Deeds ...

A man asked the Prophet, "What sort of deeds or (what qualities of) Islam are good?" The Prophet replied, "To feed (the poor) and greet those whom you know and those whom you do not know."

- Hadith narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr, as related by Al-Bukhari

Children ...

Once Abu Umamah asked the Prophet about the rights of parents over their children. The Prophet replied, "They are your Paradise and they are your Hell."

- Reported by Abu Umamah

Addressing a Comment ...

Comment:
I would appreciate this quote more if he'd said "an obligation laid on every person." There is no need to be exclusive.
February 3, 2009 12:13

I understand what you mean, but he was speaking to his followers, so it is understandable. There are several verses in the Qur'an that talk about knowledge and it addresses "believers" which is not exclusive to Muslims. It is a term that, when translated, eludes to all those who believe in a God.

If you every have a moment and research the Prophet Mohamed's (pbuh) life, you will see he was far from "exclusive." Actually, if you research the lives of ANY of the prophets (pbut) you'll find that they spoke with the sick, the poor, the uneducated, and even criminals in order to get out their message.

We all have choices to make - we can be good or bad - good v. evil - educated v. uneducated - nice v. mean, etc. We, as human beings, tend to make better choices when we are better informed allowing us to maintain perception and therefore balance. Reason and logic = "higher brain function" which essentially is the only thing that seperates ourselves from the remainder of the animal kingdom. Yet viewing reality TV these days will really make you wonder if we're all that much better than fluffy the housecat. :)

Thank you for your comment; I hope the circumstances help convey that it is not meant to be divisive.

The Seal of the Prophethood ...

God now said to Muhammad(pbuh): 'I gave my past messengers many wise words to convey to the people; and these words were written down to guide future generations. Each of these messengers knew that I would send a further messenger to confirm the message I had given them. Do you accept this? Will you take up this burden?'

Muhammad (pbuh) answered: 'I accept.'

-Ibn Ishaq, "The Life of Muhammad"

Patience is a Virtue ...

Your pleas shall be answered, but wait patiently for the Lord to respond. Do not lose hope and begin to complain, "I beseeched the Lord, but He never responded."

-The Prophet Muhammad, as reported by Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith)

Happy Mother's Day!

We have ordained humankind to show kindness toward their parents, for in pain their mothers carry them and in pain do they give birth. In thirty months they bear and wean; thus when they attain maturity they may pray, "Lord, inspire us that we may be thankful for the blessings You bestowed upon us and our parents. Kindle within us the desire to do what is upright and pleasing to You. Grant us righteous offspring, Lord. Verily, we turn to You in repentance, surrendering ourselves in earnest."

-Qur'an, Al-Ahqaf, (46:15)

A Hadith

When the Prophet Mohamed (pbuh) was asked by a man, "Who should we respect the most?" The Prophet answered, "Your mother."  

"And next?" the man asked.  

"Your mother."

"And next?" the man asked.

"Your mother."

"And next?" the man asked, again.

"Your mother." The Prophet answered, again.

"And next?" 

"Your father."  

This hadith not only shows how women are respected in Islam, but how highly the title "mother" is honored.  A bond between a mother and child is like no other on Earth.  Respect, honor, and love it.  Be sure to thank the woman who gave you the gift of life and raised you well today.  For it is their lessons that you will pass on to your own offspring.

Love you, mom.  =)

Thanks for your comments!

Islam does not "designate" someone with the phrase, "Prophet." God gives them that "title." So, I suppose, to answer your question this is not a man-made process and therefore is nothing like Catholics and canonizing saints and nothing like Mormons either.

It is said, and widely accepted in Islam, that there were THOUSANDS of prophets. Given that there is a verse in the Qur'an that states that "God sent a prophet for every tribe on Earth."

There are only 28 listed, by name, in the Qur'an.

Of those 28, there are 5 who are "heavy hitters" as they were also "messengers" in addition to their prophethood. These 5 are Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Mohamed (pbut). These men came down with "books" that made the most changes to the world and added to the message that preceded their own.

Notice I say "ADDED." Each message (text) was revealed to correct the people or remind them of the message of those past. None of the prophets came up with a "new" message. Mohamed reiterated the message of Jesus. Jesus reiterated the message of Moses. Moses reiterated David and David reiterated Noah (pbut).

Does that answer your question tatortots71?

Note: (pbut) = peace be upon them - said after prophet's names as a sign of respect in Islam

As for "Hadith," it is another source important in Islam. The Qur'an is believed, by Muslims to actually BE THE words of God. God revealed these verses to the Angel Gabriel (may God be pleased with him) and the Angel Gabriel took those words to the Prophet Mohamed (pbuh) to deliver to the people. There is a verse in the Qur'an that states that for everything not found in this text or for any clarification for that which the people didn't understand, they should look to their prophet (Mohamed (pbuh) in this case) for answers.

Those answers to questions and a living document of how the prophet Mohamed (pbuh) lived his life, so we could emulate him - as he is our teacher, were recorded. Those records are called "Hadith."

After the prophet Mohamed (pbuh) died, unfortunately people tried to take advantage to restore "tribal traditions" that Islam had eradicated by stating "I heard the prophet say ..." Obviously, those sayings were untrue. To me, this seems to repeat the history of what I believe "Saint" Paul did to the message of the prophet Jesus (pbuh).

For hadith, the person who reported it (meaning the source) is just as important as the words itself. In the sunni tradition, "Al-Bukhari" and "Muslim" are the two strongest sources and therefore held in high regards as true "hadiths" or sayings or actions of the prophet Mohamed (pbuh). Shi'ite tradition have their own sources as well. Other hadith reported by obscure people are considered "weak" or not well supported and therefore, might be false.

So, as Islam teaches, one must ask questions and conduct research before just following blindly.

Becca, I hope that answers your question.

Please, anyone out there, PLEASE keep asking questions! Together we will all learn something new and hopefully have a better understanding of one another.