A Muslim Convert Once More

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ What tenets of shari’ah do Westerners find offensive? ”   There is a subtle difference between shari’ah , which is Divine Law, as extrapolated from the Qur’an; and fiqh , jurisprudence, which is human interpretation of shari’ah .   When we consider shari’ah , we look at the Divine Judgement and the laws of reciprocation in nature.   This is a Manifestation of Divine Will, according to Divine Wisdom.   In the theological sense, it has much in common with Jewish and Christian theodicy.   When we consider fiqh , jurisprudence, this human interpretation of Divine Law is itself tainted by very human limitations, such as bias, prejudice, ignorance and racism or nationalism.   These inadequacies then become God’s inadequacies to the ignorant observer.   The tenets that Westerners find offensive about this “ shari’ah ” would then depend on their level of knowledge of Islam, and their own values and

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ Is it permissible for a Sunni to marry a Shi’ah? ”   The Shi’ah are a group of sects, which widely divergent theological positions, some of which are outright shirk , and out of Islam.   An example would be the Fatimid belief that Allah ( s.w.t. ) appears in the form of a golden man.   These groups are extinct.   What we have left are the mainstream sects, such as the Itsna’ ‘Ashari or the Zaydi, and not the ghuluw groups.   They are Muslims, they perform the haj , and they adhere to the Qur’an.   There is no prohibition against marriage between Sunnis and these Shi’ah.   All the prohibitions are cultural ignorance and prejudice, not grounded in the religion.   If Sunnis can marry Wahhabis, whose beliefs are outright kufr and shirk , they cannot complain about marriage with the Shi’ah.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ I am a single Muslim man, and have fallen in love with my married Christian co-worker.   What should I do? ”   You should stop lusting after somebody’s wife, and behave yourself.   When Qur’an Tells us to lower our gaze, It never mentioned stopping at the boobs.   We are not animals, slaves to our desires.   We are meant to aspire to be better than the angels.   If you cannot control yourself, then you should consider finding another job, and keeping your distance.   These feelings are ephemeral, with no reality.   After some time, it will fade.   There are no shortage of women in the world.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ Why does Allah ( s.w.t. ) Use the number 40 in a lot in the Qur’an? ”   In Arabic, which is the language of the Qur’an, the number “40” is part of a common literary device signifying completion.   This is common to all Semitic languages, and can be found in the Bible as well, with Noah ( a.s. ) being on the ark for “40 days and 40 nights”, and the Children of Israel wandered the desert for 40 years.   It signifies the completion of a spiritual journey, and need not necessarily be taken to refer to a definitive period of time.   Thus, Abraham ( a.s. ) was in the fire for 40 days.   Adam ( a.s. ) searched for Eve for 40 years.   Joseph ( a.s. ) was in the well for 40 nights.   None of these refer to a specific moment of time, and too many people, ignorant of the literary tradition of another language, take them literally.   Similarly, in English, when we say someone went the “whole nine yards”,

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ What is the most convincing verse in the Qur’an about the Existence of God? ”   Personally, I do not think any one verse is more convincing than the other.   This is a matter of preference and connection.   No one is in need of reading the Qur’an to conclude that there is a God. That is a philosophical exercise and emotive experience: one either concludes there is no God, or that we are part of something greater.   The Qur’an was Sent to Affirm belief, not create it.   Within Islam, we are all born upon fithrah , the natural disposition to recognise the Divine.   That is why Surah al-Baqarah begins:   سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ الٓمٓ (١) ذَٲلِكَ ٱلۡڪِتَـٰبُ لَا رَيۡبَ‌ۛ فِيهِ‌ۛ هُدً۬ى لِّلۡمُتَّقِينَ (٢)   In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Alif Lam Mim.   This is the Book; in it, is Guidance sure, without doubt, to those who recognise Al

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ Why is love greater than reason? ”   It is sentiment that claims love is greater than reason.   Love only benefits us when it is reined in by reason.   Love, by itself, is destruction.   People love those who are toxic to them, and that is love without reason.   Mothers love their children to the extent that they refuse to see their faults, and that is injustice.   Spouses love their abusers, and that is a weakness of character.   Love and reason are not greater than each other.   Reason without love is meaningless, whereas love without reason is an indulgence.   It is one of the great cultural falsehoods, and the source of innumerable tragedies that people believe love is greater than anything.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ Can a Sunni Muslim girl marry a Buhrah Muslim boy without converting? ”   You are both Muslims.   What do you want to convert to?   Scientology?   Conversion is only required when one of the parties is not a Muslim.   Within the context of orthodox religion, the Ahmadiyyah , the Wahhabis, and other ghuluw , extreme, sects, with beliefs that are far out of what we generally agree upon as the foundational creed of Islam would be treated as non-Muslims, and have to convert.   Generally, groups that are banned from the haj are not considered to be Muslims.   Once upon a time, that included the Wahhabi sect for more than a hundred years.   After the British helped them conquer the Haramayn, no one can tell them that the old fatawa are still valid, so they have become an exception.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ How can Allah ( s.w.t. ) forgive me for my big sins such as adultery, associating partners with Him, not praying, theft and lies? ”   If we believe in an Absolute God, beyond limits, what can you possibly do that is beyond His Capacity to Forgive?   If you can sin beyond His Capacity of Forgiveness, that would imply a limited god, since you have bested Him in this, and that is impossible.   There is a hadits qudsi , recorded in Jami’ at-Tirmidzi , where Allah ( s.w.t. ) Says, “O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall Forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind.   O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask Forgiveness of Me, I would Forgive you.   O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you Forgiveness as gr

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ If an imam suddenly changes his mind about his vocation, can he opt out from religion and change his life? ”   Being an imam is not a vocation in the clergy.   You are an imam when you lead the congregational prayer, and cease to be one when the congregational prayer is over.   You may be acclaimed an imam because of your vast knowledge in the religion by other religious scholars, but that does not mean being a scholar is a full-time job.   Many great Muslim scholars were traders, scientists, craftsmen, bureaucrats and even soldiers by profession.   That all aside, it is perfectly within the rights of any person to change the direction of his life and follow his convictions as long as that conviction does not involve hurting people, threatening public order or harming society.   Choosing to be a robber, for example, is not an option.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ Does Allah ( s.w.t. ) Stay on our heart?   Did Allah ( s.w.t. ) Create the whole universe?   Does Allah ( s.w.t. ) stay everywhere?   What it the correct location and size of Allah ( s.w.t. )? ”   Within Muslim theology, Allah ( s.w.t. ) is Absolute.   Absoluteness means that there is no place where God is not, meaning that He is Omnipresent.   It also means that although Allah ( s.w.t. ) is distinct from Creation, Creation does not exist “outside” Allah ( s.w.t. ).   To explain this metaphysically, imagine an infinite ocean, with no surface and no floor.   Everything exists within that infinite ocean, and nothing is outside of it.   Everything within that ocean is distinct from it, but yet nothing is not of it.   Since everything is surrounded by the water of the ocean, they cannot perceive it.   In the same way, the fish in the real ocean do not see that ocean unless we remove that fish from

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ Do you believe that God Hears every single person’s prayer on Earth?   If so, how can He possibly respond favourably when some will conflict with each other? ”   There are a few things to address here, since this is actually a complex theological understanding that requires cognisance of the Divine Attributes.   Firstly, an Omnipresent, Omniscient God not only Hears prayers, but was always Aware of the prayer long before the one praying had even thought to utter it. God is Eternal, Absolute.   He Exists beyond spacetime.   Such is His All-Awareness, He did not need you to tell Him your need.   Secondly, if God is not in need of us praying, then what is the purpose of prayer?   The purpose of prayer is for us to recognise the Divine, and be aware of the Giver of Gifts.   What is meant for us was destined long before the moment became apparent, but we may be ignorant of it, and the ignorant ca

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ If the ahadits are losing their meaning, then how can we conclude they are authentic? ”   You are conflating authentication of narrations with utilisation of narrations in jurisprudence.   Putting aside the vast and technical conversation on the authenticity of specific narrations in light of historical, theological and other developments, an authentic narration does not become a hukm , ruling; and neither does it become a binding fatwa , legal opinion.   Firstly, a hadits is simply a snapshot of a moment.   By itself, without the underlying context, it does have not an immediate application in fiqh , jurisprudence.   That is why the fuqaha’ , jurists, disagree on many issues.   The various madzahib , schools, of jurisprudence, have their methodology.   The contention we are facing in our time is not the authenticity of ahadits , but the deteriorating quality of our jurists, and jurisprudenc

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ If a Christian holds some incorrect theological views, will he still go to Hell? ”   There are really two questions here.   The first is about what is the correct theological position, and the second pertains to theodicy.   Regarding the first, who is there to say which theological position on a wide variety of matters is correct?   Which one is mere schism, and which one is outright heresy?   Modern Christianity has three main traditions: Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant.   Within them are groups that straddle more than one of these traditional denominations.   And then there are groups that do not belong to any of them.   There are unitarian, trinitarian and even outright trinalatrial theologies.   Which groups are in, when the vast majority of people do not even know the actual theological positions of their own religion, let alone adhere to them.   Belonging to a religion is very much a

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Muhyi ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Arabi ( q.s. ) said, “The knower’s declaration to his student, ‘Take from me this science which you can find nowhere else’, does not detract from the knower’s level, nor do other similar declarations that appear to be self-eulogy, because his intention is only to encourage the student to receive it.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ I want to convert to Islam but I am homosexual, what shall I do? ”   You are conflating theological preference for sexual orientation.   I would assume that your concern is the proscription of homosexuality, or even threats to your life.   The former is an issue of jurisprudence and it is nuanced and complicated.   There are even LGBT Muslim communities because Islam is a world religion, covering a multitude of sects, schools and philosophies.   I suggest you do some study, and find something that is more to your flavour.   We are not a monolithic bloc.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ According to shari’ah , if I deposit money in a bank as a small customer, and the bank pays me interest on my deposit, would that be haram ? ”   Firstly, it is illogical to consider any and all forms of interest to be riba’ .   Interest should be charged on a loan to cover infrastructure cost, and opportunity cost.   The bank buildings, the systems that track transactions, the security cost of holding deposits, all that staff - that is a cost.   We are not talking about the village money changer sitting at the corner of the bazaar somewhere in a distant oasis.   For there to be riba’ , usury, there has to be an element of zhulm , oppression.   That means an interest rate far in excess of the principal such that the rate of increase far outstrips the borrower’s ability to pay, and other forms of predatory lending.   Secondly, the bank takes in deposits, and then loans out those deposits to th

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ Is it haram for Muslims to visit Israel even for educational purposes? ”   Why would it be haram ?   If the argument is that Israel is unjust to Muslims, that list would include almost every Muslim nation from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan.   If the argument is that it is because Israel is oppressing Palestinians, then what about the same Muslim countries oppressing their own population on the basis of tribe, skin colour, class or even gender?   Is it haram to go for haj considering what the Saudis have been, and are still doing to places like Yemen, for their support of Israel, for their export of violence including seventeen out of the nineteen 9/11 hijackers?   Despite contentions over its founding, Israel is another nation, and whatever issues we have with it are at a policy level.   We may agree that it is wrong, or unjustified.   We may agree that elements of the Israeli government are o

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ What are your tips for asking Allah ( s.w.t. ) for Forgiveness? ”   There are no tips because Allah ( s.w.t. ) does not need to be bribed, convinced or cajoled to Forgive.   If you could move Allah ( s.w.t. ), then Allah ( s.w.t. ) is no longer Sovereign, and you are god.   Rather, your desire to repent is His Desire to Forgive.   It is Allah ( s.w.t. ) Who has Moved you to seek Forgiveness.   If you seek Divine Forgiveness, then ask for it, and it is Granted.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ Is it allowed, in Islam, to have doubts and search for answers during our life, or does it condemn us to Hell? ”   The most dangerous person is someone who is so certain who is going to Heaven and who is going to Hell that he is willing to kill for the religion, or kill himself for it.   Such a person has usurped the role of Allah ( s.w.t. ), and made himself judge, jury and executioner.   That is shirk , polytheism.   Our religious understanding grows because we doubt, we question and we seek those answers.   That is a logical, natural part of spiritual growth.   Even in the time of the Prophet ( s.a.w. ), the swahabah , the companions, grew by asking questions and seeking answers.   That is what made them the best generation.   They did not sit around and wait for some village mullah with all the answers.   If people never doubted, and never sought answers, how would they answer that year

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ Islam has many laws that govern behaviour.   Are there any laws in Islam that govern our hearts, our thoughts, our ideas, or our beliefs? ”   There are two types of jurisprudence in Islam, from which legal rulings are derived: fiqh al-’ibadah , and fiqh al-mu’amalah .   Fiqh al-’ibadah , the jurisprudence of worship, pertains to our relationship with the Creator.   In this everything is haram , forbidden, unless it can be proven to be halal, permissible.   This is a mercy.   It prevents people from adding to the rituals of worship and making it incumbent upon others, making Islam burdensome and onerous.   Fiqh al-mu’amalah , the jurisprudence of transactions, pertains to our relationship with Creation, which is transactional in nature.   Here, everything is halal , permissible, unless you can prove it is not.   Thus, everything that we do and experience is permissible unless we can prove it ot

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ Is it haram to cut ties with non-Muslim family members? ”   The Qur’an constantly Exhorts us to think, and not be stupid.   Much of our religion is based on logic, and natural justice.   We call it “ fithrah ”, and every single person is born with it.   Thus, it is haram to be wilfully stupid, and this is being willfully stupid.   If you are going to cut ties with your family simply because they belong to a different religion, will you then cut ties with those who belong to the “wrong” Islam, and have different opinions?   You should be prepared to be lonely and disliked.   Nobody likes an ignorant bigot.   When we go back to the stories of the Prophet ( s.a.w. ), where in all of that, did he cut ties with his family who did not convert?   Where, in all of the sirah , did any of the companions do so?   The only time it is permissible, is when they literally want to kill you.   Even insults

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Muhyi ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Arabi ( q.s. ) said that the knower of Allah ( s.w.t. ) knows through baswar , eyesight, what others know through baswirah , insight; and he knows through insight what virtually no one knows.   Despite this, he does not feel secure from the harm of his ego towards himself; how then could he ever feel secure from what His Lord has foreordained for him?

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ As someone who converted to Islam, how did your non-Muslim family and friends react? ”   When I converted to Islam from Catholicism, I lost some friends.   That is a good thing.   We should not tolerate people in our lives who seek to dictate to us our values.   I do not go around telling people what beliefs to adhere to; I do not tolerate anyone doing likewise.   When my family found out, there was some drama. But my late grandmother said, “At least he did not become Protestant,” and that was that.   We have to understand, that within family, leaving your religion for another one, especially Islam, with all its baggage, is viewed as a repudiation of family values.   There is an understandable feeling of hurt and betrayal.   It takes time for people to accept these changes, and over time, my family accepted that I am Muslim.   I showed them that aside from a cosmetic change of religious labe

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ What does “ as-Salaamu’Alaykum ” mean?   I hear a lot of my Muslim friends say it to each other? ”   It literally means, “May the Peace be upon you all”.   There is a subtle nuance here, in that the “peace” we wish is not generic, but a specific Peace that Allah ( s.w.t. ) Grants to the believers, a calmness of heart, and respite from the trials of the world.   “ as-Salam ”, in “ as-Salaamu’Alaykum ”, is also one of the Names of Allah (s.w.t.), the Peace and Tranquility.   The greeting is in the plural since we say “ ‘Alaykum ”, not “ ‘Alayka ” or “ ‘Alayki ”, because we extend the greetings to the recording angels on the left and right, who record our good and bad deeds, and to all the servants of Allah ( s.w.t. ), who may be among the unseen.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ Why are Muslims not allowed to wear bright colourful patterns? ”   Where did you get that strange idea?   God is not the fashion police.   There is no prohibition against bright colours.   We are not in mourning.   According to prophetic narrations, there are colours that the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) preferred, but that does not make his preference obligatory.   The Arabs of that time liked green, which is understandable, since they lived in a desert, and green signified plenty. That does not mean green is now my favourite colour.   That being said, there are people who actually do believe that women should not wear bright colours.   You would notice that the vast majority of these people follow the Wahhabi sect, which is also the sect of groups such as ISIS and Al Qaeda.   This is also the idea in certain strains of the neo-Wahhabi Deobandi group.   Their belief is that bright colours worn by wom