Educational website about Islam

[raybia]

For those Muslims and non-Muslims who are interested in learning more about Islam I came across this site from a perspective of what I would say developed from an American born and influenced school of thought.


http://www.islamicthinker.org/




About IslamicThinker.org

This site is dedicated to exploring ideas related to human spiritual and social development. In particular, this site is dedicated to the useful application of scriptural guidance to enhance the process of social and spiritual development in human life.

Our philosophy is guided by the universality of the Qur’an and the model example of Muhammad, the prophet (saws) – the universal messenger for all of mankind. Our methodology follows the scriptural approach of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed. His insightful commentary on applying the wisdom of revealed scripture to human social development is, indeed, a valuable legacy to our time and to future generations yet to come.

 

[Figs]

Do they have English translated versions of the Qur'an out at all?

 

[Majic Walrus]

Shouldn't this be merged with the religion thread?

 

[raybia]

Do they have English translated versions of the Qur'an out at all?

Most popular which is a little dated is:

http://www.amazon.com/Quran-Translation-Commentary-English-Arabic/dp/0940368323



A more recent one that is of great interest as it is was translated by a woman is:

http://www.sublimequran.org/

 

[Kane52630]

Do they have English translated versions of the Qur'an out at all?

yes many, you just have to look.

nice thread raybia

 

[raybia]

yes many, you just have to look.

nice thread raybia

Thank you. Hope all who are interested finds it as informative as I do.

 

[raybia]

Quick question for as many people who would like to answer it.

I will be giving a couple of study sessions to students at a local University regarding Islam.

Any suggestions on specific topics or areas of discussion that any of you would be interested in hearing or talking about regarding the religion?

 

[raybia]

Anyone?

 

[Batman713]

This thread shouldn't be here. Merge it with the religion thread.

 

[raybia]

This thread shouldn't be here. Merge it with the religion thread.

Maybe, that is up for the mods to decide and do, but if you or someone would like to respond to my question it would be appreciated.

 

[Carcharodon]

Quick question for as many people who would like to answer it.

I will be giving a couple of study sessions to students at a local University regarding Islam.

Any suggestions on specific topics or areas of discussion that any of you would be interested in hearing or talking about regarding the religion?

Well...are you looking to avoid the perhaps obvious topic of Islamic radicals? It's probably a tired and frustrating subject for discussion, but one that usually generates a lot of interest and participation (in my limited experience).

 

[raybia]

The Life of the Soul (full article)

Posted by Admin on January 31, 2010

Intelligence and the Soul

IWDM …. Jan 2004

Genesis is an invitation to life. It is talking about the life that G-d created human beings for. This life is not the life for rats, cats, and dogs or for sheep, cows, chickens, rabbits and snakes. No, it is a special life. None of those were created for the life that we were created for. And none of them can benefit from what Allah has created as we can (because of our human intelligence).

Animals have intelligence like we do. I used to think they couldn’t reason because science had said they couldn’t reason. Science is making a big mistake. Animals can reason. Some animals can reason. And I believe that is what it means when the Bible says that He made some animals on the same day that He made man – the sixth day. He didn’t just make man on the sixth day. He made some of the animals on the sixth day. This is Genesis in the Bible.

If you understand it, the same is in the Qur’an. It is in the sixth chapter of the Qur’an. The chapter is called “The Animals” (Al An’am). The six represents the day that He created man. And Allah says in the Qur’an, “There is no creature crawling upon the face of the earth that He has not assigned its life to communities similar to yours.” So there is a community of birds, a community of ants, a community of bees and even bacteria has communities. Microscopic life that you can’t see with your naked eyes, they are crawling upon something too. Praise be to Allah.

Now the life that G-d wants for us is a life that you can’t have without the tool for the soul being established. What is the tool for the soul? It is your intelligence – your brain. You cannot have the life that Allah created for the soul until you establish your brain.

Your soul goes out like the air in a balloon. If you can imagine the skin of the balloon being the extent of space, as far as you can go out in space, that air is the soul; and the air is pushing the balloon out. And Allah has created space so it will extend as far as our life require it to. There is no limit to it. It extends as far as your soul wants it to go out. Let the germ of righteousness be alive in the soul, and it will push and it will fill the balloon up with the soul – with the spirit, the life of the soul.

That balloon is not limited like these balloons we buy for our children. They will burst when they reach a certain point. That balloon, the skin that G-d has given for the core, to hold the core life of the soul, it will keep expanding forever. It will keep opening up forever to give your soul more room to want more. It opens up and opens up and opens up – unlimited extension, unlimited expansion. Unlimited room, you can have as much as you want. Allah has created us like that.

http://www.islamicthinker.org/articles/thelifeofthesoul/

 

[raybia]

The Life of the Soul (full article)

Posted by Admin on January 31, 2010

Intelligence and the Soul

IWDM …. Jan 2004

Genesis is an invitation to life. It is talking about the life that G-d created human beings for. This life is not the life for rats, cats, and dogs or for sheep, cows, chickens, rabbits and snakes. No, it is a special life. None of those were created for the life that we were created for. And none of them can benefit from what Allah has created as we can (because of our human intelligence).

Animals have intelligence like we do. I used to think they couldn’t reason because science had said they couldn’t reason. Science is making a big mistake. Animals can reason. Some animals can reason. And I believe that is what it means when the Bible says that He made some animals on the same day that He made man – the sixth day. He didn’t just make man on the sixth day. He made some of the animals on the sixth day. This is Genesis in the Bible.

If you understand it, the same is in the Qur’an. It is in the sixth chapter of the Qur’an. The chapter is called “The Animals” (Al An’am). The six represents the day that He created man. And Allah says in the Qur’an, “There is no creature crawling upon the face of the earth that He has not assigned its life to communities similar to yours.” So there is a community of birds, a community of ants, a community of bees and even bacteria has communities. Microscopic life that you can’t see with your naked eyes, they are crawling upon something too. Praise be to Allah.

Now the life that G-d wants for us is a life that you can’t have without the tool for the soul being established. What is the tool for the soul? It is your intelligence – your brain. You cannot have the life that Allah created for the soul until you establish your brain.

Your soul goes out like the air in a balloon. If you can imagine the skin of the balloon being the extent of space, as far as you can go out in space, that air is the soul; and the air is pushing the balloon out. And Allah has created space so it will extend as far as our life require it to. There is no limit to it. It extends as far as your soul wants it to go out. Let the germ of righteousness be alive in the soul, and it will push and it will fill the balloon up with the soul – with the spirit, the life of the soul.

That balloon is not limited like these balloons we buy for our children. They will burst when they reach a certain point. That balloon, the skin that G-d has given for the core, to hold the core life of the soul, it will keep expanding forever. It will keep opening up forever to give your soul more room to want more. It opens up and opens up and opens up – unlimited extension, unlimited expansion. Unlimited room, you can have as much as you want. Allah has created us like that.

http://www.islamicthinker.org/articles/thelifeofthesoul/