6. Were you given an
explicit or subtle impression that to be a good Muslim, you have
to be able to quote Hadith and Sunnah? Do other Muslims you know/knew
compete with each other in memorizing and repeating Hadith and Sunnah?
Do you feel that you must mimic every aspect of
Muhammad’s life (appearance - wearing a beard, mannerisms,
dress, and behavior) in order to please God? Were your ever given
the impression that Prophet Muham-mad was infallible, and that you
have to repeat his name frequently for blessings from God?
7. Were you ever told or did you read that it
is a sin to walk in the restroom with your right foot, sleep on
your left side, listen to any music, have photographs and pictures,
or buy non-pork meats from the grocery store?
8. Have you been told you must absolutely follow
your leader, sheik, or teacher, if you expect to “grow
spiritually?” Are/were you eager to convince the Muslims around
you that you are growing spiritually by reciting Hadith, and making
tasbih all the time in there presence? Is it forbidden to ask questions
about some behaviors and beliefs, even if they contradict clear
verses in the Quran?
9. Are women prevented from at-tending Jum’ah
(Friday prayer) in your community?
10. Do you feel that traditional Muslim religious
organizations and schools prepare the best and only
teachers of the Quran?
11. Are there more than four steps in the ablution?
[refer to 5:6]
If your answer is yes to any of these questions, you are/were not
aware of the True Islam as re-vealed in the Quran.
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A statement of fact: The majority
of Muslims are misguided just like the followers of other religions.
However, most Muslims think that this could never happen to them.
We are no different from any of the communities that preceded us
in history. We are subjected to tests, in order to distinguish be-tween
those who want to worship God alone, and those who are sat-isfied
with following cherished innovations and false beliefs. Most converts
to Islam are discouraged from reading the Quran on their own or
asking some legitimate questions. They are told “you don’t
know enough yet...you have a long way to go before you can truly
understand what it means to be a Muslim.” This reminds me
of some Christians who teach one another not to question the validity
of the Trinity. Learning how to pray and learning the shahadah (both
are distorted by traditional Muslims) are presented as monu-mental
tasks that only the true and sincere can ever do correctly. Many
converts end up mimicking cultural traditions and practices of the
Muslims they befriend. The traditions are entirely unrelated to
Islam and God’s guidance in the Quran. The traditions are
pre-sented to new converts as part of Islam.
The majority of religious leaders are unwilling to admit when
they are incorrect because such honesty means that they do not know
as much as they want their followers to think they know. In addition,
they are deluded into thinking that, as a group, they are privileged
by God. Worst of all, some knowingly mislead the people in order
to maintain their status. God knows our intentions, our secrets,
and our declarations.
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When most people are challenged with
truths that expose cherished false beliefs and practices, they cling
to their traditions. When first confronted, they have an overwhelming
psychological need to stand up and fight for their beliefs. They
want to believe they are fighting for God. To not fight for the
beliefs is to say to one’s self, “I never really believed
in the first place.” That is an uncomfortable thought. The
person is actually defending him or her self, or ego in this case.
The person does not want to feel uncomfortable or feel like a hypocrite.
The person does not want to feel “wrong or stupid.”
Psychologically speaking, converts to a cause are frequently the
strongest advocates because of their zeal to believe and prove their
loyalty.
Satan knows that humans do not like to feel uncomfortable. He knows
that humans are weak and too often defend false beliefs just to
keep from feeling wrong. Satan manipulates the feeling of being
wrong to his advantage. He increases the sense of mere dedica-tion
to a belief because he knows that heightened dedication alone frequently
makes a person feel bet-ter. Only God can protect you from false
religious beliefs, especially when you have been taught that the
beliefs are correct. When you stop defending yourself (ego), overcome
your zealous dedication to false beliefs, and place your trust in
God, you no longer feel uncomfortable or wrong when you question
false practices.
The most important question: Who are you trying to please
— God or your ego and other Mus-lims?
God is the best to guide.
E. Douglass Brown, Ph.D.
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