Ask a Muslim...

[dlish]

its pretty simple. Ask me any questions you like about Islam, islamic culture, practice, language, arabic lifetyle, beliefs and anything else that may be related to islam.

I'll do my best to answer them. i am by no means the be all and end all of Islamic knowledge or islamic jurispudence, but i do know a bit, since i grew up in a fairly conservative lebanese muslim household in suburban Sydney.
i dont profess to know it all, but if i don't know, i have plenty of 'Brains Trust' within the family that i can draw upon. so i'll try my best to answer all questions honestly.

Naturally, every muslim experience is unique and different. so i may see things different to others. Ill give my experience a australian lebanese youth growing up in Sydney, but i'll also draw from th last few years of living and working in the middle east. For those few other muslim members here, please feel free to chime in by answering or even asking questions.

so ask away. my only request is that this thread stays civil.

[fresnelly]

Thanks for taking this on!

What are the basics in the Qur'an about the status of Women?

[Baraka_Guru]

Yes, this is a great idea.

How does the Muslim view of non-Muslims compare to, say, the Jewish view of Gentiles and the Christian view of non-Christians?

[Glory's Sun]

as a muslim, why do you, not only own, but wear a New York Yankees hat? Is this a statement that you are aligning yourself with the most despicable organization in all of sport?

[dlish]

Originally Posted by guccilvr

as a muslim, why do you, not only own, but wear a New York Yankees hat? Is this a statement that you are aligning yourself with the most despicable organization in all of sport?

as a muslim, it doesnt really matter what sport or team i follow. I bought a NY Yankees hat because it was comfortable, and not for any political reason. it could have been worse...chicago cubs

as a muslim i harbour no malice towards anyone, muslim or otherwise. in fact i have many great american friends who happen to be great people. i tend not to let politics get involved in my personal relationships.

am i reading between the lines, you're asking why some muslims may think that NYC is the centre of all Evil?

[Glory's Sun]

haha no.. I just hate the fucking yankees

[dlish]

Originally Posted by Baraka_Guru

Yes, this is a great idea.

How does the Muslim view of non-Muslims compare to, say, the Jewish view of Gentiles and the Christian view of non-Christians?

the muslim view of non-muslims is very similar to the way christians view non-christians.

the general belief that God (Allah in arabic) sent prophets to guide their people, but that the message was corrupted by the people and people strayed from the true path. the classic and well known example is the Story of Moses and Aaron. hence, Judaism and Christianity were teaching the true path. The message of the 'Oneness of God'

Islam is viewed by muslims as the only remaining unadulterated message. Islam, like Christianity but unlike Judaism mentions heaven and hell in its holy text, the Qur'an. without getting into minor details, those that followed the path of the 'Oneness of God' will go to heaven, and those that didnt will go to hell.

not sure if you need me to expand, but i can give some more detail if you like.

---------- Post added at 05:57 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:55 AM ----------

Originally Posted by guccilvr

haha no.. I just hate the fucking yankees

please dont use vulgar language in this thread. God, G-D, Allah, Yahweh may strike you down or something

do you hate them more or less than the Cubs?

---------- Post added at 06:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:57 AM ----------

Originally Posted by fresnelly

Thanks for taking this on!

What are the basics in the Qur'an about the status of Women?

this is a huge question on which thousands upon thousands of books have been written about over the past 50 years which i can not do justice. this topic is so vast, i dont know where to start.

is there any particular issues, topic or questions that you wanted addressed?

[telekinetic]

Is your Muslim-ness (what's the Muslim version of Christianity?) more important to you culturally or religiously?

What do you feel would have attracted you to the Muslim beliefs if you had not been raised Muslim?

Have you ever had a period of rebellion (common among Christian-raised teens and 20-somethings...some come back, some don't) against your beliefs?

[fresnelly]

Originally Posted by dlish

this is a huge question on which thousands upon thousands of books have been written about over the past 50 years which i can not do justice. this topic is so vast, i dont know where to start.

is there any particular issues, topic or questions that you wanted addressed?

I figured

When I hear these horrible stories about blown-up girls' schools and stonings I assume that the perpetrators are twisting basic guidelines for domestic roles and morals but then I really have no idea. I guess I'm asking: what are the basic tenets that inspire the extremists against education and equality for women?

And, surely there are some positive passages about the role or status of women in the basic tenets but we never hear them. What are they?

[Cynthetiq]

At what point does the Muslim faith diverge from the other Abrahamic faiths? Is it past the time of Jesus? Or does the schism happen earlier?

[dlish]

Originally Posted by twistedmosaic

Is your Muslim-ness (what's the Muslim version of Christianity?) more important to you culturally or religiously??

i think a bit of both. as i mentioned earlier, i grew up in a conservative lebanese family. in saying that, we were still extremely liberal in that we had anglo australian friends (something that isnt very common), i was and still involved in swimming and sport in general, but in principle we still practiced all the islamic rituals on a daily basis. this includes the 5 daily prayers, fasting ramadan, attending friday prayers, giving zakat (charity) etc. so from a young age, i was affected religiously i'd say.

from the age of 24 onwards, and after i left my parents house, it became more important culturally. i guess you could say that i wasnt within the realm of influence of my family and i started to think and see as an individual. not that i disagree with my family, but i made my own choices as an adult.

Originally Posted by twistedmosaic

What do you feel would have attracted you to the Muslim beliefs if you had not been raised Muslim?

i was always interested in human rights and equality. when i stumbled upon Malcolm X's autobiography in the 90's, i never stopped being a fan. Had i not been a muslim at the time, his ideas and ideals would have at least made me consider becoming one. His theory of not turning the other cheek was although militant, but sound. His story is a remarkable one.

Originally Posted by twistedmosaic

Have you ever had a period of rebellion (common among Christian-raised teens and 20-somethings...some come back, some don't) against your beliefs?

you could say from the age of 24 till now (31) i have been on this stage of rebellion. The popular islamic idea that faith is dynamic and is never static. Faith rises and wanes in relation to the amount of islamic practises and rituals you do.

---------- Post added at 06:36 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:26 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Cynthetiq

At what point does the Muslim faith diverge from the other Abrahamic faiths? Is it past the time of Jesus? Or does the schism happen earlier?

depends where you look at it really. islam sees the Jews diverge first with the rejection of Jesus as an imposter, and then with the Christians rejecting Jesus as a mortal, thus elevating him to the status of God, Son of God, God incarnate etc. Islam views Jesus as a prophet, just like all the other prophets sent before him to the people.

the split happened pretty much at Jesus, but was affirmed with Muhammad, with the Christians and Jews rejecting his message of the 'Oneness of God'

---------- Post added at 06:50 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:36 AM ----------

Originally Posted by fresnelly

I figured

When I hear these horrible stories about blown-up girls' schools and stonings I assume that the perpetrators are twisting basic guidelines for domestic roles and morals but then I really have no idea. I guess I'm asking: what are the basic tenets that inspire the extremists against education and equality for women?

And, surely there are some positive passages about the role or status of women in the basic tenets but we never hear them. What are they?

illiteracy and lack of education is rampant in some parts of the muslim world. i wont go into politics of it, because its not what this thread was intended for.

the idea amonst these people is that women are not meant to be more educated or better than the males. this usually happens in more tribal/nomadic parts of the muslim works. how dare a woman become a doctor! sh0ck/horror! the mentality amonst these men is that domestic duties are intended for the women (although in many hadiths [traditions about the daily life of muhammad]prophet muhammad would clean his own house). although this is not something seen only in islamic customs but also in arab christian culture too, whic leads me to believe that this mentality predates the islamic period.

there are many positives that we dont get to hear about, but i will need to carry tomorrow some time. ive got to be up in a few hours, but ill definately continue this post tomorrow

[Glory's Sun]

Originally Posted by dlish

*snip*


please dont use vulgar language in this thread. God, G-D, Allah, Yahweh may strike you down or something

do you hate them more or less than the Cubs?

are you serious? the fucking yankees will always receive the brunt of my vitrol!

I don't even care about the cubs really.. I mean.. why would I care about them? it's not like they win anything

[Tully Mars]

What's your view on the main differences between Shi'a and Sunni?

[genuinegirly]

What are the basic bare-necessities-to-be-a-good-Muslim spiritual duties that one does daily? (thinking along the lines of praying 5x daily)

[Crack]

As a typical American, we are bombarded with quotes and diatribes from nothing but the most radical of any religious or political view point. That said, what would be the most important thing that you would want the non-Muslim world to know about Muslims?

Also, what is up with all the jihad, and do some people really believe that there are 72 virgins waiting in heaven if they die while blowing the enemy up?

Houri be dammed, I don't think I could do it.

[ASU2003]

Do Muslims put aside their differences when traveling to Mecca?

Have you ever made the pilgrimage to the Grand Mosque? Do you plan to at some point if you haven't yet?

Is their a central figure in Islam like the pope? Or is there something like a committee of Imans of each sect?

Does Muslim society have moral problems with abortion or birth control?

Is there a black market for porn? What would be the penalty for getting caught with it?

Do very many people speak English in the Middle East?

[Slims]

How do you and the Muslims you know view the Salafist-Takfiri groups and ideologies?

[uncle phil]

Originally Posted by Tully Mars

What's your view on the main differences between Shi'a and Sunni?

same question from me...

[Halanna]

Why do you have to pray so many times a day? Is it respect to Allah ( is that the correct name?) or a way to salvation or a multi daily confessional of sorts?

Do you confess your supposed sins to Allah (?) and are they forgiven if you do confess?
Is there a thing like the catholics have that you do penance?

Why does the religion believe that women should wear a veil in public?

What do you believe happens when you die? Male and female. Are there two different outcomes?

Your original post offered all to ask questions, I'm very sorry if my questions cause offense.

[Martian]

This is a fascinating thread, and I thank you Dlish for being willing to share your beliefs so openly and help educate those of us who are less informed.

A practical question: What are the necessities of Halal? I know there are specific requirements regarding how food is prepared, but I don't know the details. Is it similar to kosher rules?

And a more philosophical question: Does the Muslim faith make allowances for non-Muslims who are basically good people?

I'm comparing this to my understanding of Judaism, for example; my understanding is that the Jewish faith holds that, because the Jewish people were the ones who made the pact on Mt. Zion, their beliefs and restrictions don't apply to those outside the faith. Does the Muslim faith teach a similar tolerance for non-believers, or do they take a more strict view?

[Craven Morehead]

What a wonderful thing to do. I'm going to be checking this thread every day.

dlish, I'd like your take on how Obama portraysthe Islamic world in this interview http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/03/op...n.html?_r=1&em

[dlish]

Originally Posted by genuinegirly

What are the basic bare-necessities-to-be-a-good-Muslim spiritual duties that one does daily? (thinking along the lines of praying 5x daily)

the bare basics is pretty simple. The 5 pillars of islam is the foundation of what everything else is based on.

-1- The Proclamation of faith - the belief there is is only 1 god and that muhammad is his prophet and messenger

-2- Prayer - praying the obligatory 5 prayers

-3- Fasting - fasting during the month of Ramadan

-4- Zakat - Giving % of your money to those less needy

-5- Hajj - Making the pilgrimmage to Mecca at least once in your lifetime

if you do those, taking into consideration the basic principles of "doing good & prohibiting evil" then you're in good stead. Its not very dissimilar to The Ten Commandments. In principle, its in line with Christian and Jewish beliefs in being good or courtous to people.

Granted, that some people may portray muslims in a different light, but so do others for other belief systems.

---------- Post added at 01:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:10 PM ----------

Originally Posted by ASU2003

Do Muslims put aside their differences when traveling to Mecca?

Have you ever made the pilgrimage to the Grand Mosque? Do you plan to at some point if you haven't yet?

Is their a central figure in Islam like the pope? Or is there something like a committee of Imans of each sect?

Does Muslim society have moral problems with abortion or birth control?

Is there a black market for porn? What would be the penalty for getting caught with it?

Do very many people speak English in the Middle East?

- before travelling for Mecca, a ritual that muslims believe that god will wash away all their sins with the exception of Major Sins and debts. debts are sins against man. whilst major sins are considered sins against god.

Major sins are considered to be things like, Associating a diety with Allah. ie idolatory, partners with Allah, Adultery/fornication, Murder etc.

debt something that you owe someone. usually it is money, but it has many forms. if someone owes someone else money, then that debt must be paid back at some point. if it is not, the person who is owed the debt has the right to ask for their right on the Day of Judgement.

This debt is paid 'in blessings or sin'. so the more sin you have, the worse your account on the Day of Judgement, the more blessing you have the better your account on the Day of Judgement.

The important thing to remember is that only the person who is owed the debt can forgive someone for something they owe them.

the principle here is that when someone goes to Mecca, they come back with no sins owing.

typically when someone goes to Mecca, before they go, they go around to their friends, family and foes asking for forgiveness of anything they may have done, or something they may have owed. they do this with the intention that when they come back from Mecca, they come back with a clean slate.


--------------
i will get to ALL the questions, but ive got work, will check back later.

[Crack]

Just the other day I was curious about how a person of the Muslim faith would cope with the difficulties of being in space, and I found a very cool article about the subject:

Originally Posted by http://arabist.net/archives/2007/09/23/space-muslim/

“Conditions at the International Space Station which are so different from those on earth are not a hindrance for the astronaut to fulfil his obligations as a Muslim,” it said in a 20-page booklet.

“In difficult conditions, Islam has conveniences to ensure that religious worship can still be performed.”

Because the space station circles the Earth 16 times a day, theoretically a Muslim would have to pray 80 times a day while staying there.

But the guidelines stipulate that the astronaut need only pray five times a day, just as on Earth, and that the times should follow the location where the spacecraft blasted off from — in this case, Baikonur in Russia.

In the unlikely event the Muslim astronaut dies in space, the religious directives said his body should be brought back to Earth for the usual burial rituals. If that’s not possible, he should be “interred” in Space after a brief ceremony, though the guidelines failed to explain how that should be done.

The booklet covers Islamic washing rituals required before prayer, saying that if water is not available the astronaut can symbolically “sweep holy dust” onto the face and hands “even if there is no dust” in the space station.

There are also suggestions on how to pray in a zero-gravity environment.

“During the prayer ritual, if you can’t stand up straight, you can hunch. If you can’t stand, you can sit. If you can’t sit, you should lie down,” according to the booklet.

Muslims are required to eat food that is halal, which rules out pork and its by-products, alcohol and animals not slaughtered according to Koranic procedures are forbidden — but again in Space there is flexibility.

“If it is doubtful that the food has been prepared in the halal manner, you should eat just enough to ward off hunger,” the booklet said.

Fascinating stuff.

[ktspktsp]

I'm an atheist (though I am legally a Sunni Muslim, according to my state records in Lebanon), but being an Arab I can give some input on the Shia-Sunni thing.
Basically, as in Christianity, there was a schism at some point and believers split into two groups, Sunnis and Shias. This happened after a succession dispute following the death of the fourth caliph (caliphs were the head rulers of the Muslim community in the past, though that evolved into them becoming more of just religious leaders, until the line of rulers was ended by the Ottoman empire in the early 20th century).

In the 1300+ years since the split, there has been a development of some religious differences, different laws and customs, and some separate holidays... But overall the differences are not that vast, frankly (to me, at least ). But the religious institutions are certainly separate, much like separate Christian denominations.

What's more interesting is that Shias are usually a minority in Muslim countries (Iran, Iraq and Bahrain being exceptions), and historically have often been adversely governed by Sunni rulers, and have often been poorer and less educated. So there is a strong awareness in the Shia community in general of the past and present situations, and there are certainly tensions between the two groups in some countries (not everywhere, though. Local factors matter a lot).

So.. yeah. In places with more extremist groups, those religious differences become amplified and the conflict increases. Similarly, when the demographics are not well aligned with the political representation, you get more tensions. That explains why the problem is more pronounced in some areas.

[dlish]

Originally Posted by ASU2003

Have you ever made the pilgrimage to the Grand Mosque? Do you plan to at some point if you haven't yet?

no i havent. i dont think im in the right spiritual mindframe at this point in my life. i far from being a perfect muslim, and the intention when going to Mecca is to come back to your normal life sinless, but also with the intention of not committing sin. i do plan at some point in my life of course. during my younger more fervant days, i was closer to going to Mecca. but the intention is still there. I'll wait for my calling. my father has been twice, my mother a few years ago, my twin brother once and my younger brother once as well as also doing a Umra (which is considered a 'mini' hajj outside of the hajj period so to speak)

Originally Posted by ASU2003

Is their a central figure in Islam like the pope? Or is there something like a committee of Imans of each sect?

there is no set structure in islam.we have no pope, and nobody is infallible. we are all capable of sin and making mistakes. there are committees across the world, but many imams, sheikhs and just people knowledgable in religious affairs are able to deduce some sort of judicial judgements based on Qur'an, Hadith and Sunnah (Qur'an is the holy book, Hadith are written sayings that Muhamamd did, and sunnah are the daily doings of prophet muhammad). any judgements deduced need to be in line with those 3 things. with the advent of technology,it has brought some interesting new innovations (like the astronaut issue mentioned above)

Originally Posted by ASU2003

Does Muslim society have moral problems with abortion or birth control?

abortion yes. similar issues with morality of killing foetuses (sp?).

birth control no. though some ardent observers believe that bareback is best. coitus interuptus is practiced with those people, but is a bit of hit and miss really. pverty in large parts of the muslim world play a large role in the number of children they have. the lack of access to education, health care and support means that the muslim population is expanding at a rapid pace compared to the western world.

Originally Posted by ASU2003

Is there a black market for porn? What would be the penalty for getting caught with it?

in the middle east? yeah there are people that come door knocking here in the UAE who sell you copies of the latest blockbuster on dvd. if they find that you live alone, they'll usually ask you if you want blue movies. most of these door knockers are chinese. if you get caught with it in the airport, they'll take it off you and possbily fine you. if you get caught selling it, you'll most likely get deported. Im talking about the UAe and probably the gulf. im not sure what its like in other places of the muslim world though.

Originally Posted by ASU2003

Do very many people speak English in the Middle East?

in the UAE yes the vast majority or people speak english. i only speak english here when doing business unless i come across someone who only speaks arabic.

---------- Post added at 07:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:27 PM ----------

Originally Posted by guccilvr

are you serious? the fucking yankees will always receive the brunt of my vitrol!

I don't even care about the cubs really.. I mean.. why would I care about them? it's not like they win anything

let me pray for your foul tongue and that the cubs win the championship next season....amen

[spindles]

If I want to become a muslim, do I need to lower the suspension in my car, and make sure to buy a fully sick subwoofer?

[dlish]

Originally Posted by Tully Mars

What's your view on the main differences between Shi'a and Sunni?

its a good question. everyone has different takes, depending on where you come from. And depending on which side of the fence you sit on, your views would be skewed.

ktsp has his take on it as a lebanese national. but for me the lines are little more defined.

ktsp is right in that the split occured after the death of muhammad, and after the caliphat of abu bakr on who would be the next caliph. what started as a power struggle, ended up being a split in the religions based on this. the shia's followed Ali, the prophets son in law who belived that the caliphate should be based on the family lineage, wheras the sunnis based their arguments on who was better suited for the job.

whilst the principles are the same, the shias have differnt schools of thought to the sunnis, and the emphasis and main difference is the idea that the 'ahl al bayt' should have ruled and the martyrdom of Ali and his son Hussein. theological diferences stem from this main difference.

i can expand a little bit more if you like, im not sure how deep you want me to delve into this. but it does go back 13 centuries.

[Tully Mars]

Originally Posted by spindles

If I want to become a muslim, do I need to lower the suspension in my car, and make sure to buy a fully sick subwoofer?

I know you're trying to be funny. But this is a sensitive issues and I'd like to politely ask that we keep this thread serious and not post humorous "zingers" in it.

Not making this statement as a Mod. Not making this statement because a Mod is the OP. I'd feel the same way regardless of the OP. When someone opens them self up like this it's really not much different then someone laying themselves bare in the exhibition thread. So let's not make negative or slap stick comments here, please.

Thank-you

[dlish]

Originally Posted by Slims

How do you and the Muslims you know view the Salafist-Takfiri groups and ideologies?

great question slims. glad you asked.

most wouldnt know this, so it may take some explaining for the rest of the readers.

salafists are also known as wahabis. they call them selves salafis after the 'salaf al saleh' which translated means 'pious predecessors', referring to the predecessors of prophet muhammad. they yearn to bring back the idea that islam has been diluted by some and the only real way for salvation to to bring back the unadluterated version of islam that the pious predecssors practiced.

they are called wahabis to their dismay, because of muhammad adb al wahab who revived the idea of the unadulterated version practiced by the pious predecessors.

they are considered firebrands, though there are many types of salafis around, some more tame than others. they stem from saudi arabia who practice the wahabi ideology, but the ideology has spread all allparts of the muslim world. osama bin laden considers himself a salafi and practices this strain on islam.

the word takfir in arabic means to call someone a heretic or non believer. a kafir is a non believer. so when people associate salafis, many associate it with the fact that many wahabis due to their strict nature, call out other muslims are heretics or non believers. thats where the term comes from.

as far as how i view them? well i have friends from all walks of life, and i dont really care to worry about who or why im friends with whomever i befriend. i do have friends who consider themselves salafis. most of them are NOT takfiri's but sometimes its hard to distinguish. i dont think that salafis are such a bad thing, in that they keep a lot of the other groups honest. but their methodology is quite rigid and unworkable to most muslims who have cultural influences ingrained into the way their practice their religion. for this reason, salafis are not really liked by the majority of the muslim world.

again, i could expand on this, so let me know if you want some more information. im keeping it brief so that i dont bore the rest of you. my intention is to give everyone an insight into a world that many dont and will not see. but keep the questions coming!

---------- Post added at 08:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:24 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Tully Mars

I know you're trying to be funny. But this is a sensitive issues and I'd like to politely ask that we keep this thread serious and not post humorous "zingers" in it.

Not making this statement as a Mod. Not making this statement because a Mod is the OP. I'd feel the same way regardless of the OP. When someone opens them self up like this it's really not much different then someone laying themselves bare in the exhibition thread. So let's not make negative or slap stick comments here, please.

Thank-you

Thanks tully, i appreciate your comments..but you'll find that spindles comments are tongue in cheek since we share the same home city.

we do have a large number of dilinquent arab and muslim youth who just so happen to cruise around in pimped up cars showcasing them down at bondi beach is wifebeaters and adidas sandles. but yes, lets keep this on track , i agree!

[Leto]

Originally Posted by Halanna

Why do you have to pray so many times a day? Is it respect to Allah ( is that the correct name?) or a way to salvation or a multi daily confessional of sorts?

Do you confess your supposed sins to Allah (?) and are they forgiven if you do confess?
Is there a thing like the catholics have that you do penance?

Why does the religion believe that women should wear a veil in public?

What do you believe happens when you die? Male and female. Are there two different outcomes?

Your original post offered all to ask questions, I'm very sorry if my questions cause offense.

similar question: what is the view on original sin? absolution? praying for others to better their postitions in the afterlife?

[dlish]

Originally Posted by Halanna

Why do you have to pray so many times a day? Is it respect to Allah ( is that the correct name?) or a way to salvation or a multi daily confessional of sorts?.

prayer is considered one of the most important rituals in islamic lifestyle. it is the connection between the person and his Creator, and creates an intimate relationship when done with the right intentions.

it is said that sin is washed away between each prayer. but it can also been seen in another light - increasing ones 'good deeds' therefore tilting the 'scales' in your favour in order to attain the ultimate goal - paradise.

why so many? 5? it is the number god commanded to muhammad. i know what you're going to ask...why 5? im not sure, but i can find that out for you.

however, prayer is not a confessional. we dont have a pope, and our 'confessions' are known by god. as muslims prayer is directed purely at god, and we dont need intermediatries in order to gain access to god. ie. praying to statues, pictures, ikons, or other dieties.

if you are interested i can go into the details of prayer and the requirements of it too.

Originally Posted by Halanna

Do you confess your supposed sins to Allah (?) and are they forgiven if you do confess?
Is there a thing like the catholics have that you do penance?

we dont 'confess' our sins as such. God is the 'all - knower' and there is no need to inform god of something that god is aware of already. but when you ask god for forgiveness it must be with the intention that you stop committing that sin. it doesnt have to be in prayer. its the intention of regretting that action and promising oneself and god that you intend on not doing it again.

Originally Posted by Halanna

Why does the religion believe that women should wear a veil in public?

the reference to veiling in the Qur'an refers to calling on the women to 'cover their chests and be modest'. however, during the times of muhammad, the women were asked to cover their head, hair and bodies.

now going back to the Hadith and Sunnah which i mentioned earlier (the hadith is the writings of what he did, and the sunnah is was his daily doings) so from these, islamic jurists deduce judgements based those actions that go hand in hand with the Qur'an

Originally Posted by Halanna

What do you believe happens when you die? Male and female. Are there two different outcomes?

i touched on this earlier i think, but quite simply theres heaven or there's hell.

Originally Posted by Halanna

Your original post offered all to ask questions, I'm very sorry if my questions cause offense.

no offence taken..im glad people can be so open with me. and im happy to reciprocate that openess to everyone here.

---------- Post added at 02:44 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:14 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Martian

This is a fascinating thread, and I thank you Dlish for being willing to share your beliefs so openly and help educate those of us who are less informed.

actually, i was responding to you in another thread, when you mentioned that you didnt know much about islam, so i offered that you PM me if you had any questions. i was PM'd by someone else, so i decided to put post this thread. it was something i'd intended for a while, but was wondering what sort of reception i'd get so we have you to thank Martian!

Originally Posted by Martian

A practical question: What are the necessities of Halal? I know there are specific requirements regarding how food is prepared, but I don't know the details. Is it similar to kosher rules?

similar to jewish kosher, except that kosher is stricter on a lot of other things. Levite touched on it a few weeks ago in another thread, so i welcome his comments!

in laymans terms, halal literally means 'permissable' in arabic. in order for a muslim to eat halal meat, there are certain conditions that must be met.

the first and foremost is that the name of God be mentioned prior to the slaughter.

secondly, the death must be swift, and you must reduce the suffering as much as possible.

thirdly the animal's throat must be cut in a certain spot to drain all the blood.

fourthly - all the blood must be drained from the animal

fifth - the animal cannot be swine. even if swine was killed in the correct manner, it can never be halal, unless in necessities. ie. you're out in the bush and theres nothing else to eat sort of situation.

Originally Posted by Martian

And a more philosophical question: Does the Muslim faith make allowances for non-Muslims who are basically good people

I'm comparing this to my understanding of Judaism, for example; my understanding is that the Jewish faith holds that, because the Jewish people were the ones who made the pact on Mt. Zion, their beliefs and restrictions don't apply to those outside the faith. Does the Muslim faith teach a similar tolerance for non-believers, or do they take a more strict view?

as i mentioned earlier, one of the Major sins (a sin that cannot be forgiven except with the mercy of god) is called 'shirk' which means to associate partners unto him. so the non-muslim no matter how good he may have been, if he had commited such a sin, cannot enter paradise.

so in essence, one must be a muslim to enter paradise. however, those that followed the message of the prophets before hand, even though they came to the jews would enter paradise, as they are also considered muslims, as they followed the message of the 'Oneness of God'. the word Muslim literally means 'someone who submits'. by that, it means submitting to the one true god.

[Leto]

If this is the case:

Originally Posted by dlish

the principle here is that when someone goes to Mecca, they come back with no sins owing.
.

why bother doing these rounds? Or am I misinterpreting?

Originally Posted by dlish

typically when someone goes to Mecca, before they go, they go around to their friends, family and foes asking for forgiveness of anything they may have done, or something they may have owed. they do this with the intention that when they come back from Mecca, they come back with a clean slate.

-
---------- Post added at 01:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:31 PM ----------

where does the Aga Khan stack up within the Muslim world? Is he considered a supreme spiritual leader like the Caliphs were (or the Pope is)?

Did I understand correctly when you intimated earlier that the Pope is infallible? Is this really the case? I'm not Catholic, so have always thought of the Pope as a sort of head priest.

---------- Post added at 01:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:40 PM ----------

Originally Posted by dlish

however, prayer is not a confessional. we dont have a pope, and our 'confessions' are known by god. as muslims prayer is directed purely at god, and we dont need intermediatries in order to gain access to god. ie. praying to statues, pictures, ikons, or other dieties.

Very close to Protestantism.

---------- Post added at 02:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:51 PM ----------

Originally Posted by dlish

in laymans terms, halal literally means 'permissable' in arabic. in order for a muslim to eat halal meat, there are certain conditions that must be met.

the first and foremost is that the name of God be mentioned prior to the slaughter.

secondly, the death must be swift, and you must reduce the suffering as much as possible.

thirdly the animal's throat must be cut in a certain spot to drain all the blood.

fourthly - all the blood must be drained from the animal

fifth - the animal cannot be swine. even if swine was killed in the correct manner, it can never be halal, unless in necessities. ie. you're out in the bush and theres nothing else to eat sort of situation.

It looks like this could be very easily accomplished in a regular meat processing plant. I often purchase halal meat if there is little selection of non-halal in our grocery. My question is why the stricture against swine? The obvious thoughts about pigs and dirt (i.e. mud in pig styes) is on my mind, but that sounds too simplistic to cut out some of the best flavoured meat available. What is the real reason?

---------- Post added at 02:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:19 PM ----------

Originally Posted by dlish

so in essence, one must be a muslim to enter paradise. however, those that followed the message of the prophets before hand, even though they came to the jews would enter paradise, as they are also considered muslims, as they followed the message of the 'Oneness of God'. the word Muslim literally means 'someone who submits'. by that, it means submitting to the one true god.

I heard the exact same thing on a radio interview. Except the fellow had converted to Catholicism. He was told that unless he was Catholic he would never get into Heaven.

- I'll have to read back through your thread, but are the Christian Heaven and the Muslim Paradise the same? Or is the one God maintaining two penultimate locations for different sets of believers? (tongue not too firmly placed in cheek... really seeking an answer)

[Cynthetiq]

what happened in Muslim history that science, knowledge, and technology were seemingly abandoned by Muslims? Maybe not abandoned but concentrated to the point it wasn't carried forth for future generations.

Islam Technology made me think of the rest of the items like Algebra and other higher mathematics, architecture, and art. What happened?

[dlish]

Originally Posted by Craven Morehead

What a wonderful thing to do. I'm going to be checking this thread every day.

dlish, I'd like your take on how Obama portraysthe Islamic world in this interview http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/03/op...n.html?_r=1&em

this is something that's been mentioned numerous times in the media here. i think obama's a fresh change. he's said he's going to make a change, and theres a lot of hope that he will.

Past US presidents rhetoric has gone unfufilled, and the last president was a disaster for middle east poilitics, so the 'Arab Steet' is hopeful of some sort of change to US policy. Most people here welcomed his victory, but questioned whether he would make this change or whether the hawks i the whitehouse would call the shots.

His popularity here is quite high, particularly because of the last paragraph in that article craven. Obama is a dark skinned american who is of mixed race, who grew up in indonesia, has jewish friends, has muslim ancestry and is leader of the most powerful nation on earth.

i think that means something to the arabs. however, it means in peoples actions, and so far with the recent speech in cairo calling for islam to start afresh with the US as well as his calls to shut down guantanamo, i think he;s doing well. you will also notice that two speeches made by osama bin ladin and ayman al zawahiri about president Obama have almost gone without notice in the arab world. i think it says a lot about the arab street.

---------- Post added at 11:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:00 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Crack

Just the other day I was curious about how a person of the Muslim faith would cope with the difficulties of being in space, and I found a very cool article about the subject:



Fascinating stuff.

crack, thats in interesting article.

i remember reading about these issues just before the astraunaut took off. he went to seek advice from different sheikhs on islamic practice is zero gravity.

obviously, during the time of muhammad space travel wasnt around, so it would be hard to see how the Qur'an or hadith would accomodate for such things within islamic law. but like i mentioned earlier, islamic scholars are able to deduce islamic verdicts from hadith based on sound reasoning.

so for example, the 80 prayers a day would be unreanable. so scholars are able to extrapolate a verdict based on his last place on earth, and his prayer timings would be at those specific times. the same goes with ablution prior to prayers, as well as all things including his food. in this sense, islamic jurispudence is keeping abreast with science. some scholars want the doors of interpretation of hadith to be closed, but the vast majority want to keep the interpretation of islam of new innovations in science open.

[ratbastid]

This is excellent, dlish. Thanks for doing it.

It seems like THE main sticking point in US relations with the Muslim world is Israel, and our (imo blind, heavy-handed, un-nuanced) support of Israel. All we really hear on the news as the "other side of the story" is the Palestinian view, which is predictably victimized and/or aggressive. We occasionally get out-of-context (and often mistranslated) quotes from leaders of various Muslim nations on Israel, but those don't shed much light on the attitude on the street.

Can you give some idea of the broader view of Israel held by people of your faith-and-general-geography?

[dlish]

Originally Posted by Leto

similar question: what is the view on original sin? absolution? praying for others to better their postitions in the afterlife?

The Christian concept of the Original Sin is foreign to islam. no man or woman shall be judged by god except for his own sins.

as for absolution, ive mentioned it earlier, but we dont have a formal way of confession like christuanity has with a priest. it is a personal and private matter that an individual can ask god at any time for forgiveness.

Leto, not sure if i'm going down the right track, but am i answering your question correctly?

although im unsure about your question about praying for others in the afterlife...could you clarify? are yo asking whether one can pray for someone who has passed away?

[ratbastid]

Originally Posted by dlish

although im unsure about your question about praying for others in the afterlife...could you clarify? are yo asking whether one can pray for someone who has passed away?

In the Mormon faith, you can baptize people who have died--including historical figures--and, in a sense, rescue their souls from "outer darkness" into heaven. Perhaps this sort of practice is what Leto is asking about?

[dlish]

Originally Posted by Leto

If this is the case:



why bother doing these rounds? Or am I misinterpreting?)

Leto, i think you missed the bit about where i mentioned that major sins and debts are not wiped clean if one performs the Hajj pilgrimmage.

so people who are intending of doing the hajj pilgrimmage would go around to people who they feel they may have wrong and ask for forgiveness of their actions, or pay the debt they owe.

its important to remember that in islam, debts are not only money, but can be in the form of things like slander.

[genuinegirly]

I'm terribly sorry about this threadjack.

Originally Posted by ratbastid

In the Mormon faith, you can baptize people who have died--including historical figures--and, in a sense, rescue their souls from "outer darkness" into heaven. Perhaps this sort of practice is what Leto is asking about?

Er... This isn't quite how it works. I'll send you a PM.

[dlish]

Originally Posted by Leto

[/COLOR]where does the Aga Khan stack up within the Muslim world? Is he considered a supreme spiritual leader like the Caliphs were (or the Pope is)?

Did I understand correctly when you intimated earlier that the Pope is infallible? Is this really the case? I'm not Catholic, so have always thought of the Pope as a sort of head priest.[COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]

to be honest i dont know all that much about the Aga Khan. fromw hat i know, he was a leader of the Ismai'li shiites, and i know very little about him or that part of islamic history. from what i can recall on shia islam, he was one of the 12 islamic leaders after muhammad were supposed to have been divinely ordained.

this is another point where sunni and shia sects differ. the shia believe that the 12 imams are infallible, where as in sunni islam, all humans are bound to err and make mistakes, including the caliphs.

leto, as far as im aware, the pope is the head for the church and is believed to be chosen or guided by god when it comes to religious matters. ive done a quick wiki search for you.

Papal infallibility - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Papal infallibility is the dogma in Catholic theology that, by action of the Holy Spirit, the Pope is preserved from even the possibility of error[1] when he solemnly declares or promulgates to the Church a dogmatic teaching on faith or morals as being contained in divine revelation, or at least being intimately connected to divine revelation. It is also taught that the Holy Spirit works in the body of the Church, as sensus fidei, to ensure that dogmatic teachings proclaimed to be infallible will be received by all Catholics. This dogma, however, does not state that the Pope cannot commit sin in his own personal life.

Originally Posted by Leto

It looks like this could be very easily accomplished in a regular meat processing plant. I often purchase halal meat if there is little selection of non-halal in our grocery. My question is why the stricture against swine? The obvious thoughts about pigs and dirt (i.e. mud in pig styes) is on my mind, but that sounds too simplistic to cut out some of the best flavoured meat available. What is the real reason?[COLOR="DarkSlateGray"].

well, there is no 'real reason' why swine is off limits for muslims except that god commanded it be off limits.

here is the verse to which the prohibition of swine is mentioned in the Qur'an

“He has forbidden you only dead animals, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for other than God.” (Qur'an 2:173)

people can come to conclusions that pigs are dirty animals, or that they contain parasites etc, but the reason isnt as easy to see as with alcohol for example. here is a website you can visit about this issue.
Why Pork is Forbidden in Islam (part 1 of 3): Obeying the laws of God - The Religion of Islam

Originally Posted by Leto

- I'll have to read back through your thread, but are the Christian Heaven and the Muslim Paradise the same? Or is the one God maintaining two penultimate locations for different sets of believers? (tongue not too firmly placed in cheek... really seeking an answer)

the muslim and christian heaven is the same. there will be jews in heaven (those that followed the true path of moses and the jewish prophets), there will be christians in heaven (those that followed the true message of jesus) just as much as there will be muslims in heaven (those that followed the true message of muhammad).

i should note that muslims are not guranteed free entry into heaven and must be judged according to their deeds