How should I pray?

[DogLover]

Hello

I'm a Christian, but not the typical Christian as you can imagine. So... I'm rejecting "Trinity" concept (so it means that I believe to only One God, nothing more). I'm also respecting both Bible and Qur'an as messages from the One God. Now I'm studying some hadiths about Muhammad's life and his quotes.

Since I've wrote the last post on Islamic Board, I was not convinced about Muhammad being the prophet (Christians rejects Qur'an and also rejects Muhammad by calling him the "false prophet"). I want to apologise deeply, because, thanks to some teachings from scholars (for example dr Zakir Naik and his open lectures and Yusuf Estes, an ex-christian Muslim) I understood that the prophet called the Paraclete by Jesus Chrust (Greek translation?) mentioned in the Bible is indeed about the prophet Muhammad. So, yes, I admit that prophet Muhammad is the last messenger of the Lord.

If I really want to be a better Christian, I should think carefully about praying. At the start of praying we begin with: "In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit", and meanwhile, a mark of the cross by our right hand. Which means the Trinity concept appears. The God in Qur'an wants to us, Christians, to avoid anything which included that "Trinity" doctrine.

Second problem is with the "Apostle's Creed", both shorter and longer version. Longer version includes the "Trinity" concept.

Third one is about hailing the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit at the end of praying. Yup, Trinity concept again.

So... how to pray? Are "Our Father" and "Hail Mary" enought to pray? Will the God be "happy" if I avoid these prayings which de facto hails the Trinity?

You will probably ask me, why am I asking you instead of Christians. The answer is simple: Christians rejects Qur'an and also rejects Muhammad's teachings. You on the other hand read Qur'an and follow Muhammad's guides. That's why I send this question to you.

I have other questions and other doubts (like the crucifixion of Jesus Chris and having a dog in a house), but these are for a different topic.

May the Lord be with you.

 

[eesa the kiwi]

Do you have a copy of the translation of the quran?

The first chapter is called surah fatiha and Muslims repeat it many times a day in salah. You could read the English of this
In it we praise Allah and ask for help and guidance

Dua of supplication is not restricted. You can read it in any language and ask for almost anything. As long as you pray to your Creator alone InshaAllah you'll see results.

 

[DogLover]

Do you have a copy of the translation of the quran?

I have a translation of the Qur'an on a phone. I used my national language's translation which was almost close to the original one. Not a piracy, it was from official site of the national Muslim community, Quran as a PDF file with over 100 Surahs.

The first chapter is called surah fatiha and Muslims repeat it many times a day in salah. You could read the English of this
In it we praise Allah and ask for help and guidance

I have heard Al-Fatiha recitation by Mishary Al-Afasy and read translated subtitles. Amazing, heartwarming recitation. Thanks to this, I've memorized Al-Fatiha opening Surah, even in Arabic.

Dua of supplication is not restricted. You can read it in any language and ask for almost anything. As long as you pray to your Creator alone InshaAllah you'll see results.

I already see it's results

I apreciate your answers. Thank you for your reply

 

[*charisma*]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

I'm just wondering, if you believe that Muhammad is the final prophet, and you believe in One God, that is the basis of being a Muslim..
and you also reject a lot of the teachings of Christianity trying to follow a more pure christianity...so what is it about christianity that makes you stay, and what is it about islam that makes you reject it?

because in islam we believe in the bible and the torah, and we believe that christianity (and judaism) as it was revealed, was actually Islam before it was changed by the people. All the prophets preached the oneness of Allah and submission to Him. And it seems you are trying to follow a christianity before it was corrupted...which was actually islam.

 

[DogLover]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

I'm just wondering, if you believe that Muhammad is the final prophet, and you believe in One God, that is the basis of being a Muslim..
and you also reject a lot of the teachings of Christianity trying to follow a more pure christianity...so what is it about christianity that makes you stay, and what is it about islam that makes you reject it?

because in islam we believe in the bible and the torah, and we believe that christianity (and judaism) as it was revealed, was actually Islam before it was changed by the people. All the prophets preached the oneness of Allah and submission to Him. And it seems you are trying to follow a christianity before it was corrupted...which was actually islam.

It's a very good, important question.

I'm aware that some quotes from the Bible are being corrupted (for example quote about Trinity added to the Bible while translating from translated Bible from translated Bible from the original Bible). There are some mistakes (like Earth being an immobile flat disc), mathematical misinformations (various differences in numbers), different stories etc. And other many errors. Some of them can be repaired by the Qur'an and scientifical exploration and some never can be.

On the other hand, Islam is a different culture, different law, different reality. Everything is different. In Islam, Shariat creats the law. In the country which belongs to the European Union, national governments and European institutes creats the law. What's more, there are some things that for a Christian is normal, but from the point of Shariat is not acceptable.

There are some issues including myself. I can't write all my doubts, but I'll try to name for me, most important.

1. In a hadith, prophet Muhammad calls Muslims to kill all dogs, except guarding one, especially black dogs, called the devil one. If you kill a dog in European country, you will go to jail for that. What's more, I don't want to kill anything and it includes dogs. Furthermore, cats and dogs do similar things, cats have bacteria too. Both cats and dogs are not the clean one. Yet cats are being sacred by some Muslims. Not by every Muslim, but by some Muslims.

2. I've heared about hadith which prophet Muhammad says that angels does not visit anyone who have a dog in a house (and pictures), and a hadith which says one good deed is daily deducted for having a dog in a house. The problem is, in my case, it is the God who planned to have a dog, not I. The dog, which was rescued by someone else from a death by hunger, being tied next to the tree. I'm just only giving him a safety place, which is on the other hand not in compliance with Islamic Shariat. What about dog shelters? Full of dogs (no space for any new dog) and there, dogs are being threatened worse than in a house. My dog is a part of the family, not just a "pet".

3. Issues with performing Salat in places where polar day and polar night occurs. I don't have this issue in my country, but if I wanted to, for example, visit a Scandinavian country, especially on a north, I would not be able to perform Duhr and Asr without the sun and I would not be able to perform Fajr, Maghrib and Isha without the night. This same issue would occur during Ramadan.

4. There is no halal meat in my country. No animal is being killed with a ritual, in the name of Allah. Meat is important part of the diet (but not pork - I don't eat pork!). What should I do with meat?

5. Language barrier. I don't have a problem to speak Al-Fatiha opening Surah in Arabic as I mentioned before. But the problem appears when I try to memorize two sequences of Tashahud. Only middle part called Shahada, is easy to remember, but the rest is a blockade. Is it in compliance with Shariat to pause a Salat by searching on a phone how to speak Tashahud part and continue by reading it from a phone? I think it is not allowed to pause, that's why I asked you for a Christian-style praying.

6. I know no one Muslim. Everyone around me are Christians. If I have a question about Islam, no one won't answer me. I have just you, this Islamic Board, Youtube and blogs about Islam. I will not ask Christians who have some stereotypes about Muslims and Islam.

7. Can I swim on the beach? I know how to swim in 4 styles, but I can't swim with only one style - dolphin In Islam, there is a law for a women to cover everything but hands and face. So, walking on the beach without anything to cover legs and arms to show them for walking men is Haraam. But Haraam is also any activity which will pay an attention by others. So covering legs and arms on the beach is Haraam as well, when people with legs and arms uncovered, will point at the Muslim with almost all things covered and say "Look at that lady, she's so strange, so different". I'm not interested to have an attention by men. I just want to swim, just for seasonal activity.

What is it about Christianity that makes me stay? Well, I'm the person who does not like living with a mess. If I see one, I want to tidy up. The same thing occurs with the Bible. Despite of these mistakes and fabrications, there is a chance to tidy up this mess and: reject that which is fabricated (trinity) and apply these verses which are the original message from the God (no pork, no alcohol, no idols, no worshipping anything else, no stealing, no lies, no unnecessarily killing).

What about the Catholic Church? Well, actually, some priests raped and still are raping young children and the Church overall is hiding this knowledge from the public. Not every priest rapes children, some of priests are teaching very well about peace, obedience and tolerance. The Church on the other hand hailing the Trinity, making idols of Jesus Christ on a cross and idols and of Mary to pray to them. Is this a monotheistic religion? From my point of view - no. I don't need to go to Church to pray to the God while looking at the giant cross with Jesus Christ on the front of the Church. Which from a Catholic perspective I'm making a sin.

I just identify myself as a unitarian Christian.

Your answer is well apreciated. Thank you for your answer

May the Lord be with you.

 

[*charisma*]

On the other hand, Islam is a different culture, different law, different reality. Everything is different.

I see what you mean. It seems you are the type of person that if you became a Muslim, you'd want to do everything the most correct way as possible. That is very admirable. But i think you also have so many misconceptions and need clarity. I can tell you have been reading a lot about Islam and are trying to find the correct information. I have a lot of respect for that!

Some practices in Islam might be difficult no doubt, but if you believe in muhammad and Allah then you are Muslim. The rest of it is an adjustment and will take time. The majority of Muslims cannot speak Arabic for example, but the amazing thing is because the religion is important to us, we take the time and effort to learn it to at least pray correctly, to greet each other, and give blessings to each other. It is worth it in the end. Think of how many people it connects you to!

There are Muslims in the EU, and the muslims in general come from every country. We might seem strange to outsiders, but to each other it is normal even though we are all from completely different countries, backgrounds, etc. When I see a hijaabi for example, she might be from Sweden, and I'm from America, we don't speak the same language, we don't look alike, but we both know the other is Muslim and Islam unites us as sisters.

I know to you it seems that islam will be difficult to switch to, but Allah makes it easy and it is meant to be easy! Also, where you find muslim communities, you will find all that you need usually!

I will try to answer all of your points inshallah to help clarify for you some things! Also it is ok to pause in your prayers, or to read from a paper that has the prayers written until you are able to memorize it.

 

[DogLover]

I see what you mean. It seems you are the type of person that if you became a Muslim, you'd want to do everything the most correct way as possible. That is very admirable. But i think you also have so many misconceptions and need clarity. I can tell you have been reading a lot about Islam and are trying to find the correct information. I have a lot of respect for that!

Thank you very much for these kind words.

I thought the path of being an unitarian Christian would be really a correct one, but I actually feel that, with rejecting any thing which compares with Trinity, this kind of religion (unitarian Christianity) is... partial, incomplete. It seems some crucial elements are missing. And yet I seek the knowledge to the truth.

Some practices in Islam might be difficult no doubt, but if you believe in muhammad and Allah then you are Muslim. The rest of it is an adjustment and will take time. The majority of Muslims cannot speak Arabic for example, but the amazing thing is because the religion is important to us, we take the time and effort to learn it to at least pray correctly, to greet each other, and give blessings to each other. It is worth it in the end. Think of how many people it connects you to!

I'm studying Islam as the other religion to seek answers. I believe that I've found the truth and the best guide to follow the straight path. But I fear making a mistake without even knowing about it and the God would not forgive me for my sins. I just don't want to fail. I fear that I could not be even worthy to become a Muslim.

There are Muslims in the EU, and the muslims in general come from every country. We might seem strange to outsiders, but to each other it is normal even though we are all from completely different countries, backgrounds, etc. When I see a hijaabi for example, she might be from Sweden, and I'm from America, we don't speak the same language, we don't look alike, but we both know the other is Muslim and Islam unites us as sisters.

I don't know how this exactly happened, but by command, I started to read Qur'an. I have listened to this command, but more I have read, more doubts I have about myself and about the worthiness to be part of the whole Muslim community. Why? Because everyday I'm making many actions that from some Muslim's perspective, these things would be classified to be Haram (I've already resigned from some activities like playing computer games, watching some films and listening to music, but there are many activities and situations not permitted in Islam). Why there is a need for a sinner as I am, to be a Muslim? What is the goal in this plan and who designed this conception, I don't really know. I've just begged to be guided by the God. Maybe this is a fulfilling fate.

I imagine the Muslim community in overall, as being united, peaceful and helpful to each other, no matter the country. On the other hand, I've never, ever saw anyone with Hijjab. I've never met any Muslim on the street. Maybe it's time to find someone, who would guide me. In my country, there are about 1.000 Muslims.

I know to you it seems that islam will be difficult to switch to, but Allah makes it easy and it is meant to be easy! Also, where you find muslim communities, you will find all that you need usually!

I will try to answer all of your points inshallah to help clarify for you some things! Also it is ok to pause in your prayers, or to read from a paper that has the prayers written until you are able to memorize it.

It will be easy if I go forward and move further. It maybe can take days, months, or even years or decades to know more and more about Islam.

Thank you for your replies, I appreciated that. If I ever have a question about Islam, I will ask you Have a nice day!

May the Lord be with you.