General Q's..Click here pls.

[Ğħαrєєвαħ]

AsSalaamu Alaaykum and Greetings of peace everyone.

Hope you are all well in 'emaan and health inshaa'Allaah..

I had a question in mind..

Where would you be without Islam? In what ways has Islaam changed your life? I don't mean mention your sins, but in other words how has Islam changed your life if so? Hope that makes sense.

Do you ever regret that there were years of your life, you had never prostrated before your lord?

It's true that at first when you start to practice, i.e. salaah, or fast etc, it is difficult but eventually it does become easy and make you strong, humbles you etc but theres people round you trying to put you down all the time. How do you feel when negative comments are made about islam? How do you deal with them? say for example someone is mocking Allaah SWT and his beloved messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings unto him)..It no doubt angers you inside, I believe it's adviced to not remain in a place where Allaah SWT and his deen are mocked. What makes me sad is that some arrogant, ignorant individuals think they know what they're talking about when it comes to the Qur'aan or ahadeeth, but they've actually not even an atoms worth of an idea/knowledge what they're talking about!

I don't understand why some people have so much hate for islam, what would you say is the problem? are these people just too hard hearted? not ready to listen. As far as I am aware, there is nothing in Islam that enrages anger in me or want to hate any of the teachings, but what does is how people think the things practiced today seem orite, like interacting freely with the opposite gender, uncovering, having relationships with strangers etc etc to be honest all the messed up things basically, or atleast that mess you up i.e no benefit to you..and that what islam teaches is all backwards, astagfirullaah. What is it that has affected their minds? Is it the society, and what it promotes?

Do these kind of situations make your emaan low? what do you do? does performing salaah become just something to get over and done with or do you immediately turn to Allaah to make you stronger. I guess i'm just wanting to know how others would deal with such a situation.

Apologies if it seems like i'm ranting on and pointless, my first rant in that case then :/

Jazakallaahu Khaayr.

 

[KDhieb]

Living in the western world, I have come across many ignorant poor souls that mock Islam. I used to get heavily bothered.. Today, though, I cant help but feel pity and sorrow for them... For whatever reasons, their hearts are not open.. in such cases, I just let them know that I am apologetic for whatever false reasons have been bestowed upon them to lead to such wrong thoughts.. Inshallah they are blessed and get the opportunity to take the right path in this life time.

 

[Ğħαrєєвαħ]

Bump!..interesting in knowing other's views and advice inshaa'Allaah..

 

[serena77]

Salaams jakazallah khair for the thread..
for me, as a still fairly new revert ( dec 2012) ... yes .. I do regret not having reverted earlier ... in the sense of being able to bow down to Allah ( swt ) ... i regret that I still have so much I don't know, and don't always know how to ask.

I also have never found anything in what I've read that should enrage anyone .... its so much the media that protrays a horrible way of looking at Islam and its such a shame, because people who don't know any better listen to this and then they get upset.. and it becomes a cycle.

Islam has changed my life, in the most simple way, having a faith i can believe in and feel is true other than what i was doing before which was following such the wrong path. Its the best decision i have ever made and while i still have so much to learn, I'm so thankful that my intentions are looked at when looking at the mistakes I make.... Inshallah things will get easier for me as i work at it, but i have already seen so many blessings in my life that are clearly from Allah (swt) and while it didnt make my life without trial, I do understand that these are trials, and I will get through them w/ Allah's guidance and friends on boards like these to help guide me.
Serena

 

[Aprender]

Yes, I would have loved to have known about the real Islam a lot sooner.

I think that people here in the West hold so much hatred for it because many are blind sheep who listen to whatever they hear on the news and radio but that's only half of the problem. The other half is that most don't use their brains and do the research themselves but would much rather allow someone else to tell them how and what to think about the religion instead of making their own decisions. It's a hedonistic culture of laziness.

Part of the reason why people hate it is because it's that age old fear of the unknown. With Christianity in the West it's a religion that has been modified to fit in great with the secular way of life to the point where if you even try to practice the Christian religion in the way that it was practiced in the past by not drinking, not fornicating, not approving of gay "rights" you're seen as a bigot. Most people don't want to be called that so they just leave religion all together because everyone else is doing it. So since religion is an idea that's "on it's way out" people are more readily to condemn it all together. But what's sad is that when people think of "religion" in the West they associate it solely with Christianity without even taking the time to see what any of the others have to offer and that's the fatal error.

I fortunately haven't had anyone come up to me personally with anything offensive to say about Islam. When I use public transportation I've seen some people roll their eyes when I walked onto the train or bus but I just smile at them and take my seat and go where I need to go. Usually, people here have been courteous still to me. I've had more non-Muslims come up to me and ask me to clarify things about the religion that they've heard because they recognize that what they're hearing doesn't make sense so at least they take it that far but they don't take the extra step of reverting to Islam because they don't want to lose the privilege and ease in their life that they have by being outside of the trend. They'd rather just not know all together and it's sad when I see people deprive themselves from this happiness, peace and clarity in my life that Allah (swt) has given me.

Since I've embraced Islam alhamdulilalh I am a much happier person. I understand my purpose in life a lot better now and I know what it's like to be at peace knowing that Allah (swt) is there watching and providing and protecting me and so much more than that. It's a wonderful feeling no longer running in a rat race trying to be something that you're not or trying to understand concepts that simply make no sense as I was struggling with before. I know it might sound strange but since I became a Muslim I actually feel emotion. Before I was numb, angry and just lost in this dunya. I was what you would call a lone wolf. Now, I have more confidence in myself because of Islam and for the first time I actually think it would be a great idea to be married and be a housewife for a little while. Before, I never had much hope at all in marriage and I accepted at an early age that I'd just end up single for the rest of my life pretty much because of the state of men around me. Depending on women to provide for them. Hurting them, and if not that then getting married only to find out that the one you married cheats on you. I wanted nothing to do with that so I focused on school and career so I wouldn't get trapped with that because I thought I had complete control over who would come into my life and what would happen. I didn't understand back then that Allah (swt) is in control.

For so many years feminism has taught us in the West we don't need men and that they're useless and that a woman can do everything a man can do and much better. So they sent the women off to work while TV and music culture raised America's children. Now look, they're shooting each other, fornicating, disrespecting their elders, don't know the basics of taking care of themselves like how to cook, clean up a bathroom, do a load of laundry or even a sweep a floor. They can't read a book properly, they can't do math properly but the surely do know what song was #1 on the Billboard's Hot 100 two weeks ago. Maybe more mothers should have stayed home to help instill proper values and morals in American children instead of climbing up that corporate ladder. There is more to life.

When I first came to Islam, seeing the negative things people said about Islam did lower my eman because it was already scaring enough going against the status quo and being the only Muslim in my family it's been very, very tought. But I hold on to the rope of Allah (swt) and I make dua that he strengthens my faith and knowledge in His religion and subhaanAllah, whenever I see a nasty comment or a poor misguided person online I smile at them and I do my best to correct their errors IF I have the knowledge and if not then I try to direct them to a place where they can get the right information about Islam. Other than that, I usually find myself feeling sorry for those misguided ones and I just make dua that they be guided before it's too late.

 

[Ğħαrєєвαħ]

As'Salaamu Alaaykum

So they sent the women off to work while TV and music culture raised America's children.

I completely agree with this..

Today, you have all the 'hollywood','bollywood', 'lollywood' and all the other woods that all people look up to, from a love life to whatever else. It makes me sad that some kids know more about the life of some actor, about whose he married to, where he lives etc, these guys arent even role models as all they're doing is acting and making money out of it, while there were actual real role-models who once existed, they could have learnt real stuff from, such as the prophets peace be unto them and those beloved comapanions of his and other leaders who were much successful.

May Allaah SWT keep you steadfast upon his beautiful deen and ease your hardships and grant you and the ummah happiness in both this life and the hereafter, Aameen.

Jazakallaahu Khaayr all for your replies, I really do appreciate them.