I can see from some of your posts that you might appreciate some advice about Islam so I hope this post will be useful for you. I’m going to try and outline some of the parts of Islam which may be of use and give some advice on a few of your questions.
You may already know about some of what I have included here, but I’m adding it as a kind of background to the whole post.
Who is Allah?
Allah is God. The creator of all; mankind, the jinn, animals, the sun, the moon, the earth, heaven and hell etc
Allah is one of 99 names which we use for God. Allah is actually two words in Arabic and means “The God” Al illah. The other 98 names with their English translation can be found here: http://www.islamicity.com/mosque/99names.htm
What is Islam?
The word Islam means submission. This submission is to Allah. The Arabic root of the word Islam is s-l-m and from this we get the word Salam which means peace (I’ll explain a little bit more about the root words further on). Islam teaches us that by submitting to the will of Allah you will find peace.
What is a Muslim?
A Muslim is a person who submits to the will of Allah. Again the word Muslim is derived from the same Arabic root word s-lm. It’s all connected. To be considered as a Muslim you must perform and believe the following:
The 5 Pillars
Shahada: Declare that there is no God but Allah and Mohamed is his Messenger (La illaha illa Allah, Mohammadan Rasulu'Allah)
Pray: The 5 daily prayers (Fajr, Dhur, Asr, Maghrib, Isha). When a Muslim prays he/she faces the Kabah in Mecca and follows specific steps which include reciting verses from the Quran.
Zakat: This is charitable giving. Certain Muslims must pay 2.5% on their savings (including any property, gold and valuable jewellery) which they have had in their possession for a full year. If any Muslim doesn’t meet these conditions then they’re exempt from the 2.5%. There are rules for this including there being another type of Zakat so it’s something which needs to be read about and understood or advice sought from a qualified scholar.
Sawm: This is fasting during the month of Ramadan where Muslims abstain from food, drink, sexual relations, anger, bad talk etc from sunrise until sunset.
Hajj: This is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca which is obligatory on those Muslims who can afford it.
Articles of faith
Believe there is only one God; Believe in the angels of God; Believe in the holy books of God; the Qur'an (sent to Muslims), the Injeel /Gospels (sent to Christians), the Torah (sent to the Jews) Believe in the prophets of God, Mohamed, Jesus, Lot, Solayman, Ibrahim, Noah (there are many and not all are mentioned in the Quran) Believe in the Day of Judgment and the after life Believe in the supremacy of God's will/ predestination (Qadr)
Quran or Sunnah?
In my opinion, the two go hand in hand, however the Quran is of course the first reference.
Sunnah means the way of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). It includes everything he said, did, and approved of. We know the Sunnah from the statements called ahadith that have been handed down from the Companions of the Prophet. Source and more info
Most Muslims believe that the sunnah provides explanations of some meanings in the Quran in addition to providing us with a guide on how we should conduct our lives. Not all Muslims follow and believe in this, but I’m not going to judge whether this is right or wrong. Allah tells us in the Quran:
Surah An-Nisa: 64 - We sent not an apostle, but to be obeyed, in accordance with the will of Allah.
Surah Al-Imraan: 31 - Say: "If ye do love Allah, Follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins:
Surah Al-Imraan: 32. Say: "Obey Allah and His Messenger.
This is only a few examples of where Allah tells us that we must obey the Prophet Mohamed.
When you read the Quran it will no doubt be a translation of the Arabic original. This can sometimes cause problems because anybody can translate the Quran in the way they like. There are a few “trusted” translators which are generally considered to be Yusuf Ali and Mohamed Pickthall. Chose one of these (or any other from your choice) and stick to it. When anyone quotes you verses from the Quran, verify the verse by referring to your preferred translator. Sometimes each translated version can sound quite different since Arabic is such a rich language with various meanings for one word.
Ahadith (plural of Hadith)
Why do some Muslims believe that they don’t need to follow the Sunnah of Prophet Mohamed? Well from what I have heard, some believe the Quran is enough for them to understand Islam and some believe that the ahadith are not reliable. This last point is partly true, which is why the Muslims who refer to ahadith do so based on a science of authentication. In the years following the death of Prophet Mohamed, many people fabricated things they claim they heard the Prophet say. This led to a number of scholars i.e. Bukhari, Muslim, Dawood and others to collect all supposed sayings and create a method of verifying their truth or confirming their fiction. The authenticity of the hadith depends on the reliability of its narrators, and the links between them. From this you’ll find that ahadith are classified into categories:
Sahih - sound Hasan - good Da'if - weak Maudu' - fabricated or forged
This is a big subject which needs to be understood with care, but in brief, Sahih means that the chain of narrators were considered to be honest, the hadith fits with the Quran and is considered to be in keeping with the character of the Prophet. I’ll not explain all the others because you can research this more if you like and it’s not so important to worry too much now. The remaining 4 categories I’m sure you can pretty much understand will be less reliable as you go down. I myself don’t understand all the details of this science, so I generally just refer to ahadith when I need and ask myself if it sounds feasible or not according to what I know about Islam. Bear in mind though that just because it might not sound so nice doesn’t mean it’s not true. The “ego” or ‘nafs” has a big part to play in how much of Islam we accept and how much we reject. Again, this is another subject which you might want to investigate one day.
It is preferable for a woman to pray at home and Allah will give more rewards to her for this. Not because she is considered as second class or unequal to a man, this is actually a mercy from Allah. Traditionally women are considered as the homemakers, the ones who stay at home and look after children, so if it was obligatory for a woman to perform prayers in the Mosque she would find it difficult to manage between keeping house, taking care of the children, rushing to the mosque 5 times per day with the chance that it may not even be close to her house. By making a woman’s prayers in the home more rewarding than her prayers in the mosque, Allah ensures that women do not lose out.
In saying this, there is no prohibition from women praying in the Mosque and the Prophet Mohamed forbade a man from refusing his wife the choice to pray in the mosque.
Narrated Ibn 'Umar: The Prophet said, "If your women ask permission to go to the mosque at night, allow them." Bukhari Volume 1, Book 12, Number 824
Not all Mosques in England have adequate facilities or space for women to pray in. If they have limited facilities then they will give first priority to the men. I agree with this since the man is obligated to pray in the mosque. BUT, where possible all communities should provide a space for women. I don’t want to encourage divisions, but it is generally certain types of communities in England who make all efforts to prevent women from performing prayers in the Mosque. In my opinion this is coming from their cultural attitude and not a product of Islam. There was a TV program about this 2 years ago involving the MPACUK group and while I commend their efforts to get their rights as women, I felt they went a bit over the top. It was a controversial subject at the time and some condemned them, others praised them. I personally think they should have gone about it differently and not created more bad press for Muslims.
My favourite Mosque in London is the London Central Mosque in Regents Park. Masha’Allah this is much more than a place for prayer and more of a community centre. They have prayer facilities for men and women and when crowded, like during eid prayers, people can be found in all corners of the mosque! Upstairs, downstairs, in the basement, outside and this includes women! They even stagger the eid prayers so there will be 3 or 4 sessions to give as many people as possible a chance to pray. The women have a special bathroom, cloakroom and area where women with children can pray without causing disturbance to others.
They also have a library, a shop (where you can buy books, CD’s, DVD’s, Islamic Games and Devices, Clothes- not a big range! and Perfumes), conference rooms, dining hall for families and individuals to eat (food is provided for a fee) and I think a nursery or creche for kids.
They usually have events taking place such as Quran lessons, Arabic lessons, weekly and monthly Islamic lectures, lectures for new Muslims, those interested to convert or anyone who wants to know more about Islam. They sometimes have 2-3 day courses on Islamic subjects and special events for families, like fun days etc. Imams are available to answer questions and give help and advice.
It’s a great place to meet people and you’ll find all sorts of women from different countries mixing together and they probably have varying levels of belief. You’ll find westernized, traditional, women with niqab, women with hijab and unveiled women. Just attend a lecture and you’re bound to find women you can be friends with, especially when they see you’re a new face.
You also don’t only have to go on a Saturday or Sunday. Its open 7 days per week and activities take place on different days. This is the website: London Central Mosque
To get there, you can take the bakerloo line to Regents Park. When you exit the tube station, if you find yourself with Madame Tussauds on your left, you’ll turn right then right again at the first corner and walk for about 15/20 minutes until you reach the mosque on your right. You can also get the 453 (I think!) from outside the tube station heading towards Marylebone which stops outside the mosque.
If your husband is Egyptian he may also enjoy it since he can meet other Arabs (and other nationalities) and the Imams mostly come from Egypt as far as I know.
I haven’t fully lived in London since I converted, but if you wouldn’t mind saying which area you live in I may be able to suggest other mosques closer to your area that I’ve visited or heard about and which would be more than willing to welcome women and people seeking help to learn about Islam. They are available.
Muslims in Britain
As I said before, I haven’t fully lived in London since converting so I don’t know everything about the Muslim scene but I have found when I’m home that some can be quite cliquey. Don’t let this put you off because there are so many who don’t care about where you come from, they just want to try their best to be good Muslims and have other Muslim women to befriend.
How do you meet them? I have met some wonderful people by visiting the mosque, attending seminars and events – there are many in London and you just need to keep your eyes open for where they advertise them. One place I check out online when I know I’m going to London for a visit is:Muslim Council of Britain
You might not want to be around people who force their beliefs on you – and they exist – I usually stay away from people who like to comment on your style of dress, if you wear makeup or perfume, if you have pictures in your house or listen to Music. They mean well but as a recent convert to Islam you don’t want to be overwhelmed by all the new things you’ll be learning. A decent Muslim should give you advice if they see you doing wrong, but not force their way on you. You will not be wrong if you feel it’s too much pressure and you don’t want to be around them, otherwise you can explain to them that you need time to adjust to the newness and would appreciate if they back off a little.
Finding information about Islam
As you already discovered be careful of where you find your information. Your best source is the Quran. Read it, absorb it and then it will be easier to sort the fact from fiction when you read stuff on the net or when people decide to give you their interpretations of Islam. There are many factors which influence a person perspective on Islam; gender, cultural background, life experiences, education, sect (i.e. sunni, shia, quranists, wahabi’s, salafis), madhab (Hanafi, Shafei, Hanbali, Maliki) and on and on.
My advice is don’t classify yourself or allow anyone else to classify you. You took shahada and became a Muslim !
It might also be a good idea to see what each sect believes and then you will have an idea about influences behind the sources of information you find. Take everything with a pinch of salt and don’t take it as gospel until you have had time to digest it, compare it with other opinions, remove any preconceptions you have and ask Allah for guidance to the true and right way. When you feel in your heart that you’re following the right thing you most probably are because Allah is your true guide.
If you believe something today and later down the road you reconsider and realize it was wrong, don’t beat yourself up about it because I’m sure Allah knows your intentions. Don’t allow yourself to be confused by others, your Islam is your relationship between you and Allah and nobody has the right to judge you except Him.
There are a number of English speaking Sheikhs and Brothers who converted to Islam who I find to be good sources of information. You can find their information on the internet and they usually have a website and DVD’s with their lectures. I like them because they speak my language and also they know what it’s like to be a non Muslim. Their interpretations tend to be easier to understand and less steeped in tradition and culture.
Some are: Sheikh Yusef Estes (funny man!)Web page Sheikh Khaled Yassin (very inspirational) Sheikh Hamza Yusef Web page Brother Abdurahman Green Web page Brother Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens) Web page Dr. Bilal Philips Web page
You could try reading books by:
"Harun Yahya" he has some beautiful books with many on Islam and knowing Allah from a scientific point of view. He provides his books for free from his website as downloads or you can buy them.
"Ahmed Deedat" he focused a lot on Islam vs Christianity. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but I do know some Non Muslims who enjoy his work very much!
You could also read text written by other converts regarding their conversion, the good and bad they faced and it can be inspiring in addition to letting you know you’re not alone. There is a book called "From my Sisters lips" by Naima Robert ( Amazon link ) which I really enjoyed reading. It's the conversion story of a woman who converted to Islam.
You can also find stories online.
Reading books about the life of Prophet Mohamed are also useful and helps you to build love and respect for him in addition to understanding the culture of the Arabs at that time, their beliefs and practices.
Arabic
Since the Quran is in Arabic and translations can sometimes be misleading, it is of course a good idea to learn as much Arabic as you can. This is not easy and not a MUST! It just helps. Just to give a better understanding of what I was talking about above (in case you don't know):
The Arabic language is built on root words which means the root usually consists of 3 or 4 letters which can be built on to create different words based around the same meaning.
For example:
k-t-b – basic meaning is writing and from this you can have many other words such as;
kataba he wrote katabuu they wrote katabat she wrote katabnaa we wrote kateeb writer kitaaba the act of writing kitaab book kutub books kutubee bookdealer kutayyib booklet maktuub letter maktab office maktaba library maktabee individual office miktaab typewriter mukaataba correspondence iktitaab registration istiktaab dictation
Think about taking a course if you have the time and means to do so.
Conclusion
I hope what I have written will be useful. If there is anything you don't understand or need more information on or don't agree with, please let me know. You can post here, so it will be useful for others or send me a PM. If you need advice on something which I haven't included, you can also post here and I or others may be able to help.
My advice would be to firstly concentrate on the 5 Pillars and 6 articles of faith. From there you can build and strengthen your Islam to be your support as you explore the religion.
Read the Quran as much as you can, from start to finish and random chapters when you have time. I find that a good way to read the Quran is by the order of revelation. This way I can almost imagine what was happening during the early days of Islam. Allah sent many of his revelations in response to things which were happening to the newly converted Muslims including their persecution by the Quraysh. You will find that many of the rules of Islam were not revealed until the Hijra to Medina. In Mecca (at the start) it was concerned mostly with informing people about the wrong they were doing and ordering them to stop the idol worshipping. When you consider the messages in the Quran from this point of view it makes it easier to put it all into context and better understand the meanings.
Try to meet some Muslims who you can be friends with and who will provide you with support.
Discuss as much as you can with your husband since he should be a support and guide for you and you for him. Don’t be afraid to question what he tells you because then you can learn more. You might end up agreeing with him or disagreeing, you may even teach him a thing or two about wrong ideas he may have. You can learn together.
Explore new areas of Islam one by one and don’t be worried if certain things are not understandable at first. Keep trying to understand or even leave it and return again later. As Muslims we learn all the time until the day we die. Even those who think they know it all.
Good Luck!
Posts: 815 | From: London and the other | Registered: Jul 2005
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Thanks for adding that link Mirasol. Have you used the site? I signed up a few months ago but I haven't had time to do any of the courses. Did you find them useful?
Thanks for the warning Caterpillar. I'm glad you have good antivirus!
Posts: 815 | From: London and the other | Registered: Jul 2005
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wow, thanks, that was really helpfull really,i will check out all the links one by one, i will pm my home town as you said, thank you for all you have written NotSleeplessInCairo
Posts: 426 | From: england | Registered: Oct 2006
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www.islamonline.net is a faveourite site of mine, has many subject areas to explore and many interesting articles. As well as Q and A setion.
Also NotSleeplessInCairo, I too like Regents Park Masjid, but too be honest, as much as it gets funded, and being the main masjid in London - it is a shame the current state of the masjid is in, like the carpets in the main prayer hall are years old and very worn, some of the tiles on the golden dome are missing, and needs replacing, and don't get me started on the wudhu area- it isn't the cleanest I have come across- I think it needs some refurbishing and improvements, but generally the atmosphere there is great, and its nice to spend a whole day there on the weekends. I used to enjoy going there during the day as it was round the corner from my uni, westminster and have a little nap there during break
Another main masjid in London is the East London Mosque situated in Whitechapel - they have done very well with this masjid and have also set up the largest Muslim Community center in western europe which is attached to the masjid.
Regarding Regents park Mosque, do you mind if I ask if you're male? Because in the women's area it seems fine. I haven't been home for a while so maybe it's become worse during that time. If you are male it could be that this area is used more?
Last thing, East London Mosque, I recently viewed their website and was quite impressed with what they seem to be doing since I've never visited. But, I was kinda wary because of things I've heard about some of the regulars. I've read stuff which makes me think they might be a bit "extreme" in their views. Is this wrong? I know Regents park has the "Jihadi" sisters crew, but they're in the minority.
Posts: 815 | From: London and the other | Registered: Jul 2005
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yes I am male, and yes that makes sense that the prayer hall is used more - but still, I think some refurbishments are long over due, especially as it gets visitors daily - you often see school visits there too. As for ELM you should really take a visit there and check for yourself. I guess you will find Muslims with 'extreme' views in any masjid you go to.
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