From: irfan@bode.ece.wisc.edu (Irfan Alan)
Subject: THE SCIENCE, TRUTH AND REAL CIVILIZATION  -  PART 6
Organization: Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison; Electrical & Computer Engineering
Distribution: usa
Date: 15 Dec 92 20:51:39 CST

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH; THE MOST GRACIOUS AND THE MOST MERCIFUL

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THE SCIENCE, THE TRUTH, AND REAL CIVILIZATION, PART 6 (LAST PART)
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PART 6 of a Lecture Presenting the Islamic Point of View 
in a Dialogue with Christians.

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 HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF CHRISTIANITY AND MUSLIMS

History shows us that science and Christianity were not good
friends.  This is specially true for Europe and the United
States.  Even last night Christian friends were complaining that
their message is not finding much welcome by the University
community.

History testifies that whenever the people of Islam have adhered
to their religion, they have progressed.  And whenever they have
become slack in their adherence, they have declined.  History
also shows that at a time when Europeans neglected Christianity,
and searched for authentic knowledge, learned to accept by
inquiry, used wisdom and reasoning for judgement, they advanced
considerably.  Their standard of living and understanding of
life drastically changed.  However, people who left Christianity
also left God, and founded materialistic -even
atheisticideologies.

We are passing through a time when the materialist ideologies
came exploiting and interpreting scientific knowledge.  Today's
Christianity is more of a Pauline Doctrine.  Pure teachings of
prophet Jesus (AS) are largely distorted by many irrational
(often paganish) ideas.  	Moreover, the Christian faith is often
a mere imitation and acceptance of what the clergy, or so-called
godly men, dictates.  Therefore, many hearts and minds are lost
to the pressures of an increasingly harsh world and attacks of
atheism.

What prevented Islam being adopted by the world? 1) The European
Elite's arrogance, and uneducatedness of the poor.  2) Their
Church's barbarity and dishonesty.(Indians, Africans, South
America)  3) Their stubbornness in their religion, fed by
bigotry towards Muslims and Turks. 4) The oppression of the
clergy, feudalism.  5) The people following priests blindly.  6)
The despotism in Muslim lands.   7) The lack of morality among
Muslims.  8) The exploitation of science and technology in the
hands of atheism.   9) Anti-propaganda of secular regimes
oppressing Muslim masses.

Why did Muslims decline, cannot achieve much? 1.) despair and
hopelessness in social life.  2) death of honesty and sincerity
in social and political life. 3) love towards enmity and
jealous.  4) weakening of strong bonds among Muslims.  5) lack
of public responsibility, selfishness in public service.  6)
Despotism, nationalism, following leaders blindly.  7) Ills of
Westernization.  8) Not conforming to Islam, and propagation of
erroneous ideas about it.

Oh Muslim Brothers and Sisters!:  After abandoning the essence
and source of Islam, we, Muslims, paid attention only to its
shell: we then fooled ourselves.  Because of our bad
understanding and bad morality, we could not fulfill its demands
and its reserved reverence; therefore, it disgusted from us, and
was covered with the clouds of ill-imaginations, and finally, it
was hidden from us.  It has every right to do this because of
our confusion of the truth with the Israiliyat, the belief with
story, and the reality with metaphorism, we then could not
realize its value.  Thus, it left us in decline and abasement as
a punishment to correct us.  

O dear Muslim Brothers and sisters:  Lets present our apology to
Islam by learning it more and sticking to its guidance.  For
sure, by Allah's promise, we will succeed.

"There is no god but Allah; He is One, He has no partner; His is
the dominion and His is the praise; He alone grants life and
deals death, and He is living and dies not; all good is in His
hand, and He is powerful over all things and with Him all things
have their end."

Glory be unto You! (O Allah) We have no knowledge save that
which You have taught us:

verily You are All-Knowing, All-Wise.	

 Know O Dear Friend!  The one whose mind is in his/her head
would neither enjoy from the earnings of the worldly affairs nor
be sorry for the things he/she lost.  In fact, the world is not
stable, rather it is going, and human is, too.  You, too, are a
passenger and you are also leaving this guest-house.  Look!, the
indicator of your getting-old has already born over your ears,
and half of your head is covered by the white shroud.  The
illnesses which intend to settle down on your body are in fact
scouting patrols of your death.  Moreover, your eternal life is
in front of you.  In that life, the comforts and pleasures which
you would expect would come by the works and the efforts that
you spent during this finite life.  You are not aware of that
eternal life.  Before death wakes you up, wake up!

Know O Dear Friend!  Human cannot give any damage to Allah with
his sins and disobedience, but he only harms himself.  For
instance, there is no partner to Allah in truth and in the
reality, so that that partner does not have an external reality,
and therefore, cannot interfere with the Arts and properties of
Allah.  That partner is incapable of saving its followers.  The
one who is thinking that Allah has partners thinks of those
partners only in his/her own imagination, and establishes this
as a fact in his/her empty mind.  There is no place for a
partner (be it nature, causes, self, idols) in reality. 
Therefore, that mindless person would destroy his/her own house
by his/her own hands.  The one who accepts disaster by his/her
own will cannot be felt sorry for.

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This is the lastp art of this series of Lecture Presenting 
the Islamic Point of View in a Dialogue with Christians
on the topic of "Science, Truth and Real Civilization"

With the intention to continue on another topic
Your Br. Irfan in Islam.