu Talib and discuss the issue with him. Ibn Ishaq and others related: “When a serious illness caught Abu Talib, the people of Quraish began to deliberate on the situation and reviewed the main features that characterized that period and which included the conversion of ‘Umar and Hamzah to Islam, coupled with the tremendous stir that Muhammad (Peace be upon him) had created amongst all the tribes of Quraish. They then deemed it imperative to see Abu Talib before he died to pressure his nephew to negotiate a compromise on the various disputed points. They were afraid that the other Arabs might attribute to them the charge of opportunism.”

The delegation of Quraish comprised 25 men including notables like ‘Utbah bin Rabi‘a, Shaibah bin Rabi‘a, Abu Jahl bin Hisham, Omaiyah bin Khalaf, Abu Sufyan bin Harb. They first paid tribute to him and confirmed their high esteem of his person and position among them. They then shifted to the newgive-and-take policy that they claimed they wanted to follow. To substantiate their argument they alleged that they would refrain from intervening in his religion if he did the same.

Abu Talib summoned his nephew and apprised him of the minutes of his meeting with them, and said: “Well, my nephew, here are the celebrities of your people. They have proposed this meeting to submit a policy of mutual concessions and peaceful coexistence.” The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) turned to them saying:

“I will guide you to the means by which you will gain sovereignty over both the Arabs and non-Arabs.”
In another version, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) addressed Abu Talib in the following words: “O uncle! Why don’t you call them unto something better?” Abu Talib asked him, “What is it that you invite them to?” The Prophet (Peace be upon him) replied, “I invite them to hold fast to a Message that is bound to give them access to kingship over the Arabs and non-Arabs.” According to Ibn Ishaq’s version, “It is just one word that will give you supremacy over the Arabs and non-Arabs.” The Makkan deputies were taken by incredible surprise and began to wonder what sort of word was that which would benefit them to that extent. Abu Jahl asked, “What is that word? I swear by your father that we will surely grant you your wish followed by ten times as much.” He said, “I want you to testify that there is no god worthy to be worshipped but Allâh, and then divest yourselves of any sort of worship you harbour for any deities other than Allâh.” They immediately clapped their hands in ridicule, and said “How can you expect us to combine all the deities in one God. It is really something incredible.” On their way out leaving, they said to one another, “By god this man [Muhammad (Peace be upon him)] will never relent, nor will he offer any concessions. Let us hold fast to the religion of our forefathers, and Allâ h will in due course adjudicate and settle the dispute between us and him.” As regards this incident, Allâh revealed the following verses:

“Sâd: [These letters (Sâd, etc.) are one of the miracles of the Qur’ân and none but Allâh (Alone) knows their meanings]. By the Qur’ân full of reminding. Nay, those who disbelieve are in false pride and Apposition. How many a generation We have destroyed before them, and they cried out when there was no longer time for escape! And they (Arab pagans) wonder that a warner [Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him)] has come to them from among themselves! And the disbelievers say, ‘This [Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ] is a sorcerer, a liar. Has he made the gods (all) into One God (Allâh). Verily, this is a curious thing!’ And the leaders among them went about (saying): ‘Go on, and remain constant to your gods! Verily, this is a thing designed (against you)! We have not heard (the like) of this among the people of these later days. This is nothing but an invention.’” [38:1-7]


FACTORS INSPIRING PATIENCE AND PERSERVANCE
It is natural for sensible and mild-tempered people to meditate deeply on the factors that inspired those early Muslims that miraculous constancy and perseverance. It is normal to wonder how those people managed to tolerate unspeakable persecutions, and stand fast in the face of tyrannical tortures. With respect to these questions, we deem it wise just to touch on those underlying reasons:

Unshakable Belief in Allâh. The first and foremost factor is no doubt, unshakable Belief in Allâh Alone coupled with a wonderful degree of perception of His Attributes. A man with this Belief deeply averred in his heart will look at those foreseen difficulties as triflings and can under no circumstance compare with the sweetness of Belief:

“Then, as for the foam, it passes away as scum upon the banks, while that which is for the good of mankind remains in the earth.” [13:17]
Other sub-factors that branch out from that Belief and assist in strengthening it and promoting long amity are:

Wholeheartedly-loved leadership. Muhammad (Peace be upon him) the great leader of the Muslim community, and mankind at large, was an exemplary man in his perfect manners and noble attributes; no one could measure up to his endowments of nobility, honesty, trustworthiness and abstinence; unanimously and uncontestedly acknowledged even by his enemies. Abu Jahl himself, the great enemy of Islam, used repeatedly to say: “O Muhammad (Peace be upon him), we are in no position to belie you, we rather disbelieve what you have brought us (Islam).” It is narrated that three people of Quraish each separately and secretly listened to some verses of the Noble Qur’ân. Later, this secret was uncovered and one of them asked Abu Jahl (one of the three) what he thought of what he heard from Muhammad (Peace be upon him). He answered: We contested the honour of leadership and generosity with Banu ‘Abd Munaf and shared equal privileges competitively. They then began to boast saying that a Prophet rose among them whom Revelation came down upon from heavens. I swear we will never believe in him.
So Allâh said:
“… It is not you that they deny, but it is the Verses (the Qur’ân) of Allâh that the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers) deny.” [6:33]
One day, the disbelievers of Quraish leveled to him a cynical remark three times. He remained silent but for the third one he remarked, “O Quraish! Slaughter is in store for you.” They were taken aback and ulterior fear filled their hearts to such an extent that the most hostile among them began to make up for their insult by the best friendly terms they could afford. When they slung the entrails of a camel on him while prostrating himself in prayer, he invoked Allâh’s wrath on them, and they immediately were caught in an inexpressible state of worry and were almost convinced that they would be destroyed. Ubai bin Khalaf used always to threaten he would kill Muhammad (Peace be upon him). One day the Prophet (Peace be upon him) retorted that he would kill him by Allâh’s Will. When Ubai received a scratch in his neck, on the day of Uhud, he, under the sense of horror, remembered the Prophet’s words and remarked, “I am convinced he would be able to kill me even if he spat on me. ” Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh said to Omaiyah bin Khalaf in Makkah, “I heard the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) one day say that the Muslims would surely kill you.” Omaiyah was extremely panicked and swore he would never step out of Makkah. Even when Abu Jahl obliged him to march with them to fight the Prophet (Peace be upon him) on the day of Badr, he bought the best and swift camels in Makkah in order that they hasten his escape. Even his wife warned him against going out reminding him of Sa‘d’s words, his reply was “By Allâh, I have no intention of going out with Quraish, I will disengage from them after a short distance.”

That was the clear sense of horror and terror haunting his enemies wherever they were. His friends and companions, on the other hand, held him dearest to them, and he occupied the innermost cells of their hearts. They were always ready to defend him and secure his well-being even at the risk of their lives. One day, Abu Bakr bin Abi Quhafa was severely beaten by ‘Utbah bin Rabi‘a, a terrible polytheist. His whole body was almost bleeding and he was on the verge of death, yet when his people took him back home extremely indignant at his misfortune, he swore he would never eat or drink anything until they had told him about the well-being of his noble Companion, Muhammad (Peace be upon him). That was the spirit of selflessness and sacrifice that characterized the behaviour of those early Companions.

The sense of responsibility. The early Companions were fully aware of the daunting responsibility they were expected to shoulder. They were also convinced that those charges were inescapable even though they were being persecuted for fear of the far-reaching ramifications, and the horrible impact that humanity would suffer in case they shirked their obligations.
Unwavering Belief in the truth of the Hereafter. This was the corner-stone that strengthened their sense of responsibility. There was a deep certainty established through the light of their religion that one day they would have to rise on the Day of Resurrection and account for all worldly deeds, small or big. They were sure that their future in the other world would depend wholly on their acts in their provisional life on earth, either to everlasting Garden (Paradise) or perpetual chastisement in Hell. Their whole life was divided between hope for Allâh’s mercy and fear of His punishment.

“… Who give that (their charity) which they give (and also do other good deeds) with their hearts full of fear (whether their alms and charities, etc., have been accepted or not), because they are sure to return to their Lord.” [23:60]
They had already known that life with all its amenities and pains was worthless when compared with the Hereafter. Such deep convictions brought about in them a sense of indifference to all troubles and hardships that attended their life.

The Qur’ân. The verses and chapters of the Noble Qur’ân were attractively, forcefully and successively revealed at that gloomy and critical stage, supporting and advancing arguments on the truth and soundness of the principles of Islam, round whose axis the whole Call of Muhammad Õáì Çááå Úáíå æÓáã was revolving. They constituted the immune basis upon which the best and most wonderful Divinely decreed society was to be established. The Qur’ânic verses served also to excite the feelings of the believers, strengthen their selves on their course of patience and endurance and introduce them to the most purposeful examples and suggestive instructions:

“Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, ‘When (will come) the Help of Allâh?’ Yes! Certainly, the Help of Allâh is near!” [2:214]
“Alif-Lam-Mim. Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: ‘We believe’, and will not be tested. And We indeed tested those who were before them. And Allâh will certainly make (it) known (the truth of) those who are true, and will certainly make (it) known (the falsehood of) those who are liars, (although Allâh knows all that before putting them to test).” [29: 1-3]

Mere lip profession of Faith is not enough. It must be tried and tested in the real turmoil of life. The test will be applied in all kinds of circumstances, in individual life and in relation to the environment around us to see whether we can strive constantly and put the Lord above self. Much pain, sorrow and self-sacrifice may be necessary, not because they are good in themselves, but because they will purify us, like fire applied to a goldsmith’s crucible to burn out the dross.

These verses also constituted an irrefutable answer to the false allegations of the disbelievers, and a clear ultimatum that smacked of the horrible consequethat would ensue in case they persisted in their disbelief. On the other hand, the Noble Qur’ân was leading the Muslims to a new world and enlightening them as to its features, the beauty of Lordship, the perfection of Godship, the impact of kindness and mercy and the manifestations of the yearned for Allâh’s pleasure. They implicitly connoted meaningful messages carrying glad tidings of definitely approaching Divine Mercy leading to eternal bliss in a blissful Garden (Paradise). They, at the same time, envisaged the end of the tyrants and disbelievers who would be brought to Divine Justice and then dragged through the Fire where they would taste the touch of Hell.

Glad tidings of success. Ever since the time they experienced the adversities of life, the Muslims had been certain that entrance into the fold of Islam did not entail involvement into hardships or digging one’s own grave. They had been aware that the Islamic Call had one goal, viz extermination of pre-Islamic tradition and destroying its iniquitous system, to go on parallel lines with extending its influence allover the earth and holding in firm control the political situation worldwide to lead humanity along a course conducive to Allâh’s Pleasure, and perfect enough to rid people of worshipping Allâh’s servant to worshipping Allâh, Himself. Glad tidings of this sort were being revealed sometimes explicitly and at other times implicitly, in a manner relevant to the situation. When the Muslims were forced to undergo constraints, or when their life was kept under continual restraint, there would be revealed verses telling identical stories of past Prophets with their people and the sufferings and pains they had experienced. The verses would also include suggestive clues to the final tragic end of the Makkan disbelievers envisaging their final perdition, yet and at the same time, bearing glad tidings to the believers and promising the true servants of vicegerency on earth to go with absolute success, and victory to attend the Islamic Call and its proponents.
Here we could adduce some of the verses of this category pregnant with glad tidings referring to the final victory that would crown the perseverance and patience of the Muslims:
“And, verily, Our Word has gone forth of old for Our slaves, — the Messengers, that they verily would be made triumphant. And that Our hosts, they verily would be the victors. So turn away [O Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ] from them for a while, and watch them and they shall see (the punishment)! Do they seek to hasten on Our torment? Then, when it descends into their courtyard (i.e. near to them), evil will be the morning for those who had been warned.” [37:171-177]
In the same context, Allâh told His Prophet (Peace be upon him):

“Their multitude will be put to flight, and they will show their backs.” [54:45]
He also said:

“They will be a defeated host like the confederates of the old times.” [38:11]
The Muslims who migrated to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) had the following:

“And as for those who emigrated for the cause of Allâh, after suffering oppression, We will certainly give them goodly residence in this world, but indeed the reward of the Hereafter will be greater, if they but knew.” [16:41]
In the context of the story of Joseph, there was:

“Verily, in Joseph and his brethren there were Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) for those who ask.” [12:7]
i.e., the Makkans will receive the same fate that befell Joseph’s brothers, viz, failure and surrender. In another instance, Allâh speaks about the Messengers:

“And those who disbelieved, said to their Messengers: ‘Surely, we shall drive you out of our land, or you shall return to our religion!’ So their Lord inspired them: ‘Truly, We shall destroy the Zâlimûn (polytheists, disbelievers and wrong-doers). And indeed, We shall make you dwell in the land after them. This is for him who fears standing before Me (on the Day of Resurrection or fears My punishment) and also fears My threat.” [14:13,14]
During the war between the Persians and the Romans, the disbelievers had a sincere wish that victory be the former’s lot, because both parties professed polytheism, whereas the Muslims prayed for a Roman victory because both groups believed in Allâh, His Messengers, Books, the Revelation and the Hereafter.

The war resulted in the overthrow of Rome by Persia. They were pro-Persian, as we have said, and in their hearts they hoped that the nascent movement of Islam, which at that time was, from a worldly point of view, very weak and helpless, would collapse under their persecution. But they misread the true signs of the times. They were told that they would soon be disillusioned in both their calculations, and it actually so happened when Heraclius carried his campaign into the heart of Persia and the Makkan Quraish were beaten off at Badr:

“And on that Day, the believers (i.e. Muslims) will rejoice (at the victory given by Allâh to the Romans against the Persians) with the help of Allâh.” [30:4,5]
During the season of ‘Ukaz forums, and other such occasions, the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) himself would communicate not only glad tidings pertinent to the Garden (Paradise) but also news of promising prospects for the true believers in the Call of Islam. He would openly tell them that they would surely prosper, rule the whole of Arabia and subdue Persia if they professed the most serious pillar of Islam, i.e. the Oneness of Allâh.

Khabbab bin Al-Aratt once urged the Messenger to call upon Allâh to shield him against the adversities he was suffering at the hand of the polytheists. The Prophet’s face reddened and he remarked that the true believer must not precipitate things, it was incumbent upon a believer to undergo all the odds of life as much as he could, fearing nobody except Allâh until the religion was established, which would surely happen. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) in this regard, referred to the perseverance that the Muslims had to show and the hardships they had to undergo in order to establish the land of Islam where peace and security would prevail all over it.

Glad tidings of better prospects for Islam and the Muslims were not confined to Muhammad’s followers, in fact they were being disclosed time and again to both believers and disbelievers. Whenever the two parties met, the latter would jeer at the former and mockingly say “Here are the sovereigns of earth who will defeat Chosroes and Caesar.” But the believers, in anticipation of that shining and Godly-orientated future, would always persevere and tolerate all sorts of persecution and humiliation regarding them as summer clouds that would soon clear away.

The Prophet (Peace be upon him), on his part, would always maintain and sustain his followers’ souls with the light of belief, sanctify them through inculcating the Qur’ânic wisdom in their hearts and cultivate their minds deeply with the spirit of Islam that would elevate them to a state of noble spirituality, pure heartedness and an absolute degree of freedom from the yoke of materialism, a high morale powerful enough to resist worldly lusts and consequently lead them from darkness to light. He would constantly teach them to be tolerant, forgiving and overpowering over their selves in order to get well established in their religion, disdain lust, and devote themselves to attaining the Pleasure of Allâh, yearning for the Garden (Paradise), enthusiasm in sciences relating to their faith, calling themselves to account, subordinating fleeing whims, holding under firm control all rage-provoking incidents and finally observing sobriety, patience and gravity."
http://www.quraan.com/Raheeq/Default.asp

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