Islamic marriage advice and family advice

I want to marry the love of my life, but I’m Hindu

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Hi all,

I'm dying to marry this girl who is a Muslim. As per her, in order to marry her I need to accept Islam first because I am a Hindu. I know that fact already.

My confusion here is that though the girl says that she is a true believer of Islam, at times I don't see her following certain things. Some things she does are counted as sin. I believe in God, and I know that Prophet Muhammad is the last prophet of Allah. Since I believe in these two things, I believe in Islam- per her. Then why do I need to convert?

-Sourish_b


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29 Responses »

  1. salaams sourish,

    Brother..never change your religion for love. If you do not have a pure intention to change your religion eventually you will become resentful..If you believe in islam w/o the influence of just doing it to get married then take the shahada..otherwise.if you are a true believer of hinduism then..dont change that for no one. I would never change for anyone.i am a muslim and will stay that way. Educate yourself of the religion and if your heart takes you there then take shahada.

    there should be no compulsion and i have my religion and you have yours.You have the right to believe what you want but never do it for ill reason.seen it too many times that people who change their religioin just to get married in my experience never have a sincere faith and/or if the union breaks down they go back.

    ayat.

  2. Assalaamualaikam

    If you truly believe that there is no god but Allah, and that The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last Messenger of Allah, then take your shahadah (declaration of faith) without delay, and you will be very welcome within the Muslim Ummah.

    But, don't enter into a religion solely to please another or to allow marriage - Islam is more than just a "weekends and holidays" religion; it is the defining element of a Muslim's life.

    Islam is perfect, but Muslims aren't. Like people in all walks of life, there are people who are more committed or less committed than others; people who due to whatever reason do not carry out all their responsibilities or do not abstain from all the things we should avoid... If you and this girl do end up marrying, the two of you could then work together to improve how both of you practise Islam and become better Muslims.

    You ask why you would need to convert. Well, if you believe in Allah and that The Prophet (peace be upon him) is His Messenger, then it would seem natural to declare this (as privately as you like) and begin a life practising Islam. There doesn't need to be a big ceremony, or a fancy announcement. If you're interested in becoming Muslim, it would probably be useful for you to visit your local mosque and speak with a few brothers there - they should inshaAllah be able to give you more information and direct you to resources to learn more about Islam (a lot of areas run classes or groups for new Muslims). Also, there may be helpful information of this website, so feel free to look around and ask questions.

    Midnightmoon
    IslamicAnswers.com editor

  3. i would like to add that if you truly want to understand the religion take it from a scholar who has knowledge in both hinduism and islam. Google search Dr ZAKIR NAIK and inshaallah you will be amazed and perhaps teach your 'girlfriend' about islam too. You never know, you might actually learn to love it and WANT to become muslim.

    as for WHY you need to become a muslim? she cannot marry you islamiccaly and no sheikh will marry the both of you in a mosque if you are not a muslim. She cannot 'secretly' marry you either, because her father or some other man who is her guardian needs to approve of you and her being married, if no man approves then it becomes a marriage thats void and is seen as fornication. Meaning she is comitting a huge sin in islam and her family most likely will never speak to her again.

    I just dont see the issue here, u say u believe in Allah and the last Prophet saws then why not say a sentence and actually BE a muslim?

    No point in following hinduism, which you clearly already rejected once you accepted that another religion may be more true then the one you were brought up to believe was true.

    Anyway, i think you should first do more research about islam, go on youtube and listen to some videos on dr zakir naik and when you have fully accepted islam, go to the girls house, ask her father for her hand in marriage and live happily ever after. otherwise, stay away from her, because if her parents ever find out about you two, i guarentee they will make her choose between you or them and she will most likely choose her family.
    IF she still insists on being with you, but keeping it a secret, then i suggest you take the high road because nothing will come of it. If i assume her family is like most muslim families, they will never allow her to marry you if your not a muslim. She will have to turn her back on her religion and family and not a lot of people are willing to do something like that.

    I dont know how you two met and how long and why shes even speaking to you, but islam forbids any relationships outside of marriage. that includes boys and girls being 'just friends'.

    last thing i want to mention, If she isnt going to help you become muslim and shes not doing it properly by following her own religion, then i suggest stay away from her for your own sake because it would suck if you got caught up in all that drama and in the end broken hearted, having sinned and ended up alone.

    Thats why do your own research, dont take what she says and believe it without confirming it with facts from people who know what their talking about. like i said, dr zakir naik lol. i trust you will love that guy, hes amazing and i learned so much from him about hinduism. he himself is also somewhere from like pakistan or india, not sure. either way, look him up.

    May Allah azza wa jall guide you

    • Assalam alaikum Loveall,

      You are true to your name!

      Nice advice, maa shaa Allah.

      Dr. Zakir Naik is from India and yes, may Allah give him a long life in which he continues his da'wah work, I have learnt a lot from him. Dr. Zakir Naik's inspiration was Dr. Ahmed Deedat.

  4. It is sad but true, there are many self confessed ' Good Muslim' girls in our community who show-off in society that they true followers of Islam, but engage in anti-Islamic acts behind doors & veils like dating, keeping boyfriends and some even get into physical relations with men before marriage.

    May Allah guide these hypocrites,ameen, all the best to you.

  5. Assalam alaikum,

    Like Loveall has said above, do your own research about Islam--which you have obviously started by posting a question here. If possible, visit a local Mosque and speak to an Imam there. If you are ready to accept Islam genuinely as your way of life, then you can recite the Shahada there inn shaa Allah.

    Also you wrote:

    My confusion here is that though the girl says that she is a true believer of Islam, at times I don't see her following certain things. Some things she does are counted as sin.

    Brother, just because a Muslim men and women sin, this alone doesn't make them a non-believer. That is something that Allah will judge and He is the Best Judge. If you decide that you want to pursue marriage, make sure you understand the proper way to approach her father and that you and the girl do not meet each other or communicate privately.

    I pray that you get the guidance you are searching for and may Allah ease your difficulties, Ameen.

  6. The answers to your predicament are varied.
    In the first place, changing one's religion for love (or for infatuation purported as love) is rather foolish. Moreover, in most scenarios of this kind, the overtures are met with overt resentment from the parents of both the parties concerned. So if you feel ever so slightly dubious about the whole affair, I suggest you give the entire thing up for it will save you a lot of pain.
    However, that is not a typification. There have been marriages of such nature that work, and work well. But that is contingent on how you both view and practice religion. If even one of you takes a strong stance on religious affairs ( or at least tries to), then the hard truth is THIS RELATIONSHIP WON'T WORK IN A MILLION YEARS. There will be fights you cannot avoid, and that would be rather detrimental to your relationship.

    Lastly, I would ask you to ponder over the true meaning of love, and how your mind comprehends love. If you are of the sort who feel infatuated ( or even slightly attracted) to a women who is charming, good natured, and keeps a happy disposition, then it would be rather sensible to chuck the whole affair, considering you will definitely find someone who you feel is better, and moreover is of a similar background.

  7. Religion is spiritual
    Marriage is material, limited to the world of the mortals, and not beyond.

    So to abdicate, or forget spiritual for a material pursuit is not recommended

    a hindu is not converted but only born.

    Even if all the people in the world wanted to become hindu, that is not possible.

    All other religions provide way for conversion but hinduism does not because in hinduism it is said that you get a religion according to the nature you are born with.

    So a hindu man can accept a woman of another religion but if such a woman is prepared to follow her husband.

    This leads to both their liberation.

    The reverse is not allowed, a woman is not allowed to marry a muslim husband because she will be forced to follow him, and because she cannot change her nature will cause problems to both

    the difference is because hinduism is not prescriptive while other religions are

    to give up religion for a woman, means you loose both, the woman and your religion. this is proven in many cases.

    hope that helps you

    • The OP clearly states:

      I believe in God, and I know that Prophet Muhammad is the last prophet of Allah. Since I believe in these two things, I believe in Islam

      Quite honestly, most of your advice (as it seems to me) stems from your personal beliefs rather than Islamic advice. In fact, you said that a "a hindu is not converted, but only born." According to wikipedia:

      The word Hindu is derived (through Persian) from the Sanskrit word Sindhu, the historic local name for the Indus River in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent (modern day Pakistan and Northern India).[2][a] According to Gavin Flood, "The actual term Hindu first occurs as a Persian geographical term for the people who lived beyond the river Indus (Sanskrit: Sindhu)".[2] The term Hindu then was a geographical term and did not refer to a religion.[b]

      The word Hindu is not in the Hindu scriptures. So if customarily a person was called a Hindu based on where they were born, of course no one could be converted because you can't change where you are born.

      Muslims believe that all humans are born Muslim and in fact, we usually do not use the word convert, but rather revert because when someone chooses Islam later in their life they are in fact returning to their original state in which they were born.

      I strongly suggest for you to watch Dr. Zakir Naik's videos on Islam and Hinduism as he gives specific examples in the Hindu scriptures which is too much for me to type here.

      Peace.

      • you are right about the word Hindu not existing except for reference to people beyond river indus, or indus valley

        hinduism as it is now know actually refers to vedic religion based on the vedas. it is a vast piece of work and its deep meaning is kept secret (hence so many alphabets in india which were originally code alphabets)

        actually buddhism also originates from the vedic religion and there are many similar concepts.

        the muslims in india today were converted at the risk of loosing their life - with a sword on their necks

        this is the truth about islam in most parts of the world.

        No such force is used in Hinduism / Vedas to convert people, and for that matter no such conversion is possible.

        Vedas are the oldest known scriptures and existed before anything else, hence the reference of converting idol worshippers in Islam - which forced conversion and killed those who refused to convert -this is where the so called followers of Islam digressed from the teaching of Islam - in search of personal glory they forgot the real teachings of surrender (Islam means surrender to the Almighty) and service (Gholum) and started to exploit and kill people. The violent history of these people is evidence of this fact.

        as for Dr Zakir, he is only a propagandist and his knowledge is not only limited but dangerous, in any reasonable questioning his flaws can be easily revealed, if anything he is driven by his own motivations to say what he does, and for that many so called religious leaders in india do the same,

        these charlatans use religion to become famous and make a living. they are the low life in humans.

        • Assalaamualaikam

          ben, it is incorrect and unjust to suggest that forced conversion is commonplace. While I'm aware that some extreme examples exist, these are not being done by people who are following the true teachings of Islam and these acts are condemned by the Muslim community. Extremism has no place in our faith (despite what the media might try to have people believe).

          This website alone has numerous contributors, including myself, who have accepted Islam after coming from different backgrounds. I can assure you that nobody held a sword to my neck. To suggest that people who revert to Islam were forced to do so is rather insulting.

          Islam teaches that we should accept others, not force them to be Muslim if they do not genuinely believe in Allah and His Messengers, and that we should welcome with open arms and hearts anyone who accepts Islam. There are multiple teachings on this subject - I think one of the most concise is Surah Al-Kafiroon:

          Say: O ye that reject Faith!
          I worship not that which ye worship,
          Nor will ye worship that which I worship.
          And I will not worship that which ye have been wont to worship,
          Nor will ye worship that which I worship.
          To you be your way, and to me mine.

          (Translation by Yusuf Ali, Surah 109; 1-6)

          So it is clearly stated that Muslims are taught not to force religion upon people, but to accept others' free choices and carry on with our own lives.

          Midnightmoon
          IslamicAnswers.com editor

          • i agree that it is wrong to suggest that forced conversion commonplace.

            i was merely referring to the history of hindus being converted, mostly forcefully, during the mughal invasion to Islam.

            so this is a correction to my note above.

          • @Ben,

            How Islam Spread in India.

            Today, there are over 500 million Muslims throughout the Indian subcontinent (India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh), making it one of the largest population centers of Muslims in the world. Since Islam first entered India, it has contributed greatly to the area and its people. Today, numerous theories about how India came to be such a largely Muslim land exist. Politically, some (such as the Hindutva movement in India) try to make Islam seem foriegn to India, by insisting it only exists because of invasions by Arab and Persian Muslims. The truth, however, is far from that.

            The Earliest Muslim Indians

            Cheraman Juma Masjid

            Even before the life of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) in the 600s, Arab traders were in contact with India. Merchants would regularly sail to the west coast of India to trade goods such as spices, gold, and African goods. Naturally, when the Arabs began to convert to Islam, they carried their new religion to the shores of India. The first mosque of India, the Cheraman Juma Masjid, was built in 629 (during the life of Prophet Muhammad) in Kerala, by the first Muslim from India, Cheraman Perumal Bhaskara Ravi Varma. Through continued trade between Arab Muslims and Indians, Islam continued to spread in coastal Indian cities and towns, both through immigration and conversion.

            Muhammad bin Qasim

            The first great expansion of Islam into India came during the Umayyad Dynasty of caliphs, who were based in Damascus. In 711, the Umayyads appointed a young 17 year old man from Ta’if to extend Umayyad control into Sindh: Muhammad bin Qasim. Sindh is the land around the Indus River in the Northwestern part of the subcontinent, in present-day Pakistan. Muhammad bin Qasim led his army of 6,000 soldiers to the far eastern reaches of Persia, Makran.

            He encountered little resistance as he made his way into India. When he reached the city of Nerun, on the banks of the Indus River, he was welcomed into the city by the Buddhist monks that controlled it. Most cities along the Indus thus voluntarily came under Muslim control, with no fighting. In some cases, oppressed Buddhist minorities reached out to the Muslim armies for protection against Hindu governors.

            Despite the support and approval of much of the population, the Raja of Sindh, Dahir, opposed the Muslim expansion and mobilized his army against Muhammad bin Qasim. In 712, the two armies met, with a decisive victory for the Muslims. With the victory, all of Sindh came under Muslim control.

            It is important to note, however, that the population of Sindh was not forced to convert to Islam at all. In fact, for almost everyone, there was no change in day-to-day life. Muhammad bin Qasim promised security and religious freedom to all Hindus and Buddhists under his control. For example, the Brahman caste continued their jobs as tax collectors and Buddhists monks continued to maintain their monastaries. Due to his religious tolerance and justice, many cities regularly greeted him and his armies with people dancing and music.

            Patterns of Conversion

            The successive waves of Muslim armies penetrating into India followed much the same pattern. Leaders such as Mahmud of Ghazni and Muhammad Tughluq expanded Muslim political domains without altering the religious or social fabric of Indian society.

            Because pre-Islamic India was entirely based on a caste system in which society was broken into separate parts, conversion to Islam happened in a step-by-step process. Often, entire castes would convert to Islam at a time. This would happen for many different reasons. Often, however, the equality Islam provided was more attractive than the caste system’s organized racism. In the caste system, who you are born to determines your position in society. There was no opportunity for social mobility or to achieve greater than what your parents achieved. By converting to Islam, people had the opportunity to move up in society, and no longer were subservient to the Brahman caste.

            The Jama Masjid in Delhi, India

            Buddhism, which was once very popular in the subcontinent, slowly died out under Muslim rule. Traditionally, when people wanted to escape the caste system, they would move to the major population centers and convert to Buddhism. When Islam became an option, however, people began to convert to Islam instead of Buddhism, while still leaving the caste system. The myths of Islam violently destroying Buddhism in India are simply false. Buddhists were tolerated under Muslim rule and no evidence exists that shows forced conversions or violence against them.

            Wandering teachers also had a major role in bringing Islam to the masses. Muslim scholars traveled throughout India, making it their goal to educate people about Islam. Many of them preached Sufi ideas, a more mystical approach to Islam that appealed to the people. These teachers had a major role in bringing Islam to the masses in the countryside, not just the upper classes around the Muslim rulers.


            Did Islam Spread by Force?

            While some claim that Islam’s huge population in India is a result of violence and forced conversion, the evidence does not back up this idea at all. Although Muslim leaders replaced Hindu kings in most areas, society was left as is. Stories of forced conversion are very few and often not credible enough to warrant academic discussion.

            If Islam spread through violence and warfare, the Muslim community today in India would exist only in the areas closest to the rest of the Muslim world. Thus only the western part of the subcontinent would have any Muslim population at all. What we see instead is pockets of Islam throughout the subcontinent. For example, Bangladesh and its 150 million Muslims are in the far east, separated from other Muslim-majority areas by Hindu lands in India. Isolated communities of Muslims exist also exist in western Myanmar, central India, and eastern Sri Lanka. These communities of Muslims are proof of Islam spreading peacefully throughout India, regardless of whether or not a Muslim government existed there. If Islam spread by force as some claim, these communities of Muslims would not exist.

            Conclusions

            Islam is an integral part of India and its history. As the Indian subcontinent remains today a multi-ethnic and multi-religious place, it is important to understand the position Islam has in the region. The political claims that some making regarding Islam as if it is an invading religion and foriegn to the people of India need to be defied with the truth of Islam’s peaceful spread throughout India.

            http://lostislamichistory.com/how-islam-spread-in-india/

        • @ben

          Though, I can agree with you that "some" Muslims (not the majority of Muslims) have forgot the real teachings of Islam, however, you can find the same in any other religions too. For example, the Buddhists are slaughtering and burning many Muslims "alive" every day and night, especially in Burma.

        • Ben,

          I find your commentary to be propaganda itself to make such sweeping statements about Islam and to suggest that Hinduism is such a peaceful religion. The culture that many Muslims in the Indian Sub-continent have adopted from the Hindu religion/culture such as the bride's family giving over-the-top gifts and gold jewellery to the bridegroom's family is a treacherous practice which has led to many mothers searching for an ultrasound for their baby to ensure they don't give birth to a female. We can go on, as I am sure you know.

          Even my own ancestors CHOSE to become Muslim and when I became an adult, I had ample opportunity to leave Islam, but chose again and again and again to be a Muslim from my own freewill. No mother, father, brother, sister, soceital pressure, sword!, NOTHING made me fear leaving or staying within the fold of Islam. I chose to stay a Muslim purely because I believe this is true and no sword forced me into this belief system. I mention all this because you speak of the current Muslims as though they have no choice by making exaggerated statements about their ancestors.

          As for Dr. Zakir Naik, he could easily make a living by practicing Medicine and gaining fame for his name that way.

          • please see my clarification above.

            i was referring to the history of Islam in India, where most people, hindus were converted by the sword, and if they refused killed.

            This is also true for many other countries and the way Islam spread across the world.

            regarding Dr Zakir, its a point where we can agree to disagree.

          • @Ben

            Was Islam Spread by the Sword?

            It is a common misconception with some non-Muslims that Islam would not have millions of adherents all over the world, if it had not been spread by the use of force.

            The following points will make it clear, that far from being spread by the sword, it was the inherent force of truth, reason and logic that was responsible for the rapid spread of Islam.

            Islam has always given respect and freedom of religion to all faiths. Freedom of religion is ordained in the Quran itself:

            “There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong.” (Quran 2:256)

            The noted historian De Lacy O’Leary wrote:[1] “History makes it clear however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myths that historians have ever repeated.”

            The famous historian, Thomas Carlyle, in his book Heroes and Hero worship, refers to this misconception about the spread of Islam: “The sword indeed, but where will you get your sword? Every new opinion, at its starting is precisely in a minority of one; in one man’s head alone. There it dwells as yet. One man alone of the whole world believes it, there is one man against all men. That he takes a sword and tries to propagate with that will do little for him. You must get your sword! On the whole, a thing will propagate itself as it can.”

            If Islam was spread by the sword, it was the sword of intellect and convincing arguments. It is this sword that conquers the hearts and minds of people. The Quran says in this connection:

            “Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best.” (Quran 16:125)

            The facts speak for themselves

            · Indonesia is the country that has the largest number of Muslims in the world, and the majority of people in Malaysia are Muslims. But, no Muslim army ever went to Indonesia or Malaysia. It is an established historical fact that Indonesia entered Islam not due to war, but because of its moral message. Despite the disappearance of Islamic government from many regions once ruled by it, their original inhabitants have remained Muslims. Moreover, they carried the message of truth, inviting others to it as well, and in so doing endured harm, affliction and oppression. The same can be said for those in the regions of Syria and Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, North Africa, Asia, the Balkans and in Spain. This shows that the effect of Islam on the population was one of moral conviction, in contrast to occupation by western colonialists, finally compelled to leave lands whose peoples held only memories of affliction, sorrow, subjugation and oppression.

            · Muslims ruled Spain (Andalusia) for about 800 years. During this period the Christians and Jews enjoyed freedom to practice their respective religions, and this is a documented historical fact.

            · Christian and Jewish minorities have survived in the Muslim lands of the Middle East for centuries. Countries such as Egypt, Morocco, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan all have significant Christian and Jewish populations.

            · Muslims ruled India for about a thousand years, and therefore had the power to force each and every non-Muslim of India to convert to Islam, but they did not, and thus more than 80% of the Indian population remains non-Muslim.

            · Similarly, Islam spread rapidly on the East Coast of Africa. And likewise no Muslim army was ever dispatched to the East Coast of Africa.

            · An article in Reader’s Digest ‘Almanac’, yearbook 1986, gives the statistics of the increase of the percentage of the major religions of the world in half a century from 1934 to 1984. This article also appeared in The Plain Truth magazine. At the top was Islam, which increased by 235%, while Christianity had increased by 47%. During this fifty-year period, there was no “Islamic conquest” yet Islam spread at an extraordinary rate.

            · Today the fastest growing religion in America and Europe is Islam. The Muslims in these lands are a minority. The only sword they have in their possession is the sword of truth. It is this sword that is converting thousands to Islam.

            · Islamic law protects the privileged status of minorities, and that is why non-Muslim places of worship have flourished all over the Islamic world. Islamic law also allows non-Muslim minorities to set up their own courts, which implement family laws drawn up by the minorities themselves. The life and property of all citizens in an Islamic state are considered sacred whether they are Muslims or not.

            Conclusion

            It is clear, therefore, that Islam did not spread by the sword. The “sword of Islam” did not convert all the non-Muslim minorities in Muslim countries. In India, where Muslims ruled for 800 years, they are still a minority. In the U.S.A., Islam is the fastest growing religion and has over six million followers.

            In his book The World’s Religions, Huston Smith discusses how the prophet Muhammad granted freedom of religion to the Jews and Christians under Muslim rule:

            The Prophet had a document drawn up in which he stipulated that Jews and Christians “shall be protected from all insults and harm; they shall have an equal right with our own people to our assistance and good offices,” and further, “they shall practice their religion as freely as the Muslims.”[2]

            Smith points out that Muslims regard that document as the first charter of freedom of conscience in human history and the authoritative model for those of every subsequent Muslim state.

            Smith points out that Muslims regard that document as the first charter of freedom of conscience in human history and the authoritative model for those of every subsequent Muslim state.

            http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/677/

  8. @Issah

    Sorry, but these are half truths only.....

    the whole Sikh religion was created to stop forced conversion to Islam....which was brutal, vicious, and killed thousands....The mughal rule is known to be one of the most cruel periods of indian history, except for the period under Akbar..rest were tyrants, in particular Aurangzeb who rewarded for forced conversions, killings of non muslims

    Then you must also read the history of House of Saud, the official protector of two holy mosques. It is a history of barbarians....

    Here is another question for you: What is the first Surah of the Holy Quran? (i keep a copy in my temple)

    It is Cow Surah - now the question is that the Last Prophet (PBUH) is known as a shepard, and lived in Arabia, where no cows existed. This desert landscape had no cows, so how come Cow Surah is mentioned here?

    It has been tailored subsequently. So one has to understand the details instead of expounding and exaggerating individual excerpts.

    • Assalaamualaikam

      ben, this is an Islamic advice website - and while people of all faiths are welcome to contribute and be part of our online community, we do expect that people will be respectful of Islam and Islamic values.

      This is not the place for a debate on comparative theologies, so I would ask that we keep this post's discussion on topic.

      With regards your question about Surah Al-Baqarah, the surah is named after the accounts within it of the Israelites sacrificing a cow. The Israelites did have cows (this is supported by multiple sources). There are also verses in the surah which address The Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) prohibiting the worship of a calf idol. Both of these accounts are of events which took place in areas with cattle.

      The Quran is extremely important to Muslims, and we firmly believe that it has not been altered - that the original Arabic Quran has not been changed in any way from the time in which it was revealed to The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It is rather offensive towards our faith to make allegations that this is not the case.

      Midnightmoon
      IslamicAnswers.com editor

    • @Ben

      You wrote:

      Here is another question for you: What is the first Surah of the Holy Quran? (i keep a copy in my temple)

      It is Cow Surah - now the question is that the Last Prophet (PBUH) is known as a shepard, and lived in Arabia, where no cows existed. This desert landscape had no cows, so how come Cow Surah is mentioned here?

      It has been tailored subsequently. So one has to understand the details instead of expounding and exaggerating individual excerpts.

      First of all, Surah al-Baqarah (the heifer) is the second surah. Surah al-Fatihah is the first Surah (as mentioned by ZR below).

      Surah al-Baqarah (the heifer) was given the name “Heifer/Cow” because of an Incident among the children of Israel, when a man was killed, and God asked them to killed a heifer to determine who the killer is.

      God is the creator of Cows and heifers—If He mentioned a cow or a heifer in His Own Book, what is the problem with that?!

      God The Almighty says in the Holy Quran:

      67. And recall when Moses said to his people, "God commands you to sacrifice a heifer." They said, "Do you make a mockery of us?" He said, "God forbid that I should be so ignorant."

      68. They said, "Call upon your Lord to show us which one." He said, "He says she is a heifer, neither too old, nor too young, but in between. So do what you are commanded."

      69. They said, "Call upon your Lord to show us what her color is." He said, "He says she is a yellow heifer, bright in color, pleasing to the beholders."

      70. They said, "Call upon your Lord to show us which one; the heifers look alike to us; and God willing, we will be guided."

      71. He said, "He says she is a heifer, neither yoked to plow the earth, nor to irrigate the field; sound without blemish." They said, "Now you have brought the truth." So they slew her; though they almost did not.

      72. And recall when you killed a person, and disputed in the matter; but God was to expose what you were hiding.

      73. We said, "Strike him with part of it." Thus God brings the dead to life; and He shows you His signs, that you may understand.

      74. Then after that your hearts hardened. They were as rocks, or even harder. For there are some rocks from which rivers gush out, and others that splinter and water comes out from them, and others that sink in awe of God. God is not unaware of what you do.
      (Quran 2: 67-74)

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      You wrote:

      the whole Sikh religion was created to stop forced conversion to Islam....which was brutal, vicious, and killed thousands....The mughal rule is known to be one of the most cruel periods of indian history, except for the period under Akbar..rest were tyrants, in particular Aurangzeb who rewarded for forced conversions, killings of non muslims

      Ben, if you want to learn about why Sikh religion was formed, start by learning the biography of the founder himself (Guru Nanak Dev), and about his purpose, and stay away from claims that have no reality in existence.

      Guru Nanak Dev, never mentioned in anywhere that his teachings was in order to stop any forced conversion to Islam—but you will find in many places where he praised Islam and its practices, as you will find that his teachings was mainly to stop the caste systems which ruled unjustly between people.

      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      Sikhism is known as the religion founded by Guru Nanak who was born in 1469 A.D. It is commonly understood as a compromise between the teachings of Hinduism and Islam. But a careful study of Sikh traditions and relics of Sikhism lead to an irrefutable conclusion that Guru Nanak discarded the Hindu doctrines and assimilated the teachings of Islam to such an extent that Sikhism, in its pristine form, can be looked upon as a sect of Islam.

      Guru Nanak, by birth, was a Hindu. The elasticity of Hinduism makes it difficult to draw a line, crossing which a man ceases to be a Hindu. Deficiency in one's beliefs in the doctrines of Hinduism can be compensated by one's way of living and customs. But if one mixes with Muslims to such an extent that he eats and drinks with them and publicly performs religious rites of Islam, one would never be tolerated by Hindu society.

      The whole history of Sikhism shows that its founder, though born a Hindu, mixed with Muslims, joined in their prayers and performed other Islamic obligations, all in public. He wore none of the marks of Hindus upon him. On the other hand, he dressed like a Muslim and had all the insignia of a Muslim attire on him. He passed his days with Muslim pirs and saints and ate and drank with them. It was a Muslim sufi he constantly turned to for advice and there is not a single instance in his life which indicated that he bowed his head to a Hindu pandit. There are many places associated with his name, where he is known to have performed Chillas, Nanak's chilla at Sirsa, a small town in the Punjab, is an example. (Chilla is an Islamic form of meditation). Travelling through Muslim countries he reached Mecca where he performed Haj (pilgrimage) and is also known to have visited the holy city of Medina.

      His friend during these travels was a Muslim, Sheikh Farid, in whose company he passed twelve years of his life. Guru Nanak, while on pilgrimage, dressed like a pilgrim, carried with him a stick, Quran, a prayer mat and a water jug for performing ablution. Even his first four successors are represented in pictures as Muslims, carrying rosaries in their hands.

      Marrying A Muslim Girl

      Guru Nanak also married in a Muslim family. This point is very important because no respectable Muslim family would have taken Nanak as a son-in-law, unless he was known to be a Muslim. Nanak lived in a country under Muslim rule where the marriage of a Muslim woman to a non-Muslim would on no account be tolerated. This clearly indicates that Guru Nanak was accepted as a Muslim by his contemporaries.

      Personal Cloak he always wore

      The Chola, or the cloak of Baba Nanak, is the holiest relic of the Guru and is preserved in Dera Baba Nanak, a small village in Gurdaspur District of the Punjab. This is a cloak which Nanak wore in his life-time and it is considered so sacred that his immediate followers took every care to keep it safe. The regard and reverence rendered to the Chola by the Sikh community is a testimony to the authenticity of the cloak. The words of Guru Nanak as contained in the Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh scriptures) were not collected until the time of Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Guru, and therefore cannot be relied upon as accurate particularly as Sikhism had by that time assumed an attitude of hostility towards Islam. But the Chola is clear from this charge, because it was handed down by Nanak himself and has come down to our times in its original condition. It is commonly alleged that verses from different scriptures in different languages are written on the Chola. But this is not true. The verses chosen for writing on the Chola are quotations from the Holy Quran as revealed by photographs recently taken. The religion followed by the man can be none other than Islam.

      But strangely, the misconception has gained upper hand in the case of Chola as in the case with teachings of Baba Nanak, which, in spite of being purely Islamic, came by and by to be looked upon as a compromise between Hinduism and Islam.

      The congruence of the teachings of Baba Nanak with those of the Holy Quran is so perfect that one cannot escape the conclusion that the Guru had accepted Islam as his religion. He declared that there was One God and He was the same for all and that He was formless. There is none else who is equal to Him. He is the sole Creator of this Universe. Everything is created by Him. He is the ultimate determinant in terms of all forms of His creation.

      Sikhism believes in a one and formless God and it does not believe in idol worship. According to it, idol worship promotes attachment of God with something other than God and God cannot limit Himself in the form of an idol or a stone. He is beyond everything and in everything at the same time.

      Sikhism does not believe in Avatar, i.e. God descending on earth to protect humanity. On the other hand, it believes that there are men who are spiritual to the highest degree, are blessed souls and therefore are assigned the duty to liberate humanity from its continual suffering.

      The book Janam Sakhi of Bala Sahib is an authoritative source of Sikhism. Bala was Nanak's constant companion and he accompanied his Master for twenty years during his travels. It is true that in Janam Sakhi one finds much fiction mixed with facts. Bala was a Hindu and after Nanak's death, estrangemant of Sikhism from Islam had started. As such any statement contained in Janam Sakhi in favour of Islam has the weight of a hostile witness.

      The following passages are quoted from the third edition of Bala Sahib's Janam Sakhi, printed by the press, Anarkali, Lahore in the early part of this century.

      On page 134 of Janam Sakhi, we read,

      The Quran is divided into thirty sections, proclaim thou, this Quran in the four comers of this world. Declare the glory of one name only for none other is an associate with me. Nanak proclaims the word of God that came to him, thou hast been granted the rank of Sheikh, so thou shouldst abolish the worship of gods and goddesses and the old Hindu idol - temples.

      The fundamental article of the Islamic faith, the Kalima, has been given the greatest stress in Janam Sakhi.

      A few Shaloks (verses) from this Sakhi read:

      I have repeated one Kalima, there is none other.

      I have repeated one Kalima, there is none other.

      Those who repeat the Kalima and are not devoid of the faith, shall not be burned on fire.

      Repeat the Holy Kalima of the Prophet, it shall cleanse thee of all sins.

      By repeating the Kalima, the punishment of this world, as well as the next is averted.

      Who ever repeats the Kalima, how shall he be punished? the merit of repeating the Kalima is that a person is cleansed of his sins.

      In Bala's Janam Sakhi, we also read that during his pilgrimage to Mecca, Baba Nanak met Qazi Rukn-ud-Din, the Imam and had long conversations with him. It is reported that Nanak said, :

      O Rukn-ud-Din, it is written in the Book (i.e., the Quran) that those who drink wine or 'Bhang' shall be punished on the Day of Judgment.

      Baba Nanak was not a Muslim in belief only. He recognized the necessity of worship in the form enjoined by Islam and laid stress on this point in his teachings. On page 193 of Bala's Janam Sakhi, we have: Nanak said,

      O' Rukn-ud-Din, hear from me the true reply: the saying of the Lord is written in the Book. That person will go to hell who does not repeat the Kalima, who does not keep the thirty fasts, and does not say the five prayers, who eats what is not lawful for him. These shall receive the punishment and the fire of the bottomless pit shall be his abode.

      It is also reported that Baba Nanak kept fasts for a whole year at Mecca and put his fingers in his ears and gave the call to prayer. It is also related that Nanak recited the Khutba of the Prophet and became happy.

      The few quotations are sufficient to show that Nanak not only made a full confession of the absolute truth of Islam but also performed the obligations of Islamic law and enjoined others to follow them. Now the question arises how the religion preached by Nanak came to be identified as an offshoot of Hinduism. Anybody who is acquainted with the history of Sikhism would reach the conclusion that the transformation was due to political, not religious reasons.

      Baba Nanak was not a mere convert to Islam. He felt he had been called to act as a spiritual guide and to take people into his discipleship after the manner of many Muslim Sufis. This has lead later historians to conclude that Baba Nanak founded a new cult which took into his fold Muslims as well as Hindus and hence Sikhism was a compromise of the two religions. We have to reject this conclusion because no Muslim disciple of Nanak is known to have given up his belief in Islamic principles nor to have acted against any Islamic injunctions regarding prayers and fasting. Punjab, at the time of Nanak, was under Muslim rule and if Nanak had converted any Muslim to a faith other than Islam, he would have been sentenced to death for apostasy, (though it is un-Islamic to the core!) was strictly enforced by all Muslim rulers in the Middle ages, but Nanak's disciples were not harmed in any way let alone being stoned to death. This clearly shows that Nanak was looked upon as a Muslim sufi by his contemporaries. It is indeed difficult to explain fully the causes which led to the identification of Sikhism with Hinduism rather than with Islam. But so subtle and variant are generally the causes which shape the religious thought of a people, that a complete satisfactory explanation is often impossible in such matters.

      The transformation of Christ's monotheistic teaching to Pauline Trinity offers a greater difficulty when one analyses the course of history. Originally a branch of Judaism, it soon developed into a movement entirely opposed to the parent religion. As plainly as Guru Nanak said that the injunctions of the Islamic law should be followed to attain salvation, Jesus also insisted that the Mosaic law was under no circumstances to be altered. Within a single generation, however, his teachings were altered, lock stock and barrel. Baba Nanak took Hindu disciples, but did not insist on their outright conversion to Islam. They could call themselves Hindus with their traditional life-style and still continue to be in his company.

      Nanak probably knew that those who really accepted him as their Master, would ultimately follow him in the Islamic way. There is a strong reason to believe that with Nanak's death the influx of Muslims into his movement stopped all together. It was his personal charisma that drew Muslims towards him, and won their conviction that he was a Muslim saint. Accordingly, Nanak's death was the turning point and with this, the Muslim element began to disappear. The movement remained in the hands of Hindu disciples, who, by lapse of time, relapsed into their old faith. The political circumstances accelerated this estrangement. The culmination of this can be seen from the perception of the tenth Master Guru, Gobind Singh Ji, that the power of God on the earth was symbolised by the khanda, a double edged sword. From the fifth Guru, Arjun Dev, onwards, the Islamic elements started disappearing from Sikh literature including the Granth Sahib with only some of these teachings remaining in some Janam Sakhis written earlier.

      Sikhism as we know it today is the result of the teachings of the ten Gurus, the first of which was Guru Nanak (1469-1539) and the tenth and last of which was Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708).

      Guru Nanak spread a simple message: "We are all one, created by the One Creator of all Creation." There is no definitive biography of Guru Nanak, though there have been many attempts to write the story of his life by his devotees after his death.

      According to Dr. Hari Ram Gupta, author of A Life-Sketch of Guru Nanak, Nanak started his mission at a time when both Hinduism and Islam as practiced in the Indian Subcontinent had become distorted and degraded. The caste system was at its worst, and all kinds of corruption had become rampant in society. Men of vision were worried, and they attacked the rot that had set in the society. Rather than address the socio-political problems, the reformers of the day tried to initiate a spiritual movement that would turn people towards God. They believed that this was the way to cure the ills of the society.

      Guru Nanak was indeed the most important of these reformers. He was born to a simple Hindu family. From an early age, he made friends with both Hindus and Muslims and acquired a good knowledge of Hinduism and Islam. He used to spend long hours in discussions with Muslim and Hindu holy men of the area.
      There is a story of how he disappeared for three days and came back with enlightenment. It is reported that he was no longer the same person he had been. Then he uttered these words:

      "There is but One God, His name is Truth, He is the Creator, He fears none, He is without hate, He never dies, He is beyond the cycle of births and death, He is self illuminated, He is realized by the kindness of the True Guru. He was True in the beginning, He was True when the ages commenced and has ever been True, He is also True now." (Japji)

      These words are enshrined at the beginning of the Sikh holy scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib. It was 1499 and Guru Nanak was thirty years old at this time.

      After this, with a Muslim companion, Guru Nanak undertook long journeys as part of a spiritual mission. He took twelve years to return from this first journey. He then set out on a second journey traveling as far south as Sri Lanka. On his third journey Guru Nanak traveled to the north to Tibet.

      Guru Nanak visited Sheikh Ibrahim, the Muslim successor of Baba Farid, the great Sufi dervish of the twelfth century at Ajodhan. When asked by Ibrahim which of the two religions was the true way to attain God, Guru Nanak replied, "If there is one God, then there is only His way to attain Him, not another. One must follow that way and reject the other. Worship not him who is born only to die, but Him Who is eternal and is contained in the whole universe."

      On his fourth great journey Guru Nanak dressed in the blue garb of a Muslim pilgrim and traveled to Makkah. He visited Madinah and Baghdad, too.

      After having spent a lifetime in traveling abroad and setting up missions, an aged Nanak returned home to Punjab. He settled down at Kartharpur with his family. People came from far and near to hear his hymns and preaching.

      After Guru Nanak's death in September 1539, his Hindu followers thought him to be a Hindu and his Muslim followers thought him to be a Muslim. That is to say, both Muslims and Hindus viewed him from the perspective of their respective faiths.

      It was the later disciples of Nanak who gave shape to a new religion, of which Nanak is considered the first Guru. In 1604, Arjan Dev (one of the ten Gurus) compiled the hymns of Guru Nanak along with the compositions of both Hindu and Muslim holy men, like Jaidev, Surdas, Sheikh Farid, and Kabir. The compiled book was enshrined by Arjan in the Golden Temple and was called the Adi Granth.

      It was the tenth Guru, Gobind Singh, who organized the community of Sikhs into a khalsa - "a spiritual brotherhood devoted to purity of thought and action." He taught his followers to wear long hair (kesh, denoting saintly appearance), underwear (kachha, denoting self-control), iron bangle (kara, denoting purity in acts), comb (kangha, denoting cleanliness of mind and body), and sword (kirpan, denoting fight for a just cause).

      The Sikh scripture called the Adi Granth (called respectfully as Guru Granth Sahib) is considered the Supreme Spiritual Authority and Head of the Sikh religion, rather than any living person. It contains the works of not only the ten Gurus but also the hymns by Sufis like Sheikh Farid (1175 - 1265) and Sheikh Bhikan (who died during the early part of Akbar's reign).

      Please read more:

      http://www.booksie.com/religion_and_spirituality/short_story/rassool_auckbaraullee/guru-nanak:-the-father-of-sikhism-was-a-muslim

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haLBozJ909I

    • Hello Ben,

      First of all Ben, the first part of the Quran to be revealed are the first 5 ayahs of Surah Al-Alaq:

      Recite in the name of your Lord who created -
      Created man from a clinging substance.
      Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous -
      Who taught by the pen -
      Taught man that which he knew not.

      The Author of the Quran knew that when a human is in its inital stages of life, that he is like a clinging substance...Who would have known that but Allah? We only have come to know now with technology and science how a human fetus develops. So you ask about Surah Baqarah--I am not sure what you are claiming, but I highly suggest you research Dr. Israr Ahmed (he has lectures on youtube in both English and Urdu) who speaks about Brahmans and in fact suggests that these are the same people who were idol-worshippers...and the word Brahman actually infact comes from Prophet Ibrahim. They (Brahmans) are the same people who were called to Islam ages and ages ago...and as much as most people want to deny it, Islam is NOT a new religion, but it is the first religion, but simply Prophets came from time and time again--with different books sometimes, but ALL with the SAME message. You may recall that Prophet Ibrahim's father was an idol-worshipper.

      You wrote above earlier:

      Vedas are the oldest known scriptures and existed before anything else, hence the reference of converting idol worshippers in Islam - which forced conversion and killed those who refused to convert -this is where the so called followers of Islam digressed from the teaching of Islam

      You may recall that Prophet Ibrahim's father wanted his son, Ibrahim (AS) to worship idols and he was forcing his son to do so. And in fact, when Ibrahim (AS) refused to do so, his father threatened him and arranged for him to be thrown into a pit of fire. And what was the response of Prophet Ibrahim (AS)? He didn't force his father to convert, He didn't even utter one bad word to his father, the idol-worshipper, at all.

      Al-Quran [19:41-48]
      And mention in the Book [the story of] Abraham. Indeed, he was a man of truth and a prophet.
      [Mention] when he said to his father, "O my father, why do you worship that which does not hear and does not see and will not benefit you at all?
      O my father, indeed there has come to me of knowledge that which has not come to you, so follow me; I will guide you to an even path.
      O my father, do not worship Satan. Indeed Satan has ever been, to the Most Merciful, disobedient.
      O my father, indeed I fear that there will touch you a punishment from the Most Merciful so you would be to Satan a companion [in Hellfire]."
      [His father] said, "Have you no desire for my gods, O Abraham? If you do not desist, I will surely stone you, so avoid me a prolonged time."
      [Abraham] said, "Peace will be upon you. I will ask forgiveness for you of my Lord. Indeed, He is ever gracious to me.
      And I will leave you and those you invoke other than Allah and will invoke my Lord. I expect that I will not be in invocation to my Lord unhappy."

      In one sentence you speak about Islam and the next you speak about the practices of Muslims and you cleverly make it seem that Islam is a religion about force and hatred based on exaggerated references to history that weren't even from the perspective of Muslims--of course the enemies of Muslims would have some choice words to say about them, wouldn't they now? I suppose bias can be comforting even if it isn't the truth.

      You know the real problem is...as time went on and the world progressed with technology, there was a time when the Muslim world resisted it. If you look now, some Muslim countries are not quite up to par with the technological changes in the world because they initially resisted the press and tv and all those things. Rather than use these mediums of communication for good purposes, they simply deemed them evil. As a result, Muslims didn't quite get a chance to voice their own history in their own words, and they were then written about by someone else, who wan't quite their number one fan.

      Look at Avicenna and all his contributions...but now, some textbooks and sources on the internet are starting to refer to him as his original name which was IBN SINA. He had memorized the Quran by the age of 10 and he was the one to map out the circulatory system--only a small iota of the contributions he made to science. I find it interesting that they now refer to his name Avicenna as his Latin name--when really renaming him was a tactic to remove his connection with Muslim history--we certainly don't see other scientists commonly referred to with their latin names.

      The truth is when someone else speaks on behalf of another group, justice doesn't prevail; but perhaps the thing that is worse than that is the fact that some people read the history from one perspective on behalf of someone else and the result is the hatred spewed which we see today. You have caught up in this and in a way I don't blame you because the propaganda against Muslims has you wrapped around its finger. And let's not get into what is on the news---because mainstream media is a joke as far as I am concerned. The squeaky wheel gets the grease and that will always be the case.

      Ultimately, we have to understand that if shaitaan (evil) wanted to misguide humans, he has to make the truth seem like a lie, he has to make evil seem good, he has to appear as though he doesn't exist, he has to make the truth path seem as though it is only falsehood--WHY? Because that is the test. The test is never easy with all the answers laying plainly in front of you--NO, it is challenging and you have to seek and find, not to just be a sheep in herd blindly following fox news and famous encyclopedias.

      As for the Hindu scriptures, I would like to share the following with you:

      "O people, listen [to] this emphatically! the man of praise [The name 'Muhammad' literally means 'praiseworthy' in arabic)] will be raised among the people. We take the emigrant in our shelter from sixty thousand and ninety enemies whose conveyances are twenty camels and she camels, whose loftiness of position touches the heaven and lowers it". Read Muhammad's(uwbp) history of emigration to medina and see this prophecy being fulfilled. No Hindu explanation of this exists as to my knowledge. [Atharva Veda 20:129]

      The Brahma Sutra of Hinduism is: "Ekam Brahm, dvitiya naste neh na naste kinchan" (Sanskrit transliteration) "There is only one God, not the second; not at all, not at all, not in the least bit."

      "Na tasya pratima asti" "There is no likeness of Him." [Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:19]

      I believe that Islam doesn't have the bad history that is often claimed in encyclopedias...but rather, the history about Islam is badly written.

  9. @Ben If Islam was forced, can you please clarify why India has a 700 million strong hindu majority still? As far as I have read and learnt about the history of India (extensively for my academics) Mughals ruled almost the whole of India yet India still remains a hindu majority country

    From your sourceless explaination I can only guess that you would say hindus were converted back but truth is throughout history there was only one "shuddhikaran" movement undertaken by the Arya Samaj and that too to save hinduism from hindus themself by giving the message of "back to the vedas"

    And I do not deny that there might have been forced conversion which is in truth against Islam but that does not mean you can lay claims on all of today's muslims by saying they all are progeny of forcefully converted hindus. Every man has his own mind and decisions and the consequences are to be borne by him.

    You are claiming one who religion (sikhism) was created just to rest your case, but can you see these claims have no place in the wider scenario?

    As Br. issah has already pointed out and you have selectively ignored all the proper explainations I suggest you need to learn more about Islam and its history. "The Cow" is the second surah and not the first. it is named after the the verses 67-73 and its wider in concept.
    http://www.islamicity.com/quran/maududi/mau2.html

    Please don't lose yourself in the history and clarifications. You live alone and die alone. A religion is meant to give a person the link to God and find peace through his practice. I was a hindu before converting to Islam. And I tried so hard to reach out to God in every way through my birth religion. I fasted on every "auspicious" occassion, even weekly visited temples and even climbed mountains regularly just to take darshan.

    And this was not in pursue of material things that most people do for but to genuinely have God in my life in some way until I actually thought I was calling out to only stone idols and before I started drifting and questioning the whole concept of hinduism. I was starting to lose my sense of morality and principles before I found Islam.

    I think God hears and knows and that is why I came to Islam when I was the farthest away from being someone even likable to God but His mercy is all a sinner needs to know that He cares and that each one is accountable for what he does and we are answerable to Him. And I would not be inviting you either and no one forced me. I took my shahada in my own home

    We are intellectual beings we need more than just blind faith to settle and satisfy our minds before submitting to God and that is why I invite you to learn more about Islam

    O mankind, what has deceived you concerning your Lord, the Generous, Who created you, proportioned you, and balanced you? [82:6-7]

  10. Another truth I would like to add about your concept that "no one is forced to convert to hinduism"

    Its because of the caste system that people have a certain superiority complex. Its not out of tolerance or goodness. And the manifestation of this is seen even in today's society where higher caste refuse to assimilate or accept marriage proposals from lower castes

    Intercaste marriages are so common in India today and those who allow this either do not care about casteism or do so out of helplessness in front of their children's choices But even then what is common is that they do not want any person from an outside caste to be associated with them even though being from the same religion
    And then there are people who propogate this as tolerance or acceptance of another's faith when in truth this is just a facade of acceptance. They just don't want anything to do with another's caste. This is a sad truth but to twist this to put a religion down falsefully is even sadder

  11. @ZR

    If you are actually interested in an objective and rational discussion, you would refrain from making personal accusations about the person and focus instead on the points instead. But I will remain objective.

    You cannot use your personal example of conversion (or some may say failures) as a rationale for history, all others

    You forget that at the time of mughals hindus existed from Afganistan all the way to Indonesia (do you not see this in the names of Indonesia still?)

    So your argument of 700 majority is flawed.

    Not only was there forced conversion, the muslims spreading Islam (thinking wrongly it was Jihaad while being forceful) abducted and raped women, and after that the children were bound to be born as muslims, what else?

    Due to contraception being prohibited in Islam, it remains the fastest growing religion. That is the fact.

    • Assalaamualaikam

      ben, please read my comment below your previous post.

      I would appreciate it if you could refrain from further negative comments about Islam on this website. You are free to believe whatever you want, and so are we. Let's leave it there.

      Midnightmoon
      IslamicAnswers.com editor

    • @Ben

      You are talking about raping women here. What about what your fellow wicked Buddist brothers are doing in Burma?!

      The 16 year old Rohingya Muslim girl who was raped by the wicked Buddist police men (and other wicked buddist men) in Burma said:

      “I remember it clearly. Just before dawn the first Rakhine man came in. He raped me,” the 16-year-old Rohingya Muslim girl told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday, February 5.

      “Then the others came in, one by one. It was four Rakhine men, and three police officers.”

      ---------------------

      In the grocery shop the girl was tortured by the police officers who failed to force her to convert to Buddhism.

      “I said no, I refused to convert,” the girl said.

      “They then beat me. I was slapped. Beaten with sticks,” she explained.

      http://www.loonwatch.com/2014/02/burma-buddhistspolice-rape-attempt-to-force-convert-rohingya-muslim-teen/

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