Piece of humble pie anyone?

Assalaam Alakium!

How's Monday treating you all? I was slow getting out of bed this morning, I don't think I slept very well since it's midday and I'm still fatigued. I'll sleep well tonight inshAllah. How awesome does that Oreo pie look?! Now onto the topic at had....

Humility...what exactly does this word mean? Simply put, it is having a modest opinion or view of one's self aka not letting your ego get the best of you. The word pride comes to mind when I think of humility. Pride CAN be a good thing, in it's proper time and place but we should never, as Muslims, let our pride or ego come before humility. Now, I'm not saying lets all feel down on ourselves and never feel accomplished but to always have a mindset that you can do more, especially when it comes to Islam.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was and is still the best example of humility for us. He never let his position as a prophet and great leader "go to his head". He gave more than he ever received and never asked for anything in return. Here's a great example of the Prophet's (PBUH) humbleness:

"Related by al-Bayhaqiyy, at-Tirmidhiyy, and Ibn Majah from the route of Abdullah who said: The Prophet (PBUH) lay down on a mat, which left some marks on his skin. So I began stroking my hand over his skin so that the marks would disappear and said: O Messenger of Allah, please give us permission to put something on the floor for you to sleep on without leaving such marks on your body?

The Prophet replied: 'Keep the worldly pleasures away from me, and keep me away from them, for the lifespan of one in this world goes so fast that it is similar to the time a riding person would spend to rest in a shade under a tree after which he has to leave and continue his journey."

The root of the Prophet's humbleness came from his love for the hear-after and not for this world. He lived everyday for the next.

I encourage us all to read and reflect on these stories of the Prophet (PBUH) and to become more modest and humble everyday. Just when you start thinking you have accomplished it all or are better than someone think of a story like the one above and reflect upon it. We can all use a little reminder.

Please share an authentic hadith that illustrates humbleness.
In what ways do you think we can all become more humble people?

May Allah bless you all.

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Here We Go Again....

Assalaam Alakium (Peace be upon you),

Long time no type!! I can't believe it's been this long since I've written a blog (over two years). I hope you all are in good health and have been doing well. The last two years have brought a TON of change and I've welcomed it all. I've moved from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Houston, Texas and have finally settled into my new apartment! More stories to come about the move, adjusting to life away from home and finally being happy!

I can't promise much with this blog, but I'm hoping to become more active and less informative....it was way TOO stuffy in here! I want to add excitement to this blog. I'll be talking more about my life as a 22 year old, white/Native American, convert to Islam and wife. If anyone has any suggestions or questions please let me know. I'm a very honest person...sometimes too honest.

Take care all and I hope to see you soon,


~Hijabi Butterfly~

Why did Allah create us?

Why Did Allah Create Us?

(Sources: The Purpose of Creation Dr. A.A.B. Philips & Varies Hadith)

When you start to think of all the aspects of Earth, and the whole entire universe you may start to wonder how and why it all came about. Everything has a beginning and a lot of people believe that this beginning came from a "higher power". For me, and millions of others, that "higher power" is Allah (God in Arabic). I have decided to write this blog on the whole creation, but mainly focusing upon humans, because of a recent book I have read. I have learned a great deal from this book (The Purpose Of Creation) and thought it would be a great topic to write about. -I just hope people read it!

Okay, so on to the subject at hand. Why did Allah (swt) create? By the word create, I mean everything: humans, animals, everything on Earth, and everything outside of our small planet. (By the way, we only know what Allah (swt) has created by reading the revelations)
As stated in the Holy Quran: 51:47 "And it is We who have built the universe with (Our creative) power; and, verily, and it is We who are steadily expanding it. "
From this one verse we know that Allah (swt) is constantly creating more things, by which we have no knowledge of. So, not only has Allah (swt) created everything we know, Allah has also created possibly millions of things we do not know about. So, the question is, Why? Why, has Allah (swt) created everything?

Allah did not create humans or anything else because of a need. Allah does not need anything he creates. Allah is above the creation, and therefore has no need for any of it. So, why create?

First, we must understand that us, humans, are not the greatest creation. (I know your thinking, "WHAT, how could this be!!!") We know this because of this verse:
40:57 "Indeed, the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of mankind, but most of mankind do not realize it."
Think about it this way, what is more complex? humans or the universe....The UNIVERSE! Since it's so complex, how did Allah create it all. Some people think that the whole universe in a way is part of God. That God has taken a part of Himself and made the whole entire universe. This can not be true, this is based on comparing God to man! God actually denies this comparison in the Holy Quran:
42:11 "There is nothing like Him and He is hearer and seer of all."
So, how did Allah create? We can not possibly think that Allah created us from something that already existed. Only man creates from things that are already here. When an artist picks up a brush to draw something, they are imagining something that they have SEEN! Humans can not imagine something we have not physically seen with our own eyes. Allah CAN.

Allah created everything based on specific characteristics that are exclusive to Him alone.

The All Merciful, The All Forgiving

Can you think of any human being that is ALL merciful, or All forgiving...? ONLY Allah has the power to forgive anything or to be merciful to anyone. Humans do not. We can not simply forgive everything, or be entirely merciful. Only Allah can grant us forgiveness for anything. Think of this situation from a hadith:
"Allah forgave a prostitute who tied her shoe to her scarf and drew out some water (from a well) for a dog that was dying of thirst. Because of that, Allah forgave her." -Sahih Al-Bukhari

The Supreme Justice

Only Allah has the power to judge mankind at the end of the world. Only Allah has the supreme justice and fairness to judge mankind. Humans do not. No matter how fair someone may try to be, they are not always going to be. There are millions of examples of how people have been unfairly judged by humans. Think of all the appeals that are filed. Only, Allah has the consistency to judge all of mankind fairly.

A Divine Love

Allah's love is greater than any humans love could ever be. Allah has created human beings whether believer, or disbeliever, to enjoy life. For the believers Allah has created paradise. Allah states in the Holy Quran:
5:13 He loves those who do good
5:42 those who are just
9:4 those who are pious
3:146 those who are patient
3:159 those who put their trust in Him
2:222 those who frequently turn to Him in repentance and those who purify themselves
And Allah loves those who follow the prophets. These people are most beloved to Allah. In Chapter Aal 'Imraan, Allah instructed Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) to say the following to the believers:
3:31 "If you really love Allah, follow me and Allah will love you and forgive your sins"

Divine Grace

Those of us who enter paradise will not enter it solely based on our good deeds. It is by the grace of Allah that we will enter paradise. Prophet Muhammad (phub) said:
"Try your best to do right, and be happy. For none will enter paradise only because of his deeds." His companions said, "O Messenger of Allah! Not even you?" He replied, "Not even I, unless Allah envelops me in His mercy and grace. And bear in mind that the deed most loved by Allah is one done constantly, even though it is small."
Human beings can not do this for each other. It is not by the will of one another that we enter paradise, but by the will of Allah. Allah's grace is also not arbitrary. Allah's grace is based on correct faith and righteous deeds. As stated in the Holy Quran:
6:160 "Whoever brings a good deed, will have (the value of) ten like it, and whoever brings an evil deed will only be punished with one like it, and they will not be wronged."

What purpose was man created?

Allah has created us to worship Him alone and nothing else.
51:56 I have created the jinn and humankind only for My worship."

We are instructed to show gratitude to Allah by glorifying Him.
110:3 "Glorify the praises of your lord."


Why glorify Allah? Because obedience to divine law is the key to success in this life and the next.

Why Remember Allah? In order to glorify and worship Allah, we must remember Allah consistently throughout the day. It is only natural for humans to forget things. In order to stay on track and remember Allah, we need to pray five times a day. This is required upon every Muslim, and we will be judged on our performance. Allah states this in the Holy Quran:
20:14 "Verily, I am Allah, there is no god beside Me, so worship Me and establish regular prayer for My remembrance."

Why did Allah create human beings in this world?

This life is only a test. Day to day, we are confronted with tests that Allah is giving us to test our iman.
67:2 "(It is He) who crated death and life to test which of you is best in conduct; and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving."

18:7 "Surely I have created all that is on earth as its ornaments that I may test which of them is best in conduct."

We are constantly being tested on our conduct. Whenever we are doing something we are being watched by Allah and our deeds are being written down by angels. We are never fully alone. Allah is watching and observing, angels are writing down deeds, and shaytan is constantly tempting us. We must always be aware of these things.

Our purpose in this world is to worship Allah (swt) in every possible way. We must not let material things or people distract us from remember Allah and obeying His commands. Just remember you will be asked about everything you have done in this world, and this world is short compared to the next. Pick your path, paradise or hellfire, it's up to you.

~Hijabi Butterfly

Top Ten Reasons why Jesus CAN NOT be God.

Top Ten Reasons Why Jesus (pbuh) Cannot be God. Summary!!

with

The Deen Show
&
Joshua Evans- Former Christian Youth Minister

Facts In Islam about Jesus (pbuh)

-Muslims love Jesus

-Muslims believe in Jesus

-Jesus was a messenger of God.

Note: You cannot be a Muslim if you do not accept that Jesus was a messenger of God.

In Descending Order

10. God Cannot be Born - God was not born or created. Jesus was born and created. God has no beginning or ending. God created life so he is not subjected to life. Making God subject to life is making him lesser than. Jesus and God cannot be the same.

9. There are no explicit verses in any spiritual text including the Bible that states Jesus is or was God.

In Isaiah 46:9 God states, "For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me"

Jesus says, here oh Israel the Lord our God is but one and there is no one else

If Jesus was indeed the son of God, God would be explicit about it. God does not beat around the bush. If Jesus being the son of God was the way to salvation, then God would be very explicit about it. Jesus would have clearly said I am God and I'm here to save you from your sins. Did he say that??

God is explicit (clear) about himself and his characteristics. God does not beat around the bush about himself, simply because he does not want it to be too complicated that someone would not understand!!

Note: You can make any spiritual text (including the Holy Quran) say what you want it to if you pick and choose verses out of them.

8. No one has ever seen God in any time

Facts:

-No one has ever seen God

-People saw Jesus

-No one can see God in this life.

"I and the father are one" –is speaking in terms of purpose. God and Jesus were one in purpose. They had the same mission. Jesus was simply a representative of God.

God is too great to be put into a box labeled with worldly characteristics and descriptions. Putting God in a box and giving him humanly characteristics is making him less then he is. God is simple too great to be seen by us.

7. This concept was not taught by Jesus (the concept being he was the son of God or even God himself)

Jesus went to the temple and worshiped God the same way the other messengers of God did. If Jesus was the son of God or God himself he would have built his own place of worship and told people to go and worship him. Did Jesus ever do this??

Jesus fell down on his knees and prayed to God. Why would Jesus fall down and pray to himself??

The trinity is no where in the Bible! The 1st and 2nd Century Christians worshiped God and thought of Jesus as their prophet. They considered themselves to be practicing Jews. In the 3rd century was when the trinity was developed. (So Jesus didn't preach the trinity!!) In 325 AD there was the Council of Nicea where all of the Bishops and Scholars of the time formed the doctrine of the trinity and said this is something we have to believe in. Paul said this is a doctrine we must follow. Paul never say Jesus, walked with Jesus, eat, slept, prayed with Jesus. Paul came up with the concept of the trinity and the word Christian when he had a vision on his way walking to go persecute the Christians!! Paul was the first to come up with the word Christian, trinity, and Jesus being the begotten son of God.

1st John 5:7 "For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one."

Almost all Biblical scholars have taken out this verse because it was not found in the first manuscripts of the Bible. This verse was not in the Bible until after 1200. (man made verse)

6. Jesus eat, slept, and prayed.

We know God does not eat, sleep, or pray. God is self sufficient he does not need anything to survive. God made the creation he does not need what he has made.

We know that Jesus eat, slept, and prayed. If Jesus wouldn't have eat he would have died he was dependent on these things just like all of us. He prayed for help from God, he was in need of prayer.

5. Jesus claimed that Gods knowledge is Greater then his.

If the trinity is true how can one know something with out the others knowing?

Jesus said that he is less then God. God has knowledge of everything, If the trinity was true how can one be greater then the other if they are all the same? The trinity can no be explained to everyone. The concept should be able to be explained to everyone weather they are illiterate or not. Everyone should be able to understand the concept of God.

Trinity: ??

1+1+1= 1 ? No it equals 3

3 carriages with 1 person split into 3!!

God says even in the Bible that he is no the author of confusion. What is the trinity? (confusion)

4. Jesus explicitly states that he is not God!

John 17:3 Jesus says he has been sent from God to teach people about God and for them to know God.

Jesus clearly states that he will ascend to God, you God and my God. Jesus would not have ascended into himself!

3. "Son of God" is not an exclusive title to Jesus

Adam is called the son of God. Even everyday people are called the sons of God. Jesus did not have a father but either did Adam or Eve.

Adam and Eve did not have a father or a mother. So if anyone had the "exclusive" title of "son of God" it would have been Adam.

Jesus was not sent to the whole entire world. Jesus was sent to the Children of Israel. Every nation has a prophet sent to help them.

Note: Muslims must believe that Mary was the most pious women to ever be on Earth Surah 19 Maryam in the Quran describes the miraculous birth of Jesus (pbuh) .

2. God Cannot Change

In Malachi God says I do not change.

Gods nature does not change. God is not subjected to hunger, time, thirst ext. So God does not become hungry, thirsty, ext.

God cannot go to hell or heaven. God does not die his attributes do not change.

He is the truthful: He cannot lie

He is merciful: He can no be unmerciful

He is the most just: He cannot be unjust.

God is simply perfect. Anything that will make God less then God he cannot do. That is why the trinity does not work, God is consistent. God cannot be one and then change to three. God cannot change from one thing to another. God does not change!

Note:

God does not die

God does not have Children

God does not have human needs

1. God is the essence (object) of worship.

If Jesus were God he would have told people to worship him.

In Matthew 15 and 18 He told people in vain you will worship me. You will teach in doctrines made by men.

God will ask Jesus (pbuh) on the day of judgment if he told people to worship him and Jesus will say of course not you know that I did not.

Jesus did not like when people called him master. He would say the master is God not me.

Adam, Moses, Abraham, Jesus, Muhammad… all of Gods prophets worshiped one God.

~Hijabi Butterfly