:salam2:
In your opinion, is it a mere label, or a matter of custom or birth?
Just a thought came into my mind after reading comments in a thread titled ‘wishing xmas allowed or not’, opened by Bro @SID_NY 
Re: What Is It? Is the Religion…
Wa Alaikum Assalam LK: Simply saying merry christmas to a christian which is a greeting, and it will not turn us into a christian, anymore than saying Shalloum to a Jewish friend make us a Jew!
and the scholars can argue about it!
Rasul Allah would pray for all Mankind, he was Rehmatullil Allameen!
He also prayed for Known Hypocrites and enemies of Islam!
Re: What Is It? Is the Religion…
Peace SindSagar,
It is not about greetings otherwise i had commented in that particular thread. Topic of this thread is different.
Re: What Is It? Is the Religion…
Ji LK then coming back to what you asked, yes in my opinion it is label if you may or more like a custom amoung the people who our Holy Prophet and the Holy Quran addressed as Ehli kitaab!
may be I missed the real Topic, in that case I can plead having a Senior Moment 
Re: What Is It? Is the Religion…
being a muslim is my habit 
Re: What Is It? Is the Religion…
label based on which you gang up on others of different label.
Re: What Is It? Is the Religion…
Who created enemies of islam? Isnt god created them as well?
Re: What Is It? Is the Religion…
god created them but they used their free will to become enemies. yup.. awesome stuff like that is what one needs to believe in to be a good heaven-bound believer.
Re: What Is It? Is the Religion…
look at my signature.
We, unlike other believe systems, we believe evil was created by God as well, be it in muslim men and women or non muslims men and women.
We were never told “do this and nothing would befall upon you”
Rather "persevere, and support each other, in Good deeds "
stuff like that.
Very rock solid theology.
Re: What Is It? Is the Religion…
So being non muslim is evil?
Re: What Is It? Is the Religion…
Yes!
Right! and God said in the Holy Book “There shall be No Compulsion in Religion”
but it seems however even with this edict from the Almighty we humans take it upon ourselves to judge others beliefs!
Re: What Is It? Is the Religion…
I didnt say that.
let me “so” you
so… in order for you to feel on the right path.. when considering islam.. you have make foolish assumptions about islam…
That translate that you dont have any real thing to say ?
Re: What Is It? Is the Religion…
Whatever you just said went over my head.
Re: What Is It? Is the Religion…
ok
Re: What Is It? Is the Religion…
Wa’alaikumuSalam … Brother LK … Religion should be a complete and comprehensive way of life. To be a Muslim is to seize every opportunity to be “like” RasoolAllah (SAW) and his companions. In both the inward and outward states.
What would they have said in the case of “Merry Christmas”?
Some evidence may suggest they would not have said it, some evidence may suggest they would (I’m not going to deal with that here) … it does not matter at the end of day … but whatever we say or do with others - it should not be from our own egos, our own minds and our own drawn conclusions without at least FIRST looking at the way we can extract from our scriptures and traditions of our teachers. The problem which is more real than actually saying this or that is in our flexibility to be like others without first searching the Islamic verdict on the matter. If we do that it demonstrates that Islam is not our way of life … it demonstrates it to be something like a subject we learn - like maths. We become Muslim when required - just like we do maths when we need to.
All the poems we recite about goodness but still take out loans and cheat people, all the excuses we make of being good people, but are bad with our mothers or other family members … all the verses we can recite but hold harshness in our hearts for others, be nice to people but fail to pray on time, get angry and some people kill and cause havoc in the name of Islam due to some sense of balance of justice … all of these things are symptoms of us resorting to our own private set of principles rather than submitting to Islamic ones.
It is a fashion for outwardly open Muslims to be called religious but that is not true for many fail in simple things like seeking knowledge, being just and merciful and being kind and not desirous for power. Likewise, there are some “new age philosophers” who call themselves Muslim, but have no outward sign of it. Both of these people suffer an incompleteness of true and complete submission …
Re: What Is It? Is the Religion…
I believe in god who is open minded and has love for everyone. I don’t think god really cares about whether you say MERRY CHRISTMAS or EID MUBARAK but how nice/helpful were you to your fellow human beings and any living creature.
Re: What Is It? Is the Religion…
Peace chintu_bhopali
Did you arrive at what you think about God from your own mind or from your research in Islamic scriptures and works? Because my point is not whether you say Merry Christmas or not … my point is about what you resort to first… your “thoughts” or your “religion”.
It could be that you found evidence that it can be said … did you make your mind up before you heard this evidence or not?
It could be that you found evidence that it should not be said … did you make your mind up before you heard that evidence or not?
The Muslim will not make his mind up before inspecting his religion for answers first … that is the point I am making here.
Re: What Is It? Is the Religion…
Hadees.
plant 2 tree and you go to heaven,
Dont burn tree even when in war.
Dont waste water even when you are on a stream.
women was never forgiven who let her cat die of starvation.
Man or women was rewarded who took water out of well and give to thirsty dog.
Quran.
taking care of people is not a distant romantic idea in islam, its laid out clearly.
Being nice, also means not being bad, since being bad is also human nature.
Islam has very clear instruction not be unjust. Not to take right from vulnerable etc etc..
You got to study islam from an islamic source, and decide for your self.
Rather then depending on processed information.
Re: What Is It? Is the Religion…
this is too simple. there is no mystery, no fear, no us vs. them. not very appealing for the average joe who wants complex answers to his fears and doubts.
Re: What Is It? Is the Religion…
Actually, I do believe chintu_bhopali’s answer is genuine … I disregard that religion has anything to do with complex answers, fears and doubts … that is merely an “emperor’s new clothes” ploy aimed at religious people by irreligious people … Rather … the religious people feel they have a connection with the Divine … it helps us come up with what sounds “right”.
However, Islam is more than being spiritual … it is about being truly in submission. We first do our bit consulting Islamic “tangible” evidence and then we reflect on that using our “hearts” … both are needed to make good religious decisions … and when both are done the results are always best for mankind as a whole.