Looking to interview or ask a single person about their faith

[Inquisitive]

I am a Christian who desires to understand and learn more about Islam. I am wanting to ask a few questions about personal beliefs and culture in their geographic location. The questions will be of a personal nature, but nothing offensive or demeaning. I merely want to respectfully learn more about this widespread faith.

Thank you for your response!

 

[Monotheist 101]

Shooot!

 

[Pastek]

No problem

 

[Inquisitive]

What country are you from, and what was your greatest influence in bringing you to faith in Islam?

 

[Monotheist 101]

I am American..altho I was born in Pakistan..we moved to Long Island when I was one, I have lived in Saudi Arabia in my teens and have been at Uni in Australia for a couple years..

I think you could say I was born into it..but what was different was that even though I believed in all the moral lessons of Islam..there was always a doubt and the atheist argument always lingered in the back of my head..Coupled with the fact that my parents are pretty chilled out(Moms Shia, Dad is Sunni ) and never forced my to do or believe anything that didnt make sense to me..not that I bothered bringing these things up with them..I was too busy being a teenager..

I think my major push to Islam has been witnessing the power of Gods word and my experience with the occult..I have been exposed to the Jinn several times..due to my curiosity but foremost due to the effects of witchcraft (something that is very common, yet hidden) around my family, even room mates in Australia!

I think another factor which confirmed my faith in Islam is that everytime I sincerely think of Allah, I feel a vibration or electrical current/shock in the bottom of my spine..

My experiences rather than my parents influence has brought me to Islam..

 

[Inquisitive]

Wow! You've really lived all over the place!

How would you describe the Jinn? I've heard a little about this concept, but never in depth at all.

Do you read the Qu'ran or an English translation of it regularly?
What is your favorite Sura, and why?

 

[Monotheist 101]

The jinn (Arabic: جن‎ jinn, singular جني jinnī; also spelled djinn), or genies, are spirits mentioned in the Qur’ān and Islamic theology who inhabit an unseen world in dimensions beyond the visible universe of humans. Together, the jinn, humans and angels make up the three sentient creations of God. The Qur’an mentions that the jinn are made of a smokeless and "scorching fire",[1] and they have the physical property of weight.[clarification needed][2] Like human beings, the jinn can also be good, evil, or neutrally benevolent and hence have freewill like humans and unlike angels.[3] The jinn are mentioned frequently in the Qurʾan, and the 72nd surah is titled Sūrat al-Jinn.

Jinn - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In my experience the Jinn maybe the cause of many religions especially the polytheistic ones.. Not all of them are bad..I can explain in detail my perspective of them..IMO there are no lingering souls(humans) or aliens or "spirit Gods" or angels that interact with Humans..these are just the Jinn playing people on their perceptions..

Yes I read The verse of the throne in arabic literally every hour if not more.
Al-Baqara 255 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I read english translations of it and commentaries on it all the time..not to mention the arabic recitations that form part of my daily prayers..

My favourite chapter...that has to be a tricky one..there are so many..
Ill shorten it down to 3..

114: Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, [1] The King of mankind, [2] The God of mankind, [3] From the evil of the sneaking whisperer, [4] Who whispereth in the hearts of mankind, [5] Of the jinn and of mankind. [6]

113: Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of Daybreak [1] From the evil of that which He created; [2] From the evil of the darkness when it is intense, [3] And from the evil of malignant witchcraft, [4] And from the evil of the envier when he envieth. [5]

1: In the name of God, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
All praise and thanks is for to God, [The] Creator, Owner, Sustainer of the Worlds.
The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful.
Owner of the Day of Recompense.
You alone do we worship and You alone we seek for help.
Guide us to the Straight Path.
The path of those whom Your blessings are upon, not of those who You have cursed nor of those who have gone astray.

I like all of them mainly because they are short ..these are ones that are always available to me even subconciously..I have had sleep paralysis since my teens, a state where the body seems paralysed just before sleep..these verses are in my heart and they are the best of protection..Everything that really attracts me to Islam is connected with the occult somehow..the proof of my belief lying in the fact that these verses and many more from all over the Quran have deeper underlying meanings to them..and nothing can deny its power..atleast when the spirits are confronted with it IMO

 

[F0uad]

What country are you from, and what was your greatest influence in bringing you to faith in Islam?

I was born in Morocco went to my family in Holland (The Netherlands) in Europe completed my studies there and finished 1,5 years ago now i am back in Morocco. I was born as a Muslim and i have followed several Islamic lessons, lectures and followed several classes of the history of Islam. I will Inshallah (God willing) follow a 3 year study in Islamic hadith literature and learn Classical Arabic.

 

[dynavert2012]

What country are you from, and what was your greatest influence in bringing you to faith in Islam?

born in Egypt, told by parents to follow Islam, was hesitated to do as i wasn't aware a lot about religions, so kept neutral till one of my friends died in an accident then decided to follow the truth, so studied the Abrahamic religions and choose to follow Islam, alhamdulilah

 

[Inquisitive]

Monotheist 101, what is your experience with Christians that you've encountered?

What role does the occult seem to play with Islam as a whole?

F0uad, what lead you to pursue further study in Islam?

Dynavert, what made you change when your friend died?

 

[F0uad]

F0uad, what lead you to pursue further study in Islam?

I found myself not practicing my religion when i was younger and becoming more custom to the secular environment around me until i reached a certain age. I then found my beliefs contradicting more and more of the western "civilized" culture wherein i was brought up and found Islam answering all the questions and being superior in its conduct towards society, people, morals & values. My search for more knowledge about the history of Islam is because i like history in general and Islam teaches one to study and use there intellect.

 

[Pastek]

What country are you from, and what was your greatest influence in bringing you to faith in Islam?

I was born and raised in France, parents from North Africa.
Like many muslims here, i started to practice little by little.
The main influence is maybe my mother.

 

[dynavert2012]

Dynavert, what made you change when your friend died?

we were a group of friends who were so close to each other and all of us were thinking that we still young and so we are far of death, so we don't accept advises and used to say when we become 50 we will study to find our way to god and so we kept fulfiling our desires in this life and not worry about the other life which we were believe in, till he died in a car accident and then all of us enters the Mosque and the Imam said for the people pray for your brother and then he said to all of us, pray before people prayed in your funeral

this is what ignites the spark of seeking the religions in us and one year all of us followed Islam alhamdulilah

 

[Inquisitive]

Thank you all for your answers!

I have only a couple of questions more about Islam.

I heard somewhere that Jesus (I think he has a different name in Islam) is mentioned in the Qu'ran. What role does he play?

Is there any references to the Jewish scriptures, or Christian scriptures? If so, what role do they serve?

Thank you again!

 

[Pastek]

Jesus ('Issa in arabic) is the Messiah in Islam. The Qu'ran talks about some miracles that he did, and that he came for the Children of Israel, and that the disciples follow him while many doubt about him. Also, we don't believe that he died on the cross (well, that what the majority think) but that God Saved him.

Is there any references to the Jewish scriptures, or Christian scriptures?

We have many references about the Jewish Scriptures (Psalms, Torah), less about the Gospel.

If so, what role do they serve?

They are revelations from God, but we follow the Qu'ran.

 

[Inquisitive]

What does Messiah mean in Islam? I have a feeling it is used differently than in Christianity.

Are the texts lesser revelations from God, or do Muslims believe there is something wrong with them?

 

[Pastek]

For us, the Messiah was the savior sent to the jews.
But he is also the savior against the antichrist for the humanity in his second coming, and will be our guide and unite everyone.

Are the texts lesser revelations from God, or do Muslims believe there is something wrong with them?

We believe that some people modified those Revelations, and that they are not now what they originally was.