Do you want the Comparative Religion section Open?

[strivingobserver98]

:sl:

Please vote on the poll and post your reasons here :).

Since the closure few people wanting it back:
http://www.islamicboard.com/feedback...ion-forum.html
http://www.islamicboard.com/feedback...on-reopen.html

New threads starting on the forum recently that would of been best suited in the Comparative Religion section: http://www.islamicboard.com/discover...ice-jesus.html

:jz:

[Muslim Woman]

:wa:


many non Muslims will take advantage of that section . They will do a free publicity of their faiths . This forum is not to glorify other religions but Islam .

These happened in the past .

[ajr]

havent given it much thort, but


If we do, we will give birth to too much debate, arguments etc...

Im concerned about the mods lol, your work will be cut out for you hehe

That being said...sometimes debates are healthy...Alhamdulillah

[sister herb]

I voted no, by the same reasons as sister Muslim Woman. Kind of section is a great place to create confusion, fighting and it gathers to here those whose don´t respect the Islamic values of this forum.

Better leave it closed.

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[Umm Abed]

:wa:

If you open it you can put the rules boldly in front.

[BilalKid]

If you open it you can put the rules boldly in front.

n moderate section? :shade:

[Eric H]

Greetings and peace be with you all,

I voted yes, because we have to share this one world together, despite all our differences.

In the spirit of praying to 'One God'

Eric

[anatolian]

Yes I think it should re-open. It is a section for us muslims ask non-muslim members some questions about their faith and they have the chance to answer. There are already many threads in the other sections of the forum about other religions which suit to this section. It is our duty to keep it civil. Surely it must be moderated.

[ardianto]

How if the section name changed into "Interfaith Understanding", with purpose to make people from different faiths can understand each other and coexist better?.

The term "Comparative Religion" can accidentally motivate people compare one religion with other religions with purpose to declare that "My religion is better than yours!"

[sister herb]

n moderate section? :shade:

Moderate like World Affairs forum, where mod has to accept thread before its published?

[Zafran]

The comparative religion section last time it was opened was a less about Comparative religion and more about bashing each other to death, furthermore learning about other faiths can easily be done outside this forum. So I voted keep it shut.

[BeTheChange]

Walaikumaslaam,

Forgive me i don't use that particular section of the forum but that doesn't mean it's not useful.

I think it's a good section to have as long as the discussions remain respectful on both sides.

[MidnightRose]

Based on the reasons given by sisters Muslim Woman and Sister Herb, I voted no.

The model for our understandings of and interactions with everyone and everything lies in the Sunnah of our beloved Nabi Muhammad :saws:. Unfortunately, the Ummah doesn’t seem to be fully informed of this – let alone have it internalized.

Here’s a pretty common example:

An unwise remark is made by a seemingly practicing Muslim towards a Muslim man with, let’s say no beard or trousers below the ankles. Due to the indiscretion of the former, the latter – and some observers – are incensed. Since this type of scenario is pretty common, certain people have attempted to solve this problem in order to save the Ummah.

To do so, some of these people have stated that we should put aside our intra-Faith differences and unite to focus on those trying to destroy Islam. Statements such as “We are busy fighting about the length of the beard while the enemies of Islam are chopping off our heads” are accepted as wisdom by many in the Ummah. At face value, I personally agree with the aforementioned.

However, upon closer analysis, it’s found that the crux of the matter is the former Muslim’s inappropriate actions (in the above scenario). That is the problem. The problem doesn’t lie with the Prophet’s :saws: commands of lengthening the beard and keeping the lower garment above the ankles. The ramifications of such reformist statements eliminate orders of the Shariah to achieve an imagined and elusive unity. Instead of solving the problem, it unwittingly makes it worse – as this type of thinking can be extended to the Declaration of Faith itself.

Instead of being told to throw out the baby with the bathwater, we should be told to rectify and reform everything in our life (i.e. communication methods) according to the Sunnah of our beloved Nabi Muhammad :saws:. Each and everything that our Master :saws: brought needs to be emphasized as necessary. This emphasis, however, must be in accordance with proper understanding of the limits of Shariah.

Before we go to understand others, we need to understand ourselves. We need to have a firm grounding in what our beloved Nabi Muhammad :saws: brought us. That will allow us to fruitfully coexist with everyone.

Non-Muslims certainly existed during the time of Nabi :saws:. How did he understand them? How did he treat them? What was his approach to inter-Faith understanding? Would he accept anything else other than what was given to him by Allah as Truth?

The answers to these questions are available to us – in Islam. None of these things are new.

Muslims should beware of giving credence to any Deen other than the one that was brought by our beloved Nabi Muhammad :saws:. A Muslim’s love for humanity has to be tempered with the guidance of our beloved Nabi :saws:.

In need of duas.

[saif-uddin]

Why is there even a poll about it?

The section should clearly be open for the purpose of Dawah and to Enjoining the Good and Forbidding the Evil,

[saif-uddin]

As Allah tala says Truth destroys Falsehood

سبحان الله

[greenhill]

Hard to make a solid decision on this.

I like the comparative religion section but sometimes people get over zealous and things get out of hand...

Still, it is an interesting section for me personally and I like that section a lot.


:peace:

[BilalKid]

make same to :shade:

[Moshy]

I vote no. Non muslims may start fights and heavy debates to prove our religion wrong and would have the free will to say whatever. Such freedom, I believe, should not be given.

[saif-uddin]

How are they gonna have free will and o say whatever?

This is an Islamic forum, supposed to be moderated by competent mods,

[Muslim Woman]

:sl:

How are they gonna have free will and o say whatever?

In the name of comparison / debate / discussions , many non Muslims used to bash Prophet Muhammed pbuh ( may Allah forgive us and guide them ) . Before became a Mod here , i found that section hard to tolerate . Many times , i thought of leaving this forum because of that section . I am happy that this section is closed and no one can write nasty words there about young marriage of Aisha ra , marriage of Zainab ra etc .

[greenhill]

:sl:





In the name of comparison / debate / discussions , many non Muslims used to bash Prophet Muhammed pbuh ( may Allah forgive us and guide them ) . Before became a Mod here , i found that section hard to tolerate . Many times , i thought of leaving this forum because of that section . I am happy that this section is closed and no one can write nasty words there about young marriage of Aisha ra , marriage of Zainab ra etc .

We could be proactive. These are commonly asked questions or misconceptions. If that line or similar comes up, a simple answer is given. So that we are also reminded of the facts.

It is also our duty to correct misconceptions. We can't do that now.

:edit.. we need to voice out (gently) not hide away because of some bashers.. no?


:peace:

[Muslim Woman]

:sl:

.....It is also our duty to correct misconceptions. We can't do that now.




:peace:

we can now without starting that section .


Clarifications about Islam

(20 Viewing)
Clarifying misconceptions about Islam and addressing allegations levelled against it. You are most welcome to post there on commonly asked questions by non Muslims.

[anatolian]

Nasty people can be banned and proselytizing threads of other faiths can be deleted easily. This section should open so that we can have a direct dialogue with other faiths.

[Khalid Saifullah]

No probs.

I think it's crucial as people will learn about aqeedah.

Many people think nowadays that Islam Christianity and Judaism are equal.

And they are not.

Islam cancelled out all previous religions.

[saif-uddin]

Ukthi Muslim Woman if the forum is moderated properly it isn't an issue

[saif-uddin]

Trolls and trouble makers would get the boot,but if we have incompetent mods who don't do their job, then yes it can be a serious problem.

جزاك الله خيرا

[saif-uddin]

Yes we had jahils even claim we part of an Abrahamic group of faiths,

Like Ibrahim alayhi wa salam had multiple faiths.

Allah tala explicitly says he wasn't a Jew or a Christian, he was a Muslim.

[strivingobserver98]

:sl: everyone :). :jz: for all your votes.

However though... the votes have left me stuck in a square box. I thought it would be either mostly YES or mostly NO, currently now it's exactly even at 11 votes each :O.

Let's review this so far:

Advantages of opening
- Forum will attract experienced senior Muslims and beneficial posters. Currently there are few people waiting for the opening of this section, the section being closed is what prevents them from joining IB.
- Any Islamic articles/posts that take a look at other religions can be posted there.
- ALL threads and posts can be moderated to prevent problems. Problematic members can be banned.
- An opportunity for Dawah. Opportunity for non Muslims to ask questions about their faith. "Direct dialogue with other faiths" as mentioned in @anatolian 's post.
"Invite to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Quran) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided." - An-Nahl : 125
- Forum will be more clean. There are already many threads, even recently that have ongoing discussions which are best suited for comparative religion section.
- People will learn about Aqeedah and misconceptions in other religions clarified.

Disadvantages of opening
- Non Muslims can use it to get publicity for their faith.
- Can create heated arguments/debates/bashing.
- Younger members may not have sufficient knowledge to respond to the points.
- The internal Jihad. We need to understand ourselves first. As mentioned in @najimuddin 's post.
- More moderation needed.

Read the points above everyone, and send your final comments before decision is made :).

[BilalKid]

open :masha:

[noraina]

Assalamu Alaykum,

I am a supporter of healthy debates between those of different faiths, it is enjoyable and also a learning experience.

But I also understand very few follow the 'etiquettes' of true debate and it more becomes an excuse to bash and insult one another to prove who is right.

I suggest perhaps opening the section for a 'trial period' of one month? If people do abuse this privilege and it gets out of hand it can always be closed again, right?

[strivingobserver98]

I suggest perhaps opening the section for a 'trial period' of one month? If people do abuse this privilege and it gets out of hand it can always be closed again, right?

:wa:

:jz: that is a very good idea!

[AabiruSabeel]

The Comparative Religion section was misused by non-Muslims to promote their disbelief in guise of giving us an understanding of their faith.

It was closed when a number of Muslim members complained of weakening their Iman after reading some of the posts by non-Muslims. Below are some of the reflections by IslamicBoard's previous moderators:

I've noticed alot of bros/sisters feel lower in emaan because of the huge number of atheists and anti islamic people, who are much older than the average muslim teens who join. Since people like Ansar and kadafi aren't here as much, we rarely have anyone knowledgable to refute them. Since these sections have repetitive articles, and arguments - maybe we can shut them down and make the forum abit peaceful for a while?


It's because the non muslims who do attack usually do it at a full scale, some helpful muslims try to come forward to defend - but aren't able to respond, no-one else responds, which then makes them question whether there really is an answer to what's been mentioned - like waswasa. And it also makes them sad that there aren't muslims there who know any response to the situation.


The reason why these young members get confused is because they go in there trying to refute some of the stuff said about islaam and the muslims but when the non-muslims lash back with a more advanced refutation which is beyond some of the muslim members capability suddenly confusion arises and they get frustrated at the fact that no-one comes forward to clear this.


Well basically, comparative religion implies comparing a religion vs another one, in this case Islam vs any other religion; we shouldn't be comparing we should be understanding.

Since we already have section on Clarifications About Islam, I don't think we really need to re-open the Comparative Religion section.

[Kiro]

:wa:


many non Muslims will take advantage of that section . They will do a free publicity of their faiths . This forum is not to glorify other religions but Islam .

These happened in the past .

What if there were strict guidelines?

[BilalKid]

What if there were strict guidelines?

which?? ^o)

[Muslim Woman]

:sl:

....I've noticed alot of bros/sisters feel lower in emaan because of the huge number of atheists and anti islamic people, who are much older than the average muslim teens who join.

Christians spend a lot on publicity of their faith and give training to missionaries . Their aim in life is to spread their faith - sadly we hardly find Muslims doing this .

So , when our young meet these trained missionaries , they are in a danger to either loose or weaken their faith . Instead of inviting missionaries here , we can provide explanations of misconceptions about Islam in Clarifications about Islam section .


What's the benefit of doing a publicity of other faiths here ?

[Muslim Woman]

:sl:

What if there were strict guidelines?

if u ask a non Muslims , s/he will then give reference from his /her holy books - a chance to do a free publicity of other faiths .

Also , heated debates ruin the relationships . I took part in Muslim - Christians dialogue forums several times . Always it gave me harsh experiences . Some non Muslims hate our Prophet pbuh and used so filthy languages that i started hated all Christians . So , I have lost all my interest in taking part of this kind of dialogue / debate .

[MidnightRose]

Since we already have section on Clarifications About Islam, I don't think we really need to re-open the Comparative Religion section.

There are several active threads that these people waiting in the wings could jump in and help out on.

It's just a thought that came to mind.

[LaSorcia]

Nasty people can be banned and proselytizing threads of other faiths can be deleted easily. This section should open so that we can have a direct dialogue with other faiths.

I have mixed thoughts and feelings about this question, and I wish there were a 'not-sure' option. On one hand, people coming here to attack Islam is a bad thing per se. On the other hand, it might give Muslims a good opportunity to respond in a way that is good dawah. Also, I would like the chance to respond or clear up misconceptions about how Christians live without it being deleted as promotion of my religion. I have not tried to promote my faith here, but I have tried to respond to posts that are wrong about what Christians believe, but they've all been deleted.

I think in order for a comparative religions section to work well, it would have to be well moderated.

[Muslim Woman]

.... I wish there were a 'not-sure' option. .

br farhan , is it possible to include it now ?

[anatolian]

I am living in a muslim society and I dont know any one directly from other religions around me to talk about our religions. Internet is the only option for me to do this. I still think YES.

[sister herb]

I voted NO before and I still answer NO. Reasons are same I wrote before plus I agree with br ibn-Adam and sis Muslim Woman.

[BlackSeed]

why not?

[Eric H]

Greetings and peace be with you ardianto;

How if the section name changed into "Interfaith Understanding", with purpose to make people from different faiths can understand each other and coexist better?.

The term "Comparative Religion" can accidentally motivate people compare one religion with other religions with purpose to declare that "My religion is better than yours!"

I think this is the best solution, the name needs to change to something along the lines of 'Interfaith Understanding' as you suggest. We now have some new eagle eyed mods, so I cannot see anything getting past them.

And just a thought for my Muslim brothers and sisters here, with all the trouble in the world, it is as much in your interests to build interfaith understanding. It cannot be Muslims against the rest of the world.

I find the 'Introduce yourself section' troubling at times, newcomers launch into confrontational issues like Islam and terrorism. I find this worrying, especially if they declare they are Christian.

In the spirit of praying to 'One God'

Eric

[piXie]

:sl: everyone :). :jz: for all your votes.

However though... the votes have left me stuck in a square box. I thought it would be either mostly YES or mostly NO, currently now it's exactly even at 11 votes each :O.

Let's review this so far:

Advantages of opening
- Forum will attract experienced senior Muslims and beneficial posters. Currently there are few people waiting for the opening of this section, the section being closed is what prevents them from joining IB.
- Any Islamic articles/posts that take a look at other religions can be posted there.
- ALL threads and posts can be moderated to prevent problems. Problematic members can be banned.
- An opportunity for Dawah. Opportunity for non Muslims to ask questions about their faith. "Direct dialogue with other faiths" as mentioned in @anatolian 's post.
"Invite to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Quran) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided." - An-Nahl : 125
- Forum will be more clean. There are already many threads, even recently that have ongoing discussions which are best suited for comparative religion section.
- People will learn about Aqeedah and misconceptions in other religions clarified.

Disadvantages of opening
- Non Muslims can use it to get publicity for their faith.
- Can create heated arguments/debates/bashing.
- Younger members may not have sufficient knowledge to respond to the points.
- The internal Jihad. We need to understand ourselves first. As mentioned in @najimuddin 's post.
- More moderation needed.

Read the points above everyone, and send your final comments before decision is made :).

:sl:

As a reminder brother, the decision should not be influenced by members comments or votes but rather it should be based upon the Islamic principle. The comparative religions section may bring some benefit but the harm is more. And in Islam, the removal of harm takes precedence over the attainment of good. Based upon this principle, and the very foundations upon which IB was created, the section should not be reopened.

May Allah guide us all. Aameen.

[czgibson]

Greetings,

I voted yes, because I think free debate is always a good thing.

I've noticed alot of bros/sisters feel lower in emaan because of the huge number of atheists and anti islamic people, who are much older than the average muslim teens who join. Since people like Ansar and kadafi aren't here as much, we rarely have anyone knowledgable to refute them. Since these sections have repetitive articles, and arguments - maybe we can shut them down and make the forum abit peaceful for a while?

I miss Ansar's contributions to the forum very much. The standard of debate dropped considerably after he left.

It's because the non muslims who do attack usually do it at a full scale, some helpful muslims try to come forward to defend - but aren't able to respond, no-one else responds, which then makes them question whether there really is an answer to what's been mentioned - like waswasa. And it also makes them sad that there aren't muslims there who know any response to the situation.

The reason why these young members get confused is because they go in there trying to refute some of the stuff said about islaam and the muslims but when the non-muslims lash back with a more advanced refutation which is beyond some of the muslim members capability suddenly confusion arises and they get frustrated at the fact that no-one comes forward to clear this.

The two paragraphs above say essentially the same thing. Does anybody know why there aren't Muslim members who are able to respond in these discussions?

Well basically, comparative religion implies comparing a religion vs another one, in this case Islam vs any other religion; we shouldn't be comparing we should be understanding.

If understanding is the goal, then why are you so frightened of a critical examination of your beliefs? Surely if "truth stands out clear from error" (Qur'an 2:256), then Islam should be able to stand upright in the forum of ideas, with no need for the kind of artificial protection that is being suggested here by keeping the section closed.

Surely keeping the section closed is a frank admission of weakness?

Peace

[ardianto]

Greetings,

I voted yes, because I think free debate is always a good thing.

Greeting, czgibson.

We should avoid debate, and change it with peaceful friendly conversation. So we can understand each other better.

:)

[anatolian]

If understanding is the goal, then why are you so frightened of a critical examination of your beliefs? Surely if "truth stands out clear from error" (Qur'an 2:256), then Islam should be able to stand upright in the forum of ideas, with no need for the kind of artificial protection that is being suggested here by keeping the section closed.

Peace

Peace gibson. Because most of the muslims tend to answer those questions from what they hear from other sources than Quran. If they stand Quran as their base surely truth would stand out clear from error...

[anatolian]

Greeting, czgibson.

We should avoid debate, and change it with peaceful friendly conversation. So we can understand each other better.

:)

Salam brother. We can make peaceful friendly conversations always. This is another dimension. However, we must be able to debate too without hate.

[AabiruSabeel]

The two paragraphs above say essentially the same thing.

Because each of those paragraphs were reflections by different moderators. Both of them who wrote that said the same thing.

Does anybody know why there aren't Muslim members who are able to respond in these discussions?

Most scholars and knowledgeable people have busy offline lives. They have far important things to do than engage in online debates and discussions.

If understanding is the goal, then why are you so frightened of a critical examination of your beliefs? Surely if "truth stands out clear from error" (Qur'an 2:256), then Islam should be able to stand upright in the forum of ideas, with no need for the kind of artificial protection that is being suggested here by keeping the section closed.

We have a dedicated section on understanding Islam and clarifying misconceptions.

Surely keeping the section closed is a frank admission of weakness?

Keeping a diamond in a safe and not comparing it with other stones does not indicate its weakness when its clarity has already been established.

[Woodrow]

I voted yes we should reopen it. It has been and could once again be a venue for understanding.

On the plus side it is an attraction for Non-Muslims, it is a visible sign that we do seek peaceful co-existence, it does expose our young Muslims to other religions and gives them experience on how to counter attempts at leading them astray.

On the negative side it easily slips into attacks, it is sometimes used as an attempt tp proselytize Non-Islamic beliefs, it easily breaks down into personal attacks.


But I think that over all it can have more good than negative.

It will take someone with strong eeman and at the same time a desire to find good in non-Muslim members and can treat what looks like anti-Islam comments as misinformation spread by the media. Will need a person who is not insultd easily and looks for reasons not feelings."

[ardianto]

Salam brother. We can make peaceful friendly conversations always. This is another dimension. However, we must be able to debate too without hate.

Salam, brother.

We can debate about the best restaurant in town without make us hate or offend each other. But faith is very sensitive issue. Debate about faith always make people who involved feel offended, and very possible will reply with offensive words.

[Linkdeutscher]

Yes it should be opened.

I see no reason to not.

[Linkdeutscher]

Salam, brother.

We can debate about the best restaurant in town without make us hate or offend each other. But faith is very sensitive issue. Debate about faith always make people who involved feel offended, and very possible will reply with offensive words.

And those people can be infracted and banned.

Very poor reason in my opinion.

[Hamza :)]

It's good as long as it's strictly moderated and there's no exchange of 'insults' and things that may offend people

[lonewolf007]

Basically what hamza bro said, the section has its pros and cons, me personally I'm not too sure but if we do have this section we'll need to have mods active and make sure we don't get trolls posting disrespecting Islam etc.

[Hamza :)]

Basically what hamza bro said, the section has its pros and cons, me personally I'm not too sure but if we do have this section we'll need to have mods active and make sure we don't get trolls posting disrespecting Islam etc.

Mods are active 24/7 :)

[lonewolf007]

Mods are active 24/7 :)

yeah I know I'm glad mods are active, as members we can report posts that seem dodgy etc like ppl disrespecting Islam or mouthing off a bit too much etc.

[anatolian]

Salam, brother.

We can debate about the best restaurant in town without make us hate or offend each other. But faith is very sensitive issue. Debate about faith always make people who involved feel offended, and very possible will reply with offensive words.

Salam ardianto. Offensive people shall react offensive. Peaceful people will react peacefully :)

[anatolian]

yeah I know I'm glad mods are active, as members we can report posts that seem dodgy etc like ppl disrespecting Islam or mouthing off a bit too much etc.

Salam sis. Your avatar is the symbol of turkish nationalist movement lol

[lonewolf007]

Salam sis. Your avatar is the symbol of turkish nationalist movement lol

huh you being sarcastic bro? Cuz it ain't funny lol. Wow so I'm guessing that ain't good lol. I'm just a lonewolf and wanted a pic to match who I am :)

[anatolian]

huh you being sarcastic bro? Cuz it ain't funny lol. Wow so I'm guessing that ain't good lol. I'm just a lonewolf and wanted a pic to match who I am :)

No I am not sarcastic..it is just funny to me a british girl having the symbol of turkish nationalists :)

[lonewolf007]

No I am not sarcastic..it is just funny to me a british girl having the symbol of turkish nationalists :)

Oh I see, I genuinely didn't know and having a wolf pic was completely innocent and coincidental, but thanks for informing me brother it's good to know these things :)

[noraina]

I understand that there could be more disadvantages than advantages, but as I said before perhaps if we opened it for a trial period for a little while and if it is invaded by trolls bashing Islam or it descends into bitter arguments we can always close it and seal it up forever.

As a young Muslim myself I wouldn't feel discouraged by seeing others ask questions about Islam, it would encourage me to learn more and tbh most questions non-Muslims ask are more about the fundamentals of Islam and aqeedah than fiqh, inshaAllah some here would be well-informed enough to reply.

[Woodrow]

I understand that there could be more disadvantages than advantages, but as I said before perhaps if we opened it for a trial period for a little while and if it is invaded by trolls bashing Islam or it descends into bitter arguments we can always close it and seal it up forever.

As a young Muslim myself I wouldn't feel discouraged by seeing others ask questions about Islam, it would encourage me to learn more and tbh most questions non-Muslims ask are more about the fundamentals of Islam and aqeedah than fiqh, inshaAllah some here would be well-informed enough to reply.

:wa:

That alone is a good reason to reopen it. Questions from non-Muslims does encourage us to look further into our own beliefs. We do not know what we don't know until some one asks a question we have difficulty answering. If looked at properly hard questions are the key for growth of our own Eeman. Questions should be encouraged, not avoided.

[sister herb]

Mods are active 24/7 :)

You think that mods never sleep?

:phew

[piXie]

:salamext:

I understand that there could be more disadvantages than advantages, but as I said before perhaps if we opened it for a trial period for a little while and if it is invaded by trolls bashing Islam or it descends into bitter arguments we can always close it and seal it up forever.

Why was it closed in the first place ? :?

As a young Muslim myself I wouldn't feel discouraged by seeing others ask questions about Islam, it would encourage me to learn more and tbh most questions non-Muslims ask are more about the fundamentals of Islam and aqeedah than fiqh, inshaAllah some here would be well-informed enough to reply.

Is the clarifications about Islam section not enough for that. Why give more work for the mods?

:wa:

That alone is a good reason to reopen it. Questions from non-Muslims does encourage us to look further into our own beliefs. We do not know what we don't know until some one asks a question we have difficulty answering. If looked at properly hard questions are the key for growth of our own Eeman. Questions should be encouraged, not avoided.

Welcome back uncle woodrow. This is true, but it also depends what kind of questions. Unnecessary questions which bring no benefit should be discouraged.

[MidnightRose]

The comparative religion section last time it was opened was a less about Comparative religion and more about bashing each other to death, furthermore learning about other faiths can easily be done outside this forum. So I voted keep it shut.

I agree with you. It’s inevitable that Members will find non-Islamic statements and positions to be offensive and not correct.

As in the past, this is likely to arouse emotional and confusing responses.

In relation to understanding challenging questions:

Islamicboard already has a comprehensive selection of forums and threads that have valuable information on topics such as Aqeedah and Clarifications about Islam. Members are encouraged to study these existing threads and respond with any questions that they may have.

We also have a number of non-Muslim Members whose participation on the Forum is greatly appreciated. To those members: Please do not be offended by my stance against the proselytization of other faiths on this Forum. As my brothers and sisters in humanity, I lovingly invite all of you to accept Islam.

For a Muslim, the end result in comparing religions must be to show that the position of the other religion is incorrect. A Muslim cannot accept anything that opposes the guidance of Muhammad :saws: to be valid. Muslims need to understand and internalize the Islamic understanding of other religions and perspectives of life. That said, the Deen of Islam already comprehensively guides a Muslim towards positive and peaceful coexistence with everyone in humanity. In other words, we can get along despite our differences – the Prophet Muhammad :saws: told me that.

Comparative discussions are qualitatively different than clarifications. There are many Muslims that may not even understand the dialogue that occur in comparative discussions, resulting in confusion.

As a final note: It is believed that opening the Comparative Religions forum will give the green light for various types of missionary work to occur on Islamicboard.

[strivingobserver98]

You think that mods never sleep?

:phew

Kind of like 24/7 ;).

Mods from Canada, Bangladesh, UK, America etc. All corners of the globe :D.

[MuslimInshallah]

Assalaamu alaikum,


I've been reading the discussion to date. I feel a little conflict of interest, because if this section is opened, then I suspect that moderators will have more work to do. (smile) And I ask myself, if I think it's a good idea to open this section, would I be willing to put extra time in?!

Could it be a good idea to share understandings of different people's positions? Yes, I think so. Not really for direct daw'ah purposes, but because it is important to understand one another better 1) So we can respect and get along better with one another, but also because 2) when a Muslim tries to call someone to Islam, it is very important for the Muslim to understand the other person's fundamental assumptions.

I've often heard Muslims and others talking to one another, each thinking that they made perfect sense, but actually, they were not truly communicating. Because of the assumptions we make about another person and their fundamental understandings, we often do not convey what we think we are conveying. What the other hears is something very different from what we intended.

Daw'ah is not easy. You can't just broadcast what you think is right. You have to have deep understanding of where the other person is coming from. And how can you do this, if you have not sincerely listened to the other person?

Of course, I agree that there are armchair proselytizers, people who wish to bait Muslims for fun, people who like to argue to fill their lives with some sort of empty victories, and suchlike. And such people can be rather tiresome (literally!). (mildly) Though even these people are human beings. And, I think, need to be treated one by one. However, more importantly, there are other people who are sincerely trying to discuss in order to understand. Or to be understood. And are these not people that we should interact with? For their sake. And for ours (for how enriching it can be to have one's thoughts challenged, and how motivating to try to learn and understand Islam better).

(sigh) However, there are human limits to how much a Forum can absorb.

(pensively) What about a sort of quota? That is, a certain number of posts per time frame in the comparative religion section?

And what about if the comparative section not be used to try to triumph over another person, but be about trying to understand another person? We could say: we're not here to debate you, but to understand you. We could ask the posters questions. Then summarize and say : is this what you believe? And then, perhaps, we can say what we believe. Not in order to crush them. But in order to help them understand us better. It could also help those Muslims who do not know their faith well to learn, also. (sigh) It is astonishing how many Christian beliefs I have found expressed by Muslims, who actually thought those beliefs were Islamic.

This format may sound strange to you, but it is what we do in my local community. I am part of a Muslim-Christian dialogue committee. We share. We try to understand. We do conferences so that our respective views can be better understood by the other. (smile) For instance, when we had a conference about the views of Maryam (Mary) (May God Bless her) in Islam and in Catholicism, there were no mass conversions! But I think we came to understand that one another's positions had similarities and differences, and we realized that the views were much more thoughtful and developed than we thought they were.

This increased understanding helps us to feel more at ease with one another. It has been lowering some barriers. (smile) And when barriers are lowered, we can not only live together better, and do good works together, but we can touch hearts.

So in summary:

1) Perhaps we could limit the discussions to what we can deal with, perhaps freezing the section if we get overloaded, until we have time again? We could perhaps also put a limit to the length of a post. Or insist that one point be discussed at a time (some people like to throw everything and the kitchen sink at you in one go).

2) Perhaps we could encourage people of other beliefs to try to explain their beliefs to us. Then ask them questions to try to understand better, then summarize. Then explain (without denigrating the other's beliefs or looking to triumph) what our own understandings are, from an Islamic perspective. No debate. Just a sharing of views in a respectful manner.

For example: OP: I believe that Jesus was the son of God.
Question: What does that mean to you? Do you believe that God had a child?
Next: the original poster would explain his/her position.
We could ask as many questions as we liked, till we felt we could summarize the poster's position.
Then we could say: The Qur'an teaches that Jesus was a Prophet of God.

(smile) This is, of course, a simplification. But I think it could be a way of dealing with the issue in a way that is low-conflict, respectful, and teaches about the Islamic position.

(smile) So these are my thoughts to add to the pot.


May Allah, the Repeatedly Forgiving, have Mercy on us, and Guide us to doing what is best Pleasing to Him.

[Hamza :)]

You think that mods never sleep?

:phew

When did I say that :(

[Muslim Woman]

:sl:

Kind of like 24/7 ;).

Mods from Canada, Bangladesh, UK, America etc. All corners of the globe :D.

bro , pl. include 2 more options . As already suggested , not sure option and Yes but after Ramadan.

[czgibson]

Greetings,

Because each of those paragraphs were reflections by different moderators. Both of them who wrote that said the same thing.

I thought this might be the case.

Most scholars and knowledgeable people have busy offline lives. They have far important things to do than engage in online debates and discussions.

This forum and others like it are a valuable channel for communication between Muslims and non-Muslims. That dialogue is surely vitally important, so your opinion here is surprising.

We have a dedicated section on understanding Islam and clarifying misconceptions.

True. The boundaries between the two forums have often been blurred, and the Comparative Religion forum has become a catch-all area for all sorts of discussions, often debates, and often discussions that go outside the category of comparative religion.

Maybe what is needed is simply a debating forum. There is an established Islamic tradition of debate in intellectual matters, so why not? Is it certain that no knowledgable Muslims can be found who wish to engage in debates here on the Islamicboard? Maybe people need to look at other forums nowadays if they are interested in such discussions?

Keeping a diamond in a safe and not comparing it with other stones does not indicate its weakness when its clarity has already been established.

This is hardly an appropriate comparison. Ideas should be free to be discussed with no restrictions, unless they are things like state secrets or ideas under patent or perhaps copyright. Islam isn't like this, though. It's a system of beliefs and practices that is, in theory, available to everyone. Why shouldn't it be examined and debated from all angles?

Peace

[LaSorcia]

You think that mods never sleep?

:phew

Yes. Do you mean that I am wrong???

[LaSorcia]

Assalaamu alaikum,


I've been reading the discussion to date. I feel a little conflict of interest, because if this section is opened, then I suspect that moderators will have more work to do. (smile) And I ask myself, if I think it's a good idea to open this section, would I be willing to put extra time in?!

Could it be a good idea to share understandings of different people's positions? Yes, I think so. Not really for direct daw'ah purposes, but because it is important to understand one another better 1) So we can respect and get along better with one another, but also because 2) when a Muslim tries to call someone to Islam, it is very important for the Muslim to understand the other person's fundamental assumptions.

I've often heard Muslims and others talking to one another, each thinking that they made perfect sense, but actually, they were not truly communicating. Because of the assumptions we make about another person and their fundamental understandings, we often do not convey what we think we are conveying. What the other hears is something very different from what we intended.

Daw'ah is not easy. You can't just broadcast what you think is right. You have to have deep understanding of where the other person is coming from. And how can you do this, if you have not sincerely listened to the other person?

Of course, I agree that there are armchair proselytizers, people who wish to bait Muslims for fun, people who like to argue to fill their lives with some sort of empty victories, and suchlike. And such people can be rather tiresome (literally!). (mildly) Though even these people are human beings. And, I think, need to be treated one by one. However, more importantly, there are other people who are sincerely trying to discuss in order to understand. Or to be understood. And are these not people that we should interact with? For their sake. And for ours (for how enriching it can be to have one's thoughts challenged, and how motivating to try to learn and understand Islam better).

(sigh) However, there are human limits to how much a Forum can absorb.

(pensively) What about a sort of quota? That is, a certain number of posts per time frame in the comparative religion section?

And what about if the comparative section not be used to try to triumph over another person, but be about trying to understand another person? We could say: we're not here to debate you, but to understand you. We could ask the posters questions. Then summarize and say : is this what you believe? And then, perhaps, we can say what we believe. Not in order to crush them. But in order to help them understand us better. It could also help those Muslims who do not know their faith well to learn, also. (sigh) It is astonishing how many Christian beliefs I have found expressed by Muslims, who actually thought those beliefs were Islamic.

This format may sound strange to you, but it is what we do in my local community. I am part of a Muslim-Christian dialogue committee. We share. We try to understand. We do conferences so that our respective views can be better understood by the other. (smile) For instance, when we had a conference about the views of Maryam (Mary) (May God Bless her) in Islam and in Catholicism, there were no mass conversions! But I think we came to understand that one another's positions had similarities and differences, and we realized that the views were much more thoughtful and developed than we thought they were.

This increased understanding helps us to feel more at ease with one another. It has been lowering some barriers. (smile) And when barriers are lowered, we can not only live together better, and do good works together, but we can touch hearts.

So in summary:

1) Perhaps we could limit the discussions to what we can deal with, perhaps freezing the section if we get overloaded, until we have time again? We could perhaps also put a limit to the length of a post. Or insist that one point be discussed at a time (some people like to throw everything and the kitchen sink at you in one go).

2) Perhaps we could encourage people of other beliefs to try to explain their beliefs to us. Then ask them questions to try to understand better, then summarize. Then explain (without denigrating the other's beliefs or looking to triumph) what our own understandings are, from an Islamic perspective. No debate. Just a sharing of views in a respectful manner.

For example: OP: I believe that Jesus was the son of God.
Question: What does that mean to you? Do you believe that God had a child?
Next: the original poster would explain his/her position.
We could ask as many questions as we liked, till we felt we could summarize the poster's position.
Then we could say: The Qur'an teaches that Jesus was a Prophet of God.

(smile) This is, of course, a simplification. But I think it could be a way of dealing with the issue in a way that is low-conflict, respectful, and teaches about the Islamic position.

(smile) So these are my thoughts to add to the pot.


May Allah, the Repeatedly Forgiving, have Mercy on us, and Guide us to doing what is best Pleasing to Him.

This is a wonderful post. If the comparative religions section went as you described, there would be no problem at all! I would love to post a "Ask a Christian Anything" thread.

And on a separate note, but I don't know where to put it: I would like to see a sticky thread on commonly used terms in Islam for the non-Muslim. I usually look things up, but sometimes I come across some really hateful stuff on the internet when I try to do that. I have learned a lot of Arabic words and terms in my time here. If there was a thread with the terms, it would show up in search engines and perhaps be good dawah as well! I already knew a few terms, but I learned salah, alhamdullilah, and a few others. A concise list would be appreciated!


For a comparative religions section, I am most interested in discussing the similarities between Islam and Christianity and clearing up misconceptions as much as possible. While there are things we might never agree on, there is more in common than not! Like in a marriage, no two people will always think the same way or understand life in the same terms. Regardless, they are called by God to love each other and get along. I soooooo wish that for all people of the book; that's why I'm here!

[noraina]

That is a good idea, sister. Actually when I was learning about Islam I knew no Arabic words at all and I can imagine how helpful a list would be here. :)

InshaAllah, we must all strive for communication and understanding with those of other faiths, particularly, as you said, that Islam, Christianity and Judaism have many similarities despite the differences between them. That is one of the reasons I love this forum so much - it allows people of different faiths to communicate and understand each other's views and opinions, and this is even without the Comparative Religion section.

Salaam,

[strivingobserver98]

:jz: everyone for feedback and the wisdom from Admins, Jewels of IB and Moderators. Reading the thread, definitely lot of practical ideas floating around :).

Ideas Members have suggested to minimize problems:
- Trial of the section
- Threads moderated
- Freezing section if it get's overloaded
- A post quota within a time frame
- Name change of the section (eg. Interfaith Understanding)
- Rules boldy in front

Slowly will try to implement all the above ideas :ia: if viable.

For now the section will be under 15 day trial to see how it goes, and all threads will be moderated.

So the section is now... Open!

[BilalKid]

So the section is now... Open!

gr8!!!

:shade: