Yes. And, brevity being the soul of wit, I will reduce Jackuul's essay to, "You guys are getting nowhere. Put me in charge, and I'll fix everything."
Question: When Islam is against idol worship why do the Muslims worship, and bow down to the Kaaba in their prayer? Answer: Kaaba is the Qibla i.e. the direction Muslims face during their prayers. It is important to note that though Muslims face the Kaaba during prayers, they do not worship the Kaaba. Muslims worship and bow to none but Allah. It is mentioned in Surah Baqarah: "We see the turning of thy face (for guidance) to the heavens: now shall We turn thee to a Qiblah that shall please thee. Turn then thy face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque: wherever ye are, turn your faces in that direction." [Al-Qur’an 2:144] 1. Islam believes in fostering unity For instance, if Muslims want to offer Salaah (Prayer), it is possible that some may wish to face north, while some may wish to face south. In order to unite Muslims in their worship of the One True God, Muslims, wherever they may be, are asked to face in only one direction i.e. towards the Kaaba. If some Muslims live towards the west of the Kaaba they face the east. Similarly if they live towards the east of the Kaaba they face the west. 2. Kaaba is at the Centre of the World Map The Muslims were the first people to draw the map of the world. They drew the map with the south facing upwards and north downwards. The Kaaba was at the centre. Later, western cartographers drew the map upside down with the north facing upwards and south downwards. Yet, Alhamdullilah the Kaaba is at the centre of the world map. 3. Tawaaf around Kaaba for indicating one God When the Muslims go to Masjid-e-Haram in Makkah, they perform tawaaf or circumambulation round the Kaaba. This act symbolizes the belief and worship of One God, since, just as every circle has one centre, so also there is only one Allah (swt) worthy of worship. 4. Hadith of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) Regarding the black stone, hajr-e-aswad, there is a hadith (tradition), attributed to the illustrious companion of the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh), Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). According to Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, book of Hajj, chapter 56, H.No. 675. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I know that you are a stone and can neither benefit nor harm. Had I not seen the Prophet (pbuh) touching (and kissing) you, I would never have touched (and kissed) you". 5. People stood on Kaaba and gave the adhaan At the time of the Prophet, people even stood on the Kaaba and gave the ‘adhaan’ or the call to prayer. One may ask those who allege that Muslims worship the Kaaba; which idol worshipper stands on the idol he worships?
oh sorry buddy, i just replied one msg and this reply came here. i did not know. hope you are no more annoyed. take care
Sorry, I realize this is a tremendously old thread, and mods, please feel free to delete it/close it if this is inappropriate, or render infractions, etc. - I understand, if so. On a lark, watching Netflix documentaries tonight. I am a mere 10 minutes into this film, and find it utterly devastating to watch. I cannot help but grieve for those poor children, and am having a hard time wishing anything other than psychiatric commitment for this twisted woman. Maybe it's a day filled with disbelief with what parents will do to their innocents, in the name of whatever "faith" one wishes to embrace. Today's description of a mother and father who allowed their daughter to die, believing "sickness is the result of sin"; or, here, and in answer to the quote above, this sick woman saying: Where the hell are the parents of these kids? What kind of parent would do this to their kids? Just a couple minutes later in the film, this idiot swoops down on two young boys, like a vulture (I'm not kidding - hunched shoulders, neck craned forward - body language is truly telling, and truly frightening)...asks them: What the hell? Does this not raise about a million red flags? Now, you go to this asshole's website, and the logo is a silhouette of two children, surrounded by what looks like blood splatter. I get it - the Lamb of God, etc. But where the hell is the notion of children living in peace, love, joy, and just what the hell is the imagery and speech of these kids "laying down their lives," and the blood-cult crap, as shown by this logo? Is this not completely diseased? Now, I have seen some members condemning muslim members, for instance, for not condemning the violence of extremists, with the violence made in the name of Islam. I join with anyone condemning violence, and I call it bullshit when one excuses such behavior by any justification, whatsoever. At the same time, I call it hypocrisy to condemn the fundamentalist madrassas teaching their brand of hate, while avoiding a clear, unshakable condemnation of this sick version, as seen in this film, or in any number of other brands seen. How about we all join together, and condemn all violence, all brainwashing, all destruction of children's hearts and minds, made in the name of whatever flavor of religious fervor one would otherwise want to embrace? Man, I'll tell you. I'm an atheist, but I honestly don't care about whether anyone chooses a faith-filled life, of whatever road. This is a tough world, and quite honestly, to me, whatever gets you to the grave relatively happy, and helping to make others happy, is good by me. Once any creed - political, religious, philosophical, whatever - turns from a way to live out a private life in contentment to a view of harming others, I have a problem. Once it turns to poisoning the precious minds that children have, when they didn't ask to be born and only need nurturance, generally, to thrive, my blood boils.
I would have edited the above post, rather than added another post, but too much time has passed. I literally couldn't stomach watching the rest of the film last night...I have to take this film in small bites, personally. Somewhere around 0:47 into the movie, after telling the kids how Harry Potter would have been put to death were he around in Old Testament times, after asking the charged room of kids "Now. Who's ready for some fun tonight" in what I would call a sadistic turn of events ("fun" - DIE - yippee!), AGAIN these sick freaks turn to death for these kids: Just what is the difference between this, and anyone urging martyrdom in the name of Islam, or any other creed? Let's say it plainly: NOTHING. Now, only because it is the most topical of issues on this board, it seems - those who demand the Muslims here condemn extremist violence (and here, I am in agreement): Why are you silent to this kind of baldly violent, twisted crap? And for some perspective on the issue of fundamentalist anything, and the eschewal of thought - another creepy fella at 0:56 of the film, invites the young Levi upfront (Levi has all the makings of a future cult leader, in my opinion). The creep tells Levi, "before you were born, God knew you, O.K.?" (Nod). "You're not just a piece of protoplasm..." and then the creep turns to the room of kids, and snidely says, "whatever that is." Now, I wish I could believe this is innocent - an idiot adult trying to tune into a child's natural aversion to "yucky schoolwork," and all that. But no, it is clear to me this is that same breath of ignorance seen in the Palin vein, that looks on "educated" as "elitist," that supplants the teaching of biology with a book on "physical science" that brings Levi's mother to tell her son (Levi is home-"schooled"), "so you see, creationism is the only possible answer!" Do I think "educated" necessarily translates to "good character," or any number of "good" things? No. Do I think the academic class has a tendency to snobbery, when looking at the "masses"? Yes. (I should know. I've been both, an academic and a snob, and it took me years to see it). Do I think this kind of crap is criminal, when it comes to what is done to the minds of children? Absolutely. 1:12 into the movie, again, death and dying for Jesus, this time Rachel and Levi, two of the principal kids of the film. Rachel is a poor kid who spends time handing out Jack Chick publications whenever she goes out with her family, apparently - in the film, it takes place at a bowling alley, where she walks around with the belief that God told her to zero in on a young woman sitting at her chair, to hand her the Jack Chick tract, and, almost overwhelmed with nervousness, proceeds to preach to the woman. At any rate, at this point in the film, here is what young Rachael had to say: Sick as it gets. Those poor children. I have no belief in deity; but if I did, I'd imagine, were there a god in heaven, heaven would not be a giddy place to hang these days - when papa's not happy, ain't no one happy; and when all freaks, of whatever persuasion, reach the throne of judgment, I AM will say, "No, you idiot, you got it totally wrong," before stamping "reject" on the paradisical passport application.