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			    <title>Harun Yahya</title>
			    <link>http://www.harunyahya.com/</link>
			    <description>Hayata Bakışınızı Değiştirecek Eserler / An Invitation to The Truth</description>
			    <language>EN</language><item>
<title>THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH: MUHAMMAD</title>
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<description><![CDATA[ We know a lot more about the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, since he is the last prophet and lived only 1,400 years ago. People altered and distorted all the religions Allah revealed before him. That is why the last Book for which people will be held responsible until the Day of Judgment was sent to our Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: to set right all the errors that had been incorporated in the old religions. 

&nbsp;Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, also encountered many difficulties while communicating the message of Allah to his people. Many groundless accusations were made against him, despite the fact that he asked for no wages from people and had no worldly interests.

He was forced to migrate from Makkah, the city in which he was born. The first Muslims who followed him were also persecuted, some of them were even tortured and subjected to cruel treatment. But Allah did not allow the disbelievers to do harm to the religion of Islam, which has remained unaltered to this day. In compliance with Allah's promise, every word of the Qur'an has survived completely intact.

The call of the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, also addresses all people alive today. Allah commanded all people to obey the messengers and, in many verses, stressed that obeying His messengers is actually obeying Him. For this reason, obeying our Prophet -may Allah bless him and grant him peace, -is one of the most important and essential principles of Islam. Heartfelt submission to the commands of our Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is surely a manifestation of one's obedience to Allah.

In the Qur'an, Allah introduces us to the superior attributes of our Prophet, which set an example to all people. Some of these verses are as follows:

A Messenger has come to you from among yourselves. Your suffering is distressing to him; he is deeply concerned for you; he is gentle and merciful to the believers. (Surat at-Tawba, 128)

Allah showed great kindness to the believers when He sent a Messenger to them from among themselves to recite His Signs to them and purify them and teach them the Book and Wisdom, even though before that they were clearly misguided. (Surah Al 'Imran, 164)

In one verse, Allah states that those slaves who fear Allah and want to be forgiven must obey the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

Say, &quot;If you love Allah, then follow me and Allah will love you and forgive you for your wrong actions. Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful.&quot; (Surah Al 'Imran, 31)

As mentioned in the verse above, if we want Allah to love us, we need to comply with that to which our Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, calls us and meticulously practise it.

 ]]></description>
<author>Harun Yahya (Adnan Oktar)</author>
<pubDate>12.01.2010</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>THE EXEMPLARY LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH)</title>
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<description><![CDATA[ God commands His messengers to maintain justice among people. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the last messenger, started to spread the religion of Islam in Mecca, where he received the revelations, with a just attitude.

At that period, the Arabian Peninsula, and especially Mecca, was shaken by social problems. In the period preceding the Blessed Period, which is called the &quot;The Age of Ignorance,&quot; there was severe discrimination between races and religions. Disputes among tribes, an unjust economic order, plundering, intolerant attitudes between members of different religions, differences between the poor and the wealthy and many other injustices were the natural consequences of such discrimination. The maintenance of justice could not be established, the poor were oppressed by those in power, and were subjected to violence because of their race, religion or language. People were forced to work under very hard conditions, and were virtually tortured.





In commercial life, under the burden of the interest-ridden system, small-scale businesses disappeared, whereas the wealthy tended to extravagant consumption. Some of these immoral acts became almost like traditions. For instance, the Arabs of the ignorant age who raided and plundered commercial caravans sold their spoils at very low prices and influenced market conditions. Sometimes, they kept these goods deliberately and generated a black market.

In the Qur'an, God gives information about the desert Arabs who made up the majority of society before the time of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). This society's disinclination to comply with the words of the messenger is related in the following verse:

The desert Arabs are the worst in disbelief and hypocrisy, and more fitted to be ignorant of the limits which God has sent down to His Messenger. But God is Knowing, Wise. (Surat At-Tawba, 97)

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was sent to such ignorant people to summon them to good morals and the right path. No difficulty could shake his commitment. He communicated God's message to a tribe which was particularly inclined to disbelief, and was throughout his life a role model for them. As also stated in the verse below, he called on his people to be just:

Say: &quot;My Lord has commanded justice...&quot; (Surat Al-A&rsquo;raf, 29)





The message of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), coupled with his good morals, had a great impact all over the Arabian Peninsula, and people converted to Islam in great numbers. The just commands of the Qur'an good morals, tolerance, peace and a peaceful social order-prevailed during his time. One of the most important reasons for this is that, in compliance with the verse, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) observed social justice without discriminating between people:

God commands you to return to their owners the things you hold in trust and, when you judge between people, to judge with justice. How excellent is what God exhorts you to do! God is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. (Surat An-Nisa&rsquo;, 58)

One example is the contract the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) signed with the people of Najran, who were among the people of the Book. This text reveals an exercise of justice which was unprecedented in that age. The article of the pact of Najran, &quot;If any one of the people of Najran demands his rights, justice shall be done between the plaintiff and respondent. Neither oppression shall be allowed to be perpetrated on them, nor shall they be permitted to oppress any one&quot;1, manifest the kind of justice people enjoyed at that time. Due to this unprecedented administration, people placed strong trust in God's messenger, and even his most terrible enemies could not help being impressed by the Prophet's honesty.

These examples of good morals which appeared as a consequence of the Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) meticulously observing God's commands also reflect the tolerant, peaceful order God's messengers introduced to social life. In a society where people comply with the values of the Qur'an meticulously, it is obvious that a peaceful life will be secured. ]]></description>
<author>Harun Yahya (Adnan Oktar)</author>
<pubDate>11.07.2009</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>THE PROPHET IBRAHIM (AS)</title>
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<description><![CDATA[ The Prophet Ibrahim (as) is cited by Allah in the Qur'an as an example on a number of varied subjects. The most important virtues of the Prophet Ibrahim (as) were the deep faith which he possessed, his great devotion to Allah, and his great courage in doing battle against the unbelievers. In a verse of the Qur'an, Allah refers to him as &quot;a community unto himself&quot; (Surat an-Nahl, 120). This accorded status should be regarded as an example by all Muslims. Every Muslim schould become &quot;a community in himself&quot;, which is to say, that even if he is alone, he can possess faith, courage and determination, by which he may also inspire others.

In a number of verses, Allah relates the examples of the courage that was coupled with powerful insight in the Prophet Ibrahim (as). One account provided in the Qur'an describes the astounding courage shown by him in the face of the unbelievers who worshipped idols:

One of his followers in faith was Ibrahim when he came to his Lord with an unblemished heart, and said to his father and his people, &quot;What are you worshipping? Is it falsehood-gods besides Allah-that you desire?&quot; &quot;So what are your thoughts about the Lord of all the worlds?&quot; He took a look at the stars and said, &quot;I am sick.&quot; So they turned their backs on him. He turned surreptitiously to their gods and said, &quot;Do you not eat? What is the matter with you that you do not speak?&quot; He turned on them, striking out with his right hand. (Surat as-Saffat, 83-93)

As we are told in these verses, the Prophet Ibrahim (as) opposed himself to the entire tribe, and through clever dialogue, made them recognize that their idols were not gods, but only manmade sculptures of wood. The unbelievers, who had not until then ever met anyone who denounced their idols, were angered by and wanted to punish him:

They came rushing back to him. He said, &quot;Do you worship something you have carved when Allah created both you and what you do?&quot; They said, &quot;Build a pyre for him and fling him into the blaze!&quot; They tried to outwit him but We made them the lowest. He said, &quot;I am going towards my Lord; He will be my guide.&quot; (Surat as-Saffat, 94-99)

In spite of their rage, the Prophet Ibrahim (as) continued to speak of the existence and unity of Allah, carrying out his duty with courage. Knowing that all people, including the tribe who were so violently opposing him, are under the control of Allah, he behaved steadfastly, showing his boundless trust in our Lord. The leaders of the tribe wanted to throw him into a fire, but Allah saved him by a miracle. This is a proof of Allah's promise of help to all believers who battle fearlessly on His path.

In other verses of the Qur'an, the Prophet Ibrahim's (as) show of devotion to Allah, and the courage he demonstrated, are held up as examples of the behavior for believers to aspire to:

His people argued with him. He said, &quot;Are you arguing with me about Allah when He has guided me? I have no fear of any partner you ascribe to Him unless my Lord should will such a thing to happen. My Lord encompasses all things in His knowledge so will you not pay heed? Why should I fear what you have associated with Him when you yourselves apparently have no fear of associating partners with Allah for which He has sent down no authority to you? Which of the two parties is more entitled to feel safe, if you have any knowledge?&quot;Those who believe and do not mix up their faith with any wrongdoing, they are the ones who are safe; it is they who are guided.' (Surat al-An'am, 80-82) ]]></description>
<author>Harun Yahya (Adnan Oktar)</author>
<pubDate>27.06.2009</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>COMPREHENDING THE SECRET BEHIND THE LIFE OF THIS WORLD</title>
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<description><![CDATA[ Allah may create many difficulties that Muslims will encounter as a requirement of the test in the life of this world. However, it must not be forgotten that everything that Allah creates is for the best. Therefore, everything created with wisdom in this test, is also created perfectly. 

The traps and trickery set for Muslims by unbelievers are created as a requirement of this test. These snares may not always be demolished the moment they are created; it may take some time for that to happen and for the truth to come out. Believers&rsquo; responsibility is to approach the test with fortitude, demonstrate the proper joyous patience and place their trust in Allah. 


The traps and trickery set for Muslims by unbelievers are created as a requirement of the test. Believers confront various difficulties in the flawless destiny created by Allah, and are patient and tolerant in the face of these difficulties being pleased with Allah. As Allah reveals in the Qur&rsquo;an and as in many tests to which the prophets were exposed, the many traps and snares set for believers are created, by Allah&rsquo;s will, in a very detailed manner.&nbsp; Looking at this detailed creation one sees that these snares are sometimes not dismantled at once, but that they continue for a while and only disappear when the time appointed by Allah comes. 

But the duration, short or long, of the test faced by a believer does not alter anything in terms of his or her belief, virtue or manners. Every trap or scheming set for Muslims is something that demands that believers exhibit excellent moral values and fortitude and that they do what the test requires begging Allah for it to be resolved in the most auspicious manner. That is because believers know that Allah is &ldquo;the best of plotters,&quot; as true believers are told in the Qur&rsquo;an: 

When those who disbelieve were plotting against you to imprison you or kill you or expel you: they were plotting and Allah was plotting, but Allah is the Best of Plotters. (Surat al-Anfal, 30)

Allah is the Creator of both good and evil. As Allah reveals in the verses of the Qur&rsquo;an, a situation that may appear to be evil is in fact all for the best. And a situation that may appear to be auspicious can sometimes in fact be evil. The knowledge of this lies solely with Allah. For that reason, believers&rsquo; responsibility is to exhibit fine patience in the face of every test and behave in the best manner that He will find pleasing.&nbsp; 

In the Qur&rsquo;an, Allah provides examples of prophets and believers who displayed fortitude in the face of the snares set for them. Looking at these examples we see that true believers have been patient in the face of all forms of test, and that no matter how long the test lasted they have always continued to behave well for Allah&rsquo;s sake.&nbsp; For example, in the story of the Prophet Yusuf (as) in the Qur&rsquo;an, Allah reveals that the unbelievers set a trap for the prophet, even though they knew he was guiltless, and cast him into a dungeon: 

Then, after they had seen the Signs [of Yusuf&rsquo;s innocence and purity], they thought that they should still imprison him for a time. (Surah Yusuf, 35)

The Prophet Yusuf (as) continued to preach the true faith and proper moral virtues throughout his time in prison, and told people of the oneness of Allah and how they should not ascribe partners to Him. Allah reveals in the Qur&rsquo;an that the Prophet Yusuf (as) spent years in prison:&nbsp; 

&hellip;but satan made him forget to remind his lord, and so he [Yusuf] stayed in prison for several years. (Surah Yusuf, 42)

When the time appointed by Allah came, the Prophet Yusuf (as) left his prison and thus Allah revealed that the trap set for him by his betrayers had failed. By means of the rulers of the time, the Prophet Yusuf (as) was placed in charge of the country&rsquo;s stores. Allah thus gave the Prophet Yusuf (as) power and authority in the wake of the test: 

And thus We established Yusuf in the land so he could live in any place he pleased. We grant Our grace to anyone We will and We do not allow to go to waste the wage of any people who do good. But the wages of the Hereafter are the best for people who believe and fear their Lord. (Surah Yusuf, 56-57)
 ]]></description>
<author>Harun Yahya (Adnan Oktar)</author>
<pubDate>26.04.2009</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>THE MESSENGERS' STRUGGLE</title>
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<description><![CDATA[ People choose various teachers to guide them through life. For many, the most important teachers are their family, friends, and societies. They form their value judgments and general impressions of what is right and wrong from their society. Some individuals look to ideologies for guidance in the belief that the founder of their personal ideology is a superior person whose teachings can reveal the truth to them. Other individuals profess no ideology, preferring to be guided by their own intuitive intelligence.

However, all of these ideas rest on a common falsehood. Those who claim society as their teacher and adopt some &quot;superior&quot; individual or their own intelligence as their guide are rejecting or ignoring an essential truth: Human beings are created and therefore are indebted to their Creator, Allah, for everything they possess. Those who consider their own body and surroundings, the sky, and everything else that exists will clearly see that Allah created them.

Allah created human beings, and there is certainly a purpose for this creation. The Qur'an reveals this truth: &quot;We did not create heaven and Earth and everything in between them as a game&quot; (Surat al-Anbiya', 16). Another verse also reveals this purpose: &quot;I only created jinn and humanity to worship Me&quot; (Surat adh-Dhariyat, 56).

Humanity was created solely to serve Allah. But we must be careful not to misunderstand: This does not mean that human beings have to continuously engage in certain acts of worship throughout their lives.Indeed, prayer and all other acts of worship related in the Qur'an are binding upon all believers, and every believer is obliged to do these things in accordance with the Qur'an's teachings. But being Allah's servant, which encompasses every aspect of life, primarily means coming to know Allah by being close to Him and living one's life according to His words. People who live such a life enjoy the best, the most content, and the happiest life possible. All of Allah's rules are very easy, for He created humanity in such a way that it is part of human nature to take pleasure from serving Him:

So set your face firmly towards the Religion as a pure natural believer, Allah's natural pattern on which He made humanity. There is no changing Allah's creation. That is the true Religion, but most people do not know it. (Surat ar-Rum, 30)

The information revealed in this verse is very important, for it reveals that human beings were created only to serve Allah. In other words, serving Him is their nature. Allah &quot;breathed His Spirit&quot; into them and created them out of nothing, and then molded them into human form from &quot;a drop of water&quot; (sperm) and sent them to this world for a short time. Human beings must know that they are Allah's creatures and constantly thank Him for this. Once they understand this truth, they will live in this transient world according to His purpose: to mature and prepare themselves for their real home, the Hereafter. This manner of living accords with human nature.





It is revealed in Surat ar-Rum 30 that humanity's only purpose is to serve Allah, yet most people are unaware of this great truth. Another verse tells us that a person's self causes him to forget that he is one of Allah's creations and the clear truth that Allah exists. For this reason, most people need someone else to guide them to the awareness of Allah's existence, to show them that they were created, and therefore are responsible to our Creator:

Does not humanity see that We created him from a drop? Yet there he is, an open antagonist! He makes likenesses of Us and forgets his own creation, asking: &quot;Who will give life to bones when they are decayed?&quot; Say: &quot;He Who made them in the first place will bring them back to life. He has total knowledge of each created thing.&quot; (Surah Ya Sin, 77-79)

One's self often forgets that human beings are created by Allah. When people forget this, selfish ambition and passions begin to present them with new false deities to serve, whether animate or inanimate, besides the Creator Who &quot;fashioned [him] into a man&quot; (Surat al-Kahf, 37). They seek to please those deities, look to them for assistance, and start to love and fear them. However, these self-made deities are actually weak and powerless &quot;servants,&quot; just like the people who created them. Unable to see this truth, they follow them and turn their backs on Allah. The Qur'an describes this total lack of gratitude:

Curse humanity for his ingratitude! From what thing did He create him? From a drop of sperm He created him and proportioned him. (Surah 'Abasa , 17-19)

Naturally, a society made up of such individuals is totally cut off from true religion and regards Allah as &quot;something to cast disdainfully&quot; behind its backs (Surah Hud, 92). Such a society develops a &quot;herd psychology&quot;that strengthens the already existing rejection of Allah. Since it knows nothing about Allah and the Hereafter, the Qur'an calls it an &quot;ignorant society.&quot; No matter how many brilliant people it has in physics, history, biology, and other similar sciences, they do not have the conscious intelligence to recognize Allah.

Moreover, members of such a society adopt false guides. Not knowing Allah properly, they follow other paths and gradually become dependent on other powerless servants like themselves, follow their examples, and accept their words and actions as the truth.

Finally, such a society adopts a system that gradually blinds it to reality and blocks its intelligence and conscience. As a result, it cannot save itself. Its members cannot understand that Allah exists and will hold them accountable on the Day of Judgment. This closed system will last until Allah sends a guide to lead them to the truth:

The People of the Book who do not believe and the idolaters will not be cut off until the Clear Sign came to them: A messenger from Allah reciting purified texts. (Surat al-Bayyina, 1-2) ]]></description>
<author>Harun Yahya (Adnan Oktar)</author>
<pubDate>04.04.2009</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>THE INHABITANTS OF ANCIENT CITIES LIVED JUST LIKE US</title>
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<description><![CDATA[ Monuments raised on loft pillars in Ancient Greece, the giant pyramids in Egypt and the rock carvings in Petra have inspired awe and amazement since the day they were first discovered. How were these structures built? Who lived there? What kinds of lives did they lead? The answers to these questions are obvious. They were people with needs, aesthetic conceptions, religious beliefs, feelings, ideas and social lives just like ours.&nbsp; They therefore constructed such delightful and impressive buildings, decorated them with gold and precious stones and built pleasant houses, dams, water channels and places of worship. The remains of these cities show that these people had far richer social lives than has ever been imagined.&nbsp; 

They also possessed astonishing knowledge in the scientific sphere. They used an engineering knowledge that has still not been explained today in the construction of the pyramids. The Sumerians studied space from their Ziggurat towers and established a 12-month calendar. The Mayans were capable of such flawless mathematical calculations as to realize that a year is slightly longer than 365 days. This means these people never had a primitive level of understanding. The fact they needed and applied, at a most flawless level, religion, art and science shows that these people were no different to us. 

These are facts that increasing numbers of archaeological findings are revealing every day. But Allah also tells us in the Qur&rsquo;an that peoples in the past also produced very lofty achievements. 
&nbsp;
Have they not travelled in the earth and seen the final fate of those before them? They had greater strength than them and cultivated the land and inhabited it in far greater numbers than they do. Their Messengers also came to them with the Clear Signs. Allah would never have wronged them; but they wronged themselves. (Sura ar-Rum, 9) ]]></description>
<author>Harun Yahya (Adnan Oktar)</author>
<pubDate>01.01.2009</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>DIFFICULTIES ARE AUSPICIOUS AND SOURCES OF GREAT JOY FOR MUSLIMS</title>
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<description><![CDATA[ Allah (God) has revealed that He will test people with difficulties in the life of this world. These adversities and difficulties may afflict Muslims as well as unbelievers. But while they turn into a kind of suffering for unbelievers they are all incomparable beauties for devout Muslims who know that Allah creates all things for the best. Each of them is a blessing in this world and the Hereafter, a valuable instrument for deepening their faith and an opportunity for them to strengthen their joy, enthusiasm and the love and bonds between them. In one verse, Allah reveals that deficiencies and difficulties may come to both deniers and Muslims, and that He &ldquo;deals out such days to people turn by turn&rdquo;: 

 If you have received a wound, they have already received a similar wound. We deal out such days to people turn by turn, so that Allah will know those who believe and can gather martyrs from among you &ndash; Allah does not love wrongdoers. (Surah Al &lsquo;Imran, 140)

 Being tested by difficulties is an important part of the life of a Muslim. Throughout the course of his life, our Prophet (saas) was subjected to a great many slanders, threatened with death and oppressed many times by the pagans of Mecca, and eventually abandoned all he owned and migrated to Medina together with his companions. The Prophet Abraham (pbuh) was cast into the flames, the Prophet Joseph (pbuh) was left in a remote well and then spent years in prison, the Prophet Moses (pbuh) was oppressed by Pharaoh and traps were set to kill the Prophet Jesus (pbuh), but Allah thwarted all these snares laid for His messengers and turned all difficulties into beauties for His righteous servants. He describes in the Qur&rsquo;an in detail how the unbelievers will set various traps for Muslims, intended to inflict difficulties on them. In one verse He reveals: 

When those who are unbelievers were plotting against you to imprison you or kill you or expel you: they were plotting and Allah was plotting, but Allah is the Best of Plotters. (Surat al-Anfal, 30)

 Troubles and difficulties such as killing, wounding, arrest, exile or imprisonment may arise at any time in the life of a Muslim. But all these troubles and difficulties are events that take place with Allah&rsquo;s command, that work in Muslims&rsquo; favor right from the beginning, and that have been thwarted in destiny beforehand right from the very outset. And they are all sources of joy for Muslims. It is revealed in one verse how Muslims reply to threats and intimidation: 

Those to whom people said, &ldquo;The people have gathered against you, so fear them.&rdquo; But that merely increased their faith and they said, &ldquo;Allah is enough for us and the Best of Guardians.&rdquo; (Surah Al &lsquo;Imran, 173)

 Allah&rsquo;s reward to these excellent moral virtues of Muslims is as follows: 

So they returned with blessings and bounty from Allah and no evil touched them. They pursued the pleasure of Allah. Allah&rsquo;s favor is indeed immense. (Surah Al &lsquo;Imran, 174)

 As revealed in these verses, Muslims&rsquo; faith is strengthened and the joy of belief increases in the face of adversity. Unbelievers intend evil for believers but, contrary to their expectations, their plans are always auspicious for and work in believers&rsquo; favor, being &ldquo;blessings and bounty from Allah, and no evil touches them.&rdquo; This is one of Allah&rsquo;s manifestations of how the snares of the unbelievers will never succeed. Allah has revealed that it is the unbelievers themselves who will suffer the ultimate disappointment because of the traps they set:

They desired to trap him but We made them the losers. (Surat al-Anbiya&rsquo;, 70) ]]></description>
<author>Harun Yahya (Adnan Oktar)</author>
<pubDate>08.12.2008</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>THE PROPHET YUSUF (AS)</title>
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<description><![CDATA[ 








As Allah related in the Qur'an, in his early life, the Prophet Yusuf (as) was put through many tests, to which he responded with the utmost maturity and submission. No matter how dire the circumstances or how cunning the plots against him were, the Prophet Yusuf (as), never diverged from his faith, devotion, trust and submission to Allah, but rather drew nearer to Him and showed absolute submission. 

For those who seek ways to draw nearer to Allah, there are really striking examples of moral perfection in the life of the Prophet Yusuf (as). The first thing we learn about him is the important dream he saw in his early years and the comment his father, Ya'qub (as), made about this dream: 

Yusuf said to his father: &quot;Father! I saw eleven bright stars, and the sun and moon as well. I saw them all prostrate themselves in front of me.&quot; &quot;My son&quot;, he replied, &quot;don't tell your brothers of your dream, lest they devise some scheme to injure you. Satan is the sworn enemy of man. Accordingly, your Lord will pick you out and teach you the true meaning of events and perfectly confer His blessing upon you as well as upon the family of Ya'qub, as He conferred it perfectly before upon your forebears, Ibrahim and Ishaq. Most certainly your Lord is All-Knowing, and Wise.&quot; (Surah Yusuf, 4-6)

 
Taking this dream to be a sign from Allah and realising that Yusuf (as) would become a noble person in Allah's sight in future, his father wanted him to keep this dream to himself. His brothers, who felt that their father held Yusuf (as) more dear, became jealous of their father's love and hatched a plot against Yusuf (as). They tried to kill him and draw their father's love to themselves:


In Yusuf and his brothers there are Signs for those who ask. They declared, &quot;Why! Yusuf and his brother are dearer to our father than we are, although we constitute a powerful group. Our father is clearly making a mistake.&quot; Kill Yusuf or expel him to some far-off land, so that your father will look to you alone and after that you can be honourable men. One of them said, &quot;Do not take Yusuf's life, but, if you must, throw him to the bottom of a well, so that some travellers may discover him.&quot; (Surah Yusuf, 7-10)

 
His brothers left Yusuf (as) in the depths of a well. Then, they came to their father, telling him that a wolf had devoured him, and offered his shirt with false blood stains as evidence. Despite this evidence, the Prophet Ya'qub (as) realized this incident to be a plot, took refuge in Allah and asked Him for help. Thanks to countless conditions predetermined by destiny, some travellers passing by the well found the Prophet Yusuf (as) and sold him as a slave to a governor in Egypt: 


&hellip; Thus We established Yusuf in the land to teach him the true meaning of events. Allah is in control of all things, though most of mankind do not know it. And then when he became a full-grown man, We gave him knowledge and right judgment too. That is how We reward all doers of good. (Surah Yusuf, 21-22)

 
The wife of the governor who bought him approached the Prophet Yusuf (as), who was remarkably handsome, with wicked intentions. However, she was refused outright by Yusuf (as). Upon this, the wife of the governor resorted to slandering Yusuf (as) to maintain her innocence: 


His master's wife attempted to seduce him. She barred the doors and said, &quot;Come over here!&quot; &quot;Allah is my refuge!&quot; he (Yusuf) replied. &quot;He is My Lord and has treated me with kindness. Those who do wrong shall surely never prosper.&quot; (Surah Yusuf, 23)
 They both rushed to the door. She tore his shirt at the back. They met her husband by the door. She said, &quot;How should a man whose intention was to harm your family be punished for what he did, except with prison or painful punishment?&quot; Yusuf said, &quot;It was she who tried to seduce me.&quot;... (Surah Yusuf,25-26)
 The governor saw the shirt torn at the back and said, &quot;The source of this is women's deviousness. Without a doubt your guile is very great. Yusuf, ignore all this, and you, my wife, should ask forgiveness for your evil act. There is no doubt that you are in the wrong.&quot; (Surah Yusuf, 28-29)
 She said, &quot;You see! It's him you blamed me for. I tried seducing him but he refused. If he does not do what I order, he will be put in prison and brought low.&quot; &quot;My Lord&quot;, said Yusuf, &quot;prison is preferable to me than what they call on me to do. Unless You turn their guile away from me, it may well be that I will yield to them and so lapse into ignorance.&quot; His Lord answered his prayer and turned away from him their female guile and deviousness. He is the One Who Hears, the One Who Knows. Yet, even after they had seen the Signs, they thought that they should still imprison him for a time. (Surah Yusuf, 32-35)
 &hellip; and so he stayed in prison for several years. (Surah Yusuf, 42) 

 
Now after being plotted against by his brothers and unjustly slandered by the governor's wife, Yusuf (as) had nothing to look forward to but several years of imprisonment. However, throughout all these long years, the Prophet Yusuf (as) did not despair even for a moment but, aware that there is good and wisdom behind these events Allah ordained, hopefully prayed to Him and showed determination in his patience and faith. Indeed, years later, when the king sought for the interpretation of a dream he had had, an old prisoner recalled the Prophet Yusuf (as) as a person who had the faculty of interpreting dreams. Yusuf (as)'s interpretation of the dream greatly impressed the king. He thereupon called Yusuf (as) to his presence. Before the king had a chance to talk to him, the Prophet Yusuf (as) wanted the king to learn the facts about the incident for which he had been sent to prison so many years ago. So, for this explanation, the king returned to the governor's wife and the women to whom she had introduced Yusuf (as) at the time of the incident:


... (The women said:) &quot;Allah forbid! We know no bad of him.&quot; The governor's wife then said, &quot;The truth has now emerged. Indeed I tried to seduce him then and he has simply told the honest truth.&quot; (Surah Yusuf, 51)

 
After their confession, the Prophet Yusuf (as) gave the following explanation: 


In this way he (i.e., the governor) will know at last that I did not dishonour him behind his back and that Allah most surely does not guide the deviousness of the dishonourable. I do not say that I myself was free from blame. The self indeed commands to evil acts&mdash;except for those my Lord has mercy on. My Lord, He is Forgiving and Merciful. (Surah Yusuf, 52-53)

 

These words of the Prophet Yusuf (as) are typical of his perfected faith. He always knew that Allah would help believers and those who are patient, and that He would certainly confound the schemes of those who betrayed Him. His trust in Allah manifested itself in his submission to his destiny. No matter how unfavourable the circumstances seemed, he could see that there was good and wisdom behind these events Allah ordained. 

Another exemplary character trait of the Prophet Yusuf (as) was his refusal to indulge his lower self, even in situations in which he was absolutely right. He never trusted in his lower self and always remained conscious of the fact that one's lower self is prone to evil. This is a form of morality peculiar to those having perfected faith who act with the awareness that employing the methods of the devil, the lower self stealthily approaches human beings and tempts those who ignore the voice of their conscience. 

The attitude of the Prophet Yusuf (as) towards his lower self is a manifestation of his moral maturity. No doubt, the ultimate fate of a person who shows such deep-seated submission to Allah and trusts in Him will be infinite good. Indeed, in return for this meritorious submission to Allah, he was placed in authority over the treasures of Egypt. Granting him a good life in this world and giving the good news of paradise in the hereafter, Allah stated that &quot;He would not allow to go to waste the recompense of those who do good&quot;: 


And thus We established Yusuf in the land and he dwelt there as he pleased. We grant Our grace to anyone We will and We do not allow to go to waste the recompense of those who do good. But the reward of the hereafter is the best for those who believe and fear their Lord. (Surah Yusuf, 56-57)

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<author>Harun Yahya (Adnan Oktar)</author>
<pubDate>13.11.2008</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SAAS)</title>
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<description><![CDATA[ As a verse of the Qur'an reveals, &quot;&hellip; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and the Final Seal of the Prophets.&quot; (Surat al-Ahzab: 40), the Prophet Muhammad (saas) was sent to mankind as the last prophet. He was a living example of the sublime morality of Allah's last revelation. He was a friend of Allah and inspired humanity by his nearness to Him. He was His representative, noble in His eyes, and a friend to all believers.


As Allah has revealed in another verse, &quot;We will impose a weighty Word upon you...&quot; (Surat al-Muzammil: 5), He charged His last prophet, Muhammad (saas) with a heavy responsibility. Due to the Prophet&rsquo;s (saas) strong faith in Allah, he fulfilled that responsibility in the best possible way, called mankind to the path of Allah and Islam, and illuminated the way for all believers.


Although we have never seen the Prophet (saas), we can still do our very best to come to know his exemplary behavior, his sayings and the pleasing morality he displayed, by means of the verses of the Qur'an and the hadiths (the sayings and teachings of the Prophet [saas]). We can try to be like him, in order to be close to him in the Hereafter. 

People today, and the young in particular, take many individuals as role models, imitate the way they behave, speak and dress, and try to be like them. Yet, since the great majority of these people are not on the right road themselves, they lack proper morality and attitudes. It is therefore a serious responsibility to lead people to the truth and the best morality and behavior. A Muslim needs to try to emulate the behavior and the morality of the Prophet Muhammad (saas). Allah confirms that in a verse:


You have an excellent model in the Messenger of Allah, for all who put their hope in Allah and the Last Day and remember Allah much. (Surat al-Ahzab: 21)


Like the Prophet Muhammad (saas), the other prophets were also role models for believers, and enjoyed Allah's good pleasure. Allah says in one verse:


There is instruction in their stories for people of intelligence. This [the Qur'an] is not a narration which has been invented but confirmation of all that came before, a clarification of everything, and a guidance and a mercy for people who believe. (Surah Yusuf: 111)


As the Prophet (saas) has revealed in the hadith, &quot;Verily, I have left amongst you the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Apostle which if you hold fast, you shall never go astray,&quot;[1] a Muslim's two truest guides are the Qur'an and Sunnah (the practice of the Prophet Muhammad (saas)). The Prophet Muhammad (saas) was an example to all humanity with his morality, to which he called on mankind to live by. It was the Prophet (saas) who said &quot;I was sent to perfect good character&quot;[2] and &quot;By One in whose hand there is my life: None shall enter Paradise except one who has got good conduct.&quot;[3]


In the Qur'an Allah has revealed that the Prophet (saas) possessed the finest morality, and says:


Nun. By the Pen and what they write down! By the blessing of your Lord, you are not mad. You will have a wage which never-fails. Indeed you are truly vast in character. So you will see and they will see which of you is mad. Your Lord knows best who is misguided from His Way and He knows best those who are guided. (Surat al-Qalam: 1-7)


Allah also revealed in that verse that the Prophet (saas) was a tireless toiler on His path. That demonstrates that he always displayed a pleasing morality, never departing from the way of Allah.


As the Prophet&rsquo;s (saas) words &quot;The most perfect believer in respect of faith is he who is best of them in manners&quot;[4] make clear, morality is one the most important components of true faith. It is therefore an important religious duty to learn about and practice the very best examples of it. Those Muslims who follow the way of the Prophet (saas) need to be foremost in their morality and behavior, and to invite others to adopt that same morality.




[1] Prophet Muhammad's Last Sermon (http://www.stanford.edu/~jamila/Sermon.html)
[2] Malik's Muwatta, Book 47, Number 47.1.8
[3] Imam Ghazzali's Ihya Ulum-Id-Din (The Book of Religious Learnings), Islamic Book Service, New Delhi, 2001, Islamic Book Service, New Delhi, 2001, Volume II, p.236 
[4] Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 40, Number 4665



 ]]></description>
<author>Harun Yahya (Adnan Oktar)</author>
<pubDate>06.11.2008</pubDate>
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