Would Islam be as expansive as it is today had Ali and his family prevailed?
>>556836
nah
>>556836
it probably wouldnt change the outcome of the islamic empire in the long run.
>>556916
Aren't Shia practically a non-missionary branch of Islam? They seem do not care much about infidels living around. Today's Shias are descendants of Sunnis that converted or were converted into Shiism.
What are the differences between Shia and Sunni? Which is the legitimate form of Islam?
>>556939
Shiite theological differences emerged long after the split, and largely as a result of the fact that Shiites were oppressed rebels.
Had Shiites not learned the hard way what being a religious minority is like, they would certainly not be as compassionate and tolerant about non-Muslims.
>>556950
> Shia and Sunni?
Quite a few, the most notable being that Shiites believe that Ali was the first caliph and his descendents are the rightful leaders of the Ummah. Whilst Sunnis believe the caliph should be elected (elected is used liberally here) and that Ali was the fourth caliph.
http://www.al-islam.org/shiite-encyclopedia-ahlul-bayt-dilp-team/major-difference-between-shia-and-sunni
>Which is the legitimate form of Islam?
No one knows, because there aren't any particularly compelling arguments for the legitimacy of Ali or Abu Bakr apart from the fact that Abu Bakr had the bigger army.
>>556993
>No one knows, because there aren't any particularly compelling arguments for the legitimacy of Ali or Abu Bakr apart from the fact that Abu Bakr had the bigger army.
So that's why Muslim beliefs are so fucking tribal their biggest dispute is just bullshit tribal politics.
>>557026
This ignores all theological differences, though.
Shia believe there is still a living Imam watching over us all. Sunni do not.
The actual difference is this: Did spiritual authority pass on with political authority, or did spiritual authority die with Muhammad?
Well, Abu Sufyan's son Muawiyah usurped the legitimate Caliphate's authority for his own personal gratification, and it all went downhill from there. Islam became nominal under many rulers, who fitted its teachings to their own desires.
Shi'a Ali translates to "Partisans of Ali", and it was solely a political position for hundreds of years rather than a sect with theological differences.
>>557026
Arabs at the time were tribal. It was the same generation that had literally just converted from paganism.
Shi'i are critical of what they see as Arab culture prevailing over the wishes of Muhammad, as it is said that Abu Bakr was elected while Ali was not present (he was preparing Muhammad's corpse for burial or something similar) and that Abu Bakr was chosen due to the Arab convention of automatically choosing the oldest candidate in an election.
Ali went along with it, though. He was a naturally quiet man who didn't want to cause trouble.
>>557032
So if Shia had won the Caliph would have been able to make changes to the religion?
>>557048
Yes, absolutely. There would have been a concept like the catholic pope.
>>557032
So at it's base, it's really a division between those that believe in centralized authority and those that don't? It seems kind of similar to early Christianity, with the Schism and all.
>>557056
not so much centralized authority as spiritual authority.
the muslim ummah was both a wordly state as a spiritual community.
For the sunni, the spiritual lay purely with muhammad and the quran, and the worldly lay with the caliph.
For the shia, the two were inseperable.
One might say its an early conflict between whether or not church and state must be divided or not.
>>557055
Yeah Muslims being able to change Islam to fit a more Imperial and eventually modern and less Tribal way of thinking probably would have been a better outcome.
>>557068
The quran itself actually often explicitly denounces racism and tribalism.
The sad Arabisation of Islam keeps tribalism alive.
Breaks my heart, mate.
>>557032
>Shia believe there is still a living Imam watching over us all.
Only Twelver Shi'i believe in the Occultation/Hidden Imam. Ismali and Zaidi Shi'i do not.
All major Muslim "sects" believe in the Mahdi, who the Twelvers claim is the Twelfth Imam.
Non-Twelvers believe that he will be born and live during a natural lifetime like everyone else, rather than hiding for hundreds of years.
>>557048
>>557055
No. No one can make changes to Islam.
They can interpret the Quran differently, but they aren't allowed to change the core of Islam which is inviolable.
>>557075
Where are you from?
>>557080
Europe, though with an Egyptian background.
>>557075
I am arab and fuck you
>>557084
If you are Arab, like me, accept that our forefathers were tribal and that we can do better.
Question if Muslims aren't supposed to idolize Muhammad then why do they name every four kids Muhammad?
I've only ever seen one guy named Jesus not counting Tv.
>>557095
Thin line between love and idolatry, mate. Actually a very big, real problem in the ummah.
>>557079
So how do we fix Islam?
>>557094
you are egyptian, not arab
>>557084
Islam isn't your plaything, you fool. The Quran warns against people like you.
9:97 - الْأَعْرَابُ أَشَدُّ كُفْرًا وَنِفَاقًا وَأَجْدَرُ أَلَّا يَعْلَمُوا حُدُودَ مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّـهُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
"The Arabs of the desert are the worst in Unbelief and hypocrisy, and most fitted to be in ignorance of the command which Allah hath sent down to His Messenger: But Allah is All-knowing, All-Wise."
49:14 - قَالَتِ الْأَعْرَابُ آمَنَّا ۖ قُل لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَلَـٰكِن قُولُوا أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الْإِيمَانُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ ۖ وَإِن تُطِيعُوا اللَّـهَ وَرَسُولَهُ لَا يَلِتْكُم مِّنْ أَعْمَالِكُمْ شَيْئًا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
"The desert Arabs say, "We believe." Say, "Ye have no faith; but ye (only)say, 'We have submitted our wills to Allah,' For not yet has Faith entered your hearts. But if ye obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not belittle aught of your deeds: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
You're a munafiq at best. e.g. the burqa is a bid'ah and has nothing to do with Islam.
>>557109
Many Egyptians, my family among them, have forgotten the difference. Literally call themselves Arabic.
>>557117
only arab in your minds then
>>557114
question about 9:97
It says at the end "wa allahu 'akeemun hakeem."
Doesn't "wa" translate to "and"? Why is it translated to "but"?
Arab Islam gives African Islam a bad reputation.
>>557114
you are the munafiq you christian cock sucking trash
>>557114
Kek, all Gulf Arabs are actually Bedouin scum, even the fucking Koran admits it. The only reason they are wealthy is because the Jews and their Eternal Anglo good goyim realized that they are equally as treacherous and conniving as they are; otherwise the Eternal Anglo would have occupied them and taken their oil without royalties.
>>557108
Islam doesn't need to be "fixed" or "reformed". In fact, the terrorist groups could be viewed as "reformers" at best by anyone well-read in Islamic thought.
Rather, the innovations and intentionally fraudulent interpretations that have been propagated must be removed from the faith; the forged hadith, the doctrine of taking hadith over the Quran, and the Wahhabi movement must be purged.
Wahhabism is pure, unadulterated crypto-Arab Paganism using Islam as a cover. Its methodology actually resembles the Evangelical churches and other fringe Christian elements. One could call it "Protestant Islam".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovi8WgXqHkA
>>557146
>Wahhabism is pure, unadulterated crypto-Arab Paganism using Islam as a cover. Its methodology actually resembles the Evangelical churches and other fringe Christian elements. One could call it "Protestant Islam".
As a orthodox fag, i agreee with you.
>>557146
>doesnt need reform
>proposes reform
bravo
>>557143
>‘Abdullah ibn ‘Ata narrated this hadith from ‘Abdullah ibn Buraydah and he said in it, “And that you see deaf, dumb, blind, barefoot shepherds of sheep competing with each other in building as if the kings of people.” He said, “So the man [Jibril] stood up and left, and we asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, who are these you describe?” He answered, “They are the Arabs.”
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/fisk/robert-fiskrsquos-world-the-stakes-get-higher-as-arab-princes-try-to-outdo-each-other-1869549.html
>>557155
Reform has the connotations that there is something wrong with the original idea.
I proposed return.
>>557165
those hadiths that agree with you are good and those that disagree are bad?
>>557165
Top fucking kek.
>>557171
lol
so which one are you ajam or cockroach?
>>557177
There are plenty that are obviously forgeries based on superstition. The authenticity of the hadith I posted is self-evident as it has come to pass.
At Muhammad's time, there was no way barefoot Beduoin ingrates had the wealth, intelligence, or resources to compete in building tall buildings.
At most, 500 or so hadith are legitimate. The rest were bought by medieval princes.
>>557207
and you say this based on what? some atheist's research?
>>557188
Swedish/Bavarian American Catholic, actually. What I said is objectively true.
>>557225
lol
even worse
>>557227
>Bedouin calling someone else worse
Kek, don't you have a goat to fuck?
>>557219
Muslim scholars have been questioning the reliability of hadith as a whole since the 11th century.
Based on the fact that they're hearsay, and the fact that plenty of them are literally "do x thing y times and recieve z extra blessings from Allah" and talking about things that directly conflict with verses of the Quran.
The Aisha marraige hadith in Bukhari is an infamous example of a forgery.
The Quran's message opposes this superstition.
>>557243
>The Aisha marraige hadith in Bukhari is an infamous example of a forgery.
again, you say this based on what?
>>557234
said the cuck from cuck nation with cuck race ancestry...
>>557225
>sufi pic
i bet you are the same kind of western hippie that faps to buddhism and shit
>tfw muslims take the hadith more seriously than the quran
>tfw we fail Allah everyday by not rebelling against the Saudis and putting an end to their satanistic cult
>tfw most muslims don't even understand Islam
What have we done wrong fellow muslim brothers?
what if there is no god guys ? he was just a little bastard fellow ( in a very conservative society) with mental issues and seizure who go nuts after the death of his first wife !
It's just a prank bro , it's a prank !
>>557259
No I am a practicing Roman Catholic, I can simply tell that Sufi and Shi'a are shit like Wahabbis and Salafis.
>>557251
Yea because the people there are so fucking kind and compassionate that they've been scammed into self-injury.
Also
>Bavaria
>cucked
Bayern is conservative and traditional, especially outside Munich.
>>557278
Sufi and Shi'a are NOT* shit like Wahhabis and Salafis
>>557269
The destruction of the Caliphate in 1924 as an authoritative and orthodox figure and overall intentional subversion of Islam by the British, Americans, and French (amongst others) created a power vacuum which allowed the Saudis (not forgetting the material support & protection given to the Saudis in their subjugation of Arabia and propagation of Wahhabism.
The current situation is completely manufactured. God knows how long it will last, but it's destined to end.
>>557272
His wife was the first person he talked to after having his first vision. She didn't die for years into his prophecy.
>>557278
>Sufi and Shi'a
ahahaha, absolute madman!
How can a non-Muslim read about Islam and not think Ali was supposed to be Mohammed's successor?
> was his cousin
> lived together as children growing up
> converted to Islam at age 10 (arguably the first male Muslim)
> the entire Hadith of the Pond
> married Fatima etc
It's weird how Sunnis consider the Hadith of the Pond authentic and try to do some mental gymnastics for why it doesn't say what it clearly does say.
But Sunnis also somehow justify disinheriting Ali and his family cuz "MUH DEMOCRACY"
What is a bigger heresy? Praising Ali too much (Shia) or killing innocents and committing suicide (Sunni)?
>>557322
fuck off swedecuck
>>557322
>What is a bigger heresy? Praising Ali too much (Shia) or killing innocents and committing suicide (Sunni)?
Praising anyone to the point of deification is strictly haram.
As is killing innocents and committing suicide.
It's hard to say, especially when some Shi'a chant "Ya Ali/Hussein/Zahra etc." in a way that can be construed as shirk.
>>557334
What's the difference between Shias committing "shirk" and Sunnis idolizing Mohammed, doing everything he did etc? That's not shirk?
Sunnis just have a real arrogant and un-critical way of looking at the world. They'd rather pay attention to what others are doing instead of looking at themselves.
"The zeal and virtue of Ali were never outstripped by any recent proselyte.
He united the qualifications of a poet, a soldier, and a saint; his wisdom still
breathes in a collection of moral and religious sayings; and every antagonist,
in the combats of the tongue or of the sword, was subdued by his eloquence
and valour. From the first hour of his mission to the last rites of his funeral,
the apostle was never forsaken by a generous friend, whom he delighted to
name his brother, his vicegerent, and the faithful Aaron of a second Moses."
- Edward Gibbon, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
>>557278
What's your stance on the crusades, akhi?
>>557385
I view them favorably.
>>557346
No difference if they're past that degree.
Some Sunnis have that thing about Muhammad, yes, and they're wrong for doing so. It saddens me that some legitimately believe he has power over God.
>Sunnis just have a real arrogant and un-critical way of looking at the world
As of late, yes.
>>557390
indifel scum
>>557172
That's what every single reformer in history has called his reform
>>557346
Muhammad is considered a role model, Sunni Muslims keeps his tradition alive by imitation. We love him as a prophet more than we love our selves, just like a son loves his father or a boy loves his brother and tries to imitate him, this is no way definition of idolatary.
According to traditional Shi'a thought, the "failure" of the Ali'd movement was doomed from the start, not because of any flaw in the nature of Ali or The People of the House, but mainly due to the nature of the cosmos
One big difference between Sunni and Shi'a culturally speaking is that the Sunnis tended to view worldly success as a sign of divine favor. This is not to say that Sunnis didn't have any ascetic traditions, mind you, as the Sufis, who largely allowed themselves to move more towards the emerging Sunni orthodoxy, exemplify this fact. The thing is though, the political success of Sunni Islam was a source of great pride, even when the various Sunni empires began to collapse or economically decline. At the very least, Sunnis for many centuries could take some kind of pride in the fact that they were still on top of the world and this was evidence Allah had chosen Islam and Sunnism, even if the average Sunni was a peasant with little means. Much of the "shock" that they weren't on top and probably haven't been for a long time still hasn't worn off.
In contrast, the Shi'a understood themselves in almost opposite terms. Shi'ism wasn't proven true by it's worldly success but rather by the fact that it was persecuted, by it's "worldly failure" if you will. For Shi'a, the greatest proofs of Islam are found not in the worldly success of any single empire but rather in the wisdom and miracles of the saints and the sacrifices of the martyrs, particularly the martyrdom of Hussain. The Shi'a did not see Ali and Hussain's martyrdom as a case of God hating the Shi'a or as the result of any flaw in their character but more a case of the world as it is hating God, which is why of course the Mahdi needs to come and reform the world. Also, because the Imams lived in austerity and endured hardship, even Shi'ite kings felt a certain need to project a similar image of ascetic virtue and spartan vigor to their Shi'a subjects.
>>557928
This is also why reform movements like Wahhabism and Salafism gained many converts among the Sunnis once it became clear that God was no longer favoring the Muslims with wordly success. The early Wahhabis, including the early Saudis were very rigid in their lifestyles, which earned the admiration of many Sunnis and made them pay attention when the Wahhabis claimed that the reason the infidels are overtaking the Muslim world is because of excess and moral decadence.
In the Shi'a world, the main problem for the different reformers was encouraging more active political involvement of the clergy as the monarchs and aristocrats embraced modern Western culture and secularism. The Shi'a reformers were trying to get Shi'a more involved in the world, when they had a habit of being like "we shouldn't get too involved in politics, we shouldn't get too involved in the world, we should focus on leading individual lives of purity and waiting for the Imam to come."
>>557928
>as the Sufis, who largely allowed themselves to move more towards the emerging Sunni orthodoxy, exemplify this fact
Almost every major Sufi tariqa except for the Nashqbandi is traces its spiritual lineage to Ali. The Sufis started as a Shia movement.
Where did you read this? It seems skewed.
Apart from that, it seems accurate.
>>557950
Most Sufis ARE Sunni in aqidah (creed) and fiqh (law). While the Sufi orders trace themselves through Ali, this is only in terms of mystical knowledge (ma'rifa/irfan). Almost every traditional Sufi order today accepts the doctrine of the Four Righteous Caliphs and reads Sunni books by Sunni jurists and Sunni or Sunni leaning mystics. You'll find in fact that many Sufis do share the Sunni suspicions of the Shi'a, perhaps more so because the Shi'a in their structure and doctrines seem a lot like them, which results in their being persecuted by their fellow Sunnis. Most Sufis only hold Ali to be a spiritual leader, not a political or worldly one, and see the early caliphate along the lines of something close to a constitutional monarchy or like kingship(the caliphs)/papacy(Ali). The Shi'a however accept Ali as both the perfect political and perfect spiritual leader.
Also, among the Shi'a, the relationship between themselves and the Sufis became vexed. While Shi'a-Sufi orders are not non-existent in and outside of Iran, ever since the 17th century, the issue of Sufis and Sufism became problematic. Some Shi'a saw the Sufis as deviants or as closet Sunnis. In response, many Shi'a avoided formal Sufi orders of dervishes and embraced a more informal Sufism, which had always bled into Shi'a learning, under the general label of "Irfan" or "gnosticism". This avoided the controversial political label of being a "Sufi" which more and more became associated in the minds of some more zealous ulama with disobedience of the shariah or extreme (ghulat) beliefs. Some Shi'a clergy, not least famous Ayatollah Khomeini himself school fully embraced the identity of being "Sufis" but distinguished between the formal Sufi orders and the informal study and practice of "Sufism" or "irfan". The adoption by mainstream hawzas (clerical schools) among the Shi'a of gnostic and philosophical studies over the centuries also led to the decline of the formal tariqas among the Shi'a.
>>557928
>Much of the "shock" that they weren't on top and probably haven't been for a long time still hasn't worn off.
I've read that Napoleon's invasion of Egypt is one of the most important events in the history of the Islamic world. In Europe it's nothing more than a footnote of history, overlooked as trivial even by most of academics. For Islam is was a thorough shock - an infidel army arrived and smashed with ease all the armies thrown at it. The technical and organisational superiority of the French army was absolutely and the French withdrawn only after being defeated by another infidel army.
The whole brief war utterly smashed the Islamic world's sweet dream of being the pinnacle of civilization. It still has yet to redefine itself after that shock.
>>557976
When you're referring to the Shi'i, are you referring solely to the Twelvers or what? The only reason most Sufis could be seen as Sunni would be because Twelver ideology developed after many of the tariqat were founded. They could be easily seen as Shi'i in the traditional pre-Twelver sense.
They (the original Safavid dynasty) grew out of the Safaviyya tariqa, after all, so it's not surprising that modern Twelvers would acknowledge the link.
Could you tell me your sources, please? I'd like to expand my knowledge on the subject.
>>557997
Yes, that is correct for the most part. Most Islamic historians and academics now accept that the Napoleonic invasion of Egypt caused three distinct though not necessarily separate reactions:
1. Mahdism-- This event and similar ones that followed were a sign of the coming apoacalypse. Muslims need to hurry and repent and prepare for the coming of Christ and the Mahdi. Groups like the Babi and Bahai come out of this
2. Fundamentalism-- These events are happening because we (the Muslims) haven't been following God's law, which has made us weak and disorganized. We need to return to the basic foundations of our faith and eliminate those religious soars and boils that have grown over it. Not just Wahhabi movements come out of this, but so too did some Sufi reactionary movements.
3. Secular Intellectualism-- If the West is superior because of its science and technology than we need to embrace the culture and science of the West wholesale and forget some or all of this religious keeping us in a primitive past. see Ataturk, Arab nationalism, Middle Eastern Marxism, etc. Such movements were mostly confined to the urban educated class. Most "communists" in the Islamic world weren't workers or peasants as much as people who could afford to study in Europe, where they became exposed to Marxist philosophy.
>>557997
It's said that Napoleon secretly converted to Islam, and if not, he was definitely heavily influenced by the Quran during his time in Egypt.
>>558040
That's BS. He claimed to be a Muslim while in Egypt in an attempt to gain local support. I believe nobody took that seriously. Just years later he reestablished the Catholic Church in France as a Christian emperor.
Most likely be was just indifferent to religion and used it for political gain. He privately talked quite disparagingly about all religions.
>>558068
>>558040
>It is by making myself Catholic that I brought peace to Brittany and Vendée. It is by making myself Italian that I won minds in Italy. It is by making myself a Moslem that I established myself in Egypt. If I governed a nation of Jews, I should reestablish the Temple of Solomon.
Good ol' Nappy!
>>558014
>When you're referring to the Shi'i, are you referring solely to the Twelvers or what?
Twelvers and Ismailis. Zaydis' Shi'ism tends to be more of a political character without much mystical theology.
>They (the original Safavid dynasty) grew out of the Safaviyya tariqa, after all, so it's not surprising that modern Twelvers would acknowledge the link.
Shi'ism existed before the Safavid dynasty and it was under the Safavid dynasty that the wedding between the non-Sufi/anti-Sufi Shi'a ulama and Shi'a-Sufis found patronage, which eventually led to the synthesis of the various elements of rational Twelver kalam (theology), Sufi gnosis, and Persian/Greek philosophy found in "The School of Isfahan" associated with such figures as Shaykh Bahai, Mir Damad, Mulla Sadra and others whose teachings formed the basis of most of Twelver metaphysics from then on.
The Ismailis always identified themselves as "dervishes" or "Sufis" but were exclusivists in that they didn't really accept members of other tariqa and preferred to infiltrate other non-Shi'a or non-Ismaili tariqa from within by sending their devout missionaries and assassins to pose as dervishes of other Sufi orders
1/4
>>558289
The most famous doctors of Twelver Shi'a religion in the medieval era: Sheikh al-Mufid (d.1022), Sheikh al-Tusi (d. 1067), Sheikh as-Saduq (d. 991), etc. didn't identify as "Sufis" and whenever they spoke about it, they understood it as something different from their Shi'ism (see Mufid), although they didn't deny the reality of gnosis/irfan, they did not see irfan and Sufism as necessarily the same. The Sufis claimed esoteric knowledge and initiation from the Imams, but many Shi'a believed them to be false claimants. Similarly, the Shi'a "ghulat" or "extremists" who were seen as going too far in elevating the status of the Imams, even to the point of claiming they were God or prophets or greater than Muhammad, also claimed to be initiates of esoteric knowledge from the Imams (though many of them shared the dislike of Sufis too for the reasons they challenged ghulat claims to authority) and that their excommunication and condemnation by the Imams was merely taqiyya. Exceptions exist like Haydar Amuli (d. 1385) who attempted to show "Sufism" and "Shi'ism" as the same thing, which set the stage for later developments when the ascent of a powerful Shi'a dynasty in Iran saw the different competing elements of Shi'ism living in one place from rational minded Twelver ulama in the tradition of Mufid, Saduq and others, the followers of a fairly mainstream Sufi-Shi'ism like that of Amuli, radical Sufi sects like those among the Qizilbash tribal elements that supported the Safavids rise to power, historically Sunni Sufi orders recently converted to Shi'ism like the Nimatullahi who wanted to avoid persecution or found the Safavid propaganda convincing, Zaydi and Ismaili communities, and (formerly Sunni) students of Persian-Islamic philosophy in the line of Suhrawardi and Ibn Sina who were found mainly among the Persian speaking aristocracy
All of these combined in creative ways during the Safavid period to give rise to what is now "orthodox" Twelverism
2/4
>>558301
As to the term "Sufi", the problem for most Shi'a is not the association of Sufi with a follower of irfan, but the issue that the term is of more recent origin than the term Shi'a and the exact meaning and origin of the term is a subject of debate. Even many Sufis themselves can't agree on what the actual origin of the name "Sufi" is. Some believe it is derived from the term "tasawwuf" which is a spiritual concept in Sufism. Some believe it comes from the word for wool, and is a reference to the wool garments Sufi dervishes were known to wear. Still other Sufis believe the term comes from "Ahle Suffe" which means "People of the Platform" the "platform here being a reference to the platform of the first mosque in Medina during Muhammad's lifetime. All of these different definitions have been put forward by followers and scholars Sufism to explain the origin of the term, but the term "Sufi" or "Sufiyya" doesn't come into much popular use til the 9th or 10th century
With the term "Shi'at 'Ali", this is a no brainer. It refers to those who considered themselves true followers of Ali and the first use of the identification can be traced to Muhammad himself. No orthodox Sunni or Shi'a disputes this at all. Sunnis often claim THEY are the true "Shi'at Ali" against the Shi'a claims to be so. Abu Hanifa (d. 772), the founder of the Hanafi madhab, one of the four recognized schools of law in Sunni Islam, was also a student of the 6th Shi'i Imam, Ja'far as-Sadiq and was not opposed to the term "Shi'a" itself. But scholars like Abu Hanifa differentiated between Shi'a who were in his mind believers (Sunnis) and who were "rafidah" or "rejectors". Likewise, the term "Sunni" comes from "Ahlul Sunnah" but Shi'a often say "No, we are the true Ahlul Sunnah" So it goes both ways. The term "Shi'a" may be older than either "Sufi" or "Sunni" but each of these three groups can easily claim the other two terms as adequate descriptions of themselves which can create confusion
3/4
>>558308
Early Islamic sectarian identities are not easy to define. Scholars accepted by the Sunnis and Shi'a today from the past don't always fit neatly along clear sectarian battle lines. It becomes hard to figure out in some cases where the early Islamic figures fit, especially with regards to the early mystics, who have been claimed/rejected by both Shi'a and Sunni alike. The cult surrounding the Shi'a Imams made things more confusing as different individuals surrounded the Imams from Ali and Muhammad's family and claimed to be the rightful representatives and battled with one another for closeness to them. These groups were mixing together during and after the times of the Shi'a Imams and all laid claim to being the spiritual descendants of the students of the Imams' schools. Especially after the 8th-11th (Twelver) Imams' death, it becomes confusing as the students of their schools dispersed and mixed and matched with one another that it becomes hard to pinpoint where each individual scholar falls. Some early Twelvers found themselves more in affinity with the Mutazilites, while others did identify themselves with the Sufi mystics or even with some of the ghulat. Some Shi'a accepted gnostic beliefs but rejected the term "Sufi" as a reference to deviant practices and doctrines. Some Sunnis condemned the "rafidah" as pretenders but nonetheless selectively narrated many of the rafidah's own hadiths from the Imams to support their own personal belief. Sometimes Shi'a students studied under Sunni teachers.
4/4
tl;dr it's all more complicated than you think. The much clearer battle lines between Shi'a and Sunni and Sufi we're familiar with today are probably only 600 years old and even today there still exists debate and confusion regarding early figures, especially the mystics.
>>558014
>Could you tell me your sources, please? I'd like to expand my knowledge on the subject.
pic related is a good start
>>557079
>rather than hiding for hundreds of years.
Hold up.
This guy sounds an awful lot like the God Emperor.
Yes.
>>557079
>All major Muslim "sects" believe in the Mahdi
Turkish sunnis don't.
>>557802
How is this different than Shias "imitating" Ali?
>>558697
they do afaik, it just isn't emphasized as much as in Shia Islam
Does someone know enough about the subject to explain why were the Fatimids unable to build a shiite Egypt (or north africa) but the Safavids were able to build a shiite Iran?
The destruction of the Fatimids by the Ayyubids cannot be the reason since Fatimids ruled for more than 200 years, more or less the same than the Safavids. Did the Fatimids just not care about proselytism or was there some important difference between Twelvers and Ismailis that made the former more attractive? Or was it Iran that was more receptive to the doctrine change than Egypt? If so (whatever is the awnser) why?
>>557114
On 9:97, when they say "most fitted to be in ignorance, the Arabic literally says: "most fitted in that they do not understand the boundaries (understand what delineates) of what was brought down by the prophet "
>>557127
Wa does translate to and, but there are certain times in the Quran where it tires together two contradictory clauses.
Thanks for helping me practice Arabic guis
>>559088
>"most fitted in that they do not understand the boundaries (understand what delineates) of what was brought down by the prophet "
What did Allah mean by this?
>>559102
BTW I meant brought down by Allah to the prophet sorry...
>>559102
I believe (I'm no expert), in the context of the wider text, it refers to the ancient Arabs who would personalize God, ask for intercession, things like that. Mohammad's revelations curbs the extent to which the Arabs practiced magic, charms, and such things, it limits them. Some Arabs didn't follow those limits because they didn't understand why they were there, since they followed the excesses as tradition.
>>559124
So, in your opinion, does it support the point on modern Arabs made by the guy who posted the verse?
>>559139
Yes. They haven't changed.
Town Arab culture has been largely static since 1258. Bedouin Arab culture has been stagnant and regressive.
>>559139
Personally, I see the passages mentioned as a wider statement as well. Arabs are depicted in these passages as tribal in cohesiveness (like he said) and stubborn in superstition. Notice that for each of the two passages, the objection is mentioned, then immediately followed by a general "God is all-soandso ". IMO, this means that holders of power (or of survival for the head of a tribe in the Arabs sake) are stubborn to change in mindset and usually slow to true submission to a higher power due to their status, causing calcification in society. Arabs at that time seem especially like that. However, with those statements of the positive aspects of a higher power, this implies that societies like the ones described are not totally fucked, if they submit to God. The Quran thus acknowledges a gradual but true change of heart as valid, to what I can conclude. Today's Arabs are the same way. It's more a message than a condemnation.
>>556836
Shiite Islam expressly forbids clitorectomies.
It has my vote, Ali Senpai.
Sunni = Protestants of Islam (Quran alone, God alone, Mohammed alone, etc)
Shia = Catholicism of Islam (Emphasis on apostles, imams, companions, etc)
The difference here in Islam's case is that the Protestants were the majority and persecuted the Catholic minority and called them heretics.
>>559320
Why the west always confuse sunnism with wahhabism.
My people traditional sunni notion include ash'ari theology and sufi practices.
>>557146
u quranist brah?
>>559346
He's a Hipster salafist.
Salafist before Muhammad bin abd al-Wahhab cool.
>>559330
Because of all the propaganda in the media that's designed to imply that 90%+ of Muslims are subhuman terrorists.
>>559346
I'm a Muslim. We're told to use our rational faculty in all aspects. Swallowing the trash written in many hadith because they're "sahih" and dismissing rational hadith because they're "mawdu" is ignorant and superstitious.
Quranists are too extreme in their position.
>>559360
I don't like ibn Taymiyyah very much either.
>>559448
#YouAintNoMuslimBruv
>>559448
So what's the difference between you an a Quranist? I've always liked the Quranists, and you sound like one, but apparently my understanding is lacking.
>>558985
Fatimids did not care about conversion of their subjects
For them Ismaili shiism was for the educated elite
Egypt today does have celebrations/holydays left over from Fatimids (destibe Ayyubids/Mamluks trying to wipe out Fatimid history)
>>558656
>god emperor is turkic from anatolia
>mehdi is supposed to come from khorosan, likely turkic
>both are batiniyya characters
>chracteristics of both fit into the image of saviour in batini shia islam (like Alevi/Hurufi)
h-hold up!
>>556836
Moreso and quicker. Ali was a more than capable military leader and humble enough to know his own weaknesses and to listen to those with good ideas serving under him. As a personality he was pious and even most of those opposed to him respected him, and he wasn't a racist that thought non-Arabs shouldn't have power in the Muslim state and, of course, shouldn't be Muslims. Ali's family would have seen the gains of the Abbasids, but a more unified and militarily powerful version, from the Umayyad period on.
>>559678
>god emperor is turkic from anatolia
epic
>>559777
shhhh, you heard it first here :^)
(i thought he was born 8th cen. AD, not BC)
>>559792
either way he couldn't be turkic
>>559792
The Turks didn't really enter Anatolia until the 11th Century brah
>>559846
I thought they were being used by the ARabs at this time along the border/were settling as well?
>>559596
They hold the position that all hadith are forgeries/conjecture and therefore should not be seen as genuine additions to practicing Islam.
I hold the position that the vast majority are as above, and that explicitly cultural aspects of the religion should be rightfully seen as merely cultural. e.g. the burqa.
Sheikh Imran Hosein is a scholar that shares my view, and he is by not a Quranist. I'm somewhat partial to their views, but Rashid Khalifa's cult the "Submitters" exceeds the bounds that Islam has set as essential to being legitimate Muslims.
>>559330
>Why the west always confuse sunnism with wahhabism.
Because Saudi Arabia is seen as a center and something of a mouthpiece of Sunnism. People in the West are accustomed to the idea that a mainstream church has a "head" that is an authoritative voice. Pope, Patriarch of Constantinople, Archbishop of Canterbury, Lutheran councils in each country etc. You get the idea. Those who disagree with them are fringe movements.
And since the Pope sits in Rome, the guys that sit in Mecca must be those who run Sunni Islam, right?
>>559448
>Because of all the propaganda in the media that's designed to imply that 90%+ of Muslims are subhuman terrorists.
There isn't any propaganda to speak of, unless you count sensationalism in tabloid press. There's however s persistent problems of integrating Muslims. Muslims, unlike almost every other minorities, by large look impervious to the assimilating force of modern Western society. Thus, to many people the terrorists are just an extreme end of a continuous spectrum of behavior exhibited by Muslims living in the West. Muslims are also handicapped by the lack of their own "pope" or "archbishop" who could be seen as a rallying figure and moderating voice.
>>558289
>tfw you are a direct descendant of the great Mir Damad
>tfw youre a waste of good genetics
>>558322
As a native Persian speaker some of these books are great but you really won't understand the meaning behind the works of Hafez, Rumi, and I even see some of Khomeini's poetry on that list too (really good stuff tbqhf[to be quite honest familia]), without being able to read and understand it in Farsi. The meaning just isn't there, the language will sound flowery and over-romantic but thats not what is being conveyed. All Iranians speak like that and it always makes me lol when white americans say "oh i love rumi the language he uses is so romantic!". nigger please thats just how we talk.
>>557165
That's fucking 10/10 banter tbqh
>>559964
Then how could you tell which hadith are "legitimate?"
>>557976
>Also, among the Shi'a, the relationship between themselves and the Sufis became vexed.
The reasons for that are two-fold.
First, you have the fact that the Safavid dynasty started out as a Shi'a Sufi tariqa. The later Safavid rulers were initially Safaviyya sheikhs, and their fanatical Qizilbashi soldiers were also their sufi disciples. The movement was massively revolutionary and seditious, which was good when you were fighting a guerilla against the Ottomans. But when Safavids became a ruling dynasty, they had to purge their own powerbase which became too dangerous. That's just how it always is in history, see Hitler and the SA and a million other examples.
The second reason is that the imams are supposed to be infallible, possess a light of God, divine wisdom etc, etc. This is in contrast with the idea that Sufi sheikhs have the same properties and that it is possible to attain them for anyone who studies hard. It's quite hard to reconcile those two ideas.
>>560213
They don't contradict ANYTHING in the Quran, be it by core message or otherwise.
They aren't obviously superstitious in nature, being remnants of the vanquished pagan faith systems.
Their predictions have come to pass against the odds.
If it does not contradict the Quran, but does not augment it, treat it as dubious.
I hope you're not "Ahl-al-Hadith", my brother.
>>560176
Yo Persiabro,
I claim Forough Farrokhzad as muh chiqiyyah...
just sayin
>>560321
>Ahl-al-Hadith
Nah, I'm actually a son of an Egyptian immigrant. He's Muslim in name only, and I've grown up to basically be an atheist who wants to believe in something but can't bring himself to. Quranist beliefs have always appealed to me, and yours do as well. Just wanted to see how you justified them.
>>559320
It's more accurate to put it like this
Traditional Sunni Islam= Eastern Orthodoxy
Shi'ism= Roman Catholicism
Wahhabism & Salafism= hyper-calvinism
Quranists or Quran aloners= Unitarian Universalists
>>560647
>Quranist beliefs have always appealed to me, and yours do as well. Just wanted to see how you justified them.
And how have I done?
The view of hadith lovers that the hadith are required for understanding the Quran is obviously false if viewed within the ideology of Islam. It relegates the Quran to being an incomplete book rather than the claimed, unadulterated Word of God. In a sense it implies that it was composed by Muhammad, and that emulating his (rather mundane) personal habits is the goal of being a Muslim rather than spiritual and material liberation from tyranny in all its manifestations.
I'd recommend you read the Quran with an open mind if you haven't already. It opened up my heart considerably.
>>560261
What was supposedly a purge of the Qizilbash was in fact more of a civil war among the Qizilbash themselves as some tribes became alienated from the Shah and the void was filled ghulam corps pulled from the Armenians and Georgians. Many Qizilbash tribes still remained in high favor with the royal court well into the dynasty's lifetime and while some elements of the Qizilbash moved towards more radical Sufism, such as the Nuqtavi movement, many other Qizilbash were more receptive to the rational and legalistic Shi'ism coming from the Arab ulema who migrated to the empire, just as some of the Arab ulama themselves saw fit to incorporate Sufi elements into their teaching to ease that transition.
Also, the Qajar dynasty came from one of the most respected and powerful of the Qizilbash tribes, so the Qizilbash were certainly not purged totally.
Also, while the Imams are hailed as the greatest of God's creation (after Muhammad) and pure and infallible, Shi'a have many more saints and holy icons. You have Zaynab bint Ali, Shahrbanu, Salman al-Farsi, Abu Dhar al-Ghaffari, Abbas ibn Ali, Abu Talib, the list can go on. All these figures are regarded by Shi'a as having intercessory and exemplary roles to play. Also, as I mentioned before, there were plenty of early Sufi figures who found acceptance among the Shi'a, even those who don't like "Sufis".
Really, the conflict between the Safavids and the other Sufis was mainly due to conceptions of Sufi authority. Because the Safavids rose to power as Sufi sheikhs, this made most other Sufi orders, unless they recognized the Shah's supreme secular authority, potential rivals. Many Sufi Orders only accept their sheikhs as THE sheikhs and speaking from personal experience, when people who pledge loyalty to a sheikh want to leave the order or join another, it's very hard to do so unless your sheikh is a fairly liberal dude because the sheikhs often claim a certain ownership of their followers.
>>560152
It's not too late to change your hikikomori ways, habibi
>>560193
There's a whole a lot of recs for Alevi Islam or Bektashi Islam in that pic
>>560722
Many problems arise from this approach to the scripture though. For one thing, it breaks the relationship between the Qur'an and history. How does one apply the Qur'an to their life without exemplary figures who embody the spirit and principles of its teachings? And how does one identify and assemble a life of these figures who exemplify the Qur'an's principles without the hadith? You also have a problem of the fact that many parts of the Qu'ran, especially in the area of law, require one to know the document's particular contexts and this is usually known by way of the hadith. There's also the fact that Qur'an even testifies to the presence of inner (batin) and outer (zahir) meanings to its verses, the hidden layers of meaning not being readily apparent to the average believer who doesn't have the knowledge or intuition to understand them.
If the problem is that hadith collections are elevated too highly over the Qur'an, there's responses to this. One is that this is mostly a Sunni phenomenon. Generally speaking, the main four Shi'a collections of hadith are regarded as including traditions of different levels of authenticity, but none of them are regarded as completely "sahih" like Muslim or Bukhari by Sunnis, and that position is in fact somewhat new in the Sunni world and was probably a response to the Shi'a analytical approaches to the hadith where each individual hadith had to be authenticated since Shi'a did not accept all the Companions of Muhammad to be rightly guided like Sunnis, nor do they accept all their hadith scholars to necessarily be infallible in their judgment. This is probably why Quran Aloners are mostly coming from the Sunni community, because Shi'a as a rule never take any hadith for granted and will admit that many of their oldest hadith collections are only like 50-60% sahih and each Shi'ite cleric publishes their own collections of what hadith they feel are the most authentic out of these principal sources.
>>561251
You put forward some very good points, though I honestly didn't have those samples of hadith in mind. My complaints in that regard were moreso the elevation of particular mundane, repetitive acts Muhammad (like all humans) had to do on a daily basis than emulating his/the Sahabas' characters.
Are you of any particular denomination yourself? Have you formally studied Islamic Sciences? Are you the poster I was replying to?
I came to most of my opinions independently, you see, and your understanding seems to be far more fleshed out and informed than mine. If I'm honest, I don't know much about Shi'i hadith or fiqh at all, so consciously I was bashing on the same trends you noticed in Ahl-al-Sunnah/Hadith.
>>560176
I want to learn Persian, what should I do? I already have a good grasp on fusha Arabic, Alhamdulilah
>>557114
There is a big differen between الأعراب و العرب.
The one with two alefs and that are in these verses refer to the bedouin desert dwellers of the Arabian Peninsula and the other one which is common today to Arabs in general which is what Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and many of his companions were. Those desert Arabs are mostly gone anyways, living in cities and very different.
>>558308
The word Sufi comes from the Greek word "Sophia" which means "wisdom"
For example, the word "philosophy" means "love of wisdom"
>>561351
Persian learner here
My teacher told me that every Iranian thinks they're the embodiment of persianness and think try to teach Persian online whilst sucking at it. Apparently, "easy persian" is not a bad website, though.
>>561737
Surely any "Persian" who believes in an Arabic religion can't be the real thing. What is the problem?
>>561550
That's another theory. But the problem is that when the term "philosophy" borrowed from Greek into Arabic, it became "falsafa". This is why many Sufis like al-Ghazali opposed philosophy because the connation was that of Greek metaphysics. In response, the Arab and Persian philosophers opted instead for "hikmat" to describe their own "falsafa". Hikmat being the word for "wisdom" in Arabic. So philosophers eventually settled on "al-hikmat al-ilahiyyah" or "wisdom of God" or theosophy which included the Greco-Arabic metaphysics, Sufi mysticism, as well as argumentative theology or kalam. When one examines the Sufis who opposed philosophy like al-Ghazali, one also notices that he uses the term "falsafa" in the context of Greek ideas imported into Islam (from his point of view),.There's no evidence to suggest that "Sufi" has any etymological origins in the Greek "sophia" and most Sufis who didn't identify as philosophers saw tasawwuf and falsafa as different things.
A good example is the "triad" of Ibn Sina, al-Ghazali and Ibn Rushd. Ibn Sina's rational scheme permitted much more room for mystical experience, similar in many ways to the Neoplatonic system which synthesized Greco-Roman mysticism, mostly informed by Platonic ideals, and Aristotelian empiricism. al-Ghazali tended more towards the position that all this futile attempts by humans to use Aristotelian logic and Platonic rational-mysticism were pointless and only the direct mystical experiences of the Sufis carried any weight in understanding the invisible world though he used rational arguments to try to tear down the systems of the philosophers. While Ibn Rushd was a more strict Aristotelian whose rationalism as opposed to mysticism influenced Christian Europe more than it influenced later Islamic thought which either followed Ghazali (in the Sunni world) or Ibn Sina (the Persian Shi'a world),
>>561815
I shouldn't have used the term philosophy. I strictly am speaking about SOPHIA or Divine Wisdom.
>>561251
m8, any book to read on this?
>>562184
what part are you interesting in exactly
>>561351
و الله يحفظك يا صديق
Fusha speaker here. Even though it doesn't do well in teaching contemporary Persian, I find reading Khayyam's Rubiyat with an English companion (not the classic Fitzgerald translation) is enjoyable because there is such a sublime mix of Arabic loanwords and basic Persian words; for straight enjoyment, download the Gulistan of Sa'di, which has many Persian and English versions for download, and makes many concepts clear once you analyze the grammar. It's prose, and has many Arabic loanwords as well... for analyzing grammar, I suggest John Mace's "Persian Grammar for Reference and Revision" for basic, contemporary understanding. For an advanced understanding of the grammar and use of vocabulary (mostly of older Persian, from the 18th century), find Sir William Jones' Higher Persian Grammar, which is floating somewhere on the Internet Archive.
كم وقتا التي تتعلم الفصحى، يا رفيقي؟ قد بدأت منذ ثلاثة اعوام. عند اين؟
>>560673
No.
Sunni = Protestant
Shi'a = Eastern Orthodox
>>557928
interesting
shi'as are like the leftists of Islam while Sunnis are the right-wingers
>>557802
You say that, but then Catholics and Orthodox Christians get accused by Muslims of worshipping Mary
>all this autistic comparatio of islam and christian
Please stahp
>>562222
About how sunnis treated bukhari etc with almost infallibility. Prefferably any scholarly works.
As someone who lived my shole life as sunni layman I undertand the argument, but if I wished to get some scholarly works to get more depth.
>>563492
But you should imitate Jesus, not marry.
Because Jesus is mediator between man and way to god. If you consider Jesus as God and then putting his figurine in the place of worship then it is defined as idolatary in accordance with both Abrahamic teachings and general philosophy
>>563556
>putting his figurine in the place of worship
What does this even mean? My post was about Mary, had nothing to do with Jesus
>>562729
الحمد لله أنا كنت في مصر سنة كاملة مركزا في لغة القرآن و عدت إلى بلدي في شهر ديسمبر
الآن أحاول أن أحصل على ماجستير في التاريخ فادع لي
سوف أبحث عن الكتب التي ذكرت بإذن الله تعالى لكنني أعتقد أني أحتاج إلى مدرس
How good is your Persian? Did you find a teacher? I think it would be difficult to find one in the states.
>>563563
Figurine of Mary is also placed in the worship places of christians, which is idolatary.
This is some fascinating shit, I have to say. Thanks, Muslimbros.
>>560321
Isn't that like being Hanafi basically? Skeptical of hadiths more so than Hanbalis but still orthodox and somewhat flexible.
>>556853
>first reply
>quoting OP
wow this really is a fledgling, new board consisting of amateurs
maybe when post numbers get into the 7-digit range, then faggots like you will know better
>>564088
يا الله، ممكن لارغب فقط لفرصة السافر الي اي دولة في الشرق الاوسط
هل انت مسلم اصلا؟
حاليا ادرس القران بالعربية مع مترجما انجلزيا. انا مسيحي و اريد انتمى كنيسة كاثهليكية ام ارثوذكسية، خاصة من اصل شرقي
My understanding of the rules is OK, but I have not put them all into practice yet. I have found a teacher too. I would say it's easier to find a teacher at a college or online. You might want to look into interpals (look it up on google). There might (most likely will be) be someone on there that's willing to be your pen pal and teach you Farsi in exchange for knowledge of Arabic or whatever else you know. I know some of them Skype.
>>556950
It started from a simple dispute over who is the rightful heir to Muhammed but since they split the 2 branches have formed numerous differences. In short the Shia believe that only stuff written down directly from Muhamad is the Rightful Word of God(tm) while the Sunni add a bunch of later works into their teachings. So the Shia are basically more ascetic and by the book while the Sunni also follow a lot of traditions and practices that were not outlined by Mohammed but were still integrated into Sunni religion.
>>557997
they were un-defeated until napoleon?
>>558322
i'm disappointed that theres coleman barks' rumi """""""""""""""""""translation"""""""""""""""""" on this chart
>>565296
ولدت في أسرة غير مسلمة و أسلمت منذ ثلاث سنوات تقريبا
لست مسلما؟ لا أبا لك لكن على الأقل تريد إحدى كنيستين التي كانت لهما ثقافة جميلة و تاريخ و لماذا تفضل الشرق
You're Protestant now? (I'm too lay to type protestantismo in arabic. Why the interest in Farsi and Fusha?
>>566614
صح، لست مسلما الان. اشعر ان محمد ليس ختم النبويين حتى ديوانه محفزا، بحضرة الهية ام لا. عند حضور وقت بحث طريقتي فسأعثر معظما على مذاهب التصوف لتعليم الاسلام. اما المسيحي فافضل الطراز الشرقي بسبب تاريخه و تركيزه على اقبال الابن من اجل باطن و طقسه الجميل السامي و تمسكه الى صفات القديسين و تطبيقه الايقونات و حبه للعذراء مريم
I was raised as a Protestant. While I respect the form of expression they use and the simplicity of their service, I feel the need for at least some decorum, and out of experience I have seen the downfall of a system that adheres to sola scriptura, vague doctrine, and weak fellowship among the congregation. As I told you, Sufism is very attractive to me (hence part of my interest in Farsi). I feel the need to sanctify the elements of my approach to God. I fear adhering completely to Catholicism due to the primacy of only one Pope and exclusion of other communions; I will look more into Orthodoxy before I judge. I don't want to be the type that commits to multiple religions in a short amount of time. I love Arabic because of the sublimity of its wording, idk. I am a perspective linguist, so I will branch out more as time goes on. I've drawn up a plan lol.
What pushed you into Islam? (especially, what convinced you that Mohammad is the last prophet?)
>>566426
That was 1799. The islamic world was in heavy decline and practically defeated everywhere
>>566761
Well I was born into a loosely catholic family and I was always looking at religions. I always had a problem with the idea of Jesus being God, the trinity and the crucifixion and passion were things I never really thought about or connected with. Now I understand how central they are to Christianity but at the time, I was Christian without those ideas being essentially then a Muslim without Muhammad.
I met some Muslims in middle and high school, they were nice and I had a lot of respect for Islam but I eventually became Bahai just because it appealed to me as kind of hipster-ish and new agey but I really didn't connect with it and for two years I was Bahai but I knew no Bahais and didn't do anything Bahai. I started near the end going to a Bahai center and I came across the last sermon of Muhammad. The former made me realize that there is no substance to the Bahai faith and the latter that it didn't make any sense to believe in Muhammad and another prophet after him at the same time.
بسبب ذلك تعجبت عندما قلت أنك لا تظن أن محمدا خاتم الأنبياء
هل تعتقد أنه ما قال أنه الآخر أو تشك فيه
I mean he definitely said it in hadith and the last sermon especially is very explicit, I guess some like the Quranists might say that خاتم means something else but I honestly see that as very weak.
For a while I just believed in God as I did for a while between Christianity and the Bahai faith. Then I kind of just became Muslim. It was during Ramadan and I had been dating this Muslim girl, أستغفر الله العظيم, we had broken up a little before and I was trying fasting. Nothing in particular convinced me, it just seem like the last thing.
اليقين came with time as I practiced and I am reminded of the verse of the Quran.
فسبح بحمد ربك وكن من الساجدين واعبد ربك حتى يأتيك اليقين
Last two verses of Hijr before an Nahl
>>566761
But the longer I am Muslim the more I appreciate Christianity honestly. I listen to Catholic talk radio a lot and enjoy it. It has substance in a way the Bahai faith didn't but I am so not in agreemwnt with what they think of God and the trinity amd Jesus عليه الصلاة والسلام.
What is the liguistic plan? Other than English and Arabic, I know Spanish and can read French. I have my own plan. I am going to self study German and Italian and I will work slowly by myself on Latin, ancient Greek and Hebrew in that order. If I find a teacher I will learn Farsi, Urdu, and Hindi in that order. And of course إن شاء الله
I've already started German and Latin. Just in the begining though.
>>560647
Lmao, just become Coptic bro
>>566782
so then Napoleon didn't 'shock' them?
>>568068
Napoleon's invasion made it increasingly obvious they were becoming weak. Before that, it was a little easier to deny it. After Napoleon is when you start to see a much heavier "reaction" to the increasing power of the West.
>>556939
>Aren't Shia practically a non-missionary branch of Islam?
Not quite, among the Shi'a you have both an affirmation of free will but also a belief that only a minority of people will believe. But historically, this didn't prevent the Shi'a from being extremely missionary in their own way. If anything, Sunnis were less missionary because unlike their Shi'a counterparts, they denied the reality of free will and affirmed stronger predestination doctrines. Unbelievers were unbelievers because God willed them to be so. This is not to say that Sunnism didn't put effort into trying to convert others, just as Calvin's ideas on predestination didn't prevent Reformed Christians from becoming missionaries. But the Shi'a seem to have been more intense in their efforts to try to convert populations to Islam. The difference is they relied more on debate and clandestine forms of conversion, whereas the Sunnis, being the politically dominant relied mostly on the gains from jihad. For Sunnis, it was enough that the Muslims were politically dominant. If the unbelievers beneath them refused to believe, it didn't really matter as long as they payed their jizya. Shi'a carried out extensive missionary efforts to the frontier parts of the Islamic world or by inserting themselves into the Sunni political and religious structure, through which they attempted to convert Sunnis to Shi'ism from within.
For example, Ismaili da'i's (literally missionaries) would often disguise themselves as Sufi dervishes and hang around the mosques and ask questions of the congregants looking for those who might be receptive to their religion. We also know that the reason Shi'ism of all branches was found often on the frontiers of Dar'ul Islam was because these were furthest away from centers of Sunni power where there were still plenty of non-Muslims between the non-Muslim and muslim territories to convert. The conversion of nobles was also important as nobles could protect Shi'a.
>>571241
>Unbelievers were unbelievers because God willed them to be so.
How did they rationalize killing people for apostasy then?
>>571756
It's the job of believer to spread the word of Allah and enact sharia.
Whatever the content of people's hearts is Allah's authority.
>>566426
The core of Islamic world hasn't seen infidel troops for centuries. Ottomans were wavering, but still powerful and never actually liked by the rest of Muslims. Other than that, Islam continued its advance in other directions - like Africa or Central Asia. Do yes, they could pretty much think that they are undefeated.
>>566944
Ever tried non-trinitarian Christianity?
>>571777
Not him, but a fellow Muslim.
I don't take those verses literally. I think it's more the case that Allah prolongs their life in such a way as to keep them in disbelief. Allah knows what's in our hearts, but it's ultimately up to us to try to change it.
Allah merely allows them to deviate further. We are explicitly told that we are given free will, Allah will not interfere in that as per His agreement.
>>571756
The truth of the matter is that conceptions of how religion is transferred in Islam are different from the modern view. Much like how if you were baptized Christian, as far as the Catholic Church was concerned, you were Christian whether you said so, in Muslim cultures, besides the converts, religion was transferred from the father, just like how in Judaism, you're Jewish whether you like it or not if your mother was Jewish as far as many orthodox Jews are concerned
When a Muslim converted to Christianity or Judaism in the past, when these took place where the Muslim had sufficient state power, the Muslim jurists still did try to make concessions to these converts (because many jurists didn't want to kill people who weren't necessarily a threat to public order and constituted only an inconsequential minority anyway) by still legally considering them Muslims by virtue of parentage. So, if you were a Muslim who became a Coptic Christian in Egypt, you wouldn't necessarily be put to death if you just agreed to legally be considered Muslim even if for all intents and purposes you were openly Christian with your friends and neighbors as long as people could say "oh, he's just insane, leave him alone to his church" or something like that
How this was rationally understood in light of the doctrine of predestination which eventually overtook the Sunni Muslim world isn't easy. It was really the point of enforcing law and encouraging good actions and faith that was seen by the opponents of absolute predestination such as the Mutazilites and the Shi'a to be among the greatest logical flaws of the doctrine since the divine law was centered around the pretense that men had at least some agency to act on their own and the basis for punishing anyone for any action hangs on whether they can be proven to have done so intentionally in their right and sane state of mind. Predestination kind of destroys the entire principle of the law its followers are attempting to enforce.
>>571796
You mean Islam? Yeah.
Rather, "Christianity" is trinitarian Islam.
>>571952
Subhanallah, brother. We are the true followers of the prophet Isa (peace be upon him).
>>571935
In short, Predestination was NOT a doctrine that was founded on "rational principles" so much as much as a logical surface reading of the Qur'anic texts. The Qur'an says God is omnipotent, he has power over all things, he knows everything that will happen, and that's it, one doesn't ask anymore questions on the issue. The Predestination position was fairly notorious for tolerating very contradictory notions. Functionally, Sunnis operated on the presumption that there was free will and enforced law like human beings had free will. But on the theological level, their beliefs would appear to be antithetical to this. And they were content with that so long as it didn't present any serious problems. It was when of course Muslims no longer seemed to be favored by God that suddenly now the doctrine became a much more serious problem.
Dear /his/panic Muslims, what do you think of the man in pic related? Also, which school of Islamic thought does he belong to?
>>572108
Why are you interested in him? You Canadian by chance?
>>572108
>Dear /his/panic Muslims, what do you think of the man in pic related?
A more friendly Wahhabi
>>572185
I'm not trying to use the term Wahhabi as an insult here. There's a lot of what might be called more moderate Wahhabis active in the United States and Canada who are fairly well educated and rational in debate, but from what I know of Shabir he does ascribe to Wahhabism. Even if I think the ideology is retarded, I still think there are plenty of people who follow it who aren't completely insane
The thing is about Wahhabis though is that they don't ever use the word "Wahhabi" to describe themselves. They'll usually call themselves "just Muslims" or "Ahlul Sunnah" cause they don't like being called Wahhabi as it implies they're somehow a different "sect" and of course the Qur'an says don't divide into "sects"
>>558040
I can see how an out of the way nobility with a god complex would find Mohammed inspiring.
>>569911
so its not really what you argued it was
>>572217
Why is Wahhabism retarded?
>>558018
>Most "communists" in the Islamic world weren't workers or peasants as much as people who could afford to study in Europe, where they became exposed to Marxist philosophy.
How does this explain the large Communist population of Afghanistan, or even the PFLP active today which has no access to European education?
/r/ that 8 step cycle of the ottoman empire on governance, religion, army etc.
>>557188
>arab pigdog
>calls persians Ajam as if it's an insult
mfw
t. superior, smarter, more cultured, better-in-every-single-way Persian
>>573151
how is any islamic ideology not retarded?
>>573392
>large Communist population of Afghanistan
The USSR trained them.
When they tried to strangle religion, they got BTFO by the majority of citizens.
>PFLP
>no access to European education
All they need is a copy of Das Kapital to develop their own version of Marxism.
>>573588
>mfw persians and arabs continue this autistic fight forever
>mfw Israel and the west laugh the whole time
>>571952
>You mean Islam? Yeah.
No, there are non-trinitarian Christian denominations.
>>573151
Have you seen the Middle East lately?
>>571796
I effectively was but to my mind, that is about almost as silly as being a Trinitarian Muslim. Of course, Islam is more explicit and I don't think the trinity can be justified from Jesus' عليه السلام words reported in the gospels anyways.
Besides I still had a problem with the idea of requiring a human sacrifice to forgive people. Even before Islam, I disliked Paul and there really are not many Unitarian Christians. Besides I am pretty convinced and attached to Islam now الحمد لله
>>572108
I really like this guy. Very knowledgeable and presentable. He is not an embarrassment as some other scholars are whenever they deal with people of other faiths and he usually crushes his opponent in debates.
I am Hispanic too.
>>557094
hey you're right, the problem is people who are not willing to accept the whole"all are equal, god only considers how faithful you are".
>>557146
have you actually read the book of tawhid by mohammed bin abdulwahhab ?
>>574289
W-what??
>>566930
روي عنه هذا الحديث
لقد حذر النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - من الكذّابين الذين يأتون فيدعوا النبوة ، وذلك في الحديث الذي يرويه ثوبان رضي لله عنه أن رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - قال ( سيكون في أمتي كذابون ثلاثون ، كلهم يزعم أنه نبي ، و أنا خاتم النبيين ، لا نبي بعدي ، و لا تزال طائفة من أمتي على الحق ظاهرين ، لا يضرهم من خالفهم ، حتى يأتي أمر الله ) ، رواه مسلم.
>>574289
Nestor and Arius pls go.
>>575959
Both of them believed in the trinity
>>556836
No because Ali proved himselfd to be an incable leader during his reign as calpih. Umar Ibn Khattab was main force in Islamic expansion, his political mastery and powerful reign marks him as one of histories finest rulers.
He was basically the Arabian Julius Caesar with the personality of Cato the younger.
>>557075
>The sad Arabisation of Islam keeps tribalism alive.
This. Look at how it ruined Somalia, this is a prime example.
>>573683
It's not even a competion. Persians are racially superior to arabs in evrything. NOt only have they been signifigant to world history and culture but they were literally the backbone to the islmaic golden age, hell to even islam istelf.
Who was the greatest scholars who collected the hadiths that are literally the backbone to sunni islam? Persians. (Bukhari and Muslim)
Who was the greatest Islamic theologian? Persian. (Al-Ghazali)
>>576084
You guys are acting like two 18th century Orientalists.
As if you can act like all of Islam is being arabized or that there is some Platonic form of Arabness and it is very tribal inherently or that these things happen across space and time so that seventh century Arab mentality tainted Islam permanently so much so that it continues to modern times unbroken and extends from Somalia to Indonesia to western Islamic communities that are obviously only affected by Islam and Arabness with capital letters and not history, circumstances, economics, politics, whims or anything else.
>>576079
>He was basically the Arabian Julius Caesar with the personality of Cato the younger.
I don't know if this statement is true but it is fun. And the beautiful is the true insofar that it is beautiful.
>>576100
>As if you can act like all of Islam is being arabized or that there is some Platonic form of Arabness and it is very tribal inherently or that these things happen across space and time so that seventh century Arab mentality tainted Islam permanently so much so that it continues to modern times
That is correct. Islam brings with it a arabization of sorts. Look no further than the Levant and north Africa, arabization has reduced several pre-existing nations and varied ethnic groups into one pan-ethnic identity.
Islam in of itself is arabization. In order to be a practicing Muslim you must learn to recite the quran in arabic, and recite it during your 5 daily prayers.
>>576100
The whole history of Omar shows him to have been a man of great powers of mind, inflexible integrity, and rigid justice. He was, more than anyone else, the founder of the Islam empire; confirming and carrying out the inspirations of the prophet; aiding Abu Beker with his counsels during his brief caliphate; and establishing wise regulations for the strict administration of the law throughout the rapidly-extending bounds of the Moslem conquests. The rigid hand which he kept upon his most popular generals in the midst of their armies, and in the most distant scenes of their triumphs, gave signal evidence of his extraordinary capacity to rule. In the simplicity of his habits, and his contempt for all pomp and luxury, he emulated the example of the Prophet and Abu Beker. He endeavored incessantly to impress the merit and policy of the same in his letters to his generals. 'Beware,' he would say, 'of Persian luxury, both in food and raiment. Keep to the simple habits of your country, and Allah will continue you victorious; depart from them, and He will reverse your fortunes.' It was his strong conviction of the truth of this policy which made him so severe in punishing all ostentatious style and luxurious indulgence in his officers. Some of his ordinances do credit to his heart as well as his head. He forbade that any female captive who had borne a child should be sold as a slave. In his weekly distributions of the surplus money of his treasury he proportioned them to the wants, not the merits of the applicants. 'God,' said he, 'has bestowed the good things of this world to relieve our necessities, not to reward our virtues: those will be rewarded in another world.'[117]
He is second to none as far as caliphs go.
>>576136
Also if one was to compile his quotes during his rule it would be just as great a read as Marcus Aurelius's meditations.
>>576118
Sure we can say that there are two processes that are Islamization and arabization but to blame this for any problem in the Muslim world or use it to describe all things in Somalia and Malaysia both today and a century ago is silly.
>>576136
I love that we can put a very serious post with a very facetious photo and mean both of them at the same time with an equal amount of sincerity and irony.
Although part of it, I believe, is that he had more time to rule since Abu Bakr died soon after becoming khalifa رضي الله عنه
>>576193
>Although part of it, I believe, is that he had more time to rule since Abu Bakr died soon after becoming khalifa
Abu Bakr was mainly a figurehead, a majority of his rule was guided through the counsel and political management of Umar.
>>576079
>No because Ali proved himselfd to be an incable leader during his reign as calpih.
Only because he chose not to favor the same Arabs who fought against Muhammad before becoming Muslims when it was clear they were about to lose and instead rewarded those he felt had actual religious merit and distributed the entire treasury evenly among every Muslim regardless of class or when they converted or whether they were Arabs or not Arabs.
Ali's only flaw was that he was the only one who actually cared about preserving the principles of his own religion while Umar selectively chose what to follow from his religion and cared more about creating a powerful Arab empire than an Islamic caliphate.
>He was basically the Arabian Julius Caesar with the personality of Cato the younger.
If by that you mean he was a tyrant who hid behind a veil of piety than sure.
>>576136
>He is second to none as far as caliphs go.
>denies Muhammad the right to put his will into writing as he lays dying
>accepts Ali as the successor to Muhammad publicly
>usurps the throne and gives it to an elderly puppet leads while Muhammad is being buried by his family
>sets fire to Muhammad's daughter's house when Ali refuses to recognize Abu Bakr
>forbids people from writing down hadith
>intimidated his black brother Bilal for not endorsing Abu Bakr's rule until Bilal is forced to flee for his life
>harasses and heckles his own general Khalid ibn Walid cause of some petty stuff
>Arab supremacist
>treats Persian slave like crap
>get shanked by said slave
>said slave gets a shrine built in his honor
>>576392
For every tradition there is that makes Umar look like a competent and honorable statesmen, there's an equal number, if not more that make him look like a brute desperately trying to silence any criticism or opposition to his or Abu Bakr's right to rule and jealous of people who have more noble blood or character than himself or presenting himself as all about equity among believers while favoring those who support him with a little extra on top.
>>576392
>>said slave gets a shrine built in his honor
But he wasn't even a Muslim, it isn't like this guy killed him for a Shia purpose, how do you Shia justify that? You prefer a non Muslim to Omar who lived and waa loved by the Prophet?
>>573151
There was this letter by Muslim scholars to the Islamic State that recounted their theological errors, most of it could be applied to Wahhabism in general I think.
The one that stood out for me (as a near total ignoramus in Islamic theology) is that Wahhabis insist on strictly literal interpretation of Quran and hadith, leading to some really weird results. Islam forbids you from antropomorphising God, but some passages use (obviously figurative) phrases like God having a throne, having hands, arms, etc. So if you read those literally, you end up antropomorphising him.
>>572217
wahabism is more like a movement then a sect or does that sound stupid
>>556967
Lol Shiites aren't compassionate
If they were Iraq wouldn't have turned into the shitfest it is now
>>557095
Actually that's more a north euro thing - South America is full of Jesus first names just look at the footballers
>>577007
Shi'a scholars have three opinions on Abu Lulu:
1. He became a Muslim after killing Umar
2. He was already a Muslim more or less by the time he killed Umar, after which he led a life of piety
3. No opinion at all. He could have been a Muslim, but there's not enough evidence and either way, Umar got what he deserved.
Various traditions on Abu Lulu's place exist. For instance, there's a tradition that after he killed Umar, while hiding from authorities, 'Ali saw where he was hiding, but didn't turn him in, something Abu Lulu takes notice of.
Another hadith has Abu Lulu, becoming aware of Umar's manhandling Muhammad's daughter and causing her miscarriage, asking Umar what would be the Islamic penalty for such an action (leaving out the fact that he's speaking of Umar's actions in particular). Umar tells Abu Lulu that the punishment would obviously be death according to the shariah. Of course, according to this tradition Abu Lulu uses this as a pretense to stab Umar in the mosque. Some Shi'a scholars have considered Abu Lulu one of the greatest "mujaheddin" and the vehicle through which Allah avenged Fatimah and delivered divine punishment. Those scholars who aren't convinced of his becoming a Muslim or a follower of 'Ali don't really condemn for an action that is Umar's own fault due to his mistreatment of the Persians and his actions against the family of Muhammad.
The shrine of Abu Lulu has always had its cult, but the current Iranian government doesn't really like a lot of these popular folk expressions of animosity towards the caliphs because they don't really help their efforts to get on the good side of the Sunni countries.
>>578387
He was a based man
>>558656
Well yes, because the God-Emperor of 40k borrows heavily from the God-Emperor of Frank Herbert's Dune, which takes a lot from Islam.
>>579352
I always assumed the Imperium of Man was based on the later stages of the Byzantine Empire.
>>579367
Only to take inspiration for cool names.
>>556836
early islamic history as we know it is a lie, most of it is fabrication
>>557322
>What is a bigger heresy? Praising Ali too much (Shia) or killing innocents and committing suicide (Sunni)?
both are haram, but shirk is the ultimate kufr, i am not sunni or shia, i am muslim and i do not consider shia my brothers if they claim Ali and Mohammad PBUH can hear their prayers
>>579754
Veneration=/$hirk
>>579784
when you pray to anything but Allah you commit shirk
when you pray to the graves, hurt yourselves, cry over them like its the end of the world
>>579799
>when you pray to anything but Allah you commit shirk
>pray
I don't think that word means what you think it means. Obviously praying to anyone besides Allah is shirk, but asking the saints and prophets for their intercession with God, that's just another way of praying to God himself. In this case, the prayer, in the general meaning, is to God either directly or indirectly.
Shi'a still perform their salah to God five times a day, but when it comes to other ordinary, optional supplications, it's perfectly permissible to ask the saints or prophets directly where it is relevant, provided one does not see them as independent entities apart from God. In the latter case, that would be considering them to be their own gods, but if they are dependent slaves and are in good standing with God, there's no shirk in asking them to pray for you or beseech God for something for you and in essence the two forms, asking God directly & asking God through an intermediary are one in the same. Love/veneration/seeking intercession does not equate to worship ('ibadah)
>when you pray to the graves
No Shi'a prays TO the graves. This is why nobody with a brain can take your disassociative religion seriously, you can't even properly use prepositions. Shi'a pray at graves sometimes because the graves of pious people are blessed by God and God has recommended their visitation. People either pray at the graves directly to God or they pray indirectly to God by asking the one whose body is buried at the grave to pray for them. But nobody prays to the graves nor are they taken as a point of direction during the salah.
>hurt yourselves
hardly shirk.
>cry over them like its the end of the world
Better than being heartless monsters like so many Wahhabis. A lot of Wahhabi, Salafi, and reformed Sunni logic is absurd. They'd tell people that saying "I love you" to one's grandmother is idolatry cause "YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO LOVE ANYONE BUT ALLAH!" if they could get away with it.
>>580574
Also,
>"And call not those who are slain in the way of Allah "dead." Nay, they are living, only ye perceive not."
>Surah 2:154
>And when it is said unto them: Come! The messenger of Allah will ask forgiveness for you! they avert their faces and thou seest them turning away, disdainful.
>Surah 63:5
All the verses that speak against intercession are in reference to false, pagan gods. The intercession of angels and prophets is affirmed in the Qur'an as is the action of other Muslims praying for other Muslims.
>>578387
Pretty interesting, what are the alleged grievances from the Persians against Omar رضي الله عنه?
>>580574
What would you say to the contention that supplicating to with them as intermediaries is what the pagan Arabs did? The assumption being that since the latter is condemned in tbe Quran the former are.
I would never do this kind of action myself and it makes me uncomfortable in practice but I know a lot of big scholars were okay with it and this question has always been interesting for me.
>>580604
>*record scratch*
>*freeze frame*
Yup, that's me. You're probably wondering how I ended up in this situation.
>>578387
Abu Lulu = Piruz of Nahavand, use his actual name
>>580650
>What would you say to the contention that supplicating to with them as intermediaries is what the pagan Arabs did? The assumption being that since the latter is condemned in tbe Quran the former are.
I think that's a misunderstanding of the nature of "worship" vis a vis a more simple veneration or piety.
In Surah 39:3, which you're referring to it says: "Surely pure religion is for Allah only. And those who choose protecting friends beside Him (say): We worship them only that they may bring us near unto Allah. Lo! Allah will judge between them concerning that wherein they differ. Lo! Allah guideth not him who is a liar, an ingrate."
two words stand out here: friends and worship. "Friends" or "protecting friends" in this translation is translated from "awliya" which is plural of "wali" and has also been translated into English in various contexts as "saints" or "guardians" as well. "Worship" here is a translation of "ibadah" which can also mean roughly "to serve" and is also connected to the words used in the context of human slavery to human masters as well as the slaves of God (cf. Surah 26:22 ) there's also it's connection to names beginning with 'Abd like Abdul Rahman (lit. servant of the Most Merciful [Allah]) or Abdul-Nabi (lit. 'servant of the Prophet'), but the context in the Qur'an where "ibadah" and its forms are used is most connected to the act of paying unique homage to Allah and/or other (false) deities, so the translation to "worship" is appropriate in English as the modern English language often defines worship as the unique homage paid to deities for the most part.
1 out of 3
>>581734
As far as the term awliya or guardian/protectors/friends goes, all of these verses below are worth considering
1. (Saying): Follow that which is sent down unto you from your Lord, and follow no protecting friends beside Him. Little do ye recollect! [7:3]
2. O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for friends. They are friends one to another. He among you who taketh them for friends is (one) of them. Lo! Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk. [5:51]
3. O ye who believe! Choose not disbelievers for (your) friends in place of believers. Would ye give Allah a clear warrant against you? [4:144]
4. Your guardian can be only Allah; and His messenger and those who believe, who establish worship and pay the poordue, and bow down (in prayer). [5:55]
The term used here for friends/guardians/protectors is awliya. In one verse, it says "only God is your friend" and in some it chastises taking other "protectors" besides God. Still in others, it suggests that God is your protector friend (wali) AND the Prophet, those who establish worship and pay the poor due and bow down" (which in Shi'ite exegesis is an implicit reference to 'Ali) This may seem like a contradiction, but the verse below
>Ye slew them not, but Allah slew them. And thou threwest not when thou didst throw, but Allah threw, that He might test the believers by a fair test from Him. Lo! Allah is Hearer, Knower. --(8:17)
This verse is in reference to a miracle during the Battle of Badr where Muhammad is mentioned as grabbing a handful of dust and throwing it at the pagan armies, in which the handful became a dust storm. In the verse above, the Qur'an seems to equate the actions of the Prophet with his own. The Prophet is in this instance at least, a proxy of sorts for the Divine Being.
2 / 3
>>581738
In verses like 47:11, 3:160, 39:38, 36:23. 21:22, 23:91, and others, the Qur'an's understanding of what a god is or should be also becomes a little more clear. Usually the Qur'an's condemnations of intercession are the taking of other "gods" to be intercessors, especially other gods in relation to the worship of idols, in other parts it's clear the angels intercede for those on earth (42:5) and as mentioned at least a living Prophet was allowed to ask forgiveness for the believers, and in other verses all that's said of "intercession" is that it is limited "to those whom God pleaseth" or "none can intercede, save with Allah's permission" (cf. 2:255; 30:13). Of course other verses say ONLY God can "intercede" (see 32:4), but this could be easily understood in the same way that the Qur'an says only God is one's "friend/wali" just to turn around and say the Prophet is one's wali by extension of the first fact (and of course 'Ali by extension of that second fact and so on). The Qur'an's understanding of godhood is brought to light by the fact that the Qur'an tells the believers to ask the pagans, to paraphrase verses listed, things like "Can your intercessors stop the penalty of Allah?" or "Don't you see that if there were other gods, each god would have taken what belongs to itself?"
The Qur'an understands "gods" as beings who must as a rule possess absolute dominion over their own particular realms. The Qur'an points out that to the contrary, we live in a unified cosmos with many worlds under the dominion of one supreme God This does not mean there can't be intermediary beings. Because God is pure and transcendent, there must be a connection between the the higher and the lower. But none of these intermediary beings can be described as "gods" or "partners" in God's pure and eternal essence nor does the ability to communicate with them make them such anymore than being able to interact with each other on a daily basis makes us "gods beside God"
>>581763
But even the pre islamic pagans believed in Allah and claimed that they used other gods to get closer to Allah. How is it different? I inderstand saints are living people but after they're dead, how do you know your words are reaching them even if they are alive? Some say that the pre islamic gods were really jinn, if true what if they were good jin and you supplicated through them, wouldn't that be the same?
I always feel like there is some jump in these arguments. I get having friends that help you, respecting pious people living and dead, even asking a religious brother who is alive to pray for you or help you get closer to God but communicating with the dead and asking them to help you even if it is to help you get the help of God is strange.
Besides isn't the furtherst opinion that one can only use the Prophet as an intermediary? And if you can use any pious person this way, couldn't you ask Jesus to get you closer to God? This seems very Christian at least on the face of it.
I am very earnestly interested. This question always bothered me because people that are okay with توصل usually don't get too much into the justification and evidence. I presume your Shia but I doubt the arguments for both Sunnis and Shiis are similar for it.
>tfw as a young adult I converted to Islam
>tfw it was in a hardcore Salafi masjid pretty much dominated by Saudis and Pakistanis
I have no idea what I was thinking. I really liked S.H. Nasr and Guenon, but I can't get over some fundamental aspects of Islam and I quickly bailed out and stopped going to the masjid altogether. I'm pretty sure I'm on their death list for apostasy.
Now I'm "into" Tantric Buddhism due to Marco Pallis. I really wish I started with a Shi'a masjid, however. I'd be curious to see where Id be now in my spiritual development.
Regardless, some aspects, especially dealing with violence and wrath on the part of God, of the Quran just put me off.
>>581146
>tfw I renamed my dynasty in CK2 to Nahavandi, restored the Persian Empire and the High Priesthood, drove out the Muslims and became the Saoshyant
It was quite epic, Piruz would've been proud.
>>582059
Are you British?
>>582068
>tfw my college girlfriend was a qt persian with the last name Nahavandi
fast forward 15 years and now i shitpost in my underwear and havent showered in days.
>>582059
That feel. I too have a fairly fundie masjid, but I only go there for jumaa and for reflection, rather than for guidance. It's the only masjid in my area.
Have you checked out Nouman Ali Khans videos? I find them very enlightening.
>>582071
Nope, white American. I grew up in a more or less agnostic house, but I am always really eager about the idea of being religious, but when it comes down to practice I've found myself lacking or getting frustrated over nitty gritty things (even the Islamic dislike of dogs was something I was turned off by, as were many aspects I saw as cultural ties simply being used for religious jurisdiction).
>>582076
Yeah, my area had two, the Salafi one and a black one (probably 95% Black, at least) so my options were limited, but as a potential and subsequently new white Muslim there was a lot of weird interactions with brothers at the masjid. I'm vegetarian which was a big no-no, and I wasn't interested in marrying their daughter in Pakistan...a little frustrating to say the least.
I'll have to check some of his videos out. Thank you for the suggestion, friend. Aside from that nice "X-files Islam" list do you have any other charts or recommendations? I'm only really familiar with Traditionalists like Nasr and Schoun.
>>582059
>white American
>convert to islam
>strays away, now into Buddhism
Jesus Christ western children truly are caricatures
>>582100
Fuck that, m8. Glad you left that mosque.
Well, basically I'd highly just recommend the bayyinah institute, of which Nouman Ali Khan is the CEO. Their videos are usually centered around Tafsir of either a surah or a single ayat. The guy can speak for literal hours about a single ayat. I recommend this video to start you out with:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84Z25CLXE1w
Also check out his "thats messed up" series, where he tackles subjects like abuse, abortions, etc, from a muslim perspective and BTFO's angry fundamentalist/traditionalist muslims.
On the matter of other recommendations, I can only recommend a deep study of the Quran in Arabic. Memorize and reflect on some surahs. It changed me, I can tell you that much.
>>582110
>try to look for meaning in a secular world
>get called a caricature
Wise.
>>582135
You are an IRL version of Tony Soprano's sister.
>>582110
right? people should just stick with what they're taught as children, fuck other points of view
>>582147
>people should try out every horseshit flavor of the month religion that's out there because muh spirituality
>>582167
>every
>two
okay time to move your rumproasted christfaggotry along
>>582167
I mean it's been over a decade, all of which arose from a comparative religion post-graduate study - I wasn't trying anything I found to be "horseshit." Frankly I was put off by cultural aspects at my local masjid and subsequently investigated another tradition that interested me on a different level.
I don't really understand why you're so bitter or why you lump all Westerners into one convenient to insult box. Frankly I was just posting for some quality advice.
>>582100
>the Islamic dislike of dogs
I recall reading somewhere that this comes from the fact that Zoroastrians revere dogs so when one converted to Islam he had to maltreat a dog (for example by yanking its tail) to show that he truly denounced his faith and converted. That's how mistreatment of dogs became a Muslim custom.
Is this true? Or is it just an Arab thing that became part of Islam?
>>582181
It is objectively horseshit, the fact you don't view it as such was kind of the point.
>>582185
Arab thing, mate. The only actually islamic part of this is that a dog passing in front of you during prayer invalidates it, because stray dogs are generally very dirty animals. From this idea, many bullshit superstitions arose.
There is also a story about a prostitute who was drawing water from a well, when a thirsty dog passed by. She drew water for it and gave it some to drink. As the prophet(SAW) saw this, he commented that surely all her sins had been forgiven through this act of compassion.
I.E.: Dogs are fine, just a bit dirty.
>>582198
>a dog passing in front of you during prayer invalidates it
OCD: the religion
>>582191
Now I'm not even really sure what you're saying. Again, sorry my practice as an anonymous stranger has angered you and also furthered your misconceptions about a massive group of individuals.
>>582185
I've heard a few theories on the topic, but none of them dealt with the Zoroastrian practice you mentioned. No member encouraged dog abuse, just avoidance (you had to redo your wudu if a dog passed you, for example). It seemed to me that the Arabs were more keen on avoiding dogs than other ethnic groups there, but this is again my individual perception. I was told by an Iranian friend that it has something to do with nomadic traditions, but maybe another person can shed some truth on it.
>>582191
Why are you so mad?
>>582198
I remember that story, too, it's stuff like that which is nice to hear about Muhammad's life. As I said, most of my understanding of Muhammad comes from Nasr and Lings, but I often forget stories like what you mentioned.
>>582207
Yeah, there are a lot of was to invalidate wudu, like farting for instance.
>>582214
a dog passing you doesn't invalidate wudu, though. Touching one does, but just passing one doesn't.
People make Islam so difficult, man. How the fuck are you supposed to pray in Cairo, then? Dogs are fucking everywhere. Farting invalidates it mainly because praying is preferrably a communal thing. When you're praying in front of a dude and you fart, that messes everyone up.
>>582218
I don't follow any religion, but you made an attempt.
You on the other hand are literally mad that some anonymous 4chan poster doesn't swallow your Christ cock drippings, and it's hilarious.
>>582233
>I don't follow any religion
Sure thing Mamadou.
>>582218
You sure do seem angry for someone who is laughing.
Frankly whatever emotion you take seems to be negative, and that's on you, friend. You can be as dismissive of others and sure of yourself as you want to be; I'm sure it helps your own growth quite a bit.
>>582230
That's interesting. Perhaps I remembered incorrectly, as like I said this was quite a long time ago, you know, when Islam was evidently "flavor of the month"?
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