What is the difference being born as a muslim as oppose to becoming a muslim and having to learn the rituals.?

Question

I am working on a anthro paper and am desperate for peoples take on this topic. How is it different from being born into islam as oppose to converting to islam and having to learn the rituals and traditions of it. Are there any type of distinction between the two. If i was to convert what would i have to learn that a muslim person would already know?

Answer 1

The differences between born muslim and new converted muslim (mu'alaf) are:
1)Born muslim is no need to vow but mu'alaf should first vow in front of an imam (religion leader) and other witnesses by saying "ashafdu allah la illah ha ilallah,wa asyhadu anna Muhammadar rasulullah"(I witnees that no other God than Allah and Muhammad pbuh is the messenger of Allah).
2)Born muslim knows everyday rituals as a compulsary by following his/her parents practices,but mu'alaf should learn hard how to make a daily rituals such as how to practise a wudhu (washing parts of the body for cleaning before praying),how to pray at least 5 times a day what surah in the Qur'an should be read,how many bows,how to use clothes for praying etc
3)Born muslim can read Qur'an fluently in arabic language although maybe he/she does not know its meaning in his/her own language because he/she has taken a Qur'an course since 5 or 6 year old.Mu'alaf should learn the sound of arabic alphabets and how to read Qur'an verse by verse.
4)Born muslim is usually fasting in Ra,madhan a full month because he practise it since very young 6 year old and above.Mu'alaf has no habit like that so he/she should learn hard how to start of fasting.
5)Born muslim knows all traditions of muslim when celebrate the islamic holidays in line with islamic calendar such as Iedl fitri,iedl adha and the new year of Islam Muharram 1 and how is the qualification for haj pilgrims.Mu'alaf should learn it well because he/she do not know at all.
But mu'alaf usually learn islamic teaching seriously so in the short time he/she will know it better than the born muslim.
By studyindg Qur'an and its translation you will know how complete and logic are the contents of Qur'an (20 chapters,114 surah/letters and 6..236 verses).Qur'an as muslim life guide given by God should be practised and obeyed in our daily lives if we want a happy and safety life on this earth and in the life after death..In the Qur'an we can learn what is sin,what is haram(not allowed) foods and drinks ,who can be married and can not be married (muhrim),how to divide inheritance,what kind of people will go to heaven and to hell,what should be taxed,how is the law of war,how to be a good guest and a good parents etc.
A mu'alaf (new comer of muslim) in line with hadith all of his/hrer sins before converting his/her religion to Islam will be forgiven by God.So he/she is sinless like a new born baby.
His/her sin will be counted since he/she becomes a muslim or muslima (muslim woman).The sin of born muslim will be counted since he/she has grown up.

Answer 2

Islam believes that every person is born a Muslim, and the child's parents make him a Jew/chrsitian/hindu etc.
a study conducted on the Australian aborogines proved that they worshipped only one God, without images. hey were Muslim in everyhting except name. Thus, as long as a person does not come into contact of humans, he will grow up worshiping his true Creator.Thus, a person who becomes Muslim is called a "revert", not a convert.

Its sad that a few Muslims today dont know much about their religion. Howwver, many reverts amass alot of knowedge and become great scholars. Those who revert to Islam do so because they believe islam to be the Truth and not because they were born in muslim family. Alot have the courage to do a great many things that lay men dont have. Reverts may have to learn alot of rituals like prayer, reading Quran, etc, but I believe that due to their inner strengtth, courage, will power and determination, they get to where they want usually faster than others.

There is no real difference once a person becomes a Muslim, except on account of piety.
God says in the Quran:
The best of you in the sight of God is one who is God fearing.

Prophet Muhammad said"God does not look at your faces and bodies; He looks at your hearts and deeds"
He also said :A non arab is not superior to an arab nor a white superior to a black or a black superior to a white..It is only on the basis of piety that God judges.

Answer 3

Sister, most, but not all born Muslims practice Islam.

On the other hand, you would find that almost all converts practice the religion. They have "surrendered" their will to God, have accepted that the message provides a path to the truth and have converted to practice the religion.

Having said that, unless the converts know how to speak Arabic before conversion, they usually learn it after conversion so that they can fully absorb the language and meaning of the Qur'an.

I've met many Muslims in my life, and they all have facinating stories about their conversion. I always enjoy asking them about it.

Answer 4

Islam forces all those born into their families to be Muslim. They are not allowed to change their religion as it will be considered 'high treason' and punishable by death or execution (in some cases, by their own family members).

There was a recent case in a Muslim country where a 'born-Muslim' became a Christian, and wanted to change her status from Muslim to Christian - she took the matter to the nation's High Court, but in spite of her courage to stand up for her rights to choose her own religion, she lost her case. She was 'born a Muslim' so she must 'die a Muslim,' they said.

Answer 5

First of all, Islam teaches that everyone is born Muslim.

Islam teaches that human nature is basically pure, that human beings are born in a state of purity and closeness to God, but are led astray by demonic influences and the evils of human society. The purpose of the practice of Islam is to return human beings to the state of original purity which is our birthright. This state of purity is called "fitrat al-Islam", which means "the natural state of pure submission to God."
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Regarding statements made by Ruchjat A

Plenty of "born" Muslims do not pray at all. Have you ever been to salat-al-Jumaa in a mosque in Egypt? Some of them, you could fire a cannon through without hitting anyone!

The vast majority (90%) of the world's Muslims are not Arabic speakers, and, of course, more than 89% of these were born into Muslim families. Non-Arabs have to study Arabic to learn to recite Qur'an and to understand it, whether they were raised Muslim or not. Even Arabic speakers have to study classical, Qur'anic Arabic in order to understand the Qur'an. It's as different from modern Arabic as Shakespearean English is from modern English. Maybe more different, considering the differences in topics.

Native Arabic speakers also have to study Qur'anic Arabic in order to understand it properly, and consider this to be very challenging.

Many people who are born into Muslim families confuse non-Islamic practices with Islamic ones, or follow cultural practices inconsistent with actual Islam as taught by Prophet Muhammad, God bless him and grant him peace. Reverts, who learn the religion from the ground up, are free of such non-Islamic cultural practices, unless born Muslims teach them to them.

If you visit Makkah and Madinah, you will see people from Muslim families, of all nationalities, doing all kinds of things that have no basis in Islam. In fact, many people with such backgrounds have never read the Holy Qur'an, or do not understand it if they do. They can read the Arabic letters but don't understand the meanings.

Everyone, born into a Muslim family or not, has to make a conscious decision to be Muslim, and has to study the religion throughout his or her life.

Answer 6

You cannot be born Muslim anymore than you can be born Christian. You can be born INTO a Muslim family, but you still choose to follow the religion.

As to your HW assignment, I can't help you. I hated Anthropology.

Answer 7

you are going to get a C