1) Are you a convert or born Muslim? How about your parents?
I'm a convert (converted in April 2011, alhamdilullah). My mom is a practicing Christian, my dad is not a practicing Christian, but practicing Pentecostal -- these are two separate things in my family. If you knew them, you'd understand why. X/
2) What's your ethnicity and how did it relate to how you were raised?
I'm white, lol. Irish or Scottish and German on paternal side, I think, and Southern of English descent on the maternal side. :)
3) Where are you from, and if not the Middle East, have you been there? For how long and why?
I'm from the South in the US. If being deployed in Afghanistan counts, then yes, I've been to the Middle East.
4) What's your favorite Arab/Middle Eastern dish?
Hummus and pita bread, and chicken shawarma is a huge favorite.
5) What's the most interesting or funny Islam/Arab related saying you use day to day?
I don't really use anything on a daily basis except perhaps for "salam aleikum".
6) What's the most attractive and unattractive thing you find toward a Muslim or Arab man/woman?
I like open-minded people who respect others' free will and individuality. I loathe people who expect me to act like some wilting flower just because I'm Muslim. I have a big mouth, plenty of opinions, and don't appreciate control freaks.
7) What's the thing you love most about Islam? What do you dislike the most?
I love the Qur'an and the new understanding it has given me of Allah. It answered so many questions for me that the Bible just didn't. I don't like the hadith, the way some people put Prophet Muhammad on a pedestal and nearly worship him, or the insistence in reciting the Qur'an in Arabic instead of reading it in your native language.
8) What's the most interesting/embarrassing/funny thing in your house that's related to Islam or Arab culture, excluding the Quran?
Ummm... I have two shelves of books about Islam and the Qur'an, and I have a little wall hanging with the shahada/kalima -- wish I had one that just said "La illaha il Allah" and left off the rest.
9) Do you speak Arabic? If you do, then say something.
Only the most basic stuff: the salams, inshaAllah, mashAllah.
10) Name of all the Islamic Prophets you can remember at the top of your head. No Cheating!!
Adam, Jesus/Isa, Abraham, Noah, Muhammad, Lot, Ishmael (was he a prophet?).... Wow, I can't think of any more! I fail, lol!
Feel free to copy and fill out yourself!
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I totally agree with everything you said in question 6. I refuse to be with any man who doesn't follow the Qur'anic command to be "like a garment" to me (and me to him), and treats me and my opinions as inferior. And for me, too, the Qur'an is my favorite part of Islam.
ReplyDeleteOk, so, I couldn't help myself to fill out this quiz. I don't have my own blog, so I will just post on yours!
ReplyDelete1) Are you a convert or born Muslim? How about your parents?
I'm a convert. My parents are not Muslim.
2) What's your ethnicity and how did it relate to how you were raised?
I am Euro-Scandinavian-American (Finnish and Polish and a whole bunch of other things). I have never been known for my ethnicity, but rather my "color". I am sure that my color and citizenship had more to do with my upbringing than anything else.
3) Where are you from, and if not the Middle East, have you been there? For how long and why?
I'm from the Pacific Northwest (USA). I have been to the Middle East several times (including a deployment).
4) What's your favorite Arab/Middle Eastern dish?
I love my in-laws' cucumber soup. It is impossible to make here since our cucumbers are 99% water.
5) What's the most interesting or funny Islam/Arab related saying you use day to day?
Interesting: my praying. Funny: I don't get to use my limited Arabic on a daily basis, but if I did I would try to find a way to say "every-" (like, everyone, everything, everyday...) but with a southern Iraqi accent! teehee
6) What's the most attractive and unattractive thing you find toward a Muslim or Arab man/woman?
As for the Muslim men/women aspect: kindness to others.
As for the Arab aspect: In general, I find the darker features of the Arab ethnicity to be very lovely: the eyes, eye brows, hair, eye lashes... gorgeous.
7) What's the thing you love most about Islam? What do you dislike the most?
Love: the focus of worship is on God alone.
Dislike: the sect divide and the negativity that it fosters.
8) What's the most interesting/embarrassing/funny thing in your house that's related to Islam or Arab culture, excluding the Quran?
Interesting Islamic thing: the turba on which I rest my head during prayer. A couple of religious texts that I can't read (because they are in Arabic)
Interesting/Funny Arab culture thing: hooka
9) Do you speak Arabic? If you do, then say something.
I speak some Arabic (Iraqi dialect only). In poor transliteration:
Shoku Moku Habibti? Ani hem, Ani jundia. Ani chenit mumerida fe al geesh amrecia.
10) Name of all the Islamic Prophets you can remember at the top of your head. No Cheating!!
Muhammad, Isa, Yusif, Yacoob, Ishac, Noah, Abraham, Dawoud, Samuel, Salomin, Adam, Job (I think), Ismael, Zacharia, Moses, Jonah... arg, I start to get confused! Is Samson considered a prophet or just a Godly inspired man?
Thanks for letting me copy and past!
Eina
U can not claim to be a Muslim and say u dnt like the hadith. If it wasn't for the hadith we wouldn't know how to pray as the specifics are not mentioned in the quran. You will not enter jannah untill you love the prophet PBUH more than u love yourself. Also Muslim do not worship the prophet PBUH we just have great respect for him. Hadiths are recording of the way he lived and in the quran( if u have read it properly) it says that we have to follow the prophets PBUH sunnah . I'm also a revert by the way.
ReplyDeleteAnon,
ReplyDeleteIt's not a matter of "liking" or "disliking" the hadith from a personal standpoint. It's about taking the hadith as divine in source and using them in place of or even to override the Qur'an. Muslims CAN NOT DO THAT! The Qur'an and ONLY the Qur'an is the final revelation from Allah. The hadith are manmade. If you believe the hadith, you must also believe the hadith which prohibits the writing of the hadith!
The hadith do not teach you how to pray. This is a common misconception.
You say: "You will not enter jannah untill you love the prophet PBUH more than u love yourself."
Bring your proof from the Qur'an if you are truthful. Allah said that the Qur'an is a complete and detailed book. Allah does not forget anything. If what you say is true, it will be in the Qur'an.
There is a big difference between respecting and idolizing someone. We are told not to differentiate between the messengers by raising some above others. Sunni/Shi'a Muslims do that by including Muhammad's name in the shahada, saying that you must love Muhammad more than yourself or your family to get to heaven (although the Qur'an says he was nothing more than a warner with no power over anyone), that eating what he ate/imitating the way he supposedly prayed/wishing blessings on him gets more "rewards", etc.
Bismillah Ar Rahman Ar Raheem
DeleteAssalaamu alaikum wa rahmathullah wa barakatuhu
Alhamdulillah, how I agree with you and applaud your refutation of Anonymous's words. Too often hadeeth is used to "settle arguments" about what is said in the Noble Quran when we should be viewing the Quran as the end source of our learning.
Yes, much can be learnt from hadeeth but we must be careful in looking to see whether the hadeeth we chose to assist us is weak or strong.
Also as members of the Ummah we should seek guidance from respected members of the Ulema when we find ourselves at a loss, rather than scour hadeeth for our answers.
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(BTW, I love the questionaire and I intend filling it in myself when I have time. I hope you don't mind if I used it as a blog? I will give you credit for it. But if you are not keen on my 'borrowing' it, please let me know. Hugs Aliyah)
Anon,
ReplyDeleteNearly 1/3 of the Qur'an IS SUNNAH! All of the questions the believers wanted answers to were asked of Allah. Allah answered with "Say:". Here's a list:
Chapter 2
2:8 2:11 2:13 2:14 2:25 2:26 2:58 2:76 2:79 2:80 2:91 2:93 2:94 2:97 2:102 2:104 2:111 2:113 2:120 2:135 2:136 2:139 2:140 2:142 2:156 2:170 2:189 2:201 2:215 2:217 2:219 2:220 2:222
Chapter 3
3:7 3:15 3:16 3:20 3:26 3:29 3:31 3:32 3:61 3:64 3:73 3:84 3:93 3:95 3:98 3:99 3:119 3:154 3:165 3:168 3:181 3:183
Chapter 4
4:46 4:72 4:75 4:77 4:78 4:81 4:127 4:141 4:150 4:171 4:176
Chapter 5
5:4 5:17 5:18 5:19 5:41 5:59 5:60 5:61 5:68 5:76 5:77 5:83 5:100 5:104 5:109 5:116 5:119
Chapter 6
6:7 6:11 6:12 6:14 6:15 6:19 6:23 6:25 6:27 6:31 6:37 6:40 6:46 6:47 6:50 6:53 6:54 6:56 6:57 6:58 6:63 6:64 6:65 6:66 6:71 6:90 6:91 6:105 6:109 6:124 6:135 6:143 6:144 6:145 6:147 6:148 6:149 6:150 6:151 6:156 6:157 6:158 6:161 6:162 6:164
Chapter 7
7:28 7:29 7:32 7:33 7:37 7:43 7:47 7:53 7:95 7:158 7:161 7:169 7:173 7:187 7:188 7:195 7:203
Chapter 8
8:1 8:31
Chapter 9
9:24 9:49 9:50 9:51 9:52 9:53 9:61 9:64 9:65 9:81 9:83 9:86 9:94 9:105 9:124 9:129
Chapter 10
10:15 10:16 10:18 10:20 10:21 10:28 10:31 10:34 10:35 10:38 10:41 10:48 10:49 10:50 10:53 10:58 10:59 10:69 10:101 10:102 10:104 10:108
Chapter 11
11:7 11:8 11:12 11:13 11:18 11:35
Chapter 12
12:108
Chapter 13
13:7 13:16 13:27 13:30 13:33 13:36 13:43
Chapter 14
14:30 14:44
Chapter 15
15:89
Chapter 16
16:24 16:27 16:32 16:101 16:102 16:103
Chapter 17
17:24 17:42 17:47 17:50 17:51 17:56 17:80 17:81 17:84 17:85 17:88 17:93 17:95 17:96 17:100 17:107 17:108 17:110 17:111
Chapter 18
18:22 18:24 18:26 18:29 18:39 18:49 18:83 18:103 18:109 18:110
Chapter 19
19:26 19:75
Chapter 20
20:40 20:47 20:97 20:104 20:105 20:114 20:135
Chapter 21
21:4 21:24 21:38 21:42 21:45 21:46 21:108 21:109
Chapter 22
22:49 22:68 22:72
Chapter 23
23:28 23:29 23:84 23:85 23:86 23:87 23:88 23:89 23:93 23:97 23:109 23:118
Chapter 24
24:47 24:51 24:53 24:54
Chapter 25
25:6 25:15 25:17 25:27 25:57 25:60 25:63 25:65 25:74 25:77
Chapter 26
26:16 26:203 26:216
Chapter 27
27:59 27:64 27:65 27:69 27:71 27:72 27:84 27:92 27:93
Chapter 28
28:47 28:49 28:53 28:55 28:63 28:65 28:71 28:72 28:74 28:75 28:85
Chapter 29
29:2 29:10 29:20 29:29 29:46 29:50 29:52 29:55 29:61 29:63
Chapter 30
30:42 30:58
Chapter 31
31:21 31:25
Chapter 32
32:3 32:11 32:28 32:29
Chapter 33
33:16 33:17 33:63 33:66 33:67
Chapter 34
34:3 34:22 34:23 34:24 34:25 34:26 34:27 34:29 34:30 34:34 34:36 34:39 34:41 34:46 34:47 34:48 34:49 34:50 34:52
Chapter 35
35:34 35:40
Chapter 36
36:48 36:52 36:79
Chapter 37
37:18 37:36 37:52 37:151 37:167
Chapter 38
38:65 38:67 38:86
Chapter 39
39:8 39:9 39:10 39:11 39:13 39:14 39:15 39:38 39:39 39:43 39:44 39:46 39:53 39:56 39:57 39:64
Chapter 40
40:11 40:48 40:50 40:66 40:74
Chapter 41
41:6 41:9 41:13 41:21 41:29 41:44 41:47 41:50 41:52
Chapter 42
42:15 42:23 42:24 42:45
Chapter 43
43:9 43:77 43:81 43:89
Chapter 45
45:25 45:26
Chapter 46
46:4 46:8 46:9 46:10 46:11 46:17 46:34
Chapter 47
47:20
Chapter 48
48:11 48:15
Chapter 49
49:14 49:16 49:17
Chapter 52
52:30 52:31 52:33 52:44
Chapter 54
54:2 54:8 54:44
Chapter 56
56:47 56:49
Chapter 62
62:6 62:8 62:11
Chapter 63
63:1 63:7 63:8
Chapter 64
64:7
Chapter 66
66:8
Chapter 67
67:23 67:24 67:25 67:26 67:28 67:29 67:30
Chapter 68
68:51
Chapter 69
69:19 69:25
Chapter 72
72:1 72:20 72:21 72:22 72:25
Chapter 74
74:31
Chapter 78
78:40
Chapter 79
79:10
Chapter 83
83:32
Chapter 99
99:3
Chapter 109
109:1
Chapter 112
112:1
Chapter 113
113:1
Chapter 114
114:1