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Is it harder to get marriage for a sunni or shia or for a convert from sunni or shia is it more difficult to get married for either?

Kyrie Irving opens up about observing Ramadan while playing (yahoo.com)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8nvsZmDhjM&feature=youtu.be Tupac Shakur and Malcolm X were Shia as said in this interview by one of Malcolm's relatives. Did ya'll know this? Its is new to me. I couldn't find the full video, please post if anyone finds it Also, who is the relative, is the info reliable? I didn't dig deep into it just yet lol, but I find this interesting.

Could a mentally handicapped person be a Muslim period, i heard in Sunni if your Mentally handicapped or insane your prayers and Shahadah(if you take it in that state), is invalid, is that true in Shia, what is the Shia ruling on this matter?

Dealing with Autism I wanted to write something about the topic of Autism, because when I looked back I have never seen this topic addressed by anyone in our Muslim community. Autism is a growing issue in the world as one in 68 children are diagnosed with this condition. I wanted to address a few issues about dealing with Autism in hopes that it may help someone who is a parent, loved one or a friend of someone with a child who has Autism. I’m not going to go into what Autism is exactly, because that would be a lengthy discussion and there are plenty of websites and books dealing with this topic. I will just say briefly that it is a neurological disorder that affects ones social and communication skills. It is termed as being on the spectrum, because there are so many different variations of Autism that every child is different and they all have different needs according to how many of the indicators the child has.

as salaam alakim! can a mentally ill person still be a shia, can one practice shia islam mentally ill or scizophrenaic, i heard if your insane or un sound you prayer and wudu is invalid? Is this true in shia islam?

I’m a sunni Muslim and lately I have a lot of questions over the differentiation between Sunni and shias. I want to know more about the way of the Shia Muslims. And what books may I possibly find online/buy to read and understand better if I’m thinking of converting. I’m not 100% sure yet. And i have nothing against either of the sects. I Just want reliable sources to know better. And I’d appreciate all sorts of help. I also do not know how converting from Sunni to Shia works but I’d love to know. thank you.

Assalam Alaykum, my name is Basheera and I am a Shia woman. I was born into an incredibly strict Sunni family, but happily I converted a few years ago when I was 18. I had severe depression trying to figure out my identity and purpose of life until I found Shia Islam, and luckily now I am much healthier, mentally and physically. However though, I have a big problem. Please please read this whole thing before you comment and don't insult me because I've been seeking help for years, from imams (all Sunni though) and Muslim friends. This may be a bit long but I am seeking answers and help. While I am a Muslim, I am lgbt. I have known since I was 11, almost 12 years ago. I tried to stop it and told myself that I was only attracted to men, that this was a phase and I'd get over it, and I tried to force myself to look into husbands. I break down thinking about it and cry over my future. I have known for years and it wasn't a problem at first, but because now I am a practicing muslim I feel... fake? I'm not sure how to feel but I cannot stop my feelings. I know now, 12 years later, that it is not a phase and I cannot ignore it no matter how hard I try. People told me that I choose the way I feel, but wallahi I would never ever choose to feel like this. I worry about my future and if I truly am a Muslim. I talked to imams and read the Quran and many Hadiths regarding lgbt. The imams told me that lgbt muslims do exist, however they must hold back their feelings to stop themselves from committing haram, and in a way it is a form of Jihad. I understood that and I have done that for years, holding myself back and hiding in secret. As I said before I am a convert and a practicing muslim, I love islam but this problem has always been in the back of my mind and I don't think I can hold it back/ignore it anymore. My question is, does being lgbt automatically mean I'm not a muslim? Does it contradict Islam? (Wallahi I've been lgbt for many years and I swear on the Quran I would not feel this way if it was a choice. I hate it so much). Would I ever be accepted as a muslim by a Shia scholar? Am I haram? Even when I keep my feelings to myself? I am crying writing this, I have talked to many Sunni imams, but now that I'm Shia I want an answer from Shias. I hope nobody thinks ill of me or insults me, I am trying my best. Please someone help me and answer me, do I contradict Islam? Am I a fake muslim? Should I leave Islam (am I making Islam look bad)? Thank you so much for reading and please give your honest opinion, shukran.

Hi I am a shia convert Alhamdulilah since the past 4 years and honestly it has been incredible at the same time it has been difficult aswell. I just wanted to know why is it so diffcult for shia community to take a revert and make him/her a part of their family and even takes them time to make him/her a part of their community. Especially seeing that a convert already faces the bigger challenge of going against their parents and entire family to believe but these difficulties I would suppose would dishearten several individual who would like to convert. Any comments on this?

Hello guys, I have been a Sunni Muslim all my life (27 years) and have converted to Shia Muslim and currently looking for detailed books on 1) History of Islam (Where the split started and all the subsequent events in full detail - specifically from Shia Perspective as that's what I want to know more about) 2) Religious Practises of Shia Islam (Majalis and beliefs that are different from Sunni Islam) 3) Knowledge of Shia Islam (details about Imams and important dates and their importance) I will appreciate it if one of you brothers can help me in this journey. Thanks

Hello guys, I have been a Sunni Muslim all my life (27 years) and have converted to Shia Muslim and currently looking for detailed books on 1) History of Islam (Where the split started and all the subsequent events in full detail - specifically from Shia Perspective as that's what I want to know more about) 2) Religious Practises of Shia Islam (Majalis and beliefs that are different from Sunni Islam) 3) Knowledge of Shia Islam (details about Imams and important dates and their importance) I will appreciate it if one of you brothers can help me in this journey. Thanks

Salam! After being with my Shia friends, as well as researching both Sunni and Shia doctrines, I've converted into a Shia Muslim ( I was a Sunni before). It's been three weeks as of today, and its been difficult since I live with my Sunni family. The thing is, I haven't told my family yet. They don't depsie Shias, they are just very pro-Sunni. I know that if I do, I will be disowned and I will get kicked out of my house. What should I do? I know I have to tell them soon, and the truth will come out, because it'll create a lot of problems in the future. There were times were I almost got caught/questioned, and I got to see their reaction to it. Please, any advice would be help. Jazakallah Khair.

Assalam alaikum dear brothers and sisters and may the blessings and mercy of Allah be upon you all. I saw another user make an introduction, so I thought I would too. I came to Islam as the light at the end of the tunnel and attended the only mosque in my Welsh county, slotting by default into hanafi ideology. I moved to a England and to larger Muslim and mostly Indian/Pakistani community after marriage. Despite members of the Welsh community telling me that the community in this English city was better, it became quite clear, quite quickly that they weren't right. Increasingly isolated by both the community and the hanafi school, particularly hadiths, increasingly ashamed by terrorist attacks and sectarianism, after three years as a Muslim I felt at conflict with myself. I really struggled as I felt between two cultures, the culture of Islam and the culture as a British white man, and I didn't slot into either. I came to this religion because I saw inclusion of the Abrahamic narrative, inclusion of white people, people from Asia, Africa and elsewhere, I saw Islam as the final message of God, one of salvation, hope and solace. I did not see these things being practiced. I grew up respecting people of all faiths and views, and I hold that stance to this day. Muslims are Muslims, I see beyond the sects, if you love Allah and His messenger and you uphold the principal of peace, charity, kindness and so on, then who am I to hate you or be a takfiri on you!? I attended a salafi mosque on Ashura, because it was the only one that did English sermons, I saw a congregation humiliate a student (who I assume was Iranian by his accent) for asking why nobody mentions Hussain on such a day. I also saw brothers stand up and defend a man who had been arrested and later charged for trying to buy firearms for terrorism in a sting operation on a separate day. I myself had been targeted for not doing footsy during prayer with the person next to me. I continued to see this idiotic approach to people who follow the Ahlul Bayt, it trickles down from adults to kids, my nephew said that Shi'ites worship Ali, astaghfirullah. He said his friend at school told him. I corrected him. I used to have an Instagram account where I posted lessons and tidbits that might inspire people to be peaceful and good, I had even aspired to train to become an Imam and open a mosque, it would have been, to my knowledge, the first to feature a prayer room where women prayed behind men and not closed off in a tiny 2nd class room upstairs. It would be one of only a few where management would have not been of one school of thought, but many, where women would play an important role and where counselling services would take place for domestic violence and mental health... All sounds great, but because of my own mental health, I did not feel I could take on such a task. What did come out of Instagram was that I was responsible for reporting somewhere between 30-50 Daesh inspired or far right inspired profiles which as a result were removed, alhamdulillah. Anyway, for a long time I felt unhappy, with people, with the thought that people churn out such nonsense, whether it is about people or even things like hadiths. Andwe are expected to just take it all as gospel because an Imam said it, a sheikh said it, a pillar of the community said it. I started following the maliki maddhab, but now I don't adhere to any ideology as such. People might erroneously say I cherry pick, but picking the truth isn't always the easy option, so I hardly call that cherry picking. I seek truth and logic according the the Qur'an and if that comes from Ammar Nakshawani, so be it, if it comes from Abdal Hakim Murad, so be it. So why am I on Shiachat? Because first of all I want to meet like minded people in my area, and second of all, because I respect you and care for you as fellow Muslims. I just can't live a life spewing hate, teaching my children to hate and expect the world to be a better place for it. It does nothing here on Earth and it does nothing up there in Jannah either. Apologies for the novel, but at least I used paragraphs hey! Oh Lord send Your peace and blessings upon Muhammad and his family. May You always be pleased with us, keep us firm upon your truth and your religion. May we be standing together and may you always allow the light, wisdom and intellect to exist in this world so that we learn to love and put down our hatred, as although we are different people with different opinions and of differing backgrounds, we are all in need of Your light, all in need of Your mercy and all in need of Your pleasure with us. Forgive us all for what we say and do, what You know but we don't of the things we do to displease You. Oh Lord, send Your peace and blessings upon Muhammad and His family.

From the teachings of Imams (عليه السلام), the virtues of marriage are clear. Examples: The Prophet (S) said, “One who marries, has already guarded half of his religion, therefore he should fear Allah for the other half.” And in the Qur'an: “And marry those among you who are single and those who are fit among your male slaves and your female slaves; if they are needy, Allah will make them free from want out of His grace; and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing.” (Surah an-Nur, 24:32) I am a 21 year old male who goes to university in Canada, and I will be graduating in 2 years Inshallah. I am also a convert to Islam, and I've accepted the school of the Ahlul Bayt shortly after my conversion. Because the scholars recommend marriage early, I am looking for a way to get married to a religious and faithful wife. Looks and ethnicity are not important for me, it is enough if she is strongly committed to God and the teachings of the Ahlul Bayt. Can some of the brothers here give me some advice? Should I wait more because I am new to Islam? How can I find the right person when I don't have a Shi'a family or any Shi'a friends? There are many Sunni women at the University, but I would much rather it be someone who is a follower of the Ahlul Bayt. There is no Shi'a mosque near me, but when I graduate I plan to immediately move to a place where there is a Shi'a community (probably Toronto). Thanks

I recently became convinced of Twelver Shia Islam but have been up to this point following the Hanafi madhab. Although I have been able to find many great books to learn more about Shia history, philosophy, theology, etc., it is hard to know where to begin in regards to changing madhab. I do not know any Shia personally and I do not live near a Shia mosque. One thing I really do not want to do is change in an uncoordinated way and be practising some kind of Hanafi-Jafari hybrid which is acceptable to no scholar of any perspective ever! Maybe this is too vague. To be more specific, what should I change first? My opinion would be my wudu and salat as it is to be performed daily. Any other views? If not, what next? Also I can find a few online resources on how to pray in the Jafari way but is there any online resources you recommend for this and other things? Thanks so much in advance! I am so happy to have found Shia Islam. Jazakallah khair.

In short, this text relates a debate that took place during the reign of Seldjuk king Malikshah I (the son of Alp Arslan) between sunni and shia scholars, qnd which resulted in thea conversion of Malikshah and the famous vizir Nizam al Mulk to shia Islam. How reliable is this ? http://www.sacred-texts.com/isl/mub/mub.htm

[ADMIN NOTE]: This is a thread devoted to sharing stories and issues pertaining to all reverts to Islam, particularly Shia Islam. Allah bless you. Salam Alekum, I am writing an article regarding women reverts to Islam. The common belief amoung researchers is that the vast majority of revert women between 17 to 35 are married to non revert men (arab, persian, indo/pak, etc). So I would like as many revert sisters as possible to participate in order to get some good information regarding this subject. Please do not vote unless you are a revert to Islam, a women, (not born into a muslim family and currently identify your religion as Islam) and between the ages of 17 to 35. Some definitions. Non revert muslim man. A man who was born into a muslim family and currently identifies his religion as Islam revert muslim man. A man who was not born into a muslim family and currently identifies his religion as Islam.

As-salamu alaikum to all, To keep this brief. I am in a permissible relationship (mutah) with a female (I am a male) who at the beginning I envisaged as being the perfect wife/potential wife for me. My outlook was based on her character, qualities and behavior which I am satisfied with. However the missing piece was her religious outlook/lack of, which plays a huge role for me and in my personal opinion overrides the prior qualities. I therefore decided to give this relationship an opportunity based on her character and what her religious outlook ideally could be in the future if it is worked on. She is new to the religion and has been for a handful of months. We discussed the religious outlook such as prayer, fasting and other such issues such as khums and inheritance. She is willing to learn and try this out, however I feel the outlook she has is a bit stubborn/not so optimistic. To illustrate my point, for example in regards to prayer, she is willing to learn how to pray and do so with myself/when she has the time, however she doesn't regard it as important to do so while she is at work, she even expressed that she will not be waking up in the morning at all as she just doesn't want to. She also said that it can be worked on whether it takes her 5 years, or even 20 years down the line. At the end of the day it is her choice and whatever she does or doesn't is between her and Allah. She wants to get married, settle down and have kids. Which I want as well however I wouldn't until I can see some results and can be satisfied that she has taken her obligations on board. I am possibly extreme in my view and thinking. Most would say that small steps are good and it will take time, better one step forward, than no steps at all. I agree and applaud that, however on the other hand given such an outlook of hers to have to begin with specifically in regards to prayer, when she doesn't take her relationship with Allah seriously, I feel like I can't take our relationship seriously either (maybe someone can address this thinking of mine). I myself may miss the morning prayer, due to forgetting to put an alarm on or something, although I wouldn't intentionally plan not to wake up. If I couldn't pray due to my work, I would rather find lower paid work whilst being able to pray than not. At this stage I don't feel ready at all, it would feel as a gamble marrying her, and there is something within me that keeps sort of telling me to call it all off. I am not sure how to differentiate this between some sort of guidance or wiswas. To sum it up I feel as if my love towards whoever it may be, especially on an intimate level such as marriage is conditional on their love/obedience to Allah. I look forward to your replies. Thanks.

I have a friend who is kind of interested in Islam and mainly the differences between Shias and Sunnis. She keeps asking me question so it’s actually she and not me and I tell her about Jesus and Mary in Islam she gets even more interested before I do anything crazy as making her convert to Islam or something I want her to be sure about what she’s researching. Do u have any Shia hadiths or saying in the Quran that might interest a Christian as her or someone that is looking for answers? Need your help guys, I know nothing about hadiths and very little about the Quran.

Salam to all, I wanted to get a few opinions and advice preferably from someone who has or knows someone who has been in a similar situation. Background: I met this girl who was a non-Muslim and didn't ascribe to any religion she had an interest in me and brought forth her interest in Islam. So we spoke about the possibility of getting married as there was mutual attraction, characteristic wise and physically etc. Of course as a Muslim you cannot marry a non-Muslim so I told her at the beginning that it would only work out if she was to become a Muslim, however I made it clear that there is no pressure and that if she doesn't connect with Islam or find any truth in it then it isn't the end of the world (I know how this may sound however I didn't want to give false hopes/mislead however making a condition like that by and of itself is pressuring). She then briefly researched at her own pace and didn't want my help as she wanted to do it for herself and not because of me. After a while she decided to convert and done so herself. To cut the story short, we then got temporarily married and are now living together for a while. This part felt a bit rushed however this is not an issue. We discussed important expectations of each other as we would such as hijab, children etc. Islamically speaking I have expectations and have expressed them such as hijab and prayer etc. Again I havent said you need to do this as I don't want to force anything upon anyone it should be their own choice. My concerns: Now that we have been together for a while, she hasn't really progressed from the Islamic sense, she hasnt expressed an interest in prayer, said she doesnt think fasting is safe etc. it seems as though now that we are together that is all that matters and the job is done now. I practice daily with her being in the room when I pray etc. She is very supportive of what I do, and she has great characteristics and potential to be a great mother no doubt. Although at times cant be as supportive as I would like to given some situations such as some of her old friends being in the wrong circles and only socially meeting when alcohol is present etc. So when she asks how I would feel if she went to meet them in that environment, given she wouldnt drink, that is not something I can support. This brings a lot of doubt and uncertainty with me in terms of what is the best way to proceed foward. I don't want to be wasting my and her time, getting emotionally caged and thereby living a life that we didn't envisage. I understand that someone who is a new Muslim it takes time, and I am willing to spare that time, as I myself wasnt practicing until later in life so its not foreign to me. She has had a very rough childhood emotionally and has expressed ideas of self harm in her teens. A lot of people have let her down. She says I am the best thing in her life and I truly believe she means this. Just to conclude, her as a person, I am fine with that. However as I take my religion as Nr.1 priority and she it seems takes me as Nr.1 priority it seems a bit conflicting to me. Given at later stage when having children, she has a few Western ideas of the upbringing of children which I don't fully agree with as well. 1. However at what point does one decide this isn't going anywhere? As my main concerns are compatibility and the future of our children. Thank you.

Salam aleikum What are some good YouTube videos explaining the fundamentals of Islam whether conferences/lectures/sketches. Something with a bit more substance than just bullet points. This should be suitable for those new to Islam with little to no familiarity. Thanks.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/afd-islam-politician-arthur-wagner-conversion-germany-far-right-a8175896.html German politician quits far-right AfD party role after converting to Islam Party claims Islam is incompatible with the German constitution A politician from the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, known for its anti-Muslim rhetoric, has quit his leadership role and converted to Islam. Arthur Wagner stepped down from his post in the eastern Brandenburg state but remains a member of the party. AfD claims Islam is incompatible with the German constitution and wants a ban on minarets and the face-covering burqa. READ MORE Top primary school reverses hijab ban after major backlash It became the third-largest party in the country’s parliament after the general election last September. The party said it stood for the constitutional right of religious freedom, regardless of Mr Wagner’s conversion. Cont...

As Salam Aleykum Hello everyone I am an Australian Christian who two years ago wanted to learn more about Islam because of the climate of terrorism which unfortunately we have a problem with still today. I have read the Qur'an and as I read more of it I believed it to be the words of god. I researched the prophet's life, his teachings and courage all inspired me to believe that his characteristics were that of a true prophet. When I met some Sunni Muslims and asked about Ali and Karbala a event that frequently popped in my research. I was told Shi'a were pagans that believed Ali was a god which these people were my friends so initially I believed them until I researched myself. I found an Islam after the prophet's death that had already strayed off the path of islam. The Arab elites quickly established themselves on top, contradicting the Qur'an with racism and greed. I saw a man named Ali who fought this until he was assassinated and his sons Hussain, Hassan and Abbas had continued to do the same which led me to conclude that Ali and Ahlulbayt were the true successors to the prophet. Now that you know my story I would like to know what steps an individual has to take to convert and confirm his belief in Islam. Thanks you for reading my story, I look forward to your answers.

(First of all; I'm sorry for my bad English) Hello everyone! My name is Laurencia and I am from Chile. I'd like to convert to Shia Islam, but I am not really pretty sure about how to do it. I had never met anyone who can help me, and almost almost all web pages about Islam in Spanish are of sunni orientation. I want to be a good Muslim but I find no orientacion or guidance. I was wondering if you could help me to become a Muslim woman and to follow the God's journey. Thanks you so much.