Re: Questions about Islam (Ask Away!)
[quote author=Shahaku link=topic=96.msg6710#msg6710 date=1288039729]
I would love the links, but to be a little more specific, I'm not so much interested in a human rights arguement as a philosophical/religious one. It's not that human rights aren't important, it's just that that isn't the information I'm interested in right this moment.
[/quote]
Could you please explain what you mean by philosophical/religious specifically? I want to provide you with the information you are interested in!
[quote author=Juniper link=topic=96.msg6740#msg6740 date=1288044249]
Sorry if this is a repeat question.
Is traditional garb required for women who are muslim? Or is it just a cultural thing? For instance, an american woman chose to become muslim, but did not wear the garb, would she be frowned upon by other muslims?
[/quote]
Depends on what you mean by traditional garb. In Islam you can wear what you want, whatever culture it comes from, as long as it covers the body except the face and the hands. Plus, the material can't be too tight or transparent But that goes without saying.
There are a lot of Muslims who do not follow this. They are still Muslim and everything, but it would be considered as a sin. So the least one can do is try to wear more modestly.
(My mother, by the way, doesn't cover her head but shhhhh )
[quote author=shadow1982 link=topic=96.msg6746#msg6746 date=1288045017]
Hello,
I did a religious history course a few years back that said the word Jihad basically translates into struggle in English, what does the word actually mean to you as a Muslim and to Muslims in general? Do you think it is something which has been misunderstood by people who don't know much about Islam, or corrupted by fundamentalists?
[/quote]
You are right!
Jihad is the Arabic word for struggle, striving and so on.
For me, the way I understand it, is that there are two types of Jihad. The major Jihad, which is an intrinsic struggle against your self, because we have to be strong and in control of our self. And the minor Jihad, which is an extrinsic struggle against other people that wish to harm myself or others.
The word has been misunderstood (or perhaps deliberately twisted) by people who don't know much about Islam, in my opinion. If you went to school for a couple of years you'd understand what the word means in Arabic. How that word is twisted into holy war, I don't know.
It is true, however, that we as Muslim must strive and struggle against others in terms of fighting against them in certain situations. But that has nothing to do with forcing religion on others because the Qur'an itself speaks against it. Actually, the reason we are told to fight is to stop others from forcing religion on people and oppressing them because of this, the Qur'an says:
And what is [the matter] with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and [for] the oppressed among men, women, and children who say, "Our Lord, take us out of this city of oppressive people and appoint for us from Yourself a protector and appoint for us from Yourself a helper?"[4:75]
I don't wanna make this too long, but I also speak about this in another post that you can read here.
[quote author=Shahaku link=topic=96.msg6710#msg6710 date=1288039729]
I would love the links, but to be a little more specific, I'm not so much interested in a human rights arguement as a philosophical/religious one. It's not that human rights aren't important, it's just that that isn't the information I'm interested in right this moment.
[/quote]
Could you please explain what you mean by philosophical/religious specifically? I want to provide you with the information you are interested in!
[quote author=Juniper link=topic=96.msg6740#msg6740 date=1288044249]
Sorry if this is a repeat question.
Is traditional garb required for women who are muslim? Or is it just a cultural thing? For instance, an american woman chose to become muslim, but did not wear the garb, would she be frowned upon by other muslims?
[/quote]
Depends on what you mean by traditional garb. In Islam you can wear what you want, whatever culture it comes from, as long as it covers the body except the face and the hands. Plus, the material can't be too tight or transparent But that goes without saying.
There are a lot of Muslims who do not follow this. They are still Muslim and everything, but it would be considered as a sin. So the least one can do is try to wear more modestly.
(My mother, by the way, doesn't cover her head but shhhhh )
[quote author=shadow1982 link=topic=96.msg6746#msg6746 date=1288045017]
Hello,
I did a religious history course a few years back that said the word Jihad basically translates into struggle in English, what does the word actually mean to you as a Muslim and to Muslims in general? Do you think it is something which has been misunderstood by people who don't know much about Islam, or corrupted by fundamentalists?
[/quote]
You are right!
Jihad is the Arabic word for struggle, striving and so on.
For me, the way I understand it, is that there are two types of Jihad. The major Jihad, which is an intrinsic struggle against your self, because we have to be strong and in control of our self. And the minor Jihad, which is an extrinsic struggle against other people that wish to harm myself or others.
The word has been misunderstood (or perhaps deliberately twisted) by people who don't know much about Islam, in my opinion. If you went to school for a couple of years you'd understand what the word means in Arabic. How that word is twisted into holy war, I don't know.
It is true, however, that we as Muslim must strive and struggle against others in terms of fighting against them in certain situations. But that has nothing to do with forcing religion on others because the Qur'an itself speaks against it. Actually, the reason we are told to fight is to stop others from forcing religion on people and oppressing them because of this, the Qur'an says:
And what is [the matter] with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and [for] the oppressed among men, women, and children who say, "Our Lord, take us out of this city of oppressive people and appoint for us from Yourself a protector and appoint for us from Yourself a helper?"[4:75]
I don't wanna make this too long, but I also speak about this in another post that you can read here.
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