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Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Biblical Contradictions



Biblical Contradictions
    Here is a short and incomplete list of Biblical contradictions which were obtained from postings in internet newsgroups.  Unfortunately I did not record who posted them or if they have a web site with a longer and more complete list.  If you like this page you might also like Contradictions of the Gospel and this List of Biblical Contradictions at

    If the Bible was divinely inspired, then why would it have so many really obvious contradictions?
Theological doctrines:
     1. God is satisfied with his works
         Gen 1:31
        God is dissatisfied with his works.
         Gen 6:6
     2. God dwells in chosen temples
         2 Chron 7:12,16
        God dwells not in temples
         Acts 7:48
     3. God dwells in light
         Tim 6:16
        God dwells in darkness
         1 Kings 8:12/ Ps 18:11/ Ps 97:2
     4. God is seen and heard
         Ex 33:23/ Ex 33:11/ Gen 3:9,10/ Gen 32:30/ Is 6:1/
          Ex 24:9-11
        God is invisible and cannot be heard
         John 1:18/ John 5:37/ Ex 33:20/ 1 Tim 6:16
     5. God is tired and rests
         Ex 31:17
        God is never tired and never rests
         Is 40:28
     6. God is everywhere present, sees and knows all things
         Prov 15:3/ Ps 139:7-10/ Job 34:22,21
        God is not everywhere present, neither sees nor knows all   
        things
         Gen 11:5/ Gen 18:20,21/ Gen 3:8
     7. God knows the hearts of men
         Acts 1:24/ Ps 139:2,3
        God tries men to find out what is in their heart
         Deut 13:3/ Deut 8:2/ Gen 22:12
     8. God is all powerful
         Jer 32:27/ Matt 19:26
       God is not all powerful
         Judg 1:19
     9. God is unchangeable
         James 1:17/ Mal 3:6/ Ezek 24:14/ Num 23:19

Bible debates



Bible debates
 perhaps more than any other debate topic, can become lost in endless details of interpretation and subtle questions of translation.  It can easily seem that to get into the debate at all requires one to be a Biblical scholar.  Fortunately, this is not the case, particularly when dealing with fundamentalists who claim that the Bible is free of error and contradiction.
The claim of Biblical inerrancy puts the Christian in the position of not just claiming that the original Bible was free of error (and, remember, none of the original autograph manuscripts exist) but that their modern version of the Bible is the end result of an error-free history of copying and translation beginning with the originals.  Such a position is so specific that it allows one to falsify it simply by reference to the Bible itself.  For example, Gen 32:30 states, "...for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."  However, John 1:18 states, "No man hath seen God at any time..."  Both statements cannot be true.  Either there is an error of fact, or an error of translation.  In either case, there is an error. And if there is an error, then infallibility of the Bible (in this case the King James Version) is falsified.  A typical defense used here is to look up the meaning of the original Hebrew / Greek, read that one of the words can have multiple meanings, and then pick the meaning that seems to break the contradiction.  For example, the Christian might argue that "seen" or "face" means one thing in the first scripture, and something completely different in the second.  The logical flaw in this approach is that it amounts to saying that the translator should have chosen to use a different word in one of the two scriptures in order to avoid the resulting logical contradiction that now appears in English—that is, the translator made an error. If no translation error occurred, then an error of fact exists in at least one of the two scriptures.  Appeals to "context" are irrelevant in cases like this where simple declarative statements are involved such as "no one has seen God" and "I have seen God." Simply put, no "context" makes a contradiction or a false statement, like 2 = 3, true.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Bible Contradictions



Bible Contradictions

This page addresses issues, contradictions and false logic with three of the most popular bible stories (Creation, Noah’s Ark and the Nativity Story), followed by a list of other scriptural accounts that conflict with each other. Browse the points below and ask yourself if the bible is truly a perfect, accurate, divinely-inspired document for living.
In this Artical you will find...
• The Biblical Account of Creation
• Noah’s Ark and the Great Flood
• The Nativity Story
• Other Conflicts Within Scripture
• Solomon’ Temple
• Solomon’ Sacrifice
• Can Man Be Righteous

• Who Has Seen God
• Who Is Punished for Sins
• Does God Keep Anger Forever
• Who Brought the Capernaum Centurion’s Request to Jesus
• Where Did Jesus Go After Feeding the 5,000
• Where Did the Devil Take Jesus
• How Many Blind Men Did Jesus Heal on the Road From Jericho
• Where Did the Anointing of Jesus Take Place
• Where Did Jesus Meet Simon Peter and Andrew
• Did Jesus Allow His Disciples to Carry a Staff
• Did the Fig Tree that Jesus Cursed Wither Immediately or Overnight
• Did Jesus Speak at His Hearing Before Pilate
• What Color Robe Was Jesus Given
• Who Carried Jesus’ Cross
• When Was Jesus Crucified
• What Were the Centurion’s Words at the Cross
• Where Was Jesus on the Sixth Hour of the Crucifixion
• What Were Jesus’s Last Words on the Cross
• How Long Did it Take for Jesus to Get to Heaven
• Who Were the First Visitors to Jesus’ Tomb
• Was the Sone Rolled Away
• Who Did the Visitors Tell of Jesus’ Empty Tomb
• How Did Judas Die
• Where Did Jesus’ Ascension Take Place
• Who is the Ruler of the Earth
• Is Jesus the Same as God
• Is it Good or Bad to be Wealthy
• Is it OK to Judge
• How Old Was Jehoiachin When He Began to Reign in Jerusalem
• How Old Was Ahaziah When He Began to Reign
• Who Did the Midianites Sell Joseph to
• What Was the Population of Israel
• Did Michal Have Children
• Who Has Ascended to Heaven
• Who Killed Saul
• Is Incest Wrong
• Who Were the Sons of Eliphaz
• Honor Thy Parents
• Does God Remember Sin
• Where Did Aaron Die
• Was Sisera Sleeping or Standing
• How Much Did Solomon Pay For His Property
• Is Revenge Acceptable
• Should You Answer a Fool
· Is There an Unforgivable Sin

Saturday, March 9, 2013

A List of Biblical Contradictions

A List of Biblical Contradictions  
 Jim Meritt  
Table of Contents
    Introduction to Contradictions The Bible is riddled with repetitions and contradictions, things that the Bible bangers would be quick to point out in anything that they want to criticize. For instance, Genesis 1 and 2 disagree about the order in which things are created, and how satisfied God is about the results of his labors. The flood story is really two interwoven stories that contradict each other on how many of each kind of animal are to be brought into the Ark--is it one pair each or seven pairs each of the "clean" ones? The Gospel of John disagrees with the other three Gospels on the activities of Jesus Christ (how long had he stayed in Jerusalem--a couple of days or a whole year?) and all four Gospels contradict each other on the details of Jesus Christ's last moments and resurrection. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke contradict each other on the genealogy of Jesus Christ's father; though both agree that Joseph was not his real father. Repetitions and contradictions are understandable for a hodgepodge collection of documents, but not for some carefully constructed treatise, reflecting a well-thought-out plan. Of the various methods I've seen to "explain" these: 1. "That is to be taken metaphorically." In other words, what is written is not what is meant. I find this entertaining, especially for those who decide what ISN'T to be taken as other than the absolute WORD OF GOD--which just happens to agree with the particular thing they happen to want... 2. "There was more there than...." This is used when one verse says "there was a" and another says "there was b," so they decide there was "a" AND "b"--which is said nowhere. This makes them happy, since it doesn't say there WASN'T "a+b." But it doesn't say there was "a+b+little green martians." This is often the same crowd that insists theirs is the ONLY possible interpretation (i.e., only "a") and the only way. I find it entertaining they they don't mind adding to verses. 3. "It has to be understood in context." I find this amusing because it comes from the same crowd that likes to push likewise extracted verses that support their particular view. Often it is just one of the verses in the contradictory set which is supposed to be taken as THE TRUTH when, if you add more to it, it suddenly becomes "out of context." How many of you have gotten JUST John 3:16 (taken out of all context) thrown at you? 4. "There was just a copying/writing error." This is sometimes called a "transcription error," as in where one number was meant and an incorrect one was copied down. Or what was "quoted" wasn't really what was said, but just what the author thought was said. And that's right--I'm not disagreeing with events, I'm disagreeing with what is WRITTEN. Which is apparently agreed that it is incorrect. This is an amusing misdirection to the problem that the Bible itself is wrong. 5. "That is a miracle." Naturally. That is why it is stated as fact. 6. "God works in mysterious ways." A useful dodge when the speaker doesn't understand the conflict between what the Bible SAYS and what they WISH it said.

    101 Clear Contradictions in the Bible -Shabir Ally

    101 Clear Contradictions in the Bible
    Shabir Ally  

    1. Who incited David to count the fighting men of Israel?
    • God did (2 Samuel 24: 1)
    • Satan did (I Chronicles 2 1:1)
    2. In that count how many fighting men were found in Israel?
    • Eight hundred thousand (2 Samuel 24:9)
    • One million, one hundred thousand (I Chronicles 21:5)
    3. How many fighting men were found in Judah?
    • Five hundred thousand (2 Samuel 24:9)
    • Four hundred and seventy thousand (I Chronicles 21:5)
    4. God sent his prophet to threaten David with how many years of famine?
    • Seven (2 Samuel 24:13)
    • Three (I Chronicles 21:12)
    5. How old was Ahaziah when he began to rule over Jerusalem?
    • Twenty-two (2 Kings 8:26)
    • Forty-two (2 Chronicles 22:2)
    6. How old was Jehoiachin when he became king of Jerusalem?
    • Eighteen (2 Kings 24:8)
    • Eight (2 Chronicles 36:9)
    7. How long did he rule over Jerusalem?
    • Three months (2 Kings 24:8)
    • Three months and ten days (2 Chronicles 36:9)
    8. The chief of the mighty men of David lifted up his spear and killed how many men at one time?
    • Eight hundred (2 Samuel 23:8)
    • Three hundred (I Chronicles 11: 11)
    9. When did David bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem? Before defeating the Philistines or after?
    • After (2 Samuel 5 and 6)
    • Before (I Chronicles 13 and 14)
    10. How many pairs of clean animals did God tell Noah to take into the Ark?
    • Two (Genesis 6:19, 20)
    • Seven (Genesis 7:2). But despite this last instruction only two pairs went into the ark (Genesis 7:8-9)
    11. When David defeated the King of Zobah, how many horsemen did he capture?
    • One thousand and seven hundred (2 Samuel 8:4)
    • Seven thousand (I Chronicles 18:4)
    12. How many stalls for horses did Solomon have?

    The Woman's Role in Child Education

    The Woman's Role in Child Education
    By Mohammad Al Dweesh
    Reprinted from Islamicedu.com
    Table of Contents:

    Prologue

    The Important Role of Mothers in Child Education:

    1. The Family Influence in Education.
    2. The Child is Influenced by His Mother's Condition at Pregnancy.
    3. A Mother's Role in Early Childhood.
    4. A Mother's Role with Her Daughters.
    5. A Mother Knows the Private Details in the Life of her Children.

    Education Suggestions for Mothers:


    1. Feeling the Importance of Education.
    2. Having Discipline in the House.
    3. Acquiring Additional Experience in Educatiion.
    4. Catering for the Child's Needs.
    5. Stressing the Harmony between Husband and Wife.
    6. Dealing with the Mistakes of Children.
    7. Suggested Methods of Behaviour Cultivation or Correction.

    The Precious Moment -Teaching Children the Value of Time


    The Precious Moment -Teaching Children the Value of Time
    By Sahar Kassaimah
    Reprinted from Islam-Online.net

    "Mom, I am bored!" "Mom, what can I do?" "Can I play outside?" "Can I visit a friend?" These are questions almost every mother hears from her children during summer vacation when children have a lot of free time to spare. Some parents choose the easiest way out and have their children spend hours in front of the TV or playing videogames, just to keep them busy and out of their hair. Others choose another way…regardless of how much effort and time it may cost. They prefer to take an active role in their children's lives and actually spend quality time with them.

    How should we keep our children busy is the question. How should they spend their free time? There is no doubt that if we left our children to spend their time the way they wanted to, they would pass their summer vacation away by sitting front of the TV or doing some other mindless activity.

    No one can deny that there is a big difference between children today and children twenty or thirty years ago. There is no way they could have remained the same because times have changed and children subsequently must change with them. But, everything around our children now, not only in this country or society but everywhere, destroys what we try to build at home. And as the Arabic proverb says: How could the building be built, if I build and others destroy?

    THE GOOD SHEPHERDS Choosing the Correct Path for Our Children

    THE GOOD SHEPHERDS Choosing the Correct Path for Our Children
    By Ruqayyah bint Joan
    It is narrated that a man came to a knowledgeable person from among our pious predecessors and asked him, "I just had a child, what should I do?" The answer came, "If you are just now asking this question, then you have already lost."

    This narration shows how serious Muslims used to be about raising children. So much so that they told this man, who had just had a child that he had lost. This is because they believed correctly that the proper upbringing of a child begins even before the child is conceived. It begins by us being good Muslims ourselves, choosing good mates and educating ourselves about Islam, and how to be good parents and how to raise good Muslim children. Unfortunately, many Muslim parents today do not understand the importance of raising good Muslim children the way they should. This is why we find young Muslim girls giggling while talking to boys, talking about "he's sooo cute" and "I think he likes me." We find that young Muslim boys are getting Muslim and non-Muslim girls pregnant out of wedlock, and we find Muslim children of all ages turning to their parents and asking, "How much longer do I have to be Muslim?" Or, "I can't wait to get out of this house and stop practicing this stupid religion." (We seek protection from Allah from this.)

    A while ago, a Muslim sister came to me seeking advice about what to do about her daughter who had run away from home to be with her Muslim 'boyfriend.' What could I say to her, except what the knowledgeable men had said to that man who came to them asking the same question, you have already lost.

    Some Tips on Raising Children

    Some Tips on Raising Children
    based on Ghazali's 'chapter pertaining to raising children in the earliest days of development'
    notes taken from a class from a good friend of mine

    Children are a trust in our care.  The heart of a child is a jewel we are able to shape in any way we want.  If the child is made accustomed to khayr (that which is good), his parents and teachers will share in his reward.  If the child is made accustomed to that which is wrong, the parents/teachers/ guardians will share in the punishment.

    -Teach Mahassanul akhlaaq- beautiful conduct- like hayaa, sabr, forgiveness, courage, shukr, cleanliness etc.

    -It is the duty of every parent to shield the child from the influence of peers that are evil- do whatever is feasible, with resolve, not to allow the child to be in the company of peers that will influence them badly (in terms of dress, speech, attitude towards parents, etc)

    -Do not allow the child to be used to excessive comfort and grant them everything they want.  If they become accustomed to such luxuries, these things will attract them to the life of this world.

    -Do not allow the child to be accustomed to that which leads to zeenah. Those things should not be made beloved to the child, indeed the consequence would be that when the child grows older they will waste valuable time seeking comfort in that, in their physical appearance, and this will absorb their minds and hearts instead of more important things.

    Some Practical Benefits of Breastfeeding

    Some Practical Benefits of Breastfeeding
    Assalamu aliekum wa rahmat'Allah, Here are a few conclusions come to by modern medicine and study that again confirm the wisdom of Allah the exalted and the completness and perfection of Islam.

    Breastfed babies:
    get sick less often and get less severe illnesses
    are hospitalized less often and have a lower rate of mortality
    have a lower risk of diarrheal disease
    have a lower incidence of gastrointestinal illness
    have a lower risk of urinary tract infections
    have a lower incidence of respiratory disease
    have a lower incidence of otitis media ear infections
    have al lower incidence of allergies
    have a lower rate of pneumonia
    have lower rates of obesity
    have a lower incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
    have fewer learning and behavior difficulties
    Breastfeeding:

    Thursday, March 7, 2013

    The Role of the Muslim Community in Raising Children in a non-Muslim Society

    The Role of the Muslim Community in Raising Children in a non-Muslim Society  
    Friday speech delivered by Imam Mohamed Baianonie at the Islamic Center of Raleigh, NC on June 2, 2000 Reprinted from the Islamic Center of Raleigh website Raising children in an Islamic way in a non-Muslim society needs everyone’s effort with no exception, starting with the parents’ efforts, to the Masjid’s, to the community’s efforts. All of these roles are important. The stronger these roles are and the more mutually complementary to one another, the better the raising process will be. On the past Fridays, we talked about the role of the Muslim family and the role of the Masjid in the children’s Islamic upbringing process in a non-Muslim society. We mentioned that the role of the Masjid manifests itself in providing programs and projects. For example, an Islamic school, weekend school, youth activities, and so on. Today, we are talking about the role of the Muslim community in raising the children in an Islamic way in a non-Muslim society. The role of the Muslim community is important and is based on a number of factors, of which, the most important are: Supporting the Islamic center so that it keeps providing all the different services and programs and makes improvements. 1- Continuous Financial support to cover all the operating expenses and activities expenses. Every program has expenses, which are only covered by the generous people of the community. "Al Hamdulelah" This community has shown their support in an exemplary manner for this center; all its activities, the Islamic schools, the monthly utility bills and so on. We give good news and clad tidings to everyone who donated to this center that their donations

    Tuesday, March 5, 2013

    Qur'anic Arabic Crisis in Muslim Schools: an Urgent Appeal

    Qur'anic Arabic Crisis in Muslim Schools: an Urgent Appeal
    By Abdul Malik Mujahid "My Islamic background was rather shallow and superficial. My father, as a sheikh, memorized almost all the Quran, and encouraged me to do the same, whether I understood it or not. Thus I became a mechanically religious young boy, while my heart was dry, like a desert that seemed endless and hopeless." These are the words of Joseph Abraham, a former Muslim, now a Christian. Prior to his conversion, he was named Mahmoud Kamal El-deen Mujahed. 'Ihdinas Siratul Mustaqeem' (Guide us to the Straight Way) is what we ask Allah in each Salat. We repeat this over and over again, thereby stressing our constant need for guidance. Guidance is right there - in the Quran, only if we can understand its language. I mean not just comprehending a couple of verses of the Quran here and there. I mean knowing the Arabic of the Quran enough to realize what Allah is telling us when an Imam is reciting the Quran or we are reading it. Almost 80% of Muslims, who are non-Arabs, face this challenge. If Muslims are directly connected with the guidance sent to them by Allah, their prayer of ihdinas Siratal Mustaqeem will be meaningful. For this prayer to have any meaning, the hundreds of Sunday Islamic schools and full time Muslim schools in North America would have as a priority educational goal the task of getting children to understand the Quran.

    Monday, March 4, 2013

    Protecting Our Children from Consumerism

    Protecting Our Children from Consumerism  
    Reprinted from the IslamiCity bulletin
     What is most striking about consumer culture, aside from its unprecedented ubiquity, is its celebration of consumption. The economy is our religious faith and consumption is our orthodoxy. This becomes even more frightening when we discover that the targets are innocent children. This article attempts to reclaim our kids from a toxic commercial culture that has spun completely out of control. Children are innately innocent regardless of their belief system. Muslim children have a dual challenge - to knowingly stay off the bandwagon of their peers and also to uphold their Islamic values. Children remind us that the world is full of wonder and possibility. They make us laugh, exhaust us with their endless questions and needs, and evoke indescribable feelings of love. We dedicate ourselves to their well being, and we try to instill within them wholesome values and a dedication to purse establishing good for all. It goes without saying that raising kids in today's noisy, fast-paced culture is

    Sunday, March 3, 2013

    PRACTICAL TIPS FOR PARENTING

    PRACTICAL TIPS FOR PARENTING YOUNG CHILDREN By Dr. Aisha Hamdan As outlined in a previous article, parents of young children (preschool age) should have few expectations in terms of behavior and acquisition of knowledge due to the cognitive limitations at this age. This does not mean that children should be allowed to run about and do as they please; they still require guidelines and boundaries. What it does mean is that care should be taken regarding the methods that are used to raise children and the values that are instilled from the very beginning. It is interesting to note that the Arabic term tarbiyah, which is often used to mean teaching or training, generally refers to growth, increase, nourishment, and cultivation. This relates to the physical, intellectual, emotional, psychological, and spiritual aspects of an individual. When thinking of growth and cultivation this implies that something has already been planted or is already present (natural fitrah). Tarbiyah then refers to the various methods that are used to watch over and attend to a child until he or she becomes prepared to take responsibility and behave in complete submission to and worship of Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala. The following suggestions are techniques that may be used for tarbiyah for early childhood.  

    Saturday, March 2, 2013

    Not in Front of the Children!

    Not in Front of the Children!  
    By Ibrahim Bowers Many times parents and adults do things intentionally or unintentionally that may set a bad example to their children and other youngsters around. Below would be some such situations and advises on how to set a better example for your youngsters.
     Setting Bad Examples for Children "Tell them I'm not here," we yell to our spouse or children as the telephone rings. Although we might no have noticed it, we have just set an example of lying for our children. When they see us lying, they may say to themselves that it's okay to lie. Dad and mom do it. If we had been more conscious of our role as an example for our children, we could have avoided this mistake by using a caller ID; by telling our spouse or our children to say that we were unavailable to talk now, not that we were not at home; or by simply taking the call. But we should never lie. Many other "little" things that we do during the day may actually be setting bad examples for our children without our even realizing it. Remaining constantly aware of our role as an example might help us to avoid making some of these mistakes. However, there are several danger areas in our daily lives that we should be especially careful about. Here are some thoughts about providing a better role model:

    Friday, March 1, 2013

    Muslim Schools Versus Public Schools

    Muslim Schools Versus Public Schools

    By Samana Siddiqui Seven-year-old Zaahirah Abdullah has a passion for Spice Girls, nose rings and bellybutton rings, thanks to her friends and a favorite teacher at Pyrtle elementary school in Lincoln, Nebraska. “She’s really into style,” says her mother Najla Abdullah, who attended the same public school as a child. “I can see I really need to build Islamic fundamentals with her,” she adds earnestly in an interview with Sound Vision. Zaahira’s interest in the rock band and body ornamentation through the influence of friends and her teacher speaks to the power of public schools to shape the attitudes of most Muslim children in North America. Zaahirah will be starting grade three in September. She is one of the 98 percent of Muslim children in the United States who attend public schools. And it’s her generation over whom the debate about sending Muslim children to Muslim or public school currently rages.  
    BETTER ENVIRONMENT IN MUSLIM SCHOOLS The strongest argument in favor of sending children to Muslim schools is the surrounding environment. Muslim kids in most of these schools pray, interact with other Muslim kids in classes and during breaks, and generally have less exposure to drugs, alcohol and violence. It’s also a place to build identity and security. “Had one [a Muslim school] been available in the city, they [her parents] would definitely have sent me,” says Abdullah. “I think they would definitely have wanted me to have that sense of camraderie, and that strength of people around you who are of the same faith and are there to support [you].” “A Muslim school is the only place where they [Muslim kids] will ever have the chance to develop an identity that says, ‘Hey, these are my people. I belong to an identifiable community,’” writes New-York based Muslim school teacher Yahiya Emerick in an e-mail interview with Sound Vision. He has worked full-time in two Islamic schools, one in Michigan and the other in New York. Apart from providing a “community” atmosphere, this school environment instills certain values in Muslim children. Muslim schools give Muslim kids a sense of self-worth, pride and cultural identity they could never get in a public school, says

    Monday, February 25, 2013

    Muslim Schools: A View From The Inside

    Muslim Schools: A View From The Inside

    By Yahiya Emerick "Most parents send their kids here for reasons other than Islam, lamented the principal of a large Muslim school. "A lot of our students have older brothers and sisters who have gone out of control. They smoke, use drugs, sleep around and disobey their parents." I knew from my own experience that what he was saying was true. In my first year of teaching I had met the families of many of my students in the Muslim school. What I saw shocked me.
    Trying To End Up With At Least One Good One The older siblings were completely and thoroughly non-Muslim in their behavior and demeanor. One girl had an older brother with an arm full of tattoos! The girl, who had seven older siblings that went through an urban public school told me that her parents were sending her to the Muslim school because they wanted "at least one good one." On another occasion, I happened to be standing in the school office talking to the secretary when a middle-aged, Indo-Pak couple came in with their teenage daughter. She was wearing tight jeans, no Hijab and a lot of make-up. Her face said it all: she's been around. Her parents, as it turned out, wanted to enroll her in the Muslim school because they didn't want her to become "Christian." Oh... the parents also mentioned that she had a boyfriend and that they didn't want her to "get into trouble." She was enrolled in the ninth grade and therefore would be in my Islamic Studies class. As it happened, she didn't know how to pray, she never made Wudu in her life and she knew nothing of Islamic teachings. She was, for all practical purposes, a non-Muslim with a Muslim sounding name. Do you see a pattern emerging here? After having been involved with Muslim education for the last seven years as a teacher in Sunday schools, summer schools and full-time Muslim schools, I have had the chance to observe the immigrant Muslim community very closely. I wish I could say the indigenous Muslim community, but the immigrants have not seen fit to spread Islam to native-born Americans, but that's another story. The idea behind Muslim education is simple: our children identify with those around them so they should be schooled with other Muslim children in an environment that is friendly to Islam. The theory goes that when they graduate they will be practicing and believing Muslims, ready to take their rightful place in society. This goal should be the first and foremost priority of every Muslim in the world. After all, what's more important: being rich in this life but losing your soul to eternal punishment, or somehow getting by in this life and gaining Paradise in the next? ==========================================
     The Aim of Muslim Families: Get Rich Quick In my voluminous experience, most Muslim families have chosen the first option. Muslim families are, by and large, more concerned with their child being rich than with them going to Paradise after this short life is over. The depth of this statement is sickening when I consider all the wealthy families I've seen who practice little to no Islam but go crazy if their child gets lower than a 95 percent on any test. Their child could be cursing, smoking, dating, fighting, cheating or whatever, but all that really matters is that the kid's going to get into medical school. So why have Muslims here and there opened Muslim schools? They usually provide a different level of education than most public schools and they're sometimes not operated in a standard manner. (Remember, I'm speaking as an insider.) =========================================  
    Muslim Families Are Losing Their Childern The answer is simple, the families are losing their children. Not losing them away from Islam, necessarily, because Islam is the first thing most families will do away with. It's much worse. The children are rejecting the ethnic culture of their parents and adopting the American culture they experience everyday. The mother and father want their child to be like them: eating kabobs, wearing a shalwar or jilbab, speaking Urdu or Arabic and identifying with the customs and ways of the old country with respect to marriage, family structure and social interaction. Who cares that the kid's not praying or wearing Hijab, they're not Pakistani or Indian or Arab anymore! Horrors! Of course, a few, a very few, families want to send their children to a Muslim school so the children will be staunch believers. Such families know what the most important ingredient in a person's life is. Sure, their children will grow up to become doctors or engineers or whatever, but the main priority in the household is that whatever they do, they will do it as practicing Muslims. But such families are not the majority in a Muslim school project. The vast majority of students who come to Islamic schools are from families where Islam is either not practiced or is mixed in with cultural ways and never fully explained to the children. By the time the parents notice their children have different values from them it's too late. The children are thoroughly "Americanized" (whatever that means) and love pizza, Power Rangers, video games and alternative music. They date, disrespect their elders and dabble in alcohol or whatever. Perhaps the older siblings are so completely corrupted that the parents want that "one good one." =========================================
     Parents want Teachers to Save Their Child Do you know how many parents have come to me in the last seven years begging me to "save their child?" One man enrolled his three children in my summer school and they were so wild and unruly that the teachers asked me to remove them, and they were all under nine years old! These monsters were cursing, throwing things and fighting with all the other children around them with no regard to any manners or respect. When I called the mother to take them home she came in a mini-skirt and Mercedes. The father called me and when I told him that our small summer school program couldn't handle this type of serious discipline problem, he sobbed that his wife, who was a non-Muslim, was turning his children into "Christians." I suggested to him that he should spend more time with the children but he brushed that idea aside saying that he owned three businesses and was always away from home. He wanted the summer school to teach his kids the "Moslem religion." Hey, we all dig our own graves and decide what really matters. =================================
     How Many Muslim Schools Start Off So what about the schools themselves? A typical Muslim school is started by a group of concerned parents who quickly attract big-name players who are eager to soothe their consciences over their haram business dealings. These doctors, businessmen, engineers and other professionals develop a project outline and raise funds. Usually they have to go outside to Arabia or other foreign sources for the bulk of the money because local donors are a bit scarce. (Abu Bakr donated all he had when the cause of Allah needed it. I've seen millionaires give less than a thousand dollars at fundraising dinners. Then they intone that being wealthy is allowed in Islam. But not if you're not willing to part with the money when the cause needs it!) After the school is built, the original concerned parents are muscled out of the Board of Directors and the qualifying criteria for a seat on the board becomes tied to the size of a person's bank account. (Don't disagree with this statement because you know it's true.) ====================================  
    The Role of Teachers in Muslim Schools Then the school advertises for teachers and a principal. The starting salary that the school is willing to pay is somewhere below the poverty level. Of course they could pay competitive wages but who wants to sell their Mercedes Benz or mansion just to augment the salary of a poor Muslim teacher? There are two types of people who work in a Muslim school: those who care and are willing to sacrifice for the cause and then those who can't find a job anywhere else. There are no exceptions to this rule. In my experience, the usual ratio between those who care and those who can't find a better job is about three to ten. For every ten teachers, three will care about Islam and the other seven just happen to be biding their time until a better job opens up. Many teachers are unqualified to teach according to local public school standards and most don't know how to relate to American-raised children. In all my years of teaching I have only seen perhaps twenty out of a hundred Muslim teachers who knew how to teach kids. The rest would either bore the kids with lectures, yell and curse at them or stand mute in the class as the kids took over. (I guess the same holds true for public schools in inner cities.) ====================================
     The School Administration : Not Much Better The administration of the school usually fares no better. Most schools are run in the drab, third-world methodology where one man dominates like a lord in his castle. No one is important but him and nepotism and favoritism are rampant. If you're just off the plane from the old country and you're so and so's cousin or aunt or brother-in-law, you've got a job. If you're a true believer in Allah, behave as a sincere Muslim and love kids you're likely to feel like a misfit in this type of environment. So with all these difficulties in Muslims schools, again, why are they popping up all over?
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    Muslim Communities : The Three Dangers Many parents look at the schools as the savior of their children after the children have embraced "American" values. But is this the way to establish Islam here? Reacting when it's too late? Our communities are not even communities to begin with. For most Muslims, they are the only Muslims on their street or in their neighborhood. The term "community" is used but how can we say "our local Muslim community" when all there is are scattered families here and there who happen to drive to the Masjid for dinner parties once a month? That's the first level of danger. We're isolated from each other and interact with non-Muslims most of the time. The second danger is that some of our Masjids are being operated by people who would be considered hypocrites in the Medina of the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) time. They have Haram earnings, they look for fame and status and they feel nostalgic surrounded by people of the same ethnic group as they. The Masjids are ethnic clubs by and large! Those of you who have converted to Islam know what I'm talking about! Therefore, our Masjids are dead structures with next to no meaningful Dawa or community support being conducted. The third problem then, becomes our children. Out of the six million or whatever Muslims that our foolish pollsters claim to be here in North America, perhaps only half a million fit the definition of a Muslim according to the Quran and Sunnah. Many of the second and third generation kids are gone. That leaves only a few hundred thousand Muslims who will take over when the older generation dies off. Out of those kids, only perhaps two percent have any contact with a Muslim school where they can develop a sense of belonging to a community. ====================================  
    Our Childern are not Surrounded by Muslims! What the immigrants fail completely to understand is that they grew up surrounded by Muslims so it's much easier to feel like a Muslim, even if you don't practice Islam very much. Our children are growing up with almost no Muslims around them and are therefore identifying themselves as non-Muslims! =============================================
     Muslim Schools : The Only Hope for the Future? Despite all the problems associated with a Muslim school, then, one fact remains. In my experience, it is the only place where you can give Dawa to the next generation and show them what it means to be a believer. I've seen problem after problem in the structure of Muslim schools, but at the same time, I've seen the awareness of Islam and Iman blossom in even the most lost of children. I was telling a parent the other day that the only ones, by and large, who will be Muslims after us, are those who went to Muslim schools. He objected and said that the local Sunday school was providing all the Islamic education the kids needed. Well, I visited that Sunday School on numerous occasions and found the children to be more non-Muslim than the non-Muslims! The teachers were sincere but helpless, the children were noisy and disinterested and the principal ran from problem to problem like he was in a soccer game. Again, we all dig our own graves and decide what is really important. I just hope there will be a Muslim community twenty years from now when the old people, who grew up in Muslim countries, die off. In my experience, the only children who remain Muslim are those who had very strong Islamic tendencies in their family or those who went through Muslim schools. So while Muslim schools are not perfect, it's the only way that many children will be saved from the Hellfire. It would be nice if the Muslim community got serious about its schools and its future. In some places they are.

    Sunday, February 24, 2013

    Let the Child be a Child

    Let the Child be a Child By Mohammed Khalfan of Dar el Salaam, Tanzania A child was visited at home by his friend. That night the child declined to sleep in his room. He insisted on joining the parents in their bedroom. The fear was triggered when the friend asked the child if he was afraid to sleep so close to a window when ghosts and spirits peep directly into the room. The tactful approach to the situation should have been for the parents to accede to what the child had pleaded for, at least, for that night knowing that such fears wear off or become much less the next day. Instead they thought it a good opportunity to enforce the parental discipline over the child so that he abandons what was perceived as a sissy trait. The child was restless that night because he was a human child, and if only the parents knew that! The father's argument kept ringing in his ears: "why believe in a ghost or spirit when you have seen none and will see none of them ever in your life?" and he would ask himself: yes, why? The child was betraying nothing

    Saturday, February 23, 2013

    How to Raise a Spiritual Child

    How to Raise a Spiritual Child What you can do to nurture your child's spirituality Reprinted from MSN Family. This article was written for non-Muslim audiences but has a lot of good and relevant advice for Muslims too.
    What to expect at this age (baby to pre-school) Though preschoolers are too young to grasp many of the abstract concepts that go hand-in-hand with spiritual life, they have other skills that will serve them well on the road to spirituality: They have no problem believing in things they can't see, and they live almost entirely in the moment. "Kids this age have an incredible sense of wonder -- they're innate spiritual beings," says Marianne Neifert, a pediatrician, mother of five, and the author of Dr. Mom's Prescription for Preschoolers: Seven Essentials for the Formative Years. This is the perfect age to begin nurturing your child's spiritual side -- as sustenance for her soul, as a way of

    Have you Talked with Your Child Today?

    Have you Talked with Your Child Today?  
    By Dr. Aisha Hamdan Have you had a meaningful conversation together? Do you know what your child accomplished today, how he (or she) may be feeling, whether or not he has any concerns? Does your child know that you care about him? In Islam, the ties of kinship and family are very strong and something that will always be present throughout our lifetime. There are very serious consequences for someone who decides to break these ties. Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, says, "Then, is it to be expected of you, if you were put in authority, that you will do mischief in the land, and break your ties of kith and kin? Such are the men whom Allah has cursed for He has made them deaf and blinded their sight." [47:22-23]. The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "Whoever severs the bonds of kinship will not enter Paradise." (Bukhari and Muslim). A major component of our familial ties is communication. In fact, without communication