I’m a convert to Islam AMA

[Candyapplesandhearts]

All in the title really.

feel free to ask. I know this has been done before but irl people always seem fascinated but too afraid to ask yet have LOTS of questions

i’ll answer a few in advance: I’m white british
I’ve been Muslim 12 years. Since my early 20s
i didn’t convert for a man (Christians and Jews wouldn’t need to anyway)

hope this can be a place to ask a question you’ve wanted to ask IRL but maybe felt too shy or was worried someone would take it the wrong way

re the poster below, the Quran isn’t positoned as the next chapter in the bible, rather correcting the changes that have been made to the original texts and Christians and Jews are given a pretty big telling off for having made such alterations.

Yes, there is a lot of scolding about this. I dont think it's aged well, the evidence is clear that both the Torah and NT have been well preserved, certainly without major doctrinal changes as implied.

Objectively that’s just not true, mark 9-20 are unilaterally agreed to have been later additions to the text

then there is Q theory (that the synoptic gospels have been based on an original and lost gospel, that’s how biblical scholars account for the slight changes in narratives, that the authors, crucially not actually mark Matthew and Luke, but those authors were working from a central text and since lost text).

im sure that there are other points but I can’t recall off the top of my head.

I'll repeat: certainly without major doctrinal changes as implied.

The earliest writings are actually from Paul, who was very clear about Jesus's death and resurrection (the bit I assume you're not happy with!) I'm sure there's a lot more we could discuss but as this is your AMA, probably not the place for it. Look into 1 Corinthians and read Galatians 1:18-19 if you're interested in the historical context of Paul's creedal statement.

But the Quran is condemning any changes any amendments.

Huge irony on Paul as well being that he never knew Jesus in his lifetime yet he’s responsible for a lot of Christian doctrine and the removal of the more ‘Jewish’ aspects of Christianity. I recall going to a lecture on if the New Testament was anti semitic that mentioned this amongst many other things

These threads always start with smiley faces and cheerful explanations and then you see the true colours.

Blaming the barbaric practices you see in some Muslim countries such as Afghanistan on 'the West' is pathetic.

What sort of God condemns my son as sinful? I ws all fuzzy and multi cultural for all my life. Now I am really wondering.

i didn’t say it was what God says, I said is the mainstream Muslim view. It’s also the same as the Catholic view or the Eastern Orthodox and orthodox Jewish view. Sadly it is is the view of most denominations of the major world religions.

but even if we accept the premise that acting on homosexual desires is a sin, so are many things. Like missing a prayer, swearing, being rude, the gravity is the same.

This is frustrating, because that’s not what was said, that’s a straw man. But context is so so important in how regimes have come to power and if you can’t see the context of western intervention in Afghanistan, jeez well, I don’t know what to tell you. Look up Afghanistan in the 70s. Women’s marches for feminist causes in miniskirts, women graduating from university.

your mentality is of the ‘backward Muslim’ that can only fight. I’ve heard it before and it’s just wrong because it’s only really been the last 100 years that the Muslim world has been a mess

so now what no more multi culturalism? They should all go back home?

surely it’s can’t be that much a surprise to you that central authorities in many denominations of world religions view homosexuality as a sin (church of England, Catholic Church, Orthodox Church, Orthodox Jews and mainstream Islam). Now that doesn’t mean that there aren’t movements that are more accepting because there are Quakers for instance and there are LGBTQ mosques (in the west). It also doesn’t meant that there aren’t gay Muslims, because of course there are. Different countries around the world have different stances, UaE has a don’t ask don’t tell sort of approach and Pakistan has a huge MSM subculture and they of course have a third gender that is accepted into their society. Then of course there is the west, where many many gay Muslims live openly

What is the reason women have to cover their entire body and be modest, and men don't?

Of course I'm not one of the go back home brigade. I can't tell you the efforts throughout my life Ive put in to not being that person. But as its very close to home for me, I find the idea of homophobia sad tbh.

But surely then you find it sad in all religions and not just with homophobic Muslims?

ive found most in my life just aren’t that fussed on who’s gay and whatnot they just believe in fairness and arent bothered what people get up to in their private life

both Men and women have to dress modestly. It just means slightly different things for men and women.

men their private parts are from navel to knee, they must not shave their beard, wear shorts above the knee and keep their trousers above their ankles. They can’t wear silk, red or gold.

women it’s everything except that which naturally appears thereof. Which is ambiguous but majority have taken to mean, everything but hands face and feet. Some say hair was a customer of the time so moot now but others disagree

So the Qu'ran is condemning the process by which Christians and Jews have received/created and passed down their own Scriptures, in vague and confusing terms. Basically it's very difficult to pin down, but we're meant to accept that the bits the Qu'ran thinks were corrupted (rarely specified), were, and the bits the Qu'ran 'confirms' are AOK.

The content of the Qu'ran itself clearly shows a mix of sources including much later writings - the Talmud, non-Canonical gospels - that have little or no historical basis or were not intended as historical. I don't have an issue with that per se, but it certainly doesn't provide a credible basis for the polemic against Jews and Christians.

What is the "Injeel", anyway? Jesus never wrote a Gospel, he made disciples and founded a church, and gave a promise that the Holy Spirit would be with the church. So the idea that a slightly later addition within one of the Gospels, itself preceded by clear teaching on Jesus' death and resurrection in the earliest writings we have, is simply not an issue. If it came hundreds of years later (let's say 600 or so), you'd have a point.

No irony about Paul. I don't believe Mohammed met Jesus either? If you believe direct revelation is valid, then you're on shaky ground criticising Paul, who actually knew and spent time with the Apostles.

Anyway, I have no desire to get into a back and forth about this, so I'll just wish you all the very best and leave it there.

I find homophobia sad, yes. But since we are discussing Islam that is where the focus is. From what I understand my local vicar is welcoming of same sex relationships, so its not all religions really. Buddhism? I don't know.

Anyhow, thanks for the replies. I have a very good friend who has converted to Islam. We tend to avoid this topic.

I wont debate the above because that’s faith isn’t it and tbh I’m not qualified to debate it.

but re what is the injeel, which means gospel but that’s an Arabicisation of the original term, meaning good news, aka revelation and a message not necessarily a book as such

Thank you for answering this. You said, "What you’re referring to is a hadith, and the context is the end of times when the messiah and anti christ have come..."

Can you clarify what the significance is of this being a hadith, I'm not clear what a hadith is and how it differs in weight to the Qu'ran....I think it's a saying of Mohammed but isn't what Mohammed said given almost equal weight to the Qu'ran?

Try not to be too disheartened.

I have a decent understanding of both Judaism and Christianity. It is true that all Abrahamic religions refer back to Leviticus to say that homosexuality, mainly in men, is not OK.

However there is what is written and there is how religion is implemented by human beings.

What is written is in a section dealing with treatment of strangers. It could equally be a prohibition against rape and male on male rape. Or it could be read in the context of spilling seed other than in relation to procreational purposes. Instead it's been read in a simplistic way.

I think that culture plays a big part and in most societies in the world, and this society until maybe 30 years ago, the surrounding culture was so generally homophobic that not as many people came out, so it wasn't a big issue that the religious authorities had to invest time in pondering the meaning of those texts. Basically anyone who could just about manage life being straight, would do.

As society has changed and become more tolerant, the religious authorities have started to change with it. Hence there is acceptance in Christianity, there are many gay C of E vicars, Methodists voted for gay marriege in church, the Pope I believe came very close to saying times should change, Jewish non-orthodox movements are accepting, and many orthodox synagogues will also be accepting and love the person, but they just won't quite be able to say the sexual activity is fine. But then nobody is likely to be discussing their sexual activity in a religious venue anyway.

As someone religious put it to me, there are so many issues in life to worry about whether we are doing the right thing, we don't need to be obsessed with that one sexual issue, we can worry about that when we are keeping everything else perfectly.

So Muslims believe the Quran is the word of god as narrated by the Angel Gabriel to the prophet Muhammad and then written down.

hadith are sayings of the prophet compiled at least 200 years after his death. There is a science to how they are compiled, that, to my understanding was basically to try and retrace the chain of narration.

so there are some that are deemed as authentic, some as so so and some that are weak or you might see Sahih (authentic) and da’eef (weak). A lot of edicts do come from the hadith and sunnah (way of the prophet). But obviously oral traditions are not without their problems. Plus you need the overall context of the saying, some are very very long. Which again calls into question the memory of this chain etc.

the Quran is the primary source and hadith are the secondary and must be viewed in light of the Quran

But your local vicar is talking on a micro level, I was talking on a macro level with a broad brush of what the mainstream thought is.

im going to assume you’re CoE or the vicar is at least, im friends with a CoE priest/ vicar (apologies I don’t know the title) and he was pretty appalled that the CoE doesn’t allow gay marriage so permits a blessing instead as a way to circumvent what he’s ‘allowed’ to do. Point Is though he as an individual is (like your vicar), welcoming of same sex relationships, the institution isn’t (or not to the same extent).

there are also openly gay imams (I do think they get quite a hard time though from the mainstream, but from little things big things grow)

Yes, I understand that. Obviously I don't agree with those aspects of the Qu'ran discussed, but not the place for a big debate.

Eid Mubarak!

What are the different Eids during the year, and what would a suitable greeting from a non-Muslim be and when would we say it? As in, do you start saying it a few days in advance or just the day of? Is Eid just one day? How do you celebrate, I'm assuming lots of food 🤤

Eid Al fitr (tomorrow) is the eid at the end of Ramadan
al adha is the eid that commemorates ibraheem and Ismail. It’s the end of hajj too, sometimes people say that’s the big eid, im not sure why though.

so you wouldn’t say Eid Mubarak prior to eid in the same way you would Christmas, because it wouldn’t be eid yet, esp in ramadan. But Eid Mubarak is good or happy eid. Some denominations have it on different days so it might not be their eid yet, it’s confusing but I think the intention is lovely, but you’d say Eid Mubarak on the day itself maybe one or two days after

i think 3 days is common in Muslim countries but I tend to do 1

family, gifts, food, decorations, and we do a day trip too, obviously there’s a prayer too.

before I married and has children I used to pretty much spend it alone which was quite sad, I often used to cry.

How does it work when it comes to your children? (Presuming you have children with him?) Is your husband liberal and secular or are his religious beliefs/practices important to him? For example, do you need to eat Halal? Can you dress how you wish? I’m genuinely interested in this!