Reply #7: radicalized

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

Moderate/progressive Muslims will tell you that the verses the lad is quoting don't even talk about virgins. The key in Islam is to do remember God through confession of faith (shahada), daily prayers (to help with remembrance), fasting at Ramadan, giving to charity (this can be directly to those in need, not necessarily to a charitable organization), and, if you are financially able, going on Pilgrimage to Mecca once in your life.

Note that there is nothing about martyrdom in the Five Pillars. And the Beloved Prophet said that the Greater Jihad is not with some enemy but with your own ego--to work on controlling it, and to find the Real Self within. Islam can be a very personal spiritual journey, and is not reliant upon priests or places of worship. However, the radical Islamists like people to be dependent upon so-called "spiritual leaders" to tell them how to think and act.