Posts by Merry Magdalene

147

Merry Becomes A Muslim (a bit long)

by Merry Magdalene in

who is merry?

i was born in 1965, the same year that malcolm x was assassinated.

my father had committed suicide a few months into my mother's pregnancy so we lived with her parents until she married again when i was about 18 months old.

Merry Magdalene

Thanks, tetra and HS and Juni. Peace and best wishes to you too.

Glitter: Merry - do you think you'll be moving to a larger city soon so you can associate with your Muslim brothers and sisters fully? No plans to do. I can't take my daughter away from her father and he won't move, so I'm pretty well tethered it seems. Thanks for the tips though, that was very kind of you. I respect your feelings about early marriage, and I don't think there is any more for me to say on the matter.

Euphamism: Good discussion, Merry! Mind if I keep questioning a little? Not at all.
I do think this is the root of the reaction you're getting. When you say that you have 'become a Muslim', you mean that you have begun practicing your personal understanding of the meaning of the Quran. When other people hear that you have 'become a Muslim', they assume that you have accepted some form of Islam as it is typically practiced. There's a pretty big difference there, IMHO. (Not saying you're wrong to call yourself a Muslim, of course; just that poeple are likely to misunderstand what you mean.) I think I have accepted Islam as it is typically practiced by many, or at least I am trying to learn and practice. What I was saying is that my acceptance of the Qur'an came first and almost independently of that. It didn't remain independant and isolated however.
....Obviously, you're not putting up a smoke-screen; you're a very sincere person, or else you wouldn't be talking to us like this. But I have to wonder, do you think that Allah is going to make an exception for most non-monotheists (polytheists and atheists)? (I realize that the People of the Book have a special status, but that still leaves nearly half the world's population.) If most of them are going to hell, is that a teaching that you can intellectually or emotionally accept? And if most are not, then what is the point of the statements in the Quran implying that they are? I may not be totally clear or correct on this, but as I understand it at this point, Allah will not be unjust to anyone. All will be judged fairly, depending on whether or not they did their best with the knowledge and understanding they had. If they were given the monotheistic Message and its attendant laws and principles, understood it, and still rejected it, fought against it and its followers, sought to alter it, etc., then hell.

Mrs. Smith: I just don't get it. This is going off the topic a bit. Merry posted this thread and many of the post are respectful, posters asking questions and giving their own opinion. Some were encouraging and others were critical, but respectful. I have over the last few months read many posts where Christians have tried to express their thoughts and were shot down and mocked. I don't understand why a muslim post gets this kind of dingity (which I feel is awesome) and a christian post gets regected by most. Why not give everyone this kind of response, are we hanging on to WBTS double standards? This is an interesting observation and I hope more will add their own observations and perspectives to it. My own observation is that Islam and Muslims as a topic have been treated very disrespectfully here, for the most part. That is why I originally started talking about it and giving my viewpoint on matters. And yet I have been treated very respectfully on an individual level. I'm glad. I think it is much easier to have useful discussions that way. I don't wish for anyone to be treated badly. Thanks for your comments in that regard, LT and HS! Good points. Although Hado may have got off on the wrong foot and stumbled into a hornets' nest here, I don't find him to be at all an unpleasant or hypocritical person.

No worries about the harmless hi-jacking, Caedes.

TopHat: Merry? Are there many branches and different beliefs in the Muslim religion? Like in the Christian religion there is the Baptist, Catholic and so on. I do not know much about it myself yet, so I do not know if this is correct, but here is a link that talks about that-- http://en.allexperts.com/e/d/di/divisions_of_islam.htm But the Qur’an says: “And hold fast, all of you together to the rope of Allah, and be not divided among yourselves.” (3:103) http://www.pakistanlink.com/Opinion/2004/July04/2/08.html I know there are some Sunnis and Shias who feel that their holding to the essentials of Islam (the 5 Pillars of worship and the basic beliefs) unites them in Islam in spite of their other divisions.

~Merry

147

Merry Becomes A Muslim (a bit long)

by Merry Magdalene in

who is merry?

i was born in 1965, the same year that malcolm x was assassinated.

my father had committed suicide a few months into my mother's pregnancy so we lived with her parents until she married again when i was about 18 months old.

Merry Magdalene

kerj2leev:
Merry are you still searching other religions while you are a Muslim?

I don't really have time, but I am interested in continuing to learn about other religions.

I'm trying to answer everyone in order but am having to save my response to Abaddon as I have been unable to post it for some reason.

~Merry

147

Merry Becomes A Muslim (a bit long)

by Merry Magdalene in

who is merry?

i was born in 1965, the same year that malcolm x was assassinated.

my father had committed suicide a few months into my mother's pregnancy so we lived with her parents until she married again when i was about 18 months old.

Merry Magdalene

I don't seem to be able to post the response I just composed. I keep getting an error message. I will try this as a test.

33

I just wanted to say I love you all and this is the love thread

by needproof in

jw
friends

for a bit of sunday fluff, i wanted to post that i love every single one of you guys and girls.

please feel free to join me in sending love to all on jwd :)

Merry Becomes A Muslim (a bit long)

by Merry Magdalene in

who is merry?

i was born in 1965, the same year that malcolm x was assassinated.

my father had committed suicide a few months into my mother's pregnancy so we lived with her parents until she married again when i was about 18 months old.

Merry Magdalene

Thanks, Xena. Question everything! that's my motto And it certainly is an interesting thread, but I can't take credit for that.

~Merry

147

Merry Becomes A Muslim (a bit long)

by Merry Magdalene in

who is merry?

i was born in 1965, the same year that malcolm x was assassinated.

my father had committed suicide a few months into my mother's pregnancy so we lived with her parents until she married again when i was about 18 months old.

Merry Magdalene

Kid-A: Are the christian infidels going to hell?

Although the Qur'an describes those who will go to hell so we can do our personal best to make sure we are not among them, judgment is for Allah alone and He reserves the right to pardon who He will. I do not know who is and who is not going to hell.

" Those with Faith, those who are Jews, and the Christians and Sabaeans, all who have Faith in Allah and the Last Day and act rightly, will have their reward with their Lord. They will feel no fear and will know no sorrow." (Surat al-Baqara; 2:62).

" Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair admonition, and argue with them in the kindest way. Your Lord knows best who is misguided from His way. And He knows best who are guided." (Surat an-Nahl; 16:125).

~Merry

147

Merry Becomes A Muslim (a bit long)

by Merry Magdalene in

who is merry?

i was born in 1965, the same year that malcolm x was assassinated.

my father had committed suicide a few months into my mother's pregnancy so we lived with her parents until she married again when i was about 18 months old.

Merry Magdalene

Ken: Why do you never hear a Muslin condem blowing up people, including children by their own demented followers?

Valid question. Why don't we hear this condemnation?

http://www.muhajabah.com/otherscondemn.php

http://www.antiwar.com/ips/janardhan.php?articleid=4064

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1690624.stm

http://www.thedailystar.net/2003/10/15/d31015020530.htm

~Merry

147

Merry Becomes A Muslim (a bit long)

by Merry Magdalene in

who is merry?

i was born in 1965, the same year that malcolm x was assassinated.

my father had committed suicide a few months into my mother's pregnancy so we lived with her parents until she married again when i was about 18 months old.

Merry Magdalene

And not to be overlooked-- thanks to Narkissos for his always interesting comments and the link as well!

And thanks to unbeliever for telling us her friends' stories. I am glad they are in a safer, better place for them now, and I sincerely hope that more and more people will become aware that what was done to them and others like them in the name of Islam is not supported by the Qur'an and very much needs to be changed, not perpetuated.

Hello again, Glitter! Did you read through the links I provided? They discuss this issue in more detail than I could reasonably quote here.

What I read at the Muslim apostate sites was a mixed bag and I had to do a lot of sorting. Some of them were people with bad experiences like unbeliever's friends, some made interesting points which triggered new questions and caused me to do further research, all of which were either satisfactorily answered pro-Islamically for me or are still in process (being contemplated and further researched). I did not know that much about Muslims at present or throughout history when I became a Muslim myself, and my decision (or awakening awareness) was not based on what others believe or do but on my own reading of the meaning of the Qur'an. It certainly has been an amazing learning experience on both fronts.

~Merry

147

Merry Becomes A Muslim (a bit long)

by Merry Magdalene in

who is merry?

i was born in 1965, the same year that malcolm x was assassinated.

my father had committed suicide a few months into my mother's pregnancy so we lived with her parents until she married again when i was about 18 months old.

Merry Magdalene

Thank you, Linda. And it is good to hear from you. I am wishing you all the best with your healing process--much strength and peace, healing tears and moments of profound joy as needed, and all the support and love you could ever want. And the same for Trev. I think you are both very special.

~Merry

147

Merry Becomes A Muslim (a bit long)

by Merry Magdalene in

who is merry?

i was born in 1965, the same year that malcolm x was assassinated.

my father had committed suicide a few months into my mother's pregnancy so we lived with her parents until she married again when i was about 18 months old.

Merry Magdalene

Glitter: And we used to put kids down mines and up chimneys in the olden days too. It would be ridiculous in the 21st Century to follow a religion made up by a violent Victorian child-labour-using mine owner wouldn't it.

I can well understand your passion for the protection and well-being of children and I applaud it.

Please also consider how Aisha was treated and regarded:

it is of the greatest relevance to note the pivotal role she played as a teacher, exponent and interpreter of the religion of Islam. Aisha was an exceptionally intelligent and astute woman, a young prodigy, and this was the main reason why she was got married to the Holy Prophet, as is clearly proved by events after the Holy Prophet’s life. She entered his household, shortly after his emigration to Madina, just at the time when the teachings of Islam in all fields of life for the Muslim community were starting to be revealed to the Holy Prophet and demonstrated by him by his example and practice. An intellectually gifted person was required who would have daily contact with the Holy Prophet at the closest and most personal level, so as to absorb the teachings that he was giving on all aspects of life by his words and actions. Such a person would need to possess the following qualities:
an excellent, precise memory to retain a vast amount of detail accurately,
the understanding to grasp the significance and the principles of the teachings,
powers of reasoning, criticism and deduction to resolve problems on the basis of those teachings,
the skills to convey knowledge to a wide range of audience,
and, finally, have the prospect of living for a considerable period of time after the death of the Holy Prophet in order to spread his message to distant generations.
That Aisha possessed all these qualities and carried out this mission is an absolutely positive and undeniable, historical fact. After the Holy Prophet’s death, she acted as a teacher and interpreter of Islam, providing guidance to even the greatest of the male Companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad. They made a special point of going to her to gain knowledge and seek her opinion. A vast number of sayings and actions of the Holy Prophet are reported from her in books of Hadith. She not only quoted his sayings and reported her observations of events, but interpreted them to provide solutions to questions. Whenever necessary, she corrected the views of the greatest of the Companions of the Holy Prophet. She made rulings and judgments on which Islamic law is based.
The following are two examples of what the Holy Prophet’s male Companions said about her:
“Abu Musa said: Whenever there was any hadith that was difficult [to understand] for us, the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, and we asked Aisha we always found that she had knowledge about that hadith.”
“Musa ibn Talha said: I never saw anyone more eloquent than Aisha.” [1]
http://www.muslim.org/islam/aisha-age.htm

~Merry