Exploring Islam

[Ban Bet Beh]

I am in the midst of a spiritual journey. Part of that journey has me exploring the truth. On this journey I have concluded that there is indeed a supreme being. What I am discerning now is what is the best option for following this supreme being. If you could be so kind as to express to me who this supreme being is to you, why you believe what you do, what motivates you to believe, where you expect your own journey of faith to take you, and how one goes about pursuing one's faith?

Thank you for your consideration.

Ben

 

[Just_A_Girl13]

Asalaamu alaikum (peace be with you) Ben,

As a Muslim, my belief is that the "supreme being" that you speak of is Allah, the one God and creator of the universe. I believe in Allah because the way the world works is too perfect, and runs too well seemingly on its own, to be a coincidence. I feel that there must be some being who has created it. Therefore, if you look at any science textbook, you will see the wonders that Allah has created. There are so many things. For instance, there are billions of different kinds of animals and plants, and each one of them is different. SubhanAllah! That in itself is enough to motivate me to believe. Insha'Allah (God willing), my journey of faith will lead me to Jannah after I die. In order to please Allah so that He may grant me Jannah, I simply obey the commands that He has given in the Qur'an.

I hope that you find what you're looking for

Peace and blessings be with you

 

[Asiyah3]

Hello Ben,

Out of God's mercy He didn't just create us with no reason and leave us without any guidance, without telling us why we were created, what we are supposed to do, what is good and what we should avoid, how to live a peaceful successful life and more importantly how to connect with the Creator.

This supreme being to me is my Creator, who knows me best. Islam it is what I believe in, it makes sense and it's truly about following God's guidance, not me just acting based on my whims and desires.

My motivation – I know following God's guidance will lead me to live a happy peaceful and successful life both in this life and the Hereafter.

I believe that my faith will guide me to be a just, honest person. Respect my parents, control my tongue (not hurt others nor backbite), be the best wife, daughter, friend, employee, student...basically be the best person I can be. That's what I strive for.

As uncle Woodrow says, it only takes a few seconds to become a Muslim, but it takes a lifetime to be a Muslim. Life is constantly learning and learning.

As a respected scholar said, "a human constantly learns and learns. So if he starts to think he has learned, he is rather becoming ignorant".

I pray God guides you and all who seek the truth to the path of truth.

Peace,

 

[Perseveranze]

Peace Ban Bet Beh,

I invite you to learn about Islam, the most distinct Monethiestic faith today. The very central importance and belief of a single Creator.

Read this beautiful explanation of what Islam is - http://www.towards-understanding-islam.com/

 

[ayesha.ansari]

Ok dear let me explain you that when you are a small baby the only one being on which you trust is your mother. just like that He is the one who created you Always listen you and give you from where you never get idea of getting things. Like when you are trouble the only thing that come in your mind is to get out from it and you never saw any path then there is only one super being who can take you out and it can be in any form a person, a though an idea in any any form .. this is the only thing that's why w all start believing in him. because where our thoughts end his blessing starts.

 

[Riana17]

Salam Alaikkum

May Allah show you the right path and it is good learn & to secure your faith.

What motivates me is the continuous education, I went to school to study ISLAM, I didnt accept it blindly. Reading, being in this FORUM etc keeps me going, the more I discover about ISLAM the more my IMAAN (faith) feels stronger. When I study ISLAM, it went straight to the deepest part of my heart & mind, body & soul, it is an amazing feeling really, I cant explain to you because it is beyond words. Later on, I discover the Science in Quran, for someone who have hard heart perhaps or someone who is practical but open minded, Science in ISLAM would appeal definitely.

ISLAM is way of life, every time we have to mention the name of Allah, we pray 5times daily to purify the soul and avoid committing sins.

I would tell you in top of that, that I am not really against any religion, all religion teaches us to do good. But ISLAM differs from teaching Muslims to do good & have a good INTENTIONS at the same time. So who would know the intention except Allah? on the other hand, no religion made me do what I do now, no religion made me follow its teaching except ISLAM.

Alhamdollelah, now that I am Muslim, I can tell you without bluffing that I can never ask for more from this worldly life, I just stop looking at material things or what this life offers, the best BLESSING I GOT FROM ONE & ONLY CREATOR is being a MUSLIM, and sometimes I am crazy offer my head to people if found any error in Quran but I mean that, that's how I am definite about our religion Sir,

I hope you find my post helpful.

 

[Insaanah]

Peace, Ben

If you could be so kind as to express to me who this supreme being is to you

Allah (God), Who is our Creator and the Creator of the universe around us. There is only One God. He alone should be worshipped.

He does not beget, nor is He begotten. He has no sons, daughters, siblings, parents, cousins, nor relatives of any sort.

He is eternal and does not die.

There is nothing like Him. He is all Hearing, all Seeing, all Knowing, all Powerful.

He is not composed of persons, nor a trinity. There are no secondary, lesser, greater, equal, or multiple gods, no intermediaries, and no denying of God's existence either.

There are no sharers or associates whatsoever in His Divinity. Simply, He is One, in every sense.

__________________________________________________________________________________

We are accountable to Him for our deeds.

We are each responsible for and accountable for our own deeds, good or bad, and for the choices we make in life. Nobody else is responsible for them, nor carries the burden of them. No innocent person is made to suffer or die for the sins of others. Newborn babies are sinless, and are not tainted by the burden of sins they did not commit. There is no concept of original sin, nor of a broken relationship with God. God is the God of all. Prayer is directly to God; forgiveness is directly from God. No saviour is warranted.

What I am discerning now is what is the best option for following this supreme being.

Your best option is one where the scripture from God, containing wonderful instructions, guidance, warnings etc from Him, is preserved fully, 100%, without any human author's words being intermingled in it. Otherwise you could never be sure that you were following Him the way He wanted you to.

For your information, the Qur'an is the last and final scripture of God, revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It's message is for the entire world, until the end of time. It supersedes the previous scriptures. It is 100% the word of God, unlike the other scriptures that we have with us today. It has no versions or editions. Millions of people from all over the world have it memorised, and they all recite word for word the same thing. It contains practical guidance on how to live our life, stories of previous prophets from which to learn lessons, warnings, comfort, solace, and in it God corrects the misconceptions of those who believe untrue things about Him or His prophets. It tells us what has always been expected from humans since the beginning of time; what He told His prophets to teach people since the creation of the first human. That message never changed. The essence of Islam is what always was, and has always been, the true and natural religion; the way of all the Prophets, the original message, the only message.

Hope that helps a bit, and please do ask any further questions.

Peace.

 

[Ban Bet Beh]

...Insha'Allah (God willing), my journey of faith will lead me to Jannah after I die. In order to please Allah so that He may grant me Jannah, I simply obey the commands that He has given in the Qur'an...

What or who is Jannah?

 

[Ban Bet Beh]

...I discover the Science in Quran, for someone who have hard heart perhaps or someone who is practical but open minded, Science in ISLAM would appeal definitely.

Could you give me some examples on how Islam views science? I believe that science and religion can coexist without contradiction.

 

[Ban Bet Beh]

...He is not composed of persons, nor a trinity....

You say God is not composed of "persons". Is God a person according to Islam?

...

We are each responsible for and accountable for our own deeds, good or bad, and for the choices we make in life. Nobody else is responsible for them, nor carries the burden of them. No innocent person is made to suffer or die for the sins of others....

Are we the cause of our own suffering?

...

Newborn babies are sinless, and are not tainted by the burden of sins they did not commit. There is no concept of original sin, nor of a broken relationship with God. God is the God of all. Prayer is directly to God; forgiveness is directly from God. No saviour is warranted....

Is there a concept of hell in Islam? I was under the impression that there was. If there is no savior, how is the avoidance of hell accomplished? Will everyone be with God (Allah) in heaven at some point?

...

For your information, the Qur'an is the last and final scripture of God, revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It's message is for the entire world, until the end of time. It supersedes the previous scriptures....

Does the Qur'an itself claim to be the final revelation from God? Did Muhammad write the Qur'an?

 

[Just_A_Girl13]

Asalaamu alaikum Ben,

What or who is Jannah?

Jannah is the Arabic word for Paradise, or Heaven.

Peace and blessings be with you

 

[Samiro]

Does the Qur'an itself claim to be the final revelation from God? Did Muhammad write the Qur'an?

Muhammad, peace be upon him, "wrote" the Quran in the sense that the words came from him, but naturally Muslims believe that these words were not his, but Allah's.

 

[Insaanah]

Peace, Ben

Apologies I could not answer sooner.

You say God is not composed of "persons". Is God a person according to Islam?

No. He is not a person nor is He a number of persons. He is not mixed up in His creation in any way. The reason I mentioned that, was to distinguish from current day Christianity, in which God is composed of three persons, the father, the son and the holy spirit. There is no such notion in Islam of God being a person or composed of persons at all, nor of Him being mixed up in His creation. He is One, in every sense, and there is nothing like Him.

We are accountable to Him for our deeds.

We are each responsible for and accountable for our own deeds, good or bad, and for the choices we make in life. Nobody else is responsible for them, nor carries the burden of them. No innocent person is made to suffer or die for the sins of others.

Are we the cause of our own suffering?

We have been given free will and we are free to use that as we please, for good, or for bad.

With regards to your question, there is no definitive yes/no answer. Sometimes it may be the case, that through our actions we inadvertantly cause our own suffering, while at other times, what we perceive as suffering may actually be something good for us, even though we may not realise it. It may be intended to bring us closer to Allah, as natural human tendency is to remember Him more in times of adversity. Or it may avert some other evil from us.

Is there a concept of hell in Islam? I was under the impression that there was.

Yes, there is.

If there is no savior, how is the avoidance of hell accomplished?

Through God's Mercy. And God has laid out clearly what we need to do: to have belief in the One God, and to be worshipping Him alone, following His Prophets, who brought us the instructions we have to follow from God, doing good deeds. Islam is not like some other faiths, where you believe that God made someone suffer and die for your sins, and thus that person is your saviour, because he bears the burden of your bad deeds rather than you, and by simply accepting him as your saviour you are saved. That would mean that God is unjust in making someone who did not commit your sins, suffer and die for them. We believe that God is the Most Just.

To suggest that God made someone suffer and die so that he could forgive people's sins, is also denigrating to His Power suggesting that He could not forgive without making a sacrifice. We believe God is All-Powerful in accordance with His Majesty.

Will everyone be with God (Allah) in heaven at some point?

No, unless Allah wills it. Some people will be destined to be in hell forever, depending on the severity of their evil deeds.

Does the Qur'an itself claim to be the final revelation from God? Did Muhammad write the Qur'an?

Sahih International translation of Qur'an 33:40

"Muhammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allah and last of the prophets. And ever is Allah , of all things, Knowing."

Divine Scriptures are revealed to Prophets only, thus the last prophet automatically means the last scripture. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not write the Qur'an. It was revealed to him from God through the Angel Gabriel (peace be upon him) and scribes wrote it down.

Please do ask any further questions you may have.

Peace.

 

[woxrulz]

Allah the Creator has created every thing and made ievery thing in perfect balance.

 

[Ramadhan]

Muhammad, peace be upon him, "wrote" the Quran in the sense that the words came from him, but naturally Muslims believe that these words were not his, but Allah's.

This is incorrect. Muhammad (pbuh) was a complete illiterate, even orientalists acknowledge this fact, so there was no way he (pbuh) wrote the Qur'an.

prophet Muhammad (pbuh) conveyed the message from Allah SWT and it was his shahaba (friends, companions) who fully memorised and wrote the Qur'an as we speak today.

 

[Samiro]

This is incorrect. Muhammad (pbuh) was a complete illiterate, even orientalists acknowledge this fact, so there was no way he (pbuh) wrote the Qur'an.

prophet Muhammad (pbuh) conveyed the message from Allah SWT and it was his shahaba (friends, companions) who fully memorised and wrote the Qur'an as we speak today.

I am aware of this. I meant to emphasise that it was his word, not the actual writing itself. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Pure Purple]

You say God is not composed of "persons". Is God a person according to Islam?

Best description of allah subhanahu wa ta'ala ,which any muslim can describe is given in surah ikhlas .
The translation[SUP][SIZE=-2]2[/SUP] of Surah Ikhlas (Holy Qur'an 112:1-4) is:
Arabic (surah Ikhlas)[SIZE=-1]English Translation[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]A'uzu billahi minashaitanir rajim [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]I seek refuge in Allah from the outcast Satan
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Qul Hu-walaahu 'Ahad[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Say: He is Allah, the Monoreal!
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]'Allahus-Samad; [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Allah (the Monoreal) is Eternal, Absolute;
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Lam yalid, wa lam yuulad; [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]He begetteth not nor is He begotten.
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Walam yakul-la-Huu kufuwan 'ahad. And there is none like unto Him.[/SIZE][/SIZE]

 

[ayesha.ansari]

Qurat-ul-ain great answer with the help of Surah Iklas that GOD is a spiritual being he is not human or person at all. Bea cause a person can feel hunger, and need to sleep but ALLAH cannot feel hunger or sleep at all. He all the time watching all around us. :statisfie So you cannot call him person at all. and neither he is jinn because this is also created by ALLAH.

 

[Insaanah]

I hope Ban Bet Beh will come back to read this.

I see that one of your questions remains unanswered.

I discover the Science in Quran, for someone who have hard heart perhaps or someone who is practical but open minded, Science in ISLAM would appeal definitely.

Could you give me some examples on how Islam views science? I believe that science and religion can coexist without contradiction.

Not only can science and religion go hand in hand, but in all actuality, they should. Since God created the world, any scripture from Him, should contain facts that science discovers to be 100% accurate. After all He created the world, and He knows best how He made it and how it functions.

“The heaven I created by might, and, verily, I am expanding it." (Translation of Qur'an, 51:47)

The Arabic word "moos‘ioon" used for "expanding" in the original Arabic text of the Qur'an, is an active participle. It indicates an ongoing action that is occurring at the present time and will continue into the future. It was not until the invention of the spectrograph and the development of a huge (100 in.diameter) reflecting telescope that Edward Hubble was able to discover other galaxies in 1926 and to document in 1927 the red shift of their spectra that indicates they are moving away from ours. The Encyclopaedia Britannica says about this: “The implications of this discovery were immense. The universe, long considered static, was expanding.” This is now an accepted scientific fact.

"Have you not seen how Allah makes the clouds move gently, then joins them together, then makes them a heap? And you see raindrops issuing from their midst. He sends down hail from the sky from mountains of hail therein, causing it to fall on whom he wills and averting it from whom he wills.” (24:43)

The Gulf News of Friday, May 30th, 1997 carried the following item:

"The Earth is bathed by a steady “cosmic rain” of previously undetected objects from outer space that pour vast quantities of water into the atmosphere, according to startling new evidence released Wednesday. The objects, 20- to 40-ton snowballs the size of two-bedroom houses, streak into the atmosphere by the thousands each day, disintegrate harmlessly 600 to 15,000 miles up and deposit large clouds of water vapor that eventually falls on Earth’s surface as rain, according to Louis A. Frank of the University of Iowa. He led the research team that for the first time has captured images of these objects...taken at both ultraviolet and visible wavelengths by Frank’s specially designed instrument aboard NASA’s year old Polar spacecraft."

This is how the Quran has described mountains. Allah, their Creator, has said in the Quran:

"Have We not made the earth as a bed, and the mountains as pegs?" (Quran, 78:6-7)

A book entitled Earth (1982, W. H. Freeman and Company) is a basic reference textbook in many universities around the world. One of its two authors is Professor Emeritus Frank Press. He was the Science Advisor to former US President Jimmy Carter, and for 12 years was the President of the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC. His book says that mountains have underlying roots. These roots are deeply embedded in the ground, thus, mountains have a shape like a peg.

Modern earth sciences have proven that mountains have deep roots under the surface of the ground and that these roots can reach several times their elevations above the surface of the ground. So the most suitable word to describe mountains on the basis of this information is the word ‘peg,’ since most of a properly set peg is hidden under the surface of the ground. The history of science tells us that the theory of mountains having deep roots was introduced only in the latter half of the nineteenth century.

Mountains also play an important role in stabilizing the crust of the earth. They hinder the shaking of the earth. Allah has said in the Quran:

"And He has set firm mountains in the earth so that it would not shake with you... " (Quran, 16:15)

Likewise, the modern theory of plate tectonics holds that mountains work as stabilizers for the earth. This knowledge about the role of mountains as stabilizers for the earth has just begun to be understood in the framework of plate tectonics since the late 1960’s.

These examples are just the “tip of the iceberg.” There are other remarkably accurate statements about oceanography, geology, cosmogony, physics, biology, embryology, hydrology, the origin of the universe, and other subjects. As would be expected from the Creator of the universe. But all explained by Him in a simple way, so that people can picture what is meant.

He told us about them over 1400 years ago, but it is only in the last 100 years or so that mankind is "discovering" them.

You can read more about some of those scientific facts here: http://www.islam-guide.com/

In light of your Christian background, please note the following with regards to forgiveness:

Allaah(swt) is the most just and judges us with perfect fairness. He knows of our weaknesses and our failures. He does not punish us unjustly and is always willing to forgive us if we sincerely are sorry for our sins, ask him for forgiveness and truly do our best to repent and make amends for our past. Allaah(swt) readily gives forgiveness to those who sincerely repent and sincerely do their best to serve only Him.

Forgiveness does not require a payment or a sacrifice, but it requires for the offender to acknowledge the wrong he has done, to feel regret for having committed the deed, to ask for forgiveness from the one offended, and to intend not to repeat the offense again.

I find Islam to be the only Religion that recognises Allaah(swt)'s power to forgive with just his will. All other religions seem to claim that forgiveness requires a purchase price and if we can't pay it, somebody else has to pay it on our behalf.

In Islam, forgiveness comes without a purchase price or sacrifice. We do not/can not: buy, sacrifice for, earn or steal it. It comes freely when we sincerely ask for forgiveness and truly repent, accepting Allaah(swt)'s will.

We acknowledge the immense capacity of Allah (swt) to forgive our sins. If there is a payment, an atonement, or a perfect sacrifice that is required to bring us in to the good graces of Allah (swt), then can it really and truly in that case be called forgiveness?

http://www.islamicboard.com/clarifications-about-islam/134305374-there-forgiveness-islam.html

You should also be aware of Islamic beliefs about prophets:

Muslims believe in all the prophets God sent to guide and warn people, and do not reject any of them, from the first prophet Adam, to the last and final prophet, Muhammad, peace be upon them all. They were the purest and noblest of humanity and were not divine in any way. God sent all the prophets with the same message and not different messages. The message was: to submit wholeheartedly to the will of God and to worship Him and Him alone, and to obey the prophet. Thus, Islam is not a new faith but is the same Ultimate Truth that God revealed to all prophets, including Noah, Abraham, Joseph, David, Solomon, Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them all). Since the time of prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), that message is available unchanged and unadulterated. He is the last, not first, prophet of Islam; a messenger to all mankind.

I hope you will return to this thread and ask more questions, and I pray that God guides you and opens your heart to the truth and straight path of Islam.

Peace.

 

[World Peace]

Peace be upon you Sister/Brother BanBet Beh

Welcome to the forum. I hope you find the following useful.

The True Religion: Which is the True Religion of God?
islamreligion.com/articles/448/viewall

Islam Religion
islamreligion.com
beconvinced.com/archive/en/main.php

The Truth about Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him)
rasoulallah.net/

The Truth is One
islamreligion.com/articles/8/viewall
turntoislam.com/forum/showthread.php?t=77891
theradiantlight.blogspot.com

Regarding your Question about science, you may find the following interesting to read:

Quran, Hadith and Knowledge
muslimheritage.com/topics/default.cfm?ArticleID=249

Islamic Science, the Scholar and Ethics
muslimheritage.com/topics/default.cfm?ArticleID=570

Muslim Scholars and Science
muslimheritage.com/topics/default.cfm?ArticleID=250

How Islam inspired Scientific Advance
muslimheritage.com/topics/default.cfm?ArticleID=651

Contrast between Islamic and Western Science
muslimheritage.com/topics/default.cfm?ArticleID=246
muslimheritage.com/topics/default.cfm?ArticleID=259
muslimheritage.com/topics/default.cfm?ArticleID=208

"Prince Charles, Heir to the British Monarch in a public speech at Oxford University: “If there is much misunderstanding in the west about the nature of Islam, there is also much ignorance about the debt our own culture and civilization owe to the Islamic world. It is a failure, which, I think, from the straight-jacket of history, which we have inherited. The medieval Islamic world. From Asia to the shores of the Atlantic, was a world where scholars and men of learning flourished. But because we have tended to see Islam as the enemy of the west, as an alien culture, society, and system of belief, we have tended to ignore or erase its great relevance to our own history”."

You may like to read about the Islamic Golden Period, and the contribution of Muslims to civilization in the following link.
theradiantlight.blogspot.com/2009/06/islams-forgottenerased-contributions-to.html

Continue seeking knowledge. May Allah (God) guide you to his right path, and enlighten your heart with the light of faith.