format_quote Originally Posted by
nj0508
Hello everyone
I am a Hindu, I don't want to fight or argue with anyone, just want to have good intellectual dissucssions with muslims about Islam. :)
Welcomte to the forum
format_quote Originally Posted by
nj0508
I am born Hindu (not very strict) but i dont believe in idol worship, although i can understand why people worship idols - its just a medium, a means to an end. But i think that all religions ultimately carry same message. I think that you can follow any religion as long as you love god and pray to god however you best can, you cant go wrong. just dont do evil or wrong.
ehm...you are missing the point here my friend. in the first place you are right. yes, as long as you love God and believe in him, you cannot go wrong.
In Islam we believe that even if you have faith in God with the weight of a mustard grain...you will eventually enter Heaven. This confirms what you are stating.
That all religions express the same message, has a reason. If you believe in God and God always existed and created the universe, and thus was there all the time...then religion also was there from the beginning of the human kind on Earth. This means every time some group of humans wandered off from the right path, creating their own religion, God had to sent down a new prophet to guide that group of people back to the right path.
this eventually resulted in the many different religions we have today, and all of them do carry the same message because the origin is the same.
However, you should consider this. Muslims believe prophet Muhammed (sas) was the last prophet sent to us and the Quran is the original unchanged message directly from God. That is why having knowlegde about Islam, Muhammed (sas) or the Quran, and deliberately rejecting it is so dangerous...because it is kinda like rejecting God.
format_quote Originally Posted by
nj0508
I also think that people should follow religious books as guides but understand they have motives - dont take the motives as an order. Use your brain along with it, dont just follow words. God gave us brain to try and understand things. I think you should never ever follow something without giving your brain to it. I think alot of people misunderstand Quran.
of course they have motives, just like it is intended to be. you always use your brain and not follow orders without thinking about it...that is why a lot of people misunderstand the Quran.
to be clear, you cannot just read the Quran and expect to understand it. that is not an option, because then, you are missing out essential information.
for every verse you are reading, you should also know the background information about it like:
when was this verse revealed?
what was happening at that time in the world?
to what event does this verse refer to?
etc.
this kind of information you can find in tafsirs without it (Tafsir ibn Kathir is a reliable one, free to download as pdf or app), you won't be able to understand the Quran correctly.
format_quote Originally Posted by
nj0508
I tried reading Quran but I dont understand why for everything you are told . if you do this then hell. If you do that then hell. You will go to hell for sure if you dont follow Islam. Well I guess fear is todays greatest weapon
Fear has nothing to do with it. Islam is a global religion. perhaps you have the luck to live in a good society with the right morals etc. but not everyone in the world have been raised by the same morals you know. so the Quran acts like a guideline here so that everyone, no matter which kind of morals you have been teached, can read what is right and what is wrong.
Islam is not about fear. On the contrary, Islam is a very peacefull religion.
format_quote Originally Posted by
nj0508
Stealing drinking alcohol, drugs, smoking, girls. Nobody ever stopped me from these things but I keep far away from all this even when I had easy options. But I never swear or abuse. I never betray I keep my words and I have principles and self discipline. Why am I like this even though there was no restriction on me? I believe that god put inside all of us a guide on how to live. if everything is done with love then you cant go wrong - nobody can kill or steal with lovingly. You will keep getting guidance if your heart is filled with love.
Like said, praise yourself lucky that you were born and raised with the right morals. not everyone is just as lucky as you. I do agree with you that god put inside all of us a guide on how to live. we all know deep down inside what is right and what is wrong...intuitively...but still...some are more sensitive to this intuition, others less. some just need a little push like a confirmation or a guideline...and that is exactly what the Quran provides.
format_quote Originally Posted by
nj0508
I do agree with some parts of Islam but not everything. Why do you have to pray a certain way? Why cant i just pray to my god however i want. He is filled with love for us so why does everything be made fearful in Islam. I dont think god is so small minded that he will not accept prayer unless its in certain position facing certain direction and all clean. if i worship him i am sure the worship will reach him. doesnt matter where I stand or what I call him - allah or bhagwan or creator or energy, whatever. Why will he only listen when i recite readings from Quran.
Within Islam we have certain activities which can be refered to as "prayers" but they are not always the same as you understand by the term "prayings". Let me explain.
The kind of prayings like:
what Christians do like at dinner table, before going to bed
like just take a minute for yourself and pray for the food or oppurtunities
thank God for what he provided you
ask God for something to happen
These kind of prayers are the same for Muslims...and can be done anywhere, anytime, in any state. They are always valid, completely voluntarily and free. you do not have to pray like this in a certain way. It will always reach God and is always accepted. God always listens.
Besides this, Muslims have certain rituals, the obligatory 5 times a day scheduled ritual (also called prayers). This one serves a different purpose.
The benefit which man can derive from the Islamic prayer is immeasurable and the blessing of prayer is beyond imagination. This is not just a ‘theory’ or conventional assumption; it is a fascinating fact and a spiritual experience. Here is an explanation of the effectiveness of the Islamic prayer:
1. It strengthens the belief in the existence and goodness of God and transmits this belief into the innermost recesses of man’ s heart.
2. It enlivens this belief and makes it constructive in the practical course of life.
3. It helps man to realize his natural and instinctive aspirations to greatness and high morality, to excellence and virtuous growth.
4. It purifies the heart and develops the mind, cultivates the conscience and comforts the soul.
5. It fosters the good and decent elements in man and suppresses the evil and indecent inclinations.
When we analyze the Islamic prayer and study its unique nature, it will reveal to us that it is not merely a physical motion or a void recital of the Holy Book; the Qur’an. It is a matchless and unprecedented formula of intellectual meditation and spiritual devotion, of moral elevation and physical exercise, all combined.
It is an exclusively Islamic experience where every muscle of the body joins the soul and the mind in the worship and glory of God. It is difficult for anyone to impart in words the full meaning of the Islamic prayer yet it can be said that it is:
1. A lesson in discipline and willpower;
2. A practice in devotion to God and all worthy objectives;
3. A vigilant reminder of God and constant revelation of His Goodness;
4. A seed of spiritual cultivation and moral soundness;
5. A guide to the most upright way of life;
6. A safeguard against indecency and evil, against wrong deviation and stray;
7. A demonstration of true equality, solid unity, and brotherhood;
8. An expression of thankfulness to God and appreciation of Him;
9. A course of inner peace and stability;
10. An abundant source of patience and courage, of hope and confidence
This is the Islamic prayer, and that is what it can do for man. The best testimony to this statement is to experience the prayer and avail oneself of its spiritual joys. Then one will know what it really means.
format_quote Originally Posted by
nj0508
If a muslim marries a non-muslim then hell. Why would god do that? As long as the people are good then why does it matter. If you burn your body or bury it- whats the difference. It will decompose either way. It all seems senseless to me.
Please give me your thoughts. Thank you for your time :) i really apologise if i offend in any way. I am just looking for answers.
Muslims believe that the deceased must be treated with the same respect as the living. This belief originates from the Prophet Mohammed’s statement that breaking the bone of the deceased’s body is like breaking it in life. Burning the dead for cremation, like breaking the bones of the dead or other such mutilation, is therefore prohibited, as is accepting or encouraging such treatment. According to some Muslims, the condemnation of cremation should extend to all living creatures including animals and plant life.
Just as it is forbidden to cremate a Muslim, it is also forbidden for a Muslim to cremate a non-Muslim. Muslims believe, based on the Prophet Mohammed’s teachings, that burning is a punishment that must only be delivered by the Creator, and that respect for the dead applies to Muslims and non-Muslims. A Muslim must not, therefore, cremate another, or participate in the act of cremation in any other way, such as by witnessing the event or approving of it.
There is only one situation in which cremation may be allowed in Islam. If large numbers of people are killed by disease that would spread through burial, burning of the bodies may be permitted. Prior to the cremation, the potential spread of disease through traditional burial must be proven and express permission must be given by authorities.