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Some questions

TashaN

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Hello again everyone and I thank you all for the even and warm welcome you have given me especially in regards to my seemingly endless questions. I don't have questions so much as wanting to voice doubts I have about some things so please bear with me. I do not have much in the way of doubts about the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) and what he brought to humanity. I do have some doubts about some issues though that are living me hung up about what to do.

I have seen Muslims argue and fight over whether Music is haraam or not. Honestly I don't get why it is and I admittedly have not finished the Qur'an yet but this leaves me confused. As through music many times I have felt a connection with the Divine and spiritually fed. So a complete ban on music seems rather absurd to me especially coming from a musical background. This is probably one of the bigger stumbling blocks.

You are welcome anytime to ask as many questions as you want but don't forget that this is just a regular forum and the Muslims here are not scholars and most of the time they express their own opnions on the matter as most of people on the internet do. It's better to find and ask a good local imam near your area or at least to search for sites where well known scholars would give the answer.

I believe diversity is a blessing. Everything except the belief in God and his Messenger is secondary and people might differ in interpretation. So when it comes to music most of the scholars see that if music didn't include bad words or any haram, then there is no harm in it. Enjoy listening to islamic music below: :)

http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/islam-dir/58926-islamic-music-dir-forum.html

Treatment of Homosexuality leaves me confused as well. I have also once again seen mixed responses from unsure of what to do to outright hatred and bigotry. I have many friends that are homosexual and they are great people who have helped expand my horizons and open my eyes to various different viewpoints I have not considered before.

It's not that gays are bad people, but it's about the act itself. While the act itself won't harm me in anyway but when it comes to God, the creator, he didn't intend for male to do intercourse with another fellow male, but rather, with a female.

Finally the biggest hurdle I have run into is Muslims themselves. I have done a lot of studying especially about certain questions online and can I say that the demographic I run into outside of this forum is rather...frightening? I will admit the internet tends to draw out the fringe and give them an easy platform to look big on. Yet I can't tell you how many I have run into applauding barbarism in Afghanistan by the Taliban against Women, praising Osama bin Laden, praising Wahhabism, and taking very extreme views against other sects of Islam and people of the Book. This conflicts with what I have studied so far in both the Qur'an and the life of the Prophet but it really does disgust me. How anyone can praise the maiming of women and children is beyond me let alone the killing of innocent people. It leaves me confused and wondering if Islam is truly from God surely he could not mean for this kind of barbarism.

Well, i could not have said it better. You answered this question yourself when you said that you didn't encounter such a thing in the Quran or hadith. Also you mentioned how the internet is full of such people who would condone terrorism and barbarism but hey, you have more than one billion Muslim around the world :) , and guess what, most of them don't even post anything on the internet, and i don't need to tell you that Google depend on how many person hit the site, which means that non-muslims might be looking at the frightining group of Muslims and they increase the chances that more people would find these sites.

I hope i helped you in a way or another to understand these issues better.

Welcome again, and peace be upon you. :)
 

Dingbat

Avatar of Brittania
Hello again everyone. I still haven't made a decision yet and honestly the biggest hangup is still the treatment of homosexuals. I just can't understand how anyone could support the death penalty for something like that. It leaves me baffled to be honest and the support I have seen of killing or shoving homosexuals back into the proverbial closet is disturbing. I see countries like Turkey and Indonesia making progress but then I see some of the other behavior and it being backed by Hadith and it just makes me wary. There is so much I love about Islam but honestly this issue is sticking in my craw.

Maybe Islam just isn't for me. I don't know. I do know I can't support the persecution of homosexuals and I don't believe anyone should go into a religion and rock the boat. So that leaves me at an impasse I do not see clearing anytime soon to be quite honest.
 

loverOfTruth

Well-Known Member
Hello again everyone. I still haven't made a decision yet and honestly the biggest hangup is still the treatment of homosexuals. I just can't understand how anyone could support the death penalty for something like that. It leaves me baffled to be honest and the support I have seen of killing or shoving homosexuals back into the proverbial closet is disturbing. I see countries like Turkey and Indonesia making progress but then I see some of the other behavior and it being backed by Hadith and it just makes me wary. There is so much I love about Islam but honestly this issue is sticking in my craw.

Maybe Islam just isn't for me. I don't know. I do know I can't support the persecution of homosexuals and I don't believe anyone should go into a religion and rock the boat. So that leaves me at an impasse I do not see clearing anytime soon to be quite honest.

Hi Dingbat, thanks for keeping us posted. I would like to know if there's anyway I can help. You can feel free to ask any questions you may have.

But if you don't mind, I would like to ask you a few questions so I could respond better.
* Do you believe with all your heart and mind that there is only One God who is our Creator and the Creator of everything in the Heavens and the Earth ?

* If so, do you believe that this Creator(God) sent messengers(starting from Adam(pbuh) and then continuing with many other including Moses(pbuh) and Jesus(pbuh) and finally ending with Muhammad(pbuh)) to humanity to guide humanity to His way ?

* Finally, do you believe that when we die, we return to the same Creator(God) and will be held accountable for our deeds in this world ?

Peace to you.
 

Dingbat

Avatar of Brittania
Hi Dingbat, thanks for keeping us posted. I would like to know if there's anyway I can help. You can feel free to ask any questions you may have.

But if you don't mind, I would like to ask you a few questions so I could respond better.
* Do you believe with all your heart and mind that there is only One God who is our Creator and the Creator of everything in the Heavens and the Earth ?

* If so, do you believe that this Creator(God) sent messengers(starting from Adam(pbuh) and then continuing with many other including Moses(pbuh) and Jesus(pbuh) and finally ending with Muhammad(pbuh)) to humanity to guide humanity to His way ?

* Finally, do you believe that when we die, we return to the same Creator(God) and will be held accountable for our deeds in this world ?

Peace to you.

Yes to all three.
 

Rational_Mind

Ahmadi Muslim
Hello again everyone. I still haven't made a decision yet and honestly the biggest hangup is still the treatment of homosexuals. I just can't understand how anyone could support the death penalty for something like that. It leaves me baffled to be honest and the support I have seen of killing or shoving homosexuals back into the proverbial closet is disturbing. I see countries like Turkey and Indonesia making progress but then I see some of the other behavior and it being backed by Hadith and it just makes me wary. There is so much I love about Islam but honestly this issue is sticking in my craw.

Maybe Islam just isn't for me. I don't know. I do know I can't support the persecution of homosexuals and I don't believe anyone should go into a religion and rock the boat. So that leaves me at an impasse I do not see clearing anytime soon to be quite honest.

I will get back to you. Busy with university today. This will clear things up.
 

loverOfTruth

Well-Known Member
Yes to all three.

Great, all praise is due to God - then you are a Muslim (at least by Faith). What that means is that you are free of the only 'Unforgivable' sin (according to Islam) of denying God/associating partners with God, even though you won't be utilizing the true benefit of Islam/guidance from God unless you start practicing the other aspects of the faith.

As I have mentioned earlier, no one expects someone to adopt a new way of life right away from day one. If one can do that, great - if not, that's fine too. God will judge everyone according to their intention and ability. So one should eventually be willing to adopt them to avoid sinning after all that is the purpose of willfully submitting to God completely so we can gain His pleasure and compassion in this world and hereafter. Right ?

Now if you were to die today (God forbid - just so to say), you will be dying in the state of Islam. What this means is, the end result will be EITHER at best God completely forgives your other sins(for example, doing something prohibited or not doing something mandatory) if He wills and since you believe in Him and His prophets including Muhammad(pbuh) and His judgement, that you enter paradise without hell fire ever touching you OR at worse that you get purified for your sins in Hell for some time and then eventually enter paradise. However, if someone didn't acknowledge the One true God, they wouldn't have the option of entering paradise at all since denying God and/or associating partners with God is the only 'unforgivable sin' in Islam.

Now let me explain the issue of Homosexuality in Islam. Hopefully, this will clear things up for you. If it doesn't please feel free to ask more questions.

Homosexuality is a sin just like adultery is. And no where in the Qur'an it says that all homosexuals should be put to death. However, punishment for adultery is stoning to death just like in the mosaic law but with strict conditions attached (and that is what most people miss). You need 4 upright witnesses before the punishment will be enforced. Now, how many people do you think commit adultery in front of 4 people(even in the most liberal of societies) ? Thus, the point is to stop the influencing/encouragement of the moral decay in the society, when people are so arrogant and corrupt as to do such things in public. "The idea is not to enforce the punishment and make people suffer; rather the objective is to prevent harm, corruption and immorality in the society. Thus, legal punishments act as deterrents more than actually get people punished."

You can read more details here. The legal penalty for fornication

Having said all that let's consider the following scenario (assuming that is the only issue that is holding you up from accepting Islam as a whole) :
On the day of judgement, 1)you see a group of people being punished for homosexuality (after all it is a sin in Islam). 2)Then, you see another group of people being punished even more severely for Killing those homosexuals unjustly. 3)Then you find Yourself being punished for not practicing Islam completely(just because you didn't like/agree with the actions of those treating the homosexuals unjustly). Would you rather witness all 3 of the above or just 1 and 2 and 3(b) which is you are rewarded for believing and practicing Islam regardless of what wrong the others commit ? The choice is yours. I would like to get your thought on this.

Once again, there are some people who misinterpret Islam - please do not let those minority be your barrier to Islam. Remember, you have taken a huge stride to come towards God, satan will try to block that path every step of the way. Do not let him win - keep praying to God for help and guidance and ultimately success in this world and the next.

Peace and feel free to ask any questions you have.
 

Rational_Mind

Ahmadi Muslim
Hello again everyone. I still haven't made a decision yet and honestly the biggest hangup is still the treatment of homosexuals. I just can't understand how anyone could support the death penalty for something like that. It leaves me baffled to be honest and the support I have seen of killing or shoving homosexuals back into the proverbial closet is disturbing. I see countries like Turkey and Indonesia making progress but then I see some of the other behavior and it being backed by Hadith and it just makes me wary. There is so much I love about Islam but honestly this issue is sticking in my craw.

Maybe Islam just isn't for me. I don't know. I do know I can't support the persecution of homosexuals and I don't believe anyone should go into a religion and rock the boat. So that leaves me at an impasse I do not see clearing anytime soon to be quite honest.

1. There is no death penalty or stoning for neither homosexuality nor adultery.
2. Hadith are often taken out of context and used for personal gain, the personal gain shows clearly that these people are not executing punishment because it is the law of God but rather because they want a personal gain.
For example, people claim there is death for apostasy by stating Hadith in which an apostate was given a death penalty for murder, they intentionally cover up the part where it was rather for murder and emphasize that the person was an apostate.
3. Quran mentioned this act but never stated a death penalty, how could it remain silent of such a high penalty? Only if the penalty does not exist.
4. Islam does not accept homosexual behavior as a acceptable act. A Muslim who is homosexual should control they desires just as a man or women controls their desires before marriage. Obviously the reward will be much greater for the person who was tested further.
5. The stance that Islamic Law takes on homosexuality is to ensure that it does not spread in a society. So non-Muslims who chose to engage in such an act should not be permitted to put such a display in public or try to encourage this act. Although, they can do so behind their own closed doors. Similarly this is also the same for adultery, and sex outside of marriage, and indecency in public.

Moreover, I will present you this link to make you understand that the philosophy behind Islamic law on controlling homosexuality makes sense.

The research has never revealed that people are born gay. In fact, the research indicates that there are many factors, including possible biological and environmental factors, which contribute to a homosexual orientation (LeVay, 1996; Whitehead & Whitehead, 1999).

My argument is that youth is psychologically most sensitive to ideas put in their mind at a young age. Hence, a unfortunate upbringing can bring them to a state where they may suffer from psychological sicknesses. In my opinion homosexuality is a psychological sickness as a person has a desire that cannot be fulfilled. Would one allow for an act to spread in public which would result in more youth having the desire to becoming the opposite sex when it is not possible (realistically). It is a desire that cannot be fulfilled. In regards to homosexuality, it is also a desire that cannot really be fulfilled. If those people had a choice to change they would, but it is unfortunate that people do not understand but rather hate and discriminate.

Moreover, homosexuality is a desire without a purpose. It would destroy society if it spread throughout it. Mankind would engage in an act contrary to Gods design which shows their corruption in not accepting the system created for them. When society engages in such a behavior to an extent that children are no longer being born we know that such societies are mentioned in the Quran to be destroyed by Allah (swt) due to their disobedience and rebellion to the system created by Allah (swt). Also, to show that Islam is fair it is also against heterosexual people who practice birth control as they want to fulfill a desire without meeting the purpose of reproduction even though they are full capable of bearing children.
 

loverOfTruth

Well-Known Member
He goes by dawahaddict on youtube he does a series of videos on Islam.


I see that you changed your Religion to Islam in the title. So have you officially accepted Islam ? Were we able to answer all of your questions to your satisfaction or do you still have other questions ? Please feel free to let us know. We are here to help as much as we can.
 

Dingbat

Avatar of Brittania
I see that you changed your Religion to Islam in the title. So have you officially accepted Islam ? Were we able to answer all of your questions to your satisfaction or do you still have other questions ? Please feel free to let us know. We are here to help as much as we can.

I took the Shahadah yesterday. I am sure I will have more questions as I continue to study but at this point I decided to put it in God's hands.
 

loverOfTruth

Well-Known Member
I took the Shahadah yesterday. I am sure I will have more questions as I continue to study but at this point I decided to put it in God's hands.

Alhumdulillah (all praise is due to Allah(God)) - that is great news. Take your time in learning and please do not be discouraged by actions/misinterpretations by other Muslims. People are people but God is the Greatest.
 

FearGod

Freedom Of Mind
I took the Shahadah yesterday. I am sure I will have more questions as I continue to study but at this point I decided to put it in God's hands.

Congratulations Dingbat and praise to god (Alhumdulillah)

All of us still learning and no human is perfect,we try our best to avoid sins and god is most merciful but we should always submit ourselves to him and ask him for forgiveness.

My advice to you since you admitted islam is to avoid sections,just have a direct relation with god and your hard job is the determination and i believe that who fetch for god with sincerity,then he'll guide him to the straight path.

Finally feel free to ask and all of us are students and maybe one day we will be the ones to ask you. :)
 

Dingbat

Avatar of Brittania
Congratulations Dingbat and praise to god (Alhumdulillah)

All of us still learning and no human is perfect,we try our best to avoid sins and god is most merciful but we should always submit ourselves to him and ask him for forgiveness.

My advice to you since you admitted islam is to avoid sections,just have a direct relation with god and your hard job is the determination and i believe that who fetch for god with sincerity,then he'll guide him to the straight path.

Finally feel free to ask and all of us are students and maybe one day we will be the ones to ask you. :)

Thank you. It has been an interesting experience so far and enlightening. I agree about not looking towards a specific sect at this point it is just about praying and reading the Qu'ran.
 

TashaN

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Alamdulilah. Congratulations Dingbat. May Allah guide you and enlighten you. :)
 

Dingbat

Avatar of Brittania
Alamdulilah. Congratulations Dingbat. May Allah guide you and enlighten you. :)

Thank you and I would also like to thank you for your posts in this thread they have been helpful. To be quite honest everyone I have interacted with has been beyond helpful in making sure I understand things and encouraging questions. It was quite refreshing.
 

TashaN

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Thank you and I would also like to thank you for your posts in this thread they have been helpful. To be quite honest everyone I have interacted with has been beyond helpful in making sure I understand things and encouraging questions. It was quite refreshing.

Don't mention it bro. It's my pleasure. I'm also sure that everyone will be delightful just by interacting with a wonderful person as yourself.


Peace be upon you. :)
 
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