Why have we been told to avoid certain actions?

Allah created us and gave us many abilities - to think/cry/see/hear/walk/talk/dream/emotions/love/hate/etc, our own planet, a partner, one after the other we have so many great gifts from Allah, and many ways to enjoy this life and be happy. Allah gave us so many things to do, so many places to visit, so that we stay happy in life. But He also warned us about the things that can be destructive and damaging.

Some things are obviously dangerous and we avoid them e.g. we don't pour boiling water over ourselves because the impact will be immediate (a few seconds). With others it is less obvious, e.g. smoking or drinking - the pain/harm is not experienced immediately but usually after a period of time. One man might get drunk and get run over by a car. Another might drink for 70 years and then suffer with liver problems. Allah is our Creator, He warned us out of Love for us, not because he didn't want us to be happy and enjoy ourselves. Sometimes we like a thing which is bad for us.

Had He not told us, we would've been like lost children, not knowing the difference between good and bad or right and wrong. We would have used our knowledge and abilities to work out some things for ourselves but our reasoning and assessment have limitations. But the sad fact today is that people choose to neglect the Guidance from Allah and live life according to their own rules, so in effect, they do end up as lost children, not knowing what is good, what is bad, believing whatever is popular and following the crowd in general, like blind sheep.

Sameer

http://islamicpoint.blogspot.com

For the Disbelievers: Miserable Life Unavoidable (Verses From Surah 20 of The Holy Q'uran)

[20:124] "As for the one who disregards My message, he will have a miserable life, and we resurrect him, on the Day of Resurrection, blind."

[20:125] He will say, "My Lord, why did you summon me blind, when I used to be a seer?"

[20:126] We will say, "Because you forgot our revelations when they came to you, you are now forgotten."

[20:127] We thus requite those who transgress and refuse to believe in the revelations of their Lord. The retribution in the Hereafter is far worse and everlasting.

[20:128] Does it ever occur to them how many previous generations we have annihilated? They are now walking in the homes of those before them. These are signs for those who possess intelligence.

[20:129] If it were not for your Lord's predetermined plan, they would have been judged immediately.

[20:130] Therefore, be patient in the face of their utterances, and praise and glorify your Lord before sunrise and before sunset. And during the night glorify Him, as well as at both ends of the day, that you may be happy.

[20:131] And do not covet what we bestowed upon any other people. Such are temporary ornaments of this life, whereby we put them to the test. What your Lord provides for you is far better, and everlasting.

What do we talk about the most?

It is often said that when people sit together, they will discuss topics that are of most interest to them and issues that are close to their hearts. Typically, we discuss subjects that matter the most to us and those which we give priority to in our lives. So next time you are in a gathering with friends or family, ask yourself what is being discussed and how important it is.

People spend hours talking about topics that are related to the life of this world and rarely allocate time to discussing Islam related issues. For example, if you were to enter a Muslim house in Birmingham, you will probably find the front room packed with brothers talking about politics and current affairs. Then there will be the youngsters in their own gangs, talking about movies and music, cars and the list of topics is endless.

Talking about worldly issues is not the real problem, instead the problem is ONLY talking about these. We become so lost in the life of this world, that we forget our religious duties. The fact that we rarely discuss Islam in our gatherings is a major weakness. It clearly shows that we don't regard Islam as our number one priority. We don't seem to care how many times our brothers and sisters are praying or how much good they are doing, instead we talk about job, salary, car and other issues that are less important.

Remember, when you are in a group of people, the topic of discussion will be dictated by their interests. So if you're hanging around with people who only ever talk about politics, making money, cars, films, sport, etc. you ought to discuss Islam with them at times, otherwise you should not associate yourself with them too often and look for better company. In simple terms, you only talk about the stuff you really love and you should talk about Islam so that you can develop interest and enthusiasm towards it. Good company will save you and bad company will ruin you. The choice is yours, the decision is yours, you choose your friends, be wise and be careful.

Sameer Hussain
http://islamicpoint.blogspot.com