Ask a Mormon Woman: What do Mormons think about Islam?
Answer by Michelle
Not long ago, we had dinner with some Muslim friends of ours. We were treated with such kindness (and, I might add, served a wonderfully delicious meal!). We enjoyed a meaningful discussion about the importance of marriage in today’s society. Evidences of their faith were present in their home. I could tell that Allah meant much to them, and that family was important to them.
And we were important to them. I felt that they would give us the shirt off their backs if we needed them. (In fact, I still have a sweater loaned to me that day; it was a cold day for which I was unprepared!) I felt loved, cared for, respected. It was wonderful. I left with a happiness as we rejoiced in our common beliefs, in our desires to try to do and be good, and with a strengthened friendship.
While, of course, Mormonism and Islam have doctrinal differences, I have been impressed with so much goodness I see in Muslim people in general. I respect their dedication to God, to family, and to values and principles that I believe can strengthen individuals, families and societies. I am grateful for those of other faiths as well who also live lives of goodness, faith, solid values, and service.
Readers might be interested to note that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sometimes partners with Islamic Relief to help provide relief to those affected by natural disasters, such as the recent earthquake in Haiti. As another example of working together, see this article on our website that has a story about Mormon and Muslim women working together in a spirit of service. We as members of the Mormon Church appreciate the opportunity and blessing to work side-by-side with our friends of other faiths such as Islam to serve and help those around us and to take a stand on important issues of moral import.
I found this article that may be of interest to those wondering more about Mormons’ view of Islam (and/or can help LDS Church members understand more about Islam).
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A very well-written article with a great message … great job!
I appreciate this message. We should be cultivating respect for that religion. Mutual understanding will help us all approach Truth.
This post captures beautifully the goodness of the Muslim people, and a Mormon woman’s experience with their kindness and hospitality.
It can be easy to forget that all religions that worship an almighty being have much in common with each other. Most people, regardless of their religion, want the same things we do–love, approval, appreciation, validation, and a safe and nurturing environment for their children. Thank you for this warm and touching reminder of that!
Of all the religions in the world, Islam is one I can really admire. There’s a great song by Native Deen that I just saw the other day (a Lutheran minister friend of mine pointed it out). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAfUMfCtcDA
I am not one to call good evil or evil good. But I do believe that we have more in common with people than we have different. We need to join together in our communities to stand for marriage, to stand against pornography and anything that threatens the family.
I’ve took a world religions class a few years ago, which gave me the opportunity to visit a Sikh gurudwara and a Muslim mosque, which were both great experiences.
There is a lot we can learn from others about Christianity. I actually think I learned more about my own religion than I learned about Hinduism, Jainism, and all the others combined during that 16-week course.
May we take on the idea of Namas’te: my favorite translation of which is, “The Divinity within me perceives and adores the Divinity within you.” We are all God’s children.
Nice comments by all.
Only I hope everyone understands that almost all religions can say about ‘what good things to do’ or ‘what bad things not to do’, but fail in the most important aspect of any religion – To understand and recognise THE CREATOR . Most of us are rather satisfied with just the basic niceties and do not go further to analyse.
my best wishes to all
Worship the CREATOR, not the creation
I loved your article. I am Muslim and have been meeting with other women who are missionaries for several weeks. I feel like we have so much in common. Do you realise that the LDS are one of the few faiths that really treat us with respect? Thank you.
Ma Salaama
Khadijah
Khadijah,
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. I am grateful to know that you feel respect from LDS members. Your comment really warmed my heart. I agree with you — I think we have much in common, and I appreciate when we can appreciate that. I think there is so much good that can be done when people of different faiths can build on a foundation of common values and beliefs.
Best wishes to you, and thank you again.
Michelle
Hello again:
In the meeting this morning, I learned that I could be weeks from baptisim, having completely given up on practicing Islam. This is potentially very dangerous were I to approach other Muslims about my conversion, so I am really prayerful right now about doing that.
In Islam, the man may have 3 wives, and while not much is said about that, in the US, any Muslimah knows that it is a common practice. Mostly Muslims just ignore that law.
I don’t know any woman who likes the idea. Still it was practiced for a time in the Old Testament, and has been a continuous practice in Islam since the days of Muhammad PBUH. So, I have prayed about it and tried to imagine the context in ancient times where such a practice would be permissible. The only thing I can think of is that in those times, many of the men died in wars, leaving wives and children abandoned.
I know that officially the Salt Lake LDS prohibit the practice.
As far as I know, in Islam, mostly, the wives do not know of each other, and when they find out, there is big trouble. So, while it is legal, it is not really accepted in the society.
I would ask that you pray for me in my seeking a place in the LDS church. I am old enough that I will not seek a husband again, but several of the members have councelled me to be open to marry again.
Many blessings
Khadijah
Khadijah,
It’s good to hear from you again. You will definitely be in my prayers. I hope you can feel that you do have a place! Please keep us posted on your journey, and let us know if you have any questions or if there is anything we can do in addition to prayers.
Michelle
I made a video about this very subject about a year ago! http://youtu.be/fXs0gp3jWo8