Notis: Det följande är en reproduktion av artiklen "Freedom to Belive"

We are absolutely free to believe or disbelieve in God. It is God's will that we will freely , see 18:29, 25:57, 73:19, 74:37, 76:29 ..etc. God told us in the Quran that He knows the future and He knows what everyone of us will do , believe, behave and commit in this life, because He is God who knows the past, present and future. God fully knows what kind of decision each one of us is destined to make; He knows which of us are going to Heaven and which are going to Hell. Even before we were born into this world, God knew which souls are good and which souls are evil.

As far as God 's omniscience is concerned, we know that God already knows everybody's fate in this world and in the Hereafter. Yet as far as we are concerned, we are totally free to side with God's absolute authority, or Satan's polytheistic views. Predestination , therefore is a fact as far as God is concerned, not as far as we are concerned. An example of God's guidance for those who deserve guidance (Based on their own decision to accept God ALONE) is found in 21:51: "We granted Abraham his guidance, for we were fully aware of him."

In other words, God knew that Abraham was a good soul who deserves to be guided, and God granted him his guidance and understanding. But the first decision to seek God was that of Abraham. on his own free will. So, we are fully free to choose, either God or someone else. Because of this freedom we are responsible for our decision on the day of Judgment. We cannot blame our parents, friends, scholars, or anyone. We can only blame ourselves. Therfore , we should take heed early on and side with God and believe Him and His book.

Because of this kind of freedom God never forces His religion on any body, "Had your Lord willed, all the people on earth would have believed. Do you want to force the people to become believers." 10:99 If God was to force people to believe or disbelieve he would not have asked them about their choices and He would never have punished some and rewarded others. God is Most Merciful.

Notis: Det följande är en reproduktion av artiklen "Our Freedom, Our Responsibility"

Our Freedom, Our Responsibility

One of the greatest blessings given to us by God Almighty is freedom. But on the contrary to what the word may mean on the surface, freedom means responsibility and it means accepting certain laws set by God , the provider of our true freedom.

[33:72] We have offered the responsibility (freedom of choice) to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains, but they refused to bear it, and were afraid of it. But the human being accepted it; he was transgressing, ignorant.

Freedom, like all the other blessings in our life, is a gift from God, and not something we initiate, create, design or control. Because of that, it has to follow His law. The believers know very well that their creation, their life and their death are all controlled by God's laws. We were not given the freedom to choose the time or place of our birth or our death, to choose our parents or our siblings, to choose the color of our eyes, or complexion of our skin, the IQ of our brain, or the sharpness of our vision, the size of our wealth or the extent of our wisdom. But we were given the most important kind of freedom, to believe in God or not. After that God takes control.

We asked God for the freedom of choice and He granted it for us. He is just and fair, therefore, He allowed the opposition (in this case Satan) to present his own version of freedom. It was part of the deal to allow us to choose between the two styles of freedom, between the Good and the bad, or between God and Satan.

Satan makes his style of freedom appealing to his constituents by enticing them with all his power.

[17:64] "You may entice them with your voice, and mobilize all your forces and all your men against them, and share in their money and children, and promise them. Anything the devil promises is no more than an illusion

To entice the weak at heart, Satan presents his laws that defy God's laws in the name of freedom. But like all of Satan's promises, his freedom is no more than an illusion as God said. Satan invites the people to use drugs in the name of freedom but after using drugs they become addict and loose their will. They become prisoners of their habit, in reality prisoners of Satan. Many times they have to lie, cheat, steal, corrupt others and even kill to get their drugs. They loose their freedom and even worse than that, they lose themselves. Satan invites people to defy God's law of marriage by enticing them to have sexual relationships out of marriage or even different life styles of sexual relationships, in the name of freedom. This kind of sexual practices leads to broken hearts, broken homes, single mothers, orphaned children and serious diseases Many of those who follow their lust lose their will, their control and with that they lose their freedom and become prisoners of their bad behavior. Satan's promise is again an illusion.

We need to remind ourselves constantly that God gives us the freedom and He is the One in control of this world and our life.

[3:109] To GOD belongs everything in the heavens and everything on earth, and all matters are controlled by GOD.

God promised us, if we follow His law we will have happiness in our life and freedom and if we choose freely to follow Satan's law seeking a freedom of ours, that we find nothing but illusion.

[33:36] No believing man or believing woman, if GOD and His messenger issue any command, has any choice regarding that command. Anyone who disobeys GOD and His messenger has gone far astray.

Following God's law, is the style of freedom that guarantees happiness and victory in this world and in the Hereafter. We are commanded in the Quran repeatedly to advocate righteousness and forbid evil and promote God's laws.

[22:41]. They (the believers) are those who, if we appointed them as rulers on earth, they would establish the Contact Prayers (Salat) and the obligatory charity (Zakat), and would advocate righteousness and forbid evil. GOD is the ultimate ruler

[9:112] They (the believers) are the repenters, the worshipers, the praisers, the meditators, the bowing and prostrating, the advocators of righteousness and forbidders of evil, and the keepers of GOD's laws. Give good news to such believers.

[3:104] Let there be a community of you who invite to what is good, advocate righteousness, and forbid evil. These are the winners.

God created this universe, and He knows BEST what makes the people free and what does not, what makes the people happy and what makes them miserable. We do not create our own freedom or happiness, they are gifts from God. It is given ONLY to those who follow God's laws, anything else is nothing more than a fake freedom and false happiness.

God sent us laws for our personal use and others for our community to be used in pursuit of the true freedom. He gave us clear commandments to believe in Him, His angels, His scriptures and His messengers.

[2:285] The messenger has believed in what was sent down to him from his Lord, and so did the believers. They believe in GOD, His angels, His scripture, and His messengers: "We make no distinction among any of His messengers." They say, "We hear, and we obey. Forgive us, our Lord. To You is the ultimate destiny."

On the personal level we are free to accept these commandments. No one should force anyone to believe. As long as this person is keeping it for him/herself and does not corrupt the community and fight God's laws, he/she can keep such freedom.

[60:8] GOD does not enjoin you from befriending those who do not fight you because of religion, and do not evict you from your homes. You may befriend them and be equitable towards them. GOD loves the equitable.

[60:9] GOD enjoins you only from befriending those who fight you because of religion, evict you from your homes, and band together with others to banish you. You shall not befriend them. Those who befriend them are the transgressors.

[4:140] He has instructed you in the scripture that: if you hear GOD's revelations being mocked and ridiculed, you shall not sit with them, unless they delve into another subject. Otherwise, you will be as guilty as they are. GOD will gather the hypocrites and the disbelievers together in Hell.

We live in a community that follows many laws and occasionally we are asked to freely vote for some of these laws. We, as believers, are not to support or advocate any other law that contradict God's law. When the corrupt people who oppose God's law are out in the community to force their own law (Satan's law) on everyone, the believers have the obligation to stand for God's law, support it, advocate it and vote for it. We cannot and should not help the corrupt people make Satan's law the law of the land. It will even be more of a hypocrisy to support such laws in the name of freedom. As we discussed before, freedom is not gained by breaking God's law but rather by upholding it.

[9:67] The hypocrite men and the hypocrite women belong with each other - they advocate evil and prohibit righteousness, and they are stingy. They forgot GOD, so He forgot them. The hypocrites are truly wicked.

On the contrary,

[9:71] The believing men and women are allies of one another. They advocate righteousness and forbid evil, they observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) and give the obligatory charity (Zakat), and they obey GOD and His messenger. These will be showered by GOD's mercy. GOD is Almighty, Most Wise.

These believers are the Keepers of God's laws;

[9:112] They (the believers) are the repenters, the worshipers, the praisers, the meditators, the bowing and prostrating, the advocators of righteousness and forbidders of evil, and the keepers of GOD's laws. Give good news to such believers.

Quran urges the believers to be united;

[3:103] You shall hold fast to the rope of GOD, all of you, and do not be divided.

We can easily be divided if we advocates other than God's laws in the name of freedom, the false freedom, and we can ONLY be united if we advocate God's laws and stand for it even when there is only minority to do so. We have to side with God all the time or we would be siding with Satan. Satan himself will not side with us.

[59:16] They are like the devil: he says to the human being, "Disbelieve," then as soon as he disbelieves, he says, "I disown you. I fear GOD, Lord of the universe."

Notis: Det följande är en reproduktion av artiklen "Our Freedom to Believe"

Our Freedom to Believe

By the youth goup at Orange County, CA Mosque.

Religion must be practiced freely as stated in the Quran frequently. God does not want robots who merely give faith lip service. God does not care what you call yourself-in His eyes those who believe fit the description in 2:62 and 5:69

[Quran : 2:62] Surely, those who believe, those who are Jewish, the Christians, and the converts; anyone who (1) believes in GOD, and (2) believes in the Last Day, and (3) leads a righteous life, will receive their recompense from their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.

God tells us to allow people to have the choice to believe or disbelieve.

[18:29] Proclaim: "This is the truth from your Lord," then whoever wills let him believe, and whoever wills let him disbelieve...........

[10:99] Had your Lord willed, all the people on earth would have believed.* Do you want to force the people to become believers?

[2:256] There shall be no compulsion in religion: the right way is now distinct from the wrong way. Anyone who denounces the devil and believes in GOD has grasped the strongest bond; one that never breaks. GOD is Hearer, Omniscient.

[88:21-22] You shall remind, for your mission is to deliver this reminder. You have no power over them.

[109:1-6] Say, "O you disbelievers. "I do not worship what you worship. "Nor do you worship what I worship. "Nor will I ever worship what you worship. "Nor will you ever worship what I worship. "To you is your religion, and to me is my religion."

[2:148] Each of you chooses the direction to follow; you shall race towards righteousness. Wherever you may be, GOD will summon you all. GOD is Omnipotent.

[25:57] Say, "I do not ask you for any money. All I seek is to help you find the right path to your Lord, if this is what you choose."

[ 73:19] This (Quran) is a reminder; whoever wills, let him choose the path to his Lord.

[74:35-37] This is one of the great miracles.A warning to the human race.For those among you who wish to advance, or regress.

[76:29] This is a reminder: whoever wills shall choose the path to his Lord.