Need help

Salams Seeks,

I am not worried if you are tough on me. If Allah was tough on me that would be a different matter.

See, I was not born muslim. Hayfa will understand that for us reverts it is very different. It isn't just following the religion, it has other impacts on our daily life. We are conscientious and have to enquire.

Seeks, you and I are like opposite ends of the magnets. In our own way we aim for the same things in this life and the next.

Muslims say religion is a way of life. Imagine how you would feel and cope with living as a Catholic for example. Do you not think it would be difficult for you to make Catholic living a way of life? Forget about which religion is right or wrong here..just try to imagine the difficulties faced...no other like minded people close by..family members avoiding you. Try to imagine this.
Perhaps then you would understand the difficulties faced for reverts.

Then try to imagine all Catholics saying different things about the stories and life of..hmm..Jesus, Mary, things they did and said...which way they performed prayer, how many times a day they did it. What they ate and drank to break a fast. What side they slept on. If you can perfom wudu in the snow when there is no water....

NOw as naive as it might sound, for some reverts, when they first come to Islam, they think all muslims say and follow pretty much the same things. The Shia's and Sunnis have obvious outwardly rituals, but as Hayfa said on the whole people(muslims) come to their own conclusions about information out there.

So...then there is added confusion for a revert. Then you get mullahs/imams/scholars..all varying. I have seen that a lot. NOw for a straightforward, logical thinking person like me...that does not make sense.

That then brings us to the question of hadiths. Which to follow, which not to. Recently I was talking to a Shia friend of mine on line. They were also confused for a while, to the extent they wanted to change to Sunni. For certain reasons they did not change. Following Sunni did not offer the answers either. So now they say they are muslim with no prefix.

We can continue to discuss all these different mannerisms and rituals of a religion. Who is right, who is wrong. We will never be in complete agreement with another.

I am more than happy for people to point out my errors and say I am wrong, that I have gone agaisnt Islam, whatever they want to say, but hey, it is my life, it is my decision and I will do what is best for my body and innerself to bring me closer to God.

TBH I have learnt more this past 2 weeks than I have in 6years altogether. Regardless of what our member haris has said, whether others say he is wrong or not, whether he is a follower of Rashad Khalifa or not, he has in fact been consistant, and he does make a lot of sense. ANd I admire that in a person. He actually KNOWS what he is saying, and believes it too.

So... you now want to know where I am I guess. I will read the Quran and follow God the best way I know how, not the way other people think is best for me.

Lol, not that it matters, but you tried to make a point that I was not respectful to Muhammed(pbuh)because I forgot to say pbuh. That is rare I have to say for me not to do so. BUt actually I think for most of the time I have said salaams to you and other members when addressing them? BUt you did not say salaams to me Seeks? Do we not say that to fellow muslims? It starts to then go beyond the ridiculous.

I think I have learned enough for the time being in this forum re: Religion. I will visit to join in on other non-religious matters from time to time...so please excuse me if I find replying to current topics rather insignificant for my progress. My intentions are good.

Perhaps I will send a smiley instead of answering with words.

Have a good day

Asalam alaikum :)




Edited by martha - 26 February 2010 at 2:26am

seekshidayath wrote: I had no time, to lookin to your post. But insha Allah, by sunday, {since shall look at those questions, what exactly they are}

Guess it wasn't Allah will for me to get an answer.. Even pass Sunday. Anyway, to make it easier for you (seems like you neet it) I decided to post these questions once more in this post.

seekshidayath wrote: Well, Martha and calvin, there's no direct command of Allah swt in the Qur'an about dogs to be eaten. {Am sorry for giving a senseless example, as i was reading of dogs in Islam yesterday, so holded that in my mind } Well, there's no direct command not to eat a dog but there's one for a pig, right? I doubt that it was forgotten to mention such for a dog. And then hadith all of a sudden make dogs.. Not clean? Show me in Quran where it says that they are not clean animals. Thank you. Regarding contradictions, for example these days i was debating over permissibility of celebration of Prophet's birthday in Islam. There is variation of views . Scholars contradict. Both the types, prove from Qur'an and sunnah, as its permissible and not permissible. What to do in that case.We can take up any ruling, that which we feel is correct. We shud not follow our desires. But there's an insight within us, and Allah swt knows us very well. If we are true seekers, we will get true guidance from Allah swt. And how many are there such examples? How many times are you going to rely on someone instead on relying on God's word? At matters where Qur'an and Sunnah are absolutely silent, and when we take up any ruling from the scholar, which we feel it appropriate, and which are much closer to Quran and sunnah, then we are not questioned by Allah swt for that. Nor, is it a sin. Allah swt surely guides sincere seekers . Sample, what if a scholar tells it is permissible to have an oral sex with my wife and I find it ok with me because I do believe it's ok, but at the end when I come in front of Almighty it is sin? If you can't have a 100% assurance on what is sin and what is not with a book of God!! and have to guide yourself by guessing or relying on someone's opinion, then what kind of a "clear path" are we talking about here? And may I ask you, who told you that you are not going to be questioned by Allah for taking up rulings made up by scholars? How do you know it wouldn't be a sin? Show me such thing in Quran. If the Muslim has enough knowledge to enable him to compare the views of the scholars based on the evidence and to decide which is more likely to be correct, and he can tell what is more correct and more likely to be correct, then he must do that, because Allaah has commanded us to refer disputed matters to the Qur’aan and Sunnah, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “(And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allaah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allaah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination”[al-Nisa’ 4:59] So he should refer the disputed matter to the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and whatever appears to him to be more correct, based on the evidence, is what he should follow, because what is obligatory is to follow the evidence, and he may refer to the words of the scholars to help him understand the evidence. One's going to see a scholar cause his knowledge on some matters is not sufficient, right? So how can he compare and decide what's more correct? It just doesn't make sence. If their opinions differ, then he should follow the one who is most trustworthy and most knowledgeable. This is like when a person falls sick – may Allaah give us all good health – and he looks for the most trustworthy and knowledgeable doctor so that he can go to him, because he is most likely to give him the right treatment than anyone else. It is more important to be on the safe side in religious matters than in worldly ones. How do you decide who's more trustworthy in an age of information? This is not old days where you had to travel to a nearby village to see an old guy who'd explain to you his views... Can you even imagine how many different points of views you can read online? You just might spent an eternity reading.. It is not permissible for the Muslim to follow whatever scholarly opinion suits his desires if it goes against the evidence, or to seek fatwas from those who he thinks are going to be lenient in their fatwas. Again, who's to say which scholar is right on a matter that botheres me? Rather he has to be on the safe side when it comes to his religion, and ask the scholars who have the most knowledge and are most fearing of Allaah. This is amazing. Answer me please; which scholars do poses more knowledge? Addresses and phone numbers would be great. It is not permissible for the Muslim to follow the errors and mistakes of the scholars, for that combines all kinds of evil. Hence the scholars said: whoever follows that concerning which the scholars differed, and takes the easiest of their fatwas, becomes a heretic, or close enough. Ighaathat al-Lahfaan, 1/228. Heresy means hypocrisy. We are walking in circles here... Like I mentioned above, we go to see a scholar due to the luck of knowledge, how do we know if he's wrong? And yet if he is wrong we can't follow him. Guess this made sence for you somehow. (??)

P.S. Seems like we are not going nowhere and the whole process moves really slow (maybe it's because of the type of the question or maybe and it seems like it not that many muslims have answers to such question and the ones that do aren't that ...competent. No offence seekshadiyath, but I wonder why is it only you that answer? Anyway, you are more than welcome to answer to this post while I'll move on to my next subject which I’ll post next. Guess it will be salah .


Edited by calvindamenace - 02 March 2010 at 7:54am

If you can't have a 100% assurance on what is sin and what is not with a book of God!! and have to guide yourself by guessing or relying on someone's opinion, then what kind of a "clear path" are we talking about here? And may I ask you, who told you that you are not going to be questioned by Allah for taking up rulings made up by scholars? How do you know it wouldn't be a sin? Show me such thing in Quran.

One of your quotes was not answered. I asked it to a person {Br. Abuzaid[, whom i trust for his knowledge in deen. This was his answer, which shall insha Allah, satisfy you.