Follow the prophet (pbuh)

It could be understood that there will be some confusion from the Phrase
{قُلْ أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ }آل عمران32
Verse 3:32 ""Obey Allah and His Apostle"" the confusion may arise from the fact that there is no explicit mention of obeying the prophet in person ,the verse might imply that the prophet followed Allah so why follow the prophet if we followed Allah?
This in itself, that the prophet did not judge anything, and this will blow the whole Sunnah and Hadith, and as a result will cause the whole today practiced by Muslims all over the world to be not true. Below are some rigorous proofs that the prophet really judged as part of his mission as the head of the state
• Verse 8:1
"يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الأَنفَالِ قُلِ الأَنفَالُ لِلّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ فَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ وَأَصْلِحُواْ ذَاتَ بِيْنِكُمْ وَأَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ"
"They ask thee concerning (things taken as) spoils of war. Say: "(such) spoils are at the disposal of Allah and the apostle: so fear Allah and keep straight the relations between yourselves: obey Allah and His apostle if ye do believe.""
The verse were revealed after the War Of Badr when Muslims did not agree to how they should distributed amongst them ,so Allah revealed the verse telling them that they do not have any right in claiming it is for them and telling them that all the spoils of War are at the disposal of Allah and the Prophet and since Allah did not take any of them then it is now for the prophet but since the prophet never had his own spoils and he was so poor that he for 2 or 3 months never ate except little food so the prophet tend to fst to much then Allah said this Verse 3:161 "No prophet could (ever) be false to his trust" the verse 3:161 must be put in its true position in explaining the verse 8:1 ,so how?
When Allah said in that verse " Obey Allah and His Apostle " the question arises what to obey?!!
In All the verses that mention OBEY, Allah first comes then the prophet which means there is some order to followed first Allah then his prophet ,so in the verse Muslims did not agree to the distribution of the spoils between them then Allah did not judge the issue but said obey the prophet so still the question what to obey ? here comes the rule of legislation of the prophet because he distributed all the spoils between them
• Verse 4:61 " But no by thy Lord they can have no (real) Faith until they make thee judge in all disputes between them and find in their souls no resistance against thy decisions but accept them with the fullest conviction " which is another EXPLICIT ORDER to make the prophet as judge and restore to him whatsoever small or big ,and all of his judges are preserved in his Sunnah .
Allah made it clear when He said " they make thee judge in all disputes between " which in itself that the prophet basically judged ever single detail in all Muslims life that time also Allah know that some people will not follow the prophet so He said " they can have no (real) Faith " which means that they are not Muslims and know that some people will resist the legislation of the prophet because they think they are better than him so HE SAID" find in their souls no resistance "
• The most obvious proof that the prohet was really judging all Muslims day life is the verses correcting his judges according to what Allah sees best for example see the verse 66:1 " Prophet! why holdest thou to be forbidden that which Allah has made lawful to thee? Thou seekest to please thy consorts. But Allah is Oft Forgiving Most Merciful " which means that the prophet made something wrong and Allah is correcting him.
• Verse 3:50 " So fear Allah and obey me. " this verse was said by Jesus ,he told them OBEY ME not OBEY ALAH AND ME, which states clearly that Jesus has his own legislation to be followed apart from what found in the bible since after all ,any divine book can not contain every single detail of the prophet time ,and prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is no exception for that
• Verse 3:195 "and consult them in affairs (of moment). Then when thou hast taken a decision put thy trust in Allah. For Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him) " the verse states clearly thay the prophet has to consult his companions before making ANY DECISION ,which means that the prophet was legislating .
• Verse 4:42 " On that day those who reject faith and disobey the Apostle will wish that the earth were made one with them: but never will they hide a single fact from Allah! " so it is not now about disobeying Allah anymore it is about " disobey the Apostle " which means that you can obey Allah but still disobey the prophet which makes you kicked in hell.
• Verse 3:20 " I have submitted my whole self to Allah and so have those who follow me " the verse is still talking about following the prophet" so have those who follow me " not Allah
• Verse 4:59 " obey Allah and obey the Apostle and those charged with authority among you " the question now why Allah did not repeat the word OBEY with " those charged " so that there will be 3 obey in the verse not 2!!??
Because this is a very famous Arabic usage of the words ,when you say obey "Ahmad and obey Ali "is not the same as "Obey Ahmad and Ali" ,the first of them means that Ahmad and Ali are independent of each other and you have to follow both ,the second means that Ahmad is independent of Ali but Ali is following Ahmad and You have to follow Ahmad and you should obey Ali as long as he makes sense to whatever Ahmad said and you do not have to follow Ali as long as he mistakes,but if the 2 structures are used in the article then we take the structure with the 2 obeys as he default meaning The same is with the verse about Allah and the prophet and those charged. This is famous Arabic usage of the words and I do not know if it exists in English or not.

Is Islam opposed to the freedom of belief?

1. Islam guarantees the freedom of belief, and this is verified in the following Qur’anic verse: "Let there be no compulsion in religion". [2/256] Accordingly, no one is forced to renounce his religion in favor of another faith. One’s freedom to adhere to the religion of one’s choice establishes the base of his belief, and this is emphasized in the following Qur’anic verse: "Let him who will, believe, and let him who will, reject (it)." [18/29].
2. Declaring the freedom of belief means accepting that there is more than one religion. This was stressed by the Prophet in the first constitution of the Islamic State in Al-Madeena when he acknowledged Judaism and declared that the Jews and the Muslims in Al-Madeena formed one nation. An example of Islam’s granting freedom of belief is ‘Omar Ibn Al-Khattab’s treatment of the Christians of Jerusalem whom he guaranteed the safety of their lives, their churches, and their crosses, assuring them that none of them would be harmed on account of his religion.
3. Islam also grants freedom of thought and opinion provided that discussions on religion are of an objective nature and are not a pretext for abuse and ridicule. This is stated in the following Quranic verse: "Invite (all) to the way of your Creator with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious". [16/125] In the light of this tolerance, discussions may take place between Muslims and non-Muslims. The Qur’an invites the Muslims to discuss matters with the people of the Book in the following Qur’anic verse: "O people of the Book! Come to common terms as between us and you: that we worship none but God; that we associate no partners with Him; that we elect not from among ourselves lords and patrons other than God. If then they turn back, say: “Bear witness that we (at least) are Muslims (bowing to the will of God)”. [3/64] This verifies that should the discussion between both parties fail to accomplish its aim, each person is entitled to adhere to the faith in which he believes. This is also what the following Qur’anic verse expressed concerning the Prophet Muhammad’s final remarks to the pagans of Mecca, namely: "You have your religion and I have mine". [109/6].
4. Belief is based upon one’s conviction, and sincere belief is therefore based on indisputable conviction and is not the result of blind imitation or compulsion. Every individual is free to choose or adopt the faith in which he believes and to exercise his free thought even if he is an atheist. No one has the right to interfere with his beliefs provided that he keeps his beliefs to himself and does not spread them among the people in order to confuse them regarding their moral values. If he deliberately does so, and spreads his false beliefs which reject the beliefs of the people, he will have opposed the regime of the state in which he lives and will have stirred sedition in the hearts of the people. Any person who acts in such a manner will be accused of treason and sentenced to death. The execution of a person who renounces his faith in Islam is not just due to the renouncing of his religion in which he had believed of his own free will, but is also the punishment for inciting sedition against the established religious authority of the Islamic state. If he should renounce his religion without spreading his views among the people and without shaking the people’s belief, he is immune against all harm. Some Muslim scholars are of the opinion that the person who renounces his faith does not meet his punishment in this world, but would be punished in the Hereafter on the Day of Judgment. They also declared that the execution of those who renounced Islam, according to the sayings of the Prophet, was not for renouncing Islam, but for being enemies of Islam who had fought the Muslims on the battlefield
5. Freedom of thought and expression is one of the rights guaranteed by Islam, since the entire universe with the heavens and the earth and all that lies between them inspires thought and meditation as is expressed in the following Qur’anic verse: "And He has subjected to you, as from Him, all that is in the Heavens and on earth; behold, in that are signs indeed for those who reflect". [45/13]. The Qur’an reproaches those who do not employ their mental and intellectual faculties and considers them to be of a level lower than that of animals. The Qur’an contains many verses urging people to acquire knowledge and to exercise their intellectual faculties and their powers of reasoning. The Qur’an also orders people to populate the earth and to do their utmost to make it prosper for the welfare of all mankind. People are religiously obliged to think, reflect, and meditate upon the universe that surrounds them. Islam encourages freedom and expression of thought provided that it promotes the welfare of humanity.
End of All Questions.

Why does Islam prohibit men from wearing gold ornaments and silk clothes?

1. This prohibition is based upon a number of the Sayings of the Prophet and has been approved by the majority of Muslim scholars. Their opinion is that strength and resolution are essential qualities in a man, and Islam advocates that a man should not be surrounded by any signs of weakness, or for that matter, signs of luxury since luxury usually goes hand in hand with social injustice. A man should be resolute, determined, and courageous in everyday life and when he participates in battles to defend his faith and homeland. Wearing gold ornaments and clothes made of silk are indications of luxury which is not approved of by Islam. Moreover, Islam does not forbid women to wear gold ornaments, any form of jewelry, or silk material, since women’s love of gold, jewelry and adornment is an inherent trait in their nature.
2. In spite of this prohibition should the necessity arise for a man to wear clothes made of silk material, Islam permits its use. The Prophet Muhammad permitted Abdel Rahman Ibn Awf and Al-Zubayr Ibn Al-Awwam to wear clothes made of silk when they suffered from a form of allergy of their skin.
3. The Imam Al-Shawkany, who died about 1840, made an intensive study of all the facts and data concerning this matter and he reached the conclusion that the use of gold and silk material are not prohibited but are looked upon with distaste, which signifies that it is a degree less than that of actual prohibition. He established his opinion on the fact that no less than twenty of the Companions of the Prophet, among whom were Anas and Al-Baraa Ibn Azib, wore clothes made of silk material. Had such a matter been prohibited they would have never worn these clothes, and the rest of their Companions would have never allowed the matter to pass undisputed.
4. As regards the wearing of gold rings, most Muslim scholars declared its prohibition and they based their opinion on several sayings of the Prophet. Another group of Muslim scholars maintained that it was not prohibited but was looked upon with distaste. They came to this conclusion when they learnt that a number of the Prophet’s Companions, among whom were Sa’ad Ibn Abi Waqqas, Talhja Ibn Obayd Allah, Sohayb, Hudhayfa, Jabir Ibn Samra, and Al-Baraa’ Ibn ‘Azib wore gold rings. Therefore, wearing a gold ring is looked upon with distaste but is not prohibited.

Reality about the prophet Muhammad (pbub) and Muslims and there Mercy in Wars

the reality you are talking about is only found in the verses when you do not see Hadith ,Tafseer and History.
I posted out before that our prophet(pbuh) when he regained Mecca from the pagans and since he was the most one on earth who knows what Quran means did not kill all of them nor he obliged them to enter Islam nor he told them pay the tax ,nothing of this happened.
Here is the dialogue which happened:
prophet(pbuh): O people what do you think I am going do with you?
pagans:you are (O Muhammad ) our generous brother and the son of our generous beloved brother.
prophet(pbuh):go you are free.
Do not forgot the whole part Surat Al-Kaferoon.
Why did not Allah only mentioned one verse and that is it?!
Why Allah devoted the whole part to talk about Freedom of religion –As I said before surat 109 all the verses.
Islam also defended himself in wars and won them,Did our prophet(pbuh) killed people who were in captivity??
No he did not,because as Allah says"You were sent as mercy to all people"
Amro Ben Al-Aas when he defeated the Roman empire in Egypt,Did he kill the Coptics??
No,he did not.
Tarek Ebn Zeyad when he controlled Andalus(spain),Did he kill anybody ?!
No,he did not;
Salah Eldin when he restored Al-Quds(Jerusalem) did he kill anybody?!
No,he did not ,however there is a verse in Quran that explains as follows"Punish those who punished you but the same amount" which means if you cut my ear ,Muslims should cut yours(completely just)and so on,but did Salah El-Din ,prophet(pbuh),Tarek,any of the commanders of Islamic armies did that??
NO.NO,No,No,
Salah Eldin and after all these wars and all these criminal actions (killing women,children,even pregnant women,raping women,killing elderly people)
Did he after all of these unjust criminal acts punish them??
No he did not, nor did any of the Commanders of the Islamic army any time.
so why?
Because Allah said a verse which explains as follows "use just among you and do not forget the tolerance and benevolence amongst you ,Allah loves who forgive"
So not only Allah ordered us to be just but also guided us to be completely benevolent to people (all of them),because sometimes Just may seem so hard to do,so we can just forgive and as you say in your culture"just forget about it"
The verse you posted above only explains (look at Tafseer) when unbelievers attack us ,we must kill them in that war.
We never invaded anybody(I am going to repeat my posts again look again ,Islam never spread by swords)
Islam spread by early Muslims morals ( pity those who disrespect them,and say they were dishonest)(Ao’zo Bellah)
Allah said "I am the most merciful" ,"prophet(pbuh) was sent as mercy to all Human kind," and finally said "Muslims! be merciful".
You just can not look at verses and say their meaning,you must look at Tafseer and the Hadeeth and the historic prospective.
And prophet(pbuh) was the most one who knew their meanings and did not kill any body,

Is prohibiting a Muslim woman from marrying a non-Muslim a sign of discrimination between the sexes?

 
1. It is true that Islam permits Muslims to marry non-Muslim women (Jews or Christians) whereas Muslim women are not granted that right. This would seem to signify a lack of the principle of equality, but when one understands Islam’s point of view in this respect, one realizes that all Islamic legislation is based upon the consideration of the welfare of all concerned. Marriage in Islam is based upon affection and compassion as well as emotional well-being. Islam aims at ensuring that this matrimonial union is built on a solid foundation that guarantees its continuity and success. Furthermore, the faith of Islam respects other divine religions and commands Muslims to believe in all prophets as this is an integral element in the faith of Islam. When a Muslim marries a Christian or a Jewish woman he is commanded by Islam to respect her religious beliefs and must not prevent her from performing her religious rites and prayers, nor is he permitted to prevent her from attending her religious observances in the church or the synagogue. This respect of the wife’s religion ensures the welfare of the family, which is Islam’s everlasting aim.
2. Should a non-Muslim marry a Muslim woman the element of respect due to Islam would not exist for although all Muslims respect the other divine faiths and believe in all the prophets of God, non-Muslims do not believe in Islam nor in the Prophet Muhammad, and in most cases believe the false allegations against Islam and the Prophet Muhammad . Even if the non-Muslim husband does not declare his opinion concerning these false allegations, his Muslim wife would live in an atmosphere that would be marred by her knowledge or even suspicion that her husband does not respect her faith. The principle of mutual respect between husband and wife, which is the basis of marriage, would consequently not exist in such a situation and would lead either to divorce or an unhappy married life.
3. When Islam forbade marriage between Muslims and women who did not believe in God, namely infidels, pagans, Magians and the like, this prohibition was based upon the same logical reason for which Islam prohibited a Muslim woman from marrying a non-Muslim. A Muslim man believes in all the divine religions and respects them but he disdains all religions that do not believe in God. If he married a wife who followed one of these faiths that worshipped idols, he could not possibly respect his wife’s faith, and that would definitely lead to a strained atmosphere where the emotions of affection and compassion could not exist, thus destroying the foundation of the marriage.
End of this series.