MOSQUES AS INSTITUTIONS TO MUSLIM'S SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL GROWTH

A balanced development of human spirituality is able to be portrayed as a living seed which fertilizes the entire value of Muslims' devotion towards the Creator. Clarifying on this matter, it is apparent that mosques are amongst the most important aspects in a Muslim's life. The significance of mosques has been revealed by Allah as something which is very important since the existence of human race on earth. Allah clarifies this in Ali Imran (3:96) denoting that mosques are the earliest construction made to fulfill human devotion rights towards Allah.

The prophet Muhammad (pbuh) further explained the importance of mosques to us by constructing the Quba Mosque. The mosque was built as soon as the prophet reached Madinah's periphery on his emigrate (Hirah) journey. Prospering a mosque is a sign of piousness of a Muslim towards the Creator. This is clearly mentioned by Allah in At-Taubah (9:8) : "For those who prosper the mosques, they are indeed people who surrender in faith to Allah and the hereafter."

A mosque is a symbol of educational institution, mental and physical development, gregariousness and nationalism of a Muslim. In other words, an Islamic country can be formed by the union of Muslims with the jamaah. Due to that, today's Muslim community must perceive further on the significance of mosques as an institution and furthermore initiate in its prosperity. A mosque's function is not solely for praying but is inclusive of the veins and heartbeats of its followers. If we observe the mosque in a narrow perception, as if it is just a prayer's place, it is worried that future generations would have an idea that Islam is just merely prayers, whereas Islam is actually life itself as a whole, inclusive of all aspects of it.

The sophistication of a mosque doesn't root from the glitter of its lighting and the profound construction, but it can be remarkable and magnificent if it is prospered with good deeds (ibadah) and all Muslims' activities in it. To turn this into reality all of us must give and make time to be present at the mosque.

We don't need to wait for a free time before making the decision to attend the mosque. Time is of essence and it passes by, leaving us and will never return. Therefore the need to squeeze some time in attending the mosque is compulsory, parallel to the time we allot to other obligations. This is to be done without discrimination towards personal and educational background, skin colour, race and language because Islam is meant for all human race. We are not obliged to be at the mosque at all times, but the priority in prospering it should exist in our daily life schedule.

Among things which could be done by all Muslims from around the world is to turn a mosque into a "One Stop Centre", where Muslim community will be able to receive benefits from it. We can build budget hotels to cater the needs of stopping-by travelers without discriminating on their race and religion. Other than that we can build up grocery shops, textile and clothing boutiques, laundry services, automotive workshops, petrol pump stations and many others. The running of all these businesses should be based totally on Islamic philosophy and teachings from the organization, financial, administration and other aspects.

All of them should be open 24 hours per day due to their significance towards the humanity. If we look at mosques as equal in importance as all of our other needs, the mosque is definitely going to be prosper and beautiful. When we transfer the mosque into a "One Stop Centre" indirectly our lives will be surrounded by the institution of mosques. This will attach us to the mosque and seal us a closer relationship with Allah

Everyone should be brought along to the mosque and perform all the practices and customs of the mosques, which some of us are never even aware of it before. Prayers and mosques educate us to co-operate without discriminating social standards, learn to admonish faulty leaders and adhere to rightful leaders, appreciate cleanliness, being humble, punctual and others.

After fulfilling the obligation towards prospering the mosque, we are further obliged to continue our daily jobs to earn a living which has been given by Allah on earth. The initiative to prosper the mosque should not be perceived lightly by us. It is meant to return the glorious moment of Muslims worldwide. Islam does not put aside non-Muslims needs, in fact it is done hand-in-hand. That's the best way to describe it. We will continue being as 'bubbles in the ocean' if we continue putting a distance away from the mosque.

Mosque is a source of human integrity. The Quranic versus should be practiced and not just displayed for theory purposes. To make this happen into reality, we must prosper all mosques that are within our reach. All members in the community should make this into realization within their personal capacity. Without co-operation from all, this idea will just be a fruitless discussion. Therefore we must initiate it into our real lives so that we would be able to develop the Muslim community in all aspects of life. Due to this, a minimum of 2 hours daily should be allotted to attend the mosque, for the purpose of praying with jamaah and building a social relationship within the community.

This proposal is open to all Muslims from all over the world. The utmost important criteria is "Lailahaillallah" in every Muslim hearts. Burning passion and resolution should be marked into the hearts of every Muslim souls worldwide and to be put into realization with actual physical movement.

With Allah's blessings, apart from our own initiatives, hopefully this proposal is able to be realized by all Muslim on earth.

For those who happened to read this note, please open up your mind, give a thought to its righteousness, seek for Allah's guidance and perform it without any procrastination. It is hoped that all of us would be blessed by Allah now and hereafter.

AMIN.

The knowledge of our Almighty God Allah

As a muslim, how we could acquire the knowledge and belief in Allah, His attributes, His Law, and the Day of Judgement?

As a human being, we have already referred to countless manifestations of Allah around us and in our own selves, which bear witness to the fact that there is one and only one creator and Governor of this universe and it is He Who controls and directs it. These witnesses reflect the divine attributes of the creator: His great wisdom, His all-embracing knowledge, His omnipotence, His mercy, His all-sustaining power, His force major-in short, His attributes can be traced everywhere in His work. But man’s intellect and his capacity to attain knowledge have erred in observing and understanding them. These are all manifest and clear and our eyes are open to read what is writ large on the creation. But here men have erred.

Some of them have declared that there are two gods others began to profess belief in trinity, and still others succumbed to polytheism. Some began nature-worship and others divided into multifarious deities: gods of rain, air, fair, death, etc. As such, although the manifestations of God were quite clear, human reason has faltered on various counts and failed to see the reality in its true perspective. It met deception after deception and resulted in nothing but confusion of thought. We hardly need dilate here on these errors of human judgment.

Similarly, with regard to life after death men have put forward many erroneous notions; for instance, that man is reduced to dust after death and will not rise to life again; or that man is subject to a process of continuous regeneration in this very world and is punished or rewarded in the oncoming cycles of life.

Even greater difficulty arises when we come to the question of the code of life. To formulate a complete and balanced code of life that should conform to Allah’s pleasure merely with the help of human reason, is an extremely difficult task. If a man is equipped with the highest faculties of reason and intellect and he possesses matchless wisdom and experience of many years of deliberation, even then the chances of his formulating right views on life and existence are not very promising. And even if, after a lifelong deliberation, he succeeds in that he will still lack in the confidence that he has really discovered the truth and adopted the right path.

Although the fullest and fairest test of man’s wisdom, reason, and knowledge might have been to leave him to his own resources without any external guidance so that he those who, through their own sagacious siftings and strivings, might have reached truth and righteousness would have won success and salvation, while those not reaching them would have failed.Allah, how ever, spared His human creatures such a hard test. Through His grace and benevolence He raised for mankind men from among themselves to whom He imparted the true knowledge of His attributes, revealed to them His Law and the Right Code of Living, gave them the knowledge of the meaning and purpose of life and of the life after death and thus showed them the way by pursuing which man can achieve success and eternal bliss.

These chosen man are the Messengers of Allah His prophets. Allah has communicated knowledge and wisdom to them by means of wahy (revelation), and the book containing the Divine communications is called the Book of Allah, or the word ofAllah. Now the test of man’s Wisdom and intellect lies in this: does he recognize Allah's Messenger after thoroughly observing his pure and pious life and carefully studying his noble and flawless teachings? The man who possesses right wisdom and sound common sense would verify truth and accept the instructions given by the Messenger of truth. If he denies the Messenger of Allah and his teachings, his denial would signify that he was devoid of the capacity to find out truth and righteousness. On account of this denial he would fail in his test. Such a man will never be able to discover the truth about Allah and His Law and the life after death.

Islamic, the best concept of life

The main characteristic of Islam is that it makes no distinction between the spiritual and the secular in life. The aim is to shape both individual lives as well as society as a whole in ways that will ensure that the Kingdom of Allah may really be established on the earth and that peace, contentment and well being may fill the world. The Islamic way of life is thus based on a unique concept of man’s place in the universe. That is why it is necessary that, before we discuss the moral, social, political and economic systems of Islam, we should have a clear idea of what that concept is.