Things I've Learned Since Studying Islam

I am now calmer than I use to be. I am able to handle stress without flying off the handle or having a panic attack because I know to stop, think, and ask God for help. And that you can’t do much while you are angry at the world. Anger and frustration get you no where fast.

I feel closer to God. I haven’t felt this close to God since I had major surgery as a child. I feel more at peace with my relationship with God. I feel like it is growing and developing. My understanding of God is beginning to finally take shape. I am becoming at peace with my view of how God fits in my life.

I have only been with the women at the school for a short while but I feel like I may have found a group of people to which I can belong. I have never had that before in my entire life. Women and I don’t usually get along.

I love the Qur’an and it has answered so many questions that I could not have answered by anything else. It has also taught me to look again at the beauty of the Gospel.

Islam has allowed me to take another look at Christianity. I am able to see the beauty in Christianity now that I am on the outside. I may not believe Jesus is God, but I can appreciate the Christian religion. I am also more effectively able to appreciate the intricacies of Jewish tradition.

I am more sensitive to other faiths.

I have found a religion that sees Jesus as I see him. A great prophet sent to save humanity from itself by inspiring us with his teachings. He did suffer to save us just not in the way Christianity dictates. I’m not entirely sure about Islam’s view of the crucifixion though.

I have only begun the prayer ritual but so far I have found the seeds of the meditative serenity that I crave.

I love hijab. I feel much more feminine now than I did before. I feel more beautiful, confident, and comfortable in my body. I have learned how important it is to have respect for your self and to not sell yourself to men. Your body is for you, not for everyone else to eye.

I am able to see how important God is to one’s life. More important than a career or love or material things. If you have God, everything else seems less important.

Everything in Islam has a logical reason or purpose. If it does not, then it may not truly be a part of the religion. A religion that functions on logic amazes me and makes sense to me.

Hadiths are frustrating but they cannot be ignored. You do not need to believe in every hadith in existence to be a muslim.

I am excited about possibly being a part of an organized religion. This has never happened. It is not a chore, it is an adventure.

Being a muslim is more than following a bunch of rules, reading Arabic, and wearing hijab. Its about finding a connection with God and finding the best way to serve him. I think this is ultimately true for all three religions. However, because there are different types of people in this world, one religion may not work for all. Perhaps there are three to choose from because one religion would not work perfectly for everyone. Different people need different things. It is up to you to figure out what you need to best serve God. Its only a theory.

You must choose religion. Until you choose your religion, you cannot serve God and know God to the best of your ability.

I have more respect and see more value in my parents than I did before. Partly, because I have been faced with the possibility of loosing them. It’s also because of all the focus put on parents in Islam. It is also because even when I presented them with a concept they did not like, they still agreed to not disown me.

I feel I can do a lot of good as a muslim.

I clearly see the issues with Western society and the things that should not be acceptable. I no longer find skimpy clothing, using sex or flirting to get what you want, drinking etc to be acceptable behavior.

So what I need to figure out is this: What makes a religion right for someone? Is it how much you agree with the book, the rules, and the practices. Or is it how the religion brings you closer to God, allows you to serve God. Yes you need to believe in the core aspects (Ex: Muhammad is a prophet) but can you disagree with portions of a religion and still have it be the one for you?

I’m not sure. But I move toward the later.