Hello, Any Free Minds Peeps from Kenya/Africa?
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Thank you All,
Like I mentioned earlier, I have been a Muslim (Kenyan woman) for 6 years and recently I have been questioning a lot of the things I have been taught. The Kenyan Muslim population ( 8 million) is 95 % sunni and 5 % shia. I have been practicing sunni Islam, but I have always wondered about certain teachings especially the hadith and their validity. I have never understood their importance, and this confusion has been compounded by my discovery that Prophet Muhammad didn't want anything to be written about his life (someone kindly give me a reference) and that the hadith were written and instituted 200 years after his death (again, more references)I have always known God to be fair and just and therefore I cannot understand it when we aren't allowed to associate with those that don't believe in the "religion" yet they have been created by the same God. On judgement day. For me knowing God is beyond rites and rituals. It is about a relationship with your creator. What initially drew me to Islam was that it is the only faith that professes that there is only one God who can't be begotten nor created and that he doesn't need to belittle himself into a human being to save the world from sin. But like many other Muslims I got suckered into the dos and dont's of this new religion and forgot about my relationship with God and the appreciation of his decree on my life.
The 'interpretations" of the Qur'an have largely been a men affair and hence why women's issues have been skewed towards a male understanding of who we are. Also issues of love and marriage what if the man who is suitable for me isn't a Muslim, but yet he allows me the space and indeed encourages me to worship Allah? Does God encourage discrimination and isolation?
When I stumbled upon Free- Minds.org, not only was I ecstatic, but I feel finally a group of individuals who reason. My concern is I live in Nairobi, many of my Muslim associations are of the traditional kind. My family isn't Muslim, but they have embraced me and my beliefs. I work for a Sharia'h compliant bank so I am surrounded by traditional muslims. and the few non muslims at the office wouldn't understand my concerns. I would like to find a group of Kenyan Muslims in Nairobi who believe in the worship of God alone as the Qur'an dictates. Free- Minds.org will however be a constant in my quest for truth.
Thank you Man of Faith for clarifying "interfaith" marriage and Wakas, thank you for the link. Thanks JavaLatte
I look forward to enlightened conversation in this forum!
Nyoks
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...and another thing...the Qur'an only gives 3 prayer times (2458, 11114) as Fajr, Isha and the noon prayer. There's no mention of how many rakas. Question from a point of ignorance what is the prayer sequence? I can't pray Isha this evening until I know the sequence.
Thank you,
Nyoks -
Peace,
The recitation barely gives even that. The third "prayer" is just a wishful interpretation based on the delusion that salat means "contact prayer".
But if you are not ready for that you may also not have confidence that the rakat system is a human invention.
Anyway,, ask some brothers or sisters who think it means prayer and get your answers from them.
When you are ready then read my discoveries in the thread named Nearness and Guidance.
God bless you
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Welcome to the forum Nyoks ^_^
I believe GOD decreed 3 daily prayers ().
These were named in the Quran as follows Salat al-fajr (Dawn prayer), Salat al-3isha (Dusk prayer), and al-Salat al-Wustaa (Middle prayer). In contrast with these, there are (also) three daily occasions of privacy (245 that take place before Dawn prayer, at NOON, and after Dusk prayer
According to the Quran (1778-79; 11114), the third prayer takes place during a modicum of the night (for further details, see sura 73).
Dawn and Dusk prayer should be performed at the two peaks/extremities of the day Unlike the 5 inherited "Sunni namaz", prayer as per the Scripture (alone) is measured by time , i.e. simply from tA. to tB.
SLM
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Welcome Sister!
May you find with this family of analysts a new home! group
peace
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Salam!
I am from Nigeria. Had my own battle, too, but got over it. I was gradually becoming an agnostic until the Quran's Mathematical miracle based on Code-19 convinced me as God says it will. I still pray for certainty in my chosen beliefs but I have conviction already. I mean, I just need some genuine subjective signs from God, you know.Regrading Solat, I started following RK's formula (5 times a day with some Quranic modifications) but later stopped it for his teachings i.e. the Quran alone, the Whole Quran and Nothing but the Quran. I believe he was a messenger of God who did his part in the Islamic Awakening. I researched further and discovered some analysis which try to prove Solat is not physical but mental, such as Man of Faith's, I guess. Further still, I came across three Solawat (plural) per day i.e. Fajr (Dawn), Wustoh (Mid-day) and Isha (Night). I liked the analysis on this for it is based completely on the Quran without any extraneous leaning, at least.
At some point, I prayed three times a day, with each Solat comprising two units (Rakaat). When I had the mind to accept even more Quranic analysis, I disowned the word Rakaat from my Solat because it never occurs in the Quran at all. So, How do I pray now? Three times a day with each Solat comprising a single round of standing, bowing and prostration (you might call that one Rakaah), though; for all I care, it is based on the Quran alone, the Whole Quran and nothing but the Quran. Did I come across this analysis on my own? No...! I found it on Quran-Islam.org
For now, this link might help for a start... http//www.quran-islam.org/main_topics/islam/pillars/number_of_salat_(P1200).html
Do explore the website further. I downloaded and read every article on it and all the articles here on Free-Minds.Org. Remember, it is Free-Minds, a pot of different understandings. So, let Q1736 be your guide, eh? Feel free to send me a PM...
iGnAc