A Friend indeed

        A friend in need is a friend indeed

We were all ready to go into the examination hall to sit for our English paper. It was the end of the year examination and many of us wanted to do well. I was one of the many.

Just as everyone was everyone was entering the hall I discovered that my pencil box was not with me. I remembered that I had brought it from home but now it was nowhere to be seen. Frantically I looked around hoping to see the familiar yellow plastic box. It was nowhere in sight.

I felt panic rising. There I was, minutes away from an important paper and without a single pen to write with. Where was it? I wanted to cry.

Someone tapped my shoulder. I turn to see Suda standing beside me. Her huge eyes showed concern and she asked me what the matter was. I explained my plight. What was I do?

Suda calmed me down with reassuring words. She then brought me to the canteen where she bought me a ball-point pen. Now Suda was not exactly broke that day. Still she saw my need and helped out.

I took the precious pen and we proceeded to the hall. We were a bit late but we managed.

Suda was indeed a friend in my time of need. I am grateful for that.

How about your friends indeed?

The rain outside the window

A loud peal of thunder woke me from restless sleep at noon. The rain pitter-pattered against the roof. Outside the window, the suddenness of the downpour had caught all around the area. The gust of refreshing wind with raindrop came through the window and splashed to me. With a faint smell of soil spreading to the air blew into my nose. Feeling fresh and cool had caught in my heart. Not wasting the time, the rain was dying down. The wonderful rainbow came to greet. Everything was refresh and happy as starting the new morning.

A glass of iced water

I gaze at a clean tall glass which is on the round-shaped table. It is alone and lonely. Just for a while, pure ice comes into and clashes against it inside. It clanks when the spoon comes to join with them, dancing happily in the party. Outside, steam of freezing iced-cold water rose and melted away as small round mass of drops falling down the glass. It is refresh and cool as same as in the cold season.

In the Sky At Night

          I sat on the old soft deckchair in the front of the porch at night and gazed upward happily.

On the clear night, a lonely and peaceful sky invited billion of the wonderful stars joining in his great universe party. Most of them glittered with wearing brightly dress and some wore dim dress. The famous stars named Orien, Pieides,Virgo, and other surprised names were closed and talk joyfully to each other. Also, some were twinkling power alone challenging the others. They are all there, waiting for everyone to take a look and greet their great party.

The Taxi driver

An old man who is reading English Newspaper near the taxi is the taxi driver. He is waiting for the passengers who want to travel with him. While waiting for them, he always reads English newspaper to know worldwide and to talk together with his passengers. He is in sixties. He is strong, diligent and intelligent man. With his pale yellow and black taxi, he always waits for the passengers on the highway every day. He often wears old white eyeglasses, wrinkly T-shirt and pants. He is black and medium high. His head is bald. With hard working, his hand and face look round and hard. His face looks serious and fierce-looking but certainly he is very kind.

Darkness

How to Convert to Islam and Become a Muslim

The word “Muslim” means one who submits to the will of God, regardless of their race, nationality or ethnic background. Becoming a Muslim is a simple and easy process that requires no pre-requisites. One may convert alone in privacy, or he/she may do so in the presence of others.

If anyone has a real desire to be a Muslim and has full conviction and strong belief that Islam is the true religion of God, then, all one needs to do is pronounce the “Shahada”, the testimony of faith, without further delay. The “Shahada” is the first and most important of the five pillars of Islam.

With the pronunciation of this testimony, or “Shahada”, with sincere belief and conviction, one enters the fold of Islam.

Upon entering the fold of Islam purely for the Pleasure of God, all of one’s previous sins are forgiven, and one starts a new life of piety and righteousness. The Prophet said to a person who had placed the condition upon the Prophet in accepting Islam that God would forgive his sins:

“Do you not know that accepting Islam destroys all sins which come before it?” (Saheeh Muslim)

When one accepts Islam, they in essence repent from the ways and beliefs of their previous life. One need not be overburdened by sins committed before their acceptance. The person’s record is clean, and it is as if he was just born from his mother’s womb. One should try as much as possible to keep his records clean and strive to do as many good deeds as possible.

The Holy Quran and Hadeeth (prophetic sayings) both stress the importance of following Islam. God states:

“...The only religion in the sight of God is Islam...” (Quran 3:19)

In another verse of the Holy Quran, God states:

“If anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter, he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (their selves in the Hellfire).” (Quran 3:85)

In another saying, Muhammad, the Prophet of God, said:

“Whoever testifies that there in none worthy of being worshipped but God, Who has no partner, and that Muhammad is His slave and Prophet, and that Jesus is the Slave of God, His Prophet, and His word[1] which He bestowed in Mary and a spirit created from Him; and that Paradise (Heaven) is true, and that the Hellfire is true, God will eventually admit him into Paradise, according to his deeds.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

The Prophet of God, may the blessing and mercy of God be upon him, also reported:

“Indeed God has forbidden to reside eternally in Hell the person who says: “I testify that none has the right to worship except Allah (God),’ seeking thereby the Face of God.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

The Declaration of the Testimony (Shahada)

To convert to Islam and become a Muslim a person needs to pronounce the below testimony with conviction and understanding its meaning:

I testify “La ilah illa Allah, Muhammad rasoolu Allah.”

The translation of which is:

“I testify that there is no true god (deity) but God (Allah), and that Muhammad is a Messenger (Prophet) of God.”

To hear it click here or click on “Live Help” above for assistance by chat.

When someone pronounces the testimony with conviction, then he/she has become a Muslim.  It can be done alone, but it is much better to be done with an adviser through the “Live Help” at top, so we may help you in pronouncing it right and to provide you with important resources for new Muslims.

The first part of the testimony consists of the most important truth that God revealed to mankind: that there is nothing divine or worthy of being worshipped except for Almighty God. God states in the Holy Quran:

“We did not send the Messenger before you without revealing to him: ‘none has the right to be worshipped except I, therefore worship Me.’” (Quran 21:25)

This conveys that all forms of worship, whether it be praying, fasting, invoking, seeking refuge in, and offering an animal as sacrifice, must be directed to God and to God alone. Directing any form of worship to other than God (whether it be an angel, a messenger, Jesus, Muhammad, a saint, an idol, the sun, the moon, a tree) is seen as a contradiction to the fundamental message of Islam, and it is an unforgivable sin unless it is repented from before one dies. All forms of worship must be directed to God only.

Worship means the performance of deeds and sayings that please God, things which He commanded or encouraged to be performed, either by direct textual proof or by analogy. Thus, worship is not restricted to the implementation of the five pillars of Islam, but also includes every aspect of life. Providing food for one’s family, and saying something pleasant to cheer a person up are also considered acts of worship, if such is done with the intention of pleasing God. This means that, to be accepted, all acts of worship must be carried out sincerely for the Sake of God alone.

The second part of the testimony means that Prophet Muhammad is the servant and chosen messenger of God. This implies that one obeys and follows the commands of the Prophet. One must believe in what he has said, practice his teachings and avoid what he has forbidden. One must therefore worship God only according to his teaching alone, for all the teachings of the Prophet were in fact revelations and inspirations conveyed to him by God.

One must try to mold their lives and character and emulate the Prophet, as he was a living example for humans to follow. God says:

“And indeed you are upon a high standard of moral character.” (Quran 68:4)

God also said:

“And in deed you have a good and upright example in the Messenger of God, for those who hope in the meeting of God and the Hereafter, and mentions God much.” (Quran 33:21)

He was sent in order to practically implement the Quran, in his saying, deeds, legislation as well as all other facets of life. Aisha, the wife of the Prophet, when asked about the character of the Prophet, replied:

“His character was that of the Quran.” (As-Suyooti)

To truly adhere to the second part of the Shahada is to follow his example in all walks of life. God says:

“Say (O Muhammad to mankind): ‘If you (really) love God, then follow me.’” (Quran 3:31)

It also means that Muhammad is the Final Prophet and Messenger of God, and that no (true) Prophet can come after him.

“Muhammad is not the father of any man among you but he is the Messenger of God and the last (end) of the Prophets and God is Ever All-Aware of everything.” (Quran 33:40)

All who claim to be prophets or receive revelation after Muhammad are imposters, and to acknowledge them would be tantamount to disbelief.

We welcome you to Islam, congratulate you for your decision, and will try to help you in any way we can.