Converting to Islam for the sake of marriage

Oh, and to answer your question. I do not think ANYONE should change their religion for someone else. I think it is an insult to God, even if you are changing to the "right" religion, because you aren't doing so for God, but for man. The real question here, for the Hindu, what is more important: gods or man?

Well said murderistic. To change one's religion- I believe religion is chosen at birth, in that God places where you ought to learn the best. To change that would be the worst way to insult. This idea of cahnging one's faith is mere act of subjugating one's soul to Man instead the All-Knowing God.So, IMO the Hindu girl must desist from what the Qur'An says and leave the Muslim boy alone.

hmm.. i agree with you. Conversion should be done only for the sake of God and not for any other reason. but why do such rules exist? after all, we all are human beings. we should be allowed to mingle together irrespective of what our faiths are. we should have the freedom to follow our faith and lead life according to our wishes.

'because in the after life just being a Muslim (even by name) can put you a lot ahead of others.’…that’s what you believe and your observations here are typically of a conservative religious bigot…we and our religion (Islam) are the best and all others are inferior us, so come and join the bandwagon and be alleviated directly to heaven!or else, rot in Hell.

Your comment is exactly what I meant when I was trying to explain that when you consider eternity these small matters (like you getting a bit angry and criticizing me) won't matter and at that time you won't be what you are now so may be you would be thankful even that you made that choice which at that time you were regretting. But I did say that's it's better (in fact 1000 times better) if she first understands and then converts. Actually I'm sorry to have said that because even if I would have not been a Muslim I wouldn't understand this.

Sudipta We've got it from the horse's mouth. Cheers! Fizanali Can I ask you a few simple questions? What kind of hypocrisy is this, that you allow men from your religion to marry outwards, and not the women? Your explanation that you're trying to attract others to your fold is utterly absurd, if you don't mind. Who on the earth proved out to you that only when you convert to Islam, you become a happy person? Really, is it true that every Muslim is happier than their counterparts in other religions? I can easily proclaim that Indians (Hindus) are the happiest through somewhat crazy are the happiest in the world (Read some surveys if possible)In any case that's not easily inferable. So how did you jump such an incongrous conclusion? Do you see the psyche it generates? It's exactly what Sudipta is alleging. It indeed is a ploy to make the whole world Islamic. Whether Islam is right or wrong is not the question here. The question is, why do you fall short of acknowledging the positive features of other religions, which definitely are aplenty compared to Islam. Now I know, even you'd ask how I jumped to this conclusion. Well, it is quite obvious. Please go through some history notes, some current real articles and some responses of users like Sudipta and I amongst many others have generated.

Although Islam do not force to convert, I think in Qur'an imply when married other religion should be converted to Islam. Why they must be converted? If they are not converted, probably it's difficult to determine where they should be married, is it in church or mosque?

Though what you say is very nice but we have to realize that we cannot always make things up like this because our heart says it is right. You say of proof then Islam is the only religion which also has proof in the Quran. Like how can the Quran from 1400 yrs back tell us about the Big Bang theory which has only been proved now in the past 40-50 years even in the 1940 s great scientists like Albert Einstein did not believe this theory. How can the Quran tell about Black holes, Quasars and the internal sea waves in the depth of the oceans ? All these things have only just been discovered by man using high end technology but the Quran tells it 1400 years ago. How can no one ever finds a single mistake in the Holy Quran (which he can prove !) while lots of mistakes have been found in other scriptures including the Bible ! Look we need to open our eyes to the truth and not run away from it. Why do you keep insisting that other religions should not be criticized and that it shouldn't be discussed ? We can't close our eyes and accept that every religion is right because doing that won't make it right and God will do what he has planned. You have to be more bold and open minded in your approach to religion because this is our eternal life at sake. I don't even care if you think I'm being harsh or insulting because I know that you may criticize me now but when the time comes these small matters of personal hatred won't matter any more either to you or me. Just for once watch peace TV or/and read the Quran .

You have obviously not read our Scriptures -The Vedas [and they are more tha 6000 years old!).Because you haven't read the Vedas at least in translation which would be impoverished any way. That is why you say that the very so many details are there in the Qur'An. You talk of errors in The Bible- I would say look at it with Love and as coming from Someone who has heard the call of The Lord, you wouldn't see those errors!Further [B]all[/B Scriptural language would be too diffuse and nebulous that it could be interpreted in anyway. The one thing, if at all, that could have been done in respect of Christianity is that there must have been a chosen language of expression- it may be Armaic, it may be Hebrew- somewhere the oringinal texts should have been preserved zealously- a fact which is common to the Sanatana Dharma as well as Islam! Vedic Sanskrit (different from the one used in the Classics or in the modern day) and Old Arabic (different from the one in common use today) have been the hallowed languages in which the original Scriptures have been preserved. The Bible has been translated into ever so many languages- and several people - Constantine for instance- have been allowed to "reissue" the Scripture. In Hinduism - The Vedas are sacrosanct as to the language, the sequence and intonations of the words... nothing can be and should be changed! This is because if idiot doesn't understand, at least the Scripture remains uncorrupted for some better prepared soul to take a fresh look at it. Once when I was in my college I had a debate with my classmate. The subject turned to "great" concepts being talked about in the Scriptures - the subject of discussions were The Vedas only. This friend of mine is a Christian - He wasn't claiming anything was avilable in The Bible. Since we were quite good frienda, we were discussing the pleasant and unpleasant things about our respective religions.The unpleasnt things being pointed by the "other" party. At that time he made a very sensible statement like an educated (we are both Engg Students)Indian, "You don't go about claiming the existence of all the currently outpouring knowledge in the Scriptures- in that particular discussion - The Vedas!!!""Why is it that always after the discovery of an idea is announced that you come up saying that this concept is there in The Vedas, or that is there? Lemme throw a challenge to you. Bring out one -just one- idea from The Scripture way ahead of the Scientists unraveliing it, I will take it that The Vedas alone are the true repository of All knowledge as you claim!" That was one of the most sensible things that was said to me in a debate. Being a scientifically trained person, I had no other alternative than to go silent. Ever since his "right" questioning I have been motivated to go into a deep study of The Vedas- in the spirit of the challenge he has thrown me.[B] It has become my Life's Mission.[/B] And the beauty of it all is despite his being a devout Christian he wasn't looking at The Vedas or any of the so called Scrptures that I was talking about as a Religious Scripture! He was looking at them as his common heritage as an Indian!!! We want the tribe of such people to increase in India. Now I have a lot of Muslim friends. A discussion of the type I had with this gentleman, could not have even been imagined with them. No questioning of the statements in the Holy Qur'An is allowed in Islam. How can then a Scientific stance be even considered? The fundamental principle of Science is the necessity and freedom to question. It is to be understood that in any religion, mark my words, in any religion, one is required to fit in our "Logic" I mean, bend Logic to match the Scripture. A true allegiance to Scripture in any religion demands this. Further the unique feature of Hinduism is that ( hence of all the common cradle religions like Buddhism,Jainism and Sikhism) we are allowed to question, debate, counter-argue and accept a statement of truth only on and after personal experience. The greatest Seers(of The Vedas or the other Secondary or Tertiary Scriptures) had this humility to ask every follower of the religion to follow one's personal testimony in the ultimate and to use The Scripture as the First Guide and The Last Authority.The Scriptural testimony is no doubt the final authority. But no conviction is complete until it is made a part of one's own experience. That is the way Freedom of Thought is respected in the Hindu religion. This is a scientific stance. In all my discussions with my friend quoted above my objection to other religions was with regard to their obsession with proselytization only- i.e. the desire to and instruction to convert others to their point of view, saying that it is the one and only greatest truth. We are taught in our religion which is popularly known as Hinduism- but ask a follower who understands it, he would only use the term Sanatana Dharma - to respect the "concepts" enshrined in any other religion.That is why the term used for religion in Sanskrit is "mata" (= opinion) So, in sum all I want to say is if there is a Greatest and Final Truth it is ever going to remain hidden from the gaze of all but a few - such people to whom it becomes visible are only called Prophets and we from HBJS use the term Seer! Even the Seer will much less be able to put it in words of our ordinary finite-meaning words. The Final Truth can only be experienced.Commit it to language and you have already tarnished it!

I am sorry I wasn't wanting to make everything BOLD only some parts of it, for emphasis. In all the other blog sites I do there is an edit feature to correct submissions. MyLot doesn't have that!

i think this is very sane advice. i will definitly bring up this whole discussion to her notice. when i started this discussion, i never ever imagined that it would rise to such levels... i do agree with you as to the 'freedom' that Hindu's enjoy in life. if the girl is brought up on such a freedom, she may find it claustrophobic in her 'converted' environment. thank you for this enlightning response. i hope this helps her in choosing a right path.

I agree with Gadhisunu here that there would be lot of disturbances if the Hindu girl marries the Muslim boy without conversion to Islam from the heart but I would ask that does the girl love the whole boy or just his face. If she loves him as a whole then she should also love Islam as it is the major part of his character, so she should at least take interest in Islam and then decide whether she can accept it or not. If she can't accept Islam then there would always be a huge gap between the thinking of the two and the marriage would not be much successful.

There! Fizan, you have made an excellent observation now. Yeah, if the love is total taking everything into account then there is something to think about. Ultimately the decision to take the plunge is the girl's and her family's prerogative.

I am sorry if I have offended mbahdien but India has a very big Islamic population and I have seen nothing peaceful about them. They maybe peaceful but only within their own religion, their own fraternity. Every time something bad happens, Muslims here come and say that the perpetrators are not true Muslims, they don’t know their religion well, Islam doest not preach violence and so on…so where are the true Muslims? And what are these people then, false Muslims? Then why doesn’t their community ostracize them? In the case I mentioned, the decision to behead the man was taken after consultation with village elders and the qazi and it was given religious legality to make it more acceptable. Personally I think Islam is inherently violent. For one, it was born and consolidated in violent times among violent people. Secondly, the way they continue with their sacrificial ritual even today, the slow killing of animals where each member goes and slashes the animal’s throat with a razor (even small boys are egged on to go ahead and do so), the sight of blood spurting out and getting habituated to it…it has to instill a sense of violence from the very childhood. Thirdly, flagellation in the name of partaking in grief…another violent way of expressing religion. Fourth, Muslims never attack unless attacked…OK, but the attack and kill part is there nonetheless. No other religion I know of says to go and attack in the name of defending the religion. And we all know how easy it is to interpret ‘attack’ to suit personal purposes. So say what my Muslims friends will say, I have a very firm belief that Islam is inherently violent.

i think we are going off track now. each religion is special and unique to its followers. i honestly feel that with a 'live and let live' policy, we sure can make this world a better place to live in. as for the two lovers, i pray that their predicament end in a happy way as soon as possible and they are able to find solutions to their problems. because if their love is true, then i believe that God is definitly with them.

Sudipta, I 'm so sorry to know about The Story Of one Killed, According to Islam No Punishment in This Situation, But All The Community Can Do According to the Islamic Laws Is to Consider The Marriage as invalid and Put an End to The marriage not Boy. another Point is in The Common sense when I want to marry a Girl I consider it a Must to be Introduced to Her Family and to insure That the Marriage is approved By Her Family, and Since you said That The Guy Married Her without informing the girl's family back home. In My Opinion There is two Mistakes accrued in This sad story: The First is That The Guy Married Her without informing the girl's family. and The Second is That the girl's family are some Zealots, and They didn't represent Islam Here, They Acted Like The Hindu Zealots Which are always ready to Burn Muslim and Christian Families Alive Just Because of a Rumor as it repeatedly Happened in Your Country. I don't know Why you were injustice when you applied this Crime to Islam, and I condemn Your sentence Can you imagine what a cruel heartless religion this is. One should Get Mature enough to Differentiate Between what is Religion and What Cultural and Other Factors, Don't Let Your Hate speak Of you. Be reasonable There is no one will Believe you in Your Views That God Created Some peaceful People Called the Hindus while Others are not peaceful.

well, each religion has its own views and i guess we have to respect them. But it is a shame when incidents like what you said happen on the name of religion. i am sure god(whatever the religion be), stands for love and not hatered or violence. No holy book preaches or encourages such mindless acts. It is the people or followers of religions who choose to intrepret it as they like or wish to. what ever, it is indeed sad that such incidents occur at this age too. I wish people would just live their own lives and respect other's too.

At least among the Hindus, Sir, fundamentalists are a very recent development, and in response and as a backlash to, the continued onslaught on this most peaceable religion. So, referring to the "Hindu zealots" is blowing a microscopic new phenomenon out of proportions and placing it in the same class as terrorist groups operating, giving headache to everyone in the world, unleashing low intensity wars, shows more religious zealotry. Please take a hard look at history;it is India that didn't attack any country. The Indian(Hindu/Buddhist[!?!]) kings of the past have either tried to consolidate political power for keeping the country united under one culture or to defend against external attack like King Purushottam ( a very honorable man) did half-successfully to repulse the attacks of the Greek conqueror Alexander, or the attack of the barbaric Huns. Wherever a religion from India has spread, it has spread as an intellectual/cultural exchange. Fahien and Huen Tsang came to India to study and take Buddhism, to their country. It at the request of the people in China that Padmasambhava, went on to settle there. What Sudipta has referred to is not a lone example. If at all there are any instances of such things[like killing the person who has married one of their ilk] not happening it might be in higher echelons of Muslims where sophistication due to education, or the general tolerance that [B]might[/B] show up due to a wealthy disposition, might be possible.You can take the example of cine actors and the like who have inter-married living in reasonable peace. But by and large, Hindus in India are aware of the lurking dangers in such an exercise.