Having problems committing myself to Islam at the moment...

[BulmaSMG]

Hello. First off I just want to say that if anything I say is offensive to anyone I am very sorry. I have only been looking into Islam for a short while and have only read a little bit of the Qu'ran. I am still very clueless.

As of now I have been pretty depressed. I just don't see myself accomplishing anything in life. I thought that religion would be a good idea and that it would help guide me on the right path. I have always had Islam on my mind when I thought about myself and religion so I decided to look into it. What I've read so far makes sense to me and seems very appealing. But then I learned some other things.... I learned about which things are halal and which are haram. The problem is a lot of what I do seems to be haram in Islam. I learned that music is haram. The problem is I'm very engaged in music. Especially because I'm a musician. Then I learned about which foods where haram. Although I've loved eating pork my whole life giving it up didn't seem to be to much of a big deal. Other meats were acceptable so I was happy with that. But then I found out that they have to be prepared in a manner that's halal. I live in the U.S. so you can see how it would be hard for me to find meats that are prepared in a manner that's halal. I haven't even looked at things like TV,literature,and games (video games,sports,board games,etc) and whether or not any of the ones I have in my life or haram or not. It seems like a lot of the things in my life that give me any joy have to be taken away and it has really given me second thoughts about reverting.

I hope someone here can enlighten me on what I should do in this situation. Whether I should revert or not. Like I said in the introduction I hope nothing here offends anyone. Thanks to all who give any feedback to me.

[greenhill]

Welcome to the forum BulmaSMG.

I see this is your first post, usually it is to introduce yourself and a different post is put out for questions..

Yes, when we read or learn by ourselves usually that happens, we get confused. Islam starts with the proclamation of faith, the rest follows with the performance of the other pillars having your intentions as the key in the evaluation process. As in 'why' you did it in the first place.

Music can be a distraction and instead of turning to Allah for guidance or in times of need, some people use music to 'de-stress' etc takes you away from the path of faith and suddenly you find that something else becomes your motivator, hence 'haram'...

Please browse through some older threads, and you will find some of the matters discussed in the past.

Keep seeking, you shall find your answers. You can start again by looking at the leaflet on Islam by Insaanah (our Moderator here). Look her up or any of her posts and click where you find the title. Hopefully you will see the simple side of Islam.

Peace.

[- Qatada -]

Hi

Islam guides a person to what's better, and there's always a positive alternative. Example: Music isn't allowed, but Muslims have Nasheeds (Islamic songs) as replacement even though the Quran is the best. Also meat is available in many places of the USA where many Muslims live, infact its sold at a lower price while being of a better quality (it doesnt contain blood!) Sports are highly recommended because they make you a stronger person. Games are also allowed so long as they don't go into forbidden things like shamelessness or wasting tooo much time on them.

Islam is for everyone, don't let small things distract you from the bigger picture. You want to know who your Creator is, what He wants from you (that you serve Him in doing good) and what He promises you in return (a good pure life in this world, and Paradise in the life to come).


http://IslamReligion.com is a good site for a start ask any questions and the people will answer you.


Peace!

[Nur Student]

First of all, it is not easy to change oneself completely in a short time. Therefore, be patient. However, don't give up struggling. It is a life-long struggle not only for revert Muslims like you, but for all Muslims.

Our beloved Prophet (s.a.w) said شَيَّبَتْنِى سُورَةُ هُودٍ "Sura al-Hud made me old." (Tirmizi, el-Hâkim, el-Müstedrek) referring to the verse ...فَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا اُمِرْتَ "So remain on a right course as you have been commanded, [you] and those who have turned back with you [to Allah ], and do not transgress. Indeed, He is Seeing of what you do."

Here is an analogy which I benefited a lot from.

'If you want to understand what great profit and happiness lie in worship, and what great loss and ruin lie in vice and dissipation listen to and take heed of the following story which is in the form of a comparison:

One time, two soldiers received orders to proceed to a distant city....' http://www.erisale.com/index.jsp?locale=en#content.en.201.29

Also refer to the Second Remark if you want some further reading about man's true nature and duty.

[Muslim Woman]

Hello


Welcome to the forum . If u believe , Islam is the Truth , then accept it right now ' cause u don't know when angel of death visits u .


how u will practise Islam in a proper way - think about it later . Ask Allah to guide u , help . God Willing , it won't be that hard and u don't have to be a perfect one . Try to learn and act slowly but be steady.

[WarriorforMarie]

I recommend that you be patient. If Islam is your path things will become clear sooner or later.

[Signor]

Hi BulmaSMG

When a person is contemplating accepting Islam, many of the barriers that he or she perceives are nothing more than illusions and tricks from Satan. It is clear that once a person has been chosen by Allah, Satan will do his upmost to lead that person astray and bombard them with small whispers and doubts.Questions, thoughts and scenarios fill our minds,and Satan works overtime.Nowadays we ask ourselves a different series of questions but they disturb our rest just the same.Should I dress differently?Should I tell my family? Am I still allowed to go out and hanging with the same crowd, drink alcohol, dating,listening music?Hundreds of questions,but the reality is that these questions are really not relevant to whether a person wants to convert to Islam or not.If a person believes Islam is the truth then he or she should convert to Islam without delay.The details come later when a person establishes a relationship with Allah, when he understands the nature of our Creator.The religion of Islam is a gift, and just like any other gift it must be accepted, and opened before the true worth of its contents can be revealed.Islam is a way of life that makes eternal bliss in the hereafter an achievable dream.There is no Allah but Allah,the One the Only,the First and the Last.Knowing Him is the key to success and accepting Islam is the first step on a journey to the Hereafter.

If a person truly believes that there is no Allah but Allah, he or she should accept Islam without delay, even if they believe they will continue to sin.When a person is used to living a life unencumbered by any set of moral principles, Islam may at first seem like a set of rules and regulations that are almost impossible to fulfill.The reality is however, that once a person has accepted that there is no Allah worthy of worship but Allah, and developed a relationship with Him the rules and regulations drift into insignificance. It is a slow process of wanting to please Allah.For some, accepting the guidelines for a happy life is a matter of days, even hours, for others it can be weeks, months, or even years.Old habits must be broken slowly but surely and learning about the nature of Allah and His laws will allow each person to change into the type of person Allah loves.Every person’s journey into Islam is different.It is important to remember that Allah forgives all sins.A believer can,by the mercy of Allah, be admitted to paradise no matter what sins he has committed.On the other hand, a non believer, one who worships something or someone other than the One True Allah, will be admitted to eternal Hellfire.Therefore given a choice between not accepting Islam altogether or being a Muslim who is sinning, the second choice is certainly much better.

Remember, becoming a Muslim is an instantaneous event becoming a better Muslim requires a good, continuous effort on the part of anyone of us.

Wishing you the very best!