I guess I am going to take the path of Islam.
For mere context - born as a Catholic, grow up as confused, switching between different faiths. Current boyfriend of 5 years made me believe in God again - he's Protestant, so we agreed in a lot of topics such as the rejection of admiring idols and symbols.
However, I know my heart goes beyond Christianism. I have an introvert personality. I am too serious sometimes. I reject physical touch from strangers and I have some values that an average citizen of my city would consider outdated or weird. I always thought I was socially strange since I am somewhat autistic - I have medical documents about it.
When I bumped into Islam, I discovered I have a lot in common with this religion, feeling identified with tons of points. At first, I felt scared and rejected it, because I mixed it with the Arabian Culture and the law system in several countries. But as I kept reading and investigating, I realized we must separate these terms. Islam is Islam, culture is culture. So, I guess I am ready to take really the next step and start studying the Quran properly. I even compared the different branches of Islam, finding out the school that suits me more, and I think I found it. Now that I have gathered all the material I need - Hadits, books and more - I should schedule a hour for myself and study.
Meanwhile, I started mentalizing myself. While I talk, I always mention how great God is - I say God yet, because I am scared of saying Allah and then creating a chaos here, I live in a Christian city. I constantly remind the marvelous nature surrounding me, appreciating everything - my cat, my dog, my life, my fiancee, and so on. Surprisingly, this exercise is making me feel kinda peaceful lately...
Any advices to study this faith properly?
@FutureTeacher301 hello. Former muslim here. Its beautiful to see how open you are to religions. I would recommend watching free quran education videos as they cover key concepts of islam in simple ways. I hope you find peace in your decisions 🫶
@unassumingEyes Thank you! I know it will be a long, long journey. I won't revert at the moment - I just want to learn, to get inspired and to improve myself. The more I read about Islam, the more I realize we all lost basic values and I want to change that in myself
I would like to answer your questions if you have any
@FutureTeacher301
@Helgafy my good friend, what is your aim? If you are certain, encourage the reading of the bible. There is no need to pick and choose your arguments. When preaching religion, never criticize another. It marks you as unkind. I mean this with goodwill, i myself am studying both christianity and islam as much as I can.
@Helgafy You wrote "Christianity is the only religion where God reaches down to save us. In the other religions persons have to save themselves by doing good deeds" - So that means anyone who sins and commits haram acts will be safe as long as they believe in God? That's now how it should work. Sounds hypocrite to me. I am aware God loves us all, but we also must be respectful, responsible, honorable, modest, loyal.
It's not only about praying and fasting but to predicate with the good example because we need to live in peace, specially in crazy times as nowadays!!
However, I appreciate you found your peace in Christianity, while I decided to take another path. In the end, we are all brothers, and we must respect each other.
@FutureTeacher301 I've read and listened to many Islamic scholars and their quranic interpretations.
This one aligns best with me. I'd strongly urge you to read this quran translation accompanied with short notes.
https://www.almawridus.org/bookstore/english/javed-ahmed-ghamidi/al-bayaan-5-volume-set-english/
If you can't purchase this you can tap into this free resource on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/Q5jiZUr0Ao8?si=9kLn7G1x_oaPxopW
I like these scholars the best because they explain Islamic wisdom and pertain to one's reason - which is the only correct way of choosing any belief. Faith is not dogma.
Best wishes on your journey. And keep me posted if you have questions. I'll do best to answer them or direct you to a source that has the right answers.
@FutureTeacher301, Dear FutureTeacher301,
Your journey is deeply sincere, and that sincerity itself is something precious. Throughout history, humanity has always been occupied by a few fundamental questions:
Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going? What is my purpose in this world?
These are not ordinary questions; they shape how a person understands life, existence, and themselves.
One of the core principles in Islam—especially as presented in the Risale-i Nur methodology—is that faith should never be blind or inherited without reflection. On the contrary, the mind, questioning, reflection, and sincere investigation are gifts given by God to be actively used. Asking questions, thinking deeply, and seeking coherent answers are not signs of doubt, but signs of seriousness and intellectual honesty.
Your effort to distinguish between religion and culture, and your willingness to study Islam thoughtfully, is a very admirable step. Islam repeatedly invites human beings to observe nature, reflect on existence, and reason about truth. This reflective path often leads not to anxiety, but—as you have already begun to experience—to inner peace.
If you wish to study Islam in a way that directly addresses those fundamental existential questions, I would warmly recommend "The Supreme Sign" from the Risale-i Nur Collection. It approaches faith through reason, observation of the universe, and calm contemplation, rather than emotional pressure or dogma. Alongside this, Jeffrey Lang’s Even Angels Ask is also a very valuable book—especially for someone coming from a questioning, intellectual, and sincere background.
Take your time. Read, question, reflect, and allow your heart and mind to move together. A faith reached through understanding is far deeper and more lasting than one reached through fear or imitation. May your search be guided by clarity, wisdom, and peace.
@FutureTeacher301 any kind of QA or just wana Friendly talk about it, U r most welcome, if u need help in Practices of understanding Quran n it's learning process, u are most welcome. Religion is can't be paste on someone, it should be learnt and understand by our own selves thn follow what heart finds true. No compulsion in religion. İt's itself a teaching of İslam. 💖 İm Muslim Alhamdulillah and im raised muslim but still i learned, i practice by my own research and followed after my own satisfaction. Everyone has right to chose what's they feel true to their soul.
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