Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!olivea!samsung!crackers!m2c!wpi.WPI.EDU!bigboote.wpi.edu!shari From: SX43@liverpool.ac.uk Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam Subject: Re: HOW I REVERTED TO ISLAM Message-ID: <1990Dec10.214851.27610@wpi.WPI.EDU> Date: 10 Dec 90 21:48:51 GMT References: <1990Dec5.082914.2315@nntp-server.caltech.edu> Sender: news@wpi.WPI.EDU (News) Organization: University of Liverpool Lines: 104 Approved: shari@wpi.wpi.edu Originator: shari@bigboote.wpi.edu Nntp-Posting-Host: bigboote.wpi.edu In article <1990Dec5.082914.2315@nntp-server.caltech.edu>, mayne@sun10.scri.fsu.edu (William (Bill) Mayne) says: > BM> I am curious about the use of the word "reverted" in the title BM> of this thread and the text of the article in question. When I BM> first read it I assumed it was about someone who left Islam and BM> later returned, a very common experience for young people raised BM> in any religion, it seems. But the article described how a BM> non-Muslim came to be a Muslim. Normally the word we English BM> speakers in the west would use for that is "conversion". The BM> "re-" prefix implies going back to something. Now this may just BM> be a confusion of usage if the author was not a native speaker BM> of English. But I wonder if it is more than that. Does it have BM> some special significance to Muslims, suggesting something like BM> the soul "coming home" even if they weren't a Muslim before? You're quite right Bill. Muslims use the word 'Revert' rather than 'convert' for a reason. The Messenger (Peace be on him) told us that every child is born in perfect submission to the Will of its Creator, in perfect Islam, in other words. It is then the parents (read : 'environment'/'upbringing' if you like) that make the child grow up to be an atheist or idol-worshipper or whatever. Islam is the so-called Deenu-l-Fitrah, the Natural Way, which people would end up treading were it not for their nurture on milk of a different disposition. So when somebody comes to Islam, they are really coming back to the Natural form they were in when they were born. This is why Muslims sometimes prefer to call it reversion rather than conversion. BM> Second related question: Does anybody know how many Muslims there ... BM> there? How do other Muslims regard the separate (but equal?) black BM> Muslim groups? Of the converts, how many converted (or reverted, if BM> you prefer) at least partly because of marriage with a Muslim? Anybody who follows the Qur'an as the Word of Allah, and the Sunnah of Muhammad (PBUH) as its exemplification, is a Muslim...period. Irrespective of colour, race, height, or other characteristics. I don't know about the groups you mentioned; I will mention one thing though, that I have heard about this Nation of Islam group, which apparently advocates Black Power and that white folk are bad.. this was the group that Malcolm X (Al-Hajj Malik Shabbaz, later ?) left after he went on the Pilgrimage and discovered true Islam. It was probably extremists associated with this group which assassinated him after that. I have heard a couple of tapes of Louis Farrakhan, who leads them these days. I can't see how they can claim to be Muslim. I am not suprised that Black people in the States are coming to Islam. For them it is more than a question of reverting to the state they were in at birth.. it was largely Muslims who were kidnapped from Africa and forced to work as slaves in America. The black people in America have a link to Islam that goes a long way back in time and geography. (One of the articles in the list I compiled is on this topic : 'carib mwise'. I can send it anyone who wants to read it.) BM> Finally, I see a lot of other unfamiliar words in this forum. ... BM> BM> Muslima - evidently "a" as a feminine suffix, from Arabic? Yup. BM> SAW - acronym for some traditional blessing, like PBUH? Salli Allahu alaihi Wa sallam = May the Peace of Allah be on him. Sometimes denoted SAWS. PBUH means Peace Be Upon Him. BM> iman - The usage was "with strong iman" describing a woman. BM> Also, isn't this used as a title for some high clerics? Iman roughly translates to Faith. Having Iman means you are secure in your Belief. BM> made Shahadah - The Shahadah is the testimony : I bear witness that there is no god except Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. BM> to strive Insha-Allah to be a true Muslim Insha-Allah; 'In' = 'if', 'sha' = 'will' and the phrase basically means 'If it be the Will of Allah', or God-Willing. ... BM> in the particular article which prompted this post. There have been a BM> few articles which though written in English (sort of) contained so BM> many unusual words I couldn't figure out what the author was BM> writing about! Sorry Bill ! It is difficult for some people, especially Arabs who aren't familiar with English 'religious' terms, not to use the Arabic terms which come into any discussion of things Islamic. I agree there should be a FAQ post which contains a glossary of terms which may need explanation to non-Arabs. BM> I admit I'm asking here partly out of laziness. I could no doubt find That's ok. Keep the questions coming. BM> Bill Mayne Fazal.