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I've been doing quite a bit of thinking lately about God and religion. There's so much information out there and so many points of view about anything and everything. I know there are many Muslims here on this board, and I wanted to hear from you what your favorite things were about Islam and being Muslim. What is it that you find fulfilling and that you love about it?
rocker Member # 10073
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For me the best thing of being muslim that when i lay my head to sleep,i don't think too much of how's tomorrow is gonna be ?,just the feeling of being secure within.i donno how to explain it,but it's just like that,that's all
Barbapapa Member # 10031
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Praying five times a day is a unique meeting with God...Only Him and you. 5 times a day, you stop everyhing for Him. It makes you feel that time is passing. I don't know how to explain...but when I can't pray (period), I feel day are passing without I notice, everything goes so fast. After praying, you feel so much better.
blue skies Member # 8447
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I feel the same, Barbapapa, it's hard to explain this to other non-Muslims, who see the 5 prayers as a burden, a huge drain on our time each day. It's not like that at all, it gives your day a rhythm, makes you feel safe and protected with every step you take. I hate it when I can't pray.
maryanne Member # 9311
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Being Muslim to me is means Allah is god and mohammed his messenger..
Barbapapa Member # 10031
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I love the parts of the Qu'ran talking about family, how much we have to respect our parents. I have never read something like that before. The words are very simple and touching. Respect your mom because she had so much pain when delivering, because she was always there when you felt ill, she gave you everything...And now she's old, don't reject her, remember all what she did for you...That's not the exact words of course, only what I get from these verses. How beautiful!!
maryanne Member # 9311
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All quaran is beautiful when your muslim..
Madame Mohamed Member # 8386
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Yes I agree with both of you. My Christian friends tell me Islam has too many "rules". They think I'm nuts when I get excited for Ramadan and fasting. I love the sound of the adhan and Quran read aloud, it's so soothing.
quote:Originally posted by blue skies: I feel the same, Barbapapa, it's hard to explain this to other non-Muslims, who see the 5 prayers as a burden, a huge drain on our time each day. It's not like that at all, it gives your day a rhythm, makes you feel safe and protected with every step you take. I hate it when I can't pray.
QueenBee Member # 9378
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If you like to fast, don't forget you can fast in every Monday and Thursday. There are a lot of extra fasting days and extra prayers.
LovedOne Member # 10222
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Thanks to all who have answered so far. From the little I have read and heard about Islam, there are many beautiful things about it. I will agree about the praying. I'm not Muslim but the time I spend praying is a wonderful time for me.
Madame Mohamed Member # 8386
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Yes and the 10 days before Eid el Adha. I don't always do the whole 10 but I do always fast the day before Eid (if I'm not on my period).
quote:Originally posted by QueenBee: If you like to fast, don't forget you can fast in every Monday and Thursday. There are a lot of extra fasting days and extra prayers.
LovedOne Member # 10222
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May I ask, what is it that you like about fasting?
Khadija_Diagne Member # 10149
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quote:Originally posted by LovedOne: May I ask, what is it that you like about fasting?
I love being muslim: total summision to Allah. praying 5 times a day. suplication.disiple. Iman. Umoja. Fasting cleanses your spirit to be closer with Allah. Summiting to his will,and offering oneself purely and humbly. Trusing in Allah alone, that even with food, He is praiseworty. He alone is your fundimental need.
Barbapapa Member # 10031
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Fasting for me, where I am, is not easy at all -I'm talking about the environment. My family doesn't know that I'm a muslim, and I'm working in a high school, where religious signs are baned, and not well considered anyway. No muslim friends around to support me (I relocated last year, and I am working a lot, and never found the time to make muslim friends where I am). So fasting is a real challenge for me. Not like in Egypt, where everyone is fasting, like in Ramadan, or understands if I say on Mondays that I'm fasting. Here, people wouldn't understand, and I don't want to waste my time explaining why I am a muslim, why I'm not veiled, if I'm a terrorist, or if I have been forced to convert...Enough of all that. But despite this environment, I love fasting! When you are so hungry (only the first days of Ramadan, because after, your body is used to fast), so tired, you are experiencing the poor people's daily life. And you feel so thankful toward God, because from your birth til today, you never had a day without food, you never had to fight for a meal...You realize how lucky you are. And at night, it's so great, you gather with your friends, your family, you share a great meal!
blue skies Member # 8447
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That's interesting Barbapapa, this year will be my first Ramadan and I'm already looking forward to it. I fasted on the day before Eid ul Adha in January and even though it was only one tuny day, it gave me a very small insight into what a good focus it is, and how it sharpens your prayers and awareness of the world around you. My husband is very excited that we're going to share this experience together this Ramadan. We're going to fast on Mondays and Thursdays the month before, so I get used to it. My family don't know I'm Muslim either. It might be useful for me to PM you, would that be OK? Thanks!
Madame Mohamed Member # 8386
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I like fasting for a few reasons. One being that it reminds me that there are less fortunate ppl in this world who feel hunger all the time not just one day or a month. Another being the self discipline factor. To be a good Muslim, especially in a Western country, it takes quite a bit of self discipline. I fast for the sake of Allah and for any hasanat it would bring to me.
dawn4ever Member # 8216
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fasting for me has a special feelings, it's good to have the feeling of worshiping God & to obey him in every aspect of your life..
fasting actually reminds you with poor ppl , it also gathers all muslims together, they share the same lunch time and suhur time..
you feel that your day is scheduled and arranged by having the iftar or lunch at certain time every day ,( which is recommended by doctors).
when you feel that you forbid your desire of eating "which is one of the desires in human nature " for only God's sake..this gives you the feeling of "while fasting i stopped what's halal !! what about the haram things ".
i'm enjoying fasting soo much, that's why i'm trying to fast monday and thursday every week
salam
QueenBee Member # 9378
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Hey don't forget about how amazing it is to break fast with even the smallest glass of water and meal. The Prophet put a lot of emphasis of breaking fast well and soon and enjoying that. In terms of hiding the fasting, I have done so many kinds of fasts, and its very hard for me because my body doesn't metabolize sugar properly so I get really screwed up. But there are fasts people try when they do a lot of yoga, which is popular now in zee West. Including silent fast, where one doesn't speak. Also, zen buddhists do these kind of fasts. Fasting is important to Catholics and Orthodox Christians. So, I think when you fast you are very aware of it, but no one else really notices. They just notice you have TONS of food to share when the sun goes down. Heehee. I have a bad habit of cooking for hours if I fast. Someone has to, anyway...but I think all the preparation and planning and the smells makes it a less austere experience. lol. It is amazing how every scent is so intense when fasting, and I usually notice how calm and peaceful I am during a fast.
bibo1978 Member # 9287
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I totally agree with all of you, I like all islam's pillars, including zakkat although you spend money but when u think how this can bring happieness to others, I like charity as being an obligation, what I like the most is Allah as being the god and the only god that is not alike, he is not anything or anyother creation and he is not contaminated in anything, in islam we don't need to see or to personalize god and we dignify god because he "Subbhanoo" is just like no other .. and no body in this life can see him .. I just wanted to worship this god and I found him here in islam and it was very wonderful the way of worshipping god in Islam is, it is just completed my vision and pleases me more than anything, I like praying, fasting, zakkat, hajj, omra, charity, visting family member which is an islamic duty, zeker "I like this alot", justice and standards .. everything about islam is just facinating and I just love ramdan and praying "taraweeh and night prayers" .. and I love Quran and quran reciters my favorite is Elmenshawee .. I hope I didn't miss anything but I just love all of this being attached to god and hoping on god and as someone had stated sleeping with no burdens .. I like even handshaking and smiling on other's faces .. and of course I like Mohamed(PBUH) for him he had been our idol and a living example and he is on each one of us because he had learnt us this though he is dead yet he lives in every muslim .. thank god for islam bliss it is like no other and it is the best of all. and pity on those whom have nio god for they haven't taste this sweetness of islam and all they had taste is just the bitterness of the life.
sara7a ra7a Member # 10232
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Asalaam 3alaykom we ra7matullah
Inshaa Allah this finds you in the best of Health and Iman..
I agree with everyone here..The best thing for me about being Muslim are the rememberance of Allah always throughout the day and the discipline too..I love to help others always and Islam gives such a great feeling of peace el hamd lelah..
Take care and Godbless
Sana
LovedOne Member # 10222
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Thanks to all for your replies.
I don't mean for what I'm about to type to be disrespectful in any way. It is the last thing on my mind to say bad things about anyone else's faith or about how they choose to worship God. But all the things you mention, while I understand what you're saying, can't you do those things without being Muslim? Surely I can pray 5 times a day if I want and fast and of course I give money to charities. If I keep God close to my heart, what is the difference then? I originally asked what were your favorite things about being Muslim and what was fulfilling for you. You've answered truthfully and honestly but now I'm thinking, why do you have to be Muslim to do those things? Or rather... excuse me because I'm having a hard time getting this thought out of my brain and onto paper so to speak .... yes those are good things. But they can be done by anyone Muslim or not. So perhaps I should have asked a different question to begin with. What is it that makes being Muslim that's special to you that you wouldn't get from not being Muslim? I imagine I'll keep coming up with questions. I hope no one gets tired of answering.
Thanks again to all who have taken the time to reply.
maryanne Member # 9311
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There are no favoite things about being muslim ..being a muslim is not a game its a way of life.You submit yourself to allah and follow the 5 pillals of islam..
LovedOne Member # 10222
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I didn't mean to suggest that it was a game. But can't I submit myself to God without being Muslim?
maryanne Member # 9311
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The word Muslim means one who surrenders.(submit)
TheWesternDebt2Islam aka Ki$$ aka K Member # 7854
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LovedOne,
Being Muslim = Submitting to God and beleving Muhammad pbuh is the last messenger to all mankind and jinns.
The advantage of being a Muslim, is that you will be within God's Promise to the believer.
Otherwise, your deeds, praying, etc, will be like doing yoga only giving you wordly benefits.
I cannot think of any favourite points specifically of being a Muslim, because they all are equally.
I guess you can say God's Mercy on mankind by sending the Quran and Prophet SAWS thus perfecting this religion for us.... giving us knowledge, which gives us certainty in life, is one of the favourite thing about being muslim.
quote:Originally posted by QueenBee: If you like to fast, don't forget you can fast in every Monday and Thursday. There are a lot of extra fasting days and extra prayers.
Also the middle three days of every month, 13-14-15 i think...
bibo1978 Member # 9287
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LovedOne, if u believe in god as we do, then you will know that god didn't create all this things "life, universe .." as a game, no one can grantee this but if you believe in god the most merciful then he can't do this to us, religion is all about expecting the best of god, I mean if you think that god made this life playing then this is disgracing him and "he is not like this at all" because this is a mean thought about god, he wouldn't do all of this just for playing .. all this suffer and pain .. we and any book religion is about expecting the best out of god .. and we are doing this Islamic obligations because we had surrendered to god we do this not for our joice we do this because god told us to do this and we love god and we surrendering to his orders and fortunately this bring to us the most joy of all and we live in the sweetness of life, regardless of any pain we get we still have the joy believe me, our prophet had said what means:
" it is amazing what faithful's life is like, it is always good for him, if he has a catestrofy he had patience on it, and if he has a good thing he thanks allah and in both it is good for him and this is not for anyone except the faithful"
Not the exact words but the hadeeth was like this, and for me I didn't do islam's orders for joy but the joy is just a bless from god that I didn't expect and this reminds me with the quran verse where god "Allah" had said what means : " and whom did good in this life he will be repaid in life and in the life after death" .. not the exact words but the meaning .. so if submission to god returns to us grace then this is a bless and we thank god for that but we are not doing islamic obligations for this we are doing it for god and only him and even if we don't like an obligation we do it for god but fortunately any muslim will tell you that he likes islamic obligations just after he starts doing it he never can stop .. thank god for him as bless for us ..
Barbapapa Member # 10031
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Hello LovedOne! I understand your question, I had the same before conveting! Just know that to be a muslim means to be submitted to God, and to follow the 5 pillars. If you miss one of them, you can't consider yourself as a muslim, ie "submitted to God". Some will tell me that for some scholars, even if you don't pray, you still can consider yourself as a muslim, but to me, no. That's what make Islam different. Because praying 5 times a day, although we all love it, is not something easy, you have to leave what you were doing, you have to wake up when other are sleeping, you have to wash yourself everytime...small things for us who are muslim, but I remember I didn't say the same at the beginning of my conversion! So praying is a full part of being a muslim! My knowledge about Islam isn't very big, so I'm just telling you about my experience, and I still remember very well how I felt, what I though, before I decided to convert, so I feel I know what is in your mind right now!
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Thanks so much to everyone who posted. My mind is full of so many questions and the man in my life is doing all that he can to answer (he's unbelievably patient!!!), but it's good to hear from other people too. I appreciate all of your answers and sharing your thoughts with me. Everyone has something different to share and I appreciate all of it.
Thank you
elkadi80 Member # 4530
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Its very intresting question. For me, the more I learn the more I got spritual satisfaction. its simplicity, no mystries and no " ???" without answers, which removes any confusion. life micro manger; personal hygiene, health recommendations, etiquette, social obligations,... didn't leave any corner of the daily life without giudence. So, its the ideal giude. http://www.amrkhaled.net/acategories/categories79.html
elkadi80 Member # 4530
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And one of the MOOOOOSST importnet issues the Islam concerns about, is the right of the others "regardless their religion".
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