Religion why are not u a muslim?

[Mike in Japan]

Oyasumi Nasai

 

[bossel]

I have just checked the dictionary Bossel to clarify humanitarian and humanism regarding this discussion!! Not that I don't trust you - I do, but wanted to check for myself. :note:

You should never trust anyone who you know only online!
Anyway, I just wanted to say that it's not wrong to use the word humanism, since it can be used as a synonym of humanitarianism. I didn't know that that might damage Mike's professional honour. & I didn't want to impose any specific wording on you.

The post I reffered to was at that time your last post (and appeared in that order). So yes, you would have assumed correctly.

Maybe you count differently? :? Your "not blindly accept the opinions of others, perhaps such as yours" is in post 249, the links I gave are in 248.

Re Humanism
My Oxford defines it thus;

Note that it clearly states 'non-religeous'.

Hyper dictionary thus;

Note 'rejects religeon'

Wordnet thus;

Again we see 'rejects religeon'

So yes, as stated in my earlier post I would have to agree that 'humanitarian' is perhaps a more appropriate word.

Nice that you know so many dictionaries. But that's pretty much what is in M-W as well (except that "reject" seems a bit strong), hence I don't see why you write (or copy & paste) so much.
Maybe you not only count differently but also read differently?

I never stated that freemasons followed the pure doctrine of humanism. Most lodges seem to combine religion & humanism (or if you like: religious & humanist values). Humanitarianism can be part of all this.

BTW, from Wikipedia: "secular humanism grew as an answer to the need for a common philosophy that trancended boundaries imposed by local religions. Many humanists are religious, however, and see humanism as simply a mature expression of a common truth present in most religions."

If you really don't have so much time, I don't see why you argue against things I didn't say.

Another BTW, if you use references maybe you should at least make sure that they didn't copy each other (or all from somewhere else). Wordnet & Hyperdictionary have the exact same wording just in a different order (& with one additional synonym reference from wordnet). Therefore, they cannot count as independent sources.

 

[Mike in Japan]

No dice Bossel,
I'm sorry, but I have more important things to do right now than sit here and continue what I consider to be these unproductive and increasingly personal exchanges with you, entertaining as they may be. Some other time perhaps.

Good day to you sir.

 

[Yamatoblue]

Why am I not Muslim, because i'm a buddhist. Actually, I was born into both christianity and buddhism.
On a serious note I have many friends that are muslim. My best friend Miriam is muslim. I don't really know much about the Koran. I know for a fact though that christianity did derive from islam. Islam, Muslim are the same thing. However, i don't agree with some muslim traditions and that is the "oppression of women." I took a course in philosphy, so i have some knowledge on women oppression through the ages. NO I"M NOT A FEMINIST!!!
A person who used to be a good friend of mine and i'm going to put his name on the internet, because he still makes me angry!!! SIRAJ
Everyday we hung out together all that came out of his mouth was racist remarks about jews, blacks, and asians. I remember one time he used the word chink in front of me. Also, there were a lot of driscriminitory remarks about beating woman. This is only one person and does not represent every muslim. However, many of these beliefs are connected with the muslim culture. Not all Muslim's are like this!!!
{{Miriam I miss you hope your trip to Dubai was fun}} Talk to you soon!!! :heyhey:

muslim women are not oppressed by any means. In fact, many women have converted because Islam adores women. Islam protects women.
The reason women are covered is for reasons of self-respect. When a woman is covered, men can see her personality and inteliigence better than when she is dressed provocatively.
Husbands are to treat their wives honorably and kindly, the prophet said " the best of you are those who are best to their wives." A man may tap his wife lightly so as to not leave any marks on her body ,but he may not strike her face, and he may only hit her after he has talked to her about the issue thats bothering him, if that doesnt work, then he should not have sexual relations with her, if she still doesnt change, then he may lightly hit her.
The bible says women arent allowed to speak in Church and the churches used to debate that women didnt have a soul. Islam, on the other hand has given women many rights, including rights on iheritance, the right to be educated ,clothed and fed,etc. I hate when people say Islam is oppressive when it was christians who thought that women didnt have a soul and that women cannot speak in church, yet in islam women can lead other women in prayer and have done so since the advent of islam.
Check out www.themodernreligion.com and www.whyislam.com . Those sites should clarify any info regarding wife beating and the sort. And www.answering-christianity.com is a site with loads and loads of refutations about what christians accuse Islam of being.
It is ABSOLUTELY wrong to pick on someone's race. In fact, during the prophet's time(roughly 1400 years ago, i think),the first man to make the call to prayer was a black man who was an ex-slave. He was loved by all, and moreover during the prophet's last sermon at Mt.Arafat, he said that an arab isnt better than a non-arab and vice-versa. Islam is THE religion that can bring all people together. At my mosque, there are whites, blacks, asians, etc. It's a beautiful thing to see so many people getting along so well and treating each other with kindness. This is also what the prophet muhammad instilled in people back in his time.
Making comments about other races is wrong and it is also wrong for someone to judge islam on the basis that their one muslim friend has bad attitudes towards other muslims, that doesnt mean all muslims think like that.
WHy do you think there are so many black churches? Christianity itself doesnt teach racism ,but extreme christians in america are very racist. I know a woman who left the methodist church b/c it was preaching racism. So a few muslim clerics preach terrorism, but that doesnt mean that terrorism is somehow part of our faith, it isn't.
Oh and regaring the jews...I dont hate Jews, but I do hate Israel and Zionists and anyone who funds money to Israel.
Mind you, Israel oppresses the palestinian people(the rightful owners of the land that the zionists stole in 1948)terribly, they rape palestinian women and videotape the procedure to assure women wont tell anyone about the behavior of israeli soldiers, put poision in palestinian water reserves so that the women become barren, they kill children with tanks, the zionists live in nice houses and gated communities while the palestinians live not too far away behind a fence, in refugee camps which are always under attack by israeli soldiers because 'terrorists'(theyre not terrorists, they're resistance fighters trying to get their land back)might be hiding there. Moreover, israel has ignored numerous suggestions by the UN because it has violated numerous human right laws. The world turns the other cheek when israel oppresses people, but when muslim 'terrorists' fight the israelis to get their land back, then everyone in the world condems them. It'd be amazing if we coudl live in a world where the life of a jew would be equal to that of a Muslim. It's amazing..eveyrone(including israel) is pushing for Iran to get rid of its nuclear weapons, yet Israel will not tell anyone in the world whether or not they even have nuclear weapons(they have at least 20 nuclear warheads) All this stuff gets muslims mad, so I'm sure your friend didnt mean all jews, just those who support what Israel is doing.
Here's just a gimplse of israel's oppression against the palestinian people:
http://www.koshertaxscam.com/atroc/

 

[bossel]

in refugee camps which are always under attack by israeli soldiers because 'terrorists'(theyre not terrorists, they're resistance fighters trying to get their land back)might be hiding there.

There is a distinct difference between legitimate resistance & terrorism. Resistance targets the forces (or government) of the oppressor/invader & tries to avoid civilian casualties. Bombing a public bus in some Israeli town is terrorism. & you have to admit that there are a lot of Palestinian terrorists (not that those are always the ones that fall victim to Israeli attacks).

 

[Yamatoblue]

Hey Bossel! Konnichiwa. Vielleicht sollte ich sagen, "wie geht's?"
Ich vermisse Deutschland...ich wurde gern zuruck kommen.

Yes, but you must realize that everyone in the world gives money to Israel(american gov't alone donates 6 billion annually), and the palestinians are extremely poor. Again, I say this. THey have no other means but to blow themlseves up, hoping to kill some Israelis in the act. In Islam, if you die for the sake of god, you will go to heaven. But, killing innocent children is wrong, but that is what the israelis are doing to the palestinians. But tell me, do you think its ok to kill palestinian children? Because just a few days ago an Israeli tank crushed a palestinian boy to death...fair? Look at the link I gave you.
The israeli gov't is a coward because the israelis would never use their lives to guard Israel, but all the palestinians have is their lives. How come people always condemn palestinians but never israelis? because they are the chosen people? I dont care who they are, oppressing innocent people is wrong.
Just tell me, you dont think what the israelis do to the palestinians as i described in my other post isnt terrorism. Just tell me that.
ANd you're german so maybe you feel guilt for holocaust(I dont know how, im sure u werent there at that time), so maybe you feel the need to defend Israel.

 

[Anyuni_Nakashima]

muslim women are not oppressed by any means. In fact, many women have converted because Islam adores women. Islam protects women.

Hmmm, don't bother telling this to me...go tell this to the women in Afghanistan. I wasn't picking on the race...my friends are Muslim. I'm going from what I learned and what my female Muslim friends tell me. I don't really wanna bother with this...

 

[Yamatoblue]

then ask your friends if they're oppressed. and u just hear what the news says about afghani women and the taliban and you eat it up. how can u be so sure of everything you read? please look at some of the links i posted, all you 'free thinkers ' and 'open-minded atheists' should be open minded and look at many sources before making decisions or just 'giving up.' DOesnt sound very open minded to me.
the taliban has done some bad things sure, but before they took over afghanistan rape was rampant, but when they came in the rape incidents went down to 0%. Surely that is an accomplishment.
Bossel, i also wanted to say...are those israelis really innocent civilians? The kids yes, but the adult israelis surely know that there are palestinians living here who were there before the israelis. They know what kind of place israel is and what they're getting into, they know what to expect. If they know all of this, then are they still innocent? I dont think so.

 

[TwistedMac]

then ask your friends if they're oppressed. and u just hear what the news says about afghani women and the taliban and you eat it up. how can u be so sure of everything you read? please look at some of the links i posted, all you 'free thinkers ' and 'open-minded atheists' should be open minded and look at many sources before making decisions or just 'giving up.' DOesnt sound very open minded to me.
the taliban has done some bad things sure, but before they took over afghanistan rape was rampant, but when they came in the rape incidents went down to 0%. Surely that is an accomplishment.
Bossel, i also wanted to say...are those israelis really innocent civilians? The kids yes, but the adult israelis surely know that there are palestinians living here who were there before the israelis. They know what kind of place israel is and what they're getting into, they know what to expect. If they know all of this, then are they still innocent? I dont think so.

so basically you're saying it's ok to kill unarmed non-fighting people if they're from a certain group you happen to dislike?..

sounds like hate mongering to me.

 

[Anyuni_Nakashima]

then ask your friends if they're oppressed. and u just hear what the news says about afghani women and the taliban and you eat it up. how can u be so sure of everything you read? please look at some of the links i posted, all you 'free thinkers ' and 'open-minded atheists' should be open minded and look at many sources before making decisions or just 'giving up.' DOesnt sound very open minded to me.
the taliban has done some bad things sure, but before they took over afghanistan rape was rampant, but when they came in the rape incidents went down to 0%. Surely that is an accomplishment.
Bossel, i also wanted to say...are those israelis really innocent civilians? The kids yes, but the adult israelis surely know that there are palestinians living here who were there before the israelis. They know what kind of place israel is and what they're getting into, they know what to expect. If they know all of this, then are they still innocent? I dont think so.

Please read my posts over I already mentioned talking to my female friends about it.
Who said I got this from the news??? :?
Did i mention anything about the Taliban.

 

[Yamatoblue]

twisted: they know that the palestinians are already there and that they will be hostile to the jews coming and taking over their land...do you not understand that?
So to me those people are not innocent, they know they're not wanted but they persist in staying there.

 

[Anyuni_Nakashima]

twisted: they know that the palestinians are already there and that they will be hostile to the jews coming and taking over their land...do you not understand that?
So to me those people are not innocent, they know they're not wanted but they persist in staying there.

That's a terrible thing to say...because there not wanted and they persist, they deserve what they get.

 

[Satori]

muslim women are not oppressed by any means. In fact, many women have converted because Islam adores women. Islam protects women.
The reason women are covered is for reasons of self-respect. When a woman is covered, men can see her personality and inteliigence better than when she is dressed provocatively.
Husbands are to treat their wives honorably and kindly, the prophet said " the best of you are those who are best to their wives." A man may tap his wife lightly so as to not leave any marks on her body ,but he may not strike her face, and he may only hit her after he has talked to her about the issue thats bothering him, if that doesnt work, then he should not have sexual relations with her, if she still doesnt change, then he may lightly hit her.
The bible says women arent allowed to speak in Church and the churches used to debate that women didnt have a soul. Islam, on the other hand has given women many rights, including rights on iheritance, the right to be educated ,clothed and fed,etc. I hate when people say Islam is oppressive when it was christians who thought that women didnt have a soul and that women cannot speak in church, yet in islam women can lead other women in prayer and have done so since the advent of islam.
Check out www.themodernreligion.com and www.whyislam.com . Those sites should clarify any info regarding wife beating and the sort. And www.answering-christianity.com is a site with loads and loads of refutations about what christians accuse Islam of being.
It is ABSOLUTELY wrong to pick on someone's race. In fact, during the prophet's time(roughly 1400 years ago, i think),the first man to make the call to prayer was a black man who was an ex-slave. He was loved by all, and moreover during the prophet's last sermon at Mt.Arafat, he said that an arab isnt better than a non-arab and vice-versa. Islam is THE religion that can bring all people together. At my mosque, there are whites, blacks, asians, etc. It's a beautiful thing to see so many people getting along so well and treating each other with kindness. This is also what the prophet muhammad instilled in people back in his time.
Making comments about other races is wrong and it is also wrong for someone to judge islam on the basis that their one muslim friend has bad attitudes towards other muslims, that doesnt mean all muslims think like that.
WHy do you think there are so many black churches? Christianity itself doesnt teach racism ,but extreme christians in america are very racist. I know a woman who left the methodist church b/c it was preaching racism. So a few muslim clerics preach terrorism, but that doesnt mean that terrorism is somehow part of our faith, it isn't.

I agree that the muslim faith got a bad rap from the actions of the Taliban, especially since the views the Taliban espoused had nothing to do with true muslim beliefs, i.e. suicide in order to be with many virgins, etc. Muslims don't believe in suicide. That was something the Taliban invented. It still amazes me that none of those men ever stopped to think, "Well, if it's so wonderful, why isn't this leader killing himself in order to be with all those virgins?" But they didn't. Instead, they blindly followed this nut case, making all muslims look bad in the process.

With regard to your comments about how muslims treat their women, it sounds to me to be the same rhetoric that women all over the world have been faced with for years. They are told by men and society in general sometimes that they should be placed on a pedestal, as a wonderful object of beauty for all to behold, because they are truly cared for. Some societies even reward them for being beautiful by conducting beauty pagents, instead of acknowledging their many other important qualities as a human being and contributing member of society. They are also told that they needn't bother about those pesky concerns such as money, education, accomplishment, and success in the world. Rather, because they are so "special," they should be taken care of by men so they don't have to worry and think for themselves.

Fortunately, the rest of the world has evolved quite a bit from those kinds of viewpoints, thanks to the protests and struggles of many dedicated women and men around the world. However, muslim women are still caught in that trap. They are still being brainwashed into thinking that not having equality is good for them, and that it's okay for them to be subservient to the men in their lives, even to the point of physical abuse. Apparently, they have been so brainwashed that they don't even see their own oppression, and that's really sad.

Oh and regaring the jews...I dont hate Jews, but I do hate Israel and Zionists and anyone who funds money to Israel.
Mind you, Israel oppresses the palestinian people(the rightful owners of the land that the zionists stole in 1948)terribly, they rape palestinian women and videotape the procedure to assure women wont tell anyone about the behavior of israeli soldiers, put poision in palestinian water reserves so that the women become barren, they kill children with tanks, the zionists live in nice houses and gated communities while the palestinians live not too far away behind a fence, in refugee camps which are always under attack by israeli soldiers because 'terrorists'(theyre not terrorists, they're resistance fighters trying to get their land back)might be hiding there. Moreover, israel has ignored numerous suggestions by the UN because it has violated numerous human right laws. The world turns the other cheek when israel oppresses people, but when muslim 'terrorists' fight the israelis to get their land back, then everyone in the world condems them. It'd be amazing if we coudl live in a world where the life of a jew would be equal to that of a Muslim. It's amazing..eveyrone(including israel) is pushing for Iran to get rid of its nuclear weapons, yet Israel will not tell anyone in the world whether or not they even have nuclear weapons(they have at least 20 nuclear warheads) All this stuff gets muslims mad, so I'm sure your friend didnt mean all jews, just those who support what Israel is doing.
Here's just a gimplse of israel's oppression against the palestinian people:
http://www.koshertaxscam.com/atroc/

I agree that the Palestinians have been oppressed for years by the Israeli government. I won't say Israeli people because the bulk of Israelis don't support their government's actions. In fact, it's very similar to how American citizens feel about our present government and its actions. Unfortunately, over here in America and also in Israel, there is a lot of propaganda fed to citizens about how everyone that attacks them is the "enemy," their government can do no wrong and has done no wrong, that the majority of the people support the government and its actions against its "enemies," and that the people who are oppressed are really the oppressors. The Israeli and American governments even use religion to manipulate their citizens into going along with their actions. Jews are told that Palestinians hate them and want to drive them into the sea--that they don't even want them to have a country such as Israel anywhere. That there will be a Holocaust all over again. The American government told its citizens that those in the Middle East hate our freedoms and our religion, and that is why they attacked us. Same propaganda, IMO.

Both the U.S. and Israel--the governments, that is, not the majority of the people--are interested in controlling the oil in the Middle East, and they need to control the land and the people in order to do that. You're right about Israel's nuclear arms. America has been aiding Israel for years. It's something that a lot of Americans and other people around the world do not approve of, by the way. These are issues between governments, not the majority of the people.

I wish there was an easy solution to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, but as long as people continue to view the conflict as a religious or racial issue, the underlying political problems will never be addressed. This is all about land and oil, greed and power, and the other issues are used to scare people and manipulate them into going along with plans that are not in their best interests overall.

Personally, I liked the Pope's suggestion--that Jerusalem should be a city that belonged to the world and to all religions, and that it should not belong to merely one country or one religion. It's really too bad that can't be accomplished.

 

[bossel]

THey have no other means but to blow themlseves up, hoping to kill some Israelis in the act. In Islam, if you die for the sake of god, you will go to heaven. But, killing innocent children is wrong, but that is what the israelis are doing to the palestinians.

Just tell me, you dont think what the israelis do to the palestinians as i described in my other post isnt terrorism. Just tell me that.
ANd you're german so maybe you feel guilt for holocaust(I dont know how, im sure u werent there at that time), so maybe you feel the need to defend Israel.

If you look around a bit you will find that I would be one of the last to defend Israeli policy regarding Palestinians. IMO the Sharon government itself is just a bunch of terrorists. (BTW, the link you provided doesn't work anymore.)

But, just as in the case of the US war on terror, I can't see any justification in responding with terror to terror. No matter how much Palestinians have suffered, terrorism is wrong. If they want to fight Israel they can target soldiers, the government or the infrastructure (probably the easiest target). I can understand the desperation of Palestinians & their anger, but that is no reason to blow up people indiscriminately.

Regarding suicide bombers, I have to also disagree with you. If I remember correctly, major Islamic clerics denounced killing innocent people & denied any justification for suicide in that regard.

Not all Israelis support the government, not all voted for Sharon. There are enough who just want to live a peaceful life. Killing innocent people is always wrong, whether they are children, women or men.


Regarding women in Islam, I think, we should avoid over-simplifications. Just like Christianity, Islam is not a solid block. Eg. Turkey is rather moderate, Iran is rather hardcore. Yet you can find women in Iran who have greater freedom (albeit not legally) than some women in Turkey.
Arguing this point from either the Q'ran or the Bible won't do reality any justice.

Having said that, I yet have to concede that women in mainly Christian countries have tendentiously much greater freedom in expressing & fulfilling themselves than in mainly Muslim countries. Individually these freedoms vary greatly, though.

 

[starbaby]

Oops. Messed up.

 

[Farmad]

Here is a conclusion part of book named "WHY DID THEY BECOME MUSLIMS" writen in Turkiye...Just information:

"? The Islamic religion recognizes one creator, one being worthy of being worshipped. The name of this ma?b?d (being worthy of being worshipped) is All?hu ta??l?. Men?s common sense inspires into them that there is one Allah. A reasonable person cannot accept the concept of polytheism, which is a common basis for many other religions.

? The Islamic religion not only equips them with spiritual knowledge, but also teaches them what they should do for their lives in this world and in the Hereafter, and guides them.

? Whereas Christians propound that man is born sinful and that his stay in the world is intended to expiate and to suffer, the Islamic religion states that human beings are innocent creatures when they are born, that they are beloved born slaves of All?hu ta??l?, that they are responsible for their behaviour by the time they reach the age of puberty and discretion, and that they shall enjoy the infinite blessings of the Hereafter if they manage to abide by the right way.

? Islam does not allow a third person between the born slave and All?hu ta??l? in matters pertaining to worship, praying and penance. These practices do not require a priestly intermediation.

? Islam states that all Muslims are brothers, wherein differences of race, colour, language or country have no place. The Islamic religion holds everybody equal in the view of All?hu ta??l?. During the performance of nam?z, a person of the highest rank stands beside another, who may be of the lowest rank, a richest one beside another who, perhaps, is the poorest member of the society, and a white Muslim next to a black one, and with one accord they prostrate themselves before All?hu ta??l?.

? According to Islam, Prophets ?alaihim-us-sal?m? are human beings like us. They are the most superior human beings in all respects. Their duty is to convey to us the commandments of All?hu ta??l?. On account of their noble moral qualities and high natures, All?hu ta??l? has chosen them and given them this duty. The Islamic religion acknowledges all the past Prophets ?alaihim-us-salaw?tu wa-t-tasl?m?t? and pays them due respect.

? Islam is a perfectly logical religion. The Qur??n al-ker?m does not contain a single principle that cannot be understood or which is contradictory to living conditions or scientific knowledge. All the commandments it dictates are extremely useful. The Islamic religion does not embody any superstitions. Preposterous tenets like worshipping idols, images, icons, which can be accepted only by primitive tribes and idolaters and which still exist in Christianity, cannot have access into Islam.

? No one can force another person to become a Muslim. The two hundred and fifty-sixth ?yat of Baqara S?ra of the Qur??n al-ker?m purports the injunction, ?Conversion to Islam should not be done through compulsion.? On the other hand, Christian missionaries are trying to Christianize people by coersion or by promising advantages.

? The Islamic acts of worship are intended only to express gratitude to All?hu ta??l? and to attain His love. The prescribed prayer times drill people in orderliness and punctuality, and the yearly one-month fasting trains them to have command of their corporeal tendencies.

?Islam puts a special emphasis on cleanliness. Islam is the only religion which commands to do a certain type of physical cleaning before an act of worship. This strictness is totally missing from the other religions. The brevity of daily prayers rules out the possibility of their being a handicap to the daily chores.

? Formation of good habits such as tenderness, charity, and compassion, which are the dominant topics of the sermons given by Christian clergymen, but which are never put into practice by their preachers, let alone by the preached, are peculiar to Muslims.

? On the economic platform, Islam jettisons both the capitalistic materialism and the communistic utopia. It protects the poor, without censuring the rich. It commands the rich to pay zak?t to the poor. Furthermore, bringing together Muslims belonging to the sundry nations and races of the world, it establishes the most perfect social system of the world [Hajj].

? Islam prohibits consumption of alcohol, gambling, and drugs. The most disastrous vices of the world originate from these three pestilences.

? Islam is the only religion that commands to help the poor, the destitute and the forlorn travellers, no matter what their religion is.

? Islam does not force any person to believe in something he cannot understand. Unlike other religions, it does not comprehend any mysterious abstractions in the name of credo.

? In Islam, the procedure to be followed for the solution of a canonical problem is first to consult the Qur??n al-ker?m, then, if a clear answer cannot be found there, to look the matter up in the Sunnat of the Messenger of Allah ?alaihis-sal?m?, and finally, concerning matters of which clear solutions cannot be found in the Sunnat, for the common-sensed experts of the matter to employ ijtih?d, [to explain the matter after painstaking lucubrations.]

? Islam is the newest religion. From its first day up to our time, the Qur??n al-ker?m has preserved its pristine purity without undergoing an infinitesimal diacritical interpolation. Its regulation system is comprehensive enough to meet all sorts of needs. This fact is palpable enough to reveal that no other religion will come, that all sorts of religious matters have been solved, and that Islam is the true religion of Allah.

? The Islamic acts of worship can be performed anywhere. It is not compulsory to go to a mosque for worship. A Muslim does not intrude into others? temples, and it is permissible to perform nam?z in a church when it is inevitable.

? Islam cherishes women highly and gives them the greatest rights. The Islamic religion does not enjoin to marry more than one women. Islam?s polygamy is a permission which is limited with a certain number and regulated with certain stipulations. By the time Islam appeared, it had been an Arabic custom that a man could cohabit with as many women as he liked and with no degree of responsibility as to their rights. Islam rescued womankind from this horrible situation and protected their rights. By stating, ?Paradise is beneath the mother?s feet,? Muhammad ?alaihis-sal?m? granted a distinguished status to women. This privilege does not exist in any other religion.

? Islam invites people to work, to study and learn useful knowledge, and to ask for help from All?hu ta??l? after putting his mental and physical capacity to work. No other religion has the maxim, ?One hour spent meditating or doing something useful is equal to one year spent doing supererogatory worship.?

? Islam is spiritual and physical cleanliness. It holds these two kinds of cleanliness equal. Islam comprises only love, sweet smiles, soft words, integrity, and charity.

? Islam expresses All?hu ta??l? as the Rabb-ul-??lem?n, i.e. Allah of all classes of beings. Unlike in other religions, He is not considered as Allah for the votaries of the religion concerned.

? The Qur??n al-ker?m is the only source where a wretched person can find consolation. The Qur??n al-ker?m contains numerous pieces of consolatory, soothing, and instructive advice, depending on the kind of the need."


http://www.hakikatkitabevi.com/english/english.htm

 

[Maciamo]

"? The Islamic religion recognizes one creator, one being worthy of being worshipped. The name of this ma?b?d (being worthy of being worshipped) is All?hu ta??l?. Men?s common sense inspires into them that there is one Allah. A reasonable person cannot accept the concept of polytheism, which is a common basis for many other religions.

A reasonable and rational person cannot accept the concept of monotheism either.

Most of the other reasons you cited below are similar to Christianity or to current laws in Western countries, except for what people in developed countries find unacceptable (eg. prohibtion of alcohol, etc.).

Anyway, it is not because someone is Muslim that they respect the rules. Most people who call themselves Christians do not respect most of Jesus's teachings (although for some reasons, some American Christian have stronger commitment to the Ancient Testament, which makes me wonder if they are not Jews who call themselves Christians).

An educated and reasonable person does not need help from any religion - or certainly not be limited to only one of them, but maybe take what they like in each. I understand therefore that most Muslims come from underdeveloped countries where either the education standards and/or the national laws are not sufficient for them to live peacefully without the prohibitions and moral guidance of religion.

IMHO, moral religions (Christianity, Islam...) are just symptoms of a society that cannot think by itself, a sign of despair...

 

[Miss_apollo7]

Here is a conclusion part of book named "WHY DID THEY BECOME MUSLIMS" writen in Turkiye...Just information:

Some of the comparative points between Christianity and Islam were interesting. There are certainly many "nice" things Islam stands for, e.g. cleaniness, love and helping the poor etc...
However, I am not religious.

"? The Islamic religion recognizes one creator, one being worthy of being worshipped. The name of this ma?b?d (being worthy of being worshipped) is All?hu ta??l?. Men?s common sense inspires into them that there is one Allah. A reasonable person cannot accept the concept of polytheism, which is a common basis for many other religions.

So, a "reasonable" person cannot accept polytheism...well, here I strongly disagree, as in my opinion, I consider myself "reasonable" and I don't support anything which ends with the word "-theism," or ?deism? no matter whether it has mono or poly in the beginning, as I don't believe in religions or a "God".

? The Islamic religion not only equips them with spiritual knowledge, but also teaches them what they should do for their lives in this world and in the Hereafter, and guides them.

Yes, I agree that religions in general can guide people, however, sometimes I consider people who are "guided" by their beliefs as somewhat leading a passive life not taking decisions themselves or having their own free will (as their religions have rules and order the them to do things in a certain way etc...).
Especially regarding Islam and passive lifestyle, I have some (strong) opinions which I will touch upon in this post.

? Islam states that all Muslims are brothers, wherein differences of race, colour, language or country have no place. The Islamic religion holds everybody equal in the view of All?hu ta??l?. During the performance of nam?z, a person of the highest rank stands beside another, who may be of the lowest rank, a richest one beside another who, perhaps, is the poorest member of the society, and a white Muslim next to a black one, and with one accord they prostrate themselves before All?hu ta??l?.

All Muslims are brothers no matter race and class - but genderwise, it is a different story (seen from a Western point of view I mean).

? Islam is a perfectly logical religion. The Qur??n al-ker?m does not contain a single principle that cannot be understood or which is contradictory to living conditions or scientific knowledge. All the commandments it dictates are extremely useful. The Islamic religion does not embody any superstitions. Preposterous tenets like worshipping idols, images, icons, which can be accepted only by primitive tribes and idolaters and which still exist in Christianity, cannot have access into Islam.

Here I disagree. I think Islam is no different from Christianity regarding my view of superstitions.
Especially regarding what I would call destiny, Islam is very superstitious.
I have long wondered about the use of the word: "inshallah" (sp?) which many Muslims use, meaning "if God is willing".
For example in a sentence such as this: "If God is willing, I will be in Japan tomorrow". (this, in my opinion is superstition).
This I never can understand, as in my point of view, if I want to go to Japan, it is MY choice, and if I can't save up money for the trip, it is MY problem, and if the plane was cancelled, it is the fault of the airline etc and not because "God" decided this.
All the blame is put upon someone else (ie. "God"), which I consider a passive way of leading a life not taking responsibility for own actions.

About destiny and passive lifestyle:
Some Muslims won't insure their property because of "al-iman-bi-Allah" (sp?) because they put their faith in "God", and do not believe that one can insure against God's will.

What I also don't like about Islam is that "God" is mentioned all the time:
E.g. when writing a letter, a Muslim writes: "bismillah" (in God's name).
If a Muslim appreciates something good or beautiful, (it can be a student paper, a nice drawing) he says: "mashallah" (it was God's will). Again, this is a passive way of leading a life, as good results can not be enjoyed as one?s own and result of hard work etc.. but because ?God was willing?.
When someone sneezes, a Muslim would say "may allah give you strength" instead of gesundheit...
Anyway, I could come up with other examples?.

? Islam cherishes women highly and gives them the greatest rights. The Islamic religion does not enjoin to marry more than one women. Islam?s polygamy is a permission which is limited with a certain number and regulated with certain stipulations. By the time Islam appeared, it had been an Arabic custom that a man could cohabit with as many women as he liked and with no degree of responsibility as to their rights. Islam rescued womankind from this horrible situation and protected their rights. By stating, ?Paradise is beneath the mother?s feet,? Muhammad ?alaihis-sal?m? granted a distinguished status to women. This privilege does not exist in any other religion.

About polygamy, it is true that this is a practice which is getting outdated among young Muslims, however, we must not forget that the Koran still allows men to marry four women simultaneously if a good reason is given. (a "good" reason can be that the first wife can't give birth, have only given daughters instead of sons etc..)


The "greatest rights" of women are not "equal" rights. E.g. regarding inheritance, property law.

Anyway, this was just my comments..

 

[Mr. Just-A-Guy]

I think that religion causes a lot of problems to this world, it?s my opinion.
And no, I don?t believe in any gods. They do not exist.

 

[bossel]

About polygamy, it is true that this is a practice which is getting outdated among young Muslims, however, we must not forget that the Koran still allows men to marry four women simultaneously if a good reason is given.

Actually, it's not quite polygamy which is allowed in Islam. Polygyny (more than 1 wife) is allowed, but AFAIK not polyandry (more than 1 husband). Just another sign of discrimination against women.