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Offline Reader Questions

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Dear Mr. Islam,

I am close to converting to Islam after having been raised in Christianity my whole life.  I have been doing lots of reading and research and the more I look into the history of Christianity, the more it falls apart.  I still have doubts and questions about Islam, but the more I research the more it appears it is truer to the religion of Abraham than anything else today.

What are the requirements to be a Muslim?  It seems like a simple question and answer, but the more I think about it, the more complicated it gets.  Muslim means one who submits to God, correct?  So if I pray to God and don’t believe in the trinity, then am I Muslim?

What about the 5 pillars of Islam?  If I do not perform 5 daily ritual prayers am I not a Muslim or do I stop becoming one?  Common sense tells me “No”, because there are many Muslims in this world who do not pray regularly.

What about eating Halal food?  It is not a pillar of Islam.  If I do everything else, including prayer and Zakat, but do not eat halal, does that only mean my rewards in paradise are reduced?

Your website already answered one of my questions about being required to pray in Arabic.  Thank you for taking the time to make the website and answer questions.  I did not grow up in an Arabic or Muslim culture and everything is new to me.

Thanks for your time and opinion on the matter.

Offline Joseph Islam

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Re: Q&As with Joseph Islam - Can I Be a Muslim? (Close to Converting to Islam)
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2014, 02:15:14 AM »
May peace be with you.

Please see my responses to your questions in blue italics.

”What are the requirements to be a Muslim?  It seems like a simple question and answer, but the more I think about it, the more complicated it gets.  Muslim means one who submits to God, correct?  So if I pray to God and don’t believe in the trinity, then am I Muslim?”

If you believe in God (in His correct essence, as One, not part of a Trinity, as the Master of the Universe, in His judgment and authority), the Day of Judgment and strive to do good works, then arguably yes. [1]

The Quran distinguishes between a 'Muslim' and a 'Believer'. I have discussed the difference in article [2] below.

The core tenets of belief of a 'mu'min' (believer) are given by the Quran as:

002:285
"The messenger believes in that which has been revealed to him from his Lord and (so do) believers (Arabic: mu'minuna). Each one believes in God and His angels and His scriptures and His messengers - We make no distinction between any of His messengers - and they say: We hear, and we obey. (Grant us) Thy forgiveness, our Lord. Unto Thee is the journeying"

Not everyone who claims to be a 'Muslim' is a 'believer' and the latter implies a deeper spiritual recognition which not only encompasses belief in the final messenger and the Quran, but arguably also a true will to embody and implement its guidance.

049:014
The desert Arabs say, "We believe! (Arabic: Amana)" Say, "Do not say you believe (Arabic: tu'minu); but only say, 'We have submitted our wills to God (Arabic: Asalamna),' as belief (Arabic: l-imanu) has not yet entered your hearts. But if you obey God and His Messenger, He will not deprive you anything of your deeds: for God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful

What about the 5 pillars of Islam?

The Quran does not speak about 'pillars' of Islam in the manner commonly understood. The Quran speaks of many concepts and practices such as the need for justice, giving charity (as well as zakat) etc. Yes indeed, to believe in God and His appointed agents, prayer, fasting, zakat and pilgrimage are central doctrines and practices expected from a believer from the Quran, but these are nothing new. They were central practices expected from monotheistic worshippers since the time of Prophet Abraham.

If I do not perform 5 daily ritual prayers am I not a Muslim or do I stop becoming one? 

The need for prayer is a central tenet of all Abrahamic followers. Please see below:

Jewish Prayer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aHWASyMjwg

Early Christian prayer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRLFeldPG3Y

The Quran also expects ‘believers’ [2] to establish prayer five times a day in the remembrance of God [3]. In essence, Islam as revealed to Prophet Muhammad in Arabia is not a new religion. Rather, it is the same religion that was inspired to the great prophets before Prophet Muhammad.

042.013
"The same religion (Arabic: Deen) has He established for you as that which He enjoined on Noah and that which We have sent by inspiration to thee and that which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: Namely, that you should remain steadfast in religion, and make no divisions in it: to those who worship other things than God, hard is the (way) to which you call them. God chooses to Himself those whom He pleases, and guides to Himself those who turn (to Him)"

However, one can appreciate that spiritual development and understanding of a religion takes time. We can only stay committed seeking our strength from our Lord.

Common sense tells me “No”, because there are many Muslims in this world who do not pray regularly.

As you will no doubt appreciate, ‘True Islam’ cannot be judged by the practices of its adherents, no more than Prophet Jesus's ‘true teachings’ can be judged by the beliefs and practices of Christian doctrine today or practices throughout its history. Establishing prayer is a part of Islam and the followers of the monotheistic religions before it. Many Muslims today are born into the religion of their forefathers, with little or no understanding of the Quran's actual guidance. There may also be many other reasons as to why those that call themselves 'Muslims' may forsake establishing prayer regularly which is not merely a function of ignorance of their scriptures. 

What about eating Halal food?  It is not a pillar of Islam. 

The Quran expects believers to consume food that is lawful. This is no different from the dietary practices of the Jews where food is to be prepared according to religious dietary laws (Kosher). Prophet Jesus was born a Jew and would have arguably upheld the laws of the Torah.

If I do everything else, including prayer and Zakat, but do not eat halal, does that only mean my rewards in paradise are reduced?

If as a believer, you knowingly eat food which is not slaughtered / prepared in a manner which has been made permissible by God, then I am sure you will know the answer to this question. However, only God knows your circumstances and only He can judge you and your choices. However, a true worshipper of God, who truly submits to Him would strive to conduct their lives according to what is expected from them.

Your website already answered one of my questions about being required to pray in Arabic.  Thank you for taking the time to make the website and answer questions.  I did not grow up in an Arabic or Muslim culture and everything is new to me.

You are most welcome. Thanks for your feedback.

Thanks for your time and opinion on the matter.

As parting remarks, I would like to humbly say that the best way to understand a religion is to read the central books for yourself that underpin that religion. (e.g. the Quran). Over time, many alien doctrines and outlandish practices become part and parcel of general beliefs and practices which can have no warrant from the core teachings of scripture. Arguably, Muslims have fared no better than their sister religions such as Christianity, where sectarianism has led to vitriol and violence, beliefs based on the teaching of 'leaders' and 'revered ones' which are often at odds with the teachings of scripture. Blind-following is oft the norm and Muslims are not exempt from this predicament. As you have solicited my humble opinion, I would also recommend you to keep the 'Ahadith' corpus separate from the Book of God (the Quran) in terms of authority. The Quran is the direct word of God for a believer and other sources such as Ahadith have often not been canonised until centuries after the death of the Prophet and more importantly, have no Quranic authority as sources of Divine instruction. Indeed, do ardently study them, but also be prepared to discern from them. I have shared my perspectives below [4]

I would also like to share a message below which you may find of interest, God willing

http://quransmessage.com/articles/a%20sincere%20message%20FM2.htm

Finally, I would also like to invite you to join the QM Forum where you will find many Christian brothers and sisters who are very well read and do not believe in the Trinity, but find common ground between both the teachings of Prophet Jesus and the Quran. 

http://quransmessage.com/forum/forum.htm

Please let me know if I can help further, God willing.

Regards,
Joseph


REFERENCES

[1] WHY IS THE TERM 'MUSLIM' HIJACKED?
http://quransmessage.com/articles/term%20muslim%20hijacked%20FM3.htm
[2] MUSLIM AND MU'MIN (BELIEVER) - THE DIFFERENCE
http://quransmessage.com/articles/muslim%20mumin%20FM3.htm
[3] THE FIVE PRAYERS FROM THE QURAN
http://quransmessage.com/articles/the%20five%20prayers%20from%20the%20quran%20FM3.htm
[4] ISLAMIC SECONDARY SOURCES
http://quransmessage.com/articles/hadith%20FM2.htm
'During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act' 
George Orwell