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Assalam o Alaikum, Wa Rehmatullah, Wa Barakatuhu. The First Duty – Personal Submission The following four Quranic terms express the essence of personal submission. 1. Islam Literally it means to completely surrender, to give up resistance, and unquestioningly obey Divine commandments. The Qur’an requires of us that we enter Islam wholly: O ye who believe! Enter into Islam wholly (Al-Baqarah 2:208) There is no such thing as partial acceptance of Islam or partial obedience to God. It is unacceptable to obey certain commands and disregard others. Then do you believe in a part of the Scripture, and reject the rest? Then what is the recompense of those who do so among you, except disgrace in this life? And on the Day of Judgment they shall be consigned to the most grievous torment. For Allah is not unmindful of what you do. (Al-Baqarah 2:85) 2. Obedience (ita`ah) Obedience represents the spirit of Islam from an enhanced perspective. While Islam signifies surrender and giving up any resistance, obedience denotes one’s willing submission in an active and positive sense. “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, but if you turn away, the duty of our Messenger is only to convey clearly.” (At-Taghabun: 64:12) 3. Abstinence (taqwa) The term abstinence approaches the concept of Islam from the opposite direction of `ita`ah. Whereas obedience represents an active and positive response to the requirements of Islam (submission), abstinence is its active but negative dimension. O believers! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam. (Al-i-‘Imran 3:102) 4. Worship (`ibadah) The Arabic word "`ibadah" stands for both worshipping and praising, embracing the twin connotations of obedience and love. This is perhaps the most comprehensive term regarding personal submission. As a term it might be defined as, “To surrender oneself completely out of love”. I have only created Jinns and men, that they may serve Me. (Az-Zariyat 51:56) The Second duty – Taking the Message of Islam to Others Whereas our first obligation was at the individual and personal level, the second obligation has to do with reaching out to others. There are again four terms that are worthy of our special attention. 1. Preaching (tableegh) This literally means taking the message to others. Islam will reach far and wide only when it is taken far and wide by those who profess to believe in it. God enjoined the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in the following manner: O Messenger! Proclaim which has been sent to you from your Lord. (Al-Maida 5:67) Likewise, the Prophet (SAW) has instructed us to convey his message (even if it is a single ayah) to others: And convey on my behalf, even if it is a single ayah. 2. Calling others to Islam (da`wah) Da`wah means calling others to Islam. And who is better in speech than he who calls men to Allah and does righteous deeds and says I am one of the Muslims. (Fussilat 41:33) Invite all to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in a way that is better. (An-Nahl 16:125) 3. Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil Whosoever among you observes some evil, it is his duty to stop it by his hand, if he is unable to do so, then with his tongue, and if he is unable to do even this, he should condemn it in his heart, but this represents the weakest degree of faith. [Hadith] 4. Being Witnesses unto Mankind (shahadah `ala an-naas) It stands for being God’s witness over the people so that one may affirm and testify on the Day of Judgment that the duty of conveying the message to others and adequately representing the Divine commands had been duly performed. In performing this duty one becomes representation of God’s messengers, since it was this very task that has been defined as the mission of the messengers themselves. How then, when we brought from each people and we bring you as a witness against these people? (An-Nisa 4:41) Thus we have made of you an Ummah, justly balanced, that you might be witnesses over all peoples, and the messenger a witness over you. (Al-Baqarah 2:143) The Third Duty - Establishing Islam Preaching the creed and ideas of Islam at a dogmatic level is one thing, but calling others to join together in establishing it as a practical reality is something completely different. Four Qur'anic terms bring out the Qur’anic injunctions of this third duty as well. 1. Supremacy of the Lord (Takbeer-e-Rabb) And make your Lord Supreme. (Al-Mudathir 74:3) Read in the name of your Lord and Cherisher Who created man, out of mere clot of congeal blood. Recite and your Lord is most Bountiful. He Who taught the use of the pen and taught the man that he knew not. (Al-‘Alaq 96:1-5). 2. Establishing Islam (Iqamatud Deen) That you establish the religion and make no divisions therein. (Ash-Shoora 42:13) The economy, social life, political system and all public institutions should be in accordance with the dictates of Islam and under Divine authority. Only then it may be said that Islam is established. Otherwise, it should be clear that Divine revelation is not merely for recitation and praise. It is clearly said in the Qur’an: Say: O people of the Book! You have nothing unless you establish the Law of the Gospels and all the revelation that has come to you from your Lord. (Al-Maidah 5:68) 3. Supereminence of Islam (Ad-deenu kulluhu lillah) And fight them on until there is no more tumult (or oppression) and the religion is Allah’s. (Al-Baqarah 2:193) And fight them on until there is no more tumult (or oppression) and there prevail justice and faith in Allah alone.” (Al-Anfal 8:39) 4. Ascendancy of Islam (izharu deenil haqq `ala ad-deen kullihi) It is He, who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the true religion (Islam) to make it victorious over all way of life. (As-Saff 61:9) Same wordings (without any difference in the slightest) also appear in Sura At-Tawbah and Al-Fath. In Surah Al-Tawbah and As-Saff, the ayah concludes with the words: “Though it may displease the Mushrikeen” while in Surah Al-Fath it ends with: “And Allah suffices as a witness. ” JAZAK Allah KHAIRAN

Today I learned that a person can identify himself as a Muslim but at the same time be a Mushrik in nature. To be a Muslim means to submit oneself to Allah and to be in submission only to Allah. Therefore if a person submits himself to something other than Allah then he is a Mushrik because he has assigned a partner to Allah and his submission is divided between what he is submitting himself to. Therefore to be a Muslim in name and nature, we must submit ourselves only to Allah, what we do should be for the sake of Allah and we must not submit to anyone or any thing besides Allah. Unfortunately many people now a days submit themselves to money, to other people who are their "bosses" or "commanders". They would fear the punishment of their masters more than they would fear their merciful and kind creator. This is what happened with the people of Kufa, although they called themselves Muslims, they were in reality submitting themselves to that which is other than Allah and as a result they killed Hussein (as) and left Islam and ceased to be Muslims without knowing. So remember, don't think you are a Muslim in nature just because you are a Muslim in name. To be a Muslim in nature you must submit yourself only to Allah, call only Allah for help, Ask for Sustanence from him and submit yourself to his will and his will only. Otherwise if you subject yourself to other humans for the sake of sustenance and you forget Allah and beg other humans for help, you will have replaced God and you would have attributed God's function to other humans. This is just something I learned at a Mosque today, I hope I have delivered it to you correctly and may Allah forgive me if I have made a mistake. I just thought this point was crucial for us to know and wanted to share it. Wasalam

Levels of submission by Ayatullah Murtadha Mutahhari The most basic condition of soundness of heart is to be submissive to the truth. Submission has three levels: submission of the body, submission of the intellect, and submission of the heart. When two opponents face each other in combat and one of them feels likely to lose, he may surrender or submit to the other. In such a surrender, normally the losing opponent puts his hands up as a sign of defeat and desists from fighting, coming under the sway of his opponent. That is, he acts in accordance with whatever command his opponent gives. In this type of submission, the body submits, but the mind and reason do not; instead, they are constantly thinking of rebellion, incessantly contemplating how to get a chance to overcome the opponent once again. This is the state of his reason and thought, and as for his feelings and emotions, they too continuously denounce the enemy. This type of submission – that of the body – is the most that can be achieved by force. The next level of submission is the submission of the intellect and reason. The power that can make the intellect submit is that of logic and reasoning. Here, physical force can’t accomplish anything. It is absolutely impossible through physical force to make a student understand that the sum of the angles of a triangle is equal to two right angles. Mathematical propositions must be proven through reasoning and not through any other way. The intellect is forced to submit through thinking and reasoning. If sufficient proof exists and is presented to the intellect and the intellect understands it, it submits, even if all the powers of the world say not to submit. It is well-known that when Galileo was tortured for his belief in the movement of the earth and centrality of the sun in the solar system, out of fear that they would burn him alive, he expressed repentance of his scientific view; in that condition, he wrote something on the ground. It is said that he wrote, “Galileo’s repentance will not make the Earth stand still.” Force can compel a person to recant his or her words, but the human intellect does not submit except when faced with logic and reasoning. قُلْ هٌــاتُوا بُرْهٌــنَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْــتُمْ صٌدِقِينَ

Levels of Submission The most basic condition of soundness of heart is to be submissive to the truth. Submission has three levels: submission of the body, submission of the intellect, and submission of the heart. When two opponents face each other in combat and one of them feels likely to lose, he may surrender or submit to the other. In such a surrender, normally the losing opponent puts his hands up as a sign of defeat and desists from fighting, coming under the sway of his opponent. That is, he acts in accordance with whatever command his opponent gives. In this type of submission, the body submits, but the mind and reason do not; instead, they are constantly thinking of rebellion, incessantly contemplating how to get a chance to overcome the opponent once again. This is the state of his reason and thought, and as for his feelings and emotions, they too continuously denounce the enemy. This type of submission – that of the body – is the most that can be achieved by force. The next level of submission is the submission of the intellect and reason. The power that can make the intellect submit is that of logic and reasoning. Here, physical force can’t accomplish anything. It is absolutely impossible through physical force to make a student understand that the sum of the angles of a triangle is equal to two right angles. Mathematical propositions must be proven through reasoning and not through any other way. The intellect is forced to submit through thinking and reasoning. If sufficient proof exists and is presented to the intellect and the intellect understands it, it submits, even if all the powers of the world say not to submit. It is well-known that when Galileo was tortured for his belief in the movement of the earth and centrality of the sun in the solar system, out of fear that they would burn him alive, he expressed repentance of his scientific view; in that condition, he wrote something on the ground. It is said that he wrote, “Galileo’s repentance will not make the Earth stand still.” Force can compel a person to recant his or her words, but the human intellect does not submit except when faced with logic and reasoning. قُلْ هٌــاتُوا بُرْهٌــنَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْــتُمْ صٌدِقِينَ “Say, ‘Produce your evidence, should you be truthful.’”[45] The third level of submission is the submission of the heart. The reality of faith is submission of the heart; submission of the tongue or submission of the thought and intellect, if not coupled with submission of the heart, is not faith. Submission of the heart is equal to submission of the entire existence of a person and the negation of every type of obstinacy and rejection. It is possible that someone may submit to an idea as far as the intellect and mind are concerned, but not the spirit. When a person shows obstinacy out of prejudice or refuses to yield to the truth because of personal interests, his or her mind and intellect have submitted, but the spirit is rebellious and lacks submission, and for this very reason lacks faith, since the reality of faith is the submission of the heart and soul. God says in the Qur’ān: يٌا أَيُّهٌا الَّذِينَ ءٌامَنُوا ادْخُلُوا فِي السِّلْمِ كٌــآفَةً وَ لاٌ تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوٌاتِ الشَّيْطٌانِ “O you who have faith! Enter into submission, all together, and do not follow in Satan’s steps.”[46] That is, your soul should not be at war with your intellect; your feelings should not be at war with your perceptions. The story of Shaīťān (Satan) that has come in the Qur’ān is an example of unbelief of the heart, even though the intellect has submitted. Shaīťān recognized God, believed in the Day of Judgement, completely recognized the Prophets and their legatees and admitted their position; at the same time, God calls him an unbeliever and says of him: وَ كٌــانَ مِنَ الْكٌفِرِينَ “And he was of the unbelievers.”[47] The evidence that, in the view of the Qur’ān, Shaīťān recognized God is that the Qur’ān explicitly says that he confessed that He is the Creator. Addressing God, he said: خَلَقْتَنِــي مِنْ نٌارٍ وَ خَلَقْتَهُ مِنْ طِينٍ “You created me from fire, and You created him from clay.”[48] And the evidence that he believed in the Day of Judgement is that he said: أُنْظُرْنِــي إِلـى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ “Grant me reprieve until the day they are resurrected.”[49] And the evidence that he recognized the Prophets and infallibles is that he said: قٌالَ فَبِعِزَّتِكَ لَأَغْوِينَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ إِلاَّ عِبٌادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ “By Your might, I shall lead them all astray, except Your purified servants among them.”[50] The meaning of the purified servants, who are pure not just in their actions, but whose entire existence is purified and free of all except God, are the friends of God and the infallibles; Shaīťān recognized them, too, and believed in their infallibility. The Qur’ān, while describing Shaīťān as knowing all these things, calls him an unbeliever. Thus, we come to know that mere recognition and knowledge, or the submission of the intellect and mind, is not sufficient for a person to be considered a believer. Something else is necessary as well. In the Qur’ān’s logic, why has Shaīťān been regarded as an unbeliever in spite of all his knowledge? Obviously, it is because while his perception accepted reality, his feelings rose to battle it; his heart rose against his intellect; he showed arrogance and refused to accept the truth: he lacked submission of the heart. http://www.al-islam.org/religiouspluralism/6.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFgo9UfGlTw I have created this video with regards to recent events by disgusting 'muslims' in UK (woolwich attackers). I have a dream that this video will be shared throughout many different racial and religious communities all in hope to keep the true message of Islam protected. Please take 3 minutes of your time to view, like and share the video with your friends. May Allah be with you.