Struggling...
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Salam Alaikum. I'm so confused. I feel very strongly that I have let enough (perhaps too much) time go by. Since discovering Free-Minds, Quran-alone (ness), I no longer know how to pray. I've not been to a mosque nor performed ablution and prayed (Muslim-style) for months. All out of confusion. Not stating the thing about Muhammed (pbuh) and all the Sunni, Shia ways, that I still haven't enough understanding. It's pressing on my heart so much now. I feel unled. I'm just this all alone, American woman, convert with no Muslims in my life. Please, if any of you can offer assistance. Thank-you.
Peace and God bless,
lily '( -
Peace Lilyfleur,
My advice would be to stop trying to figure things out for now and just find a way to connect to your Creator. Pray with an open heart - talk to God - say whatever's on your mind, whenever you want. Thank God for anything you feel grateful for. Keep in mind that the promise of God is that all who believe in "him", and do good, and believe in the eventual consequences of their actions will have nothing to fear, nor shall they grieve, and who's promise is greater than God's? So, do good, to yourself and to others, keep faith in your Creator, and understand that a day will come when all that you do and say will be manifest in front of you. by keeping these 3 concepts dear to you, you are, by default, in good grace.
Peace,
Tay -
Peace, peace Lilyfleur,
I remember doing and feeling exactly as you are now. The truth was quite simply, elusive.
There are many ways to the truth, but regardless of the path one takes, it is always the same truth. Don't be afraid to look around, examine all words from many sources and follow the best. -Quran 3918
To be a little less abstract;
Wherever you turn, there is no concensus on any of what are deemed to be core issues in "Islam". Polygamy, Pilgrimmage, Alcohol, Salat, etcetera. Something is wrong with the way "Muslims" are trying to comprehend this reading, the Quran. A bold statement, I know. But open yourself to other readings of the truth. -Quran 961
Perhaps in your heart you want that one true, final truth which likely translates in your mind as needing to subcribe to the one true group of "Muslims" that have found the correct understanding. There is no such thing. Until you break free and start to question the preconceived ideas, you will never know for yourself the truth, and forever remain in a state of doubt which will only continue to cause you the anxiety you now feel.
While we remain in ignorance of the truth, no amount of attention to religious observances, and much praying and reading of Scripture will bring us the peace the Quran speaks of.
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Salam Alaikum. I'm so confused. I feel very strongly that I have let enough (perhaps too much) time go by. Since discovering Free-Minds, Quran-alone (ness), I no longer know how to pray. I've not been to a mosque nor performed ablution and prayed (Muslim-style) for months. All out of confusion. Not stating the thing about Muhammed (pbuh) and all the Sunni, Shia ways, that I still haven't enough understanding. It's pressing on my heart so much now. I feel unled. I'm just this all alone, American woman, convert with no Muslims in my life. Please, if any of you can offer assistance. Thank-you.
Peace and God bless,
lily '(Hi Lilly,
Until you get to believe and understand what its all about- you may feel alone/ lonely.
What some brothers here don't understand is what its all about- i think.
Its your connection to every body around you is most important - you don't have to be like them or follow them but make the best of connections with everybody good and see the results in your life. You will probably lo ugh at what some of the things they do do, but that is the nice feel you will have once you reach that state.
There is nothing bad about people so as long as they ain't trouble makers- but the best of the people are those who are like you who will want to apply the 12 shahr and live their lives by applying the attributes in their daily lives working hard for humanity sake- even your own children, if you have any.
http//free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=14636.msg136381#msg136381
group
God Bless All.
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Peace be upon you,
Just relax, stay in the state of peace that has gotten you this far and it will take you as far as you are ready to go. We have all been where you are and can tell you there is nothing to fear. God does not punish people for using there minds to question and there is a natural urge in you to want to KNOW, a natural urge. So relax, do not tense up, and just flow with it.
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Salam Alaikum. I'm so confused. I feel very strongly that I have let enough (perhaps too much) time go by. Since discovering Free-Minds, Quran-alone (ness), I no longer know how to pray. I've not been to a mosque nor performed ablution and prayed (Muslim-style) for months. All out of confusion. Not stating the thing about Muhammed (pbuh) and all the Sunni, Shia ways, that I still haven't enough understanding. It's pressing on my heart so much now. I feel unled. I'm just this all alone, American woman, convert with no Muslims in my life. Please, if any of you can offer assistance. Thank-you.
Peace and God bless,
lily '(Salam.
Respectfully.God tells us all about the prayer in The Quran
"Observe the Salat (Contact Prayers) for it prohibits evil and vice." 2945
"You shall glorify and praise your Lord and be with the prostrators, and worship your Lord until you attain certainty." 1598-99
"Surely, those who recite the book of God, observe the Contact Prayers and are charitable both discreetly and openly can hope for an investment that never loses. He will recompense them generously and will multiply His blessings upon them. He is Forgiving, Appreciative." 3529-30
"You shall recite what is revealed to you of the Scripture, and observe the Salat (Contact Prayers), for the Salat prohibits evil and vice. But the remembrance of God (through the Contact Prayers) is the most important objective. God is aware of all that you do." 2945
"I am God, there is no other God but Me, you shall worship Me and observe the Salat (Contact Prayers) to commemorate Me." 2014
"O you who believe, do not observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) while intoxicated, till you ( so that you ) know what you are saying." 443
"O you who believe, when you observe the Salat (Contact Prayers) you shall wash your faces, wash your arms to the elbows, wipe your heads and wash your feet to the ankles." 56
"Wherever you go, you shall turn your face (during Salat) towards the Sacred Masjid; wherever you might be, you shall turn your faces (during Salat) towards it." 2150
"You shall consistently observe the Salat (Contact Prayers), especially the middle prayer, and STAND before God in submission." 2238
"The angels called to him as he was STANDING praying in the sanctuary "God gives you good news of John; a believer in the word of God, honorable, moral, and a righteous prophet." 339
"When you are with them, and lead the Salat (Contact Prayer) for them, let a group of them STAND with you and let them hold their weapons, and let them stand behind you as you prostrate. Then, let the other group that has not prayed take their turn praying with you, while the others stand guard and hold their weapons." 4102
"We appointed Abraham to establish the Shrine "You shall not idolize any other god beside Me, and purify My shrine for those who visit it, those who live near it, and those who BOW and PROSTRATE." 2226
"Muhammad-the messenger of God, and those with him are harsh and stern against the disbelievers, but kind and compassionate amongst themselves. You see them BOWING and PROSTRATING, as they seek God's blessings and approval." 4829
The Salat ends with the last prostration
" ...... then when they have performed their prostration (fa iza sajadu) let them fall to the rear and let another group come that has not worshipped yet and let them worship with you ......" 4102
These three Quranic physical movements (standing, bowing and prostrating) are not required at the times of emergencies, fear, and unusual circumstances (2239).
"Under unusual circumstances, you may pray while walking or riding. Once you are safe, you shall commemorate God as He taught you what you never knew." 2239
"You shall recite what is revealed to you of your Lord's Scripture (the Quran). Nothing shall abrogate His words, and you shall not find any other source beside it." 1827
"You shall recite what is revealed to you of the Scripture (the Quran), and observe the Salat (Contact Prayers)." 2945
"They are not all the same; among the followers of the scripture there are those who are righteous. They recite God's revelations through the night while prostrating." 3113
"When you read the Quran, you shall seek refuge in God from Satan the rejected." 1698
'Sobhan Rabi Al-Azeem' (Praise my Lord the Great). This is in compliance with "You shall glorify the name of your Lord, the Great" 5674. These words of praise are usually spoken in the bowing position as many times as desired.
'Sobhan Rabi Al-Aala' (Praise my Lord the Most High). This is in compliance with "Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High" 871. These words of praise are usually spoken in the prostrating position as many times as desired.
"During the night you shall glorify Him, and after prostrating" 5040
In 17111 we read the following words
"Al-Hamdu l'Allah alazee lam yatakhez waladan, wa lam yakun lahu shareek fee al mulk, wa lam yakun lahu waleyon min al zol."
These words translate to
"Praise be to God who has never begotten a son, nor does He have a partner in His kingship, nor does He need an ally out of weakness" 17111
In 17110 God commands us to use a moderate voice in our Salat, immediately after which God commands us
"AND SAY, 'Praise be to God, who has never begotten a son??."
The words "AND SAY"at the beginning of verse 111 indicate that the subject is STILL Salat (the subject of 110). This means that God is commanding us to utter these specific words during our salat.
It is interesting to note that these 3 phrases have significant meanings
1- "Praise be to God who has never begotten a son,"
These words purify us from the claim of the Christians who gave God a son.
2- "nor does He have a partner in His kingship,"
These words purify us from the corrupt Muslims who made Muhammad a partner with God in everything they say or do ........
3- "nor does He need an ally out of weakness"
These words purify us from the Jewish scholars who claim that God is not able to do certain things ... etc
In effect, by uttering these words, and constantly being aware of the danger and corruption of these groups, we purify our souls and maintain the purity of our religion.
These words must be uttered during our salat.
As usual, God has once again shown us that the Quran offers explanations to all things (1689). Indeed, God has given us in the Quran the exact words that should be uttered to end the Salat. These are found in the following verse
"As for those who believe and lead a righteous life, their Lord guides them by virtue of their belief. Rivers will flow beneath them in the garden of bliss. Their prayer therein is, 'Be you glorified our God' their greeting therein is, 'Peace' and the ending to their prayer is, 'Al-Hamdu l'Allah Rab Al-Alameen (Praise be to God, Lord of the Universe)" 109-10
This verse speaks of the model believers who will be rewarded in the gardens of heaven. We are told about the last words in their prayers 'Al-Hamdu l'Allah Rab Al-Alameen' (Praise be to God, Lord of the Universe). It makes perfect sense that we should follow their example (if we would like to end up in heaven too) and end our prayers in praise of Almighty God and not bidding farewell to the angels!
http//www.quran-islam.org/198.html
Peace.
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i agree with Alen- that rituals have been given in mercy and wisdom, and that remembrance of them and inwardly connecting to God is what we should be doing.
what i do when i get low spiritually is to sit and read the Quran, consider the attributes of God, and ask for inner peace and guidance. when i make salat, i do feel clearer, closer to God, and more ready to be guided by Him.
the spiritual road can be bumpy and it's not uncommon to skid off of it. i have friends from a variety of traditions, and we help to sustain one another spiritually- Quaker, Baptist, Sunni Muslim, Baha'i, Jewish... keep in touch, sister.
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My advice would be to stop trying to figure things out for now and just find a way to connect to your Creator. Pray with an open heart - talk to God - say whatever's on your mind, whenever you want.
Cool!
Just relax, stay in the state of peace that has gotten you this far and it will take you as far as you are ready to go. We have all been where you are and can tell you there is nothing to fear. God does not punish people for using there minds to question and there is a natural urge in you to want to KNOW, a natural urge. So relax, do not tense up, and just flow with it.
yuck God, I find idolfree's post to be very pretentious..
Thank God for anything you feel grateful for.
God, I'm grateful that you have never put me in the position that idolfree claims everyone has been in... that You have simply put into me from a young age that the there is only one way for me to pray.. and that's with sincerity.. what some people would call from the bottom of and with full heart... I'm grateful that you brought your message to human kind through the Quran that allows me to understand what true prayer is and can be... and that peace is not something purchased at your local new age shop...
hmm... lets see how works.. thanks Tay!.. peace
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Salam
Thanks for all of your kind words. It all really made me feel better until I got down to M_Mehdi's comment. I don't think Idolfree intended to insult your apparent perfect understanding of prayer. I believe the intention was to offer encouraging words to someone (that's me) who was feeling concerned that I might not be doing something that God wants me to be doing. Is being non-confrontational too "new age" for you Mehdi? It's that sort of negativeness that has kept me from free-minds for quite some time. I apologize for saying this in front of everyone, but I feel bad that you somewhat called Idolfree out because of his use of the word "everyone". Perhaps there has been some riff between the two of you in the past, but please, stay positive. You know, life can be hard enough without coming here to hopefully learn and feel love, and then wham one of your brothers or sisters gets all icky with ya. Thanks again to everyone else for all the positive, encouraging words. peace
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say whatever's on your mind, whenever you want.
bravo it works!!
Thanks for all of your kind words. It all really made me feel better until I got down to M_Mehdi's comment. I don't think Idolfree intended to insult your apparent perfect understanding of prayer. I believe the intention was to offer encouraging words to someone (that's me) who was feeling concerned that I might not be doing something that God wants me to be doing. Is being non-confrontational too "new age" for you Mehdi? It's that sort of negativeness that has kept me from free-minds for quite some time. I apologize for saying this in front of everyone, but I feel bad that you somewhat called Idolfree out because of his use of the word "everyone". Perhaps there has been some riff between the two of you in the past, but please, stay positive. You know, life can be hard enough without coming here to hopefully learn and feel love, and then wham one of your brothers or sisters gets all icky with ya. Thanks again to everyone else for all the positive, encouraging words. peace
bravo
Struggling... is correct word to use.. but as for struggling with prayer?! I'm not so sure...
Feel free to call me Fritz.
Peace.... peace -
Salam Lilyfleur,
I appreciate your message! )
Lilyfluer... since you said
Is being non-confrontational too "new age" for you Mehdi? It's that sort of negativeness that has kept me from free-minds for quite some time.
Do you see confrontation as being a negative thing?
I apologize for saying this in front of everyone,
How come you apologize for speaking your mind?
but I feel bad that you somewhat called Idolfree out because of his use of the word "everyone".
What made 'you' feel bad about what I said since it was never directed to you to begin with?
Salam Alaikum. I'm so confused. I feel very strongly that I have let enough (perhaps too much) time go by. Since discovering Free-Minds, Quran-alone (ness), I no longer know how to pray. I've not been to a mosque nor performed ablution and prayed (Muslim-style) for months. All out of confusion. Not stating the thing about Muhammed (pbuh) and all the Sunni, Shia ways, that I still haven't enough understanding. It's pressing on my heart so much now. I feel unled. I'm just this all alone, American woman, convert with no Muslims in my life. Please, if any of you can offer assistance.
From what you are saying, it seems that you are having some internal (confronting) issues between traditional and non-traditional ways to prayer.
You say that you are "all alone, American woman, convert with no Muslims in your life." You also said that you're "feeling concerned that I might not be doing something that God wants me to be doing." What makes you believe that anybody here knows "what God wants" you to be doing?
peace
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Salam Alaikum. I'm so confused. I feel very strongly that I have let enough (perhaps too much) time go by. Since discovering Free-Minds, Quran-alone (ness), I no longer know how to pray. I've not been to a mosque nor performed ablution and prayed (Muslim-style) for months. All out of confusion. Not stating the thing about Muhammed (pbuh) and all the Sunni, Shia ways, that I still haven't enough understanding. It's pressing on my heart so much now. I feel unled. I'm just this all alone, American woman, convert with no Muslims in my life. Please, if any of you can offer assistance. Thank-you.
Peace and God bless,
lily '(Peace Lily,
What kind of assistance are you talking about?If you are worried that you are not doing good..
9121 And anything small or large they spend, or any valley they cross, it will be recorded for them. God will recompense them with the best of what they did. -
Whats happening lilyfleur? Maybe you will find the following signs relevant
"And seek help through patient perseverance, and through the salaat "
** Turn to God when in need of help, who is more powerful than God? Who is more merciful than God?"And if My servants ask you about Me, I am near answering the calls of those who call to Me. So let them respond to Me and believe in Me that they may be guided. "
** God is always hearing those who call upon him."Or did you expect that you would enter Paradise, while the example of those who were before you came to you; they were stricken with adversity and hardship, and they were shaken until the messenger and those who believed with him said ?When is God?s victory?? Yes indeed, God?s victory is near. "
**Gods help is always near..."and those who are patient in the face of good and bad and when in despair. These are the ones who have been truthful, and they are the righteous. "
** If you know Gods help is always near and that you must seek help with patience, then u shud not fall into despair."We have sent down to you the Qur?an in stages.
"So be patient to the judgment of your Lord, and do not obey from them any sinner or rejecter. "
** God knows what is best for us and has a plan for us. We must try our sincere best to work hard towards pleasing God, and then leave it upto him. There is no doubt in my mind that God will guide and reward those who patiently work hard in his way.My Advice Feed some poor people, or fast for a few days, with the intention of serving The God, and talk to God with utmost devotion.
Peace,
Hadi -
Salaam Aleikum Lilyfleur,
I feel for you and, I believe, understand how you feel, having gone through the same; difference being that my beloved wife is there for me struggling with the same issues. What sets my heart to peace is the thought that all God asks of us is that we strive for what is right.
He doesn't expect us to be perfect since only One is perfect. If we follow the guidance we receive, He has promised us more guidance, so take it a step at a time. Don't give up all your habits of religion at once, not knowing what to replace them with. Instead study an issue at a time until you are sure about that, for example the number of daily salh and then adjust to that before you take on the next issue.
Seeing your striving God will surely have patience with you and look at you with love. pr -
Peace!
Thanks again for all the advice. I really have taken it all to heart. I feel a lot better. If I understand most of your posts correctly, I may not be as far off as I feared. As much as I'm still unsure of exactly how I should be praying (making wudu, prostrating, etc.), I am at least at peace with with my personal connectedness to God. He is almost always on my mind and I do "speak" with Him regularly. I guess I just need to continue moving toward a better understanding (through studying the Quran) of ritual prayer. God-willing I will get there. Again, thank-you all.
Now, Fritz, yes, I guess I did see your confrontal attitude (in my opinion) as negative. It just seemed off subject. Why did I care? Because I'm not comfortable seeing other people being attacked. Attacked may be too strong a description. I just felt it was antagonistic without proper grounds. That's all. Peace brother.
Peace all!
-lily
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Guess I'm not the brightest star in the sky. I just read the salat section of the subject "The Five Pillar Myth" (on the Free-Minds main page). I agree with you M_Mehdi that we are our own best experts, but sometimes it's nice to see that others feel as you do (in regards to something as important as getting into heaven someday anyway). Alright, so again, thanks everyone. It's good to have reconnected with the site. And a special thanks to Layth, once again, for creating this place and offering so much valuable information to consider. This isn't the first time I've forgotten to search the main page for knowledge. I'll remember next time. !
Much Peace
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Salam Lilyfleur,
but sometimes it's nice to see that others feel as you do (in regards to something as important as getting into heaven someday anyway).
Understood... from what I read in your posts I think there's alot there for you to be teaching others aswell! You have a very unique and fresh outlook on all of this. And that's like a breath of fresh air... I mean we all can read what's on the front page and already know what traditional islam says and has makes those who are running from it say.. I think it'll be real nice to learn more from your perspective..
handshakeMuch love and peace...
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Peace be upon you Lilyfluer,
I am glad you understood my comment and took at as it was meant to be taken. M Mehdi, may you find peace.