What is Islam? Ask a Muslim

[Nesimî]

Hello, I enjoy reading Islamic philosophy, and would be happy to answer any of your questions regarding Sunni Islam. If I do not have the answer close at hand, it may take some research, but I will try and get to everything, if anything is posted at all.

[Slydessertfox]

What do most muslims think about evolution?

[LWT]

Is it true muslims are not to allowed to sleep face down, but instead have to lie on their right side?

[Scruff Dog]

Do you have to enter the bathroom with your left foot first then recite a prayer to God (Allaahumma innee a'oodhubika minal-khubuthi wal-khabaa'ith) while you urinate? And would that count as one of your five a day?

[sleepyx732]

Are all Muslims "radical Islamic terrorist" like my peers would have me believe?

[Biggieboy]

what's the difference between sunni and shi'i (if that is the right spelling?), and why the fighting between the two?

[Lazarus]

How do you count the global Muslim population? Are people born in the household of a Muslim automatically counted as one of the faith or is there an actual process that allows generations to leave the faith and be identified as such?

I'll also add a nice little congratulations to you, for creating a thread for the purpose of education.

[issues]

Is Allah a loving god? If so, why do Muslims always seem so angry?

[Armatus]

Why is Islam often touted to be "a religion of peace"?

[Matthias]

Hello, I enjoy reading Islamic philosophy, and would be happy to answer any of your questions regarding Sunni Islam. If I do not have the answer close at hand, it may take some research, but I will try and get to everything, if anything is posted at all.

How do the vast majority of Muslims become believers? Childhood indoctrination, cultural/family pressure, Etc.? Or are they just convinced by the evidence when they reach adulthood?

What is the proof that the Koran is the word of God?

What is the proof of Allah existing?

[Armatus]

Why can't we challenge the Koran?

[Pīrūz Nahavandi]

Because only Muslims are allowed to enter Mecca, how do the authorities check one's religious affiliation if one tries to enter the city?

[Armatus]

Why is it offensive to depict Mohammad today, when it wasn't always that way in the past?

[PrestigeX]

Are you familiar with "Sheik Imran Hosein" - if so, what do you think about his work / ideas?

if not -- how about this, do you think The Djallal is actually going to have one-eye and some kind of scar/marking on his forehead that will let all believers know (whether literate or not) that he is "Kaffir" ? OR, do you think this is not to be taken literally but is meant to convey that Djallal will be obvious to the Muslims when he makes himself known, and his "one eye" refers to him being some kind of idk, Atheist or Evil-doer etc... As in, the Jews and/or Christians will say "This is the Messiah" or "It is Christ Returned!", but the Muslims will easily know that he is Djallal.

(Djallal is the Muslim Anti-Christ, he is supposed to rule the world out of Jerusalem until the arrival of Isa (that's Jesus), and then someone called Imam Mahdi also comes and they more or less kick ass)

Imam Mahdi - do you think he will have to be a Sunni Muslim from Arabia, or is it possible that he could be a Muslim of other origins?

If too many questions, just pick one =)

[Nesimî]

What do most muslims think about evolution?

People who are educated about the subject know that there really isn't much of a conflict besides the creation of Man himself.

Is it true muslims are not to allowed to sleep face down, but instead have to lie on their right side?

Do you have to enter the bathroom with your left foot first then recite a prayer to God (Allaahumma innee a'oodhubika minal-khubuthi wal-khabaa'ith) while you urinate? And would that count as one of your five a day?

The first is what our Prophet (pbuh) used to do, but it is not obligatory. The second, it isn't required, in fact I don't think I have ever done that.

There are a few different types of things to do in Islam.

1. Farz (I'm using Turkish spelling): Obligation noted in the Quran.
2. Wajib: Again, obligatory, but wasn't written in the Quran. Few obligations like this, the only one I can think of right now is the short extra prayer after the night prayer (Isha).
3. Sunnah: This is what our Prophet did, or recommended. It is suggested to follow him closely as possible, but I don't think anyone will be punished for not sleeping on their right side.
4. Nafila: These are done because you want to do them. The rather long prayers before the night prayer during Ramadan are an example. Even our Prophet (pbuh) did not do these regularly.

And no, that does not count as one of the five. I will explain on how we pray if you would like to read that.

Are all Muslims "radical Islamic terrorist" like my peers would have me believe?

If a quarter of the world's population were terrorist, I daresay the landscape would be a bit different. We generally like being alive. Not to mention murder and suicide are quite heavy sins in the Quran.

what's the difference between sunni and shi'i (if that is the right spelling?), and why the fighting between the two?

Political divide, mostly. It started at the end of the Rashidun period of the Arab peninsula. Modern divide is really more of a friction between two different political group. We Turks have been at peace with Shia Iran since the Qasr-i Shirin agreement of 1639.

How do you count the global Muslim population? Are people born in the household of a Muslim automatically counted as one of the faith or is there an actual process that allows generations to leave the faith and be identified as such?

I'll also add a nice little congratulations to you, for creating a thread for the purpose of education.

Thank you Lazarus. You are a dangerous man. To answer your question, If I am not mistaken, anyone who says the Shahadah (witnessing) is a muslim. I once asked my mother what she would do if I became Christian. She said "I would be sad, but there really is nothing I could do."

Is Allah a loving god? If so, why do Muslims always seem so angry?

Indeed he is.

Why is Islam often touted to be "a religion of peace"?

How do the vast majority of Muslims become believers? Childhood indoctrination, cultural/family pressure, Etc.? Or are they just convinced by the evidence when they reach adulthood?

What is the proof that the Koran is the word of God?

What is the proof of Allah existing?

Childhood indoctrination to some point, yes, like in any faith. Those who are not convinced simply leave the faith and those who are stay on.

The second and third questions need a good answer, so I will answer them once I have a bit more time.

Why can't we challenge the Koran?

If you do not believe so, imagine you had the orders of an omnipotent, perfect being jn a text. You can challenge it all you want but it really won't be suitable to Islam.

Because only Muslims are allowed to enter Mecca, how do the authorities check one's religious affiliation if one tries to enter the city?

Visa/passport checks. Two checkpoints in Mecca. They don't give you the visa unless you are muslim

Why is it offensive to depict Mohammad today, when it wasn't always that way in the past?

I'm paraphrasing here, but he once said something to the effect of "When you see my picture, throw it to the ground crush it beneath yoir feet."

It isn't offensive, but poor and uneducated people have a way of being touchy and xenophobic, and interpreting their philosophy with that mindset.

[Armatus]

Are you a Muslim?

[Nesimî]

Yes, I am.

[Aeneas Veneratio]

Is there anything in the Quran that would prevent a country with a Muslim population in becoming a secular democracry? It seems to be an question very often being asked in the West these days.

[Scruff Dog]

Did Mohammed believe that Satan lived up his nose? And is it typical for Muslims to perform this ritual cleansing in the morning to remove Satans influence in the nose?

"If anyone of you rouses from sleep and performs the ablution, he should wash his nose by putting water in it and then blowing it out thrice, because Satan has stayed in the upper part of his nose all the night."

And does Satan touch all newborn babies and this is the reason why they cry?

[Nesimî]

I believe babies cry as the result of amniotic(?) fluid from and expanding of the lungs, both of which are said to be painful processes. I don't know if he touches the babies, I hope not.

Satan does not live in our noses, but ablution is always recommended as a spiritual cleansing, like baptism but more frequent. We perform ablution before the daily prayers. The nose cleaning is a part of it.