Hi

[josh]

Hi, I'm Josh. I'm a Christian looking to learn a little bit about Islam. I do have a few questions if someone doesn't mind answering.

How does the Quran compare to the Bible? What things are similar/different? (I suppose that's kind of a big question...)

I know that Islamic thinkers came up with the Kalām cosmological argument for the existence of god. But, taking it further, why would a person choose Islam over another religion?

Also, how can I be respectful on the forum? Are there any inadvertent offenses I should avoid?

[Yahya Sulaiman]

I'll leave the mods to answer your third question but the answer to the first is here (http://www.xyapx.com/ziggyzag/faqfromchristians.php). The second question seems to be a non-sequitur (what does the kalam have to do with anything?) but some of the many answers can be found here (http://www.xyapx.com/ziggyzag/introductiontothekoran.php), here (http://www.xyapx.com/ziggyzag/processofeliminationproveskoransinspiration.php), and here (http://www.xyapx.com/ziggyzag/comparisonof7storiesinbibleandkoran.php).

[Sadiq_b]

Hi, I'm Josh. I'm a Christian looking to learn a little bit about Islam. I do have a few questions if someone doesn't mind answering.

Hi Josh.

Firstly Welcome to the forum and thanks for joining. It always feels very nice when someone asks questions based on genuine interest. You are most welcome to ask anything you want. I will provide brief answers to your questions. I recommend you can use search which will throw a lot of past threads and debates where most of the things you want to know would be answered. If you really want to spend some time to understand what Islam is, I highly recommend the book THE VISION OF ISLAM (1 (http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=65467429), 2 (http://www.amazon.com/Vision-Visions-Reality-William-Chittick/dp/1557785163)) by Sachiko Murata and William C. Chittick


How does the Quran compare to the Bible? What things are similar/different? (I suppose that's kind of a big question...)

Hmmm. For starters, the Quran is the direct discourse from God speaking to mankind while the Bible consists of third party narrations. Apart from this you will find that often even though the Quran is speaking about people and events mentioned in the Bible, the version in the Quran differes starkly from the Bible. For instance, as per the Quran, the eating of the forbidden fruit by Adam was a "slip" and God immediately forgave him. Mankind's stay on earth was predetermined and not meant as a punishment for Adam and Eve. I presume you know the original sin story of Bible. This is a small example, if you read the Quran (I recommend, Yusuf Ali's translation or the translation by Sahih International) you can spot the many differences.


I know that Islamic thinkers came up with the Kalām cosmological argument for the existence of god. But, taking it further, why would a person choose Islam over another religion?
I am not sure what you mean by the cosmological argument. Perhaps you can elaborate.

Why a person would choose Islam is a very subjective question and perhaps each individual's answer can be different. I would say because the religion of Islam presents a philosophy that does not contradict with what we observe in the world or our common sense and it provides an affirmation to our inherent human nature's beliefs. The philosophy of Islam, if you go back to the original sources and time period in history when it was revealed ignoring the various historical and scholarly outgrowth, presents a very simple concept. That there is one God who is the source of all creation and he has created mankind as his representative on earth for the purpose of growing through experience into righteous individuals. The guidance is presented in the Quran as to what is right and you will find yourself in agreement with the Quran's definition of righteousness. To assist mankind is achieving this goal, there are the five pillars of Islam.


Also, how can I be respectful on the forum? Are there any inadvertent offenses I should avoid?

We say Assalam Alaykum to each other, when greeting each other. It translates to peace be with you. Generally you will find muslims will react favorably if you greet them like this. They may even assume you are muslim. :) Also, reading your first post, I have faith that your intentions of seeking knowledge are sincere and I am sure you will be just fine here. :)

Regards

[PouringRain]

Welcome to the forum. :welcome:

[Upright]

Assalamu alaikum Josh!

Keep your eyes open and your mind aware of the direction of most discussions here, with the intention of learning, and surely you won't fail by the mercy of God. Definitely start looking for parallels in the bible and the Qur'an. The language is different but the truth is essentially the same.

May God bless you!

[josh]

Thanks for your welcoming and replies, you guys are really on this, lol. Very helpful. I'm looking forward to taking a look around!