I Am Enjoying Being A Muslim

@UserNameSW: But a lot aren't. And a lot of these women who choose to wear it are discriminated against or told that they are oppressed when they really aren't. That's the problem.

@goagainsttheflow: the problem is some are forced to. If people stop forcing, nobody will care about the ones that choose to.

@UserNameSW: Islam is being attacked by some who have their hidden agenda. Trust me, they care the least about those women whom they call "oppressed".

@Madeleine: and some who follow islam have a desire to take over the world and spread oppression, they do not care about any women

@UserNameSW: If they really follow Islam, then they are supposed to fight oppression and spread justice, which is what Islam teaches.

Some days it is hard to know who the "real" followers are.

Daily attacks, murders, assults all in the name of islam

@UserNameSW: It's a confusing issue. I agree with you. But only if you're not fully aware of what Islam really teaches. If I were in your place, I would investigate the subject and try to study Islam in a deeper level and from the right sources.

@Madeleine: those that follow it, kill people in the name of the text

@UserNameSW: But is it what the text say?

Those that follow it say it does. Either it does or it is poorly writen to make many people belive it does.

@UserNameSW: Ironically, the power of the Quran and its miracle is in it's language and structure. An intelligent person would study the text to find out the truth. People have the ability to misinterpret anything to fulfill their agenda. The Quran is a book that fascinates me. The more I study it, the more I'm a believer it's the word of God.

So it is poorly writen and allows many of its followers misinterpretation which causes them to rape and kill.

Some of the people that have studied it for a lifetime, belive that is what it says.

@UserNameSW: Respectfully, have you studied it? No.

How can you have an opinion of a book that you never read? You are truly missing out.

@Madeleine: you don't know what I have and have not read. To be truly respectful, one shouldn't make illinformed assumptions about what another has or has not done ;)

Many that study it for a life time disagree with your interpretation. Many agree with exactly what you are saying. Many are somewhere in between.
I'm not saying they are right or you are right.

It seems odd to me that a perfect text would be open to such wide interpretation and disagreement on fundemental beliefs and topics.

How can there be such strong disagreements on fundemental truth in a perfectly documented text?

@UserNameSW: I apologize for my assumption. It's your personal choice to read whatever your heart desires.

The Quran is not a usual book, in fact, the answer to your question is in the book itself:

[Quran 3:7]
[quote]"It is He who revealed to you the Book. Some of its verses are definitive; they are the foundation of the Book, and others are unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation, they follow the unspecific part, seeking dissent, and seeking to derive an interpretation. But none knows its interpretation except Allah and those firmly rooted in knowledge say, “We believe in it; all is from our Lord.” But none recollects except those with understanding."[/quote]

@Madeleine: The book is open to interpretation. How do you know your interpretation is the correct one? How do you know that of ISIS is wrong?

That has been my point all along, the book is NOT perfect. It is not clear. It is full of contradiction.

The book also states that if conflict in the book follow the instruction and roll model examples given/lived by mohamed.

Mohamed was a pedophile, owned slaves, killed outsiders, killed non-believers, had many wives, wives were made to wear headscarf.
Based on that ISIS has it closer to true follower.

@UserNameSW: I understand where your views come from. You are entitled to have an opinion, but only if it's a knowledgeable one. I have heard these "analysis" on the media before.

Studying the life of the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught me how a human being should live his life and how he should behave. What ISIS' doing is the exact opposite of what Islam teaches in all aspects. It's enough to mention how they burn people while Islam prohibited killing with fire. Most ISIS victims are Muslims. How is this a close lifestyle to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

If you read history, you will find out that wearing a headscarf is what women of most cultures used to wear. It used to be the norm. Even the pagan Arabs used to cover their hair. It's a form of modesty that is lost in our modern age.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) came from a culture that allows men to marry as many wives as they desire. They even used to sell and Inherit them like property. What Islam did, however, it limited the number of wives a man can have, and gave rights to women to choose their husbands. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) came from a noble family, he could have had as many women as he wanted. He didn't need to create a rule for it.

Who is to determine the "right age" for marriage? Mostly, it's a cultural matter. In ancient times, people used to be considered either child, or adult. They didn't have the concept of teenagers. A girl moves from childhood to adulthood once she has her PMS. This is not only unique to Arabs or Muslims, you will find this concept practiced by all cultures of that time. The idea of considering an individual under 18 "a minor" is a modern concept. Even though, in modern time, in some places around the world, including Europe and North America, it's legal for girls to get married at the age of 12 and 13.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) never owned slaves. He had servants who volunteered to serve him, and he treated them with such manners that even employees of our time would dream to be treated by their managers.

If anything, Islam was the first system that encouraged freeing slaves. It did put rules and regulations of how slaves should be treated. It's also worth to mention that slavery at that time had nothing to do with race or color. Islam prohibited treating slaves harshly, beat them or make them do work that exceeds their capacity.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) never killed unbelievers unless it's during battles. He never killed anyone to take revenge for himself. It's historically documented, how many assassination attempts were done against the Prophet and he let the enemy go free.

Studying the Quran is a science in itself. There are methods and rules of how verses should be interpreted. I'm a student of Quran. It's an ocean that if you dive into, you will come out with nothing but priceless pearls. There are no scholars among a group like ISIS. They are only people who had no Islamic training to base their actions on. Most of them under the age of 25, brain washed by leaders who use them to fulfill their political agendas. If anything, the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) predicted the coming of such groups.

Respectfully, saying the Quran is filled with contradictions is a statement made by someone who never studied the book.

Let's start with clarity.

The worst excuse you can have for a wrong, is to say it is OK because others have done it before. Does not matter that others did it 1000s of years ago. 2 wrongs and all.

Wrong IS wrong.

I agree 18 is an arbitrary number. Is it right for all people all the time? Of course not.

Site your source about modern 12 year old brides?

Let's study together, shall we. Knowledge is good.

Different people will define adult differently. 16? 18? 21? No easy answer. We could have a rational debate and all 3 could be justified.

However no rational person would say prepubescent child is an adult.

The kroran show a requirement of 3 months waiting period for divorce, even if the bride has not menstrated 65.4

That is saying it is OK to marry a child. You can't have a divorce, if you were not married.
A simple study of history is easy to show that marriage was a construct to allow sex.
A marriage is sex. No sex no marriage. A marriage doesn't need divorce unless sex has occurred. The waiting period is to help ensure a recently impregnated women is not left alone to have child.

Marriage/sex is OK with child?
No that is pedophilia. NOT OK. Just because a pedophile says it is OK, does not make it OK. That is NEVER OK.

Sahih Muslim 3901, shows how a slave was freed.
A noble act on the part of mohemmed, or so it seems at first glance. A closer read is revealing.
The man that was freed, was bought by trading 2 black slaves.

Mohemmed owned the slaves that he used to buy another. He traded 2 slaves for 1.

Not only did he own slaves he traded in them. He was a slave trader and slave owner.

He owned 2 black slaves.
He didn't free them until a better offer came along.

koran 4:24 men could have sex slaves (women captured in battle can be kept or traded to other warriors) he traded in sex slaves.

The false prophet sent for a woman from the emigrants and she had a slave who was a carpenter. The Prophet said to her "Order your slave to prepare the wood (pieces) for the pulpit." So, she ordered her slave who went and cut the wood from the tamarisk and prepared the pulpit, for the Prophet. When he finished the pulpit, the woman informed the Prophet that it had been finished. The Prophet asked her to send that pulpit to him, so they brought it. The Prophet lifted it and placed it at the place in which you see now. (Bukari 47:743)
According to this hadith, the very pulpit that Muhammad preached from was constructed from slave labour on his command.

Alah declared him to be the 'excellent pattern of conduct' for mankind (Quran 33:21) and that others were therefore to accord him with special privilege, unwavering obedience (Quran 4:80) , wealth and earthly desires, including all of the slaves and women than his lust could handle. God "revealed" that mohammed was allowed sex slaves.

Easy solution to say you murder only in time of war, then say you are at war against all non believers.
Nice convenient work around ;)

Science should never be mistaken for though or opinions. You are free to have your interpretation, though, and opinion. That doesn't make it science. I will defend your right to your opinions, that doesn't make it a fact.

Respectfully look at some scholars that disagree.
They disagree, because there ARE contradictions.


The Islamic Etiquette of Disagreement. This exists because there is uhm, what is it called? Umh disagreements ;)

Imam of Raleigh says "Firstly, it is acceptable for Muslim scholars to have disagreement in opinions. It is acceptable because there are many debates where there is no clear-cut evidence to the matter. It is possible that some narrations are not very authentic in the chain of narrators, or some might interpret texts differently than others . In fact, most Islamic texts are like this and very debated. Therefore, it is natural to have disagreement among the Muslim scholars."

Is he, an imam, a scholar? Does he belive there are different opionions? ;)

Shia and Sunni follow the same book, yet they don't agree weather the other is even muslim. ;)

Here is a good read, by a muslim scholar on why, and how there is disagreement.
https://www.google.ca/amp/s/thethinkingmuslim.com/2015/02/16/why-muslim-scholars-differ-notes-from-ibn-taymiyyahs-raf-al-malaam-an-al-aimmah-al-al-alaam-the-removal-of-blame-from-the-great-imams/amp/


The greatests scholars of Islam do not universally agree. These are the people who study it the most.

A statement made of real respect, should be judgment free. An ill informed judgment on who has read and not read something is not respectful.

Some are just read with a more open and skeptical mind than others. Skepticism doesn't make someone uninformed.
Skepticism forces one to think.

@UserNameSW: Thank you for your comment, even though it's a pity that I see a lot of what you posted was copied/pasted from some anti-Islam websites, so these are not your actual thoughts. Regardless, I'm going to reply, because yes, knowledge is good.

According to Wikipedia:

[Quran 65:4]
[quote][b]"As for those of your [b]women[/b] who have reached menopause, if you have any doubts, their term shall be three months—and also for those who have not menstruated. As for those who are pregnant, their term shall be until they have delivered. Whoever fears God—He will make things easy for him."[/b][/quote]
The word that is used in this verse is women, not girls, and age is not even mentioned. Girls can turn 15 and 16 years old and still did not have their menstruation. Nonetheless, there's no indication of the verse that says it's okay to have sex with girls who did not menstruated yet. It's an important ruling in Islam that a girl must be physically and emotionally ready for marriage. True that marriage is sex, but in Islam, a couple can sign marriage contract and wait for sometime before consuming the marriage. Some couples would divorce during that period, so even if the marriage was not consummated yet, the couple is considered divorced.

[quote]"It is reported from Aisha that she said: The Prophet entered into marriage with me when I was a girl of six … and at the time [of joining his household] I was a girl of nine years of age.”[/quote]
She lived three years in her parents house after signing the marriage contract. The prophet waited until she menstruated before consuming the marriage. Islam does not look at someone's age, but how ready they are physically and mentally. Aisha is considered one of the greatest Islamic scholars, and she narrated almost half of authentic hadiths, if her marriage was damaging, she wouldn't be stable enough to narrate and teach. It's actually the opposite, her hadiths regarding her life with the Prophet (peace be upon him) are examples of how a husband should treat his wife.

When you call someone pedophile doesn't make him one. Girls used to get married in young age in all cultures.

Source: Wikipedia

This doesn't mean that any 9 years old is able to get married. Times is different now, and a 9 years old girl of our times is neither physically nor mentally able to get married. Islam never said that it's okay to marry a child. In general, with time, society becomes more and more filled with immature people (for many reasons, including school systems, but that's a topic of another day). For instance, in old times, men used to get married and even provide for their families at the age of 15 and 16. While in our modern time we find 40 years old men still play video games. In other words, a 9 years old of that time is an 18 years old of our time.

The term "sex slave" is a perverted modern concept that is used in pornography. In ancient times, when slavery was the norm, it's normal for a master to sleep with his female-slaves. If anything, Islam did put rules regarding this matter and only allowed it when the woman herself accepts to sleep with her master. Otherwise, it's a sin for him to force her. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not need to come up with new religion to have as many salves as he wanted, in fact, Islam minimized this choice for men. When the Prophet Muhammad begun to preach the message of Islam, the pagans of Mecca offered him money, position, and women to convince him to stop his preaching, but he refused. Therefore, this whole argument against the prophet (peace be upon him) is refuted just by studying his life.

There is no verse in the Quran says that Muslims are at war against all non-believers, it's quiet the opposite.
[Quran 60:8]
[quote]"As for those who have not fought against you for your religion, nor expelled you from your homes, Allah does not prohibit you from dealing with them kindly and equitably. Allah loves the equitable."[/quote]

The Quran is fall of contradictions?
Show me one please.

Thank you.

A GIRL who has not menstrated is by definition prepubescent (except in rare medical cases). She is a child

65.4 as I quoted and you repated allows for divorce from a CHILD who has not yet menstrated.

She is physically a child.
A prepubescent CHILD, is not ready for marriage.

You statement about some people that are not mentally mature later in life does change the fact that a prepubescent child is a child, even if they are called a women. They are children.

Allowing a wrong to go is wrong. It may have been a common practice to have slave, it may be been common practice to have sex with those slaves. Neither of those make it right. Wrong is wrong.

@Madeleine: contradictions?

Do I have to stop at 1?
I'll pick a couple that stand out for me.

Who Was the First Muslim? Muhammad [6:14, 163], Moses [7:143], some Egyptians [26:51], or Abraham [2:127-133, 3:67]
A fundamental question, this helps define who is mooslim, what the history and rules are. Kind of a staring point.

Another important question
Did Muhammad see his Lord? Yes [S. 53:1-18, 81:15-29], No [6:102-103, 42:51]. The great prophet, saw or didn't? Is it both?

To marry non believers or not.
The Qur'an forbids believers to marry idolatrous women [Sura 2:221], and calls Christians idolaters and unbelievers [9:28-33], but still allows Muslims to marry Christian women [5:5]. Are Christians OK to marry?

Creation sounds to me like a big one.
Sura 7:54, 10:3, 11:7, and 25:59 clearly state that God created "the heavens and the earth" in six days. Simular to the Jewish text But in 41:9-12 the detailed description of the creation procedure adds up to eight days. Where do the extra 2 days come from?

Can allah forgive shirk? Allah will ever forgive it or not. No [4:48, 116], Yes [4:153, 25:68-71]. Abraham committed this sin of polytheism as he takes moon, sun, stars to be his Lord [6:76-78], yet Muslims believe that all prophets are without any sin.
Which is it?

Many others, I'll let you ponder these for a while.

@UserNameSW: I explained earlier that in Islam, a couple could sign marriage contract without living together for sometime, which means that haven't slept together yet. Islam prohibits having sex with girls who has not yet menstruated. When a couple decide to separate, they are considered divorced even if they never lived together nor had sex. This is the case [Quran 60:8] talks about.

Slavery is never encouraged in Islam. And Islam did not invent it in the first place. In fact, Islam closed all doors of slavery and prohibited enslaving people, except in the case of prisoners of war, which is a political issue. In ancient times, they didn't have prisons (at least in Arabia), so they had to keep their prisoners of war with them, because if they send them back, they will return to fight the Muslims. In modern times, however, this rule is no longer in use for Muslims because politics have changed, so there's no need for slavery rulings to be applied.

If you read the Quran, you will find tens of verses that encourage people to free slaves, and there is not even one verse that calls for enslaving.

@UserNameSW: Thank you for taking the time to post those "contradictions". Even if you're not the one who actually read the Quran and found those verses, I appreciate the effort of Googling. This also entitles me to point out the ignorance of the original author without offending you personally, because this is never my intention.

[sep]

[u]Who Was the First Muslim?[/u]
The one who found this a contradiction has a poor knowledge of language. When someone tells you, "next week is the game of my team, I'm so excited, I will be [i]the first in line[/i] to get the tickets.", how would you understand it? Does it mean that literally this person will be "the first" in line? or is it just an expression of how excited he is to get the tickets.

When you read these verses, you will come to understand that this is an expression of how strongly they believed in God, so they say, we are the first to submit to God.

[Quran 6:14]
[quote]Say, “Shall I take for myself a protector other than God, Originator of the heavens and the earth, and He feeds and is not fed?” Say, “[b]I am instructed to be the first of those who submit[/b].” And do not be among the idolaters.[/quote]

[Quran 6:163]
[quote]"No associate has He. [b]Thus I am commanded, and I am the first of those who submit[/b]."[/quote]

[Quran 7:143]
[quote]"And when Moses came to Our appointment, and his Lord spoke to him, he said, “My Lord, allow me to look and see You.” He said, “You will not see Me, but look at the mountain; if it stays in its place, you will see Me.” But when his Lord manifested Himself to the mountain, He turned it into dust, and Moses fell down unconscious. Then, when he recovered, he said, “Glory be to you, I repent to you, [b]and I am the first of the believers[/b].”"[/quote]

[Quran 26:51]
[quote]"We are eager for our Lord to forgive us our sins, [b]since we are the first of the believers[/b]."[/quote]

[Quran 2:127-133]
[quote]"As Abraham raises the foundations of the House, together with Ishmael, “Our Lord, accept it from us, You are the Hearer, the Knower. Our Lord, and make us submissive to You, and from our descendants a community submissive to You. And show us our rites, and accept our repentance. You are the Acceptor of Repentance, the Merciful. Our Lord, and raise up among them a messenger, of themselves, who will recite to them Your revelations, and teach them the Book and wisdom, and purify them. You are the Almighty, the Wise.” Who would forsake the religion of Abraham, except he who fools himself? We chose him in this world, and in the Hereafter he will be among the righteous. When his Lord said to him, “Submit!” He said, “[b]I have submitted to the Lord of the Worlds[/b].” And Abraham exhorted his sons, and Jacob, “O my sons, God has chosen this religion for you, so do not die unless you have submitted.” Or were you witnesses when death approached Jacob, and he said to his sons, “What will you worship after Me?” They said, “We will worship your God, and the God of your fathers, Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac; [b]One God; and to Him we submit[/b].”[/quote]

[Quran 3:67]
[quote]"Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a Monotheist, a [b]Muslim[/b]. And he was not of the Polytheists."[/quote]

[sep]

[u]Did the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) see his Lord?[/u]
The answer to this question is no. If the questioner took sometime to study the story behind each of these revelations, he/she would have their answer perfectly. Human beings will never be able to see God expect in Paradise. In fact, the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself answered this question in Hadith.

[Quran 53:1-18]
[quote]"By the star as it goes down. Your friend has not gone astray, nor has he erred. Nor does he speak out of desire. It is but a revelation revealed. Taught to him by the Extremely Powerful. The one of vigor. He settled. While he was at the highest horizon. Then he came near, and hovered around. He was within two bows’ length, or closer. Then He revealed to His servant what He revealed. The heart did not lie about what it saw. [b]Will you dispute with him concerning what he saw? He saw him on another descent[/b]. At the Lotus Tree of the Extremity. Near which is the Garden of Repose. As there covered the Lotus Tree what covered it. The sight did not waver, nor did it exceed. [b]He saw some of the Great Signs of his Lord[/b]."[/quote]
This verse speaks of the journey of [i]Alisra and Almiraj[/i], when the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw the angel Gabriel in his real form.

Aishah said: "I was indeed the first person who asked the Prophet (peace be upon him): Did you ever see your Lord and Sustainer?"
He replied: "No, I had only seen Gabriel descending from the heavens."

Actually at the end of the verse we see clearly that the prophet saw the great signs of God, which also indicates that he didn't see God.

[Quran 81:15-29]
[quote]"I swear by the galaxies. Precisely running their courses. And by the night as it recedes. And by the morn as it breathes. This is the speech of a noble messenger. Endowed with power, eminent with the Lord of the Throne. Obeyed and honest. Your friend is not possessed. [b]He saw him on the luminous horizon[/b]. And He does not withhold knowledge of the Unseen. And it is not the word of an accursed devil. So where are you heading? It is only a Reminder to all mankind. To whoever of you wills to go straight. But you cannot will, unless God wills—The Lord of the Worlds."[/quote]
This verse also talks about the second time the prophet (peace be upon him) saw the angel Gabriel in his real form. He only saw him twice.

Aisha said: "The Prophet (peace be upon him) in fact had seen Gabriel in his real shape twice."

[Quran 6:102-103]
[quote]"Such is God, your Lord. There is no god except He, the Creator of all things; so worship Him. He is responsible for everything. [b]No vision can grasp Him[/b], but His grasp is over all vision. He is the Subtle, the Expert."[/quote]

[Quran 42:51]
[quote]"It is not for any human that God should speak to him, except by inspiration, [b]or from behind a veil[/b], or by sending a messenger to reveal by His permission whatever He wills. He is All-High, All-Wise."[/quote]

[sep]

To be continued ...

@UserNameSW:

[u]To marry non believers or not.[/u]

[Quran 2:221]
[quote]"[b]Do not marry idolatresses, unless they have believed[/b]. A believing maid is better than an idolatress, even if you like her. [b]And do not marry idolaters, unless they have believed[/b]. A believing servant is better than an idolater, even if you like him. These call to the Fire, but God calls to the Garden and to forgiveness, by His leave. He makes clear His communications to the people, that they may be mindful."[/quote]

[Quran 9:28-33]
[quote]"O you who believe! The polytheists are polluted, so let them not approach the Sacred Mosque after this year of theirs. And if you fear poverty, God will enrich you from His grace, if He wills. God is Aware and Wise. Fight those who do not believe in God, nor in the Last Day, nor forbid what God and His Messenger have forbidden, nor abide by the religion of truth—from among those who received the Scripture—until they pay the due tax, willingly or unwillingly. The Jews said, “Ezra is the son of God,” and the Christians said, “The Messiah is the son of God.” These are their statements, out of their mouths. They emulate the statements of those who blasphemed before. May God assail them! How deceived they are! They have taken their rabbis and their priests as lords instead of God, as well as the Messiah son of Mary. Although they were commanded to worship none but The One God. There is no god except He. Glory be to Him; High above what they associate with Him. [b]They want to extinguish God’s light with their mouths, but God refuses except to complete His light, even though the disbelievers dislike it[/b]. It is He who sent His Messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, in order to make it prevail over all religions, even though the idolaters dislike it."[/quote]

[Quran 5:5]
[quote]"Today all good things are made lawful for you. And the food of those given the Scripture is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them. So are chaste believing women, [b]and chaste women from the people who were given the Scripture before you, provided you give them their dowries, and take them in marriage, not in adultery, nor as mistresses[/b]. But whoever rejects faith, his work will be in vain, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers."[/quote]

It's true that God forbade Muslims from marrying disbelievers, but then the verse that allowed them to marry women from The People of The Book [Quran 5:5] came down later, which gave the exception to marry Jewish and Christian women out of all disbelievers. If you read the beginning of the verse "[i]Today all good things are made lawful for you[/i]", you will find that there's an indication that Muslims were not allowed to marry women of other faiths until this verse came down. So it's a continuation of the rule.

It's worth mentioning though, that Muslims are allowed to marry Jewish and Christian women under certain conditions. They only can marry a woman who's chaste, which means someone who did not commit adultery or fornication, and she has to be a true follower of the Scripture.

[sep]

[u]Creation.[/u]

[Quran 7:54]
[quote]"Your Lord is God; [b]He who created the heavens and the earth in six days[/b], then established Himself on the Throne. The night overtakes the day, as it pursues it persistently; and the sun, and the moon, and the stars are subservient by His command. His is the creation, and His is the command. Blessed is God, Lord of all beings."[/quote]

[Quran 10:3]
[quote]"Your Lord is God, [b]who created the heavens and the earth in six days[/b], then settled over the Throne, governing all things. There is no intercessor except after His permission. Such is God, your Lord—so serve Him. Will you not reflect?"[/quote]

[Quran 11:7]
[quote]"[b]It is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days[/b]—and His Throne was upon the waters—in order to test you—which of you is best in conduct. And if you were to say, “You will be resurrected after death,” those who disbelieve would say, “This is nothing but plain witchcraft.”"[/quote]

[Quran 41:9-12]
[quote]"Say, “[b]Do you reject the One who created the earth in two days?[/b] And you attribute equals to Him? That is the Lord of the Universe.” [b]He placed stabilizers over it; and blessed it; and planned its provisions in four days[/b], equally to the seekers. Then He turned to the sky, and it was smoke, and said to it and to the earth, “Come, willingly or unwillingly.” They said, “We come willingly.” [b]So He completed them as seven universes in two days[/b], and He assigned to each universe its laws. And We decorated the lower universe with lamps, and for protection. That is the design of the Almighty, the All-Knowing."[/quote]

God created heaven and earth in six days. The detailed description of [Quran 41:9-12] also says that God created them in six days. The four days in [41:10] include the two days in [41:9] because the processes descried [41:9-10] is one series. For instance, when I say that I bought the couch and the table in two days, and I finished decorating my living room in five days, how would you understand it? Did I decorated my living room in five days or seven days?

[sep]

[u]Allah will ever forgive [i]shirk[/i] or not?[/u]
The judgment comes on the day of resurrection. So, someone will know for sure if they are forgiven or not on the day of judgement. According to the Quran, God forgives all kinds of sins, except for shirk, God doesn't forgive someone who commits shirk, unless that person repents before they die. i.e. someone might commit different kinds of sins, and they died before repenting from those sins, there's a chance that God might forgive them. But if someone commits shirk, then died without repentance, God will never forgive them.

[Quran 4:48]
[quote]"[b]God does not forgive association with Him[/b], but He forgives anything less than that to whomever He wills. Whoever associates anything with God has devised a monstrous sin."[/quote]

[Quran 4:116]
[quote]"[b]God will not forgive that partners be associated with Him[/b]; but will forgive anything less than that, to whomever He wills. Anyone who ascribes partners to God has strayed into far error."[/quote]

[Quran 4:153]
[quote]"The People of the Scripture challenge you to bring down to them a book from the sky. They had asked Moses for something even greater. They said, “Show us God plainly.” The thunderbolt struck them for their wickedness. [b]Then they took the calf for worship, even after the clear proofs had come to them. Yet We pardoned that[/b], and We gave Moses a clear authority."[/quote]

Here, God forgave the children of Israel, because they have repented.
[Quran 7:148-149]
[quote]"In his absence, the people of Moses adopted a calf made from their ornaments—a body which lowed. Did they not see that it could not speak to them, nor guide them in any way? They took it for worship. They were in the wrong. [b]Then, when they regretted, and realized that they had erred, they said, “Unless our Lord extends His mercy to us, and forgives us, we will be among the losers.”[/b]"[/quote]

[Quran 25:68-71]
[quote]"And those who do not implore besides God any other god, and do not kill the soul which God has made sacred—except in the pursuit of justice—and do not commit adultery. Whoever does that will face penalties. The punishment will be doubled for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will dwell therein in humiliation forever. [b]Except for those who repent, and believe, and do good deeds. These—God will replace their bad deeds with good deeds. God is ever Forgiving and Merciful. Whoever repents and acts righteously—has inclined towards God with repentance[/b]."[/quote]

[sep]

And Allah knows best.

You have a strong opinion.

How ever still opinion.



The imam of Raleigh disagrees with you. He has studied for years. He is an expert in Islam. Is he wrong?


Your point about "first in line" reality verus hyperbolic statement from a mere human is undestanderable Not for the perfect word of a perfect God.
Is this book hyperbolic interpretation of a human or perfect unchanging word of a perfect god?

Marriage, the perfect god changed his mind?
Do not marry non believers ever. Well you know maybe you can sometimes marry um some of these people.
Sounds wishy washy.

Days?
Linguistic study is needed for your opinion.
"I bought a couch over 2 days and completed my room in 5" days is not the same as
"I bought a count over 2 days, completedy room in 5 days"
The first is 7 days the second is only 5. The placement of the punctuation changes the statement.
Again perfect god's perfect word should not be ambiguous.

A 9 year old is a child.
Colour it as you want, she was a child.


Thank you for bringing up another problem.
Your words "you will find tens of verses that encourage people to free slaves, and there is not even one verse that calls for enslaving."
Yet the great mohamed owned and traded in slaves.

It is OK for only some to own and trade slaves. Normal people are called not to have any, but Moe can and does have them.
I'd say that is a double standard.