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My only purpose for this thread is to give live Muslims a chance to give our perspective about common questions that often get answered on anti-Islamic sites. In other words this is for you to try to find out what we actually do believe and not what some sites seem to tell people what we believe.
I will begin with a few common questions I am often asked. Keep in mind some of the other Muslim members may not fully agree with me, hopefully they will also give their input.
1. Why do you pray to Allah?
Ans. Because that is the name he revealed and it is the same name that was used by the Jews, Sabians and Early Christians. The Names Elohim, Eli, El and allah are all the same name and derived from the same root. One name, one God that has been worshiped by all people of the Abramic faiths.
2. Why do you pray to Muhammad?
Ans. we don't. In fact it is the only unforgivable sin to pray to anyone or anything besides Allaah(swt)
3. Why don't you worship Jesus?
ANS. Because it would be an unforgivable sin to do so, as that would be the sin of shirk, worshiping anyone beside Allaah(swt)
4. Why don't you follow the Bible?
ANS: We believe we follow what the message of the Bible originally was. We believe we follow what the bible actually was. What is called the bible today, has parts lost some parts changed and some additions added.
Last edited by Miss Blue; 08-19-2011 at 04:44 PM..
Reason: Red font is reserved for moderation..
As pertains to question #2: How forgiveable is suicide?
Also, as pertains to prior questions in "Cultural Judaism vs Belief in God" and question #3 in this thread: How unforgiveable is not worshiping Allah or "anyone" else at all? Either way you are not commiting "shirk" or better known by its English translation "worshiping anyone beside El." So why must not worshiping this Being, be any sin at all?
As pertains to question #2: How forgiveable is suicide?
Also, as pertains to prior questions in "Cultural Judaism vs Belief in God" and question #3 in this thread: How unforgiveable is not worshiping Allah or "anyone" else at all? Either way you are not commiting "shirk" or better known by its English translation "worshiping anyone beside El." So why must not worshiping this Being, be any sin at all?
All sins except shirk can be forgiven if a person is truly repentant. However, since a suicide will no longer be a live to repent, it is a bit difficult for a suicide to attain heaven. While shirk is an unforgivable sin a person who commits it can still attain heaven if he truly repents before death, but we do believe he would have to spend some time in hell before being allowed into heaven. Very similar to the catholic concept of purgatory.
To answer the unasked question, most of us do believe the suicide bombers will go to hell and not be martyrs. But at the same time not one of us can say who will go to heaven or hell as God(swt) is all merciful and he may find reason to forgive even people we do not feel deserve to be forgiven.
You bring up an interesting question as to if an atheist is committing shirk. There are varying thoughts about this, as a deliberate refusal to worship could be seen as being self worship, one is placing himself as being above God(swt). there is also the fact the person is sinning by not worshiping. But, fortunately no human has the ability to judge. each of us is ultimatly responsible for the results of our own actions or inaction. No man knows what is truly in the heart of another.
Though the suicide bombers is within the topic you wished to speak of, to lead to that was not my intention. I have talked to many Christians before that said the only unforgiveable sin was "denying the Holy Spirit" even though the Bible passage in which Jesus mentions the "only unforgiveable sin" actually says that saying Jesus had demons inside him (was following trickster demons and not true God) was an unforgiveable sin. Though I believe Jesus' remarks were a scape-goat so he wouldn't have to deal with the assertion, Biblical Chrisitans maintain that such was a sin because "Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit" is unpardonable, and Blasphemy usually means “radical-irreverence” http://www.gotquestions.org/unpardonable-sin.html
Suicide, however, in both cultures is also considered a sin, and since both religions usually proposed that one cannot be pardoned after death, I always wondered how they could overlook this problem: that suicide would be the only sin you simply CANT ask for forgiveness from. Plus, both cultures usually call him “all-merciful” so I was wondering why “Blasphemy” (irreverence) or “Shirk” (polytheism) would be unforgiveable. Interestingly enough ~ the word “shirk” in English is a verb which means: to evade, avoid, dodge, duck, get out of, wriggle out of, shun, or dismiss, etc.
So if we are to say that in both religions, “shunning God” is the only unforgiveable sin, what then is suicide? For example, under which conditions is it forgivable?
Also, a common theme among many Abrahamic apologists is to say that this “unforgiveable” character of the sin is only “temporary” because once you stop “shunning God” and accept their religion as true, then God can forgive you. So if this is true, then “shunning God” is just like any other sin, because it can be forgiven once you stop doing it and ask for forgiveness. However, suicide would seem to be the more realistically “unforgiveable” sin, within both cultures, since they maintain you cannot ask for forgiveness once you are dead and see the truth and error in your ways.
Truly evil. AntiChrist, antiJudiasm, antiHoly Spirit. Truly a prison.
I think I will rephrase this vitriolic diatribe in the form of respectful questions:
1. Why (necessarily) is Islam not evil?
2. Isn't Islam anti-Jesus/Christians?
3. Isn't Islam antisemitic (and what are the evidences that it is not a deviation from original Jewish religion)?
4. What is the "Holy Spirit" within the teaching of Islam? Since Islam says the Holy Spirit is just an angel, isn't that "anti-Holy Spirit" since the "Holy Spirit" is actually part of the tri-un God? More specifically, what does Islam say about believing God is "tri-un" and that the Holy Spirit is "a third over zero" part of God. (this one was hard)
5. Doesn't Islam needlessly imprison you (i.e. Sharia-law and praying five times a day)?
Last edited by LuminousTruth; 08-01-2011 at 11:05 PM..
Reason: spelling
You are partially correct. We do believe Judaism and Christianity have lost the path and are no longer following God(swt) We do not belief the Holy Spirit is God(as) but rather a messenger of God(swt) Most probably an Angel. We do believe Jesus(as) is the true Messiah and will return to establish the next and final Caliphate.
I think I will rephrase this vitriolic diatribe in the form of respectful questions:
1. Why (necessarily) is Islam not evil?
2. Isn't Islam anti-Jesus/Christians?
3. Isn't Islam antisemitic (and what are the evidences that it is not a deviation from original Jewish religion)?
4. What is the "Holy Spirit" within the teaching of Islam? Since Islam says the Holy Spirit is just an angel, isn't that "anti-Holy Spirit" since the "Holy Spirit" is actually part of the tri-un God? More specifically, what does Islam say about believing God is "tri-un" and that the Holy Spirit is "a third over zero" part of God. (this one was hard)
5. Doesn't Islam needlessly imprison you (i.e. Sharia-law and praying five times a day)?
Forgive me for not noticing this earlier. A decently worded question does deserve a reply.
Quote:
1. Why (necessarily) is Islam not evil?
Evil is a very subjective term. to many christians we will always be considered evil because we do insist Jesus(as) did not die for our sins and he is neither God nor the Son of god.
Some of the good Islam brought about can be seen in the immediate change it made in the Arab people. Other little tidbits in the Abrahanic beliefs it is the only one that states women are equal to men. It is the only one that specifically gives women rights that must be honored and protected, such as property rights, guaranteed care even if widowed, never married or divorced. It is the only one that limits the number of wives a man can have.
Quote:
2. Isn't Islam anti-Jesus/Christians?
Islam is anti Judaism and anti-Christianity, but it is not anti-Christian or anti-Jew. We are demanded and commanded not to be aggressors towards them. We are commanded to honor all treaties and contracts with them. In spite of what the anti-Islamic sites say, we are not forbidden to have them as friends (in the english word sense of friend) but we are forbidden to have them as our wallis (the word some translations translate as friend) a walli is much deeper than friendship, it means taking on a protector who will help you defend Islam)
Quote:
3. Isn't Islam antisemitic (and what are the evidences that it is not a deviation from original Jewish religion)?
We blieve the original teachings of all the religions were the same. all of the true prophets(PBUT) from Adam(PBUH) to Muhammad(PBUH) taught the same message. the original message of Judaism, Sabianism and Christianity was Islam (Islam means submission to God) they all were the same religion and began teaching the same message.
Quote:
4. What is the "Holy Spirit" within the teaching of Islam? Since Islam says the Holy Spirit is just an angel, isn't that "anti-Holy Spirit" since the "Holy Spirit" is actually part of the tri-un God? More specifically, what does Islam say about believing God is "tri-un" and that the Holy Spirit is "a third over zero" part of God. (this one was hard)
We like the Jews and Sabians are not triune. We believe the concept of trinity was a Christian innovation probably carried over from the Greeks through Paul.
We have several concepts of the Holy Spirit, one being it is the word of God as transmitted through angels. It that sense we say the holy spirit is an Angel.
3. Isn't Islam antisemitic (and what are the evidences that it is not a deviation from original Jewish religion)?
Being a Semite was about being a part of race tracing back to Shem. Unfortunately, the word was hijacked in the late 19th century to identify anybody who is a Jew but never applied to Arabs (who can be Christians as well) in the same sense.
You are partially correct. We do believe Judaism and Christianity have lost the path and are no longer following God(swt) We do not belief the Holy Spirit is God(as) but rather a messenger of God(swt) Most probably an Angel. We do believe Jesus(as) is the true Messiah and will return to establish the next and final Caliphate.
Kudos on not taking the bait and lashing out. I know it would be frustrating to me if I were trying to have a sincere discussion and had others calling me evil.
Some quick questions: what is Islamic eschatology like? Is the "end of times" similar to the Christian one, with the fire and lava and stuff?
What is with the (swt) you type after God or Allah?
And, more personally: have you gone on your pilgrimage yet? If so, what was that like!
Kudos on not taking the bait and lashing out. I know it would be frustrating to me if I were trying to have a sincere discussion and had others calling me evil.
Some quick questions: what is Islamic eschatology like? Is the "end of times" similar to the Christian one, with the fire and lava and stuff?
What is with the (swt) you type after God or Allah?
And, more personally: have you gone on your pilgrimage yet? If so, what was that like!
The "end times are virtually identical with the Christian eschatology. Closest to the Catholic concept. We do believe in a state similar to the Catholic Purgatory. In that some will only serve a limited time in Hell. We also believe in different levels of heaven and hell, it the most mild level the ones being punished will barely get their feet warm. some scholars even speculate it will not differ much from life on earth.
We do believe Jesus(as) will return and with the Mehdi defeat the anti-Christ and establish a kingdom of Peace (Caliphate) that will last until the final judgement day.
We place the letters swt after Allaah(swt) "Subhanna wa T'ala" "The One true god, with no equals, partners or progeny" as a sign of both respect and full identification. Al Lah as a word itself can be misunderstood as meaning the Highest or furthest, which limits the fullness of the name Allah to just a single attribute.You may notice that some of us use 2 a's in the name Allah, we feel that is closer to the actual pronunciation. there is no equivelant letter in English with the same pronunciation as the Alif with a sidda over it. It is a very drawn out short a sound. The Aramaic Eli has virtually the same pronunciation. May recall that being used in "eli eli lama sabachthani" although English speaking people tend to pronounce it as E-Lie
The only time I was in Makkah (Mecca) was illegaly when I was a Christian. I doubt very much I will ever make the Hajj because of old age and very poor health. It does not seem to be a possibility, at this time. The time I was in Makkah the city was virtually deserted. There did not seem to be over 10 people there on that day. I was not able to get into the Mosque to see the Kaabah.
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