Hi everyone,
I was wondering how approptiate you all think it would be for a Christian to perform the salah, or even just to pray in the salah format. I think its a really beautiful way to remember God and keep him in your heart throughout the day, and I also desire a way to physically express my love and graditude to God physically, using my body. I have some questions though; I know the prayers have to be in Arabic, and I want to be able to fully understand what I am praying, etc. But stıll, I respect Islam a lot and wish to learn more about it.
That is the short version lol, here is a bit of backstory:
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I am an American college student studying abroad in Turkey. I am here for the whole year. I was raised in a conservative church as a child but when I was 15-16 I left my parent's church and joined a more liberal one that was more accepting of other faiths and religions (Episcopalian). At this new church I felt very at home with the other members and priests, and I went to church every Sunday and became what you would call quite observant, even though my new church didn't have many set rules in stone. Still, it became like my second home.
Unfortunately when I went off to college in a different city I could not find another church that was exactly like my old one, where I felt at home. (Even inside the same denomination or sect, many Christian churches can be quite different from one another.) I admit that I stopped going to church and slept in on Sundays, even though whenever I went back home I would always go back every Sunday to my own church. I think what added to the problem is that my college friends, even though I wouldn't change a thing about them, are mostly athiest, agnostic, or non-religious. So I had nobody to talk about God or faith with for several years after high school.
Now it is my 4th year of college and I am in Turkey for study abroad. I have become really good friends with some Turkish students in my school. as God would have it all the friends I ended up making turned out to be quite observant and religious Muslims. You couldn't tell just by looking but they always perform the salah and totally abstain from alcohol. They're also very well read, have answered all my questions about Islam, and are some of the nicest, friendliest, warmest guys I have ever met. Of course we all have similar progressive beliefs and they are very accepting of other cultures and religions, like I am.
When I hang out wıth my friends, I feel truly blessed, like God's love is expressed on Earth through other people. At first I was scared to ask them questions about Islam but one of my friends said "It would make me really really happy" if I did. So I have beeb asking a lot, but I am still too afraid to ask them about whether I can pray salah though. I think they really respect the fact that I am a Christian, they have accepted me as a fellow believer of God, and that has actually made me more open to the idea of converting haha. Anyway this is a confusing time for me because my spirituality has been awakened here, but it's been through İslam (the beautiful mosques here) and my Muslim friends. I respect Islam a lot, but I am still proud to be a liberal Christian.
So I am trying to work up the courage to ask if I can pray the salah with them. I have some questions lıke - is it respectful to just pray with my body or kneel even if I don't know the Arabic prayers?
Are there any places where I can find an English translation of the arabic prayers you say during salah? Just so I can have the general meaning in my head when I do it?
Also in your own words, what would you say is important about performing the salah for Muslims?
Is it the same reasons I said, for keeping God in your mind throughout the day and physically showing your love to him?
Also I was thinking of maybe performing it in my room a few times before I work up the courage to ask my friends if I can do it with them. I don't know how they will react at all.
But if I want to perform it in my room, should I go out any buy a prayer mat somewhere? Also should the rest of my room be really nice and clean before I perform it?
Thanks again!
Anyway I will post more questions and thoughts later but any thoughts you have would be appreciated!
I was wondering how approptiate you all think it would be for a Christian to perform the salah, or even just to pray in the salah format. I think its a really beautiful way to remember God and keep him in your heart throughout the day, and I also desire a way to physically express my love and graditude to God physically, using my body. I have some questions though; I know the prayers have to be in Arabic, and I want to be able to fully understand what I am praying, etc. But stıll, I respect Islam a lot and wish to learn more about it.
That is the short version lol, here is a bit of backstory:
---------------------
I am an American college student studying abroad in Turkey. I am here for the whole year. I was raised in a conservative church as a child but when I was 15-16 I left my parent's church and joined a more liberal one that was more accepting of other faiths and religions (Episcopalian). At this new church I felt very at home with the other members and priests, and I went to church every Sunday and became what you would call quite observant, even though my new church didn't have many set rules in stone. Still, it became like my second home.
Unfortunately when I went off to college in a different city I could not find another church that was exactly like my old one, where I felt at home. (Even inside the same denomination or sect, many Christian churches can be quite different from one another.) I admit that I stopped going to church and slept in on Sundays, even though whenever I went back home I would always go back every Sunday to my own church. I think what added to the problem is that my college friends, even though I wouldn't change a thing about them, are mostly athiest, agnostic, or non-religious. So I had nobody to talk about God or faith with for several years after high school.
Now it is my 4th year of college and I am in Turkey for study abroad. I have become really good friends with some Turkish students in my school. as God would have it all the friends I ended up making turned out to be quite observant and religious Muslims. You couldn't tell just by looking but they always perform the salah and totally abstain from alcohol. They're also very well read, have answered all my questions about Islam, and are some of the nicest, friendliest, warmest guys I have ever met. Of course we all have similar progressive beliefs and they are very accepting of other cultures and religions, like I am.
When I hang out wıth my friends, I feel truly blessed, like God's love is expressed on Earth through other people. At first I was scared to ask them questions about Islam but one of my friends said "It would make me really really happy" if I did. So I have beeb asking a lot, but I am still too afraid to ask them about whether I can pray salah though. I think they really respect the fact that I am a Christian, they have accepted me as a fellow believer of God, and that has actually made me more open to the idea of converting haha. Anyway this is a confusing time for me because my spirituality has been awakened here, but it's been through İslam (the beautiful mosques here) and my Muslim friends. I respect Islam a lot, but I am still proud to be a liberal Christian.
So I am trying to work up the courage to ask if I can pray the salah with them. I have some questions lıke - is it respectful to just pray with my body or kneel even if I don't know the Arabic prayers?
Are there any places where I can find an English translation of the arabic prayers you say during salah? Just so I can have the general meaning in my head when I do it?
Also in your own words, what would you say is important about performing the salah for Muslims?
Is it the same reasons I said, for keeping God in your mind throughout the day and physically showing your love to him?
Also I was thinking of maybe performing it in my room a few times before I work up the courage to ask my friends if I can do it with them. I don't know how they will react at all.
But if I want to perform it in my room, should I go out any buy a prayer mat somewhere? Also should the rest of my room be really nice and clean before I perform it?
Thanks again!
Anyway I will post more questions and thoughts later but any thoughts you have would be appreciated!
