Unity is Essential for Our Ummah
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Salaam,
I was saddened to see today the post from one of the members looking to find Sunis to have a fun debate with. Why? You are not going to help people reason and recognize anything bad by attacking them. Majority of Muslims have lived in a certain way for such a long time, and many will just be further pushed away. In this age when Islam, Qur'an, and Muslims all together (regardless what they do, or where they come from) are attacked, alienated and accused of terrorism, attack on one another is not the way to go. If you wish to bring people closer to Holy Qur'an, to Allah SWT, you start where Prophet Muhammad pbuh began the Holy Qur'an. With the hope that people will eventually open their eyes.
Because the hard truth is this when non-Muslims these days hate Islam and Muslims, they are not going to ask you whether you are a Suni, Shia, Qur'an-alone guy, or whoever. No. As soon as you say that your religion is Islam, you are doomed in their eyes, and they believe you a terrorist supporter. Have you not seen the websites out there? Have you not seen attacks on Allah, Qur'an, Islam and anything islamic? I do agree that some of the stuff Muslims have allowed to happen to them from themselves. But.... the hate is out there.
The one true service we can provide globally is striving for unity, regardless of our differences. And good always wins.
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Hi Amica,
First of all, I'd like to say that debate is a healthy thing. Questioning the faith and constantly challenging entrenched notions is good and, in my opinion, strengthens the faith. The people on that forum were quick to call people kuffar and throw insults around in, and here's the worst part, the name of Islam.
That's what bothers me. In the name of Islam.
If we don't argue for what we believe in, then what's the point? Are we meant to keep our faith to ourselves, hoping that someone may come along and have the same views as us? Further, the arguments laid out to the people of sunniforum from those of this forum were perfectly civil and contained no insults, merely steps of logic. I fail to see anything wrong in this, and in fact I would encourage it.
Finally to your point about non-muslims hating "us", why do you think that is? Did you read the thread concerning the death of apostates? Some of the things written there shocked me. People proclaiming that Islam is a religion of peace and beauty, and in the very next sentence they would say that yes, someone must be killed according to Islamic law if they turn away from Islam.
"Islamic law".
People hate us because of these bloodthirsty, hypocritical and downright archaic "laws" that have been conjured by the populace. Unfortunately, extreme views tend to blot out those of sane ones.
The one true service we can provide globally is striving for unity, regardless of our differences. And good always wins.
With all due respect, I refuse to stand by someone who thinks that a person should be killed for apostasy. I refuse to stand by someone who thinks a woman should be stoned to death for adultery. I refuse to stand by someone who forces women to wear a hijab. I refuse to stand by someone who labels those who argue against them as kuffar.
Perhaps this does not make me a very good muslim, but I just can't bring myself to do it.
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Because the hard truth is this when non-Muslims these days hate Islam and Muslims, they are not going to ask you whether you are a Suni, Shia, Qur'an-alone guy, or whoever. No. As soon as you say that your religion is Islam, you are doomed in their eyes, and they believe you a terrorist supporter. Have you not seen the websites out there? Have you not seen attacks on Allah, Qur'an, Islam and anything islamic? I do agree that some of the stuff Muslims have allowed to happen to them from themselves. But.... the hate is out there.
The one true service we can provide globally is striving for unity, regardless of our differences. And good always wins.Amica,
- Islam and Muslims is not a sect/religion it's an attitude / character.
- Not all "non-Sunnis/Shiites/Ahmadis" hates Sunnis/Shiites/Ahmadis, based upon my observation it's actually a very small part of it (from their total population in the world).
- The hate shown by the sunnis towards the shiites and the ahmadis are far greater than the hates by the 'non-sunni' towards the shiites and ahmadis. I have witnessed a case where a christian confront the sunnis to defend the right of ahmadis. And there are many cases where the sunnis oppress and murder the shiites and the ahmadis.
- There are muslims, the true muslims among "non-Sunnis/Shiites/Ahmadis".
- If saying your religion is "islam" bring bad cause to you, then don't say it, islam is not a religion.
- I haven't seen any 'attack on God' and I don't believe it's possible.
- I believe a healthy doze of 'criticism' and debate are necessary for the sunnis (or shiites or catholics or judaist or any other crazy sectarians for that matter)
- The one true service we can provide globally is striving for righteousness, understanding and tolerance. And unite / join hands with people who strive for that same goal, whatever sect/religion they are including those who doesn't claim to belong in any sect/religion or even atheists.
Salam / Peace
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I agree with all the points you guys presented. I guess I am just against the common mutual attacks I have seen people make against each other, and yet they all call themselves Muslims. My point was that we should strive for the common cause belief in Allah SWT, His Revelations and follow Islaam the way it is.
I know what you mean when you say sunnis tend to express more intolerance towards "other" Muslims. Personally, I come from a country where majority of Muslim people were taught that they follow "Sunni" way of Islam. Cannot remember which school of thought, though. So, based on that one can call me a "Sunni" Muslim, but I personally prefer just a Muslim. I have been called "Qur'anist" or "Qur'an-aloner" despite the fact that I have always expressed that Qur'an is my Divine Book of Choice, Hadiths are history with some true and fake stuff mixed in. Like you, I opose what I personally view as anti-islamic practices, such as "honor" murders, capital punishment for apostasy, opression of sisters, opression of minorities, etc. Yet, when I look around the world I see this more as an Arab world problem rather than Muslim issue in general. I always say, the more East one goes the more "Islam" as a way of life turns into opression. The further West you go, the more likely you are to meet Muslims closer to true practice of Islam.
I agree that we need to discuss issues. We need to talk. We need to help each other understand the fallacies of certain practices. But, we need to find a way and do it in a more effective manner. And the best way to approach the situation, in my personal opinion, is to keep bringing attention to the Qur'an and open discussion on its teachings. That is the only, healthy way I see people coming back to Qur'an.
We can learn from the Prophet Muhammad pbuh. He preached and taught truth. He challenged false beliefs and practices. And the Noble Qur'an has documented that has caused wars, attacks on the Muslim community, etc. In the end, Islam and Muslims won, but it was a long struggle. Considering that Islam is a peaceful way of life, our approach should be peaceful as well. Telling someone 'stoning is wrong' when we know that they will just go back to their old, "ancient" of ways is not effecting. Telling someone "lets discuss this surah" where adultery punishment is mentioned, and no 'stoning' of any kind found at all, is more likely to open the door for us to help someone understand what the Divine Book actually teaches.
Wasalaam.
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Yet, when I look around the world I see this more as an Arab world problem rather than Muslim issue in general. I always say, the more East one goes the more "Islam" as a way of life turns into opression. The further West you go, the more likely you are to meet Muslims closer to true practice of Islam.
You're right about 'middle east world' problem (not only 'arab', I found the same problem among jews as well), yet you should go further east to countries such as indonesia (85% sunnis) or malaysia. those folks have no tradition of 'honor killings', 'slave trade' and they (originally) very tolerant.. until recent sunni wahabbis mass export of their ideas.. fueled by 'oil fund'. I believe pakistan/bangladesh also pretty much the same thing.. those countries were originally hindus / buddhist dominated country.
I agree that we need to discuss issues. We need to talk. We need to help each other understand the fallacies of certain practices. But, we need to find a way and do it in a more effective manner. And the best way to approach the situation, in my personal opinion, is to keep bringing attention to the Qur'an and open discussion on its teachings. That is the only, healthy way I see people coming back to Qur'an.
Agree
We can learn from the Prophet Muhammad pbuh. He preached and taught truth. He challenged false beliefs and practices. And the Noble Qur'an has documented that has caused wars, attacks on the Muslim community, etc. In the end, Islam and Muslims won, but it was a long struggle. Considering that Islam is a peaceful way of life, our approach should be peaceful as well. Telling someone 'stoning is wrong' when we know that they will just go back to their old, "ancient" of ways is not effecting. Telling someone "lets discuss this surah" where adultery punishment is mentioned, and no 'stoning' of any kind found at all, is more likely to open the door for us to help someone understand what the Divine Book actually teaches.
By assuming the 'old ignorant arabs' were twice as bad as the die-hard sunnis now, I know fully understand the abundant challenge Muhammad face of preaching to those people. They do not hesitate to perform act such as assassination, death threat, oppression, torture for the sake of 'maintaining the tradition'. But of course, not all of them are like that... There are those who are open for reasoning and still able to think straight and clear.
Salam / Peace
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Peace everyone! peace
Did not His Most Wise Majesty tell us not to make fun of each other?
Did you not reason that You catch more flies with honey than vinegar?
Please read God's system of Righteousness (Importance of being nice)
http//free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9602900.0~ May His Supreme Majesty, in His Perfectness, direct us to become better persons! ~