What Do You Know About Islam?

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I want to share these thoughts with you. It is a compilation of verses and narrations from the Bible and the Quran. I called it "The Beautitudes of God's Word, the Messiah Jesus son of Mary". I would be happy to have your thoughts about it. :)

In The Name of God, The Most Merciful, The Most Beneficent
Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The Holy Quran: The servants of the All-beneficent are those who walk humbly on the earth, and when the ignorant address them, say, ‘Peace!’ - The Criterion (25:63)
Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.

Imam Reza (A.S.) said: The one for whom the day of A'shura is a day of tragedy, grief and weeping, Allah The Mighty, The Glorious, shall make the Day of Judgment, a day of joy and happiness for him. - Bihar al-Anwar, vol,: 44,pg: 284
Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.

The Holy Quran: And We desired to show favour to those who were abased in the land, and to make them imams, and to make them the heirs, - The Stories (28:5)
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.

The Holy Quran: The month of Ramadan is one in which the Quran was sent down as guidance to mankind, with manifest proofs of guidance and the Criterion. So let those of you who witness it fast [in] it, and as for someone who is sick or on a journey, let it be a [similar] number of other days. Allah desires ease for you, and He does not desire hardship for you, and so that you may complete the number and magnify Allah for guiding you, and that you may give thanks. - The Cow (2:185)
Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.

The Holy Quran: The well-off and the opulent among you should not vow that they will not give [any longer] to the relatives and the needy, and to those who have migrated in the way of Allah, and let them excuse and forbear. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you? Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful. - The Light (24:22)
The Holy Quran: Good and evil [conduct] are not equal. Repel [evil] with what is best. [If you do so,] he between whom and you was enmity, will then be as though he were a sympathetic friend. - Explained In Detail (41:34)

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.

The Holy Quran: Indeed Abraham was among his followers, when he came to his Lord with a sound heart [untainted by sin]. - Those Drawn Up In Ranks (37:84)
The Holy Quran: Indeed the nearest of all people to Abraham are those who follow him and this prophet and those who have faith, and Allah is the guardian of the faithful. - The Family of Imran (3:68)

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.

The Holy Quran: O People of the Book! Certainly Our Apostle has come to you, clarifying for you much of what you used to hide of the Book, and excusing many [an offense of yours]. Certainly, there has come to you a light from Allah, and a manifest Book. With it Allah guides those who follow [the course of] His pleasure to the ways of peace, and brings them out from darkness into light by His will, and guides them to a straight path. - The Sacred Table (5:16)
Matthew 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The Holy Quran: —those who were expelled from their homes unjustly, only because they said, ‘Allah is our Lord.’ Had not Allah repulsed the people from one another, ruin would have befallen the monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques in which Allah’s Name is much invoked. Allah will surely help those who help Him. Indeed Allah is all-strong, all-mighty. - The Pilgrimage (22:40)
Matthew 5:11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Now, I will leave this part for you. Where are these people to be found? I will always be looking for them and seeking to be their friend, so help me God.
 
Hi Jihad Mahammad--Welcome to Wondercafe2. I was just passing this thread . I am afraid I don't have much time just now.I am what is call . A Born again Christian. We will talk some later. airclean33.
 
Oh, how delightful to have an expert on board!

I may pepper you with questions!

Where on the spectrum of Islam do you place yourself, if you don't mind me asking? I've found it almost as wide-ranging a theology as Christianity. For example, the 5-week series I led was a DVD series featuring Moslems who seem to be fairly progressive, and I'm also a great fan of Irshad Manjii. However, when we went to visit our local mosque, we were presented with a considerably more conservative vision.
 
Good to see you jihad ... we can join up and struggle with the stoics ... them that wish to learn nothing about alien things ... like Shadows in the arid areas ... such things whet the imagination!
 
Greetings of peace be unto you dear family of believers,

Indeed you are a very special set of people... I have been looking at this thread and am deeply moved by how you guys (without anyone coercing you to do this) have taken it upon yourself to learn about another despite all the negative 'press' to say the least that they have been given. This bears testimony to your intrinsic goodness and your commitment to being upright people. I can say more... but will stop for brevity.

Yes actually my name is Jihad. Jihad comes from the root جهد (jahada) which literally means to exert effort.

(See Edward Lane lexicon: http://ejtaal.net/aa/#hw4=h181,ll=5...6,mht=136,msb=50,tla=39,amj=126,ens=1,mis=348)

In itself, it has no moral value. One can exert effort for the good or for the bad. In Islam, took this idea and has been cultivated and developed it into a belief that a Muslim (meaning one who is surrendered or at peace with God - for the root سلم - salama) is one that is one committed to stand against evil wherever it is found; and first within themselves yet never in isolation from their surrounding. Or said differently, a Muslim is one who is committed to spreading good in the widest possible circles. So is a true Christian as is my belief.

The use of armed confrontation is a matter of last resort and should be governed by godly leadership, far from being a political game for the pursuit of power. This being said, 'jihad' in the sense of taking arms against an undeterred oppressor or tyrant (ex. Hitler) is conditionally considered a holy act of courage, so long as it is in keeping with an number of specific constraints, all of which revolve around the pursuit of proximity to God and service to humanity. This is the essence of the matter. How human beings have practiced this needs another discussion.

I want to give a note of caution. There will always be those who for whatever reason fail to see the spirit of things and they will interpret and coerce other to interpret the religious texts in a manner that befits their understanding. This does not mean that the truth is lost. It just means that we are responsible to be active travelers in our own journey to the truth. Given, that we are amongst a family of faith, we can say that we believe that if we keep journeying we always arrive closer and closer with God's help. What is more, ultimately we will converge with other spectacular individuals who have been (struggling or doing inner jihad) in order to arrive also.

For more on the true meaning of Jihad, you might be interested in viewing this: http://www.presstv.com/Video/2015/04/18/406861/True-meaning-of-Jihad-in-Islam

It might also be of interest for you to review chapter 13 of this book: http://www.stephenksims.com/books/the-wisdom-of-authenticity/.

Welcome and thank you for the video. Very well explained.
It seems we have to come to peace within ourselves and with God, before we can offer peace to others.
 
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I want to share these thoughts with you. It is a compilation of verses and narrations from the Bible and the Quran. I called it "The Beautitudes of God's Word, the Messiah Jesus son of Mary". I would be happy to have your thoughts about it. :)

In The Name of God, The Most Merciful, The Most Beneficent
Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The Holy Quran: The servants of the All-beneficent are those who walk humbly on the earth, and when the ignorant address them, say, ‘Peace!’ - The Criterion (25:63)
Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.

Imam Reza (A.S.) said: The one for whom the day of A'shura is a day of tragedy, grief and weeping, Allah The Mighty, The Glorious, shall make the Day of Judgment, a day of joy and happiness for him. - Bihar al-Anwar, vol,: 44,pg: 284
Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.

The Holy Quran: And We desired to show favour to those who were abased in the land, and to make them imams, and to make them the heirs, - The Stories (28:5)
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.

The Holy Quran: The month of Ramadan is one in which the Quran was sent down as guidance to mankind, with manifest proofs of guidance and the Criterion. So let those of you who witness it fast [in] it, and as for someone who is sick or on a journey, let it be a [similar] number of other days. Allah desires ease for you, and He does not desire hardship for you, and so that you may complete the number and magnify Allah for guiding you, and that you may give thanks. - The Cow (2:185)
Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.

The Holy Quran: The well-off and the opulent among you should not vow that they will not give [any longer] to the relatives and the needy, and to those who have migrated in the way of Allah, and let them excuse and forbear. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you? Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful. - The Light (24:22)
The Holy Quran: Good and evil [conduct] are not equal. Repel [evil] with what is best. [If you do so,] he between whom and you was enmity, will then be as though he were a sympathetic friend. - Explained In Detail (41:34)

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.

The Holy Quran: Indeed Abraham was among his followers, when he came to his Lord with a sound heart [untainted by sin]. - Those Drawn Up In Ranks (37:84)
The Holy Quran: Indeed the nearest of all people to Abraham are those who follow him and this prophet and those who have faith, and Allah is the guardian of the faithful. - The Family of Imran (3:68)

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.

The Holy Quran: O People of the Book! Certainly Our Apostle has come to you, clarifying for you much of what you used to hide of the Book, and excusing many [an offense of yours]. Certainly, there has come to you a light from Allah, and a manifest Book. With it Allah guides those who follow [the course of] His pleasure to the ways of peace, and brings them out from darkness into light by His will, and guides them to a straight path. - The Sacred Table (5:16)
Matthew 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The Holy Quran: —those who were expelled from their homes unjustly, only because they said, ‘Allah is our Lord.’ Had not Allah repulsed the people from one another, ruin would have befallen the monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques in which Allah’s Name is much invoked. Allah will surely help those who help Him. Indeed Allah is all-strong, all-mighty. - The Pilgrimage (22:40)
Matthew 5:11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Now, I will leave this part for you. Where are these people to be found? I will always be looking for them and seeking to be their friend, so help me God.
A goal that is truly worthy, IMHO.
 
Thanks also for posting the Stephen K. Sims book. I had a look at his website. I haven't read anything by him, but I do appreciate you pointing out the common thread that connects us all, even those who do not identify as "religious", I believe. The "Good Samaritans" in the world - which it certainly seems that Mr. Sims is one, with his work.
 
Blessed is the poor in spirit ... those that dumped their emotional baggage (like Jonah) then begin to think adequately? Not perfect for nothing is perfect and thus the secondary God is something out of here ... like a lesser emotion is intellectual search ... a great wandering once we've passed the present strange barrier! That's life ... something to get over, around under .. whatever ... and thus onward to wisdom ... much improved over the stoop-idea of life with redaction of ancient thoughts abut what you do today forms your tomorrows ...

In case you wished to know ... a strange conception? Pregnant thoughts as explicitly expansive?
 
Oh, how delightful to have an expert on board!

I may pepper you with questions!

Where on the spectrum of Islam do you place yourself, if you don't mind me asking? I've found it almost as wide-ranging a theology as Christianity. For example, the 5-week series I led was a DVD series featuring Moslems who seem to be fairly progressive, and I'm also a great fan of Irshad Manjii. However, when we went to visit our local mosque, we were presented with a considerably more conservative vision.

Dear BetteTheRed, thank you for thinking of me as an expert. I think of myself as a student like yourself with questions, seeking knowledge.

I might also share questions with you and would be happy to learn from you.

I do not know where I actually am on the spectrum of Islam. You are right there are all kinds of Muslims as there are all kinds of Christians. I seek to be Quranic (meaning Quran-centered) in the way I practice Islam. I also believe that after the Messenger of Islam, Muhammad (peace be upon him and his true successors), the true custodians and guardians of Islam, who were the supreme examples of Islam in practice, are those we call the Ahlul-Bayt (as). The Ahlul Bayt (as) are Ali, Fatima, Hassan, Hussayn and the godly leaders from the offspring of Hussayn (http://www.whoishussain.org/find-out-more/) (Beyond Our Eyes (Documentary)
).

I love all Muslims and all human beings really. I sincerely believe that each of them holds a measure of truth that I need to learn and acquire for myself to be a better person.
 
Thanks also for posting the Stephen K. Sims book. I had a look at his website. I haven't read anything by him, but I do appreciate you pointing out the common thread that connects us all, even those who do not identify as "religious", I believe. The "Good Samaritans" in the world - which it certainly seems that Mr. Sims is one, with his work.

Can you tell me more about the meaning of "Good Samaritans"?
 
Can you tell me more about the meaning of "Good Samaritans"?
It generally is used as an expression to mean a person who helps, without prejudice, those in need of help - particularly a stranger in need of help, according to the parable - noone would stop to help an injured man, except for the Samaritan, as the man was either too "lowly" in status or from the wrong "tribe". It comes from one of Jesus' parables in the New Testament, and reflects Jesus' teaching about loving our neighbours, and treating everyone as a neighbour.
 
Specifically, "Samaritans" were a neighbouring tribe to the Jews, who practiced a form of religion that was considered to be wrong, pagan. They were universally considered to be "bad people" by the Jews, yet it was one of them who came to the aid of a person set upon by thieves and left for dead.

In the mind of the people hearing the story, a Good Samaritan would be an ultimate oxymoron, like a smart idiot.
 
PS: This movie is being shown in the Montreal Film Fest:

Muhammad (2015) Movie - Official Trailer - Majid Majidi

Muhammad (2015) Movie - (unofficial) Trailer - Majid Majidi
 
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It generally is used as an expression to mean a person who helps, without prejudice, those in need of help - particularly a stranger in need of help, according to the parable - noone would stop to help an injured man, except for the Samaritan, as the man was either too "lowly" in status or from the wrong "tribe". It comes from one of Jesus' parables in the New Testament, and reflects Jesus' teaching about loving our neighbours, and treating everyone as a neighbour.
It also signifies a "shift" in our heart from what the world has taught us into an understanding that love has no boundaries.
 
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