08-31-2005, 11:15 AM
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