No muslims live in my area

[gupp]

Hi, I live in the outskirts of Seattle. None of my friends are Muslims, that I am aware of. I was never even aware of what Islam was until about November/December 2010.

I tried going to a mosque once and I ended up feeling rather sheepish, I guess you aren't supposed to walk in with shoes on. Oops. :embarrass Also no one there spoke English when I was there and i was too shy to try to talk to anyone else.

Should I try to bring up the topic of Islam with my friends? I try to indirectly mention it sometimes, but for the most part, it never really comes up.

I have my religion as Muslim on facebook, for what it's worth.

Should I try going to the mosque again? last time I was there, the man there didn't speak English, and I don't speak much Arabic. I feel rather isolated right now, any help would be welcome.

Thanks,

Gupp

[جوري]

yes, go to a mosque.. understand though that many people are apprehensive of outsiders given the numerous incidents of FBI implanted moles to lead people on, by no means is it a reflection on Islam, Muslims, or how mosques are in general.. I think going in understanding the psychology a bit will enable you to feel more at ease and for others to receive you well..

:welcome: aboard by the way it is good to have you here.. are you preparing for Ramadan? will this be your first?
I can't comment on your friends, you probably can sense best when the time is right and if they're seasoned enough not to be negatively reactive..

best,

[Ali Mujahidin]

:sl:

Yes, go to mosque. If you can, go and perform solah there five times a day. Give salam to the people on your right and left. Soon, you will some new friends. Insha Allah.

[gupp]

What do you mean by give salaam?

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[جوري]

salaam is the Islamic greeting of 'peace be upon you'

[gupp]

So I would say just that one word?

[Woodrow]

:sl:

Seattle has a large Muslim population. Possibly more Mosques than any other USA city of comparable size. Call these numbers and try to find a Mosque with a large English speaking population.

Islamic Center Of Seattle
1420 NE Northgate Way, Seattle, WA 98125
Phone: 206-363-3013

Islamic Center Of Eastside
14700 Main Street, Bellevue, WA 98004
Phone: 425-746-0398

But be cautious Seattle along with Sunni and Shi'a has a large population of Ahmadiyya, Ba'hai and NOI

Know what you are looking for and do not be afraid to ask Questions.

[gupp]

Thanks for all of your help. I will try to celebrate ramadan but my family are not Islamic so they may have no idea what's going on. I want to make sure I do it safely too.

[MustafaMc]

Assalamu alaikum, Brother Gupp. That is the 'peace be upon you' greeting and the return is 'wa alaikum assalam' or 'wa alaikum assalam, wa rahmatulahi, wa barakatu' which means 'and peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings'.

I converted to Islam in 1982 and have been practicing my faith consistently since 2001. My wife and I are the only Muslims in our families. There are very few Muslims where I live in Mississippi and I often go weeks without even seeing another Muslim. There is a masjid about 45 miles away, but it is difficult for me to get away from work for 2.5 hours on Friday for Jumu'ah. I can relate to what you must feel in going to a masjid. When I was younger and lived near a large masjid at the university, I often felt like an 'outsider' with the other Muslims being from other countries and often speaking in Arabic or Urdu even though they knew how to speak English. There was practically no support and encouragement for me and I became discouraged. I advise you to not discuss Islam too much with your friends until you become more knowledgeable. If you haven't told your family, I encourage you to do so where you can explain the requirement to pray in a certain manner and to fast during Ramadan. I think it best to avoid heated discussions and debates with your family.

What Brother Woodrow was getting at is that there is diversity among the different groups that call themselves Muslim. Most Muslims can be classified as 'Sunni' because we followthe 'sunnah' or the written (hadith) and oral traditions of Prophet Muhammad (sal alahu alayhi wa salaam) in addition to the Quran. Furthermore, most Sunni Muslims follow one of the four madhabs or schools of law that define the details of how we implement Islam into our daily lives. I personally follow the Shafi'i, but equally valid are the Maliki, Hanifi, and Hanbali madhabs. My experience has been that there is a strong Salafi movement (da'wa or methodology) in the USA that strives to get back to the original sources of Islam without following one of the 4 madhabs. I personally feel that it is better to follow an established school of Islamic law and I believe that the Shai'i is most firmly rooted in hadith.

I recommend 'Islam in Focus' and 'Islam: Beliefs and Teachings' as good introductions to Islam and I recommend 'The Gracious Quran' English translation and interpretation of the meaning of the Quran. 'The Sealed Nectar' is a nice biography of Prophet Muhammad (saaws) and is helpful in building a love and respect for him. The Juz30 software (at http://juz30.software.informer.com/) is very helpful in learning the short surahs of the Quran with correct pronunciation for prayer.

The path you have chosen is a difficult one to follow, but the reward of Paradise and avoidance of the Hellfire makes it the best choice in the final analysis.

[YusufNoor]

As Salaamu Alaykum gupp,

actually there are quite a few Mosques & Muslims in the Seattle area. i know, as i am one of them. what part of the sound do you live in? i can put together a pack of info for you, In Sha'a Allah [if Allah wills it]. i can also try to hook you up with some brothers who speak Arabic that might be able to help you.

i have a new wife who has many health problems that keep me rather busy and a wee bit isolated. sometime this weekend i will be meeting with some people who are interested in hearing about Islam, as i prepare for that, i can put a few things together for you, In Sha'a Allah. i also have a new job job that takes up quite a bit of my time. but Alhamdulillah [all heartfelt thanks and praises are due to Allah] i have a job.

depending on where you live, you will see a division between Muslims who are Hanafi and Shaafi'i. the Eastern Africans are mostly Shaafi'i and the Asian on the Eastside are Hanafi. you should follow those in your area. i live in a heavily populated Somali area in the Seatac/Tukwila section. there are 2 Mosque's here, one on Pac Highway and 142nd and one on 150th in Seatac. the Seatac one is better for reverts as the other one, Abu Bakr is primarly a Somali Masjid.

let me know if you are interested and i'll PM you my phone number and/or email address.
May Allah guide you and make it easy on you.

Yusuf/Sam

[gupp]

I live on the Eastside. I don't have a car so it's rather hard for me to me to get anywhere outside of Bellevue/Issaquah. I have a bike and I ride the bus mostly.

I'll call one or two of the mosques that were listed up above. Any general advice on what to expect/bring? Mostly so far I've just had handouts and such , which I've read, but I'm trying to move beyond that.

[YusufNoor]

As Salaamu Alaykum,

stick with the Bellevue Mosque. they do quite a bit there.
http://www.eastsidemosque.com/

stay clear of the Northgate one, except for to pray. there's a clique there you'll need to avoid.

there are mosques near Issaquah in Redmond and perhaps one IN Issaquah. well, Sammamish, 22011 SE 20th St, Sammamish, WA 98075

http://sammamishmosque.com/

Redmond:

http://www.ummahnet.com/redmond/

http://www.mapsredmond.org/CS1/Web/

after i put some packets together, i'll PM you my cell. i can drive out to deliver it, In Sha'a Allah.

wa Salaam,
Yusuf/Sam

[aadil77]

So I would say just that one word?

salam means peace, but you should say As'Salam 'Alaykum

[MustafaMc]

The book 'Islam in Focus' is available for free download at http://search.4shared.com/search.htm...Islam+in+Focus

[YusufNoor]

As Salamu Alakum & Ramadhan Mubarak Akhi,

i finally finished a few packages and i can get one to you, In sha'a Allah. it took a wee bit longer than i thought it would, but Alhamdulillah, they are ready.

let us know that you are still around and i'll PM you my cell.

Masalama,
Yusuf/Sam

[Khalil_Allah]

Hey, Brother Gupp, I was there too.

But God picked you, especially, out of all the people around you to be guided to His religion. And when you intended your shahada, you joined the single largest distinguishable group in the history of mankind. Everyday there are millions and millions of us standing in lines, facing Makkah, praying to the Creator of all things seen and unseen. You are among those people. If your line is small, then do not lose hope, because it is still connected to the rest of us.

And when you feel really low and lonely, then go join the other Muslims at a masjid near you. As you spend more time with Muslims, you will adapt to them. And do not abandon those who were close to you before you were Muslim. Heaven is at the feet of your mother, so treat her like the love of your life. You will be doing more for your religion by taking care of your mother than you can do by spending day and night with Muslims. I promise you that.

If you need anything, then always remember that there are 1.6 billion people on this planet to whom you can say "salaamu alaykum," and they will be willing to help. Should you like to talk, you can send me a message or something and I will be honored to spend time talking with you. You are my brother.

[Who Am I?]

:sl:

I had and still have the same problem as you. My closest masjid is a 30 minute drive across town, and with gas prices at ridiculous levels, it was eating me alive driving back and forth 3-4 times a week. I've had to cut my visits back to 1-2 per week.

I was really nervous about going over there the first couple of times I went. I was afraid that being a white English speaking USA dude would make things more difficult for me. I got some strange looks the first few times I went in there, but most of the brothers know who I am now. I still get the odd look from time to time, but I'm used to it now and just ignore it.

I haven't updated my Facebook in a long time. I quit posting on there some time ago. None of my family or friends knows about my conversion yet and it will be a while before they do.

[Khalil_Allah]

The same goes for you, Nines. I'm a "white english speaking USA dude" too. God guides whom He wills, and I was truly confused as to why He guided me when I was living a really comfortable normal white english speaking USA dude life. But subhanAllah, I would never go back.

[Who Am I?]

The same goes for you, Nines. I'm a "white english speaking USA dude" too. God guides whom He wills, and I was truly confused as to why He guided me when I was living a really comfortable normal white english speaking USA dude life. But subhanAllah, I would never go back.

Well see, I was the opposite. I wasn't satisfied with my life and with who I had become, and I was seeking answers to some questions in my life. I'm still not completely happy yet, but I feel better about myself after taking shahada.

Eventually I will tell my family and friends, but there's no rush on that. I have time to learn.

[MustafaMc]

Well, I'm a "white English speaking USA dude", too. I agree that Allah (swt) guides whomever He so wills.