Is it allowed to question our religious belief?

^
Well perhaps some are just like that but that does not mean every women does that right? Rather than talking about people it is better to talk about current events, future plans, or whatever that is more beneficial. Why would gossiping become a must in culture? I do not understand.

Sorry for having shallow perspective like what you said.
Can you just chill? Why do I feel like you are getting mad at me?
What I was saying comes from my own experience. Where are you from by the way? This is the first time I heard brothers/fathers refused to attend their sisters/daughters wedding. Are not you family? Is not it impolite to not attend a family celebration? In my culture it will be frowned upon since we place importance in family.

Then maybe it is a good thing that I will continue my study in the West. I will see for myself the differences, hope it will open my mind more.

format_quote Originally Posted by -arisa-

^
Well perhaps some are just like that but that does not mean every women does that right? Rather than talking about people it is better to talk about current events, future plans, or whatever that is more beneficial. Why would gossiping become a must in culture? I do not understand.

Sorry for having shallow perspective like what you said.
Can you just chill? Why do I feel like you are getting mad at me?
What I was saying comes from my own experience. Where are you from by the way? This is the first time I heard brothers/fathers refused to attend their sisters/daughters wedding. Are not you family? Is not it impolite to not attend a family celebration? In my culture it will be frowned upon since we place importance in family.

Then maybe it is a good thing that I will continue my study in the West. I will see for myself the differences, hope it will open my mind more.

I am not upset, but your perspective is being very naive. This attitude will be your downfall in opening up way for sin. A person who is willing to learn and to listen, will ask themselves based on what does this person say this and how come he/she says what he/she says? Maybe he/she is right..maybe he/she is wrong..how come he/she is wrong or how come he/she is right? Maybe he/she knows and understands something that i may not know..let me ask for the sake of pursuing knowledge and understanding.

While you just dismiss things based on what you feel is right or wrong.

It doesn't matter where i am from, what matters is that such insane things exist, beside all the other things i just said and even more things that i am not even aware of. You think gossiping is only in my culture? Well think again, as it is a cancerous disease that exists in every culture.

"Maybe it is a a good thing i will continue my study in the West". Your naive attitude and lack of pondering is like preparing meat to for the BBQ. You will not be the first and most certain not the last.

In Indonesia religious plurality is still way less than in the west. Ideas and approaches are way less in Indonesia. Certain kind of priorities are so unknown in Indonesia while it is something that is so normal here in the west. What i see based on these simple comments of yours is you standing for a tsunami to hit you.

For many of us that have lived here in the west, we have done our share of sin and also our share of hardship as well as pursuit of knowledge and understanding. We have found or are still searching for the eye of the tornado, while in the mean time grabbed on a tree or building to not be blown away. The amount of religious corruption these days have become so widespread in the west, that many sisters find it hard to wear a hijab or brothers having a beard. It is like SERIOUSLY UNDERESTIMATING the fitna of dajjal. Many Muslims think some guy with the exact description of what Rasullah(saws) has said will come to you..he will say..i am dajjal, do not follow me or you will do shirk you are a Muslim and even if you want to follow me i will not want you to follow me...

Always OVERESTIMATE such things, that is better for you. What you do from here on, is up to you.

Peace.

^
Thank you for the lengthy explanation. I really appreciate it.
I still have a hard time to relate to it though due to my naivety like you said.
I hope with more pondering and experiences I will be wiser about this.

Assalamualaikum, sister Arisa.

May I ask ....... do you often visit Islamic sites on internet?.

format_quote Originally Posted by ardianto

Assalamualaikum, sister Arisa.

May I ask ....... do you often visit Islamic sites on internet?.

Hmm, not really? I only visit them when I have questions
I realize I have to be careful too when visiting such sites. It would be nice to know someone who I can ask about something like this, but the problem is I am worried about the person's reaction. If the person says I am a bad Muslim or something similar there may be a chance I believe it and be devastated about it. It is scary!

format_quote Originally Posted by ardianto

Assalamualaikum, sister Arisa.

May I ask ....... do you often visit Islamic sites on internet?.

Whoops sorry. Forgot to say Wa-Alaikum-Salaam

format_quote Originally Posted by Abz2000

If you take the time to research secularism, then ponder over the guidance of Allah and the fact that laws are imposed upon people living in communities, you should clearly be able to see that secularism begins on a false foundation which is rejection of God, and by extension, rejection if truth, and ingratitude to God.

Once you look at the bigger picture, you realise that there's no such thing as absolute freedom, and that the way of shaytaan will always be at odds with the way of Allah until the way of Allah prevails.
The same will become obvious on the day of judgement when you realise that there are only two places for people and nothing in between.

All of my words will be of little effect if you came here for a confirmation of secularism or to promote it instead of to think.

Thank you for the explanation. I really have a lot to think and learn

format_quote Originally Posted by -arisa-

Great explanation, thanks!
Ah yeah I agree with some parts of Western culture. Eastern and Western cultures are so different, for instance when it comes to respecting those older than you. Here we have to address them in certain way to be polite. But in Western culture you can just call their name casually. I find this difference interesting.
Zina, alcohol, and accepting homosexuals are not allowed too in my culture. However, exposure to Western culture from media changes it little by little. Some people are affected by this, especially the young generations. It is worrying.
I think I have my priorities wrong then regarding my identity. I identify myself as human first, then a mix of Muslim and Indonesian.

I don't think it's wrong the way you identify yourself as long as non of the other parts of your identity cause you to do haram things or become more important then your Muslim identity. Remember before we came into this dunya, and we were all souls we were Muslims first. Those who submitted to god. Then we came into this world and became human, a daughter or a son, and we pick up our identities as we live, though before all this we were Muslims and when we leave this world we also want that to be the first thing we identify with before we die.

format_quote Originally Posted by -arisa-

Hmm, not really? I only visit them when I have questions
I realize I have to be careful too when visiting such sites. It would be nice to know someone who I can ask about something like this, but the problem is I am worried about the person's reaction. If the person says I am a bad Muslim or something similar there may be a chance I believe it and be devastated about it. It is scary!

Have you ever learned Islam from an ustadzah?. And did your ustadzah ever told you that you are bad Muslim?. I am sure, she didn't.

So, sister, don't be influenced by people who say that you are a bad Muslim, because actually this is a method to make you doubt about your path and then follow their path.

Criteria of good Muslim is not determined by human, but by Allah. We have to become better Muslim, of course. But it's because Allah, not because other people who say we have to become Muslim like this, like that.

My advice, if you have question about Islam it's better if you ask Islamic teacher near you. Don't go to internet because if you go to internet, then you will feel the urge for surfing, and probably you will visit the wrong Islamic sites. And it's better too if you join in women Qur'an recitation group (pengajian ibu-ibu) that lead by an ustadzah in your area.

Greetings,

I'm surprised the thread has carried on this long when its starting question could have been answered with one word.

Peace

^
Yeah I agree with the universal courtesy code. We learned something like that at school, some followed that code and some did not. I guess it depends on the upbringing and environment.

Well regarding the idea of implementing Islamic customs, it does not come from the government. It comes from some Islamic organizations, they are challenging the government.

I am glad I can ask. More understanding means stronger faith right?

format_quote Originally Posted by Abz2000

If you take the time to research secularism, then ponder over the guidance of Allah and the fact that laws are imposed upon people living in communities, you should clearly be able to see that secularism begins on a false foundation which is rejection of God, and by extension, rejection of truth, and ingratitude to God.
You shall know it by it's fruits when you see the guidance of God being suppressed stage by stage, blasphemed, and the freedom to assert one's faith being suppressed at every opportunity, and the more the guidance of God prevails democratically on a fair playing field, the more overt the vehement hatred and rage becomes against those who practice the true faith, and this has been the case with the true faith throughout history, when it comes to a stage where those rejectors of God who falsely assume the authority of God fear that they are about to hand over administration to be ruled by Gods laws.

It happened in egypt which was very secular until pharaoh feared that Banee Israeel who were the Muslims of the time would dethrone him, in Makkah when the Quraishi elders feared that their authority was being questioned - and they were a very free and secular society which tolerated christians and jews up until the call of the Prophet pbuh, minus the fact that they oppressed zayd bin amr bin nufail who was a critical thinking sincere monotheist unburdened by culture of his forefathers. See: https://tasfiyatarbiya.wordpress.com...-al-quraishee/

Take france for example, the land which claimed "liberty, equality, fraternity", and how it was claiming tolerance whilst slowly succeeding in turning it's people lewd, then when Islam began to become a major player that was gaining respect, the government began an anti-God crusade, banning prayer outside, claiming it was preventing force and allowing choice by banning hijab in schools, then banning grown women from wearing hijab in government institutions..... it became obvious that secularism was a tool to slowly remove God from the social and personal sphere.
When a person sees women dressed modestly, she begins to question her own dress and what she sees on t.v, and she might feel ashamed of putting on a lewd dress (i call it ho@ker in church effect).




It's just two hearts living....in two different worlds.....


In America we saw the false flag of 9/11 used to falsely justify it's war against Islam within and without, and to vilify Islam and muslims until women in hijab were being attacked with baseball bats whilst hundreds of thousands were massacred in the name of the false war on terror.

It is difficult to see all this when one stops researching history and starts watching secularist tv and reading secularist newspapers - because reality is turned upside down and people are cast into a localized bubble - but a true Muslim is not easily deceived because Islam is a collective and caring mindset in contrast to the self centered model which secularism promotes.
If you have secular minded friends and begin to think like them, you will inevitably begin to emulate them and forget about the horrendous things that have been taking place against those who have believed in allah and his messengers, you will begin to see the local situation relative to the news and will forget the words of Allah and the global and eternal situation, you will even forget that such a thing as iblees exists and that it has followers who are bent upon leading you astray and dragging you to hell, you will feel uncomfortable even claiming that you believe in jinn or angels in fear of ridicule - despite the fact that iblees is jinn and jibreel brought revelation to the Prophets.....and slowly you will feel shy to even admit that God exists.
I recall a customer back in England who claimed that she was afraid of coming near my suitcase full of laptops in case it blew up lol, then after checking her laptop and giving her a date to return and collect, she teased me when I said "God willing", as if I had said something funny....I thought about the psychological effect the current secularist system had had on her despite England having been a country which was claiming to be invading the world in the name of God not too long ago (if one reads history), it was simple, they had created a bubble for her.


Once you look at the bigger picture, you realise that there's no such thing as absolute freedom, and that the way of shaytaan will always be at odds with the way of Allah until the way of Allah prevails.
The same will become obvious on the day of judgement when you realise that there are only two places for people and nothing in between.

All of my words will be of little effect if you came here for a confirmation of secularism or to promote it instead of to think.

really? a video on enforcing sharia in the Islamic state? (ISIS)????? I always knew you were an ISIS supporter!!!! ISIS is a criminal gang! ISIS members are butchers and rapists! Enough of this support for criminals and extremists on the web! stop brainwashing this poor sister!

format_quote Originally Posted by Hamza Asadullah

My dear sister there is nothing wrong with asking questions or sharing your feelings about a matter that you do not understand it or you need clarification on. Without clarification how can we clear doubts and confusion in our minds.

What I find from your thoughts above is more to do with the behavior of Muslims than Islam itself. We all know Islam is perfect in what the two main sources of our deen (way of life) the Qur'an and Sunnah convey to us, with regards to the way Almighty Allah wants us to live and behave in our lives. But we must understand that Muslims are only human, and humans will and always have been flawed beings that may not at times be good representatives of our faith.

On top of that we do not have a world religious authority or shariah system to live by so at present there are different groups with different thinking etc some are extreme and others try to live by a middle path where as others are more liberal.

The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) emphasised the middle path as a way to live our lives. The middle way is in reality moderation. In all affairs and aspects, we are encouraged to adopt the middle path and not to be too lax nor to exceed the bounds. Allah says in the Qur'an, "And we have made you a moderate nation."(002,143)

When we say that Islam is a deen of moderation, it means moderate according to the way we have been shown by our beloved Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) and not what the present times dictates to be moderation. This moderation in Islam is actually the "middle way" which is desired by Allah.

So when we see Muslims behave inappropriately or act and behave too extreme, and label and judge others etc then we should not let their behavior eschew our view of our beautiful deen. Another important point is the media. We should know by know that the media is owned by a group of very rich people, with a particular agenda. Hence why we can never rely on the media to convey to us the "truth" on any matter, but they will always portray things with their own agenda's in mind. Hence why we should not look to the media for what they have to say about Islam and Muslims and I would go as far as say we should only refer to the mainstream media very minimally when it comes to the news or world current affairs.

The mainstream media use tricks and methods of deception and brain washing to change the thinking and perception of the masses. This is why it is so important that firstly we refer to the mainstream media as little as possible and secondly when we do refer to them that we bear in mind of the deception and lies they use to push forward their own agenda. Also of the fact that they may convey some truth with many lies, over exaggeration etc to change the perception and view of the masses in line with their own agenda.

You will also notice how they report news stories attributing "Muslims" with terrorism and terrorist acts, but they will use other words for non Muslim terrorists. Like for example the other day a Chinese "terrorist" set off a bomb but not once did they refer to it as a "act of terror". Instead they stated he had mental issues. So we must be aware of the many deceptions used by the media. They use fear and deception consistently in the way they convey news to the masses. This is why Muslims end up being attacked in the aftermath of a attack. The media will jump on such news and use it to cause fear amongst the masses of a "terrorist problem" in the Muslim community.

Also there are many trained "anti-Islamist" agents that are given a consistent platform on the mainstream media who consistently attribute lies against Islam and Muslims and many of them argue about Islamic modernisation etc. My sister they hate the fact that the Islam we follow today is the same as when the Qur'an was revealed and in accordance with the pure Sunnah of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). No other faith, religion or belief in the world is as pure as Islam and they want nothing more than to corrupt and dilute our faith like they have done to other faiths.

Their view of "modernisation" of faith is for us to let go of the fundamentals of our deen like the Christians have done with their faith constantly from the time of the Roman Empire until today. They have adopted pagan practices (Christmas, Easter), appointed gay priests and have totally diluted their faith to the point that it is completely unrecognisable from what it was at the time of Jesus (As) and is totally devoid of any teachings, beliefs and practices of Jesus (As). Many people have realised this and have lost faith in their religion and in the church to the point where most "Christians" have abandoned the churches and are only counted as Christian by name and not by faith. Today you go to churches across the Uk on a Sunday and you will find very little people except a few of the older generation.

So my sister we should be proud that Islam is pure and free from being corrupted and diluted like all other faiths and beliefs. We will never allow this to happen to our deen and they hate us for that and hence why they always try and defame our way of life and teachings of the Qur'an and our Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). So we must never fall for their deceptive ways.

“They wish that you reject Faith, as they have rejected (Faith), and thus that you all become equal (like one another) [al-Nisaa’ 4:89 – interpretation of the meaning]

Also my sister I think you should remain in this forum because at least it will make you feel a part of a small Muslim community online and a place where you can ask questions and gain clarification on any matter and misconception you may have.

May Allah never allow the enemies of Islam to corrupt us and our pure belief and way of life and enable us to stay firm upon the rope of Islam. Ameen

Wa-Alaikum-Salaam brother,

Thank you for your kind explanation. I find this easy to understand
I would like to stay in this forum but I am afraid I will be in trouble later. I broke one of the rules here too. I felt really bad about it. So... I guess I have to quit.

Anyway,

Thank you so much everyone for being so kind to share your knowledge with me.
It is time for me to leave this forum. I hope you are all always in the best of health and iman!