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Reverting to Islam



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Ehres

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So for a while I've been checking out Judaism and whatnot and while some of you may feel that I'm jumping around concerning my faith, I think I am trying to find the right one. While Judaism offers a great basic outline for how to live a fruitful life, over the past two years I've come to realise that, living in an environment full of Muslims, I feel much more at home and welcome there than I ever have in any Jewish environment.

Judaism, I am beginning to feel, is empty. And I think Christianity (no disrespect) is dead. I attended my nephew Christening last month and the service was so slap-dash that I felt dissatisfied. It was standing in pews, reading off some sheets and that was it. Even the priest wanted to be out of there, and did not take the service seriously.

But when I think of ALLAH, I feel peaceful. Yes, there is discussion about whether or not the god of Islam is the same as the god of Judaism and/or Christianity, and honestly I am confused. I would like to think they are but whenever I think of YHVH or GOD, it does not feel as filling as it does when I think of ALLAH.

My heart clenches when I think of Allah. It hurts so much because I feel such overwhelming love. Even now, thinking of it, I am beginning to cry. I feel that Allah is overwhelming in the most beautiful way, and it makes me happy. Listening to azans (calls to prayer) I get the same feeling in my heart, and it is as if my mouth was made to say the name of Allah.

Looking at it from a different angle, I get why Muslims are so devout. It's love. I want to experience the Qur'an from myself, but even when I read Torah I don't feel this sense as I do when I listen to azans. Simply looking at Allah's name in Arabic feels wholesome.

Is this Allah guiding me to the right path? What would the Muslim brothers and sisters say? Am I being rewarded with a sense of love and tears when I listen to the prayers? May I be helped, insha'Allah.
 

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Judaism, I am beginning to feel, is empty. And I think Christianity (no disrespect) is dead. I attended my nephew Christening last month and the service was so slap-dash that I felt dissatisfied. It was standing in pews, reading off some sheets and that was it. Even the priest wanted to be out of there, and did not take the service seriously.
Generalization: a fatal error. Not all individuals represent correctly their religion. Hitler killed millions "in the name of Jesus/God"; a majority of philanthropists are Atheists (Bill Gates comes to mind). A lot of people have done extreme good/bad and they're either wo/men of religion or not.

But when I think of ALLAH, I feel peaceful. Yes, there is discussion about whether or not the god of Islam is the same as the god of Judaism and/or Christianity, and honestly I am confused. I would like to think they are but whenever I think of YHVH or GOD, it does not feel as filling as it does when I think of ALLAH.

My heart clenches when I think of Allah. It hurts so much because I feel such overwhelming love. Even now, thinking of it, I am beginning to cry. I feel that Allah is overwhelming in the most beautiful way, and it makes me happy. Listening to azans (calls to prayer) I get the same feeling in my heart, and it is as if my mouth was made to say the name of Allah.

Looking at it from a different angle, I get why Muslims are so devout. It's love. I want to experience the Qur'an from myself, but even when I read Torah I don't feel this sense as I do when I listen to azans. Simply looking at Allah's name in Arabic feels wholesome.

Is this Allah guiding me to the right path? What would the Muslim brothers and sisters say? Am I being rewarded with a sense of love and tears when I listen to the prayers? May I be helped, insha'Allah.
If believing in him inspires love and faith, then so be it. I am a Christian because Jesus is the only being I can love and place my faith without even knowing him (and few revelations I've had). So like I said, if you love and faith in him, then go.
 

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If you are serious about this, then all I can say is.

1. Sincerely ask Allah for guidance(you can say a generic "whoever is the one true lord, guide me"). Do NOT stop praying because something out-of-this-world supernatural didn't happen, nothing flashy or paranormal will happen from praying.

short post on guidance

Yes, I'm aware those are bodybuilding forums, but that post is still pretty decent and accurate.

2. Seek out reliable sources of Islamic knowledge. I am not a reliable source of Islamic knowledge, I am not a scholar. Unfortunately I can't stay here to answer questions since my knowledge is minimal, I'm still learning a lot. I also have to go for a while so I can't really respond in this thread any further(and like I said, any further responses from me wouldn't really help, It's better for a Muslim to remain silent about that which he doesn't know of, and telling you to keep praying and seek knowledge is the best I can do).

Seeking out a local Masjid (a large one with an active community) is a good starting point(of course you should always maintain point #1, the praying).

Reliable=consensus of classical scholars on a matter in Islam.

Unreliable/false=random modern-day scholars/leaders, the source of all that disgusting news you see about how people were raped or had acid poured on them "in the name of Islam" when it was never part of Islam at all.
 
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Monkey

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Sol, you know I know you very well.

I think it is wonderful that you are considering Islam, but I have to ask you, are you sure this is not just because you feel comfortable doing so because you are surrounded by Muslims? What will you do once your environment changes, maybe friends move, or what not. You have to ask if its your environment or you.

I'm not trying to say you are not taking it seriously or belittle you, I know this is obviously something you have reflected on. You should just be aware that converting to Islam is sort of a big deal.

also if you do convert can we get married cuz i dont want a wife shipped to me from pakistan

It could be your calling if it moves you, but I get moved by things like the Azaan whether I am feeling particularly religious or not. It's just like people who can fall into the mood of hymns etc without it being religious, but a spiritual experience. (Or people participating in buddhist meditation for their minds without necessarily being buddhist).
 

Cosmic+Amarna

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That's weird I was actually just today saying the name Ellah/Allah repeatedly in my head and idk it felt, good is not the right word, but the name is elegant, like it was fluid and easy, almost natural. I don't know what to make of Islam/Allah atm, if Allah is the god of Israel then idk if I personally can subscribe to it.
 
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theirlosthearts

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You should just be aware that converting to Islam is sort of a big deal.

This sums up what I thought when I read the OP. Personally, I'm rather fundamentalist when it comes to religion, so I don't really see good feelings and generalizations as a reason to ascribe to a religion (especially if you haven't researched it in depth yet, as you seemed to imply unless you have previously gained knowledge). Learn all you can with as little bias as possible, and then it's up to you. Especially with Islam, be sure of what you decide to believe, since the variation in different Islamic beliefs can be rather large (as with any religion with so many followers). Due to my fundamentalist viewpoint, I prefer Islamic fundamentalists (even if some of them are known as radicals) to the more socially acceptable Muslims, but the decision is up to you.
 

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May I just recommend you try attending a Christian church that isn't Catholic. Catholics do tend to be more systematic in the flow of their services and rituals. I'm Baptist and we of course have Sunday School, and singing, and Preaching, but we also ask that God guide the service. So we cheer, and we cry, and we fellowship, and people can just stand up and give their tesitimony about something or whatever they feel God is leading them to do during the service. I know many of times i'll be sitting in church and I can just feel the urge to get up and cry out and praise God.

It may be more that the spirit of God is not in the particular church you are attending (I'm not saying the spirit of God isn't in Catholic Churches as a whole, i'm just refering to your individual church) and you may need to move to a new church. I've been to churches to where something just doesn't feel right and some i've been in do feel kind of dead. So sometimes it can be the fault of one church or another. And sometimes a church that used to be more attuned to the spirit God can end up becoming unattuned.

But all i'm saying is that maybe you should consider attending another church before you decide to convert to Islam. I hope I offered some help.
 

theirlosthearts

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May I just recommend you try attending a Christian church that isn't Catholic. Catholics do tend to be more systematic in the flow of their services and rituals. I'm Baptist and we of course have Sunday School, and singing, and Preaching, but we also ask that God guide the service. So we cheer, and we cry, and we fellowship, and people can just stand up and give their tesitimony about something or whatever they feel God is leading them to do during the service. I know many of times i'll be sitting in church and I can just feel the urge to get up and cry out and praise God.

It may be more that the spirit of God is not in the particular church you are attending (I'm not saying the spirit of God isn't in Catholic Churches as a whole, i'm just refering to your individual church) and you may need to move to a new church. I've been to churches to where something just doesn't feel right and some i've been in do feel kind of dead. So sometimes it can be the fault of one church or another. And sometimes a church that used to be more attuned to the spirit God can end up becoming unattuned.

I just want to point that she didn't say she was attending a Christian church, just going to one for a nephew's christening, but your point still holds true. Some of my church experiences have probably had some of the largest negative impacts on my life, but some bad experiences at one church shouldn't apply to every other church out there.
 

Orion

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But all i'm saying is that maybe you should consider attending another church before you decide to convert to Islam. I hope I offered some help.
Ehres is smart enough to explore something thoroughly enough before latching onto it. While I know in the past she's been disinclined to Christianity on a general level, I've no doubt there might be particular denominations that would appeal to her. Though on a sociological level, I can understand why the very largest Christian denominations come across as heavily regimented in their services.

I know you're very big on equality and gender-based discrepancies thereof, can I ask your opinion of the apparently lower status of women in Islam? Stuff like this, for example. I know someone's gonna call me out on taking this out of context or misinterpreting it, but to me things like that seem to explicitly say women are below men.

Finally, I'll mirror Monkey's comments and say that it'd be hard for you to approach this from a truly neutral perspective, because you've got Muslim friends and the UK government seems to be making an especially unusual effort to let Muslims live as easily in the (geographic) UK as possible. All that said, as with your exploration of Judaism, you're reasonable enough to give something the time and analysis it deserves, and I hope this new stage of spiritual exploration leads you to a greater understanding of your own faith, and I'm glad you've found something that makes you happy/will lead you to greater happiness.
 

theirlosthearts

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I know you're very big on equality and gender-based discrepancies thereof, can I ask your opinion of the apparently lower status of women in Islam? Stuff like this, for example. I know someone's gonna call me out on taking this out of context or misinterpreting it, but to me things like that seem to explicitly say women are below men.

Honestly, I think most (not all) of the people who would call you out on that just don't want to think about finding any part of Islam disagreeable. The few people I know who've been in the Middle East don't come back with tales of love and brotherhood (and yes people, I know personal experience has zero value on the internet, so please don't start with me). A lot of people don't think (or don't want to think) about the differences between Islam in non Muslim governed countries and Islam in Muslim governed countries. But yeah, Islam has certain issues that people don't want to talk about for the sake of political correctness (which should go to hell in my opinion) and whatnot, but those issues shouldn't be brushed off if you are considering becoming a Muslim.
 

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Okay Orion, I have huge problems with your post. I don't have issues with you being critical of Islam, there are valid discussions to be made, but:

I know you're very big on equality and gender-based discrepancies thereof, can I ask your opinion of the apparently lower status of women in Islam? Stuff like this, for example. I know someone's gonna call me out on taking this out of context or misinterpreting it, but to me things like that seem to explicitly say women are below men.

American Thinker is not a valid source. They have an inherit agenda in their writings. (They are conservative leaning).

...because you've got Muslim friends and the UK government seems to be making an especially unusual effort to let Muslims live as easily in the (geographic) UK as possible.

What the diddly, why is that a problem? It's not even your opinion that bothers me more than how you said it, so mockingly. Governments should be open to immigration, and not bigoted towards religious minorities. (Then again, Australia, lol. )
 

Orion

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American Thinker is not a valid source. They have an inherit agenda in their writings. (They are conservative leaning).
Being conservative doesn't rule out the possibility of making a valid point. Even so, your side-stepping hasn't refuted the issues presented by the highlighted passages of the Qu'ran.

What the diddly, why is that a problem? It's not even your opinion that bothers me more than how you said it, so mockingly. Governments should be open to immigration, and not bigoted towards religious minorities. (Then again, Australia, lol. )
I don't see how Australia's bigoted towards minorities, but you missed my point entirely or had little understanding of the situation. I meant that the UK government, media and universities together appear to want Muslims in the community so badly and not to offend them that they'll excuse mentioning religiously motivated aspects of motivated assaults and killings; lighten punishments because of Islamic lifestyle choices; let taxpayer money fund extremist organisations and schools; failing to address emerging extremism in more conventional institutions; special exceptions to health regulations that especially benefit Muslim women; allow a banned hate group to continue acting while it attempts to establish unofficial 'Shariah zones'; All the same sort of stuff I brought up in the 'Islam in the West and Free Speech' thread. Call this conservative drivel, but if anything like this did happen, I wouldn't expect the liberal media in anywhere except maybe the USA to actually report on it.
 

Monkey

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Being conservative doesn't rule out the possibility of making a valid point. Even so, your side-stepping hasn't refuted the issues presented by the highlighted passages of the Qu'ran.

You are right, except from a personal perspective I have no desire to try and defend it, I'm just saying linking to a source with a bias is a non starter.

I don't see how Australia's bigoted towards minorities, but you missed my point entirely or had little understanding of the situation. I meant that the UK government, media and universities together appear to want Muslims in the community so badly and not to offend them that they'll excuse mentioning religiously motivated aspects of motivated assaults and killings; lighten punishments because of Islamic lifestyle choices; let taxpayer money fund extremist organisations and schools; failing to address emerging extremism in more conventional institutions; special exceptions to health regulations that especially benefit Muslim women; allow a banned hate group to continue acting while it attempts to establish unofficial 'Shariah zones'; All the same sort of stuff I brought up in the 'Islam in the West and Free Speech' thread. Call this conservative drivel, but if anything like this did happen, I wouldn't expect the liberal media in anywhere except maybe the USA to actually report on it.

The thing is, a lot of what you linked to is not really controversial at all, it's blown up by the media. It's pure Islamaphobia. (BTW, you are linking to right wing conservative bull shit again). In fact, the "liberal media" in the USA, tending to be more accommodating to minorities, would mostly ignore it in the US and it would be Fox News hyping it up.

You have a right to be afraid of something that you are not comfortable with however. My question is, what does something so macro as that (a country's policies towards integrating Muslim immigrants, both good policies and bad) have to do with Sol's internal search for religion?

You are right that I should not have unfairly brought up Australia, as they are not really related to this discussion. I'm sure you know that Asian minorities from China and India in particular, and their treatment, have been a huge issue in Australian politics. At least as reported by the international media, idk how it is internally.
 

Orion

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As with the previous thread, I must admit I'm not seeing things with my own eyes in regards to wide-spread Muslim activities. On the level of open-minded individuals, where one can embrace the great things and distance themselves from the bad, Islam is a beautiful thing. I think this holds true of virtually all spiritualities that seek personal improvement and catharsis. Having only beheld the Qu'ran and Hadith in snippets, organised Islam looks to be not quite misogynistic, but certainly as placing women below men in regards to most relations and scenarios.
 

Monkey

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As with the previous thread, I must admit I'm not seeing things with my own eyes in regards to wide-spread Muslim activities. On the level of open-minded individuals, where one can embrace the great things and distance themselves from the bad, Islam is a beautiful thing. I think this holds true of virtually all spiritualities that seek personal improvement and catharsis. Having only beheld the Qu'ran and Hadith in snippets, organised Islam looks to be not quite misogynistic, but certainly as placing women below men in regards to most relations and scenarios.

Right, I agree with you; sorry, I modified my post a bit. Beyond you using "Murdoch" fear mongering conservative leaning Islamaphobia baiting outlets to prove that somehow the UK is too accommodating to Muslims (which in and of itself doesn't sound like an issue to me), could we address the bolded which was: what does something so macro as that (a country's policies towards integrating Muslim immigrants, both good policies and bad) have to do with Sol's internal search for religion? Does her country having a large immigrant Muslim population which have been "spoiled" by their host country somehow invalidate her journey?
 

Orion

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I'll refer back to both our first posts, where we said that Sol's Muslim friends and living in a country with a rapidly growing Muslim community might make Islam more appealing than it might otherwise be. Just a community-level extension of that same principle. I don't think it in any way invalidates her journey, so long as she can acknowledge those influences if she arrives at a 'Muslim conclusion' to the exploration of her faith. My point was there could be biases and vested interests at play, not to sound conspiratorial or anything. Whatever she seeks to explore, she has my encouragement, because it will serve to lead her to a happier and more fulfilled life.
 

Your Friend

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My heart clenches when I think of Allah. It hurts so much because I feel such overwhelming love. Even now, thinking of it, I am beginning to cry. I feel that Allah is overwhelming in the most beautiful way, and it makes me happy. Listening to azans (calls to prayer) I get the same feeling in my heart, and it is as if my mouth was made to say the name of Allah.

Looking at it from a different angle, I get why Muslims are so devout. It's love. I want to experience the Qur'an from myself, but even when I read Torah I don't feel this sense as I do when I listen to azans. Simply looking at Allah's name in Arabic feels wholesome.

Is this Allah guiding me to the right path? What would the Muslim brothers and sisters say? Am I being rewarded with a sense of love and tears when I listen to the prayers? May I be helped, insha'Allah.
I hope so, it's a great feeling not only experienced by u but many others eg:

and Liam Neeson
liam-neeson-the-world-premiere-of-the_3680002.jpg

Quote:
Irish actor Liam Neeson is considering converting to Islam after becoming fascinated by the religion while filming in Turkey.
The Taken star grew up as a devout Catholic who acted as an altar boy at his local church and was even named after a priest.
However, during a trip to Istanbul to shoot a film, he was moved by Muslims' Call To Prayer, which takes place five times a day to summon followers to worship.
He says, "The Call to Prayer happens five times a day and for the first week it drives you crazy, and then it just gets into your spirit and it's the most beautiful, beautiful thing.
"There are 4,000 mosques in the city. Some are just stunning and it really makes me think about becoming a Muslim."
Listen to this amazing recitation from surat alfurqan:

I recently watched this video:"Dr. Mohammad Al-Arifi "nice story with priest and priestess - YouTube
and this feeling is described in quran !
Surat Ar-Ra`d [13:28] - The Noble Qur'an
Surat Al-'Isra' [17:105-108] - The Noble Qur'an
 
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idk everyone probably already knows my opinion on religion and such so i'll just say:

Make sure you think this through and take some time. Don't just go "oh it feels good" and just label yourself as being Islamic. From what I've seen/heard and know of Islam, it is a religion that requires your devotion (more than most) and isn't an easy thing for you to do, especially on a whim.

$0.02
 

Monkey

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I'll refer back to both our first posts, where we said that Sol's Muslim friends and living in a country with a rapidly growing Muslim community might make Islam more appealing than it might otherwise be. Just a community-level extension of that same principle. I don't think it in any way invalidates her journey, so long as she can acknowledge those influences if she arrives at a 'Muslim conclusion' to the exploration of her faith. My point was there could be biases and vested interests at play, not to sound conspiratorial or anything. Whatever she seeks to explore, she has my encouragement, because it will serve to lead her to a happier and more fulfilled life.

Thanks for addressing that, I understand now.
 
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