Hey!

[RockShan]

Hey! I am not a Muslim, just to get that out of the way I am a Gnostic, I mainly registered here to learn about Islam, one of my core beliefs is that every Religion has something to be learned from it, or are traced back to "The Source", or God. In which I am researching or learning everything I can about each religion due to this "personal belief", Islam is one of the main Religions I am currently studying or researching, from what I read so far, it is a very beautiful religion. I would love any "Book lists", of Muslim books that anyone here recommends. :) or just generally anything about Islam.

[sister herb]

Hey to you

Welcome to forum. I believe this is an excellent place to get more information.

[Delete.]

Peace be upon the one who follows true guidance.
I'd like to firstly say, thank you for taking your time to learn about Islam. It is indeed a beautiful Religion. I don't have any books I can recommend you as I don't know any that will teach you the basics, most of the reliable and authentic ones are written by scholars who have an advanced and in depth style of writing. My advice would be to firstly research the basics..
What does Islam preach? Example: The Oneness of God (Tawheed), Submission to Him, Why and how do we submit to God? Human rights and punishments (why these punishments are decreed, in what circumstances).
Muslims views on Jesus (peace be upon him).
Women's rights in Islam.
The life of Muhammad (who we consider the final Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him). And the lives of his companions (Sahaba). What was it like for them at that time
How Islam spread. (Not "by the sword".)

These are the areas that have the most misconceptions and it would be great to start there, in my own opinion. I'd like to warn you to please be careful and be aware of what websites you find your information from. There are many deviant sects of Islam, and the information they spread is vile and untrue.

Where do true Muslims acquire their information from? The Qur'an (our Holy book) and Hadith (these are the sayings of our Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him). We follow Laws based on both of these, and they work together simultaneously, and we take from nothing else.

So, I hope this helps a little bit, though I know I did not answer your question exactly. And maybe I could suggest you use this thread to ask any questions you have about Islam? Forums are a great place to interact and get your questions answered, I hope you can gain the good knowledge in your journey to discovering Islam.

[aaj]

Hello there,

welcome to the forum. Joining here is a good way to learn as it will give you the opportunity to ask questions and ask for clarification on anything you read or come across.

The best book I can recommend is the Quran itself. You can get free copy at your local mosque or read it online at www.quran.com if you like.

Karen Armstrong is good at writing about Islam. You can check out her books as well, such as Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time

Also here's a small book to get started : https://www.islamreligion.com/ebooks/islam-guide.pdf

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[RockShan]

Thanks to all those that replied so far. Ill check out the books you provided, and Ill be reading the Quran, and the Hadith.

[Delete.]

Thanks to all those that replied so far. Ill check out the books you provided, and Ill be reading the Quran, and the Hadith.

Ok. The Qur'an I suggest is Ma'ariful Qur'an. (I can't post the link but you will find the PDF online at 'Kalamullah')
And Hadith can be found on a website called 'Sunnah'. Not all Hadith are Authetic, so keep that in mind as you do more research.
Also, you cannot understand the context of Qur'an verses and Hadith just by reading them. The meaning must be put into context of the situation it was revealed or said in. Keep that in mind, as well. Sorry if I am overloading you with information. There are just a lot of misunderstood texts, and I'd like you to really get the best out of your research, God willing.

If a 'Full Member' could post those links that would be great, May Allah reward you.

[RockShan]

Yea thanks, and I understand that most religious or Holy books need to be read with the time, situation etc in mind to be fully understood. That is where most go wrong when reading books such as the Quran, Bible, Torah, etc.

[Delete.]

Yea thanks, and I understand that most religious or Holy books need to be read with the time, situation etc in mind to be fully understood. That is where most go wrong when reading books such as the Quran, Bible, Torah, etc.

I am very happy you understand this point. We simply cannot pluck out verses from the Qur'an and expect them to make sense just from how we read it. I pray you find it easy to understand.

[drac16]

Welcome!

We're glad to have you here. I've only come across two gnostics in my time on the internet; the other one happened to be a deacon. As for book recommendations, it depends on how deeply you want to go. For a beginner, Karen Armstrong's books are easy to recommend, such as 'Islam: A short history'. Karen Armstrong is not a muslim, but she has pretty good knowledge of history. If you want more of a scholarly approach, check out Martin Lings' biography of prophet Muhammad. :D

[Search]

:bism: (In the Name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful)

Hi. Hope you're doing well. I welcome you to IB on behalf of all of us! :) I hope you have a fruitful stay with us here InshaAllah (God-willing)!

I have sent you a PM on book recommendations and also linked you to an Islamic lecture therein.

If there's anything you want to ask or need any further assistance, please do not hesitate to ask us; also, the moderators will I'm sure be able to serve you and able to guide you should you have any technical problems with navigating IB.

Thanks. Have a great day.

Wishing you the best, :)

Yea thanks, and I understand that most religious or Holy books need to be read with the time, situation etc in mind to be fully understood. That is where most go wrong when reading books such as the Quran, Bible, Torah, etc.

[RockShan]

Alright, thanks a lot!

[muslim brother]

hello and welcome:peace:

[RockShan]

Yea I have already decided months ago to look into Sufism, and Gnostic Islam (Mentioned in you're private message to me), I plan on doing it when reading the Quran.

[Delete.]

Yea I have already decided months ago to look into Sufism, and Gnostic Islam (Mentioned in you're private message to me), I plan on doing it when reading the Quran.

In my honest opinion, I would advise you to read the Qur'an and research Islam without attributing any other beliefs to it (Sufi, Sunni, Shia, etc.) In this way, you could understand the actual and true meaning as it was intended, and not by what certain denominations attribute to it.. But I am studying myself and I only have my advice to share with you. All knowledge is with God and He knows best.

[Little_Lion]

If you are in the US, CAIR (the Council for American Islamic Relations) will send you an excellent Qur'an for shipping ($10). It has both English and Arabic, as well as transliteration, and goes fairly in-depth - good enough for a beginning student without being overwhelming - into explaining the various verses. It's a BIG set, three volumes in a slipcase. I highly recommend it.

https://www.explorethequran.com/index.php

[RockShan]

Oh no no no, I meant I will be researching it on the "side lines" or comparing beliefs etc, or rather comparing interpretations etc. but not fully applying Sufi belief to it. and in regards to getting a Quran shipped to my house, I would love to. but currently that would cause issues due to a good half my family being really aggressive and "racist" against Muslims. especially my Father, best to keep any research or studying on the "down low" for now, sense I still live in the same house (I'm 16).

[Delete.]

Oh no no no, I meant I will be researching it on the "side lines" or comparing beliefs etc, or rather comparing interpretations etc. but not fully applying Sufi belief to it. and in regards to getting a Quran shipped to my house, I would love to. but currently that would cause issues due to a good half my family being really aggressive and "racist" against Muslims. especially my Father, best to keep any research or studying on the "down low" for now, sense I still live in the same house (I'm 16).

Oh okay, yeah that makes sense now.
I really commend you for your passion for seeking knowledge.
I sincerely pray for the best for you.

[Delete.]

There is also a website called Islamic Online University and they offer a 'free diploma', it is a set of courses that teach the absolute basics. It is for new Muslims but I asked and they told me that it is also beneficial for non-Muslims who want to learn about Islam.

[Delete.]

I haven't taken any of those courses, though. But just thought I'd let you know about it.

[RockShan]

Yea I looked at the website you mentioned, it seems fairly promising, but I won't be getting into it right now, maybe a bit later on though. (talking about the Islamic University).

[Little_Lion]

There is also a website called Islamic Online University and they offer a 'free diploma', it is a set of courses that teach the absolute basics. It is for new Muslims but I asked and they told me that it is also beneficial for non-Muslims who want to learn about Islam.

I'm taking those courses now; I have not yet gotten very far, but so far the courses are EXCELLENT. My only complaint (which I also had at traditional college so IOU is certainly not unique in this respect ) is that in some of the exams, the questions either are not covered sufficiently in the course materials or in rare cases are missing altogether in the course. Even so I am still maintaining over 90% in my grades, masha'Allah, so it is not a major factor, just an annoyance for those who are perfectionists.

I would at the very least recommend, if nothing else, watching and listening to the lecture series titled "The First Day" and "The First Week", for an overview of what new Muslims experience and have to learn. I believe they would be of benefit, insha'Allah, to anyone who wants a better understanding of Islamic PRACTICE, though it does not go very in-depth into the belief system.

[Delete.]

I'm taking those courses now; I have not yet gotten very far, but so far the courses are EXCELLENT. My only complaint (which I also had at traditional college so IOU is certainly not unique in this respect ) is that in some of the exams, the questions either are not covered sufficiently in the course materials or in rare cases are missing altogether in the course. Even so I am still maintaining over 90% in my grades, masha'Allah, so it is not a major factor, just an annoyance for those who are perfectionists.

I would at the very least recommend, if nothing else, watching and listening to the lecture series titled "The First Day" and "The First Week", for an overview of what new Muslims experience and have to learn. I believe they would be of benefit, insha'Allah, to anyone who wants a better understanding of Islamic PRACTICE, though it does not go very in-depth into the belief system.

A'salamu alaykum, sister. Masha Allah, JazakAllahu khayr for sharing that insight and your experience with us.

[AhmedGassama]

I made a humble video series about Islam five years ago
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...AA3CCAF4991E43

I hope it can be for any use for you.

[RockShan]

What do you all think about "Visions" or messages from God, or anyone receiving them, back when I was a very radical "born-again Christian" about 8-10 months ago, I had a dream (I won't explain anything in it right now), which showed me things mainly about myself, within the next day I converted to Gnosticism, which has now lead me to Islam, and to research almost every religion. and.. what is you're thoughts on Meditation? I try to do it often, and I was meditating last night thinking about my future, etc, and I began to hear "badi" in my ears for a while.

[Delete.]

What do you all think about "Visions" or messages from God, or anyone receiving them, back when I was a very radical "born-again Christian" about 8-10 months ago, I had a dream (I won't explain anything in it right now), which showed me things mainly about myself, within the next day I converted to Gnosticism, which has now lead me to Islam, and to research almost every religion. and.. what is you're thoughts on Meditation? I try to do it often, and I was meditating last night thinking about my future, etc, and I began to hear "badi" in my ears for a while.

We believe in "true dreams". There are 3 types of dreams: ones that are just thoughts of your day from your subconscious, ones that are from satan, and true dreams which are from God. Obviously, they vary on intensity from person to person so that's something that only the individual can tell you. As for "visions", not quite. But we do have a prayer called Istikhara, where we pray for guidance from God, and somehow we are "inspired" as to which decision to take (not necessarily through dreams). The ways vary and again, it's something that an individual would have to share their experience with.


For meditation, we do have this concept yes. To ponder about God, nature, and ourselves. Most of the time it is done through "Dhikr" which are a variety of phrases and words to remember God with. For example, repeating "God is great" or "Glory to God". Doing it while concentrating on the meaning of these phrases is a sort of 'meditation'.

And also, on the subject of meditation, we also have our 5 daily prayers. This is a peaceful time for most Muslims, to spend time with God for just a few minutes, and ponder about Him and ourselves, and praise Him, etc.

[RockShan]

What I experienced would fall under you're explanation of "true dreams", but the guidance part of Istikhara also seems like a part of it, sense I use to pray for guidance, or help almost every hour at that point due to me being "lost, or suffering" at the time emotionally. and yea I consider Prayers as a form of meditation as well, along with forms of meditation being prayers as well.

[Delete.]

What I experienced would fall under you're explanation of "true dreams", but the guidance part of Istikhara also seems like a part of it, sense I use to pray for guidance, or help almost every hour at that point due to me being "lost, or suffering" at the time emotionally. and yea I consider Prayers as a form of meditation as well, along with forms of meditation being prayers as well.

Another thing I didn't mention, is what we call "Dua" which means Supplication. And could also be seen as 'meditation' as well like you said. They are separate from our 5 daily prayers but they are individual prayers. For example making Dua saying, Oh Allah (Arabic word for God), guide us to the straight path, Oh Allah help me find the Truth.

Something like this. So yes many forms!!

[Search]

:bism: (In the Name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful)

Wow, brother, I can't believe you're 16 since you sound mature for your age, which is wonderful. :statisfie

But sister explained to you the part about dreams well. I'd like to also say that Prophet :saws: (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “One hour of meditation is sometimes better that one year of praying” (Suyuti, Jamiu’s-Saghir, 2/127; Ajluni, I/310). So, yes, meditation is very much part of Islam.

As far as Sufism is concerned, I'd like to correct the misapprehension that it is a sect; it is not a sect. Sufism in Arabic is known as tasawwuf which is an Islamic science of spirituality that has been practiced for more than a millennia and it is how we can gain closeness to Allah (God). When I was an atheist and then came to Islam, I also had the misapprehension that Sufism was a sect and that it wasn't part of Islam. However, as I gained in knowledge, I realized that this type of misapprehension is spread on the Internet within Salafist strains of Islam of which I'd been first recipient on the Internet. That said, I'd say that you should take your time and study Islam.

As far as your family is concerned, I can understand you not ordering the Qur'an at home because of your parents; and I ask that you please always be very respectful of your parents especially as you investigate Islam; it may be that you decide to convert if God wills and I don't want your parents to mistakenly believe that perhaps Islam is teaching you bad manners because Islam in fact teaches the opposite which is the highest of manners with everyone but especially your parents for they raised you and Allah (God) commands that we respect them the most after God and the prophets (may peace be upon them all).

Yes, Allah (God) can communicate with you in any way God chooses; and to be honest, I'd had visions from God before when I was an atheist though I didn't understand them at the time but now I do as a Muslim. So, keep praying for guidance and asking God to show you the path that pleases Him. That's it.

Wishing you the best, little bro,:)

What do you all think about "Visions" or messages from God, or anyone receiving them, back when I was a very radical "born-again Christian" about 8-10 months ago, I had a dream (I won't explain anything in it right now), which showed me things mainly about myself, within the next day I converted to Gnosticism, which has now lead me to Islam, and to research almost every religion. and.. what is you're thoughts on Meditation? I try to do it often, and I was meditating last night thinking about my future, etc, and I began to hear "badi" in my ears for a while.

[Delete.]

@Search , I'm sorry sister I didn't mean sect in any bad way and forgive me for the sake of Allah if I did offend. I meant that OP should look into Islam without any influence by Sufi, Shia, Sunni, Salafi, whatever it may be. All of these did not exist in the time of our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. There was no Sufi, nor Salafi, etc. They are just terms to label people with, and I think they should be disregarded fully. It is my view, and I say it in the most respectful way to you, sister. Allah knows best.

[Search]

:bism: (In the Name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful)

:sl: (Peace be upon you)

Hey, sis, *hugs* I didn't take any offense or anything; and please, sis, you don't have to apologize, my beautiful. :) I'm so glad that you've been able to join us on IB - and since I didn't get an opportunity to say so before to you sis - welcome to IB! I can already tell you have a beautiful heart, and may God make it more beautiful and you one of the gems of IB. :)

As far as the lack of labels is concerned during time of Prophet :saws: (peace and blessings be upon him), that is certainly true in one aspect and not in another, sis. I simply call myself a Muslim which as you know simply means one who submits to God. That said, even though tasawwuf didn't have an official designation in that time, the reality was extant even in time of Prophet :saws: (peace and blessings be upon him) which is why you'll see that even the worst of the people in the pagan Arabia became the best people after Islam because Prophet :saws: was teaching them the true science of spirituality through teachings of correcting their intentions and their heart and their manners. If tasawwuf could be summarized in one line in my humble opinion, it would be in the line of Prophet :saws: (peace and blessings be upon him) when he said, “I have been sent to perfect noble character.”

Wishing you awesomeness,:)

@Search, I'm sorry sister I didn't mean sect in any bad way and forgive me for the sake of Allah if I did offend. I meant that OP should look into Islam without any influence by Sufi, Shia, Sunni, Salafi, whatever it may be. All of these did not exist in the time of our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. There was no Sufi, nor Salafi, etc. They are just terms to label people with, and I think they should be disregarded fully. It is my view, and I say it in the most respectful way to you, sister. Allah knows best.

:wa: (And peace be upon you)

[Delete.]

:bism: (In the Name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful)

:sl: (Peace be upon you)

Hey, sis, *hugs* I didn't take any offense or anything; and please, sis, you don't have to apologize, my beautiful. :) I'm so glad that you've been able to join us on IB - and since I didn't get an opportunity to say so before to you sis - welcome to IB! I can already tell you have a beautiful heart, and may God make it more beautiful and you one of the gems of IB. :)

As far as the lack of labels is concerned during time of Prophet :saws: (peace and blessings be upon him), that is certainly true in one aspect and not in another, sis. I simply call myself a Muslim which as you know simply means one who submits to God. That said, even though tasawwuf didn't have an official designation in that time, the reality was extant even in time of Prophet :saws: (peace and blessings be upon him) which is why you'll see that even the worst of the people in the pagan Arabia became the best people after Islam because Prophet :saws: was teaching them the true science of spirituality through teachings of correcting their intentions and their heart and their manners. If tasawwuf could be summarized in one line in my humble opinion, it would be in the line of Prophet :saws: (peace and blessings be upon him) when he said, “I have been sent to perfect noble character.”

Wishing you awesomeness,:)



:wa: (And peace be upon you)

Wa'salamu alaykum wa rahmat Allahi wa barakatuhu. JazakAllahu khayr, sister.

[greenhill]

Welcome to the forum.

My suggestion would be to read the Islamic stories of the prophets.

That should give you insight to the messages sent over time and the consistency of it.

Wishing you a great stay.


:peace:

[mickib]

Hi! I'm new as well, and I'm here for the exact same reason-to learn.

Learning about other religions (besides feeding my interest and curiosity) tends to strengthen my own personal belief in God. The similarities are astounding. What I find is that many of the religions have a great supreme being who they all look up to: Hindus worship Brahman, Muslims worship Allah, Christians and Jews worship God...It feels like we theists are just worshiping our own translation of Him. It brings us together in a strange kind of way. Of course, many might find this view foolish...

Well, anyway, welcome to the board!:)

[Delete.]

Hi! I'm new as well, and I'm here for the exact same reason-to learn.

Learning about other religions (besides feeding my interest and curiosity) tends to strengthen my own personal belief in God. The similarities are astounding. What I find is that many of the religions have a great supreme being who they all look up to: Hindus worship Brahman, Muslims worship Allah, Christians and Jews worship God...It feels like we theists are just worshiping our own translation of Him. It brings us together in a strange kind of way. Of course, many might find this view foolish...

Well, anyway, welcome to the board!:)

Hello there! Well I just want to clarify, as Muslims we don't worship any separate god named "Allah". Allah just means God. Like I explained it in your other post. One God, no gender, no plural = Allah in Arabic. I hope this makes sense.

[noraina]

Welcome to IslamicBoard,

Glad to see you are joining in the discussions already, and if you have any more questions or anything to clarify, please don't hesitate to ask. InshaAllah we are a friendly bunch here. :)

The Qur'an is always a good place to start, there are a few very well-known translations. One by Muhammad Pickthall, one by Muhammad Asad, and Yusuf Ali or M.A.S Abdul Haleem. Either one is good.

The Stories of the Prophets by ibn Kathir - within their lives they embody the spirit and foundation of Islam.

And thanks to living in this day and age YouTube is an amazing resource. There are some wonderful speakers such as Nouman Ali Khan and Hamza Yusuf. And some very informative YouTube channels, for example this is an excellent one I highly recommend:

https://www.youtube.com/user/themercifulservant

[RockShan]

What are the best english translations of the Qur'an in all of your opinions? I tried reading the Ma'ariful Qur'an but the notes, or explanations are too long for my taste, (Makes it too confusing, than with smaller explanations or foot notes).

[Delete.]

What are the best english translations of the Qur'an in all of your opinions? I tried reading the Ma'ariful Qur'an but the notes, or explanations are too long for my taste, (Makes it too confusing, than with smaller explanations or foot notes).

That's the only one I've read but @noraina mentioned above "One by Muhammad Pickthall, one by Muhammad Asad, and Yusuf Ali or M.A.S Abdul Haleem." I've seen the one by Yusuf Ali and that too has long explanations. But check those out, see which one suits you, God willing.

[RockShan]

Yea I am gonna read (began reading), the one translated by Yusuf Ali, even though it has long explanations, they are organized very well, and not confusing.

[Delete.]

Yea I am gonna read (began reading), the one translated by Yusuf Ali, even though it has long explanations, they are organized very well, and not confusing.

Sounds good. Let us know if you come across an ayat (verse) that you need more detail/explanation on.

[Search]

:bism: (In the Name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful)

Hi, bro! :)

Here's a translation that I think might be easier for you to read on an online PDF and get through God-willing: Abdul Haleem's translation.

I'd had a tough time with translations when I was starting out; so, I think this translation might be easier for you because it is written in modern English and doesn't have "thou" "thy" type words that I found jarring when I'd been reading Yusuf Ali's translation. Hopefully, you can use the one you like the best in terms of ease of reading.

Wishing you the best,

Yea I am gonna read (began reading), the one translated by Yusuf Ali, even though it has long explanations, they are organized very well, and not confusing.

[RockShan]

Most of what I see in Islam, is what I already believed or how I acted which is interesting, well How I "tried" to act.

[Delete.]

Most of what I see in Islam, is what I already believed or how I acted which is interesting, well How I "tried" to act.

Like what, if I may ask?

[RockShan]

Mainly just the morals, or how to treat others etc, and several of the main beliefs that I have read Islam has.

[Delete.]

Mainly just the morals, or how to treat others etc, and several of the main beliefs that I have read Islam has.

Basic human rights and etiquette, yes. Islam is logical in every sense. I've noticed that all arguments against Islam can be refuted. It's truly amazing, if you ponder it.

[mickib]

Hello there! Well I just want to clarify, as Muslims we don't worship any separate god named "Allah". Allah just means God. Like I explained it in your other post. One God, no gender, no plural = Allah in Arabic. I hope this makes sense.

That's what I meant. Allah is one God. THE God. The only God out there. He isn't a god, similarly to how Jews and Christians worship THE God. God is God, not a god. I believe that we are all just worshipping the same God, but through our own interpretation of Him. I hope this is what you meant...

[Delete.]

That's what I meant. Allah is one God. THE God. The only God out there. He isn't a god, similarly to how Jews and Christians worship THE God. God is God, not a god. I believe that we are all just worshipping the same God, but through our own interpretation of Him. I hope this is what you meant...

Exactly

[AabiruSabeel]

Thread locked for review. It's too early here, some other mod might review it soon :ia:.

[Muhammad]

:salamext:

A number of off-topic posts have been deleted. As for the primary topic of this thread, perhaps the following links will be helpful in listing some useful resources about Islam, but there are others also:
http://www.islamicboard.com/discover...resources.html
http://www.kalamullah.com/

I would like to remind us that our emphasis should be on the basics of Islam and those issues that are clear, authentic and agreed upon by all Muslims. Doing this will prevent a lot of confusion and help safeguard our eemaan :ia:.

Ibn Abbas (radhiyAllahu 'anhuma) reported that when the Messenger of Allah :saws: sent Mu’adh to Yemen, he said to him:
Verily, you are coming to a people among the people of the Book, so call them to testify there is no God but Allah and I am the Messenger of Allah. If they accept that, then teach them that Allah has obligated five prayers in each day and night. If they accept that, then teach them that Allah as obligated charity to be taken from the rich and given to the poor. If they accept that, beware not to take from the best of their wealth. Be on guard from the supplication of the oppressed, for there is no barrier between it and Allah. [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4090, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 19]

Thus, when calling people to Islam, we should call people to Islam in steps, starting with the most important beliefs and subsequently introducing the most important practices.

Imaam Al-Awzaa’ee (d.157) is reported to have said:

“Make yourself patient upon the Sunnah, stop where the people stopped, speak with what they spoke with, and refrain from what they refrained from. And follow the path of your Righteous Predecessors (Salafus Saaliheen) for verily, sufficient for you is that which was sufficient for them.” [Related in Ash-Sharee’ah, by Al-Aajurree, p. 58]

Let's leave the thread here :ia:.