Questions about Islam and Quran

Comment

Comment by mary k. agresti on March 29, 2009 at 7:55pm

Dear Tree,
Thank you for such a wonderful way of describing your way of being and what you would like to learn from this group. I can relate very much to how you have expressed yourself. It is unfortunate that so much harm, fear, distortion, and misunderstanding have been attributed to different religions. I guess this makes it difficult for many people to be able to put their differences aside and really hear and respect each other. For the most part, this has been achieved in this discussion of Islam and in so many of the discussions on iPeace. I am happy that I have found this site and that Ali has provided such comprehensive and well written information on Islam, of which I knew very little. But now I am becoming more aware and this has added a depth to my life.
Many blessings and peace to you,
Mary A.

Comment by Tree Thunderchild on March 29, 2009 at 9:09am

Dear Ali Afifi, or any other who may wish to do so,
I have been reading here a few hours (whew!)
I have never seen this book called the Quran, I am one who has spent most of his life in wild places, I was able in my years to have 4 different Bibles given to me, and I have read 3 1/2 of them, but I do not wish to be so limited, for it is all these types of teachings of man that I seek to learn, for all who seek to know truth, find it it seems, and all reflect in human words what it is that they find.
To me, I know my creator. I knew my creator before I knew what words were.
I remember before I was born as a human, including not only being within my mothers womb, but before.
The truth exists. And in these teachings and words of man even if words given by the creator, it is the truth that exists without words being necessary, that words describe.
This is only my opinion so far from what I have learned.
And find it difficult when others assign greater value to words alone than the source.
An example is of many religions/books that state that the first man and woman were Adam and Eve. And they walked the earth around 4000 years ago.
And in science, we learn that humans have been here around 5,000,000 years.
But here too it is important to note, depending on what you call 'human'
To me the books that say 4000 years are not in disagreement with what science has learned, because again, it depends on what you call "human".
These books I have not found lack in truth, but perhaps only our understanding of it may be the discrepancy. For they are not lacking in wisdom in my eyes, but only those who take words as more value than truth, may fail then to see there is more meaning than what humans give them.

This is said because I do not seek to find what is not right of any of these teachings, I seek to know truth, and to know of human kinds knowledge of it.
Living in the wilds, without these books, the truth still exists.
And it was the source of it, that was all I had.
I seek these books, to seek to understand humans better, I understand my creator, through my creator. But seek knowledge of humans, through these books, so I may see my creator through more eyes than just my own, and to try to understand why so many have problems with the different books.
It is like many peoples sitting in a circle around a stone, one person describes what they see as being in the light of the sun, its shape and colors.
Another sees it as being in the shadow of the sun, its shape and color different from where he sits.
To fight each other over which description is the right one?
Or to combine them, to see beyond what only one can see and share what we know to know this rock in more depth than one alone can see at one time?
It is not the description that is the stone, the stone just is and not knowing what the description of it is is not a prerequisite of the truth of the stones existence.
I am not here to judge, not these books, nor those who read them and may hold different meanings to the same words. Just as a bridge to one may mean one of stone, another one of steal, another one of wood.

I am here joining this group, because I wish to learn the Quran, I seek to learn from all nations, and all religions.
But I cannot "buy" this book, from the teachings I have learned, such books for me at least, I cannot trade money for, but they may only be given as gifts to me.
So I am hoping here, to find, if there is someplace or some one, who could help me obtain a copy of the Quran?
As with the gifts my creator sent me here with though, it must be freely given.
As I seek only the wisdoms of the ages of human kind, of the creator, that is given to all, freely.
Thank you in advance, most humbly, and I mean no one any disrespect in what I have learned nor to claim what I have learned is the only path to truth (again that my way of seeing the stone, is not the only one!), but only that I seek to learn even more of my creator, through the words of what other humans have also learned so far, through these books.
Sincerely,
Your friend in peace,
Tree

Comment by Ali Afifi on March 27, 2009 at 2:02pm

Dear Alex,
U are correct my dear friend but I promised not to answer him except if he transmitted these fanatic questions to the discussion forums.

Comment by Alex P. Real on March 27, 2009 at 1:23pm

Dear Ravi,
I wonder about your intentions for posting such comments. Does any believer like seeing Vedic lore reduced to simplistic "rather let offspring die than eat meat"? Do a few US Catholic priest scandals mean millions of believers are all pedophiles? I wonder why Qur'an is to be read/interpreted literally as if carved in stone whereas Old & New Testament have been privileged with "allegory" over the centuries. Surprising the Mr Khan you quote hadn't read Qur'an until post 9/11, strange sort of Muslim I'm afraid. Actually, the way you quote Quranic verses might be similar to how yihaddist & media operate: You have a goal & look for the quotes that suit your argument/ strategy to achieve it, levering on whichever handy prejudice, & as there's a quote it's "documented". Reading an ancient Holy Book without guidance & historical references can indeed be pernicious:)
Re 40% of UK Muslims declaring their willingness to live under sharia, did the survey also ask about acceptance by mainstream society? BTW, if I remember correctly (Ali please correct me) the first meaning of Yihad refers to the daily personal effort every true believer has to make to be worthy of Allah; thus, it is a personal struggle. It's my impression that the "hur (houri) promise" is too linked to Orientalism (i.e. western perceptions of Orient) for, as far as I know, most Islamic references would seem to apply hur to both genders or to righteous women rewarded with paradise & thus reborn, and thus connected to mystic knowledge & duality in world order (including numerology & beauty).
Why do media never speak about Zakaat?

Best wishes,

Alex

Comment by Mahmood Sairally on March 26, 2009 at 4:03pm

I am of the opinion that Ravi, as usual, is mixing everything. I would ask him why was the wife of someone who died has to be cremated with her husband, as it was or may be, is still done in the Hindu religion? Women, on the whole, has not got a standing in Hindu society, although Mrs. Indira Gandhi was the first woman to be Prime Miniter of India because she was the daughter of Pandit Jawahallal Nehru, a noble Indian Family.
In the Muslim World there has been Women who were as Leader in the Middle Ages and even today, e.g the Minister of Economy in UAR is a woman and so the Minister of Education in KSA. It will not be long that we will see more of our sisters as Ministers or having leading positions in those countries. In the Government of France..........

Comment by Ali Afifi on March 26, 2009 at 3:31pm

Mr. Ravi
Please transfer your questions as it is to the discussion forums and I will answer u.
This area for the comments and not for the discussions. Thank u very much.

Comment by erika on March 26, 2009 at 3:06pm

I will jump into this discussion, and I admit I feel a little "shaky".
After reading Ravi's two comments, I will just copy down the reflections that I took note of while reading:
Gender: The female/male thing in religious practise is (this is my opinion) much about being protected against one's will. A woman might need protection by a man, for some reason, let's say she is in a male dominated area and she cannot read the rules fully, or she feels akward being of opposite gender or something like that. Then she would ask, or at least hint that she wants this.

But to be protected against one's will, against something that is not threatening, is something totally different, that leaves the woman no choice of her own. As if she was not capable of making her own decisions, or she is not worth that which she wants. So in such a case she has been held away from her human rights (that is what believe)!

And on the first text, by some Dr. Sami Alrabaa, I would like to comment on the Jihad-thing that it seems like it is much about who is the victim, and wether this person may defend him or her self. Also. In some cases, I "feel", that by victimizing one's own's situation, one might so to say "drag" other people down to the same level, and therefore they have to look at every new situation from where they stand.

So which comes first hen or Egg, Egg or Hen??

Comment by Ali Afifi on March 24, 2009 at 9:42pm

Thank u very much Dear David and Dear Mahmood for this trust and I honor that u are friends of mine.

I already put discussion about all your respected questions and I ask the God to help me to the best answers for u.

Comment by Mahmood Sairally on March 24, 2009 at 12:22pm

Dear David,

Salat means prayer. One can pray anytime of the day and night but in order to coordinate the Moslems were given the five times that they could pray. Before the rising of the sun for the first because, as we know it the air is pure and not polluted and is healthy. The other timesso that we will have a break from our daily activities and pray to God, our Creator. This what my Grandfather taught me.

I am so certain that my...... our brother Ali Afifi is most appopriate to give you a better and clearer argument.

Comment by David Gould on March 24, 2009 at 2:51am

Ali, Greetings and Salam. Can you tell me about the 'Sunnah' and the 'Salaf'..(is Salaf the same as Salat?).My book is rather vague about these...are they prayers said during the night?...
Also can you recommend how I approach the study of the Hadith. So often our teacher will refer to them and I feel I want to start reading some for myself...can you tell me where to start please. I thank you for your time.

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