Ask a Muslim anything

[Lesschubtolove]

Another thread on a Quran being kicked about has brought up some pretty ugly stereotypes on Muslims and a perception that we all want blasphemy laws and death threats are part of our religion and that a Quran only matters in Arabic. None are true but it dawned on me actually that there are a lot of mistruths and Misconceptions about what Muslims believe, think or do.

Well ask away… the questions you maybe wanted to know but thought you might get in trouble for or would be frowned upon

Do you think the different religions (well Islam, Christianity and Judaism) all believe in the same God?
Do you think only Muslims go to Heaven (apologies if you have a different name for it) or do other religious people get in too?
What about atheists who have led a good life? Do they go to heaven?

I don’t know… different schools of thought.

there’s two verses that says good Christians and Jews will go to heaven

there’s also an opinion that those who didn’t receive the message of Islam properly haven’t been given a fair chance so will be either tested in the grave and then go to heaven or will just go straight to heaven

all children that die go to heaven, this is very clear

Do you really follow Ramadan ie no water strictly? I can understand no eating, but no drinking, even water, is just absurd to me.

Yes I believe it’s the same God, you have to in order to be Muslim.

i don’t know about heaven or hell, (jannah and jahanam) I believe Allah is merciful let’s put it that way

The same question I would ask any religious person

How do you square away picking and choosing the rules you do and don’t live by from the Quran ?

I work with a number of Muslim people who wouldn’t ever eat pork , but occasionally drink and have mortgages (haram I think?)

Yes.

i will not lie to you it’s hard but there are people in this world that walk miles for dirty water and what they have water wise even then is so limited, it does make you stop and think, fuuuuccck I’m so lucky.

if It’s the only way to buy your home it’s considered ok, especially as there are shariah mortgages because even renting you’d be contributing to someone else’s mortgage so sometimes there is no choice.

the pork thing is largely cultural, like not wanted to see a pig, so silly

ill tell you how, because no one is perfect and Islam isn’t about perfection it’s about betterment, and repentance :)

I feel like I’ve lost some comments and questions, please feel free to @ me if I missed it

You sound rather intolerant. It causes huge issues? Really?! Can't the Muslim children just do another activity? There are many Muslims at our children's school and as far as I know they sing and dance (I've seen them in shows and videos of them doing PE). If anyone didn't want to I don't see that it would be a big deal for the school.
There are many reasons why a Muslim might go to a Christian school: 1) it's the closest school to their house 2) it's a good school 3)They're happy for their children to be exposed to Christian teachings and mix with children of other faiths. Is this really so hard for you to understand?
My daughter goes to a Church if England high school but it takes in a certain % of other faiths each year. We are not Christian. I'm not particularly religious and my DH is Hindu. We're very happy for our daughter to go to this school because it's one of the best schools in the area. I also feel it's good to mix with children from other backgrounds.

would I? Not really there are plenty? I wouldn’t personally send my kids to a Muslim school as i can’t imagine non Muslims attending and I want my children to mix with Sikhs, Hindu, Jews, Christians etc

If you live in the UK will you allow your children to chose their religion (or no religion) and allow them to grow up like their non-Muslim peers? Will they be allowed to have bfs/gfs (especially who are white and non-muslim). Will they be allowed to live their lives as they wish, given you are raising them in a country which doesn't live by the same rules as your religion?

I only ask all this as one of my closest friends who I met at uni was a Muslim (well her family are) her not so much. She had a white boyfriend who she eventually moved to London to live with and they had a secret relationship for 10 years, her family knew I think but pretended not to. That relationship broke down due to the secrecy mainly, and she then got with another white man, she actually married this one after 6 years, again secretly together (it was only a secret from her family). Her family agreed to meet him 2 weeks before their wedding, it was strange to say the least. The amount of stress my poor friend was placed under for most her adult life was awful, she was just living her life, like we all were. I will add her bfs were lovely and very sucrssful "high flyers" anyone would love them to date/marry their daughter. I just couldn't get my head around why you'd bring your children up in the UK and expect them not to behave like any other teen or young adult, the expectation that my friend would marry a suitable Muslim on her parent's terms was hard to understand.

I hope you allow your children to find their own path and marry whoever they please whatever religion, race or sex they happen to be.

Think you’ve answered your own question there lol

So my children are going to be raised as Muslim, but I do consider myself pretty laid back, but they’ll be raised Muslim. But I want my kids to feel like they can tell me anything without fear of consequence.

ps the white thing gets me, I’m white, born Muslim, but white, or at least white looking as are my kids

Thanks for answering this fairly, I've met a lot of former Muslims fleeing from their home countries when working with asylum seekers so I have always wondered if that stigma remained in more liberal Muslim families and cultures

The socialist ones :)

healthcare for All, abolition of poverty, a robust welfare state, free education, university etc

I suspect it’s probably a case of don’t ask don’t tell here, you know so and so doesn’t practice doesn’t really believe but it still culturally Muslim so would go to his parents on eid for instance

Fascinating thread OP, thank you.

Why do some Muslims get really offended for example send death threats/murder if depictions of the prophet are shown or Quran's are defaced ? Why is it more of a problem within Islam than other religions ?

But that’s your interpretation of it! I really challenge you think outside of that paradigm and maybe strike up a conversation with the next niqabi woman you meet, you might be surprised.

but obviously it doesn’t make social interaction easier. It’s not something I could commit to wearing, I do own one, and the only time I’ve warn it was when I didn’t want to see anyone, or talk to anyone and wanted to fly incognito.

mostly ignorant questions, dripping in barely disguised contempt. As you were.

But intolerance is always ignorance. That's why this thread is a good one.

well 99.9% of sane Muslims roll their eyes and think oh islamaphobia again, it must be Tuesday…it’s deliberately provocative and annoying, and it’s done to get a reaction. Then the 0.1% that probably aren’t mentally well or are very ignorant and easily led get whipped into a frenzy and then the media seizes on it and the cycles goes on

personally I’ve never seen or heard of any cartoons mocking guru nanak or to the same extent Jesus, this antagonism is pretty much directed at Muslims

Do you think that attitudes are changing towards dogs as assistance animals? My sister is blind and relies on taxis. She uses a taxi probably three times a week. At least once a month her guide dog is refused by Muslim drivers. Reporting it has made not much difference and she uses a go pro now. I kind of feel bad asking you to answer on behalf of Muslim taxi drivers but I don’t understand how it’s not well known now that it’s against the law to refuse?

This is a question I have for all people of faith. If your older, but still minor child wants to reject the religion entirely or at least some aspects, do you support their right to do so?

In particular, would you support a daughter who chooses not to wear hajib? What about children who want to explore other religions or simply declare they lack faith all together?

How is she being ridiculous lol.

Of course we would be fine with a non Muslim not taking part in activities (if they attended an Islamic school).

My family member works at a Islamic nursery which has some non Muslims. She told me some of those kids remain silent when the Muslim kids are reciting a prayer before eating, and during any form of ‘worship’. And therefore, I can’t imagine why it is a problem when it is the other way round 😕