Leaving Islam, don't know what to do now...

[HiddenHijabi]

As per the title, I've left Islam, possibly for good, but I'm not wishing to discuss this.

Problem is that now I really don't know what to do with regards to my religion. In more recent times, I have found myself returning to reading and studying Judaism, in particular reading the siddur (I FINALLY managed to find one) and also following a reading plan to read the Tanakh. I'm also re-learning Hebrew.

So, what should I do? From what I can tell Judaism seems to be far more logical and far more reflective of my beliefs than Islam, but I don't want to end up in a situation where I just jump into some religion for the sake of a label or find myself yo-yoing between religions for the sake of a label.

 

[Akivah]

The books below are a nice overview of Judaism:

Biblical Literacy: The Most Important People, Events, and Ideas in the Hebrew Bible
Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People, and Its History
Jewish Wisdom: Ethical, Spiritual, and Historical Lessons From the Great Works and Thinkers

Don't make any hasty decisions. Read and learn. You can be a good person without being Jewish. You can follow the ethics of being Noahide.

 

[nazz]

As per the title, I've left Islam, possibly for good, but I'm not wishing to discuss this.

Problem is that now I really don't know what to do with regards to my religion. In more recent times, I have found myself returning to reading and studying Judaism, in particular reading the siddur (I FINALLY managed to find one) and also following a reading plan to read the Tanakh. I'm also re-learning Hebrew.

So, what should I do? From what I can tell Judaism seems to be far more logical and far more reflective of my beliefs than Islam, but I don't want to end up in a situation where I just jump into some religion for the sake of a label or find myself yo-yoing between religions for the sake of a label.

Just RELAX. It will all come to you in time.

 

[Smart_Guy]

Hmm, it's really sad to hear

But I hope you find the right choice soon

What I humbly suggest is trying to find what you think is right instead of what meets your personal preferences. This is especially necessary for the religions that has an after life. Once you believe in one of them, you believe in it's version of the after life, and to get the happy ending you need to go with what is right in that religion, whatever it is, not simply with what you want.

It is high likely that it is your thought this already. I only said it to make sure of it.

Again, I hope you find the right path and have a peaceful mind

 

[hexler]

Hmm, it's really sad to hear

But I hope you find the right choice soon

What I humbly suggest is trying to find what you think is right instead of what meets your personal preferences. This is especially necessary for the religions that has an after life. Once you believe in one of them, you believe in it's version of the after life, and to get the happy ending you need to go with what is right in that religion, whatever it is, not simply with what you want.

It is high likely that it is your thought this already. I only said it to make sure of it.

Again, I hope you find the right path and have a peaceful mind

Such events will happen more often. Islam is in the same situation as christianity was 1400 years after Jesus. Later the minds cooled down because people were fed up of the nonsense bloodshed, same as in Islam. Christianity has passed reformation. I doubt Islam will have the time for this development.

 

[DawudTalut]

As per the title, I've left Islam, possibly for good, but I'm not wishing to discuss this.

Problem is that now I really don't know what to do with regards to my religion. In more recent times, I have found myself returning to reading and studying Judaism, in particular reading the siddur (I FINALLY managed to find one) and also following a reading plan to read the Tanakh. I'm also re-learning Hebrew.

So, what should I do? From what I can tell Judaism seems to be far more logical and far more reflective of my beliefs than Islam, but I don't want to end up in a situation where I just jump into some religion for the sake of a label or find myself yo-yoing between religions for the sake of a label.

Peace be on you.
Problem is that now I really don't know what to do with regards to my religion.
One wishes you to say: Solution is to come to true Islam.

You are your best judge.

 

[HiddenHijabi]

Peace be on you.
Problem is that now I really don't know what to do with regards to my religion.
One wishes you to say: Solution is to come to true Islam.

You are your best judge.

What do you mean by 'true' Islam, given this is a claim which is made by virtually every Muslim group I've come across. How do I know that 'true Islam' isn't just goalpost-shifting on the personal whims of its leaders?

 

[dynavert2012]

What do you mean by 'true' Islam, given this is a claim which is made by virtually every Muslim group I've come across. How do I know that 'true Islam' isn't just goalpost-shifting on the personal whims of its leaders?

how do you choose Islam first time?? by the same mind you will be able to reach the right path of Islam

 

[Tarheeler]

As per the title, I've left Islam, possibly for good, but I'm not wishing to discuss this.

Problem is that now I really don't know what to do with regards to my religion. In more recent times, I have found myself returning to reading and studying Judaism, in particular reading the siddur (I FINALLY managed to find one) and also following a reading plan to read the Tanakh. I'm also re-learning Hebrew.

So, what should I do? From what I can tell Judaism seems to be far more logical and far more reflective of my beliefs than Islam, but I don't want to end up in a situation where I just jump into some religion for the sake of a label or find myself yo-yoing between religions for the sake of a label.

When you say "return" to studying Judaism, do you mean you are Jewish or do you mean as someone who has looked it before?

When I was going through my "seeking" phase, I looked at many religions and ended up looking at Judaism several times. Being raised a Christian, I had originally dismissed Judaism; I figured I had learned all about it in Sunday school. But over time I found myself looking at it more and more; I would read something about another religion and my rambling search would take me to something Jewish.

As for your situation, I wish I could offer some help. Finding out where we belong can be a very hard, and sometimes lonely, task.

 

[HiddenHijabi]

how do you choose Islam first time?? by the same mind you will be able to reach the right path of Islam

This is again where I have the problem. You've got someone claiming 'A is truth and here's a Qur'an verse to prove it' and then you'll find someone else saying 'no, B is truth and A is wrong, here's a hadith to prove it', and both claims are contradictory and cannot be both right, but similarly claim the same justification. what am I supposed to do in this instance?

 

[HiddenHijabi]

When you say "return" to studying Judaism, do you mean you are Jewish or do you mean as someone who has looked it before?

When I was going through my "seeking" phase, I looked at many religions and ended up looking at Judaism several times. Being raised a Christian, I had originally dismissed Judaism; I figured I had learned all about it in Sunday school. But over time I found myself looking at it more and more; I would read something about another religion and my rambling search would take me to something Jewish.

As for your situation, I wish I could offer some help. Finding out where we belong can be a very hard, and sometimes lonely, task.

Double-posting FTL.

No, I merely studied it, repeatedly, and I even used to live in a town with a decent sized Ultra-Orthodox population. I'm in a similar position to you in that I've kept coming back, going away and then somehow finding myself back again. The only issue I would have in becoming Jewish is that I live nowhere near a Jewish community any more...:-(

 

[dynavert2012]

This is again where I have the problem. You've got someone claiming 'A is truth and here's a Qur'an verse to prove it' and then you'll find someone else saying 'no, B is truth and A is wrong, here's a hadith to prove it', and both claims are contradictory and cannot be both right, but similarly claim the same justification. what am I supposed to do in this instance?

if you are talking about different scholars opinions within the same sect for example like are women obligated to cover her face and hands in front of men, so you will hear inside Sunni two opinions yes and no, every one has his own evidences and he interpreted it while the other is refuting his interpretation and so you read both sides and surly one will convince you than the other and so you will take it and nobody can blame you for it even from the other side as when scholars got different interpretation that get the subject wider and easier not as some thought

if you are talking about different sects, so may Allah revenge from those who expose you to that part while your faith is still growing.

anyway, i would like you to give an example for that but i'll try give you a point, if a Quranic verse is contradicting with an Authentic hadith "which is too rare to happen" but if it happened we have different ways to deal with, in that case surly we will take the quranic verses and reject the hadith unless if the hadith was said by the prophet after the verse so that means that the law of that verse had been abrogated

hope that would answer you little bit..

 

[Dingbat]

A religion that needs scholars to interpret for the Masses isn't worth a bird's **** in a whirlwind. I thought Carholicism proved this forever ago at least to those of Western experience.

 

[Smart_Guy]

A religion that needs scholars to interpret for the Masses isn't worth a bird's **** in a whirlwind. I thought Carholicism proved this forever ago at least to those of Western experience.

In concept, I second that.

 

[HiddenHijabi]

A religion that needs scholars to interpret for the Masses isn't worth a bird's **** in a whirlwind. I thought Carholicism proved this forever ago at least to those of Western experience.

I think it was Christopher Hitchens who argued that Islam would suffer the decline once the monopoly of Arabic-only Qur'ans and scholars was broken, and once serious critical analysis and research into the Qur'an was not met with hostility and even violence.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Hmm, it's really sad to hear

But I hope you find the right choice soon

What I humbly suggest is trying to find what you think is right instead of what meets your personal preferences. This is especially necessary for the religions that has an after life. Once you believe in one of them, you believe in it's version of the after life, and to get the happy ending you need to go with what is right in that religion, whatever it is, not simply with what you want.

It is high likely that it is your thought this already. I only said it to make sure of it.

Again, I hope you find the right path and have a peaceful mind

That is an interesting point of view, but I suggest a wrong one.
Changing ones religion will never change your afterlife outcome.
There are many religions with many opinions about the afterlife but only one will prove to be correct.

This is not worth worrying about. The important thing is to live your life the best way you know how, and let the Holy spirit (God) lead you in all things.
As a Christian I believe that the Teachings of Jesus give the best example of how to do this. Other religions have their own Ideas.
There is no doubt God judges all of us by the same standard that he has set himself, not a standard chosen by religions or by ourselves.
Nor is the After life one we choose, but one he chooses for us.

 

[Smart_Guy]

Such events will happen more often. Islam is in the same situation as christianity was 1400 years after Jesus. Later the minds cooled down because people were fed up of the nonsense bloodshed, same as in Islam. Christianity has passed reformation. I doubt Islam will have the time for this development.

I cannot disagree with you there Sir.

That is an interesting point of view, but I suggest a wrong one.
Changing ones religion will never change your afterlife outcome.
There are many religions with many opinions about the afterlife but only one will prove to be correct.

This is not worth worrying about. The important thing is to live your life the best way you know how, and let the Holy spirit (God) lead you in all things.
As a Christian I believe that the Teachings of Jesus give the best example of how to do this. Other religions have their own Ideas.
There is no doubt God judges all of us by the same standard that he has set himself, not a standard chosen by religions or by ourselves.
Nor is the After life one we choose, but one he chooses for us.

You're absolutely right.

My emphasis was on the beliefs of religions not the only afterlife (resurrection day) there is. Living life the best way one knows was included in my thought of what we think is right.

Some religions don't have an after life, so i just didn't want to sound rude to them.

We cannot indeed exclusively choose our ending (heaven or hell "God forbid") in the afterlife, we can only work for it by doing what God tells us to do and avoid what He tells us to. It is kinda like God helps those who help themselves, which is if I'm not mistaking, a Christian belief as well.

Thank you for the feedback, any any more is highly appreciated.

 

[Dingbat]

In concept, I second that.

I do hope that didn't sound too harsh I was a little worried before I went to bed it would leave the wrong impression. There are many things I do like about Islam but the deafening roar of Scholars and their zealots who follow their word as if it is God's is obnoxious. Islam will likely need a reformation if it wants to survive in the Modern World and even then the damage might already be done. Christianity learned this the hard way in Europe and I think we will see a similar decline in the Middle East if they ever get to it. Religious violence and zealotry tend to burn people faster than anything else religious figures could likely think of.

I think it was Christopher Hitchens who argued that Islam would suffer the decline once the monopoly of Arabic-only Qur'ans and scholars was broken, and once serious critical analysis and research into the Qur'an was not met with hostility and even violence.

It wouldn't surprise me the translation of the Bible to languages like German from Latin led to a massive schism of power within Europe. I would imagine a situation somewhat similar will happen in the Islamic world. The scholars are historically hanging their own necks.

 

[Knight of Albion]

Life is a continuum. (A great spiritual truth that knocks Orthodoxy into perspective...)

It's not which religion you follow, it's how you live your life that is the all-important thing.

If love and kindness is your standard, you're on the right path....

 

[nazz]

I do hope that didn't sound too harsh I was a little worried before I went to bed it would leave the wrong impression. There are many things I do like about Islam but the deafening roar of Scholars and their zealots who follow their word as if it is God's is obnoxious. Islam will likely need a reformation if it wants to survive in the Modern World and even then the damage might already be done. Christianity learned this the hard way in Europe and I think we will see a similar decline in the Middle East if they ever get to it. Religious violence and zealotry tend to burn people faster than anything else religious figures could likely think of.

When you say "reformation" are you talking about something similar to the Reformation in Christianity?