A brother told me today he would send my regards to the Prophet on Ummrah
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I made a new friend in one of my classes at school. An Indian brother. He seems very nice and respectful and he's the first Muslim in my age group I can see myself becoming friends with. Living in the US I don't meet many Muslims, especially being a convert who isn't Arab or Persian. Also he doesn't treat me any differently despite my piercings and my tattoos (some of which were before my conversion and some after). He told me his family decided a surprise trip for Ummrah and he thought about me (we were just discussing hajj and ummrah a week prior) when his father told him. He said we should pray for each other while he leaves and that he would send my regards to the Prophet when he went on Ummrah. I told him "Thank You" and alhamdullilah and wished him a safe trip because that's the polite thing to do.
But of course in my heart I don't believe that the Prophet(pbuh) requires my prayers or dua or regards and I don't believe the Prophet intercedes on behalf of his Ummah. I feel that our prayers should not be directed toward the Prophet and I think it is part of the Sunni deifying of the Prophet that people think they need to offer something to the Prophet to gain favor with Allah.
On the other hand I believe everything lies within our intention. This brother is without a doubt more pious and observant than me. I'm sure he is an upright brother and I don't feel like I should focus on our differences because that's not really constructive. We're both still Muslims aren't we? I don't think him being a Sunni means he's not a good Muslim or he's going to hell or even that he's committing shirk. He's submitting to God in the best way he knows how.
So while internally I didn't believe in what he felt and in that moment I felt like we had slightly different beliefs, at the same time I'm not sure if the Islamic community benefits from labeling ourselves and breaking up into sects. If we all just accept each other for our differences and unite on our similarities it would be much better, not just for Muslims but for people in general.
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I made a new friend in one of my classes at school. An Indian brother. He seems very nice and respectful and he's the first Muslim in my age group I can see myself becoming friends with. Living in the US I don't meet many Muslims, especially being a convert who isn't Arab or Persian. Also he doesn't treat me any differently despite my piercings and my tattoos (some of which were before my conversion and some after). He told me his family decided a surprise trip for Ummrah and he thought about me (we were just discussing hajj and ummrah a week prior) when his father told him. He said we should pray for each other while he leaves and that he would send my regards to the Prophet when he went on Ummrah. I told him "Thank You" and alhamdullilah and wished him a safe trip because that's the polite thing to do.
But of course in my heart I don't believe that the Prophet(pbuh) requires my prayers or dua or regards and I don't believe the Prophet intercedes on behalf of his Ummah. I feel that our prayers should not be directed toward the Prophet and I think it is part of the Sunni deifying of the Prophet that people think they need to offer something to the Prophet to gain favor with Allah.
On the other hand I believe everything lies within our intention. This brother is without a doubt more pious and observant than me. I'm sure he is an upright brother and I don't feel like I should focus on our differences because that's not really constructive. We're both still Muslims aren't we? I don't think him being a Sunni means he's not a good Muslim or he's going to hell or even that he's committing shirk. He's submitting to God in the best way he knows how.
So while internally I didn't believe in what he felt and in that moment I felt like we had slightly different beliefs, at the same time I'm not sure if the Islamic community benefits from labeling ourselves and breaking up into sects. If we all just accept each other for our differences and unite on our similarities it would be much better, not just for Muslims but for people in general.
I do not understand why some people think this is shirk. I think we sometimes allow ourselves a very simplistic understanding of shirk. Which if you think about it is surprising for a Koranist. After all shirk is the unforgiveable sin. So it must be somethink grave but we often treat it as something very simple. Shirk is a theology, not an act. You don't commit shirk, you believe in shirk.
This video lecture from Yale explains what shirk is. It has nothing to do with what ur friend is saying.
http//video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7359195828637989025#
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a person who believes God's words and a person who believes in Man's words are not one and the same. absolutely we should respect each others ways as God tells us to do in the Koran. to each his own way.
i agree with Bigmo about the usage of 'shirk'. i have been told by hadith followers that i am committing shirk. i don't know how?
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I don't think he meant it literally. Here in Egypt, when people are going to Mecca, it's normal to joke, "I will say hello to the Kaaba for you," or "I will kiss the kaaba for you." It doesn't mean anything!
Glad to see Egyptians have a sense of humor. I wish them all the best