:bism: (In the Name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful)
format_quote Originally Posted by
Kshatriya
hey there,
Hello, brother Kshatriya. Let me welcome you to our humble abode here, IB. :)
I used to be an atheist but I am now a Muslim. So, I really understand your attraction to Islam.
1) can a Indian who's from Kshatriya caste convert to Islam ? i mean my ancestors as warriors and kings always fought against Islam.
Yes, anyone can convert to Islam, including anyone from the Kshatriya caste. What your ancestors did has no bearing or relevance to the present and future. You are an individual and a precious creation of Allah. Allah gave you and everyone free will to research and use your mind and heart and the primordial moral compass within your soul to search for Truth. Therefore, you are completely 100% welcome to accept Islam.
2) can i retain my Sanskrit based name After Accepting Islam?
Yes, you can retain your Sanskrit name but only if the meaning of the name has no (a) bad meanings, (b) is not a name of an idol or deity, (c) has no element of encouragement towards any type of wrongdoing behavior.
3) i can not pray 5 times per day because i have very busy lifestyle, 2-3 times a day is Acceptable ?
When you choose to convert to Islam, it will be already a slow-step journey for you to learn how to pray. Therefore, it is more important that you take baby steps than overwhelm yourself or go ahead of yourself and think of how you're going to slot in the 5 prayers in your schedule.
My humble advice is to not sweat the small stuff, have intentions to learn to pray, then make intentions as you progress to keeping 1 prayer, then 2 prayers once you're used to praying 1 prayer, then 3 prayers when you're used to praying 2 prayer, then 4 prayers when you're used to the 3 prayers, and then 5 prayers when you're used to praying the 4 prayers. Do this incrementally so that you're not overwhelmed.
If for any reason you're not able to make all prayers, ask Allah forgiveness and know that Allah is
Extremely Forgiving,
Extremely Merciful, and
Extremely Loving; know that actions are by intention. And therefore, even if you are not able to make 5 prayers, having intention to make 5 prayers is enough in the eyes of Allah if you're striving because Allah looks at sincerity as to intention.
Also, please know that Islam is based on one very important principle: Prophet Muhammad :saws:
(peace and blessings be upon him) said, “I have been sent to perfect noble character” (Sunan Al-Bayhaqee: 21301). That literally means that you're going to have try your best and work towards developing the best of character and try to have the best of manners with every human being.
In Islam, there are rights that Allah has over a human being, and then rights that one human being has over another human being. Allah has said that Allah may choose to forgive whatever rights the human being was unable to complete because that is between a servant and Allah. But Allah has said that Allah will not forgive any human being for violating the right of another human being and so you must ensure that you're the best to your parents, your extended family, your neighbors, and your fellow human beings.
4) all people i know are Hindus and what should i do if i have to visit Temple ? am i allowed to pray to Gods/Idols after becoming a muslim ?
If you are invited to visit a temple, see if you can make a polite excuse like you don't feel like going today or you have studies or you're busy or another thing that will enable you to avoid going to the temple. However, if you're compelled to go by a parent or a relative, stay outside of the temple and politely wait outside. Always be kind and do not disrespect any person or religion.
Brother, can you place orange juice and milk in one container and still expect it to have the flavor of milk? In that same way, our hearts are designed to love one God, and by praying to other false gods, we would be diluting our faith and polluting our hearts of true
iman (faith). And it is for this reason Allah has forbidden
shirk (idolatry). So, yes, brother, please do not pray to any other idols, because as a Muslim, you will be accepting to not only believe or say from your mouth that God is One but you would have forsaken false deities of man-made imagination and instead come to true faith of Oneness.
5) will people who are Born Muslims will Accept me as a Muslim ?
On this board, there are a lot of converts. So, of course, Muslims are happy to accept you as a brother in faith. That said, please understand that like in any other ethnicity, creed, gender, religion, region, there are good Muslims and bad Muslims. If you see a Muslim who's not kind and not accepting of you, move on. And pray for Allah to give you sincere and good Muslim brothers to be your friends who will support you and be happy to share their family with you and invite you to festivities.
6) how can i Accept Islam ? whats the process of becoming a Sunni Muslim ? (i want to become a Sunni Muslim)
Brother, Allah
knows your heart. The moment you believed that there is only one God, Allah, and Prophet Muhammad :saws:
(peace and blessings be upon him) is the messenger of God, then in that moment you already became Muslim. Because Allah knows your heart. That said, usually, what happens it that converts go to the mosque and say the testimony of faith to be recognized by the Muslim community that they are Muslim.
7) now, i cant fast, i am a big guy but due to my eating habits and other limitations i fell sick and loose my weight rapidly if i fast even tho i Lift weight. so an i eat at month of Ramadan ?
Any person who has a valid excuse like being sick is deemed excused from fasting. If you have any medical or health reasons for which you cannot fast, then Allah
knows and you'll be of those are excused. However, if you are only afraid of fasting or feeling a little concerned about fasting on account of potential lethargy, then you should strive to fast and place your trust in Allah that it will be okay to fast and then fast.
By the way, I lift weights and love gymming, but I still fast during Shahru Ramadan. What I try to do is then place my workout at night so that I can lift if I'm afraid of getting dizzy. However, to be honest, I have also lifted weights and been on the treadmill even when I was fasting, and while sometimes my ears feel plugged just like a swimmer's would if I do these exertions, I haven't noticed anything different. Remember our bodies which Allah has created is highly adaptable: it is just a matter of getting used to a workout or a specific situation and our body naturally responds.
I am really looking forward to becoming a Muslim. I am waiting for your answers and i will notify you guys about my decision in next few hours.
Well, then, we'll await
InshaAllah (God-willing) your positive response as well, brother. And welcome to IB. If you have every any concerns or questions, don't hesitate to either write on the board or you can even feel free to PM me, and I'll
InshaAllah (God-willing) help you in any capacity as your servant and sister in Islam.
Take care, brother; I honestly wish you the best in this journey. :)
Sincere Regards & Warm Welcome,