Ups and downs for reverts

[bibish]

Hello everyone.

I am writing as I would really like to know how those of you who have reverted to Islam have been doing since converting and what problems you have had to face.

I converted over two years ago and have been very off and on with practicing and I have even had doubts about whether my decision to convert was the right one :hmm:

At the beginning I was very positive and worked hard to be regular in my prayers and not drink alcohol, etc. Now I have moved countries and I don't know other muslims near me and think if I did, it would help me in growing stronger and becoming a better muslim, which I really am not at the moment imsad

Do you think it is normal to have these experiences? What about your experiences?

[Danah]

I am not a revert but I do know some revert sisters through the internet. They passed through the same experience you have, its normal even for the normal muslims that you have some weak eman times were you feel that you are not a good muslims or you need to work harder

This is always helping us to always plan for the better. It always alert us that we have to do more, and hence we really do more when those down times passed away

one of the sisters I know is a teenage girl living in a place where she hadn't meet any muslim face to face, but subhanAllah she is doing really good in learning. She knows that its hard for to go and look for muslims so she try to learn from the reliable websites or from reading books.
So inshaAllah being alone without having muslims around will not be an obstacle for you to be a good muslimah
May Allah guide us all to the true path

[Yusuf Saeed]

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatuAllah wa barakatuhu.

First of all your decision to convert was surely the rightest thing to do ever.

I think it's normal to have some ups and downs in eman but all in all we should always move towards making our eman stronger.

Being in a country with only around 5,000 muslims I know what it feels like not to be around muslims. But we reverts/converts need to hold on to islam and do everything we can to make our eman grow stronger.

Just don't let yourself go and now that whenever it's tough to follow islam the bigger will be the reward for us for following it in all the difficulties.
Try making a contact with your sisters in islam, perhaps trough a local masjid.
And now when the Ramadan is coming it's a perfect time to get closer to God and start practicing islam even better than you did before.

May Allah help you and keep you blessed and guided.

[Tony]

I sometimes see muslims who are really not friendly and at present I am going through a patch of seeing born muslims behaving bad and it can pull ur imaan down, then I see ppl who dont do salaat and appearto be non practising then I realise they are praying every meal, teaching thier kids surrahs, not cheating in business etc etc, and I feel far from Islam, this also pulls imaan down. The answer is definatley keepup with salaat, read Qur'an, friday mosque and dont judge anuone. Ramadhan will teach us the meaning and value of imaan and peace. Sister theres always some sort of confusion or hardship for us reverts but Alhamdulullah Allah wanted us to live off the path before bringing us to Islam. Never ever give up asking for His help, we really need it:D

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[syilla]

:salamext:

Its normal to have up downs... Just do your best and don't do it too much beyond your practicality. Remember the most important thing is the consistency and not the quantity.

Allah swt will always be there for us...if we ask

[glo]

Greetings, bibish, and welcome to the forums.

I think your problems are common for many people who have converted to a new religion or way of life. I have seen it in many converts/reverts, and I have experienced it myself.

When people convert/revert to a new religion, they often express a great sense of joy and peace, everything seems to going well, all previous problems seem to disappear, and they feel confirmed that their decision was the right one!

But that 'honeymoon period' doesn't last forever. Soon enough problems with practising the new religion set in; doubt and questions come; and the new religion, which seemed to be the perfect answer to everything, becomes actually quite difficult to follow.

I think that's when your real test begins.

Is this the religion I believe to be true and really want to follow?
Can I deal with the difficulties?
Do I believe?
If your answer is YES, then don't stop and keep going!!

I remember very clearly some months after converting to Christianity,finding it very hard to cope with the criticism I received from people around me.
One day I was in my room praying, crying out to God, when I clearly felt a voice speak to me. It said temptingly: "You know that you can always go back to how you were ... it was an easier life, you know ..."

That was my greatest test!
As soon as I heard that voice I rose to my feet and declared my faith, defiantly!

Even now, after 6 years, there are times of spiritual emptyness, times of fatigue and times of questioning.
There will always be ups and downs in any spiritual journey. So don't think you are alone!

When times are tough, draw closer to God. Lose yourself in him! Trust in him!
Submit to his will, and believe that he knows best!

I wish you all the best. May God guide and guard you always! :statisfie

[transition?]

I'm not a revert but I used to not practice. I think to myself when I started to wear hijab and make changes to live the islamic lifestyle and people made it very difficult for me..etc.

I used to wonder..."ughhhhhh whyyyyy do I have to do thissss."
Doesn't matter who you are and where you come from, THIS IS REALITY. ISLAM IS REALITY. Do we really have a choice once we know the truth? EVERYBODY will be judged on the day of Judgement.

For most people, it's not the belief in Allah (swt) or the Day of Judgement that's the "wrong choice" they might have made, but it's the difficulty og following through in actions that creates the doubts.

Sometimes, astagfiruallah, I like to wonder if I could just be and atheist for convenience... so instead of doing my obligations, I could just watch Television all day. But can you really deny that there isn't a day of Judgement? a God?

Just because at times, Islam doesn't feel "convenient" or "easy" doesn't mean it won't be worthwhile. Verily, life is fleeting enjoyment and the hereafter is longer and better!
I'm sure school wasn't perfect everyday, but it was sure worthwhile to get that education ;)

Aww sister/brother, Muslims who were born Muslims live in areas with scarce Muslims. You just have to think about how you're an AGENT OF CHANGE (subhanAllah) the plus side is that you're reaching out to people. You're returning a favor of Allah (swt) allowing guidance to reach you. :)!

[Muslim Woman]

:sl:

...Now I have moved countries and I don't know other muslims near me

Is it possible for you to visit the local mosque ? May be , u will find some Muslims there . Specially during the blessed Ramadan , Muslims are supossed to spend much time in mosque specially for Tarabi salat.

[Bub]

Aww sister! I do not know where u live but check it out? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mosques_in_Europe to meet the sisters and listen to the lectures of Islamic from Iman? InshaAllah

[rpwelton]

Hello everyone.

I am writing as I would really like to know how those of you who have reverted to Islam have been doing since converting and what problems you have had to face.

I converted over two years ago and have been very off and on with practicing and I have even had doubts about whether my decision to convert was the right one :hmm:

At the beginning I was very positive and worked hard to be regular in my prayers and not drink alcohol, etc. Now I have moved countries and I don't know other muslims near me and think if I did, it would help me in growing stronger and becoming a better muslim, which I really am not at the moment imsad

Do you think it is normal to have these experiences? What about your experiences?

Revert or not, we all go through ups and downs, as eeman is rarely constant.

We must struggle with our nafs and against the shaytan every day, but it is a battle we can win.

I am a revert and recently I went through a bit of a down phase. I was still praying my prayers, but I felt empty. I had neglected the sunnah prayers much of the time and the du'a after the prayers, which I had been really good at doing when I first came to Islam.

I found what is helping me to get back into the swing of things is

a) getting excited about Ramadan
b) going to the masjid for as many prayers as possible (especially fajr). This is a HUGE eeman booster.

Trust in Allah and be steadfast. Whatever you do, always pray your prayers, no matter how much you don't feel like praying, because if you get out of that habit, it may be really hard to come back to it.

[Rasema]

Assalamu Alaikum wa rahmatu Allahi wa baraktuhu

Everything you do or say your iman either goes up or down,it never stayes still.

To keep your iman up:

1. Seek knowledge,do whatever it takes to have power to knowledge.
Watch lectures etc..
Read the basics of Islam in deteal.
2. Act upon your belief. Once you gain knowledge and you are constant it is easy to act upon your belief.
Have you read the tafsir? Do you know the last days and the next life in deteal?
Once you do, It becomes very easy to act upon your belief.
3. Observe the creation. Everything oround you should remind you of Allah,spw,that he created it.


Learn His 99 beautiful names.

Take this opportunity of Ramadhan to stay away from sin.

I'm a revert. I grew up in a Muslim family but they've been torturing me in everything(praying,fasting,wearing hijab). They still do. I had doubts at the beginning but the basics of Islam(in deteal) cleared it all out for me.


Read hadeeths.

http://bewley.virtualave.net/riyad6.html

Read about the lives of prophet's,saws, companions.

May Allah strenghten you.

Stay at home and be satisfied with waht you obtain. Stay at home and seek knowledge through computer.

[convert]

Its tough. I just focus focus focus on my salat. The rest will fall in line inshaAllah.

The toughest part and biggest iman killer for me is the marriage issue and I've indefinitely given up on it because, frankly, it causes me to become bitter and thats not good.

Just increase your knowledge any way possible. The best thing about our deen, to me, is the scholarly aspect of it; coming from Christianity where it is all "just have faith", it was a breath of fresh air to hear "this is what the muslim believes, this is why the muslim believes it, and these are the benefits to such a thing".

Ramadan starts tomorrow night, inshaAllah. Alhamdulillah. The community aspect comes into full effect so use it to know your brothers and sisters. InshaAllah forge some friendships.

[happynur]

ups and downs is a normal thing.
that's the sign that your emaan is growing...

keep fight to be better muslim :)

[bibish]

Thank you for all your replies and great advice. Rasema, I will definitely look for the tafsir. It is qu'ran commentary if I am not mistaken, right? Are there any in particular I should look for and is there anything online? I noticed that Qutb's commentary was online but alas it is so long and I have also read some criticism about him not following the standard commentaries.

Thank you :statisfie

[Rasema]

Thank you for all your replies and great advice. Rasema, I will definitely look for the tafsir. It is qu'ran commentary if I am not mistaken, right? Are there any in particular I should look for and is there anything online? I noticed that Qutb's commentary was online but alas it is so long and I have also read some criticism about him not following the standard commentaries.

Thank you :statisfie

Wa Alaiku Muselam

Thank you sister.

Yes, it's a commentary.There are no Tafsirs of the companions of the Prophet,sallallahu alaihi wa salam. Hadeeths of Prophet's companions, Prophet's hadeeths, and teachings of the Qur'an are used as the basis of Tafsir.

There are a number of different tafsir. The most famous is of Ibn Kathir who was a famous classical scholar. I do not know of any contemporary tafsir works by modern scholars.

This is the one by Ibn Kadhir. Personally, I find it hard to understand but I would like to paste something from it which will help you communicate spiritualy with the creator of the heavens and the Earth and all in between of them.

I'LL PASTE AN EASIER ONE AT THE END OF THE POST.


(Allah, the Exalted, said, `I have divided the prayer (Al-Fatihah) into two halves between Myself and My servant, and My servant shall have what he asks for.' If he says,


[الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ ]


(All praise and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of existence.)


Allah says, `My servant has praised Me.' When the servant says,


[الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ ]


(The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.)


Allah says, `My servant has glorified Me.' When he says,


[مَـلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ ]


(The Owner of the Day of Recompense.) Allah says, `My servant has glorified Me,' or `My servant has related all matters to Me.' When he says,


[إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ]


(You (alone) we worship, and You (alone) we ask for help.) Allah says, `This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall acquire what he sought.' When he says,


[اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ - صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّآلِّينَ ]


(Guide us to the straight path. The way of those on whom You have granted Your grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray), Allah says, `This is for My servant, and My servant shall acquire what he asked for.').''


These are the words of An-Nasa'i, while both Muslim and An-Nasa'i collected the following wording, "A half of it is for Me and a half for My servant, and My servant shall acquire what he asked for.''






This is the one I find easier to understand.

http://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?...o&LanguageID=2

And,this is a very good site which will help,InshAllah.

http://www.islamic-awareness.org/

[Ramisa]

:sl:

As for your question directed at anyone,I am neither a convert nor a revert,alhumdulilah I was brought up a Muslim.But I may share some of your experiences as I myself suffered much as a Muslim sister living in a foreign country. I have gone through many dilemmas. No one can expect a perfect life anywhere in this life,even the Prophet(peace be upon him) suffered through many hardships caused by many of his own,then why not us? He was also afflicted upon with blackmagic. What is the pillar of this? Your lack of faith in your own religion is increasing the temptation from the Shaitayn. At times like this you must keep your stand as a Muslim. You should have firm belief in your religion. The Shaitayn is taking advantage to seize this opportunity and tempt you out of Islam. Read the Qura'an daily,dhikr Allah the most during the temptations and inshallah you will beat the shaitayn. Allah knows the best.May Allah guide you and bless you on the right path, ameen.

:w:

[Woodrow]

:sl:

As for your question directed at anyone,I am neither a convert nor a revert,alhumdulilah I was brought up a Muslim.But I may share some of your experiences as I myself suffered much as a Muslim sister living in a foreign country. I have gone through many dilemmas. No one can expect a perfect life anywhere in this life,even the Prophet(peace be upon him) suffered through many hardships caused by many of his own,then why not us? He was also afflicted upon with blackmagic. What is the pillar of this? Your lack of faith in your own religion is increasing the temptation from the Shaitayn. At times like this you must keep your stand as a Muslim. You should have firm belief in your religion. The Shaitayn is taking advantage to seize this opportunity and tempt you out of Islam. Read the Qura'an daily,dhikr Allah the most during the temptations and inshallah you will beat the shaitayn. Allah knows the best.May Allah guide you and bless you on the right path, ameen.

:w:

:wa:

I agree and want to add:


One of the very first things I learned when I reverted.:

"It only takes a few seconds to become a Muslim,but it takes a lifetime to be a Muslim."

Part of being a Muslim is to still be a Muslim after you pass through a rough time. Yes, at times we slip, fall and take three steps back for every step forward. How many times we fall on our fce or get knocked to the ground is of no importance, the winning of the test is we are still Muslims after these hard times.

Anybody can become a Muslim, but it takes a Muslim to stay a Muslim.

[Misz_Muslimah]

Whats the difference between a convert and a revert ? :embarrass

[Woodrow]

Whats the difference between a convert and a revert ? :embarrass

A convert is a person who changes his religion to one he/she was not in the past. ie a Jew becoming a Hindu

It is impossible for a person to be a convert to Islam. We were all born Muslim although we may have been raised in another faith. When we accept Islam we are returning to the Faith we were born in. Returning home to were we belong, reverting back to Islam. Even though we may not have known we were always Muslim.

[Misz_Muslimah]

Jazaakalahu khayran brother...good explanation :)

[convert]

A convert is a person who changes his religion to one he/she was not in the past. ie a Jew becoming a Hindu

It is impossible for a person to be a convert to Islam. We were all born Muslim although we may have been raised in another faith. When we accept Islam we are returning to the Faith we were born in. Returning home to were we belong, reverting back to Islam. Even though we may not have known we were always Muslim.

That is wrong. The hadith states we are born on fitrah, not Islam.

[rpwelton]

To the OP -

What might help is to revisit the reason(s) you decided to come to Islam in the first place. Would you mind sharing?

[Woodrow]

That is wrong. The hadith states we are born on fitrah, not Islam.

You may be correct. I am not familiar with any Ahadith that say that. But, there are many I have yet to read. Would you please post that particular Hadith?

[kwolney01]

I reverted last year and it was the best thing I've done. I know many Muslims..but they don't practice. :(

I've had moments where I feel like I'll never learn Arabic and I'm not trying hard enough. Make dua to Allah that he will give you strength everyday. It's hard being a revert. You have to learn so much and it's a huge change.

The doubts you are having are from Shaytan. Your on the right path you just need some guidance and guidance only comes from Allah.

I didn't start wearing the hijab until recently because of all the things in my head. I realized that I have to do it for myself and Allah and no one else. It's better to go through struggle here on Earth and gain paradise. :) We all have times like this but it's because of Shaytan's whispers. Don't let it get to you. Ramadan is the best time to practice more and become a better Muslim. We all can be better sister.

May Allah guide you and give you strength. Ameen

[convert]

You may be correct. I am not familiar with any Ahadith that say that. But, there are many I have yet to read. Would you please post that particular Hadith?

a summary of the hadith in the beginning by sheikh riyad ul haq

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0trE...e=channel_page

[Woodrow]

a summary of the hadith in the beginning by sheikh riyad ul haq

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0trE...e=channel_page

Jazakallah Khayran,

I can understand what the Sheikh is implying, and have no reason to disagree with him. Perhaps we are having a misunderstanding over semantics as at 02:49 on the video the Sheikh says that "a new born is inclined to become Muslim, but is not quite yet Muslim" That concept would still make revert very appropriate. As it indicates a person has returned to what He was supposed to be.

But this is just my opinion and based upon only the semantic connotations of the words Convert and Revert. A linguistic view if you please. Astagfirullah

[zakirs]

Sister , salaams ,

there is no need to be in doubt, Have faith in allah you will find solutions to your stuggles :).Regarding difficulties in not having muslims around you , You can always compensate for that by having a few muslim sisters as your online friends they might help you with daily doubts and problems.I guess people here would *more than happy * to help you out with anything.I myself am not perfect sis , nobody is.We all should strive hard to do our best so that we can save ourselves from fire after judgement day :).

Also till you learn arabic read english quran available online :).


May allah help you with your difficulties.

[bibish]

To the OP -

What might help is to revisit the reason(s) you decided to come to Islam in the first place. Would you mind sharing?

No, I don't mind sharing at all :statisfie

I first learnt about islam through my boyfriend who was muslim and also his friends. He taught me a lot and really introduced me to another world. However, I only really got interested and converted/reverted when we had broken up and I started learning about it myself. I had always believed in god and had had dalliances with paganism/wicca and christianity when I was younger but these religions never truly satisfied me and I ended up leaving them. I liked paganism for its flexibility and got interested in it when I was in my late teens but in the end I drifted away from. With Christianity, I always had doubts and had trouble believing what I was supposed to believe and paying attention through services, but I believed in god and so this quenched my thirst for a brief while.

Islam made sense to me as I could continue to believe in jesus - although this time as a prophet - and the bible and it made sense in that in islam, there is only one god (i.e. jesus was not divinity) - which is what I believed. I want to be close to god, lead a "pure" life (if you can say that) and I also want to learn to be a better person. I think Islam would allow me to do that. I don't like the way society is nowadays. It is so sexualised and I only have to look at my female friends to see that this is not really a good thing for them emotionally. I just hope that my faith will increase and I will practice more soon!!!!:statisfie

[Bub]

No, I don't mind sharing at all :statisfie

I first learnt about islam through my boyfriend who was muslim and also his friends. He taught me a lot and really introduced me to another world. However, I only really got interested and converted/reverted when we had broken up and I started learning about it myself. I had always believed in god and had had dalliances with paganism/wicca and christianity when I was younger but these religions never truly satisfied me and I ended up leaving them. I liked paganism for its flexibility and got interested in it when I was in my late teens but in the end I drifted away from. With Christianity, I always had doubts and had trouble believing what I was supposed to believe and paying attention through services, but I believed in god and so this quenched my thirst for a brief while.

Islam made sense to me as I could continue to believe in jesus - although this time as a prophet - and the bible and it made sense in that in islam, there is only one god (i.e. jesus was not divinity) - which is what I believed. I want to be close to god, lead a "pure" life (if you can say that) and I also want to learn to be a better person. I think Islam would allow me to do that. I don't like the way society is nowadays. It is so sexualised and I only have to look at my female friends to see that this is not really a good thing for them emotionally. I just hope that my faith will increase and I will practice more soon!!!!:statisfie

masha'Allah! Might Allah guide you2 the straight the path, do u mind me 2 ask? What do you think of Ramadaan? Insha'Allah u like it. :statisfie i learn a lot about islamic recently, its so beautiful!

[Danah]

Just wanted to add something

Being among muslims is not "always" something great!!!

I am living in a muslim society but many people around me are just practicing and look at the religion as something taken for granted!! so I dont feel that I am gaining something from them!
May Allah ease your affairs an lead your soul to the spiritual peace

[ummsara1108]

I am not a revert, even though my husband says I am lol and always asks why I have not taken shahada yet, because I act like like a muslim except I do not wear hajab, only in the majid and certain reletives homes, but I guess it's a similar situation, my feelings are coming before I take the final step, also my parents are not ready to hear it although they know, so I continue to seek as much knowledge as poss and this forum is great!

[ummsara1108]

Watch a few or all of Sheik Yousif Estes, he is great especially for new comers or those searching, hes an ex-preacher and explains it wonderfully.

[Caller الداعي]

sis mashallah uve been accepted by Allah and guided to islam !
i know that muslims actions are nowadays not really very islamic this is somethng that has been the case in most countries.
Ppl dont become better ppl by just callin themselves by muslim names and performin a few good deeds here and there, better ppl are those who try to come close to Allah and live in hope and fear of the Almighty!
ive found that many ppl have strengthend and protected their iman by assoiciating themselves to scholars and islamic groups that work in many muslim communities . Remember the sahabs iman would increase in the company of the pious and who can be more pious the the holy prophet alysalam himself .
unfortunatly we r not blessed with the company of the being of the blessed prophet alysalam amongst us but this doesnt mean pious company does exist ! In fact weve been told to stay in the company of those who rembr and praise Allah moring and evening.
sis i pray to Allah to help u and strengthen ur iman and ours and keep us steadfast and near the company of the pious! ameen

[bibish]

masha'Allah! Might Allah guide you2 the straight the path, do u mind me 2 ask? What do you think of Ramadaan? Insha'Allah u like it. :statisfie i learn a lot about islamic recently, its so beautiful!

Actually, I am totally away from the experience of ramadan here. At the moment I am at my parent's house - usually I live in a different country - and I cannot fast in front of them (I am at home most of the tyeas they have no idea about my conversion. imsad I know I should be fasting but it is not really an option here. I have been secretly praying as I can do that in my bedroom and I am not usually disturbed.

[convert]

Actually, I am totally away from the experience of ramadan here. At the moment I am at my parent's house - usually I live in a different country - and I cannot fast in front of them (I am at home most of the tyeas they have no idea about my conversion. imsad I know I should be fasting but it is not really an option here. I have been secretly praying as I can do that in my bedroom and I am not usually disturbed.

This is a major sin. You have to disobey your parents if what they say counters Islam.

I believe not fasting Ramadaan makes you a kafir (I will have to find proof though but if sawm is an arkam it only logically follows here).

If you can pray secretly, why can't you fast secretly?

[bibish]

This is a major sin. You have to disobey your parents if what they say counters Islam.

I believe not fasting Ramadaan makes you a kafir (I will have to find proof though but if sawm is an arkam it only logically follows here).

If you can pray secretly, why can't you fast secretly?

I can't fast secretly. We eat together and my mother would notice if I was not eating. :hmm:

[Bub]

Actually, I am totally away from the experience of ramadan here. At the moment I am at my parent's house - usually I live in a different country - and I cannot fast in front of them (I am at home most of the tyeas they have no idea about my conversion. imsad I know I should be fasting but it is not really an option here. I have been secretly praying as I can do that in my bedroom and I am not usually disturbed.

oh sister! u cant keep it as a secret forever, u have 2 tell ur parents and im sure they will be there for you, inshaAllah. u have to tell them the beauty religion islamic if ur too scared, text them when ur home? i will make a du'a for u. I hope convert/revent will give u better advice u out as they must been through the same as u.

[convert]

I can't fast secretly. We eat together and my mother would notice if I was not eating. :hmm:

Then don't eat with them. Fasting takes precedence here. How do you know they will be so harsh with you, have you talked to them about it?

I advise you to make towbah and find out the expiation for not fasting Ramadaan quick, fast, and in a hurry.

[zakirs]

yeah try talking to them :)

[glo]

How old are you, bibish, if you don't mind me asking?

[bibish]

How old are you, bibish, if you don't mind me asking?

That's ok! I'm not that young - I'm 27 :nervous:

[czgibson]

Greetings,

I'm sure that as you're 27, your parents will realise you're old enough to make your own decisions. It may come as a shock to them, but I think it's definitely worth discussing. Get it out in the open.

I hope it works out for you. :)

Peace

[glo]

Greetings,

I'm sure that as you're 27, your parents will realise you're old enough to make your own decisions. It may come as a shock to them, but I think it's definitely worth discussing. Get it out in the open.

I hope it works out for you. :)

Peace

I agree with you, cz.

However, I don't think people always appreciate how strong the emotions and reactions of some people can be when their loved ones 'become religious' or change religion.
It can be a very emotive situation, and the reactions can be very strong and have lasting consequences ...

I hope you find the courage to speak to your parents, bibish.

[bibish]

Cz and glo - could I ask you both a question? As an atheist and a christian, what made you join and continue to use these forums? I am interested to know. You are both so refreshingly openminded and encouraging about Islam as well :statisfie

[czgibson]

Greetings,

Cz and glo - could I ask you both a question? As an atheist and a christian, what made you join and continue to use these forums? I am interested to know. You are both so refreshingly openminded and encouraging about Islam as well :statisfie

I disagree with Islam on many matters, but I think that if someone wants to be a Muslim, nobody should try to prevent them.

I'm here because I think Muslims and non-Muslims need to talk more. :)

Peace

[glo]

Bibish, speaking for myself, I came here to learn more about Islam.

I live in a community with a sizeable Muslim minority of Pakistani background; and I was frustrated because it seemed impossible to get to interact with them. So I felt I had to go elsewhere to learn about Islam ... and I found this forum.
It still is difficult to interact with local Muslims three years later, but with the knowledge I have gained here in this forum I can go out and treat my Muslim neighbours in a manner which they would find appropriate.
(I find that 'Ramadan Mubarak' rolls off my tongue quite easily these days ... and a Muslim family in our street and my family now exchange Eid and Christmas present on a regular basis. :statisfie)

I am not considering Islam for myself, but I would love to see greater interfaith working between our faiths.
We share so much in common, and if we applied our religious teachings properly, we could - in a combined effort- make our communities better places!

Why I continue to be a member here?
Well, I do take some time out once in a while, but I stay because
a) I continue to learn about Islam,
b) hopefully others can learn from me (and other Christians) about Christianity, and
c) I have simply made some wonderful friends here.

[bibish]

Bibish, speaking for myself, I came here to learn more about Islam.

I live in a community with a sizeable Muslim minority of Pakistani background; and I was frustrated because it seemed impossible to get to interact with them. So I felt I had to go elsewhere to learn about Islam ... and I found this forum.
It still is difficult to interact with local Muslims three years later, but with the knowledge I have gained here in this forum I can go out and treat my Muslim neighbours in a manner which they would find appropriate.
(I find that 'Ramadan Mubarak' rolls off my tongue quite easily these days ... and a Muslim family in our street and my family now exchange Eid and Christmas present on a regular basis. :statisfie)

I am not considering Islam for myself, but I would love to see greater interfaith working between our faiths.
We share so much in common, and if we applied our religious teachings properly, we could - in a combined effort- make our communities better places!

Why I continue to be a member here?
Well, I do take some time out once in a while, but I stay because
a) I continue to learn about Islam,
b) hopefully others can learn from me (and other Christians) about Christianity, and
c) I have simply made some wonderful friends here.

:statisfie That's great! It is good that you made such an effort to learn about it by going on a forum to be able to get to understand your neighbours more. I can't say that many people would do that! I personally have found this forum very informative so far and a lot of more 'serious' than many other islamic forums I have encountered.

And thank you all for your wonderful advice :statisfie

[zakirs]

We share so much in common, and if we applied our religious teachings properly, we could - in a combined effort- make our communities better places!

exactly i dont know why all the media brags something or the other about islam being this and that, when Islam is the closest religion to christianity. West needs to learn to respect their own religion first.

[zakirs]

I personally have found this forum very informative so far and a lot of more 'serious' than many other islamic forums I have encountered.

Thank you

And thank you all for your wonderful advice

Thank you again and hope you do the same while staying here :D

[bibish]

This is a major sin. You have to disobey your parents if what they say counters Islam.

I believe not fasting Ramadaan makes you a kafir (I will have to find proof though but if sawm is an arkam it only logically follows here).

If you can pray secretly, why can't you fast secretly?

Does not fasting during ramadan make me a kafir? Isn't it just a major sin? Isn't carrying out the pillars a prerequisite to being a practicing Muslim but not to being a Muslim?

Thank you

[rpwelton]

Does not fasting during ramadan make me a kafir? Isn't it just a major sin? Isn't carrying out the pillars a prerequisite to being a practicing Muslim but not to being a Muslim?

Thank you

Although you should do everything you can to fast, not fasting does not make you a kafir. Scholars debate about what the "minimum" is to still be called a Muslim, some say it is to have faith in the first pillar, and some others also say one must pray as well. But missing Ramadan is regarded as a major sin, not an act of kufr.

[zakirs]

Sis ,

If you belive in one god and muhammad pbuh as his messenger truly in your heart , then you are a muslim and not kaifr (which simply means non muslim),

As for fasting , i think you should learn more about etiquittes and the rules of fasting before deciding to fast

May Allah bless you

[zeerina]

I sometimes see muslims who are really not friendly and at present I am going through a patch of seeing born muslims behaving bad and it can pull ur imaan down, then I see ppl who dont do salaat and appearto be non practising then I realise they are praying every meal, teaching thier kids surrahs, not cheating in business etc etc, and I feel far from Islam, this also pulls imaan down. The answer is definatley keepup with salaat, read Qur'an, friday mosque and dont judge anuone. Ramadhan will teach us the meaning and value of imaan and peace. Sister theres always some sort of confusion or hardship for us reverts but Alhamdulullah Allah wanted us to live off the path before bringing us to Islam. Never ever give up asking for His help, we really need it:D

Tony
Check this out

[Tony]

Tony
Check this out

assalamu aleiykum sister, sorry but check what out. Peace

[zeerina]

assalamu aleiykum sister, sorry but check what out. Peace

sorry Tony my link didnt seem to work

www.newmuslimconfluence.org

also on facebook

[Tony]

sorry Tony my link didnt seem to work

www.newmuslimconfluence.org

also on facebook

Jazak Allah Khair sister, I have emailed them offering support for their work promoting Islam and cross cultural respect.

[Al Ansari]

assalaamu 'alaikum wa rahmatullah,

Ramadhan Mubarak.

I cannot emphasize this enough, but go about learning Islaam gradually. Do not try to become a sponge of knowledge in a day. Pray that Allaah (swt) makes it easy for you, learn, believe, implement, be consistent in the small things, seek support from pious Muslims, and pray more.

As far as fasting, yes, indeed sister, you should fast. This is a very important time and a month of mercy and self improvement.

My advice to you sister is: Pray and make du'aa for strength
1. Be sure you know why you became a Muslim.
2. Learn the 5 pillars and their importance.
3. Pray and make du'aa for strength


I highly advise you to listen to this lecture by Shaykh Zahir Mahmood. Insh'Allaah you will derive benefit.

Preparing for Ramadhan
http://http://kalamullah.com/zahir-mahmood.html

[أبو سليمان عمر]

As was said by the famous scholar Ibn Shihab Az-Zuhri, "Whoever aims to acquire knowledge all at once, it will leave him all at once. Rather knowledge should be acquired over the passage of days and nights"

a very good talk about the obstacles new muslim might come across and us as muslim all our life havnt had to experince pls listen to it
Obstacles_Of_The_New_Shahaadah_