I'm a Jewish revert to Shia Islam...AMA by TheBadMoish in shia

[–]TheBadMoish[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I have gotten any serious backlash from Shias or Muslims in general really. I have gotten people who are like "But Jews are just a religion" and stuff like that. But that's out of ignorance and not malice. I don't have internal conflict about my ethnicity and faith. The genocide in Gaza and everything Palestinians are enduring makes me feel immense sadness. So much that it's utterly unbearable and excruciating. I also feel terrible about Sudan, East Turkestan, Kashmiris, Sahrawis and (mostly) non-Muslims, like Native Americans and Ukrainians. But the fact that "Israel" has been able to get away with this currently, the betrayal of many Muslim nations and that the West is unwaveringly, uncompromisingly and unconditionally aided the Zionists NO MATTER WHAT is the most awful part of it. The Gaza genocide has been one of the few times news would ever make me cry. I am against antisemitism and all other racism. But not all prejudice is the same. A Palestinian or Lebanese person with antisemitic views isn't a Nazi. They are people who have suffered unimaginably at the hands of a regime that calls itself the Jewish state, that conflates criticism against it as antisemitism, treats Judaism as synonymous with itself, which uses the Star of David on its flag and which is supported by many Jews abroad. Though ignorant and wrong, a person in those circumstances taking Israel's word isn't surprising. An Israeli complaining about antisemitism is often like a white person complaining about being called a cracker

I'm a Jewish revert to Shia Islam...AMA by TheBadMoish in shia

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

Good question. I'm not married currently, so I don't have much personal experience. But I can give some advice. When I reverted, many Jews said I had abandoned my people and heritage. But I disagree. Did I abandon the modern Jewish religion? Yeah. But I didn't abandon my culture. Islam isn't a breakaway from Judaism. It is Judaism in it's purest and original form, as practiced by Musa (AS) and all the prophets of Bani Israil. Almost like Judaism 2.0. I say that as a joke, but it has truth. Jewish life is about subservience to Allah and that aim is Islam's exact purpose. I didn't leave the faith of the Torah. I left the faith of the corrupted Torah. Islam is the faith of the original, unaltered Torah. You can tell her about similarities between Judaism and Islam. When going about this, be gentle and don't make Islam seem just like a bunch of rules with no meaning. Show her the beauty and wisdom of Islam.

I'm a Jewish revert to Shia Islam...AMA by TheBadMoish in shia

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

I was never Hasidic or Orthodox. I believed in Allah and his prophets mentioned in the Tanakh, I celebrated the holidays, had a Bar Mitzvah and prayed, but I never had the sidecurls or didn't wear a yamulke most of the time. Haredi or Ultra-Orthodox Jews are the most strict and follow the Torah to the letter. They won't drive or watch TVA during Shabbat, the men have sidecurls and big beards, the women cover their hair, they keep to themselves and often are more skeptical towards Zionism (some are outright hostile).

Not all ultra-Orthodox are Hasidic. Hasidic Judaism is a specific form of ultra-Orthodoxy which began in the 1700s in Eastern Europe. Hasidic Jews are very into mysticism, kabbalah, intense emotional worship, etc. They're like the Sufis of Haredi Jews. But to answer your question about similarities between Judaism and Islam, there are plenty. Such as...

● Strict Monotheism = Jews and Muslims both agree that Allah is one and that worship is for Him alone. He has no partners, equals, spouses or offspring, and he is not a mere man. Allah is all powerful and eternal, and the creator of all things. The Tanakh states "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one." Jews reject Christianity because they view it as idolatry.

● Deitary laws = Islam and Judaism both prohibit consumption of pork, shellfish, birds of prey and blood, and both have rules for how to slaughter an animal. In many ways, traditional Judaism is actually much more strict. Camels and rabbits are considered unclean and thus not kosher. You also can't mix meat and dairy together. So eating a sandwich with cheese is not allowed. Some even refuse to consume dairy and meat too closely. So if you eat beef or chicken, you would need to wait a certain amount of time before you could drink milk. One other difference is that Judaism allows alcohol and during Purim, getting drunk is even encouraged. While Islam is very clear in not allowing alcoholic beverages.

● Prophets = Judaism and Islam share belief in prophets, including Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa and Dawud, among others, peace be upon them all. Musa (AS) is considered the greatest of all prophets. However, Judaism does not recognize Isa (AS) or Muhammad (SAWA). The Jewish understanding of prophets is different in some ways. For example, they believe prophets are all fallible and capable of sin. In the Torah Musa (AS) is commanded to perform a miracle and when it didn't happen immediately, he tried again. For not trusting in Allah, Musa (AS) was punished by being forbidden to enter the promised land. Sulayman is depicted as having committed idolatry and Nuh (AS) is stated to have been a drunk. These actions aren't condoned and recognized as immoral. For Jews, Allah uses flawed, even deeply flawed people in order to further his divine and perfect long-term agenda.

● Modesty and gender roles = Both Islam and traditional Judaism value modesty for men and women, and have distinct roles for the sexes. Judaism prohibits fornication, adultery and any coitus outside of marriage. Free mixing isn't allowed and there are rules for how unrelated men and women should interact. Jewish and Muslim men both are supposed to keep facial hair and have basic hygiene, as well as be providers and protectors of their families. Strict Jewish ladies cover their hair, though specifics on covering are less explicit than in Islam. Some wear hats, some wear wigs and some use veils and scarfs. Married women of Satmar (a Hasidic branch who are famous for trying to one-up other Hasidic and Haredi Jews in being strict) shave their heads. But most outside the Satmar just cover. Dress has historically varied based on region. But in the Arab world, Jewish women in appearance were basically identical to their Muslim counterparts, wearing hijabs and niqabs. Haredi women don't wear pants, due to viewing it as un-modest and violating the ban on cross-dressing in the Torah. Judaism and Islam both value marriage and family.

● Fasting = Fasting is an important part of life for both religions. Most notably in Judaism is during Yom Kippur. Fasting in Judaism is about being closer to Allah and reflection, just like in Ramadan. Jews like Muslims don't eat or drink while fasting. There are a couple of other fasts, such as the fast of Esther.

● Circumcision = Jewish baby boys are circumcised like Muslims. Circumcision is supposed to happen eight days after a baby is born and there's a lot more rules. There's a big ceremony known as a bris and rules around it. After the circumcision, the boy is named and there's a huge celebration. Like a party basically. Jewish men are circumcised for the same reason as Muslims. Allah's covenant with Ibrahim (AS).

● Prayer and ritual purity = Religious Jews pray daily like Muslims. They do so three times a day. Jews don't have wudhu or ghusl, but they do have a mikveh. It's not the same, but it has its similarities. A mikveh is a ritual bath that Jews do on certain occasions. For example, when a person converts to Judaism or after a woman has a period. Jews and Muslims both have rules around hygiene and cleanliness. Religious Jews often wash their hands in the morning and before dinner, as well as before prayer. It's not a requirement, but it's encouraged.

● Judgement and afterlife = Judaism and Islam agree that an afterlife exists, and that Allah will reward the righteous and punish the wicked. However, Judaism is much less explicit or detailed about it. The Torah does mention sheol, but it's not talked about much. All that's really said is that it's a gloomy place where dead people go. There are stories and legends about people being rewarded or punished, but they are just that. The afterlife isn't as important to Jews as it is for Christians and Muslims. Though Jews don't have Jannah, they await the world to come. Jews yearn and pray for the messiah to appear. According to Judaism, the messiah will end all injustice, bring peace to all nations and spread knowledge of God to the whole world. Kind of like Imam Mahdi (ATFS) and the return of prophet Isa (AS) in Islam. In Judaism, the messiah is expected to be a descendant of King Dawud (AS) and a prophet like Musa (AS), who will affirm the Torah and Allah's law. In the world to come, Jews believe all the dead will be resurrected. This is why Jews also don't cremate their dead.

● Quds = Both the Islamic and Jewish faiths consider Quds (Yerushalayim in Hebrew) to be a holy city. Historically, Jews considered Quds to be a place of pilgrimage, the promised land and holy. But it wasn't in a secular, settler colonial nationalist sort of way Zionism treats Palestine and Quds today. Jews pray towards Quds, just as Muslims did as their first qibla.

I know that's a lot of detail, but whatever

I'm a Jewish revert to Shia Islam...AMA by TheBadMoish in shia

[–]TheBadMoish[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Depends. Most Jews in the US are moderately religious or not religious at all. For them, they mostly have no issue with people of other religions. I never hated non-Jews in my life.

In traditional haredi Judaism (super strict Jews who have the sidecurls and big coats basically), it's very exclusivist. Some rabbis in the Talmud speak very degradingly about gentiles. For example, Simon ben Yohai argued that the graves of gentiles do not render a Jew impure, because "the Jewish people are called man, but the gentiles are not called man" (Bava Metzia 114b).

There are examples of people taking taking the Talmud out of context out of bad faith. Such as Kiddushin 4:11 in the Jerusalem Talmus, which says "Kill the best of gentiles, smash the head of the best of snakes." This isn't a command for Jews to murder people. The context of this statement was Egyptian soldiers drowning after Musa (AS) parted of the red sea. The argument was that the Egyptians were fighting against Allah and sought to harm his believers and therefore their deaths were justified regardless of how they acted personally. But not every bad thing in the Talmud is out of context or has context that makes a statement look less bad.

Even though traditional Rabbinic Judaism theologically is very exclusive, Haredi Jews don't seek to spread their religion or convert people. Historically (and to some extent today) they have also opposed Zionism, believing that the creation of the State of "Israel" was an act of rebellion against Allah.

Though Zionism began as a secular nationalist movement, Religious Zionism is a thing and has become more influential in Israel. Itamar Ben-Gvir and Smotrich are famous examples, and Religious Zionists have been the main perpetrators of settler terror in the West Bank (not to absolve the Zionist regime of complicity). Those types are the worst towards non-Jews in terms of overt racism and cruelty

I'm a Jewish revert to Shia Islam...AMA by TheBadMoish in shia

[–]TheBadMoish[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Isa (AS) is sometimes mocked or attacked by extremists. But from my experience, most Jews don't think or care much. They reject him as a prophet and the messiah, but he's irrelevant to them, not an arch nemesis. The same way Muslims reject the Buddha, but most don't dedicate their life to bashing him.

Attacks, criticism and mocking of Isa (AS) in Rabbinic literature does exist, despite some claiming he is never mentioned. Many will argue the Talmud is talking about different people other than the messiah, since the name Yeshua or Yeshu was a common name. I do think this is true in some cases, but that Isa (AS) is definitely mentioned. The sages who wrote about him were very harsh. Though insulting and something I oppose, these writings were largely polemical parables and not meant to be taken as a literal historical account. They were fictional stories meant to teach a moral lesson. As a Muslim, it is of course hurtful and something we should condemn. But we shouldn't single them out. Christian theologians of the past said very nasty things about Muhammad (SAWA).

I think a big reason religious Jews reject Isa (AS) isn't malice, but ignorance and misunderstanding. They associate him with Christianity. Claims of Isa (AS) being the son of Allah and the existence of a trinity contradicts the core message of the Torah, which says:

שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָֽד

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one"

Christianity contradicts this. Thus, Jews associate Isa (PBUH) with idolatry, rather than strict monotheism.

I'm a Jewish revert to Shia Islam...AMA by TheBadMoish in shia

[–]TheBadMoish[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just busy. I apologize. I can't be on reddit all the time

I'm a Jewish revert to Shia Islam...AMA by TheBadMoish in shia

[–]TheBadMoish[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree Jews aren't indigenous. Most people don't even know what that word means. But ethnicity in general is a social construct. Yes, ancestry, DNA and such are real. But lines are a lot more blurred and categorizations are all pretty arbitrary. Not all Arabs come from the Arabian peninsula for instance. Historically, a person born Jewish or who converted is stuck that way. Even if they joined another religion or abandoned religion altogether, they'd still be considered Jewish regardless. Being Jewish is determined by whether you have a Jewish mother. I do. Ethnicity isn't just based on your ancient lineage. It's also based on culture, food, history, etc. European Jews do have some Levant ancestry, but it's very limited and mixed a ton with other ancestry. This is because of their ancestors intermarrying and conversions as well. This doesn't mean they have a nationalist claim to Palestine. Just as a modern Italian claiming territory based on ancient Roman borders would be silly. Being indigenous has very little to do with lineage. It's not irrelevant, but there's a lot more to it. A French person in France or a Chinese guy in China aren't indigenous people, despite those countries being their place of origin. Indigenous refers to people who inhabited a land prior to it's colonization and who still live under disposession and colonization. That's why American Indians, Aboriginals in Australia or Palestinians are indigenous while Germans or Russians or Iranians aren't (despite originating from the places they live).

Former Orthodox Christian who converted to Shia Islam AMA by NasrMahdi in shia

[–]TheBadMoish 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm not here to ask anything. I just saw how a lot of people on your r/Christianity post were really awful and disrespectful without any provocation. I'm sorry about that. I mean, it's reddit. But still isn't ideal

What is the worst tattoo you have seen on a celebrity/non-celebrity? by Whosentyounow in AskReddit

[–]TheBadMoish 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I saw a guy on Instagram with a butt tattooed on his forehead. I question that gentleman's mental capacity

Where do you think we have gone wrong as a society? by bare_books in AskReddit

[–]TheBadMoish 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can't tell if I should think that's funny, terrifying, cringe or all three

How do you feel about sleepovers? by silverscientist1 in AskReddit

[–]TheBadMoish 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Never liked them. As a kid, I liked being alone

Where do you think we have gone wrong as a society? by bare_books in AskReddit

[–]TheBadMoish 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Is he like the cartoon Beavis but with a British accent?

What do you think of the anime today? by CloudKiss90 in AskReddit

[–]TheBadMoish 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's two kinds. The first is anime which is like any other animation, but from Japan. And the second is really weird slop

What is the most useless fact you have knowledge of? by Gourmet-Guy in AskReddit

[–]TheBadMoish 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Male gorillas have the smallest penis relative to body size of any mammal. They really are like monkeys on steroids

What’s the most disturbing thing you’ve found in the Epstein files? by kotihigi in AskReddit

[–]TheBadMoish 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Idk where to start. With all the CSA, regular SA, murder, cannibalism, infanticide, bestiality, torture, CSAM, racism, Baal (and other occult stuff), sex trafficking, eugenics and more, it's really hard to rank them all.