"Seek knowledge, even unto China" - Prophet Muhammad
As-salamu alaykum, chapos!
After consulting with the cyber Ulama we have decided to create an open thread where curious posters can take a break from the great posting jihad and ask questions on the nature of Islam or the Muslim experience. So long as they are asked in good faith, from a position of truly wanting to learn, these questions will be answered without judgement.
As for Muslims, all of us are free to answer any of the questions, even ones that have already been answered. This is an open thread, and the input of different Islamic perspectives is valuable to getting a big picture.
To all those reading this, remember: No one person is an authority on Islam. This is why it traditionally the din never had its own clergy. Always have this in mind when researching on Islam.
Alright, now GET TO ASKING!
Hey thanks so much for doing this.
I've studied comparative religion and have read on Christianity, Judiasm, Daoism, Confucianism and Hinduism but not on Islam. Would love to hear from any and all what your thoughts are on the similarities and differences between other mainstream religions and Islam.
Comparative mythology and cultural memory fascinates me, especially in relation to the Qur'an. Muslims believe that the world's memory resides in it.
I am reminded by the story of the escape to Abyssinia. I think a lot of people don't truly appreciate what that story conveys. For context, during the early years of Islam, they suffered persecution from the Quraishi, and a contingent went to Abyssinia on the advice of the Prophet, who insisted that the Negus was a reasonable man and would give them safe harbor, even though he was a trading partner of the Quraishi.
But from the perspective of the Negus, this was a bizarre event. A wealthy African Christian king across the sea is minding his own business.
Here come these former polytheists straight out from the desert, dressed in dirtied browned robes, and they tell this nation of old who had worshipped Christ long before Constantine ever read the bible, the name of Jesus, Moses, and Abraham. They tell them things they should not possibly know.
They tell them of the mother of their god, an intimate meeting between an angel and a woman one fateful night which nobody in the world should know about, yet for some reason everyone does. How can it be, that these two places know of the story of a single, unimportant virgin in Judea 700 years before? And are somehow united by it, enough to know that they are the same, that they have the same story, the same god. A god whose debut was supposedly thousands of years before hundreds of miles north, the patron of a nation which no longer exists.
The answer in Islam, of course, is cultural memory. A universal story which survived, which we keep remembering. Muslims believe there is a prophet in every civilization, appearing when they should not be, telling a story they have no right to know.
Hey thanks that is a lovely parable, I have found that when you move past the surface dogma that those who are religious seek similar things. Tend to desire to enrich themselves and those around them not for some afterlife reward but because they genuinely care. In a bit of a segue cultural anthology not based in imperalism or forced conversion is as delightful as comparative Religion. I love people and getting to know them so I'm glad you shared that with me.
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