I really really really want to follow Islam, but...

[sla25]

I've searched for God in a lot of places, and I keep coming back to Islam. I've tried Christianity, Buddhism, Wicca, and Hinduism, but my feelings always go back to one God.

I have many doubts, which now I leave as doubts and let God sort that out when he sees fit. Islam seems to be the only religion that teaches there is only one GOD with no other partners, but there is so much stigma associated with the religion and so much dogma that it comes with. I just want to follow my belief in one God and have a relationship with my Creator. All the extra stuff doesn't fit with me. It's like trying to fit a puzzle piece in the wrong place.

I don't believe in Hell, the Jinn, that God is separate from the creation, and that I should pray 5x's a day. I'm also gay and don't agree with the interpretation of the story of Lot, as there are different ways it can be interpreted . I'm also steadfast in who I am and will not try to be someone else, be celibate, or ask God for forgiveness for something that I have no control over. I understand others will have opinions on this subject, and they are welcomed, but this is what I believe of myself.

I do believe in one Creator, Muhammad as God's prophet, the Quran, and hijab for men and women. I like the idea of a society living under God, under kindness, not under selfishness and the need to only think of one's self. I do not believe in forced laws or beliefs on others, and see all religions as the path to one God.

It seems most of what I know is superficial, and I haven't gone deeply into the Quran or the Hadith. I'm also not judging what others believe against what I believe. I'm simply stating what I've been thinking so I can receive advice and guidance from others.

Sorry for the rant. Again, I'm not trying to be judgemental or accusatory in any fashion. I'm simply stating what's in my head and if you have something to say back, please do. I think all comments will help in some way.

 

[*charisma*]

Hey,

Well..you can follow Islam. You mention that you don't believe in some things, so perhaps after you delve deeper into Islam everything will be put into place. If you don't believe in heaven and hell, then what do you believe in as the afterlife?? God is the best Judge so if someone does wrong in this world he should be punished no? and if someone abides by God's word then he deserves a reward which is better than this whole entire world and all that's in it.

We have to find a way to make that puzzle piece fit into Islam, not the other way around..so if you have some questions, please do ask!
In regards to homosexuality, you already know that it's not allowed. Like you said, you can't control who you're attracted too I guess, but sodomy is not allowed. It's a major sin, but you can still be Muslim..It's just better to follow Islam the correct way and do everything like it's supposed to be done to the best of our abilities. We are all given tests in this life, and yours just happens to be homosexuality. If people can overcome their difficulties in this life, then you can too.

 

[Search]

:bism: (In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Beneficent)

(Peace be upon you)

Lol, hey dude, did you just notice that you said the shahada without even realizing it in your post? So, basically, congratulations as you're Muslim! Welcome to the almost 2 billion Muslim family, dude!

As far as believing in some aspects of Islam and not being able to accept others, well, you're a new Muslim.

Understanding is a lifetime process, and one which we all have to partake and the building block is only One God and belief in Prophet Muhammad sallalahu alayhi wassalam. When I first accepted Islam in my heart, I was not enthusiastic about hijab even when I'd started believing it or at least not the kind I'd later started observing, and it took me two years before I started wearing the hijab - my thoughts changed as my understanding developed. And I also took a lot of flak from my family when I'd started practicing Islam and I'm technically not even a revert.

So, my point is that you should simply as a new Muslim have the intention to learn knowledge and ask God for guidance - that's all.

Islam came over a period of 23 years and the first 13 years only emphasized the oneness of God and only later when people accepted the acceptance of the one God did the rules come down and that is because we all need a foundation first. The rule of not drinking alcohol didn't come immediately wherein in Arabia people commonly drank alcohol but came when Islam had well and truly entered people's hearts.

So, my point is be patient with yourself and I wouldn't ask you to impose the rules of Islam on yourself at this stage anyway because we're like babies when we're learning something new. And I would ask you to remind others too to be patient with you because you're going to get some people becoming impatient with you and you'll have to learn to navigate through and ignore the negative voices while learning to take aboard sincere words of advice when given to you.

By the way, I'm very happy for you and congratulations once again!

Wishing you all kinds of awesomeness and happiness,

:wa: (And peace be upon you)

I've searched for God in a lot of places, and I keep coming back to Islam. I've tried Christianity, Buddhism, Wicca, and Hinduism, but my feelings always go back to one God.

I have many doubts, which now I leave as doubts and let God sort that out when he sees fit. Islam seems to be the only religion that teaches there is only one GOD with no other partners, but there is so much stigma associated with the religion and so much dogma that it comes with. I just want to follow my belief in one God and have a relationship with my Creator. All the extra stuff doesn't fit with me. It's like trying to fit a puzzle piece in the wrong place.

I don't believe in Hell, the Jinn, that God is separate from the creation, and that I should pray 5x's a day. I'm also gay and don't agree with the interpretation of the story of Lot, as there are different ways it can be interpreted . I'm also steadfast in who I am and will not try to be someone else, be celibate, or ask God for forgiveness for something that I have no control over. I understand others will have opinions on this subject, and they are welcomed, but this is what I believe of myself.

I do believe in one Creator, Muhammad as God's prophet, the Quran, and hijab for men and women. I like the idea of a society living under God, under kindness, not under selfishness and the need to only think of one's self. I do not believe in forced laws or beliefs on others, and see all religions as the path to one God.

It seems most of what I know is superficial, and I haven't gone deeply into the Quran or the Hadith. I'm also not judging what others believe against what I believe. I'm simply stating what I've been thinking so I can receive advice and guidance from others.

Sorry for the rant. Again, I'm not trying to be judgemental or accusatory in any fashion. I'm simply stating what's in my head and if you have something to say back, please do. I think all comments will help in some way.

 

[sla25]

Thank you both for your replies.

I guess I try to scramble and put everything into place at once with Islam, which makes me feel overwhelmed and then I just give up because I feel like God is making it harder on me, not the other way around. I try to over think God and the Quran to try to be this "perfect" person or Muslim. And in the end, I guess no one is perfect, except for God and Muhammad (pbuh). So if I try to be what I think is perfect and not let God mold me into his own perfection, I will never truly understand God, which is what I've always wanted to do from the get-go. Maybe it's not about doing, but more about being who I am and letting God dictate the rest.

I've searched for God in a lot of places, and I keep coming back to Islam. I've tried Christianity, Buddhism, Wicca, and Hinduism, but my feelings always go back to one God.

I have many doubts, which now I leave as doubts and let God sort that out when he sees fit. Islam seems to be the only religion that teaches there is only one GOD with no other partners, but there is so much stigma associated with the religion and so much dogma that it comes with. I just want to follow my belief in one God and have a relationship with my Creator. All the extra stuff doesn't fit with me. It's like trying to fit a puzzle piece in the wrong place.

I don't believe in Hell, the Jinn, that God is separate from the creation, and that I should pray 5x's a day. I'm also gay and don't agree with the interpretation of the story of Lot, as there are different ways it can be interpreted . I'm also steadfast in who I am and will not try to be someone else, be celibate, or ask God for forgiveness for something that I have no control over. I understand others will have opinions on this subject, and they are welcomed, but this is what I believe of myself.

I do believe in one Creator, Muhammad as God's prophet, the Quran, and hijab for men and women. I like the idea of a society living under God, under kindness, not under selfishness and the need to only think of one's self. I do not believe in forced laws or beliefs on others, and see all religions as the path to one God.

It seems most of what I know is superficial, and I haven't gone deeply into the Quran or the Hadith. I'm also not judging what others believe against what I believe. I'm simply stating what I've been thinking so I can receive advice and guidance from others.

Sorry for the rant. Again, I'm not trying to be judgemental or accusatory in any fashion. I'm simply stating what's in my head and if you have something to say back, please do. I think all comments will help in some way.

Hey,

Well..you can follow Islam. You mention that you don't believe in some things, so perhaps after you delve deeper into Islam everything will be put into place. If you don't believe in heaven and hell, then what do you believe in as the afterlife?? God is the best Judge so if someone does wrong in this world he should be punished no? and if someone abides by God's word then he deserves a reward which is better than this whole entire world and all that's in it.

We have to find a way to make that puzzle piece fit into Islam, not the other way around..so if you have some questions, please do ask!
In regards to homosexuality, you already know that it's not allowed. Like you said, you can't control who you're attracted too I guess, but sodomy is not allowed. It's a major sin, but you can still be Muslim..It's just better to follow Islam the correct way and do everything like it's supposed to be done to the best of our abilities. We are all given tests in this life, and yours just happens to be homosexuality. If people can overcome their difficulties in this life, then you can too.

 

[*charisma*]

Try taking it step by step. Ramadan is coming up, maybe you can find a local mosque to attend and learn a bit about prayers and fasting.

You are who you are as you said, but we can always be better versions of ourselves and continue to improve our faith, morals, and character.

Until then, start with the basics of Islam. Is there something that you're really interested in that you'd like to learn more about?

 

[sla25]

There isn't one particular thing I've been thinking about. I'd love to know more about the Quran and Muhammad (pbuh), which given time, I will learn from reading and understanding, inshAllah.

I really appreciate you taking the time to offer me help, though Thank you.

Try taking it step by step. Ramadan is coming up, maybe you can find a local mosque to attend and learn a bit about prayers and fasting.

You are who you are as you said, but we can always be better versions of ourselves and continue to improve our faith, morals, and character.

Until then, start with the basics of Islam. Is there something that you're really interested in that you'd like to learn more about?

 

[*charisma*]

Anytime bro. Try looking through this site, it has wonderful books mashallah: http://kalamullah.com/
I'm sure it'll help you on the path of seeking knowledge inshallah.

Let us know if you need anything in particular or have any questions

 

[sla25]

Thanks again, Sister. I will keep the link in mind when I search for new material to study.

Anytime bro. Try looking through this site, it has wonderful books mashallah: http://kalamullah.com/
I'm sure it'll help you on the path of seeking knowledge inshallah.

Let us know if you need anything in particular or have any questions

 

[drac16]

Is it possible that the Creator's understanding of morality is more advanced than ours? that's the question we need to ask ourselves if we ever find ourselves disagreeing with God. Read through the Qur'an and behold how Holy God is and how merciful He is. I recommend reading surah 20, which is known as surah Ta Ha. In surah Ta Ha, a group of sorcerers are converted after seeing God work a miracle through prophet Moses [peace be upon him]. Sorcery was strictly forbidden in the Mosaic law and it's prohibited under the Shariah that muslims follow, so if God can save sorcerers, he can save anyone.

I believe Allah will guide you if you are sincere in wanting the truth. That's what He did for me and He can do the same for you.

 

[Serinity]

know Allah SWT is Merciful, and His Laws are just, and don't ever feel hesitant to ask about a thing when thoughts arise.

 

[Insignificant]

....

 

[piXie]

Lol, hey dude, did you just notice that you said the shahada without even realizing it in your post? So, basically, congratulations as you're Muslim! Welcome to the almost 2 billion Muslim family, dude!

How is he a Muslim when he doesn't believe in the daily salah or the unseen such as hell or Jinn?

 

[~ Sabr ~]

How is he a Muslim when he doesn't believe in the daily salah or the unseen such as hell or Jinn?

:wasalamex

Exactly, you need to believe in the 6 Articles of faith - God, Angels, Holy Books, Prophets, Day of Judgement, Predestination.

 

[sister herb]

How is he a Muslim when he doesn't believe in the daily salah or the unseen such as hell or Jinn?

We should give time to a new Muslim to learn more about faith but also we could leave kind of matters to Allah only and not start to wonder how someone can or cannot be a Muslim if he doesn´t believe this and that from the first moment. He might not be perfect but it is not one of us. Specially not at the beginning.

I remember when I said shahada, I didn´t even know that something what is called as "jinn" exists, never read any hadith (I am not sure did I know what they are), prayer times were unknown to me (only I knew there are 5 at day) and I hardly knew when Ramadan starts (no Islamic calender available). Also the first years the qibla (well, I didn´t know that name too) was in the wrong direction. Was I really a Muslim? Allah knows and that´s the only thing what really matters.

So, give him time - as long as he needs to learn the basics before you start to wonder how he can be the Muslim. During this time be supportive and encouraging, not suspicious about the authenticity of faith as it doesn´t help anyone.

Just my opinion.

 

[Cpt.America]

 

[Scimitar]

How is he a Muslim when he doesn't believe in the daily salah or the unseen such as hell or Jinn?

This is a good question. Did you know that for many years the Muslims didn't make salaah? The early Muslims during the makkanite period, were getting the Makki Surah's. They were all without any shariah elements in them, but instead contained the elements of stories of the previous nations, prophets,, messengers and the greatness of God and the Creation and etc etc etc.... but no shariah. That came later.

Essentially, what sla25 has in his heart is what we are told is "the seed of imaan"... like all seeds, his must find fertile ground to grow. No?

Scimi

 

[piXie]

We should give time to a new Muslim to learn more about faith but also we could leave kind of matters to Allah only and not start to wonder how someone can or cannot be a Muslim if he doesn´t believe this and that from the first moment. He might not be perfect but it is not one of us. Specially not at the beginning.

I remember when I said shahada, I didn´t even know that something what is called as "jinn" exists, never read any hadith (I am not sure did I know what they are), prayer times were unknown to me (only I knew there are 5 at day) and I hardly knew when Ramadan starts (no Islamic calender available). Also the first years the qibla (well, I didn´t know that name too) was in the wrong direction. Was I really a Muslim? Allah knows and that´s the only thing what really matters.

So, give him time - as long as he needs to learn the basics before you start to wonder how he can be the Muslim. During this time be supportive and encouraging, not suspicious about the authenticity of faith as it doesn´t help anyone.

Just my opinion.

My dear sister, our personal opinions do not hold weight when evidence from the Quran and sunnah states otherwise. Your situation was different, you believed in hell, you believed in the salah, and as far as the jinns are concerned you didn't know. There is a huge difference between not knowing and denying.

I am not being suspicious. Rather the OP has clarified his position himself.

JazakAllah khair for posting this. Belief in hell is one of the conditions, as stated quite clearly. ^

This is a good question. Did you know that for many years the Muslims didn't make salaah? The early Muslims during the makkanite period, were getting the Makki Surah's. They were all without any shariah elements in them, but instead contained the elements of stories of the previous nations, prophets,, messengers and the greatness of God and the Creation and etc etc etc.... but no shariah. That came later.

Essentially, what sla25 has in his heart is what we are told is "the seed of imaan"... like all seeds, his must find fertile ground to grow. No?

Scimi

I'm sorry but I am not sure how this applies here. The early Muslims didn't disbelieve in what was revealed. I understand that someone can struggle in following the legislations but why disbelieve in the verses? Even from a logical point of view, how can we be a Muslim if we disbelieve in what Allah has revealed?

My intention is not to be unsupportive or unhelpful and I pray that Allah guides the OP and us all. Aameen.

 

[Insaanah]

I don't believe [...] that God is separate from the creation

I do believe in one Creator

In any sphere, in any field, one's foundations have to be correct. Everything is built on foundations and if the foundations are weak or not properly built, then everything else built on that foundation will be weak. A building, as an example, could collapse, and harm all those inside and those who were passing by outside, and can cause much damage. At the time of building, there may be excitement that we're going to have eg a house, and it gets built fast, and that it doesn't matter if it's not built correctly - we'll build it how we want, at least it's a house. But there's adverse payback later. If you build it how you think it's correct, instead of following building procedures, even if you think it's correct, it is likely to be very damaging later. If people knew a house was going to be built in that fashion, they'd try to advise the builders before the building work started.

Similarly, Islam has basic foundational beliefs and principles that must be correct from the beginning, otherwise everything else built on that is weak or wrong. First among these is Tawheed, a proper understanding of the Oneness of God.

It is heartening to see from your post, that you want to believe in one Creator. But did you know, that sometimes, people believe that they believe in one Creator, but they might inadvertently not actually believe properly in the oneness of God? It is good you came here and posted here, as you can get advice from the outset that might help you on your journey to start believing in one God. And I hope it's ok to post a few bits with regard to that, specifically what I quoted above.

Here are some of the main points about the concept of God in Islam. Particularly note the bit in italics:

There is only One God. He alone should be worshipped. He is our Creator, Sustainer, and Lord.

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

He is eternal and does not die. He does not depend on anyone/anything yet we all depend on Him. He is free of all want and need.

There is nothing like Him. He is all Hearing, all Seeing, all Knowing, all Powerful, Incomparable, the Creator of the Universe.

He did not/does not, become flesh, dwell in human or animal bodies, nor are there any incarnations of Him. He is not mixed up in His creation in any way.

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

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

Allah, most High, Great and Glorious, has described Himself in His revealed books and through His prophets in order that mankind may have a better understanding of who He is, and so that we do not confuse His attributes with those of the creation. When the Creator is mixed up with creation, man ends up deifying creation. This deification of creation is the essence and basis of associating partners with Allah, known as shirk.

One of Allah's attributes is Highness. When it is used to describe Allah, it refers to the fact that Allah is above and beyond His creation. He is not part of the created world, nor is it part of Him. His being is totally distinct and separate from His creation. One is not the other, nor are they both one. On is Infinite the other is finite. He is totally unique in His divinity.

If God is not separate from the creation, then that means every individual is God. That makes millions of Gods, as we are all separate individuals. That means everything is God, from an ant to an elephant. That means you can worship anyone, or anything, which is the total opposite of Islam. It is not befitting God that God should eat, drink, have bodily functions etc, or that He should inhabit any bodies.

Hope that helps a bit to clarify a bit, but please do ask for further clarification or any other questions you may have.

May Allah guide you and open your heart to and make easy for you, the straight path, the way of life, called Islam.

Peace.