Is it allowed to question our religious belief?

[-arisa-]

As-salāmu ʿalaykum everyone,
I hope you are all in the best of health and iman.

First, please do not get mad at me for the title of the topic. It has been bugging me since last night and I just want to ask someone. I tried to read articles for the answer. The answers were varied and I still feel unsure.

Sometimes I wonder if I really believe in Islam. Not that I completely not believe it, more like I just cannot comprehend some parts. I am a practicing Muslim. I find peace when I pray and read Quran. I am thankful and happy being born a Muslim.
However, when I look around, I feel like there is something wrong with Islam, or maybe the Muslims. I am not really sure myself.
Why does it seem like Islam or maybe Muslims cannot be at peace with others? What is wrong with us? Or is there something wrong with non-Muslim people? :?
There are these clashes too between Islam and culture, as well as Islam and modernization. Is it possible for Islam to adapt?

Everything looked fine when I was at school. I went to public, co-ed school where everyone regardless of religions and genders got along. (I know some of you may be so strict about the mixing but here it is just normal. Even some schools with Islamic curriculum have their female and male students in the same class)
Then when I went to university, I felt like things were changing. Or perhaps I just became aware of this thing.
Here there is a group of people who wants to change the system of our country to be an Islamic system (is this term right?).
It somehow causes conflicts with other religions and among Muslims. It used to be just fine, people just coexist peacefully. Why do some Muslims want to change that? Does that mean implementing Islamic system is better? Or is it because they think it is the best? But what we think is best does not mean it is the best for others too right?

I still have so many questions actually but it is just hard for me to put it into words. I am also afraid people will misunderstand my intention.
So yeah, back to the purpose of this thread. Is it allowed to question our religious beliefs? Are asking questions like above allowed? Are they allowed to exist in my brain sometimes? Or should I refrain from doing so? If it is allowed what is the limit of this kind of questioning?

I hope you can share your opinion here. I suppose this will be my last thread before asking the moderators to delete my account (since I cannot find the option in the settings) so I really appreciate if you can somehow enlighten me. Thank you! :)

[happymuslim]

You really can't interpret Islam based on people's actions. There is a huge difference between culture and religion and I don't think your questions have to do with Islam rather human behaviour. We don't only find this clash amongst Muslims but all kinds of people who differ amongst each other. We as Muslims have to abide by the rules in a non Islamic country as long as it doesn't violate our beliefs. If they really felt the need to change the country Islamic, then the better option would be simple moving to an Islamic country as it is easier and all the rules are already established there. It's alright to question but you must realize that Islam can't be solely judged on what Muslims do expecially in his day and age. Of course it's alright to question, just make sure your intentions are pure and that you are hoping to inform yourself and clear doubts

[happymuslim]

https://youtu.be/LFMzfW3w1d0

[Abz2000]

If you never questioned yourself you'd still be upon the religion of your forefathers, whether that be paganism, satanism, atheism (secularism), human sacrificism, racist nationalism, prophet torturism + sacrificism + cannibalism + vampirism, falsehoodism......
....you need to question those who you trust and believe to be able to answer truthfully from the time you are able to speak - about your way of life (these are usually parents, teachers, older siblings etc) about how best to live your life whilst on this earth. When you reach puberty you need to start taking more responsibility for your actions since you can't usually cast it on anybody else under normal circumstances and therefore need to continue learning whilst questioning yourself more critically as time passes - and this is how a person reaches "yaqeen" I.e certainty.
If you are sincere and truthful with yourself and have a decent amount of apathy, empathy and good judgement- you should come to the conclusions which Ibraheem :saws: came to.

Regarding re-legion...the re-legion that most of the people have been forced to accept in defiance of justice, truth, and choice is racist nationalist secularism, and this secularusm (which is godless atheism) has resulted in the lack of conscience, greed, injustice, conflicts and bloodshed that we have been seeing over the past century, unquestioning obedience to corrupt leaders who use the voting system to manipulate us and trick us into thinking that they are begging us for a chance to set things right when in reality, the usurious financiers who exact tribute from mankind choose the initial candidates through string pulling, blackmail and bribery.
The reason for such an elaborate facade is the fact that it is easier to keep a people docile as long as they believe that a majority has made the choice. Many of those who live in post european colonial countries are aware that their leaders are not in full control of affairs and haven't been even since so called "independence", one clear indicator of this is the fact that the majority were de-colonized only when it became economically (in some cases tactically) viable to do so after material resources had been taken as spoil from the previously wealthy peoples and the ability to exact regular tribute from them had been set in place via the economic conditions they were in in the form of usury. Not everyone wonders at the fact that london is still the city with the highest concentration of usurious banks, and the affiliates abd subsidiaries of those banks are set up planetwide - whose main task is to exact tribute from nations and their peoples whose means of living have been made purposefully difficult. You may learn more by researching the rothschilds' method of funding wars (often both sides of any given conflict) and the absorption of their economies - the most obvious example being the takeover of the london stock exchange before news of the result of the rothschild funded napoleonic war reached the city's traders. Maybe also research "the gold fixing".

So it is in fact a false notion that those who -after being cheated and mistreated for so long- are now standing for islamic rule in Muslim majority countries are somehow the cause of conflict, indeed secularism along with it's leader iblees are the source of unnecessary conflict and injustice.
Allah the most just has nothing to gain from your punushment and suffering and is pleased at your success in this life and in the hereafter - but His justice requires the punishments He sometimes inflicts on unjust peoples.
If we are grateful - He increases our bounties manifold.

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[-arisa-]

You really can't interpret Islam based on people's actions. There is a huge difference between culture and religion and I don't think your questions have to do with Islam rather human behaviour. We don't only find this clash amongst Muslims but all kinds of people who differ amongst each other. We as Muslims have to abide by the rules in a non Islamic country as long as it doesn't violate our beliefs. If they really felt the need to change the country Islamic, then the better option would be simple moving to an Islamic country as it is easier and all the rules are already established there. It's alright to question but you must realize that Islam can't be solely judged on what Muslims do expecially in his day and age. Of course it's alright to question, just make sure your intentions are pure and that you are hoping to inform yourself and clear doubts

Yeah, I know culture and religion are different. I am just wondering if religion can adapt to the culture to make it better accepted in a society? :?
Right. Perhaps it is just because the news focus more on Muslims hence the thought. I live in a Muslim-majority country, so when Muslims do something controversial it is more apparent.
I know! That is what I thought too! Why would they change something that is already established here?
Yes, that is my intention. If I can understand better it will be better for my faith right?

Thanks for the answer! :happy:

[-arisa-]

If you never questioned yourself you'd still be upon the religion of your forefathers, whether that be paganism, satanism, atheism (secularism), human sacrificism, racist nationalism, prophet torturism+sarificism+cannibalism+vampirism, falsehoodism......
....you need to question those who you trust and believe to be able to answer truthfully from the time you are able to speak about your way of life, these are usually parents, teachers, older siblings etc about how best to live your life whilst on this earth. When you reach puberty you need to start taking more responsibility for your actions since you can't usually cast it on anybody else under normal circumstances and therefore need to continue learning whilst questioning yourself more critically as time passes - and this is how a person reaches "yaqeen" I.e certainty.
If you are sincere and truthful with yourself and have a decent amount of apathy, empathy and good judgement- you should come to the conclusions which Ibraheem :saws: came to.

Uhh, I cannot really ask the people I know here. I am afraid of their reactions. What if they misunderstand my intention, they will see me in bad light. I feel more comfortable to ask questions here because of the anonymity. :hmm:

Is secularism that bad? What I know is that secularism separates civil affairs from religious considerations. :?
I thought in multi-faith-society it is not a bad option since it is the most neutral option. Well, in my opinion humans can try to implement whatever system they think is just. But in the end it is up to the humans whether it works or not. If they abuse it of course it is meant to fail and cause chaos.

Anyhow, thank you for the response! :happy:

[Simple_Person]

Yeah, I know culture and religion are different. I am just wondering if religion can adapt to the culture to make it better accepted in a society? :?
Right. Perhaps it is just because the news focus more on Muslims hence the thought. I live in a Muslim-majority country, so when Muslims do something controversial it is more apparent.
I know! That is what I thought too! Why would they change something that is already established here?
Yes, that is my intention. If I can understand better it will better for my faith right?

Thanks for the answer! :happy:

To understand Islam, you have to LISTEN to what Allah says in the Qur'an. At the mosque i sit next to brothers that read the Qur'an for the sake of reading and often i am wondering..what is their purpose of reading it? Is it so they can finish the Qur'an during Ramadan? What is the purpose of it? While Islam just like any other book, it is knowledge so you might benefit from it. With us Muslims these days, Qur'an is the ONLY book that we read for the sake of reading. I see us not reading a book from school for the sake of reading..but we MUST read it so we can benefit from the knowledge given..why don't we do that with the Qur'an?

I am not sure how often you yourself have finished the whole Qur'an ..and when you have finished reading the Qur'an how often you have stood still for a second to ponder about certain aya you just read?

The answer of this question (I am just wondering if religion can adapt to the culture to make it better accepted in a society?) lies in this aya.

"Prohibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah , and [those animals] killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a head-long fall or by the goring of horns, and those from which a wild animal has eaten, except what you [are able to] slaughter [before its death], and those which are sacrificed on stone altars, and [prohibited is] that you seek decision through divining arrows. That is grave disobedience. This day those who disbelieve have despaired of [defeating] your religion; so fear them not, but fear Me. This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion. But whoever is forced by severe hunger with no inclination to sin - then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." Qur'an 5:3

Allah says "I have perfected for you your religion and completed MY FAVOR upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion".

What does Allah means by "perfected for you your religion"?

What does Allah mean by "my favor"?

These are valid questions and if we for one minute stop talking and start thinking, we will understand this in'sha'Allah, but we talk too much and don't listen..we hear but do not listen.

Culture is man-made for some part. What i mean by this is, it gets mixed by practices of sheytan. For example, music..and habits of mixing men and women. Environment we live in gets affected by our behavior and actions. Why do you think prophets were send? They were not send so people could be destroyed, but rather to prevent people go further and thus bring destruction upon themselves. In other words prophets rather are a mercy by Allah so people could change their behavior and stop themselves from destroying themselves. The world through storms, earthquakes, animals have become so hostile because of the evil deeds of mankind.

If you change religion so it could "adapt" to culture, you are going towards the destruction Allah gave you the favor so you could follow the path that prevents you from bringing the destruction upon yourself.

Society these days has become so corrupt that the one staying home is better than the one walking in the city...

Ponder more about these things sister and Allah in'sha'Allah will give you the understand of things Himself. Stop wasting your time with rubbish and nonsense (facebook, twitter, instagram..if you have such things..or tv, radio, music etc.) Right now it sounds very extreme perspective, but when you have done exactly that, you suddenly hear your own thoughts. It will see as if you are awake, while everybody else is asleep.

[-arisa-]

^
Hmm, if I should answer why I read it... because it feels peaceful? Maybe it is a psychological thing? :?
And since I have Quran with translation I read the translation too. Sometimes I ponder about it but when I cannot comprehend it I just leave it at that (I know it is a bad habit) because I do not know who to ask.

So is preserving culture wrong? What if it does not conflict with the teaching of Islam? Is that allowed?
People have difficulties to separate themselves from culture since it shapes their identity.

Lol it is not extreme at all. I am not really fond of social media, it is a waste of time when I can be productive and study something :hiding:

Thanks for the response brother! :happy:

[AbdurRahman.]

Sister ignore those brothers who want to change this country politically as thats not the islamic way; change comes from bottom up and not top down; this is where the shariah law advocates go wrong

[Simple_Person]

^
Hmm, if I should answer why I read it... because it feels peaceful? Maybe it is a psychological thing? :?
And since I have Quran with translation I read the translation too. Sometimes I ponder about it but when I cannot comprehend it I just leave it at that (I know it is a bad habit) because I do not know who to ask.

So is preserving culture wrong? What if it does not conflict with the teaching of Islam? Is that allowed?
People have difficulties to separate themselves from culture since it shapes their identity.

Lol it is not extreme at all. I am not really fond of social media, it is a waste of time when I can be productive and study something :hiding:

Thanks for the response brother! :happy:

Qur'an has MANY benefits even just reading it without pondering it, however with us Muslims it has ONLY become just that. I also read the translation right now, but i ponder about what Allah is trying to tell me. Also when you are stuck at something, ask Allah for guidance and wisdom behind it. What you then have to do is keeping your ears and eyes open, because the answer to THOSE questions will come and often it will come from corners you never imagined. The questions i always had, they until now have always being answered.

There is culture and there is man-made(sheytan) aspect of culture.

"O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted." Qur'an 49:13

Culture is part of the signs of Allah. The difference between the cultures so we could know one another and interact. The things within the culture that we can say is from Allah are those things that are in line with Islam. To give you some examples. Clothing in some cultures that cover the awrah of the male and female, we can say is from Allah. Good habits of people (respect for the parents, elderly, neighbors) from Allah..different types of clothing (but still according to Islamic principles are things we could be drawn to it and see the enrichment of that culture. Language, all part of the signs of Allah. However when we talk about musical instruments, tight clothes, eating certain haram things. You do not have to be religious to not want to eat pig meat as the animal itself is already disgusting. Or even alcohol to see the evil in it without even being religious yourself.

So cultural habits has two aspects..ones that are according to Islamic principles and ones that are according to the principles of sheytan.

The difficulty is rather the test of every individual. The question is how willing are you to give up evil practices for the sake of Allah? Allah is the one that elevates your status in this life as well in the next, not the people.

======Hadith===========

"Islam began as a something strange and it will return to being strange, so blessed are the strangers."

Source used: http://dailyhadith.abuaminaelias.com...-to-strangers/

=====================

Islam is something strange when you practice it in your culture. Because in cultures we must gossip, we must hate one another, we must not talk to one another for years because of a pity fight, we must talk about money all day and about pride and act all arrogant. We must show when we give money to the needed so people can say look at that person. We must waste food so people can be like oooh he is soo rich, we must not sit with the poor and rather dismiss them being in our presence. We must treat our wife as our slave and shout and laugh loudly. We must belittle others in gatherings, we must buy unnecessary stuff so people could be envious of us..and much more

That is culture, while Islam compared to that is a stranger in town and it is because culture is the norm and widespread. Islam says exactly the opposite of what culture mostly says these days.

For me it is rather a blessing if i can call myself a stranger. Culture will not help you in your grave so find the way out or it will be too late and you will end up in your grave.

[happymuslim]

^
Hmm, if I should answer why I read it... because it feels peaceful? Maybe it is a psychological thing? :?
And since I have Quran with translation I read the translation too. Sometimes I ponder about it but when I cannot comprehend it I just leave it at that (I know it is a bad habit) because I do not know who to ask.

So is preserving culture wrong? What if it does not conflict with the teaching of Islam? Is that allowed?
People have difficulties to separate themselves from culture since it shapes their identity.

Lol it is not extreme at all. I am not really fond of social media, it is a waste of time when I can be productive and study something :hiding:

Thanks for the response brother! :happy:

Sister were definitely on the same page here, I use read Quran too sometimes and even though I sometimes can't understand things, I either try to the best of my ability or watch Islamic videos. (I recommend nouman Ali khans lectures). I am not a really a cultural person, so I felt like I had an identity crisis since I couldn't feel a belonging with a certain cultural. All were very exclusive. So I tried to identify with the black community but there were things that would not fit well with my Islamic beliefs, it's like a puzzle trying to find where you fit, western culture wasn't exactly an option as it would contradict my beliefs in some areas (ie. widespread zina, alcohol , accepting homosexuals) There's nothing wrong with preserving culture, you just have to make sure that it's within the guidelines of Islam (ie. cultural clothes, halal food, free mixing, music etc.) Culture can sometimes make people racist, misogamist, and arrogant. There are some good things about culture but we should never let the pride get to your heads. Islam should always come first before culture and there is nothing wrong with doing that. Your foods, colours, clothing and language that are part of your culture are all beautiful things, it's diversity and keeping it as a part of your identity and is important, but first and Foremost we identify as Muslims first. Identifying as Muslim doesn't mean that you automatically adopt middle eastern culture as some believe, rather make your religion compatible with Islam (not vice versa). This is another reason why I identify first as a Muslim. Islam is inclusive unlike cultures. You can find Muslims in almost all parts of the world each still preserving there own culture in beautiful ways under Islamic guidelines. People of all nationalities come together to humbly worship god, creating unity and peace. I recommend that you watch this video. [emoji16]

https://youtu.be/OQA-QCBk5u0

[Zafran]

Uhh, I cannot really ask the people I know here. I am afraid of their reactions. What if they misunderstand my intention, they will see me in bad light. I feel more comfortable to ask questions here because of the anonymity. :hmm:

Is secularism that bad? What I know is that secularism separates civil affairs from religious considerations. :?
I thought in multi-faith-society it is not a bad option since it is the most neutral option. Well, in my opinion humans can try to implement whatever system they think is just. But in the end it is up to the humans whether it works or not. If they abuse it of course it is meant to fail and cause chaos.

Anyhow, thank you for the response! :happy:

what country are you from if you dont mind me asking?

Islam is ultimately about God - Tawheed (Theism and specifically the God of Abraham who made everything - that we share with the Jews and Christians) - If you believe in a maker and that one day we will have to answer for what we did on earth after we die to the creator (belief in afterlife), Then your a Muslim If not you might want to explore what you actually believe life is all about?

Its good to start with core beliefs and then move forward - Try to not to let the culture/religion or philosophy your born with hinder your thought process even though that can be hard.

[-arisa-]

Sister ignore those brothers who want to change this country politically as thats not the islamic way; change comes from bottom up and not top down; this is where the shariah law advocates go wrong

I will try. But sometimes it is hard to look the other way when it causes conflicts between people :exhausted

[-arisa-]

Sister ignore those brothers who want to change this country politically as thats not the islamic way; change comes from bottom up and not top down; this is where the shariah law advocates go wrong

Thanks for the response! :happy:

[-arisa-]

Qur'an has MANY benefits even just reading it without pondering it, however with us Muslims it has ONLY become just that. I also read the translation right now, but i ponder about what Allah is trying to tell me. Also when you are stuck at something, ask Allah for guidance and wisdom behind it. What you then have to do is keeping your ears and eyes open, because the answer to THOSE questions will come and often it will come from corners you never imagined. The questions i always had, they until now have always being answered.

There is culture and there is man-made(sheytan) aspect of culture.

"O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted." Qur'an 49:13

Culture is part of the signs of Allah. The difference between the cultures so we could know one another and interact. The things within the culture that we can say is from Allah are those things that are in line with Islam. To give you some examples. Clothing in some cultures that cover the awrah of the male and female, we can say is from Allah. Good habits of people (respect for the parents, elderly, neighbors) from Allah..different types of clothing (but still according to Islamic principles are things we could be drawn to it and see the enrichment of that culture. Language, all part of the signs of Allah. However when we talk about musical instruments, tight clothes, eating certain haram things. You do not have to be religious to not want to eat pig meat as the animal itself is already disgusting. Or even alcohol to see the evil in it without even being religious yourself.

So cultural habits has two aspects..ones that are according to Islamic principles and ones that are according to the principles of sheytan.

The difficulty is rather the test of every individual. The question is how willing are you to give up evil practices for the sake of Allah? Allah is the one that elevates your status in this life as well in the next, not the people.

This is a really nice explanation, thanks! :happy:
However, I have to disagree with the negative aspects of culture. This is the first time I heard in cultures you must gossip, hate one another, and so on. It is so ridiculous! Well I never found it in my culture anyway. But yeah, there are negative aspects (if you view it in Islamic way) like musics, traditional clothes, etc and I still cannot understand why they are forbidden. I certainly need more knowledge to become a complete Muslim :hiding:

[-arisa-]

Sister were definitely on the same page here, I use read Quran too sometimes and even though I sometimes can't understand things, I either try to the best of my ability or watch Islamic videos. (I recommend nouman Ali khans lectures). I am not a really a cultural person, so I felt like I had an identity crisis since I couldn't feel a belonging with a certain cultural. All were very exclusive. So I tried to identify with the black community but there were things that would not fit well with my Islamic beliefs, it's like a puzzle trying to find where you fit, western culture wasn't exactly an option as it would contradict my beliefs in some areas (ie. widespread zina, alcohol , accepting homosexuals) There's nothing wrong with preserving culture, you just have to make sure that it's within the guidelines of Islam (ie. cultural clothes, halal food, free mixing, music etc.) Culture can sometimes make people racist, misogamist, and arrogant. There are some good things about culture but we should never let the pride get to your heads. Islam should always come first before culture and there is nothing wrong with doing that. Your foods, colours, clothing and language that are part of your culture are all beautiful things, it's diversity and keeping it as a part of your identity and is important, but first and Foremost we identify as Muslims first. Identifying as Muslim doesn't mean that you automatically adopt middle eastern culture as some believe, rather make your religion compatible with Islam (not vice versa). This is another reason why I identify first as a Muslim. Islam is inclusive unlike cultures. You can find Muslims in almost all parts of the world each still preserving there own culture in beautiful ways under Islamic guidelines. People of all nationalities come together to humbly worship god, creating unity and peace. I recommend that you watch this video. [emoji16]

https://youtu.be/OQA-QCBk5u0

Great explanation, thanks! :happy:
Ah yeah I agree with some parts of Western culture. Eastern and Western cultures are so different, for instance when it comes to respecting those older than you. Here we have to address them in certain way to be polite. But in Western culture you can just call their name casually. I find this difference interesting.
Zina, alcohol, and accepting homosexuals are not allowed too in my culture. However, exposure to Western culture from media changes it little by little. Some people are affected by this, especially the young generations. It is worrying.
I think I have my priorities wrong then regarding my identity. I identify myself as human first, then a mix of Muslim and Indonesian. :?

[-arisa-]

what country are you from if you dont mind me asking?

Islam is ultimately about God - Tawheed (Theism and specifically the God of Abraham who made everything - that we share with the Jews and Christians) - If you believe in a maker and that one day we will have to answer for what we did on earth after we die to the creator (belief in afterlife), Then your a Muslim If not you might want to explore what you actually believe life is all about?

Its good to start with core beliefs and then move forward - Try to not to let the culture/religion or philosophy your born with hinder your thought process even though that can be hard.

I am from Indonesia :)
Hmm, I do believe there should be a maker who is responsible for everything that exists in this life. And there would be consequences for what we have done in life later. I believe because I think there must be causes and consequences for everything happening. :?
Does that make me a Muslim?

Thanks for the response by the way, it makes me think a lot! :happy:
Since I am born a Muslim, I used to just accept whatever my parents and teachers told me concerning religion. If I asked something they might get angry, and even now I am still afraid to ask questions like this to people. Because of my lack of comprehensions or perhaps awareness, I did not pray and read Quran until high school. I only prayed and read Quran when my parents got angry with me for neglecting my duties as Muslim. Later when I realized it myself I started to slowly follow Islamic teachings. There are aspects that I am still confused about though, like what I mentioned in the previous posts.

[Eric H]

Greetings and peace be with you arisa,

But yeah, there are negative aspects (if you view it in Islamic way) like musics, traditional clothes, etc and I still cannot understand why they are forbidden. I certainly need more knowledge to become a complete Muslim

Oscar Wilde famously said, I can resist everything...........................except temptation.

People dress in ways to look attractive to other people, this leads to all kind of temptations. Some people become alcoholics because they can't just have one or two drinks. People become addicted to gambling because they can't just have the occasional flutter, and this leads to their ruin.

You are journeying through Ramadan at the moment, and one of the big challenges is to control your need for food and drink when you are hungry and thirsty.

Allah understands our weaknesses and our temptations through life, religion is given as a help to get through life. I know you have been struggling through life with university, your home and car, but if you can find ways to continuously thank Allah for what you have, this will help you to become stronger.

Blessings
Eric

[Eric H]

Greetings and peace be with you arisa,

Zina, alcohol, and accepting homosexuals are not allowed too in my culture. However, exposure to Western culture from media changes it little by little. Some people are affected by this, especially the young generations. It is worrying.

It is said the youth of today are lazy, they get drunk and disobey their elders, this was written on a tomb in Egypt three thousand years ago, nothing changes.

You are recognising these trends in your young age. So just think that Allah has had a little longer than you to know where these things lead to.

Blessings,

Eric

[-arisa-]

Allah understands our weaknesses and our temptations through life, religion is given as a help to get through life. I know you have been struggling through life with university, your home and car, but if you can find ways to continuously thank Allah for what you have, this will help you to become stronger.

Thanks for the advice! :happy:
I do try to always be grateful to Allah. I am really fond of surah Ar-Raḥmān, especially the verse "Which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?", it serves as a reminder to be thankful. But yeah, when things are hard and I get panic it is so easy to forget it.

[Simple_Person]

This is a really nice explanation, thanks! :happy:
However, I have to disagree with the negative aspects of culture. This is the first time I heard in cultures you must gossip, hate one another, and so on. It is so ridiculous! Well I never found it in my culture anyway. But yeah, there are negative aspects (if you view it in Islamic way) like musics, traditional clothes, etc and I still cannot understand why they are forbidden. I certainly need more knowledge to become a complete Muslim :hiding:

Sister, you have no clue whatsoever. When you are in a gathering or even among 2 other women. They both are gossiping about somebody else. Go and set them straight by telling them something so they stop gossiping they will look all annoyed at you becuse you stopped that which easily connects people..that is gossiping. Ponder about such things and why people do that. Isn't this suddenly become a MUST in cultures? When people are annoyed by what you try them to stop doing.

Hate one another. People look down on you in cultures (been there, done that), when you forgave somebody and see that as being a loser by forgiving them because they also hate that person for example.

For your own shallow perspective it is ridiculous but when you open your eyes you see indeed that such evil and negative practices have become some what a norm. In my own culture in the past by majority but these days still it is practices that men (brothers/fathers) do not attend the wedding of their sister/daughter..because somehow it is shameful. I mean sub'han'Allah look at the backwardness and how sheytan has made it place home in it..

I am not sure how old you are, but i hope you are fairly young..10-18 years old. If not, then you have without a doubt a lot of catching up to do when it comes to pondering about things. Learn to analyze things and ask questions in your mind and ask Allah for guidance and wisdom behind those answers.

With music, tight clothes, study human psychology and what is happening to people. You are living in your own world and because of that, you do not see beyond the reach of your eye sight. Here in the west i see ALL those things Allah has made forbidden for us and a part of the wisdom why He has made forbidden for us.

There is a story of a frog and a sea turtle. The sea turtle arrives at the well that the frog is in. The frog tells the sea turtle to join in as this is the best place to be in. The sea turtle says there is a whole world around you, how can you say this is the best place to be in while you have never left this well. Still the frog insisted that the well was the best place to be in.

What am i trying to say with this story? You have seen and pondered very little about why some thing are what they are and rejects them or have doubts about them, while Allah has even given you the ability to see beyond your own "well" using the internet to talk to other people and ask their experience.

Knowledge is not what you need, understanding is what you need. Knowledge and understanding are two complete separate things and understanding is when you go towards imaan in'sha'Allah. Ponder about things and ponder deeply about it. Study, learn read Islamic books and perspectives. Ponder about what you have seen, heard, read and even have typed/said. Because often you will see that your own mouth is the source of understanding.

"And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good." Qur'an 29:69

what is striving? What is guidance? What are good things? If you ponder about such things you will come to know. When you hear a lecture often you hear the person speaking saying, the good that i say comes from Allah and the evil that i say comes from me. How come such people say these thing? Is it true? If not, how come it is not true, if yes, how come it is true? Ponder..ponder..ponder..

"Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and earth, and the alternation of the night and the day, and the [great] ships which sail through the sea with that which benefits people, and what Allah has sent down from the heavens of rain, giving life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and dispersing therein every [kind of] moving creature, and [His] directing of the winds and the clouds controlled between the heaven and the earth are signs for a people who use reason." Qur'an 2:164

"Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding." Qur'an 3:190

"Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], "Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire." Qur'an 3:191

"Say, [O Muhammad], "I do not tell you that I have the depositories [containing the provision] of Allah or that I know the unseen, nor do I tell you that I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me." Say, "Is the blind equivalent to the seeing? Then will you not give thought?"" Qur'an 6:50

"Do they not contemplate within themselves? Allah has not created the heavens and the earth and what is between them except in truth and for a specified term. And indeed, many of the people, in [the matter of] the meeting with their Lord, are disbelievers." Qur'an 30:8

"Then do they not reflect upon the Qur'an, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?" Qur'an 47:24

Do not see Qur'an only as calmness of the heart, it is much more than that. Also try to taste the sweetness of the prayer, because if you say you get all calmness when reading the qur'an then my question to you is, don't you get that when praying?

[-arisa-]

^
Well perhaps some are just like that but that does not mean every women does that right? Rather than talking about people it is better to talk about current events, future plans, or whatever that is more beneficial. Why would gossiping become a must in culture? I do not understand. :?

Sorry for having shallow perspective like what you said. :uuh:
Can you just chill? Why do I feel like you are getting mad at me?
What I was saying comes from my own experience. Where are you from by the way? This is the first time I heard brothers/fathers refused to attend their sisters/daughters wedding. Are not you family? Is not it impolite to not attend a family celebration? In my culture it will be frowned upon since we place importance in family.

Then maybe it is a good thing that I will continue my study in the West. I will see for myself the differences, hope it will open my mind more.

[Simple_Person]

^
Well perhaps some are just like that but that does not mean every women does that right? Rather than talking about people it is better to talk about current events, future plans, or whatever that is more beneficial. Why would gossiping become a must in culture? I do not understand. :?

Sorry for having shallow perspective like what you said. :uuh:
Can you just chill? Why do I feel like you are getting mad at me?
What I was saying comes from my own experience. Where are you from by the way? This is the first time I heard brothers/fathers refused to attend their sisters/daughters wedding. Are not you family? Is not it impolite to not attend a family celebration? In my culture it will be frowned upon since we place importance in family.

Then maybe it is a good thing that I will continue my study in the West. I will see for myself the differences, hope it will open my mind more.

I am not upset, but your perspective is being very naive. This attitude will be your downfall in opening up way for sin. A person who is willing to learn and to listen, will ask themselves based on what does this person say this and how come he/she says what he/she says? Maybe he/she is right..maybe he/she is wrong..how come he/she is wrong or how come he/she is right? Maybe he/she knows and understands something that i may not know..let me ask for the sake of pursuing knowledge and understanding.

While you just dismiss things based on what you feel is right or wrong.

It doesn't matter where i am from, what matters is that such insane things exist, beside all the other things i just said and even more things that i am not even aware of. You think gossiping is only in my culture? Well think again, as it is a cancerous disease that exists in every culture.

"Maybe it is a a good thing i will continue my study in the West". Your naive attitude and lack of pondering is like preparing meat to for the BBQ. You will not be the first and most certain not the last.

In Indonesia religious plurality is still way less than in the west. Ideas and approaches are way less in Indonesia. Certain kind of priorities are so unknown in Indonesia while it is something that is so normal here in the west. What i see based on these simple comments of yours is you standing for a tsunami to hit you.

For many of us that have lived here in the west, we have done our share of sin and also our share of hardship as well as pursuit of knowledge and understanding. We have found or are still searching for the eye of the tornado, while in the mean time grabbed on a tree or building to not be blown away. The amount of religious corruption these days have become so widespread in the west, that many sisters find it hard to wear a hijab or brothers having a beard. It is like SERIOUSLY UNDERESTIMATING the fitna of dajjal. Many Muslims think some guy with the exact description of what Rasullah(saws) has said will come to you..he will say..i am dajjal, do not follow me or you will do shirk you are a Muslim and even if you want to follow me i will not want you to follow me...

Always OVERESTIMATE such things, that is better for you. What you do from here on, is up to you.

Peace.

[-arisa-]

^
Thank you for the lengthy explanation. I really appreciate it.
I still have a hard time to relate to it though due to my naivety like you said. :hiding:
I hope with more pondering and experiences I will be wiser about this.

[ardianto]

Assalamualaikum, sister Arisa.

May I ask ....... do you often visit Islamic sites on internet?.

[Abz2000]

Uhh, I cannot really ask the people I know here. I am afraid of their reactions. What if they misunderstand my intention, they will see me in bad light. I feel more comfortable to ask questions here because of the anonymity. :hmm:

Is secularism that bad? What I know is that secularism separates civil affairs from religious considerations. :?
I thought in multi-faith-society it is not a bad option since it is the most neutral option. Well, in my opinion humans can try to implement whatever system they think is just. But in the end it is up to the humans whether it works or not. If they abuse it of course it is meant to fail and cause chaos.

Anyhow, thank you for the response! :happy:

If you take the time to research secularism, then ponder over the guidance of Allah and the fact that laws are imposed upon people living in communities, you should clearly be able to see that secularism begins on a false foundation which is rejection of God, and by extension, rejection of truth, and ingratitude to God.
You shall know it by it's fruits when you see the guidance of God being suppressed stage by stage, blasphemed, and the freedom to assert one's faith being suppressed at every opportunity, and the more the guidance of God prevails democratically on a fair playing field, the more overt the vehement hatred and rage becomes against those who practice the true faith, and this has been the case with the true faith throughout history, when it comes to a stage where those rejectors of God who falsely assume the authority of God fear that they are about to hand over administration to be ruled by Gods laws.

It happened in egypt which was very secular until pharaoh feared that Banee Israeel who were the Muslims of the time would dethrone him, in Makkah when the Quraishi elders feared that their authority was being questioned - and they were a very free and secular society which tolerated christians and jews up until the call of the Prophet pbuh, minus the fact that they oppressed zayd bin amr bin nufail who was a critical thinking sincere monotheist unburdened by culture of his forefathers. See: https://tasfiyatarbiya.wordpress.com...-al-quraishee/

Take france for example, the land which claimed "liberty, equality, fraternity", and how it was claiming tolerance whilst slowly succeeding in turning it's people lewd, then when Islam began to become a major player that was gaining respect, the government began an anti-God crusade, banning prayer outside, claiming it was preventing force and allowing choice by banning hijab in schools, then banning grown women from wearing hijab in government institutions..... it became obvious that secularism was a tool to slowly remove God from the social and personal sphere.
When a person sees women dressed modestly, she begins to question her own dress and what she sees on t.v, and she might feel ashamed of putting on a lewd dress (i call it ho@ker in church effect).




It's just two hearts living....in two different worlds.....


In America we saw the false flag of 9/11 used to falsely justify it's war against Islam within and without, and to vilify Islam and muslims until women in hijab were being attacked with baseball bats whilst hundreds of thousands were massacred in the name of the false war on terror.

It is difficult to see all this when one stops researching history and starts watching secularist tv and reading secularist newspapers - because reality is turned upside down and people are cast into a localized bubble - but a true Muslim is not easily deceived because Islam is a collective and caring mindset in contrast to the self centered model which secularism promotes.
If you have secular minded friends and begin to think like them, you will inevitably begin to emulate them and forget about the horrendous things that have been taking place against those who have believed in allah and his messengers, you will begin to see the local situation relative to the news and will forget the words of Allah and the global and eternal situation, you will even forget that such a thing as iblees exists and that it has followers who are bent upon leading you astray and dragging you to hell, you will feel uncomfortable even claiming that you believe in jinn or angels in fear of ridicule - despite the fact that iblees is jinn and jibreel brought revelation to the Prophets.....and slowly you will feel shy to even admit that God exists.
I recall a customer back in England who claimed that she was afraid of coming near my suitcase full of laptops in case it blew up lol, then after checking her laptop and giving her a date to return and collect, she teased me when I said "God willing", as if I had said something funny....I thought about the psychological effect the current secularist system had had on her despite England having been a country which was claiming to be invading the world in the name of God not too long ago (if one reads history), it was simple, they had created a bubble for her.


Once you look at the bigger picture, you realise that there's no such thing as absolute freedom, and that the way of shaytaan will always be at odds with the way of Allah until the way of Allah prevails.
The same will become obvious on the day of judgement when you realise that there are only two places for people and nothing in between.

All of my words will be of little effect if you came here for a confirmation of secularism or to promote it instead of to think.

[-arisa-]

Assalamualaikum, sister Arisa.

May I ask ....... do you often visit Islamic sites on internet?.

Hmm, not really? I only visit them when I have questions :?
I realize I have to be careful too when visiting such sites. It would be nice to know someone who I can ask about something like this, but the problem is I am worried about the person's reaction. If the person says I am a bad Muslim or something similar there may be a chance I believe it and be devastated about it. It is scary! :hiding:

[-arisa-]

Assalamualaikum, sister Arisa.

May I ask ....... do you often visit Islamic sites on internet?.

Whoops sorry. Forgot to say Wa-Alaikum-Salaam :embarrass

[-arisa-]

If you take the time to research secularism, then ponder over the guidance of Allah and the fact that laws are imposed upon people living in communities, you should clearly be able to see that secularism begins on a false foundation which is rejection of God, and by extension, rejection if truth, and ingratitude to God.

Once you look at the bigger picture, you realise that there's no such thing as absolute freedom, and that the way of shaytaan will always be at odds with the way of Allah until the way of Allah prevails.
The same will become obvious on the day of judgement when you realise that there are only two places for people and nothing in between.

All of my words will be of little effect if you came here for a confirmation of secularism or to promote it instead of to think.

Thank you for the explanation. I really have a lot to think and learn :exhausted

[happymuslim]

Great explanation, thanks! :happy:
Ah yeah I agree with some parts of Western culture. Eastern and Western cultures are so different, for instance when it comes to respecting those older than you. Here we have to address them in certain way to be polite. But in Western culture you can just call their name casually. I find this difference interesting.
Zina, alcohol, and accepting homosexuals are not allowed too in my culture. However, exposure to Western culture from media changes it little by little. Some people are affected by this, especially the young generations. It is worrying.
I think I have my priorities wrong then regarding my identity. I identify myself as human first, then a mix of Muslim and Indonesian. :?

I don't think it's wrong the way you identify yourself as long as non of the other parts of your identity cause you to do haram things or become more important then your Muslim identity. Remember before we came into this dunya, and we were all souls we were Muslims first. Those who submitted to god. Then we came into this world and became human, a daughter or a son, and we pick up our identities as we live, though before all this we were Muslims and when we leave this world we also want that to be the first thing we identify with before we die.

[ardianto]

Hmm, not really? I only visit them when I have questions :?
I realize I have to be careful too when visiting such sites. It would be nice to know someone who I can ask about something like this, but the problem is I am worried about the person's reaction. If the person says I am a bad Muslim or something similar there may be a chance I believe it and be devastated about it. It is scary! :hiding:

Have you ever learned Islam from an ustadzah?. And did your ustadzah ever told you that you are bad Muslim?. I am sure, she didn't.

So, sister, don't be influenced by people who say that you are a bad Muslim, because actually this is a method to make you doubt about your path and then follow their path.

Criteria of good Muslim is not determined by human, but by Allah. We have to become better Muslim, of course. But it's because Allah, not because other people who say we have to become Muslim like this, like that.

My advice, if you have question about Islam it's better if you ask Islamic teacher near you. Don't go to internet because if you go to internet, then you will feel the urge for surfing, and probably you will visit the wrong Islamic sites. And it's better too if you join in women Qur'an recitation group (pengajian ibu-ibu) that lead by an ustadzah in your area.

:)

[czgibson]

Greetings,

I'm surprised the thread has carried on this long when its starting question could have been answered with one word.

Peace

[*charisma*]

Walaikum Assalam,

Why does it seem like Islam or maybe Muslims cannot be at peace with others? What is wrong with us? Or is there something wrong with non-Muslim people?

This isn't a Muslim problem. It's a human problem. It would be easier to answer this question when you have more specific examples I suppose. But in general, sometimes people are too selfish to think about each other and only think about themselves. Islam taught us to be kind to our neighbors, to help each other, to not see one above another, and to be sincere. No matter what one's beliefs are, I think this should be a univeral courtesy code, but there are many nations and people in general who are lacking to practice the fundamentals of being proper human beings.

There are these clashes too between Islam and culture, as well as Islam and modernization. Is it possible for Islam to adapt?

Islam does take account culture, however, our religion was created to change the people not the other way around. But as we know people will not improve themselves unless they want to improve, even if the changes are for their well being.

Here there is a group of people who wants to change the system of our country to be an Islamic system (is this term right?).
It somehow causes conflicts with other religions and among Muslims. It used to be just fine, people just coexist peacefully. Why do some Muslims want to change that? Does that mean implementing Islamic system is better? Or is it because they think it is the best? But what we think is best does not mean it is the best for others too right?

If the country is an Islamic majority country to begin with, I don't see the problem with implementing more islamic customs, why would it be? It's also going to depend on how drastic the changes are and what they are exactly. People of other religions also should not have any problems living under Islamic rule considering there are many who do so anyways. Islam doesn't really impede on anyone's private affairs. You have to remember that this life is so temporary that our religion comes first, so no matter where we are living and who the ruler is, we have to live according to Islam. Living in comfort doesn't always mean we are living righteously. If your government is taking the step to correct something, then it should be supported. Again, I'm speaking in general since no specific details were given.

So yeah, back to the purpose of this thread. Is it allowed to question our religious beliefs? Are asking questions like above allowed? Are they allowed to exist in my brain sometimes? Or should I refrain from doing so? If it is allowed what is the limit of this kind of questioning?

You can always ask questions. We are not sheep. You have to understand your religion to fall in love with it and share it with those around you. Knowledge is power.

[-arisa-]

^
Yeah I agree with the universal courtesy code. We learned something like that at school, some followed that code and some did not. I guess it depends on the upbringing and environment.

Well regarding the idea of implementing Islamic customs, it does not come from the government. It comes from some Islamic organizations, they are challenging the government.

I am glad I can ask. More understanding means stronger faith right? :)

[*charisma*]

Well regarding the idea of implementing Islamic customs, it does not come from the government. It comes from some Islamic organizations, they are challenging the government.

Oh I see. I guess I wouldn't really know in that regard. :) In Islam, muslims have to follow the rules of the land. Government and religious groups should work together not against one another (unless the government is corrupt and oppressive).

I am glad I can ask. More understanding means stronger faith right?

Absolutely. You should never feel afraid or ashamed to ask about your faith. The thing that kills ignorance is asking questions.

[Mustafa16]

If you take the time to research secularism, then ponder over the guidance of Allah and the fact that laws are imposed upon people living in communities, you should clearly be able to see that secularism begins on a false foundation which is rejection of God, and by extension, rejection of truth, and ingratitude to God.
You shall know it by it's fruits when you see the guidance of God being suppressed stage by stage, blasphemed, and the freedom to assert one's faith being suppressed at every opportunity, and the more the guidance of God prevails democratically on a fair playing field, the more overt the vehement hatred and rage becomes against those who practice the true faith, and this has been the case with the true faith throughout history, when it comes to a stage where those rejectors of God who falsely assume the authority of God fear that they are about to hand over administration to be ruled by Gods laws.

It happened in egypt which was very secular until pharaoh feared that Banee Israeel who were the Muslims of the time would dethrone him, in Makkah when the Quraishi elders feared that their authority was being questioned - and they were a very free and secular society which tolerated christians and jews up until the call of the Prophet pbuh, minus the fact that they oppressed zayd bin amr bin nufail who was a critical thinking sincere monotheist unburdened by culture of his forefathers. See: https://tasfiyatarbiya.wordpress.com...-al-quraishee/

Take france for example, the land which claimed "liberty, equality, fraternity", and how it was claiming tolerance whilst slowly succeeding in turning it's people lewd, then when Islam began to become a major player that was gaining respect, the government began an anti-God crusade, banning prayer outside, claiming it was preventing force and allowing choice by banning hijab in schools, then banning grown women from wearing hijab in government institutions..... it became obvious that secularism was a tool to slowly remove God from the social and personal sphere.
When a person sees women dressed modestly, she begins to question her own dress and what she sees on t.v, and she might feel ashamed of putting on a lewd dress (i call it ho@ker in church effect).




It's just two hearts living....in two different worlds.....


In America we saw the false flag of 9/11 used to falsely justify it's war against Islam within and without, and to vilify Islam and muslims until women in hijab were being attacked with baseball bats whilst hundreds of thousands were massacred in the name of the false war on terror.

It is difficult to see all this when one stops researching history and starts watching secularist tv and reading secularist newspapers - because reality is turned upside down and people are cast into a localized bubble - but a true Muslim is not easily deceived because Islam is a collective and caring mindset in contrast to the self centered model which secularism promotes.
If you have secular minded friends and begin to think like them, you will inevitably begin to emulate them and forget about the horrendous things that have been taking place against those who have believed in allah and his messengers, you will begin to see the local situation relative to the news and will forget the words of Allah and the global and eternal situation, you will even forget that such a thing as iblees exists and that it has followers who are bent upon leading you astray and dragging you to hell, you will feel uncomfortable even claiming that you believe in jinn or angels in fear of ridicule - despite the fact that iblees is jinn and jibreel brought revelation to the Prophets.....and slowly you will feel shy to even admit that God exists.
I recall a customer back in England who claimed that she was afraid of coming near my suitcase full of laptops in case it blew up lol, then after checking her laptop and giving her a date to return and collect, she teased me when I said "God willing", as if I had said something funny....I thought about the psychological effect the current secularist system had had on her despite England having been a country which was claiming to be invading the world in the name of God not too long ago (if one reads history), it was simple, they had created a bubble for her.


Once you look at the bigger picture, you realise that there's no such thing as absolute freedom, and that the way of shaytaan will always be at odds with the way of Allah until the way of Allah prevails.
The same will become obvious on the day of judgement when you realise that there are only two places for people and nothing in between.

All of my words will be of little effect if you came here for a confirmation of secularism or to promote it instead of to think.

really? a video on enforcing sharia in the Islamic state? (ISIS)????? I always knew you were an ISIS supporter!!!! ISIS is a criminal gang! ISIS members are butchers and rapists! Enough of this support for criminals and extremists on the web! stop brainwashing this poor sister!

[Hamza Asadullah]

As-salāmu ʿalaykum everyone,
I hope you are all in the best of health and iman.

First, please do not get mad at me for the title of the topic. It has been bugging me since last night and I just want to ask someone. I tried to read articles for the answer. The answers were varied and I still feel unsure.

Sometimes I wonder if I really believe in Islam. Not that I completely not believe it, more like I just cannot comprehend some parts. I am a practicing Muslim. I find peace when I pray and read Quran. I am thankful and happy being born a Muslim.
However, when I look around, I feel like there is something wrong with Islam, or maybe the Muslims. I am not really sure myself.
Why does it seem like Islam or maybe Muslims cannot be at peace with others? What is wrong with us? Or is there something wrong with non-Muslim people? :?
There are these clashes too between Islam and culture, as well as Islam and modernization. Is it possible for Islam to adapt?

Everything looked fine when I was at school. I went to public, co-ed school where everyone regardless of religions and genders got along. (I know some of you may be so strict about the mixing but here it is just normal. Even some schools with Islamic curriculum have their female and male students in the same class)
Then when I went to university, I felt like things were changing. Or perhaps I just became aware of this thing.
Here there is a group of people who wants to change the system of our country to be an Islamic system (is this term right?).
It somehow causes conflicts with other religions and among Muslims. It used to be just fine, people just coexist peacefully. Why do some Muslims want to change that? Does that mean implementing Islamic system is better? Or is it because they think it is the best? But what we think is best does not mean it is the best for others too right?

I still have so many questions actually but it is just hard for me to put it into words. I am also afraid people will misunderstand my intention.
So yeah, back to the purpose of this thread. Is it allowed to question our religious beliefs? Are asking questions like above allowed? Are they allowed to exist in my brain sometimes? Or should I refrain from doing so? If it is allowed what is the limit of this kind of questioning?

I hope you can share your opinion here. I suppose this will be my last thread before asking the moderators to delete my account (since I cannot find the option in the settings) so I really appreciate if you can somehow enlighten me. Thank you! :)

:sl:

My dear sister there is nothing wrong with asking questions or sharing your feelings about a matter that you do not understand it or you need clarification on. Without clarification how can we clear doubts and confusion in our minds.

What I find from your thoughts above is more to do with the behavior of Muslims than Islam itself. We all know Islam is perfect in what the two main sources of our deen (way of life) the Qur'an and Sunnah convey to us, with regards to the way Almighty Allah wants us to live and behave in our lives. But we must understand that Muslims are only human, and humans will and always have been flawed beings that may not at times be good representatives of our faith.

On top of that we do not have a world religious authority or shariah system to live by so at present there are different groups with different thinking etc some are extreme and others try to live by a middle path where as others are more liberal.

The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) emphasised the middle path as a way to live our lives. The middle way is in reality moderation. In all affairs and aspects, we are encouraged to adopt the middle path and not to be too lax nor to exceed the bounds. Allah says in the Qur'an, "And we have made you a moderate nation."(002,143)

When we say that Islam is a deen of moderation, it means moderate according to the way we have been shown by our beloved Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) and not what the present times dictates to be moderation. This moderation in Islam is actually the "middle way" which is desired by Allah.

So when we see Muslims behave inappropriately or act and behave too extreme, and label and judge others etc then we should not let their behavior eschew our view of our beautiful deen. Another important point is the media. We should know by know that the media is owned by a group of very rich people, with a particular agenda. Hence why we can never rely on the media to convey to us the "truth" on any matter, but they will always portray things with their own agenda's in mind. Hence why we should not look to the media for what they have to say about Islam and Muslims and I would go as far as say we should only refer to the mainstream media very minimally when it comes to the news or world current affairs.

The mainstream media use tricks and methods of deception and brain washing to change the thinking and perception of the masses. This is why it is so important that firstly we refer to the mainstream media as little as possible and secondly when we do refer to them that we bear in mind of the deception and lies they use to push forward their own agenda. Also of the fact that they may convey some truth with many lies, over exaggeration etc to change the perception and view of the masses in line with their own agenda.

You will also notice how they report news stories attributing "Muslims" with terrorism and terrorist acts, but they will use other words for non Muslim terrorists. Like for example the other day a Chinese "terrorist" set off a bomb but not once did they refer to it as a "act of terror". Instead they stated he had mental issues. So we must be aware of the many deceptions used by the media. They use fear and deception consistently in the way they convey news to the masses. This is why Muslims end up being attacked in the aftermath of a attack. The media will jump on such news and use it to cause fear amongst the masses of a "terrorist problem" in the Muslim community.

Also there are many trained "anti-Islamist" agents that are given a consistent platform on the mainstream media who consistently attribute lies against Islam and Muslims and many of them argue about Islamic modernisation etc. My sister they hate the fact that the Islam we follow today is the same as when the Qur'an was revealed and in accordance with the pure Sunnah of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). No other faith, religion or belief in the world is as pure as Islam and they want nothing more than to corrupt and dilute our faith like they have done to other faiths.

Their view of "modernisation" of faith is for us to let go of the fundamentals of our deen like the Christians have done with their faith constantly from the time of the Roman Empire until today. They have adopted pagan practices (Christmas, Easter), appointed gay priests and have totally diluted their faith to the point that it is completely unrecognisable from what it was at the time of Jesus (As) and is totally devoid of any teachings, beliefs and practices of Jesus (As). Many people have realised this and have lost faith in their religion and in the church to the point where most "Christians" have abandoned the churches and are only counted as Christian by name and not by faith. Today you go to churches across the Uk on a Sunday and you will find very little people except a few of the older generation.

So my sister we should be proud that Islam is pure and free from being corrupted and diluted like all other faiths and beliefs. We will never allow this to happen to our deen and they hate us for that and hence why they always try and defame our way of life and teachings of the Qur'an and our Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). So we must never fall for their deceptive ways.

“They wish that you reject Faith, as they have rejected (Faith), and thus that you all become equal (like one another) [al-Nisaa’ 4:89 – interpretation of the meaning]

Also my sister I think you should remain in this forum because at least it will make you feel a part of a small Muslim community online and a place where you can ask questions and gain clarification on any matter and misconception you may have.

May Allah never allow the enemies of Islam to corrupt us and our pure belief and way of life and enable us to stay firm upon the rope of Islam. Ameen

[Abz2000]

really? a video on enforcing sharia in the Islamic state? (ISIS)????? I always knew you were an ISIS supporter!!!! ISIS is a criminal gang! ISIS members are butchers and rapists! Enough of this support for criminals and extremists on the web! stop brainwashing this poor sister!

the op's question included the enforcement of Islam and the video is a valid demonstration.
Now member mustafa16 I don't usually waste time responding to people who I identify as trolls unless there's a point that needs clarification so do not expect me to even consider your off topic, unintellectual, and provocative post with much fanfare, I've been through enough trolls to know when they're lost, beaten down, and DYING to change the subject.
If you have anything useful and informative to contribute for Allah's sake -do so, rather than get desperate and emotional in false zeal.

[-arisa-]

:sl:

My dear sister there is nothing wrong with asking questions or sharing your feelings about a matter that you do not understand it or you need clarification on. Without clarification how can we clear doubts and confusion in our minds.

What I find from your thoughts above is more to do with the behavior of Muslims than Islam itself. We all know Islam is perfect in what the two main sources of our deen (way of life) the Qur'an and Sunnah convey to us, with regards to the way Almighty Allah wants us to live and behave in our lives. But we must understand that Muslims are only human, and humans will and always have been flawed beings that may not at times be good representatives of our faith.

On top of that we do not have a world religious authority or shariah system to live by so at present there are different groups with different thinking etc some are extreme and others try to live by a middle path where as others are more liberal.

The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) emphasised the middle path as a way to live our lives. The middle way is in reality moderation. In all affairs and aspects, we are encouraged to adopt the middle path and not to be too lax nor to exceed the bounds. Allah says in the Qur'an, "And we have made you a moderate nation."(002,143)

When we say that Islam is a deen of moderation, it means moderate according to the way we have been shown by our beloved Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) and not what the present times dictates to be moderation. This moderation in Islam is actually the "middle way" which is desired by Allah.

So when we see Muslims behave inappropriately or act and behave too extreme, and label and judge others etc then we should not let their behavior eschew our view of our beautiful deen. Another important point is the media. We should know by know that the media is owned by a group of very rich people, with a particular agenda. Hence why we can never rely on the media to convey to us the "truth" on any matter, but they will always portray things with their own agenda's in mind. Hence why we should not look to the media for what they have to say about Islam and Muslims and I would go as far as say we should only refer to the mainstream media very minimally when it comes to the news or world current affairs.

The mainstream media use tricks and methods of deception and brain washing to change the thinking and perception of the masses. This is why it is so important that firstly we refer to the mainstream media as little as possible and secondly when we do refer to them that we bear in mind of the deception and lies they use to push forward their own agenda. Also of the fact that they may convey some truth with many lies, over exaggeration etc to change the perception and view of the masses in line with their own agenda.

You will also notice how they report news stories attributing "Muslims" with terrorism and terrorist acts, but they will use other words for non Muslim terrorists. Like for example the other day a Chinese "terrorist" set off a bomb but not once did they refer to it as a "act of terror". Instead they stated he had mental issues. So we must be aware of the many deceptions used by the media. They use fear and deception consistently in the way they convey news to the masses. This is why Muslims end up being attacked in the aftermath of a attack. The media will jump on such news and use it to cause fear amongst the masses of a "terrorist problem" in the Muslim community.

Also there are many trained "anti-Islamist" agents that are given a consistent platform on the mainstream media who consistently attribute lies against Islam and Muslims and many of them argue about Islamic modernisation etc. My sister they hate the fact that the Islam we follow today is the same as when the Qur'an was revealed and in accordance with the pure Sunnah of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). No other faith, religion or belief in the world is as pure as Islam and they want nothing more than to corrupt and dilute our faith like they have done to other faiths.

Their view of "modernisation" of faith is for us to let go of the fundamentals of our deen like the Christians have done with their faith constantly from the time of the Roman Empire until today. They have adopted pagan practices (Christmas, Easter), appointed gay priests and have totally diluted their faith to the point that it is completely unrecognisable from what it was at the time of Jesus (As) and is totally devoid of any teachings, beliefs and practices of Jesus (As). Many people have realised this and have lost faith in their religion and in the church to the point where most "Christians" have abandoned the churches and are only counted as Christian by name and not by faith. Today you go to churches across the Uk on a Sunday and you will find very little people except a few of the older generation.

So my sister we should be proud that Islam is pure and free from being corrupted and diluted like all other faiths and beliefs. We will never allow this to happen to our deen and they hate us for that and hence why they always try and defame our way of life and teachings of the Qur'an and our Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). So we must never fall for their deceptive ways.

“They wish that you reject Faith, as they have rejected (Faith), and thus that you all become equal (like one another) [al-Nisaa’ 4:89 – interpretation of the meaning]

Also my sister I think you should remain in this forum because at least it will make you feel a part of a small Muslim community online and a place where you can ask questions and gain clarification on any matter and misconception you may have.

May Allah never allow the enemies of Islam to corrupt us and our pure belief and way of life and enable us to stay firm upon the rope of Islam. Ameen

Wa-Alaikum-Salaam brother,

Thank you for your kind explanation. I find this easy to understand :statisfie
I would like to stay in this forum but I am afraid I will be in trouble later. I broke one of the rules here too. I felt really bad about it. So... I guess I have to quit.

[-arisa-]

Anyway,

Thank you so much everyone for being so kind to share your knowledge with me. :)
It is time for me to leave this forum. I hope you are all always in the best of health and iman! :love:

[Hamza Asadullah]

Wa-Alaikum-Salaam brother,

Thank you for your kind explanation. I find this easy to understand :statisfie
I would like to stay in this forum but I am afraid I will be in trouble later. I broke one of the rules here too. I felt really bad about it. So... I guess I have to quit.

:sl:



We all make mistakes sister but it does not mean that you cannot learn from it and continue as a member. That way at least you can continue to ask questions etc. Up to you sister. But whatever you decide then make sure you keep good sisters as company. Join your local Masjid sisters circle or group and keep good company. Not those who free mix, or have relations with other men etc. As their influence can rub off on us.

Knowledge is also very important. Join your local Masjid or Islamic centre short course or online courses. Or read good books/e books on Islam. Get involved with volunteering with good sisters on dawah, helping needy and the ill etc.

Most of all make intense Dua during the next few days and nights for Allah to enable you to get closer to him and to increase your imaan so that you do everything to obey and please him. And also help increase your knowledge and keep good company.

If there are just two things to maintain during and after Ramadan then it is to pray Tahajjud which can be prayed just before Fajr prayer and make an intense Dua after that as this prayer will enable one to get closer to Allah and make Dua at the best time possible. Secondly to maintain a connection with the Qur'an and to learn the meanings. Even if it is a page a day. This way one will remember Allah and lean and reflect on the beautiful words and lessons the Almighty wants to teach us so that we may implement it into our lives and be successful in this world and the next.

:wa:

[talibilm]

As-salāmu ʿalaykum everyone,
I hope you are all in the best of health and iman.

First, please do not get mad at me for the title of the topic. It has been bugging me since last night and I just want to ask someone. I tried to read articles for the answer. The answers were varied and I still feel unsure.

Sometimes I wonder if I really believe in Islam. Not that I completely not believe it, more like I just cannot comprehend some parts. I am a practicing Muslim. I find peace when I pray and read Quran. I am thankful and happy being born a Muslim.
However, when I look around, I feel like there is something wrong with Islam, or maybe the Muslims. I am not really sure myself.
Why does it seem like Islam or maybe Muslims cannot be at peace with others? What is wrong with us? Or is there something wrong with non-Muslim people? :?
There are these clashes too between Islam and culture, as well as Islam and modernization. Is it possible for Islam to adapt?

Everything looked fine when I was at school. I went to public, co-ed school where everyone regardless of religions and genders got along. (I know some of you may be so strict about the mixing but here it is just normal. Even some schools with Islamic curriculum have their female and male students in the same class)
Then when I went to university, I felt like things were changing. Or perhaps I just became aware of this thing.
Here there is a group of people who wants to change the system of our country to be an Islamic system (is this term right?).
It somehow causes conflicts with other religions and among Muslims. It used to be just fine, people just coexist peacefully. Why do some Muslims want to change that? Does that mean implementing Islamic system is better? Or is it because they think it is the best? But what we think is best does not mean it is the best for others too right?

I still have so many questions actually but it is just hard for me to put it into words. I am also afraid people will misunderstand my intention.
So yeah, back to the purpose of this thread. Is it allowed to question our religious beliefs? Are asking questions like above allowed? Are they allowed to exist in my brain sometimes? Or should I refrain from doing so? If it is allowed what is the limit of this kind of questioning?

I hope you can share your opinion here. I suppose this will be my last thread before asking the moderators to delete my account (since I cannot find the option in the settings) so I really appreciate if you can somehow enlighten me. Thank you! :)

:sl:

I think I understand your concern . This hadith also fairly depicts your doubts

Muslim :: Book 1 : Hadith 271

It is narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Umar ('Abdullah b. 'Umar) that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed: Verily Islam started as something strange and it would again revert (to its old position) of being strange just as it started, and it would recede between the two mosques just as the serpent crawls back into its hole. ''

When I was a Lad though i was born in an orthodox muslim family but i did my own research till Allah made My heart steadfast on Islam, Alhamdulilah, Mashallah, and i am sure nothing is so sweet as Islam but its the MOST MISQUOTED MIS REPRESENTED , PRESENTED RELIGION ON THE GLOBE because of Satan the enemy of Humans .

one of My threads like this would clears the air about misconceptions in islam a bit

http://www.ummah.com/forum/showthrea...eist+did+quran



but I am Sure 100 % with reasoning all commands of the THE ALL WISE, Allah, is the best of best but like Bro Abdul Aziz says from most Muslims (even so called pious) the ilm- knowledge has been taken away and the above hadith reiterates it. So you should do further studies or clear your doubts by asking it politely like say, What is the Hikmah behind so & so commandment of Allah ? etc etc which Only Allah knows the best but still we will be some ideas on them, inshallah.

[czgibson]

Greetings,

You will also notice how they report news stories attributing "Muslims" with terrorism and terrorist acts, but they will use other words for non Muslim terrorists. Like for example the other day a Chinese "terrorist" set off a bomb but not once did they refer to it as a "act of terror". Instead they stated he had mental issues. So we must be aware of the many deceptions used by the media. They use fear and deception consistently in the way they convey news to the masses. This is why Muslims end up being attacked in the aftermath of a attack. The media will jump on such news and use it to cause fear amongst the masses of a "terrorist problem" in the Muslim community.

You need to be far more critical before accepting erroneous arguments like this. ^

I assume the Chinese bomber you mention is the one who attacked a kindergarten last Thursday? In his case, there was apparently no political or ideological motive, so it would not fall under the common definition of terrorism.

On the other hand, the attack at Finsbury Park Mosque that happened this morning, and which was directed against Muslims, is being treated by police as a terrorist attack, and is being widely reported in the UK media as such.

For example:

BBC: Finsbury Park attack: Theresa May condemns 'sickening' terror attack

ITV News: London mosque terror attack: What we know so far

The Guardian: Finsbury Park terror attack

Evening Standard: Finsbury Park Mosque terror

Peace

[Hamza Asadullah]

I assume the Chinese bomber you mention is the one who attacked a kindergarten last Thursday? In his case, there was apparently no political or ideological motive, so it would not fall under the common definition of terrorism.

So a Muslim who commit an act of "terror" will always called a "terrorists" because of their religion but if a Buddhist, Christian or atheist commits an act of "terror" then most likely he had mental issues. Utter nonsense.

Terrorism has no religion. All terrorist have some sort of mental issue. We do not know why this Chinese man did what he did but regardless of his "mental issues", but clearly he did them for some ideological reason known to him and the Chinese state, which the Chinese dictatorship state will never reveal otherwise they will have to call it a "terrorist" attack.

If we used your definition of "terrorism" to apply to anyone killing out of ideological intentions then there are many terror acts which were not called "terrorist". One that springs to mind is the recent killing of Jo Cox because merely because she was a firm "Remainer" in the Brexit camp and was killed by someone who detested her for her beliefs and values as they went against his own. Why was that killing not "terrorist"?

Yesterday morning they had to call the van driver who hit into pedestrians outside a London Mosque that killed one and injured many as "terrorist" because it was virtually identical to the attack that happened on London bridge.

But what about the killing of an innocent Muslim teenage girl in Virginia who at the time was going for something to eat with friends before starting her next fast and was fully dressed in Islamic attire. She was killed by a random attack by someone who did not like her for her religion and the way she was dressed. But it was never called a "hate" crime or attack.

Even Trump the president of the "free world" never acknowledged the London Mosque attack or the killing of the teenage Muslim girl. Surprising? Of course not:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...-a7798206.html

[czgibson]

Greetings,

Thank you for the interesting response. (I would like to be able to address the topic of the thread more directly, but I don't think my contributions would be tolerated. In any event, I believe the present discussion does address some of the substance of the original post.)

So a Muslim who commit an act of "terror" will always called a "terrorists" because of their religion but if a Buddhist, Christian or atheist commits an act of "terror" then most likely he had mental issues.

Not necessarily. Of course it very much depends on the particulars of the case, and what the terrorists themselves say their motives are.

Terrorism has no religion. All terrorist have some sort of mental issue. We do not know why this Chinese man did what he did but regardless of his "mental issues", but clearly he did them for some ideological reason known to him and the Chinese state, which the Chinese dictatorship state will never reveal otherwise they will have to call it a "terrorist" attack.

This is little more than paranoia masquerading as evidence. The Chinese bomber's motive is at this point unclear. Can't we just accept the fact that there is a mystery, instead of postulating a cover-up for which we have no evidence?

If we used your definition of "terrorism" to apply to anyone killing out of ideological intentions then there are many terror acts which were not called "terrorist". One that springs to mind is the recent killing of Jo Cox because merely because she was a firm "Remainer" in the Brexit camp and was killed by someone who detested her for her beliefs and values as they went against his own. Why was that killing not "terrorist"?

I agree that that murder did deserve the name of terrorism, and this is an opinion that has been widely shared in the media:

BBC: Jo Cox: Man jailed for 'terrorist' murder of MP

Guardian: Was Jo Cox's killer tried as a terrorist?

Telegraph: It’s time to call the killing of Jo Cox what it is: 'an act of far-Right terrorism'

Yesterday morning they had to call the van driver who hit into pedestrians outside a London Mosque that killed one and injured many as "terrorist" because it was virtually identical to the attack that happened on London bridge.

Well, that may be true, but it is a coincidence. Really, the main reason the attack was called a terrorist attack was because it fits the description of a terrorist attack.

But what about the killing of an innocent Muslim teenage girl in Virginia who at the time was going for something to eat with friends before starting her next fast and was fully dressed in Islamic attire. She was killed by a random attack by someone who did not like her for her religion and the way she was dressed. But it was never called a "hate" crime or attack.

That case seems to centre around road rage. But, again, the motive is unclear. I do agree that if it turns out that the attack was motivated by someone's hatred of Muslims (like the Finsbury Park van driver) then it should be prosecuted as a terrorist incident.

I have now given you several pieces of evidence that counter your initial argument, viz.:

You will also notice how they report news stories attributing "Muslims" with terrorism and terrorist acts, but they will use other words for non Muslim terrorists. Like for example the other day a Chinese "terrorist" set off a bomb but not once did they refer to it as a "act of terror". Instead they stated he had mental issues. So we must be aware of the many deceptions used by the media. They use fear and deception consistently in the way they convey news to the masses. This is why Muslims end up being attacked in the aftermath of a attack. The media will jump on such news and use it to cause fear amongst the masses of a "terrorist problem" in the Muslim community.

Do you now accept that this argument is worth revising?

Even Trump the president of the "free world" never acknowledged the London Mosque attack or the killing of the teenage Muslim girl. Surprising? Of course not

What else would you expect from the worst US President in modern history?

Peace

[Hamza Asadullah]

Greetings,

Thank you for the interesting response. (I would like to be able to address the topic of the thread more directly, but I don't think my contributions would be tolerated. In any event, I believe the present discussion does address some of the substance of the original post.)



Not necessarily. Of course it very much depends on the particulars of the case, and what the terrorists themselves say their motives are.



This is little more than paranoia masquerading as evidence. The Chinese bomber's motive is at this point unclear. Can't we just accept the fact that there is a mystery, instead of postulating a cover-up for which we have no evidence?



I agree that that murder did deserve the name of terrorism, and this is an opinion that has been widely shared in the media:

BBC: Jo Cox: Man jailed for 'terrorist' murder of MP

Guardian: Was Jo Cox's killer tried as a terrorist?

Telegraph: It’s time to call the killing of Jo Cox what it is: 'an act of far-Right terrorism'



Well, that may be true, but it is a coincidence. Really, the main reason the attack was called a terrorist attack was because it fits the description of a terrorist attack.



That case seems to centre around road rage. But, again, the motive is unclear. I do agree that if it turns out that the attack was motivated by someone's hatred of Muslims (like the Finsbury Park van driver) then it should be prosecuted as a terrorist incident.

I have now given you several pieces of evidence that counter your initial argument, viz.:



Do you now accept that this argument is worth revising?



What else would you expect from the worst US President in modern history?

Peace

If you choose to believe "everything" the mainstream media portrays as "truth and fact" then that is your prerogative.

Although we disagree on a few things, the most important thing is that we agree on a few things too.

This thread has run its course as the OP is satisfied with the responses given to her so it is now locked

Peace