Understanding Islam
By Leo Gura - April 2, 2018 | 28 Comments
What most Westerners & Muslims don’t understand about Islam
Mayur says: Mashallah !
They say god is one, but don’t they know yet ? god is alone.
Ali Rida says: What if someone dies with out attaining some level of enlightenment in his life. You do know that all relegions are based on the presence of heaven and hell. I feel I didn’t explain the question right but I hope your answer anyway.
Aditya 
Ryan says: “When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty.” Jesus, Gospel of Thomas, Logion 3
“And be not like those who forgot Allah , so He made them forget themselves. Those are the defiantly disobedient.” Quran 59:19
Daniel says: Hey Leo,
What I’ve got to say hasn’t got anything to do with the video. But have a question about your Religion vs Science video.
The movie ‘Contact, starring Jodie Foster and Carl Sagan wrote the book in the mid 80s, is definitely one of my favourites of all time. I’ve been watching a lot of your videos over the years and continue to go down the rabbit hole with my spiritual enlightenment journey.
But If you haven’t seen the film, I highly recommend you seeing it. Personally, the film relates a lot to what you teach in your videos. I would like your thoughts about this movie and if you have any movies are worth investigating on.
Yann says: You’re interpreting Islam to make it match spiritual awakening. In a sense, you’re doing concordism. God in Islam, or Judaism or Christianity is clearly separate from humans. That’s the very foundation of these religions: a unique and separate God. Muslims themselves accept the fact that Mohammed was a ruthless warrior. Moreover he would consider this video identifying god with everything as a pantheist sacrilege. As for Jesus, he was truly revolutionary not least by saying we are all equal in a period of ontological inequality. And as you say, he’s mentioned numerous times in the Koran in which it is said that he will come at the end of times (strangely enough, his role is therefore hugely more important than the one of prophet Mohammed.)
Ryan says: The Quran does not ever say this. That is from Hadith.
As to “ruthless warrior”, read the Charter of Medina- it’s the inverse of ruthless.
As Leo says in the forum, unifying people under God and one banner can’t be all sunshine, lollipops and rainbows.
Yann says: According to the Hadiths, jewish were slaughtered. And he himself practiced lapidation, torture, etc. Not enlightenment in my book. And what a difference with Jesus! Get real!
Ryan says: Matthew 10:34-40:35
“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.”
Ego encountering Truth = heinousness of mankind (in both directions).
Ryan says: Correction: 10:35 (not 40:35)
Ryan says: Which is to say, When ego encounters Truth it either lashes out with murderous violence and persecution or tries to subjugate Truth under it’s own superficial rewrite in order to maintain it’s illusion of separation and preferred superiority and control. Twas ever thus. And Jesus knew humankind and knew what it would do with “the good news”.
Yann says: Interesting. This verse is known to mean that the message of Jesus would divide people and families. However, I doubt the gospel is about non-duality
Joe E 
Outlandish says: Excellent talk
Yann says: I doubt you read the Quran at all! A muslim believing that each one of us is God and that there are other ways than Islam to find (this inner) God is simply not a muslim.
And you’re also saying that muslims don’t leave Islam because somehow it’s like spiritual awakening. Nonsense. And they do leave Islam, to the extent that it has become a serious concern among muslim scholars. Sheikh Ahmad Al Katani, the president of The Companions Lighthouse for The Science of Islamic Law in Libya said in 2006 on Al-Jazeerah: in every hour 667 Muslims convert to Christianity, everyday, 16 000 muslims convert to Christianity. Every year, 6 millions Muslims convert to Christianity.
Of course they are also conversions from Christianity to Islam but this shows the other side.
Dr Gamal Heiba says: all religions at very deep are the reasons behind poising our souls despite I am a Muslim from Muslim family
Yann says: I doubt you read the Quran at all! A muslim believing that each one of us is God and that there are other ways than Islam to find (this inner) God is simply not a muslim.
And you’re also saying that muslims don’t leave Islam because somehow it’s like spiritual awakening. Nonsense. And they do leave Islam, to the extent that it has become a serious concern among muslim scholars. Sheikh Ahmad Al Katani, the president of The Companions Lighthouse for The Science of Islamic Law in Libya said in 2006 on Al-Jazeerah: “in every hour 667 Muslims convert to Christianity, everyday, 16 000 muslims convert to Christianity. Every year, 6 millions Muslims convert to Christianity”.
Of course they are also conversions from Christianity to Islam but this shows the other side.
Ryan says: 18:54
I’m very much doing the “spiritualized ego” thing. It’s an improvement from the indignant atheist I was before, but it continues to be mostly just an intellectual pursuit.
At this point, I’m something of a Jungian structuralist. I take it as monotheism in secular dress.
Thank you for this video. It has helped to relieve me of some lingering contempt for Islam.
Dhammafollower says: Hey Leo,
have you done a Vipassana Retreat ?
Just completed my first one and i think it is a good and effective Path/Technique.
I just asked because i noticed that you didnt mention Buddhism or Dhamma in your Video.
Cheers
Paul says: Sounds nice you should tell those guys blowing themselves up and flying airplanes into buildings about this
sarah says: Leo!!
Slow down!
To talk about Islam, or any religion, you should READ THEIR BOOK. you should see how the god see the people, how talk to them, what he orders them to do?
I born and raised Muslim. I read quran many many times. I was Hafiz (who can remember all or partially of the Quran). I have been in many Quran interpretation classes. I chew that book looking for my questions. I Read it and I read it again! all my youth. for many years.
It is impossible to talk about a religion or think you know about it just by reading some books about it. What religion is made up is Belives, Rituals and its own Culture!
You say Islam has misinterpreted!??
QURAN say that women has half of right as man! I challenge you to find more sexism religion!
Don’t assume by reading couple of books you can master the religion! its much layers on layers.
I have never seen in Bible god talk to people as bad and humiliating like Quran.
Islam is what you read in Quran and Story of Muhammad. which is full of scandals and so ugly stories. how he was a lady man and how he killed and terror who they don’t believe on him and his god! how many women he raped in wars!
SEE? Its not easy Leo
It is not easy to disregard the memory of the history and not to see the truth!
Islam is simple, that what I agree with you in which mean; the way Muhammad was living savage life and killing people, the followers having the same logic!
Islam is a religion of extreme. Is all white or black. In quran you are or Muslim or miserable and Koffar! and you will deserve hell! there is no moderation in this religion.
I can talk about Islam with you for ever.
I invite you to or dig through Islam by reading Quran and real Story of Muhammad, (Not Muhammad fan’s made up stories) or simply just ignore the subject.
Messenger says: The Messenger of Allah peace and blessings of Allah be upon him said
None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself. Al-Bukhari ,Muslim
Whosoever of you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then let him change it with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart and that is the weakest of faith. Muslim
Max Gron says: How do I know whether people’s interpretations are wrong? By acting as if religious people are wrong you are yourself wrong, the correct interpretation is believing every interpretation you hear regardless. And as for Islam it’s a struggle between the true believer and the infidel, not a peaceful time that religious people are wise. It’s not wisdom, it’s submission to obedience of the prophet, wise people don’t turn Islam into a toned down, tame belief, like religion in general it was meant to be barbaric, that stuff hasn’t changed from the caveman, they just add a new twist to an old belief, to which nothing is new, it’s the advancement of the ancients.
Max Gron says: I think submission to a monster is boring shit no fun to the point of disgusting me, a million women in headscarves disgusts me, it makes me want to vomit. Do you yourself think this religion’s disgusting? Don’t get logical on me saying it’s not bad, it must be OK, it’s evil to the point of disgust! It’s not a simple thing of all Islam being like that but it’s a distinction, the Christians distinguish between science and religion, Islam and Christianity, and religion or Christianity & philosophy, as the Muslims and Buddhists distinguish between themselves and Christians, subtle changes in belief for if it’s only a little bit different they still see it as not Islam. The Ishikis are also what are distinguished from Muslim fundamentalism, religiond and beliefs aren’t indistinct.
Sina Foudehi says: Hey guys! Plot twist: All of you are right…