Another religion

[Israfil_Servant]

Assalamu Alaikum wa rahmatullah baraktoh
I come from a strict Rasta past and was wondering do any of the Ummah on this forum know anything about Rasta and how I can make the best and most correct transition from Rasta and reggae to Islam and if they could possibly share names of Islamic faiths and their beliefs. I've been a muslim for about five years now and I'm really enjoying practicing my religion and getting closer to Subhanahan Wa T'Ala and Our Prophet yet I still occasionally listen to reggae and sometimes I shirk with a false deity called Jah or Jah Rastafari yet I never shirk with Prophet Isa, or other prophets in the Holy Quran. I love my Quran and read from it often. I eat mostly beef and chicken, as well as vegetables and rarely eat sweets, and also wondering, any opinions on the last emperor of Ethiopia Hailey Selassie? Or Marcus Garvey? And are Yazidi people truly Muslim?
All praise be unto Allah

 

[Hamza Asadullah]

Assalamu Alaikum wa rahmatullah baraktoh
I come from a strict Rasta past and was wondering do any of the Ummah on this forum know anything about Rasta and how I can make the best and most correct transition from Rasta and reggae to Islam and if they could possibly share names of Islamic faiths and their beliefs. I've been a muslim for about five years now and I'm really enjoying practicing my religion and getting closer to Subhanahan Wa T'Ala and Our Prophet yet I still occasionally listen to reggae and sometimes I shirk with a false deity called Jah or Jah Rastafari yet I never shirk with Prophet Isa, or other prophets in the Holy Quran. I love my Quran and read from it often. I eat mostly beef and chicken, as well as vegetables and rarely eat sweets, and also wondering, any opinions on the last emperor of Ethiopia Hailey Selassie? Or Marcus Garvey? And are Yazidi people truly Muslim?
All praise be unto Allah

Asalaamu Alaikum,

It is not easy to all of a sudden rapidly adjust from the beliefs and practices that one was born and raised with. Hence why it is extremely important especially for new Muslim like yourself to learn knowledge of Islam and also of the truth about the beliefs of your former faith. I would urge you to attend your local Masjid/Islamic centres. Do you have one nearby? If it is far away from you then contact them via phone or email to establish a connection. That way you can connect to knowledgeable Muslims whom can help you with your journey, answer any questions you may have and teach you what you need to know. Many of these Mosques/Islamic centres have programmes and groups specifically for new Muslims. So enquire with them and they will connect you to knowledgeable Muslims and you may even get connected to other New Muslims whom can also help and advise you and you can start to build a support and friendship network with other Muslims. So don't do this on your own otherwise you will get lost. You really need a support network, so that you can feel part of the Muslim community and build connections with other Muslims.

I know that Raggae was a part of your previous beliefs culture. However when you become Muslim then know that if you leave something for the sake of Allah then it is the promise of Allah that he will replace it with something far better for you in your life. So put your faith and trust in him. For he guided you when you were lost so surely if you continue to turn to him and make sacrifices for him then he will continue to help and guide you.

Regarding the status of Music in Islam then please read the following:

https://islamqa.org/hanafi/daruliftaa/7696/music-and-singing-a-detailed-article/

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/5000/is-music-haram

I know that smoking Marijuana was also a tradition and part of the beliefs of your previous faith. This is completely forbidden in Islam as are all intoxicants. Please see the following link:

Marijuana - Then will you not end it?

With regards to Haille Selassi then he was just like any other false Prophet throughout history. In recent times some of these false Prophets even considered themselves as God incarnate like Wallace Fard Muhammad of the nation of Islam. However Islam rejects such polytheistic beliefs.

Please see the following accounts of former Rastafarians who reverted to Islam which you may find very helpful and useful inshaAllah:

https://youtu.be/hY1dP6v4jwM

https://youtu.be/xuFs04_p3Xc

https://muslimvillage.com/2017/04/22/123478/from-rastafarianism-to-islam/

The following link contains published Islamic books in e book format in a wide range of topics from introductory to advanced:

https://islamicbulletin.org/?page_id=2170


I also highly recommend the following translation of the Qur'an with easy to understand summarised commentary so that you can understand certain verses in its correct context:

https://islampdfs1.files.wordpress.com/2020/09/the-meanings-of-the-noble-quran.pdf

If you have anymore questions or need anything else then please do not hesitate to ask us.