Erm... hey there, I'm new here and I am known around the Internet as Flower...

I am seriously thinking about converting to Islam and the story as to why is a long and complecated one, but to put it in a simple way; it feels right for me.

However, I could do with a few people to talk to about it and get advice from....

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this...

Flower.

Well I encourage you.. because I think Islam is sooooo cool.. seriously it has too many cool stuff..in what do u exactly need advice tho??

Well I am painfully shy so I find it difficult to ask people about these things... And there are a lot of practical issues such as praying and maybe wearing hijab that I need to think on...... I have no problem with the beliefs but the more obvious things I might struggle with....

hmmm.. well we r over the internet. so no need to be shy just shoot
so.. did u know if u want to become a shia or siunni.. coz some rules may differ.. we r all Muslims but u'd need to know for praying and the practical stuff..

Sunni

hmmmm.. then I can't really help you with the practices coz they differ,, but if u want a general advice I guess I'll be able to

Well since you did not refer to anything specific, my general advice is that you should read the Quran regularly. It has all the advice you can ask for and you will increase your knowledge. Try getting a copy of Yousaf Ali's translation along with the explanation. There is also Moulana Maududi's translation/explanation. It is more detailed but it was written orignally in Urdu. You can get it here
www.tafheem.net
I can't find Yousaf Ali's trans/exp online but I would definitely reccomend it.

@Flower...

Please keep up dhikr of God....which is possibly the easiest & weightiest of acts. & in the meanwhile continue with ur quest.

At times I feel as if the dhikr is staying at my lips....but I try to keep at it....our intentions bring results, inshaa-a Allaah

(& I do believe that keeping my tongue engaged in dhikr (even if that's where it stayz) is better than letting it run loose)

laa ilaaha illaa Allaah
alhamd li Allaah Rabb alaalameen
shukr wa alhamd li Allaah Rabb alaalameen
Names of God



ma'a salaam

****amru Hu kun****

Assalamo alaikum,

Sorry but was just wondering what dhikr means?


I'm also planning to convert...just very confused because my parents will never accept it..and I live with them...
these are the only things which are making me wait...
Other than that, I'm all ready..

As for Flower, I would encourage you to go ahead if no-ones really stopping you and people wouldn't have an issue...
Also, make sure you've done the full research on Sunni and Shia before making a decision between these 2...

Take care
Wish everyone the best in life..

Irum

a/s

dhikr => remembrance of god.

usually in the form of repeating phrases like the following to yourself:

La ilaha illallah - There is no God but Allah
Alhamdulillahirabbilaalameen - All praise is for Allah, Lord of the worlds.
Subhanallah - Glory be to Allah

etc.

Try to keep prayers too, are you on another forum too. ?

Islam is way of life islam teaches you how to live your life for example how to eat what to eat if you fallow prophet mohammed (saws) way of leving. main information of islam is Quran rest is explanation there is thousands of web site about islam,trans lation of Quran in any language gust google Quran you will see thousant of website
english translation yousuf ali and many others or lny other language some of the website thy can answer your questions.

Assalamu alaykum

Flower, if you really feel that Islam is the right way, the only thing you need to ask yourself is: "Why wouldn't I convert?"

The problem with life isn't that it's short, but that you never know when it'll end. I know that when I embraced Islam, it was the best decision in my life. Since then I learned a lot about our religion, but the only basic thing I needed for a start was that I -know- it's right. There is only one God and Muhammad (saws) was His last Prophet. Everything else is the "second step". Imho

I highly recommend you learn about what Islam brought to this world - it will affirm in your mind the justice that it truly is. Easiest way is to try and read about the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions.....if you want to make it even easier there are a couple of movies that do this quite well - one is called
The Message http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074896/
and the other is an animated version recently made called Muhammed - The Last Prophet. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0430377/

Oh, or this site:
www.harunyahya.com
Lots of nice stuff here including e-books and articles!

Hey how are you? Just wanted to know whats the latest with you? Did you convert in the end or you still thinking about it? Whats the issues with you?

Hey how are you? I hope you are in the best of health. May I ask what the latest with you is?

My health is as good as it is going to get. =] The latest? On the converting front... very little I'm afraid.... =[ .... Though I've been doing a charity project in India for a month so please excuse my non-Muslimness.... =/

you kind of people i have to utmost respect for, willing to help other people like charity projects so i must say well done

P.s you will soon learn that im mad and crazy and will disappear and never talk for months then come back... just ask iamcrazy and miss jj they know too well

Thanks Haward! =] Nothing as refreshing as being covered in mud and paint, being jumped on by 20 little Indian kids....

i give praise when praise is due...

and when its not due too

Ahuh damn right Haward.

Doing charity work is a very worthy act depending on your intention for every act is merited on its intention.

The Messenger of Allah said: "To smile in the company of your brother is charity. To command to do good deeds and to prevent others from doing evil is charity. To guide a person in a place where he can not get astray is charity. To remove troublesome things like thorns and bones from the road is charity. To pour water from your jug into the jug of your brother is charity. To guide a person with defective vision is charity for you." (Bukhari)

Allah says in the Qur'an: "Those who (in charity) spend of their goods by night and by day, in secret and in public have their reward with their Rabb (only God and Sustainer). On them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve." (Qur'an, 2:274)

But the non beleivers will ONLY be rewarded for their good actions in this world for they have no share in the hereafter.


“If anyone desires a religion other than Islâm (submission to Allâh), never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good).” (3:85)


May I ask what is stopping you from accepting the truth because if you truly believe that Allah is one and that there is no worthy of worship except him and you believe in his angels, his Prophets, his books and that destiny is ultimatley in his hands then what could possibly be stopping you from accepting the truth?

"And Allah summons to the abode of peace, and leads whom He wills to the straight path" (The Qurán 10:25)

@irum:dhikr means, as said, remembrance/mention....i think.@flower...:i uzed 2 do a lotta "AlRahmaan AlRaheem"....i believe it helped me get thru much.tcwish u joy.

Ohhhh! News!!! =] Finally got myself my own copy of the Koran..... Sucks to borrow one from the library......... Well on my way....

.........Ohhhh dear...... I'm being so slow about this..... Well I'm getting a little help from a friend and I'mma start praying as soon as I can remember what to do without having to faff about with a ton of paper.....

By the ways, in terms of Koran interpretations...any chance of having an army of knowlegable people at my disposal? Only I find it a little intimidating asking my friend about stuff too often...

Flower.

Hi Flower:

I may not be the smartest chick in the hen house, but I am at your disposal!! So is the rest of the crew!! I'm here for ya!!

Dear readers

In the next few minutes you are going to hear the greatest news that you have ever heard in your whole life! First I have a question for you. If you were to die today, do you think you would go to heaven? If your answer is “I am not sure” or “I do not know if there is heaven”, this is your day! Do you think the bible is all about religious rules and rituals to keep and obey? Then you are missing the whole point. These are all secondary and minor issues. The most important purpose of the bible is to show us that we are not finished by death and that there is eternal life. “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life”(1 John 5:13).

First of all the good news is that this eternal life is a free gift from God, and is not what we work for or earn by good works. In fact the most precious things in life such as air, Sun light and our very life are all gifts from God or parents, for which we do not even pay a penny. “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). My point will be much more clear to you when we understand who we are and who God is. The bible says we are all sinners. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). God looks into the root cause of sin, not just its result, namely, greed for stealing, hatred for murder, lust for adultery and so on. Sin in thought is the same as sin in deed to God. Because we are all sinners, we cannot save ourselves. A drowning person cannot rescue himself no matter how hard he struggles. On the other hand, the bible says that God is loving and gracious so that he wants to give all of us the eternal life as a gift. “God is love” (1 John 4:8). But the same bible also says that he is just and righteous so that the appropriate consequence of sin must be paid. “Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished” (Exodus 34:7). “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) God loves us but has to punish us because of our sin, and because of his justice and righteousness, creating a dilemma for God. He solved this problem in Jesus Christ.

God laid on Jesus all our sins and punished him on our behalf to spare us from the punishment. “He bore the sin of many” (Isaiah 53:12). “He was crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5)”. Christ in our place, as our substitute, paid the penalty for our sin, providing us the way to eternal life that is reserved for those whose sin is cleared for good. Now God did all his part, and the rest is ours. A great feast of eternal life was already prepared and ready for us, and it is us who decide to pick up the food and eat it. We receive this wonderful gift of eternal life by accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son (as a sacrifice for our sins) that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). With Jesus in your heart you are about to experience an incredible transformation from a caterpillar to a butterfly. You will fly high into the world of joy, thanks and freedom forever, which you were born for and which you deserve. Are you hungry for true excitement and joy? Are you hungry for a fulfilled life? Do you want to live like a butterfly instead of a caterpillar? There is a hope. Your best days are still right in front of you with Jesus Christ. Most of all, you were born for much better than who you are now. You are the focus of God’s mighty love. You deserve much better than who you are now.

If you want to ask me a question privately, you are very welcome to send me your email at truthfinder0@gmail.com.

Can I ask you questions about physics? You have a PhD in theoretical physics right?

Dear friend

You can ask me any kind of questions including physics and life experience. I am open to discuss anything with anybody. Please feel free.

You deserve much better than who you are now. You were born for much better than who you are now. You were created to be loved by God. Let us not miss our full potential as a true human being whose heart always overflows with joy, thanks and freedom in a loving relationship with Jesus Christ

Hey, erm... no offence Truth Finder... but your comments seem out of place on this particular thread... Sorry.... =/

Thank you friend! You are very kind and generous. I'll pm you.