Vroeger had ik wel eens terloops gesprekken met wildvreemden op een bekende of voor mij vreemde plek op aarde. Dat kon gebeuren ergens op straat of bijvoorbeeld in een trein. Maar enkele van die gesprekken bleven me bij, omdat me op de een of andere wonderlijke manier woorden werden aangereikt die ik nodig had. Misschien zat ik met een vraag en kreeg ik van zomaar iemand daarop een antwoord. Soms ook kreeg ik troost tijdens een door mij gevoeld groot verdriet van een onbekende.
Tegenwoordig vinden veel van de gesprekken die ik voer digitaal plaats, typend achter mijn pc of in mijn telefoon. Sinds een tijdje ben ik ook lid van facebook, een omstreden medium. Soms denk ik erover daarmee te kappen, maar dan weer word ik daarin toch tegengehouden. Omdat ik via facebook wel waardevolle mensen heb ontmoet, sommigen die ik lang uit het oog was verloren en anderen heb ik nog nooit in het echt ontmoet. Het zijn er niet veel. De meeste onbekenden die op die manier in mijn virtuele vriendenkring zijn terecht gekomen hebben mij een vriendschapsverzoek gestuurd. En dat wijs ik dan bijna nooit af (tenzij er duidelijk commercie in het spel is).
Laats had ik op facebook via messenger een gesprekje met een voor mij wildvreemde man. Dat gesprekje is mij bijgebleven en ik wil het met jullie delen, omdat het een goede reflektie geeft van de wijze waarop ik momenteel tegen religie aankijk. En deze man kennelijk ook.
Vreemdeling: Islam is way of the Quran. The Quran is a guide to good living for entire mankind (Q:2:185). This is why we should live in accordance with the moral teachings of the Quran so that people may see the light of the Quran is shining through us in a positive way.
Ik: Amin
Vreemdeling: expulsion of moriscos in Spain
Spain’s Forgotten Muslims – The Expulsion of the Moriscos
In 100 years, over 500,000 of Spain’s Muslims were killed, forced to convert, or exiled from their homeland. The tragedy of this genocide of religious intolerance by Spain’s Christians must never b…
lost islamic history
Ik: Dankjewel. Mooi artikel. Wslmkm
Vreemdeling: Please write in English.
Ik: Ok thank you. Nice article! Slmwlkm
Vreemdeling: To my mind, this is the essence of the Quran, “Do good to others as Allah has done good to you.”
– Quran 28:77
I.e., Serving Allah is best done by serving humanity.
Vreemdeling: “Whoever believes in Allah and does good works, He will cause him to enter Paradise.” (Quran 65:11)
Ik: Haqq. Soebhan Allah.
Vreemdeling: Muslim community is dominated by Mullah and Ulama who preach Islam of their own version based on hadiths, fiqhs and masala-masail. Many Muslims also follow the Sufi teachings of dervish and shrine. The world is changing. This is time to return to Islam of the Quran.
Ik: I agree
Vreemdeling: Which translation of the Quran you read?
Ik: Marmaduke Pickthall Can be that i write the name not correct. Beautifull translation in English. It was my first Quran in 1977
Vreemdeling: Pretty good translation.
Ik: I have seen that sheikh Nazim was using this translation also in his earlier books. ‘Mercy Oceans’, my favorits. Teachings of sheikh Dagestani.
Vreemdeling: One translation is not adequate.
Ik: I know. Have always wanted to learn Arab language but I am too lazy. I Can read Quran in Arab without knowing the meaning.
I have some translations in Englisch and Dutch and they are all different.
Vreemdeling: The Quran was revealed in Arabic of 7th century.
Ik: Yes, that is even more complicated to learn
But the essence is important and our daily behavior.
Vreemdeling: Translators often hide the “real meanings” under their sleeves and follow the beaten track and trend. The practice
Ik: I agree… Moral goodness is important side by side with faith and practice.
Can you read Arabic Quran?
Vreemdeling: Yes.. I can
Ik: Also understand the original?
Vreemdeling: To some extent…
Ik: Thats very nice. May Allah bless you and your family
Vreemdeling: Are you Shaykh Nazim’s student?
Ik: I was but now I have distanciated myself from the murids and all forms of religion. Practice Islam though (prayers and fasting) but live like an anonymous muslim.I love sheikh Nazim and all awlya’s but I hate idolatry
Vreemdeling: To my mind, Islam is a way of looking at life. Islam is a social system. Islam is not priesthood. Islam is not theocracy dominated by priests.
Ik: Exactly. I was a believer from very small age and still are but I see bad things when religion becomes institutionalised
Vreemdeling: The Quran is a divine guidance for right conduct (2:2, 2:185).
Ik: Exactly. Quran is the guide for us
Vreemdeling: The Quran is a guide to good living. This is why moral goodness is important.
Ik: I agree with you. Find myself a little lonely but trust in Allah and I am thankfull to Allah.
Most important to me is that Allah shows the way. Quran is for everybody to read.
Dont need more.
Vreemdeling: ‘’And We have indeed made THE QURAN EASY TO BEAR IN MIND: then is there any that will take it into heart?’’ {Quran 54:17}
“Whoever [truly] BELIEVES in Allah, He guides his heart aright.”
– Quran 64:11
Ik: Haqq 😉
Vreemdeling: Why do you feel lonely?
Ik: Dont fit it any group. Was thinking before that maybe naqhsbandi is my family. But that was an illusion.
Me and my husband just do prayers together. Dont like go to zikr anymore neither mosque.
Many nonmuslims I feel as more close than muslims. I hate hypcrisia.
Vreemdeling: “I went to the West and saw Islam, but no Muslims; I got back to the East and saw Muslims, but not Islam.”   (Muhammad Abduh)
Ik: The prophet sws has said that mumin will be dispersed in the final days.
You can find good persons everywhere.
Vreemdeling: To be a good person, be mindful of moral goodness and respect human rights.
Ik: But not in a group. They are scattered like stars
Vreemdeling: To be a good person, be mindful of moral goodness and respect human rights.
Ik: Thats right. Not do damage to another person or being or plant.
Vreemdeling: To be a good person, faith and rituals are not enough. You have to have moral goodness and you have to respect human rights.
Ik: Yes, that is more important than prayers and big jellabas
It is nice that we agree 😉 We will do our best to be good, ok?
Vreemdeling: Majority of Muslims don’t study and don’t know what is there in the Quran. Majority of Muslims are taught extra-Quranic materails not to be found in the Quranic teachings. When asked about Quranic teachings, they say: We are not scholars, we don’t know, we follow the Ulama.
Ik: Yes it is a pity that people dont trust themselves to read the Quran and depend themselves on other people
Vreemdeling: I feel lonely, because I feel misfit for any group.
I fell sick with panic attack disorder 12 year ago, and it is persisting.
Ik: Dont feel bad. You are puting nice posts on facebook. More you cannot do.
Vreemdeling: Thank you, sister. Shabnam
Ik: Trust in Allah. He loves you and do not think of what other people think.
Vreemdeling: Do you know what does shabnam mean?
Ik: Yes, dewdrop
Vreemdeling: True.. Are you from Pakistan?
Ik: No, my first husband was from Peshawar. I am Dutch
Changed my name thinking it was a muslim name but finaly discovered that it wasnot 😉
But already changed name officially. Now I am stuck with the name 🙂
Vreemdeling: It is a beautiful name. There was a famous film heroine by the name of Shabnam ….:-) In Pakistan.
Ik: Yes, thats why the first husband gave me the name. It is just a name. I like it because a dewdrop is just shortlived like life itself.
Vreemdeling: In a ghazali I heard the stanza, “Life is shabnam on the wall of petal of the flower.
Ik: Exactly thats the meaning that I like. We are here just fot a while
Vreemdeling: Life is short, work is long…
Ik: Just as long as life. After there is no more work I suppose
Vreemdeling: I have heard in paradise there will be more work and we have to learn to work hard in this world. Paradise is not a place for the idlers.
Ik: Ok, I like to work. But I am not at all sure that I will go to paradise
Vreemdeling: “Whoever BELIEVES in Allah and DO GOOD WORKS, He will cause him to enter Paradise.” (Quran 65:11)
Ik: Then there is hope 😉
Vreemdeling: Yes…. I pray that Allah grant you paradise, aameen. You are a beautiful woman at heart.
Ik: Thank you but I have many faults too. Try always to be better after every fault. We are week. Depending on Allah for health and wellbeing.
Wish you the best. This was a nice conversation. Thank you. Go on being like you are! May Allah bless you. Aslmwlkm.
Vreemdeling: You are welcome. I wish you all the best. Walykum
En wat losse berichten van de vreemdeling:
Vreemdeling: SAY: “[Thus speaks God:] ‘O you servants of Mine who have transgressed against your own selves! Despair not of God’s mercy: behold, God forgives all sins – for, verily, He alone is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace!’” (Quran 39:53)
Ik: Beautifull and comforting
Vreemdeling: Despair not of God’s mercy!
Vreemdeling: What did actually the Prophet do? He started his peace mission with social reformation. He ensured that justice, equal opportunity, human rights are respected, protected and fulfilled, and for this he – along with his righteous companions – strove hard according to the teachings of the Quran (Q25:52).
Ik: Thank you for this comforting message. This night I was just pondering about the injustice and cruelty that prevails for many centuries in our world. This message gives me hope for better times to come. Allah likes us to be good to one another. There is no other way to get peace of mind.
Vreemdeling: Taqwa is right conduct and guarding against crime and corruption.
Ik: Yes 🙂
Vreemdeling: “You cannot be lonely if you like the person you’re alone with.” – Dr. Wayne Dyer
Vreemdeling: Today Muslims are guided by the Mullah/Ulama and they seek salvation through rituals like prayer, fasting, hajj, and don’t care about moral goodness, beneficence, compassion, human rights etc.
Ik: So true. The only thing to do is try to be good like Allah wants us to be. Jihad ul nafs.