Re: Some food for thought...
I ask that you be completely objective, detached, and open-minded when answering the following question (truthfully, ofcourse).
Let's say, hypothetically, that society started this new thing where parents were to not mention religion or anything about it to their children. Then, when people reached a certain age, say.. 18, they would be able to choose their beliefs on their own (through research, questioning scholars of diff. faiths, etc.).
Do you think you would end up being a Muslim?
My answer would be probaby not. And I think a lot of people would have a similar answer. And so doesn't that mean that, sadly enough, the majority of us are Muslim only because our parents are?
There are, however, many people that have converted to Islam. And you will notice that these people have more compassion for the religion than anyone that was ever simply born into a Muslim family. It means a lot more if you "choose" the belief yourself. So I guess being born into a Muslim family has us all basically screwed over because we'll never have the same concern for Islam as those who were able to go out of their way to find it.
Peace phatima1
There is an argument that Allah (SWT) chooses whomsoever to Guide and let go astray ... so fundamentally the answer is abstract from the question you have asked.
I would argue in agreement to your assessment that most Muslims would not be Muslims if given a choice. Most PEOPLE resemble their crowds, if parents are not teaching Islam to their children or not being good examples of just and trustworthy people then for Islam to enter their hearts will be harder.
In fact most Muslims are not really Muslims in the sense of belief, because they have not necessarily gone to the effort of trying to understand their faith, rather they have accepted a defacto position after being 'raised' as Muslims, by name.
I would also add that most Muslims that are not religious are from families where there has been an inadequate demonstration of Islam. So it is quite possible that children become Muslim merely by seeing their parents practice Islam, but to practice Islam fully it requires us to teach it to our children, if we don't teach it to them until they reach 18 years then we have already compromised the rules of Islam and will be hypocrites. Otherwise if we teach our children to be truthful and practice ourselves we are actually teaching them about Islam. Even if we only demonstrate truthfulness we are teaching them an aspect of Islam. Same goes with patience, being it and teaching it, steadfast in prayer being it and teaching it, kindness being kind and teaching it, not governed by wealth, in actions and speech and so on.
Some of the reasons why people become Muslim is because they are already in a pious disposition, due to their familial upbringing. A Christian may choose Islam after realising that there is a truth in it that supersedes the truth of his own way and meets what his own parents have always strived to instil in him.
Being born in a Muslim family has two aspects ... yes we are 'screwed' as you most emphatically put it, but only because we should realise a greater responsibility to teach it effectively to our children. However, those who are born outside Islam are equally 'screwed' because as you have rightly said if you had to choose it for yourself when you reached 18 years you would probably not, then that would mean not only we would not be good Muslims, we would not even be Muslim by name. I think it better for us to be thankful to Allah (SWT) that we were born Muslims at least we have some sort of a head start, but we should not abuse that position by becoming complacent or care-free about it.
The rules in Islam are two and we pray to Allah (SWT) to keep us away from these:
1) The way taken by those people who earn Ghadab (Allah's Anger)
2) The way taken by those people who went astray
Generally speaking the arrogant, careless, impious believers in one God fall into category 1, and the people who may do all of the nice things in life but do not believe in God or call upon many gods are those who have gone astray. We need to seek to avoid both of these routes. We need to be both kind and honest but also strongly believe in and worship One God.
