can someone answer this question for me
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Topic: can someone answer this question for me
Posted By: Caringheart
Subject: can someone answer this question for me
Date Posted: 22 January 2013 at 7:06pm
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How is islam simple?
This is a point of confusion for me. Can someone please tell me; What is simple about Islam? Thank you. |
Replies:
Posted By: Rational
Date Posted: 23 January 2013 at 3:41am
What is complicated about Islam? ------------- الله |
Caringheart wrote:Posted By: Caringheart
Date Posted: 23 January 2013 at 1:56pm
Posted By: NABA
Date Posted: 24 January 2013 at 7:38am
| as far as regarding the verse 24:31 is concerned,in Islam there is answer to every question,for example if two girls are walking on the road one is dressed according to teachings of Islam and one is dressed in a western fashion,and we know today that there are increased number of cases of molestations,so there are a less chances for any girl who is dressed islamicly.similarly if everybody pay zakah(2.5% if your savings exceed 85gms of gold) regularly then there will b no poverty,similarly if we follow this verse Surah Al Maidah ch 5 v 90(alcohol,pork is forbidden),then we will b free from many diseases.yes,it is very difficult to be 100% Islamic,but Allah has given free will to human beings,he want to see that who will lead his/her life according to his teachings and based on that he will give the result on judgement day. |
Posted By: seekshidayath
Date Posted: 24 January 2013 at 10:34am
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As Salamu Alaikum wa rahmatullah
Allah swt, says in the holy Qur'an that , " Allah swt wishes to make things easy for you, not to make things difficult for you", Also does the holy Quran says , " -- and We did not place difficulty in the religion". Islam is very simple, in the sense that it is not complicated to understand. Also are its laws easy to be followed, as they are according to our fitrah { inner nature}, so do they appeal us. Nothing is unnatural. It is a easy religion to be practised.We need to commit ourselves and our level of commitment will be tested by Allah swt. All those examples you listed get easy with the level of your commitment to practice ------------- Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: �All the descendants of Adam are sinners, and the best of sinners are those who repent." |
Posted By: Caringheart
Date Posted: 24 January 2013 at 11:43am
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Greetings seekshidayath, Thank you for your answers. I still have questions.
But is this a true statement?
How is this true for a person born with a left hand inclination that is then told to eat with his right hand? Salaam, Caringheart Is there a specific meaning intended when it is said, 'the simplicity of Islam'? |
Posted By: seekshidayath
Date Posted: 24 January 2013 at 10:14pm
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Bismillah
�Allah wishes to make things easy for you and not to make things difficult for you.� (Quran 2:185) We did not place difficulty in religion - Quran : 22:78 Those two ayaat of holy Qur'an clearly teach us that Allah swt does n't burden us. It is an easy religion to be followed Now coming to your next question - eating with left hand - Sis, acts of eating or any good work are to be done with right hand and those acts like cleaning and washing are done with left. Now, as you said you are a leftie, so sis, these acts are not obligatory. One who does n't eat with right intentionally, is not punished by Allah swt. These are sunnahs, which when followed are rewarded. But if one deliberately rejects sunnahs is a sinner. What matters is intention. When your intention is not to reject sunnah, or not to disobey Prophet {sallal lahu alayhi wasallam}, then you are not wrong. But if you patiently train out yourselves to use your right hand, with the intention that you wish to obey Prophet, follow his sunnah, then surely you will be rewarded more than a right hand person. Is n't Islam simple, sis :) ------------- Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: �All the descendants of Adam are sinners, and the best of sinners are those who repent." |
Posted By: aka2x2
Date Posted: 27 January 2013 at 9:45am
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Islam starts with:
There is no god except the one God, and Mohammad is his Prophet... Everything after that is details. Some people choose to get bogged down with the details and some don't. ------------- Respectfully  aka2x2
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Posted By: Caringheart
Date Posted: 27 January 2013 at 1:15pm
Greetings aka, So Islam doesn't require you to follow laws? Only believe in God and Muhammad and that is enough? Is that what Muhammad taught? Thanks and salaam, Caringheart ------------- Let us seek Truth together Blessed be God forever "I believe in Jesus as I believe in the sun... not because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else.: - C.S.Lewis |
Posted By: aka2x2
Date Posted: 27 January 2013 at 10:33pm
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Once a person declares his/her faith, by law and custom, he/she is considered a Muslim. After that, it is up to you and your God to choose where you reside on the spiritual spectrum. Quran tells us Heaven and Hell have many levels. Our thoughts, words and actions determine which level we end up at. Quran also tells us that this life is a test. It is not just a test for Muslims; it is a test for all of humanity. Entering the house of Islam is easy; Passing the test is not... Quran tells us, when God created Man, Satan said he will misdirect Adam and all his descendants. And, Satan predicted that except for a few, the rest of humanity shall be misguided... God told him to go right ahead, and God shall fill Hell with Satan and his followers. However, God will protect those who reach out to Him, believe in Him and act on that belief...
I hope you see why I say Islam is easy... However, I never said life is easy... PS We only believe in God. Mohammad was a human being who existed and then died. We love him, admire him and even emulate him, but we don't believe in him. We believe his claim that he was a Prophet and a Messenger from God. By implication we also believe his message (The Quran) is from God. ------------- Respectfully aka2x2
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Posted By: Caringheart
Date Posted: 28 January 2013 at 12:08am
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Greetings aka, Thank you again for trying to answer my question but I still have confusion about what you say. 'I believe in God, and that Muhammad is his messenger' This is what you say to become a muslim, correct? So you have to believe in Muhammad. In order to believe in the qu'ran, you have to believe in Muhammad. In order to be a muslim you have to believe in Muhammad, right? In other words, is it enough that I believe in the one God and that I am submitted to His will and I live according to His teaching? and here's the thing, if this is the simplicity of Islam... what, you are saved just by the mere fact that you say you believe in God and Muhammad, and nothing more is required... you have God's blessing regardless now of what you do, simply because you can now be called muslim because you say you believe these two things? Is that what is meant by the simplicity of Islam, because I thought there was much more to being a muslim. Thanks and peace to you, Caringheart ------------- Let us seek Truth together Blessed be God forever "I believe in Jesus as I believe in the sun... not because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else.: - C.S.Lewis |
Posted By: aka2x2
Date Posted: 28 January 2013 at 8:45am
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Greetings Caringheart,
I like your screen name... Let me answer your above questions one by one: 1- Yes, you have the correct statement of faith. Anyone who says this statement should be considered a Muslim. 2- No, you do not have to believe in Mohammad. There is a huge difference between believing in Mohammad and believing Mohammad's claim that he was a messenger from God. Believing in Mohammad draws parallel lines with believing in Jesus. Islam does not have such a requirement. 3- No. Believing in God and submitting to His will are necessary conditions for being a Muslim, but they are not sufficient. You have to believe in The Message (Quran) to be a Muslim. Many books/documents/speeches/etc claim to be "God's Teachings". They are not qualitatively the same. 4- No, you are not "saved" by saying you believe in God and Mohammad. Islam does not have the concept of "being saved". You become a Muslim be saying the statement of faith, however, you are not guaranteed salvation. Salvation comes by living according to that statement. becoming a Muslim is neither sufficient nor necessary for going to heaven; it just helps us find our path better. 5- Every living creature on Earth enjoys God's blessings regardless of being a Muslim or not. However, God will test every man according to what He has given him, and every people according to their "path". Islam is the path of the Muslim Nation, and we shall be tested and judged according to it. ------------- Respectfully aka2x2
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Posted By: Caringheart
Date Posted: 28 January 2013 at 10:50am
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Greetings aka, I appreciate your patience with me. As regards your statement; "No, you do not have to believe in Mohammad" What then does, 'I believe in God and that Muhammad is His messenger', mean, if not a statement of belief in Muhammad? It is saying that you believe that Muhammad is a messenger of God. This says that you believe in Muhammad and in anything Muhammad says. You have to believe in a person to believe what they say. You do have to believe in Muhammad to believe in the qu'ran. "1- Yes, you have the correct statement of faith. Anyone who says this statement should be considered a Muslim. " "Believing in God and submitting to His will are necessary conditions for being a Muslim, but they are not sufficient." These two statements are contradictory to me. What exactly does it mean to be a muslim, because according to the first statement, it seems it doesn't mean much, and according to the second statement it seems that it does mean much more than a simple statement of faith. Sorry, I am still very confused. Which is fine. I don't have to understand your faith. I just wonder why it is said that islam is simple when I find nothing simple about it. So I wanted to understand what that statement means to muslims themselves... How do they consider Islam to be simple. Do they consider Islam to be simple? I want to understand people.  What does it mean, "Salvation comes by living according to that statement"? Salvation comes by belief in God? That I believe, because if we believe in God, then we will seek His ways, and it is His ways that save us. However, I do not need Muhammad to find God's ways. (I think the arab people needed Muhammad to find God's ways) God has been leading His creation in many ways, however, ever since the time of Adam and Eve, if we sought Him. Here's my point; If, "Salvation comes by living according to that statement", does it make a difference whether or not you are technically called 'muslim', as long as you are "living according to that statement"? Living according to belief in the one God. If muslim means submitted to God's will... aren't there many who are submitted to God's will without calling themselves 'muslim'? I am submitted to God's will. That should technically make me a muslim, even though I do not believe in, or follow Muhammad. I follow Jesus. Muhammad acknowledged that Jesus came to lead people to God, and Moses and all the other prophets came to lead people to God. Therefore if we live in the way these prophets taught we are belonging to God. To me that should be the 'simple' truth. Salaam, Caringheart ------------- Let us seek Truth together Blessed be God forever "I believe in Jesus as I believe in the sun... not because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else.: - C.S.Lewis |
Posted By: Rational
Date Posted: 28 January 2013 at 11:54am
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السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته You can't be a muslim if you don't believe in the messenger of Allah, Mohammad (pbuh), the seal of all the prophets. The Quran is clear. "Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Those who are with him are harsh against the unbelievers but merciful to one another." ( http://tanzil.net/#trans/en.qaribullah/48:29 - 48:29 ) "Muhammad is not the father of any of your men. He is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets. Allah has knowledge of all things." ( http://tanzil.net/#trans/en.qaribullah/33:40 - 33:40 ) ------------- الله |
Posted By: Rational
Date Posted: 28 January 2013 at 1:07pm
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Understanding the meaning of the word "Fitrah", should help. http://www.missionislam.com/knowledge/DefinitionFitrah.htm http://www.missionislam.com/knowledge/Fitrahmaintain.htm "So direct your face toward the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the fitrah of Allah upon which He has created [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know." ( http://tanzil.net/#trans/en.sahih/30:30 - 30:30 ) We are all born with Fitrah from God. By becoming muslims we are living in compliance with our Fitrah. We are living the way we should, the way we are created to. Spiritually, mentally, physically, socially, everything... All the boxes are ticked because God knows what's best for us. ------------- الله |
Posted By: Caringheart
Date Posted: 28 January 2013 at 3:55pm
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Greetings Rational, Fitrah seems to be similar to, 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. This inward knowing of God that we are born with. Does that sound correct? Salaam, Caringheart ------------- Let us seek Truth together Blessed be God forever "I believe in Jesus as I believe in the sun... not because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else.: - C.S.Lewis |
Posted By: Caringheart
Date Posted: 28 January 2013 at 4:04pm
I can't be submitted to God if I don't believe in Muhammad? What does Muhammad bring that the other prophets did not teach? So even though the qu'ran says that all prophets are equal and are all to be honored in what they teach, it also says that the only prophets teachings that count for anything are those of Muhammad. Muhammad negates Jesus and the teaching of all the other prophets. Do you see the contradiction and the problem? You can't honor the prophets if you don't know what they taught, and if Muhammad was going to say the scriptures were false then he needed to bring the fullness of correction... not to just say it was false, because if the muslims are to listen to Muhammad they must follow what the earlier prophets taught, yet he gives them no way to know what the former prophets taught, and thus leaves them with little guidance. This does not sound like what God would do. Muhammad leans on the guidance of the earlier prophets and yet denies his people where to find this guidance without him. ------------- Let us seek Truth together Blessed be God forever "I believe in Jesus as I believe in the sun... not because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else.: - C.S.Lewis |
Posted By: Caringheart
Date Posted: 28 January 2013 at 4:08pm
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Muslim is meant to mean submitted to God. How do you measure whether a person is submitted to God? What defines a person as submitted to God? As far as I can see the shahada is only words... it is actions that show the true nature of the soul. So is it the words that deem one worthy to be called 'submitted to God'? or is it actions that deem one an example of one submitted to God? ------------- Let us seek Truth together Blessed be God forever "I believe in Jesus as I believe in the sun... not because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else.: - C.S.Lewis |
Posted By: aka2x2
Date Posted: 29 January 2013 at 1:30am
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Greetings Caringheart,
I do not intend to defend Islam or debate your belief system versus mine. I felt you had asked a genuine question and I answered you accordingly. Sorry my answers added to your confusion. Good luck with your search. ------------- Respectfully aka2x2
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Posted By: Caringheart
Date Posted: 29 January 2013 at 9:20am
Greetings aka, It is a genuine question. I genuinely want to understand. I respect if you have nothing further to add. Thanks for trying. Just to clarify though, you do think Islam is simple. Salaam, Caringheart ------------- Let us seek Truth together Blessed be God forever "I believe in Jesus as I believe in the sun... not because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else.: - C.S.Lewis |
Posted By: Nausheen
Date Posted: 04 February 2013 at 4:39pm
Greetings Caringheart, Would you please explain what you were trying to understand in this verse, which you cannot grasp? You have referenced this as an example of some confusions you have about Islam. So, would you point out your confusion? thank you. ------------- <font color=purple>Wanu nazzilu minal Qurani ma huwa Shafaa un wa rahmatun lil mo'mineena wa la yaziduzzalimeena illa khasara.[/COLOR] |
Posted By: Nausheen
Date Posted: 04 February 2013 at 4:45pm
Believing in a person can mean one believes in whatever he says irrespective of anything else -like who he is, where he is coming from what his ideologies are etc etc ... like when one loves a person, its regardless of everything else. Here we believe that Muhammad PBUH is a prophet of God. Everything that follows is after this belief. Whatever he said or did was in accordance with the will of God. So yes, we believe in his words and actions (that they were to represent the will of God), but not regardless ... rather it is because he is a God sent messenger. If he is not a God sent messenger, then there is no point beleiving in him. ------------- <font color=purple>Wanu nazzilu minal Qurani ma huwa Shafaa un wa rahmatun lil mo'mineena wa la yaziduzzalimeena illa khasara.[/COLOR] |
Posted By: Nausheen
Date Posted: 04 February 2013 at 5:04pm
Greetings Caringheart, Im dissecting your statements, because I do not have a lot of time right now, so please excuse me. Muslim in its literal arabic sense is a noun which denotes a person who has submitted to the will of God. If you believe God is, only then you will submit to Him. Once you believe He is, then you believe in what he chooses for you, then you surrender yourself to all what He commands. Declaration of faith is not lip service. Anyone who 'says' there is one God but still believe shiv and vishnu and brhamma are also gods has not declared faith in one God ... again any who says muhammad pbuh is the messenger of God, but still has doubts, perhaps this man was a self appointed prophet has not declared faith. So, who is a muslim? He is one who has declared faith from true conviction of his heart ... This person is a muslim. This is a precondition for salvation. One who lives life according to teachings similar to that of Muhammad PBUH, but does not believe that he pbuh was a messenger of god, has not fulfilled the precondition of salvation. Now comes the next part, is the precondition enough for salvation? Not necessarily. Any who believe in this precondition will enter paradise. howeverwhat comes next is that no one will enter paradise except he who is pure. So after one has believed in the precondition one needs to work righteoousness And there is yet another condition attached to the ticket to paradise. None will enter paradise except through the mercy of Allah. So once we have fulfilled all the conditions, we have to be hopeful of His mercy, without which there is no salvation. ------------- <font color=purple>Wanu nazzilu minal Qurani ma huwa Shafaa un wa rahmatun lil mo'mineena wa la yaziduzzalimeena illa khasara.[/COLOR] |
Posted By: Nausheen
Date Posted: 04 February 2013 at 5:18pm
Greetings Caringheart, I think I have answered to some of your above statements, though had not read them then. Except one statement " How do you measure whether a person is submitted to God?" Is the usage of 'you' metaphorical? Im just asking because I do use the second person pronoun metaphorically at times. We, ie You or I cannot judge if one is submitted or not. we can only guess :) The right of judgement is with God. One who is submitted to God accepts his will in all matters, weather he likes it or not. ... and now I have to rush, so talk to you later. stay tuned! peace. ------------- <font color=purple>Wanu nazzilu minal Qurani ma huwa Shafaa un wa rahmatun lil mo'mineena wa la yaziduzzalimeena illa khasara.[/COLOR] |
Posted By: Caringheart
Date Posted: 08 February 2013 at 6:03pm
Greetings Nausheen, I gave this as an example of how complicated I feel that Islam makes life, since I am trying to understand what is meant by the claim to the 'simplicity of Islam'. I can only see how complicated this surah would make my life. I can not imagine having to be concerned with so much little details within the walls of my own home... to always have to worry about who was coming or going, and whether or not I was perfectly covered, and heaven help me if someone happen to be there unannounced and I walk into a room unacceptably. I just don't see how Islam makes life simple, that is all. This surah is one example. I find it so complicated to have to always be thinking about exactly which relatives are allowed to be in the room with me and which are not. I found it mind boggling just to read and try to sort it out. Salaam, Caringheart ------------- Let us seek Truth together Blessed be God forever "I believe in Jesus as I believe in the sun... not because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else.: - C.S.Lewis |
Posted By: Matt Browne
Date Posted: 10 March 2013 at 8:49am
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Islam is simpler than Christianity, because it has a set of very clear rules. Follow the rules and you are a good Muslim. It's also simple to love friends and hate enemies. It's natural. Christianity is about understanding Jesus's life and applying it to our own lives. There are a lot of interpretations. Christianity is about becoming a good person with a good heart. There isn't a clear set of rules how this can be achieved. Christians are supposed to love their enemies. That's quite a challenge. Christians love all humans including unbelievers. Christians reject sins but never the sinner. Jesus excluded no one. He did not condemn people. All he said was: go, and sin no more. The trinity is also very hard to understand. Islam doesn't have such complicated concepts. ------------- A religion that's intolerant of other religions can't be the world's best religion --Abdel Samad Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people--Eleanor Roosevelt |