"However, having said this, it is not true that Muslims are taught to curse Christians and Jews as they pray."

Ok, this really annoys me, because I never said they do curse anyone.

What I said is that the prayer, depending on how it is understood, taught, and interpreted, by different muslims around the world... promotes prejudice and pride.

It has been said by muslims themselves that the following line of surah

1:7 The path of those whom Thou hast favoured; Not the (path) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray.

that it is understood by muslims that 'those whom Thou hast favored' refers to muslims
'those who earn Thine anger' are the Jews
and 'those who are astray' are the Christians

To me this imparts a certain prejudice and pride in the muslim mind if it is truly understood to carry this meaning.  It is said that in the quran's used in Saudi Arabia [muslims], [Jews], and [Christians] are parenthetically, as I've shown here, included in the scripture.  It has also been said that this is an aberration.

I feel that those who earn God's wrath, and those who are astray can be any person of any religion in the world, as well as those whom He favors.  I believe only God can judge the true nature of a person and where his heart lies, and that putting the notion into the human mind to think that they know... to put labels on whole groups of people, is wrong.  Jesus made this point over, and over again, regarding the Pharisees.

The reason I bother to post is to hear from muslims themselves what these verses mean to them... so they can dispel concern, and to raise awareness on their parts of what their scriptures can mean, or can be interpreted to mean, and are interpreted to mean, in some parts of the world.

If I had time to go back through notes, or to redo research, I could provide sources.  I do know that it was muslims themselves who shared the information seeking to provide enlightenment to those who do not know, or as they put it 'are in ignorance'.  It is easy enough to research for ones self. 
I am not saying that I interpret the verse of surah 1 that is prayed 5 times a day this way.  What I do is question the impact that saying this 5 times a day has on the mind of the one saying it.  It depends on what meaning it has for the one saying it, does it not?  It depends on what meaning it has been taught to have, does it not?  It has different meaning to different muslims depending on how they have been taught.  This is what I understand, and so I also question the requirement of saying it 5 times a day, and the impact of that.

If someone wishes to explain the verse to me in an acceptable way, here they have a forum to do that.  Not to just dispute, but to share with me their feelings about how it can be interpreted and whether or not they themselves take it to have such meaning.
Dispel my concerns.
If they can tell to me that this prayer, this scripture, can mean the same to them as it means to me...

Salaam,
CH

addendum:

"to the unbelievers among them..." surah 4:161 and 162

"But those steeped in knowledge, as also the believers among them, believe what was revealed to you and what was revealed before you..."
... those who pray, those who pay alms, those who believe in God and the last day...

-- These were believers whether or not they believed in Muhammad, and they were acknowledged as being among the Jews.  Believers and unbelievers among the Jews, just as there are believers and unbelievers amongst every faith, muslims included.
The word of Muhammad is confused and confusing... shifting.  This is why I do not accept Muhammad as prophet of God.  I think that Muhammad was confused and did not understand the word being given to him.
Muhammad was confused about God's Word... the scriptures.


Edited by Caringheart - 28 December 2012 at 8:21pm

Greetings Nausheen,

I just saw this other post by you.
Can I just refer you to what I wrote to TG above?   I think I may have covered your question there.

Salaam,
Caringheart

I just came across this written right here on this forum by a muslim on the forum;

    "The Jews have earned the wrath of Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala because of their rejection of Jesus (Alayhi Salaam) as the Messsiah, and the Christians are astray because they teach the concept of the Holy Trinity which is polytheism."

Is this not prejudice promoted?  To say that ALL Jews have earned the wrath of God?  Jews in history, by their behavior, have at times suffered the wrath of God...
and all 'Christians'... all people who follow and believe in Jesus... do not believe in the Trinity, and even when they do, they believe that the three are the One.  This is not polytheism.  So is it right to say they are astray?
Is it right for anyone to promote the idea that all Jews and 'Christians' are condemned?


Edited by Caringheart - 28 December 2012 at 11:41am

Promotion of pride(and unequality) in Islam

3:110

You are the best of peoples...

and does not the following promote prejudice?

Edited by Caringheart - 07 January 2013 at 9:45pm

Allah (SWT) did not mean ALL Jews and Christians.

JEWISH / CHRISTIAN ALLIANCE IN ISLAM - SHEIKH IMRAN HOSEIN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eslpGkSpZU

"It should be clear that the Qur’an has prohibited Muslims from maintaining friendly ties with only that Judeo-Christian alliance and not with all Christians and all Jews."
http://www.imranhosein.org/articles/understanding-islam/73-neither-friends-nor-allies.html


Edited by Rational - 08 January 2013 at 2:50am