Originally posted by Sarah-Q
Hello old-reb

First of all I've to say Sarah-Q is the previous F-vaziri.
I had to change my username for some reasons which required
registering again. :D

I appriciate your curiosity.

I ensure you I've told what exactly in Islam is.(esp.Shia)

There are 5 pillars as I mentioned.We even tell them by the order I told.

The info. in that site about this topic was exactly right.

The 1st 3 are for all muslems in any sect.
The last 2 are believed atleast among Shias.

Jihad,etc are really important, but not mentioned in the pillars.(osul-e-din=pillars of religion)

Would you illuminate the conflict part,please?:rolleyes:

SARAH:)

Hello Sarah,

I like your handle name. I am not very good at middle east names. I noticed that you always signed as Sarah.

Thanks for your answers.

on the coflicts, that was extra info on the article about the "pillars of faith"
The first conflict is between Iran and UAE and the second one is on the treatment of non-muslims.

I thought you might comment on them or you may not be aware of them

Conflicts

· Periodic flare-ups with the UAE arise over Abu Musa Island in the Persian Gulf.

· Non-Islamists: Presently, a deadly silence is imposed (by the ruling clerics) on all non-Islamists. This silence applies not only to secular Iranians but also to Islamic groups not sharing the regime’s Islamic vision as well.

old reb

Sarah-Q

Bowing on a rock?

old-reb

That's all just politics, it has nothing to do with how we may feel towards each other.
Yes I am aware of the conflicts between our countries, and thankfully no violence has erupted regarding the subject.
I think :) that our leaders are dealing with this pretty well. I'm personally okay with the situation.

Did you think old-reb was stirring the pot?

old reb

Originally posted by Innocent Sweety
Sarah-Q

Bowing on a rock?



YES,YOU'LL ANSWER ME,WON'T YOU?

SARAH:)

Originally posted by Sarah-Q
YES,YOU'LL ANSWER ME,WON'T YOU?

SARAH:)

I found another conversation about praying on a rock but I still am none the wiser for reading it.

Honey
The only difference between the two is that i know of is shias put a little rock in front of them to bow to it which i don't really know what the meaning of that is but sunni which is us muslims we pray without bowing to a rock but to allah(swt).

-------------------
salam sis honey

Just because you pray on a little rock that does not mean you are bowing for a rock.. you pray on a carpet.. you can say you have your reasons for that.. but still if i want i can say why are you bowing down for the carpet or saliga or sajadhada

so First try to Understad why they pray on a rock and its called turba and its nothing but a dust. so any ways know the difference between bowing on a rock, and bowing for the rock

salam and duas

old-reb
Yes :p i did think that

Sarah-Q
What do u mean? what do u want me to say about bowing on rocks? i already said that from my personal experience sunni's have no problem with shiia's doing that

Originally posted by Innocent Sweety
old-reb
Yes :p i did think that



It is true and also I didn't think you would understand "stirring the pot"
old reb

Why :p wouldn't I know? The meaning is pretty obvious...
And if u thought that I wudn't know :D why'd u say it anyway?

We bow on rock to remember we'll come back to it when we die.

When you remind yourself of this fact you try to care abour your
behaviour.

It seems much better to bow on rock which reminds us of
our origine than a man made carpet or so.

SARAH:)

Originally posted by old-reb
It is true and also I didn't think you would understand "stirring the pot"
old reb

It is Southern slang. I use it because it is the way I think.;)

Is the pot cooking now? he,he


:hitout: :o

Sarah-Q
Aha, I see...

old-reb
I'll :D let u be the judge

No one has questions?

I see you got some snow in the UAE, sweety.


United Arab Emirates gets first ever snow fall
Al Jazeera ^ | 12/30/2004 | staff writer

Posted on 12/30/2004 11:05:44 AM EST by bedolido

Snow has fallen over the United Arab Emirates for the first time ever, leaving a white blanket over the mountains of Ras al-Khayma.

With the desert country experiencing a cold spell and above-average rainfall, Dubai airport's meteorology department said on Thursday that snow fell over the al-Jiys mountain range in the most northerly member of the UAE federation.

The Gulf News daily reported that the mountain cluster, 1737 metres above sea level, "had heavy night-time snowfall for the past two days as a result of temperatures dropping to as low as -5C".

On Monday, 12.6 millimetres of rain fell on the desert emirate of Dubai, where it hardly ever rains.

Unused to the conditions, over 500 accidents were reported to police within 24 hours.

i'm not sure if anyone brought this up already but there are Christian "terrorists" as well. (sick people who bomb abortion clinics)

old-reb
Yeah we did! Wow :@@: that's the first time we had snow! (I've never seen snow).
Ras Al Khaima is a one to two hour drive from Dubai, it's up North. Here are some pics some friends in Ras Al Khaima shared with us:

http://img116.exs.cx/img116/7713/snow18lh.jpg

http://img136.exs.cx/img136/8827/snow22ql.jpg

http://img104.exs.cx/img104/3027/snow31fj.jpg

Masha'Allah :D

mikeydafish
Terrorists are not restricted to Arabs only, lol, it's not an exclusive membership.
There are all kinds of terrorists :D

btw :D the arabic text under the pic says:
Snow in Ras Al Khaima and the temperature is below zero

Originally posted by mikeydafish
i'm not sure if anyone brought this up already but there are Christian "terrorists" as well. (sick people who bomb abortion clinics)
Mikeydfish
If you frame your mind in the right way, you see that abortion clinics kill millions of babies every year. I know of one person who killed an abortion doctor and in his mind, he would be happy if he gave his life to save just one baby from the garbage can.

Try opening an abortion clinic in a Muslim country.

Sweety,

Glad you got to see some snow. If you have never seen it before, it is like a miracle. Just one word of caution tho: "Never eat yellow snow."

old reb

Loved the poem, very moving. It is nice to see messages from someone so young but so convicted to her faith. I do have questions I would like to ask you...

"If you frame your mind in the right way, you see that abortion clinics kill millions of babies every year. I know of one person who killed an abortion doctor and in his mind, he would be happy if he gave his life to save just one baby from the garbage can."

Wow Reb...when I hear someone say something like that, I can only shake my head. That would be the defintion of "Religious Fanatic." I can't understand why you would dislike Osama so much... you both have so much in common! Is he not "hardline" enough for you?

Originally posted by mikeydafish
"If you frame your mind in the right way, you see that abortion clinics kill millions of babies every year. I know of one person who killed an abortion doctor and in his mind, he would be happy if he gave his life to save just one baby from the garbage can."

Wow Reb...when I hear someone say something like that, I can only shake my head. That would be the defintion of "Religious Fanatic." I can't understand why you would dislike Osama so much... you both have so much in common! Is he not "hardline" enough for you?

Hello Micky da fish,

Indeed you should shake your head to clear out the cobwebs. You compare a man who killed one person because of his love for the millions of American babies killed by abortion doctors. You think he is more radical than a man who knocks down the trade towers, killing 4,000 innocent people going about their daily lives just because they were infidels.

Shake dat head, miky da fish.

The man who killed the abortion doctor was wrong and payed with his life. He didn't try to escape and kill again. OBL is waging holy war on us, and he will see you as no different than me.

oldreb

old-reb
I didn't even go to Ras Al Khaima to see it, but if I do :D I'll remember that.

minister
You're more than welcome :) to ask whatever you want

For any other inquiries, please ask!

No one wants to know more stuff abt Islam..?
Nothing about laws, rules, verses, beliefs...etc..?

Sweety,

Back in the 1950's, when I was young man in the military, I used to have people tell me that the Muslims believed their new Messiah would be born to a man so the men always check the results when they took a dump.
Do you have any idea where this idea came from?

old reb

Welcome back :) old-reb, nice to see you back here again.

I have NO idea. I absolutely have none.
However, I do know that this is a Hindu belief and not a Muslim one. I recall hearing that somewhere.
Maybe they confused the Indian Hindu's with the Indian Muslims..?

Originally posted by Innocent Sweety
Welcome back :) old-reb, nice to see you back here again.

I have NO idea. I absolutely have none.
However, I do know that this is a Hindu belief and not a Muslim one. I recall hearing that somewhere.
Maybe they confused the Indian Hindu's with the Indian Muslims..?

Maybe it was me that was confused; at that time I didn't know a Muslim from a Hindu from a Jew. That is what happens when one gets their education from idle chat.

Originally posted by old-reb
That is what happens when one gets their education from idle chat.

Are you trying :rolleyes: to hint at something?
:p

Originally posted by Innocent Sweety
Are you trying :rolleyes: to hint at something?
:p

No, it was just that in the 1950's in the US Military there was no source of news or information except the radio news between rock and roll music. General chat among ourselves was our news and information. It came to be known as war stories: true stories, half true stories, and out and out false stories and rumors moved like wild fire among the troops. Some guys picked up on some war stories and when they got home told the "passed around war stories" as something that really happened to them.

old reb

Hello Innocent,

On another board we are grappling with the problem of radical Islam as opposed to moderate islam. I would like to hear your comments on this post of mine.



Quote:

While the questionnaire would help identify as a radical anyone who answered no to most of the questions, it has one notable flaw: anyone who answered yes to most of the questions would no longer be a Muslim. As long as Muslims follow the Koranic law that defines Islam, they could not accept the legitimacy of conversion out of the faith (banned by the Prophet on pain of death), nor could they accept, in any permanent sense, the laws of a majority non-Muslim government, since they are commanded by the Prophet to wage Holy War until the entire world has been subjugated to Islam. Therefore, by Pipes's own definition of what constitutes moderate Islam, it is a contradiction in terms. So let's be clear about the meaning of this. Religiously indifferent Muslim individuals exist. Formerly Muslim individuals who have left the faith exist. Formerly Muslim states that have de-Islamicized themselves exist (or at least one such state, Turkey, has existed). But moderate Islam does not exist, and cannot exist. end-quote.


This point helps explain why Muslims are so against elections in Iraq. If they accept a multiculture society where Shittes, Sunnis, Kurds and Christians all have equal rights and they accept a non-muslim controlled government then they are no longer Muslims. This is pretty serious business that pits the Muslim fanatics against the Muslims that want to be free of tyranny.

Oh I see..

Well :) I was just kidding in that post.

That's interesting to know though.. That most of the news received in the 50's were really rumors.
Makes you think...

Originally posted by old-reb
Hello Innocent,

On another board we are grappling with the problem of radical Islam as opposed to moderate islam. I would like to hear your comments on this post of mine.



Quote:

While the questionnaire would help identify as a radical anyone who answered no to most of the questions, it has one notable flaw: anyone who answered yes to most of the questions would no longer be a Muslim. As long as Muslims follow the Koranic law that defines Islam, they could not accept the legitimacy of conversion out of the faith (banned by the Prophet on pain of death), nor could they accept, in any permanent sense, the laws of a majority non-Muslim government, since they are commanded by the Prophet to wage Holy War until the entire world has been subjugated to Islam. Therefore, by Pipes's own definition of what constitutes moderate Islam, it is a contradiction in terms. So let's be clear about the meaning of this. Religiously indifferent Muslim individuals exist. Formerly Muslim individuals who have left the faith exist. Formerly Muslim states that have de-Islamicized themselves exist (or at least one such state, Turkey, has existed). But moderate Islam does not exist, and cannot exist. end-quote.


This point helps explain why Muslims are so against elections in Iraq. If they accept a multiculture society where Shittes, Sunnis, Kurds and Christians all have equal rights and they accept a non-muslim controlled government then they are no longer Muslims. This is pretty serious business that pits the Muslim fanatics against the Muslims that want to be free of tyranny.

The former about Muslims not being able to accept the aforementioned is true.
About moderate Islam not existing.. Why? It existed during the times of the Prophet - Peace and Prayers Be Upon Him. And in the Koranic verses and in his Hadeeths (quotes) it is said that when Muslims get to the point of not having moderate Islam and have left the faith and/or made up their own brand, those are the last days and judgement day is nearing. (judgement day in holy terms, you understand, a thousand-some years maybe, or maybe one day).

Originally posted by Innocent Sweety
Welcome back :) old-reb, nice to see you back here again.

I have NO idea. I absolutely have none.
However, I do know that this is a Hindu belief and not a Muslim one. I recall hearing that somewhere.
Maybe they confused the Indian Hindu's with the Indian Muslims..?
It couldn't be a Hindu belief because there's no concept of a messiah in Hinduism. It's probably just something that was made up to ridicule other religions.

Originally posted by Jester
It couldn't be a Hindu belief because there's no concept of a messiah in Hinduism. It's probably just something that was made up to ridicule other religions.

So somebody was lying to me. Hmm I don't know how many times I passed the lie on. Too bad we didn't have the internet back in the 50's to check these things out.

old reb

Thanks for enlightening us Jester.

old-reb ^_^ I'm sure most of the people who have been misinformed have been corrected. At least I hope so..

This is a really old thread... started in 2004! I was 16 at the time, lol!

Anyway, I'm bringing it back to life for anyone else who has any questions that have to do with Islam. I was about to start a new thread, but bringing this up is better, as newer members can see my answers to old questions so that they don't have to ask them again :D

If you have any questions, please, ask!
Maybe you're curious to know how we fast in Ramadan, what we need to abstain from, how we cleanse ourselves before every prayer, what's okay between the opposite sex's, what's not...

Hi all,

I live in Dubai. I moved there from Pittsburgh about 2 years ago. Dubai is the cleanest, high-tech, city I have ever seen. You can go to the beach(one of the cleanest I have seen) and then go the Ski-dubai and go skiing.
My daughter skiis there all the time.

Hey Innocent Sweety, I live in Dubai Marina, where do you live?

Nice to meet you MeskDXB :)
I live in Al Muhaisnah, it's close to Mirdiff.

How is Dubai? What's its culture like?

How is Dubai? What's its culture like?

raises hand and waves maddly...I know, I know, I know.....


it's hot and the streets melt....

just kidding googs... it's a joke between me and Innocent... :D

It couldn't be a Hindu belief because there's no concept of a messiah in Hinduism. It's probably just something that was made up to ridicule other religions.

Son have a look at "Krishna", He is their Jesus.

Tucker58

This is a really old thread... started in 2004! I was 16 at the time, lol!

Anyway, I'm bringing it back to life for anyone else who has any questions that have to do with Islam. I was about to start a new thread, but bringing this up is better, as newer members can see my answers to old questions so that they don't have to ask them again :D

If you have any questions, please, ask!
Maybe you're curious to know how we fast in Ramadan, what we need to abstain from, how we cleanse ourselves before every prayer, what's okay between the opposite sex's, what's not...

Thank you Sweety!

Tucker58

Son have a look at "Krishna", He is their Jesus.

Tucker58
Krishna is a deity, not a messiah.

Krishna is a deity, not a messiah.
True. There are similarities in the stories about their lives, but Krishna was never regarded as a savior of any sort. In fact, Hindus believe that the universe will eventually be destroyed and recreated, a concept which doesn't fit in with what a messiah would do.

How is Dubai? What's its culture like?

Guys, where in this "world" are we?

Someone would think that you guys are talking about a "Foreign" country :)

I live in the US and most of it is foreign to me. The internet is my way of getting out and meeting other people. Are we still in "Kansas" :) ?

Old Reb, they didn't have computers in our day, God but I love technology!

Tucker58

And again, thank you "Sweety"! I am abit afraid to visit with Moslems, all things considered in todays world. But i am happy to have you as a guide. OK? Tuck

raises hand and waves maddly...I know, I know, I know.....


it's hot and the streets melt....

just kidding googs... it's a joke between me and Innocent... :D


Lol....so how is it in Canada? :)

True. There are similarities in the stories about their lives, but Krishna was never regarded as a savior of any sort. In fact, Hindus believe that the universe will eventually be destroyed and recreated, a concept which doesn't fit in with what a messiah would do.

Thank you DarkFantasy and Jester thank you for your input :) I probably stand corrected.

Krishna was God incarnate (Vishnu) and came here to be an intermediary between earth and heaven. And to show folks how it was done, including helping them with their sins. Christian scripture also says that Heaven and Earth will be destroyed and recreated. Jesus is the only one that brings His folowers under the "Law of Grace" though :) And He is the only one that died and resurrected Himself and then accended :)

Tucker58

So Sweety, you are in Canada, I love Canada and the Canadian people. Where I live Canada is our close neighbor.

Sweety may I ask this: If one was to become a Moslem what ritual do they go through? And is it hard to become a Moslem?

Tucker58

How is Dubai? What's its culture like?

Dubai is a cosmopolitan city. You'll find that 11% of its population are nationals while the rest are expatriate workers (I always joke with my mom saying that if they ever waged a war against nationals they'd win... We'd have to live in sanctuaries to be preserved lol). Seriously, you don't see many nationals in Dubai. If you travel to the other cities in the Emirates (especially in more remote areas such as Ras Al Khaimah and Al Ain) you'll see the difference.
Dubai's economy is pretty strong. Tourism is big, too, there are many activities that tourists can do.

Due to the variety of nationalities in Dubai, one would expect a variety of religions. The Sunni Muslim religion is the most common, after that is the Shi'a Muslim, then you have Christians, Hindu's and so on (around 40% of expats here are from South East Asian countries, namely Indians).

Censorship is a huge issue here. One may not speak ill of the country nor of its rulers. You can get into huge trouble for that. One professor was fired from our university for displaying the Danish Cartoons to the students, and asking them to write a Cause and Effect essay (the students refused as there was a fatwa released stating that Muslims shouldn't look at such cartoons - the teacher probably didn't know).
People here are working on getting more freedom of speech, it's getting better but it's slow. Many people - especially Westerners - complain about this issue as they're used to more freedom.

The people of the UAE are quite conservative, especially in dress. One of my Christian-Lebanese teachers told me that before coming here she used to wear short skirts in Lebanon, but after coming to the UAE she would be shy of wearing skirts that are above knee-length. This is not to say that there are dress codes for people here - they can wear what they like as long as it's not revealing to an extreme, i.e, wearing short shorts to a mall might get a security guard to talk to you. If you wear the same thing to the beach it's fine.

This is a description of Dubai. Regarding national customs, however, there's a lot to say...
Our national dress is a long white robe for men and a long black robe for women with an accompanying headpiece to cover the hair (it comes in many designs in colors). People here are quite open-minded.
Family gatherings are important. We gather once a week at our grandmother/grandfather's house (usually Fridays). This is commonplace.
Food, as you might have guessed, includes a lot of dates. There are many national dishes and I'd tell you more about them if you wish. (No, they don't include Falafels and Kabobs - those are Lebanese dishes, lol)
Generousity is very common, and very important. We're taught, from a young age, to take very little and give a lot.
Arabic poetry is big. Good, young, talented male poets here are as popular as rock stars are elsewhere lol. Many contests are held.
Traditions, such as the Yowla dance (the one where men dance using sticks), are big as well. Our Shaikh's love falcon hunting. Having fun in the desert and watching boys play with their cars and on the sand dunes is common too.

Racism occurs, but then again where doesn't racism exist? It's usually directed to those of Indian descent, as most are poor labourers and people think that most household crimes are committed by them.

raises hand and waves maddly...I know, I know, I know.....


it's hot and the streets melt....

just kidding googs... it's a joke between me and Innocent... :D

LOL that really made me laugh out loud.

Yes googs I forgot to mention that it's really hot and the streets melt :D
You're cute Sal!

So Sweety, you are in Canada, I love Canada and the Canadian people. Where I live Canada is our close neighbor.

Sweety may I ask this: If one was to become a Moslem what ritual do they go through? And is it hard to become a Moslem?

Tucker58

I'm not in Canada tucker I'm in Dubai! :)
You really shouldn't be afraid of talking to Muslims, unless they seemed to be a bit crazy lol. No, seriously, they're peaceful people, really, especially those trying to get the message out.

Regarding your question:
It is not hard to become a Muslim, not at all.
All you have to do is proclaim your faith, by saying the "shahadeh", or bearing witness that you believe that there is no God but Allah, and that Mohammed is His prophet. This declaration is the most important part.
Then, you say "bismillah" (which means "in the name of God") take a shower where you make sure you wash your entire body (water has to hit every part). That's it, you're then a Muslim :)

Lol....so how is it in Canada? :)

Hey googs, haven't seen you in a while....

Canada is excellent right now... have had low temps most of the summer with some really high humidity days sprinkled in there for good effect... been nice... How are things on your end waaaaaaaaaay down there?

LOL that really made me laugh out loud.

I aim to please. How is your dad and when are you still going to Germany?

Also... I enjoyed your Dubai analysis...thanks for that.

I aim to please. How is your dad and when are you still going to Germany?

Also... I enjoyed your Dubai analysis...thanks for that.

He's fine now, I'd say he recovered well. Thanks for asking :)
If all goes well, we'll probably be going by next week ;) I'm looking forward to taking the train I haven't been to Europe since I was 4! Have you ever been?

He's fine now, I'd say he recovered well. Thanks for asking :)
If all goes well, we'll probably be going by next week ;) I'm looking forward to taking the train I haven't been to Europe since I was 4! Have you ever been?

glad he is well Innocent...

no actually I haven't so I will be looking forward to your tales and pics....have fun

[color=firebrick]


The people of the UAE are quite conservative, especially in dress. One of my Christian-Lebanese teachers told me that before coming here she used to wear short skirts in Lebanon, but after coming to the UAE she would be shy of wearing skirts that are above knee-length. This is not to say that there are dress codes for people here - they can wear what they like as long as it's not revealing to an extreme, i.e, wearing short shorts to a mall might get a security guard to talk to you. If you wear the same thing to the beach it's fine.


Speaking of malls, is there a lot of talk about the two malls being constructed in Dubai?

And what about Burj Dubai?


This is a description of Dubai. Regarding national customs, however, there's a lot to say...
Our national dress is a long white robe for men and a long black robe for women with an accompanying headpiece to cover the hair (it comes in many designs in colors). People here are quite open-minded.
Family gatherings are important. We gather once a week at our grandmother/grandfather's house (usually Fridays). This is commonplace.
Food, as you might have guessed, includes a lot of dates. There are many national dishes and I'd tell you more about them if you wish. (No, they don't include Falafels and Kabobs - those are Lebanese dishes, lol)
Generousity is very common, and very important. We're taught, from a young age, to take very little and give a lot.
Arabic poetry is big. Good, young, talented male poets here are as popular as rock stars are elsewhere lol. Many contests are held.
Traditions, such as the Yowla dance (the one where men dance using sticks), are big as well. Our Shaikh's love falcon hunting. Having fun in the desert and watching boys play with their cars and on the sand dunes is common too.

This was the most interesting to me. It's very similar to my families traditions but quite different. Is there a dabka dance?

I'd like to know what dishes are famous in Dubai? Maklooba or Isfeeha? THose are my favorite... :) But of course I love some lasagna.


Hey googs, haven't seen you in a while....

Canada is excellent right now... have had low temps most of the summer with some really high humidity days sprinkled in there for good effect... been nice... How are things on your end waaaaaaaaaay down there?


I can't complain. Especially when I've lived in other areas of the world. It's real great. :thumbs:

And again, thank you "Sweety"! I am abit afraid to visit with Moslems, all things considered in todays world. But i am happy to have you as a guide. OK? Tuck


Are you afraid to visit Muslims because you fear them? Or do you fear them because you're afraid of something else?

glad he is well Innocent...

no actually I haven't so I will be looking forward to your tales and pics....have fun

Thanks! :)
When I visit EuroDisney, I'll be sure to tell Donald that you send your love ;)

Speaking of malls, is there a lot of talk about the two malls being constructed in Dubai?

And what about Burj Dubai?

Which two malls? lol a lot of malls are being constructed.
Burj Dubai is a big deal here... It's now officially the tallest building in the world!

This was the most interesting to me. It's very similar to my families traditions but quite different. Is there a dabka dance?

I'd like to know what dishes are famous in Dubai? Maklooba or Isfeeha? THose are my favorite... :) But of course I love some lasagna.

Where are you from googs? Jordan? Lebanon?

Famous national dishes would be the Harees (like a porridge mix with chicken), Meshwi (stuffed meat with bread - regaag bread, easily breaks), Fougah (called Machboos by Kuwaiti's and Saudi's - it's rice with chicken or meat on top), Halwa (a type of sweet)... I'd say that those are the most famous.
I don't know why but I've noticed that most non-Emarati's don't like Emarati food. My Lebanese friend hates it. We love it though!

Btw, what's Isfeeha?

My close friend sent me this, I thought I would share it with you guys:

Islam is interesting. My sister's husband is moslem. You might be interested in mystical islam, which is called sufism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufism
It's interesting how they call their meditation: muraqaba, which is the same as merkabah in jewish mysticism. Merkabah means chariot. As far as I understand, it's the chariot that Elijah ascended with. So it's a vehicle for interdimensional traveling. Some people think that UFO's are actually ascended beings doing interdimensional traveling. Within the 'new age' circles they are doing this merkabah meditation, which seems to be a version of Tree of Life meditation. They are trying to create/wake up this vehicle for multidimensional traveling. I think they are missing the Heaven flowing from Heaven into them from their meditation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkabah
http://www.crystalinks.com/merkaba.html

And here is some information about the ascension of Muhammad: http://www.geocities.com/khola_mon/myth/Miraj.html
http://www.thewaytotruth.org/ascension/ascension.html
It is interesting how most of the religions share this common legend of their Prophet/Master ascending to Heaven.

Tucker58

Which two malls? lol a lot of malls are being constructed.
Burj Dubai is a big deal here... It's now officially the tallest building in the world!

Lol. The Mall of Arabia and the Dubai Mall.

My cousin went to Dubai for his honeymoon. He said it was great.



Where are you from googs? Jordan? Lebanon?

I'm Palestinian. To be more specfic, my family is from the West Bank.

Famous national dishes would be the Harees (like a porridge mix with chicken), Meshwi (stuffed meat with bread - regaag bread, easily breaks), Fougah (called Machboos by Kuwaiti's and Saudi's - it's rice with chicken or meat on top), Halwa (a type of sweet)... I'd say that those are the most famous.

Wow...I've never heard of those foods besides Meshwi. Still I think we cook it different.

I don't know why but I've noticed that most non-Emarati's don't like Emarati food. My Lebanese friend hates it. We love it though!

I'm a very picky eater. As long as it looks good I might be able to eat it.

Btw, what's Isfeeha?[/color]

Well I'm not sure how to explain it. It's freshly baked bread. My mom makes it from scratch. And meat is put on top of the bread. We usually eat it with Labn (Yogurt). This is a real simple explanation lol. There are more ingredients. I just don't know what they are. :)

Innocent Sweetie,

I think you gave a bit of misinformation earlier in this thread when you said,


The sunni people believe that Muhammad is the prophet of Allah. The shiia's believe that Ali, Muhammad's cousin, is the rightful prophet of Allah.

Both Sunni and Shia believe Muhammad is the prophet of Allah. Where they disagree is on the succession after Muhammad. The Sunni trace the succession down through Abu Bakhar and the Shia through Ali. The Shia are futher divided into fivers, seveners and twelvers depending on how they follow the succession of the Imamate.

There are also differences in prayer, Sunni placing the forehead directly on the prayer mat and Shia on a piece of clay. Sunnis pray five times a day and Shia between three and five.

The Sunni also believe the Mahdi has not yet come while the Shia believe he has already come once and will come again.

My close friend sent me this, I thought I would share it with you guys:

Islam is interesting. My sister's husband is moslem. You might be interested in mystical islam, which is called sufism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufism
It's interesting how they call their meditation: muraqaba, which is the same as merkabah in jewish mysticism. Merkabah means chariot. As far as I understand, it's the chariot that Elijah ascended with. So it's a vehicle for interdimensional traveling. Some people think that UFO's are actually ascended beings doing interdimensional traveling. Within the 'new age' circles they are doing this merkabah meditation, which seems to be a version of Tree of Life meditation. They are trying to create/wake up this vehicle for multidimensional traveling. I think they are missing the Heaven flowing from Heaven into them from their meditation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkabah
http://www.crystalinks.com/merkaba.html

And here is some information about the ascension of Muhammad: http://www.geocities.com/khola_mon/myth/Miraj.html
http://www.thewaytotruth.org/ascension/ascension.html
It is interesting how most of the religions share this common legend of their Prophet/Master ascending to Heaven.

Tucker58

That's really interesting tucker. I'm not Sufi myself, is your sister's husband Sufi? There are so many different sects in Islam that it's difficult to keep count. Sunni's and Shia's are the most common. I'm Sunni.

Lol. The Mall of Arabia and the Dubai Mall.

My cousin went to Dubai for his honeymoon. He said it was great.


Okay you might laugh at me but this is the first time I've heard of these malls. Now, when reading your post. Lol. There's so many that we can't keep count.

I'm Palestinian. To be more specfic, my family is from the West Bank.

Well I'm not sure how to explain it. It's freshly baked bread. My mom makes it from scratch. And meat is put on top of the bread. We usually eat it with Labn (Yogurt). This is a real simple explanation lol. There are more ingredients. I just don't know what they are. :)

So are you living in the States then? :)

Isfeeha sounds yummy. Meat and Labn... I love kebba with it's laban gravy. Especially with that rice. Yummy!

Both Sunni and Shia believe Muhammad is the prophet of Allah. Where they disagree is on the succession after Muhammad. The Sunni trace the succession down through Abu Bakhar and the Shia through Ali. The Shia are futher divided into fivers, seveners and twelvers depending on how they follow the succession of the Imamate.

There are also differences in prayer, Sunni placing the forehead directly on the prayer mat and Shia on a piece of clay. Sunnis pray five times a day and Shia between three and five.

The Sunni also believe the Mahdi has not yet come while the Shia believe he has already come once and will come again.

Yes Frogger you're right. What I did was wrong and I think one Shi'i girl called Sara or something (can't remember) corrected me in this thread. She told me that they do believe that Muhammad is their prophet as well.
I was misinformed at the time as they mention Ali in their prayers a lot, and so I assumed.

Thanks for the correction and the information :)

That's really interesting tucker. I'm not Sufi myself, is your sister's husband Sufi? There are so many different sects in Islam that it's difficult to keep count. Sunni's and Shia's are the most common. I'm Sunni.


UAE :) Sweety, Too Cool! It is my friends sister's husband and I suspect that he is not a Sufi :)

Basically I am a Christian mystic (53 years now) and Sufis are Islamic mystics, this is why my friend asked me if I wanted to take a look at it. He kind of does my research for me :) He is a young person and he is really smart. His wife and he are going to have their first baby in December and he lives in Finnland.

I was in a messageboard one time and I was thinking of having a look at what Sufi mystics where about and a really nice fellow on the board who was Moslem suggested that I not do this, because as he said, "they were really strange people" :)

So Allah is the "only" God, Mohammed is His prophet, and baptize yourself. And Mohammed is an ascended saint/prophet. :) And based on what I have read so far, Mohammed's message was "Love" and the worship of Allah.

So far Sweety, the only real difference between you and I is that I follow a different Prophet. And the funny part about it is that I agree that Allah is the "only" God and that Mohameed is His prophet. :)

So Sweety may I ask you this: "Is there any place in Islamic Scripture that mentions something about Allah having a Spirit?"

Tucker58

UAE :) Sweety, Too Cool! It is my friends sister's husband and I suspect that he is not a Sufi :)

Basically I am a Christian mystic (53 years now) and Sufis are Islamic mystics, this is why my friend asked me if I wanted to take a look at it. He kind of does my research for me :) He is a young person and he is really smart. His wife and he are going to have their first baby in December and he lives in Finnland.

I was in a messageboard one time and I was thinking of having a look at what Sufi mystics where about and a really nice fellow on the board who was Moslem suggested that I not do this, because as he said, "they were really strange people" :)

So Allah is the "only" God, Mohammed is His prophet, and baptize yourself. And Mohammed is an ascended saint/prophet. :) And based on what I have read so far, Mohammed's message was "Love" and the worship of Allah.

So far Sweety, the only real difference between you and I is that I follow a different Prophet. And the funny part about it is that I agree that Allah is the "only" God and that Mohameed is His prophet. :)

So Sweety may I ask you this: "Is there any place in Islamic Scripture that mentions something about Allah having a Spirit?"

Tucker58

Your sister's husband is from Finland then? Is he Sunni?
Congratulations on the baby I'm sure you'll make a great uncle!

So a Christian mystic huh? Well, I think Sufi's are strange fellows as well but I think it's the same with you, that Catholics, for instance, would call Christian mystics strange.
I don't know much about Sufi's to really judge them :) I've only seen a few video clips of rituals that seemed strange to me.

I find it interesting that we both believe in the same Abrahamic prophets and the same God, but with one major difference, which is the story of Jesus. Christians believe that he was crucified, while Muslims believe that Jesus hid in a cave and was sent to heaven, and that the person who was crucified was in fact the person who pointed him out to the Romans (I forgot his name); God punished him by making him look like Jesus to the Romans.
We also believe that on Judgement Day, with all the other miracles that will happen, Jesus himself will ascend to earth and will roam it for around 40 days. This is the story in a nutshell.

I find it really interesting that you believe in the Prophet Mohammed (May Peace and Prayers Be Upon Him) and that he was really a prophet from God. As a religious person, doesn't that therefore mean that you would have to believe in his preachings as well?

Regarding your question, I'm not sure what you mean by it but if you mean that if God were like a person then the answer is no. He is Divine, and greater than all. No one could ever know how He looks like, though in Islamic scriptures it is mentioned that when Prophet Mohammed (May Peace and Prayers Be Upon Him) was taken to heaven during the Isra'a and Miraj, he met God, and that His black light was so blindingly intense that God had to show Prophet Mohammed (May Peace and Prayers Be Upon Him) another form of Himself so as to spare him from what a human being can't tolerate.

This just came into my mind: Nobody really knows what God's name truly is because the Jews lost it. But Mohammed (May He and His loved ones be blessed) knew what God's name was, "His name is Allah!" So if one really wants to know God's name, they have to go to "Islam" to find it :)

Tucker58

Your sister's husband is from Finland then? Is he Sunni?
Congratulations on the baby I'm sure you'll make a great uncle!

So a Christian mystic huh? Well, I think Sufi's are strange fellows as well but I think it's the same with you, that Catholics, for instance, would call Christian mystics strange.
I don't know much about Sufi's to really judge them :) I've only seen a few video clips of rituals that seemed strange to me.

I find it interesting that we both believe in the same Abrahamic prophets and the same God, but with one major difference, which is the story of Jesus. Christians believe that he was crucified, while Muslims believe that Jesus hid in a cave and was sent to heaven, and that the person who was crucified was in fact the person who pointed him out to the Romans (I forgot his name); God punished him by making him look like Jesus to the Romans.
We also believe that on Judgement Day, with all the other miracles that will happen, Jesus himself will ascend to earth and will roam it for around 40 days. This is the story in a nutshell.

I find it really interesting that you believe in the Prophet Mohammed (May Peace and Prayers Be Upon Him) and that he was really a prophet from God. As a religious person, doesn't that therefore mean that you would have to believe in his preachings as well?

Regarding your question, I'm not sure what you mean by it but if you mean that if God were like a person then the answer is no. He is Divine, and greater than all. No one could ever know how He looks like, though in Islamic scriptures it is mentioned that when Prophet Mohammed (May Peace and Prayers Be Upon Him) was taken to heaven during the Isra'a and Miraj, he met God, and that His black light was so blindingly intense that God had to show Prophet Mohammed (May Peace and Prayers Be Upon Him) another form of Himself so as to spare him from what a human being can't tolerate.

Sweety what you have posted is interesting! A true mystic is a person who is taught by God/Allah through loving meditative prayer. There is no ritual. Based on my experience as a true mystic, when one first truely meets God/Allah they incounter over whelming blackness. This blackness is the "unknown" that is God/Allah. Because "our" reality is based on fear, we experience over whelming fear when we incounter God/Allah. But if we approach this unknown that is God/Allah with "Love" and we are sincere, this unknown (blackness) changes into something closer to what we can understand, because of God's/Allah's love for us.

Sweety :) about the death and resurrection of Jesus, I can now see why there is abit of conflict, to say the least :) ,between Christianity and Islam.

But we do agree that Jesus ascended and Mohommed ascended and that They both attempted to encourage us all to Love and Worship God/Allah? And that They both set an example for us to follow?

Sweety based on my experience with Hindu Scripture and Christian Scripture, the problem is interpretation of Scripture. And based on my experience as a true mystic, if you haven't experienced it you are not going to truely understand it. And basically all conflict comes from different interpretations of the same scripture. This happens in all religions. Most religions are at war with themselves because of this. So we end up with religions in conflict with other relgions and in conflict with themselves because of interpretation of Scripture.

Mohammed's words have to be truth. But you take the same scripture and two different people and you have two different truths from the same scripture. :) Ok? Yes I believe that Mohammed's words are truth. They have to be!

Tucker58

guys I kind of cast a shadow on my intentions. Just for the record my intentions are interreligious dialog. At least relative to "The One and only God". :)

Two Arabic Saints/Prophets came as a gift to mankind to share how "The One and only God" can be and should a part of our lives. Their main message was "Love" and "The One and only God".

Obviously there is no way that Christianity and Islam are going to mesh relative to this world of things. To me as a mystic, I don't care. We all worship the same "The One and only God" through "Love". To me "Love" and "The One and only God" is what is important, nothing else.

Father Abraham gave us that "The One and only God". And His faith and love for that "The One and only God" gave us all a chance to know and love "The One and only God" and for "The One and only God" to know and love us. Jesus and Mohammed exist because of Father Abraham's love and faith, for "The One and only God".

Tucker58

Oh, and it would not hurt Christians to bow toward Mecca once in a while, to honor Father Abraham for his gift of faith and love for "The One and only God."

Rev. tuck

And there is this also :) christians will fight to the death to defend Mecca for all who love Allah and who honor Father Abraham's gift of "The One and only God"!.

Abraham is their Father also!

Tucker58

My friend in Finnland found this:
________________________________
Yes Quran mentions the Holy Spirit. :)

“He sends down the Spirit from His command, upon those of His servants He chooses, in order to warn people of the Day of Meeting.” (Ghafir: 15)

The Holy Spirit brought it down from your Lord with the truth, to strengthen those who believe, and as a guidance and good tidings to the Muslims.” (An-Nahl: 102)

"And your Lord, He is indeed the August, the Compassionate. And it is a sending down from the Lord of the Worlds, brought down by the Trustworthy Spirit, upon your heart, that you may be one of the warners, in Arabic speech.” (Ash-Shu`ara': 191-195)

“We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear signs, and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit…” (Al-Baqarah: 253)

“Then Allah will say, O Jesus son of Mary! Remember My favor upon you and upon your mother; how I strengthened you with the Holy Spirit…” (Al-Ma'idah: 110)

While searching information about the Holy Spirit in Quran I came across interesting information about Jesus and Islam. There seems to be people (Muslims) who believe that Quran's and the Bible's message about the Jesus as the Messiah is the same. And that the Muhammad didn't came to replace Jesus. Muhammad is Allah's prophet and Jesus is Christ, the Messiah.
http://www.farsinet.com/jesusinislam/indexe.html

_____________________

The funny thing about Christians is that you can go to a christian and ask that person to teach you about Jesus and then go to another christian of a different church and ask them to teach you about Jesus and then be left wondering if they are talking about the same Jesus. :) It works that way in Hindu also. Everybody has their version and scripture to back it up.

"“He sends down the Spirit from His command, upon those of His servants He chooses, in order to warn people of the Day of Meeting.” (Ghafir: 15)"

That scripture is me. And I am not sure how that happened. "May Allah's will be done."

Tucker58