Abdou wrote: “Slavery is one thing (of the past) but what about today's horrible gender inequality that is widely accepted - I'm thinking of the 4+ wives that a Muslim male can marry if he can provide (?) for all of them, the inheritance laws that does not favour women, the general acceptance of the superiority of man over woman, etc. This statement above is very sad and dangerous. By uttering this statement, one is stripping Allaah (the One free from imperfections) of His perfection and far removed is He from that. The One who is the All-Seer and All-Knower is being stripped of these attributes He Himself described Himself with. Allaah, the One who create the Heavens and the Earth in His Infinite wisdom said Muslim men can marry up to four wives, then who are we His creation to question that? Do we even know the wisdom behind this before we raise any objection(s). Here we are relying on our intellect as oppose to the text of the noble Qu’ran. Allah Says: Whoever contradicts and opposes the messenger (Muhammad sallallaahu alaihi was sallam) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers’ way. We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in hell, and what an evil destination. [Al-Quraan 4:115] Allah also Says: Had We sent down this Quran on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and rending asunder by the fear of Allah. Such are the parables which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect. (59:21) For those of us in most western countries, If we were to marry more than one wife at the same time, we will be prosecuted by the laws of these lands no doubt. Yet if we married one wife but fornicated with other women the authorities will have no business with us because we are not breaking the laws. How twisted is this logic. “the inheritance laws that does not favour women,” According to who? Do we know the wisdom behind the laws of inheritance? Here we are accusing Allaah, the One free from imperfection of being unjust – refuge is sought from this. One of the attributes Allaah described Himself with is The Just (Al-Adl). Who is more Just than Allaah the One who will judge our affairs on the day of judgement? the general acceptance of the superiority of man over woman, etc” Please refer to What Allaah says about man and woman in His book. “I know that I'm straying; my point is that the Koran is ripe for revision” Unlike the US constitution and all the other man-made constitutions that needs revisions from time to time due to changing times and the deficiencies of human beings, the Book of Allaah is for all times. Our practice and understanding of Islam is different from the Islam the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi was sallam) brought. We (general) have strayed from our religion so we find ourselves adopting anything out there thinking it will correct our situation as oppose to returning back to correct path. “For each (person), there are angels in succession, before and behind him.[] They guard him by the command of Allah. Verily Allah will not change the good condition of a people as long as they do not change their state of goodness themselves (by committing sins and by being ungrateful and disobedient to Allah). But when Allah wills a people’s punishment, there can be no turning back of it, and they will find besides Him no protector [Ra'd 13:11] Success lies with Allaah. I seek Allah's forgiveness if I have mispoken. Salieu For our benefit, see some of the things that can nullify our Islam below. Ten Things Which Nullify One's Islam By Shaikh Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May peace and salutations be upon the Last Messenger of Allah, and upon all those who follow him until the Last day. To proceed: Brother and Sister Muslim, you must be aware that there are matters which nullify your Islam. Please be mindful of them. 1. Associating partners with Allah (shirk). Allah Most High says (in the meaning): "Truly, whosoever sets up partners with Allah, then Allah has forbidden the Garden for him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the wrongdoers there are no helpers." (Soorah Al-Maa'ida 5:72) Calling upon the dead, asking their help, or offering them gifts or sacrifices are all forms of shirk. 2. Setting up intermediaries between oneself and Allah, making supplication to them, asking their intercession with Allah, and placing ones trust in them is unbelief (kufr). 3. Anyone who does not consider the polytheists (mushrikeen) to be unbelievers, or who has doubts concerning their unbelief, or considers their way to be correct, is himself/herself an unbeliever (kafir). 4. Anyone who believes any guidance to be more perfect, or a decision other than the Prophets decision to be better, is an unbeliever. This applies to those who prefer the rule of Evil (Taghout) to the Prophets rule. Some examples of this are: (a) To believe that systems and laws made by human beings are better than the Shariah of Islam; for example, That the Islamic system is not suitable for the twentieth century. That Islam is the cause of the backwardness of the Muslims. Or that al-Islam is a relationship beween Allah and the Muslim. It should not interfere in other aspects of life. (b)To say that enforcing the punishments prescribed Allah, such as cutting of the hand of the thief or the stoning of an adulterer, is not suitable for this day and age. (c) To believe that it is permissible to give a rule from that which Allah did not reveal in Islamic transactions or matters of law, punishments or other affairs. Although one may not believe such things to be superior to the Shari'ah he in effect affirms such a stand by declaring a thing which Allah has totally prohibited, such as adultery, drinking alcohol or usury, to be permissible. According to the consensus of the Muslims, one who declares such things to be permissible is an unbeliever (Kafir) 5. Anyone who hates any part of what the Messenger of Allah [saw] has declared to be lawful has nullified his Islam, even though he may act in accordance with it. Allah Most High says(in the meaning): "This is because they hate what Allah has sent down, so he has made their deeds fruitless" (Soorah Muhammad 47:9) 6. Anyone who ridicules any aspect of the religion of the Messenger of Allah [saw], or any of its rewards or punishments, becomes an unbeliever. Allah Most High says (in the meaning): "Say: Was it Allah, and His signs and His Messenger that you were mocking? Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after you had believed." (Soorah At-Tawbah 9:65-66) 7. The practice of magic. Included in this, for example, is causing a rift between a husband and wife by turning his love for her into hatred, or tempting a person to do things he dislikes using black arts. One who engages in such a thing or is pleased with it is outside the fold of Islam. Allah Most High says (in the meaning): "But neither of these two (angels, Harut and Marut) taught anyone (magic) till they had said, Indeed, we are a trial; then do not disbelieve." (Soorah Al-Baqarah 2:102) 8. Supporting and aiding polytheists against the Muslims. Allah Most High says (in the meaning): "Whoever among you who takes them as allies is surely one of them. Truly, Allah does not guide the wrongdoers." (Soorah Al-Maaida 5:51) 9. Anyone who believes that some people are permitted to deviate from the Shariah of Muhammad [saw] is an un believer by the word of Allah Most High (in the meaning): "And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted of him, and in the hereafter he will be from among the losers." (Soorah Aal-Imraan 3:85) 10. To turn completely away from the religion of Allah neither learning its precepts nor acting upon it. Allah most high says (what means): "And who does greater wrong than he who is reminded of the revelations of his Lord and turns aside therefrom. Truly, We shall exact retribution from the guilty." (Soorah As-Sajdah 32:22) and He [Subhaanahu wa Ta'ala] also says (what means): "But those who disbelieve turn away from that about which they are warned." It makes no difference whether such violations are committed as a joke, in seriousness or out of fear, except when done under compulsion (i.e. from threat of loss of life). We seek refuge in Allah from such deeds as entail His wrath and severe punishment. ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤