Confused, Lost & Scared...

[NoNameAtAll]

ASSALAMU ALAYKUM

Hi all, I am new here having come from another Muslim Forum. I had the misfortune of letting some people learn my real name there and a Christian friend that I met there (out of concern and love of course) looked up my phone number and of course I cannot post Muslim questions there now because then I get phone calls (which I do not desire).

I have been tossing back and forth for a looooong time now and am growing weary from the struggle.

I am not sure where to start. I have been a protestant Christian all my life (40+ years) and had never really questioned my faith at all. I always just accepted the Trinity, original sin, etc.

I lost my job about 5 years ago in a corporate downsizing (US automotive industry) and every since that time I have struggled with depression, anger, resentment, questioning my faith, etc. I had to start my own business and it has faltered and for four years now I have barely survived. I owe more than $9,000 in back taxes to the IRS and have about $30,000 in credit card debt from starting my business and living expenses during that time. The stress from all of this made my wife sick with anxiety and panic attacks so she had to quit her job and did not leave our home (literally inside the four walls) for over two years. She is getting back out now due to medical problems and the necessity of travelling to doctor, hospital for surgery, etc. I suffer financially and I often get to the point that I just plain dont think the whole religion thing is true at all, that it is all just a fairy tale, fable and wishful thinking.

I have studied Islam (in-depth) for about a year now, so I do not come here devoid of knowledge concerning Islam. I have entertained converting to Islam and yet am still very confused (lacking firm guidance) and I find that I teeter totter back and forth from one thing to the other almost daily. I actually had a marked increase in income during the four months (Aug-Nov 2005) that I really believed Islam to be true. I now interpret everything (good or bad) as a sign from God. I know I should not do this but hey - if you have been desperate as long as I have it is easy to get into this position. Around Christmas I fell away and determined that maybe Christianity was true after all. Of course my income plummeted immediately and has remained dismal since that time (oh boy, more signs).

I feel that I must not be pleasing God right now, how else could my life be such a mess. If I am pleasing to God and He really loves me, how could I go on suffering and questioning and never getting an answer?

I feel that we all "inherit" our religion from our surroundings as children (Buddhism, Islam, Christian, Atheist, Deist, etc.). At some point we either question it or we just accept it and move on. If we question we either find support in our early beliefs or we satisfy our hearts that they were wrong and modify our beliefs to something else. This holds true for everyone for if we reject earlier beliefs we automatically embrace something else by default.

Are there others here who have experienced similar long-term downturns in quality of life and just can't decide what is true no matter how hard they try or how much they pray and beg for guidance? Can anyone help me, or is there just no help for me anymore, am I just a downtrodden outcast, destined to walk the streets alone without guidance and never knowing peace, joy or contentment again? How can I get in touch with God and have him hear me and help me? I try so hard and all to no avail!

[godilali]

First of all, allow me to welcome you to this forum. Secondly, I sympathize with your problems, and I hope you find peace in this world and the next. In Islam, we believe that God does not burden any soul more than he or she is capable of. If you convert to Islam, your problems will not necessarily go away, but you will know that these are just a test from God, and you will know how to deal with them. A good analogy would be: If you were in the middle of the ocean and a storm came, Islam would not necessarily eliminate the storm, but it would save you from drowning.

Try listening to some lectures here, inshallah, they will be uplifting and enlightening:
http://www.madrasaprogram.org/audio.htm

[TheChristian]

Peace NoNameaatAll,

Welcome to the forums. As far as God punishing, I would agree almost to what godilali said, except in regards that Islam would save you from drowning because if that was the case, Muslims wouldn't die at all for whatever reason. But I do agree that in Islam, we believe that the Good or Bad as we see it, is actually all controlled by God. What is Good for us, might in reality be Bad. Also, what we view as Bad, might actually be Good.

We pray for something that might in reality hurt us in the end. Such as winning the lottery. If we were to win, we might become stingy, selfish, etc. There are a lot of ways that things could go, but God is in control of it. At the same time, we are also in charge of what happens in our life and how it effects other and the environment and the world, so not everything is "God is punishing me" sort of deal.

If you find yourself jumping between beliefs, ask yourself, "Why am I jumping between beliefs?". Is it because you want financial gain, to gain inner peace? What are your reasons? From what you wrote here, it seems a lot of it has to do with financial support. I personally do not believe that that would be the reason to come and accept Islam at all. Either in the Bad or the Good, you should be able to hold onto your belief. It is like the example of Job.

How can you get in touch with God? I really cannot say, as I personally feel Him/Her everywhere. I believe that to each person, he/she has their own way to experience it. Meditate and pray and ask for guidance, not necessarily towards Islam or Christianity, but towards the right path. Meditate at night, when you go to sleep. Ponder on the greatness of God and all that we have. We are one of the most unappreciative creatures that God has created. Rarely do we appreciate what we have. Be it our legs for movement, our tongue to taste, our ears to hear, etc. Many people and of Gods other creatures are not as fortunate as us. While we may be bad off, there is always someone who is worse off than us. Same goes that while we may be great, there is always someone greater than us. Do not be depressed, but work your way in life and ask God for guidance, and I pray that you find your way.

Peace be upon you and may God help you on your path.

[godilali]

The drowing thing was a metaphor.

[NoNameAtAll]

If you find yourself jumping between beliefs, ask yourself, "Why am I jumping between beliefs?". Is it because you want financial gain, to gain inner peace? What are your reasons? From what you wrote here, it seems a lot of it has to do with financial support. I personally do not believe that that would be the reason to come and accept Islam at all.

I only want to know that I am on the right path. If I KNEW I was on the right path and destined to be poor, then I would gladly accept it and move on, BUT I know that Christians and Muslims both say that God sends us trials to "give us a wakeup call" so I am concerned that this is my "wakeup call" to draw me to the "true path". I just dont know what that path is. It seems that the harder I search and pray, the more elusive this "truth" is.

[TheChristian]

Peace,

Sorry for the misundertanding Godali.



I only want to know that I am on the right path. If I KNEW I was on the right path and destined to be poor, then I would gladly accept it and move on, BUT I know that Christians and Muslims both say that God sends us trials to "give us a wakeup call" so I am concerned that this is my "wakeup call" to draw me to the "true path". I just dont know what that path is. It seems that the harder I search and pray, the more elusive this "truth" is.

How is "Truth" hard to understand? What exactly are you having a problem with? Is it with accepting that Jesus is God? Or perhaps that Allah is God? Or is it the idea of a God?

Also, sorry for the misunderstanding. You brought up the monetary issue so I thought that was your basis on switching beliefs over.

We cannot possibly understand God. If we cannot understand even things such as other planets, let alone this galaxy (which is infinitesimal to this universe and whatever universes after this) it is far harder and impossible to understand God. But to understand if we are on the right path, like I mentioned, I believe that each of us has our own way of feeling it. I cannot even explain the way I feel, but I do know that I do feel it.

So is your question about Jesus and his divinity, or about God in general?

Peace

[Travelleress]

Have you tried waking up in the night (a blessed time) and sincerely crying before your Lord and asking Him to guide you?

I have heard from the Scholars that when somebody asks God for guidance, this prayer is never rejected.

There are other reasons trials are sent to us; one of them being to cleanse us of our sins in order to increase our rank with our Lord

[TheChristian]

Peace,

Travelleress, not to seem to ridicule you, but what would the difference of asking God at night compared to day do? God heres us all the time.

[Harun_Abdul_Hakeem]

Peace,

Travelleress, not to seem to ridicule you, but what would the difference of asking God at night compared to day do? God heres us all the time.



I Believe its because as a muslim we are made to strive for our lord in the day and to cry at night,you see by this statement i mean,when you pray at night you are begging Allah for something behind closed doors,no one knows you are doing this because you are doing this secretly and on top of that you are sacraficing your own sleep for it showing just how badly you want it and need that thing that you are asking for at night,when you easily be sleeping and relaxing but instead you are showing your Allah,Your lord,the one who created you from mere nothing-ness,that you want something from him and you are begging him and you are forsaking some of your rest and sleep for it. :rolleyes: ;) :)

[Harun_Abdul_Hakeem]

Because at that time you're all alone. Everyone's sleeping. You can purify your thoughts a little better than you would be able to do during the day. There's no chance of interruption.



as well as what Ahsanirfan has said. :D

[TheChristian]

Thanks ahsanirfan and Harun_Abdul_Hakeem.

Ahsanirfan, that's was what I was thinking since the Qu'ran speaks about working in the day and meditating at night but I wasn't sure if what she was stating was that God heres you more if it's at night.

Thanks for the clarification.

Peace.

[Travelleress]

All those reasons above and also:

Abu Hurayrah, radiyAllahu anhu, narrates that the Messenger of Allah, salAllahu alayhi wasallam, said (translation):

Our Lord - Blessed and Exalted is He! - descends every night to the lowest heaven in the last third of the night and says: Who is supplicating Me so that I may answer him? Who is asking forgiveness from Me so that I may forgive him?

[Harun_Abdul_Hakeem]

True,thats a very good Hadtith ;)

[Yahya]

I only want to know that I am on the right path. If I KNEW I was on the right path and destined to be poor, then I would gladly accept it and move on,

The first step on the right path, is to be God Fearing. Once you have become God Fearing, you will know with certainty that you are on the right path.

What does it mean to be God Fearing?

It means that you must first and foremost, recognize that there are no gods except the ONE GOD and that Muhammad is His Messenger. You must learn the attributes of God and the attributes of His Messengers. And you must adhere to this belief despite any obstacles that come your way.

You must learn what God commands you to do, and obey Him! You must learn what God commands you to avoid, and avoid them! And continue to be obedient despite any obstacles that come your way.

This is the basic meaning of taqwa, or fear of God. Do these things and, insha' Allah, understanding and certainty will come.

[NoNameAtAll]

How is "Truth" hard to understand? What exactly are you having a problem with? Is it with accepting that Jesus is God? Or perhaps that Allah is God? Or is it the idea of a God?

So is your question about Jesus and his divinity, or about God in general?

That is very close to the central question I believe. Is the right path:

1. To God through Jesus by way of Mary...
2. To God through Jesus by way of faith only...
2. To God through prayer, submission and good deeds, minus any partners...
3. By way of contemplating the Tao...
4. By way of self-awareness and defeat of suffering...

I know that no one here can give me anything other than THEIR opinion of what is right BUT I ask not for the answer only how one goes (or went) about confirming this answer for themselves. I mean different groups can make VERY compelling arguments for the resurrection of Jesus but when it comes right down to it, no one can prove it!

Revealled religions all have this in common, the adherents thereof swear by it and say that "it was revealled" so we must believe it. BUT it was revealled to someone else, NOT me. Therefore what obligation am I under to believe one over the other since it was not revealled to me, it was passed on to me second hand (thousands of times over). In reality it is all merely hearsay to me.

No offense to anyone so please dont misunderstand. I am not making fun of anyone here, ALL religions share this point. My fear and concern (it is real) is how I discern which of these "revealled" religions was really revealled and which ones are simply made up?

They cannot all be real can they??

[Alhumdulillah]

I only want to know that I am on the right path.

Dear NoName....

I hope that God makes things easy for you...

Since you already believe in God, there is a way that you can know whether you are on the right path or not, directly and first hand, and so you can know for sure whether He wants you to approach Him through Christianity or Islam or something else.

How? Well, all you have to do is simply ask Him. You've asked humans, you've read a lot and so on. Now, turn your attention towards Him and ask Him. That's it.

Every night, in the last part of the night, when everyone else in your house is asleep, get up and ask Him, with yearning and a burning desire and sincerity, to guide you to the Truth. Just use those words. Ask Him, because He is the only One who can Guide. He knows what is hidden and what is open. If you sincerely ask Him to guide you to the Truth, do you think He will let you go astray? So keep asking, crying every night, until He answers you.

So I think that is a simple solution to your problems. Just keep on sincerely asking God to guide you to the Truth and then see where He takes you. It might sound like a bit of a simple approach, but if you really trust Him then put your hand in His and let Him deal with it.

That's all.

[Colombian Muslim]

I start with the name of God, the one who DOES NOT resemble the creations in any way or form or shape, and the ONLY one who DESERVES to be worshipped. i humbly ask God to raise the rank of the Prophet Muhammad and to protect his nation from that which he fears for them, thereafter:

the fact of the matter is.....
is that it's simple.
what has to be done first and foremostly is to weed out any distraction or "filler" with regards to what people OPINIANATE about the religion of Islam, and just take the facts for what they are.

so when a Muslim, i.e, a believer, says that he believes in God, it has to be known that although people who are not Muslim, i.e, non-believers, say they believe in God, it doesnt mean the same thing.

When a Muslim says he belives in God, it means he believes in the one who is attributed with Godhood. what does Godhood mean? Godhood means: the power to bring things from the state of non-existence into the state of existence, which briefly defines the meaning "to create". so to create means to bring things from the state of non-existence into the state of existnce, and the only one atributed with the power to do that is God, the Creator.

everything other than the Creator is created, meaning that they dont have the power to create, hence, they do not deserve to be worshipped.

so for example, the sun, doesnt deserve to be worshipped, because it is created and in need of the one who created it, and the one who is in need of a Creator is weak, and whatever is weak and in need does not deserve to be worshipped.

this is how the sound mind judges that a tree or a man or a statue or a giant body sitting on a chair in the sky with a big white beard is NOT God.

because whatever u imagine in your mind, God is different than that.
the only religion that DOES NOT liken God to the creations is Islam, therefore, it is the only religion who truly worships the CREATOR.

others religions worship CREATIONS.
now as far as your hardships and worldy strife, there are within this world people who have it way worse than u and way better. what has to be kept in consideration is that the time that we spend in this world is gonna end. one day u will surely die.

in the hereafter, there are only believers and non believers.
the only ones who stay in hellfire until no end are the non-believers.
and of course it is confirmed in the religious texts that SOME of the believers will enter hellfire because of their sins but they will NOT reside in it until no end.

so take it from me, as one who grew up from a latino backround, that no matter how hard things get, as a Muslim, one knows that whatever God willed to be shall be and whatever God did not will to be shall not be; and even though some people dont experience peace in this life, the Muslim will FOR SURE, have peace in the hereafter.

so i urge you to embrace the religion of Islam, the religion of all the Prophets starting from Adam and ending with Muhammad peace be upon them all by saying the 2 testifications of faith, which are: I TESTIFY THAT NO ONE DESERVES TO BE WORSHIPPED EXCEPT GOD AND I TESTIFY THAT MUHAMMAD IS THE MESSENGER OF GOD.

i hope my words have found a place in your heart and mind. if its a bit long be patient, i ask God to grant us the good ending. ameen.
here is an excerpt from the book of a well known scholar by the name of Shaykh Fakhrud-Din Ibn ^Asakir, who died in 620 AH, to make things a bit clearer: Allah is the only God in His Dominion. He created the entire world, the upper and lower, the ^Arsh and Kursiyy, the heavens and earth, and what is in them and in between them.

All the creation is subjugated by His Power. No speck moves except by His will.

He has no manager for the creation with Him, and has no partner in Dominion.

He is attributed with Life and His Existence does not come to an end (al Qayyum). He is not seized by somnolence or sleep.

He is the One Who knows about the unforeseen and what is evidenced by His creation. Nothing on earth or in heaven is hidden from Him. He knows what is on land and in the sea. Not a leaf does fall but He knows about it. There is no grain in the darkness of earth, or anything that is moist or dry except which is inscribed in a clear Book. His Knowledge encompasses everything. He knows the count of all things.

He does whatever He wills. He has the power to do whatever He wills.
To Him is the Dominion and He needs none; To Him belong the Glory and Everlastingness. To Him are the Ruling and the Creating (al Qada'). He has the Names of Perfection. No one hinders what He decreed. No one prevents what He gives. He does in His dominion whatever He wills. He rules His creation with whatever He wills.

He does not hope for reward and does not fear punishment. There is no right on Him that is binding, and no one exercises rule over Him.

Every endowment from Him is due to His Generosity and every punishment from Him is just. He is not questioned about what He does, but they are questioned.

He existed before the creation. He is not attributed with a before or an after, an above or a below, a right or a left, an in front of or a behind, a whole or a part.

It must not be said: When was He? Or Where was He? Or How is He? He exists without a place. He created the universe and willed for the existence of time. He is not bound to time and is not designated with place.

His management of one matter does not distract Him from another. Delusions do not apply to Him, and He is not encompassed by the mind. He is not conceivable in the mind. He is not imagined in the self nor pictured in delusions. He is not grasped with delusions or thoughts.
{لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَىْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ}
This ayah means: [Absolutely nothing is like Him and He is attributed with Hearing and Sight.]

[salahuddin]

Subhanallah, (glory be to God) what a brave post.

Dear NoNameAtAll - is it possible to ask yourself what would convince you of a faith being the truth? If you have no clear idea of what it is that you're looking for then maybe it's that little bit harder to accept some of the telling signs - that was certainly my experience.

I would definitely recommend sincerely asking God for guidance, and the depths of the night are a good time to do so (as evidenced by the hadith provided earlier).

In regards to religions being made up: the Prophet Muhammad :saw: came to confirm that which went before him and that included the messages of Moses and Jesus. He did not say they were false messages, rather that he was the last in the line of Messengers and that the message given to him was the final one.
A very good biography of his life is available in English by Martin Lings:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0946621330/qid=1137437184/sr=1-14/ref=sr_1_2_14/202-9995382-1624611

May God alleviate your difficulties and guide you to the straight path.

[NoNameAtAll]

Dear NoNameAtAll - is it possible to ask yourself what would convince you of a faith being the truth? If you have no clear idea of what it is that you're looking for then maybe it's that little bit harder to accept some of the telling signs - that was certainly my experience.

That is a very good question... I am not sure WHAT would convince me of a path being true. I suppose some sort of inner "feeling" of confirmation. I know that sounds very simple but I cant explain what it is that I need. I suppose the sheer absence of confusion would work as well. I have been so very confused about religion for so long now that I have been very tempted to just walk away from it all and forget it, but something draws me back to the confusion every time. I dont know if perhaps there is just no help available for me. I may never figure this out.

[Harun_Abdul_Hakeem]

I dont know if perhaps there is just no help available for me. I may never figure this out.

Maybe itz the fact that you as an individual,a person, a human being and a creation of God,have to accept that yes there is help for me,not that there isnt and that you can figure it out if u try hard enough,though im not saying you arn't,but actually try evan more and i garuntee if you go in to things with a positive mind set you will come out with a positive result but if you approach a certain thing or concept with a negative approach then my dear brother how will you conquer it with a positive outcome.one must see that in order for one to trully find the truth one has to face opposition,struggles and tests,and i can see my dear brother you are facing them right now as i type this.So im thinking you should continue to read on islam but think instead that i can be helped and i can figure this out and you will be amazed,i remember when i was reading about islam and i thought i couldnt be helped and that i was in the worst situation then any one else and that i couldnt figure nothing out untill i changed my mindset from a negative aspect to a positive one,only then did i defferentiate what is wrong from what is right then.So think upon it my dear brother insha allah you will see what i am saying. ;) :) :rolleyes: :confused:

[TheChristian]

Peace NoNameaAtAll,




That is very close to the central question I believe. Is the right path:

1. To God through Jesus by way of Mary...
2. To God through Jesus by way of faith only...
2. To God through prayer, submission and good deeds, minus any partners...
3. By way of contemplating the Tao...
4. By way of self-awareness and defeat of suffering...

I know that no one here can give me anything other than THEIR opinion of what is right BUT I ask not for the answer only how one goes (or went) about confirming this answer for themselves. I mean different groups can make VERY compelling arguments for the resurrection of Jesus but when it comes right down to it, no one can prove it!

Revealled religions all have this in common, the adherents thereof swear by it and say that "it was revealled" so we must believe it. BUT it was revealled to someone else, NOT me. Therefore what obligation am I under to believe one over the other since it was not revealled to me, it was passed on to me second hand (thousands of times over). In reality it is all merely hearsay to me.

No offense to anyone so please dont misunderstand. I am not making fun of anyone here, ALL religions share this point. My fear and concern (it is real) is how I discern which of these "revealled" religions was really revealled and which ones are simply made up?

They cannot all be real can they??
Reply With Quote

Very good point there. I believe the same thing. How can you blindly accept a scripture that anyone could create?

Heres how I came to Islam. When I was a Christian (Trinitarian born) I held many beliefs similar to that of Islam, such as, "How can Jesus be God?", and "How can only Christians go to heaven or talk to God?". When I studied on Islam a lot of my beliefs were already in the Qu'ran.

Like I have mentioned many times, I do not follow Hadith or belong to any sect of Islam, I just follow my own way and the Qu'ran, and hope that God guides me.

I personally believe that people of other faiths can go to Paradise as well, so long they follow the tenents of what Islam teaches, as I have in my signature. This can go for Hindus (since it is a misconception that all of them are polythiests, which not all are IMO), Christians (those who do not worship Jesus), etc. At the same time, I am not God. God knows the inner heart as well as the person. Some express that God is a Force, some say He such as in this forum and the way the Qu'ran comes out, etc. I don't believe that God is understandable by any means, therefore there are different interpretations of Him/Her.

As far as Christians that believe in Jesus as God, again I cannot judge the person as that is Gods job and His/Her alone. Although in the Qu'ran it does mention how this is polytheism. Ascribing partners to God and even interceding. Such as Al-lat, Manaat, and Al-Uzza, the daughters of God so the Arabs claimed.

Again, I am not God, so I am not going to say that anyone is going to hell. But I believe that God is just, and He/She will work this out and God knows best.

I am not going to say to come to Islam as it is the right path, as what my path which is right for me may not be right for you. Think about this though. What if you never had any idea of scriptures (The Bible, Qu'ran, etc.) what path would you follow? I believe that God has given us a small part of instinct in regards to God. I believe that these scriptures are there only to help us remain on the path to God and to Paradise, but are not required at all to attain it. When I read the Qu'ran, it helps me remember God and be thankful for all that I have, as well as watch my ways. I am not perfect, but I am more attuned to myself as well as God than before, and I am happy with my life more than ever. I am more concious of what I consume and how all my actions effect something, which affects something else, etc.

I understand what you are searching for, but that is your own journey to discover what it is. I personally feel content, and it is hard to explain it, such as it is hard for you to explain what you wish to feel, the inner peace. To each person, they have their own. May God guide you towards the right path and may this journey of hardship, make you benefit in the end.

All I can tell you is what I believe and feel, but that is me and not you. May God help you in your time of need, and do not give up. What seems hard now, in the end, you will have attained your peace. God Knows Best.

Peace be upon you, and if you have further questions, please feel free to ask.

[Peace Train]

Peace NoNameaAtAll,



Very good point there. I believe the same thing. How can you blindly accept a scripture that anyone could create?

Heres how I came to Islam. When I was a Christian (Trinitarian born) I held many beliefs similar to that of Islam, such as, "How can Jesus be God?", and "How can only Christians go to heaven or talk to God?". When I studied on Islam a lot of my beliefs were already in the Qu'ran.

Like I have mentioned many times, I do not follow Hadith or belong to any sect of Islam, I just follow my own way and the Qu'ran, and hope that God guides me.

I personally believe that people of other faiths can go to Paradise as well, so long they follow the tenents of what Islam teaches, as I have in my signature. This can go for Hindus (since it is a misconception that all of them are polythiests, which not all are IMO), Christians (those who do not worship Jesus), etc. At the same time, I am not God. God knows the inner heart as well as the person. Some express that God is a Force, some say He such as in this forum and the way the Qu'ran comes out, etc. I don't believe that God is understandable by any means, therefore there are different interpretations of Him/Her.

As far as Christians that believe in Jesus as God, again I cannot judge the person as that is Gods job and His/Her alone. Although in the Qu'ran it does mention how this is polytheism. Ascribing partners to God and even interceding. Such as Al-lat, Manaat, and Al-Uzza, the daughters of God so the Arabs claimed.

Again, I am not God, so I am not going to say that anyone is going to hell. But I believe that God is just, and He/She will work this out and God knows best.

I am not going to say to come to Islam as it is the right path, as what my path which is right for me may not be right for you. Think about this though. What if you never had any idea of scriptures (The Bible, Qu'ran, etc.) what path would you follow? I believe that God has given us a small part of instinct in regards to God. I believe that these scriptures are there only to help us remain on the path to God and to Paradise, but are not required at all to attain it. When I read the Qu'ran, it helps me remember God and be thankful for all that I have, as well as watch my ways. I am not perfect, but I am more attuned to myself as well as God than before, and I am happy with my life more than ever. I am more concious of what I consume and how all my actions effect something, which affects something else, etc.

I understand what you are searching for, but that is your own journey to discover what it is. I personally feel content, and it is hard to explain it, such as it is hard for you to explain what you wish to feel, the inner peace. To each person, they have their own. May God guide you towards the right path and may this journey of hardship, make you benefit in the end.

All I can tell you is what I believe and feel, but that is me and not you. May God help you in your time of need, and do not give up. What seems hard now, in the end, you will have attained your peace. God Knows Best.

Peace be upon you, and if you have further questions, please feel free to ask.


I don't know if this is an obvious thing, but I though I'd remind you anyway...Surah Ikhlas:


112:1 SAY: "He is the One God:

Topics discussed in this Verse:
[Allah's attributes:One God]

"Qul huwa Allahu ahad"
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


112:2 "God the Eternal, the Uncaused Cause of All Being. [1]

Topics discussed in this Verse:
[Allah's attributes:Eternal ( Absolute )]

Allahu alssamadu
اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


112:3 "He begets not, and neither is He begotten;

Topics discussed in this Verse:
[Allah:begetteth not nor is He begotten]

Lam yalid walam yoolad
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


112:4 "and there is nothing that could be compared with Him. [2]

Topics discussed in this Verse:
[Allah:there is none like unto Him]

Walam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ

[TheChristian]

God is not a "HE". To say such things would denote a gender. God is neither, which is why I say Him/Her.

[Peace Train]

God is not a "HE". To say such things would denote a gender. God is neither, which is why I say Him/Her.


Well in both Quran and Hadith God is refered to as HE, this does not mean that God is male in the way we know male. I don't think that we can conceive any of God's attributes...and what I mean by that is....that...and I'll give you an example:

Narrated Abu Huraira

The Prophet said, "Allah says: 'I am just as My slave thinks I am, (i.e. I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him) and I am with him if He remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I too, remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a group of people, Iremember him in a group that is better than they; and if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.' "

Where Allah says that he will come running for example, I don't think that it necessarily means that God has legs in the way we know legs...there's no way that our mind can imagine God's physical attributes.

If I'm wrong, then may God forgive me.

[TheChristian]

Salaam,




Where Allah says that he will come running for example, I don't think that it necessarily means that God has legs in the way we know legs...there's no way that our mind can imagine God's physical attributes.

So we both agree that God is not a "He", correct? God is the one that created the sexes as well as their differences and similarities.

The idea of "He" is the reason why some Christians (and I guess Muslims now) regard God as a Man or with Man-like qualities.

There are a few sites on this subject such as if you type "allah has no gender" in Yahoo Search, you will get a few pages on the idea.


God knows best.

Peace.

[Dawud AbuSulayman]

Say, Allah is one the self suffiecient master He begets not nor is he begotten and "There is nothing co equal or comparable unto him"

[NoNameAtAll]

This is exactly why I will end up rejecting all "revealled religions" and becoming a Deist. No one in their right mind could possibly allude to knowing what God is....

He/She/It is far beyond human comprehension and to suppose that we as mere humans could ever KNOW what there is to know of God is absurd. People put God in a little box that fits their view of Him (gender neutral intent) based upon their education and upbringing and then condemn everyone else to hellfire and damnation because they do not see Him the same way. Where the law keeps them from bloodshed they persecute one another, and where the law does not - all groups have been guilty of unmentionable violence (all groups) in the name of God.

Nothing personal but I find this practice of (_________ insert your religion here) to be distasteful and insulting to God. Christians say that Mohammed was a fake and an imposter and Muslims say that Christians worship 3 Gods.

I saw this written on a Muslim website yesterday:

In the Qur’ân, Allâh has described three states of the self: the self at peace, the reproachful self, and the self that urges evil. Accordingly, people have varied in their views as to whether a servant has one self, of which these three states are attributes, or three selves.

The first view is that of the people of knowledge and explanation, while the second has been attributed to the Sufîs. The truth of the matter is that there is no contradiction between the two. The self is a single entity as far as its essence is concerned, and is one of three main types, depending on what attributes it has.

This is the most perfect description of a "trinity" that I have ever seen and from Muslims who profess to not be capable of understanding the "trinity" that Christians worship. From this statement - Most Musims think of themselves as a "trinity" of personalities.

Anytime I try to post anywhere on religious confusion, all I get is sand thrown in the gears and more confusion. And all of this arguing comes from people who profess to be "at peace" with their religious convictions. In the end revealled religions are contradictory and I (for one) doubt the revelation of any of them. The more I learn on my own I feel that God has lead me to the knowledge of Him and I also feel that this knowledge exists (and is freely available to all) outside the confines of any revealled "word of God" or "sacred text".

Didn't mean to get off on a rant there, but....

Everyone is free to believe what they so choose but I think we should ALL allow others to believe as they will and just stop the arguing about things that NO ONE can possibly know for certain.

[NoNameAtAll]

I sincerely apologize if anyone took offense to my last post on this thread, I just have suffered so much with religious turmoil and I can no longer bear not knowing which way to go.

Again, I apologize for my rant.

[Harun_Abdul_Hakeem]

Itz Okay Itz Understandable nonameitall,dont worry. ;) :)

[Travelleress]

No offence taken.
May Allah guide you, ameen.

Just wondering what you mean by this:


The more I learn on my own I feel that God has lead me to the knowledge of Him and I also feel that this knowledge exists (and is freely available to all) outside the confines of any revealled "word of God" or "sacred text".

[NoNameAtAll]

Just wondering what you mean by this:

The more I learn on my own I feel that God has lead me to the knowledge of Him and I also feel that this knowledge exists (and is freely available to all) outside the confines of any revealled "word of God" or "sacred text".

From a letter written by Thomas Paine (as written to Samuel Adams in the late 1700's):

"Do we want to contemplate His power? We see it in the immensity of the creation. Do we want to contemplate His wisdom: We see it in the unchangeable order by which the incomprehensible whole is governed. Do we want to contemplate His munificence? We see it in the abundance with which He fills the earth. Do we want to contemplate His mercy? We see it in His not withholding that abundance even from the unthankful."

As for universal philanthropy; by which I do not mean merely the sentimental benevolence of wishing well, but the practical benevolence of doing good. We cannot serve Deity in the same manner we serve those who cannot do without our service. He needs no service from us. We can add nothing to eternity. But it is in our power to render a service acceptable to Him, and that is not by praying, but by endeavoring to make his creatures happy.

A man does not serve God when he prays, for it is himself he is trying to serve; and as to hiring or paying men to pray, as if the Deity needed instruction, it is, in my opinion, an abomination.

You, my dear and much respected friend, are now far in the vale of years; I have yet , I believe, some years in store, for I have a good state of health and a happy mind, and I take care of both, by nourishing the first with temperance and the latter with abundance. This, I believe, you will allow to be the true philosophy of life.

You will see by my third letter to the citizens of the United States that I have been exposed to, and preserved through, many dangers; but instead of buffeting the Deity with prayers as if I distrusted Him, or must dictate to Him, I reposed myself on His protection; and you, my friend, will find, even in your last moments, more consolation in the silence of resignation than in the murmuring wish of a prayer.

In everything which you say in your second letter to John Adams, respecting our rights as men and citizens in this world, I am perfectly with you. On other points we have to answer to our Creator and not to each other. The key of heaven is not in the keeping of any sect, nor ought the road to it be obstructed by any.

Our relation to each other in this world is as men, and the man who is a friend to man and to his rights, let his religious opinions be what they may, is a good citizen, to whom I can give, as I ought to do, and as every other ought, the right hand of fellowship, and to none with more hearty good will, my dear friend, than to you.

Thomas Paine

[NoNameAtAll]

For anyone who may not know this: Deists believe in one God and one God only - the difference being that they do NOT believe that God ever revealled anything to any man or group of people other than through His creation. All men see the beauty of creation the same and as such know that God IS..... and no more!

Google "Deism" and/or "Thomas Paine" for more on this subject.

[Colombian Muslim]

Bismillah walhamdulillah was-sallallahu 3ala sayyidina Muhammad ashrafil mursaleen.
thereafter:
to the muslims i say as-salaamu 3alaykum

since this is the thread for "new Muslims" its imperitive that Islam is represented properly

it should be known to all people that even though there are many people on this earth that claim to worship God, there is only one true religion.

the only religion accepted by God is Islam.
even though thats the case, Muslims dont claim to know the reality of the creator. NONE of the creations know the reality of the creator; not Angels or Prophets or pious Muslims or non muslims. none of the creations can know the reality of the creator.

but what we do know about the creator as he revealed to the Prophets throughout time is what befits the creator and what does not befit the creator, that is, knowing how to differentiate between the Creator and the creations.

at this point i would like to point out that all the Prophets from Prophet Adam to Prophet Muhammad peace be upon them all have come with the same message. the same essentials of belief. for example no Prophet of God ever told or taught the people that God is a man or a body that resides in the sky or a spririt or something called the tao or anything of that sort. all the Prophets cleared God of all imperfection, all the Prophets taught the people that God is attributed with Hearing, Sight, Power, Will, Eternity, Everlatingness, Speech, Non-resemblence to the creations, Life, Non-neediness of the creations, Existence, etc. so even though the same word is used for God's attributes of Hearing and Sight, it doesnt mean that his Hearing and Sight resemble the creations hearing and sight.

because God hears all things and God sees all things. and God's attribute of Hearing and Sight are without a how. that is we know that God sees all and hears all, and we know that its without an instrument like and ear or an eye and we know that ITS NOT SIMILAR to how the creations see or hear.

to connect my point, we cannot know the reality of God because our knowledge is limited. for example we dont even know which vocal chords we are using when we speak and we dont control our hearbeats and all the thoughts or ideas and anything that we imagine is created. we dont create ourselves or our actions. we are created period.

therefore if we are not even able to know the reality of ourselves, which are creations, then how could one know about the reality of the Creator, who is exists without a beginning and without an end and who is attributed with uncountable attributes and who existed before anything else existed.

so we agree that God existed eternally and nothing else existed. and we agree that God is attributed with perfection, and we agree that whatever is perfect then it doesnt change because change implies imperfection, because if something changes then it either went from a better situation to a worse one or from a worse one to a better one, neither of which befit God and neither of which are attributed to God.

so since God existed before he created lights and sounds and colors and sizes and shapes and volumes and directions and places and skies and mountains and heavens and earths and clouds and smoke and fire and humans and any other creation you can think of, therefore God doesnt resemble that and he is not in need of that.

now as far as referring to God as "he"
it doesnt denote gender, but we for sure dont refer to God as she because then that denotes gender and we dont say about God "it" because in english this is a degrading term. God refers to himself as "huwa" in al Qur'an which is an arabic term that carries more than one meaning.

so in english we say "he" but not to denote gender jut simply because God refers to himself in Al Qur'an as "huwa" which translatd to english is "he"

but for sure we know that it doesnt mean that God is a man. because God created men, therefore he doesnt resemble men or women or children or Angels or any other creation as i have explained.

also, anyone who claims that God accepts people other that those who hold the creed of Islam in their hearts and profess with their tongues the 2 testifications of faith then he is NOT among the believers, i.e, Muslims.

walhamdulillahi rabbil 3alamin was-salaatu was-salaamu 3alaa sayyidina Muhammad wa 3ala 'alihit-tayyibin at-tahirin.

[NoNameAtAll]

to connect my point, we cannot know the reality of God because our knowledge is limited. for example we dont even know which vocal chords we are using when we speak and we dont control our hearbeats and all the thoughts or ideas and anything that we imagine is created. we dont create ourselves or our actions. we are created period.

therefore if we are not even able to know the reality of ourselves, which are creations, then how could one know about the reality of the Creator, who is exists without a beginning and without an end and who is attributed with uncountable attributes and who existed before anything else existed.

Ameen, very wise post indeed my friend. Much appreciated and well taken!

[amatullah]

NoNameAtAll

Hi! May God guide you to the right path.May He guide you to success always. True success and True happiness.Ameen

Check out the some signs of Allah in His creation:

http://www.miraclesofislam.com/

http://www.islamcan.com/miracles/index.shtml

http://www.islamcan.com/signsofallah/index.shtml

[amatullah]

The Qur'aan proves modern scientific discoveries

http://www.bensys.mcmail.com/Islam.htm

by the way a poem i've come across.Tawakkaltu 'Alallah - which means placing our Full Trust in Allah

TAWAKKALTU 'ALALLAH

covered by incomprehensible confusion,
stifled by angst,
worried,scared,apprehensive,anxious,guilty,depress ed...BREATHE! just BREATHE!

just wanna go back
and do things differently.
reality is obscured,
i don't have the answers
to the questions
that shatter my peace of mind.
i don't have the courage
to change,
i am
lost
where am i?
who am i?

where can i turn?

please someone,
help me.
just change the inner turmoil to peace,
who is there to help me?

from deep down inside
a spark
a voice
reaches out,
urging me to do
what i KNOW i must do.

i bow my head in shame.
How could i have turned elsewhere?
How could i have forgotten HIM?
HE, who has all the answers,
HE, who did not desert me
even though i deserted HIM,
HE, who has been waiting for me.

i pour out my soul's grief
from the porcelain jug of my heart.
i lay it all at HIS open door,
i leave it all in HIS outstretched hands,
TAWAKKALTU 'ALALLAH!

Now there's a beat in my heart
I hadn't noticed it before,
The beat...
Of incomprehensible hope,
Of unending light,
Of Divine forgiveness,
Of ALLAH'S LOVE...

Now life is transformed.
HIS beautiful qualities
Tranquilize my life,
Just as the rainbow
Colours the pure sky
After the hurricane.

I have rediscovered my
TRUE
Purpose in life.
And though I still don't know all the answers,
It all makes sense now.
Allahu Akbar!

HE has all the answers,
HE will see me through,
HE will give me strength.
For HIS eternal promise:
HE will NEVER give me,
Has NEVER given me,
A burden I cannot bear.

Oh ALLAH, the Creator of Honesty and Justice,
YOU are the Most Wise, the Most Merciful.
TAWAKKALTU 'ALALLAH!
Oh ALLAH, forgive me!
Oh ALLAH, I love Thee!

[NoNameAtAll]

Thank you for sharing that lovely poem with us, it is truly inspiring and gives me hope for answers to my dilemma. Again, thanks. May Allah richly bless you.

[amatullah]

NoNameAtAll, Ameen to your prayer, the same to you...

To gladden your heart and ease your period of sadness I highly recommend you to listen to the following Audio entitled 'Depression vs Contentment' Truly if we have contentment we have true wealth...May Allah grant us all contentment, ameen . You can download it here (http://www.sulaimanmoola.com/Download1.html) It's under Section 4

Also and excellent audio I REALLY recommend you to listen to

How I came to Islam by Abdur Raheem Green (http://www.islamway.com/newenglish/bindex.php?section=lessons&lesson_id=137&scholar_id=16)

Allah-Willing you will find answers to some of your questions in the above link...

may you truly be happy and guided forever, ameen

The Beloved Last Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him) is the most dearest creation of Allah, yet on his mission of guiding mankind he went through the most sacrifices...that doesn't mean that Allah didn't love him!We believe that he (Peace Be Upon Him) is the most remarkable human to have walked this earth.He could have lived like a king yet he CHOSE to live a simple life.

We as Muslims believe that every hardship is a test for the believers and if we pass the test of this life, we will live eternally in Gardens of Bliss.Every hardship is a means of getting closer to our Lord-which is the purpose of our creation - To worship Him and praise Him. WE thank Him in prosperity (and in return Allah gives us more )and turn to Him in adversity...in this way we are content at all times because we're not aiming for any worldly goal- our goal is true...to please our Lord...

So if I'm in a difficulty however big or small even a prick of a thorn I know that my sins are being washed and Allah wants me to turn to Him...You might have noticed that when we're in difficult situations we tend to pray with more fervor, from the heart!We sometimes forget Him (Allah protect us) when times are good!We forget that all good is from Him!So sometimes difficulties are Allah's way of drawing us closer to Him...

Another poem a sister was kind enough to share:

[Remember:

When becoming humiliated, remember the Prophet (Peace be upon him)in Ta'if.

When being starved, remember the Prophet (Peace be upon him) tying two stones to his stomach in the battle of Khandaq.

When becoming angry, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) control of anger on the martyrdom of his beloved Uncle Hamza.

When losing a tooth, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) tooth in the battle of Uhud.

When bleeding from any part of the body, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) body covered in blood on his return from Ta'if.

When feeling lonely, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) seclusion in Mount Hira .

When feeling tired in Salaat, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) blessed feet in Tahajjud.

When being prickled with thorns, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) pain from Abu Lahab's wife.

When being troubled by neighbours, remember the old woman who would empty rubbish on the Prophet (Peace be upon him) .

When losing a child, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) son, Ibrahim.

When beginning a long journey, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) long journey to Madinah.

When going against a Sunnah, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) intercession, (Ummati, Ummati, Ummati) (My Ummah - Followers).

When sacrificing an animal, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) sacrifice of 63 animals for his Ummah.

Before shaving your beard, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) face rejecting the two beardless Iranians.

When falling into an argument with your wife, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) encounter with Aisha and Hafsa.

When experiencing less food in the house, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) days of poverty.

When experiencing poverty, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) advice to Ashaab-e-Suffa (People of Suffa).

When losing a family member, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) departure from this world.

When becoming an orphan, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) age at six When sponsoring an orphan, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) sponsor for Zaid ibn Haritha.

When fearing an enemy, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) saying to Abu Bakr in Mount Thour.

Whatever situation you may find yourself in, remember your role model, the best of creation: Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).

[Harun_Abdul_Hakeem]

Jazacks for the reminder sister i would not have put it in better words myself,The reminder is beneficial for us all,like Allah States in the quran more or less to the effect That Reminder is Benefitail for all the Believers. :$ ;)

[Peace Train]

This is exactly why I will end up rejecting all "revealled religions" and becoming a Deist. No one in their right mind could possibly allude to knowing what God is....

This is the most perfect description of a "trinity" that I have ever seen and from Muslims who profess to not be capable of understanding the "trinity" that Christians worship. From this statement - Most Musims think of themselves as a "trinity" of personalities.


I don't know where you got that statement from, but it seems to me the most incorrect statement in this whole topic. There is no idea of a "trinity" in orthodox Islam. I think it's easy for non-muslims or reverts even to compare Christian principles to those of Islam, trying to get an understanding about Islam, and perhaps use a theory like this to reject Islam as they've rejected Christianity. Islam is about one...submission to none other than God and belief in His last messenger. I don't mean to cause offence, it's just that I don't think that these kinds of theories fit in with Islam what so ever.



Bismillah walhamdulillah was-sallallahu 3ala sayyidina Muhammad ashrafil mursaleen.
thereafter:
to the muslims i say as-salaamu 3alaykum

since this is the thread for "new Muslims" its imperitive that Islam is represented properly

it should be known to all people that even though there are many people on this earth that claim to worship God, there is only one true religion.

the only religion accepted by God is Islam.
even though thats the case, Muslims dont claim to know the reality of the creator. NONE of the creations know the reality of the creator; not Angels or Prophets or pious Muslims or non muslims. none of the creations can know the reality of the creator.

but what we do know about the creator as he revealed to the Prophets throughout time is what befits the creator and what does not befit the creator, that is, knowing how to differentiate between the Creator and the creations.

at this point i would like to point out that all the Prophets from Prophet Adam to Prophet Muhammad peace be upon them all have come with the same message. the same essentials of belief. for example no Prophet of God ever told or taught the people that God is a man or a body that resides in the sky or a spririt or something called the tao or anything of that sort. all the Prophets cleared God of all imperfection, all the Prophets taught the people that God is attributed with Hearing, Sight, Power, Will, Eternity, Everlatingness, Speech, Non-resemblence to the creations, Life, Non-neediness of the creations, Existence, etc. so even though the same word is used for God's attributes of Hearing and Sight, it doesnt mean that his Hearing and Sight resemble the creations hearing and sight.

because God hears all things and God sees all things. and God's attribute of Hearing and Sight are without a how. that is we know that God sees all and hears all, and we know that its without an instrument like and ear or an eye and we know that ITS NOT SIMILAR to how the creations see or hear.

to connect my point, we cannot know the reality of God because our knowledge is limited. for example we dont even know which vocal chords we are using when we speak and we dont control our hearbeats and all the thoughts or ideas and anything that we imagine is created. we dont create ourselves or our actions. we are created period.

therefore if we are not even able to know the reality of ourselves, which are creations, then how could one know about the reality of the Creator, who is exists without a beginning and without an end and who is attributed with uncountable attributes and who existed before anything else existed.

so we agree that God existed eternally and nothing else existed. and we agree that God is attributed with perfection, and we agree that whatever is perfect then it doesnt change because change implies imperfection, because if something changes then it either went from a better situation to a worse one or from a worse one to a better one, neither of which befit God and neither of which are attributed to God.

so since God existed before he created lights and sounds and colors and sizes and shapes and volumes and directions and places and skies and mountains and heavens and earths and clouds and smoke and fire and humans and any other creation you can think of, therefore God doesnt resemble that and he is not in need of that.

now as far as referring to God as "he"
it doesnt denote gender, but we for sure dont refer to God as she because then that denotes gender and we dont say about God "it" because in english this is a degrading term. God refers to himself as "huwa" in al Qur'an which is an arabic term that carries more than one meaning.

so in english we say "he" but not to denote gender jut simply because God refers to himself in Al Qur'an as "huwa" which translatd to english is "he"

but for sure we know that it doesnt mean that God is a man. because God created men, therefore he doesnt resemble men or women or children or Angels or any other creation as i have explained.

also, anyone who claims that God accepts people other that those who hold the creed of Islam in their hearts and profess with their tongues the 2 testifications of faith then he is NOT among the believers, i.e, Muslims.

walhamdulillahi rabbil 3alamin was-salaatu was-salaamu 3alaa sayyidina Muhammad wa 3ala 'alihit-tayyibin at-tahirin.

Maasha Allah, may God reward you for your effords, very well put my brother :)

[NoNameAtAll]

I don't know where you got that statement from, but it seems to me the most incorrect statement in this whole topic. There is no idea of a "trinity" in orthodox Islam.

I apologize if you misunderstood my friend, I AM NOT saying that Muslims worship a trinity at all, I know that is not the case not am I implying any trinity in any Muslim doctrine. I simply mean that I have seen many conversations online wherein Muslims dance around the issue of a trinity trying to prove a Christian wrong by saying that they "just cant grasp the concept. My quote in that post simply shows that not only can Muslims grasp the concept BUT they see their personalities in this same light when it comes to purification/right/wrong/sin and repentence.

[Useless_Slave_Of_Allah]

ISLAM

Islam is a way of life, try it.
Islam is a gift, accept it.
Islam is a journey, complete it.
Islam is a struggle, fight for it.
Islam is a goal, achieve it.
Islam is an opportunity, take it.
Islam is not for sinners, overcome it.
Islam is not a game, don't play with it.
Islam is not a mystery, behold it
Islam is not for cowards, face it.
Islam is not for the dead, live it.
Islam is a promise, fulfill it.
Islam is a duty, perform it.
Islam is a treasure (the Prayer), pray it.
Islam is a beautiful way of life, see it.
Islam has a message for you, hear it.
Islam is love , love it.

[Peace Train]

I apologize if you misunderstood my friend, I AM NOT saying that Muslims worship a trinity at all, I know that is not the case not am I implying any trinity in any Muslim doctrine. I simply mean that I have seen many conversations online wherein Muslims dance around the issue of a trinity trying to prove a Christian wrong by saying that they "just cant grasp the concept. My quote in that post simply shows that not only can Muslims grasp the concept BUT they see their personalities in this same light when it comes to purification/right/wrong/sin and repentence.


Thank you for your explanation, I hope I haven't offended you in any way...it's just that I don't agree with the comparison to justify the idea of a multiple self (if that makes sense) with somehing that is associated with the Christian concept god being three...even if it's just a comparison.

[azba]

ISLAM

Islam is a way of life, try it.
Islam is a gift, accept it.
Islam is a journey, complete it.
Islam is a struggle, fight for it.
Islam is a goal, achieve it.
Islam is an opportunity, take it.
Islam is not for sinners, overcome it.
Islam is not a game, don't play with it.
Islam is not a mystery, behold it
Islam is not for cowards, face it.
Islam is not for the dead, live it.
Islam is a promise, fulfill it.
Islam is a duty, perform it.
Islam is a treasure (the Prayer), pray it.
Islam is a beautiful way of life, see it.
Islam has a message for you, hear it.
Islam is love , love it.

wow jus dn't know wot 2 say that is gr8 ;)

btw may a ask did u write diz ur self or found it off NET and a mean found off NET :lol:

[seenya]

1. everything is related to karma (no, not that chick from those comic books).

2. everything that goes up comes down.

3. so say the vice, oppps, wise. :-)

[NoNameAtAll]

Thanks much to all for your kind replies and words of encouragement, I am still re-reading several of these as they are most wise and insightful.

[ilmwear.com]

We are all in the same boat Bro,

I too was at a time where I lost my job and it gave me time to reflect. Everything happens for a reason. I took the plunge a few years ago and it's best thing I did. I was of the opinion that you have to be part of something to truly understand it, even if it took time.

The feeling you get is one of relief, peace, self-worth and inner strength. I'm not saying that life doesn't throw up any challenges, but you are better equipped to meet them in your stride with optimism.

Christianity at times can lead some people towards a feeling of helplessness, in the fact that certain actions are more a punishment, rather than a test. This comes from the fact that many believe that accepting God or Jesus is enough for salvation. The slight difference with Muslims lies in the fact that we are more of the opinion that allegence has to be constantly demonstrated and none of us here knows with all certainty that our actions will be accepted, or are guaranteed a place in heaven.

Another key difference lies in the power which Christians tend to attribute to Satan. Satan is almost like another god. In Islam Satan's power only stretches as far as his ability to influence by whispering to those who listen. God is control of everything.

If you haven't already read this, I found solace in the story of Job, or Ayub in Arabic. Read the Muslim version because you will find some differences.

Also the autobiography of Malcolm-X by Alex Haley is a gripping read.

I hope this helps