From Bargain Bin to Believer!
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Howdy from Australia!!
How did I get here? Well...here's a bit of a weird one for you. I actually found a copy of the Quran in a bargain book bin a few years ago, and thought "hmmm, that looks interesting!", so I bought it. Never actually read it though - it just sat on my bookshelf gathering dust along with all my witchcraft textbooks. (that's another story...)
Anyway, earlier last year the London Bombings got me thinking "there's no way any God would command his followers to kill people... is there?" and at that I dragged out my copy of the Quran to try and understand what all the fuss was about.
What I found changed the way I look at life. I realised that the morons blowing up trains and buildings and themselves don't really get it. The Quran was just so beautiful, and so accepting, and so perfect. I really felt like God was talking straight to me when I read it. At the time I was also going through a terrible phase of depression and illness, and I found that the messages of the holy book really inspired me to be strong and have faith that all would be well. It made so much sense; everything I had been asking, everything I needed, everything that could put my world in order was contained within it's pages.
What lead me to free-minds is a little more complex. After reading the Quran, I began to investigate more about Islam, and quickly found that Islam and the Quran DON'T mean the same thing. Being an ex-catholic, I am very familiar with the gospels and the practices of making an icon out of a man. It seemed very clear that Muhammed was suffering the same fate at the hands of so-called Muslims everywhere. I could never, and still don't understand why the Hadith/the words of the prophet are taken as being law. They're not. God didn't say them. God didn't send them. Come on, even Muhammed must of had bad days, and the whole idea of something being written down over a century after it was supposedly uttered just smacked too much of the Catholic "we say it's right, so it's right" dogma.
Reading the Quran made me see that I can have a relationship with God and be at peace with him and the world, and still live my life learning and loving others, but my education and questioning nature quickly made me realise that the "Laws of Islam" based on Hadith and the utterings of the Prophet are not the "laws" I thought they were before. I DON'T have to cover my entire body except my eyes. I DON'T have to utter endless phrases in Arabic to let him know that I love him and appreciate what he has done for us. I read the Quran every day now, and always seem to find something different whenever I read it. I can safely say that I am a changed person, and I believe that Allah has lead me to his message for this reason. Now I am more confident, more sure, and happier than I think I have ever been, and it's due in a large part to the love and message of Allah through the Quran.
I am grateful for this forum, to find that I am not the only one on the planet who thinks the whole idea of Hadith and the organisation called "Islam" is, well, just a bit silly, and very misguided. I honestly felt I was the only person who questioned any of the so-called "pillars of faith", until I went searching online and found this place. Thank you so much for creating this site, and for welcoming me to it. I look forward to reading more articles and meeting new friends online.
Peace to all,
Miss Flossy -
Salam,
Thank God for showing u the way Floss D
I wonder why its mostly Catholics who are convinced by the Quran and understand the problem of todays 'organization of Islam'
I also heard that Catholics are not really into their religion. Is it true?
Peace,
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Hello flossy
your story is great and inspiring, thanks fo sharing it with us
I agree with ya regarding the hadith, it is in no way a compulsory law, rather mere history records, some make sense and are very well qualified by the Quran and others make no sense whatsoever and should be shrown in the ruibbish bin
Pleas if you have any question regarding an arabic word in the Quran, don't be shy to ask
peace and welcome to reality
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Hi flossymoo,
welcome to the Forum!
Ur story was quite interesting. I am glad u realised and understood that true Islam is very different fronm the Islam that is being practised by the muslim majority today.
May God guide u always in ur search for truth and also strengthen ur faith!
Peace!
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Hi Jankren, and thanks to all for responding!!
Why Catholics? Well, I think it has something to do with the way we are all brought up, at least for the slightly older ones like me. In particular the idea of set prayer style is big for Catholics. You have to stand up and say one prayer, then respond with another phrase, then the priest says his bit, then you say your bit and kneel, and... it just goes on and on. You realise very quickly even as a child that the performance of the ritual is what's important, not what's in your heart, and that never really made any sense to me. I think a lot of Catholics think the same way. It restricts their path to Jesus through a series of stupid actions that don't mean anything anyway, but gee, they look impressive.
It seems to me that Catholicism and Islam as institutions aren't that far apart. Traditional Muslims kneel, then bow, then say a phrase, then kneel, then...sound familiar?? The language is another stumbling block for islam, and was for Catholicism for a very long time. It was only mid last century that Vatican II decided we could suddenly say mass in English and not in Latin! The problem with catholicism is you are told so much of what you can't do, and what you have done wrong, and what will take you to hell, that you easily lose sight of the positives about Jesus. Other Christian groups aren't as fiercely structured as Catholicism, which I think explains why, as we become more educated as individuals, we are turning away from Catholicism and from being treated like naughty children. twisted
The Quran told me that I am not inherently bad, and it made so much more sense! It has a much more positive message to give, and I think, for Catholics at least, the negative messages constantly coming out of the Vatican can get a little bit much after a while. Besides, they assume we are all still the uneducated peasants we were hundreds of years ago. Well, we aint!! The Quran clearly tells us to educate ourselves, when we do it's messages make sense, in a lot of cases more sense... whereas with Catholicism, the more educated you get, the more you question the whole basis of the faith and it's practice.
I hope that explains a little of what I think. Mind you, that's just my opinion, for what it's worth!!!
Cheers, and peace be with you!
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I am grateful for this forum, to find that I am not the only one on the planet who thinks the whole idea of Hadith and the organisation called "Islam" is, well, just a bit silly, and very misguided. I honestly felt I was the only person who questioned any of the so-called "pillars of faith", until I went searching online and found this place. Thank you so much for creating this site, and for welcoming me to it. I look forward to reading more articles and meeting new friends online.
Welome to the forum flossymoo...I like to think that many more think like you but dare not question it in fear of the consequences of the society and community they live....but it takes only a single individual to stand up and say it and this then inspires others with a courage to stand up to!
Thinking for ourselves will set us Free... -)
Regards,