a little bit pissed

I am not Islamic, I am RLDS, but I know much because of research I did. If you have any questions, want to know anything more, please feel free to ask me. I make it a point to know everything I can about every religion I can hear about. It makes it easier to stand in my faith without being ignorant or judgemental.

a blog i read has a very interesting pic of Pope John Paul II kissing a Quran (to which she even mispelled). What pisses me off is her comments about how Allah is a moon god, blah blah blah.. and some comments there about how Islam is NOT a peaceful religion.. and it makes me wonder if these people even know what they are talking about.

A few facts about Islam (and this is from a person who was very close to converting, but opted against it aftr 9-11 for chicken reasons (namely I didn't want to be singled out)).

There are 5 pillars to Islam:

Testimony of faith (Kalima)
Basically you can do this peacefully at home, with no witnesses but Allah. You sit down, state your intentions, state that there is no other higher power but Allah (who Christians' call God) and that Mohammad is his ony messenger (the Christian references is that Jesus is the Son of God, Mohammad is the Jesus of Islam, just not a son, a mere prophet)

Prayer (Salat)
"Seek Allah's help with patient perseverance and prayer. It is indeed hard except for those who are humble."
(2:45)

Formal prayers:
Fajr (pre-dawn): The before sunrise prayer that is done in rememberence of God.

Dhuhr (noon): A break in the work day to seek God and his guidence.

'Asr (afternoon): While trying to take care of the kids, wrap up the work day, this prayer is to stop a moment and just ask God for wisdom.

Maghrib (sunset): A closing of the day prayer, just to remember God.

'Isha (evening): a prayer to remember God's presence, guidance, mercy, and forgiveness.

Fasting (Sawm)

Raamadan is the month that is spent fasting during the day. THe point of the fast is much like Catholic LENT. It is time spent praying and honouring God. Not only is Raamandan for food fasting, but also it is a time to fast from unholy things and reevaluate your Islamic commitment.

Almsgiving (Zakat)
Charity giving. Basically it is like giving tithes in a Church, yet for the Islamic, it is more than that. They must give it to the poor, their income, their time. It is important to pay alms to those who cannot help themselves.

Pilgrimage (Hajj)
Here I am, Oh God, at Your command!
Here I am at Your command!
You are without associate!
Here I am at Your command!
To You are all praise, grace and dominion!
You are without associate!

A pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia is very important to complete the life, though it is not REQUIRED to enter heaven. It is important to remember the suffering of those around you, the walk Mohammad made to mecca. Many make it in their bare feet, much like it would have been done in Mohammad's time. It is said to bring one the closest spirtually with Allah because of the sacrifice made to ones body to make the trip.

Basically I just want people to understand Islam is about finding adn seeking God, not killing anyone. The link below is a link that shows how much more violence Christians have caused than Musleims. Does that make them worse or better? No. Simply put it is just a different way to worship.

http://www.islam101.com/terror/christianViolence.htm

And I leave you with words of Islamic Wisdom:

"It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards East or West.
But it is righteousness to believe in Allah and the Last Day,
And the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers;
To spend of your substance, out of love for Him,
For your kin, for orphans, for the needy,
for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves;
To be steadfast in prayer
And give in charity;
To fulfill the contracts which you have made;
And to be firm and patient, in pain and adversity
And throughout all periods of panic.
Such are the people of truth, the God-fearing.
Qur'an 2:177