I want to get a better understanding of Islam by mo123

Islam is about truth. La illah illah lah. There is only one God, Allah. Islam is about freedom for all, in all races. Islam is about hope. Hope in the mercy from our Lord and Creator. Islam is not as you see on the television with all the propaganda. We are the largest growing religion in the world and we are will continue to be. When I became Muslim 16 years ago, I knew nothing about Islam, nothing about Jordan and nothing about this word Allah.

Through destiny, I was given a copy of the Quran by a friend of mine, who knew of my searching for a new religion. I wanted to be closer to my lord. I was searching all over and yes even tried moving closer to my church. But all doors were shut. So as I picked up the Glorious Quran things changed in my life. Each page that I read enlightened me, about my real destiny.

In the bible your are taught the ten commandments. Thou shall not kill, thou shall not commit adultery, etc. In Islam we have the same ten commandments, but we are told of the punishment if we commit those sins. Like if you commit adultery without asking for forgiveness, you will go to the hellfire. Islam states up front, what is expected of you. So we are good people, not because the Quran tells us to be that way, we are good out of fear of Allah and his punishment. Our whole life exist for the pleasure of Allah.

My husband told me, "I will never be unfaithful to you out of fear of Allah." So what we do in this life is for Allah. We are willing to die for Allah also. Saying this that if someone was to try to take our Mosque in Jerusalem, there would be a holy war and millions of brothers would fight and die with pleasure. Jihad is required in Islam but not against innocent people such as women, children and the elderly. Jihad can be, a wife supporting her family or jihad can be a woman who makes hijrah for the sake of Allah.

When we marry, we marry for the pleasure of Allah alone. Love for our spouse, comes later in the marriage, but first is our Lord. Now keep in mind the word Allah, is merely an Arabic word for God. So we worship the same God. Even now speaking to you my heart is happy and giggly, as I know Angels are blessing me for passing on the word of Islam. I don't believe in preaching "hellfire religion." I believe in converting people by my example. When people see how I live, they want to be a Muslim.

I did not cry when my husband died, as this was Allah's will. I miss him and love him very

Islam is the number one growing religion in the world and a religion of love and honor and charity. We give a lot of charity to people. There is never a hungry person in Islam and in all the time I have been in Jordan, I have only seen two homeless people. They are on the streets to beg for money and hopefully they do get that. One woman told me, I do not have to work, that it is the job of every Muslim in my town to support me. I am a widow and a Muslim convert, so everyone loves me here. I have freedom of religion and the king even sent me to Hajj and Umrah for free. He even gave me money for food and when I returned he had a check waiting for me so I could buy food for my home. Love, kindness and generosity, now that is Islam.

We hug, we kiss each other, women only and we give tons of charity. It is obligatory on each of us to do that. We pray 5 times a day and bow down to our lord, humbly. We make pilgrimage, if we can. We devote ourself to Islam. I am in the process of learning too much and yes at times we have to isolate ourselves from people who do us harm in our religion. Some people who constantly break promises, are not someone we want as friends. A Muslim is as good as their word. A person cannot be true and good unless he has ethics and morals.

People like Cat Stevens came to Islam after the death of his child. He learned that even though Allah took his small child, that Allah provided him with heaven. So we believe that even an awful situation such as a death of a child, could in turn return to us something good. This is what we call destiny. We should never question Allah's decision and never say, "If only I had not left my child at the window." As this brings the devil or shaitan in to our lives.

So here is what we believe.

1. There is one God. Jesus is a prophet and not God.
2. We believe in Angels, every single day.
3. We believe in his books, the Quran, bible and Torah
4. We give 2 percent of our money in charity to the poor
5. to make pilgrimage if we can afford it.

Our Prophet, showed us through mannerism how to act, work and live. So by his example of love, we learn what we must do. Do we make mistakes, yes, do we cry

yes, but do we have hope yes. Islam is a religion of hope and love and not political. If you come to take my country, I will fight you and if you speak bad about my Lord and my prophet I will fight you and the punishment of all will come from Allah.

Some days I have so many problems, I just don't care anymore. I am tired, some days that I am too tired to care. But I know that Allah takes care of all things. When I am so tired of just existing, my lord, says go one more day. Then I see questions like this and I hope that maybe just one person will see the light and love Allah the way I do.

Many will become Muslim on this day, will you be the first? I would be the happiest person in the world if you and your family joined the millions who take the shahada (declaration of belief) and become one of those who go before Allah clean. When someone becomes Muslim all their prior sins are forgiven. So you are as a newborn.

I hope this long, long message has opened your eyes a bit and I hope you understand why we want to be close to Allah. I hope also, that this explains to you why so many are flocking to Islam. Not for fighting and terrorism, but for a true learning of how to be very close to our Lord, our creator, Allah, the most gracious.

I want to get a better understanding of Islam. What can you tell me?

by Barbi Trejo