i wanted to get some ideas on what would be the best way to understand/learn Islam. i am a born Muslim but feel that i do not have a good grasp of the religion. Also, my wife is a convert. So i would like us both to start from the basics. Some items which i can think of which should help in getting started:
-Good online sources?
-Quran online?
-Types of Hadees/Hadith?
-Different Sects, i am sunni but would like to know a little more about
other sects and why the differences. (not on the priority list at the moment)?
we live in the Chicago area so we can also consider attending some lectures but i think studying it on our own first would be a good start.
Feel free to provide links for threads which are related to this post. Thx.
It is not at all for emotional dependency but for discipline like in army. It enables man to think and act right to get right results.
It does not want man to live in ignorance and confusion like a frightened mouse. It gives courage to make man a real human being.
It shows man the way to act upon just like parents teach kids how to face life ahead. Allah has provided man with everything he will ever need including information. It is like you are given building material and information and left to build the building. So get up and get on with the job sort of thing.
People who are looking for support of God in a wrong sort of way are not going to get it from the quran. It is sort of book that tells a broken man stop crying and get up and take action to change things around you the right way. It is all about education based revolution to bring about a worthy human society in this world worth living in.
The quran is about giving man the necessary information to turn this world in to a living paradise. The paradise lost by Adam that was gifted to him but now man has to recreate it for himself. If man works towards that objective then he will be rewarded double ie he could end up with a satisfied life in here as well as get awarded for his efforts in hereafter.
Allah did not explain the mechanisms for such change for people to sit on masalla and cry to God to do things for them like a baby cries for his mother to do things for him.
Unfortunately that is what most people take religion for. When they are emotionally broken down they just want to talk to some imaginary friend in sky because they have no other person to talk to because the society in which they live is broken due to their own stupidity thereby negligence. This is what the quran want to repair through people themselves by making them realise what the exact problems are that have brought about this situation in the first place. So keep neglecting what needs to be done and praying to Allah for getting things change is acting like a baby when the toy drops from his hands and he start crying waiting for his mother to do something for him ie give him the toy back in his hand.
This world is not for any weak person or family or nation but a strong one. This is why individuals, families, nations that become weak become history. This is the law of nature whereby quran tells us never to give up struggle for survival or you are history 2/106.
Most people think 2/106 is about abrogation of quranic verses or about Allah replacing his books but context shows it is about how nations are allowed to disappear when they follow not the divine program for them. It is because divine program ensures they are ready for putting up with anything that comes their way.
Please read the below hadith. Same hadith is narrated in Sahih Bukhari too:
**Book ‘Model Behavior of the Prophet (Kitab Al-Sunnah)’ of Sunan Abu-Dawud Hadith No. 4615.
**Narrated AbuHurayrah: "**A man came to the Apostle of Allah and said: I saw (in my dream) a piece of cloud from which ghee and honey were dropping. I saw the people spreading their hands. Some of them took much and some a little. I also saw a rope hanging from Heaven to Earth. I saw, Apostle of Allah , that you caught hold of it and ascended by it. Then another man caught hold of it and ascended it. Then another man caught hold of it and ascended it. Then another man caught hold of it, but it broke, and then it was joined and he ascended it.
AbuBakr r.a. said: May my parents be sacrificed for you, if you allow, I shall interpret it.
Prophet said: Interpret it.
AbuBakr r.a. said: The piece of cloud is the cloud of Islam; the ghee and honey that were dropping from it are the Qur’an, which contains softness and sweetness. Those who received much or little of it are those who learn much or little of the Qur’an. The rope hanging from Heaven to Earth is the truth which you are following (i.e. Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad ). You catch hold of it and then Allah will raise you to Him. Then another man will catch hold of it and ascend it, Then another man will catch hold of it and it will break. But it will be joined and he will ascend it. Tell me Apostle of Allah , whether I am right or wrong.
Prophet said: You are partly right and partly wrong.
AbuBakr r.a. said: I adjure you by Allah, you should tell me where I am wrong.
The Prophet said: Do not take an oath**."
Purpos of sharing this hadith, and as our other members suggested above to start learing by reading the Holy Qur’an which is the best divine book of guidance for whole mankind as well as following the Sunnah of our Prophet . These two things go hands-on-hands with each others and I think true guidance is incomplete if one from both is missing.
Moreover, If you would like to learn/Understand Holy Qur’an than you can join us our sticky thread in same forum about the Holy Qur’an.
There is something called the fard-ul-ain … Which should be learnt in order to facilitate the process of further Islamic understanding.
I would actually not recommend going to the Quran first … It is not an easy read …
I would try to learn the history of Islam and how it came about first. This can be achieved by reading books on the life of the holy prophet Muhammad (SAW) or by watching some videos …
Before I give you some useful video links I feel you should first look to what the wisdom is behind the fard-ul-ain …
They are:
Learning Tajweed (the articulation of the Classical Arabic accent - rules for reciting the Quran)
Studying 'aqeedah (the corpus/creed formulae of the Deen) - the simplest and most widely accepted is At-Tahawiyya.
Learning the basics of fiqh (5 pillars of Islam)
Memorisation of several Surahs of the Qur’an
Learning to understand Arabic
These days since we are helped by translation it is often less important for 5) … But as you progress in your Islamic knowledge you will feel deficient as it becomes more and more necessary to understand Arabic especially when having to deal with people who are trying to sow discord or issue stray opinions by using translation rather than actual Arabic meaning derived from the text.
Try to develop a passion and love for RasoolAllah (SAW) and see his (SAW) life as a great sacrifice for us … Recite plenty of durood on him (SAW) to gain this as well as a spiritual uplifting.
Any further assistance regarding those points above I can help inshaAllah …
You can go to Islamic books stores and pick out children’s books and learn from them too.
When learning Tajweed you need a teacher who teaches it.
When learning Arabic you need a practitioner of Arabic.
when learning Fiqh and aqeedah it is useful to learn it from a source who has permission to transmit the knowledge.
i initially was also of the opinion that just trying to understand Quran should be the answer but i do like psyah's suggestion of learning Islamic history. That should put things into perspective.
and said: I saw (in my dream) a piece of cloud from which ghee and honey were dropping. I saw the people spreading their hands. Some of them took much and some a little. I also saw a rope hanging from Heaven to Earth. I saw, Apostle of Allah 
