Been a Muslim for 23 years, I would like to clear misconceptions you have

[dronald]

The biggest misconception? Is probably that Islam oppresses women, Muslim women and girls are very proud of their religion.

Hi Jakubb; thanks for joining us here. I’m always excited to speak with the Muslims who join us in order that we may ask the tough questions and search for some logical responses.

My first is in regards to what I have quoted above. I was raised that it is never, in any case, ever, ever, okay to strike a woman. Not for any reason, ever may I lay my hands on a woman to cause her pain or to intimidate her even if it is to correct behavior.
However, in Surah 4:34 Allah says:

Sahih International
Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband’s] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance - [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed;** and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them.** Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted and Grand.​

Would you say that there is a conflict between what Allah is stating and my strict beliefs in which I was raised that one must never strike a woman? Does Allah sanction striking women? Should a woman be struck if she is a former Muslim and tries to convert members of her family (perhaps her children) to Christianity? If not, then when may one strike a woman as Allah has sanctioned; if indeed he has?

Beheading is permitted in the Qur’an as is Crucifixion. It is only to be done in a war not otherwise.

Again I must ask; should someone be crucified within a Muslim land for trying to convert others to Christianity? Assuming I am a Christian within a Muslim nation and try to bring others to my faith, ought I to be killed or crucified? What about those that convert from Islam to Christianity; what is the Allah sanctioned penalty for such an act?

Surah 9:29 states:

Sahih International
Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture - [fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled.​

Do you believe that if I am a Christian in a Muslim land I ought to be subjugated or discriminated against for having different beliefs and therefore must pay a different tax?

Thanks.

 

[Jakubb]

Hi Jakubb; thanks for joining us here. I’m always excited to speak with the Muslims who join us in order that we may ask the tough questions and search for some logical responses.

My first is in regards to what I have quoted above. I was raised that it is never, in any case, ever, ever, okay to strike a woman. Not for any reason, ever may I lay my hands on a woman to cause her pain or to intimidate her even if it is to correct behavior.
However, in Surah 4:34 Allah says:

Sahih International
Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband’s] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance - [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed;** and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them.** Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted and Grand.​

Would you say that there is a conflict between what Allah is stating and my strict beliefs in which I was raised that one must never strike a woman? Does Allah sanction striking women? Should a woman be struck if she is a former Muslim and tries to convert members of her family (perhaps her children) to Christianity? If not, then when may one strike a woman as Allah has sanctioned; if indeed he has?

Again I must ask; should someone be crucified within a Muslim land for trying to convert others to Christianity? Assuming I am a Christian within a Muslim nation and try to bring others to my faith, ought I to be killed or crucified? What about those that convert from Islam to Christianity; what is the Allah sanctioned penalty for such an act?

Surah 9:29 states:

Sahih International
Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture - [fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled.​

Do you believe that if I am a Christian in a Muslim land I ought to be subjugated or discriminated against for having different beliefs and therefore must pay a different tax?

Thanks.

Well the tax is a protection tax this sura is mainly from a war time circumstance. It is not based on an everyday model of behavior.

As for the striking of a wife, yes it is allowed but it cannot leave any marks and it is only the last option if she is not acting like a Muslim woman should.

 

[7_Sorrows]

I have much respect for the King of Jordan and his wife Queen Rania. I have been praying for the Jordanian pilot captured by ISIS.
I heard the pilot’s father asking ISIS to treat his son as a guest.

Many Americans do not understand the middle eastern cultures because your history is so vastly different from ours and I know there are very good Muslims who want peace and you keep saying it is complex about the extremists, so do you personally feel another Caliphate should be established or do you like the countries as they are now? Which sect of Islam do you belong to?

How do Muslims believe Mary conceived since she was a virgin?
I have learned a lot here. Thank you for answering our questions.

 

[Jakubb]

I have much respect for the King of Jordan and his wife Queen Rania. I have been praying for the Jordanian pilot captured by ISIS.
I heard the pilot’s father asking ISIS to treat his son as a guest.

Many Americans do not understand the middle eastern cultures because your history is so vastly different from ours and I know there are very good Muslims who want peace and you keep saying it is complex about the extremists, so do you personally feel another Caliphate should be established or do you like the countries as they are now? Which sect of Islam do you belong to?

How do Muslims believe Mary conceived since she was a virgin?
I have learned a lot here. Thank you for answering our questions.

I do not think ISIS will achieve anything but misery. They are mostly people attracted to the idea of a war for Islam. Many silly kids have got attracted to ISIS and although they run propaganda well a lot of it is pure mayhem. They execute people who try to leave.

I feel sorry for the pilot but unfortunately they will kill him for sure.

I personally am very tired of all the fighting and violence it is sad to see Christians in Mosul forced out & trying to exterminate other minorities. I consider myself Sunni but more just a Muslim I don’t like to say Sunni or Shia I am just Muslim.

Terrorists are just achieving fear I know people in some Arabic countries very shocked at how Muslims in Europe behave. They are embarrassed.

We believe that the Angel Gabriel made Maryam pregnant with a wish that her son would be a gift a sign among men and Gabriel granted the wish.

Though we say Jibra’il not Gabriel

I think the countries were ok how they were before the west redrew the map but it is too difficult to return now. This method of ISIS is too brutal.

 

[dronald]

Well the tax is a protection tax this sura is mainly from a war time circumstance. It is not based on an everyday model of behavior.

So parts of the Qur’an are no longer relevant? Given that Surah 9 was one of the final Surah’s can we then say that much of the Qur’an is meaningless? Does Surah 9:29 only count for war circumstances? The context says nothing of the sort.

As for the striking of a wife, yes it is allowed but it cannot leave any marks and it is only the last option if she is not acting like a Muslim woman should.

Can you please give an example of when I can go about striking my wife as Allah has sanctioned? For me it’s disgraceful and disgusting; but Allah seems okay with it.

 

[Tomdstone]

Well the tax is a protection tax this sura is mainly from a war time circumstance. It is not based on an everyday model of behavior.

As for the striking of a wife, yes it is allowed but it cannot leave any marks and it is only the last option if she is not acting like a Muslim woman should.

If a Muslim converts to Christianity, should he be beheaded?

 

[Tomdstone]

I do not think it is permissible in Islam to harm children.

But it is one case after another. Take for example:
“Central African Republic: At least 27 Christians were slaughtered during a July 7 attack on the St. Joseph’s Cathedral compound in Bambari, where thousands of people, mostly Christian, were receiving sanctuary. The attackers were fighters from the Islamic Seleka rebel movement and Muslim civilians. The armed attackers entered the grounds at around 3pm and began shooting indiscriminately. Women and children were among those killed; over 20 people were injured. The Islamic attackers burned down 20 buildings within the church compound, set fire to three cars, and stole two others as well as a number of motorbikes. Weeks earlier, on May 28, another attack on a church compound in Bangui, the capital, left around 20 people dead.”
And these are not isolated cases. There are many hundreds of examples that can be given.
gatestoneinstitute.org/4846/muslim-persecution-christians-july
thereligionofpeace.com/pages/christianattacks.htm

 

[GuyNextDoor]

A lot of people are converting to Islam is the thing.

True.

I noticed that these days.

I also happened to noticed many Muslims are converting to Catholicism & Christianity in the States and Singapore. Some even blatantly rejects Islam publicly after their conversion.

All of us are going through troubling times filled with trials and fear, so I am not really surprised people are falling away from either sides.

 

[7_Sorrows]

I do not think ISIS will achieve anything but misery. They are mostly people attracted to the idea of a war for Islam. Many silly kids have got attracted to ISIS and although they run propaganda well a lot of it is pure mayhem. They execute people who try to leave.

I feel sorry for the pilot but unfortunately they will kill him for sure.

I personally am very tired of all the fighting and violence it is sad to see Christians in Mosul forced out & trying to exterminate other minorities. I consider myself Sunni but more just a Muslim I don’t like to say Sunni or Shia I am just Muslim.

Terrorists are just achieving fear I know people in some Arabic countries very shocked at how Muslims in Europe behave. They are embarrassed.

We believe that the Angel Gabriel made Maryam pregnant with a wish that her son would be a gift a sign among men and Gabriel granted the wish.

Though we say Jibra’il not Gabriel

I think the countries were ok how they were before the west redrew the map but it is too difficult to return now. This method of ISIS is too brutal.

Thank you for your answers. Interesting about the angel Gabriel.

 

[Jakubb]

So parts of the Qur’an are no longer relevant? Given that Surah 9 was one of the final Surah’s can we then say that much of the Qur’an is meaningless? Does Surah 9:29 only count for war circumstances? The context says nothing of the sort.

Can you please give an example of when I can go about striking my wife as Allah has sanctioned? For me it’s disgraceful and disgusting; but Allah seems okay with it.

Sura 9 is mostly a war based sura that is for war. It applies during a wartime environment rather than for everyday Muslims to follow. The context is too lengthy to get into now but the sura was revealed when Muhammad(pbuh) was in battles.

Striking your wife yes it sounds bad for us. But in Islam the wife is empowered but she is obedient to her husband in some aspects…and this is what Allah wants of her. If she acts in a way that is not how she should be, lets say arguing all the time, refusing to listen, causing problems, becoming out of control…it is said to rebuke her, to stop sharing the same bed and if still the problem persists it is allowed to strike her, but it is also said not so hard that it leaves any visible mark.

Then a separation period should happen if the problem is not resolved, not to continue to strike or anything like this.

 

[Jakubb]

But it is one case after another. Take for example:
“Central African Republic: At least 27 Christians were slaughtered during a July 7 attack on the St. Joseph’s Cathedral compound in Bambari, where thousands of people, mostly Christian, were receiving sanctuary. The attackers were fighters from the Islamic Seleka rebel movement and Muslim civilians. The armed attackers entered the grounds at around 3pm and began shooting indiscriminately. Women and children were among those killed; over 20 people were injured. The Islamic attackers burned down 20 buildings within the church compound, set fire to three cars, and stole two others as well as a number of motorbikes. Weeks earlier, on May 28, another attack on a church compound in Bangui, the capital, left around 20 people dead.”
And these are not isolated cases. There are many hundreds of examples that can be given.
gatestoneinstitute.org/4846/muslim-persecution-christians-july
thereligionofpeace.com/pages/christianattacks.htm

Yes but Christians there are also killing Muslims and sometimes they are innocent Muslims they target. This is not part of Christianity or Catholicism.

If children are killed as part of a target it is possible to find a justification in Islam. But to kill innocent children otherwise is simply prohibited in Islam. Nowhere is it allowed.

 

[Jakubb]

True.

I noticed that these days.

I also happened to noticed many Muslims are converting to Catholicism & Christianity in the States and Singapore. Some even blatantly rejects Islam publicly after their conversion.

All of us are going through troubling times filled with trials and fear, so I am not really surprised people are falling away from either sides.

I was surprised when I was in England, so many British girls were Muslim. More than I imagined i heard some were converting. They come to Islam for many reasons. Some university students, some older women some convert for marriage also…but many were Muslim now.

I think the same in America?

It is true also some Muslims are leaving Islam in the west but to leave Islam is a huge deal with family that many will never do it.

 

[Jakubb]

If a Muslim converts to Christianity, should he be beheaded?

In America? No.

 

[Jakubb]

Thank you for your answers. Interesting about the angel Gabriel.

Yes Jibra’il is the angel who revealed to Muhammad(pbuh) what Allah sent down.

 

[IgnatianPhilo]

An initial question for some follow up questions.

Do Muslims worship the same God as the Christians?

 

[Jakubb]

An initial question for some follow up questions.

Do Muslims worship the same God as the Christians?

Allah means the God meaning the one true God to make it clear it is referring to one specific God.

Yes we believe Allah revealed the bible before it was corrupted, so in a way yes but in another way no.

 

[boomerang]

I would like to ask about miracles in Islam. In the Catholic Church, we have been blessed with countless miracles like apparitions of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary and other saints. We have the healing springs of Lourdes, the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima, the Shroud of Turin, the tilma of Juan Diego with the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, living saints with the stigmata, incorrupt bodies of saints, miraculous healings, weeping icons and statues. The list is nearly endless.

Is there anything similar in Islam? If so, how widespread are these events? Are they common or rare?

 

[meltzerboy]

Allah means the God meaning the one true God to make it clear it is referring to one specific God.

Yes we believe Allah revealed the bible before it was corrupted, so in a way yes but in another way no.

What is that other way?

And do Muslims worship the same G-d as Jews?

 

[IgnatianPhilo]

Allah means the God meaning the one true God to make it clear it is referring to one specific God.

Yes we believe Allah revealed the bible before it was corrupted, so in a way yes but in another way no.

So Christians worship God as trinity, Father, Son and Holy spirit. Muslim’s worship entity who identifies with none of those names. How could it be possible in some way we worship the same God but in another way we don’t? They are two totally different beings.

Also at what time was the bible corrupted and how?

 

[Jakubb]

I would like to ask about miracles in Islam. In the Catholic Church, we have been blessed with countless miracles like apparitions of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary and other saints. We have the healing springs of Lourdes, the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima, the Shroud of Turin, the tilma of Juan Diego with the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, living saints with the stigmata, incorrupt bodies of saints, miraculous healings, weeping icons and statues. The list is nearly endless.

Is there anything similar in Islam? If so, how widespread are these events? Are they common or rare?

This one I am not sure about. Very sorry.