Advice on friends

Advice on Friends!
"A real friend wishes his companions well, He's not one who allows them to get close to hell, Always be careful of the friends you Choose, So, in the end, Jannah you will not lose, If you find your companion is not stopping your wrong, then, be weary, his friendship is not strong. If you see the pattern made, that when you are under your friend's shade, Your Imaan begins to fade, Leave the worthless creation, make friends with Allah, Surely that is a high station!. A dervish who had knowledge of our present situation, Once told his students the following dictation, "The meeting of people will never enrich you, save with the gibberish of useless gossip. So diminish your meeting with people, except for knowledge or to improve your condition"

Who am I?

I decided to start this blog after I had an awakening period in my life. I have been raised in a Muslim family all my life, but I did not just start to fully appreciate that until not too long ago. I had access to other people who were not Muslim; coworkers, relatives, buddies etc. so I had been introduced to other cultures, and for far too long I tried to find some way to fit in, assimilate or be accepted if you will. I wanted to be Muslim, but I felt the world did want me to portray my identity. You see growing up, even as a child I had experienced discrimination. Don't get me wrong not every person I encountered was like this, but there were many people who did not accept me. So there were many times when I may have compromised my values not on major stuff, but I was not being completely true to who I was. All the while I was trying to compromise on certain issues, I never felt happy about trying to fit in, and I always felt a since of guilt. Not too long ago after a conversation I had with a loved one, rather a civil debate if you will, I started questioning who I was. I felt felt like my only hope was to turn to my true friend and confidant--my creator; Allah (very loosely translated as GOD in English). I prayed for him to give me the answers I needed and that next day I felt so assure of my answer. I felt no need to hide bits of who I was to people anymore, and I felt the superficial vain desires start to melt away. That was turning point. I felt reborn and fresh I had made this decision completely on my own, with out the influence of my parents or friends. In fact they never knew that I had some identity issues, so this was just between me and my Rabb (loosely translated in English as lord).......................................

The purpose of this blog will be to provide some info about Islam and hope to bridge some gaps and inform some people. I have been to many forums in the past and have seen the insult wars that go on at them, and have therefore decided to disable comments for this blog. Trust me I can hold my own in a debate, but if this blog is overshadowed by user comments and debates back and forth, then that one person who may benefit from these posts, will not have a chance to focus and think for themselves without the distraction of other people (especially rude people). So I say if you stop by this blog and read and don't like what you see and absolutely cannot stand the posts.....then what are you doing here? you should not bother coming here. If you do not like what you see, then don't visit this blog. I think that is fair enough.................................................
What I do not claim: can't guarantee that I will post here everyday of the week, also not claiming to be an religious scholar either, if you want to learn more and there is something I cannot answer, I will give you other references. So with that said I look forward to posting here as much as possible....until next time....peace.

Introduction

I am a slave. Yes you read correct; I am a slave. Many people think that slavery is no longer in existence, however this a big misconception. I am different from many people, in that I have willingly accepted my servitude (therefore I am a servant as well). This is easy for me because my Owner is perfect and very just. He provides for me in all aspects; in fact he is my best friend and knows me better than I know myself. Who is this wonderful Owner, you ask? He is my Creator,your Creator and the Creator of all that exists; seen and unseen. He is the One that sends down rain from the sky thereby providing sustenance to His Creation. He is the One that upholds the birds as they spread their wings in flight. He is the All Knowing, The Almighty, The All Provider, The One Free From All Defects, The Just Judge, The Giver of Security, and The One Worthy of All Praise. I am a Muslim, and I willingly submit to my Lord and His Divine Law. The truth is every last one of us are slaves, whether or not we acknowledge our true Owner or not. There are some people who do not willingly submit to the Creator and instead become engrossed in becoming enslaved by their worldly desires. Being a slave to the Creator is different from being a slave to the creation, and should not be equated to one another. The history of slavery in our country (United States) was an abomination. There was no justice and mercy was rarely if ever shown. The Creator is Most Merciful to His slaves, and justice is always given (whether you perceive it or not). Good is rewarded with good and wrongdoing receives chastisement. It is supremely fair and it is unlike the justice that the creation carries out, where even the innocent are often wrongly accused and punished. This is because contrary to the belief of many human beings, our capabilities are limited. While we may be able to do many things, we are limited because our abilities are given to us by our Creator. Only He is All Seeing, All Hearing, All Wise; he knows every detail about everything; not a single leaf falls to the ground without him being aware of it, and while much is hidden from us, nothing escapes his sight....Yes the Creator is Magnificent and I willingly submit to him.