How?!

[wth1257]

Does one actually BE religious?

I was not raised in a very religious home, and there are a lot of things I really like about Islam, but I just fundamentally don't understand how you actually be religious?

I mean how does one go one, knowing that at any day some historian could find some new piece of historical data that would totally undermine your faith? I mean what if tomorrow some individual found evidence that the Qur'an wasn't actually codified untill the 9th century and numerous variants had existed?

How does one beleive in God with no evidence?

I know these are absurdly vague questions but I just don't "get" it. I would like to be religious, and once the semester winds down I think I might try and get up the guts to call the Imam at a local Mosque, but I just, on some fundamental level, don't "get it". Perhapse some people just don't have the proper disposition to be religious. I don't know what it would be though, it's certianly not a matter of inteligence, despite what your more obnoxious atheist might claim, yet when I look at religious people, genuinly religious people (a rare thing these days) I just feel there is something "different" about us.

?

any insight/advise?

[aamirsaab]

:sl:
It's a mindset. Here's how I do it. In the back of my mind, all Islam is teaching me is to be a good person.

What is a good person?
Someone who doesn't swear every 5 seconds, someone who is clean/smells pleasant, someone who smiles at his fellow human beings, someone who helps other people and so on and so forth.

It really is that simple of a mind set: avoid the bad and enjoy the good. Once you have that mind set, you won't worry about your faith being attacked or lost or whatever. Faith is what you personally believe in - I have complete faith that heaven and hell exists but I know that others do not share that faith. It doesn't affect my faith though.

How does one beleive in God with no evidence?

Interesting point. What I shall say on the matter is that a lot of the world believes in a Deity/Creator type figure (followers of the 3 abrahamic faiths comes to about 3.8 billion or so, add on the hindus, sikhs etc , you're probably looking at around 70-80% of the worlds population) - I think that is enough for anyone to be convinced that there is a deity figure. Proof is in the pudding and whatnot.

Still, if you need more proof, look at the core teachings of those religions and their emphasis on being good and in most cases avoiding the bad - could a human (with all of their flaws and tendancies of power trips) come up with something that complex? I don't think so. The only other explanation, from my point of view, is God.

[Malaikah]

Isn't creation itself enough evidence for God?

And if you are worried about some 'new piece of historical data' I doubt that is much to worry about. You just need to read up in the history of the Quran and hadiths to know how well they were preserved from day one.

[cute123]

Does one actually BE religious?

I was not raised in a very religious home, and there are a lot of things I really like about Islam, but I just fundamentally don't understand how you actually be religious?

I mean how does one go one, knowing that at any day some historian could find some new piece of historical data that would totally undermine your faith? I mean what if tomorrow some individual found evidence that the Qur'an wasn't actually codified untill the 9th century and numerous variants had existed?

How does one beleive in God with no evidence?

I know these are absurdly vague questions but I just don't "get" it. I would like to be religious, and once the semester winds down I think I might try and get up the guts to call the Imam at a local Mosque, but I just, on some fundamental level, don't "get it". Perhapse some people just don't have the proper disposition to be religious. I don't know what it would be though, it's certianly not a matter of inteligence, despite what your more obnoxious atheist might claim, yet when I look at religious people, genuinly religious people (a rare thing these days) I just feel there is something "different" about us.

?

any insight/advise?

if you could distingush whats different between ISLAM and others, you would know why its the truth and not a story or another man made creation or man altered religion.

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[YusufNoor]

Does one actually BE religious?

it's Islam! there ARE actually formulas!

I was not raised in a very religious home, and there are a lot of things I really like about Islam, but I just fundamentally don't understand how you actually be religious?

it's our hearts that stop us from accepting everything that Allah[swt] tells us to do. search for "heart softeners."

I mean how does one go one, knowing that at any day some historian could find some new piece of historical data that would totally undermine your faith? I mean what if tomorrow some individual found evidence that the Qur'an wasn't actually codified untill the 9th century and numerous variants had existed?

the only thing you could find are errant copies purposely changed by someone.

How does one beleive in God with no evidence?

one could also call the Qur'an the Book of Signs. and interestingly enough, the Arabic word for signs is Ayat, which also means proofs! the Qur'an actually relates how many of the "signs" around us point not only to Allah[swt] but also to the resurrection! these are repeated often in the Qur'an so that we really come to understand [with Allah's help of course]; examples are rising of the sun which leaves us every day and comes back every day. another is the cycle of the moon and the cycles of the seasons, while another is how rain gives live to the earth.

I know these are absurdly vague questions but I just don't "get" it. I would like to be religious, and once the semester winds down I think I might try and get up the guts to call the Imam at a local Mosque, but I just, on some fundamental level, don't "get it". Perhapse some people just don't have the proper disposition to be religious. I don't know what it would be though, it's certianly not a matter of inteligence, despite what your more obnoxious atheist might claim, yet when I look at religious people, genuinly religious people (a rare thing these days) I just feel there is something "different" about us.

?

any insight/advise?

:sl:

there a Hadeeth about the Angel Gibreel, here[in part]:

Volume 1, Book 2, Number 47:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

One day while the Prophet was sitting in the company of some people, (The angel) Gabriel came and asked, "What is faith?" Allah's Apostle replied, 'Faith is to believe in Allah, His angels, (the) meeting with Him, His Apostles, and to believe in Resurrection." Then he further asked, "What is Islam?" Allah's Apostle replied, "To worship Allah Alone and none else, to offer prayers perfectly to pay the compulsory charity (Zakat) and to observe fasts during the month of Ramadan." Then he further asked, "What is Ihsan (perfection)?" Allah's Apostle replied, "To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must consider that He is looking at you."

i've heard it restated as such:

1) what is Islam? Faith is to believe in Allah, His angels, (the) meeting with Him, His Apostles, and to believe in Resurrection.To worship Allah Alone and none else, to offer prayers perfectly to pay the compulsory charity (Zakat) and to observe fasts during the month of Ramadan.

2) what is Iman? when Islam enters the heart!

3) what is Ihsan? To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must consider that He is looking at you

you COULD say that #1 happens when Islam enters the brain. this is simple, it happens to alot of people.

#2 however, this is the JEWEL of Islam! this is what you are seeking! [imho, of course] when i listen to lectures by Mufti Ismail Menk, my "Iman" flourishes!
[especially this: http://www.nazirakoob.com/menk/Tafseer2005.html ]

reading Muhammad Asad's The Message of the Qur'an.
http://www.amazon.com/Message-Quran-.../dp/1904510353

Mufti Menk has Tafseer lectures:

http://www.muftimenk.co.za/Downloads.html

and from his general lectures, i love these:


Muslim Women! Are they Oppressed?

Hopes in Your Aspirations for Jannah

Examinations of Sabr...Pass or Fail

Hopes in Your Aspirations for Jannah

The Organ that will Make you or Brake you

and my now favorite lecture:

Abdud Dunyaa (Slave of the World)

also this series of lecture by Jalal Zarabozo regarding Surat Al Fatiha is VERY INSTRUCTIVE, especially on how it shows the value of Arabic language:

http://www.kalamullah.com/al-fatihah.html

listening to the Qur'an in both Arabic and English proved to be a heart softener to me as well:

http://www.kalamullah.com/noble-quran.html

May Allah[swt] make it easy on you!

:w:

[wth1257]

if you could distingush whats different between ISLAM and others, you would know why its the truth and not a story or another man made creation or man altered religion.

what do you mean?

[- Qatada -]

Hey :)


If you believe in God, ask Him for the guidance.

Once you believe in a piece of truth, you follow it. So if you find Islam as the truth today, follow it. Life's too short to worry about what will happen in the future of this life. There's loads of 'what ifs' - but you follow what convinces you most. Otherwise you're living a life of doubt, which makes you lack confidence in your own reality, of who you are and what you face presently. Since your present is what makes you who you are today.

Everyday is today, so follow what you know is the truth today. When you submit to Allah and show your sincerity, He will keep your heart firm and guide & support you in all matters. Think of it this way, if Islam has never been disproved of till this day [for over 14 centuries], then what makes you think it will be disproved tomorrow? There's valid responses to all the false and weak claims the plotters have put forward, so don't be sad about what they do - since Allah has protected His religion through our learned ones.



Allah's Messenger, Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to pray against sadness of the past, and anxiety of the future. If you worry too much about either of them, you don't get to live your life today. And today is what matters, because this is the day when you do have control over what you achieve in life. So ask God/Allah to guide you, and be sincere in your aim - learn and practise what you learn more - and you will see a great deal of good in this life, and the one to come. :)

[Al Qalam]

I've met many religious people whom I seriously doubt have any faith whatsoever in God, and I've met many non-religious people who keep God in there thoughts with virtually every breath they take. If you're having a crisis in faith, perhaps try picturing your life without God. For me, that would be a horrifying prospect, because my belief in one God, regardless of discoveries to the contrary, is the source of all that is good, peaceful, and beautiful in my life.

[Becka]

I think that religion is the outword, often group based, expression of your own personal faith not that they (faith and religion) are seperate, unless you remove yourself from any sort of society, if you have faith you will nearly always be involved in the religious practice as well.

If your wondering how you become religious, well I think you first need to ask deeply within yourself about your own faith, which is much harder to say 'how' you do that than how you are religious. If your interested in Islam then I would first of all recommend reading a translation of the Qur'an, there are some excellent ones out there that you could get from the library or a shop. Maybe a reading of a biography of the Prophet would help you get a better understanding on issues your interested in. Tariq Ramadan and Martin Ling have both done clear, concise and very informative biographies (and they are, thankfully, prety brief so you won't need to read through 7 or more volumes!!).

If you feel that you do not 'get it' maybe thinking about why you don't or if you want to 'get it' is important, only you can make these decisions, people on the internet and books can help you gain a better understanding and depth of knowledge, but its down to you to decide what you wish to do.