And as for the onewho fears standing in front of His Lord and restrainsthe soul from impure evil desires and lusts, verily, Paradise will be his abode [79:40-41]
I learned about islam online, and got most of my knowledge from websites for the first few years after I converted.
However, I looked at how knowledge had been transmitted from the Prophet (saws) to his companions and then throughout history, and it wasn't someone picking up a book or a piece of paper and learning on their own. Nope, they all had teachers, who taught them the knowledge. If there was a book, the teacher would read his students the book and explain it as he went along.
As such, I've sought out teachers. I've started to study shafi'i fiqh with shafi'i scholars, as well as aqeedah and tazqiya (purification of the heart). Alhamdulilah with the internet, we can study with excellent teachers who are half way across the world from us
As a young child, i lived with my grandparents, uncle, aunites, brothers, sisters, all under one roof.No one was practising, no one still is.My grandfather and father pray regularly but thats about it, just going through the motions of prayer doesnt make you a good muslim.
One day, out of the blue, my dad sat me and my brother down and started telling us a story, about Adam and Eve and how Adam was Allahs prophet and about all the prophets after him.I must have been 6/7 I remember enquiring why Allah didnt sent female prophets and my father, unable to give an adequate anwser, became impatient. I didnt ask any questions after that.But i would bug him over and over to repeat the story.I was fascinated to finally know, to finally have a purpose of existance,...and a childs belief in anything, is the strongest, most powerful belief.
I began to think of Allah alot of the time, fuelled by the awareness of how silent the rest of my family, and extended family were about this important knwledge.
I grew up and proudly propogated my hijaab (i was 1 of 2 girls in the whole class at primary school wearing hijaab).A girl whose mother looked like a super model, finally took notice one day and began enquiring.She said you look 'Holy', my mom wanted to know whats going to happen to us after we die (she was muslim) , and i remember walking to lunch explaining, delighted that she was interested.Years later i ran into her and her mother at a conference.They were both wearing hijaab.I guess thats the first time i gave Daa'wah lol.
Thats the only good thing i recieved from my father in terms of explaining Islam. He gave us, and still does, a very mixed message, something along the
lines of...' Islam is important, dont ever break the rules, but i can bend the rules when i want when the most important thing in our life, namely culture, demands so. Islam is good but culture is great, Ill use Islam as long as it doesnt override culture'.
So as i grew up and read, because i love to read, i realised how beautiful Islam was, and how i had been cheated from knwoing. My family is as it was all those years ago, but i will pray for them InshaAllah.
end of dissertation.
Last edited by Sahabiyaat; 10-19-2008 at 03:13 PM.
no maulvi, or mosque teacher, or anybody like that ever taught me anything good.I just learnt to fear them and be intimidated by their constant screaming.Im glad people here had nice people to learn from.
My heart, so precious,
I won't trade for a hundred thousand souls.
Your one smile takes it for free.Rumi
Had the non-believer known of all the Mercy which is in the Hands of Allah, he would not lose hope of entering Paradise, and had the believer known of all the punishment which is present with Allah, he would not consider himself safe from the Hell-Fire http://www.muftimenk.co.za/Downloads.html
My Islamic 'Ilm started at age of 5 I guess when I was enrolled into Arabic and Islamic Studies classes.
The first thing I remember being taught was that Allah (swt) is the All-Hearer and the All-Knower. How was I taught that? Well the whole class was given a sweet, and we were told to go and eat it somewhere where nobody else at all would be able to see us...
The result...we all came back very upset that our hiding places hadnt been very good lol that was a nice little lesson though masha'Allah.
After that I got enrolled into the local masjid where my mum was the teacher, until I was 10 I read under her...and then I guess it just continued until I was 11 and went to an Islamic School and then the 6th form....Its been a journey I guess and will continue to be a life-long one bi'ithnillah.
My Grandfather had an extensive library at his house, whenever I went I say my aunty's with their heads stuck in books...That struck me and I became like that too...Thats where I got the habit from I guess, of wanting to read 24/7...I always wanted my own little library and I guess thats kinda what I have in my rather messy and book-cluttered room
So yeah....thats it
Ah and also from the Internet and friends.
I also have lengthy discussions with Poppa about Islam Alhamdulillah.
Just kidding. I learnt from my local masjid, various talks and the JIMAS conferences held in Leicester. A fair bit was also learnt via internet (LI etc)
Someone said to the Prophet, "Pray to God against the idolaters and curse them." The Prophet replied, "I have been sent to show mercy and have not been sent to curse." (Muslim)
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