How do you change what you believe?
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The Qu'ran is a reminder, for you to ponder and contemplate about the meaning, the message and the lessons of the verses. So it can happen as a process till you get more comfortable and develop a sort of relationship with the Qu'ran.
Pygoscelis
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Having been an ex-atheist, I know it's not just my imagination as I can confidently say I knew some atheists who feared nothingness but simply believed that was all there is. Nothingness can be equally scary for the mind to grasp.
Having been an ex-atheist, I know it's not just my imagination as I can confidently say I knew some atheists who feared nothingness but simply believed that was all there is. Nothingness can be equally scary for the mind to grasp.
Bhabha
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James
As a convert to Islam, I was brought up a Catholic until I was about perhaps 8 or so. I know it's not that much but I was socialized apparently into Catholicism. Then my parents kind of stopped believing in religion for a little while, so I was not socialized religiously for a while. When we were living in Florida we went to Protestant church, for a little bit... Then we stopped, then 9/11 and I as a child looked into "what happens to me if I die?" Because I had experienced a lot of spiritual things in my life for me not to believe in something that cannot be explained by "science". For example, science still contests whether we are pushed into earth or pulled by gravity. There are so many things that cannot be explained by science. So I sought out going to church and I pushed my parents to go church and listen.
Of course, I didn't feel convinced because some things didn't make sense to me... Like the trinity, lol. It has never made sense to me. To think that God has a son and God needs a spirit to communicate with you...? How can God have a son? In Catholicism I couldn't understand why if Jesus sacrificed himself for the sins of people would children need to be baptized in order to remove this "sin" when children are born innocent and without the sins of their fathers....I also could not understand the images, the random images in the churches and the asking to Jesus for forgiveness, why not God directly? Why would we need to ask someone who was born on earth for forgiveness? I was not convinced at all. I was also thrown off by the pastor message to the congregation that they needed to be "poor" whilst giving alms.. And then going to the pastors home where he was not poor, but he owned a large land of about 100 acres and this was his vacation home. Excuse me? Are we paying for you to live this kind of life, while we bask in misery?
There were so many things. Perhaps experiences of life, having the chance to travel and see the world that I learned more and more. Alhamdellah, thank God I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel the world and have experienced first hand the spiritual world. For example, when I was younger I used to have constant visits at night by something. This thing bothered me and tormented me until I was older. I haven't seen it in a while, Thank God. My brother has also experienced a lot of spiritual things, although he's kind of agnostic and very technological since he does engineering. He acknowledges the spiritual side and holds belief that there is a God.
As for me, I traveled overseas and when I heard the Adhan in a Muslim country, I felt something deep in my heart. This is coming from someone who disliked Islam before working overseas. So people can change, it requires travel and experience in my opinion. You have not traveled, until your travels have impacted you in one way or another. I have found a lot of people who have gone to Muslim countries have changed their way of life or opinion about Islam. For example, my little brother and mom used to think horrible about Muslims, until I took them to a Muslim country and they loved the experience, the people, the sound of the Adhan. Although their hearts might be a little tougher than mine, since mine has always been yearning for that full feeling, their change will take a little longer than me. I also had the chance to live there, while they just visited for some time.
So take it as a convert
as someone who has explored many religions and traveled around. Perhaps it is my positive experience living in a Muslim country that has changed my view most of all. I felt safe, like I could walk around at night and be safe or leave my doors open. Right now I am waiting to travel to the uk ان شاء الله for my PhD and I am traumatized and scared of living in the uk by myself. My mother is also scared, so she comes with me lol.
As a convert to Islam, I was brought up a Catholic until I was about perhaps 8 or so. I know it's not that much but I was socialized apparently into Catholicism. Then my parents kind of stopped believing in religion for a little while, so I was not socialized religiously for a while. When we were living in Florida we went to Protestant church, for a little bit... Then we stopped, then 9/11 and I as a child looked into "what happens to me if I die?" Because I had experienced a lot of spiritual things in my life for me not to believe in something that cannot be explained by "science". For example, science still contests whether we are pushed into earth or pulled by gravity. There are so many things that cannot be explained by science. So I sought out going to church and I pushed my parents to go church and listen.
Of course, I didn't feel convinced because some things didn't make sense to me... Like the trinity, lol. It has never made sense to me. To think that God has a son and God needs a spirit to communicate with you...? How can God have a son? In Catholicism I couldn't understand why if Jesus sacrificed himself for the sins of people would children need to be baptized in order to remove this "sin" when children are born innocent and without the sins of their fathers....I also could not understand the images, the random images in the churches and the asking to Jesus for forgiveness, why not God directly? Why would we need to ask someone who was born on earth for forgiveness? I was not convinced at all. I was also thrown off by the pastor message to the congregation that they needed to be "poor" whilst giving alms.. And then going to the pastors home where he was not poor, but he owned a large land of about 100 acres and this was his vacation home. Excuse me? Are we paying for you to live this kind of life, while we bask in misery?
There were so many things. Perhaps experiences of life, having the chance to travel and see the world that I learned more and more. Alhamdellah, thank God I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel the world and have experienced first hand the spiritual world. For example, when I was younger I used to have constant visits at night by something. This thing bothered me and tormented me until I was older. I haven't seen it in a while, Thank God. My brother has also experienced a lot of spiritual things, although he's kind of agnostic and very technological since he does engineering. He acknowledges the spiritual side and holds belief that there is a God.
As for me, I traveled overseas and when I heard the Adhan in a Muslim country, I felt something deep in my heart. This is coming from someone who disliked Islam before working overseas. So people can change, it requires travel and experience in my opinion. You have not traveled, until your travels have impacted you in one way or another. I have found a lot of people who have gone to Muslim countries have changed their way of life or opinion about Islam. For example, my little brother and mom used to think horrible about Muslims, until I took them to a Muslim country and they loved the experience, the people, the sound of the Adhan. Although their hearts might be a little tougher than mine, since mine has always been yearning for that full feeling, their change will take a little longer than me. I also had the chance to live there, while they just visited for some time.
So take it as a convert
as someone who has explored many religions and traveled around. Perhaps it is my positive experience living in a Muslim country that has changed my view most of all. I felt safe, like I could walk around at night and be safe or leave my doors open. Right now I am waiting to travel to the uk ان شاء الله for my PhD and I am traumatized and scared of living in the uk by myself. My mother is also scared, so she comes with me lol.
Serinity
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Go away and discuss with someone who is in doubt / confusion like you. I sincerely can't be bothered in debating with you. You are confused. Your post is evidence for my claim. "If someone came and said bob with a stick exists, how do you know it is true? perhaps it is" How can you be that deluded? Bye.
If one is sincere in searching for Allah, Allah SWT will guide them, that is fact.
May Allah SWT forgive me if I said something wrong. Ameen.
May Allah SWT guide you. Ameen.
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Greetings and peace be with you James.;
Belief and trust in God was a journey for me, I started to search for God in my late forties. I watched my mother suffer with multiple sclerosis for the last thirty years of her life. She could not move her arms or legs for about the last twenty years, and everything had to be done for her. She had to suffer every kind of indignity and helplessness. Yet she seemed to experience a calmness and peace about her, I could never really understand her calmness.
At one point she went into a coma and was taken to hospital, her breathing was a horrible gurgling sound; the doctors said she had days to live so we called a priest, none of us had a faith at the time, but we just thought it was what you should do. As the priest prayed my mums gasping for air seemed to change, she seemed to relax and started to breathe more normally. About ten minutes after the priest walked out the door, mum came round and started to speak, she had no recollection of anything that happened in hospital for the last two days, or that the priest had said prayers over her.
She lived another ten years, my mum regarded this as a blessing, despite her paralysed body, and she said she was not ready to die at the time of the coma.
I really could not understand how she seemed to just accept it, she rarely complained and often seemed more worried and concerned about our problems than her own. She had a faith in God and she sometimes used to say that she is ready to meet Jesus now. I never heard her blame God for her problems. People might have said that it would have been kinder for her to have passed away in hospital. But somehow through my mums faith in God, I went from being agnostic to finding a greater faith myself.
I can only say that I will never meet a stronger person than my mum. Faith is only faith when it is tested, sometimes it seems that God tests us in extreme ways. We all die, faith and trust in God helps us to look forwards to a greater good life after death.
Having witnessed mum's healing, when I had my cancer tests years later, I never once prayed for healing, I prayed for the wisdom to do God's will.
In the spirit of searching for God.
Eric
Belief and trust in God was a journey for me, I started to search for God in my late forties. I watched my mother suffer with multiple sclerosis for the last thirty years of her life. She could not move her arms or legs for about the last twenty years, and everything had to be done for her. She had to suffer every kind of indignity and helplessness. Yet she seemed to experience a calmness and peace about her, I could never really understand her calmness.
At one point she went into a coma and was taken to hospital, her breathing was a horrible gurgling sound; the doctors said she had days to live so we called a priest, none of us had a faith at the time, but we just thought it was what you should do. As the priest prayed my mums gasping for air seemed to change, she seemed to relax and started to breathe more normally. About ten minutes after the priest walked out the door, mum came round and started to speak, she had no recollection of anything that happened in hospital for the last two days, or that the priest had said prayers over her.
She lived another ten years, my mum regarded this as a blessing, despite her paralysed body, and she said she was not ready to die at the time of the coma.
I really could not understand how she seemed to just accept it, she rarely complained and often seemed more worried and concerned about our problems than her own. She had a faith in God and she sometimes used to say that she is ready to meet Jesus now. I never heard her blame God for her problems. People might have said that it would have been kinder for her to have passed away in hospital. But somehow through my mums faith in God, I went from being agnostic to finding a greater faith myself.
I can only say that I will never meet a stronger person than my mum. Faith is only faith when it is tested, sometimes it seems that God tests us in extreme ways. We all die, faith and trust in God helps us to look forwards to a greater good life after death.
Having witnessed mum's healing, when I had my cancer tests years later, I never once prayed for healing, I prayed for the wisdom to do God's will.
In the spirit of searching for God.
Eric
Pygoscelis
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Why would you be afraid of nothingness? It will be like before you were born. There is literally nothing to fear.
BeTheChange
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Through education, through contemplation, by mixing with learned or practising people, looking at original authentic sources for information, admiring nature and reflecting.
Education is the main one though in my humble opinion.
MuslimInshallah
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Hello Pygoscelis,
(twinkle) I expected you'd be interested in this thread. Anyway, nice to have your input.
Mmm... you know, I posted a while back about my ex-father-in-law, a longtime adherent of atheism, and how he had been terrified to die. (sigh) At the time, you dismissed his fear and quite horrible death as a "meme". (smile) I remember, I had to find out what "meme" meant. (sigh) And it was sad to think of the suffering of a human being would be considered as something as frivolous as that.
The fear of death certainly exists for at least some atheists. Curiously, an atheist I know who was also a very kind person, did not suffer when she died (in her sleep). (pensively) Indeed, turning over the people I have known, it seems to me that those atheists who were decent and kind, died without fear. But those who were not very nice people died with much fear and suffering. (pensively) Perhaps, because you are a decent person, God has relieved you of fear?
(smile) Muslims believe that God requites all good deeds. If you put your Trust in Him, and seek goodness in the Next life... then He may Gift you there. But if you do not... then He may Gift you in this life.
(smile) May God Bless you, Pygoscelis.