Every week Al-Ahram Weekly interviews people on a different Ramadan-related subject. This issue we ask: "Where do you get your information about religion from?" "I learn a lot from religious programmes on TV; I love the fact that there are lots of them to choose from during Ramadan. Among the new preachers, I trust people like Amr Khaled and others -- as long as their reputations are sound, and they support their preaching by sourcing it to verses from the holy Qur'an and hadith (teachings of the Prophet). When the mosque is crowded, there's usually no time to ask the imam (preacher) any questions, so instead I use religious programmes and sermons by sheikhs like the late Mohamed Metawali El-Sha'rawi, who I think is a great and reliable source. I also surf web sites in search of certain hadith and various interpretation of the Qur'an." Mohamed Magdi, 22-years-old, computer engineering graduate "When I was younger, my parents were my first source of knowledge about religion; as I grew older, sometimes my parents didn't have all the answers to the many intriguing questions on sensitive faith-related matters that I had. Since Islamic education in schools is not as good as it used to be, self-education has become a necessity. My main source, of course, is the Qur'an; after that, I refer to books of interpretation by renowned scholars. When I'm short on time, I resort to the Internet for a quick answer to a question. Still, one has to be careful because not everything on the web is a reliable source of religious knowledge." Magida Mahmoud, 21-year-old computer science graduate "The rules and beliefs of our religion are clear, and do not need too much explanation, especially if you use your mind and read the Qur'an well. That's what I tell my kids to do -- especially in Ramadan. I rarely have to seek more knowledge, but if I come across something that I have a question about, I drop by the nearest mosque for advice from any of the available imams." Aref Mahran, 38-year-old vendor "I don't think there is "one best" way to become a more knowledgeable Muslim. You take bits and pieces from people in your family, your neighbourhood, and the preachers' sermons you listen to at the mosque. Ramadan provides me with a great opportunity to learn a lot more about Islam, because religion is on everyone's mind. Visiting the mosque more frequently during this holy month is actually the best way to obtain more religious knowledge" Mohamed El-Minshawi, 22 year-old jewellery store employee "I first heard about Islam while debating a Muslim colleague at work. Contrary to what I had heard in the media about women being oppressed by the teachings of their faith, I was surprised to hear that Islam cherishes women and treats them equally. I decided to do my own research in a bid to collect data and challenge my colleague on this matter. I used the Internet, surfing all the different sites, both pro and con, and ended up reaching my own conclusions. Discovering that my colleague was right paved the way for me to learn more. Four years ago I became a Muslim; since then, I have learned about the religion by mixing with Muslims who provide me with books, and encourage me to attend religious lessons." Umm Abdullah, 28-year-old French convert to Islam "The Internet has become a major source of information about Islam, but I don't like many of the sites because a lot of the posts tend to be by extremists who have a radical message and ideology. I prefer chat rooms or message boards where people can express their views without feeling any pressure to conform to certain beliefs. The fact that the Internet allows you to be anonymous also sheds more honesty on the discussions, especially those tackling controversial issues." Salma, 18-year-old student Interviews by Hicham Safieddine
