Studying Islam

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[quote]Heartfelt greetings to you all,

I was wondering if there were any other non-Muslim students like myself who are studying through this site?  From what I have read so far throughout various threads, it would appear that I may be a rarity here and thought it would be interesting that if there were any more of us, to share our stories as to why we are studying Islam with our classmates and the site staff in the hopes of understanding, knowledge, and friendship, God willing.

I am a full-time student in the State of South Dakota, USA.  For anyone who is not familiar with US geography, we are a very large state in the north-central part of the country and has a total state population of only 700,000 people, less than most major cities around the world.  The Islamic community here is quite small and unfortunately is settled very far from where I live, making studying Islam very difficult.

I am currently attending college for Environmental Technology, with the hopes of continuing my education to work in the preservation of Islamic sites in the Middle East against environmental factors.  Many ancient mosques are currently under severe threat of permanent degradation from modern pollution and expansion, while other sites, such as the Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan [url]http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/211[/url] are at risk of being lost forever because of natural circumstances such as river movements, earthquakes or, as we are brutally reminded at this time, flooding.  My prayers go out to everyone in Pakistan, may you and your families be safe.

I am studying Islam because I believe that only by truely understanding the religion and culture of the area I will be working in can I best serve it.  As was said by the Prophet (pbuh), ”Whoever goes down a path/road searching for knowledge, Allah will make it easy for him the road to Paradise.” I love this Hadith, and if it could be said that I have a personal creed that I live by, this would be it.  However, I also know that I will have many challenges ahead of me in my line of chosen work.  As a female, I know I will be extremely limited as to my actions in religious sites in many areas, and also to my own activities that I take for granted in this country.  I am by no means a rabid &quot;I can do what I want!&quot; American woman who would try to walk with loose hair and tight shorts in Saudi Arabia, and wish to understand the hows and whys of what I will be allowed to do in certain countries so that I do not cause insult or find myself in legal trouble.

I am not Muslim (perhaps I should say &quot;yet?&quot;) but do believe that there is but one God, and as I have read the Qu'ran, the Hadith, and the story of Mohammad (pbuh) over the years, it has given me much to think about spiritually.  I know that I still have much to learn, and look forward to working with my fellow students.

Is there anyone else with a story to share about why they are here?  Or, though I would be saddened to hear of causing any discomfort, is there anyone who has concerns about a non-Muslim student in their midst?[/quote]

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