Ask a Muslim
- Thread starter incantrix
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knigh+
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Yes of course they did have a valid cause, nobody's claiming they attacked for no reason (most societies don't willingly wage war without reason). I am saying there was also a prior reason that created this reason.
Wars don't necessarily start with a Pearl Harbor. In this case, war started when Meccans confiscated Muslims' belongings. Mecca outnumbered Muslims by far, so Muslims fought against Mecca the only way they knew could hurt them - anology: think of Muslims as the German navy of WW2, and Mecca as the British Royal Navy.
And I just checked wiki for this. It says the first raid did not even succeed, the second raid did succeed, and the third raid force was ambushed by Meccans at Badr - resulting in the battle. So it's not like they have been raiding many caravans over the years. They just raided one after their stuff was confiscated. Then Mecca declared war. And if there is war, what's the point of not raiding the next caravan?
Well, if you are running the holy pilgrimage site of idolaters, and some people one caravan stop prior to your city are preaching that your idols are a fluke, wouldn't you get pissed off?
Who is launching a crusade?
Are you admitting that Mohammad started the Meccan-Medinan war? That's how it sounds to me, but that seems like a rather odd position for a Muslim to take. Please correct me if I'm wrong here.knigh+ said:
Sure, but not enough to go to war over. And I'd be even more ticked when they started stealing my camels.
knigh+
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Are tou asking me or Elrohir. His statement preceding yours was made in sarcasm.
As for me, i wasn't quoting anything other than general knowledge. Hopefully Salah-al-din would be kind to illuminate the matter.
I was asking you - is there evidence that the raids were attempting to retake their own property?
knigh+
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I don't know of anything worth citing, I just remember it from 6th grade history classes and Anthony Quinn's movie.
zenspiderz
Just some bloke..
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- Apr 10, 2006
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- 1,496
I saw that 'the message' starring anthony quinn as abu hamza. ace film. 1st stop for anyone non-muslim who wants to know about islam. highly recommended viewing.
knigh+
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I agree, but I think it goes a bit slowly in some parts.
Before anyone asks (I'm sure someone will), they didn't portray Muhammad in the movie. Quite smartly, whenever a scene involved Muhammad, they took the scene from his eyeview.
Another excellent visual source is the recent (5 yrs or so) PBS documentary called Islam: Empire of Faith. But it is more about history than religion.
Of course neither has the detail written sources can give, but I think they are worth watching.
HannibalBarka
We are Free
Just a warning to every one here on this topic, Salah Addine is not muslim's spoksman, he does not represents the vast majority of the muslims. He said it himself, he is a fundamuntalist and his views are those of a fundamuntalist. He very often talk about the 90% Sunni he is part of as opposed to the 10% Shia, but he is more part of the x% Fundamuntalists. The vast majority of the Sunni consider Shia to be muslim like them, Shia make the pilgrimage to Mecca and Iran is part of the Islamic Coference. Salah Addine call them Kaffir, a very rare opinion among Sunni. The vast majority of Muslims do not consider music to be haram, Salah Addine do.
To consider him a "typical" Muslim would be like considering a Jehovah Witness a typical Christian, he is not. He is a typical Fundamuntalist Muslim.
To consider him a "typical" Muslim would be like considering a Jehovah Witness a typical Christian, he is not. He is a typical Fundamuntalist Muslim.
thetrooper
Misanthrope
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I'm reading a book where two Omani people greet each other like this:
Person1: Salam Alaikum.
Person2: Alaikum as Salam.
Is this the norm or is it bad research by the writer?
Person1: Salam Alaikum.
Person2: Alaikum as Salam.
Is this the norm or is it bad research by the writer?
aneeshm
Deity
I'm not sure, bit I think it should be "Wa Alaikum as Salam".
aneeshm
Deity
But you do agree that when he says something, he is following the Islamic canon?
knigh+
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yes, worldwide muslim greeting, even in countries that don't speak arabic. Also used by non-muslim arabs.
"Wa" means "and" in arabic, and it is optional in this case.
-Peace be upon you
-(and) on you be peace
Another arabic phrase that is used regardless of the language is Bismillah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim, which means "In the name of God, most gracious, most merciful". It is used before starting something (prayer, food, work, roller coaster ride, etc.)
HannibalBarka
We are Free
Who decides who is following the canon? there are certain things that are obvious to all like the five daily prayers, but there are things he is saying that most muslims do not agree with like the two I mentioned: considering the Shia to be Kaffir and considering Music to be Haram. If we take Christianity as an example (just because it is the most familiar religion for most people on this forum), who do you think is following the christian canon about the preist celibacy? the Catholic or the Reformed?
It doesn't matter - as long as he is being asked, he can answer. We don't seem to have a "typical" Muslim here - I don't know knigh+'s credentials - but Salah and incantrix, atypical as they may be, at least are answering.
We don't have any "typical" Mormons either - I, downtown, and even stegyre are somewhat more liberal politically or theologically that most Mormons - but as long as we are answering the questions, those are the answers you will get.
We don't have any "typical" Mormons either - I, downtown, and even stegyre are somewhat more liberal politically or theologically that most Mormons - but as long as we are answering the questions, those are the answers you will get.
knigh+
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What kind of credentials were you wondering?
I mean, what form of Islam do you follow, how strictly do you follow it, what is your ethnic/religious/national background, all that.
HannibalBarka
We are Free
It doesn't matter as long as people know
I am happy and glad that Salah Addine joined this forum, as Islam and fundamuntalist Islam are a very "popular" subject on this forum. He can therefore exposes his point of view. He is polite and smart also, so he fits the job perfectly. And frankly an additional person to "defend" Islam and Muslims on this forum is not a luxury ;-)
aneeshm
Deity
Another question to Salah - is the study of philosophy forbidden? Is it forbidden if it leads you into territory which contradicts the Islamic canon? Is it forbidden in its entirety if it happens that philosophy, by it's very nature, is proved to contradict the Islamic canon?
knigh+
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28 yr old Sunni muslim from Turkey (that also makes me secular and Hanafi). In Turkey I know more religious (upto fundamentalist) and less religious (upto atheist) people in about equal proportions, so I guess I am close to the average as far as Turkey is concerned. (note: I am from a big city, the rural societies in Turkey go less to either extreme, but their average would be more on the religious side)
My family tree is from various parts of Anatolia and Turkish to the traceable extent (which is only 3-4 generations ago, as we didn't have surnames until 1934. (Elderly people are unable to fill in the "Mother's maiden name" entry in bank forms and etc.))
I don't follow Islam at the intensity I would prefer. There is no deity but Allah, Muhammad is his messenger. I pray about 10% of what I should (about every other day, as opposed to 5 per day). I fast during Ramadan. I intend to do the pilgrimage sometime between getting married and having kids (my parents have done it already). I occasionally give to the poor. I totally avoid pork and anything that contains it (including hamburgers and hot dogs). I almost never drink (less than once per year). I went through the Turkish translation of Quran once per year in the past seven years, in the form of audio tapes (it is excellent listening while driving, one cycle takes 2 months of commute), and I often browse through a searchable indexable CD of it.
I don't refrain from music or other popular entertainment, just like more than 90% of the muslim world (but I do find some kinds of music unethical). I don't care what women wear, as I am not going to have them do my own battle between willpower and desire (but I do find cleavage beyond a certain level as obscene).
My location says "both cities with MIT". Those would be Boston (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where I am in the last month of PhD studies in civil engineering) and Ankara (Milli Istihbarat Teskilati = National Intelligence Agency...I get funny reactions when I say I work at MIT to people in Turkey - I have no connection to this MIT other than using it as a punchline). I came to Boston after graduating from Middle East Technical University in Ankara in 1999, and I'll make my permanent return to there next month.
Do you need to know any more?
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