What are the most inspirational things you find about Islam?
I've read a lot about Islam and the Koran. I'm curious what others find as the most compelling and intriguing and spiritual aspects of Islam?
Public.2y . Edited on February 7, 2023 7:04 AM
Challenge Posts
1. Ahead of their time when it came to the status of women such as the right to own property, divorce, and inheritance.
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2. The first muslim societies preserved Greek learning when they had fallen out of favor in Europe during the medieval ages
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I hesitated cause wonder if I will get under fire for writing this, as I was born and raised as one, but now I found the religion... well... let's just say, un-inspirational. BUT, for this prompt, I will focus on the good thing about Islam that I still find valuable, even now, as a way of life.
1. Simple burial procedure
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Islam didn't use coffins, nor there were big ceremonies. The body is wrapped in simple cloth and buried in the ground only with a simple tombstone. It's a reminder that we came from earth and we came back to earth. From nothing to nothing, and everything we have in this world is temporary.
As a Christian my knowledge of Islam is academic and superficial at best. These are some of the things that I find inspirational.
1. Salah (Prayer)
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Devout Muslims pray 5 times a day, at specific times. This simple act of making the time and showing the willingness of openly praying shows strength and commitment.
1. Some very wise men
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Especially the Sufis. I've been rereading a book of Sufi stories by Idries Shah since I was a teenager. I also always enjoy reading "The Prophet" by Khalil Gibran. Islam has produced some famous teachers like Rumi.
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1. Beauty of Compassion
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Islam is a religion of mercy and compassion, which encourages its followers to be kind and generous to one another. This is a beautiful concept, as it allows people to care for each other and form strong bonds of friendship and love. It also encourages people to be charitable and to help those in need. This compassion is one of the most inspirational aspects of Islam.
Love this idea for a challenge! I saw a poll recently that asked Americans whether they had a positive, negative, or neutral view of a religion based on the word alone (i.e. no additional context was given), and Islam did not fare well. In some ways, I get it. Most Americans don't know any muslims, and the media isn't exactly friendly in its portrayal of the religion.
Like all ideologies/philosophies/religions adopted by large groups of people, Islam encompasses "good" and "bad" points and isn't a monolith. That said-- I'm happy to highlight some of its qualities I find most inspirational, as a non-religious individual who comes from both Islamic and Christian family traditions and who loves looking for the wisdom in religion.
NB. My takes are probably more theological than sociological. That is-- most of the points listed here refer to scripture and religious doctrine vs. how the religion is practiced today.
1. The conceptualization of the divine as beyond our understanding
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I never really understood the Holy Trinity in Christianity (although, to be fair to me, the Holy Trinity is apparently one of the most difficult concepts to truly grasp). In Islam, the divine is not insinuated to be human and is declared to be beyond our understanding. In fact, muslims are encouraged not to spend too much time pondering the idea of god, because it's not productive.
To me, this is the first step in the process of "faith". We acknowledge that there are forces we cannot understand. I think there's something beautiful in this fundamental pillar.
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La Illaha illlah Mohammadur Rasullah - There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
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1. Compassion and Kindness
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Islam emphasizes the importance of compassion and kindness in a person's character and spirituality. The religion encourages its followers to be merciful and show empathy towards others, especially those who are less fortunate. This is demonstrated through the act of giving charity, helping those in need, and promoting peace and justice.
I'll rephrase it to make it broader. I don't find Islam particularly inspirational, although there's certainly some good stuff in it. I learned a lot about it years ago, and it's not for me. Unfortunately I didn't read the Quran in full, and as I'm completely out of my Islam phase, I don't think I'll do it anytime soon, but who knows. It would be good in order to gain a better understanding of it, although I think reading about the Quran (and the hadiths and the life of the prophet) is necessary, rather than simply reading it with no understanding.
Keep in mind my list may contain inaccurate information (it definitely contains imprecise information), and I'm mostly basing this on what I remember from back when I was very interested in this religion, which was a while ago. Feel free to correct me.
EDIT: See comments for corrections and more info from @Hasham-dev :)
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1. Killing one man is like killing the entirety of humanity + Saving one man is like saving the entirety of humanity
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Same verse. Pretty cool.
1. No priesthood
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2. Simple : And they have been commanded no more than this: To worship Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being true (in faith); to establish regular prayer; and to practise regular charity; and that is the Religion Right and Straight.
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I've read a lot about Islam and the Koran. I'm curious what others find as the most compelling and intriguing and spiritual aspects of Islam?
1. The idea of the Day of Judgment
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