Judaism and Islam

Brothers do you really think that this thread is the best place for this discussion? faithandpeace already mentioned the point about conversion in Judaism, if she has more questions about Islam maybe we should focus on trying to answer them and provide some useful information in sha Allah, instead of arguing.

Assalamu alaikum,

I took the Shahada Friday evening in the privacy of my own home and then performed ghusl afterwards. I remain very confident in my decision and insha'Allah my faith will only get stronger as time goes on. I did not want to wait until going to a masjid to do this because I really felt and still feel it is between me and Allah, not about proving myself to anyone. I certainly have no objection to stating it publically in a masjid. However, I did not want to delay what I felt was the right thing to do. This may be a surprise to some of you as I only joined this forum recently. However, I have had exposure to Islam and Muslims off and on for quite a few years. I'm far from an expert and will need to really study and practice, learn how to properly do wudu and salat, etc. and soon insha'Allah. But I have known the basics of Islam including much of the Arabic words for a long time. It is funny that it really seemed so obvious to me multiple times before but there was either always some other distraction, fear, or doubt. I haven't told anyone yet even though my closest friends have noticed my increased interest in Islam. I'm not doing this to impress anyone and don't want to fall into the trap of any sort of delusions that are so easy to fall into.

I really do believe and even moreso now that there really is resistance to one walking the straight path, being secure in faith, etc. As someone said here something along the lines of "Satan will be working overtime." It does seem that the more one is secure in truth the more there is protest and distraction aimed against you. I've already had some challenges but remain strong in my convictions. I may need to walk this path slowly but better slow and sure than fast and then astray. One pillar at a time... I hope my thinking is in the right place here. Any tips for new Muslims are much appreciated.

As for the recent arguments on here, stereotyping or generalizations probably aren't the best way to lead to truth. Sure there is arrogance among Jews but not all of them. I feel the greatest benefit is obtained when we look at various issues, concepts, etc. by getting straight to the facts and avoiding vagueness where possible. I really feel that unlike the Tanakh and the New Testament, the Qur'an really does get straight to the point without forcing people to do mental gymnastics causing 20 people to have 20 different answers. I've only read a very small part of it but I certainly have never seen another book like it and doubt that I ever will. And should people challenge me against my faith once I make it known to people about my reverting then I will insha'Allah ask them to show me a book more logical than the Qur'an that explains it better and/or if they can show me a path that makes more sense than Islam. I am convinced that they will not be capable of doing so.

Thanks again for all of your help!

Welcome home

format_quote Originally Posted by faithandpeace

Assalamu alaikum,
I took the Shahada Friday evening

wa 3laikum as-salam,

Allahu akbar! I'm so happy to hear that. Welcome!

As-salaamu 'alaykum wa rahmatulahi wa barakatuhu!

Ma sha' Allah! Allah works in wondrous ways. May He keep you and all of us on the straight path. Ameen!

I would like some clarification regarding the legalistic aspects of taking the Shahada. There were a couple of comments here regarding needing to take the Shahada in front of two Muslim witnesses. In terms of Sharia does this refer to making the conversion valid in the Islamic community or is this also having to do with the validity between me and Allah? My understanding is that when one feels ready they should not delay whether there are witnesses present or not but once they do have the opportunity to do so in front of witnesses that they can repeat it then so it is recognized by the community. My understanding though is that between the new Muslim and Allah a sincerely taken Shahada (with or without) witnesses is valid. I am of course prepared to take Shahada again at a Masjid as soon as the opportunity arises insha'Allah!

Thank you MustafaMc for the helpful link. I'll be sure insha'Allah to comment further.

format_quote Originally Posted by MustafaMc

Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Alhamduli'Allah, I am happy for you, sister. Welcome to Islam!

I agree with you that our intentions are not to impress others or to be praised by anyone, but rather for the sake of our own souls and to please Allah.

You are right to keep this to yourself until you are stronger in faith and knowledge. The transition to becoming a Muslim can be quite overwhelming and it is better to go slow and easy than start fast and tire sorta like the tortoise and the hare. Focus on learning as much as possible, reading the Qur'an and offering salah. Don't let others coerce you into adopting an 'Islamic' name unless your present name is unIslamic. I understand that wearing the head scarf can also be quite a challenge for new sisters in Islam. While I believe this is very important it does not define one as a Muslim or not before Allah (swt). Since modest dress is critical though, perhaps a knowledgeable sister can advise you on this aspect of Islam. This link may be helpful to you [removed]

Jazakallah khair for your insights and for the link. I do believe that modest dress is important along with modesty in behavior. For at least two years now I have consistently dressed where the shoulders and knees are always covered and generally with all of my legs, feet, and body completely covered. The only exception is some of my outfits expose most of the arms but never the shoulders. Otherwise, I am completely covered from the base of the neck down to my feet and wear closed-toed shoes. I do feel more liberated and at peace with myself when I'm not showing a lot of skin. There are also practical reasons for this as I am light skinned and burn in the sun easily and quickly so covering protects me for health reasons. I intend to move toward going consistently with arms completely covered down to the wrists (i.e. not just shoulders covered). Then the next step would be consistently covering my head which is something I have also been wanting to do and there are also practical reasons for this as well! It keeps my hair out of the way when eating, on windy days, etc. I have worn head scarves from time to time but usually in the Jewish tiechel style instead of the Islamic hijab method. Insha'Allah I will start doing this sooner rather than later as it is something I have wanted to do for a while (long before becoming Muslim). Other forms of Islamic dress (i.e. abaya, etc.) could be looked into at some point but I feel like prioritizing the other dress stuff mentioned first. I live in the U.S. where I feel there is a lot of anti-Islam sentiment so I want to gradually implement these things as I feel comfortable rather than suddenly and providing shock where it may not be wise or safe.

Modesty in behavior is also key in my opinion. I tend to try to socialize in person with women more than men and avoid environments where there are only men present. At tables with mixed genders I'll try to sit next to females. I don't hug, shake hands, etc. with men unless it becomes unavoidable. Insha'Allah I'll pay more attention to these things and be a bit more firm with my stance on these matters as time goes along.

There are some challenges with these things particularly with my workplace which is a large office that is overly secular. I could write a long story about this but there is a lot of things that really aren't healthy with the environment and this is something I have run into with a variety of workplaces I've been at. They do way too much "team bonding" activities and it feels like they try to reduce your character and individuality into something that the company can control and mold to their liking. Despite having 1,500 people in our building, the number of visibly religious people such as hijab-wearing Muslim women, turban-wearing Sikh men, or yarmulke-wearing Jewish men is at zero. I find the lack of diversity disturbing.

Please let me know if you feel my thinking is not correct on these matters.

Anyway jazakallah khair for the assistance!

format_quote Originally Posted by faithandpeace

I live in the U.S. where I feel there is a lot of anti-Islam sentiment so I want to gradually implement these things as I feel comfortable rather than suddenly and providing shock where it may not be wise or safe.

I fully agree with what you wrote. I am no scholar and do not want to mislead you, but I speak from the experience of converting from Christianity and making the transition to becoming a Muslim. I myself fall short and have much to learn. I believe that as long as you have sincere intention to work toward those things that you mention and strive to do your best, that Allah (swt) will be merciful and forgive us of our shortcomings. Don't let others pressure you to do anything you are not ready for that will overwhelm you and cause you to leave practicing Islam altogether as I once did. I would encourage you to inform your supervisor of your conversion to Islam and your having a need for a private place for prayers that are due while you are at work. This is one thing that may be difficult to adopt for example doing wudu in the restroom when others may walk in and look at you funny.

I also encourage you to abstain from all pork and alcohol. The more conservative view on eating meat is to eat only chicken, beef or lamb that has been slaughtered Islamically which is known as zabihah which makes it halal, or permissible to eat. At restaurants I eat only vegetarian or seafood, but recently traveled to Nashville where I had the pleasure of eating halal meat at restaurants located through http://www.zabihah.com/ . The Hanifi madhab (1 of 4 Sunni schools of Islamic law) does not allow shellfish (shrimp, lobster, crab), but I don't find evidence to avoid this in Qur'an or hadith and it is allowed in the other madhabs. Qur'an 16:14 "And He it is Who has constrained the sea to be of service that you eat fresh meat from thence, and bring forth from thence ornaments which you wear..."

I would also advise you to not become involved in religious debates until you become more knowledgeable and it is in general best to avoid religious discussions at work. Be prepared to loose old friends and for family to hold you at arms length. If you are single, then finding a Muslim husband will likely be a source of encouragement. Even in this case it may be difficult to find someone who is patient, tolerant and Islamically knowledgeable.