Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Challenge for you |
|---|
| se7en |
| 08/21/00 at 14:50:50 |
as salaamu alaykum wa rahmatAllahi wa barakatuh, This is something we all face constantly, someone asks you a question about Islam, a question that deserves an hour explaination, but you are only given two minutes, due to having to run to the next class, get off the bus, the person's interest waning, whatever... so can you give me soundbytes, like three or four sentence responses to the following questions (that I have had thrown at me, as I'm sure you have or will have) Why can't you date? (How do you get married if you can't date? or my favorite, you gotta marry a prince right?) Why do you wear that (hijab)? Why can Muslim men have four wives? Am I going to Hell in your religion? Are you shi'ite or sunni? So you guys believe in God? You don't believe in Jesus? Your religion is difficult/restricting. any question on terrorism? --- What's been the most difficult question you've faced? And how did you respond? |
| Re: Challenge for you |
|---|
| Kathy |
| 08/21/00 at 17:24:58 |
| As salaamu alaykum! Excellent post! Here are my answers and I would really enjoy others! Why can't you date? (How do you get married if you can't date? or my favorite, you gotta marry a prince right?) So we don't fornicate- (usually stops them dead on thier feet!) Why do you wear that (hijab)? Because God tells us to. Why can Muslim men have four wives? He is allowed, but after one they usually stop! Am I going to Hell in your religion? God is most merciful and most forgiving- I would never try to guess what God is going to do. Are you shi'ite or sunni? Sunni So you guys believe in God? The one and The only. You don't believe in Jesus? Yes, peace be upon him. Your religion is difficult/restricting. It may seem that way to you, but to me it has been enlightening and has removed many burdens. any question on terrorism? (Depends on the question. ) I have found that short one sentance questions are the best. If they really want to know more they will ask. |
| Re: Challenge for you |
|---|
| Arsalan |
| 08/21/00 at 17:52:14 |
| Assalamu alaikum, What a practical post! This happens to me all the time, although not as much as it used to in High school. Seems like the younger people want more quick and easy answers than the elderly. Anyway, Kathy's answers are good. I don't think I can do any better. However, I think you have to realize that you're not gonna convert anyone in 5 minutes! But you CAN get their attention and interest in that time. The key is to answer the question in a way that forces them to ask the NEXT question! If they don't have time, set one up with them. Conversions occur thru multiple meetings and discussions. It is also, usually, a long thinking and self-evaluation process. And interestingly enough, much of it starts with a spark...something that usually takes 5 minutes, or less! Wassalam. |
| Re: Challenge for you |
|---|
| sis |
| 08/21/00 at 18:10:53 |
| alsalamu alaykum....:) Why can't you date? (How do you get married if you can't date? or my favorite, you gotta marry a prince right?) ***personally i really like kathy's answer ....but maybe if the person doesn't undertsand what fornicate means :) ....it would be best to say .....dating is not serious..marriage is serious So you guys believe in God? ***nothing but You don't believe in Jesus? *** he peace be upon him was a messenger of God just as our messnger and ibrahim and moses peace be upon all of them Your religion is difficult/restricting. ***not at all ..its the most simple thing ...learn more bout it and maybe try it before u form an opinion:) any question on terrorism? ***terrorism? ......if i can look around the world clearly the muslims are being terrorised the most ..not terrorising ....look back and history and u'll find that those who live for whats right always endure hardship Why do you wear that (hijab)? ***i've always wanted to answer that with a "why not?" but cuz they want a more informative answer i say ..hijab is an obligation on women which has much wisdom in its purpose .......when u see a muslim woman or man dressing humbly its because they want u to deal with their mind and not their body ... Are you shi'ite or sunni? ***just plain muslim.....just as the messnger of God was muslim i follow the Qur'an and his ways Am I going to Hell in your religion? ***huh? ..no one knows what will be bcome of them but to follow Islam is following truth and that is the best way of life Why can Muslim men have four wives? ***christians love this q......well in the Qur'an it says they may do so but only if they can treat each one with the equal fairness and attn ..so most men stop at one ... most difficuult q? ***it wasn't really a q ...more of a statement ..one day we were sitting at the uni da'wa table and some dude comes by and says ..."god is one ...jesus is god (staghfor Allah) ...muhammad can be saved by jesus...etc etc" ..naturally we were stunned :o and he walked away quickly ......and all we could say was haa? ....and then all the words started coming ...subhan Allah it was like he was waiting to say it all his life? .. |
| Re: Challenge for you |
|---|
| bhaloo |
| 08/21/00 at 22:08:55 |
| Asalaam alaikum wrt wb, Wow, those are some great questions Se7en, and Kathy and the rest have come up with some responses that are great. Why can't you date? (How do you get married if you can't date? or my favorite, you gotta marry a prince right?) Islam protects me from getting hurt and getting a broken heart. As for finding the right one, a person that is strong in faith is bound to be a good marriage partner. Why do you wear that (hijab)? It guards my beauty from those that shouldn't see it. Why can Muslim men have four wives? There are more women then men in this world, what would you suggest the extra women do, suffer? Most Muslim men marry only one though. Am I going to Hell in your religion? Allah (SWT) will judge people accordingly, but those that have been presented with the truth and reject it, they will go to hell. Are you shi'ite or sunni? sunni So you guys believe in God? Yes, I believe in one God. You don't believe in Jesus? I believe in Jesus(as), the messiah, the son of Mary, and await his return to earth. [This last part always generates questions with Christians :) ] Your religion is difficult/restricting. No not really. The rules are there and defined. any question on terrorism? My religion commands me not to fight those that do not fight me, Muslims are peace loving people. --- What's been the most difficult question you've faced? And how did you respond? Can't think of one, but if you come across one what you can say is, hmmm, that's a good question let me consult some sources and get back to you on that, I want to make sure my answer is accurate. |
| Re: Challenge for you |
|---|
| sis |
| 08/21/00 at 23:05:29 |
| alsalamu alaykum i just remembered a great answer for the "why do u wear that(hijab)? question ***if u had a jewel would u cover it up and cherish it or would u leave it for all to see and reduce its special value?...possibly damage it??....muslims choose the first way |
| Re: Challenge for you |
|---|
| bhaloo |
| 08/21/00 at 23:33:39 |
| Asalaam alaikum wrt wb, Sis, that is from a poem, isn't it? I was thinking of that same poem when I answered the hijab question, although my answer doesn't really reflect it. |
| Re: Challenge for you |
|---|
| sis |
| 08/22/00 at 10:49:13 |
| wa alaykum alsalam ..... i don know if its from a poem but i remember i heard similar words from a lecture by imam A.H Quick salam:) |
| Re: Challenge for you |
|---|
| Learner |
| 08/22/00 at 18:17:28 |
| Assalaamu alaikum. What would the response be for the following question: "If Islam is such a good religion and has the solution to all of mankind's problems, then why is that 90% of muslims themselves do not practice and implement Islam?" A toughie huh?...I've come accross this quite a few times and was never able to give a decent answer - all my answers were apologetic on behalf of the Muslims, which doesn't give a good impression of Islam to the questioner. Anyone out there with a good response? Wasslaam. |
| Re: Challenge for you |
|---|
| se7en |
| 08/22/00 at 18:34:32 |
| wa alaykum as salaam wa rahmatAllahi wa barakatuh, I get things like that also. "Ok, so I understand why you wear that, but this person is Muslim, why doesn't she wear it?" or "Ok, I know why you don't date, but this person is Muslim and he has a girlfriend, sup with that?" A girl at my school who is interested in Islam and considering converting is transferring to another school where the Muslim guys have a reputation. I'm scared for her. Usually I answer questions like that with an honest answer - that all of us, muslim and non muslim, do wrong, make mistakes, and are each at our own level. Just emphasize that Muslims do not equal Islam, a Muslim is just someone who acknowledges Islam is true and is trying to follow Islam's teachings. |
| Re: Challenge for you |
|---|
| bhaloo |
| 08/22/00 at 20:29:47 |
| Asalaam alaikum wrt wb, [quote] "If Islam is such a good religion and has the solution to all of mankind's problems, then why is that 90% of muslims themselves do not practice and implement Islam?" [/quote] Let me give you an example to illustrate this point more clearly. Consider a person that drives a car. There are rules and regulations he follows when driving, such as stopping at a red light, driving at or below the speed, going on a green light, driving in his lane, wearing a seat belt. What happens when one disobeys these laws? i.e. Not stopping at a red light, driving in 2 lanes at once, stopping at green lights. These rules and regulations are put there to protect us while driving and ensure the safety of others. Some people may violate these laws, but they run the risk of harming themselves. Receiving a ticket is one of the consequences for inappropriate behavior, but if this is not enforced there would be more people violating these laws. Now consider Islam, we are given rules and regulations to live a successful life in this world and the life to come. If we choose to disobey these laws we will see the consquences of these in the life to come, insha'Allah. Its sort of like the ticket in the traffic situation. ;) |
| Re: Challenge for you |
|---|
| jannah |
| 08/22/00 at 22:46:54 |
| bhaloo, also to continue the metaphor when a cop pulls you over for going over the speed limit you can say "you didn't know" all you want...but the signs were posted all over the place and you'll still get a ticket so we should not fall into the trap of saying "we didn't know" something about the deen ie if something was halal or haram. it is our duty to learn and find out. |
| Re: Challenge for you |
|---|
| Kathy |
| 08/23/00 at 10:00:50 |
| As salaamu alaykum. First I would want to know where this person came up with the statisic of 90%.? |
| Re: Challenge for you |
|---|
| Learner |
| 08/23/00 at 10:29:04 |
| I think it is just a figure chosen at random or possibly estimated from the percentage of Muslims that pray their salaah. When taking my own locality and the surrounding cities into consideration it seems to me that the figure given is more or less true. I took the number of Muslims that attend regular salaah in the masjid. I then multiplied the number by four (to portray a fair number of women and other men that may be praying but do not attend the masjid). I then compared this with the population of Muslims in that locality. And guess what? I came up with a rough figure of 93% that don't pray. Obviously this is just pure statistics - if you can all it that, but it does say a lot about the state of us Muslims...And this is only salaah btw - the first and foremost command after Shahadah, excluding all the other fundamental rules and regulations of Islam! Allah knows best. Certainly Allah will not change the condition of the Muslims until they try to change themselves. So when a kafir asks "If Islam is such a beautiful way of life, why is it that the majority of Muslims are abandoning it?" what reply can we in all honesty give without deterring him from Islam? |
| Re: Challenge for you |
|---|
| bhaloo |
| 08/23/00 at 10:38:39 |
| Asalaam alaikum wrt wb, I thought the example I gave shoul be sufficient, and Jannah continued the example further. It really isn't a difficult question to answer. |
| Re: Challenge for you |
|---|
| Kathy |
| 08/24/00 at 09:15:58 |
| As salaamu alaikum Bhaloo. I enjoyed you answer. I think when we answer non- muslim questions, with metaphors like this it is easier for them to understand the answer. I remember before I was Muslim and "checking" out this religion talking to many people. Those who used terms like Allah, Prophet Muhammed, and the various arabic sayings- made me uneasy. Those that explained questions at a level I was comfortable with -got their message accross. I will definately add " the Rules of the Road" to my repitoire! ( I need spell check!) |
| Re: Challenge for you |
|---|
| se7en |
| 08/25/00 at 13:01:09 |
| as salaamu alaykum wa rahmatAllahi wa barakatuh, ok my turn... everybody back up, gimme some space here... lemme see if I have skills or what.. Hehhe :) Why can't you date? (How do you get married if you can't date? or my favorite, you gotta marry a prince right?) This is one of the first questions I get asked. I think it has to do with what's a priority in most teenagers lives. I say, because in Islam, we don't have sex until marriage. Instead of putting me in a situation that would make it easier for me to do that, Islam cuts it off at the start. Here I usually comment on how much I love the fact that Islam doesn't play games and is REAL - usually throw in the example of drinking - getting drunk is wrong and has bad consequences so Muslims don't drink. Period. Same with this. Usually this gets me started on how sex in Islam is not seen as this bad thing, as a vice, sin of the flesh etc - in Islam, sex is seen as something natural (that usually gets peoples attention, because it's so different from the judeo-x-tian viewpoint) something natual as long as it's within the proper relationship. See... my problem isn't that I don't have answers, it's that they take too long to tell :P Why do you wear that (hijab)? Because it's part of my faith - usually a clear - I am Muslim I follow Islam - cuz some people don't know that. Every Muslim, male and female (make sure I emphasize male) must be modest and dress in a modest way. Why can Muslim men have four wives? Depends on who this is coming from. If it's from some dork who wants to aggravate me, usually it's not a question, more like "Haha! Muslim men can have four wives!!!" - then I say something like - you don't know the first thing about Islam do you? And then there's silence. heh. But if it's a legit question, I say, Islam is a faith for all times and all places. Usually give examples of situation in which this would be necessary, like war. Again, comment on how real Islam is - and how it's something that *can* actually be implemented in all times and all places - this flexible but solid nature - amazing. Am I going to Hell in your religion? I usually say, that's not a decision for me to make - we'll each be held accountable for our own actions, and our good deeds will be weighed against our bad.. Are you shi'ite or sunni? Don't *ever* answer this question for a non-Muslim! The only reason people ask this is because in the 9th grade textbook it has three paragraphs on Islam, one on women's oppression, one on the sunni-shia split, and one on how muslims worship the black rock (Read one of those textbooks, it is SAD.) Man, teach this person something about Allah! What good is it gonna do if you specify what "type" of Muslim you are? You might as well say, "well, I'm a salafi-sufi-hanafi" --- what does that mean for a non-Muslim? Not much, I gotta tell you. So you guys believe in God? Usually asked (at least in my experience) by agnostics/atheists. This is usually followed by scientific stuff or - you actually believe there's some guy up there? Just mentioning the attributes of Allah and the concept of tawheed usually kicks stuff off there. You don't believe in Jesus? hehe.. this question I would say is almost always asked by a Christian. And I usually say of *course* Muslims believe in Jesus peace be upon him, as a prophet of God! Muslim believe he was a Messenger, someone specifically chosen, honored by God to spread His message on earth. Muslims love Jesus, peace be upon him. Muslims believe he was in a line of prophets, starting with Adam, and including Noah, Moses, Abraham, Jesus and finally Muhammad, peace be upon them all. In fact, Islam makes it a requirement of faith to believe in and revere him, peace be upon him. Did you know there is a chapter in the Quran named after Mary? Your religion is difficult/restricting. I ask people to be specific, why do you say that? and work from there. If you work on each point, and make them see why there's wisdom behind each legislation, they might still think Islam is restricting, but they'll see that it is justified in being that way. any question on terrorism? I always have trouble with this one. On the one hand, I want to talk about the injustice and oppression of state terrorism, and how hypocritical it is to accuse these people for responding to aggression... but this leads into some dangerous territory. I usually keep that for the second or third time it comes up. The first time, I mention the sanctity of human life in Islam, the verse in the Quran if any of you take a life it is as if you have taken the life of all mankind, stand for justice even if it be against yourselves, and so on. I need to learn to talk less, and perhaps my words will carry more weight. |
| Re: Challenge for you |
|---|
| Arsalan |
| 08/25/00 at 15:21:38 |
| Assalamu alaikum, Ok ok, I admit. The sister has got skills! And might I add conceitedness too? :D Just kidding. Nice answers. I'm forwarding them to our da'wah officer. |
Individual posts do not necessarily reflect the views of Jannah.org, Islam, or all Muslims. All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners. Comments are owned by the poster and may not be used without consent of the author.The rest © Jannah.Org |