The Final Hurdle of becoming a Muslim is

W.S. wrote: Abu Loren wrote: You want to believe that there is only One God, that all the Prophets and Messengers (peace be upon them all) of God were sent to warn people who were astray. Jesus (Alayhi Salaam) is the Messiah and a mighty Prophet of God. He is fully human like you and me, therefore worshipping him like a god is wrong. God has always been outside of his creation. Yes, but just in case you weren't aware: people become Muslim for various reasons.   Abu Loren wrote: You find out the truth for yourself, yet there still remains a nagging doubt. You may start to believe in something, but finding out the truth?   Abu Loren wrote: Satan will work overtime to put doubts in your mind.   Or maybe you realize, for instance, that you and I and all animals and plants on this planet wouldn't be here if it weren't for evolution. Abu Loren wrote: The closer you are to God, the more fulfilling your life is   And how do you get there? By performing the salat? I did that for two months and the longer I'd done it, the more mechanical and meaningless it felt. Plus, I could barely walk normally during this period.

Nausheen wrote: TG12345 wrote: Caringheart, it is to my understanding that Islam does not teach that people who leave the faith are to be killed, but this was only for those who fought the Muslims after leaving Islam. Apostacy is another very complicated issue for non-muslims, like so many others they found in islam. If an apostate does not voice their choices openly, the sharia has nothing to do with them and it is not the business of common people to punish them under any circumstances. If they really want to make public of their choice, then they better go out of darul-haram, ie out of a land which is ruled by islamic sharia. ...And, there are very many details to how and when the sharia deals with an apostate. Punishment of apostacy is indeed a death sentence. As for those who enter islam in western countries, if realize later that they have made a mistake, there is no problem ... they can do whatever they like.

Salaam Alaikum Nausheen,

Thank you for being so honest and open about your faith. I have spoken to other Muslims who have argued the death penalty for apostacy applied only during the time of Muhammad, I wasn't aware of Muslims (outside of countries like Afghanistan etc) who believe it should still be applied.

I have to say, with all due respect, that this is one of the reasons I would never become Muslim. I don't think that a religion that is truly of no compulsion would punish people for leaving. I also think it is a form of weakness to punish people for no longer believing what you believe, and points to an inability to convince them to come back to what you believe is true, and a fear that others will also fall away.

Judas betrayed Jesus, yet He never punished him. Christianity does not allow us to kill even our enemies, we are to show love to our friends and neighbours and enemies alike. We are told to specifically pray for our enemies.

People who turn away from Christianity turn away from the Truth, they may or may not come back to Jesus. If they do, God will welcome them with open arms. If they do not, they will lose their salvation. He will be their judge.

He, not us. Our job is to pray for them, witness to them and to love them.


I have to say I strongly disagree with the Islamic teaching (if that is indeed what Islam teaches, since I do know Muslims who believe differently) that apostates should be made to leave a Muslim nation or be killed if they make their choice public.

This was a beautiful topic started by Abu Loren, and I hate to derail it with the apostasy discussion.
If anyone is annoyed by the discourse, please feel free to voice it. I will not mind taking it to a new string.

Hello Caringheart,

Thank you for respecting us and our belief. I hope you also do not see any disrepect towards yourself or your religion in this response of mine, as none whatsoever is intended.

"I think apostasy is a complicated issue not just for non-muslims but for the muslim as well. One that must be addressed."

You are partly correct. It is an issue for a) muslims who have entered islam without doing their homework, and now somehow want to get out.
b) those muslims who are active in dawah work and need to discuss the issue with non-muslims.

I myself got aquainted with it on islamicity, after it was brought up by an apostate. Thanks to him.

"By who? Does your allah say that humans are to carry this out upon one another... or is it meant that they condemn themselves to death, rather than eternal life, at judgement day when they meet their maker?"

The 'hudud of Allah' - ie the punishments in islam, which are pronounced on a person through the sharia are supposed to be commands of Allah.
Although the sharia laws are executed by 'humans' its function is like that of a judiciary in secular governments. Sharia is not equivalent to just any human being, like a judiciary.
The laws and prescribed punishments in a judiciary are made by humans, but the laws and punishemnts in sharia are made by Allah.
- this is not a mere personal statement, it is the islamic belief that the laws and prescibed punishments are divine in nature.

"... until Islam comes to their country... then they may be in for something they didn't bargain for... their loss of freedom to choose... of 'no compulsion in religion'."

You mean when islamic sharia becomes a governing force in their country ...
weather or not that happens in near future. Faith and matters of afterlife should never be taken lightly. For the person who wants to enter islam, should not do so without thorough scrutiny of the belief system and their own spiritual inclination towards it. One who is in doubt should wait and research further till their heart is fully in line with it.

I agree with Abu Loren that once a person enters the faith Shaytan starts working overtime with whispers ... however Allah has said that the temptations of the shaytan are weak. He only suggests, he cannot physically make a person act upon those suggestions. One who turns to Allah and takes refuge in Him from the whispers of shaytan these doubts get fainter, and gradually fade away.

You've said in another post that one cannot learn about islam without entering it - this is wrong. No knowledge is hidden from anyone. It may be camaflouged in the propaganda, lies and delusions about islam from the anti-islamic activists. From the Muslims, there is no secret agenda of trapping people in islam, one enters for the sake of Allah and for the benefit of their own soul, thus benefit is for the person who accepts.

Peace!




Edited by Nausheen - 10 January 2013 at 10:39pm

Nausheen wrote: TG12345 wrote: Caringheart, it is to my understanding that Islam does not teach that people who leave the faith are to be killed, but this was only for those who fought the Muslims after leaving Islam. Apostacy is another very complicated issue for non-muslims, like so many others they found in islam. If an apostate does not voice their choices openly, the sharia has nothing to do with them and it is not the business of common people to punish them under any circumstances. If they really want to make public of their choice, then they better go out of darul-haram, ie out of a land which is ruled by islamic sharia. ...And, there are very many details to how and when the sharia deals with an apostate. Punishment of apostacy is indeed a death sentence. As for those who enter islam in western countries, if realize later that they have made a mistake, there is no problem ... they can do whatever they like.

Greetings Nausheen,

I do mean this reply with all due respect to you because I do respect you and I do care about your belief.

"Apostacy is another very complicated issue for non-muslims"

I think apostasy is a complicated issue not just for non-muslims but for the muslim as well.  One that must be addressed.

"Punishment of apostacy is indeed a death sentence. "

By who?  Does your allah say that humans are to carry this out upon one another... or is it meant that they condemn themselves to death, rather than eternal life, at judgement day when they meet their maker?

"As for those who enter islam in western countries, if realize later that they have made a mistake, there is no problem ... they can do whatever they like. "

... until Islam comes to their country... then they may be in for something they didn't bargain for... their loss of freedom to choose... of 'no compulsion in religion'.

Salaam,
Caringheart


Edited by Caringheart - 10 January 2013 at 10:05pm