What the muslims believe

On the back of every 'Nation of islam' newspaper their is a section that says 'what the muslims believe' and 'what the muslims want'. Filled with problematic beliefs and strange ideas. I overheard a Dr. Phil show in which the daughter said she couldn't forgive the father for the past, Dr. Phil's response 'Not even God could change the past'. I was once in a class in which the speaker drew an image of god then subsequently began to erase it to make a point that.... I still don't know.
Needless to say we have a very serious problem with Aqueedah in our modern day, it is as my teacher says, the problem of our times. Its a very dangerous problem to have when the very root of islam is aqueedah. It is the core message of the Quran, it was the dominant message of our prophet, peace upon him. Their are many historical reasons why our Aqueedah has been perverted but it is not difficult to get back to basics. Alhumduillah I have been blessed to study with a teacher who follows 'Ahl sunna wa ja'maa'. The prophet, upon him be peace, promised us that the the majority of his nation would never agree on misguidance. Ahl sunna wa ja'maa in its simplest meaning is the majority, not only of our times but of the entire Muslim nation, back to the companions and ultimately back to our prophet, upon him be peace. In Aqueedah, Ahl sunna wa ja'maa, the majority of the muslim nations, have followed Maturidi or Ashari.
Nevertheless the point is that we need to hold on to Rasoolulah, peace upon him, and the only way to do that is follow what the majority of Muslims have followed, believed, and practiced. So what to the Muslims believe?

Visiting masjid Muhammad

Alhumduillah, I can't really explain the joy its been being a visitor in Imam Amin's Masjid for the past two days. Just being around Imam Amin is a blessing. The lecture by Sheikh Samir An Nass on the Quran was wonderful, though honestly it was above my comprehension level. But their were some simpler lessons that I can immediately benefit from, like developing a relationship with the Quran and realizing what a divine book this is as well as explanations on different aspects of the Quran. 
Alhumduillah, I gifted Imam Amin my Islamic poetry which, Insha Allah, I hope he not only likes but approves of. Imam Amin, Alhumduillah, he's really been a great guide for me. The way he teaches and the matters he teaches on really makes me feel as though Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings upon him, would be immensely proud of the Ummah he left behind over 1400 years ago. Insha Allah I hope the message of Ahl al- Sunna wa al- Jama'a, the following of scholars, the inheritors of the prophets and the transmission of knowledge through teachers is given further precedence and status. May Allah bless Imam Amin and his family, Masjid Muhammad, and my fellow Meccans.

Give away the blessings given to us by God

Bawa

Understand how to care for your brethren, and do your duty. God said,“O Muhammad! When I create a tree,
from each of its seeds I will create a thousand fruits. To create the fruits, I will give the tree My grace. And even if the tree takes the grace for itself, it gives fruits to all, without benefit to itself. In the same way, I give man the ability to give to a thousand men, each giving according to his own heart. If one intends to help others, I will place the wealth of My grace (barakat) 4 in his hands, just as I give barakat to the tree. One who is man can distribute it.
Giving to others as the tree gives and making others peaceful, will be the benefit. This is the wealth of grace, the barakat, that I give to each life. I created man, I endowed him, so he could give to all other lives.
O mankind! You must understand what I give you. Through one tree, I give fruits to so many. In the same way, through one man, through the barakat that I give him, I can help so many. Sharing this barakat with others will be the ordained duty.
In all three worlds, this will be his happiness and wealth. Man must realize this. One by one, each man must understand.
I create a thousand seeds from one seed. A thousand seeds change into millions of seeds and help mankind. They do not claim any portion for themselves but continue to benefit others, do they not? Similarly, I have made one among every hundred men to be in that state. I have given him wealth to share with others, so that he may look upon others with peace and bring them peace and tranquillity.
For every ten million men, I sent down a prophet to the world. Through these prophets, the darkness of man’s mind can be cleared. I sent them to bring peace, did I not? In the same way, I have created and placed in the world, a man, one in every hundred, one in every thousand, or one in every ten million.
And through him I spread My limitless wealth of grace, My rahmat. If he understands My rahmat and does not claim it as his own, if he gives it to others, that will be his earnings. If he does that, I will exalt him.
I will unite with him in paradise. I will give him a place in My kingdom. However, if he uses My wealth for himself alone, that very wealth will result in his attaining hell. The desires and attachments he fosters will devour him.
That will be the fire of hell.”
Thus spoke God.
-Sheikh Bawa Muhaiyadeen, http://www.bmf.org/m/ramadan/chapter2.html

Generation Islam

Probably like most Muslims whenever a special is on about Islam I am both interested and worried about the content they will show. CNN's Generation Islam gave me that same initial feeling. I found myself diving in to the lives of Muslims overseas, particularly in Gaza and Afghanistan, trying to see them as I see myself. I cried when they where distraught I felt hope when some of their lives changed for the better but most pressing was a feeling of helplessness.
As CNN's Christiane Amanpour went through the villages of Afghanistan and later Gaza, the people where surrounded by rubble and dirt there where beggars everywhere and not enough people to lend a hand. Its strange because both the terrorist of their country and the US soldiers fighting those terrorist are destroying the lives of innocent people. I guess it is an illustration of the saying that there is no such thing as a good war. War is always bad but as Allah (SWT) says in the Quran oppression is evil.
It is interesting to see how people react when faced they are confronted with evil. Some chose peace by any measure -protesting, rallying but never fighting, some chose self defense/violence by any means -they will fight even if they have no chance of winning except by a miracle, and others become deeply depressed and hurt they do very little because they have been beaten so badly they no longer believe in themselves.
I have digressed by nature, and turned them in to psychological studies for me to philosophize and theorize about, so I will return to the documentary. One critique I have of the documentary is that they showed young men from Afghanistan and Gaza who'd chosen or had been chosen for military fighting in the same light. By this I mean the men of Afghanistan (who were shown) joined a terrorist organization that terrorized their own people. They burned young girls who were in school, bombed schools, and forced young men on suicide missions. This is not the same as the young men who join the "army" of Gaza as soldiers in order to protect their country in a 60 year battle with their unwanted neighbors. One group of men is using violence for destruction while the other is using violence in self defense.
Though the documentary did have a positive tone, the problems of Muslims in Afghanistan and Gaza are complicated and seemingly long term. The bright side of these two groups, from a Muslim perspectives is that they have such vast and complicated problems. Like Allah's treatment of Prophet Ibrahim with constant struggles until he became a friend of Allah. We believe that Allah tests those whom he loves, so Insha Allah in that way their struggles are a sign of good fortune to come in the near future and in the Afterlife, Ameen.