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To convert or not to convert??? How do you know?
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04-11-2008 8:36pmI've been thinking a lot lately of whether or not I feel strongly enough about Islam to convert. I have not had the opportunity to talk to many muslims in person and I'm getting really contrasting opinions between the more 'fundamentalist' approach from some and the very liberal approach of others. I still have reservations about some aspects of Islam (stonings and child custody to be specific) But I really do have a great interest in getting to know more about it before making up my mind.
The only real problem is the fact that I have a very, very Catholic mother who will no doubt be extremely upset and annoyed and also the fact that I will be going to the US for a year in college (which may or may not cause issues....)
I would be very grateful if anyone has any advice0
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Well, it's simple really... do you actually believe in a God? You just have to basically question yourself about the core issues before diving into the things you find abhorrent. Every Messenger came with the same basic message: 'Believe in God and follow me.' Be good towards humans, try to fight for injustice (not physically of course), be rational in dealing with those who are intolerant/strict, ask only Allah for forgiveness (when you've harmed anybody or your conscious annoys you), and try to always increase your knowledge (scientifically, theologically & psychologically) bit by bit as you grow older.
Islam doesn't have to be a huge label (in fact in your heart is the true belief and intentions of following what Allah requires of us sincerely). Don't look for controversial issues and focus on them, trust me, I've never really encountered them in my lifestyle. Your mother will be happy as long as you don't do anything crazy (like going for Jihad!)
Let the core belief enter your heart, and ask the scholars or knowledgeable people for advice on other issues. Don't let it affect your lifestyle (if you don't want to). Salam...0 -
The question is do you believe that God spoke to an illiterate Arabian business man through an archangel and revealed to him his final and unalterable word, to be literally believed as law.
If not, don't convert.0 -
Well, it's simple really... do you actually believe in a God? You just have to basically question yourself about the core issues before diving into the things you find abhorrent. Every Messenger came with the same basic message: 'Believe in God and follow me.' Be good towards humans, try to fight for injustice (not physically of course), be rational in dealing with those who are intolerant/strict, ask only Allah for forgiveness (when you've harmed anybody or your conscious annoys you), and try to always increase your knowledge (scientifically, theologically & psychologically) bit by bit as you grow older.
Islam doesn't have to be a huge label (in fact in your heart is the true belief and intentions of following what Allah requires of us sincerely). Don't look for controversial issues and focus on them, trust me, I've never really encountered them in my lifestyle. Your mother will be happy as long as you don't do anything crazy (like going for Jihad!)
Let the core belief enter your heart, and ask the scholars or knowledgeable people for advice on other issues. Don't let it affect your lifestyle (if you don't want to). Salam...
Brilliant post, it was very helpful!
I think I will continue to live as you said, and if I still feel strongly about Islam next year, I will consider converting
Shukran jazeelan!0 -
I've been thinking a lot lately of whether or not I feel strongly enough about Islam to convert. I have not had the opportunity to talk to many muslims in person and I'm getting really contrasting opinions between the more 'fundamentalist' approach from some and the very liberal approach of others. I still have reservations about some aspects of Islam (stonings and child custody to be specific) But I really do have a great interest in getting to know more about it before making up my mind.
The only real problem is the fact that I have a very, very Catholic mother who will no doubt be extremely upset and annoyed and also the fact that I will be going to the US for a year in college (which may or may not cause issues....)
I would be very grateful if anyone has any advice
Not looking to argue with you here btw. Just curious. What is it that attracts you to Islam? Also, I'd love your insights into the question I asked Here
You can pretty much ignore the 1st page, as a couple of wallies were spouting:) Be interesting to see your reasonings though, as obviously you are at a stage where you see the evidence for the truth in Muhammads claims etc.
Thanks.0 -
Ooh I saw that thread- it is actually a really great question to ask anyone who is particularly taken by Islam's message. The main reasons I am interested in Islam are:
* I believe in the oneness of God, rather than the Catholic belief of there being a Trinity, especially the idea that God has a son
* The Islamic morals appeal to me- modesty of women, not drinking and being constantly aware of God's presence in my life with 5 daily prayers
* I believe Islam is a religion that is very fair to women (despite what some may say) and that it wants to protect them by means of hijab and treat them as equals, if not raise them to a higher degree because of their roles as mothers and life givers, while still realising that to treat people equally, sometimes people need to be treated differently
* I agree with the Islamic beliefs on abortion (that it is wrong) and also contraception (that once it isn't destroying a life that is already formed, it is allowed)
* Benazir Bhutto and her views on Islam have completely changed my perceptions of it and made me realise how it really does work
* I like the message that one should read the Qur'an and Hadith and always strive to seek knowledge, regardless of who they are
* I strongly agree with the giving of charity money (zakaat) as a vital part of religion
As far as Muhammad is concerned, I do believe he is a prophet because of his ability to recite something so amazingly inspired, despite being an illiterate camel driver- it really is a miracle.
I suppose I'm turning to Islam for the same reasons that many people turn to religions- because they seek something higher than what they have and feel that it will improve their lives to live according to something they strongly believe in0 -
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ChocolateSauce wrote: »The question is do you believe that God spoke to an illiterate Arabian business man through an archangel and revealed to him his final and unalterable word, to be literally believed as law.
If not, don't convert.
Go into the 'Why do you believe Muhammed' thread and read post #30 - Evidence in the Qur'an that it was from a Higher Power. It's probably a bit too long for you; I have a feeling you're not the reading type...The main reasons I am interested in Islam are:
* I believe in the oneness of God, rather than the Catholic belief of there being a Trinity, especially the idea that God has a son
* The Islamic morals appeal to me- modesty of women, not drinking and being constantly aware of God's presence in my life with 5 daily prayers
* I believe Islam is a religion that is very fair to women (despite what some may say) and that it wants to protect them by means of hijab and treat them as equals, if not raise them to a higher degree because of their roles as mothers and life givers, while still realising that to treat people equally, sometimes people need to be treated differently
* I agree with the Islamic beliefs on abortion (that it is wrong) and also contraception (that once it isn't destroying a life that is already formed, it is allowed)
* Benazir Bhutto and her views on Islam have completely changed my perceptions of it and made me realise how it really does work
* I like the message that one should read the Qur'an and Hadith and always strive to seek knowledge, regardless of who they are
* I strongly agree with the giving of charity money (zakaat) as a vital part of religion
As far as Muhammad is concerned, I do believe he is a prophet because of his ability to recite something so amazingly inspired, despite being an illiterate camel driver- it really is a miracle.
I suppose I'm turning to Islam for the same reasons that many people turn to religions- because they seek something higher than what they have and feel that it will improve their lives to live according to something they strongly believe in0 -
I have to admit, from reading some of the posts in this forum, this is one of the most genuine pieces of text here, and may Allah continue to Guide you for that reasoning. It makes me want to actually go out and buy Benazir Bhutto's biography.
Do!! It's a really brilliant book- completely changed my opinion on Islam and cleared up lots of misconceptions I had, it's called "Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy and the West". I gave it to a Muslim in my year but regretably he dismissed it, saying that 'Democracy and Islam are incompatable' when if he had only read it he would have realised that he was completely mistaken. He even went so far as to excuse for murderers- absolutly shocking... a part of the book describes how the same group who killed her had strapped explosives to a baby and held the child up towards he at a rally for her to hold when she was whisked away and it exploded.
http://sayanythingblog.com/entry/bhutto_confirms_that_the_bomb_meant_for_her_was_strapped_to_a_baby/
Thankfully the vast majority of Muslims have absolutely nothing to do with this kind of behaviour- a particular video that is really sweet and I feel depicts Islamic family life well is:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ513u6zldE
Thank you for your good wishes, Agathon!0 -
http://sayanythingblog.com/entry/bhutto_confirms_that_the_bomb_meant_for_her_was_strapped_to_a_baby/
Thankfully the vast majority of Muslims have absolutely nothing to do with this kind of behaviour...
There's a lot people who are born in these countries and end up worse than animals. Ignorance reigns in this part of the world. Even at the time of Prophet Muhammed (p) they were the worst people (barbaric, ignorant, uneducated). Islam came to take them out of the darkness into the light (educate them, give them morals, discipline them); but it looks like the days of ignorance are coming back and they're going back to their roots. If people follow true Islam as brought by the Prophet (p) there would be peace & harmony (the root of terrorism is not religion - it's occupation); I think this fuels the minds of these vengeful, ignorant souls.
I'm actually from Libya (also a chaotic, pariah state, under dictatorship), but have been living in Ireland for over 20 years. I don't think there is one true Islamic country on this planet even though many people demonize Islam. Saudi Arabia and the like are still a bit corrupt & ignorant compared to the early predeccessors. There's hope yet insha-Allah for peace & harmony. We just have to try our best to be the best humans we can; & perfect our character, if Allah wills...0 -
it looks like the days of ignorance are coming back and they're going back to their roots... (the root of terrorism is not religion - it's occupation); I think this fuels the minds of these vengeful, ignorant souls...
Lets face it, if a bunch of Syrians killed American women and children, there would be a lot more publicity and outrage than there is in this case. Not to condone the acts of terrorism, but events like this really so make their anger somewhat understandable0 -
Jannah,
I actually wrote an article about this on my blog web site: http://islamic-empire.blogspot.com
It's under the Feature Article: Taliban & Al Qaeda.
I also recommend some books in that blog.
When thinking about Islam, always keep in mind that the the Prophet (p) was the best example (he never hit his wives, he always helped in the house duties, he was always kind to everybody regardless of their beliefs, he was always smiling around people regardless of his state of mind, he was the most perfect human being). We must use this as our role model. We shouldn't let vengeance blind us; we shouldn't let our anger change us; we shouldn't let our hatred destroy us... No matter what anybody says, Islam is getting stronger by the day.0 -
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As far as Muhammad is concerned, I do believe he is a prophet because of his ability to recite something so amazingly inspired, despite being an illiterate camel driver- it really is a miracle.
I was very impresseed with this until I read the Islam section of "God is not Great" (Christopher Hitchens)
I'm not going to elaborate on this forum, up to yourself if you want to read it.0 -
Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »I was very impresseed with this until I read the Islam section of "God is not Great" (Christopher Hitchens)
I'm not going to elaborate on this forum, up to yourself if you want to read it.
I wonder how many centuries that book will last?!??0 -
Just got back from London and I must say it gave me a completely different view of Islam- its SO strange to be in a region where Islam is so openly accepted and quite the norm. I'd only ever met a few unsavoury Muslims, but there I met really, really genuinely lovely people. Definitely a great experience to go somewhere that Islam wasn't looked on as something so foreign0
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Looking at your posts on questioning if now is the time to convert or do you wait a year while thinking about it. You just need to believe that Allah is the one true god and that Muhammed is his prophet, as a catholic (assumption I am making as you mentioned your mum is) you will of course be familiar with Jesus whom all muslims believe was also an important prophet. The message the prophets have given us has not changed just look to the Quran for the last and final message from Allah that corrects and completes all earlier ones.
I am a revert and I too spent time wondering and questioning and it is very important that you do so. When I decided to revert I was still questioning but I knew that could go on forever and I had the basic tenets and knew that this was the correct path. Once I had said Shahada an unbelieveable peace descended on me it was truly fantastic and the only thing I was sad about was the time I had wasted when I could have been a muslim maybe a few years earlier.
My parents are also strict Catholics and it took a while for them to come around but Alhumdurillah they have. The hardest thing for them to accept was the hijab which I have been wearing for 6 years now and I find that the thing that I thought would be the hardest has actually made the whole process complete. I am not a fundamentalist and would question is meant by strict as if you truly believe and follow the path you will find it easy and so rewarding. The overriding impression I have of Islam now is of peace and sisterhood.
You should check out your local mosque they have may a halaqa there that you could go to meet other reverts and born muslims and you could also learn more about Islam.
So Insh'Allah it is made easy for you
Salama
A friend of Jari0 -
Muhammad the perfect person? Forgive me if I do not agree. Someone who brings his religion to others by conquering their homes is a bad person.0
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oh god why would anyone
stonings
women no rights
my brain hurts too much when i think about it im sorry seems ludicrous0 -
ChocolateSauce wrote: »Muhammad the perfect person? Forgive me if I do not agree. Someone who brings his religion to others by conquering their homes is a bad person.
The best historians and writers have voted him as the greatest man:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/7986099/Muhammed-the-Greatest0 -
Wow, it's great to get a revert's perspective on Islam- can I ask you, if you found people who were formerly your friends began to treat you differently/ was it a very drastic life change/ what drew you to Islam? Thank you for any information- its very much appreciated!0
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who cares if you don't agree. You're a nobody.
The best historians and writers have voted him as the greatest man:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/7986099/Muhammed-the-Greatest0 -
who cares if you don't agree. You're a nobody.
The best historians and writers have voted him as the greatest man:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/7986099/Muhammed-the-Greatest
The best by what measure? And supposing for a minute that they are the best, they'd still be wrong. Now, I'm obviously incorrect because I don't have god on my side, but I find the very thought of spreading religion by the sword to be an abhorrent, disgusting and immoral rape of the human species which not only destroys the moral credibility of the religion in question, but also putrifies into a shameful and anathemic joke, the character of the person who started that religion.
Clearly you don't, but you're in a minority and I personally think you're wrong.
I think the person with the single greatest contribution to humanity is impossible to name, but I would suggest it is probably a great scientist, politician or philosopher who has lived in the last 250 years.0 -
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In response to the following questions:
if you found people who were formerly your friends began to treat you differently
Not really - as I mentioned before I did not start wearing hijab straight away so I was able to tell people before there were any visible signs. And I am of course talking about friends and not just acquaintances. The majority were more interested in asking questions about Islam and why rather than treating me differently.
was it a very drastic life change
No it was a gradual change, I did not wake up the morning I became muslim and suddenly knew all the requirements and also I did not wear hijab straight away. The most important thing was to learn to pray and this took a couple of weeks to learn the required quaranic verses to start me off. I kept reading and researching and as I learnt more I was able to become a better muslim. Also I did my first fast for Ramadam that year and it was the most fantastic experience of my life.
what drew you to Islam?
There was so many things, the peaceful and beautiful message contained in the Quran, its logic and unchanging ways; I was a bit fed up of changes that happened if the Vatican decided to make an amendment to something (e.g limbo was eliminated) and also I began to question a lot of things and the answers were always there in the Quran . Any muslim I spoke to seemed so knowledgeable and always seemed to know if I had an issue I needed clarifed.
Insh'Allah you will also be guided to the right path. Keep on asking questions and you too will find the answers you require.
A friend of Jari.0 -
ChocolateSauce wrote: »The best by what measure? And supposing for a minute that they are the best, they'd still be wrong. Now, I'm obviously incorrect because I don't have god on my side, but I find the very thought of spreading religion by the sword to be an abhorrent, disgusting and immoral rape of the human species which not only destroys the moral credibility of the religion in question, but also putrifies into a shameful and anathemic joke, the character of the person who started that religion.Clearly you don't, but you're in a minority and I personally think you're wrong.I think the person with the single greatest contribution to humanity is impossible to name, but I would suggest it is probably a great scientist, politician or philosopher who has lived in the last 250 years.0
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(Jannah was looking for Muslims to answer questions not Athesits hijacking an Islamic forum!)
I'm in a minority!!! (there's only 1.2 billion Muslims; and how many Atheists??) --Still you're right and everybody else is wrong, brainwashed & had a sword up against their throats...
Again, everybody has their own views. At least come with a logic for your conclusions and back it up with some good references.
In particular, using someone’s “100 Most Influential People” list as backing for a religious faith seems quite strange. I wonder if you’ve really considered what you are saying here. I mean, even if we accept this list as more than just someone’s opinion, we are left with the factoid that Mohammed gets first place in a list that includes Adolf Hitler (39th) and Joe Stalin (66th).
If being placed on this list is meant to have some significance for validating religious opinions, you might note that 6% of people on that list are atheists, but only 2% are Muslims. I don’t think that statistic has any significance at all – but this is your list that you are advancing as having merit. And, by your standard of merit the 1 billion atheists and agnostics in the world seem to have triple the influential merit of the 1 billion Muslims.0 -
That single statement is enough to suggest that you've an eagerness to be deluded, because what he's peddling is plausable triteness ... That said, all I've done is made a prediction. Clearly if that prediction comes to pass, my case is made. If it doesn't, then my hypothesis will be demonstrated to be wrong. I'll give you twelve months. If you're agnostic at the end of that period, my reasoning skills will be demonstrated to have made a considerable error.How’s that for a scientific miracle?In particular, using someone’s “100 Most Influential People” list as backing for a religious faith seems quite strange. I wonder if you’ve really considered what you are saying here. I mean, even if we accept this list as more than just someone’s opinion, we are left with the factoid that Mohammed gets first place in a list that includes Adolf Hitler (39th) and Joe Stalin (66th).If being placed on this list is meant to have some significance for validating religious opinions, you might note that 6% of people on that list are atheists, but only 2% are Muslims.I don’t think that statistic has any significance at all – but this is your list that you are advancing as having merit. And, by your standard of merit the 1 billion atheists and agnostics in the world seem to have triple the influential merit of the 1 billion Muslims.0
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At least the man has a good logic of who to put on the list, if you've even read the book. Unlike your logic, which is?!?
I am very wary of a list of 100 most influential people that has Beethoven ahead of Max Planck, Ernest Rutherford, Erwin Schrodinger, Charles Babbage etc.I suppose Hitler and Stalin are in that 6%...
And? You do realise that its a list of the most influential people in history, not the nicest. You do realise that the reason Muhammad is first is not because he was a great religious leader, but because he was also a great miltary/political leader and conquerer.Micheal H. Hart wrote:Prophet of Islam; conqueror of Arabia; Hart recognized that ranking Muhammad first might be controversial, but felt that, from a secular historian's perspective, this was the correct choice because Muhammad is the only man to have been both a founder of a major world religion and a major military/political leader0 -
Do you have any credible evidence to back-up your claims or are you just waffling your views here?!? I don't know what this has got to do with the subject matter (Jannah was looking for Muslims to answer questions not Athesits hijacking an Islamic forum!)
I find it very rich that someone who cannot tell the difference between an opinion and a fact is lecturing a scientist on evidence.I'm in a minority!!! (there's only 1.2 billion Muslims; and how many Atheists??) --Still you're right and everybody else is wrong, brainwashed & had a sword up against their throats...
By minority, I meant only a minority of people think it is ok to spread religion by the sword (though on another note, there are a billion Catholics...but how many are actually Catholic? How many "Catholics" are in fact atheists? Same goes for Muslims; it's easy to rattle off a large number without considering that not all of them will actually be Muslims). Since you asked, it appears that somewhere between 500,000,000-1,000,000,000 people are, broadly speaking, non-religious (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_atheism). Not only is it well documented that Islam was spread by the sword (it created the Umayyad Caliphate, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umayyad), the Koran actually promotes its spread by the sword if nessessary.
Quran Surah 2: The Cow
""Give us victory over the disbelieving folk." 286
"War is ordained by Allah." 216
"Kill disbelievers wherever you find them. If they attack you, then kil them. Such is the reward of disbelievers." 191
http://www.faithfreedom.org/Quran.htm
This website collects hundreds of Koran verses which promote war, violence and death to non-muslims.0 -
That's the stupidest thing you could say to somebody. It's like me waffling my views and saying, I'll give you twelve months to think about it and revert to Islam or else I'm right and you're wrong!!At least the man has a good logic of who to put on the list, if you've even read the book. Unlike your logic, which is?!?I suppose Hitler and Stalin are in that 6%...
The 6 atheists on the list are Karl Marx, Simon Bolivar, Joe Stalin, Sigmund Freud, Vladimir Lenin and Mao Zedong. What you’ll notice is the link to Marxism that atheists like to draw a discrete veil over.
The two Muslims are Mohammed and Umar ibn al-Khattab, the Caliph who’s conquests made the Islamic Empire secure.
Personally, I think he should have given the second slot to Uthman, the guy who was clever enough to compile an authoritative version of the Quran and destroy all the competing versions.
But that really just shows how these lists are entirely subjective, and not the kind of thing you’d expect people to be putting a lot of reliance upon.Where did you get your figures from about the 1 billion Atheists.Major Religions of the World
Ranked by Number of Adherents
(Sizes shown are approximate estimates, and are here mainly for the purpose of ordering the groups, not providing a definitive number. This list is sociological/statistical in perspective.)
1. Christianity: 2.1 billion
2. Islam: 1.5 billion
3. Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 1.1 billion
………You're also wrong about the influence: It's mainly Catholicism, Judaism, and agnostics (who are tolerant and don't hate religions as you do)rocksteady wrote: »You do realise that its a list of the most influential people in history, not the nicest. You do realise that the reason Muhammad is first is not because he was a great religious leader, but because he was also a great miltary/political leader and conquerer.0 -
first read the small print [the bit they dont tell you about]0
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Jannah, what would your Muslim friends say if you told them you knew a Muslim who wanted to convert to another religion? You could apply their arguements to your own situation.
Also, depending on who you know and where you live, this could be your last chance (ever) to change your religion: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostasy_in_Islam0 -
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Jannah, what would your Muslim friends say if you told them you knew a Muslim who wanted to convert to another religion? You could apply their arguements to your own situation.
Also, depending on who you know and where you live, this could be your last chance (ever) to change your religion: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostasy_in_Islam
The Islamic System is actually too complex for simple-minded atheists. You have to study it properly from the basics. If you don't understand the basic concept of a Creator, then why go onto other subjects which are way above your heads. Your assumptions and research lead to your world view. It's good to see that you've found a great world view (without the slightest bit of evidence) but every man for himself. No matter how much you try to explain things to you idiots it seems like you just keep bringing more questions from your atheist web sites. I've finished arguing here. good luck!! Jannah, the best example of Islam is in the people (travel to the Muslim lands) and take your time making up your mind.0
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