Hello and peace be upon you all :-)
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Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu-hu,
My brothers and sisters in Islam, I am exceedingly grateful to have found this forum. It seems as if I have found a place, although online, where I can talk and discuss matters with people who are like-minded. It's great to know that there are others out there who like myself, question authority and refuse to accept falseness as truth.
As for my introduction, my name is Zac. I'm in my early twenties and currently live in the Southwestern United States. I am married to the most beautiful woman, and we are expecting a child. I could not be happier about my family life.
When I was 15 years old, I had my mother drive me to a Barnes and Noble where she bought me my first Quran. My entire family is Catholic, but they are all very liberal and open to other faiths and cultures, so it was not an issue for my mom to buy me a Quran. I had wanted a Quran, because Allah and Islam kept popping up in my life through music and the media, and I was extremely curious. Something about the names "Allah" and "Islam" seemed so beautiful to me, and I wanted to know more. This is when my search for the truth began.
Naturally, I tried reading the Quran after I bought it. I wasn't really able to understand it. The language was too difficult for me to grasp, along with all the explanations and Arabic words that were left untranslated in the version that I had. I figured it wasn't for me, and actually returned the Quran back to Barnes and Noble. Something about the book seemed so powerful, and at the tender age of 15, I was sort of scared to have it in my room. I returned the Quran, and continued on with life as a skater, musician, and thinker. Islam still interested me throughout most of my early teenage years, but I didn't make any attempts to learn more. It kept popping up in the music I heard (Brother Ali, Jedi Mind Tricks, A Tribe Called Quest, to name a few), and because of this I always just really respected the Muslims and Islam but never made any attempts to learn more since my first attempt was a failure.At the age of 18, I moved alone to Munich, Germany to be a foreign exchange student, where I ended up living until I was 21 (was initially supposed to only be 10 months). I attended school there for two years at a Gymnasium (high school), and worked for another year or so. It was during this time that I really began pondering Islam, and really started to try and learn more about the Deen. In Germany, Muslim immigrants are everywhere. Islam was popping up once again in my life, and at full-force. I saw them, went to school with them, and became good friends with a Muslim from Cairo, who was also in Germany for school. I talked to him about his religion, but he didn't want to talk about God as much as he wanted to talk about soccer. He seemed to get annoyed when I asked him about Islam, so I started attending a couple of Mosques in the Munich area to find out more about the religion that had intrigued me so much.
I had always, ever since I can remember, believed in only One God and nothing along side Him. It was always strange for me, even as a Catholic who completed the Holy Communion, to believe in Jesus as the literal son of God. Even at a young age, this did not make sense to me. Why wouldn't he have a daughter, too? I had too many questions, and simply rejected all aspects of faith other than the belief in Allah, and Him only.
When I stood and prayed with my brothers in the Masjid, I knew that I was on the Sirat al Mustaqeem. I knew that Allah was real, and that it was all about Him. I proudly took my Shahada and professed a belief in only One God. The only problem I had was, why did I have to mention Muhammad in the Shahada and none of the other prophets? Isn't his message to put no one next to Allah? Although I had found Islam, I had not found the complete truth and I knew it. And one day when I went to the Mosque on an ordinary afternoon, standing next to a sister who was completely covered in a tan burka from head to toe, I realized that something was corrupt. Why would God create women, to have them cover up completely? It didn't make sense then, and never will to me. Seeing a woman that oppressed was a real wake-up call to the corruption inside the schools of thought of traditional Muslim denominations. Seeing that woman, who didn't even have an opening in her hijab to see (she had little screen-like circles instead over the eyes, but you couldn't even see her eyes), caused me to venture away from Islam. I did not want to be considered part of a people or religion that treats any human in such a way. I went back to my old lifestyle, stopped attending the mosque, and stopped searching for God. I knew that the Quran was real and true, but the Hadith kept me away. I still attended a Mosque different from the one where I saw the covered woman. I still prayed and believed in God and seemed His Guidance, but knew deep down that I had serious issues with the Hadith, Hijab, Burka, etc. I moved back to America in October 2012, and kind of drifted away from Islam again. And thats how I ended up where I am today. Although I sometimes attend the mosque here still, I do not believe in Hadith or any of the stuff that is clearly not of Allah, the All-Wise, All-Knowing. A couple weeks ago I googled something like "the real Islam" or "Quran only Islam", I'm not too sure anymore. I came across this website and it was like, woah. Other people who think this way? I'm not the only Muslim that follows the Quran only? I'm not the only Muslim that doesn't belong to some denomination? It was a good day.
I keep coming back to the site, so I figured its time to set up an account and start talking to all of you. I am still constantly searching for the truth but I always come back to Islam.Its nice to meet you all, I hope we can have some intellectual conversations. In case there are any other Germans on this forum ich kann flie?end Deutsch. Lass mal schreiben.
Zac
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Peace be upon you Zac.
welcome Its the otherwise with me. My mom did not mind bough me a bible long ago, and I found bible and the quran are in tandem to make us understand what God's want. If you have Catholic background and now read the quran translation it will help you out to understand what the quran mean.I always love it to have friend from western country. My coleagues was from england. We teamed up working online using skype. And we had made lots of money. At least I had a nice living here ;D
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Welcome to the forum.
Harmony with you
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Farabi,
Its very interesting to hear that you had a similar experience, but with a different scripture. One thing the Quran has taught me, is that the three large monotheistic religions are united in ways that most people don't know. It is because of the Quran that I completely respect, and accept the Bible and also the Torah as divine scripture.
Where are you from? Making money over Skype sounds nice ^^Thanks for the welcomes Hafiz and Man of Faith. Peace and blessings of God be upon you sun
Zac
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Peace
God s justice for oppressed women and all oppressed people will eventually prevail!!!It is a shame the so called "Muslims" oppress their women and claim it is decreed for them in their" false religion"?
Yet,throughout Quran, we read that men and women are created equally and are both free to choose. No where in Quran God discriminates against women or men. God states that they each have different qualities, and He acknowledges those differences. Those differences have nothing to do with preferring one gender over the other or entitling men to oppress, humiliate or degrade women or to use any kind of force- mental, emotional or physical- towards them.
Let me share "I will never return-Afghan women" with you
I will Never Return
I?m the woman who has awoken
I?ve arisen and become a tempest through the ashes of my burnt children I?ve arisen from the rivulets of my brother?s blood
My nation?s wrath has empowered me
My ruined and burnt villages fill me with hatred against the enemy,
I?m the woman who has awoken,
I?ve found my path and will never return.
I?ve opened closed doors of ignorance
I?ve said farewell to all golden bracelets
Oh compatriot, I?m not what I was
I?m the woman who has awoken
I?ve found my path and will never return.
I?ve seen barefoot, wandering and homeless children
I?ve seen henna-handed brides with mourning clothes
I?ve seen giant walls of the prisons swallow freedom in their ravenous stomach
I?ve been reborn amidst epics of resistance and courage
I?ve learned the song of freedom in the last breaths, in the waves of blood and in victory
Oh compatriot, Oh brother, no longer regard me as weak and incapable
With all my strength I?m with you on the path of my land?s liberation.
My voice has mingled with thousands of arisen women
My fists are clenched with the fists of thousands compatriots
Along with you I?ve stepped up to the path of my nation,
To break all these sufferings all these fetters of slavery,
Oh compatriot, Oh brother, I?m not what I was
I?m the woman who has awoken
I?ve found my path and will never return.By Meena, founder of the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), born in 1956, was murdered February 4, 1987 by the Afghan branch of the KGB and their fundamentalist accomplices.
Shame on those who mistreat/oppress their fellow human beings!
GOD bless you and welcome.
Peace. -
Farabi,
Its very interesting to hear that you had a similar experience, but with a different scripture. One thing the Quran has taught me, is that the three large monotheistic religions are united in ways that most people don't know. It is because of the Quran that I completely respect, and accept the Bible and also the Torah as divine scripture.
Where are you from? Making money over Skype sounds nice ^^Thanks for the welcomes Hafiz and Man of Faith. Peace and blessings of God be upon you sun
Zac
Hi Zac,
Im from Indonesia. Its almost 3 years I worked over skype, now we had lots of loyal client. Mostly on medical department who need latest journal research synopsis and title. My job was parsing the journal website using PHP. -
Herzlich willkommen aus Berlin!
Ich habe ehrlich gesagt immer noch Probleme mit der Bezeichnung Muslim, weil ich nicht mit den ganzen Betonk?pfen verwechselt werden will. Sollen sie meinetwegen Burka tragen, wenn sie wollen; es ist eben eine andere Religion, mit der ich nichts zu tun habe.
?brigens, wenn Du gern deutsch schreiben m?chtest es gibt auch das Forum http//www.forum.meine-islam-reform.de/, da ist allerdings weniger los als hier und es gibt ein paar seltsame Nutzer (die gibt es hier manchmal ja auch), aber das Selbstverst?ndnis ist im Prinzip ein ?hnliches wie hier. -
Peace Wahrheitssuche,
Welcome to the forum D
Peace,
Samira
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Salaam,
Welcome to the forum!)
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Hello again,
Danke @Reee f?r die Infos und f?r das Willkommen! Auch meiner Meinung nach sind die Burkatr?ger einfach nur Mitglieder einer anderen Religion, genau wie du will ich damit auch nicht verwechselt werden.
And thanks everyone else for the welcome, much appreciated!Zac
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Feel free to discuss anything with me here or send me any questions or issues you may want to talk about at [email protected] !
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Welcome aboard!
I, too, was a former Catholic. I don't consider myself a Muslim but, rather, a muslim. I don't follow traditions; I follow God alone.
Yes, I had the same doubt, too, about mentioning the prophet in the Proclamation of Faith, as well as in the Salat.
I think we have something in common. You can read my story here http//free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9599898.0
May God bless you and your beautiful family.
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Welcome aboard!
I, too, was a former Catholic. I don't consider myself a Muslim but, rather, a muslim. I don't follow traditions; I follow God alone.
Yes, I had the same doubt, too, about mentioning the prophet in the Proclamation of Faith, as well as in the Salat.
I think we have something in common. You can read my story here http//free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9599898.0
May God bless you and your beautiful family.
Come to my thread if you can! Make a statement there if possible so people can learn!