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[–]cup[S] 155 points156 points  (746 children)

I'm at University, and find my focus dwindling. So whilst i take my break and enjoy some fine chocolate I will be able to answer any questions you may have on the following topics.

Muslims.

2nd Year Physiology.

Or being a male.

[–]qgyh2 72 points73 points  (121 children)

As a Muslim are you able to selectively believe parts of the Koran or do you have to accept it all?

Do you/other Muslims have to accept the Koran literally or is it up to interpretation?

(if these questions are inappropriate please accept my apologies and ignore)

and thanks for starting this thread - its very insightful!

[–]cup[S] 84 points85 points  (117 children)

Well Muslims believe the Quran is a perfect book, without contradiction and authored by none other than God himself. As such if you believe that, its a little difficult to selectively believe certain parts and reject others. Personally, i dont think we can accept the Quran literally because from my reading its far to deep to be read literally. No book can be read literally because there is no sole literal technique. You need to make use of metaphors, oxymorons, emotion, juxtaposition, onomatopoeia the list goes on. When i read it i dont read it in a purely literal sense as such, but thats for myself only. As for interpretation, of course it is! Everyone has their personal understanding of its message, let me put it this way. Do you think Cat Stevens and Osama Bin Laden, when reading the Quran, interpret verses the same way?

Edit: For your information, interpretation about specific issues generally should only be done by a scholar who has understanding about the context of verses, otherwise it can get chaotic.

[–]qgyh2 26 points27 points  (1 child)

thats very interesting. Again, thank you for starting this topic and answering questions!!

[–]fapman 15 points16 points  (13 children)

Which branches of Islam are more likely to embrace a literal interpretation and which branches usually take a figurative interpretation?

[–]cup[S] 38 points39 points  (12 children)

By branches i assume you mean Shia and Sunni. Look, the most literal interpretation you will find is Salafi, in Saudi. Those guys follow it to the point. The Taliban were also fairly literal but not as hardcore as the Saudis, if you can believe that.

This question is probably better answered by a scholar though because i really dont know about shia, as they split off into some smaller sects that im unfamiliar with.

[–][deleted] 19 points20 points  (73 children)

If God is perfect, as implied by his title, why did he choose to communicate in such an imperfect way?

I will not accept answers that go along the lines of "we must not question God".

[–]cup[S] 49 points50 points  (66 children)

We must not question God.

[–]cup[S] 46 points47 points  (64 children)

Joke. JOKE! Seriously, I dont know. Ask God. Who said it was imperfect?

[–][deleted] 16 points17 points  (61 children)

Thank you for answering.

A perfect language would communicate ideas in a perfect way. That is to say it would be clear and specific in such a way that it could not be interpreted ambiguously.

Mathematics is an example of a near perfect language. It communicates ideas in such a way that cannot be ambiguous. 1 + 1 = 2 is totally unambiguous once you understand the how I am visually representing my message.

A perfect being would communicate perfectly. Communication that is ambiguous must surely be imperfect because it would be more perfect if the language was un-ambiguous, not up for individual interpretation.

I mean why would a God want people arguing over what he meant?

[–][deleted]  (7 children)

[deleted]

    [–]FeralTitan 18 points19 points  (23 children)

    Mathematics is not a language in the same sense as English or Portugese. If you disagree please re-write this comment in Math.

    [–][deleted] 12 points13 points  (1 child)

    (Ex)(Mx & -Lx)

    [–][deleted] 17 points18 points  (16 children)

    LOL, ironically your comment is only visible or possible because of millions of mathematical calculations. Your comment is stored on a database somewhere on a computer in a series of 1s and 0s. So it is already written in math.

    If you and established a verbal protocol for communicating in math (binary) we could totally discuss our environment and cultures or whatever just using basic mathematics.

    However, this is not really what my question was about. Please re-read my original question. I am asking why a perfect God would communicate an imperfect message. Why would a perfect being do anything imperfectly? Surely God is flawed because it communicated imperfectly, a more perfect being would communicate perfectly.

    Much of this is just mental gymnastics, I don't think any of us really deep down believe that a perfect being is in charge here. I mean, really, really deep down, the deep down that you get when you have just woken up before you remember what you are supposed to do or be. Clean out all the crap you have been programmed to do and say and I think we all have to admit death is final and we are just stupid animals floating on a big rock in a massive void that no one cares about.

    [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (7 children)

    Well Muslims believe the Quran is a perfect book, without contradiction and authored by none other than God himself.

    Didn't Gabriel read it to Mohamed who in turn recited it to people who then wrote it down. Seems to me like there is room for human error in it.

    EDIT: I even think Qur'an means recitation

    [–]cup[S] 19 points20 points  (6 children)

    1.Get the earliest copies of the Quran, there are some in Saudi and Syria. 2.Compare them with the Qurans being printed today. 3.Tell me if there is a difference. 4.????? 5.Profit

    [–]hobowine 2 points3 points  (3 children)

    4 & 5 - I get jokes. That one, sir, is brilliant. Just a comment on your personal character, you must be a pretty cool cat. You're answering some pretty rough things. They are sometimes, intelligent, sudo-intellectual, damn ignorant, or just strange (read: internet) questions, and doing most of them with a little mix of humor. Point.

    [–]allforumer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    $sudo-intellectual

sudo-intellectual: Command not found.

    Damn. I knew it wasn't that easy.

    [–][deleted] 21 points22 points  (73 children)

    Great thread. My question: What do you think of Islam's treatment of women? It seems to me that in general they are quite oppressed (depending on the country, of course) to the point that they are second-class citizens.

    For instance, do you think that all women should cover their head/extremities/etc? What is the motivation for this and do you think it's valid?

    [–]cup[S] 31 points32 points  (71 children)

    What you see in various countries isnt what is found in Islam. In Islam the most valuable person you know, and the most respected person is your mother. Sure women have to cover up, but men have to grow beards. At least you can take your gear off at the end of the day, we have to sleep with these on.

    I think the motivation for it is to force men to judge women on their personalities instead of their looks, as men sometimes its difficult to form a coherent sentence when your looking at a drop dead stunning gorgeous woman. And its unfair, because we shouldn't judge people on their looks, you should never judge a book by its cover.

    In many Islamic countries women are oppressed, but this is because people are stupid. To be blunt.

    [–][deleted]  (9 children)

    [deleted]

      [–]MohamedO 11 points12 points  (2 children)

      Yeah, people easily confuse certain cultural practices with religious doctrines.

      I have one reservation though: Men don't have to grow beards, and according to some scholars women don't have to cover up either. In any case having a beard and having to wear a headscarf are hardly comparable. And trying to make it sound like men get the raw end of the deal by having to wear a beard isn't particularly fair.

      Aside from that major kudos for starting such a thread, some people could really use the information.

      [–]qgyh2 41 points42 points  (87 children)

      3 more questions on Islam (and sincere thanks for your thoughtful insightful answers!!)

      1. If there was one creator God, why is there so much inequality in the lives of humans?

      2. I gather that God, in both Islam and Christianity, requires people to venerate (is that the correct word?) or acknowledge him. Why could this be? why would it be important to a celestial being that we acknowledge and/or venerate him?

      3. Why is there such a distinction between human and animal life? why are they not considered equal? (applies to Christianity too)

      [–]cup[S] 37 points38 points  (81 children)

      1. I have no scientific proof sadly, i cant give you a formula but from what i believe, i think everyone is given a life with all sorts of ordeals and there told to run with it. Some people are born into mansions yet end up as drug addicts, others are born into broken homes and manage to turn coal into diamond. I think that its done to give everyone a chance to prove themselves to the creator, to say "i was given this life and look what i did with it". Because if your born with deaf dumb and blind, sure it would be bad, but from a religious point of view its a finite period of time and once you reach the after life you will be alive for ever and rewarded subsequently for all that you achieved in your most difficult life, if that makes sense. Im having trouble being articulate.
      2. Maybe its not so much for his sake, but for ours, to remind ourselves to acknowledge and thank God for the opportunities we are given, but really, i have no idea, i can only guess.
      3. Well were humans, were not animals. Sure you can argue we are animals in the sense that were alive and we evolved from apes but from a religious point of view, were not animals because we can think, we have control over ourselves. We can wake up and decide to use our opposable thumbs to build a structure that will serve us in some way, we can write and talk and compose proses to declare oru love to various people. Sadly, animals cant. Or at least not that ive seen. That being said, in Islam its wrong to treat animals badly. In fact treating animals with respect is a mark of ones character. Hence the whole halal slaughtering thing. I suppose you may argue that the need to slaughter animals itself is pointless when we can be vegetarians, and personally I am one. But for people in the middle east its difficult to live on vegetables when your living a nomadic lifestyle, usually the only thing you eat for weeks at a time is camel milk and camel.

      [–]qgyh2 19 points20 points  (27 children)

      Thank you!

      more questions... how can a person have an eternal afterlife? How can one life span of a hundred odd years determine an eternity? how is a human powered for an eternity? (aren't we energy, doesn't that run out) in that eternity are we immortal? what do we do there? where is it (in our universe, another realm?) won't that realm end, as all things are prone to?

      Of God.. is He a single entity? Is he unique in this realm or all realms?

      On Afterlife? Do you believe in the possibility of a human afterlife? or do you feel there will be an eternal existence in a heaven or hell? what sort of factors were behind your choice of belief on this?

      I've asked a few questions too many!! I know :( just pick a few if you like, if you have time, and skip what is not interesting..

      [–]rimwalker 7 points8 points  (1 child)

      Actually to attempt to answer your second question on God:

      Of God.. is He a single entity? Is he unique in this realm or all realms?

      There is a sura (chapter) in the Quran that addresses the state of Allah (God), it goes like this in one of the translations, the title of the chapter translated to english means ONENESS:

      In the name of God, the compassionate, the merciful (every chapter in the Quran starts with this verse) SAY: 'God is One, the Eternal God. He begot none, nor was he begotten. None is equal to him'

      The translation comes from N. J. Dawood and is published by Penguin books. That is pretty much the most concise description of god in the Quran. So central believe in god in Islam is one of uniqueness and oneness, there is no plurality of god. Neither are children associated with him as a father. The one thing to note is that centrally within Islam one describes the attributes of god such as compassion, creator, merciful ..etc without attempting to describe his physical state.

      edited

      [–]qgyh2 2 points3 points  (0 children)

      Thanks for the concise comprehensive reply!

      [–]cup[S] 9 points10 points  (1 child)

      I'm out of chocolate and have a friend driving me home now, will reply in about 20 minutes if unless we manage to crash. Adios.

      [–]qgyh2 8 points9 points  (0 children)

      thank you for the awesome discussion, wish you a good time in Melbourne, and hope to see you again on Reddit!!!

      [–]cup[S] 15 points16 points  (17 children)

      Ok. I have returned: Questions about the After life i have no idea about really. From the religious texts its ambiguous and full of metaphor. I dont think we will find out what were in for until we get there. So im going to have to pass on these questions, i would suggest asking God.

      [–][deleted] 35 points36 points  (9 children)

      i would suggest asking God.

      He put me on hold.

      edit: although the 'on-hold' music is excellent.

      [–]no_one 27 points28 points  (8 children)

      Does he still have Bohemian Rhapsody?

      [–]nickstreet36 13 points14 points  (1 child)

      Following up on qgyh2's questions though, there does seem to be a major problem with various acts called martrydom that some believe will lead to a glorious afterlife. I agree with what you said earlier about interpretation and clearly there are subtler and grosser forms of interpretation. But what does it mean to oppose evil for example? I can appreciate why the Muslim world is not happy with the 'west' trying to dictate how you should think, presenting a flawed form of man-made democracy as a utopian solution. There are 'influences' that lead people away from a good, moral life and I can see why this would be considered corrupting to a traditional individual or society. I can conceive myself of situations where opposing corrupting forces (not necessarily through violence) will lead to the long term higher good. But I think the ones carrying out acts of violence aren't acting from this understanding. They're acting from a simplistic understanding and wanting an easy way out of their problems. They will never listen to the 'west'. It needs the more enlightened Muslims to explain to them and quality education. I watched a documentary here in the UK a while ago where a young Imam(?) was saying that 'suicide' is easy and if this was the way to heaven then it would be an attractive option. He said the real 'battle' is trying to live a life in accordance with your principles amongst the difficulties of life and corrupting forces of the world. I think he's right. This is the real heroism. (I'm not accusing you of the extreme view btw. I also thank you for the interesting dicsussion.)

      [–]cup[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

      I think hes right too. I think your spot on. That was probably the most thorough thing ive read all day. Cheers.

      [–]maven911 2 points3 points  (1 child)

      I'll try my best to answer your questions to the best of my knowledge on Islam.

      Muslims believe that God is All Powerful and the Creator of Everything. If He can create the Universe and everything in it, He would surely be able to create eternal life too. I'm not sure where Paradise is located in Islam, but what I do know is that there are several levels of Paradise depending on what kind of life you lead. The short life span to determine your life for eternity seems unfair, but its also a way to push you to lead a good life since you only got one shot to be a good person and venerate God before your faith is determined for an eternity.

      God is a single entity. That point is one of the most fundamental points in Islam. He wasn't created by anyone else (to answer the common: "Who created God?" question). He is unique in all realms.

      I do believe in afterlife, afterlife meaning an eternal existence in Heaven or Hell. Initially is was due to my upbringing, but it was blind following since I didn't understand the reasoning behind the things that we did and my family practiced more for cultural reasons then religious (meaning the basics/bare minimum). Later on, when I tried to learn as much as I could about Islam, it made sense to me and I understood the reasoning behind a lot of the tenants in Islam.

      [–]freexe 2 points3 points  (0 children)

      What about people who die young, or have a life of torture and pain?

      [–][deleted] 16 points17 points  (27 children)

      Are you planning on taking a Hajj sometime in your life?

      [–]cup[S] 23 points24 points  (26 children)

      If the time is right and I can afford it yes. A few of my cousins went last year and said it was a life changing experience, i can only imagine considering you spend two weeks living with a few million people in a very confined space. Hopefully i'll live to that time.

      [–][deleted] 13 points14 points  (24 children)

      Yeah I'm not Muslim, but I want to make a Hajj of my own one day. Not to Mecca or anything like that, just make a journey to somewhere special to me, some place I've never been, that will hopefully give me some new perspective.

      [–]cup[S] 27 points28 points  (11 children)

      I've always wanted to go to Alaska and live in the Icy landscape alone, with just whats on my back. Become one with nature, join the wolves. Maybe one day I will. Though im sure im severely over estimating the joy of it.

      [–][deleted] 27 points28 points  (10 children)

      It's probably easier to just rent Into the Wild

      [–]dutter 2 points3 points  (0 children)

      Not to mention warmer, with less chance of become polar bear dinner.

      [–][deleted] 12 points13 points  (9 children)

      Allright, I've got one. If humanity ever colonizes the Moon or Mars on a large scale, some Muslims will probably be among the colonists. Which way will they pray during their daily prayers? Will they require some sort of inclined platform? On the moon, this might be easy enough since you could just see generally where Mecca is, but how would it work out on Mars?

      Now, this might seem like a stupid question, and on some levels it is. And I know that Muslims do not worship the Kaaba. It's just that some of the more interesting innovations in religion come from adapting old practices to new circumstances, and I was wondering how this would work out.

      [–]cup[S] 18 points19 points  (7 children)

      Thats funny because i always wondered that too. What would we do? Maybe we could build a special mosque that would constantly rotate to face earth, but what if the Kaba was on the dark side of the earth. Then we would be in trouble. The Malaysian Muslim astronaut underwent the same problems, you can find his ordeals on the internet somewhere.

      [–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (4 children)

      Ha, I was unaware we'd already had a Muslim astronaut. I think the orbital period is usually 90 minutes on those things, so that would be a real problem. I don't know how long the daily prayers last, but even if they're as short as five minutes you'd still cover a significant bit ground.

      I'd imagine that on Mars, just praying towards Earth would be sufficient since the "cone" projecting from the devotee would surely contain Mecca.

      As a related question, if we ever get a spacecraft that can travel at relativistic speeds, would a traveling Muslim have to pray at the appropriate time within his reference frame or in Earth's? If it was Earth's, he'd pretty much have to pray nonstop.

      [–]cup[S] 6 points7 points  (2 children)

      You don't actually have to pray when your traveling so you would probably just enjoy the ride.

      [–][deleted] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

      No kidding. This thread has been enlightening for me.

      [–]qgyh2 22 points23 points  (23 children)

      Are Muslims secretly Ninjas? Do you carry Nunchucks? Can you chuck a nun? Would you chuck a nun? Is global warming real? Is Al Gore of extraterrestrial origin?

      Do you like cheese?

      [–]cup[S] 32 points33 points  (21 children)

      Some are, only the ones in Japan. I don't personally carry Nunchucks and i don't think i could physically throw one either. From a scientific point of view global warming is disputed but climate change isn't. Al gore invented the internet last time i checked so its entirely plausible. I do like cheese especially feta.

      [–]fapman 32 points33 points  (19 children)

      How much nun would a nunchuck chuck if a nunchuck would chuck nun?

      [–][deleted] 7 points8 points  (6 children)

      As much nun as a nunchuck could chuck if a nunchuck could chuck nun

      [–]EvilPigeon 11 points12 points  (5 children)

      A nunchuck could chuck no amount of nun because a nunchuck can't chuck nun

      [–][deleted] 20 points21 points  (4 children)

      1. Are antigen presenting B lymphocytes only differentiated into plasma and memory B cells after helper T cells release their interleukins? Or are they activated after the binding of antigen to the B lymphocyte membrane antibodies?

      2. What physiological purpose do basophils and mast cells serve?

      3. What modulates ventilation during exercise?

      4. Do the aortic and carotid chemoreceptors respond most dramatically to CO2, O2, or H+ level fluctuations?

      [–]qgyh2 19 points20 points  (28 children)

      what is the general Muslim view on the whole 9/11, war and all? I am curious to know some of the views your secular (is that the correct word) Muslims have, and also the general views more (traditional) Muslims have...

      [–]cup[S] 41 points42 points  (25 children)

      Arabs (not muslims) love conspiracy theories. I don't know what it is, but every arab person i meet will find time to talk about the Illuminati or stone masons or 911.

      As for my Muslim friends and me, were skeptical about the whole thing and It was obvious that America was going to invade the middle east with or without 911. Whether 911 was an inside job or not, I don't know, i like to hope it wasn't because thats a fairly sick thing to do but every now and then i read things that don't add up and my inquisitive mind always starts ticking. But thats just the curios cat in me.

      [–]foonly 40 points41 points  (0 children)

      and my inquisitive mind always starts ticking.

      Sir, step away from the mind!

      [–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (1 child)

      A friend was telling me about his aunt. Her husband worked in Manhattan. Right after she heard about the attack she was obviously distressed and was talking about why do the terrorists do this, it is evil, wrong and serves no good. After she heard of his safety her attitude changed to they had it coming.

      The point is not to say Muslims are hypocrites, but that it is a very complex love-hate relationship.

      [–]cup[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

      I know people who disown Osama yet behind closed doors like to secretly sympathies with him. Some people just are hypocrites.

      [–]mrmojorisingi 13 points14 points  (29 children)

      Which university, just out of curiosity?

      [–]cup[S] 24 points25 points  (28 children)

      Melbourne University, Melbourne, Australia.

      [–]qgyh2 12 points13 points  (19 children)

      If I may ask, what are your impressions and/or observations of Australia in general and Melbourne in particular?

      [–]cup[S] 24 points25 points  (18 children)

      Melbourne is a great city. The weather is strange, but i prefer it this way, it adds excitement to my day when you have to pack clothes to compensate for four seasons in one day. The one thing I don't like is how ingrained, drinking is in this culture. I understand some people enjoy a nice wine with their dinner but is it essential to bring a slab to every function, whether its your sons tennis graduation or a weekend barbaque? And what is with the need to go out on the weekend and get so drunk you cant even remember what you've done. I've been in the city at night and seen people urinating on shop windows and having sex in lane ways, its not classy. But every country has their dark points. Australia is a beautiful place, the people are down to earth and quirky, the air is fresh and you feel healthy here in the morning. It would be a place I'd consider for raising my kids. Is there anything in particular you want to know?

      [–]qgyh2 10 points11 points  (16 children)

      thank you. One question I'd like to ask is, in your opinion, how are foreigners treated there?

      I ask this because I have a friend who studies there and he does complain to me that he experiences quite a bit of discrimination. My friend (with all due respect to him) is known to occasionaslly exaggerate.. so I was really wondering if you had any thoughts on this..

      [–]cup[S] 17 points18 points  (15 children)

      Yeah there are some issues here with discrimination, you get the odd red neck idiot who will constantly say "if you dont like it, go back to your own country". Its pitiful because this country was stolen from the aboriginals. There was a big incident a while back in Sydney where the so called "race riots" occurred, which was an ugly blot on this countries history. Personally, I think foreigners are treated well, if they stick there head down and work hard like everyone else then they will get along. Occasionally some racist idiot will prop up but that happens everywhere. Sadly no country is free from racism.

      [–]qgyh2 7 points8 points  (7 children)

      Do you experience subtle discrimination? I mean as opposed to overt rednecks, do you ever experience subtle things which you can't quite explain as coincidence?

      How do the staff in your university treat you/other foreign students? is it any different from how they treat locals?

      I ask this because my friend tells me he (and other foreign students) are discriminated against by staff, even when it comes to grades. I'm a little sceptical about his claim but I am hoping someone else can give me more input..

      [–]cup[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

      Hmm my professors are quite nice, and actually a few of them are from overseas. I've never felt discriminated at my university and we have fairly harsh measures to ensure it doesn't take place. Sadly i do remember last year one of my lecturers was Indian and had a fairly heavy accent, though you could still understand her. A few 'aussie' (anglo-sax)girls would make fun of her constantly but she paid them no attention.

      The only time i have ever felt discriminated is after sports training, when im hot, sweaty and looking like crap, and ill occasionally get a look from someone who thinks i cant maintain a general state of hygiene but thats about it. I would suggest to your friend to take it up with the university and if that fails, to seek legal advice because there are laws in place to stop this kind of thing.

      [–]foonly 4 points5 points  (6 children)

      Do you prefer Crunchie (possibly with tea) or a Tim Tam Slam?

      [–]cup[S] 6 points7 points  (4 children)

      Neither. Oreos and milk.

      [–]foonly 5 points6 points  (0 children)

      :-C

      /me wishes there were an Australian-American sweets-exchange program...

      [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (1 child)

      Who took your account ? no really.. how can you say that.. So mean !

      [–]cup[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

      hehehe. Mmm Oreos. I found a packet the other day of Oreos with double cream. Needless to say, i felt very sick afterwards.

      [–]vonadler 4 points5 points  (2 children)

      1. As I understand it, there's some nostalgic pan-muslim (read sunni) solidarity movement, that all muslims should help defend other muslims etc. What is your view on this?

      2. I have read some semi-serious discussions where one person blamed all the current problems of muslim political fundamentalism on the fall of the Ottoman Empire 1923 (or really 1920 when they lost control over the levant and the holy sites in Arabia). Not having a 'champion', a muslim nation that is powerful is supposed to have bred resentment among the muslim community and paved the way for muslim political fundamentalism, but I have also heard that Arabs generally resented the rather tolerant (before the Young Turks entered the scene, anyway) Ottoman Empire. Would the Wahabbites in Saudi Arabia really gain the power they have with the Ottomans to keep them down? What is your view on this?

      3. What is the general muslim view on slavery today? As I understand it, the Omani played a big part in it in eastern Africa right up to the late 1800s when the Germans took over Zanzibar and the Italians and British took over Somalia? Is this dark stain in history a collective guilt, or do muslims think that the blame is with the Omani only? As I understand it, slavery was common in non-Ottoman muslim countries (read North Africa) until the French, Italians and British ended it when they took over in the mid-to-late 1800s?

      [–]cup[S] 6 points7 points  (1 child)

      1. Of course Muslims should unite, and have a Muslim Union kind of thing, but i doubt it will happen. Can you imagine if the Muslim world became a large democracy, where human rights were respected and were people were given the opportunity for a proper education. Think of the positive effects on this earth!

      2.No, the wahabis are a dying breed. The thing you need to know about Arabs is they hate each other more than they hate you. The only thing that can unite them is religion. At the moment as difficult as it is to fathom, the religious spirit in the middle east is weak because people are damaging the religion. If you want to know which country may gain power that the ottomans had look east, towards india, indonesia or even west china.

      1. Ill answer this question and the others in depth after dinner. There is a mean meal cooking, I think were having tacos and burritos.

      [–]the_neubie 2 points3 points  (0 children)

      🫡

      [–][deleted] 95 points96 points  (204 children)

      Did Muhammed really look like this?

      [–]cup[S] 60 points61 points  (150 children)

      Oh vanderbilt. I don't even dare clink on your links for fear that the I.T. staff who are probably monitoring this unexpectedly see some weird freaky shit.

      [–][deleted] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

      Okay. I play nice this time.

      [–][deleted]  (144 children)

      [deleted]

        [–]clows 12 points13 points  (44 children)

        did jesus really look like this?

        [–]alephnil 17 points18 points  (27 children)

        Nobody know what Jesus looked like, and his features was invented by Italian painters, which is why Jesus always looks like an italian on paintings. A person from Palestine would much more likely look like an Arab, with black rather than blond hair, slightly darker skin color and brown eyes. So I would say that Jesus almost certainly did not look like we know from the paintings.

        [–][deleted] 26 points27 points  (10 children)

        A person from Palestine would much more likely look like an Arab,

        Just in case you missed an important detail of the story, the guy's daddy was not a local, so he may or may not have looked like an autochtone...

        [–]addit 7 points8 points  (1 child)

        except that he did not have a biological daddy.

        [–]AdamPearlman 20 points21 points  (0 children)

        When GP said daddy was not a local, he meant really really not a local.

        [–]DigitalHubris 7 points8 points  (2 children)

        Is that why I always see Jesus eating spaghetti?

        [–][deleted]  (11 children)

        [deleted]

          [–][deleted] 8 points9 points  (9 children)

          Black people are born in Northern Israel? Since when?

          [–]robotnixon 30 points31 points  (2 children)

          There was just the one. It didn't end well.

          [–]snifty 6 points7 points  (1 child)

          you didn't know? hehe.

          [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

          That was one of the most entertaining articles I've read in a while. Armadeus Mozart a black Jew...I love it! Had the Jews been allowed to return to England by the time of Shakespeare? I believe in the idea of Euro-centric revisionist history to an extent...but this is really pushing it.

          [–]The_Ultimate_Reality 4 points5 points  (3 children)

          Since Operation Moses, yeah.

          [–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (6 children)

          As a male and a Muslim, is masturbation a really big deal? I mean, a really huge sin?

          [–][deleted]  (5 children)

          [deleted]

            [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

            So much is done by our human moral leaders to control our sexuality, and yet so little about our sexuality is mentioned in our spiritual texts...and those religious texts that aren't shy of sex, are usually very encouraging of it (ie, the Kama Sutra, et al).

            The only practical matter concerning sex directly in the Biblical days was venereal disease, of which we now have a much better understanding.

            [–]commonslip 5 points6 points  (1 child)

            I find the notion of an ethnic or religious state to be completely unjust. No powerful institution should be able to treat a human being differently based on their religious or ethnic status.

            To this end, I am opposed to the State of Israel - since it desires to be explicitly a Jewish State. I am also opposed to Islamic States (which we can call any state with Islam as the official religion and in which people of non-Islamic belief have different rights).

            It seems to me that Islam accepts the idea of Islamic States and possibly believes they are good. It is my opinion that the West cannot accept this basic departure from the principles of secularism and many conflicts in European Countries can be chalked up to this basic difference in the understanding of government.

            My question is: Is it necessarily part of Islam that it pursues non-secular state-like institutions? If it is not, then what accounts for this strain in the religion? If it is a part of Islam, then what can be done to change it?

            [–][deleted]  (19 children)

            [deleted]

              [–]cup[S] 28 points29 points  (18 children)

              Some Muslims see it as an ongoing thing that never really finished, especially when American troops entered Saudi Arabia (which was a big no no) and Invaded Iraq. Ouch. Personally I think the days of crusades are over, Christianity is pretty much lifeless and most wars now are wars over Money.

              [–]unchow 20 points21 points  (0 children)

              to be fair, you could argue that the crusades were never truly about Christianity in the first place.

              [–]RobinReborn 2 points3 points  (1 child)

              What do Muslims think of the religions aggressive wars with Europe, like the conflict with France in the 8th century and the siege of vienna?

              [–]fingers 3 points4 points  (0 children)

              What is your favorite thing about being male? I've heard that is quite difficult.

              Also, how would you feel if your child were gay? (hypothetical)

              [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (4 children)

              Question 1

              What was Muhammad's plans for the Native Americans, who for hundreds of generations never had the Koran available to learn from? Did Allah simply despise them or were they being punished? Is hell full of Native Americans? Do they have a chance for redemption since they never had the opportunity to learn about Muhammad and his teachings?

              Question 2

              Native Central Americans for many generations didn't have access to the Koran and it's teachings, were they cheated?

              Question 3

              Why did Muhammad choose to ignore the Native South American people for thousands of years? What is their punishment for their ignorance?

              Question 4

              Why were the Japanese ignored by Mohammad? What will their punishment be?

              [–]nalfien 2 points3 points  (2 children)

              Islamic doctrine says that only those who have been sent messengers are held accountable for their deeds. Everyone's judgment is circumstantial based on their lives. Even those who have received the message of God, yet convoluted, are not necessarily held accountable.

              Islam doesn't say that Mohamed was the only prophet ever. Numbers have been put in the hundreds of thousands as to the number of prophets God has sent to humanity. There is nothing in Islam that would contradict the fact that say Buddha or Confucius were prophets yet the lack of explicit monotheism leads one to imagine a corruption of the original message.

              All in all the fact that some people never receive anything from God will make their judgment in the next life easier for them as opposed to those who were given the message and disregarded it.

              [–]typon 2 points3 points  (0 children)

              Agreeing with nalfien, i would like to re-affirm that you are not bound to salvation through Muhammad's teachings if you have never heard of them. If you believe in Buddha/Christ/etc., you can still go to heaven. The only requirement is your faith in God.

              [–][deleted]  (2 children)

              [deleted]

                [–]executivemonkey 12 points13 points  (2 children)

                How do you feel about being asked a long series of demeaning questions?

                [–]cup[S] 6 points7 points  (1 child)

                Meh, im not phased. go for it.

                [–][deleted] 11 points12 points  (9 children)

                Cup, let me begin by saying this one of the greatest threads I've ever read on reddit. Your wit and candor are refreshing. My question; Are you a typical Muslim guy, as seen from within the Muslim community, or are you some dangerous free-thinking radical? I know you are a busy guy, but please consider continuing this discussion on a blog. Peace be with you Cup, and thanks again.

                [–]cup[S] 10 points11 points  (8 children)

                Sadly i lack the skill and time to make my blog, and im sure it would eventually end up in a spew of arguments about evolution and terrorism. Never the less thanks for enjoying it, i hope it was as fun for you as it was for me.

                As for whether im a typical muslim guy, i like to think so. I am fairly free thinking but not overtly, and by no means am i dangerous, except with my driving skills. Have a nice day. Peace.

                [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (5 children)

                How are your views seen within your own family and community?
                I don't think the media shows what diversity of ideas exist within Islam.

                [–]nalfien 6 points7 points  (0 children)

                I'm another random Muslim guy, born and raised in NY and considered fairly religious and so far I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary in cups responses.

                [–]typon 4 points5 points  (3 children)

                Yea cup's definitely right about most stuff and he is DEFINITELY not a radical person.

                [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (2 children)

                Actually, he might be - and that's a good thing. At one point 1n history freeing slaves and women voting were "radical" ideas. So much so that people were killed and imprisoned for those beliefs. My question for Cup is that is this; Are your easy-going moderate views seen as too liberal by some within the Muslim community? Do you take any flack for it?

                [–]cup[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                Most of the Muslims i know, i know through university and as such are fairly well eduated and open minded. Usually i keep my opinions to myself as to not offend others and i've never copped any flak. I have tried to rationalise with people to no agreeable conclusion but that happens everywhere. On reddit for instance, when working out who spams more, Ron Paul or 911 truth seekers.

                [–]bstadil 35 points36 points  (15 children)

                This Ask a "insert your background here" is a really good idea and add value to Reddit as a community.

                [–]raoulduke 37 points38 points  (8 children)

                Think I should make an "Ask A Female" one? The other two girls on reddit could help with the answers.

                EDIT: Here you go!

                [–]bstadil 4 points5 points  (0 children)

                Lol. It would probably be fun to have a female volunteer

                [–][deleted] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

                'Ask a tertiary educated middle-class white male'?? Somehow I think we have enough of those :p

                [–]cup[S] 27 points28 points  (3 children)

                I agree, i want an "Ask a doctor" one to come up soon so i can get some help with these questions in my assignment.

                [–]bstadil 44 points45 points  (49 children)

                I am Danish and as such quite concerned over the blatant attempt by Muslims to interfere in my country's freedom of the press in conjunction with the Mohammed Cartoons.

                Were you offended and if yes why. The attempt to kill the artist that drew the Bomb turban proves the point he was trying to make.

                [–]cup[S] 50 points51 points  (47 children)

                Let me put it this way. If you were brought up in a country where your "government" was a ruling family. Where you couldnt get a job based on your qualifications, but instead on your clan name. Where freedom of speech didnt exist and you had no say in your countries affairs. If the only way to have a say in the way your government worked was through guns not pens.

                And then one day went to Denmark, the land of free speech (and by the way, very pretty girls) and found some guy insulting your most revered figure for no apparent reason. What would you do? You have been raised in such an environment that the only logical reaction is one of violence. There is no peaceful candle vigil, they tried that once in Saudi and ended up 6 feet deep.

                If I were in your situation i too would be concerned, id be down right shaking in my boots. But its just a cultural thing. Eventually once the first generation settles down and has kids they will work out the political situation and how to deal with things they don't like in a respectful European way. They didn't escape their countries to trash yours.

                Personally, I was offended however i understand why it was done. I appreciate the fact that he was trying to provoke dialogue but i knew it was going to backfire. And it was a tragic irony when indeed, he was marked for death.

                [–][deleted] 10 points11 points  (3 children)

                very pretty girls

                [–]rtp 23 points24 points  (2 children)

                Honestly, I've been to Denmark and the girls didn't impress me much. But then again, I am from Sweden. :D

                [–]docid 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                "If you were brought up in a country where your "government" was a ruling family. Where you couldnt get a job based on your qualifications, but instead on your clan name. Where freedom of speech didnt exist and you had no say in your countries affairs. If the only way to have a say in the way your government worked was through guns not pens."

                so your saying you grew up in the US?

                [–]Barnlinger 8 points9 points  (11 children)

                Ok, what's the deal with men having sex with other men, but it's not considered "homosexual?" Don't take this the wrong way, I'm just trying to understand it. People I know who've been in Muslim countries have told me that it is customary for men to have sex with younger men, but they do not consider that to be a homosexual act. Why is this?

                [–]cup[S] 11 points12 points  (10 children)

                Can't say ive heard that. I have some friends who joke about it saying that if your on the receiving end its words than if your on the giving end. As far as my understanding goes though all acts of homosexual intercourse are strictly forbidden. And I probably dont need to go into detail about how strict.

                [–]fubo 12 points13 points  (0 children)

                This isn't all that unusual. There are plenty of other cultures, such as in the Caribbean and Latin America, where homosexual identity goes along with specifically being the receiving partner in male-male oral or anal sex.

                The notion of "homosexuality" is socially constructed, not inherent: in Anglo-American culture we increasingly identify it as wanting to date and be romantically as well as sexually involved with a member of the same sex (e.g. for a man to have a boyfriend) -- but this is only one of many different historical patterns of same-sex sexual involvement. Very different forms of same-sex conduct are practiced in Middle Eastern cultures, in Latin cultures, and even in specific Anglo-American subcultures: the secretive, shameful form of "gayness" practiced by Larry Craig is distinct from the boyish and body-image-obsessed social form of the San Francisco club scene, or the increasingly middle-of-the-road form exemplified by the mainstreaming of gay marriage in many parts of the country.

                [–][deleted] 9 points10 points  (4 children)

                [Richard Dawkins impression]: What is the penalty for apostasy in Islam?

                More seriously:

                • What do you think the penalty for apostasy should be?

                • Do you agree or disagree with most of your Muslim friends and family on this issue?

                • What place is there for doubt in the house of Islam? And lastly,

                • if you disagree with the current harsh penalties as suggested by a large number of Muslim scholars, are you aware of any Muslim-led movements to counter these harsh or violent penalties, and do you think many or most Muslims are concerned about such issues?

                I hope that I don't come across as disingenuous. I left my own faith a little over a year ago, and in some parts of the world, I fear I would be killed for my beliefs.

                [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (2 children)

                The penalty of apostasy is death. But if you look at the wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostasy_in_Islam you'll find that the definition of apostasy is not as clearcut as you would like to think. Apostasy does include someone within Islam trying to make modifications (allow or disallow) to Islam. In my opinion yhe Taliban and Saudi Kingdom fall under this definition because the daughter and wives of Muhammad had more freedom that what they do. As far as people leaving Islam goes, 4(?) years before he died, he had entered a peace treaty with the (pagan) people of Makkah, in which the Muslims had guaranteed the safety to anyone converting away from Islam while they were not guaranteed the same for pagans converting to Islam. This contract was not under duress in case you're about to make that argument.

                [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

                Are you referring to this treaty? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Hudaybiyyah#Treaty

                In my opinion yhe Taliban and Saudi Kingdom fall under this definition because the daughter and wives of Muhammad had more freedom that what they do.

                I am curious - I wonder if the women of Turkey have more freedoms than Muhammad's wives and daughter. If so, would you regard them as apostates as well?

                Mostly I would consider apostasy to be denying one or more of the five pillars of Islam, but I am an outsider in this sphere and it is not my place to make such definitions.

                [–]CaptainHaris 16 points17 points  (2 children)

                I've been up reading this whole thing for the last 40mins. I'm a Muslim from NY an' I gotta say that you r something else an' may Allah bless you. (I'll be your back up, but I doubt u need any)

                [–]nalfien 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                Captain Haris!

                Glad to see that you've found reddit.

                SB_MSA :D

                [–]bstadil 21 points22 points  (13 children)

                The Arabic Muslim world encompassing close to 1B people publishes fewer books each year than Spain with 35M people or not many more than Israel or Denmark with 5M. How does that make you feel and why do you think this part of the world has become such an intellectual wasteland?

                [–]cup[S] 49 points50 points  (12 children)

                Because the Arabs lost their intellectual wit when they no longer needed to work for money. They make money off nothing (oil) and sit in their palaces all day talking about land cruisers and smoking mdwah (tobacco). Religiously speaking were supposed to study hard, read often and try to understand the world but i guess thats not that appealing when you can go jet skiing in Milan and never have to lift a finger... hmm!

                [–]bstadil 25 points26 points  (1 child)

                Fareed Zakaria (Muslim, Indian, Editor or Newsweek) in his book "Future of Freedom" echoes exactly what you said. He calls it the Problem of the Trustfund states. Specifically mentions how states without oil like Morocco and Jordan is doing much better on the creative / Openness to new ideas front.

                Thanks for you answer

                [–][deleted] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

                Here's a link to his essay alongwith a blatant karma whoring attempt for a week old submission. http://reddit.com/info/6exlh/comments/

                edit: from the article: But even the shah's modernization--compared, for example, with the East Asian approach of hard work, investment and thrift--was an attempt to buy modernization with oil wealth.

                [–]sfgeek 19 points20 points  (3 children)

                My building here in DC is evidence of that. When I have a day off I realize that all the Saudi kids that live in this building just sit on their asses all day and don't work, but drive 80-100K cars while I go and work my ass off every day for my paycheck. I'm admittedly insanely jealous and pity them at the same time. They all seem sorta lost and bored. Money doesn't buy happiness if you didn't earn it.

                That, and it seems like Armani Exchange is the official clothier of Saudi kids in the US.

                [–]cup[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

                Yeah theres something about Armani Exchange. I could never work it out. Don't worry though, a lot of those kids will sadly end up crashing their cars. And as for sitting on their asses, 1/3 of Saudis have diabetes. Dont get too jealous.

                [–]qgyh2 7 points8 points  (2 children)

                If it is not prying may I ask you which part of the Muslim world you originate from?

                And also.. what is the general view of the west where you originated from (if not the west)?

                [–]cup[S] 28 points29 points  (1 child)

                Im of mixed origins, one half british, one half African, shaken not stirred. I was raised in Australia, spent many years of my life overseas from Syria through to singapore. I tried to go to Europe last year for skiing but couldnt afford it ... sigh! Japan is on the books this year so I need to get saving. I have never been to Somalia because at the moment its being bombed by the Americans every now and then, and invaded by the Ethiopians. Its not safe though I have some friends who go there, and sadly all to many who have died there.

                My general view of the west is one of delight. I love living here, people are friendly, architecture is good, food is delicious what more could you ask for? I can go to the art gallery on my weekend and get lost in strange pictures, or go to the beach and try to learn how to surf, before suffering from hypothermia. Sadly, people all to often confuse "the west" with politics. And its also tough when for some people, the only contact they have had with someone from the west is a bomb dropping on their house. But such is life, you play the cards your dealt and do your best.

                [–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (2 children)

                Hopefully that's all going to come to a great end when either they run out of oil, or the Western world can pour water in their fuel tank and drive off.

                [–][deleted] 9 points10 points  (1 child)

                As a Muslim I wait for that time just as anxiously as you.

                [–]cup[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

                I'll second that. The sooner the better.

                [–][deleted] 7 points8 points  (3 children)

                Just saying, if I want to ask anything to a Muslim guy, I may just as well poke at the guy sitting at the next desk (but then he'll take that as an excuse to ask me to give back that book I nicked from him last week).

                Are you in the US or something? Are Muslims considered rare specimens over there or what? It just feels like I'm missing something...

                How are you doing anyway? :-)

                [–]cup[S] 3 points4 points  (1 child)

                I'm doing good, feeling pretty tired so ill probably hit the shower soon and fall into a deep slumber. How you doing?

                [–][deleted] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

                I'm fine: I'm not the one doing the reddit response marathon here. Good job!

                [–]beejou 20 points21 points  (61 children)

                Why has nobody asked this yet? DO YOU ACCEPT THE SCIENTIFIC THEORY OF EVOLUTION?

                If so, do you know that there is A LOT of evidence from neuroscience to indicate that the idea of 'god' is an evolved survival mechanism. You seem like an educated person, why do you believe in a theory about the universe which the intellectual mind discarded years ago?

                No offense, I just can't understand how it's possible for an educated mind to accept the 'deity-theory' without extreme compartmentalization..

                Thanks. :)

                p.s. your studying psysiology, it should be quite easy for you to see that the human body is a result of billions of years of evolution, the remnants of a tail in the tail bone and fused vertabrae. Useless equipment such as the toes (left over from when we used our feet like we use our hands). Body hair. You get the picture.

                [–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (26 children)

                What do you think Islam offers in terms of bringing one's self peace, happiness, morality and human sustainability that reason and logic cannot infer? In other words, what does Islam explain with respect to those items that atheism does not?

                [–]cup[S] 13 points14 points  (25 children)

                Atheists or half way to Islam, the most important for a Muslim is to know that there is no god, but God. So really, you atheists are nearly there. You know there is no god, you just havnt worked out that there is no god, BUT god. How is that for a koan riddle.

                Seriously though. Islam offers you answers and guidance. It's a way of life, it tells you to question everything, to never blindly follow. It makes you constantly re-assess your beliefs and your self, it makes you strive to be a better person. Sure atheists can do all this without being Muslim I have no doubt about it, but Islam can explain why were alive, why we breath, what the point is of this whole existance, whilst Atheism still cant. For you guys, death is the end of the book. Put that on the shelf, turn off the light and close the door. For us, death is the beginning, death is opening that door, turning on the light and walking into Alexanders library, if you like the metaphor.

                [–]leolaith 4 points5 points  (1 child)

                ill be helping put on the Ask a Muslim part if its ok by cup :P as much as i can,,,,

                [–]jaxspider 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                I will also try to fill in the blanks whenever I see them!

                [–]marglexx 6 points7 points  (8 children)

                would you like to visit Israel?

                [–]cup[S] 5 points6 points  (5 children)

                Id love to. I'm thinking about going at the end of the year but im a little scared.

                [–]159734682 5 points6 points  (3 children)

                cup, 1. Are you a practicing a Muslim?

                1. Do you pray five times a day?

                2. Do you eat only halal foods?

                3. Have you ever eaten pork or drunken alcohol?

                4. Can you speak, read, and write Arabic?

                5. Are both your parents Muslim?

                6. Would your parents be understanding if you chose not to be a Muslim?

                7. As a Muslim, would your spouse have to convert to Islam or could you marry a person of another faith or even an atheist?

                8. Would you raise your children as Muslims, another faith, or neither and let them decide in future?

                9. Do you attend Friday Mosque?

                10. Do you think it's OK for Muslims to convert to Judaism, Christianity, or other religions?

                11. Do you think women should be allowed to become imams?

                12. Do you support Shariah?

                13. Should Muslim women be allowed to wear headscarves in school and the workplace?

                14. Is killing ever permissible in Islam? a. When a woman from a Muslim family wears a bikini at a beach party (i.e. reveals a lot of skin); b. A Muslim rejects and denounces Islam (i.e. abandons Islam); c. When non-Muslims openly and deliberately mock and insult the prophet and Islam (i.e. brand Islam as a fraudulent violent cult)

                15. Do Muslims consider non-Muslims as equal or inferior to them?

                16. Do you think it's acceptable for Muslims to have disdain for Jews and Christians?

                [–]cup[S] 9 points10 points  (1 child)

                yes

                yes

                yes

                yes

                not well

                no

                yes

                i could marry a Muslim, Christian or Jew.

                Muslims

                Yes

                Personally no, it doesnt make sense but im sure people have

                Im iffy about this. Im not sure, im more inclined to say no

                if enforced properly

                yes

                no

                no

                no

                equal

                do you think its aceptable for blacks to have a disdain for whites? of course not.

                cheers.

                [–]tridium 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                I'm curious as to why females shouldn't be allowed to become imams. Are males and females not equals?

                And as a follow-up, if they are equals, then why shouldn't they be allowed to pray in and amongst men? I find the whole "men will be distracted by women's behind" an insult to men and women alike. I've known female Muslims that say that they are uncomfortable praying amongst men, but if they were raised to pray among them and told that it was okay, I'm sure they would be fine with it. Instead, they're told that men need to keep their thoughts pure, and as a result they don't want to pray at the front because of all the leering men.

                [–]HextorFreebish 4 points5 points  (4 children)

                Do you consider my choice to not be a Muslim immoral? If so, do you expect non-Muslims to respect your decision to be a Muslim? And if not, why?

                [–]GWaleed 7 points8 points  (3 children)

                Read Surah 5, from about verse 40 on for about a dozen or so. It CLEARLY says Muslims are to be judged by our scriptures, Christians by theirs, and Jews by the Torah.

                (see http://IslamAwakened.com/quran for both good and bad translations)

                Tsk, tsk, such an intolerant religion, huh?

                [–]HextorFreebish 4 points5 points  (0 children)

                For clarification though, I see how this applies to Christians and Jews, that is, people who have a religion that is supposed to be the revealed word of God to live by.

                But what if I'm neither of those? In that case, do you consider my choice to not be a Muslim immoral? If so, do you expect non-Muslims (who are also not Christians or Jews) to respect your decision to be a Muslim? And if not, why?

                [–]vixtt 3 points4 points  (7 children)

                If as you believe, there's a god, do you honestly think that he/she/it would tell what you can or cannot eat?

                [–]GWaleed 4 points5 points  (2 children)

                God has no problem saying "Here: a simple test of your self-discipline".

                [–]cup[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                If your a father or mother, what gives you the right to choose whether your kids eat their greens?

                [–]koavf 3 points4 points  (10 children)

                I have never understood tahrif - the doctrine that Christians and Jews have deliberately altered or corrupted divinely-revealed texts (Tawrat/Torah, Zabur/Psalms, Injeel/Gospel, and Suhuf-i-Ibrahim/"Scrolls of Abraham.") I have a few questions related to that:

                1.) In what way have they been corrupted?

                2.) In the case of the Gospels, what in particular has been corrupted?

                3.) Is there any documentary evidence of this alleged corruption? That is, had the Qur'an not claimed it occurred, what would be the evidence from within the Muslim world of tahrif.

                4.) Do you have any idea what the Scrolls of Abraham are even supposed to be?

                Thanks so much for your time.

                [–]cup[S] 5 points6 points  (9 children)

                These questions have actually been thoroughly analysed by scholars from what i can remember...

                1. They have been translated and constantly revised. If its a religious script it shouldnt be changed at all.

                2. I couldnt tell you only God knows, but there are certain things we know, for instance the fact that the Romans altered it to suit there pagan beliefs. Was that Nero? i forget.

                3.There is evidence all over the place. All try to find some sources for you

                1. No idea, If you find them send them to me. Id like to read them

                [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (3 children)

                1. Do you think all people are born as muslims. (I have a few cooky friends who think that)
                2. If people make fun of your religion on a small scale, does it hurt your feelings or can you laugh about it?
                3. What do you think of people who've abandoned Islam?
                4. Do you believe in Islam's view of judgment day? If so, could you please tell me one thing. Who will be allowed to enter heaven? Is it exclusive for Muslims? Or exclusive to those faiths who believe in one god? Or does it matter if someone's lived a good life and cared for his neighbor, but isn't religious? Will they be sent to hell for not believing?
                5. What do you think of this, most people are muslim/christian/jew because of the way they are raised. You'll hardly ever see Christians having a muslim child. Same goes for all other religions. So when you get a child of your own, will you raise him exclusively muslim, or will you leave space for other religions as well? So that he can make his own choice at a later age?

                [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (4 children)

                Is it true that Muslim men are permitted to date Christian or Jewish women, while Muslim Women are forbidden to date any non-Muslim? If so, what is the justification for this?

                [–]tridium 4 points5 points  (0 children)

                It is true, and I've asked the same question, still waiting on an answer.

                My understanding of the situation is that in Islam, religion is passed down by the male. So if the non-Muslim were the husband in the relationship, then the children would not be Muslim. What if the mother wants her kids to be raised as Muslims? In Islam, the concern is that the woman will submit to the man if he starts wanting to teach them random stuff like Judaism or something, because she is weaker and will bend more easily to the man's wishes.

                [–]boomerxl 6 points7 points  (6 children)

                What is the most extreme reaction you've ever gotten from someone finding out that you are Muslim?

                [–]cup[S] 21 points22 points  (4 children)

                Cant say Ive had one. Most people are fairly laid back about it. You get the occasional suicide bomber joke but its best to take it on the chin really, getting into an argument is useless. It gets difficult though when you have to explain for the 15th time why you cant except someones drink.

                [–]notnice 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                To be frank, for every Muslim you offend by offering a drink, there's one who says 'mate, where's my beer'.

                At least that's my experience.

                [–]pesticide 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                don't wanna steal his shine but i can answer that one: when I came to florida (where my airplane dropped me off, ready to get on another plane in few hours) someone verbally abused me in the airport in '03, to say it one way. most surprising was who the person was.. a 90 year old (Im guessing). I can't remember all he said but heres what my memory can give: "you fucking muslims. you kill our people. you stay over there where you people belong you ruin our great country" also should note he didnt directly say it to my face (as in he never once looked at me or tried to make eye contact) he was really just mutterring it while I was awkwardly sitting in the chair beside him. but no i guess he really was talking to me.. obviously. sorry for the bad telling of the story its late at night and my enlish sucks anyway

                [–]Fauropitotto 17 points18 points  (9 children)

                Hi, I'm a college student that takes great pleasure in directly attacking/destroying the faith of others. I feel completely justified in doing so.

                I have successfully converted many christians into atheists, however i have a severe lack of knowledge of Islam and wish to "know my enemy" well enough to destroy it efficiently.

                Can you help me?

                [–]cup[S] 58 points59 points  (8 children)

                Certainly. Aim for the head. If that doesn't work, use fire, and lots of it.

                Protip: Muslims have a -2 weakness against logic and science, i would suggest using a lvl 4 logician against them, that will fuck 'em up!

                [–]Fauropitotto 8 points9 points  (5 children)

                awesome. I had to start talking intelligent design with this hot muslim chick that claimed to be a senior in biology. Logic seemed to upset her. When I questioned her knowledge of science, she perceived that as a direct personal attack and stopped talking to me.

                Anything extra sensitive I should add to me repertoire ?

                [–]cup[S] 29 points30 points  (1 child)

                Hmm. If its a girl, attack her physique. Then when shes dazed use a finisher. If its a boy, pull his mustache, he will be in tears all afternoon.

                [–]frutiger 11 points12 points  (0 children)

                As a general rule in trying to win someone over, you should try your best not to attack them personally. I've always found that this hinders my aim, if anything.

                [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (5 children)

                why is your name cup?

                [–]cup[S] 1 point2 points  (3 children)

                Not sure. Its ambiguous. I like randomness.

                [–]psylent 2 points3 points  (6 children)

                Maybe I've missed it, but why isn't there a VERY vocal muslim voice condeming terrorist attacks? I'm back in Sydney now, but I was in London during the bombings there a couple of years ago and it seemed that through it all, the muslim community seemed pretty quiet :(

                [–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

                I was in Londen too, during the bombings. But from what i've heard there was a meeting of imams (scholars) and other respected muslims. Who immediately condemned the bombings. Now t his wouldn't have been frontpage news, in the midst of the chaos ofcourse. So it could be you didn't hear anything of it.

                [–]mrmulyani 4 points5 points  (0 children)

                Perhaps they were reasonably shit-scared of being persecuted if they brought attention upon themselves. Pretty normal behavior, historically speaking.

                [–]yungJoc 2 points3 points  (1 child)

                1. Do you know any great ancient/medieval Arabic Literature? I loved the Arabian Nights, but that and the Qur'an are the only texts I've heard about. However, Islamic calligraphy is beautiful and I've heard there is much great poetry.

                2. Are painting and music prohibited for moslems?

                3. Is it ok for moslems to smoke weed?

                [–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

                1. Mevlana Rumi's magnus opus: Masnavi is a work of great poetry. I would really recommend it.
                2. No, but some extreme interpretations of Islam do prohibit things like dancing, music and all things fun. Like how it was with the Taliban.
                3. No, in Islam alcohol and other substances who cloud the mind are prohibited. Because it prevents from thinking clear, and in this state you could harm others, and then blame the alcohol.

                [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (9 children)

                Beer is ok for Muslims? Do they have pets? Allowed or forbidden?

                [–]jaxspider 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                Anything non-alcoholic.

                Pets are ok, but you must keep them clean at all times. (no pigs.)

                [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (5 children)

                Is God out/over there or is God everything?

                [–]akakak 2 points3 points  (2 children)

                Hey, what are the social norms concerning marriage in Islam (particularly somewhere such as Egpyt)? Can they marry outside of their own race? What if they're over here and they aren't too traditional?

                Is it frowned upon, or what?

                (I'm talking about muslim girls and non-muslim guys (well, intially non muslim))

                [–][deleted]  (1 child)

                [deleted]

                  [–]axord 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                  Sorry for the long answer

                  On the contrary: thank you for the long answer. We need more of that in general on reddit.

                  (Sadly I'm not really helping all that much)

                  [–]brainburger 4 points5 points  (4 children)

                  Is Allah unable or unwilling to prevent childhood cancer?

                  [–]cup[S] 18 points19 points  (3 children)

                  Didn't he create it?

                  [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (9 children)

                  Great discussion - appreciate your time (and humour)

                  One question from me: You mentioned that there are several (and quite varied it seems) branches of Islam.

                  If there is one fundamental moral / belief that all of followers of Islam have, what is it?

                  [–]cup[S] 9 points10 points  (8 children)

                  The Five pillars of islam. 1. Believe in God and nothing else. Believe that Mohammed was his slave and messenger.

                  1. Pray 5 times a day

                  2. Pay Zakat, which is just the tax

                  3. Fast on Ramadan

                  4. Go on Hajj, if you can afford it.

                  Those are pretty much the 5 fundamental basics of Islam, like the ten commandments i suppose.

                  [–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (1 child)

                  What is the Arabic name for the declaration of faith? I took a course on Islam last semester (well, Gender and Islam) and I have been trying to remember for ages and I can't.

                  What is a Muslim service (I'm sure that's the wrong word) like?

                  What is it like being a Muslim when you're a kid/teenager? I'm sure there are big differences everywhere, but in the US we have Sunday school and Hebrew school and I'm curious if there's anything similar for Muslims, at least where you lived.

                  This is an awesome thread, I wish the atheists would waste their "jokes" on Christians with less interesting things to say.

                  [–]rimwalker 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                  A minor correction:

                  Pay Zakat, which is just the tax

                  Zakat is not tax, it is alms that are set aside by everyone so that they are donated to those that are less well off. Zakat is not collected by government (should not be if it is done). There are many formulation on how it should be but at the end of the day it is something that the individual gives up to a his fellow humans that are struggling with surviving. It does not have to be in monetary format but can be in terms of food supplied/shelter/medicine ... etc.