Topics

1

Women / Women's issues.. Again

« on: November 06, 2017, 06:52:02 AM »

Salam,

Sometimes I feel like I go back to doubting whether women really are given as much importance as men in Islam. I know this topic is very popular and some people would probably be annoyed about hearing it again and again but it's a very important one. I guess not many men would understand what it feels like.

Recently someone asked me what I would say about the "one man, two women" witness thing and I honestly felt kind of.. tired about having to answer a question I'm not too sure how to..
Sometimes it does feel like having to keep defending Islam.. maybe this is a part of our test.

Then there are issues such as polygamy, the purpose and "wisdom" of which I just don't understand.
Then there are some verses that confuse me somewhat:

3:14 Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire - of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has with Him the best return.

One thing that really bothers me is how so many Muslim men don't acknowledge that women also have desires. They also find men attractive. They also have to protect themselves from sin and distraction. It's as if the focus is often on men and how to fix their overly aggressive "hormones". By covering women up, by marrying several women, slaves, promises of "hoories" etc..

And:

Then, has your Lord chosen you for [having] sons and taken from among the angels daughters? Indeed, you say a grave saying. - 40:17.

There are a few similar verses. Sons are not better than daughters..
And women desire men too..
Of course I'm not saying that Allah is denying any of this. Astaghfirullah. Maybe it's just a lack of understanding on my part. I hope Allah guides me and everyone going through similar.

It's also probably the corruption that men have caused that makes me and many others think this way, hoors, multiple wives just for lust, domestic abuse etc..

Sigh.
It'd be nice if a few could talk to me, perhaps through pm to maybe discuss things.
Perhaps it's normal to have ups and downs.
May Allah forgive me if I said something wrong.

Salam.

2

General Discussions / Isnad of the Qur'an

« on: September 22, 2017, 05:25:49 AM »

SalamunAlaykum,

The other day I was having a debate/argument with someone about the Qur'an and hadiths. I asked this person about the isnad of the Qur'an as they were claiming that denying hadith is denying the Qur'an. They told me about the "isnad of the recitation warsh 'An nafii'" and a diagramm of the chain.
So I googled it, according to the wikipedia page the man Imam Warsh seemed to have lived quite a long time ago. So apparently there are "verbal" isnads of the Qur'an (or recitations? I'm not well versed on this topic) so I'm not sure how to respond to this 'argument'.

Maybe the way I wrote this sounds a little confusing but some replies would be nice.

3

General Discussions / Where does the soul go after we die?

« on: October 14, 2015, 12:06:09 AM »

Salamun Alaikum.

I'm not sure about the exact words this person used but I once had a discussion with a non-Muslim who seemed to feel that it didn't make sense that the soul would (or could?) fall asleep in the grave as it is the body that sleeps and our body is only a shell to house the soul. They seemed to believe that the soul cannot sleep. I'm not too sure what the Qur'an says about this.

Does the Qur'an mention that we'll be raised in our bodies, or will only our souls be raised? If the latter, then that would mean that the soul will be asleep in the grave?

I know this isn't an important question but it's still interesting.

Thanks for any answers.

4

General Discussions / God as 'He'?

« on: August 15, 2015, 03:07:08 AM »

Salamun Alaykum.

Has anyone ever wondered why God is referred to as 'He'? Do you think saying 'She' would be sinful?

Also, are women addressed directly at all in the Qur'an? I don't mean Mary (pbuh), Prophet Muhammad's wives or "the believers" in general. I mean just women. If not, why could this be?

5

General Discussions / Zaid in verse 33:37.

« on: June 16, 2015, 09:33:01 PM »

Salamun'Alaykum,

I have a question. I don't quite understand the verse about Zaid. Some say he's the adopted son of the Prophet himself (secondary sources confirm this), I saw a translation which suggests that Zaid is just a name used in Arabic to describe any Tom, Dick and Harry, yet I also saw the following translation which does not even mention the name Zaid:

"And (remember) when (he) said to him  “you have received the grace of Allah and  favour: "Retain thou (in wedlock) thy wife, and fear Allah." But didst hide in the heart that which Allah was about to make manifest: and didst fear the people, but Allah had better right that he should have feared Him. So when their desire to finally end the union increased We joined her in a new marriage tie: in order that (in future) there may be no difficulty to the Believers in the wives  yearning/cry, when the latter have dissolved with the necessary (formality) (their marriage) with them. And Allah's command must be fulfilled."

More common rendering:

"And [remember, O Muhammad], when you said to the one on whom Allah bestowed favor and you bestowed favor, "Keep your wife and fear Allah ," while you concealed within yourself that which Allah is to disclose. And you feared the people, while Allah has more right that you fear Him. So when Zayd had no longer any need for her, We married her to you in order that there not be upon the believers any discomfort concerning the wives of their adopted sons when they no longer have need of them. And ever is the command of Allah accomplished." - Sahih International.

In the verse, the Prophet says "Keep your wife and fear Allah". What does this mean? Was Zaid divorcing and offering his wife to the Prophet? Or did the Prophet want to marry her? Was the Prophet merely worried of the thought of divorce? If yes, then the first translation makes sense. If the whole idea was to marry the Prophet to Zaid's wife to show that one can marry wives of adopted sons then why would the Prophet tell Zaid to keep his wife unless it meant that he couldn't marry her due to society? This seems confusing to me.
Then we also have a verse which tells the Prophet that he's not allowed to take any more wives. I'm assuming that was after this if we use the second translation.

Thanks for your answers.

6

Prophets and Messengers / Associating partners with God, declaring takfir

« on: June 14, 2015, 08:17:20 AM »

Salamun' Alaykum.

I wanted to know if you think it's okay to say/assume that some (or all) Sunnis/Ahl-Sunnah/Salafi are 'unknowingly' associating partners with God? This partner being Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The way they hold his alleged words so highly alongside Allah's and in cases I'd say even more than Allah's perhaps. Or is pointing something like this out akin to 'takfir'? Also, I'm assuming it's a sin to declare 'takfir' on someone?

I recently suggested to a 'Muslim' to read the Qur'an without tafseer/Hadith and that he may be surprised, his response was that he would be deluded if he did that. Basically, Allah's words would delude him if he didn't read them with support from Hadith. He said the Qur'an itself says it will delude you in Surah Baqarah. I don't know what he was talking about there.