From: eoahmad@ntu.ac.sg (Othman Ahmad)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: <no subject>
Date: 8 Nov 1992 20:48:53 GMT
Organization: Nanyang Technological University - Singapore
Reply-To: eoahmad@ntu.ac.sg (Othman Ahmad)
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SUPRATIC GUPTA (f43703a@nucc.cc.nagoya-u.ac.jp) wrote:
: Can any one tell me where it is writen in Quran that a 
: Muslim cannot convert to other religion? Can any one
: enlighten me why (Some wrote so) that all muslims should
: kill a person who has come in and out of Islam 3 times?
: Is it written in Quran?

I have not met those verses yet but I've read some references of apostates
being executed in hadith but the circumstances were different. It was 
mocking Islam in the thick of war.

: 
: How do a person become Islamic????

Just believe sincerely that
"there is no god but Allah", and
"muhammad is a messenger of god".

: 
: If your son doesnot say that he is your son, then does
: it mean that he not your son. Just because some one
: doesnot beleave that Mohamad is a Prophet, still follow
: every thing he said is a non-muslim. I know that this is
: written so in Quran (Obviously because Mohamad conved it)

I have read a lot of verses of the quran, I do not recall reading this.
But I do know that there are a lot of muslims even before muhammad is born.

But there is a class of muslims called followers of muhammad. 
>From my understanding, there are believers of god(muslims) who are recognised
as eligible to go to heaven, such as followers of Isa, Musa, and countless
other prophets(nabis) and messengers(rasuls).

The current definition of muslim is the follower of Muhammad. How can you be
a follower if you do not even believe he is a prophet?

I do not really understand what you mean by
 still follow every thing he said ,
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
If you really" follow everything he said , then you surely believe that he is
a prophet, otherwise why should you follow.

Let me attempt to predict what I think you try to mean:

"Someone can do whatever is put down in the messages of Prophet MUhammad,
and yet he is still not considered to go to heaven",

To answer that, I just mention that the quran recognises that there are other
prophets apart from those mentioned in the quran.
	I rarely hear saying from muslims that to go to heaven you must be
a muslim, because we are strongly forbidden to say that, it is all UP TO GOD.
ALLAH can do what HE PLEASES.

	THE ONLY emphasis is that by being a muslim, it is so much easier,
especially with the guidance and support of Prophet MUhammad. 


: Can just one sentence of mouth be make so different to
: God. Do you really beleave that God will send me to hell
: just Because I said that I don't care to know if Mohamad is
: a prophet or not. Please note that I had never said Mohamad
: is not a Prophet. I said I don't care. But I fully respect
: him. I follow all his words. What a funny thing. Still I
: am not a muslim. 
: 
: How do any one really convert to a MUSLIM. Just by words.
: Hold a sword, make him say that he believes so. Then again
: hold a sword to say the reverse. So he has converted 3 times.
: Then Kill him???????
Then the killer deserves to be executed.
Conversion is up to god not up to humans.
There is no compulsion in religion.
 I do not understand why you miss this very important facts.
 If you do not even recall this simple statement, you are not interested
 in the TRUTH, rather to believe YOUSELF.
	How could by just words imply that you have concented? It must come
from your heart. You do not have to say it to anyone just believe that
"there is no god but Allah". Then you are saved somehow at least for the
moment that you believe this phrase.
	Why do you think muslims say this phrase thousands of times in their
lives.

If you really want to know the truth, then you'd better find out more. The
most practical one is to study the quran and phrases of Prophet MUhammad.
If you believe in the quran, then you'll know that MUhammad is just one of
the prophets, and he does not convey anything new, just to straighten things up.	The next step will be to believe that
"muhammad is a messenger of god". 
As to whether you'll go to heaven or not, it is up to your furhter actions,
to reinforce your "beliefs". SAying it is only the very first step, not the
only step.
--
Othman bin Ahmad, School of EEE,
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 2263.
Internet Email: eoahmad@ntuix.ntu.ac.sg
Bitnet Email: eoahmad@ntuvax.bitnet