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The so-called five usool ad-deen are simply something scholars eventually came up with to categorize the principle beliefs of the religion, probably in reaction to the Mu`tazila's having done similarly with their own five usool ad-deen. From what I've seen won't find any hadiths that lay it out specifically like that, so as a man-made construct you shouldn't expect it to be perfect and all encompassing. No doubt though it is necessary for an Imami to believe in their existence. As Shaykh Saduq says in his own summary of the religion: دين الامامية هو الاقرار بتوحيد الله تعالى ذكره، ونفي التشبيه عنه، وتنزيهه عما لا يليق به، والاقرار بأنبياء الله ورسله وحججه وملائكته وكتبه، والاقرار بأن محمدا (صلى الله عليه وآله) هو سيد الانبياء والمرسلين، وأنه أفضل منهم ومن جميع الملائكة المقربين، وأنه خاتم النبيين، فلا نبي بعده إلى يوم القيامة، وأنجميع الانبياء والرسل والائمة (عليهم السلام) أفضل من الملائكة، وأنهم معصومون مطهرون من كل دنس ورجس، لا يهمون بذنب صغير ولا كبير ولا يرتكبونه، وأنهم أمان لاهل الارض كما أن النجوم أمان لاهل السماء. The Imami religion is the affirmation of the tawhid of Allah, exalted be His mention, and the negation of similarity (tashbeeh) (i.e. to His creation) for Him, and His exclusion from what is not suitable for Him. And (it is) the affirmation of the prophets of Allah and His messengers and His hujaj and His angels and His books. And the affirmation that Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله is the master of the prophets, and that he is superior to them and (superior to) all of the angels of proximity, and that he is the seal of the prophets. So there is no prophet after him until the day of the resurrection. And that all of the prophets and the messengers and the Imams عليهمالسلام are superior to the angels. And they are ma`sumeen, purified from every uncleanliness and filth, they do not consider to do neither the minor sin nor the major, nor do they commit it, and they are a safeguard for the people of the Earth as the stars are a safeguard for the people of heaven. http://www.*******.org/fiqh/summary-of-the-religion---al-amali

Sahih Muslim Book 008, Number 3421: 'A'isha (Allah be pleased with, her) reported that it had been revealed in the Holy Qur'an that ten clear sucklings make the marriage unlawful, then it was abrogated (and substituted) by five sucklings and Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) died and it was before that time (found) in the Holy Qur'an (and recited by the Muslims). Sunan Ibn Majah Book of Suckling, Hadith No. 2020 "When the verse of stoning and verse of suckling descended, they were written on a piece of paper and kept under my pillow. Following the demise of Prophet Muhammad (S) a goat ate the piece of paper whilst we were mourning." Sahih al-Bukhari Volume 8 Hadith 817 Allah's Apostle did carry out the punishment of stoning and so did we after him. I am afraid that after a long time has passed, somebody will say, 'By Allah, we do not find the Verse of the Rajam in Allah's Book,' and thus they will go astray by leaving an obligation which Allah has revealed …..” Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9 'Abdur-Rahman said, 'I would regard your witness as equal to the witness of any other man among the Muslims. 'Umar said, 'You have said the truth.' 'Umar added: “If I were not afraid of the fact that people may say that 'Umar has added to the Qur'an extra (verses), I would have written the Verse al-Rajm (stoning to death of married adulterers) with my own hands…” ^^ Umars taqqiya?? looooooooooool Also found in: Tafseer Ibn Kathi, Sunan Abu Daud, Tafseer Dur al Manthur, Musnad al-Shafiyee

Love the thought. It's inspired a thought of mine. Thoughts: Coming to realisation: You must not dwell on the past and let it dominate your future. What good will worrying about the negatives do you? It will only make you bitter and set your once humble heart in stone. If something bad has befallen on you, see the light through it - it is that, that will keep you going and keep your mind, body and soul moving. Whatever Allah swt wills, is what we must deal with, without question. And inshaa'Allah, everything will be okay. At least I'm hoping so.

(salam) “O ye people ! fear your Lord who created you from a single soul and of its kind created its mate, and from them twain spread many men and women; and fear Allah, in Whose name you appeal to one another, and fear him particularly respecting ties of kinship. Verily Allah watches over you.” [Qur’an 4:2] For a lot of the youth today, the question of whom to marry is one which is seen as a complex and difficult one. Is it really that difficult? Or are the difficulties in finding the right person often self imposed, or as a result of wrong criterion. A lot of the youth today are complaining, ‘I cannot find anyone I am compatible with!’ What exactly is compatibility? Is it of any importance in finding a spouse who will lead you towards Allah سبحانه وتعالى? Compatibility has been defined as the capability of existing or performing in harmonious, agreeable or congenial combination with another or others. This would imply that for two people to be considered compatible as a couple, they must be capable of existing together harmoniously. According to a narration, the Holy Prophet (s) was asked, “Whom must we marry?” He replied, “The suitable (matches).” (kufw) He was then asked, “Who are the suitable matches?” He (s) responded, المُؤمِنُونَ بَعضُهُم أكْفَاءُ بَعضٍ. “Some of the believers are matches for each other.” It is thus clear that the first and most important aspect of compatibility is religious compatibility. A person who is committed to observing and practicing the religious principles and laws must marry only a person who is also committed to the same, or else there can be no harmony. Cultural and mental compatibility are also an important aspect. This is because, ones culture and mindset will play a big role in their future plans, the way they see things, their measures and standards of what is acceptable and what is not. Imam Sadiq (as) has said: اَلعَارِفَةُ لا تُوضَعُ إلاّ عِندَ العَارِفِ. “An intelligent and wise woman must not be placed except beside a sage and wise man.” While it may be nearly impossible to find one with whom they are fully compatible mentally and culturally, the issue should still play an important role when one is making a decision in picking a compatible spouse. The morals of the two should also be compatible. A person may appear to observe some aspects of religion very strictly, for example praying, fasting, proper dress code, yet they engage in behavior which is contrary to religious morals such as a foul mouth, excessively talkative, addiction to music, free interaction with the opposite sex etc. Education is also something which may play a role in the compatibility of two people. The exposure and mental development that occurs for one who has had an education cannot be compared to one who has not been exposed to any educative environment. Here, an education does not necessarily mean college degrees etc, even though basic schooling does create a lot of common ground. Ones exposure and experiences form an important part of their ‘education’ and their take on things, and can thus have a very significant impact on a couple. Physical compatibility and beauty are also two important aspects of compatibility. One must remember that they plan to live with their spouse for the rest of their life, and should thus ensure that they do not have serious misgivings about the person’s appearance, as this may be manifested in other unsavory means. At the same time, one must not tie themselves so much to the fine details of ones physical beauty, while remembering that inner beauty is what will form the most lasting impression. On the same aspect, age also plays an important role, and one should marry one whose age (physical and mental maturity) is compatible with theirs. One may ask what role (if any) the financial and social status of two people may have on compatibility. Ideally, it should have none. However, given that the average person you will meet is not likely to be a completely perfect person, one must discuss how important a role this will play in their future role. A common joke/story I have often heard is how an extremely poor girl was married to a prince. Despite all the luxuries and sumptuous banquets that were now available to her as a princess, she would miss and cry for the days when she had ‘dry rice with no curry’. Moral of the story: financial and social status can play a big role in ones expectations of life, and should not be disregarded. Social and political compatibility may sound like taking things a little too far with compatibility. However, for example where one holds very strong political beliefs, and the other party holds an equally strong opposite view, it may cause quite some difficulty, unless the two are sure they will be able to ‘agree to disagree’ peacefully! On the social aspect, an example would be where one is a social bee, always ready to be right in the limelight while the other prefers a quiet life. This may bring some difficulties, especially if this aspect of their characters is a big part of their life. Like they say, ‘Birds of a feather flock together’. Attempting to “fly” with a bird of a “different feather” can bring some pretty insurmountable challenges. There are many aspects of compatibility which one must consider, including psychological compatibility and future compatibility (i.e. yes, so we are compatible now, but will we still be compatible in the next 5, 10, 15 months, years?) While keeping all these in mind, one must also remember the teachings of the Qur’an regarding marriage. The Qur’an says: “And of HIS Signs is that HE has created wives for you from among yourselves that you may find peace of mind in them, and HE has put love and tenderness between you. In that, surely, are Signs for a people who reflect” (30:22) “HE it is Who created you from a single soul and made therefrom its mate, that he might find comfort in her.” (7:190) “....They are a sort of garment for you and you are a sort of garment for them....” (2:188) In the above verse, what does it mean to be a garment? Thinking of it in terms of the functions of a garment/clothing, one can conclude that a spouse is one who will cover up one’s weaknesses and shortcomings from others. Further, they will act as an adornment and embellishment for each other as well as acting as a protection from the harsh conditions of weather (i.e. they will protect and support in each other through good times and bad). As a final reminder to myself and others: Should we be careful about the little details that make a part of the other person? YES. Should we become obsessive fault finders? NO. “Our Lord, grant us of our spouses and children the delight of our eyes, and make us a model for the righteous.” [Qur’an 25:75] SOURCE: http://inspiredtoser...bility-101.html (wasalam)

today is shabe-shahdat of hazrat hamza AS, this is just a very basic story of their life, and i advise brothers/sisters to research into the life of this great figure and also to remember them: The great warrior and companion Hazrat Hamza (as) was an uncle of lthe great Prophet (Saaw). His conversion to Islam was a sudden incident. After being bestowed with Prophethood, the Great Prophet (Saaw) started preaching Islam publicly. For this reason the infidels started opposition and oppression. In the meantime one day the Great Prophet (Saaw) was in meditation at the foot of Safa mountain. The wicked Abu Jahl rebuked him in an extremely, objectionable language and struck him. Uttering not a world the Great Prophet (Saaw) returned home. Hamza (as) had just returned from hunting. He came to know about this incdent. He rushed angrily in that condition to the compound of Kaba. Seeing Abu Jahl sitting among other leaders of Quraish he roared like a lion. Striking Abu Jahl’s head with his bow again and again, he said, what you you dare rebuke my nephew and strike him. Hamza declared so listen I recite la illaha illallahu Muhammad (Saaw) is his Messenger) and I accept islam, the religion of Muhammad (Saaw). Hamza presently went the great Prophet (Saaw) and narrated the whole incident. He also informed him about his conversion to Islam. The great Prophet (Saaw) was very pleased by acceptance of Islam by a warrior like Hamza. Hazrat hamza (as) was a mighty brave warrior. He was honoured by the title of the lion of Allah his Prophet’s for his incomparable bravery. After accepting islam hamza (as) dedicated himself to the cause of the Great Prophet (Saaw) and Islam. He remained like a shadow with the Great Prophet during different crises. When the Great Prophet (Saaw) was engaged in preaching Islam security of the Prophet (Saaw) and the Muslims rested with Hamza (as). Hazrat Hamza (as) earned name and fame for his excellent bravery in the battle of Badr. In that battle the Muslims kill many Quraish leaders including Abu Jahl. In the battle of Uhud, Hamza (as) was one of the targets of the infidels for killing, because many Quraish heroes were killed by Hamza (as) in the battle of Badr. As a result at one stage of the battle, Abyssinian slave wahshi Ibn Harb with a’spear attacked him. He fell down on the ground and was martyred. Hamza was known as the Lion of God (Arabic ÃÓÏ Çááå) and the Lion of Paradise (Arabic: ÃÓÏ ÇáÌäÉ) for his bravery. Among his titles are: Abu Umara ("ÃóÈõæ ÚõãóÇÑóÉó"), and Abu Ya'la ("ÃóÈõæ íóÚúáóì"). (bismillah)

It is un-Islamic to expect the mother to take care of the kids. Islamically, the wife only has to do one thing and bear the kids, but it is the husband's responsibility to provide for childcare. If I have some free time to go to the masjid, can't I make an extra half hour for our entire family to, say, help with masjid clean-up? That builds a sense of community, civic duty, and family. Can't we, even just once a month, as an entire family, make a trip to the local soup kitchen to help serve food if we so desire to?

^er, people have told him time and time again referring him to people of knowledge on other threads but has he taken that route? Instead he says oh they won't reply because they only answer one question at a time, etc. and posts on forums all day. How about trying to contact those people and then if they don't reply complain about it. These are excuses of someone who claims is seeking knowledge but actually isn't, he is just speaking arrogantly and is being stubborn. when he used to read Quran with an open heart and pure intentions there was no doubt then but why now? Wasting time not doing anything productive all day in the name of seeking knowledge has opened the doors for shaitan to pollute his brain with all this nonsense and let go of what he used to believe in with all his heart. It's very sad.

Malik's Muwatta Book 30, Number 30.3.17: Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Hazm from Amra bint Abd ar-Rahman that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Amongst what was sent down of the Qur'an was 'ten known sucklings make haram' - then it was abrogated by 'five known sucklings'. When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died, it was what is now recited of the Qur'an." Yahya said that Malik said, "One does not act on this." :wacko:

They need to keep us dependent on them so that they can go out do secret mutah, give us herpes or aids and we can't say a thing about it unless we want to hit the streets. Also all of this nonsense about a woman should be making less seems to be a cultural thing taking hold.

Al-salaam `alaykum Hell is a place devoid of Allah's mercy, so I doubt you would find a single Hadith that states it is mercy to the wilful disbeliever. It is only the likes of ibn `Arabi who state that Hell is mercy to the kuffar. At the same time, we know that the differing darajat of Hell means lesser suffering to some in proportion to those on a lower level there. So from an external perspective, one may perceive that inhabitants therein on one level have a greater "share" of mercy compared to those on a lower level. Yet, its punishment in itself is not a mercy to them, for it brings them nothing whether they repent or not. I have read this somewhere though about how the a`mal of a disbelieving people will determine their reception of certain concessions in Hell. For instance, it was given about Hatim Tai, that because of his untold generosity, Allah has provided him a house of mud and a cool breeze to shelter him from the heat of the Fire. I am unsure if this was talking about Barzakh or the Akhirah. Of course, for others it is a place for purification for their eventual transfer to Jannah.

Surly not, the hijab has not changed. It has been present in societies and religions even before Islam. However, as fashion changes, women change to accommodate the hijab with the fashion trends. I think that women who choose to wear the hijab and wear it correctly are the ones one should look up to. Not wearing a hijab is a choice that Muslim women make, like someone who is Muslim and chooses not to fast because the day is long and he/she plays sports; it does not mean that the requirement is not there it is one's choice but Islam (in my opinion) makes it clear that hijab is required. Besides just because we live in society where hijab is not prominent or disliked it does not mean who too should shun it.

sand paper.

What if when it all ended, I was wrong? I was told it was right - this is the truth the way of those before you. Amidst my prayers, I searched the labyrinth, ever-growing So I walked towards the horizon No sign, had He. In my self realisation I've stopped - Does it mean as much as you tell me it does? My felicity is being toyed with and I question the abyss that possibly awaits me For now, let me be But I wonder, amidst my dances of happiness That laugh I heard, the warmth I felt - Was it you all along? However I may have been - Embrace me with your warmth or burn me with your wrath I am as carefree as the one who misguides me. I am ready. -F

Kadhim, those preconceived notions don't come from me. When I am out I try to avoid mentioning school, and try my best to appear social and to hang out with little children (i.e. appear domestic). And I don't have to try hard, I usually do enjoy myself. If I didn't say that I was in grad school, no one would know based on my actions. In fact, ppl usually think I'm in high school lol and are surprised when I mention that I'm old enough to be in grad school. The point being, of course, that they have preconceived notions stemming from their own egos. Perhaps their thoughts are shaped by the American girls they interact with at school and work? Idk. Maybe the preconceived notions come from ppl actually in grad school. I know of a guy doing a PhD who doesn't want to marry someone with a similar education because he thinks she will be too busy for her family. He is just one of many with this sort of thinking.

Kadhim, this is what usually happens. A girl in grad school is looking for a spouse...through the grapevine, before the girl even has a chance to get near the guy, he hears about her education, and turns her down. So you see, it's not a matter of the vibe she gives off, but rather, the preconceived notions he has of such girls. You often see these highly educated guys not being interested in educated girls because they want someone who will sit at home all day. Zulfiqar, a lady is 60, her kids are out of the house, what does she do for the next 20 or 30 years? Watch TV? These days women can accomplish so much more with their lives than just raising children. Honestly, I don't even care about the money I make so much as the fact of making a difference in other people's lives, the intellectual stimulation. Any money I raise....I want a good portion of that to go for charity, for helping the Muslim ummah, for helping people in 3rd world countries who are dying from lack of the basic necessities of life. Why can't women engage in these noble pursuits? It's all a form of ibadah.

No, no, no. This is naive and simplistic nonsense. It is in no way a one way street issue. BabyBeaver's words are right there belying what you're saying. "Women are stepping up. Men need to step up." What does this mean? What is she saying? What does step up mean? What is her definition of up? Why is that up higher than some other thing? This needs to be brought to light. The question is, if men are truly "intimidated" by these highly educated women, why? Simple chauvenism is a relfex reaction of an answer. It lacks in depth of getting to the reality. It flattens the real dynamics. The uncomfortable question must be asked if these women share some responsibility foir whatever intimidation is being produced in reaction to them. Is it the simplistic matter of them simply having a higher level of formalized book education than the average level of the pool of potential male suitors? Or is there something attitudinal in the talk and actions of the women that contribute to it? Is it a dynamic, a dialectic of sorts of elements in both parties. The psychological reality, hard coded from millions of years of evolution, whether it accords rationally with the economic trends of the present day, whether it accords with political correctness, whether it accords with what women overtly say or consciously tell themselves they want, women, deep down, desire to submit to a "stronger" man. They desire to submit to a male they find worthy of this submission. Man desires the respect that comes along with this from a woman. He desires the affirmation and attention that comes from being considered worthy of a woman's willing, voluntary submission. Women say they want some idealistic fully equal partnership, but time after time, reality steps in and proves them to ultimately not find the arrangement satisfying. They want a man they can look up to and give themselves to and in some sense follow. They desire to be dominated - though in a subtle, gentle way that allows them to still feel sufficiently free - they want to be dominated, they want to submit, but not because they feel trapped or obligated, but because their partner is worthy of being submitted to, such that they choose to submit. The healthy man wants the converse. He wants a woman to willingly give herself to him and follow him out of genuine respect to him. The challenge for the woman with high levels of formalized, ivory tower book learning (I use this qualified phrase rather than simply saying "educated women," because it feeds the bias of privileged levels of respect to certain modes of credentials and learning over others arguably just as worthy of respect) is to have the humility and open-mindedness so that she can find a man that she can be happy with in this way. If she needs a man to have more formal book learning foir her to see him as elevated and worthy or respect, she will have a very hard time finding happiness. The more open-minded she is, the better chance she will have of finding a man who she sufficiently admires and reveres to be happy with. Conversely, the man's challenge in seeking and holding onto a woman with such high credentials is to be confident and self-secure in the strengths he does possess.

Kadhim, I think the point of this topic is not that women's open-mindedness, but about that of the men. They are unwilling to encourage education in women by marrying them. I see nothing wrong with a woman broadening her horizons and challenging herself intellectually. In fact, it would make them better mothers and wives.

I know women who are in medical school who are married with children. It works for them. I know women who are doing other types of schooling or working, who aren't married, either. The issue these days is that men are intimidated by educated women (as well as the lack of quality men). The issue is the men. The women are stepping up their game, now the men have to do the same!!

You obviously agree with Israel occupying what isn't theirs. As of now I am 99.9% sure you are Israeli so just to let you know.....if any of your brothers are caught in my house the place will be torched. Have a nice day.

There is such a thing as school you know. Perhaps she will be at work when the children are in school. Helping at the masjid is not so difficult either, it will give the children a sense of community. I always see families flocking to malls and restaurants....if the typical family can do this then why can't they find time for the masjid or teach their kids how to do volunteer work.

Shut up and clean the house woman! :shaytan: :sarcasm:

Here is my idea of an Islamic power couple that I want to be a part of: He has a career, comes home and helps with the children... I have a part-time job and then I come home and take care of the children. We spend a part of our free time volunteering in the community and masjid. We spend a part of our money for charity. Nothing fancy, nothing extravagant. Now tell me, is this an Islamic or un-Islamic power couple?

Ohh LOL ok, i was not PO'd, but my attention was certainly drawn by the choice of words :lol: :Hijabi:

Well, you can be the detective. Do this: 1. Review and analyze his last 6 months bank & credit card statements - see what he's spending his $$ on. 2. Request offical univeristy transcripts. Run local, state, and national civil and criminal record check. 2. Spend 1-2 months with him (talk on the phone, email, chat, etc.). 3. Talk to his friends and co-workers. These things are very easy to do here in the US.

^^^^ Thank you brother Rasul.

Then maybe men need to get off their lazy butts and go accomplish something instead of expecting women to accomplish less. Also, what's wrong with a man and woman making joint decisions, instead of one having more of a say than the other? This should occur regardless of income. Let's follow the example of the Prophet (SAW). He was happily married a woman who was richer than him, Bibi Khadija (as).

It's a day of sadness for ahlulbayth a.s. The demise of syed us shohada a.s. May Allah azwj give us strength to strive in support of rasool Allah saww as He gave it to hazrath hamza a.s. I have heard it from reliable sources that rasool Allah saww used to love him a lot and used to do sajda on the dust brought from the shaheed's grave; remembering him and keeping his alam at home. Our keeping alams at home started with this sunnat of rasool Allah saww and may it continue forever. Ya Ali madad

He is Russain given a Bahrain passport living in Bahrain. Maybe, he out there to kill some more Shias.

It is more than to hadiths just the sanad (rijal). For example matn (text) of the hadith takes precedent over the sanad. When in Sahih Bukhari, there is an Sahih Hadith based on rijal, which say, surah al-ahzab had about 200 verses, where in acutallity the surah has 73 verses it means two things. 1. Mr. Bukhari is certifying the hadith to be sahih, just based on sanad (rijal) only and not the matn (text) of the hadith. 2. Or, Mr. Bukhari believes in the Tahrif of the Quran, and he believes the Quran to contain distortions, corruptions, alterations and so forth. And, also he doesn't believe in the following verse of the Holy Quran. 015.009 We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption). Also, the matn (text) has to agree with the Holy Quran, and there are more factors than just matn (text) and sanad (rijal). Now which of the above option you want to pick for Mr. Bukhari, option 1 or option 2? Or, you have some other option for him?

(salam) I can understand why, as a new member on the forum, you would be shocked. Stick around a little longer, and you will realise that there is no bigger fan on this site of Agha than baradar. i.e mega sarcasm missile right there. Webanese (for the virtual jnoobis) (salam)

Salam. Brother Can you give some examples for the above claim of yours? I have heard many making the same claim, but have not seen any proof as such. I suppose I must have missed it but can you give some proof for your claims? Inshallah that will help in moving this discussion in the right direction. To Prove that its the other way round i.e. "In Ijtehad only Quran and Hadees are the primary sources and Aql and Ijma are not independent sources" see the attached scan pages from the Tauzi of Ayatullah Muhammad Shirazi.. Wassalam

Patience is the key of life, with it you will go a far way!

well technically to be a momin one has to be a shia. ;)

how much dirt is there on your brother? one should also keep in mind that is the guy worthy of marrying the woman too if she is pious, as that will be unfair for the girl. This mainly happens in indo-pak where the guy has done pretty much everything, but the family wants the perfect pious woman for the guy.

Just out of curiosity, why do you take all this on? The whole "fighting about irrelevant things online" ... Do you come here for the extra (in addition to grad school) intellectual challenge of "debating" with (to be quite honest from what I have observed) for the most part, inadept and dogmatic people for some form of egotistic gratification? I am not judging you, as I said just curious as to what actually compels you to continue communicating with such users. But don't get me wrong, I do find your posts interesting and I in fact agree with most of what you try to get across, though it has been interesting comparing your earlier posts (when you would have been significantly younger) to now, because they didn't seem much different from the more dogmatic users on here with a sort of faith above reason perspective, but the later posts it is clear that you seemed to have matured and taken on a more controversial, and as you stated, abrasive online persona. Don't mind me, I just currently have a fair bit of time on my hands these days that's all, just finished grad school not too long ago myself XD

You cannot. I can know someone is there. Only they can tell me their name. Who they are. What it is they want of me. And if they have told me their name - there is very little I am logically capable of to verify it. I am going to have to trust them. Others may confirm to me that they are who they claim to be both directly (as upon my asking) or incidentally (greeting them by that name without knowing that I doubt).They themselves may do some things that might strongly indicate the truth of what they told me concerning themselves or in time they may do things that cause me to increase in my trust of them and so in what they had told me concerning themselves to begin with. But by what argument could you possibly prove that they are who they claim they are? You could always doubt. Doubt - like to believe - is a matter of will. It is from a verb. You doubt. There is a danger here. You have not sufficiently acknowledged the existence of a "God" if you continue in considering Him as an abstraction or concept. Talk of God, even as understood solely by nature or the unaided reason of men, is not talk of a mere concept. You can only consider and reason your way so far. If you have come to the conviction that a "God" exists it reasonably involves that to know more is perhaps possible - but not via your reason. Not anymore than I could know more of someone by staring at them hard and reasoning about who they might be.

Honestly, I was just trying to be polite since everyone on this website use to complain about how abrasive I was, plus grad school is limiting time I can allot to fighting about irrelevant things online.. but screw all that. When did I say you had no beliefs? You said that you were gonna use some dude’s post about how hijab turns him on to make yourself feel better if you should perhaps feel guilty about not wear hijab in the past. All I said was that such means of validation were vacuous and superficial, and I still hold that they are and that if you DO employ these methods your beliefs need to be reexamined. But maybe you are in reality a Quranic scholar of sorts who has a thorough and comprehensive reason to believe the way you dress is the way Islam and the word of God truly prescribed. You just won’t share it because you fear judgment. You don’t fear judgment when you tell us you think hijab is stupid, you just fear our judgment in explaining why when going beyond merely a rationalization based on the scope of your personal experiences with perveballs and what is convenient for you. And that is fine. I rationalize stuff all the damn time when it is convenient for me, but I have learned to admit it is a rationalization rather than to be arrogant and insist it is a product of some thorough examination of the issue through the scope of my religion, its texts, and sometimes even (cringe saying this) its scholars.

Uh oh, Zulfiqar, you have officially just PO'd the female brigade. I see a lot of divorces among uneducated people. Perhaps, then, divorces occur with lack of education? Bring on the PhD's, MD's, JD's, and other doctoral degrees (for BOTH spouses)!! The two most important criteria should be religion and education! This way, people can match on many levels.

OMG Zulfiqar, are you kidding me???? Should women get less educated than guys for fear of creating an inferiority complex? We have been told to travel all the way to China if we have to for our education. What about the guy helping around the house so the woman can have at least a part-time job? Don't you think that would make her a BETTER mother, wife, and Muslim? What about men controlling their egos? It's a SIN to have a huge ego.Now, let's say that it is okay to have an ego, just for the sake of argument. Then, what about the girl's ego, if her guy has a greater education than her? Is her ego not important at all? Also, isn't the job of a spouse to encourage the other to excel? So why can't they be happy with and encouraging of each other's accomplishments, instead of feeling inferior? You know, one spouse's success is also the other's success.

Bismehe Ta3ala, Assalam Alikum. I find the best description to portray Lebanon is "survival of the fittest". As soon as you put foot in the airport you know it is a chaotic country. There are definately some positives about Lebanon. Taking care of the orphans, respect to the martyrs, having sadaqa boxes practically in every home, listening to the adthan among other factors. But the fact of the matter is the cons outweigh the pros. The general public live with an aggressive behavior. You will see that in driving, waiting your turn at a market/store (lines don't exisit, you have to push your way to be served), blocking your car or the garage exit, garbage wherever your eyes look, no respect for property (hit and run- weither it is your car or a person), extreme rudeness (people will point out your faults openly, this is called normal), and the list goes on. It's almost been 4 years I have lived in Lebanon. It's not an easy life here. I mean I don't fetch water at a well. But I still have to go a distance to get water 40 liters and climb up stairs (elevator is down when there is no electricity). This is a country that has a lot of fresh water but it ends up in the sea because there is no infrastructure to secure it and bring it to the homes. Instead we have salt walter and we have to replace our faucets due to the calcium buildup and rust. Astgfor'Allah I'm not complaining. I'm just letting you know how life in Lebanon is. I know our brothers and sisters in Gaza or other parts of the ME live a much harder life. I don't know how many people would give a life up in the west to live in a third world country. I did, Alhamd'Allah, and I don't regret it. On the bright side, we will get faster internet service soon. And the electricty, well, as my aunt would say "sintal haza." (the year of the earthquake). lol M3 Salamah, FE AMIN Allah

This point has got to be the worst of them all.

For urbanites, urban gardening or rooftop gardening would be a good bet for growing part of your vegetable supply by yourself. Some cities have pretty good programs for this, with whole large vacant lots turned into a community garden with 4 foot by 6 foot planters. It's not much, but it's nice. I was looking to do this this past summer, but ran into some family issues in the spring that took my attention and energy. Next year, insha Allah.

Why didn't you ask the same about 'books'? Also, it says the believers (and the Prophet (s)) believe in the stated things; it does not say that believing in angels makes you a believer. The belief of nubuwwah in itself includes the belief in angels. As above.

This 'qualification' excuse is somewhat pathetic and totally ignorant. If a human is qualified to declare whether God exists or not, which is monumental compared to fallibe rules, and if a human is qualified to declare which religion to follow, which also is monumental compared to fallible rules, then you are in no position to make that statement. So let's sum this up logically: Allah exists or not = We are qualified to discuss Islam false or true religion = We are qualified to discuss Sunni vs Shia - We are qualified to discuss Fallible rules within Shia sect = HOW DARE YOU!! WHERE ARE THE MODS?!?! THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!! You really need to prioritize using common sense and logic. And I repeat, these discussion are not for you. Maybe you should only stick with topics that convince the convinced.

looooooooooooooooooooooooooooool sorry bro and thanks for the speech :wub:

oh yeah, forgot the Imam Zamins on the bride and groom! They are actually very beautiful. You immediately know they're shia and suddenly get very happy!

In Pakistan: When you automatically say "Ya Ali madad" every time you accidentally hurt yourself... When u have your tea while sunnis do taraweeh at the mosques.. ;) When you get a beautiful Imam Zamin on your engagement day... :rolleyes: When u hear loud duroods/salwaats at a religious gathering. :) .

Bismillahirrahmanirraheem: Salamun 'alaykum w/r w/b: Check this out (No Music!!!): Wassalam w/r w/b: La fatah ila Ali

And that's the point! He doesn't have a choice. Because Islam isn't the name given to the racist preferences of weed-smoking punjabi malangs. Islam is the way of life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh&hp) and his Ahlulbayt. So since they have not declared the marriage of a syeda with a ghayr-syed haram, no Islamic scholar has the right to do so either. Nope. No daughters, and sister is already married. I would have had no problem if my sister wanted to marry a non-syed black person. It's better for syeda females to marry pious non-syed africans, than it is for them to marry syeds with Hindu beliefs.