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I would recommend reading a biography of the prophet (sawa). I think reading about the prophet's life is one of the best ways to understand Islam.
As a note, if the Qur'an translation you have is proving difficult to get through, try a different one. Not all translations are the same. You can go to quran.com to compare some translations or search this sub for some recommendations.
What about Islam's beliefs do you find difficult?
"Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous." 2:177
Jesus (as) is a revered, respected and beloved prophet in Islam. He is mentioned a lot in the Qur'an, particularly in chapters 3 (Ali 'Imran) and 19 (Maryam).
On the off chance there is a mosque somewhere near you, try getting in touch or going to a visit just to check it out, ask some questions, etc.
Last but not least: Ask God for guidance. At night before you sleep, face the qiblah if you wish (north east), and ask God with a sincere intention to guide you to truth, to peace, to what is right and better for you, whatever it may be.
I suggest finding out about the Prophet Muhammad because he is the best living example of Islam.
Karen Armstrong's biography is a very engaging read: https://www.amazon.com/Muhammad-Prophet-Time-Karen-Armstrong/dp/0061155772
In terms of visiting a mosque, its best to go to the biggest one in your area because they'll have the most resources to welcome you and answer any questions you have. You can just turn up, but there might not be anyone available to meet you. If you call ahead most mosques will make sure someone is there to greet you, make you feel comfortable and answer any questions you might have.
Just read it normally and if you have questions ask. Hopefully you got a reliable interpretation like saheeh or sahih international. I am sure there are many reliable interpretations but this is the one I am most familiar with.
All english books titled "Qur'an" are interpretations made by human authors. They are a lot easier to understand and read than the Quran itself which only exists in the arabic language.
Everything you need to know about Islam will be clearly and explicitly told in the Quranic interpretation you have. There is not a single fundamental of Islam which is not mentioned in the Quran. It's always a good place to start alongside the seerah. Some people recommend the martin lings seerah life of the prophet from birth to death.
Someone recently sent me a photo of my great grandparents from my grandmother's side.
I saw my great grandmother, there were a cock-ish grin on her face, with her hand on her hip and thought, "Now, that is one cool lady! I wish I could've known her." I will never meet her, but I love her already. I didn't love her before I saw that photo.
Regarding Muhammad, I was really quite skeptical of him as a prophet and couldn't see why people loved him so much. The book <em>Muhammad: His Life Based Upon the Earliest Sources</em>, by Martin Lings shed some light on the man as a person and the basic story of his prophethood. It is a good book. It didn't try to preach to me or convince me of anything, it just laid out the known facts. And it was well-written, which made it easy and enjoyable to read. I couldn't put the book down, once I got into it.
Finally, my time to shine.
In terms of the amount of minimally biased historical research I recommend:
Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources by Martin Lings
Link: https://www.amazon.com.au/Muhammad-Martin-Lings/dp/1594771537
In terms of understanding the nuances and significance of that historical data I recommend: Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time by Karen Armstrong
Link: https://www.amazon.com.au/Muhammad-Karen-Armstrong/dp/0061155772
Full disclosure, I am not a Muslim.
r/AcademicQuran :
> "The Alexander legend as found in the Syriac Alexander Legend had already been developing for centuries. The earliest forms of the legend are already described in the 1st century by Josephus, where Alexander the Great erected a wall made of iron between two mountains in order to keep Gog and Magog out."
> "Sidney Griffith has now noted that the Syriac Alexander Legend likely orally circulated for at least decades before it was put to writing."
The Qur’an and the Bible : Text and Commentary (Gabriel Said Reynolds) :
> 18:83–84 --- The Qurʾān here refers to Alexander as Dhū l-Qarnayn, “the two-horned one.” Alexander is represented on certain coins (for example those minted by King Lysimachus of Thrace around 300 BC) with the horns of the God Ammon. In the Legend of Alexander, Alexander declares to God “thou hast made me horns upon my head” (as a symbol of his power) and makes Alexander a righteous figure..." - Page 468
> 18:98–101 -- Here the Qurʾān has Dhū l-Qarnayn predict that in the last days before the resurrection, the bulwark he has built will be breached, a prediction which follows the way in which Alexander, in the Syriac Legend, predicts that the Huns will in the future break forth and “take captive the nations”. - Page 471
if your interested in Islam then learning about the Prophet is really helpful. The best English biography at the moment is by Martin Lings. Amazon link
There’s a good twitter thread that has a solid booklist. twitter link
Seerkersguidance.org has a bunch of free courses.
There’s some more resources but these should be good introductions.
Read a book called Mohammad: A Prophet For Our Time by Karen Armstrong. It’s the best non-Muslim authored book that gives the most information about him. It is not, at all, biased and gives a completely fair and objective history of the Prophet (pbuh), his family, his Companions, and the rise of Islam and its role in the Arabian Peninsula.
Mohammad: A Prophet For Our Times by Karen Armstrong- (https://www.amazon.com/Muhammad-Prophet-Time-Karen-Armstrong/dp/0061155772)
I was baptized Christian and at a young age, studied the faith a bit, but it came down to that I couldn't trust the Bible. It's got Truth mixed with distorted truths. It's the Word of God AND the word of (imperfect) humans.
The Quran is believed to be unchanged. Not only is it not the word of Muhammad (he was simply a Messenger), it is only the word of God. Supposedly, originally the Torah was like this as well, but then (like the Bible), some powerful humans decided to change it to suit their needs better. AFAIK, even the historical research into the Quran remaining unchanged confirms this.
If you want to learn more about Prophet Muhammad, I highly recommend the book <em>Muhammad: His Life Based Upon the Earliest Sources</em> by Martin Lings.
I found it very well written and I found it a great introduction to learning more about Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him).
In that case, I would recommend this book, which start with the origin and history of the Kaaba.
The great thing about this book is that it uses historical sources and not religious sources.
Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/1594771537/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_CV3ZM10GZHXJGJH4S879
Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources by Martin Lings.
Also Stories of the Prophets by Ibn Kathir is a collection of stories about Prophets (peace be upon them) prior to The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources. This has a lot of good information.
If you're up for some reading, here's a book on the biography of The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) which contains a lot of details on his life which you may not have known. It's a good read and very inspiring once you understand all that he went through and how he kept succeeding despite overwhelming odds. It'll teach you about our religion and provide historical context of how things originated in our deen.
Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources by Martin Lings.
Here's another book on prior Prophets (peace be upon them). I've started this one myself and I always wanted to learn about our past Prophets (peace be upon them) and the people they guided and how they lived and what obstacles were faced.
Stories of the Prophets by Ibn Kathir.
I recommend you order and read the book below to get a good understanding of his life.
Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources by Martin Lings.
Hello!
You may like Martin Lings’ book “Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources”
I also have an annual tradition of reading Omid Safi’s “Memories of Muhammad” during the month of the Prophet’s birth.
I’d probably start there and then if you want to read the more classical ones you can try to find Ibn Ishaq’s bio.
No worries, if you like reading books I would advise readingthis book by Martin Lings about the life of the prophet Mohammed.
But I will tell you that, Mohammed and Jesus pbut are very very very comparable if you take the first 13 years of the prophethood of Mohammed with the 3 years of prophethood of Jesus, and the last 10 years of prophet Mohammed are close to prophet Moses peace be upon all of them.
Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources
By Martin Lings.
You should read “Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources” by Martin Lings to learn more about the foundation of Islam.
https://www.amazon.com/Muhammad-Life-Based-Earliest-Sources/dp/1594771537
The most significant two events happened almost concurrently. The Iranian Islamic revolution is well known but not the second which was the siege of the grand mosque in Mecca. The two events are considered the most significant that drove people from secular Arab Nationalism to Islamism. This book greatly outlines this: https://www.amazon.com/Siege-Mecca-Forgotten-Uprising-al-Qaeda/dp/0385519257
"Muhammad Based on the earliest sources" by Martin Lings is my favorite. The opening bit is a little slow but once you start the life of the prophet, it gets so good that it's hard to put down.
You are mistaken, and clearly whoever answered you was mistaken. It is unmistakenly clear if one reads the Quran that the God Muslims worship is the same God of Abraham, Moses and Christ. It is spelled out very clearly. I recommend you read a comparative religion book from an unbiased source https://www.amazon.com/Comparative-Religion-Dummies-William-Lazarus/dp/0470230657
Get an introductory book on Comparative Regions. Go across the various religions. Once you are familiar you will want to dig down on several. If you are very new to religions and religious studies, try: https://www.amazon.ca/Comparative-Religion-Dummies-William-Lazarus/dp/0470230657/ref=asc_df_0470230657/?tag=googlemobshop-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292892788772&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8427209198787662683&hvpone=&hvptwo=...
Please read more from the sources that MUSLIMS claim to be authentic. Read Muhammad by Martin Lings.
Get to know him and his family and companions. This is the most rigorously and authentically documented and biographized life of a human being in history. We know how he drank, ate, dressed, we know how many white hairs he had by the end of his life. We know how he recited the Qur'an to the level of how he moved his tongue...
We know he preferred to sit when he drinks, and when he'd drink he'd do it with his right hand, on 3 separate phases, not all at once, so as not to shock the body. We know he entered (what is the equivalent of bathroom at the time) with his right foot and exited with his left. We know how he cleaned his teeth and how he flossed, how he cleaned himself to the very detail. How he moved his index finger in prayer, where he placed his eyes. What he said when he saw the moon, in its different stages.
We know what he did when it rained. He'd go outside, expose his shoulders to it, welcoming "A most recent companion of its Lord".
I can go on forever ¯_(ツ)_/¯.
Let me know if you have any questions or sources :) ʾinshāʾAllāh I can help!
Thank you for giving me opportunity to write this. I benefitted from it a lot!
Salām
The two Quran in its Historical Context books are great too, he is the editor of those.
This one is coming out in May.
You can start with biography of the prophet .
And then perhaps the Quran.
Good luck.
P.S. Personal opinion. Not an expert.
A complete defense of the character of the Prophet is a bit of a tall order for a reddit comment, and I'm much too underqualified to provide it given that I myself am a recent convert still learning the seerah.
If you'd like, you could bring up specific claims and I could do my best to point you to answers, but frankly, though I know relatively little about the life of the Prophet, his family, and his companions, what I do know about him couldn't be further from the barbaric, power-hungry sexual deviant that people might try to portray him as.
In 1928, Mohandas Gandhi is recorded as saying the following of the Prophet in Young India:
>I wanted to know the best of the life of one who holds today an undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of mankind. I became more than ever convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet and the scrupulous regard for pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle. When I closed the second volume (of the Prophet's biography), I was sorry there was not more for me to read of that great life.
As far as I can tell, this is the best English language resource on his life. I think all serious thinking people owe it to themselves to honestly investigate why this man is held dear by almost two billion people. Instead of dismissing his followers as poor souls misled by malevolent forces, he should be approached without the biases of a religious agenda.
>At present, a lot of blood is being shed in the name of Islam.
Does this mean Islam teaches you to shed blood? Inb4 verses quoted out of context. Read this book about his life and you'll see what a great human he was.
As a Muslim I sincerely believe the same God had sent the New Testamentm but it was distorted throughout time. 'Klansmen' could misinterpret the testament in a wrong way similar to ISIS guys. Interpretation is an important issue. I suggest you not to drown yourself in ISIS interpretation of Quran, but to learn from the verily source.
But it is just a suggestion. I am not a preacher, not a great debater, or something like that. I am just a regular muslim, who wants to live peacefully, and wants others to live in peace.
Thank you for your kind answers.
> The bible and Jesus promote spreading love (Jesus never sinned, only got angry once).
Firstly, the Bible is equally if not more violent than the Quran. If you've read both you would be able to tell. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atvMky3ZNE0)
> They all praise Muhammed, who had child wives.
If you want to go ahead believe this, fine. If you'd like to read an actual scholarly biography and make an informed judgment: http://www.amazon.com/Muhammad-Life-Based-Earliest-Sources/dp/1594771537
>They are centuries behind the modern world in terms of culture.
First off, this is subjective technically. But either way, the situation flips just as easily. 400 years ago, this was being said by Muslims about Europe.
I don't have time to go through the rest. As for the guilt allegation, I don't have guilt. I prefer to learn from sources other than social media and reddit. Whether you are up to learning independently instead of taking the easy explanation is up to you.
Well i gave you a dictionary definition of lying. If you define "lie" to mean something else, then go ahead. But Islam does not permit lying according to the definition i gave ("saying something incorrect"). So if someone were to ask me if i was a Muslim and i don't respond, then that's not a lie using the definition i gave.
The problem with your definition is that it leads to interpretive problems (which i think you hate). If i assume your a Christian this whole time, and you are an atheist, then i can claim that you lied to me. You deceived me by not being open to me about your lack of faith. You could claim that you weren't trying to act Christian, but i could claim the opposite and there is no objective measure that we both could agree on to always determine who in fact is right here.
> Can you recommend some? From what I've seen, most of Islamic history is an expansion of conquest and subjugation that makes the British Empire look like the Salvation Army.
More like the opposite. Here's a highly recommended biography: http://www.amazon.com/Muhammad-Life-Based-Earliest-Sources/dp/1594771537