Where to learn about Islam and/or Hinduism

[Anonymous]

I have a pretty mixed heritage. Dad's side is Muslim and my mother's is Hindu. I grew up with very little knowledge and customs of Hinduism and even less so of Islam. We live near an Islamic center, wondering if I'd be welcome? At Temple? Looking for community to pass on some of our heritage.

[Anonymous]

You'd always be welcome at either center, but I'd check out primary source texts and books, as people will always throw their own twist on things.

Or just some generally acclaimed histories and interpretation via books.

[Anonymous]

Are you in the DC-area? What's the Islamic center near you?

[Anonymous]

You would certainly be welcome to go to either center. In a Hindu temple you would be welcome to participate in all services and spend time there to pray and meditate but you likely wouldn't find much in the way of guidance.

Since it's a religion that doesn't proselytize there aren't usually basics 101 type classes or sessions with the religious leaders there like you'd be able to find in churches and mosques.

This site has some basic info on Hinduism that you might find useful:
https://www.himalayanacademy.com/readlearn/basics/nine-beliefs

[Anonymous]

Regarding Hinduism, what are you most interested in learning about? The philosophy, the mystical traditions, or the practices?

For studying Hindu philosophy, the most well-known schools of thought are Vedanta and Saivism. You can read about them online and then find books from there, depending on what interests you.

The mystical traditions of Hinduism are yoga and tantra, but they are mostly initiatory practiices, aka you would need a guru to initiate you into the yogic or tantric lineage. There is a lot of material available on them to read about, all online for free.

Then there's Hindu practices - puja services (prayer ceremony), Ayuveda (natural medicine), music, dance, initiations, holidays, etc.

Overall these books are good introductions for beginners who have no exposure to Hinduism:

- Awakening Shakti by Sally Kempton (this is not an accurate tantra book, and it's written for the New Age crowd unfortunately, but it is a very basis 101 introduction to Goddess worship in Hinduism).

- The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hinduism by Linda Johnsen (actually a pretty comprehensive and easy-to-read overview, well-written)

- The Secret Power of Yoga: A Woman’s Guide to the Heart and Spirit of the Yoga Sutras by Nischala Joy Devi (this is another book that meditates on mystical Hinduism - very good read, though not completely traditional).

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

If you like to read about things first, Karen Armstrong books are wonderful overviews about the histories and some of the basic practices of major world religions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you like to read about things first, Karen Armstrong books are wonderful overviews about the histories and some of the basic practices of major world religions.

Armstrong has been accused of whitewashing lots about different religions. But she's a good start.

[Anonymous]

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[Anonymous]

For Islam, I found www.whyislam.com answered most of my basic questions.

[Anonymous]

https://islamqa.info/en