American learns Islam at The Süleymaniye Mosque | Muslim in Istanbul, Turkey 🕌

As an American that was raised Christian as a youth, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to learn about Islam from a Muslim. In my opinion, if you want to learn about something (especially from a Western point of view), it is best to go to the source (instead of the media). What better place to learn about Islam, than the beautiful Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. I'm joined by Numan (Instagram: @benmnyilmaz) who I met at The Blue Mosque (another mosque in Istanbul) across from The Hagia Sophia (mentioned in the video), and he gives me a tour of his favorite mosque to pray at, The Süleymaniye Mosque built during the Ottoman Empire. Special thanks to him, for taking time out of his day to give me a tour and share his religion, Islam. Learning about different religions has always interested me.
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We discuss the beautiful aspects of Islam and I learn more about both the similarities and differences to the Christian faith. You may find there are more similarities than one might expect. We also discuss the actual Süleymaniye Mosque and the history and architect Mimar Sinan who has been compared to Michelangelo.
There is a lot to cover about Islam and one day is obviously not long enough. I did my best to share some key aspects of the Islamic faith as well as the Christian faith. Although, I'm by no means a religious scholar, but a curious traveler eager to learn as I go. I apologize in advance for anything I may have got incorrect. I also understand, like many religions that Islam has its difference within the religion itself (e.g. Sunni & Shia). Turkey is estimated to be 90% Sunni Muslims and 10% Shia-Aleviler Muslims.
For my next video, I'll share more about Islam from one of the Süleymaniye Mosque volunteers, Fatih.
Time Stamp:
00:00 Introduction
01:05 About The Süleymaniye Mosque & Complex
01:41 Tomb of Sultan Suleiman "The Magnificent" & Sultan Hurrem "Roxelana"
02:52 Hagia Sophia Church
04:10 Architect Mimar Sinan
05:07 Mosque Construction
06:15 Cleaning For Prayer
08:53 Inside the Mosque
09:18 4 Elements of a Mosque
12:53 Important People in Islam Represented in Mosque with Calligraphy
15:09 Ostrich Eggs
16:53 Mother Mary (Maryman) in Islam and Equality of Prophets
18:16 How is Muhammad Different From other Prophets
19:07 The Holy Bible (Gospels/ Injil) in Islam
20:18 Mother Mary (Maryman) in the Quran
21:44 Jesus in Islam
22:45 Islamophobia, Turkey Misconceptions & The Media
25:19 Turkey's Old Cultures
26:11 Turkey's Human History (Gobekli Tepe)
27:35 Islamic Holiday, Ramadan & Five Pillars of Islam
28:25 Western View of Muslims
30:48 Philosophers & Islam
32:47 Outside the Mosque
34:57 Closing Thoughts
...
🍄 🦧 👑
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Special Thanks to my friend Numan
@benmnyilmaz (Instagram)
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#islam #muslim #SuleymaniyeMosque #christian #american #istanbul #turkey

[@jdwagman]

Beautiful architecture.

[@themushmonk]

It really is, the inside really gives you a feeling.

[@zaranasseri9512]

Just came home after having spent 3 months in Turkiye. Wonderful, incredible, beautiful. Wish I had more time. Enjoy every moment! ps refreshing to hear your comments on Muslims, Islamophobia etc.

[@themushmonk]

Thanks, Zara, out of curiosity where is home? Thanks again for watching, Turkiye is indeed a special place!

[@zaranasseri9512]

@@themushmonk home is Malaysia :) come visit us, we will be be very happy to host you. The world needs more kindness, joy and friendship. Too much hate and negativity as it is.

[@themushmonk]

I would love to, let's connect on Instagram @themushmonk and make it happen one day.

[@vegetaherval9125]

Hagia Sophia became a mosque from 1453-1920s so it was a mosque for more than 500 years, after which it became a museum and in 2020 it became a mosque again

[@themushmonk]

Thanks for the info!

[@kamsanajmain9505]

Thank you for wanting to know abt islam 🙏

[@themushmonk]

I want to know about everything :)

[@woulinx]

For correction Quran was written to animal skins and some others write to rocks before and not spread with words because people can spread wrong words. People memorised the Quran and write and teach others. 3rd Caliphate Osman (ra) bring it together as today's Quran. In Ottoman Empire people lived in harmony they dont force people to be Muslim but they give for example they give freedom to slaves if they become Muslim. Somethings like that and they want to be Muslim. They didnt kill or do hursh on them because they dont accept Islam its wrong and also forbidden in Islam. Some people spreading it like this. No killing innocent life is forbidden and if you do that authority can kill you or the persons family may forgive you with blood money. It is sharia law. And there is no force to believe in Islam it is also forbidden in Quran. Because of that Fatih Sultan Mehmed doesnt conquer the Hagia Sophia. Because we can pray everywhere we dont need places like mosques. We can pray on all clean places. He bought it from Christians i think maybe they build another church for them idk history but i believe it was like this. Because for us even in a War you cant attack to places of worship. You cant kill women and children. You cant kill innocent enemy who dont attack you. You need to be respectful even in a War. Because of Islamic teachings i think he didnt do that he bought from Christians and turned to Mosque because it is place of worship and big and good place. They put some clothings to images around and prayed for Allah. Because if it comes to conquer Churches there is many churches in Turkiye and in Ottoman lands. They never turned them to a mosque. Even in today some Christians selling church to others they are making it bar and night club. We never do that. Its a place of worship. Deserve to respect.

[@mustafaylmaz4990]

Hey! It's Numan in the video. My friend, I agree that Muslim people don't need any specific place to pray that's why they didn't and don't need to convert churches into mosques but it was Turkish tradition to convert biggest church into mosque in the place that's conquered and there are many examples of this in Turkey. Moreover majority of people still support this tradition in Turkey. Also there are countless other mosques that were church before such as Kalenderhane cami Kariye Camii and many more. You claim that Muslim people respected people of the land that they conquered. They might have respected more than other nations but they also stole children and women of those lands to use as literally slaves. Women were used in harems and children were taken to military schools. I believe Islamic and Turkic history is not the cruelest one among others but don't assume that it's a pink story that's full of empathy, kindness etc. Even today I study in a library that was a synagogue before in Istanbul. In short, I admit that Muslim people respected people more than other civilizations but we should be more realistic about what we have done in the past.

[@woulinx]

@@mustafaylmaz4990 Hi brother assalamun aleykum my name is Mustafa too 😄 Slavery in Islam is totally completely different from up to down in comparison with western slavery. People wanted to be stay slave even they can have freedom money. You need to explain them slavery in Islam. You need to dress them as like you dress, you need to feed them as like you eat same foods drinks, you need to help them if their work is hard to do by themselves. And there is war fact in the world. So many womans children be war prisons in the past. When mens died in the battlefield. What can you do to war prisons in Islam? You can free them all for the sake of Allah as like our prophet Muhammad saw did before. You can free them if they give you oath and they did their oath. You can free them with freedom money. And you can get them as your workers. If you get them as your workers you need to do things like i said before feed them dress them etc. and people are muslim in that society give them to their zakat etc. to save their freedom money. And in Islam if you free prison or slave, you doing good deed if you sin and repent to Allah you need to do good deeds to encounter it. Freeing slave is one of them. And Prophet Muhammad saw encourage muslims to do that. I know they capture them as slaves after war its our right by Allah and its the right one to do if you dont capture them as slaves they are lost they lose their men in their house to cover them protect them. if you leave them there they will be lost, die or raped by evil people , raped by everyone around. I recommend you to search more about slavery in Islam. In Islam slaves become commanders in high places in our society. Its nothing close like western evil slavery. And i need to add this lastly if you slave free people, your salahs namazs, your worships not gonna be accepted until you free them again. This is a hadith. You cant slave free people in Islam as well. It is haram forbidden. But maybe some muslims in history did that like they are doing haram right now. as i said idk about history well but it is how slavery works in Islam.

[@mustafaylmaz4990]

@@woulinx aleykümselam Mustafa! Thank you for illuminating us about slavery in Islam. I know the difference between slavery in Islam and slavery in west since I studied in a conservative high school and Islamic law in university. I admit being slave in Islam much better thing than being slave in Western culture. But you are talking like people were glad to be slave since Islam offers better conditions for slaves. You are too optimistic about it. I don't consider dressing and feeding the people nicely as strong justification for enslaving them and taking them from their homeland to İstanbul or Anatolia without their will.

[@seattlewa.]

was a church changed to mosque

[@vegetaherval9125]

😂Some Trimurty Hindus, Trinity Christians, Trikaya Buddhists still do not accept Hagia Sophia becoming a mosque as it was during the Ottoman era from 1453 to the 1920s

[@ShabinaMahmood-os2eh]

As a muslim this was a beautiful and educational watch. Thank you to you, Numan and anyone else that helped in the production of this video 🤍

[@themushmonk]

Numan and I still stay in touch, he's a great friend and an even better representation of Islam.