Just curious - how many muslims are on mumsnet?

[Galvanise]

Hello/Salaam,

I know mumsnet has a wide and diverse population and I tend to recognise some MN usernames as regulars. Just intrigued to know how big/small a community it may be.

Of course, I respect that there may be those who do not wish to even identify themselves for various reasons - which is fine too.

I am not asking for 'religiousness' levels or any vital stats! Nor is this a muslim-only thread or an 'no non-muslims' thread.
If you really wish to tell me that you are not a muslim, that is fine too :)

:)

Some interesting points and info there Crescent. I personally feel a lot more educated on both sides about the prophet's birthday (saw). I would like to add that I agree with not disapproving of what others do, because if there is evidence in both sides, then it becomes a grey area and a matter of interpretation, not just something black or white.

Walikumasalaam ummonono xxx

Crescent I often feel that although we are individually capable and entitled to make up our own minds and hold differing views, that it seems these days, clerics and scholars hold the final word on everything. The amount of times I've been told (despite studying in depth) I'm just a 'layman' and basically have no right to dispute a view of theirs, makes me sad and reaffirms to me that in the present islam, ordinary people don't hold a vote. With the majority of views and despite like I said, evidence for both opinions on matters, it is now a case of black or white, and there is no such thing as grey- I.e interpretation based on individual study and critical thinking. I'm sick and tired of it.

crescent didnt you say further up the thread that you do not think you are qualifies to do ijtihad? I mean I feel I am not, due to the fact I don't understand the intricacies of the Arabic language, I am not a muhadith or hafiz and so on.

Waynetta, why don't you study Islamic fiqh in whatever area interests you, then you would have a perfectly valid means to make decisions on Islamic jurisprudence matters.

I really appreciate that long post you just wroteCrescent, and I read it all. I think based on what you have said, that those I have been taught by are salafi and Wahhabi. I have not come across much tolerance for different viewpoints in those I have met and the masjids I have attended. Not that sisters haven't been nice because they are lovely it's just personally difficult to go against the norm (like removing head covering) because some drop you like a hot plate thinking you have become like an apostate. You made a point that I've never in a million years actually acknowledged or really thought about , when you said an imam is not a jurist, a jurist is not a theologian, a theologian is not the same as a spiritual teacher etc. The way I have been taught in terms of the madhabs is that even though they agree to disagree, despite this flexibility and depending on what kind of people you hang around with, some can vehemenently oppose your view..even though you have evidence for it. Also if you follow parts of some school and parts of another, that's not always approved of,

I do love you crescent lol i really enjoy just sitting back to read your posts. Mashaallah you are very articulate and know exactly the right way to speak to people. Same goes for all sisters on here, the differences are what makes every one of you unique and special

yeah i agree a memoriser is not the same as an anlayser, i just feel that i might analyse something, but because i am not a memoriser, might have a piece of the puzzle missing, which would make a big difference to the outcome, if you gget what im saying.

Also it is not only salfis and wahabis who dont celebrate mawlid al nabi, there are deobandis, tablighis etc

ok, so I went away and thought about it.

By my reasoning, a bidah is an innovation in worship. Our religion is complete, and to add anything to it would be a bidah.

Celebrating my kids birthdays comes under the sphere of social interactions and culture. the intention of it is not an ibadah, so it is not a bidah. There is nothing in that which is specific to a religious group or anything like that so imo it is not copying the kuffar, anymore then wearing jeans or something is copying kuffar. things like wearing a bindhi or something imo would be.

The Prophet Muhammad sas honoured his birthday by fasting on that day. So it is a sunnah to fast on that day. However to make it in to an Eid is something which he sas did not do. and you cannot fast on Eid anyway! So if people make this in to an eid then imo it is a bidah. Because their intention is ibadah then they are adding something to the religion my making this day in to an Eid in honour of the prophet sas.

But say they dont "celebrate" but they do fast and do dhikr, we can say that the prophet did extra ibadah on Monday as it represents his birth, so it is ok if we do this to. But to me it is like mothers day and valentines day, this is something we should be doing through out the year, we do not need a special occasion to do it, we can do it randomly. The Prophet sas regularly fasted on Monday, we can do that too. He sas did not do extra ibadah once a year on his birth, so why would we? to do so would be adding something to the religion.

Like I said I might be missing something, as I am not a muhadith and I do not understand Arabic.

and yes all the madhabs are equally correct, none is better then the other, this is an important point.

However to me aqeedah is important, it is the basis of everything, so where I can understand differences in the madhabs and in fiqh, differences in aqeedah is a bit harder for me to understand. This is the fundemental questions of what makes you a Muslim.

So naila would you celebrate your kids bdays? Just a bit confused lol

You didn't ask me, but I'll tell you how I cleebrate my childrens birthdays. lol

It took me ages to conceive, so on my childrens first birthdays I started sponsoring a child the same age as my children, did the same for both children. I figure, I would like another child to benefit, the children are in third world countries and it doesn't cost a large amount at all, possibly about as much as I would spend on gifts to my children anyway.

I give my children presents and bake cakes, but not on birthdays per se. If the entire family is together I'll give all the children little gifts and bake cakes to go with our chai.

The major celebrations are always at Eid, the kids in the family really look forward to Eid, as it is very special.

Fuzzy that sounds lovely mashaallah and I like the idea of sponsoring a child...will be looking into that inshallah. Roll on Eid this year

yeah i do waynetta, like have a meal with family, the families buy gifts, i dont coz they have enough! lol but obviously we want eid to be the focus

Ok mashaallah, just wanted to be clear lol. I suppose I would but tbh (and this is embarrassing to admit) but when I went through a bit of a 'strict' stage of my journey in the deen, I denounced birthdays to everyone as bid'ah and the fact it's got pagan associations etc...therefore I'd feel like a bit of a prat going back on it now. Ds seems happy and excited at Eid time and isn't bothered that we don't do birthdays so I guess that's also why I'm not too fussed.

Out of interest, and I may seem a bit mad asking..but has anyone else had a 'strict' stage of their deen? I've worn niqab in the past, covered absolutely anything with an animate pic on in the house, refused to attend my bro in laws wedding on the basis that it was mixed gender (I did go in the end) and gave up listen

ing to music. I know maybe some things here I've said are just normal to other sisters or brothers, but I'm a lot more relaxed in terms of stuff now. Praying, fasting, Quran recitation, niyyaa to go Hajj and zakah are a fixed and n

on optional thing obviously. Apologies for posts. iPhone is possessed I think.

Asalam u alikum all, salaams ummunon I remember you from a previous thread. Fuzzywuzzy I love your idea about sponsoring a child from when your own is born, what a lovely way to be thankful for your blessings.
We sponsor 2 kids in Palestine through interpal, it's lovely as you get a letter from them and photos every year so you can see how they progress, I'd really recommend as a form a sadaqa.
I wanted to ask if anyone has heard of Sheikh Imran Hussein, he has millions of videos on youtube. I came to hear them as my husband listens to them. He talks about politics quite a lot which normally doesn't interest me, but as he talks about current events in the light of the Quran I find him very interesting, and I must say his arguments very compelling. I believe his views are quite controversial though, as he believes we are currently living in the time of dajal, which is not the view of ahlus sunna wal jammat.
Anyone any opinions/experience?

Have had similar experiences to yours crescent regarding giving in charity, and come to the same conclusion. Have also experienced the other way, where we had pushed ourselves to help someone out at a time when we didn't have much ourselves, and found that Allah repaid us 10 fold in other ways, alhamdulillah.
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: 'Sadaqah (charity) does not decrease wealth.' (Muslim)