There are more than 10,000 species of birds on Earth, each of which possesses its own unique features. Hawks have very sharp eyes, broad wings and pointed talons. Plovers, weighing just a few hundred grams, flap their wings for 88 hours non-stop on the journey of 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles) that they make every winter, crossing the ocean without mishap. With their ability to imitate sounds including human speech, parrots are among the cleverest of living things. Although anatomy of their mouths is wholly different—they have no teeth or lips, for instance—they are able to produce sounds very similar to those they hear. With their long beaks, the hummingbirds—the smallest known species of birds—can feed on flower nectar and the small insects they find inside flowers. In order to feed, they needs to hover in the air in front of the flower, and with its specially created features, they are the only species of bird able to do so. Jays bury the bonito fish they collect for later use. With their powerful memories, they are able to find and extract these fish even after nine months have passed, in forests where every tree resembles every other. The way that birds show devoted behavior towards their young is also most striking. Some birds construct highly intricate nests, taking account of a great many factors during their construction. Birds living by the seashore, for example, build nests that cannot be flooded, using the appropriate materials for this. They even calculate how their future young should come to no harm in the event that water levels rise. Some marsh-dwelling birds build nests with high walls so that their eggs cannot be blown out by the wind. How are such different types of nests, intelligent behavior and altruism, whose variety would fill many volumes, possible for these creatures, which are totally without reason or training? It is impossible for them to have gradually developed the features they possess, because they could not have survived during the intermediate stages of any such process. Indeed, no creature has ever grown to perfection in stages, as evolutionists would have us believe. On the contrary, all different living groups have existed in their current perfect states ever since they first appeared in the Earth's geological strata. This is scientific evidence that birds too were created, and this evidence represents a truth taught to human beings in the Qur'an: it is Allah, the Creator of all things, Who created these creatures with all the features they possess and the systems appropriate to them. In verses, Allah reveals His dominion over the living world:  “. . . There is no creature He does not hold by the forelock.” (Surah Hud, 56)

There is one important fact about the beauties of this world which needs to be understood by man. As our Lord has revealed, “The life of this world is just the enjoyment of delusion”. (Surah Al ‘Imran, 185).It is therefore a major error for any person to become disproportionately infatuated with the world’s transitory blessings during his brief existence in this life. In the Qur’an, Allah reveals that the benefits of this world are ultimately worthless, and promises that He will give “a good life” to those who seek the Hereafter. On the other hand, there is a “dark and narrow life” for those who are unaware of these truths.Believers are aware of these truths revealed in the Qur’an. They know that all they experience is part of a test set for them by Allah. They feel no great passion for the blessings of this world. They instead spend their whole lives in such a way as to attain the Hereafter promised to them.  In this book, by using examples which may be encountered at any time and any place, the unnecessary sufferings and woes of those who are deceived by the false baubles of this world are considered. Ways in which these can be avoided, and the trouble-free lives of believers who spend all their energies on attaining the Hereafter are explored. Recalling Allah’s revelation in the Qur’an, “Anything you have been given is only the enjoyment of the life of this world and its finery. What is with Allah is better and longer lasting. So will you not use your intellect?” (Surat al-Qasas, 60), people are invited to lead lives better suited to the approval of Allah.

Some people try to deny the obvious existence of Allah, the Creator of the universe. They therefore attempt to justify all kinds of illogicality. In this book we together witness the twisted logic resorted to by such people, who deny the wonders of design and proofs of creation all around them by resorting to the blind alley of pure chance.

People today, and the young in particular, take many individuals as role models, imitate the way they behave, speak and dress, and try to be like them. Yet, since the great majority of these people are not on the right road themselves, they lack proper morality and attitudes. A Muslim needs to try to emulate the behavior and the morality of the Prophet Muhammad (saas), who was sent to mankind as the last prophet. He was a living example of the sublime morality of Allah’s last revelation. He was a friend of Allah and inspired humanity by his nearness to Him. Allah confirms that in a verse: You have an excellent model in the Messenger of Allah, for all who put their hope in Allah and the Last Day and remember Allah much. (Surat al-Ahzab: 21) Although we have never seen the Prophet (saas), we can still do our very best to come to know his exemplary behaviour, his sayings and the pleasing morality he displayed, by means of the verses of the Qur’an and the hadiths. We can try to be like him, in order to be close to him in the hereafter. The aim in writing this book is to introduce various characteristics of the Prophet Muhammad (saas), by revealing his devotion, superior morality and noble character.

The history of mankind could be considered as a history of prophets. God has communicated His Divine Revelation to people by means of His messengers throughout history. These messengers told people about God and communicated to them the words of our Lord. The struggle a number of prophets faced in spreading the message is depicted in detail in the Qur'an. The stories and experiences of various prophets, besides the Prophet Muhammad (saas), such as the Prophet 'Isa, Sulayman, Yusuf, Nuh, Ibrahim, and many others (peace be upon them all), are conveyed as examples. The prophet that is most frequently employed as an example in the Qur'an is the Prophet Musa (Moses) (as). The Qur’an offers detailed accounts of his difficulties with Pharaoh, beginning in his childhood, the evil conduct of his people and his struggle in communicating the message to them. His unyielding courage under the most stringent circumstances is presented with the intention of being an example to people. In this book we will examine the life of Musa (as) as it is depicted in the Qur'an. We will explore the events he has lived through as it is described. Essentially, the events in the Prophet Musa's life should not be regarded merely as events of the ancient past, but rather as events and examples to shed light to our own lives today.

Surah Yusuf of the Qur’an is almost entirely about the life of the Prophet Yusuf and his family. There are important lessons to learn from this story for believers. In this book, you will read about the life of the Prophet Yusuf, who went through various difficulties since his childhood and was later given to the control of the treasures of Egypt, in the light of Qur’anic verses and striking explanations.

God summons humanity to investigate and reflect upon the heavens, the earth, mountains, stars, plants, seeds, animals, the alternation of the night and the day, the creation of man, the rain and many other created things. Examining these, man comes to recognize the artistry of God's creation in the world around him, and ultimately, to know his Creator, Who created the entire universe and everything in it from nothing.Religion not only encourages scientific study, but also permits that, supported by the truths revealed through religion, scientific research be conclusive and expeditious. The reason being, that religion is the only source to provide accurate and definitive answers as to how life and the universe came into being. There is one fact that must be recognized clearly: science can achieve reliable results only if it adopts as its main objective the investigation of the signs of creation in the universe, and strives solely towards this end. Science may reach its ultimate goal in the shortest possible time only if it is pointed in the right direction, that is, if it is rightly guided.

Imagine a religion whose founder claimed to be a scientist, its holy book a treatise with a supposedly scientific message, and its devotees people who think of themselves as learned. This religion has penetrated into almost every civilization, every school of thought and every ideology; its adherents number in the hundreds of millions. In every field of specialization - history, sociology, philosophy, psychology, biology, etc. - it is a basic dogma, the "light that illuminates truth." Actually, every one of you is acquainted with the religion outlined above. You encounter it in your daily life, read its propaganda in newspapers, and see its influence on television. This religion infiltrates your life at every moment; indeed, it is part of your life. Perhaps some of you, knowingly or otherwise, have come under the direct influence of this religion. It is the "religion of Darwinism."

Without their knowing, a false religion has brought the great majority of people under its sway. This hidden religion never reveals itself openly. It has no written commandments, but it controls people’s behavior, attitudes and thoughts. People unconsciously implement its rules throughout their lives, and live by its exhortations and prohibitions.When asked, many people who abide by this religion may well describe themselves as Muslims or Christians or Jews. They may even be atheists. But nevertheless, all are actually members of this secret belief system. This religion never presents itself to people as a unified whole. They adopt it involuntarily, as the result of the lengthy indoctrination that begins from the moment they are born. They are therefore unaware that it affects their behavior, thoughts, and even their body language. To its adherents, this religion portrays its goal as becoming a respected person. To do so means adopting the value judgments of this religion, implementing its laws, prohibitions and forms of behavior, and assuming its character traits. To be respected is essential to achieve a specific accepted station in society, and not considered an eccentric, out of the ordinary.This is the Religion of the Ignorant.

During the last 20 years, the number of Muslims in the world has been increasing steadily. Statistics for the year 1973 indicate that the world population of Muslims was 500 million; now, it has reached 1.5 billion. Today, every fourth person is a Muslim.1 It is probable that the Muslim population will continue to increase and that Islam will become the world's largest religion. The reason for this steady rise is not only the increasing population in Muslim countries, but also the growing numbers of people who are turning to Islam, a phenomenon that has gained momentum, especially after the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 (hereinafter referred to as 9/11). This attack, deplored by everyone, especially Muslims, has suddenly turned people's attention (especially Americans) to Islam. People in the West are talking a lot about what kind of a religion Islam is, what the Qur'an says, what obligations come with being a Muslim, and how Muslims are required to conduct their affairs. This interest has naturally brought about a rise in the number of people worldwide turning to Islam. So, the commonly heard prediction after 9/11 that "this attack will change the course of world history" has, in a sense, started to come true. The process of returning to religious and spiritual values, which the world has been experiencing for a long time, has become a turning to Islam.

“… And he languished in prison for a number of years more.” (Surah Yusuf, 42). According to an exegesis of this verse, Joseph (Peace be upon him) is the patron of prisoners, and prison is a sort of School of Joseph. (Madrasa-i Yusufiya)1 This interpretation was offered by one of the greatest Islamic scholars of the 20th century, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, who devoted much of his life to the teaching of the morality of the Qur’an, and because of that earned the animosity of certain circles. Ultimately, he spent 30 years of his life in prison and exile.

What has occupied your time over the years: worries about getting into the university of your choice, finding a good job, acquiring a suitable husband or wife, making lots of money …? What have you struggled to achieve and acquire: fame, fortune, reputation …? While seeking to meet your goals, have you ever considered the following truth: All of these goals are only temporary and impermanent, for you can take none of them with you when you die. After you die, what will happen to you? How will you fare in the Hereafter, where the only thing that will benefit you is how hard you worked while living in this world to earn Allah’s good pleasure? The Qur’an states that this worldly life is a “testing ground” that will determine each person’s place in the eternal Hereafter. During these tests, we reveal to each other and to Allah, Who already knows our ultimate destiny, who we really are. Those who grasp this secret and live their lives knowing that they are being tested will gain an eternal and never-ending treasure: God’s good pleasure in His eternal Paradise.

The progress of science makes it clear that living beings have an extremely complex structure and an order too perfect to have come into being by coincidence. This is evidence to the fact that living beings are created by an All-Powerful Creator with superior knowledge. Recently, for instance, the Human Genome Project unraveled the evidence for intelligent design in the human genes. In this book, the evidence for the creation has once more been disclosed for all to see.

To most people, the word hypocrite does not mean much. Some interpret it as meaning “two-faced” or “liar,” as they use it in everyday speech, but remain unaware of its significance in the Qur’an. People with some knowledge of religion, on the other hand, think of the hypocrites as a group of deniers who lived at the time of the Prophet Muhammad (saas). The fact is, the hypocrites are a group whom Allah mentions in hundreds of verses of the Qur’an and He reminds us to be on our guard against them. From the Qur’an, we also learn that hypocrites as a group are not encountered only infrequently, but on the contrary, they are “organized” within every community of believers. Allah reveals in many verses of the Qur’an the characteristics of this community that represents a danger to believers. And therefore, hypocrites are one of the kinds of people most often described in the Qur’an.These people are able to live, sometimes for many years, among those sincere believers who totally dedicate their lives to Allah, and pretend to be like them. But in fact, they are nothing of the sort and are concerned solely with their own interests. This group has been seen in every community of believers throughout history.This book examines the characteristics of hypocrites, with the details set forth in the Qur’an.

The Qur’an refers to the phenomena and entities that are certain proofs of God’s existence, oneness, and names as “signs.” Just as these are written in the Qur’an, they also exist in the world and in a person’s soul, for: “There are certainly Signs in Earth for people with certainty, and in yourselves as well. Do you not then see?” (Qur’an, 51:20-21)Those who use their conscience encounter countless proofs of God’s existence, such as brightly colored, sweet-smelling flowers; delicious fruits and vegetables that spring from muddy soil; the sense organs, which enable us to enjoy each created item’s unique properties (e.g., smell and taste); the human body with its many complex systems, all of which work in harmony; the Sun, which illuminates and warms, and its ideal size and distance from our Earth; the rain, which brings bone-dry soil to life; and countless other proofs.Each of these is a “sign leading to faith.” In other words, they are miracles of creation and truths that guide people to faith and then increase that faith. Every person who thinks deeply about these proofs will come to faith by clearly seeing these reflections of God’s existence and greatness. Thanks to these signs, believers will come to know God better and increase their love for, and fear [and awareness] of Him.This book seeks to lift the curtain of indifference by dealing with the importance of these signs leading to faith. At the same time, it contains the views of several Islamic scholars of these signs and gives examples of them. Moreover, it also considers how these signs are the most effective way of disproving the superstitious teachings of the theory of evolution, the greatest deception of our time, and one that continues to lead people to atheism in the End Times.

The Qur'an and the related hadiths tell us that Jesus (pbuh) will come back to Earth again in the End Times, the times preceding the Day of Judgment. In addition, the signs of this event as revealed in the New Testament have parallels with those stated in the hadiths. Jesus’ return to Earth, a belief held by both Christians and Muslims, will end this world's all-pervasive cruelty and injustice and transform it into a place of peace, abundance, and justice.This book examines the signs of Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming from the Islamic sources and how the signs that they provide have come true one by one. People witnessing these signs may, by God's Will, hope that his return is close. The world is also getting sociologically prepared for such a great event. The chain of events through which humanity has passed during the last two centuries has, both covertly and overtly, raised the expectation of a savior in the minds of people all over the world. People have increasingly seen that materialistic ideologies and lifestyles cannot save humanity; rather, they lead humanity closer to disaster and emptiness. This situation has caused many people to turn to the morality of religion. It is no coincidence that this sociological infrastructure has been established at a time when the signs of Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming appear one after another.By God's Will, Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return will cause religion's morality to pervade all over the world and all sincere believers to attain security. Along with all other believers, we hope that our Lord will honor us by letting us meet this blessed visitor and enable us to make the best preparations to meet him.

No matter where you go in the world, whether you are young or old, a man or a woman, you'll notice immediately that there exists a universal language in which everyone is fluent. Perhaps these people have never met one another; perhaps they live kilometers away from one another. They may come from different cultures, hold different beliefs, and speak different languages. But despite all this, they all share a common language that they know very well and use when the need arises—namely, the "silent language of evil." This insidious language allows its speakers to do unseemly things they would never do openly, utter ugly things that they would not say directly and speak to one another in secret ways that no outsider would understand.This book's purpose is to expose in detail satan's system that calls people to the secret practice of evil, to uncover its silent language and to show the ways to foil satan's traps.

Darwin’s thesis—that human beings and apes are descended from a common ancestor—has not been supported by any scientific findings, either when he first proposed it, nor in the following period of some 150 years. The fossils obtained have proved that apes have always existed as apes, and that human beings have always existed as human beings. Apes did not transform into humans, and present-day apes and humans have no common ancestor. Investigations into ape skulls, skulls from other vertebrate species, and various races of humans that lived at different times in the past show that they all possessed their different characteristics from the beginning and remained unchanged right through the passage of years. This means that living things never evolved, but were all created by Allah, Almighty God. Through the evidence of fossil specimens depicted in this book, you too will see why the theory of Darwinism has collapsed.

The twentieth century was one of the darkest and deadliest in the history. Vast amounts of blood were spilled, and millions of people were subjected to the most terrible fear and oppression. Not generally realized, however, is the intellectual concept that propelled such chaos, war and conflict and caused such hatred and enmity. That concept is the Social Darwinism that first emerged in the nineteenth century. Social Darwinism spread the perverted idea that life is a struggle in which only the fittest survive, and that in that savage climate, people need to compete to win, or at least to survive. That philosophy lacked any scientific basis whatsoever, but many people who failed to live by religious moral values began to view ruthlessness, savagery and cruelty as unexceptional. They ignored the fact that religious moral values require vir- tues such as compassion, affection, understanding, self-sacrifice, soli-   darity and mutual support between individuals and societies. Those who brutally oppressed others claimed a scientific foundation to their cruelty and thus, the savagery they inflicted could be justified. These false claims and suppositions were of course a terrible deception. This book uncovers the full truth about these errors and exposes, with detailed evidence, the danger posed by Social Darwinism’s perverted propaganda.

Whatever their circumstances may be, there is one significant feature that a great many people have in common: The great majority lead unhappy lives.The goods and property they own, the jobs they perform, and their loved ones are not enough to make these people happy in any real sense. The reason why they suffer from sorrow and feel unhappy even in the best of circumstances is because they live at a distance from Allah. Allah grants people happiness only through faith, and only in this way it is possible to take full pleasure in the beautiful things of life. So long as no sincere faith in accordance with the Qur'an exists, it is impossible to achieve true happiness by any means whatsoever.This book highlights this important truth and calls on people to live out true and sincere faith. It explains that people really create with their own efforts the systems that prevent them from being happy and enjoying life's blessings, and which plunge them into sorrow. It makes it clear that the only way to be protected against secret unhappiness is to believe in Allah with a sincere heart. It reminds the readers that so long as people do not achieve this sincerity towards Allah, they cannot experience real happiness by any means whatsoever—and that the secret sorrows of this world may well turn to eternal torment in the Hereafter.

In this book such ideologies as materialism, communism, Darwinism (the so-called scientific basis of those ideologies) and other systems based on disbelief are referred to as "religions of irreligion." Throughout the 20th century until today the religion of irreligion has, perhaps for the first time in history, spread extensively. That is why, especially in our age, it is of great importance for believers to take part in the noble intellectual struggle mentioned in the Qur’an and save the world from the evils of irreligion.

Throughout history, Allah has sent messengers to every society to deliver His Divine message. As we see in the Qur'an, the behavior and moral quality of these special people have been examples to the believers. For this reason, it is important for every believer to learn what they experienced during their lives. What the Qur’an says about the struggles of the messengers is certainly enlightening and instructive for believers. The examples given in this book serve to remind believers of the messengers' good moral character and sincere efforts. The Qur'an contains many stories about these people, for: "There is instruction in their stories for people of intelligence. This is not a narration that has been invented, but a confirmation of all that came before, a clarification of everything, and a guidance and a mercy for people who believe" (Surah Yusuf, 111).

The idea of evolution, which materialists  ever since Ancient Greece have employed to account for the origin of life, entered the world of science in the 19th century with Charles Darwin’s book On the Origin of Species. Those who supported the materialist philosophy, which underwent an enormous rise during the 19th century, adopted the theory of evolution as an answer to the question of how life came into being, but did not question the theory’s scientific foundations. The proponents of materialist ideologies imposed the theory of evolution on entire systems of education and popular culture for 150 years, despite possessing no evidence for it, and employing only methods of propaganda. From the second half of the 20th century onward, however, the privileged position that the theory of evolution had enjoyed among the scientific community became increasingly problematic. Observations and experiments in a wide range of scientific disciplines, from paleontology to biology and from anatomy to genetics, began to produce findings that argued against the theory. In the face of these new scientific findings, evolutionists suddenly found themselves and their theory on the defensive. One of the main objections to Darwin’s theory of evolution indeed, concerns the fossil record. The transitional forms that evolutionists expected to find in the fossil record— and which might be regarded as proof that species evolved from one another—have not been found. Fossils emerge suddenly and with all their particular features fully present, and the fossil record demonstrates that no species experienced any process of gradual change leading to its eventual disappearance. The absence of transitional forms from the fossil record is by itself sufficient to undermine the whole theory of evolution. Charles Darwin, the founder of the theory, actually admitted the truth of this! After inquiring into the absence of such forms, he wrote that “this, perhaps is the most obvious and gravest objection which can be urged against my theory.” And today, even among evolutionists, there is a serious dispute over how to interpret the fossil record. Fossils, one important source of scientific evidence regarding natural history, clearly refute the theory of evolution and show that life on Earth appeared suddenly, with no evolutionary process behind it—in other words that life forms were created.

One of the major reasons why people feel a profound sense of attachment for life and cast religion aside is the assumption that life is eternal. Forgetting that death is likely to put an end to this life at any moment, man simply believes that he can enjoy a perfect and happy life. Yet, he evidently deceives himself. The world is a temporary place specially created by Allah to test man. That is why it is inherently flawed and far from satisfying man’s endless needs and desires. Every attraction existing in the world eventually wears out, becomes corrupt, decays and finally disappears. This is the never-changing reality of life. This book explains this essential nature of life and leads man to ponder the real place to which he belongs, namely the Hereafter.

Anyone who believes is responsible for all that he sees and hears. In the Qur’an, Allah calls on Muslims using these words:What reason could you have for not fighting in the Way of Allah for those men, women and children who are oppressed and say, “Our Lord, take us out of this city whose inhabitants are wrongdoers! Give us a protector from You! Give us a helper from You!”? (Qur’an, 4: 75)At a time of violent oppression taking place worldwide, it is impossible for a Muslim to sleep unheeding in his comfortable bed, waste his time on empty matters, and think only of his own interests and pleasures. A true believer knows that the fundamental solution to unjust wars, slaughter, cruelty, hunger, moral degeneration and all the problems facing the world is for people to spread Qur’anic morality. That knowledge imposes a great responsibility on a believer: that of telling the world about the religion of Islam and the beautiful things it brings with it, spreading Qur’anic morality, and waging a struggle of ideas against atheism.Those who take on that honorable responsibility will help lead all those who are oppressed in the world to the light through the guidance of the Qur’an. By the will of Allah, the long-awaited spring is not far off.

Dear Kids! In this book you will learn about the fascinating and admirable features of the lovely animals in nature. While reading the book, you will see how God has created all creatures in the most beautiful way, and how every one of them shows us His endless beauty, power and knowledge

Dear Kids! You may never have heard how skilful and intelligent ants are. Some of you may even think of them as merely wandering around all day without doing anything. On the contrary, they are full of many amazing features. Omar, the hero of this book, gets the opportunity to learn about this life from a friend. He is amazed at the things he learns. What makes Omar so excited then? More important, who is this "little friend" who gives Omar so much information? You must be wondering what all this is about. So read this book, and find out...

Most people know that idolatry is a grave sin, but never think that it could have anything to do with them. They imagine that idolaters, defined as those who ascribe equals to Allah, are merely people who worship totems carved out of stone or wood, like the primitive pre-Islamic Arab pagans who worshipped idols in the Ka`bah. However, idolatry is far more subtle and is actually widespread in many societies today. In reality, idolatry comprises everything that people set up as a goal that does not involve seeking Allah’s approval, in who or which they place their hopes or desire for approval, or every entity regarded as possessing true power and control other than Allah. Given the subtlety of this definition, idolatry needs to be considered as something that may be very close at hand. Ascribing equals to Allah is a most dangerous sin, one that cannot be forgiven and therefore will lead people to Hell. Thus, those who fear and respect Allah and hope for His Paradise must be on their guard against this threat. But people cannot do this if they do not know what idolatry is and what things fall under its scope. This book has been written to illustrate how idolatry, as set out in the Qur’an, exists in contemporary society. We hope that it will achieve this aim, help people renounce all of their idols, and turn sincerely to and serve only Almighty Allah, the true Creator of all things.

Some people, even without having any idea about its contents, resist reading, learning about, and listening to the Qur’an. They simply turn a deaf ear to the Qur’an. The purpose of this book is to warn people against this biased stance which will lead to grave misfortunes, both in this world and in the hereafter. Our purpose is to invite people to read the Qur’an and ponder deeply upon the verses of Allah, putting aside all forms of prejudice, blindly-acquired knowledge and fixed ideas, as all true believers who have ever lived have done. This reminder and warning is valid not only for those who deny Allah and the Qur’an but also for those who live far from the morals of Qur’an, despite having faith. Hopefully, complying with this call, which has been constantly repeated throughout history by true believers, will be a way for the salvation of those who seek to win the good pleasure of Allah and lead a beautiful life in this world.