Islam, Page 2  From: Serene Sent: 11/18/2001 3:30 AM Oh, forgot to tell you one last thing, which is kinda neat--at least, I think so: There is no Original Sin in Islam. In other words, it is believed that everyone is born into this world innocent. And they are responsible from their own actions, and nobody else's (including what Adam or Eve or another personality mentioned in the Book did). Therefore, sex is not considered as something bad, or sinful. On the contrary, marital sex is super encouraged (and both men and women are expected and allowed to get *pleasure* out of it. <GRIN>no wonder that the Muslim countries have skyrocketing population increase rates... lol.   From: Intense_Female Sent: 11/18/2001 12:38 PM I very much enjoyed that post... Is healing or prophecy mentioned in the Koran and what are the views on psychics?  How many types of Muslims are there ... and if you know what are some of the differences.  Do you have to stop 5x a day and face (east?) to pray?  What is your religious service like?  Incense? Chanting aloud? Are your priests (sorry not sure what the head dude is called) allowed to forgive sin? Are there confessions?  Does the Koran mention Buddha?  Does it mention witchcraft?   I know I'm questioning you to death here :-)  you'll find out that that’s very much how I go about learning.   and finally... what is your personal biggest grievance with your holly group? (haha ... now your welcome to ask me the same about mine)   Do Muslims celebrate any of the same holidays as Christians (with a variation of course).  Is circumcision recommended by the Koran?  Does it speak to being "born again"?  How does one repent?  What part do women play in religious services?   From: Serene Sent: 11/18/2001 5:34 PM Wow�?Yes, you are an 'intense' one, Intense Female!! Lol. But I am flattered by your questions-- it is a pleasure for me to hear that someone else is interested in knowing more about my belief system. I'll try not to fail you, or others, and hopefully, will quench your curiosity a bit in the long run�?/P> 1) Is healing and prophesy mentioned in Koran? Yes, indeed. The people who were sent to this planet as prophets were, so called, hand-picked, i.e., they don't appear haphazardly. For instance, they *always* appear in those societies where there was a serious spiritual crisis of sorts was brewing, or already in full force. If I am not mistaken, Koran mentions that there have been 144,000 prophets sent to this world to date, since the beginning of time. Every nation/people, it underlines, received a prophet at some part of its existence. Some of these prophets were given specific 'books' to preach-- such as David, Moses, or Jesus--or Mohammed. But some just preached according to the books and knowledge that were sent to those prophets preceding them. Koran makes no distinction between the importance of the prophets, though�?That is, Muhammad is not considered as superior to Jesus, or Adam. He happens to be the last one, so obviously he finishes this long line of prophets in a sorta sparkling crescendo in terms of morality-- just like the final notes of an exciting--and grandiose-- Beethoven symphony, but during the Judgment Day, he will not be treated better/worse than the ones who came before him. And, prophets-- no matter how superior they are to ordinary souls in terms of their spiritual cleanliness and devotion to God, are not devoid of faults or sins either, it is stressed. This is because, again, they are humans, after all.. Apart from these people, normal people are not given the ability for prophecy. Gotta break my fast now.. But will be back soon, promise!! :) Blessings, Serene

 

 

How many types of Muslims are there? Well, depends on your viewpoint-- after those terrible attacks on September 11, I'm beginning to think that there are only two-- those who are maniacs, and those who aren't !! Lol. And how I wish that the first ones were eradicated from the face of this earth for once and all�?/P> Technically speaking, Islam is not as 'divided' as, say, Christianity is-- simply because it does not have a single set of interpretation that is accepted once and for all by each 'group,' During the early times of Islam, Muslims conflicted among each other on picking up a leader (both in the spiritual and political sense)-- what the Muslims call as Khalifa.. This position did not give its occupant to forgive sins, or to act as an institution to interpret Koran single- handedly-- debate is one of the main pillars of Islam, after all.. But it was a pretty powerful *political* position too.. At the end of this controversy, Muslims were divided into two groups, in terms of their decision about who the khalifa (at the time) should be. The Sunnites are one of them, and form the majority (80% or so). The rest are Shi'ites, mostly consisting of the people who live in today's Iran, and southern part of Iraq, as well as some Gulf countries, such as Bahrain. Their way of praying and fasting or any of the major rituals do not differ really from the rest-- because, after all, no one has a pope- like figure at the top to follow.. But they do pay more respect to their imams (the guys who lead the prayers in mosques) and theologians than Sunnites. (The notorious Khomeini, for instance, was an 'ayatollah' which is the highest available rank among these theologians among the Shi'ites that exist in world today).. Apart from this relatively large 'schism' based on mainly political differences-- and frankly, I guess also to the stubbornness of both sides, as with many Christian sects, schools of thought-- not exactly sects-- exist among Muslims. Sunnites have four of them 1)Hanefi 2) Hanbali, 3) Shaf'i and 4) Maliki.. Again, the differences between these schools of thought rises from the differences in their interpretations-- none of them claims-- and they cannot, by any means-- that they offer the true path to salvation. No matter what school of thought one adheres to (and if you're like me, you may be brought up with one of them, but end up embracing all, according to your needs and wishes..) all are equal to one another in terms of being Muslims. Because God is the sole judge of the belief of living beings. Period. Therefore, one of the clerics-- imams-- (imam means leader) have the potential or the power to forgive sins-- whether you are a Shi'ite, Sunnite or whatever.. No-- one can only ask for forgiveness from God, and that needs to be done directly, with no one standing in between.. That's why Islam rejects the ideas of Saints in the sense Catholics embrace them.. Again.. Be right back (cookie time-- yummy!!!) From: Serene Sent: 11/18/2001 7:05 PM OOps-- stop the press: I meant none of the clerics have the power to forgive anyone... Sorry... Coming back soon!   From: CzechWoods Sent: 11/18/2001 7:36 PM Namaste Serene,   Thanks you lots for these wonderful explanations. I have to admit, that I am at times biased against Islam - but thanks to you, I get a better picture.   I think you should get baited into doing a chat too...   You are a great imam for us non-Muslims so to speak, well not a imam but teacher ;)   Looking fwd hearing more. Czech   From: Serene Sent: 11/18/2001 8:04 PM Ok-- I'm back!! :) I'm glad that you still maintain your interest, Intense�?As I said earlier, it's a pleasure for me to give information to you or anyone who's interested. It is you who should let me know if it starts bursting out of your ears, though!! :) Praying-- how do Muslims pray? Muslims are required to pray 5 times a day, at the allotted times... If you don't pray five times a day, that does not make you an un-Muslim (and no Muslim can claim so), but a non-observant -- 'bad' one... As I said earlier, Islam is a religion of practicality, and it boasts of being flexible to human needs (yeah, i do know that it sounds like an oxymoron when you look at the folks in Afghanistan or S. Arabia..) For instance, if you miss a prayer time, you can make it up later.. If you haven't prayed for once and start praying when you're --say, 60-- you can still try to make up for the past by trying as much as you can to pray for those times that you missed... If you're travelling, or sick, or incarcerated, you can postpone your prayer-- if it will be more convenient and less painful for you.. If one is bedridden, and can't perform the ritual as it is normally expected to be done, then one can still perform it in gestures in one's bed... The possibilities are endless, just like those situations that people can find themselves in...