I've never yet heard a baby reciting the Shahadah

Submitted by the Grand Infidel of Kaffiristan (Australia), Nov 4, 2008 at 18:23

Keith Williams writes:

"..........I have not, sorry to disappoint you. I was born a Muslim and, God willing, will die a Muslim. We are all born Muslims. Will you revert back to Islam as I did?"

gee, Keith, you're in conflict with lots of other Muslims, even on this board.

Here's what another of your co-religionists has said:

".....to be a Muslim, you have to believe the shehada with full sincerity. To be raised a Muslim you have to be induced to believe it by those who brought you up, and their inducement has to be successful. If you don't believe it, you aren't a Muslim. If you never believed it, you were never a Muslim."

"....you really think if some says the shehada they will become muslims?"

someone made this point:

"When someone wants to become a Muslim, it is not enough to believe that there is only one GOD, Shehada in Islam makes it impossible for a muslim to only believe that there is only one GOD in order to become a muslim, a muslim must also believe that Muhammad is a prophet from GOD."

Actually, come to think of it - I've seen far happier and content Buddhists than I've seen happy Muslims. Couldn't you equally say we are all born Buddhists? Will you revert back to Buddhism before you die?

What you might say and hope for - for yourself and everyone is not that they should adopt the specific belief system and all its trappings which your brain is currently telling you should be foisted on the whole world - could be something like - 'we came into this world with an open mind, a sense of fun and no ingrained political or religious beliefs. We were open to life and happiness and may we leave this world in the same way'

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".