Introduction, My Story
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Assalamu 3alaikum,
How I changed my view (came to God alone) -
While working in England on a summer placement, I came across two employees who were having a discussion about women and women's rights. They asked me my opinion, and I stated that I was sure woman and man are equal. And that is what my religion states. They asked me a few questions that I could not answer
Why can a man have 4 wives but a woman not 4 husbands?
Why does a woman have to cover herself?
In your Islamic courts, a woman cannot be relied on as a witness?They made me feel like an idiot. I could not answer any of these questions and I accepted them as part of my religion.
I searched the internet that night and came across Women In Islam on submission.org, I could not believe what I was reading, becuase it made me realise how blinded I was. I have understood the answers to those questions and I am confident why I believe man and woman are equal in Islam.
I deduced something from my reading on submission.org that warned about Shirk
If by believing something that God did not say, and by taking it as part of your religion, you think/believe you are worshipping God when it was not God that ordered you to do that you are idol worshipping.
(Please let me know if there is something wrong with my conclusion)This made me wake up - I believed that by entering a mosque with my right leg and by entering a toilet with my left I was obeying God'd orders. Who was I obeying by doing these actions?
I became scared. The last thing I wanted to do was idol worship.
Therefore I have been reading and asking ever since.
From that day, it has been a roller coaster ride of reading issues regarding following Hadith and Sunnah, and code-19 and so on.
I do not believe in code-19 because it's based on removing 2 verses from the Quran. If we remove a whole surah from the Quran, who knows what other number can be a common multiple?
Code-19 contradicts itself (no logic). It claims that 2 verses are fabricated because without them the Quran is mathematically coded. But wait, if we return to the clear fundamental rule that the Quran is COMPLETE, do not add anything, do not remove anything, nor is anything missing, you cannot even consider removing 2 verses and therefore there is no basis for code-19.
However, the chemistry bit is fascinating, and I plan on looking into that. The way the elements fit into 4 groups of 19 based on their number of isotopes apart from 5 elements. 4 which go together apart from Potassium that is separate.
I think my view on following Hadith and Sunnah will depend on the answers to many questions.
I hope I can go about thinking about it logically without forming contradicting questions!
I have been having this discussion with a good friend of mine living in UAE, who despite his shock, still tries to convince me that I should follow Hadith and Sunnah. He claims it will help me understand Quran. As we got deep into our discussion, he had nowhere to go except to say "But comeon, I mean COMEON, one billion people follow Hadith and Sunnah, can they all be wrong?"
I believe God and the Quran itslef will help me understand Quran. And I am not basing my religion/belief on something one billion people tell me to do. Only what God has told me to do.
If I feel it is right, then I will follow it. At the moment I am not preapred to follow conjecture and hearsay.My mind is buzzing with lots of other questions like, Where do we draw the line on questions we cannot ask (beyond human's comprehension)?
We cannot ask, what God looks like? How is it possible that He was never born? Why are we here if God doesn't need us? But where does it stop?
What can humans comprehend and what not?What do we accept without questioning? And what do we have to question before we accept?
I think I should stop here.....
I would like to thank the people that keep this site running and to all the long standing members who have spent time in answering the many questions that have been posted. I will go through them in my own time and hopefully find the answers to my questions.
Best Regards
Ramzi
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Welcome Ramzi,
There are a few of us in the UK. Check out QuranConnection.com
You are right about the "shirk" thing, it is a much wider concept than many realise
http//quranicteachings.co.uk/shirk.htmI hope your studies are fruitful, and not just the ones at university. When I was at uni, I used to joke with my friends that uni got in the way of my studies. By that, I meant my study of life/God/islam/quran/philosophy/etc.
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Salam Ramzi,
Welcome to the forum and to the path of God Alone )
Your fears are well placed as most of what is being carried out by the sects in God`s name is indeed shirk (and the punishment for shirk as we know is Hell).
One comment caught my attention
I do not believe in code-19 because it's based on removing 2 verses from the Quran. If we remove a whole surah from the Quran, who knows what other number can be a common multiple?
Code 19 is not based on removing anything (that is a myth). Code 19 is based on the exisiting structure of the Quran and it shows that there is indeed something special to its arrangement (specifically the initialled verses).
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Peace,
Respectfully.welcome to the forum, brother and you can put any question and as many of them as you like, because human brain is a miracle of its own we have questions and we need to communicate, it's one of our needs, it's one of our ways to survive and stay sane.
welcome and have fun.
Glory be to our God.
God bless you.
Peace. -
Peace and welcome to the forum brother ramzi
I hope you will enjoy this forum, and continue your personal development and search for the truth. Be patient and never limit yourself. There are no limits. Our life is just like the universe, as soon as we find a new planet and think that this is the last planet, we will suddenly discover new planets. The journey of knowledge is endless )
If you haven't checked out this page about "Islam based on Quran alone" yet, check it out, it got many interesting articles, and articles about the rights of women.
http//www.rationalreality.com/ ------) Read the article "The Liberation of Women and Koran"
Also check out an article i have posted about the History of Hadiths. I think the article might interest you. Scroll down to almost the end of the page in the link below to read it
http//free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=16838.msg169055#msg169055
David_k
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As we got deep into our discussion, he had nowhere to go except to say "But comeon, I mean COMEON, one billion people follow Hadith and Sunnah, can they all be wrong?"
Salaam and welcome,
I quoted the above because my husband used to say the same thing. My answer to him was... "You think christians are wrong and there are millions of them, so why can't millions of muslims be wrong too?" That was a few years back and now he follows the Quran with no other books, thanks God!
Anyway, glad to have you here. May God guide and bless you!
peace,
dotty -
Salaam, again, Ramzi... and welcome also!
I had no idea that you are new to the forum, as I am "new" as well. Well, if you consider less than a month new... uhhh... I think it's been less than a month, anyway confused.
Anyway... after reading your introduction, I must say, ALLAHU AKBAR!!! To hear that you grew up in the region that you did and with so much influence surrounding you... Allah must have specific plans for you to allow you to step out from under that. As your friend put it "COME ON... can they all be wrong?"... (sorry, I haven't yet used the quote function... so, this is my way, until I figure out how to use it... and I'm sure it's not complicated at all. I just haven't tried yet! offtopic <---- I know.), this is the thinking of many muslims. This is simply following "tradition" and conjecture... and not using your own mind and common sense to think. Also, the Qur'an needs no help... it is CLEAR, PERFECT, and COMPLETE! And that is where the first surah of it (the Qur'an) comes in. If one recognizes this OFTEN... not just through it's recitation... but also through meditation and being VERY mindful and aware of it's meaning... your TRUST and FAITH in ALLAH will most certainly help you in every way that you need, for it's understanding. One must first realize the importance of the first surah... and FOLLOW IT whole-heartedly before one can go any further in the Qur'an.
I personally believe that if you hold Al-Fatihah as near and dear to your heart... and if you recognize it for what ALLAH intends for you and you sincerely believe in it... you would not believe that you need other sources to help you to understand anything in the Qur'an, your mind will keep returning to Al-Fatihah!
Okay... I don't want to be the one to go on and on... but I'm glad that you are here to join us in our efforts to keep to the Straight Path.
Stay strong in ALLAH and don't allow any distractions!
Peace and blessings...
Nameless - for now angel
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Salaam and welcome,
I quoted the above because my husband used to say the same thing. My answer to him was... "You think christians are wrong and there are millions of them, so why can't millions of muslims be wrong too?" That was a few years back and now he follows the Quran with no other books, thanks God!
Anyway, glad to have you here. May God guide and bless you!
peace,
dottypeace dotty,
Even today my mom asked me " how could the scholars of mecca and millions who follow them go wrong" . My answer was " If pope in vatican who has lot of knowledge and wisdom can go wrong about Jesus and millions of christains do follow him, so why can't sunni scholars in mecca be wrong too?". This is one of the simple questions similar to one you quoted which kept me away from the main sect of muslims.May God guide all of us in the straight path.
abdu. -
Even today my mom asked me " how could the scholars of mecca and millions who follow them go wrong" . My answer was " If pope in vatican who has lot of knowledge and wisdom can go wrong about Jesus and millions of christains do follow him, so why can't sunni scholars in mecca be wrong too?".
Salaam abdu,
Curiously, did your mom see your point and give it some thought?
Peace
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peaceto you dotty,
My mom has done her hajj around 6 years back.I haven't done my hajj yet.I told her let us go together for hajj this year after the normal hajj period without any sunni guides teling us what to do(stoning satan and going in rags etc ) and what not to do and to perfrom a proper hajj as per quran. That was the time she questioned me about the sunni scholars of mecca, how could they go wrong. when i replied to her about the pope of vatican she said she can understands what i am saying but i should to do more rearch on the subject and verify it well before taking a big leap. My wife understand the reason behind it and she is already quran alone follower and she is heping me to find worship practises as per quran. I didnt force her to follow my thoughts it should be a decision to be made individually. Similary my cousin also is interested in quran only and she wants my advice on this. Again What i told her was even she should not follow me blindly you go to verify yourself because god wil question her based on what she learned using her brains and I dont want some thing like brain washing( she is few years older to me in her early forties). But heir father was so furious against me during one of the iftar gathering to make such a radical statements against hadeeth and follow only quran.I said I am not here to force you to follow my thoughts and I just want to inspire you learning quran in a different way and if you wish to benefit out of it , it is upto you. I will be solely responsible for my deeds in front of almighty and motive is nothing but to find the straight path. then he said "Lakhum deenukkum wali ya deen". In the next iftar gathering also everybody wanted me to have a discussion on the subject. But, I kept quiet since I need to learn a lot and ii will not be right to make some comments without proper knowledge since these discussion may lead to the extend where i have to say for every thing i have to refer it and i will come back. But one thing i am sure that they all see my sincerity on the subject.
