How do I respond to ignorance and messages of hate??

[wilberhum]

Steve

I thought I was pretty righteous, and had a good sense of morality.

I have an honest question and I’m not trying to stir up the works.
Would you mind sharing how your morals have improved?
I would truly understand if you decline to answer. (It’s none of my business)
Wilber

 

[Abdul Fattah]

I have an honest question and I’m not trying to stir up the works.
Would you mind sharing how your morals have improved?
I would truly understand if you decline to answer. (It’s none of my business)
Wilber

Oh I don't mind at all, If I'd mind I wouldn'thave brought it up in the first place.
Let's see, for one, I have grown less agressive. I was always rather peacefull, but when I felt mistreated I could get pretty ugly, where now I try to forgive and forget, you know, be the bigger man (emphasis on try )
I've quit a lot of addictions no more drinking myself into coma every weekend, acting repugnant, no more smoking myself to death. I'm no longer desperatly chasing every person with a skirt around. I've got a much stronger sense of right and wrong, whereas my personal preference or convincion tended to sometimes cloud my judgement in teh past. I try to be more considerant to other people. This specificly shows in situations where I'm not expected, nor required to considerant. You know, situations where one has every right to act one way, I will now sometimes still act another way in consideration of others, whereas in the past I was more defensive to my "rights". I'm no longer that obsesed with "how other people persieve me", which alows me to act difrently and to persui higher goals, whereas I could get superficial in the past. I still got a lot of flaws, Rome wasn't build in a day, but both my enviroment as myslf can notice and apreciate the difrence. Even those who are not to happy with my reversion have come to admit that. I've also grown more stricter. For example in the past I would think a lie is ok if it has a noble purpose, wheras now I would prefer the dificult road over a lie, even if the lie would be with good intentions I avoid it. Stuff like that....

ps: I would have added: "I tend to be more humble" to the list, but I figured it would seem contradicting to claim such a thing in a post where I list good qualitys of myself

 

[wilberhum]

Steve
It seams that religion has been good for you. Do you believe that you use to do those things “Because you were an Atheist”?
I don’t think you need religion to figure out that excess of anything is not good for you.

 

[QuranStudy]

I understand that atheists may have difficulty understanding morals, so this may help:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morals

Peace.

 

[Woodrow]

Thank you brother Woodrow for your post!

Should I just ignore and take in the hate and seek refuge from Allah through prayer? I believe that attack, though hurtful at times, can be absorbed. I think I have enough patience to know better than to reply.

Thank you. May Allah protect us all from hatred.

Let us work backwards.

Yes we should seek refuge fin Allah(swt) from all things not just hate.

Should we just Take in the hate? I doubt it. I do not believe we are required to sit still and accept being hated. I do believe we need to protect our selves with the tools Allah(swt) blessed us with and not resort to the immediate weapons freely given by shaitan. We can fight, by avoiding the situations we know we can not win. A light weight boxer should have enough sense not to challange a match with a heavy weight champion. We need to know our own limits and what we can do without becoming angery or appearing ignorant.

Should we ignore? Of course not, but sometimes it is wise to retreat until we know what options we have. Knowledge is one of our greatest tools. Our strongest Weapon is the Qur'an, but we must know it, and fully trust it. Allah(swt) will give us the tools and guidance we need, we need to ask for it and see it when we are given it.

Some of my favorite words:

13:21. Those who join together those things which Allah hath commanded to be joined, hold their Lord in awe, and fear the terrible reckoning; S P C
13:22. Those who patiently persevere, seeking the countenance of their Lord; Establish regular prayers; spend, out of (the gifts) We have bestowed for their sustenance, secretly and openly; and turn off Evil with good: for such there is the final attainment of the (eternal) home,- S P C

Yusuf Ali's Quran Translation

 

[QuranStudy]

Excellent advice. I feel more confident now.

Sorry for being off topic, but how are Muslims treated in Texas? Are mosques vandalized there?

Salaam.

 

[Woodrow]

Excellent advice. I feel more confident now.

Sorry for being off topic, but how are Muslims treated in Texas? Are mosques vandalized there?

Salaam.

I will only speak directly about Austin. Not long ago a gang of teenagers did some minor damage to one of the Mosques. The Local Christian and Jewish communities joined forces and helped with the clean up. They also held a night long rally condeming the actions of those kids. We have excellent relationships with the community. The Muslim population is actualy spread throughout the city and not just in one area. True for a short period after 9/11 there was some tension. But that seems to be gone.

the only real violence I am aware of was in the Dallas area right after 9/11 a man shot and killed a shop keeper while shouting he was going to kill all the Muslims in Texas. He was captured fast and arrested. The Irony was the shop keeper he killed was Sikh not Muslim

 

[QuranStudy]

I will only speak directly about Austin. Not long ago a gang of teenagers did some minor damage to one of the Mosques. The Local Christian and Jewish communities joined forces and helped with the clean up. They also held a night long rally condeming the actions of those kids. We have excellent relationships with the community. The Muslim population is actualy spread throughout the city and not just in one area. True for a short period after 9/11 there was some tension. But that seems to be gone.

Is Dallas a good place to work and live? Is there a large Muslim population there?

Thanks.

 

[Woodrow]

Is Dallas a good place to work and live? Is there a large Muslim population there?

Thanks.

I don't like Dallas at all. It is a typical large city and more like NYC than a Southern city. It is neither pro nor con Islam. But it is that way towards all religions. I view it as a very secular city with all the short comings of many large cities. drugs and gangs are prevelant pornography is blatantly openly advertised etc.

It does have several large Muslim communities. One in the Arlington area where my oldest daughter lives and one a bit closer to Fort Worth. Jobs are plentifull but cost of living is very high. My oldest daughter makes over $2000 a week yet she can hardly afford rent. Her Husband makes a bit more and between them they are struggling to survive. They do have 7 kids living at home tho, so they do havehnigher expenses than many families.

 

[Eric H]

Greetings in peace Woodrow;

Not long ago a gang of teenagers did some minor damage to one of the Mosques. The Local Christian and Jewish communities joined forces and helped with the clean up. They also held a night long rally condeming the actions of those kids. We have excellent relationships with the community.

What a wonderful story, it just seems so right when we support each other in times of need.

In the spirit of seeking a greater interfaith friendship

Eric

 

[Ansar Al-'Adl]

But doesnt the Quran say to ignore the ignorant and just say "peace?"

Qur'an 25:63. And the true servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk the earth with humility and when the ignorant address them, they respond with words of peace.

I would suggest you study the Sirah of the Prophet saws. Check the right hand link in my sig.

 

[Abdul Fattah]

Steve
It seams that religion has been good for you. Do you believe that you use to do those things “Because you were an Atheist”?
I don’t think you need religion to figure out that excess of anything is not good for you.

See that's exactly the problem, morality shouldn't be about "what's good for you", morality should be about what's best for everybody. Even If that means it makes it harder for your self. As for excess, it's a very relative term and hard to work with, especially in the field of morality.

 

[wilberhum]

Steve,
What it “Good” for you, is “Good” for everyone. Because it is not “Good” for you to damage your body so that someone else has to take care of you. It is not “Good” for you to steal because it in fact will damage the quality or your life. And the list goes on and on. So it isn’t a question of morals, it is your definition of good.

Thanks for you responses. But this thread needs to get back on topic.
Please PM me with any response.

 

[AvarAllahNoor]

the only real violence I am aware of was in the Dallas area right after 9/11 a man shot and killed a shop keeper while shouting he was going to kill all the Muslims in Texas. He was captured fast and arrested. The Irony was the shop keeper he killed was Sikh not Muslim

It is no laughing matter for us Sikhs though, we're getting a backlash for something we're not even involved in!! ffended: