s/o Ask a Muslim

[EmilyK]

On the issue of covering, could someone explain (or point me to a resource) the different types of covering and the significance? Are the different types of covering based on different religious interpretations, or are the differences cultural?

 

I guess another way to ask it, is if a Muslim woman decides to cover herself, how does she decide among the range of options? from a scarf, to a fuller head piece, to being almost completely covered up?

 

Also, I had a question from traveling in Turkey and some Muslim areas of India -- in small towns, there are very few if any women out and about. Is there a religious rule that keeps the women at home and not doing the marketing etc? Does this vary based on the sect of Islam? I read some Mahfouz novels years ago, and I seem to remember a cloistered approach for the women (sorry to use a Christian term for it, but I hope you know what I mean). Is that still practiced (women staying home behind a screen) and if so, why some places and not others?

[Shahrazad]

I am curious and impressed by the Arabic/ Middle Eastern emphasis on hospitality. I guess this not so much a question as a wish that this element of culture was discussed and explored more. I have read that many Islamic families consider personal hospitality to be a point of honor.

 

Arabic hospitality is something to see, I think, and moreso in some countries than others! I consider where my family is from to be extremely hospitable and it is something that I always grew up witnessing even in the West. My father and stepmother have always been extremely generous and giving with money and belongings and guests are treated above how you'd treat yourself. For example, the guest would receive the best room with the best bed, the best and biggest servings of food (and meat) and drink. My family would always make huge feasts for guests and any faux pas or slips of tongue that might ordinarily offend someone would be overlooked and forgiven without a second thought. This is multiplied even more so back in my family's country and even if the family is poor, it is not uncommon for the guests to receive the ONLY bed in the only private room, the only piece of meat, or to have the only lamb slaughtered in feast of their visit... For a guest to be mistreated and leave unhappy is major shame and a huge black mark on the honor of a family ;).

 

I have a follow-up question about the greeting "As salaamu alaikum" (peace be with you, or peace be upon you) and the response "wa alaikum es salaam" (and upon you be peace).

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but but "alaikum" (upon you) is in the Second Person Plural, yes? So it is like saying "peace be upon you all." But the phrase is used when addressng both individuals and groups. So I'm imagining there is some underlying significance to using the plural form universally, but I've never seen it discussed.

 

Any insights?

 

Bill

 

A couple of thoughts.

 

1. We use the word 'alaykum' because that was specifically mentioned in the Qur'an and ahadeeth, even when addressing the singular.

 

“And angels shall enter unto them from every gate (saying):

24. ‘Salaamun ‘Alaykum (peace be upon you) for you persevered in patience! Excellent indeed is the final home!’â€

[al-Ra’d 13:23, 24]

 

“And those who kept their duty to their Lord (Al-Muttaqoon – the pious) will be led to Paradise in groups till when they reach it, and its gates will be opened (before their arrival for their reception) and its keepers will say: Salaamun ‘Alaykum (peace be upon you)! You have done well, so enter here to abide thereinâ€

[al-Zumar 39:73]

 

The salaam in this form is also mentioned in the verse where Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

 

“Those whose lives the angels take while they are in a pious state (i.e. pure from all evil, and worshipping none but Allaah Alone) saying (to them): Salaamun ‘Alaykum (peace be on you) enter you Paradise, because of that (the good) which you used to do (in the world)â€

[al-Nahl 16:32]

 

“And when they hear Al‑Laghw (dirty, false, evil vain talk), they withdraw from it and say: ‘To us our deeds, and to you your deeds. Peace be to you (Salaamun ‘Alaykum). We seek not (the way of) the ignorant’â€

[al-Qasas 28:55]

 

“When those who believe in Our Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) come to you, say: Salaamun ‘Alaykum (peace be on you); your Lord has written (prescribed) Mercy for Himself, so that if any of you does evil in ignorance, and thereafter repents and does righteous good deeds (by obeying Allaah), then surely, He is Oft‑Forgiving, Most Mercifulâ€

[al-An’aam 6:54]

 

2. 'Alaykum' greets the recording angels (ie the angels assigned to record each person's deeds) as well as the person.

 

3. The singular 'alayka' salaam is pretty much specifically used for greeting the dead whereas alaykum is used for the living.

 

Abu’l-Jurayy al-Hujaymi said: I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: “ ‘Alayka’l-salaam (upon you be peace), O Messenger of Allaah.†He said, “Do not say ‘ ‘Alayka’l-salaam’, for ‘Alayka’l-salaam’ is the greeting of the dead.â€

 

That being said, there is nothing wrong with saying Asalaamun Alayk, most people just avoid it for the above reasons (and to avoid getting the Alaykal Salaam response).

[Little Nyssa]

Thank you for offering to answer questions!

 

Mine is about daily prayers. Do you say your daily prayers when you are out in public? Once I had a Muslim coworker, who, at the hour of prayer, would take out his prayer rug and lock the door of his office for a while. However, he had a private office so I don't know what someone else would do, who didn't have a private room. If you are a SAHM, do you plan your errands and activities outside the home so that you are at home by prayer times? Or can you do your prayers elsewhere?

 

I was reminded of this the other day-- I was waiting in a Dr's office and a veiled lady came in to wait for another person who needed a translator. She took out a big laminated folded card, written in Arabic and brightly colored, and began to read it silently, moving her lips. It seemed obvious that this was her prayers. I felt that she was happy and proud to be showing her faith to all of us waiting there. She sat in a prominent seat and held her big card up in front of her.

 

For us Christians, there is a tension between showing your faith vs the instruction to pray alone, just to God. I was wondering if you have the same tension: whether you would think that she was showing off and ought to wait until she is home, or if you would think that, yes, at the hour of prayer you do your prayers wherever you are, and it doesn't matter whether anyone else is there or what they think.

What are your thoughts? Thank you so much!

[Shahrazad]

Regarding the young Muslim men / teens being obnoxious - were these Muslims from a more "traditional" country than the US? I saw a bit of this from foreign college students from South Asia, for example. Their understanding of American women is limited and comes from Hollywood movies to a large extent. One told me, quite innocently, that he understood there is no American female over age 13 who is a virgin. !! Beyond that, a couple things many American women do are read as sexually suggestive in some countries. One, drinking alcohol. Two, dressing in skin-tight clothes or showing much skin. The personal trainer would have been at risk because her work clothes probably made her look, to certain foreigners, like a . . . well, you can insert whatever word you are comfortable with. And I doubt the culture trains young men to be highly respectful of women in that category. ... I had an awful experience at my house with a man (not Muslim) from a certain country, who had drunk too much whiskey. He assumed that a woman who drank a beer was very available (despite being married etc.), and in his drunken state, put his hands where they didn't belong. (He did apologize profusely after he sobered up, but his daughter told me that culturally, the beer drinking put the woman at risk.)

 

A woman who is thought to be a loose or unvirtuous woman may not receive respect according to some cultures but even a prostitute is deserving of good treatment in Islam and it is not a pass for a man to treat her disrespectfully. Men are required to lower their gaze and practice modesty with all women, no matter their personal view of her chastity or modesty. And I'll tell ya on a personal note I have 10000x more respect for a prostitute (who often resorts to such acts to survive) than I do for a Muslim man who goes around committing adultery. Obviously we're not talking about prostitutes here and I don't even get why skin-tight clothes would really be an issue. Go to half the middle-eastern countries and you'll see many women walking around looking the same way with the same skimpy clothing there (and sometimes worse). We aren't living in the times where everyone is wearing a veil anymore.

[Shahrazad]

On the issue of covering, could someone explain (or point me to a resource) the different types of covering and the significance? Are the different types of covering based on different religious interpretations, or are the differences cultural?

 

I guess another way to ask it, is if a Muslim woman decides to cover herself, how does she decide among the range of options? from a scarf, to a fuller head piece, to being almost completely covered up?

 

Also, I had a question from traveling in Turkey and some Muslim areas of India -- in small towns, there are very few if any women out and about. Is there a religious rule that keeps the women at home and not doing the marketing etc? Does this vary based on the sect of Islam? I read some Mahfouz novels years ago, and I seem to remember a cloistered approach for the women (sorry to use a Christian term for it, but I hope you know what I mean). Is that still practiced (women staying home behind a screen) and if so, why some places and not others?

 

The hijab is the typical headscarf that you see which covers all the hair and leaves the face uncovered. It can vary greatly in length, from being a shorter scarf that just covers the hair and neck to being a long 'khimar' which can go to the knees or so.

 

The niqab is the veil that covers the face and usually leavs the eyes visible. Some styles of niqab really only cover half the face (the nose and below) and leave more of an open area between the hijab and veil, others cover the whole face with just a slit for the eyes. Some ladies wear a type of niqab with an additional layer which can be pulled down and cover the eyes as well. Some women who wear niqab also wear gloves to cover their hands.

 

The abaya (or sometimes people call this a jilbab) is essentially some form of long, loose dress that is worn to modestly cover the body.

 

The two main factors in how much people cover comes down to what they interpret textual evidence to require in covering and what they consider to be appropriately modest and whether people want to go above and beyond what is required. For example, when women, such as myself, wear the niqab, it is not usually because we consider just a headscarf inadequate but because we are doing something 'extra' as a way of humbling ourself and drawing close to Allah. We believe it was something that was 'recommended', essentially a good thing to do but not required, in the textual evidence. I don't believe someone who doesn't cover her face is in any way less of a Muslim or less religious than me. It is a personal choice that solely affects my personal relationship with God. Perhaps some people feel pressured to wear it by culture. I think there may be a minority that do. However, I think this minority is smaller than many people think. Personally, I was never pressured or even encouraged by any man to wear it. My father advised against it despite believing it was a 'good thing' because he worried for my safety here. My husband felt that hijab and abaya were modest enough and did not see the need for me to wear it at this time, however he supported my decision because I wanted to wear it and he felt it was ultimately my choice.

 

I've heard of what you're talking about, I believe people often refer to it as 'purdah'. I think perhaps it was primarily in the Pakistan/Afghanistan area? Honestly, it is not something I am very familiar with and not something I or anyone I know have ever encountered. I would say that it is no longer practiced but perhaps it may very well be in small villages in those areas and it wouldn't surprise me if it still is given some of the weird things that are still done in rural areas there. I've heard though that it is practiced by rural village Hindus in India as well though so it seems to be something that has developed more in those cultures than something widespread.

 

Thank you for offering to answer questions!

 

Mine is about daily prayers. Do you say your daily prayers when you are out in public? Once I had a Muslim coworker, who, at the hour of prayer, would take out his prayer rug and lock the door of his office for a while. However, he had a private office so I don't know what someone else would do, who didn't have a private room. If you are a SAHM, do you plan your errands and activities outside the home so that you are at home by prayer times? Or can you do your prayers elsewhere?

 

I was reminded of this the other day-- I was waiting in a Dr's office and a veiled lady came in to wait for another person who needed a translator. She took out a big laminated folded card, written in Arabic and brightly colored, and began to read it silently, moving her lips. It seemed obvious that this was her prayers. I felt that she was happy and proud to be showing her faith to all of us waiting there. She sat in a prominent seat and held her big card up in front of her.

 

For us Christians, there is a tension between showing your faith vs the instruction to pray alone, just to God. I was wondering if you have the same tension: whether you would think that she was showing off and ought to wait until she is home, or if you would think that, yes, at the hour of prayer you do your prayers wherever you are, and it doesn't matter whether anyone else is there or what they think.

What are your thoughts? Thank you so much!

 

Yes, I pray my daily prayers wherever I am. We have a window of time for when each prayer can be performed so if I know I will be home in time I will often wait until I get there to pray to avoid having to find a place to pray in peace. However, we can pray pretty much anywhere (well not in a bathroom or an impure place but in most places) so it is no problem to pray outside. I don't really plan errands around prayer times because I just am not that organized or predictable and my children often delay me longer places so I just pray where I can.

 

I believe people should pray anywhere they need to when the time comes. Since it is required, there is no reason for me to question whethey they are showing off or not when it is something that they HAVE to do. Even if it were extra prayers, for example, what you mentioned, the lady was probably making extra (non-required) supplications during her wait time, I think that is a great thing and it is not for me to concern myself with someone or judge them or assume that simply because they are visibly religiously committed that they are doing this for the benefit of others. When talking about ourselves though, we always try to watch our intention for things and to avoid doing things for the wrong reason (like praying extra long so people watching will think that we are very devout rather than praying extra long because we are at an extreme level of concentration are enjoying our communication with our Lord).

 

Great questions so far, everyone!

[xixstar]

@shahrazad - I'm not curious about your commentary regarding the negative reactions you've had and do you feel that the covering of choice impacts those reactions. Perhaps this is a silly question just because my assumption would be that some Americans would find one style of veil more acceptable than others - hijab versus niqab. I'm not sure if that is also the case culturally in other areas as well.

 

On the topic of hijab, but not related to you specifically, I'm curious about how common it is for a woman to vary her amount of covering. Would it be odd for a woman to wear hijab when out of the house but not when out in her own yard. And also, to often wear a scarf fully around her face majority of the time but then sometimes to have it worn just over the hair (neck showing).

 

And, would it seem terribly odd for a woman wearing hijab with other clothing that isn't more traditional modest like short sleeves or more fitted clothing -- or to simply be a case of a non-Muslim woman wearing it.

 

Thank you to each of you willing to answer questions.

[Shahrazad]

@shahrazad - I'm not curious about your commentary regarding the negative reactions you've had and do you feel that the covering of choice impacts those reactions. Perhaps this is a silly question just because my assumption would be that some Americans would find one style of veil more acceptable than others - hijab versus niqab. I'm not sure if that is also the case culturally in other areas as well.

 

You know, this is something I considered quite a bit even before making the transition to covering my face. The verdict I came up with, at the time before having experience, was that a bigot is a bigot and would have a problem with me whether I covered everything or just my hair and that there is no one who has a problem (to the point to have such a negative reaction) with a woman wearing niqab who would then be fine with her if she is wearing just a headscarf since the main objection they have is with the religion and ethnicity both represent rather than the cloth itself. I've found this to be mostly true. Most of the reactions I mentioned have been from when I was just wearing a headscarf and not covering my face (including the death threats, having it ripped off, and institutional discrimination and green card inquiries). Wearing a face veil I've only experienced dirty looks, slurs, and people screaming at me or ordering me to take it off. Some areas have been worse than others. Florida was by far the worst in terms of this (worse than AL even), Philadelphia and Newark were the best (not a single mean look or comment....everyone was pretty used to it and I think this is because I saw many other women covering the same way in those cities).

 

On the topic of hijab, but not related to you specifically, I'm curious about how common it is for a woman to vary her amount of covering. Would it be odd for a woman to wear hijab when out of the house but not when out in her own yard. And also, to often wear a scarf fully around her face majority of the time but then sometimes to have it worn just over the hair (neck showing).

 

I'd say it is not that common in that most women tend to go forward rather than back in their covering. Most women would wear hijab outside or around men period and in any place they might be seen by them, be it a non-private front yard or the grocery store. However it is not uncommon for some women to wear niqab 'part-time' or in certain situations where they desire additional modesty. Some women who wear it almost all the time but work in a career where they find it difficult to wear it, wear it at all times strictly except for the workplace. They may even wear it till they get in, remove it, and then put it on as they leave. I knew someone who was a nurse who did this.

 

 

And, would it seem terribly odd for a woman wearing hijab with other clothing that isn't more traditional modest like short sleeves or more fitted clothing -- or to simply be a case of a non-Muslim woman wearing it.

 

Well, the oddest thing I ever saw was a woman wearing a face veil with a skintight top, skinny jeans, and thigh high boots. No idea what that was. Never seen anything like it in my life. I think she WAS Muslim and I think perhaps it was some sort of fashion thing. I really can't say. Some Muslim women do wear short sleeves with hijab, I'm not sure why that is but I assume they may feel it is necessary in some way. Some women wear outrageous clothes with hijab that are Muslim and sometimes this is because this is just their style and they don't really see where it might conflict with the purpose of hijab (in some situations, them wearing an abaya and no headcover would be more modest than what they are wearing) or because they feel pressured to wear it by family or social expectations but have no real committment to the reasoning behind it. Or some people, like myself when I was new to covering my hair, don't even realize that their clothing is not that modest even with a headscarf and slowly transition over time to more and more modest dress. I have occasionally seen non-Muslims wearing a hijab because they like the idea and have Muslim friends but are not Muslim but this is not super common.

 

Thank you to each of you willing to answer questions.

[Amy in TX]

I was very upset to see this as I see my fellow posters were. I wonder if you could find out the name of the conference or organization they are with? If you want to stay anonymous but can find out that information and then would like to message me with the details of some of their actions, I would be willing to contact the organization myself so they are aware that there is a serious issue there.

 

Yes, why didn't I think of this? You (Juniper) should absolutely find out who was having the conference and either let them know how their members are treating the townspeople, or let us do it for you.

[Amy in TX]

Yes, I pray my daily prayers wherever I am. We have a window of time for when each prayer can be performed so if I know I will be home in time I will often wait until I get there to pray to avoid having to find a place to pray in peace. However, we can pray pretty much anywhere (well not in a bathroom or an impure place but in most places) so it is no problem to pray outside. I don't really plan errands around prayer times because I just am not that organized or predictable and my children often delay me longer places so I just pray where I can.

 

I believe people should pray anywhere they need to when the time comes. Since it is required, there is no reason for me to question whethey they are showing off or not when it is something that they HAVE to do. Even if it were extra prayers, for example, what you mentioned, the lady was probably making extra (non-required) supplications during her wait time, I think that is a great thing and it is not for me to concern myself with someone or judge them or assume that simply because they are visibly religiously committed that they are doing this for the benefit of others. When talking about ourselves though, we always try to watch our intention for things and to avoid doing things for the wrong reason (like praying extra long so people watching will think that we are very devout rather than praying extra long because we are at an extreme level of concentration are enjoying our communication with our Lord).

 

Great questions so far, everyone!

 

I agree with this. I do try to plan my errands to be home during prayer times when possible, but it's often not possible. I've prayed in other people's houses (Muslim and non), in whatever mosque is nearby, in parks, in parking lots, at the beach... Any place that's clean, really.

[Amy in TX]

@

On the topic of hijab, but not related to you specifically, I'm curious about how common it is for a woman to vary her amount of covering. Would it be odd for a woman to wear hijab when out of the house but not when out in her own yard. And also, to often wear a scarf fully around her face majority of the time but then sometimes to have it worn just over the hair (neck showing).

 

It's not so much where we cover, as in front of whom we cover. In my back yard, which is not overlooked by the neighbors' houses and can't be seen from the street, I will sometimes wear t-shirt and shorts to work in the garden during the day when only the kids and myself are home. But if there is a male visitor inside the house, I will be fully dressed including hijab.

[Shahrazad]

 

I agree with this. I do try to plan my errands to be home during prayer times when possible, but it's often not possible. I've prayed in other people's houses (Muslim and non), in whatever mosque is nearby, in parks, in parking lots, at the beach... Any place that's clean, really.

 

I actually forgot to mention, praying outside can be quite a funny experience. I rarely have an issue but my husband, who has to pray outside far more often than I (especially at work) commonly has funny issues with people interrupting him. One time, he found a corner at a bookstore while studying and every time he moved, the person behind him reached over his head or around him to look at a book. Another time someone came up to him while he was praying and repeatedly asked him if he was ok. And when he didn't immediately respond (as he had to finish his prayer before he could speak) started asking if she could get medical attention. One time a guy actually came and physically helped him stand up from his prostrated position, I guess assuming he'd fallen but it was HILARIOUS and he actually burst out laughing....Only seems to happen to him, though.

[Georgiana Daniels]

Speaking of prayers, do you say only formatted prayers at prescribed times, or do you also say impromptu prayers that spring from the heart? (Not saying formatted prayers are not from the heart, but not sure how else to word this :) )

[Shahrazad]

Speaking of prayers, do you say only formatted prayers at prescribed times, or do you also say impromptu prayers that spring from the heart? (Not saying formatted prayers are not from the heart, but not sure how else to word this :) )

 

Yes, we have 5 daily prescribed prayers and there are additional prayers that are highly recommended to perform that some do and some don't. We also have supplications (closer to how a Christian would pray in that it is saying a prayer verbally) that are taken from the holy texts and in addition we are encouraged to communicate personally by saying our own supplications from the heart whether inside of prescribed prayers or out and that can include impromptu prayers from the heart like you mentioned.

[Georgiana Daniels]

 

Yes, we have 5 daily prescribed prayers and there are additional prayers that are highly recommended to perform that some do and some don't. We also have supplications (closer to how a Christian would pray in that it is saying a prayer verbally) that are taken from the holy texts and in addition we are encouraged to communicate personally by saying our own supplications from the heart whether inside of prescribed prayers or out and that can include impromptu prayers from the heart like you mentioned.

 

Thank you for answering :)

[Matryoshka]

Yes, we have 5 daily prescribed prayers and there are additional prayers that are highly recommended to perform that some do and some don't. We also have supplications (closer to how a Christian would pray in that it is saying a prayer verbally) that are taken from the holy texts and in addition we are encouraged to communicate personally by saying our own supplications from the heart whether inside of prescribed prayers or out and that can include impromptu prayers from the heart like you mentioned.

 

We had a Muslim woman come and speak at our church, and she told us that a difference between Sunni and Shi'a Islam is that Shi'ites consolidated the 5 daily prayers - it was either 3 in the morning and 2 in the evening or vice versa - so they didn't have to do them while out. She was Shi'ite.

 

Is this universally true, or was that more specific to her branch (Dawoodi Bohra, mostly centered in India/Pakistan)?

[Shahrazad]

 

We had a Muslim woman come and speak at our church, and she told us that a difference between Sunni and Shi'a Islam is that Shi'ites consolidated the 5 daily prayers - it was either 3 in the morning and 2 in the evening or vice versa - so they didn't have to do them while out. She was Shi'ite.

 

Is this universally true, or was that more specific to her branch (Dawoodi Bohra, mostly centered in India/Pakistan)?

 

I'm no expert on Shia theology, especially as there are a tons of different types of them with a lot of variance in beliefs but I believe it is fairly common in many of the Shia sub-sects. However, there are a couple of branches (the branches that tend to be most similar to Sunni Islam) that do the 5 daily prayers at prescribed times wherever they are like we do.

[Excelsior! Academy]

I am confused about Paradise, especially for women. What is Paradise like for women and how does one achieve it?

[EmilyK]

Thanks for all these answers! Really interesting.

 

Okay, I'm hoping I can ask this in a non-offensive way. I'm confused about the role of covering. I have read some folks here describe it as being part of deepening the relationship with God. Not that you need my approval, but as a non-believer I can "get behind" that rationale. But then in other posts it seems to be related to whether men can see you, which confuses me. Then it seems more about your (non)relationship with the men who might see you, and how seeing your hair or face (depending) might affect them or you.

 

I'm not sure if this is a fair analogy, but I have attended silent meditation retreats and found it immensely helpful for my own spiritual growth. But if I had a friend who said she has decided not to speak in front of men other than her husband, I would have a harder time seeing it as a spiritual issue.

 

I keep typing this out different ways trying not to cause offense, but I seem to be making it worse. I do get that it isn't any of my business what other people do, but this seems like such a great opportunity for greater understanding, as opposed to minding my own business, that I wanted to ask. Thanks in advance if you have gotten through this without me making you upset. :)

[Shahrazad]

Thanks for all these answers! Really interesting.

 

Okay, I'm hoping I can ask this in a non-offensive way. I'm confused about the role of covering. I have read some folks here describe it as being part of deepening the relationship with God. Not that you need my approval, but as a non-believer I can "get behind" that rationale. But then in other posts it seems to be related to whether men can see you, which confuses me. Then it seems more about your (non)relationship with the men who might see you, and how seeing your hair or face (depending) might affect them or you.

 

I'm not sure if this is a fair analogy, but I have attended silent meditation retreats and found it immensely helpful for my own spiritual growth. But if I had a friend who said she has decided not to speak in front of men other than her husband, I would have a harder time seeing it as a spiritual issue.

 

I keep typing this out different ways trying not to cause offense, but I seem to be making it worse. I do get that it isn't any of my business what other people do, but this seems like such a great opportunity for greater understanding, as opposed to minding my own business, that I wanted to ask. Thanks in advance if you have gotten through this without me making you upset. :)

 

 

Well, I cover my hair because I believe Allah explicitly says in the Qur'an for us to cover our hair before unrelated men, so in that case, it is following a direct command from Him. A lot of people like to speak about the benefits of covering and I do believe there are many, but the real reason I cover my hair is because I believe God told me to do so and I want to obey Him.

 

As for covering my face in addition, it is something that was done by the best women of faith, the female companions of the Prophet whose example we follow and it is something that is encouraged in that Allah loves modesty...that is how I mean it regards my personal relationship with God. When the female companions heard the revelation regarding the hijab, they tore the excess fabric on their garments and covered their faces with it as well so even though that is not required, it shows how seriously they took the verses and the intent behind the verses. I honestly think very little of other men and their role in it, despite the fact I cover in front of them. I'm not sure if that makes any sense? I did used to get hit on a lot (by American men, strangely, maybe it was a fetish thing....I don't know) when I didn't cover my face either though but that was never a motivation for me to start covering it. A lot of women, however, do wear niqab for the modesty and men reasons as well. They would probably say that much of a woman's beauty is in her face and that by covering their face they are forcing people to judge them by their personality and intelligence rather than by the attractiveness (or lack thereof) of their features.

[Shahrazad]

I am confused about Paradise, especially for women. What is Paradise like for women and how does one achieve it?

 

Paradise is the same place for women and men and the way to get there is the same. In terms of what it is like, it is described as that which 'no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard, and no heart has ever imagined'. To enter paradise, you must believe and work righteous good deeds. You should pray and avoid any major sins. Belief is the main component to entering at some point (even if you were someone who received some sort of punishment before you got there). In the end, we enter not through our own deeds (ie that if our deeds were weighed, good and bad, we might not come out in our favor) but through Allah's mercy. Paradise contains all that the heart could wish for and the things that many have had to forgo in this life. Women will have all in equivalence to what the men have. The believing women are also more beautiful than anyone can imagine, which reflects their inner beauty and virtues from this life.

 

“Whoever works righteousness — whether male or female — while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)â€

[al-Nahl 16:97]

 

Um Salama (May Allah be pleased with her) said: "I said "O Messenger (May peace and blessings be upon him) of Allah. Why aren’t we mentioned in the Quran in an equal footing with men?" Then; I was surprised to hear Him call one day from the pulpit: "O people." As I was combing my hair at the moment, I wrapped it up and came close to the door and stood there listening to Him say: "Allah, Mighty and Sublime be He, revealed that (For Muslim men and women; for believing men and women; for devout men and women, for true men and women; for men and women who are patient and constant; for men and women who humble themselves; for men and women who give in charity; for men and women who fast; for men and women who guard their chastity; and for men and women who engage much in Allah’s remembrance for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward.) Verse 35, Surat al-Ahzab

 

In physical description, it is often described as perpetual gardens under which rivers flow. One of the scholars of the past wrote an interesting description which he mostly took from the narrations of the Prophet and from the descriptions of Paradise in the Qur'an. I recently saw a translated version online:

 

Ibn al-Qayyim said, in regards to the description of the Paradise and the delights that it contains:

 

"And if you ask about its ground and its soil, then it is of musk and saffron.

 

And if you ask about its roof, then it is the Throne of the Most Merciful.

 

And if you ask about its rocks, then they are pearls and jewels.

 

And if you ask about its buildings, then they are made of bricks of gold and silver.

 

And if you ask about its trees, then it does not contain a single tree except that its trunk is made of gold and silver.

 

And if you ask about its fruits, then they are softer than butter and sweeter than honey.

 

And if you ask about its leaves, then they are softer than the softest cloth.

 

And if you ask about its rivers, then there are rivers of milk who's taste does not change, and rivers of wine that is delicious to those who drink it, and rivers of honey that is pure, and rivers of water that is fresh.

 

And if you ask about their food, then it is fruits from whatever they will choose, and the meat of whatever birds they desire.

 

And if you ask about their drink, then it is Tasneem, ginger, and Kaafoor.

 

And if you ask about their drinking cups, then they are crystal-clear and made of gold and silver.

 

And if you ask about its shade, then a fast rider would ride in the shade of one of its trees for a hundred years and not escape it.

 

And if you ask about its vastness, then the lowest of its people would have within his kingdom and walls and palaces and gardens the distance that would be travelled in a thousand years.

 

And if you ask about its tents and encampments, then one tent is like a concealed pearl that is sixty miles long.

 

And if you ask about its towers, then they are rooms above rooms in buildings that have rivers running underneath them.

 

And if you ask about how far it reaches into the sky, then look at the shining star that is visible, as well as those that are far in the heavens that the eyesight cannot possibly reach.

 

And if you ask about the clothing of its inhabitants, then they are of silk and gold.

 

And if you ask about its beds, then its blankets are of the finest silk laid out in the highest of its levels.

 

And if you ask about the faces of its inhabitants and their beauty, then they are like the image of the Moon.

 

And if you ask about their age, then they are young ones of 33 years in the image of Adam, the father of humanity.

 

And if you ask about what they will be hearing, then it is the singing of their wives from among the Hoor al-'Ayn, and better than that are the voices of the Angels and the Prophets, and better than that is the Speech of the Lord of the Worlds.

 

And if you ask about their servants, then they are young boys of everlasting youth who resemble scattered pearls.

 

And if you ask about their brides and wives, then they are young and full-breasted and have had the liquid of youth flow through their limbs; the Sun runs along the beauty of her face if she shows it, light shines from between her teeth if she smiles; if you meet her love, then say whatever you want regarding the joining of two lights; he sees his face in the roundness of her cheek as if he is looking into a polished mirror, and he sees the brightness from behind her muscles and bones; if she were to be unleashed upon the World, she would fill what is between the Heavens and the Earth with a beautiful wind, and the mouths of the creation would glorifiy, praise, and exclaim greatness, and everything between the East and the West would be adorned for her, and every eye would be shut from everthing but her, and the light of the Sun would be outshone just as the light of the Sun outshines the light of the stars, and everyone on the face of the Earth would believe in the Ever-Living, the One who Sustains and Protects all the exists.

 

And the covering on her head is better than the World and all that is in it, and she does not increase with age except in beauty; free from an umbilical cord, childbirth and menses, and pure of mucous, saliva, urine and other filthy things; her youth never fades, her clothing is never worn out, no garment can be created that matches her beauty, and no one who is with her can ever become bored; her attention is restricted to her husband, so she desires none but him, just as his attention is restricted to her so she is the sole object of his desire, and he is with her in utmost safety and security, as none has touched her before of either humans or Jinn.

 

And if you ask about the Day of Increase (in reward) and the visit of the all-Mighty, all-Wise, and the sight of His Face - free from any resemblance or likeness to anything - as you see the Sun in the middle of the day and the full Moon on a cloudless night, then listen on the day that the caller will call: 'O People of Paradise! Your Lord - Blessed and Exalted - requests you to visit Him, so come to visit Him!' So they will say: 'We hear and obey!'

 

Until, when they finally reach the wide valley where they will all meet - and none of them will turn down the request of the caller - the Lord - Blessed and Exalted - will order His Chair to be brought there. Then, pulpits of light will emerge, as well as pulpits of pearls, gemstone, gold, and silver. The lowest of them in rank will sit on sheets of musk, and will not see what those who are on the chairs above them are given. When they are comfortable where they are sitting and are secure in their places, and the caller calls: 'O People of Paradise! You have an appointment with Allaah in which He wishes to reward you!' So they will say: 'And what is that reward? Has He not already made our faces bright, made our scales heavy, entered us into Paradise, and pushed us away from the Fire?'

 

And when they are like that, all of a sudden a light shines that encompasses all of Paradise. So, they raise their heads, and, behold: the Compeller - Exalted is He, and Holy are His Names - has come to them from above them and majestified them and said: 'O People of Paradise! Peace be upon you!' So, this greeting will not be responded to with anything better than: 'O Allaah! You are Peace, and from You is Peace! Blessed are You, O possessor of Majesty and Honor!' So the Lord - Blessed and Exalted - will laugh to them and say: 'O People of Paradise! Where are those who used to obey Me without having ever seen Me? This is the Day of Increase!'

 

So, they will all give the same response: 'We are pleased, so be pleased with us!' So, He will say: 'O People of Paradise! If I were not pleased with you, I would not have made you inhabitants of My Paradise! So, ask of Me!' So, they will all give the same response: 'Show us your Face so that we may look at it!' So, the Lord - Mighty and Majestic - will remove his covering and will majestify them and will cover them with His Light, which, if Allaah - the Exalted - had not Willed not to burn them, would have burned them.

 

And there will not remain a single person in this gathering except that his Lord - the Exalted - will speak to him and say: 'Do you remember the day that you did this and that?' and He will remind him of some of his bad deeds in the Worldy life, so he will say: 'O Lord! Will you not forgive me?' So, He will say: 'Of course! You have not reached this position of yours (in Paradise) except by my forgiveness.'

 

So, how sweet is this speech to the ears, and how cooled are the righteous eyes by the glance at His Noble Face in the Afterlife...

 

{Some faces that Day will be shining and radiant, looking at their Lord...} (al-Qiyaamah:22-3)

 

 

[ibn Al Qayyim's Haadi al-Arwaah ilaa Bilaad il-Afraah by Ibn al-Qayyim, pg. 193]

[Excelsior! Academy]

Thank you, Shahrazad! That is the most thorough answer I have ever seen.

[stripe]

On the topic of hijab, but not related to you specifically, I'm curious about how common it is for a woman to vary her amount of covering. Would it be odd for a woman to wear hijab when out of the house but not when out in her own yard. And also, to often wear a scarf fully around her face majority of the time but then sometimes to have it worn just over the hair (neck showing).

Yes, I would say, a fair number of people dress differently based on circumstances. Any and all combinations are possible, in my experience.

 

And, would it seem terribly odd for a woman wearing hijab with other clothing that isn't more traditional modest like short sleeves or more fitted clothing -- or to simply be a case of a non-Muslim woman wearing it.

I've seen it. It's pretty common. Especially among teenagers and women in their 20s. Some Muslims complain about women who wear pants or anything tight, or even some people anything that's not black and superloose, with a headscarf. Because some people complain about everything. I have seen one or two women with their faces covered wearing pants (I mean Western style pants, not Indian style pants) but not very often. It is definitely possible to see women in short sleeves with their hair covered. Not quite so common in the US as elsewhere, but I've seen it in the US. I swear I once saw a woman in shorts with her face covered, but I honestly don't know what that was about. In other words, anything is possible. People make their own decisions and have their own motives, which are usually fairly complicated. (As an extreme example, in some places, prostitutes and adulterous women prefer to cover their faces, because it gives them anonymity. Their motives, therefore, have little to do with piety.)

 

I saw this today and thought of this thread (discussion of bad behavior by young men): a young Chinese man defaced an Egyptian temple with graffiti

http://news.yahoo.co...-135035477.html

[Cafdog]

No question - but just wanted to thank the Hive members who are answering all the questions on this thread. I've learned a lot reading through it!

[Cricket]

What is the Islamic teaching regarding the Old and New Testaments? Earlier someone said that the God of Islam is the same God of Judaism and Christianity. I was alway curious if Muslims also regard the Christian Bible as the word of God as well. Is the Quran in addition to the Old Testament like the New Testament is or does it stand alone?

[Amy in TX]

What is the Islamic teaching regarding the Old and New Testaments? Earlier someone said that the God of Islam is the same God of Judaism and Christianity. I was alway curious if Muslims also regard the Christian Bible as the word of God as well. Is the Quran in addition to the Old Testament like the New Testament is or does it stand alone?

 

I'm on my way out, but the short answer is that we believe that these are earlier revelations. We respect them and believe that the Quran, as the latest and final revelation, supercedes them. Hopefully Shahrazad can add a more scholarly answer... :)

[Shahrazad]

What is the Islamic teaching regarding the Old and New Testaments? Earlier someone said that the God of Islam is the same God of Judaism and Christianity. I was alway curious if Muslims also regard the Christian Bible as the word of God as well. Is the Quran in addition to the Old Testament like the New Testament is or does it stand alone?

 

We believe that God did reveal the Torah (to Moses) and the Bible (to Jesus), however, we believe over time, the bible was corrupted, parts were removed from it and others added in (not to mention mistranslations) such that the original message was corrupted and that the versions that exist today are very far from that which was originally revealed. However, we still have respect for those books because regardless of whether we believe that most of what it contains is no longer the original, we believe they still contain some of the words and revelations from God. It is a requirement of basic creed to believe in Allah's Books (and these include the Torah, Bible/ Gospels, Psalms...) in their original form. We believe that the Qur'an is not in addition to the OT though, that the Qur'an was the final, perfected Book (the only Book needed now) to be sent down to God's people and that he made a promise that it would never be changed or corrupted through time and would remain perfect and infallible.

 

I recently read a really good analogy on another thread that I can't find but it used a computer science analogy that really clarified it, IMO. However, there is no way I can do justice to it myself.

[Georgiana Daniels]

What do Muslims believe happens to people who die who have not converted to Islam? Is there a Hell, like the Christians believe (although, to be fair, not all Christians believe in Hell the same way.)

[Shahrazad]

What do Muslims believe happens to people who die who have not converted to Islam? Is there a Hell, like the Christians believe (although, to be fair, not all Christians believe in Hell the same way.)

 

We do believe in Hell and we believe that belief that 'there is no God but God and Muhammad is his final Messenger' and not associating any partners with Him is required for entrance into heaven so yes, someone who knowingly rejects that message and ascribes to another religion would be in Hell. Exceptions include people who never heard the message, the mentally ill/insane or those who lack the intelligence to understand the idea of religion (like someone with mental retardation), and children who die before reaching adulthood.

[Shahrazad]

I thought to expand on the above. My father and his whole family are Muslim from an Arab country however my mother is an American Christian (who went to seminary in hopes of becoming a pastor but has taken a break). I was raised primarily by my Episcopal mother and Catholic stepfather till about 14 or so when I read the Bible (in entirety), the Gnostic Gospels (Gospel of Thomas and Gospel of Mary Magdalene, at least), strongly considered Catholocism, and then decided to explore other faiths before I decided that I believed Islam was the Truth. I've learned a lot over the years and made religious study a huge priority in my household and as I've gained knowledge, I feel I've gained faith and understanding of why things are the way they are. I will admit that of the areas that were hardest for me to accept in the beginning, the idea that you had to be Muslim to get to Paradise was a really hard one for me at the time, especially having non-Muslim family members and having been raised very liberally and brought up believing that 'all paths lead to God and everyone will go to Heaven if they are good people' though now I am completely at peace with it and do not have doubts. One thing that helped, in my opinion, was understanding how seriously the sin of associating partners with God is in Islam. It is HUGE. When I reflect on how much God has provided for us, how he has laid out the earth and the sky for us, how he has given us so many amazing things over the years and provided us with sustenance with the simple purpose that we worship Him and Him alone, I can see how rejecting him and putting others beside him would be the biggest sin that could not be forgiven without repentance and I imagine that even if you are of another faith, knowing that a faith places such an emphasis on this specific aspect, you could also see why that would be the case.

[Georgiana Daniels]

So is the Hell fire and brimstone, or something else? I know interpretations vary even among Christians, so I imagine it is different in Islam too.

[Shahrazad]

So is the Hell fire and brimstone, or something else? I know interpretations vary even among Christians, so I imagine it is different in Islam too.

 

Actually, there isn't really much disagreement over the essence of Hell among Muslims because it described in the Qur'an in many places. There are essentially 2 types of Hell: the eternal Hell for people who disbelieve and the Hell for sinful Muslims which eventually will end with them being admitted to Heaven. It is given very vivid descriptions within the Qur'an and Hadeeth and a pretty frightening description, at that.

 

There is also a period called 'Al-Barzakh' which refers to the grave and the process that the soul undergoes after death before the Day of Judgement and the entering of Heaven or Hell.

 

For those who die upon bad deeds and/or disbelief, their soul is punished in the grave:

He said: “However, if he was a disbeliever, Angels with black faces will descend upon him, and with them are coarse woolen cloths. So they sit as far from him as the eye can see.†He said: “And the Angel of death comes and sits at his head, so he says: Come out O foul soul to the Anger of Allaah and His displeasure. He said: So he does not like to be taken out of his body. He said: So he takes it out, he does not leave it in his hand for the blinking of an eye. So the Angels take it in the burial shrouds of coarse woolen cloth. He said: And there emanates from him the most offensive smelling stench like the foulest smelling corpse upon the face of the earth. So they ascend with him, so they do not pass by any one of the Angels, except that he says: Who is this foul soul? He says: “So and so,†using the most evil of names. So when they reach the heaven, they open the door, but it closes upon him, and it is called out: “Return to the earth, since I created you from it, and to it I return you, and from it I shall raise you again.†So he is placed back in his body, so the Angels come to him and they say: Sit. So they say: Who is your Lord? He said: He says: Haah, [haah], I do not know. So they say: What is your Religion? So he says: Haah, haah, I do not know. I heard the people speaking. He said: So they say: Who is this man who was sent amongst you? He said: So it is called out from the sky: “Verily he has lied, so make space for him in the Fire, and clothe him with the clothes of the Fire. And he will be shown his place in the Fire. He said: So he will see his place in the Fire, and he will be overtaken by its heat and its scorching air, and his grave will be constricted for him, until his ribs start to interlace. And then there will be represented a man with an ugly face, repulsive clothes, and a repugnant smell, so he will say: ‘Woe to you, who are you? So by Allaah your face seems to resemble evil.’ So he will say: O lord, do not establish the Hour! [O Lord,] do not establish the Hour!â€

 

For those who believe and do good:

We went out with the Messenger of Allaah (

sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam

) in the Funeral Prayer for a man from the

Ansaar

(helpers). So we stopped at the grave, and the niche at the side of it had not been dug out yet. So the Messenger of Allaah raised his head to the sky, and then he looked down to the ground and conversed to himself. He said: Then he said: “Seek refuge with Allaah from the Punishment of the Grave,†a few times.

Then he said:

“Verily when the Muslim man has yet to reach the Hereafter, but he has already been cut off from this world, Angels from the sky descend upon him having faces like the sun. So they sit as far as him as the eye can see, with them are the burial shrouds from the burial shrouds of Paradise, and embalming perfume from the embalming perfumes of Paradise. So then the Angel of Death comes and sits at his head, so he says: “Come out, O good soul to the forgiveness of Allaah and His pleasure.†He said: “So it flows out as a drop flows out [from] a water-skin. So when he takes it, he does not leave it in his hand for the blinking of an eye.†He said: “And there comes out from him a smell like the best musk to be found upon the face of the earth. So they ascend with him, and they do not pass by any of the angels except that he says: Who is this good soul? So they say: This is so and so. So the doors of heavens are open for him, and they follow him through every level of heaven, until they reach the end of the seventh heaven. It is then said: “Write his book in highness (’

illiyyeen

).†He said: So it is written. He said: Then it is said: “Return to the earth, because it is from there that We created you. and it is to there that we return you, and it is from there that We raise you up again.†So it is returned to his body, then the Angels come to him, then they say to him: Sit. Who is your Lord? So he says: My Lord is Allaah. He said: They say: What is your Religion? He said: He says: My Religion is Islaam. So they say: Who is this man who was sent amongst you? He says: He is the Messenger of Allaah (

sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam

). So they say: How did you come to know of him? So he says: I read the Book of Allaah, and I believed in it, and I attested to it. So it will be called out from the heavens: “Indeed he has spoken the truth, so make space for him in Paradise, and clothe him with the clothes of Paradise, and show him his place in Paradise.†He said: So he will be allowed to see it and his grave will be made spacious for him as far as the eye can see. A man with beautiful clothes, a handsome face, and a good smell will be presented to him; he will say: “Receive the glad tidings that will please you upon this day that you were promised. So [he] will say: May Allaah have mercy upon you, who are you; because your face seems to represent goodness? He said: So he says: I am your righteous deeds.â€

And this doesn't get to the description of Hell itself. I haven't found a source that compiles all the descriptions the way it is done for Paradise but it is described in quite rich detail within the Qur'an.

 

Now, on a more positive note...my son has a present for me in the form of a diaper change ;).

[Georgiana Daniels]

Thank you for all the descriptions/clarification :)

[helena]

 

We do believe in Hell and we believe that belief that 'there is no God but God and Muhammad is his final Messenger' and not associating any partners with Him is required for entrance into heaven so yes, someone who knowingly rejects that message and ascribes to another religion would be in Hell. Exceptions include people who never heard the message, the mentally ill/insane or those who lack the intelligence to understand the idea of religion (like someone with mental retardation), and children who die before reaching adulthood.

I thought to expand on the above. My father and his whole family are Muslim from an Arab country however my mother is an American Christian (who went to seminary in hopes of becoming a pastor but has taken a break). I was raised primarily by my Episcopal mother and Catholic stepfather till about 14 or so when I read the Bible (in entirety), the Gnostic Gospels (Gospel of Thomas and Gospel of Mary Magdalene, at least), strongly considered Catholocism, and then decided to explore other faiths before I decided that I believed Islam was the Truth. I've learned a lot over the years and made religious study a huge priority in my household and as I've gained knowledge, I feel I've gained faith and understanding of why things are the way they are. I will admit that of the areas that were hardest for me to accept in the beginning, the idea that you had to be Muslim to get to Paradise was a really hard one for me at the time, especially having non-Muslim family members and having been raised very liberally and brought up believing that 'all paths lead to God and everyone will go to Heaven if they are good people' though now I am completely at peace with it and do not have doubts. One thing that helped, in my opinion, was understanding how seriously the sin of associating partners with God is in Islam. It is HUGE. When I reflect on how much God has provided for us, how he has laid out the earth and the sky for us, how he has given us so many amazing things over the years and provided us with sustenance with the simple purpose that we worship Him and Him alone, I can see how rejecting him and putting others beside him would be the biggest sin that could not be forgiven without repentance and I imagine that even if you are of another faith, knowing that a faith places such an emphasis on this specific aspect, you could also see why that would be the case.

 

I don't have time to get into this right now, but I feel I should quickly point out that not all Muslims believe this. :)

[Amy in TX]

 

We do believe in Hell and we believe that belief that 'there is no God but God and Muhammad is his final Messenger' and not associating any partners with Him is required for entrance into heaven so yes, someone who knowingly rejects that message and ascribes to another religion would be in Hell. Exceptions include people who never heard the message, the mentally ill/insane or those who lack the intelligence to understand the idea of religion (like someone with mental retardation), and children who die before reaching adulthood.

 

I would add that scholars are not unanimous on this. Some interpret certain verses to mean that "Muslim" in this context means anyone who submits to the one God, ie, any monotheists. And that no one has the ability to know who (in a literal sense) will be in Paradise and who will not.

[Shahrazad]

That is far from the majority opinion. It is honestly not debatable in Arabic. Unless you're speaking about monotheists who never had the chance to become Muslim, who never heard or lived before the message came. However, I assumed the questioner was asking about Christians and since a fundamental Christian belief involves worship of Jesus, that does not qualify under the definition of Islamic monotheism. I'm not sure if I am misunderstanding what you mean, though.

 

Are you referring to this: “Surely, those who believe, those who are the Jews and the Sabians and the Christians – whosoever believed in Allaah and the Last Day, and worked righteousness, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.†[al-Maa’idah 5:69]

 

Or was my comment misleading, because when I reread it, it didn't really clarify that the Jews and Christians of the past who followed what was revealed to them are considered to be in Heaven?

 

Ibn Katheer said in his tafseer of the aayah from Soorat al-Baqarah:

“Allaah, may He be exalted, points out that whoever of the previous nations did well and was obedient, will have a good reward, and this will be the case for everyone who follows the Unlettered Prophet [Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) until the Hour comes – he will have eternal happiness, and they will not fear what they are going to face, nor will they grieve for what they have left behind. As Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘No doubt! Verily, the awliya’ of Allaah [i.e., those who believe in the Oneness of Allaah and fear Allaah much, and love Allaah much], no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve.’ [Yoonus 10:62]. And Allaah tells us what the angels say to the believers at the time of death (interpretation of the meaning): ‘Verily, those who say, “Our Lord is Allaah,†then they istaqaamu [stood straight, i.e., truly followed Islam], on them the angels will descend (at the time of their death) (saying): “Fear not, nor grieve! But receive the glad tidings of Paradise which you have been promised!â€â€™ [Fussilat 41:30]

As far as the Jews are concerning, their faith meant believing in the Tawraat (original Torah) and following the way of Moosa (peace be upon him) until ‘Eesa came, after which whoever continued to follow the Torah and the way of Moosa, and did not leave this and follow ‘Eesa, was doomed. As far as the Christians are concerned, their faith meant believing in the Injeel (original Gospel) and following the laws of ‘Eesa; whoever did this was a believer whose faith was acceptable to Allaah, until Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came, after which whoever did not follow Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and leave the way of ‘Eesa and the Injeel that he had been following before, was doomed.

The aayah (interpretation of the meaning), “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers†[Aal ‘Imraan 3:85] is a statement that Allaah will not accept any way or deed from anyone, after sending His Final Messenger, except those that are in accordance with the laws of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Prior to this, however, anyone who followed the Prophet of his own time was on the Straight Path of salvation. So the Jews were those who followed Moosa (peace be upon him) and referred to the Tawraat for judgement at that time. When Allaah sent ‘Eesa (peace be upon him), the Children of Israel were obliged to follow him and obey him, and so they and others who followed him became Christians.. When Allaah sent Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as the Final Prophet and a Messenger to all the children of Adam, all of mankind was obliged to believe in him and obey him, and refrain from what he prohibited. Those who did so are the true believers. The ummah (nation) of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) are called the believers because of their deep eemaan (faith) and conviction, and because they believe in all the past Prophets and in the prophesied events that are yet to come.â€

Commenting on the aayah in Soorat al-Baqarah, Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

“What is meant is that every group believed in Allaah and the Last Day, which is the appointed Day of Reckoning, and did righteous deeds. But after Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was sent to both mankind and the jinn, true belief can only be in accordance with the way of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Whoever follows his way will not fear the future or grieve for what they leave behind.

 

 

 

if you disagree though, feel free to PM me and I'll send you textual proof, if you like. Otherwise, agree to disagree?

[Georgiana Daniels]

Yes, I was asking from an outsider's point of view.

[Amy in TX]

That is far from the majority opinion. It is honestly not debatable in Arabic. Unless you're speaking about monotheists who never had the chance to become Muslim, who never heard or lived before the message came. However, I assumed the questioner was asking about Christians and since a fundamental Christian belief involves worship of Jesus, that does not qualify under the definition of Islamic monotheism. I'm not sure if I am misunderstanding what you mean, though.

 

I do adhere to some opinions that are not the majority opinion. We can certainly agree to disagree. :)

[Petrichor]

As far as other books sent by God, I'd like to add some clarification. We believe that the Qur'an is the final, perfect book in that it is the book that applies to all of humanity at this point in time and forever after (or until the last day when all souls will have perished from this realm). We do believe that the torah, bible, psalms were perfect at the time they were revealed, but that they were intended only for that audience.

 

To continue with that thought, we believe that christians and jews who obeyed God (pre-islam/hearing of islam) will have their reward with God. And like Sharazad said, all of my learning/study has taught me that what she said is correct. (esp. those who have not even heard about Islam will not be accountable for it, nor will (to give an extreme example) a 5 year old who engages in satanism.

 

View of Heaven/Hell: We are given graphic descriptions of these in the Qur'an and from hadith (accounts from trustworthy companions about what the Prophet said/did/meant), but understand that these are for our understanding. There will be things in Heaven/Hell that we do not have the words to describe, and they are compared to things like the feeling of intercourse or, in contrast, the feeling of molten metals.

[toawh]

Actually, there isn't really much disagreement over the essence of Hell among Muslims because it described in the Qur'an in many places. There are essentially 2 types of Hell: the eternal Hell for people who disbelieve and the Hell for sinful Muslims which eventually will end with them being admitted to Heaven. It is given very vivid descriptions within the Qur'an and Hadeeth and a pretty frightening description, at that.

 

There is also a period called 'Al-Barzakh' which refers to the grave and the process that the soul undergoes after death before the Day of Judgement and the entering of Heaven or Hell.

 

For those who die upon bad deeds and/or disbelief, their soul is punished in the grave:

 

 

For those who believe and do good:

 

And this doesn't get to the description of Hell itself. I haven't found a source that compiles all the descriptions the way it is done for Paradise but it is described in quite rich detail within the Qur'an.

 

Now, on a more positive note...my son has a present for me in the form of a diaper change ;).

 

 

 

It is a hell for people who disbelieve what exactly?

[Shahrazad]

 

 

It is a hell for people who disbelieve what exactly?

 

 

 

As I mentioned up thread, the general belief is that it is for people who don't believe in Islam/ that there is no God but God and Muhammad is His messenger and who are of sound mind, adulthood, living since the advent of Islam, and have heard and understood the message but rejected it.

 

Although 2 other posters mentioned they disagreed on this premise.

[Little Nyssa]

May I ask another question about Muslim clothing for women?

Once I saw a lady who was wearing a burka-type outfit. It was not plain, but very fancy cloth. Over her mouth was a kind of golden, metal, grille, and it extended to a kind of stem over the bridge of her nose, up to where it met the cloth above her forehead. What was this?

On thinking it over I thought perhaps this was a kind of jewelry or even royal decoration.

Can you identify it? thank you!!

[Shahrazad]

May I ask another question about Muslim clothing for women?

Once I saw a lady who was wearing a burka-type outfit. It was not plain, but very fancy cloth. Over her mouth was a kind of golden, metal, grille, and it extended to a kind of stem over the bridge of her nose, up to where it met the cloth above her forehead. What was this?

On thinking it over I thought perhaps this was a kind of jewelry or even royal decoration.

Can you identify it? thank you!!

 

 

This is a style specific to some of the Gulf countries. It isn't that common anymore but can still be seen worn by some older women, rural/tribal areas, and in general just people who dress very culturally because it is a unique cultural style. I've heard that Bandari Arabs in South Iran wear it as well. I've heard that some cultures differ the style of it (size, shape, how much of the face it covers, and decor) based on the woman's age and marital status.

[Amy in TX]

 

 

As I mentioned up thread, the general belief is that it is for people who don't believe in Islam/ that there is no God but God and Muhammad is His messenger and who are of sound mind, adulthood, living since the advent of Islam, and have heard and understood the message but rejected it.

 

Although 2 other posters mentioned they disagreed on this premise.

 

 

The bolded above constitutes a huge gray area about which scholars have differed, that I think is important to remember. And here's something from Faraz Rabbani that I could get behind:

 

Shaykh Adib Kallas, a leading Damascene scholar and theologian, put it very well:

"We know that those who reject faith (man aba) are in Hell. It is not decisively established what exactly entails rejection of faith -- this is why the scholars of Sunni Islam differed. As for the details, we should concern ourselves with our own fate: Allah will ask us about ourselves, not about what He should do with others."

[unfrumpable.]

This kind of came on on the Ask an Atheist thread and it got me wondering.

 

Do those of the Islam faith go out and try to convert people? I have never had anyone try to convert me to any form of Islam, though I have had many, many people try to convert me to their particular brand of Christianity.

 

Just curious. :)

[Shahrazad]

This kind of came on on the Ask an Atheist thread and it got me wondering.

 

Do those of the Islam faith go out and try to convert people? I have never had anyone try to convert me to any form of Islam, though I have had many, many people try to convert me to their particular brand of Christianity.

 

Just curious. :)

 

 

Not really. We believe in 'daw'ah' which is usually manifested in being exemplary in character and trying to mimic the character of the Prophet to represent our religion and answering any questions non-Muslims might have about our faith to dispel misunderstandings and so they have a real grasp of what our faith believes. We believe more in educating than trying to convert since the Qur'an says that 'there is no compulsion in religion'. Ultimately, in my life, I want the people close to me and people I get to know, to have a realistic idea of what Islam is and what we believe so they can't ever say that they knew me but I never did them justice by teaching them about my faith. By setting a good example and offering answers to any questions people might initiate, yes, we hope for them that their heart might turn toward the faith because since we believe it is Truth, we want the best for them. But personally, I don't believe I can convert anyone. God is the only one who guides, not me. I don't personally know anyone who goes around trying to convert people but I'm sure there may be the occasional person who does.

[unfrumpable.]

Thank you!

[Roadrunner]

[/size]

Yes, I would say, a fair number of people dress differently based on circumstances. Any and all combinations are possible, in my experience.

 

 

I've seen it. It's pretty common. Especially among teenagers and women in their 20s. Some Muslims complain about women who wear pants or anything tight, or even some people anything that's not black and superloose, with a headscarf. Because some people complain about everything. I have seen one or two women with their faces covered wearing pants (I mean Western style pants, not Indian style pants) but not very often. It is definitely possible to see women in short sleeves with their hair covered. Not quite so common in the US as elsewhere, but I've seen it in the US. I swear I once saw a woman in shorts with her face covered, but I honestly don't know what that was about. In other words, anything is possible. People make their own decisions and have their own motives, which are usually fairly complicated. (As an extreme example, in some places, prostitutes and adulterous women prefer to cover their faces, because it gives them anonymity. Their motives, therefore, have little to do with piety.)

 

I saw this today and thought of this thread (discussion of bad behavior by young men): a young Chinese man defaced an Egyptian temple with graffiti

http://news.yahoo.co...-135035477.html

 

I once snapped a picture of a Muslim girl (I was taking a pic of my son and she ended up in the picture) with a head scarf wearing tight jeans and showing a stomach. I still have the pic :)

It was in Morocco.

[Shahrazad]

LOL. Yes, the young ladies do have a sense of humor about themselves (whether that is intention or unintentional remains to be seen).

[unfrumpable.]

I once snapped a picture of a Muslim girl (I was taking a pic of my son and she ended up in the picture) with a head scarf wearing tigh jeans and showing a stomach. I still have the pic :)

It was in Morocco.

 

I've never been to Morocco, but that is my favorite country in Epcot. I just love it.

[Shahrazad]

I've never been to Morocco, but that is my favorite country in Epcot. I just love it.

 

That is where my family is from :). I grew up around the Epcot Pavilion LOL.