Recommendations Welcome!

Hey, anybody! If you ever feel like I should write about something or there is a subject you are curious what my viewpoint is on it, then you can always let me know! I would be more than happy to write a post on it because

1. I love to write. 
2. It gives me practice for my career. ;-)
3. It gives me a chance to 
1. explore what I feel about that subject 
2. debunk any false assumptions/stereotypes about Muslims 
3. find the answer in Qur'an.

So I'm ready for any suggestions or recommendations! I love it and I'm ready to go. :-D :: hugs ::

Great Christmas Song

This song has a fantastic message and should be in mind at all times. ;-)

"Someday At Christmas"

by Stevie Wonder

Someday at Christmas, men won't be boys
Playing with bombs like kids play with toys
One warm December our hearts will see
A world where men are free

Someday at Christmas, there'll be no wars
When we have learned what Christmas is for
When we have found what life's really worth
There'll be peace on earth

Someday all our dreams will come to be
Someday in a world where men are free
Maybe not in time for you and me
But someday at Christmastime

Someday at Christmas, we'll see a land
With no hungry children, no empty hand
One happy morning people will share
Our world where people care

Someday at Christmas there'll be no tears
All men are equal and no men have fears
One shining moment, one prayer away
From our world today

Someday all our dreams will come to be
Someday in a world where men are free
Maybe not in time for you and me
But someday at Christmastime

Someday at Christmas man will not fail
Hate will be gone and love will prevail
Someday a new world that we can start
With hope in every heart

Someday all our dreams will come to be
Someday in a world where men are free
Maybe not in time for you and me
But someday at Christmastime
Someday at Christmastime

STAND UP For What You Believe Is Truth

"Stand up firm for the sake of Allaah, testifying to what is True. And you should not allow the hatred of a people to let you swerve from what is just, instead you must be just;"

Good advice. :-)

The Correct Way in which to React to the Differences and Mistakes of our Fellow Muslims

Wordle!

This is the Wordle I created for my blog. Very awesome! Wordle.net

Muslims' Worst Enemies

Ever since I converted to Islam, it has been abundantly clear to me who the strongest enemies are to Muslims: other Muslims. Because I have opinions and viewpoints on Islam that differ from the mainstream hadith-followers, Sunnis, Shias, etc, I, for some reason, come off as offensive to other Muslims. 


I wonder why that is? I wonder why Muslims feel the need to regulate my religion and my beliefs, as if I asked them to, or as if that is their duty. Au contraire, it is a Muslim's duty NOT to interfere with my beliefs and religion:


Quran 109:6 "To you be your Way, and to me mine." 


Quran 2:256 "Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things."


I must say that it does slightly annoy me, because who are other Muslims to judge my connection and belief in Allah, and my own personal truth? Many Muslims believe that there is only one path to Allah, but if they were to read the Qur'an clearly, they would understand that the only things one must do (as stated over and over in the Qur'an) is to 

• Believe in Allah & only worship Allah.
• Believe in the day of judgement.
• Establish regular prayer.
• Establish regular charity. 

Maybe Muslims get defensive because they know that my points are valid and their beliefs are ones they have embraced because of Islam the culture, not Islam the religion. (I'll write another blog entry about Islam culture vs. Islam religion.) I really have no other reason I can think of that Muslims get so. . . indignant. 

It's sad that I have to refer even Muslims to my post about regulators. If my beliefs offend you, I am sorry you cannot see my point of view, but I will not be changing my outlook for your comfort. You can believe that I am a Muslims or not - either way, it doesn't concern you and you should focus your efforts on other things. If I need advice on religion, I will definitely keep in mind that you are available for me to ask your perspective. 

Pork

I'm almost afraid to write this. I'm sure that some Muslims will claim that I'm not Muslim, just by writing this blog entry, but I don't care. I am not on this planet to please Muslims; I'm on this planet to please Allah. In my opinion, it is beyond important for religious people to question things that do not make sense to them. If they don't, they are mindless and unintelligent.

It is a well-known custom among many Muslims to avoid pork their diet:

16:115 He has only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and any (food) over which the name of other than Allah has been invoked. . . 

Here's a small history of the Qur'an: It was revealed to the prophet Mohammed over more than 20 years. Qur'an was not written down on paper until years after Mohammed's death. The surahs were memorized by companions of Mohammed, then written down later when the companions were noticing other people taking these surahs and putting their own little twist on them, to put the words of the Qur'an in line with their own beliefs. 

Because the Qur'an was revealed at the time it was, it addresses many things that were current issues of the time. It states that each prophet before was addressing the times and people of that period. Of course, each message had many obvious parts that carry over to the current times. 

Now, why do you think pork is forbidden in the Qur'an? Could it be one of those things that is addressing the specific times when the Qur'an was revealed? One reason people tend to say that pork is forbidden is because it is dirty. The pig in the slaughterhouse is fed and treated the SAME way the cows and chickens and turkeys and lambs are treated: POORLY. They are fed the SAME type of food and given the same type of living arrangement. 

There is no legitimate reason that one should avoid pork if they do not avoid beef and every other animal. In Mohammed's times, there was not a safe way to prepare pork, AND pork was not a type of animal that was easy to raise in a desert climate. It was incredibly inconvenient, therefore pork was not something the people of that area ate. 

Yes, the Qur'an says to avoid pork, but then again, the Qur'an was revealed to a specific peoples in a specific location at a specific time. And again, as we know, different prophets brought specific messages and miracles (from Allah) to specific times and people.

We MUST remember this. If you are a Muslim who avoids pork, but feels comfortable eating beef and chicken, then maybe you should reevaluate this. Ask why! Never just take something that doesn't make sense and accept it blindly. 

Why Muslims SHOULD Celebrate Christmas

If you are Muslim, you should know to respect all prophets and messengers of Allah. ALL of them. Equally, might I add. That includes Moses, Noah, Jesus, Abraham, Lot, Jacob, David, etc etc etc. According to the Qur'an, Islam was taught by all of these prophets. Islam being, of course, the belief in the one god & belief in the Day of Judgement, and of course, submission to Allah.

2:136 We believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us, and to Abraham, Isma’il, Isaac,

Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all)

prophets from their Lord: We make no difference between one and another of them . . 

Why then, may I ask, is Christmas not celebrated among the Muslim community? Mawlid is a public holiday in many Muslim countries (Mawlid being Mohammed's birthday). When you celebrate someone's birthday, are you worshiping that person? NO. You are celebrating the day that person was brought into this world because you love & value him/her. This really isn't a difficult concept.

3:45 O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ

Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of (the

company of) those nearest to Allah.

As the Qur'an states, Jesus was an important prophet; this isn't argued. Why not celebrate his birth? Was he not an extremely important figure at his time, and even now? Did he do amazing things and deliver Allah's message with love and acceptance? Why would you celebrate a relative or friend's birthday, while excluding a revolutionary religious figure (if you are a religious person)? The only reason to neglect this holiday is because you don't recognize the validity or impact of Jesus on humanity. In that case, one cannot legitimately say that he/she follows Islam & the holy Qur'an.

There are countless (and I mean countless) songs in the Muslim world praising Mohammed past appropriate, but how many songs are of any other prophet? I shall direct you again to the about ayah stating, "We make no different between one and another of them." What should this mean to Muslims? This should mean WE should make no difference between one and another of them, period. They were all divinely inspired and given the holy spirit of Allah.

You can guarantee that I'll be celebrating Christmas with my Christian brothers & sister. No doubt about that. Jesus was an amazing prophet with love and compassion and a wonderful message from Allah. I will PROUDLY celebrate Christmas and sing songs about how great he was. Allah made no mistake in choosing Jesus or any other prophet and messenger. I will respect the message that Allah relayed through Jesus and the prophet Jesus himself.

Good Quotes!

I love these. Got them from islamic-quotes.tumblr.com

People Who Turn Away

Top reason why people turn away from religion: Unsavory followers.

Obviously, there are members of every group that are embarrassing. People in your family, people on your team at work, people in your classroom, people in your city/state, people in your political party, people in your country, people in your gender, and of course and most of all, people in your religion.

People who turn away from religion and/or faith are not repulsed by how courageous and admirable Moses was, or offended about how loving and amazing Jesus was, or disgusted about how respectable and gentle Mohammed was. Not at all! How could they be? That is not what people who turn away are worried about.

They are worried about how repulsive it is for people who claim to be religious kill innocent people in the direct name of God. They are offended by how judgmental many religious leaders and followers are to everyone. These people are disgusted how hypocritical and harmful religious speakers' words are to many others.

It is not hard at all to see why people turn away from religion and faith. Although, I don't find this to be an excuse.

For me personally, if I do not like something or find something a little off, I do research on the subject. If you grow up around a family who claims to be Christian, and you see nothing but negativity and bad influences, why not research exactly what being Christian means, instead of taking your family's bad example as truth? Why not read the Bible yourself? You can NEVER take anothers' opinion & word as your own if you don't look into exactly what it means for you.

Every American on television reality shows are an embarrassment to me as an American citizen, but I definitely wouldn't want a non-American person to watch Keeping Up with the Kardashians and think all Americans are like that family. That is most definitely a FALLACIOUS hasty generalization.

You cannot accurately judge an entire faith based on the limited followers you run into in your life. You cannot judge it based on the people you know + the people you see on TV & in the news. You must find things out on your OWN, because if you don't, aren't you just a clueless follower yourself?

For me, it's difficult to know that others connect me to the type of Muslim that I definitely don't agree with on most levels. That is why I try to avoid the label Muslim if possible, and prefer saying that I practice Islam, or follow Islam. Unfortunately, others connect bad things to the word "Muslim" (and "Christian," etc) and that really is a shame, because it's very far from facts. When people do their OWN research about faiths, they see it in a whole new light.

Why Muslims Use Arabic All The Time

I'm sure many non-Muslims wonder why Muslims use the word "Allah" instead of God when they are English speakers. Let me answer that question! Alright, so the word "god" means deity, right? Well, the name "God" has more than one meaning and can mean deity, as well as the name of the one true God. The reason Allah is used is because the name "Allah" is exactly that: a name. It is not another word for "god." "Allah" is the name for the one true god.

So, for example, when talking about the god of the Torah, "Allah" would be a correct term to use for God. When talking about the god of the Bible, "Allah" would be a correct term to use for God. When talking about the god of the Qur'an, "Allah" would be a correct term to use for God. Does this make sense? There is no exact word translation for "Allah" is English, although when the word "God" is used, it's the same idea. I hope this is making sense to everyone!

Let me try another example: Let's say you have a son. You call him "Son" sometimes because he is your son. The more direct, personal way to address him would be "Adam." Adam directly refers to your son alone, because the word son is a general term, and can mean anyone's son.

***

Now, let me delve into my problem with Muslims using Arabic terms all the time, even if they aren't Arab (which most Muslims are not) & even if their first language is not Arabic.

So, I'm sure everyone is familiar with the saying "Allahu akbar," which most Muslims use in prayer and everyday life. This means, "Allah is the greatest." Other terms used often are "alhumdulillah" which means "praise be to Allah," "subhanaallah" which means "glory be to Allah," and "inshaallah" which means "Allah willing."

So, why do you hear these terms from English-speaking Muslims in everyday life? Why do they find it necessary to speak these sayings in Arabic? Is it because the Qur'an was written in Arabic? If so, do these Muslims believe that Arabic is superior in any way?

Allah is closer to you than your jugular vein. If you pray in Arabic, and you have no idea what the f*ck you are saying, how can you appreciate your prayer? How can you genuinely MEAN your prayer if you don't know the meaning of the words you are saying? Even if you vaguely know the meaning, or the gist of your Arabic prayer, it is not even CLOSE to being as powerful as your prayer in your native language.

Back to the question: why do Muslims feel the need to use Arabic in their everyday language? Some answers to this could be that they want to keep the integrity of the Qur'an intact because there will be much less confusion and mistranslation if it stays in Arabic.

My reply would be, so if you say "Praise Allah" or "Praise be to Allah," are you misrepresenting Islam? Are you corrupting Islam? Are you defacing Allah? Things mean MUCH more to you personally when in your native tongue.

Now, if you are using Arabic words because you love Arabic and think it's beautiful and love the sound, etc, etc, etc, then there is no issue. But I do not feel that most Muslims use these Arabic terms because they love the language. I bet if I asked, a lot would say something about how the prophet Mohammed said this in Arabic, so they want to be like him. Or even, they might not know WHY they use Arabic!

Any thoughts???

Fasting Plan

You have no idea how badly I feel about failing.

The end of Day 2, I ate a meal. It's strange, though. . . After I ate, and prayed (for quite a while), while I was reading Qur'an, I felt like it was being spoken to me. I felt extremely close to Allah. It was as if Truth was being poured into my brain as I was reading. During my prayer, I asked for clarity in a situation, and right after prayer, the very first surah I read pertained exactly to what I prayed about.

I know I failed on a 7 day water fast, but I feel almost like I was being. . . comforted from my absolute guilt for only going 2 days. I think simply the fact I was doing something for Allah and only for Allah that I was rewarded by a STRONG, very stern presence.

I believe that one reason why I wasn't able to complete all 7 days is because my body is not used to fasting for that long. I don't count Ramadan as pure fasting, as you get to eat twice a day.

New game plan: I am going to do some intermittent fasting. That means, I am going to fast every other day. This fast will also be dedicated to God, but it will also be a primer to a longer fast, like 3 days, then 7 days. So I will fast tomorrow, Friday, then Sunday, then Tuesday, then Thursday, etc. My plan is to continue this through the month of October.

Also, there are endless health benefits to fasting as well. Of course, I am taking vitamins to accompany this fast.

Regulators

One thing I hate worse than ANYTHING is when people try to regulate my religion. MY religion. When an non-Muslim says "Aren't you supposed to _______?" or an atheist says "Oh, you're doing ________ wrong." Let me deal with my beliefs, the requirement of my religion, and how I deal with my day to day life with Allah. Not you. 


You do not need to deal with how I live my life in relation to religion. I did not hire you in any way to show me what you think I am doing wrong, or what you think I should be doing according to your view of my religion. It must be a terrible burden on you to try to keep me in line with what you believe is what I'm supposed to be doing according to my own beliefs. As Fiona Apple says, "curious, you looking down your nose at me, while you appease - Courteous to try and help - but let me set your mind at ease." 


Even other Muslims attempt to lead me in my belief, without an invitation to do so. Why is this, I wonder? As the Qur'an states, religion is explain to you only through Allah. 75:19 "And that behold, it will be for Us to explain it." Notice, also, how it does not say, "And that behold, it will be for your aunts, your cousins, your father, your brother, your friend's friend, and a complete stranger to explain it." 


I will try to be more at ease when people try to barge into my set of beliefs because Allah warns of these people, and tells us to let them be, because they are doing what they are supposed to be doing. 


This is more of a plea to those who are currently doing this to me, personally, or anyone else around them. To the intelligent people who know when to stay out of someone's business when it is uninvited. I invite you to stop regulating my beliefs. I would greatly appreciate it, if you can. Thank you! Salaamu leikum.

My Choice

I was sitting here thinking (yes, I do often sit and ponder things because I'm a genius!), "Why don't people let others believe as they want if it makes them happy?" Let me explain. . .

I was having a conversation with my friend and the Qur'an came up. He said some funny, slightly-disrespectful things (he wasn't intentionally trying to offend me). He was questioning certain things that I believed that didn't make sense to him. I asked him if his mother was religious, and he answered that she wasn't, and that's where he gets his viewpoints on religion. Most things he heard (he wasn't taught, because his parents weren't religiously affiliated) did not make sense to him and he could not relate to, therefore he had a negative viewpoint on these matters. When he was saying things and asking hypothetical questions, I told him, "If it makes me happy, if my religion makes me happy, what should it matter to anyone else?"

I could understand how, if I was miserable about what I believe and fearful all the time, someone would want to convince me that I don't have to believe such things and could be more peaceful without them. I can understand if that were the case. But for most people, religion is something wonderful to their lives. It's funny, because it's usually Atheists who are trying to convince others against their religions. I wonder why. . . I wonder why an Atheist would tell me how stupid he thinks what I believe spiritually is. Is it to simply express his point of view? Or is it to convince me of his way of thinking? If I am peaceful, happy, and content with what I believe, why should it bother him in the least, if it doesn't affect him in any way?

Usually, the people I've met who are like this, are like this in any aspect. . . For example, if I am listening to music, and they hate it, they will tell me how horrible it is and continue on. If I love a movie, and they do not, they will continue on with why it is bad and why no one should like it. Maybe, this is satisfying to them? I really don't know. Any thoughts? I would like to understand why certain people act this way. The more we understand one another, the better we can react to one another.

Another Hadith Rant

Sooo. . . Apparently, hadiths were not allowed to be recorded (written) in the beginning, so they would NOT BE CONFUSED with the Qur'an. 


Explain this to me (this is actually from a hadith):


"Abu Sa'id Khudri reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Do not take down anything from me, and he who took down anything from me except the Qur'an, he should efface that and narrate from me. . ." (Book 042, Number 7147 - Sahih Muslim) 


How absolutely curious! Does this not explicitly say "do not take down anything from me. . . except the Qur'an?" Now, why would it be prohibited to write anything, lest it not be confused with the Qur'an, if, as most Muslims agree, they are to be regarded equally as important and to be followed with the same vigor? 


"Muslim historians say that it was the caliph Uthman (the third caliph, or successor of Muhammad, who had formerly been Muhammad's secretary), who first urged Muslims both to write down the Qur'an in a fixed form, and to write down the hadith." (History of hadith)


So 3 successors later, these were recorded via written word? Again, hmm. 


"Say: 'Shall I seek for judge other than Allah? - when He it is Who has sent to you the Book, explained in detail.'" (Qur'an, 6:114) 


As you can see, it's doesn't say, "explained in part (see hadiths for more info)." Probably the most convincing of evidence is that the Qur'an actually states that nothing has been left out of the Qur'an (6:38)! Does one need more than that?


"The word of your Lord is complete, in truth and justice. Nothing shall abrogate His words. He is the hearer, the knower". Sura 6:114


Good site to visit for further info. . . 
http://www.quran.org/

Quranism: The Metaphor of the House

March 17, 2011 by Farouk A. Peru (from http://quranistislam.wordpress.com/)

Once upon a time, the Prophet built a house. Because all the people who lived in it had the attitude of ‘islam’, the house was always at peace and encouraged wholeness.  It was appropriately called the house of islam as a description. The people who lived there were called ‘muslims’ because they were agents of wholeness and soundness.

With time, all the original occupants died and their descendants and the newcomers did not necessarily have the same attitude. However, as a matter of course, the house continued to be called the House of Islam and the people still were called Muslims. These words Islam and Muslim were reduced to names by this point and the House itself was expanded to include a few floors.

One such floor was the Sunni floor. The Sunni floor had a number of rooms. At first there were many rooms (some say 500!) which eventually got combined into a total of four rooms, the Shafiee, Hanafi, Maliki and Hambal rooms. The Sunnis were very great in number so they actually spent most of the time in the living room. There were so many of them that when people visited the House of Islam, they saw only the Sunnis. This made most people think Muslims were only the Sunnis and that the Sunni version of how the House of Islam was built was the true version.

Another floor was the Shiite floor. The Sunnis and Shiites decided they couldn’t live on a single floor. However, they lived mostly in peace with each other even though when you asked them, they would each produce arguments against each other. The Shiites also had several rooms but in the Shiites case, each of the rooms claimed to be the true inheritors of the Prophets legacy whereas in the Sunnis case, they mutually recognised each other’s rights to the Prophets legacy although they recognised only each other and no one outside Sunnism. Even then the new Sunni room called ‘Wahabi’ rejected the Shiites altogether saying they have no right to live in the House of Islam or be called Muslims.

Whenever there were visitors to the House of Islam, they mostly met the Sunnis and this led the visitors to think that the Sunnis are the House of Islam itself and the only Muslims. Some visitors found Shiites or Sufis (who were mystics and mostly accepted by both Sunnis and Shiites) and came to think that the House of Islam were truly represented by Shiites and Sufis though the Sunnis were also Muslims.
If the Prophet were to come back, he would be surprised to see Sunnis, Shiites, Sufis and Wahabis were so different from what he preached to be islam. However, he would not have denied that they were muslim (descriptively which is what Allah judges by).

There were actually people who thought all of these above floors and rooms were wrong. These people were critical of hadith and sunnah and stuck exclusively to the Quran.  However, they refused a floor of their own when they were asked to build one. They said, we are solely from the House of Islam and creating floor is against what the Quran is about so we shall remain in the living room.

Whenever visitors visited the House of Islam and looked for Muslims, these people said ‘That is US! We ARE Muslims’. However, those visitors felt cheated if not terribly betrayed when they found that these people were not like other Muslims much, if at all. No matter how strongly these people felt they were the exclusive claimants of the title Muslims, the sheer numbers of the Sunnis and Shiites had already coloured the perception of those visitors or seekers after Islam. Furthermore, the Quran did not say that people like the Sunnis, Shiites and others weren’t muslims (with a small ‘m’ because the Quran cares for our behaviour, not names), the only thing is they have taken sources which detracts from the Quranic ideal.

So what is the solution for these people? Perhaps they should understand that building a floor for themselves isn’t wrong. The Quran itself acknowledges a multiplicity of paths and techniques to serve Allah and that is what floors and rooms represent. Perhaps if they built a floor called Quranism and called themselves Quranists, they would be far more recognisable and people would appreciate their honesty. These people after all did not amount to even 1 percent of the House of Islam so a name, a floor and a room gives them recognisability. Does having this room mean that these people hated the others? Not at all. A floor is simply a space where people do what they do. People who visit that space automatically know that they shouldn’t expect people to adhere to hadith and sunnah there. When they communicated about such people, they called them ‘Quranists’ and do so with respect because these people acknowledge this term. The Quranist floor also has several rooms and they knowledge each of these rooms to be legitimate quests in seeking for the truth. Not only that, they are friendly to all other floors and rooms but they do gently tell the others that they are not following the true teachings of the Prophet.

Building floors and rooms gives space. Space exists on pages, in minds and in the world. Spaces help people find us and ensure that people aren’t cheated when they simply look for Islam and Muslims (which is much more often than not, Sunnism and Sunnis). Having a space doesn’t mean one is no longer muslim (agents of wholeness and soundness) but merely tells people HOW one is muslim. Lets not confuse this with sectarianism.

No Label

I underestimated how complicated religion can be. . . I should rephrase that: Not how complicated religion can be, but how complicated people can make religion. It seems the more you develop into a religion, the more the people around you want you to embrace their interpretations/ways of following. I am ALMOST afraid to tell others of what I have learned! I should explain myself. . .


There are different denominations of Muslims. Everyone knows of the Sunnis & Shias, as well as the Sufis. Those really are the "main," recognizable names for most people. I have heard plenty from Sunni Muslims, some from Sufi Muslims, and none from Shia Muslims. Obviously, as what is natural, every individual thinks their path is correct, and the other paths are incorrect. This bothers me, personally. 


A very good family friend told me a beautiful way to look at it. Let's say Allah is electricity. All these different homes have electric sockets to plug into and provides electricity into their devices. All these homes have access to this electricity, just in a different place. There are different paths to Allah. Who are you, as a person, to say what way is correct or incorrect for another, if you are all following a path of Allah. If one believes in the Qur'an & loves Allah, is that not enough? When one takes Shahadah, is it not a testimony that there is no god but Allah, and Mohammed (pbuh) is His messenger (and nothing further)?


It's funny, because some Muslims are quick to say, "No, that is not enough," and follow it by telling you that you are not Muslim unless you follow X, Y, & Z. Has Allah given humans the power to condemn another to Hell or allow into Paradise? Has Allah given humans the ability to see inside others' souls & recognize the connection (or lack thereof) to Allah? Who is to say if someone can legitimately be called "Muslim," other than God Almighty? 


If I were to walk into my Qur'an study & say, "I only believe & follow the Qur'an itself, the direct word of Allah," I wonder what my friends there would say to me? Would it be:

• "This is wonderful news! Alhumdilallah! Believe as you feel is right, and always trust & remember Allah!"
• "I cannot say that I agree, but I know that Allah is All-Knowing & will lead a believer in the correct path."
• "Oh, no, you cannot be Muslim then. It is not correct. You must follow hadith, and if you do not, you cannot call yourself Muslim!" 

I'm afraid that the first option would not happen at all. I would hope to at least get the second option!    I am saddened by this judgement.

Apparently, I am not alone in what I feel. There are certain Muslims that are labeled Qur'anists. These Muslims believe in the Qur'an & follow the holy text alone. Each individual varies on their stance of hadith, but they all basically reject that hadiths have authority and are requirements to Muslims. If/When you have time, please click the link I provided for a quick overview of Qur'anists from Wikipedia. 

I hope against hope that my fellow Muslims are at peace with any decision I make concerning how I personally follow Islam & how my relationship is with Allah.

Sufi School

So today, I'll be going to MTO Shahmaghsoudi School of Islamic Sufism, Inshallah. I am so freshly a Muslim that I still have yet to learn of the differences between denominations of Muslims. From what I've learned so far from others, Sufi is the "spiritual" aspect of Islam (using their words). I am intrigued by this idea & love the spiritual side of things. But. . . Isn't Islam itself "spiritual?" Isn't the very nature of religion about spirituality? Maybe I just don't understand what others mean when they use that term to describe Sufism.

I am quite excited to attend the school today, actually. I have no idea what to expect from the lecture we will hear. I do know, however, we will be chanting & praying. Also, everyone is encouraged to wear white. I have a white top, but I'm probably going to wear some black slacks or light color jeans.

I read something that threw up a flag in my mind in the Qur'an the other day. I read that if you kill (purposely) a fellow believer (Muslim), your punishment is Hell. It makes me think of the extremists we see on the news constantly, who are guilty of killing Muslims. . . If they claim to believe in the Qur'an, did they just kind of. . . SKIP that surah or what? This is very clearly stated. How does one misinterpret that?

Parental Guidance

I was talking with my dad this morning, one subject being, of course, religion, among other things. Apparently, everyone is going to my parents, asking them their thoughts on me "studying Islam."  A good point my dad brought up was that I need to see both sides: the religious and the anti-religious. He's right. 


My dad was raised Muslim (from what I'm told), and he is now atheist. Whenever religion is brought up between him & I in any way, he is always saying something negative about it overall or its followers. He's always saying that religion causes all of these wars, conflicts, etc. The thing is. . . without religion, there would not be LESS killing/wars/conflicts, not at all. Humans create in- and out-groups to separate themselves from others, whether it be with race, language, ethnicity, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, region, STATE, CITY, affiliation of any kind (religious, political, gang, etc). 


Personally, I think that religion does more good than bad. Religion can inspires you to live a wholesome, disciplined, GOOD life. In a religion like Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, or Islam, does it every say in the scriptures to do something horrible to others or influence followers to live lives that are corrupt? No, never! It does not! Does it outline how to live a happy, peaceful life? The Qur'an gives guidance like, "Be good to parents, relatives, orphans, and the needy. Speak kindly and pay the poor-due," (2:83), "Kill not one another," (4:29), "Whoever participates in a good cause, will be rewarded. Whoever participates in an evil cause, will bear the consequences thereof," (4:85), "O people of the Book, do not be fanatical in your faith," (4:171) "Be kind and forgiving toward others," (7:199).


Confused or ignorant people tend to blame religion for all these atrocities, but it's not religion: it's people. Those SAME people who kill in the name of God would STILL BE KILLING PEOPLE without religion. What, do people think that those same killers would be peaceful, frolicking people without religion? If so, that is so sad. In the Qur'an, Allah says "Whoever kills a human being, it is as if he had killed all mankind. Whoever saves the life of one, it is as if he had saved the life of all" (5:32). 


Also, why are others so concerned about the beliefs of others if the belief does not interfere in any negative way? My father's non-belief does not affect me in ANY way. My beliefs should not upset ANYONE else either. I do not try to convert people and I don't judge others. Allah is the only judge, so why should anyone feel the need to take on that heavy responsibility?

Formal Shahadah

I took Shahadah last month. July 23rd, actually. . . Who would have ever thought I would be following a major, organized religion?! :-)


In case you don't know, Shahadah is a declaration that you make in order to become a Muslim. All that needs to be said (with sincerity) is "La ilaha ila Allah. Mohammad Rasuallah." This is Arabic for, "There is no god but Allah. Mohammad is Allah's messenger." 


The man who leads the Qur'an study I attend every Friday (Hassan) asked me if I would like to take Shahadah publicly in from of the Qur'an study participants. I agreed and did it yesterday. Everyone was thrilled! It felt nice to have my decision embraced. It feels amazing being in the presence of other with a common goal, outlook, and understanding. Not to mention, we are all fasting for Ramadan, so we were all thirsty, weak, and very hungry, too. ;-)


Before I left that evening to go home, I was informed of Ghusl. This is a full ritual washing you do after certain occasions, one of which being conversion to Islam. Others include sex, your cycle (for women), giving birth, etc. The details of this washing are outlined in a hadith (something seen or heard by someone who knew or was around the Prophet Mohammad). 


Let me say this: I know very little of hadiths. I do know, though, that the Qur'an is a full and COMPLETE book on it's own. Why would I listen to what someone's son's daughter heard the Prophet say? I am not saying all hadiths are invalid. I'm just saying that I do not believe that Allah left anything out of the Qur'an that was to be followed or heard. If Muslims need to do certain things or perform certain rituals, why would they not be outlined in the Qur'an? Isn't Allah Al-Aleem (All-Knowing), Al-Khabeer (All-Aware), Al-Hakim (The-Wise), Al-Qadir (All-Omnipotent), Al-Akkir (The Last), Al-Awwal (The First)? If these are Allah's names, and not "The Incomplete," why should we look to hadiths for requirements? 


It is a wonderful and honorable thing to mold your life after the Prophet, and I'm positive Allah will reward those who try/do, but I do not think that any requirements set in the hadiths are as important or necessary as what is revealed in the Qur'an.


Back to Ghusl:  one sister informed me that to do this washing properly, I would have to clean every single inch, including the hole in my ear where earrings enter, and remove my nail polish so that water can touch my actual nailbed. I cannot accept this. With all my imagination, I cannot see Allah thinking one is unclean after a full body washing because she is wearing nail polish. 


I personally take hadiths with a grain of salt. Like I said before, I do not believe all hadiths are invalid, I just don't accept them as readily as the Qur'an and as I see most Muslims do.