Messages

1

Women / Re: Why I plan on no longer wearing hijaab

« on: October 03, 2012, 05:52:38 AM »

Salaam,

If you feel that it draws too much attention to you because it is relatively uncommon, then you can always cover your hair by wearing hats for example. If you feel that keeping your hair out makes you more attractive, you could just keep it tied back.


The key requirement is modesty and the emphasis is on covering the chest. I see many women who wear hijab but are so made up with extremely tight fitting clothing that it really defeats the purpose.

The Quran tells us that the garment of piety is the best. That combined with making sure that you are dressed modestly means that you are meeting the Quranic directives.

Thanks

You make an excellent point.  Just today I was doing some work and as I stood and waited for the elevator, I noticed a man watching me intently.  The look he gave was that he was "interested" in me, and I felt extremely uncomfortable and made a hasty exit to avoid any kind of conversation with him. 

My point with that story is that a woman can be covered and still attract the attention of a man.  It is only human nature.  I do not wear tight clothes, I wear a bit of makeup and hijab, but more often than not my actions speak louder than anything else. 

2

General Discussions / Re: Why should we face towards the Kaaba(mecca) while praying ?

« on: October 03, 2012, 05:43:06 AM »

Dear Passerby / all

Salamun Alaikum

In my humble opinion, implicit verses of the Quran are best interpreted in the light of explicit verses. I find those that interpret the Quran in reverse fashion, i.e. by ignoring explicit verses at the expense of pursuing implicit verses (3:7) cause interpretive tension which results in considerable confusion.

In my humble opinion, verses 2:144-45 makes it absolutely clear that the Quran recognised that different directions for prayer (qibla) would co-exist without compromising the need for a direction (shatra).

"...they would not follow your direction of devotion / prayer (Arabic: Qiblah); nor are you going to follow their Qiblah; nor indeed will they follow each other's Qiblah..." (2:145).
 
So piety is clearly not about direction but sincere devotion. Verse 2:177 simply confirms that aspect and there is no warrant for the restrictive interpretation that this statement negates a need for a qiblah.

Furthermore, some raise the possible presence of ‘intra’ differences with the Arabic phrase “'wa ma ba'duhum bitabi'in qiblata ba'din' in verse 2:145 which seems to suggest that between the People of the Book there were different Qiblahs.

Whether there were differences between Jews and Jews or Christians and Christians ('intra' differences), the Quranic text does not elucidate. However, this also cannot be ruled out.

I have discussed this aspect in a related post.

http://quransmessage.com/forum/index.php?topic=92.0

Another contention raised against the traditional understanding of ‘qiblah’ is with verse 10:87 and where the term ‘qiblatan’ is used in conjunction with the houses in Egypt during Prophet Moses’s mission.  The contention usually rests on the faulty premise that expects God to instruct the original house of Prophet Abraham to be used as a direction of prayer and not houses in Egypt. Also it is contended that houses in Egypt could not have been used as places of worship as the verse implies when the word 'qiblatan' is used to describe them.  Hence the traditional understanding of the term 'qiblah' is rejected.

There are two main problems with this contention:

• An apparent unwarranted disregard is made of the term ‘qiblah’ which not only carries the nuance of a direction of worship but more importantly, a place of worship. The term ‘shatr’ (2:144) would have sufficed if the only intended meaning was ‘direction’. Clearly with the usage of both ‘shatr’ and ‘qiblah’ in the same verse (2:144), the term 'qiblah' carries a wider meaning which is beyond mere ‘direction’ and which verse 10:87 elucidates as also a place of worship. This is often not appreciated.
• There is no warrant for the expectation of a particular designated ‘qiblah’. It is clear from the Quran that different qiblah's existed as directions for prayer or places for prayer. There is also no conclusive warrant for the assertion that the original house that Prophet Abraham built with his son was the same Ka'aba in Makkah [1]. So if different places of worship can co-exist, Makkah being one of others, there is no warrant to assume that a particular 'qiblah' was assigned for the whole of mankind for eternity. God does what He wills especially given the specific requirements of a people.

Therefore, verse 2:144 makes it clear that the sacred mosque was to be taken as not only the new direction of prayer but also the place of devotion for the new believing community. I have also argued the reinstitution of Abrahamic rites at the sacred mosque in section 8 of article [1] below.

I hope that helps God willing.

Regards,
Joseph.

Related Article:

[1] PROPHET ABRAHAM'S (pbuh) ORIGINAL SANCTUARY - AT MAKKAH (MECCA) OR BAKKAH (BACA)?
http://quransmessage.com/articles/makkah%20bakkah%20FM3.htm

Salaam Joseph,

I agree wholeheartedly.  I don't believe that God would turn away devout, sincere worship simply because one is not facing the exact direction of something.   In my opinion, we limit God with our thinking and interpretations.  Who are we to say that He will not accept a prayer for such and such reason, even if it has been clarified to us?  How often do we see "And God is Most Merciful, Compassionate" in the Qur'an?

3

General Discussions / Re: Wahi and 33:62 ?

« on: September 29, 2012, 12:05:29 AM »

I agree with most of the answers here, but I wanted to reply to something in your original post:

She said,

please explain. We have this belief in god because a physical form, Muhammed, said so, and his authority and credibility are assured by this god deity that supposedly tells us through Muhammed that Muhammed is his messenger. Great logic, honey.

In my humble opinion, the correct answer is:  "I believe in God not because someone tells me I should, but because everything that I have experienced, seen, and sensed has brought me to the logical conclusion that there is a power greater than anyone else on this earth." 

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General Discussions / Re: Why should we face towards the Kaaba(mecca) while praying ?

« on: September 28, 2012, 11:30:48 PM »

Sometimes i feel uncomfortable before starting the prayer because of this doubt in my mind.

Why should we bow and prostrate in a specific direction which directs towards a house built up of stones/bricks?

Salaams,

I asked the same question on another site.  It resulted in a long thread about the word qiblah and it's actual meaning.  Not sure if I can post the link here...

The Qur'an states: 2:143 We see the shifting of your face towards the heaven; We will thus
set for you a focal point that will be pleasing to you: “You shall set
yourself towards the Restricted Temple; and wherever you may
be, you shall all set yourselves towards it.”

 But then in 2:177 it says: Piety is not to turn your faces towards the east and the west.... 

I was confused...if piety is not about what direction we face, then why the directive to face the Restricted Temple in prayer?

Then it was pointed out to me that no where was the word "salaat" used in any of those ayats...

So the conversation continues...

5

Women / Why I plan on no longer wearing hijaab

« on: September 28, 2012, 11:03:02 AM »

Salamun Alaikum,

A couple of weeks ago I attended an equal opportunity seminar.  There we discussed how we perceive people based on what we have been taught by our parents, cultural background, and even religious teachings.  One of the presenters showed a slide that hit me like a ton of bricks.  It was a slide with a picture of an iceberg on it.

The tip of the iceberg (above water) held the words "Race, gender, ethnicity."  Just below the surface were the words "Sexual orientation, religion, education." The further down into the water the iceberg went, the larger it became and the more personal the descriptions used.  Basically, the tip of the iceberg were the things that people could deduce about someone just from seeing them.  Below the water line were things that people would only know if they some sort of relationship with that person.

I realized that whenever anyone saw me, the first words that came to mind were "muslim woman."  Most other people in the world have to tell others what their religious beliefs are, but mine are sewn on my sleeve for everyone to see.  For the first time since converting to Islam, I realized I didn't want anyone to know what I believed.  I wanted my relationship with God to be a personal one.

It's not that I am ashamed at all...I just get tired of being the poster child for Islam.  It is exhausting living in a country where very few women wear hijaab.  Everywhere I turn I see news articles, protests, reality shows all talking about the life of a muslim woman.  It's almost as if I have no privacy...everyone thinks I am oppressed, brain washed, uneducated.  I am far from any of that.  My hijaab has almost become a super hero's cape.  Well, this super muslimah is ready to retire.

Not wearing it doesn't make me any less of a muslim in my opinion.  It's the sincerity and depth of my worship to Allah that is most important. 

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Discussions / Salaam

« on: September 28, 2012, 10:29:23 AM »

I had happened upon the site before and had to pry myself away from it.  I loved being able to truly understand what I was reading for once, as I find that many "God Alone" forums/articles are a chore to read.  I can be a very fickle individual, so if an article doesn't get my attention within the first paragraph, I tend to move on.

Like another user here, I started off as a Christian.  I went through several denominations, and each time discovered something ill-placed.  Just before I converted to Islam I was a few weeks away from being baptized as a Jehovah's Witness.  When I look back on everything, I realize that each chapter in my journey left me stronger than the one before it.  I feel like Islam is the icing on the cake, so to speak.  There is no other way for me to go.

Unfortunately, I started out following with Sunni way, but things just never  sat right with me.  It began with the pointing of the finger during prayer.  Then I began questioning all of the rules and points systems.  Right hand this, left foot that, spit over your shoulder 3 times, don't sleep on your stomach.  I just couldn't imagine that God was keeping tally of how many good and bad deeds I did...I imagined Him to be a scorekeeper during a bowling game...How could a God so powerful need to keep score?

One day my husband told me that he said that "We don't hold any prophet over another...they are all equal."  I looked at him in disbelief and said "Are you serious?  We do everything the Prophet Muhammed did down to a T...we hold him in higher regard than any other prophet!"  He got angry then, and referred me to a friend who quickly told me I was wrong.  He told me what the Qur'an said, and I understood.  I told him "I know what we are supposed to do, but I am telling you that we as Muslims hold the Prophet Muhammed in higher regard than any other prophet." 

Needless to say, I was shut down very quickly after that..."How can you let a woman lead you through the deen?" 

I was terrified at first to take the step into God Alone, but now I feel extremely confident that this is the right way. 

I pray that Allah leads us all down the straight path, and protects us from the false worship that surrounds us.