Sunday, April 23, 2017

A reminder about "authentic" hadiths

Fun fact: Hadith rejection is almost as old as when hadiths were compiled. See this Wikipedia link which names ancient scholars who either outright rejected hadiths, or heavily questioned them- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Hadith

I have noticed a pattern in certain hadiths declared "authentic". For example the hadiths about gheerah and dayouth were declared authentic by the salafi/wahhabi Muhammed Nassiruddin Al Albani. Also, the hadith about women wearing perfume not entering paradise, women needing to prostrate in front of their husbands, these hadiths are ALSO verified as "authentic" by al albani and other salafi/wahhabi sheikhs.

When you see hadiths verified as valid or sound, see WHO is doing so. If its verification is done by salafis/wahhabis. you can IGNORE such hadiths because most likely they are NOT true. Remember, hadiths came well after the Prophet pbuh died. They were compiled by ordinary people like you and me. Hadith scholars themselves aren't always on the same page. I mentioned previously how the salafi/wahhabi hadith scholar Al Albani verified a hadith about only an arab being allowed to rule an Islamic state, which has caused controversy among his own community. He also rejected certain hadiths in Sahihh Bukhari. Yes, Al Albani, a very orthodox salafi scholar, rejected some hadiths in Sahih Bukhari. As a matter of fact, other salafi scholars have nearly waged war on him. See this wikipedia link which has sources about salafi sheikhs critisizing his work on hadiths: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Nasiruddin_al-Albani

Something else that I want to stress is the fact that hadiths are CONTEXT SPECIFIC. For example, when the Prophet pbuh said female rulers of a country won't be successful, he was specifically referring to the Persians at the time who chose an unfit daughter of the deceased ruler. Another example is when the Prophet pbuh said that those who can't swim or those who don't do archery are not among us. How many Muslims take part in archery? How many Muslims are there that don't swim? Are these Muslims taken out of Islam?

There are many hadiths that say all Muslims will eventually enter paradise. This is actually well understood among all Muslim scholars. However at the same time, there are hadiths that say certain Muslims (Muslim men who don't have gheerah, Muslim women who wear perfume) will never enter paradise. Confused? Or how about the hadith of the prostitute going to jannah she gave that thirsty dog some water? How can she go to jannah but women who wear perfume don't? It just doesn't make sense, at all.

And then there are hadiths about all sects of Islam going to hell except for one. Muslims, to this day, have not officially (with the uttermost confidence) figured out which is the correct sect. Every sect thinks they are the correct one, every school of thought thinks they are the correct one. Why is this? Because certain hadiths are to blame for the divisions that exist within the ummah.

You also need to be aware that there are several weak and fabricated hadiths, which unfortunately many Muslim websites keep as "authentic". This ends up brainwashing backwards Muslims, who accept anything that is said in the name of Islam, especially when it is against women. To them, all hadiths are reliable, because they are hadiths!

Here are some videos by Dr Shabbir Ally who says not all hadiths can be accepted because its like a game of Chinese whisper:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN10qU4dP2A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdFyd0HHkAE

Here is an article about the history of hadiths:
http://www.irfi.org/general/history_of_hadiths.htm

Sheikh Atabek sheds light on hadiths which many Muslims don't know about!
https://shaykhatabekshukurov.com/2018/02/13/the-classic-scholars-treating-the-authentic-narration/
https://shaykhatabekshukurov.com/2017/12/30/why-the-contemporary-ahl-sunnah-reject-hadeeth/

So in conclusion:
Salafi/wahhabi verified hadiths are NOT reliable
Hadiths are context specific; referring to specific people, times, and places.
Hadiths are subject to scrutiny and rejection because 1) They were compiled hundreds of years after the Prophet pbuh died 2) Even among hadith scholars there are disagreements about the validity of certain hadiths.

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Dear Muslim women, you are NOT sinning if men get aroused by you

This is a follow up to my articles on women not being sex objects.

Muslim women are constantly told by sheikhs and the common person that they are sinful if they go out and men get turned on. There is a hadith on this that says the devil goes out with women, and you know what? Don't believe in it. Its a false and weak hadith. Its stupid to assume that Allah created women as sex objects who need to cover up and be hidden away because men can't control their lusts. Its stupid to assume that Allah only created women to wear burkas and be housewives because again, men can't control themselves.

Its because of this idiotic and sick thinking that muslim women are denied full public participation in everyday life. I see here in the west how women are living their lives just like how men are, and it annoys and saddens me that muslim countries restrict women's activities because men will get turned on.

Think about it, do handsome Muslim sin when women raise their gaze at them? I have friends, and I'm man enough to know some of them are good looking. They know they turn heads when they walk past women. Are these men sinning? Should they wear hijab and burka to avoid attention from women? Is the devil going out with them too?

The rule that Muslim women shouldn't wear provocative, sleazy, and racy clothing is just so that they should be professional in appearance. This doesn't mean you are to be covered head to toe in a burka, niqab, or hijab, rather it means you wear regular modest clothes that even your non-muslim neighbors wear. This is not hard to understand. If men find you beautiful (not the same thing as aroused by the way), then its NOT your fault in any way and don't think it is. Ignore the salafi and wahabi shitheads who will come at you. Many Muslim women mind their own business without having the intention to cause lustful thoughts and feelings from men, so how on EARTH does it make ANY sense that these women are sinning??

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

No, Hijab is NOT an Islamic requirement!

I did a piece on the dress of women earlier, you might want to check it out: https://mymuslimthoughts.blogspot.ca/2015/05/trying-to-understand-womans-dress-in.html?showComment=1468300193593

We really need to stop obsessing over the clothes of women. Its like every YouTube video, every fatwa website has content crying over the dress of women.

Lets do a history lesson. The head covering was a part of the arab culture. It was worn BEFORE Islam arrived. Islam did not invent the hijab. It was already in existence worn by people of many faiths (or no faith). However, the head covering (referred to as khimar in the Quran) did not cover the front of a woman. It didn't cover her chest. The head covering would hand behind the woman. That is why Allah said for women to take their head covering (which is ALREADY being worn since its the CULTURE) and cover the exposed parts of the body. Allah never said for women to cover their heads, he just said to take it and cover the front, which was a commandment to the women in ARABIA (and surrounding countries).

Modern day conservative Muslims (a brand new branch of conservatives that just popped out of no where) often say it is because of colonialism that makes us think hijab is not mandatory. Well this makes no sense, since for example the Mughal Empire, you can look at all the art and literature. It often features women without duppatta (or only lightly covering their heads with the duppatta). This is why to this day many Muslim women in the Indian subcontinent do not cover their heads (except only for prayer).

Another thing new conservative Muslims brag about is ijma. Well, where was the ijma in condemning these Muslim women who didn't cover? They did condemn Akbar who created deen illahi (a new kind of religion fusing Islam and Hinduism), but they NEVER condemned women for not following the "Islamic" dress code. Why?

And also, there are no sound hadiths on hijab. This is why even the most conservative of Salafis still use the Quran as their primary source of evidence to prove hijab (even though they are wrong).

The overall general idea is that women should dress modestly. Modesty varies by culture. In countries where burka is the only form of modesty, that culture will pass out when they see cultures where burkas are not the only form of modesty. Tight and revealing clothes is what's haraam in Islam. And keep in mind, most women wear clothes that they are comfortable in, in the same way men wear clothes that they feel comfortable in. Most women don't purposely show off their curves, they're just shaped like that, and we need to stop crying over this. The same goes for us men, we don't try and show off our body shapes. But the shape of our parts will almost always show (at least a little bit). You cannot avoid this. Body shapes will ALWAYS show no matter what the clothing is. Shapes will show if you wear jeans, shapes will show if you wear a burka.

Most Muslim girls living in the west do not wear hijab. If anything most of the ones that do are of Arab or Somali decent. Because its their culture. Most Muslim women here wear regular western clothes like everyone else, just like how most Muslim men do. And yes, western clothes can ALSO be modest. Please get bikinis, leggings, spaghetti straps OUT of your head, because that's not the only type of western clothing that exists.

I have said before, culture heavily influences our views on Islam. People who live in cultures where women wear burkas and are segregated from public life will automatically assume women are wearing immodest clothes if they go to places where wearing burkas is not the norm. They won't be able to see that women can still be modest WITHOUT wearing burkas and hijabs.

We need to stop sexualizing every inch of a woman's body. We need to stop thinking that women are sex objects who need to be covered because us men can't "control" ourselves. A woman's choice of clothing should not be determined on the basis of how men will react. If men wear clothing that they are comfortable in, why can't the same apply to women? A woman can be modest WITHOUT covering her hair, while wearing any type of clothing she wants to.

There are two Quran verses that talk about a woman's dress. Surah An Nur (24:3)1 and Surah Al Azhab (33:59). I'll show 24:31 with various translations:


Sahih International 
"And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed."

Mufti Taqi Usmani
And tell the believing women that they must lower their gazes and guard their private parts, and must not expose their adornment, except that which appears thereof, and must wrap their bosoms with their shawls, and must not expose their adornment, except to their husbands or their fathers or the fathers of their husbands, or to their sons or the sons of their husbands, or to their brothers or the sons of their brothers or the sons of their sisters, or to their women, or to those owned by their right hands, or male attendants having no (sexual) urge, or to the children who are not yet conscious of the shames of women. And let them not stamp their feet in a way that the adornment they conceal is known. And repent to Allah O believers, all of you, so that you may achieve success.

Abdul Haleem
And tell believing women that they should lower their glances, guard their private parts, and not display their charms beyond what [it is acceptable] to reveal; they should let their headscarves fall to cover their necklines and not reveal their charms except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons, their womenfolk, their slaves, such men as attend them who have no sexual desire, or children who are not yet aware of women’s nakedness; they should not stamp their feet so as to draw attention to any hidden charms. Believers, all of you, turn to God so that you may prosper.

Yusuf Ali
And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss.
Shakir
And say to the believing women that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts and do not display their ornaments except what appears thereof, and let them wear their head-coverings over their bosoms, and not display their ornaments except to their husbands or their fathers, or the fathers of their husbands, or their sons, or the sons of their husbands, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or those whom their right hands possess, or the male servants not having need (of women), or the children who have not attained knowledge of what is hidden of women; and let them not strike their feet so that what they hide of their ornaments may be known; and turn to Allah all of you, O believers! so that you may be successful.

Pickthall
And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment save to their own husbands or fathers or husbands' fathers, or their sons or their husbands' sons, or their brothers or their brothers' sons or sisters' sons, or their women, or their slaves, or male attendants who lack vigour, or children who know naught of women's nakedness. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And turn unto Allah together, O believers, in order that ye may succeed.

Muhsin Khan
And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like palms of hands or one eye or both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer dress like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms, etc.) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husband's sons, their brothers or their brother's sons, or their sister's sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful.
Dr. Ghali
And say to the female believers to cast down their be holdings, and preserve their private parts, and not display their adornment except such as is outward, and let them fix (Literally: strike) closely their veils over their bosoms, and not display their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husbands' fathers, or their sons, or their husbands' sons, or their brothers, or their brothers's sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or what their right hands possess, or (male) followers, men without desire (Literally: without being endowed with "sexual" desire) or young children who have not yet attained knowledge of women's privacies, and they should not strike their legs (i.e., stamp their feet) so that whatever adornment they hide may be known. And repent to Allah altogether, (O) you believers, that possibly you would prosper.
These translations were taken from: https://quran.com/24/31-41
So most translations (except for the salafi Muhsin Khan) say pretty much the same thing. The argument here is that women shouldn't show their "adornments" or "ornaments" to anyone except mehram men and other women. "Adornments" and "ornaments" can mean anything, but as I have said in the past, it refers to body parts that cause sexual arousal. Hair does not cause sexual arousal. Women shouldn't show off those certain body parts, but also as I have said, you can't always cover body shapes. Body shapes and movements will ALWAYS SHOW no matter what clothing you wear. The point here is you shouldn't have the INTENT to show off and cause arousal, and that you shouldn't wear tight, revealing, or provocative clothing. If you are being modest and men get turned on by you, its not your fault at all. And then these translations also speak of using the veil or headcover to cover your body. Recall what I said earlier about Arab women at the time. Also the translations speak about only revealing what is "necessary". Why wasn't Allah more specific about this? What is "necessary" can mean anything. Hair can be interpreted as something that is necessary to show.
The next verse is 33:59. I'm not in the mood to show so many translations so we'll just stick with a few:
Dr. Ghali
O you Prophet, say to your spouses and your daughters and the women of believers, that they draw their outer garments closer to them; that will (make) it likelier that they will be recognized and so will not be hurt. And Allah has been Ever-Forgiving, Ever-Merciful.
Pickthall
O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them (when they go abroad). That will be better, so that they may be recognized and not annoyed. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.
Sahih International
O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.
Shakir
O Prophet! say to your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers that they let down upon them their over-garments; this will be more proper, that they may be known, and thus they will not be given trouble; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
So same thing, take the over garments (already worn because its Arab culture) and cover the rest of their bodies which are exposed. The last part is about dressing in this way so that they could be now recognized as Muslim women, and not associated with the women who didn't cover their chests (so the non-muslim women) as well as slave women.
As a male, I'm telling you that hair is not enough to get men sexually aroused. A woman's hair may or may not add to her being good looking. Often times it being covered or shown will make no difference. In the same way, a woman wearing hijab may or may not add to her being good looking (because women wearing hijab can look beautiful in it).