svensKatten

I’ve spoken to a few converts and I think they often feel like they don’t belong with their original community anymore but also like there’s a division between them and other Muslims due to the way we have a variation of religious practice through different cultures (ie. comparing Iranian Shias to Lebanese Shias to Pakistani Shias). I think like most situations you’ll find people who are kind and accept you and you’ll probably find the opposite as well. Inshall-h everything goes well for you! Your post made me think of something I watched recently:

I think mindfulness and meditation are inherently Islamic. We’re told to reflect on the signs of All-h (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) that we see around us. We’re also disciplined in taking time out of our day to pray and concentrate on that. The difference is that psychology is a secular science, Islam is a way of life.

I was just watching the lectures on spiritual mastery by Sayed Hussain Makke and he explained this clear proof as Prophet Yusuf seeing the inner reality of this situation as something that was not appealing, as he was at that Irfani stage where he could hold himself back from committing an indecent act even if it was tempting (31:12 in the video).

I think living in secular societies desensitizes us towards living a God-centric life where we contemplate over our actions and feel a connection to All-h (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى). I also get that emotional feeling sometimes and I think it’s an inclination of my heart towards the truth, even if I’m surrounded by distractions.

https://shia-lectures.com

I’ve only met a few Akhbari people online and they were not part of a larger community. I think it’s fine to be critical of “Wilayatul Faqih” as in Iran’s interpretation, but this is not synonymous with rejecting all Mujtahids. Taqlid doesn’t affect our daily lives in an extreme way, and personally I don’t look at it as something central to faith. Realistically most of us will not reach the same level of knowledge as Ulemaa who have dedicated their lives to studying Islam and have a proper grasp of Arabic. I do think it’s beneficial for all of us to dedicate more time to reading the word

Salaam I just moved to Switzerland and I’m wondering if anyone has advice on making Muslim friends around here. It’s nice to hang out with people who don’t want to drink and have a similar way of living. I don’t want to only have online friends and I’d prefer to know people who live in the same area. I know going to the mosque is a good way to meet people but I don’t speak Arabic or German so it’s a bit hard. Especially with the COVID situation, most mosques are not having programs right now. Any ideas would be helpful