These past two weeks were stressful for ol’ egyptiangumbo.com, and I’ll tell you why:
I found this really cute video a couple of weeks ago of Kermit the frog and a little cute, adorable girl. I put it up and submitted it to Stumble Upon. I purposely put it under the “Islam” category because my blog is mainly about Islamic topics and they are my target audience.
Some stumblers thought I was “stupid” for doing so, so they changed the tag to the “humor” section. The result?
Hundreds of thousands of new visitors to my blog.
My RSS feed subscriber went from 7,000 to 20,000 then broke from overload. (I’m assuming i have close to 50,000 subscribers now)
And a load of comments came - some good and some bad.
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I’ll be perfectly honest, it caused me a little anxiety. Why? Because I have over thousands of non-Muslims subscribed to my Islamicly themed blog. Why would this cause me stress? Because of everything that I wanted to get away from due to my experience writing columns about Islam in The Daily Reveille, LSU’s student newspaper. Sure there were good comments and bad comments, but the worst part was I had no power at all to respond to those bad comments or defend Islam because of The Reveille’s policy. I worked for them for about a year and a half and I felt that It was a lot of emotional stress and that It wasn’t something I wanted to do again for a while.
Qaddar Allah wa ma sha’a fa3l. As I thought more and more about it, I realized that Allah (God) had given me another opportunity whether I wanted it or not at the moment. To display the true image of Islam, to dispel myths, and to educate others on the true teachings of Islam. I would be truly at loss if I would give up this opportunity that Allah has given me, and if I was ungrateful for it. Perhaps I did something right the first time for Allah to give me the opportunity again.
So what does this mean for egyptiangumbo.com and what does this mean for the new 40,000+ subscribers to my blog; what should they expect?
They should expect me continue my focus on Islamic Media, but to also write more posts about the true nature of Islam.
So for all the new non-Muslims to my blog, this one post is for you:
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It’s amazing how God can lead you to paths you’d never expect; when you least expect it and from avenues you never imagined. Who would have thought that a video of a green character with a hand inside of him would get you to a post about Islam?
Sometimes those random things make all the difference.
Often, you might have this feeling your heart like something is void and missing from your life and you just can’t seem to figure out what it is. Money, food, shelter, love… we could have it all but for some some reason we always seem to want more trying to fulfill something inside of us.
Allah (God) is the sustainer, and it is in the remembrance of him in our lives that not only sustains, but also nourishes and fills our hearts of any voids.
Islam is a very simple and beautiful religion. Everything revolves around one central concept — the belief that there is object worthy of worship, to be fully submitted to, and fully obeyed save Allah.
It’s that simple. We worship the one who created us, sustains us and the one who will resurrect us. We don’t worship the creation. Meaning we do not worship the noble prophets such as Jesus or Muhammad (peace be upon them) nor do we worship celestial objects such as the sun or moon.
We believe Jesus was born of a virgin birth to Mary (peace be upon her), but unlike Christianity we neither believe that he is a the son of God nor that he died on the cross.
Muslims believe that God is so high above having partners or children. Jesus, like all other prophets of God, came with the exact same message as all the other prophets — to worship Allah alone and to do good deeds and abstain from the bad so you can attain paradise.
To be a Muslim simply means to submit oneself to God. If someone believes in these six items of faith, they would be a Muslim:
1. To believe that there is no object worthy of worship save Allah, and the Muhammad is His messenger.
2. Belief in the angels.
3. Belief in all the prophets of Allah, starting from Adam, Noah, Abraham, Lot, Jacob, Joseph, Ishmael, Isaac, Moses , David, Jesus, Muhammad and all other prophets in between.
4. Belief in all the books that came before. Meaning, we as Muslims have to believe in the Gospels and the Torah (among the other divinely revealed books) that they were sent by Allah to His messengers. However, we must also believe and only follow the Quran. The Quran is the last book revealed by Allah to the last messenger, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him.) The reason we follow the Quran only, and not the other books, is because the Quran remains the true word of God. It has not been altered by man since the time it was revealed.
5. Belief in the last day; belief in the day of judgment. That a person will be held accountable for everything they did in this life before Allah, and will either be destined to paradise or destined to hellfire.
6. And belief in preordainment.
If a person believes in these six simple concepts, they are Muslim.
And once a person is a Muslim there are five pillars of Islam that must be followed:
1. To testify that there is no object worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and final messenger.
2. Pray five times a day- at their appointed times
3. Fast the holy month of Ramadan
4. Give Alms (compulsory Charity)– 2.5% of yearly savings (if above a certain quota)
5. Make pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) at least once in your life IF you have the means (i.e. money, transportation, accommodation, etc.)
And it’s as simple as that. Islam does not get more complicated than these beliefs and actions. It’s all about doing the things required of us and abstaining from sins to the best of our ability.
I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have. I hope you will enjoy the content of my blog, and if anyone wants to ask privately about anything, feel free to email me at the email address in the “contact” section of my blog.
Stumble it!
July 5th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
You know, a dear friend once said: Allah SWT presents us with opportunities and opens doors for us. But will we walk through?
May Allah reward you for walking through Shirien, and may your words bring light to the hearts of thousands. Amen.
July 5th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
The one thing I wish people would realize is that Christianity and the Crusades are hardly different than Islam and terrorism. It’s not that the religion is inherently evil, and being a member does not make you an extremist and therefore Christianity is no more noble or right than Islam. That being said I wish people would realize how dangerous religion is. To me, a world void of religion is the best solution, but since that’s obviously not a popular view, I’ll just say I respect the people who don’t take their religion too far such as the author of this article.
July 6th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Willy,
thanks for your comment. I would be interested to know why it is that you think religion is “dangerous.”
Contrary to that belief it’s the lack of religion and the lack of fulfilling your purpose in life that proves to be dangerous.
I understand that people think that if there were no religion the world would be peaceful.
but this has been proven false many times. How? The stories of the prophets of old have told us this isnt true. You will see nations completely destroyed by God because of their disobedience and their lack of belief in the Oneness of God.
look at Pharaoh and his followers, were they not drowned because of that reason? and What about those who worshiped idols and did not follow Noah?
Allah tells us in the Quran that our purpose in life is to worship the creator alone. If we do not fulfill our purpose in life, we are subject to punishment in this life and the hereafter.
And who better to worship and who deserves our worship other than the one who created us?
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Heba,
Jazaki Allahu khairun, that’s exactly what I was thinking when I decided to write the post. I cannot give back a gift Allah has given me, walhamdulillah.
July 7th, 2008 at 6:08 am
“Christianity is no more noble or right than Islam”…”world void of religion is the best solution”.
Such phrases are too common these days by atheists/agnostics who were probably raised as Christians by their parents and then their hearts kind of questioned the things they were being taught. Things like, “god needs rest on the 7th day”…”god has a mother”…”god eats, drinks, urinates and defecates”…“god has a son”…“god dies”…etc
When you are fed such lies, at one point you get frustrated and decide to give up the entire concept of “religion”…and think “what sort of god is this?…he sleeps just like I do…eats just like I do…”
And of course having liars around the world in all colors and shapes only adds to the misguidance of such confused people.
It doesn’t matter whether these liars wear white cones with crosses on their heads or wear turbans and have a beard or wear a kippah or they worship cows and monkeys…all these liars kill and rape for no reason, other than, political benefit, wealth, land and other material gain…and then try to cover up their hidden agendas by saying “my God/religion told me to do so”! They use God/religion as a scapegoat and the ignorant lazy ones among mankind actually start believing in such things and say “hey folks I think we should just get rid of God/religion”…
Such a way of thinking is nothing but arrogance. Do you think you just dropped from the sky without any purpose just because you have the power to make cars, planes, fancy houses and defend them with all the high tech weapons!? The Sun, Moon, fruits/vegetation, rainfall…all this was given to you for no reason?
And We created not the heaven and the earth and all that is between them without purpose! That is the assumption of those who disbelieve! So woe to those who disbelieve from the Fire! [Qur’an 38:27]
Without religion, man will never come to know his Creator. Deep down even the atheist knows something must have been responsible for everything around him but because of his arrogance he refuses to accept God in his life.
That is because Allah merges the night into the day, and He merges the day into the night. And verily, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Seer.
That is because Allah He is The Truth, and what they (the disbelievers) invoke besides Him is Falsehood. And verily, Allah is the Most High, the Most Great.
Do you not see that Allah sends down water from the sky, and then the earth becomes green? Verily, Allah is the Most Kind and Courteous, Well-Acquainted with all things.
To Him belong all that is in the heavens and all that is on the Earth. And verily, Allah He is All-Rich, Worthy of all praise.
Do you not see that Allah has subjected to you (mankind) all that is on the earth, and the ships that sail through the sea by His Command? He withholds the heaven from falling on the earth except by His Leave. Verily, Allah is, for mankind, full of Kindness, Most Merciful.
It is He, Who gave you life, and then will cause you to die, and will again give you life. Verily! Man is indeed ungrateful! [Qur’an 22:61-66]
Do you not see that Allah has subjected for you (mankind) whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, and has completed and perfected His Graces upon you, both apparent and hidden? Yet of mankind is he who disputes about Allah without knowledge or guidance or a Book giving light!
And when it is said to them: “Follow that which Allah has sent down”, they say: “Nay, we shall follow that which we found our fathers following.” Even if Satan was inviting them to the torment of the Fire? [Qur’an 31:20-21]
Here’s something else for you to think about…
O mankind! A similitude has been coined, so listen to it: Verily! Those, whom you call besides Allah, will never create even a fly, even if they gathered together for that purpose. And if the fly snatched away a thing from them, they would have no power to release it from the fly. So weak are (both) the seeker and the sought. [Qur’an 22:73]
Think about it deeply, when a fly takes food away from you…can you ever get just one crumb back from it! Yet, people being so weak have the audacity to say “there is no need for God/religion”.
It all comes down to the concept of God in the minds of these so-called atheists/agnostics (or any other religion for that matter). You know very well something must have created you and everything around you but because “god” sounds just like a human being or some animal, you think that there is no God
“there is no need for religion”…but when faced with a dire need everyone cries out “oh God” in whatever language they speak. But didn’t you just say there is no need for Him and His Religion?
No matter how far people try to run with their arrogant ideas, they cannot refrain from crying out to God when it’s a matter of life & death.
And when waves come over them like canopies, they supplicate Allah, sincere to Him in religion. But when He delivers them to the land, there are some of them who are moderate (in faith). And none rejects Our signs except everyone treacherous and ungrateful. [Qur’an 31:32]
When disbelievers are in trouble they cry out God and God helps them, but afterwards they go back to their arrogant/ungrateful ways by rejecting Him.
I’ve had atheists/agnostics tell me “it’s just a phrase; we don’t really mean we’re calling out to God”. But why can’t you avoid calling out to Him completely since you say He doesn’t even exist?!
The answer is very simple even if some people are too arrogant to admit…
So direct your face toward the religion, inclining to truth. Adhere to the Fitrah of Allah upon which He has created all people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know. [Qur’an 30:30]
The word “fitrah” means “innate nature”…and it is one’s innate nature to recognize his Creator because this is simply the way God has made us! No matter how arrogantly atheists/agnostics try to deny it, they will cry out “oh God help” when in dire need.
Or even those people who believe God is 3 in 1 or think there’s 360 gods.
Suppose if we took a child and put him on an island. As this child grows up on his own and looks at the trees, ocean, fruits, etc…he will from his “innate nature” know that something (thing not things!) must have put all this there.
That’s why Prophet Muhammad (peace & blessings be upon him) said: everyone is born upon the Fitrah (i.e. innate nature upon pure monotheism) but his parents raise him as a Chrisitan, Jew or Zorostrian. [Saheeh Muslim]
So even these arrogant atheists/agnostics…we firmly believe without a doubt that they were born Muslim! But due to corruption in their own house/society they are now misguided too.
Here’s another point to think about…
And (remember) when your Lord took from the children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants and made them testify of themselves, (saying to them), “Am I not your Lord?” They said, “Yes, we have testified.” - Lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection, “Indeed, we were unaware of this.” [Qur’an 7:172]
Think about these last two verses and then come up with an answer why you can’t avoid God…crying out to Him or even just using it in your everyday sentences whenever you are surprised by some news (e.g. – God! is that really what happened!!)
God took this covenant from all of us even before sending us to this life. How sad is it to see that from mankind there are those who have taken other humans, cows, monkeys, trees, stones and even the private parts as their gods!
Do they attribute as partners to Allah those who created nothing but they themselves are created? No help can they give them, nor can they help themselves. [Qur’an 7:191-192]
Before ending I would like to point out for the readers that we as Muslims say Allah instead of God. The Arabic word Allah (i.e. Al-Ilaah) literally means “The One True God”. The word Allah has no gender form (god/goddess) nor any plural form (gods) nor anything like capital G or small g to imply what type of “god” it is!
Say: He is Allah, The One.
He is As-Samad (The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need and He needs no one)
He begets not, nor was He begotten
And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him [Qur’an 112:1-4]
Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but Him Alone, the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber, nor sleep overtake Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never encompass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursi (foot stool) extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great. [Qur’an 2:256]
He is Allah; none has the right to be worshipped but Hem , the All-Knower of the unseen and the witnessed. He is the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
He is Allah; none has the right to be worshipped but He, the King, the Holy, the One Free from all defects, the Giver of security, the Watcher over His creatures, the All-Mighty, the Compeller, the Supreme. Glory be to Allah! High is He above all that they associate as partners with Him.
He is Allah, the Creator, the Inventor of all things, the Fashioner of all things. To Him belong the Best Names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorify Him. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. [Qur’an 59:22-24]
When you find clear information about who/what is your Creator, you will know that religion is the Truth!
How can God not clearly explain who He is when He is our Creator and took a Covenant from us even before giving us life in this World? Don’t you think He wants you find Him easily and worship Him?
As for the comment “Christianity is no more noble and correct than Islam”…“Christianity and the Crusades are hardly different than Islam and terrorism”…I will certainly reply to that too InshAllah (i.e. Allah Willing) once people get a chance to read this much…
I have come across many who make ignorant comments about Islam never having read one verse or not being able to speak one word of Arabic and just run off thinking it’s something really cool that he’s done.
Willy does not sound like that and even if he is, at least others who come here will get to read the Truth and maybe ask for more clarifications…
July 7th, 2008 at 7:34 am
keep sending the questions or leave your comments. i’ll answer them all if they are legit and if i cannot inshaAllah (Allah-willing) I will get someone to respond. keep them coming guys.
July 8th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
I am wondering if your subscription numbers have increased/decreased from the aforementioned figures! Thanks!
July 12th, 2008 at 10:13 am
Hey Shirien, why don’t you subscribe to your own blog on GoogleReader, it’ll give you a read out of how many subscribers there are–and it doesn’t break at high number. Examplar: I’m subscribed to TechCrunch which of course has a HUGE subscriber reading, as of this moment…275,716.
So I think you’re good.
July 12th, 2008 at 10:14 am
Ofcourse; you have to remember that of those subscribers..how many actually read the posts..I admit I’m very guilty of the subscribed-but-not-reading crime on some of my subscriptions, particularly the more prolific ones–although I try to keep up with LifeHacker as much as I can.
July 12th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
i am subscribed on google-reader, but i dont see where i can see the number of subscriptions.