A Challenge for the Non-Muslims on this Forum

[NaSra]

Peace to all Nonmuslims [img]style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img]


How are you all? Hopefully in the best of health (Insha'Allah) God willing.


I'm not going to start some religious debates on this thread or try prooving God to those who don't believe in him.


This is just a simple challenge to your life-style.


Here are the challenges


1) Fast a few days of Ramadan (try) (Ramadan is coming in October)


2) Trying Using Water when you go to the toilet


3) Try to be more modest & lower your gaze, (especially now that it's summer and everyone is flaunting their goods) a little bit too much


4) Try remmebering that Islam is perfect but Muslim's aren't


5) and lats but not least try reading the Quraan


Ok, I won't add more


Can you handle that? See this is not to convert you to Islam, but for me to see if u can take this challenge on.


I want you to try doing those things or atleast do some of it. I would also appreciate some feedback if thats ok, If you feel shy to say this on here, You can Pm me. Just to let me know what it was like to do some of those things for the first time.


I also need you to pledge that you will take part in this wholeheartly.


So who's taking part? [img]style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img]

[radiyah]

Bismillah


Masha'Allah intuition, what a bright idea, jazaky Allah khayr, well i hope u will find contributors.


Salam

[umm Zachariah]

Bismillah


Hi John


Come on - it could be refreshing! A change you know... [img]style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img]


Regards

[umm Zachariah]

Bismillah


John,


No, no, no - you should have quoted

A change you know...

not the first part, since the beer is not a CHANGE you have written about them before, but this CHALLENGE is a NEW one!
Regards

[radiyah]

Sometimes I switch brands of beer (new) and they are refreshing just the same. Sometimes I may have a soda or a simple glass of chilled water. All refreshing.

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Bismillah


well there are non alcoholic beers john, u can substitute it, come on u can do it [img]style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif[/img]


Peace

[umm Zachariah]

Bismillah


Now this thread is going way off topic! John it seems you truly are AVOIDING the challenge here, am I right?


My recommendation is: press lemon or oranges, add sugar, water and ice, if you like a 'nice surrounding' pick out a nice glass to drink it from, and voila! Now THIS is called a nice drink I can assure, AND it gives NO second thoughts whatsoever... [img]style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img] Sorry mods off topic well aware... [img]style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[Dan]

Bismillah


As Salam alaikum


My reply will be similar to what I replied on the Taliban thread.


"You will always find what you are looking for."


If one has the opinion that religion is backwards and man made, then that is how religion will ALWAYS be viewed. So if one looks at the Qur'an with the notion that it will not make sense, then it probably won't. When a person holds this opinion, there is nothing that anyone else can do to prove otherwise. The mind has already been made up and it is now just looking for proof to validate its opinion.


Before coming to Islam, I took a world religions course in college with the aim of finding some level of spirituality in my life (also to get some college credits! [img]style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img] ). The copy of the Qur'an that was used in class did not make much sense to me. Later, I felt that the Qur'an was actually addressing me. What changed? The Qur'an? No. I did. My mind opened.


Upon first taking the class, I was not even seriously considering Islam. I mean, five prayers a day and fasting and such seemed too hard and not what I wanted to spend my time doing. As the semester moved on though, I found that no religions were really calling to me. My mind was in a highly reflective state but I still felt lost in it all. One day while meditating on my bed, I got frustrated and just asked for help. It was something like, "God, I am tired of trying to find what faith or beliefs will fit my lifestyle. Please help me to discover what will bring me closer to you." It was at this moment that my mind finally opened. I tried to see each religion for what it preached and upheld rather than the people who followed it. When I did this, Islam started to stand out to me more.


Of course, I hope that JD comes to Islam. Then again, I hope everyone who I encounter comes to Islam. (Sorry if I took that special feeling away, JD. [img]style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img] I still love you.) If a person rejects Islam, fine. It does not affect my faith. I just hope that truly an open mind, clear of all prejudice and preconcieved notions, was used. If so, then it is hard for me to argue with that. If not, then that is all I ask of anybody. Try an open mind. It is hard because we judge based upon our culture and previous knowledge. Of course, how else could we judge? I guess the biggest step that I took was finally admitting to myself and Allah that I needed help, that I did not know everything and never will. I just believed the Creator would help me. How I came to believe in the Creator is probably best left for another thread (long topic that has already been discussed).


I just thought that I would throw that out there for whatever it is worth. If others benefit, Alhamdulillah. If not (Astaghfirullah), it was nice remembering coming to Islam.


As Salam alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu

[umm Zachariah]

Bismillah


Peace John,


I don't know if sister Intuition is around for the moment, so I will make some short comments to your last input.


Many non Muslims 'fast' too, but mostly for different reason than we do. And most of this 'fast' allow to drink but not eat.


So the challenge would be, take one day and try how it feel to NOT eat and drink, and see how many hours you can 'stand it' [img]style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif[/img]


Using water when visiting the toilet, is to wash with water your private parts when you have finished. Of course you can use paper as well, but just try to feel the difference to ALSO use water. I have been discussing with people that have not considered at all this simple solution to purify themselves, even if they have done it to their little babies when changing dipers, to older people that are not able to clean themselves and so forth, and some do wonder 'WHY did I not think of this before?'


Ok don't lower you gaze the whole day, start with a little step, when you go to work and from work or something like that. The MIND has to be awake to manage to do this. You learn to CONTROL your senses a bit.


Sorry but dipping into the Qur'an will not be enough, your eyes and mind and heart cannot understand if you only use your eyes and lips.


Peace


Assalamu alaikum brother Dan,


So nice to read part of your searching. Some parts reminds me of myself. And as you say it IS nice to remember the first steps, since the steps since then have been so many masha'Allah Allahu Akbar.


I came to the point that my family was practising Islam and I was not, and felt that I had come to a turningpoint in my life. I felt I had two choices, stay or go. My husband suggested to meet with other Swedish reverted sisters on their weekly lessons, only to have a better insight, and I found the idea attractive. I joined them for two years before I understood what Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala had planned for me masha'Allah. These two years of my rather long life has been one of the most overwhelming spiritual and EMOTIONAL periods and travels that I have ever lived through. That leaves POSITIVE marks subhan'Allah.


wasalam

[Suhail]

u know john i really feel sorry for u ......you have nothig better to do besides using ur "so called" "brain" to come on the forum read the threads and reply with some stupid "witty" reply .......ur probaly a 45 yr old single virgin man whos overweight....never had $ex sits infront of a computer screen drinking "beer" and totally bored ....... and probably wants to commit suicide ....


p.s i bet u will probably reply with some lame reasons and totally avoid what i said and analyze my post word to word to find some "critical" element of it which u can emphasize ...


or ull just say WHAT ??

[Suhail]

lol for some reason i knew u would do that......... [img]style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif[/img]