Trials and Tribulations

Mercy is clemency and forbearance; mercy is the disposition to forgive or show compassion; mercy means a favor or a blessing; mercy further denotes the qualities of kindness, sympathy, generosity, and beneficence. Suffice is to say that all of these qualities were present in abundance in the character of the Prophet Muhammad (May Allah have his peace and blessings on him).

He was a mercy not just to believers, but to disbelievers as well, for he would invite them to come out of darkness and into the light of true guidance. He is a favor and blessing for mankind, not just the Arabs, the people among whom he was sent, but for people of all races and colors. His staunchest enemies became his closest followers when the cloud of blind prejudice was removed from their sight and when they were able, for the very first time, to see with clarity the true nature of the Prophet’s character.

This book deals with many of the qualities that the Prophet possessed that made him the mercy to everyone. It starts with His perfect lineage, His noble upbringing, and his fully dedicated worship. This book then gives many of the qualities of the Prophet including his generosity, humbleness, bravery, patience, and leadership to name a few. Each chapter includes examples from the life of the Prophet on how he was the perfect living example of that quality. The book ends with the perfection of life of the Prophet with his farewell sermon and even his noble death where he demonstrated some of those qualities as well.

The subject of this treatise – the nature, essence and circumstances of the human soul – is fascinating to people of all ages, faiths and walks of life. It covers in particular the issue of death and what happens after it. Due to the nature of this exciting topic, one who researches this subject is faced with an enormous amount of conflicting information. Therefore in order to arrive at sound dependable conclusions regarding the soul, one must carefully read and analyse the available material and evaluate it according to stringent criteria. This is of utmost importance since it bears directly on one’s belief.

Are things inevitably getting worse and worse, year after year, century after century, with no way to alter the course of events? Is the Muslim Ummah doomed to experience failure and humiliation until the Mahdi arrives? Will he restore its former glory and bring victory over all its enemies? Are all our efforts to support Islam destined to end in failure? Instead of taking action, should we simply wait for the return of Jesus (peace be upon him) towards the end of time? Is the Dajjâl (Antichrist) alive today? Does he have secret connections with some prominent world figures? Is the hour very close? Could it come upon us at any moment, on any day? If so, what is the point of striving to improve our situation?

Using evidence from the Qur’an and the Sunnah, the author explains the true Islamic teachings on the portents of the hour, clearing up some of the misconceptions about them and giving advice on how Muslims should respond to them. The book is an interesting and informative read that will leave the reader empowered with knowledge.

This book, written by Luqman Nagy, highlights the life and times of ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul-‘Azeez, a truly exceptional Muslim ruler who, during his twenty-nine months in office, governed the Ummah totally in accordance with the Qur’an and the Sunnah. His sincere devotion to the religion of Islam enabled ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul-‘Azeez to bring prosperity and contentment not only to the Ummah but to all those residing within the Umayyad state.