Hi,
I have been lurking around this forum for quite some time now, thought I should register and share my story, how and why I turned away from Islam and became an Agnostic.
I belong to the worst part of the world called Pakistan, Where you can easily get beheaded if you claim apostasy, So I plan to keep myself closet agnostic until if I move to some secular country.
I belong to a religious family, although my father is a little open minded, but my mother observe 5 time prayer, though she does not enforce me to pray, but seldom suggest me to, but she is very strict on Fasting, which made me to pretend fasting this Ramadan.
At first I believed in everything what Mullahs told me, even that we will have face market in Heaven, you choose the face you wish to put on you. I thought that Islam is a complete religion with the Hadith and Quran since my childhood. At the age of 19 I started reading hadith books and Quran with Translation. After I started reading the hadiths, I was astonished with the amount of barbaric, unscientific and contradicting hadiths. Discussions with other Muslims convinced me that I should only accept those hadiths that do not contradict Quran and are Shih Muslim and Bukhari Hadiths. I was still confused with Hadiths where Muhammad suggested that we should drink Camel urine if we are sick, I could not buy that, also the stoning to death punishment for adulterers, and that a prayer is nullified if a dog or a Woman passes in front of you, and that prophet married 9 year old girl. Scientific errors included “Adam was a 90 foot giant”, “The sun goes under Allah's chair”, “The moon has light”, “No one knows when it will rain” and many other. Based on this, I rejected all the hadiths because if a part of a book is in error, you don’t know if the other part is correct, and became a Quran only Muslim, My belief was Quran is the Islam, as its mentioned in Quran that it’s a complete book and you should not believe other books. By doing that a hell lot of Questions arose, first you can’t practice Islam without the help of Hadiths, everyone around me questioned, how will you offer Salat (Contact Prayer)? , My focus was also diverted on a verse which says Obey God and Obey Messenger, and that obeying Messenger is obeying God. I thought how can I obey Messenger if he is dead, He can’t give orders anymore, so does this mean that Hadiths are really correct? , I still rejected Hadiths, but this question haunted me for 6 Years. I kept on reading the Quran, saw dozens of Harun Yahya videos on scientific accuracy in Quran, and whole heartedly believed that this is truly the book of God.
Except 5 time prayers I tried my best to act upon all the commands, I never touched a woman, I never touched alcohol, I fasted regularly, offered Friday prayers regularly, also encouraged others to read Quran with translation and understand its meaning, I was reading Quran daily and watched videos of scholars such as Zakir Naik who emphasize on Quran mostly.
While reading Quran I came across many verses which are taboo, even in current Muslim society. There were rules for Slavery, and it completely blew my mind that, GOD Allow Slavery ? , but I kept my mouth shut and said this is the will of the God, deal with it, and continued reading Quran. At the start of this year I came across many verses which said that you can have sex with your wife and what your right hand possesses (Slaves). I was like; What the hell? I can have sex slaves ? I was never told about this by any scholar or Mullah, they never mention such hidden secrets of Quran. I questioned about this with my parents that why does Quran allow Sex Slaves? Although I did not use the exact words, but she understood me. But it seems she do not have knowledge of this herself, she said no you have misunderstood the verse. But on investigating further it was cleared that it does mean sex Slave and its mentioned in many verses. At this stage I went into deep depression and was thinking about suicide all the time, as the religion which I worshipped my whole life is not the religion I assumed. But still I was sure that this is a Book from God, as it is proved that it contained many scientific miracles, science facts which could only have been known recently.
I am a man but, Women rights are always second in Quran, but still Mullahs claim Quran gave rights to women. Quran is actually very unfair to women, examples are;
1. A male gets a double share of the inheritance over that of a female. Quran: 4:11
2. Husband is allowed to beat women if they disobey. Quran: 4:34 and 38:44
3. You can have female sex slaves but not male sex slaves. Quran: 4:24 and many other verses.
4. Man get virgins in Heaven, but Women get nothing ?
5. Women should cover themselves but man shouldn’t except from private parts.
6. Men are above women, Quran: 2:228
7. 4 Wives, but not 4 Husbands. Quran: 4:3
8. Menstruation is an illness. Quran: 2:222
9. Wives are field to plow ? Quran: 2:223
10. Lewd women are to be confined to their houses until death. Quran: 4:15
11. Exchanging Wives, AKA Wife swapping but no Husband swapping ? Quran: 4:20
Okay, I just remembered I can’t put all the hundred verses I have in mind here; that would make my story too long
, the above verses are just plain disgusting.
Now I was sure there is something seriously wrong with this book. But still second thoughts kicked in, what about all those scientific miracles?
It was time to start investigating all those scientific verses which I believed as miracles.
I was amazed how much astronomy was mentioned in Quran, but investigating a few verses quickly uncovered the fraud.
Embryology: Mullah videos claim that the actual stages of baby in a womb is bones first, then flesh according to Quran which have been proved by science; but in Actual, bones and flesh develop simultaneously.
Sun Orbit: The sun sets in the murky water, but Mullahs say its pictured as Zul-qarnain! Saw, but not in actual. Okay fine, we will talk about this later, I need to discuss other verses to prove this one.
It has been mentioned in many verses that earth is spread out like a carpet, but Mullahs claim that it say earth is Egg shaped, and not any egg but ostrich egg. First of all, ostrich egg is no way like the shape of the earth, I have seen many ostrich eggs, they are more like an oval while earth is almost a perfect sphere. Previously the 79:30 was translated like; And after that He spread the earth, (Pickthall). But now its translated as “He made the earth egg-shaped.” The word in question is the verb (dahâ). This verb comes from the tri-literal root d-h-w, and it appears in the Quran in relation to the Earth, this word conveys one concept in the Arabic language: that of “spreading, leveling, flattening, and smoothing out” With respect to this word’s association with eggs, it is as follows:
Due to the fact that the word conveys the meaning of “spreading, leveling, flattening, and smoothing out”, the Arabs named the place where an ostrich incubates and hatches its egg an "udhiyy". This is a hollow pit in the ground around 30 to 60 centimeters deep. The Arabic word for this shallow depression is derived from the triliteral root d-h-w – the same etymological root as the verb dahâ. The reason for this is that the ostrich spreads out and flattens this area with its legs before laying its egg in it. The ostrich uses neither a nest nor a burrow for its eggs. From this, we must understand that the word is not used for the egg itself but rather for the flattened depression where the ostrich deposits its egg. Also Quran proves that earth is flat by placing mountains as pegs to stop it from shaking similar to placing pins on a paper. No scientist claims that mountains prevent earth from shaking, but in actual mountains are formed by movement of tectonic plates and cause earth to shake, that’s why we have earthquakes, and it contradicts Quran directly.
So the stars rise and sets; Quran: 81:16, The stars which rise and set (PICKTHAL). Also in 36:40, It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor doth the night outstrip the day. They float each in an orbit. (PICKTHAL) , Mullahs say it’s a miracle, as both sun and moon move in an orbit, Sun indeed move in an orbit to the center of the Milkyway galaxy, but what does that have to do with day and night ? What is the connection between the orbit of moon and sun ? It is like saying a person driving a car in London can’t overtake a person driving a car in New York. Quran is actually saying that Sun and moon are in the same orbit which is proved by another verse of Quran 91:1-2, By the Sun and his (glorious) splendour; By the Moon as she follows him; (YUSUFALI) , So if moon follows Sun, what is solar eclipse? The collision of moon with Sun ? Additionally I have many a times seen both Sun and moon in day hours, so Moon does not wait for the sun to go down. Which actually proves the verse I mentioned earlier that sun sets in murky water, as earth is Flat.
More Scientific errors: The shadow moves because of sun movement, not because of earth movement. Quran: 25:45 Hast thou not seen how thy Lord hath spread the shade - And if He willed He could have made it still - then We have made the sun its pilot; (PICKTHAL). Quran: 81:2, And when the stars fall (PICKTHAL), so the stars are small enough to fall on earth ? Quran: 71:15 says that moon is located in the middle of the universe and therefore 37:6 says that stars are closer than moon. Quran: 71:16, And hath made the moon a light therein, and made the sun a lamp? Moon is noor which emits light, the Arabic word for reflected (in`ikaas) does not appear in the verse. Quran 7:54, Sun is not a star. Quran 2:29, Earth was created first then heaven.
There are many other scientific claims which contradict science in Quran. It is impossible to act upon Quran’s commandments if you live at polar region where sun never sets for many days or months. Muslims claims that you should match the timing of mecca to fast in Ramadan if the sun doesn’t set in your area. This means a Muslim is rejecting Gods commandments of fasting whole day ? If one is a good Muslim he should fast to death, as you can only eat at sunset. Similarly the idea of 5 time prayers which are attached to daylight is not applicable to polar regions, therefore Quran can’t be for all of Humanity ? As Muhammad thought that the earth is flat therefore he ordered everyone to face towards Kabba when praying, because he never knew in a spherical world facing Kabba will also mean facing your back to Kabba.
It opened my mind completely, the feeling was like the Genie in Aladdin cartoon, where he was set free and his handcuffs were released. Muslims brainwash their children like all other religions into believing something that is not real. They reveal what they deem fit, and conceal what they don’t like. I also investigated Bible a little and it is also similar to Quran in unscientific and contradictory verses, but a little less barbaric.
I am an agnostic now, a free thinker; I do not reject the existence of God or supernatural being, but we currently do not have any evidence about his existence. If he truly wanted to order his men to live life by his prescribed way, then I am sure there are better ways than giving a book to a random person on earth. It can’t be bound by a language which most of the world don’t understand.
Islam is not a religion of peace as proclaimed by Muslim missionaries. Its unfair to women, and cruel to people, It encourages bloodshed. Its unscientific, primitive and barbaric.
Regards,
A lonely man in a barbaric country, Pakistan
Topic: How & Why I left Islam, from Pakistan.