INTELLIGENT DESIGN: A NEW AGE THEORY

In order to alienate people from true religions, Masons have devised many false religions of complex description assembling them all under the heading New Age.

Their purpose in this is to inculcate in that large segment of people who are abandoning materialist ideas, a new way of living and thinking. They want to establish a new system ornamented with metaphysical language and totally divergent from the true religion and faith in Allah (God) as revealed in the Qur’an. It is an irresponsible system with nothing to offer.

Many people are seeking for religion and Masons offer them a number of options all contained within the compass of their perverse ideas. And for every false religion they offer false gods to replace Allah (Surely Allah is beyond that).

In order to alienate people in Islamic countries from true religion, Masons are intent on offering the idea of intelligent design as the most appropriate alternative in these countries.

Of course, they do not pretend that what they are doing is against Islam; on the contrary, they claim that their activities are innocent and even serve to strengthen the foundations of faith in Allah. It is exceptional that, in Islamic countries, they include Islamic terms and ideas—however unwillingly—to their doctrine of intelligent design. In this way they try to conceal their real intentions and prevent objections from Muslims.

They employ the classic Masonic method of slow and gradual indoctrination and bringing the light slowly to sleepy eyes. Without revealing their purpose, they want to draw people into their superstitious religion.

However, Western supporters of this movement confess that this is a non-religious system of thought. For example, the American biologist, Michael Behe, one of the noted theoreticians of intelligent design, explains that intelligent design is not an idea based in religion but religious people can make good use of it in their arguments.

Those who accept the theory of intelligent design insist that religion and science should be separate and that science should not support creation and revealed religions.

They see themselves as outside revealed religions; they think that religion is a matter of faith and outside the parameters of science. Their view is that it would be wrong for science to rely on religion.

The official internet site of the Discovery Institute that represents this movement asks the question. ‘Is the theory of intelligent design the same as the theory of creation?’ The answer:

Unlike creationism, the scientific theory of intelligent design is agnostic regarding the source of design and has no commitment to defending Genesis, the Bible or any other sacred text. (http://www.discovery.org/csc/topQuestions.php#questionsAboutIntelligentDesign)

One of the focuses of the perverse belief systems that Masons have modeled along the lines of the New Age movement is intelligent design which has gotten a lot of media attention lately. This movement supports the theory that everything in the universe is the work of intelligent design. This theory does not accept the existence of Allah or the fact that He created everything saying that these ideas have nothing to do with science. They deliberately do not mention the name of Allah.

Their purpose is, given the fact that materialism and the theory of evolution (its imagined scientific support) have lately suffered an irremediable reverse, to offer people a spiritual quest on various perverse paths to follow; their goal to direct people away from revealed religions, especially Islam.

Masons employ the classic Masonic method of slow and gradual indoctrination and bringing the light slowly to sleepy eyes. Without revealing their purpose, they want to draw people into their superstitious religion.

The Theory of Intelligent Design: Another Kind of Deism.

The theory of intelligent design accepts neither revealed religions nor the existence of Allah. It has an abstract and abstruse concept of a designer.

It is interesting that Masons use the same logic in their writings when they say that the universe is like the intelligent designer-total conscious energy. They say this energy is conscious and that it is the Great Architect of the Universe.

But Masons insist that that this conscious energy is not Allah. (Surely Allah is beyond that)

We can see that advocates of intelligent design share the same logic as Masons when it comes to explaining their position. Their ideas are very much in tune with Deism which accepts the existence of a Creator while rejecting the validity of revealed religions.

Throughout history there have been several philosophers who have called themselves deists and believed in Allah but not in religion or revelation. Some well known deists were Heraclitus, Descartes, Voltaire and Leibnitz.
Moreover, the fact that Voltaire was a known Mason recognized for his antipathy toward Islam, and Descartes was a Templar and a Mason of high degree is enough to demonstrate the Masonic roots of Deism.

While Masons accept the existence of a Great Architect, they do not see the need for revealed religions. The founders of the intelligent design movement, though they accept the existence of a designer, do not accept religion; their idea is that you do not have to be religious to accept this theory.

We can see that the supporters of the theory of intelligent design are not different from Deist philosophers. Deists have throughout history either openly or in secret fought against the religion commanded by Allah; they may have changed their names but they are basically just supporting the same old perverse logic.

Respect and Honor are in Islam

A Muslim may sincerely believe in the theory of intelligent design espousing it as being useful to Islam. But this is a serious error. Persisting in this error will eventually cause this person to honor the creature more than the Creator.

Therefore it is very dangerous for a Muslim to get involved in a movement about which he knows nothing and of whose content he is ignorant.

Allah warns believers against falling into such an error:

Do not pursue what you have no knowledge of. Hearing, sight and hearts will all be questioned. (Surat al- Isra’, 36)

One of the most interesting things about those who accept the theory of intelligent design is that, although they claim to be Muslims, they do not revere the name of Allah.

Instead of saying that Allah has created the whole universe both animate and inanimate, they opt for a more abstruse expression such as there is intelligent design in the universe. Scientists in the West who espouse this theory admire the style of an intellectual philosopher and try to imitate it.

There is a very good reason why such people deliberately refrain from mentioning the name of Allah: they cannot understand the essence of religion and so they cannot experience faith deep in their hearts.

Since they cannot appreciate the subtle spirit of the Qur’an, the model of Islam they have invented in their minds is quite different from the Islam described in the Qur’an and the understanding of religion that genuinely exalts Allah.
A faithful Muslim admires the character of those blessed prophets whose exploits are described in the Qur’an and takes his example from holy individuals.

A person with a mind that cannot properly appreciate religious morality and the power of Allah, admires instead a smattering of Western intellectuals, philosophers, thinkers, scientists and educators whose style they attempt to imitate.

This attitude is tantamount to saying I don’t like the style of the prophets in the way they delivered their message; there’s a deficiency in it. Of course, such an attitude is totally opposite to Allah’s book and the attitude of a faithful Muslim who believes in the prophets.

As a result of this way of thinking, being known for one’s Muslim character would be avoided at all costs by such an individual.

But being ashamed to mention the name of Allah is not something that Islam condones. Neither our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) nor his companions practiced religion in this way. They all practiced proper, religious morality as taught in the Qur’an and explained it to others. In this way, past prophets and their followers practiced religious morality perfectly.

Being ashamed of religion, rejecting the true path and seeking honor, glory and respect elsewhere will bring nothing but humiliation:

Who would deliberately renounce the religion of Ibrahim except someone who reveals himself to be a fool? We chose him [Ibrahim] in this world and in the Hereafter he will be one of the righteous. (Surat al-Baqara, 130)

In the Qur’an, Allah severly condemns being inclined to unbelievers and thus making the slightest compromise with the morality of the religion:

They were very near to enticing you away from some of what We have revealed to you, hoping that you would invent something against Us. Then they would have taken you as their intimate. If We had not made you firm, you would have leaned towards them a little. Then We would have let you taste a double punishment in life and a double punishment in death. You would not have found any helper against Us.

Those who do not make the Qur’an their guide and do not fear Allah in their hearts will not understand why Muslims continually remember Allah . (Surat al-Isra’, 73-75)

They do not feel the necessity for doing this and, from their own intellectual point of view; they belittle the submission of believers to Allah and their loyalty to Allah and the Prophet.

The Lord tells us in the Qur’an about this point of view.

When they are told, ‘Believe in the way that the people believe,’ they say, ‘What! Are we to believe in the way that fools believe?’ No indeed! They are the fools, but they do not know it. (Surat al-Baqara, 13)

In another verse, the Lord says that only those who obey the Qur’an and fear Allah will be able to receive advice.

You can only warn those who act on the Reminder and fear the All-Merciful in the Unseen. Give them the good news of forgiveness and a generous reward. (Surah Yasin, 11)

Those who do not feel this fear of Allah, and do not try as hard as they can to fear Him will never be able to understand the eternal wisdom of the Qur’an.

An intellectual may enjoy the respect of his community for his knowledge and high level of culture. But these achievements will have value only when they are used for the good of Islam.

The reason why someone hesitates to revere the name of Allah and uses his knowledge to promote superstitious ideas may be because he wants to win the friendship and respect of people who have rejected Allah and Islam.
This shallow and anti-religious behavior may well win them the respect they are seeking but it will certainly not be acceptable in Allah’s sight. The Lord says in the Qur’an:

Do those who take the disbelievers as protectors, rather than the believers, hope to find power and strength with them? Power and strength belong entirely to Allah. (Surat an-Nisa’, 139)

In the Qu’ran, Allah tells us about those who reject Islam and choose to follow other paths.

If the truth were to follow their whims and desires, the heavens and the Earth and everyone in them would have been brought to ruin. No indeed! We have given them their Reminder, but they have turned away from it. (Surat al-Muminun, 71)

As we said earlier, at the root of the theory of intelligent design there is an illogical presupposition that there must be a separation between religion and science. For this reason, to accept Islamic morality openly and believe in the existence of Allah will draw objections and criticism from theoreticians of intelligent design who have no belief in Allah or religion.

Therefore, the use of science to prove the unity of Allah and that Islam is a revealed religion would be ridiculed by the main proponents of this theory as well as by other intellectuals.

Therefore, a Muslim will not compromise on reverencing the name of Allah and defending Islam even if doing so would win him the whole world in return. This is because he is aware that being a Muslim brings him true honor.

Allah shows the Way to Islam

In the struggle against atheism, the mind that sees the theory of intelligent design as higher than the Qur’an or the truths of faith must consider the fact that it is Allah Who shows the way of Islam.

Allah reveals in one of the verses as follows:

If your Lord had willed, all the people on the Earth would have believed. Do you think you can force people to be believers? (Surah Yunus, 10)

In order to believe in Allah, a person with a sincere conscience does not first have to be persuaded that there is an intermediate stage such as intelligent design. Those who are ashamed to accept the true path of the prophets and messengers and turn their backs on religion seeking glory, honor and respect in other places will find that this brings nothing but great humiliation.

Indeed, someone who is confused by lack of knowledge or Darwinist propaganda may become an atheist or a skeptic.

But for a person with a sincere conscience, the scientific collapse of the theory of evolution is convincing proof of the existence of Allah and creation.

In order to believe in Allah, a person with a sincere conscience does not first have to be persuaded that there is an intermediate stage such as intelligent design.

Refuting the theory of evolution with the purpose of removing the obstacles before one’s having faith in Allah is a scientific endeavour and a form of worship for Muslims.

However even if evolution is refuted, a stubborn, preconceived, irrational and malevolent atheist with an impaired reasoning may well not have faith. His mind may be clouded with various doubts.

Consequently it is clear that intelligent design will have no use to convince such a person about the existence of Allah.

A Muslim proves the existence of Allah to an atheist, a person in doubt, a Christian or a Budist through the wisdom communicated in the Qur’an and the signs of faith, and communicates the religion of Islam with the Qur’an.
He never forgets that it is Allah Who shows the right path.

One verse of the Qur’an said by a sincere Muslim, or even one truth of faith, may be enough to bring the most avid atheist to faith.

For example Moses (pbuh) performed a miracle in the presence of Pharaoh’s sorcerers and they immediately came to faith and prostrated themselves before Allah happy to die in His Way. Here are the relevant verses from the Qur’an:

The magicians threw themselves down in prostration. They said, ‘We believe in the Lord of Harun and Musa.’ Pharaoh said, ‘Do you believe in him before I have authorised you? He is your chief, the one who taught you magic. I will cut off your hands and feet alternately and have you crucified on palm trunks. Then you will know for certain which of us has the harsher and longer lasting punishment.’ They (magicians) said (to Pharaoh), ‘We will never prefer you to the Clear Signs which have come to us nor to Him Who brought us into being. Decide on any judgment you like. Your jurisdiction only covers the life of this world.’ (The magicians said to Pharaoh,) ‘We have believed in our Lord so that He may forgive us for our mistakes and for the magic which you forced us to perform. Allah is better and longer lasting.’ (Surah Ta Ha, 70-73)

It is interesting to notice that these people were first hostile to Moses (pbuh) but, by Allah’s will, immediately became good Muslims.

It is very significant that these people did not come to faith through speaking to Moses (pbuh); he did not speak one word.

And he gave no scientific explanation.

Allah gave them a miracle from His own Presence to show them true path; there was no mediator.

Therefore, it is important to remember that to struggle against Darwinism and other systems that oppose the idea of creation is an act of worship commanded in the Qur’an.

The result of such worship is absolutely in the hands of Allah.

Allah has made human beings responsible only for telling others about religious morality.

Trying to show people the right path through intellectual explanations or the most obtuse philosophies is totally contrary to the Qur’an.

Science and intellectual knowledge have no power of their own; they cannot direct people to the right path.

This power belongs only to Allah, the Lord of Earth and heaven.

Muslims attitudes must be clear.

As we said earlier, those who accept the theory of intelligent design generally hesitate to mention the name of Allah.

Ingratiating onesef with unbelievers, concealing one’s religion because of feeling ashamed or being nice to both sides have by no means any benefit to an individual. That is because, unbelievers would not accept such a person unless he entirely abandons his religion and stands firmly against Islam, openly remaining in their own ranks.

Consequently, such a person can live neither by the Islam in its true sense nor the “deist” philosophy he advocates. He can not remain to be a true advocate of any of them. He tries to ingratiate both sides yet is excluded from both of them and fails to find what he hopes for.

The state of such a person is clearly indicated in the verses:

The hypocrites think they deceive Allah, but He is deceiving them. When they get up to pray, they get up lazily, showing off to people, and only remembering Allah a very little. They vacillate between the two–not joining these or joining those. If Allah misguides someone, you will not find any way for him to go. (Surat an-Nisa, 142-143)

The True Religion

By Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips

THE RELIGION OF ISLAM

The first thing that one should know and clearly understand about Islam is what the word "Islam" itself means. The religion of Islam is not named after a person as in the case of Christianity which was named after Jesus Christ, Buddhism after Gotama Buddha, Confucianism after Confucius, and Marxism after Karl Marx. Nor was it named after a tribe like Judaism after the tribe of Judah and Hinduism after the Hindus. Islam is the true religion of "Allah" and as such, its name represents the central principle of Allah's "God's" religion; the total submission to the will of Allah "God". The Arabic word "Islam" means the submission or surrender of one's will to the only true god worthy of worship "Allah" and anyone who does so is termed a "Muslim", The word also implies "peace" which is the natural consequence of total submission to the will of Allah. Hence, it was not a new religion brought by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) I in Arabia in the seventh century, but only the true religion of Allah re-expressed in its final form.

Islam is the religion which was given to Adam, the first man and the first prophet of Allah, and it was the religion of all the prophets sent by Allah to mankind. The name of God's religion lslam was not decided upon by later generations of man. It was chosen by Allah Himself and clearly mentioned in His final revelation to man. In the final book of divine revelation, the Qur'aan, Allah states the following:

"This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion". (Soorah Al-Maa'idah 5:3)

"If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah (God) never will It be accepted of Him" (Soorah Aal'imraan 3:85)

"Abraham was not a Jew nor Christian; but an upright Muslim." (Soorah Aal'imraan 3:67)

Nowhere in the Bible will you find Allah saying to Prophet Moses' people or their descendants that their religion is Judaism, nor to the followers of Christ that their religion is Christianity. In fact, Christ was not even his name, nor was it Jesus! The name "Christ" comes from the Greek word Christos which means the annointed. That is, Christ is a Greek translation of the Hebrew title "Messiah". The name "Jesus" on the other hand, is a latinized version of the Hebrew name Esau.

For simplicity's sake, I will however continue to refer to Prophet Esau (PBUH) as Jesus. As for his religion, it was what he called his followers to. Like the prophets before him, he called the people to surrender their will to the will of Allah; (which is Islam) and he warned them to stay away from the false gods of human imagination.

According to the New Testament, he taught his followers to pray as follows: "Yours will be done on earth as it is in Heaven".

THE MESSAGE OF ISLAM

Since the total submission of one's will to Allah represents the essence of worship, the basic message of Allah's divine religion, Islam is the worship of Allah alone and the avoidance of worship directed to any person, place or thing other than Allah.Since everything other than Allah, the Creator of all things, is Allah's creation; it may be said that Islam, in essence calls man away from the worship of creation and invites him to worship only its Creator. He is the only one deserving man's worship as it is only by His will that prayers are answered. If man prays to a tree and his prayers are answered, it was not the tree which answered his prayers but Allah who allowed the circumstances prayed for to take place. One might say, "That is obvious," however, to tree-worshippers it might not be. Similarly, prayers to Jesus, Buddha, or Krishna, to Saint Christopher, or Saint Jude or even to Muhammad, are not answered by them but are answered by Allah. Jesus did nottell his followers to worship him but to worship Allah. As the Qur'aan states:

"And behold Allah will say: "O Jesus the son of Mary Did you say to men, Worship me and my mother as gods besides Allah He will say-"Glory to you I could never say what I had no right (to say')" (Soorah Al-Maa'idah- 5:116)

Nor did he worship himself when he worshipped but rather he worshipped Allah. This basic principle is enshrined in the opening chapter of the Qur'aan, known asSoorah Al-Faatihah, verse 4:

"You alone do we worship and from you alone do we seek help".

Elsewhere, in the final book of revelation, the Qur'aan, Allah also said:

"And your Lord says:"Call on Me and I will answer your(prayer)."(Soorsh Mu'min 40:60)

it is worth noting that the basic message of Islam is that Allah and His creation are distinctly different entities. Neither is Allah His creation or a part of it, nor is His creation Him or a part of Him.

This might seem obvious, but, man's worship of creation instead of the Creator is to a large degree based on ignorance of this concept. It is the belief that the essence of Allah is everywhere in His creation or that His divine being is or was present in some aspects of His creation, which has provided justification for the worship of creation though such worship maybecalled the worship of Allah through his creation. How ever, the message of Islam as brought by the prophets of Allah is to worship only Allah and to avoid the worship of his creation either directly or indirectly. In the Our'aan Allah clearlystates:

"For We assuredly sent amongst every people a prophet,(with the command) worship meand avoid false gods " (Soorsh Al-Nahl 16:36)

When the idol worshipper is questioned as to why he or she bows down to idols created by men, the invariable reply is that they are not actually worshipping the stone image, but Allah who is present within it. They claim that the stone idol is only a focal point for Allah's essence and is not in itself Allah! One who has accepted the concept of the presence of God's being within His creation in any way will be obliged to accept this argument of idolatry. Whereas, one who understands the basic message of Islam and its implications would never concede to idolatry no matter how it is rationalized. Those who have claimed divinity for themselves down through the ages have often based their claims on the mistaken belief that Allah is present in man. They merely had to assert that although Allah according to their false beliefs, is in all of us, He is more present in them than in the rest of us. Hence, they claim, we should submit our will to them and worship them as they are either God in person or God concentrated within the person.

Similarly, those who have asserted the godhood of others after their passing have found fertile ground among those who accept the false belief of God's presence in man. One who has grasped the basic message of Islam and its implications could never agree to worship another human being under any circumstances. God's religion in essence is a clear call to the worship of the Creator and the rejection of creation-worship in any form. This is the meaning of the motto of Islam:

"Laa Elaaha lllallaah" (There is no god but Allah)

Its repetition automatically brings one within the fold of Islam and sincere belief in it guarantees one Paradise.

Thus, the final Prophet of Islam is reported to have said, "Any one who says: There is no god but Allah and dies holding that (belief) will enter paradise".(Reported by Abu Dharr and collected by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim).

It consists in the submission to Allah as one God, yielding to Him by obeying His commandments, and the denial of polytheism and polytheists.

THE MESSAGE OF FALSE RELIGION

There are so many sects, cults, religions, philosophies, and movements in the world, all of which claim to be the right way or the only true path to Allah. How can one determine which one is correct or if, in fact, all are correct? The method by which the answer can be found is to clear away the superficial differences in the teachings of the various claimants to the ultimate truth, and identify the central object of worship to which they call, directly or indirectly. False religions all have in common one basic concept with regards to Allah. They either claim that all men are gods or that specific men were Allah or that nature is Allah or that Allah is a figment of man's imagination.

Thus, it may be stated that the basic message of false religion is that Allah may be worshipped in the form of His creation. False religion invites man to the worship of creation by calling the creation or some aspect of it God. For example, prophet Jesus invited his followers to worship Allah but those who claim to be his followers today call people to worship Jesus, claiming that he was Allah!

Buddha was a reformer who introduced a number of humanistic principles to the religion of India. He did not claim to be God nor did he suggest to his followers that he be an object of worship. Yet, today most Buddhists who are to be found outside of India have taken him to be God and prostrate to idols made in their perception of his likeness.

By using the principle of identifying the object of worship, false religion becomes very obvious and the contrived nature of their origin clear. As God said in the Our'aan:

That which you worship besides Him are only names you and your forefathers have invented for which Allah has sent down no authority: The command belongs only to Allah:

He has commanded that you only worship Him; that is the right religion, but most men do not understand ". (Soorah Yoosuf 12:40)

It may be argued that all religions teach good things so why should it matter which one we follow. The reply is that all false religions teach the greatest evil, the worship of creation. Creation-worship is the greatest sin that man can commit because it contradicts the very purpose of his creation. Man was created to worship Allah alone as Allah has explicitly stated in the Our'aan:

"I have only created Jlnns and men, that they may worship me"(Soorah Zaareeyaat 51:56)

Consequently, the worship of creation, which is the essence of idolatry, is the only unforgivable sin. One who dies in this state of idolatry has sealed his fate in the next life. This is not an opinion, but a revealed fact stated by Allah in his final revelation to man:

"Verily Allah will not forgive the joining of partners with Him, but He may forgive (sins) less than that for whom so ever He wishes"(Soorah An- Nisaa 4:48 and 116)

THE UNIVERSALITY OF ISLAM

Since the consequences of false religion are so grave, the true religion of Allah must be universally understandable and attainable, not confined to any people, place or time. There can not be conditions like baptism, belief in a man, as a saviour etc., for a believer to enter paradise. Within the central principle of Islam and in its definition, (the surrender of one's will to God) lies the roots of lslam's universality. Whenever man comes to the realization that Allah is one and distinct from His creation, and submits himself to Allah, he becomes a Muslim in body and spirit and is eligible for paradise. Thus, anyone at anytime in the most remote region of the world can become a Muslim, a follower of God's religion, Islam, by merely rejecting the worship of creation and by turning to Allah (God) alone-It should be noted however, that the recognition of and submission to Allah requires that one chooses between right and wrong and such a choice implies accountability. Man will be held responsible for his choices, and, as such, he should try his utmost to do good and avoid evil. The ultimate good being the worship of Allah alone and the ultimate evil being the worship of His creation along with or instead of Allah. This fact is expressed in the final revelation as follows:

"Verily those who believe, those who follow the Jewish (Scriptures), the Christians and the Sabians any who believe In Allah and the last day, and work righteousness *hall have their reward with their Lord;They will not be overcome by fear nor grief (Soorah Al-Baqarah 2:62).

If only they had stood by the law, the Gospel, and all the revelation that was sent to them from their Lord, they would have enjoyed happiness from every side. There Is from among them a party on the right course; but many of them follow a course that Is evil.". (Soorah Al-.Maa'idah 5:66)

RECOGNITION OF ALLAH

The question which arises here is, "How can all people be expected to believe in Allah given their varying- backgrounds, societies and cultures? For people to be responsible for worshipping Allah they all have to have access to knowledge of Allah. The final revelation teaches that all mankind have the recognition of Allah imprinted on their souls, a part of their very nature with which they are created.

In Soorah Al-A'raaf, Verses 172-173; Allah explained that when He created Adam, He caused all of Adam's descendants to come into existence and took a pledge from them saying, Am I not your Lord? To which they all replied, " Yes, we testify to It:'

Allah then explained why He had all of mankind bear witness that He is their creator and only true God worthy of worship. He said, "That was In case you (mankind) should say on the day of Resurrection, "Verily we were unaware of all this." That is to say, we had no idea that You Allah, were our God. No one told us that we were only supposed to worship You alone. Allah went on to explain That it was also In case you should say, "Certainly It was our ancestors who made partners (With Allah) and we are only their descendants; will You then destroy us for what those liars did?" Thus, every child is born with a natural belief in Allah and an inborn inclination to worship Him alone called in Arabic the "Fitrah".

If the child were left alone, he would worship Allah in his own way, but all children are affected by those things around them, seen or unseen.

The Prophet (PBUH) reported that Allah said, "I created my servants in the right religion but devils made them go astray". The Prophet (PBUH) also said, "Each child is born in a state of "Fitrah", then his parents make him a Jew, Christian or a Zoroastrian, the way an animal gives birth to a normal offspring. Have you noticed any that were born mutilated?" (Collected by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim).

So, just as the child submits to the physical laws which Allah has put in nature, his soul also submits naturally to the fact that Allah is his Lord and Creator. But, his parents try to make him follow their own way and the child is not strong enough in the early stages of his life to resist or oppose the will of his parents. The religion which the child follows at this stage is one of custom and upbringing and Allah does not hold him to account or punish him for this religion.

Throughout people's lives from childhood until the time they die, signs are shown to them in all regions of the earth and in their own souls, until it becomes clear that there is only one true God (Allah). If the people are honest with themselves, reject their false gods and seek Allah, the way will be made easy for them but if they continually reject Allah's signs and continue to worship creation, the more difficult it will be for them to escape. For example, in the South Eastern region of the Amazon jungle in Brazil, South America, a primitive tribe erected a new hut to house their main idol Skwatch, representing the supreme God of all creation. The homage to the God, and while he was in prostration to what he had been taught was his Creator and Sustainer, a mangy old flea-ridden dog walked into the hut, The young man looked up in time to see the dog lift its hind leg and pass urine on the idol. Outraged, the youth chased the dog out of the temple, but when his rage died down he realized that the idol could not be the Lordof the universe. Allah must be elsewhere. he now had a choice to act on his knowledge and seek Allah, or to dishonestly go along with the false beliefs of his tribe. As strange as it may seem, that was a sign from Allah for that young man. It contained within it divine guidance that what he was worshipping was false.

Prophets were sent, as was earlier mentioned, to every nation and tribe to support man's natural belief in Allah and man's inborn inclination to worship Him as well as to reinforce the divine truth in the daily signs revealed by Allah. Although, in most cases, much of the prophets' teachings became distorted, portions remained which point out right and wrong. For example, the ten commandments of the Torah, their confirmation in the Gospels and the existence of laws against murder, stealing and adultery in most societies. Consequently, every soul will be held to account for its belief in Allah and its acceptance of the religion of Islam; the total submission to the will of Allah.

We pray to Allah, the exalted, to keep us on the right path to which He has guided us, and to bestow on us a blessing from Him, He is indeed the Most Merciful. Praise and gratitude be to Allah,the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be on prophet Muhammed, his Family, his companions, and those who rightly follow them.