Salam

I guess there has been a lot of posts in other areas of the forum. It has been a while since I posted. Nearly 2 months to be precise. Have been working on conforming my mind and soul to model my life after the Quran. I still believe that Muhammad wasn't illeterate and that he wrote the Quran as a spiritual way to unite the world under a righteous and positive code of conduct. Do believe in Allah, although I believe that He isn't overly involved in human affairs as most other Muslims believe.

In regard to Jesus, Son of Mary He was a human prophet and the Gospels in what we today call the Bible verify, although in a slight misleading way that Jesus, Son of Mary was fully human and not Allah in the flesh. The word "Lord" when referring to Jesus means "Master" and is not a reference to Jesus being Allah. It is naturally impossible for God to be incarnated in a human person like that. Jesus' miracles might have been a popular mythology, since the Quran is mostly based on Christian legends, Extrabiblical Jewish texts, Judeo-Christian Apocryphal writings, and Arabic Historical Legends.

The Quran makes a great cultural and historical contribution, yet I doubt and deeply question its "divine origin". Muhammad might have had some auditory, tactile, visionary hullicinations for all we know! Not to mispeak or talk negative about our valued Prophet. Being a man who is knowledgeable about some mental health and one who is a recipient of mental health services as well as a comparative religion buff, who is a severely "marginal" Muslim for nearly 4 1/2 years, I do have to question the "divine origins" knowing the historical and spiritual evidence.

Being a young man who wants to enter into college for Criminal Justice program regimen, I have to look at the psychological stuff and examine the evidence, then draw up some theories. Everyone has their own side of the story and a true "religion detective" as I refer to myself as, has examine the evidence and figure out what did or may have happened within the origin or development of a religion to make it what it is today.

Religion does draw people together, yes, but the origins of the world's religions are unknown or in obscurity within how they began or originated. That is why I have devoted my lifelong hobby and search for what truth I can find in Islam and how other religions came to be what they are today in our 21st Century. I really take great joy in studying Islam and being an amateur "religion detective", who is a Muslim. This I take with a deepened and greatest passionate way of doing what I love to do the most explore Islam and study Comparative Religion with a deep lifelong passion.

Hopefully, this doesn't offend anyone on the forum, but given the evidence to examine, I hereby rest my case after seeing the evidence and sorting through some of the history of Islam and Natural Science on what is humanly possible and what goes against the Natural Laws of the Universe. Well, I have to go now. My mother will be calling me to let me know that she is stopping by to take me to a cook-out with family and friends to celebrate Memorial Day. That will be nice too...Spending time with family and friends at a social get-together.

A Truth-Seeker,
Brother Perry

Hi Everyone

I really do believe in God as Spiritual Energy within all people's hearts but not as a Person, yet I am a Cultural Muslim, who is very far from being an ideal one. Now, I do believe in Quran as not being divinely "inspired", because of my past involvement with being a Muslim since my earlier 20's. I am 25 yrs old now and have found some peace in God to comfort me in my journey of self-realization. I am writing a manuscript for a Humanistic Muslim's diary (my personal reflections & experiences with Islam and Religious Humanism, which I have titled the manuscript "Journeyman of Faith". It describes a personal take on what Islam is in relation to my own personal journey, the spiritual issues I face personally and through life-experiences.

Not sure what publisher will want to publish my manuscript after I have completed writing, typed it up, and after I have it proof-read. Perhaps through the "Free-Republic" website, I can have such published online and have it as a pdf file or have it published by Non-Sectarian Interfaith publisher. This will be a writing project I will enjoy composing entries in my notebook for all issues facing Islam, Liberal and Traditional Muslims alike. Well, I just wanted to reply to the message thread I began yesterday. Peace be with you all!

In Allah,
"Paul"

Hello Ahmed

Alright...I can understand your views somewhat and respect them. In my Muslim faith, I am not very religious, yet I am deeply Humanist with Muslim spirituality. I don't necessarily disbelieve in the Quran being a book of guidance and truth. For myself, Quran is a book cultural wisdom and human-focused philosophy using the belief in God to bring about social changes in all times. The Torah is a book of cultural wisdom for the Hebrew People, just as the New Testament is a book of cultural wisdom for Christians. As for my belief in Jesus...He was a social reformer in his day among his people. In my personal viewpoint is tomb and physical remains are in Jerusalem somewhere. The Talpiot suburb of Jerusalem in Israel where a family tomb was discovered might have been the burial place of the Prophet Jesus and his immediate family, yet there is no concrete evidence to prove or disprove that discovery at all. Allah (or God) gave a human reason to discern between human truth and spiritual error. I understand that Free-Minds Forum is a very religious Muslim place of discussion. From another forum, which is Interfaith as well. So, I practice a form Humanistic and Cultural Islam while being open-minded toward an Interfaith way of life. This is why I wrote what I did and why I believe such, even if it goes against time-honored Muslim tradition. Hopefully, this clears up any misunderstanding and doesn't lead to any hard feelings. You may dislike me, judge me, tolerate me, or be shocked by my statement of me being a Humanistic/Cultural Muslim. That is between you and Allah to work out. Be blessed and Peace be with you, Ahmed.

Yours,
"Paul"

Hello Everyone
Thank you for affirming my belief. I really feel wlecome here on the Free-Minds Forum. Quran is NOT a "forgery", yet it is not "divinely inspired" either. What Quran is, in my view, would be a human work, penned by the Muhammad as a religious socio-political document to unify a "newer" community of people with a belief in God as a motivator and NOT a instigator as well as a community with common laws, democratic government, a unified purpose of living, and a mythistorical history of great people, who taught the belief in Pure Monotheism. I don't believe in God being the same one as the Christians and Jews, because the Christians and Jews have added as well as taken away some positive beliefs about the Personal Being of God as being One. Christians say God has a son. Jews rely too much on their disproving of some of the Messengers, who came in God's name to teach people a better way of life-choices, based on a unity of belief, society, mythistorical legends, and same political ideals. I am unsure of what to believe about life after death, but I rely on Quran alone for an answer to that issue, for I don't know what is on the other side of death, other than what Quran mentions about such a touchy topic of interest. Again, thank you for affirming that it is healthy to have these beliefs as God-Aloner in the Free-Minds Group Forum. Be blessed!
~Roger J. Perry~

Paladingirl

Christianity is very divided today. so severely divided over which bible to use and
their doctrines are inconsistent with eachother. there have been attempts to restore
Christianity to its original roots, yet such an original Christian faith was most likely far, far
different and more of an Proto-Islamic type of faith than what the faith has become over
the centuries. if you wish to learn about jesus in a more islamic-friendly way, read the
"gospel of thomas", which has 114 separate sayings attributed to jesus.

this might help and i have found the "gospel of thomas" to be good. this might help
you out some. you can buy a small separate copy of the "gospel of thomas" for a small
price at a local bookstore, if you live in the united states or canada or even in certain
parts of europe, where english is the primary or secondary language.

hoping this can
help some. personally, i used to read apocryphal literature dealing with christian gnostic
religion, but i kinda out-grew it over the years like i did my video-games.

i still play some
of my city-sims and myst 3exile on some weekends, yet this is not as much as it used
to be when i was in my earlier 20's. i am 25yrs old now. talk with you all later and if you
live in the united states like i do, "happy thanksgiving!"

Roger

hi all!

very interesting post, anthony! i am often remarked in my family
as being like the prophet ayyub. at least one person has decribed
me as the "spiritual" son of ayyub. although my entire family are
christians, they have remarked that i am "the son of ayyub". my
afflictions are many. had hepatitis c all my life since i was 12yrs
old and have been attacked by a jinn spirit as a young child.

i had an ex-partner who used to tell me horrible things and tried
to make me give up my belief in god for a loose sex life with her.
believe in no sex before marriage and i wasn't ever married to my
ex-partner.

in the past several years, i have been afflicted with
some really horrible incidents caused by shaytan and jinn so
badly, that i feel that i am "the son of ayyub". it's just a belief my
family shares with me and it hasn't left the family until i have'
mentioned it in this post.

i don't believe in
reicarnation, as it is not in the quran or even the gospels nor
tanakh. therefore, reincarnation is most likely a false belief,
because the quran would have mentioned it in its revelation to
the prophet muhammad. there is such a belief that a likeness
in personality types of the prophets of the quran, being within
a person, but this is yet another more personal theory of opinion,
than a verified quranic belief.

this is just a personal thought.
please be careful what you are saying, because people might not
understand and you can run into all sorts of issues with the
general public, if you tell the wrong person. being a recipient of
mental health services myself, i've seen many people "crash-and-
burn" very badly by making certain claims like the one you are
making, brother.

it is a lot more contraversial than a person
declaring to others that he/she is a muslim or believer in the
the quran. please guard your thoughts, because this has raised
some "red flags" with others and myself included. some people
might not be as accepting and you could open yourself up to
some unwanted, negative attention. have a nice night!

peace,
Roger

Good Morning To All!

I am growing more into the "God-Alone/Quran-Only" faith. My life has been changing for the better in my
new spirituality as a Monotheist believer in the Quran-Alone. Faith means a lot to me as a believer, who is cleansed
from all the past defilements of my heart. God-Alone cleaned my heart and mind. Not some modern religious
leader nor a council of religious clergy with so-called "absolute authority".

Now that I seek God as He is and
not what a select religious few, who define what God is, according to their limited faith, I have set my mind
free from all fears, undisciplined anxieties, uncontrolled anger, and freedom from religious condemnations made
by religious clergy. I am an intellectual person and often this has made me clash with various religious folks and
even with some law enforcement in my local area.

(note most official authority figures are highly conservative religious
and ultra-conservative republicans by religious and political definition). So, I tend to clash very, very badly with
some clergy and authroity figures, due to my seemingly contraversial and radically different liberal views toward
God in faith, the Nation I live in, and the contraversial views I have toward life, politics, and faith. I would admit
that the Natural Republic book has my full support toward a more better "Islamic Reformation from within". Have
a nice day and be blessed by God.

Brother Roger

Hello All

Thank you for your inspirational guidance, BeIh. I have been looking up verses in the Quran to guide me closer to God as needed.
Will keep seeking Him through study of the Quran and Natural Republic, regular prayers, some fasting, celebration of specific days
of spiritual significance. What Holidays do "God-Alone" and "Quran-Only" believer celebrate, and when do these Holidays occur?
Maybe, someone can inform me about this question.

I know that the days of fasting during the sacred month around the time
around the year when this sacred time occurs. Will wait patiently for an answer to my questions and hoping to learn more by
studying my Quran everyday as I should be. Have a great day and be blessed by God, Compassionate, Merciful.

Roger

Brother Kurt,

Thank you for welcoming me to the Path of Islam. I am just beginning to read my Quran
get into the whole "Quran-Alone" spirituality of the "real" path of True Islam as a young
guy, who has been through a lot with religions and being turned down by religious folks
an awful lot in my search for God as He really is. Found God as He really is through
www.Free-Minds.org

i hope to continue to learn and join in the discussion on the Forum.
Have a great night and a good morning, depending on what part of the world you are in. I
live in the Northeast in the United States and it is nightfall where I am at. the time on the
time on when messages are posted must be based on time zones in Europe or the Middle-
East. it can get rather confusing the whole times messages are posted. above all, thank
you and may you be blessed.

In Faith,
Br. Roger

Hello,

Thank you both for the inspiring guidance. Yes,
I will read my Quran and seek the answers I am
seeking right at this crucial beginning of living as
a "God-Aloner". It is very nice to hear from
such supportive new brothers and sisters, who are
there to help me develop spiritually as a more
fully dedicated "God-Aloner" in my life.

Keep inspiring me and thank you for helping me get out of
the RLDS-Mormon faith. I should talk with my mother and
talk with another person I can trust, who
won't judge me nor bash my newfound faith in the
"God-Alone" spirituality. have a nice night.

yours,

Roger

Hello Everyone

My name is "Paul". I became a part of discovering Authentic Islam through Free-Minds Network not too long ago. When I first heard about Islam, I was in a high-school global history class as 15-16 year old youth. I made up my mind that I wanted to become a Muslim. With much opposition from my deeply religious Christian family members, the only one who bought me a copy of the Quran was my mother, who valued what I found in the Quran and my Pediatric Hep. C Liver Specialist was Egyptian and Muslim himself at this time in my life as a teenager, when I was on chemotherapy injections to fight what was known as the worst case scenario of Hep. C Virus. So, we used to talk about Islam and I asked him about the rituals, the Sacred Holy Cities Mecca & Madinah Al-Muwarrah, Egyptian Muslim Culture, and the Quran itself. I learned so much, despite the daily physical torture my step-father put me through at the time and threatened to have me arrested for disobeying his controlling orders not to convert to Islam and I would be killed by people in our local area. After I graduated from High School in June 2002...I moved away to a more populated town away from the rural areas where my folks lived. About 4 months after I turned 21 years old in October 2004, I took the step and officially reverted to Traditional Islam. Prayed the 5 daily prayers, kept Halal in diet and relationships, read Quran daily without fail, fasted when health permitted me to during Ramadan, celebrated the Eid Feasts, and went to the mosque once a month on a Saturday night in a neighboring city to enjoy some potluck dinners with Muslims. Life was fine and good, yet I realized how much empty I was inside. At the time, I haven't realized the treasures and gems of Authentic Islam to cultivate within my heartbroken soul. After some time, I fell into old behaviors and worshipped other gods than AllahSWT. For about a year or two on and off, I was a Hare Krishna devotee through ISKCON. (Yet, I chose not to become an "initiated" devotee, due to the hope of something of a better and higher taste of spiritual bliss, which I would later reclaim as a Muslim once again.) Through all the religiosities of deep confusion and intense distress of my soul in the fall of 2008, I pulled out my prayer rug, sat on my knees, lifted my hands upward toward the heavens, crying for the idolater that I have become to ask Allah to forgive me and restore me back to my spiritual "purity", "joyfulness" and complete "innocence" I felt when I first became a part of the Muslim faith when I was 21 years old way back in October of 2004. Now in the mid-Winter of 2008-09, I was 25 years old and on my knees as much as I possibly could to seek the face of God, yet I didn't realize right then the changes taking place in my soul, which was battered by false hopes in gods I who could speak, let alone transform my badly damaged soul. So, I started "talking" with AllahSWT vocally in voice or mentally in ym mind wherever I would be or happen to go in my wintertime walks and places I would travel with friends, family, or loved ones anywhere. Some people in my town thought there was something wrong with me, like having delusions or auditory and visual hallucinations, yet this wasn't the case at all like they thought of me as experiencing. I just was talking with AllahSWT and I didn't care what others thought of or looked at about me. In fact, I still "talk" with AllahSWT and as the Prophets Abraham, Moses, David, Dhul-Al-Qarayn, Dhul Al-Khifl, Hud, Yunus, Jesus and Muhammad (peace and may Allah's blessings be upon them all), I still experience the physical sensations of angels and jinn all around me, when I feel either of their presences. Yet, I feel the Ultimate Presence of AllahSWT, as a Heavenly Parent and Mercifully Loving Monarch in my life nowadays. I do believe Hadith is true, yet such is always open to interpretation as the Quran is by all people...NOT just the scholars within their religious universities and mosques. Prayer to me, is not blind rituals as the Traditional Salat has become over the past 1,400 years since the Prophet's (SAW) passing in 632 CE/10 AH. I read my Yusuf Ali Deluxe Hardcover Holy Quran. Still have doubts about the divinity of the Holy Quran and still doubt some about Life after Death, but I don't doubt the Last Day and the Judgement of Humankind by AllahSWT. Yet, in time, I shall be fully and spiritually restored in my life as a Muslim. Free-Minds is a beginning start of the spiritual recovery process, although I am half-way there to full restoration, by my choice to surrender to My Creator and Sustainer, AllahSWT. So, I am writing a book full of journal entries about my spiritual recovery and restoration in my Islamic faith in all its entirety Quran, Hadith, Sunnah, with new perspectives on worship, congregational and private, with studying the Halal-Haram issues of Muslim Life. This book I am writing in my handwritten manuscript in preparation to type up is titled, "Journeyman of Faith". Truly, I am a "journeyman", a Sufi Muslim by traditional religious Islamic standards. This is my story of my "Journey To Islam". Be blessed by AllahSWT. Post some messages later.

In AllahSWT,
PAUL PERRY

Just a note to share on the Myth of Quranic Divinity

My views of Quran being "divine" is that Muhammad might not have been illiterate and that he was the one who revealed Quran to guide people back to the Religion of Abraham, which is Monotheism. Of course, Muhammad was a political man and might have drawn upon traditions of Judaism very heavily and recorded Christian traditions of the early church saints, who were viewed by the Universal Church as "heretical". This is not to say that God wasn't an "inspiration" behind Muhammad's System of Religion. God was a bigger reality behind the faith as restored by the Prophet. Islam is more of social movement of God-Alone way of life with religious belief in God and the Infancy int he formation of the Muslim Community as a motivator, NOT the revelator of what is today known as Islam. Today's Islam is just as distorted as the Pagan traditions Muhammad tried to stop from oppressing his own people. So, is Quran "divine?" I would strongly say "No". Yet the Quran has produced a Pan-National movement, which would bring about advances in medicine, science, history, art, poetry/writings, and theology unlike anything ever known in the history of humankind. Rather than people looking at God-Aloner Islam as another group of Muslims, there is a mistake in saying Islam altogether is "evil" or as some Christian friends say about Islam being a "false religion" or the "greatest betrayal of a religious lie. It is the man-made traditions associated with True Islam in the System of God-Alone, which have given the social movement and religio-politically united faith-culture known as Islam through the ages a negative tone. Just some thoughts to throw into this chat-room. Be blessed by God and cherish the gifts people have been led to inspire in helping to benefit society, ancient and modern cultures alike. Peace be with you all.

God-Alone Forever,
Roger Joseph Perry

hello,

i really like the faith of "Quran-Alone" and it is changing how i view life through studying the Message Holy Quran with the
Natural Republic texts. Ever since i began reading my Quran and Natural Republic, life has become more meaningful and much
of a more happier way of enjoying everyday life as a believer in God as He is described in the Quran. this forum is a neat place
to fellowship and to be a participant in as such discussion deepen my faith in the Message of the Prophet and the Messengers
before him (peace be upon them all).

i do have doubts about the Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him), as i wonder if the gospel
writers present Jesus (pbuh) as a mentally deranged trouble-maker or a manic-depressive type of person. being a person with
mental health issues myself, i wonder if Jesus (pbuh) was suffering from some type of manic-depressive disorder of mental illness
or whether people just never could understand him as a person.

such issues will be answered in time. don't mean to sound
blasphemous or anything of that nature. i just am seeking answers within my new faith as a new believer in "Quran-Alone" Islam.
guess i will just have to pull out my Quran and read some about Jesus, Son of Mary (pbuh)...have a good morning and hope to
keep in touch with all of you on the forum. take care and God bless for now.

yours,
Roger

hello,

my name is roger. i have some questions to ask in the forum. what are your beliefs regarding jesus, krishna, buddha, mithras, joseph smith jr,
and other prophets. i come from a reform mormon/RLDS background and i am exploring God-Alone spirituality, yet i haven't officially
converted to "islam". for family and friends reasons for keeping unity and not being left by them, i am exploring God-Alone secretly as a
young adult. i ordered a copy of the "natural republic" and "the message holy quran" to read in my personal library. also, i read my RLDS
Book of Mormon and keep the lord's law of health, as expressed in the doctrines & covenants scriptural writings of RLDS-Mormonism.
hopefully, nobody is offended by this.

i have read certain sections of the Urantia Book, but couldn't get into it that much, due to it heady format.
the quran is quite wonderful and beautiful as a religious text. my father is very threatening and is a recovered alcoholic (he's a "dry drunk&quot.
my grandma is a very religious christian, who sees any other faith, except mainstream protestant christianity, LDS and RLDS mormonism,
as false and a teaching of devils.

my mother is the only one who supports me in my interest in God-Alone islam. my friends have expressed
disapproval toward my interest in God-Alone islam and have asked me not to share my interest in this faith-system with them, because
they are concerned about everything going on with islam. somehow, my friends, when they hear the word "islam" they automatically
think, "terrorist" or "extremist".

some of my friends have tried to keep me in the chrstian faith. they kinda disapproved me becoming RLDS
Mormon a while ago, but still accepted me as a friend and some of my family was kinda okay with me being an RLDS Mormon. keep in
in your prayer, God-Alone friends. hopefully, God will touch the hearts of those in my life toward helping me make the full transition from
Reform Mormon/RLDS Mormonism to the System of God Alone Islam. have a nice day today and please write back to me in this new topic
thread in your responses. take care and God bless.

Your RLDS Mormon Friend,

Mr. Roger Joseph Perry