"Alhamdulillah!"
Sometimes I don't know what else to say... Sometimes my heart is so filled of love for Allah, the deen, and my brothers and sisters that I do not know what else to say but "Alhamdulillah!" As I sit here now writing I am listening to the "Qur'an in Taraweeh." I am a bit overwhelmed by the beauty of the Qur'an, but why shouldn't I be as these are the words of Allah (SWT). If I wasn't writing I could watch the video feed and read the english subtitles, but just listening to the words is a spiritual experience.
I have been thinking about writing this blog post for some time. At times I think it is a good idea, then other times I wonder if I can convey into words how I am feeling, and if I can't, will readers just laugh? Well, I decided I don't care. It is my blog and in I will post my thoughts and if people don't care for it...well, there are countless other blogs to read.
What I have been feeling is a sense of calm, that finally I am at peace spiritually. It was a long road filled with many, many trials. None more trying than my own Islamophobia. Masha'llah, my heart was opened when I investigated and found the truth about Islam. But this is beyond my initial feelings about the deen, this is about the belief that everyone is born a Muslim. I truly understand that now. I feel that by reverting I am back in the religion I have been longing for all my life, the one I was born into.
But my thoughts go deeper than what I have been writing. I guess it is harder to convey that I thought. It is hard to express feelings of the heart when I hear a recitation of the Qur'an, or listening to nasheeds, or the feeling of brotherhood I have when praying with my brothers. It is an underlying contentment, an underlying self knowledge that this is my deen which has been in my subconscious all my life. The feeling of familiarity when I look at pictures of masjids, or pictures of the Ka'bah. I guess it is too hard to express into words.... Insha'Allah, maybe other brothers and sisters will understand and be able to help express the right words.
One thing is for certain, I will never say I am a 'convert' to Islam. I will proudly say I am a revert to the one true religion.
Allahu Akbar!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Saturday, February 16, 2008
A Rant...
Originally, I was going to write about an ignorant article about Muslims and valentine's day, but as I thought more about it, the broader the topic became, hence the title: a rant.
I receive emails from a conservative political site called Human Events. For the most part it is a pretty decent site/weekly paper with the exception of a couple of columnists; one being the Islamophobic kaffir, Robert Spencer (ie: Jihad Watch). Once a week they send out a top ten political stories of the week along with a lead in article.
This weeks article was written by Spencer denouncing, that some countries in the Middle East, set some laws in effect regarding valentine's day. Of course, the fact that Muslims don't practice christian "holiday's" means nothing to Spencer, who used this incredibly trivial matter to spew his venom against Muslims. In his twisted mind, Spencer equates Muslim countries enacting laws not allowing Muslims to commit shirk as strapping on a bomb and killing people.
While most of his article is trying to make something out of nothing, it was maybe his final paragraph which sums up his stupidity best:
"But will there be any Western leaders willing or courageous enough to cast off their multiculturalist shackles and give those people heart -- during this Valentine’s Day week -- by affirming that our struggle is one for simple joy in existence, against those who would rob us of that joy?"
Give me a break! As I posted in a couple of replies: "So what? What effect does Saudi Arabia's, or Kuwait's law have upon anyone else in other countries?" Answer: it has no effect. For those who want to read the whole article, and the subsequesnt replies from the lemmings, here is the link:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=24996 . Masha'Allah, there were several sane replies backing Muslims and their right not to participate in pseudo-christian holidays. I cannot wait until next month, when Spencer most likely will write how bad it is that Muslims do not get drunk in "honor" of the christian saint patrick. /sarcasm]
As I read the replies, I was getting angry at the ignorance of the statements. Here are a couple, which will emphasize a point I will get to afterwards:
"I am not expecting the Muslim World to "embrace" our holidays-- but to merely RESPECT them!" Uh, we do...in all non-Muslim countries. Why should Muslim countries have to "respect" christian holidays?
"This is NOT about Valentine's day!!! this is about FREEDOM!" Uh, this article is about valentine's day. Maybe that poster should read the title again: "No Valentines For You!"
Now, a couple of posts from people who get it:
"There is nothing in their culture or religion that would suggest that it mean anything to them. It's Christian-based. How many of their holidays do we celebrate?"
"I'm not sure why anyone would expect the Muslim world to embrace a Christian psuedo-holiday based on a person who may or may not have actually existed and of whose works we know almost nothing. It's like expressing surprise that they don't keep a Christmas tree in Mecca."
...and finally, one Islamophobic post which sums up a majority of the posts from the article:
"The only way Americans and the civilized world can get back their freedom and peace is to go into world war three, nuke the middle east and ban islam forever in the rest of the world. Hopefully this might happen as early as 2010 AD. Islam is nothing but trouble and has been imported in this country by the evil Saudi Arabian desert bunnies."
Not withstanding the post above, the point that seems to make me particularly angry is the point that these people want, and would, impose their imperialist point of views on Muslims. They claim they are a christian, God loving people, yet the intolerance and hatred of Islam and Muslims is mind boggling. It is also not very christian-like. One might say it is a very hypocritical attitude!
My head hurts from having re-read 12 pages of replies, most from Islamophobic lemmings. As I stop shaking my head in disbelief, I realize that some of the replies from that article, and the many others on Islamophobe sites, come from complete ignorance of Islam. To make my case, here is part of a post from the valentine article: "their religion gets in the way of every thing they do. ..." It is clear from that post that the author has no idea about Islam, and how it is a complete way of life.
I guess, as my rant comes to an end, my final words are these: Muslims should try and continue to educate the ignorant, insha'Allah. As we debate them in the streets, may Allah hold our tongues from tossing out insults, which only works against us. Insha'Allah, may we be able to articulate our love of Allah to the non-believers in such a way that their hearts may become open.
Allahu Akbar.
I receive emails from a conservative political site called Human Events. For the most part it is a pretty decent site/weekly paper with the exception of a couple of columnists; one being the Islamophobic kaffir, Robert Spencer (ie: Jihad Watch). Once a week they send out a top ten political stories of the week along with a lead in article.
This weeks article was written by Spencer denouncing, that some countries in the Middle East, set some laws in effect regarding valentine's day. Of course, the fact that Muslims don't practice christian "holiday's" means nothing to Spencer, who used this incredibly trivial matter to spew his venom against Muslims. In his twisted mind, Spencer equates Muslim countries enacting laws not allowing Muslims to commit shirk as strapping on a bomb and killing people.
While most of his article is trying to make something out of nothing, it was maybe his final paragraph which sums up his stupidity best:
"But will there be any Western leaders willing or courageous enough to cast off their multiculturalist shackles and give those people heart -- during this Valentine’s Day week -- by affirming that our struggle is one for simple joy in existence, against those who would rob us of that joy?"
Give me a break! As I posted in a couple of replies: "So what? What effect does Saudi Arabia's, or Kuwait's law have upon anyone else in other countries?" Answer: it has no effect. For those who want to read the whole article, and the subsequesnt replies from the lemmings, here is the link:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=24996 . Masha'Allah, there were several sane replies backing Muslims and their right not to participate in pseudo-christian holidays. I cannot wait until next month, when Spencer most likely will write how bad it is that Muslims do not get drunk in "honor" of the christian saint patrick. /sarcasm]
As I read the replies, I was getting angry at the ignorance of the statements. Here are a couple, which will emphasize a point I will get to afterwards:
"I am not expecting the Muslim World to "embrace" our holidays-- but to merely RESPECT them!" Uh, we do...in all non-Muslim countries. Why should Muslim countries have to "respect" christian holidays?
"This is NOT about Valentine's day!!! this is about FREEDOM!" Uh, this article is about valentine's day. Maybe that poster should read the title again: "No Valentines For You!"
Now, a couple of posts from people who get it:
"There is nothing in their culture or religion that would suggest that it mean anything to them. It's Christian-based. How many of their holidays do we celebrate?"
"I'm not sure why anyone would expect the Muslim world to embrace a Christian psuedo-holiday based on a person who may or may not have actually existed and of whose works we know almost nothing. It's like expressing surprise that they don't keep a Christmas tree in Mecca."
...and finally, one Islamophobic post which sums up a majority of the posts from the article:
"The only way Americans and the civilized world can get back their freedom and peace is to go into world war three, nuke the middle east and ban islam forever in the rest of the world. Hopefully this might happen as early as 2010 AD. Islam is nothing but trouble and has been imported in this country by the evil Saudi Arabian desert bunnies."
Not withstanding the post above, the point that seems to make me particularly angry is the point that these people want, and would, impose their imperialist point of views on Muslims. They claim they are a christian, God loving people, yet the intolerance and hatred of Islam and Muslims is mind boggling. It is also not very christian-like. One might say it is a very hypocritical attitude!
My head hurts from having re-read 12 pages of replies, most from Islamophobic lemmings. As I stop shaking my head in disbelief, I realize that some of the replies from that article, and the many others on Islamophobe sites, come from complete ignorance of Islam. To make my case, here is part of a post from the valentine article: "their religion gets in the way of every thing they do. ..." It is clear from that post that the author has no idea about Islam, and how it is a complete way of life.
I guess, as my rant comes to an end, my final words are these: Muslims should try and continue to educate the ignorant, insha'Allah. As we debate them in the streets, may Allah hold our tongues from tossing out insults, which only works against us. Insha'Allah, may we be able to articulate our love of Allah to the non-believers in such a way that their hearts may become open.
Allahu Akbar.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Odds & Ends....
From time to time, when I feel I have somethings to write about but do not think they require their own individual post, I will write up an "Odds & Ends" posting, insha'Allah.
Today I am writing about a couple of events which happened recently. First, I experienced discrimination of Muslims based on looks. I was in Dallas to visit a friend of mine for his wedding. On the Sunday I was returning to Chicago, Dallas was having heavy fog. The shuttle company called and I left for the airport earlier than expected. In my shuttle was another gentleman flying back to Chicago on a different flight. Since we both got to the airport earlier than planned we decided to fly stand-by on the next flight out.
While standing against a wall, near the counter waiting to hear if our names were called, a couple of Muslim brothers drove by in an airport transport cart. Both were black, neatly dressed, except one was wearing a kufi. It was based on this quick observation as the cart went by us, that the "gentleman" next to me said, "Now that makes me nervous." I looked at him and asked him "why is that?" He disregarded my question and I did not push the issue since this person was clearly an Islamophobe.
Another recent incident I could title, 'Yes, white people are Muslims.' It happened at the Islamic Foundation where I take my new Muslim classes on Sundays. On this particular Sunday I arrived after their first Dhuhr prayer. A brother eyeballed me as I came through both sets of doors and, even though he was holding the collection box, he called out to me, "Can I help you?" I replied, "Assalaam Alaikum, no brother...I am here for the new Muslim class." He replied "Wa'alaikum assalaam" and went back to his collections. But this was not the only incident that day where brothers assumed because I was white that I was not a brother. I gave 'salaams' to a brother as I entered the bookstore and he just replied "Hi." After looking around I was waiting at the counter when a brother from the ICN masjid I regularly attend walked in the bookstore door. He saw me and we exchanged 'salaams' and talked for a moment. After the other gentleman saw this, then he gave me 'salaams' and shook my hand.
Now, I bear no ill feelings toward my brothers. I understand from my readings why this happens. Still, it would be nice for the brothers not to be so judgemental based on my skin color/ethnicity...especially when I am giving 'salaams' inside the masjid.
Alhamdulillah! Subhan'Allah! Allahu Akbar!
Today I am writing about a couple of events which happened recently. First, I experienced discrimination of Muslims based on looks. I was in Dallas to visit a friend of mine for his wedding. On the Sunday I was returning to Chicago, Dallas was having heavy fog. The shuttle company called and I left for the airport earlier than expected. In my shuttle was another gentleman flying back to Chicago on a different flight. Since we both got to the airport earlier than planned we decided to fly stand-by on the next flight out.
While standing against a wall, near the counter waiting to hear if our names were called, a couple of Muslim brothers drove by in an airport transport cart. Both were black, neatly dressed, except one was wearing a kufi. It was based on this quick observation as the cart went by us, that the "gentleman" next to me said, "Now that makes me nervous." I looked at him and asked him "why is that?" He disregarded my question and I did not push the issue since this person was clearly an Islamophobe.
Another recent incident I could title, 'Yes, white people are Muslims.' It happened at the Islamic Foundation where I take my new Muslim classes on Sundays. On this particular Sunday I arrived after their first Dhuhr prayer. A brother eyeballed me as I came through both sets of doors and, even though he was holding the collection box, he called out to me, "Can I help you?" I replied, "Assalaam Alaikum, no brother...I am here for the new Muslim class." He replied "Wa'alaikum assalaam" and went back to his collections. But this was not the only incident that day where brothers assumed because I was white that I was not a brother. I gave 'salaams' to a brother as I entered the bookstore and he just replied "Hi." After looking around I was waiting at the counter when a brother from the ICN masjid I regularly attend walked in the bookstore door. He saw me and we exchanged 'salaams' and talked for a moment. After the other gentleman saw this, then he gave me 'salaams' and shook my hand.
Now, I bear no ill feelings toward my brothers. I understand from my readings why this happens. Still, it would be nice for the brothers not to be so judgemental based on my skin color/ethnicity...especially when I am giving 'salaams' inside the masjid.
Alhamdulillah! Subhan'Allah! Allahu Akbar!
Monday, January 21, 2008
Islam: The One True Religion
One of the recurring posts from the kafirs on the Islamaphobe sites is what they consider "Muslim superiority," or our [Muslim] belief that Islam is the one true, uncorrupted religion. Many of the non-believers continuously post about this as part of their criticism of Islam and Muslims. My answer to that is this: So what??!! It is amazing to me that this is even an issue for them. Do they not believe whatever religion they follow is superior to all others?
Recently, the pope came under attack for saying that catholicism is the only way to get to heaven. Mormons believe that their faith is the only way to get to the celestial kingdom. Other faiths believe their way is the right way. Do priests, or ministers, or rabbis, or lay ministry, tell their congregations that their religion is not the true religion? Do they say, "we aren't the true religion but stay with us because we are good people? No, of course not...yet this is some bullet point to condemn Muslims about?
Part of being Muslim is about spreading the word about Islam, the one true religion. Would you listen to somebody talk about their religion if they didn't believe in it? Would you want to convert to that religion? I think not! So why is it so wrong to tell others about the beauty of Islam, and the wonderful "deen" or way of life? It isn't wrong, but to listen to the kafirs letting the world know that Islam is the one true religion equates itself to world domination. What an incredibly ignorant synopsis of the situation.
The only way to learn about Islam is to investigate with an open mind, free of prejudice. At very least, have an open mind to want to learn about Islamic beliefs. To do so, one needs to go to the source: sites about Islam run by Muslims, or visit a local masjid (mosque), or speak to your Muslim neighbor or co-worker. Visiting sites run by Kafirs (non-believers) will only have you believe that ALL Muslims are terrorists. They distort verses from the Qur'an, or the teachings of Mohammed (SAW) to further their bigoted agenda.
In summary: So what if Muslims follow their deen and share with the world that Islam is the one true religion? If the non-believers don't believe that their faith is superior to other faiths, then why are they in that faith, a faith that may change based on popular ideas of the day, to keep or attract more members? There is a reason that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, and that is because it is a true, uncorrupted, unchanging religion. One that is the same now as it was in the day of the Prophet Mohammed (SAW).
Insha'Allah, I may continue to post blog entries disputing & correcting the posts of the kafirs.
Recently, the pope came under attack for saying that catholicism is the only way to get to heaven. Mormons believe that their faith is the only way to get to the celestial kingdom. Other faiths believe their way is the right way. Do priests, or ministers, or rabbis, or lay ministry, tell their congregations that their religion is not the true religion? Do they say, "we aren't the true religion but stay with us because we are good people? No, of course not...yet this is some bullet point to condemn Muslims about?
Part of being Muslim is about spreading the word about Islam, the one true religion. Would you listen to somebody talk about their religion if they didn't believe in it? Would you want to convert to that religion? I think not! So why is it so wrong to tell others about the beauty of Islam, and the wonderful "deen" or way of life? It isn't wrong, but to listen to the kafirs letting the world know that Islam is the one true religion equates itself to world domination. What an incredibly ignorant synopsis of the situation.
The only way to learn about Islam is to investigate with an open mind, free of prejudice. At very least, have an open mind to want to learn about Islamic beliefs. To do so, one needs to go to the source: sites about Islam run by Muslims, or visit a local masjid (mosque), or speak to your Muslim neighbor or co-worker. Visiting sites run by Kafirs (non-believers) will only have you believe that ALL Muslims are terrorists. They distort verses from the Qur'an, or the teachings of Mohammed (SAW) to further their bigoted agenda.
In summary: So what if Muslims follow their deen and share with the world that Islam is the one true religion? If the non-believers don't believe that their faith is superior to other faiths, then why are they in that faith, a faith that may change based on popular ideas of the day, to keep or attract more members? There is a reason that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, and that is because it is a true, uncorrupted, unchanging religion. One that is the same now as it was in the day of the Prophet Mohammed (SAW).
Insha'Allah, I may continue to post blog entries disputing & correcting the posts of the kafirs.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
The Lemmings on Jihad Watch
It has been some time since my last posting. Insha'Allah, the time will not be so great for the next one. Recently, I checked on an old Gmail account to see if it was active or not. Since I had not accessed it for over two years, I assumed it was gone due to inactivity. I was very surprised to see the account still active...and with a lot of back mail. Considering all the emails only came from three sources, almost 2000 emails seemed like a lot. Of course, I deleted all but the first page, and even then I only kept the 25 most recent to look through. In my estimation, I would say over 90% came from one website: Jihad Watch.
For those of you who do not know about Jihad Watch, it is a site where Islamophobes gather to post "newsworthy" items from around the globe. After reading the article, one can post comments...most of which state things like "ban Muslim immigration," or express outrage based on highlighted portions of the text. The posters of the comments will pat each other on the back for creative posts, or ideas for t-shirt slogans which they would never have the nerve to actually wear in public. Reading over these ignorant comments made me cringe. It made me cringe because at one time I was one of these people. I posted what I thought were witty comments in hopes that I would get many replies to my thoughts. Being ignorant of Islam, I based my "knowledge" on these articles, and what the media was telling me. I also cringed because in my years of debating the far left loons, I always did my research to have facts to back up my assertations, but regarding Islam and Muslims, I did no such thing, hence, I posted garbage like most of the others on that site.
One of the main problems on Jihad Watch is that the site owner (Robert Spencer), a supposed "western scholar" on Islam, and author of Islamophobic books, posts his comments on news articles to guide his lemmings. So, some news stories which are not about extremists, and have nothing negative to say, are twisted to cast a shadow on Muslims. An excellent example of this was a news story from Sweden which talked about a population increase due to immigration to the country. Due to the creative writings of Mr. Spencer, this story was retold to his lemmings to read that Muslim immigrants were trying to take over Sweden. The problem is, even after linking to the original news story from the Swedish paper, Muslims or Arabs were not even mentioned. Must have been a slow news day to take a story about population increase on a whole and make it out that the Muslims were taking over one more country, on the way to world domination. [/sarcasm]
One article I saw was about a college in Minnesota which had a prayer, or worship room that all religious denominations could use. Of course, the article was trying to state that the Muslim students had taken over the prayer room and that the bathrooms near the prayer room were filled with brothers perfoming Wudu before Salah. Of particular interest to me was that Mr. Spencer highlighted some the text of the story...including what one person believed was being thought by a brother doing Wudu, based on the look the brother gave him when the person walked into the bathroom. This perceived thought was something like, 'I am going to do this and there is nothing you can do about it!' Quite a perception based on a look. Of course, the lemmings were all over the perceived thought based on a look, and, of course it did not matter that no words were exchanged.
Another recent article(s), was that Muslims supposedly don't know how to debate. I have to admit I did not read the whole two part mini-series, but the main point, at least of the first one, is about Muslims "calling" people names, like "racist," during a debate. On this point I have to agree with Mr. Spencer...except, I would add that this would apply to anybody debating another person. In counter-protests, during my time with the Chicago chapter of Protest Warrior, I met many a person who wanted to debate with their heart and not with facts. And, when presented with the facts and they know they have lost, they shout ugly names like "racist" or "brown shirt" or "nazi," etc., etc., etc...(insert creative words here). This is not exclusive to one group of people either. I have had people who were counter-protesting with me, and who were not used to the attacks one gets at these protests and started calling names back, and that isn't productive for anyone. But, of course, Mr. Spencer only uses this analogy towards Muslims...and his lemmings take the bait and feed furiously on it.
Speaking of debate...of course, when a Muslim tries to make a comment on Jihad Watch, they are vigorously attacked. The funny thing is that most of the comments addressed back to the Muslim brother or sister are unfounded or name calling. You may find an occasional person who will try a real debate, but it is rare. Most of this I try and believe is pure ignorance, since I was once a lemming poster on that site. I cringe at that even now as I write it. I have always taken pride in my debating skills, but on this site I went with the flow. It wasn't until a few years later, in the midst of reading & watching more Islamophobic material that I decided to arm myself with my own facts on Islam so I would become well informed on the issue. Little did I know what would happen when I read the truth about Islam. Once again, never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that my research would take me from being a lemming of Islamophobia to becoming a Muslim, a loving follower of Islam.
I encourage others to find out for themselves the truth about Islam. Be wary of the sites used to gather your information. There are many sites out there which sound like informative sites, but in actuality, they are anti-Islam sites. I say this anytime one gathers information for any issue: know the source.
Alhamdulillah, my heart has been opened. Every day I grow stronger in my Deen. Insha'Allah, it is my sincere hope that one day I may be able to help others to stop being a lemming, and to see Islam in a different light...and, Insha'Allah, maybe one day I will be able to call them brother or sister.
For those of you who do not know about Jihad Watch, it is a site where Islamophobes gather to post "newsworthy" items from around the globe. After reading the article, one can post comments...most of which state things like "ban Muslim immigration," or express outrage based on highlighted portions of the text. The posters of the comments will pat each other on the back for creative posts, or ideas for t-shirt slogans which they would never have the nerve to actually wear in public. Reading over these ignorant comments made me cringe. It made me cringe because at one time I was one of these people. I posted what I thought were witty comments in hopes that I would get many replies to my thoughts. Being ignorant of Islam, I based my "knowledge" on these articles, and what the media was telling me. I also cringed because in my years of debating the far left loons, I always did my research to have facts to back up my assertations, but regarding Islam and Muslims, I did no such thing, hence, I posted garbage like most of the others on that site.
One of the main problems on Jihad Watch is that the site owner (Robert Spencer), a supposed "western scholar" on Islam, and author of Islamophobic books, posts his comments on news articles to guide his lemmings. So, some news stories which are not about extremists, and have nothing negative to say, are twisted to cast a shadow on Muslims. An excellent example of this was a news story from Sweden which talked about a population increase due to immigration to the country. Due to the creative writings of Mr. Spencer, this story was retold to his lemmings to read that Muslim immigrants were trying to take over Sweden. The problem is, even after linking to the original news story from the Swedish paper, Muslims or Arabs were not even mentioned. Must have been a slow news day to take a story about population increase on a whole and make it out that the Muslims were taking over one more country, on the way to world domination. [/sarcasm]
One article I saw was about a college in Minnesota which had a prayer, or worship room that all religious denominations could use. Of course, the article was trying to state that the Muslim students had taken over the prayer room and that the bathrooms near the prayer room were filled with brothers perfoming Wudu before Salah. Of particular interest to me was that Mr. Spencer highlighted some the text of the story...including what one person believed was being thought by a brother doing Wudu, based on the look the brother gave him when the person walked into the bathroom. This perceived thought was something like, 'I am going to do this and there is nothing you can do about it!' Quite a perception based on a look. Of course, the lemmings were all over the perceived thought based on a look, and, of course it did not matter that no words were exchanged.
Another recent article(s), was that Muslims supposedly don't know how to debate. I have to admit I did not read the whole two part mini-series, but the main point, at least of the first one, is about Muslims "calling" people names, like "racist," during a debate. On this point I have to agree with Mr. Spencer...except, I would add that this would apply to anybody debating another person. In counter-protests, during my time with the Chicago chapter of Protest Warrior, I met many a person who wanted to debate with their heart and not with facts. And, when presented with the facts and they know they have lost, they shout ugly names like "racist" or "brown shirt" or "nazi," etc., etc., etc...(insert creative words here). This is not exclusive to one group of people either. I have had people who were counter-protesting with me, and who were not used to the attacks one gets at these protests and started calling names back, and that isn't productive for anyone. But, of course, Mr. Spencer only uses this analogy towards Muslims...and his lemmings take the bait and feed furiously on it.
Speaking of debate...of course, when a Muslim tries to make a comment on Jihad Watch, they are vigorously attacked. The funny thing is that most of the comments addressed back to the Muslim brother or sister are unfounded or name calling. You may find an occasional person who will try a real debate, but it is rare. Most of this I try and believe is pure ignorance, since I was once a lemming poster on that site. I cringe at that even now as I write it. I have always taken pride in my debating skills, but on this site I went with the flow. It wasn't until a few years later, in the midst of reading & watching more Islamophobic material that I decided to arm myself with my own facts on Islam so I would become well informed on the issue. Little did I know what would happen when I read the truth about Islam. Once again, never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that my research would take me from being a lemming of Islamophobia to becoming a Muslim, a loving follower of Islam.
I encourage others to find out for themselves the truth about Islam. Be wary of the sites used to gather your information. There are many sites out there which sound like informative sites, but in actuality, they are anti-Islam sites. I say this anytime one gathers information for any issue: know the source.
Alhamdulillah, my heart has been opened. Every day I grow stronger in my Deen. Insha'Allah, it is my sincere hope that one day I may be able to help others to stop being a lemming, and to see Islam in a different light...and, Insha'Allah, maybe one day I will be able to call them brother or sister.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Learning About Islam
As I wrote in my first posting, The Deen Show ( http://thedeenshow.com/shows.html ) and The Religion of Islam ( http://www.islamreligion.com/index.php ) websites were very informative in my investigation of Islam, and what it means to be a Muslim. The host of the shows featured on The Deen Show, Eddie, has been very nice in replying to my emails, answering my questions, and referring me to other sites where I may contiue my learning. The Deen Show site has a lot of videos, an informative library, even an online Qur'an. New shows are added often, so keep checking the site. Several of the sites I have found, like The Religion of Islam site, have "live" help sections during certain hours of the day. One can have a live chat, or in some cases, even request a call back where one can speak with a brother.
During my investigation I found an article about another person who was a Mormon, like I used to be, and in the article the author wrote about a website where he received a great deal of help. The site is called Why Islam? ( http://www.whyislam.org/877/ ). What is nice about this site is one can read about the basic beliefs, request free literature, correspond by email, request someone to accompany you to a mosque, or simply ask a question. In my case, I requested to have a mosque visit arranged. I was ready to take the Shahada, and planned to do so with a rep from the Religion of Islam site during a call back, but before I could do so received a call back from WhyIslam.org. Before my call ended I had recited the Shahada (I still plan on doing so again in front of the congregation at my local masjid).
The reason I bring up WhyIslam.org is the fact that they have a large support community throughout the United States. Not only did I receive a "welcome" package containing a prayer rug, Qur'an, several other books and brochures, and even a prayer cap, but I was also contacted by a local masjid which offers new Muslim classes. A new class had recently started, so now every Sunday, for two hours for the next several months, I meet & learn with other local new brothers and sisters. I am very excited about these classes as it gives me a chance to meet other new brothers and make new Muslim friends. The class instructor is great and replies to email questions I have, and he has offered to work with me on some class work I have missed due to a family emergency. Also, I still get phone calls from the brother I took the Shahada with in my first phone call. It is nice to have the follow-up support since no one I know is a Muslim, and so many are misinformed, as I once was.
Other sites: Another helpful site is Islamic Finder ( http://www.islamicfinder.org/ ). I will let you check it out and find out all the helpful information it contains. A very entertaining and informative website for both Muslims and non-Mulims alike is Ummah Films ( http://www.ummahfilms.com/ ). Baba Ali's short films will put a smile on your face as you learn, or are reminded, about life as a Muslim. There are several other sites which I have found, but I will not link them at this time. The above sites are great places for one to start their journey, or to rediscover Islam.
During my investigation I found an article about another person who was a Mormon, like I used to be, and in the article the author wrote about a website where he received a great deal of help. The site is called Why Islam? ( http://www.whyislam.org/877/ ). What is nice about this site is one can read about the basic beliefs, request free literature, correspond by email, request someone to accompany you to a mosque, or simply ask a question. In my case, I requested to have a mosque visit arranged. I was ready to take the Shahada, and planned to do so with a rep from the Religion of Islam site during a call back, but before I could do so received a call back from WhyIslam.org. Before my call ended I had recited the Shahada (I still plan on doing so again in front of the congregation at my local masjid).
The reason I bring up WhyIslam.org is the fact that they have a large support community throughout the United States. Not only did I receive a "welcome" package containing a prayer rug, Qur'an, several other books and brochures, and even a prayer cap, but I was also contacted by a local masjid which offers new Muslim classes. A new class had recently started, so now every Sunday, for two hours for the next several months, I meet & learn with other local new brothers and sisters. I am very excited about these classes as it gives me a chance to meet other new brothers and make new Muslim friends. The class instructor is great and replies to email questions I have, and he has offered to work with me on some class work I have missed due to a family emergency. Also, I still get phone calls from the brother I took the Shahada with in my first phone call. It is nice to have the follow-up support since no one I know is a Muslim, and so many are misinformed, as I once was.
Other sites: Another helpful site is Islamic Finder ( http://www.islamicfinder.org/ ). I will let you check it out and find out all the helpful information it contains. A very entertaining and informative website for both Muslims and non-Mulims alike is Ummah Films ( http://www.ummahfilms.com/ ). Baba Ali's short films will put a smile on your face as you learn, or are reminded, about life as a Muslim. There are several other sites which I have found, but I will not link them at this time. The above sites are great places for one to start their journey, or to rediscover Islam.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
How My Life Changed by Research
"And whoever Allah wishes to guide, He opens his heart to Islam" [6:125]
The above verse from the Qur'an sums up best what has happened to me recently. If anyone would have told me two months ago that I would covert to Islam and become a Muslim, I would have laughed and told them they were crazy. Why would I, a conservative Christian American, convert to a religion which condones and endorses violence? I have read books and I have seen the videos by western "authorities" on Islam. I have seen video interviews of former terrorists, and heard their testimony about how the Qur'an says one has to commit jihad to get to paradise. So, why would I ever become a Muslim?
After so much media propaganda, from various websites, books, videos, news broadcasts, etc., I decided I had to research Islam and find out for myself so I could be better informed. So many verses from the Qur'an used to "prove" that Islam is violent are quoted using the infamous "..." signifying that it was a partial portion of the whole verse. From my various political debates with hardcore left-wingers, the use of "..." threw up red flags and made me wonder what words were missing, what was being hidden & why was it not being told. I knew part of the answer already: they couldn't make the point they were trying to make because the whole verse would disprove it. So I began my research of Islam to find the truth.
I started out doing a search for a story I read in the NY Times about a Muslim blogger in the United States. I tried doing a search for more information about him and ended up finding a link to an Islamic forum board. I posted a thread asking where I could learn more and one reply contained two links, one to The Deen Show ( http://thedeenshow.com/ ), and the other to The Religion of Islam ( http://www.islamreligion.com/index.php ). Both websites were extremely informative, but I really enjoyed the video format of The Deen Show. There are a number of videos from former Christians, as well as other videos regarding the tenets of Islam. After watching one of the videos with American Muslim and author, Dr. Lang, I went and bought one of his books: "Losing My Religion: A Call for Help." What was really nice for me, was Dr. Lang's explanations, with verses from the Qur'an (where necessary), of what answered the questions he had about the religion. I was floored by some of Dr. Lang's writing because what I was reading about Islam were some of the same tenets of what I thought were unique tenets of the Mormon faith, which was what church I was a member at the time.
After doing more research about Mormons and Muslims, I discovered that there were several tenets of Islam which were the same in the Mormon faith. These were tenets which were some of the reasons why I became a Mormon. I had to continue to find out more about Islam and about what Muslims believe and how they live. My questions to other Mormons about what I found were met with resistance as most were unaware of the similarities. Some replies were rather defensive, wondering why it mattered and why would I care since "Islam is a religion of hate." The missionaries and my 'home teacher' are still very concerned about my interest in Islam and continue to email & meet with me about it. Little do they know that I said the Shahada almost one month ago.
Anyways, in my research I found that Islam is a wonderful religion. A religion of peace, a true religion of brotherhood, a true religion of equlity. I still have much to learn. At times it seems overwhelming, but all new converts are advised to progress at their own pace to avoid being overwhelmed. Right now, my biggest fear is the Salat, prayer. It is unlike any praying I have done...ever, and I want to do it correct so it is pleasing to Allah. InshAllah, He will take away my fears so I feel comfortable enough to pray with my other Brothers at the Masjid (mosque) very soon. I am confident all will be well as the brothers I have met have been more than willing to help me with any questions, concerns I may have.
What started out as research, into what I was informed was a religion of violence, has turned into a life changing event as I discovered the one true religion, Islam. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that my investigation would result in my taking the Shahada and becoming a Muslim in a few short weeks. I am proud to be a Conservative American Muslim.
The above verse from the Qur'an sums up best what has happened to me recently. If anyone would have told me two months ago that I would covert to Islam and become a Muslim, I would have laughed and told them they were crazy. Why would I, a conservative Christian American, convert to a religion which condones and endorses violence? I have read books and I have seen the videos by western "authorities" on Islam. I have seen video interviews of former terrorists, and heard their testimony about how the Qur'an says one has to commit jihad to get to paradise. So, why would I ever become a Muslim?
After so much media propaganda, from various websites, books, videos, news broadcasts, etc., I decided I had to research Islam and find out for myself so I could be better informed. So many verses from the Qur'an used to "prove" that Islam is violent are quoted using the infamous "..." signifying that it was a partial portion of the whole verse. From my various political debates with hardcore left-wingers, the use of "..." threw up red flags and made me wonder what words were missing, what was being hidden & why was it not being told. I knew part of the answer already: they couldn't make the point they were trying to make because the whole verse would disprove it. So I began my research of Islam to find the truth.
I started out doing a search for a story I read in the NY Times about a Muslim blogger in the United States. I tried doing a search for more information about him and ended up finding a link to an Islamic forum board. I posted a thread asking where I could learn more and one reply contained two links, one to The Deen Show ( http://thedeenshow.com/ ), and the other to The Religion of Islam ( http://www.islamreligion.com/index.php ). Both websites were extremely informative, but I really enjoyed the video format of The Deen Show. There are a number of videos from former Christians, as well as other videos regarding the tenets of Islam. After watching one of the videos with American Muslim and author, Dr. Lang, I went and bought one of his books: "Losing My Religion: A Call for Help." What was really nice for me, was Dr. Lang's explanations, with verses from the Qur'an (where necessary), of what answered the questions he had about the religion. I was floored by some of Dr. Lang's writing because what I was reading about Islam were some of the same tenets of what I thought were unique tenets of the Mormon faith, which was what church I was a member at the time.
After doing more research about Mormons and Muslims, I discovered that there were several tenets of Islam which were the same in the Mormon faith. These were tenets which were some of the reasons why I became a Mormon. I had to continue to find out more about Islam and about what Muslims believe and how they live. My questions to other Mormons about what I found were met with resistance as most were unaware of the similarities. Some replies were rather defensive, wondering why it mattered and why would I care since "Islam is a religion of hate." The missionaries and my 'home teacher' are still very concerned about my interest in Islam and continue to email & meet with me about it. Little do they know that I said the Shahada almost one month ago.
Anyways, in my research I found that Islam is a wonderful religion. A religion of peace, a true religion of brotherhood, a true religion of equlity. I still have much to learn. At times it seems overwhelming, but all new converts are advised to progress at their own pace to avoid being overwhelmed. Right now, my biggest fear is the Salat, prayer. It is unlike any praying I have done...ever, and I want to do it correct so it is pleasing to Allah. InshAllah, He will take away my fears so I feel comfortable enough to pray with my other Brothers at the Masjid (mosque) very soon. I am confident all will be well as the brothers I have met have been more than willing to help me with any questions, concerns I may have.
What started out as research, into what I was informed was a religion of violence, has turned into a life changing event as I discovered the one true religion, Islam. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that my investigation would result in my taking the Shahada and becoming a Muslim in a few short weeks. I am proud to be a Conservative American Muslim.
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