Islam spreading fast?

hope4

Peace,

It is always claimed that Islam is spreading "very fast", but I have my doubts. Yes, there are converts (reverts), but there are also many Muslims leaving Islam, although they might not openly say this. These are some Turkish atheist forums with thousands of members for example; http//forum.ateizm2.org/ and http//ateistplatform.ipbfree.com/.

Perhaps the number of apostates nullifies the number of converts, who knows? o

Are there any "reliable" statistics on the number of converts to Islam?

Peace

An interesting claim.

Peace

Hope

Rev_John

Peace

An interesting claim.

Peace

Hope

But how true is the claim?

Recluse

Many Iranians seem to leave Islam, both in Iran as well as abroad. Over the years, I have personally heard hundreds of Iranians say that they are atheists (on internet).

Q_student

Many Iranians seem to leave Islam, both in Iran as well as abroad. Over the years, I have personally heard hundreds of Iranians say that they are atheists (on internet).

Peace
That is good .Islam must be purified from "craps".
Regards

belH

Many Iranians seem to leave Islam, both in Iran as well as abroad. Over the years, I have personally heard hundreds of Iranians say that they are atheists (on internet).

Peace all,
These people are not Leaving Islam, rather, they are leaving Shia and Suni religion which are not related to Islam.

hope4

But how true is the claim?

Peace Rev.John

I don't have the statistics in front of me so I would not know. However, I agree that if there are people leaving Islam then it?s probably because of their secular beliefs rather than Islam. I would rather people find the true Islam (uphold the Quran) than believe in particular man made traditions and chucked in cultural practices. We must understand that there is about 1 billion Muslims in the world today. How many of them actually read the Quran? Probably most of them. How many understand what they are reading? Probably not that many. So my question to everyone is how can these people uphold a system and live by a Book which they don't understand? Consider this, for 800 years the Arabs ruled over Spain, left wonderful monuments, but when they were kicked out of Spain not one person was left back to give a call to prayer, why? Why did they not try to convert people to Islam?

2256 There is no compulsion in the system; the proper way has been
clarified from the wrong way. Whoever rejects evil, and believes
in God, indeed he has taken grasp of the strongest hold that will
never break. God is Hearer, Knower.

Some may argue based on the verse above. But my argument goes back to what I said about the understanding of the Quran. My belief in Islam has been strong since I started to read the Quran in the language I understand. Now our expectation is that everyone learns Arabic and eventually understands the Quran and converts. This is wishful thinking. See many Muslims in today?s society and probably way back consider the Quran to be a book of recitation (repeat like parrots), but the Quran says

482 Do they not reflect on the Reading? If it was from any other than
God they would have found in it many a discrepancy.
Now how can people reflect on the Reading if they do not understand?

82 The believers are those whom, when God is mentioned, their
hearts reverence; and when His revelations are recited to them, it
increases their faith; and they put their trust in their Lord.

Again, how could just reciting be enough to increase someone?s faith? Surely you recite something to someone so they can understand it.

831 And if Our revelations are recited to them, they say ?We have
listened, and if we wish, we could have said the same thing. This
is nothing except fictional tales of old!?

Now if something is recited without understanding, how will someone be able to say that they are fictional tales of old? They must have understood to say such a thing.

1016 Say ?If God had willed, I would not have recited it to you, nor
would you have known about it. I have been residing among you
for nearly a lifetime before this; do you not comprehend??

So how can someone comprehend if they do not understand what you are reciting?

There are probably loads more examples so will leave it to more knowledgeable people to help me out here. Let me come to the point, the Quran is a message to the people of the World and not only to Arabs, the Arabs duty was to relay the message to the World in the best possible way they could by translating the Book truthfully into many different languages to spread the message. They should be the one reaching out to the people to show them the message rather than waiting for the people to come to them. Can you imagine this Rev.John, you preaching in your church in a language that none of your congregation understand and expect them to go and learn the language. I am sure you will find yourself very much alone.
Let me share a small story with you. When I found Free-Minds I started to read all the articles etc.. Then I learned what I was reciting in my prayers. For 30 odd years I prayed in Arabic and did not know what I was saying. When I asked my friend, who at the time was a more devoted muslim than I was, do you know what you are saying when you pray? He said sort of, but not exactly sure. So I said this is what you say when you read sura 1 etc. He was shocked, because he stopped and thought for a bit. All these years he learnt the recitation of the Quran, used them in his prayers etc... but did not understand what he was saying. Another friend of mine always boasted about how many suras he knows by heart. When I asked him how many of them do you understand or can tell me what they mean? He stopped thought about it and said none except a few word here and there.

I say without understanding the link is weak, so easy to fall out.

Peace

Hope

Rev_John