I am Working With A Catholic

I have also some Christian friends, Hindu friends. We live together, we share everything together. But, of course with limitation. If they hold the dog, I don't. If they drink alcohol, I don't. I always try to be wise in their eyes. I told them that sometimes I possibly make mistake, insult, or look down on their religion as we have different culture and belief. I ask them, If you find me doing such, please remind me, and so do I.

Sometimes we share about what our religions teach about. There are some differences and some are the same. Alhamdulillah, we are still able to live together peacefully. I try not asking them to accept Islam or to ask them which one is right and which one is wrong. If one of us do it, I remind him/her.

As Muslim, I must invite non-Muslim. And, so do they. However, believing in a religion is not the same as joining any party whereby you can be a member just by attending their event or do what they urge you to do. In Islam, you can't. Islam comes to your heart through your understanding. Do you think all Muslims who come to Masjid or Mosque everyday and performing prayer regularly will stay in Paradise? No. If their intention is not on behalf of Allah, they do nothing. It makes sense, right?

As Muslim I must invite non-Muslim, but with wise way. No need to ask directly by asking, "Why don't you accept Islam?" It means insult them. Just tell them what Muhammad pbuh teaches us, but not all. Good teachers are they are who know and understand which lesson should be given first and when should give it. Don't do it all the time, Brothers and Sisters. Our duty is only to inform the lesson of Islam, not to make them become Muslims.

I listens to their story and explanation when they tell about history based on their religion. I give response such "As we didn't live in that era, we can't judge which one is right, but just what we believe in." We can't force others to agree with us. I try to talk more about advantages than just debating about right and wrong. My Non-Muslim friends like it, such as about how a man should respect women, should treat them in very good manner, etc.

Each of us want others to join us, to believe in what we believe in. That's normal, but must be wise. Do it wisely.

Why Your God Created Such Violent Scripture?

I have ever had a discussion with a Christian about ISIS. He claimed Islam (Quran) makes people become warrior. He claimed that Quran makes people become evil of the world. I explained him that Quran is not a simple book. Many people went astray as they read and comprehended Quran without any guidance by the scholar. They didn't understand it deeply. They were not great thinker.

He replayed, "So, it's true that Quran makes people become warrior and killing others?"

I replayed that it was only one bad effect. In Sunni Muslim tradition, we understand Islam through Quran and Hadith, and the explanations of Companion Scholars, Tabi'een Scholars, Taba' Tabi'een Scholars, Third Century Scholars, and so on. Why our understanding should be proven by them? It's about reading comprehension.

There are some level of reading comprehension of people. Our professor at university often said, "Support your statement with scientists statement." Yes, if we talk about something which is not trivial or sacred we may not do it without any much consideration.

Therefore, if anyone just read Quran, they will not understand Islam. Something makes human different from animal is that human can think. Yes, human can think, while animal can't.

He asked e again, "Why God created such unclear / illlogical book?"

As I know, in my religion, it's not permissible to question or investigate God. But, I replayed with my understanding about logic. If everything is clear, do all human will live their life with passion? But, I don't said Quran is not clear. Qurann is so clear for the believer. Another thing I want to say is that in this life most everything is in pair: Dark and bright, good and bad, logical and illogical. We can say something is tall because we have seen other things are short. So, clear or unclear is not a problem. If everything God does is the same as what human does, so God is the same as human. If God is the same as human, what for we worship to him?! He is beyond human's understanding.

In Quran, God orders all Muslim to keep learning / studying / searching knowledge until they die. It make sense, human should never stop learning because life is always change.

After all, I said to that Christian man, "We should respect every religion's subjectivity." And he agreed with me. Every individual will claim themselves the rightest one, so does every community.

"All living things must be exist together in harmony," Albert Einstein at the Young Einstein Movie.


You may like to read How Umar Ra. (The Prophet's Companion) treated Non-Muslims