Qa'im

Do we have any data on how much danger a hijab actually brings? It's certainly not 0, but is danger the main reason why women nowadays avoid the hijab? I'd think the main reasons are convenience, business, fashion, "fitting in". I'm sure there are parts of the U.S, France, etc. where muhajjiba women are harassed a bit more frequently than others - I don't want to minimize that - but there are similarly dangers to driving a car, living in a city (where crime is higher), eating certain foods, etc. In other words, I don't think the 1% chance of something terrible happening is the major deterrent here. If OP lives in a Muslim country or another diverse place, then danger would be minimal. If a Muslim woman did have to make sacrifices to be able to practice her religion, that is an admirable quality. It's one that I'd want my kids to learn from. I have made plenty of sacrifices for my ideals too. Abraham (عليه السلام) was asked to sacrifice his own son, all of our sacrifices are minuscule in comparison. Like you've mentioned, most of us are just going to pick one person in the end. There is no shortage of muhajjibat in the world, they want husbands too, so the choice is to either go for them (and "reward" their behaviour and their struggle) or try to encourage someone that may have already made up their mind on the subject.

As others have said, those who put Islam as the most important thing in their life will prefer to marry those who fulfill their wajibat over those who don’t. That doesn’t mean you should wear a khimar just to get married. This is done for Allah alone. I understand that some sisters want a man to encourage them to change, but (1) the political climate in the West has made it very sensitive for men to tell women to dress differently, so most men will just avoid that conversation for someone more modest, (2) men generally don’t marry someone that they want to “fix” or change, they generally marry someone hoping that they don’t change much throughout the marriage.

I've seen him in this narration Mu`adh b. Jabal visited the Messenger of Allah (s) weeping. He greeted him with the salaam and he responded with the salaam. Then, he said: Why are you crying, O Mu`adh? So, he said: O Messenger of Allah! At the door, there is a youth who has a good physique, a clean complexion, and a good appearance. He is weeping over his youth as a bereaved mother weeps over her child, and he wants to visit you. So, the Prophet (s) said: Let the youth enter, O Mu`adh. So, he let him enter, and he greeted him with the salaam and he responded with the salaam. Then, he said: What is causing you to cry, O youth? He said: How can I not cry when I have committed sins that Allah would send me to the Fire of Hell for just one of them? He will not see me except that He will take me and never forgive me. So, the Messenger of Allah (s) said: Have you associated any partners with Allah? He said: I seek refuge in Allah that I should associate any partners with my Lord. He said: Did you kill a soul that Allah has prohibited you from killing? He said: No. So, the Prophet (s) said: May Allah forgive your sins, even if they are like large mountains. So, the youth said: Surely, they are greater than large mountains. So, the Prophet (s) said: May Allah forgive your sins, even if they are like the seven Earths, their oceans, their grains of sand, their trees, and whatever is in them. He said: Surely, they are greater than the seven Earths, their oceans, their grains of sand, their trees, and whatever is in them. So, the Prophet (s) said: May Allah forgive your sins, even if they are like the seven heavens and its stars; even if they are like the Throne and the Seat. He said: They are greater than that. He said: So, the Prophet (s) looked at him angrily, then said: Beware, O youth. What is greater, your sins or your Lord? So, the youth fell on his face, saying: May my Lord be glorified! There is nothing greater than my Lord. My Lord is greater, O Prophet of Allah, than every great thing. So, the Prophet (s) said: Can anyone other than the great Lord forgive a great sin?! The youth said: No, by Allah, O Messenger of Allah. Then, the youth went silent. So, the Prophet (s) said to him: Woe to you, O youth! Will you inform me of one of your sins? He said: Of course, I will inform you. I was a grave robber for seven years. I would exhume the dead and take off their shrouds. A young woman from the girls of the Ansar had died. When she was carried to her grave and buried, her family left and night came. I came to her grave, exhumed her, and took from her shrouds. I left her alone at the edge of her grave. Time passed, and Satan came to me, and he began to make her more pleasing to me, saying: "Did you see her stomach and her whiteness? Did you see her hips?" He did not stop saying this to me until I returned to her. I could not control myself, until I had intercourse with her and left her in her place. Then, I heard a voice from behind me, saying: "O youth! Beware of the debts of the Day of Religion; the day you and I will be raised. You left me naked on the frontiers of death, emptied me from my grave, took my shrouds, and left me in a state of impurity until my Judgment. Woe to your youth from the Fire." So, I don't think that I will ever smell the scent of Paradise. What do you see for me, O Messenger of Allah? So, the Prophet (s) said: Get away from me, O wretched one! Surely, I fear that I will get burned from your fire. How near you are to the Fire, how near you are to the Fire! He (s) did not stop speaking to him and pointing to him until he left his presence and went to Medina, picked up some things from it, and went to one of its mountains to worship therein; wearing a cloak made of hair. He tied his hands together to his neck and called: O Lord! This is your servant, Bahlul, and I am tied up before You. O Lord! You are the one that knows me and my errors. O my Master, O Lord! I have become regretful, and I have come repentant to Your Prophet, but he sent me away and increased my fear. So, I ask you by Your name, Your majesty, and the greatness of Your power, to not diminish my hope, my Master; and to not invalidate my supplication, and to not deprive me of Your mercy. He did not stop saying this for forty days and nights. The lions and the beasts would weep for him. When forty days and nights had passed, he raised his hands to the sky and said: O Allah! What will you do regarding my need? Have you accepted my supplication and forgiven my mistake? If so, then send a revelation to Your Prophet. But, if you will not answer my supplication nor forgive my mistake, then I want my punishment; so, bring a fire that will burn me or a punishment in this world that will destroy me. Deliver me from the furor of the Day of Resurrection. So, Allah revealed to His Prophet (s): "As for those who perform indecency" - meaning, fornication - "or wrong themselves" - meaning, commit a sin greater than fornication, grave robbing, and stealing shrouds - "remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins" - meaning, those who fear Allah and quickly repent - "who can forgive sins except Allah?" (3:135). He said: "My servant came to you repentant, O Muhammad, and you sent him away. So, where would he go, who should he seek, and who should he seek forgiveness for his sin besides Me?" Then, He said: "[and those] who do not persist in what they have done once they become cognizant." (3:135) - meaning, they no longer commit fornication, nor exhume graves, nor steal shrouds - "their reward is with their Lord - gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide eternally - excellent is the reward of the doers of good" (3:136). When this verse was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (s), he came out reciting it and smiling. So, he said to his companions: Who will direct me to that repentant youth? So, Mu`adh said: O Messenger of Allah! We were told that he was in such-and-such place. So, the Messenger of Allah (s) went with his companions until they ended up at that mountain; and they climbed in in search of the youth. They found the youth standing between two rocks with his hands bound to his neck. His face was blackened and his eyelashes had dropped from weeping. He was saying: "O my Master! You have perfected my form, and made my form beautiful, so what will You do with me? Will You burn me in the Fire, or will You settle me in Your proximity? O Allah! You have bestowed me with much goodness, and You have blessed me; so, what will be my end -- will You dress me in Paradise, or have me driven by the Fire? O Allah! My mistake is greater than the heavens, the Earth, Your widespread Seat and Your great Throne. So, will You forgive my mistake, or will You scandalize me with it on the Day of Resurrection?" He did not stop saying this, weeping and covering his head with dust. The lions surrounded him and the birds lined up above him, weeping at his weeping. So, the Messenger of Allah (s) came close, took his hands off his neck, and cleaned the dust off his head, and said: O Bahlul! Be happy, for Allah has freed you from the Fire. Then, he (s) said to his companions: This is how you redress your sins, just as Bahlul redressed them. Then, he recited what Allah revealed to him, and gave him glad tidings of Paradise. 3 - حدثنا محمد بن إبراهيم بن إسحاق (رحمه الله)، قال: حدثنا أحمد بن محمد الهمداني، قال: أخبرنا أحمد بن صالح بن سعد التميمي، قال: حدثنا موسى ابن داود، قال: حدثنا الوليد بن هشام، قال: حدثنا هشام بن حسان، عن الحسن بن أبي الحسن البصري، عن عبد الرحمن بن غنم الدوسي، قال: دخل معاذ بن جبل على رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) باكيا، فسلم فرد عليه السلام، ثم قال: ما يبكيك يا معاذ؟ فقال: يا رسول الله، إن بالباب شابا طري الجسد، نقي اللون، حسن الصورة، يبكي على شبابه بكاء الثكلى على ولدها يريد الدخول عليك. فقال النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله): أدخل علي الشاب يا معاذ. فأدخله عليه، فسلم فرد عليه السلام، ثم قال: ما يبكيك يا شاب؟ قال: كيف لا أبكي وقد ركبت ذنوبا إن أخذني الله عزوجل ببعضها أدخلني نار جهنم، ولا أراني إلا سيأخذني بها، ولا يغفر لي أبدا. فقال رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله): هل أشركت بالله شيئا؟ قال: أعوذ بالله أن أشرك بربي شيئا. قال: أقتلت النفس التي حرم الله؟ قال: لا، فقال: النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله): يغفر الله لك ذنوبك وإن كانت مثل الجبال الرواسي، قال الشاب: فإنها أعظم من الجبال الرواسي، فقال النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله): يغفر الله لك ذنوبك وإن كانت مثل الارضين السبع وبحارها ورمالها وأشجارها وما فيها من الخلق. قال: فإنها أعظم من الارضين السبع وبحارها ورمالها وأشجارها وما فيها من الخلق. فقال النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله): يغفر الله لك ذنوبك وإن كانت مثل السماوات السبع ونجومها ومثل العرش والكرسي. قال: فإنها أعظم من ذلك. قال: فنظر النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله) إليه كهيئة الغضبان ثم قال: ويحك يا شاب، ذنوبك أعظم أم ربك. فخر الشاب لوجهه وهو يقول: سبحان ربي! ما شئ أعظم من ربي، ربي أعظم يا نبي الله من كل عظيم. فقال النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله): فهل يغفر الذنب العظيم إلا الرب العظيم! قال الشاب: لا والله، يا رسول الله، ثم سكت الشاب. فقال له النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله): ويحك يا شاب ألا تخبرني بذنب واحد من ذنوبك. قال: بلى، أخبرك أني كنت أنبش القبور سبع سنين، أخرج الاموات وأنزع الاكفان، فماتت جارية من بعض بنات الانصار، فلما حملت إلى قبرها ودفنت وانصرف عنها أهلها وجن عليها الليل، أتيت قبرها فنبشتها، ثم استخرجتها ونزعت ما كان عليها من أكفانها، وتركتها متجردة على شفير قبرها، ومضيت منصرفا، فأتاني الشيطان، فأقبل يزينها لي ويقول: أما ترى بطنها وبياضها؟ أما ترى وركيها؟ فلم يزل يقول لي هذا حتى رجعت إليها ولم أملك نفسي حتى جامعتها وتركتها مكانها، فإذا أنا بصوت من ورائي يقول: يا شاب، ويل لك من ديان يوم الدين، يوم يقفني وإياك كما تركتني عريانة في عساكر الموتى، ونزعتني من حفرتي، وسلبتني أكفاني، وتركتني أقوم جنبة إلى حسابي، فويل لشبابك من النار، فما أظن أني أشم ريح الجنة أبدا، فما ترى لي يا رسول الله؟ فقال النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله): تنح عني يا فاسق، إني أخاف أن أحترق بنارك، فما أقربك من النار، فما أقربك من النار! ثم لم يزل (صلى الله عليه وآله) يقول ويشير إليه، حتى أمعن من بين يديه، فذهب فأتى المدينة، فتزود منها، ثم أتى بعض جبالها فتعبد فيها، ولبس مسحا (1)، وغل يديه جميعا إلى عنقه، ونادى: يا رب، هذا عبدك بهلول، بين يديك مغلول، يا رب أنت الذي تعرفني، وزل مني ما تعلم. يا سيدي يا رب، إني أصبحت من النادمين، وأتيت نبيك تائبا، فطردني وزادني خوفا، فأسألك باسمك وجلالك وعظمة سلطانك أن لا تخيب رجائي، سيدي ولا تبطل دعائي، ولا تقنطني من رحمتك. فلم يزل يقول ذلك أربعين يوما وليلة، تبكي له السباع والوحوش، فلما تمت له أربعون يوما وليلة رفع يديه إلى السماء، وقال: اللهم ما فعلت في حاجتي؟ إن كنت استجبت دعائي وغفرت خطيئتي، فأوح إلى نبيك، وإن لم تستجب لي دعائي ولم تغفر لي خطيئتي وأردت عقوبتي، فعجل بنار تحرقني أو عقوبة في الدنيا تهلكني، وخلصني من فضيحة يوم القيامة، فأنزل الله تبارك وتعالى على نبيه (صلى الله عليه وآله): (والذين إذا فعلوا فاحشة) يعني الزنا (أو ظلموا أنفسهم) يعني بارتكاب ذنب أعظم من الزنا ونبش القبور وأخذ الاكفان (ذكروا الله فاستغفروا لذنوبهم) يقول: خافوا الله فعجلوا التوبة (ومن يغفر الذنوب إلا الله) يقول عزوجل: أتاك عبدي يا محمد تائبا فطردته، فأين يذهب، وإلى من يقصد، ومن يسأل أن يغفر له ذنبا غيري؟ ثم قال عزوجل: (ولم يصروا على ما فعلوا وهم يعلمون) يقول: لم يقيموا على الزنا ونبش القبور وأخذ الاكفان (أولئك جزاؤهم مغفرة من ربهم وجنات تجرى من تحتها الانهار خالدين فيها ونعم أجر العاملين) (1). فلما نزلت هذه الآية على رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله)، خرج هو يتلوها ويتبسم، فقال لاصحابه: من يدلني على ذلك الشاب التائب؟ فقال معاذ: يا رسول الله، بلغنا أنه في موضع كذا وكذا. فمضى رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) بأصحابه حتى انتهوا إلى ذلك الجبل، فصعدوا إليه يطلبون الشاب، فإذا هم بالشاب قائم بين صخرتين، مغلولة يداه إلى عنقه، وقد اسود وجهه، وتساقطت أشفار عينيه من البكاء وهو يقول: سيدي، قد أحسنت خلقي، وأحسنت صورتي، فليت شعري ماذا تريد بي، أفي النار تحرقني؟ أو في جوارك تسكنني؟ اللهم إنك قد أكثرت الاحسان إلي، وأنعمت علي، فليت شعري ماذا يكون آخر أمري، إلى الجنة تزفني، أم إلى النار تسوقني؟ اللهم إن خطيئتي أعظم من السماوات والارض، ومن كرسيك الواسع وعرشك العظيم، فليت شعري تغفر لي خطيئتي، أم تفضحني بها يوم القيامة؟ فلم يزل يقول نحو هذا وهو يبكي ويحثو التراب على رأسه، وقد أحاطت به السباع، وصفت فوقه الطير، وهم يبكون لبكائه، فدنا رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) فأطلق يديه من عنقه، ونفض التراب عن رأسه، وقال: يا بهلول، أبشر فإنك عتيق الله من النار. ثم قال (صلى الله عليه وآله) لاصحابه: هكذا تداركوا الذنوب كما تداركها بهلول، ثم تلا عليه ما أنزل الله عزوجل فيه وبشره بالجنة (2). (Shaykh al-Saduq's Amali, page 97)

They do it as a form of talk therapy, finding like-minded people, and advising others. People have different responses to trauma - for some, talking about and reliving those experiences help them feel better. When they let out a bad memory and repeat it, it loses its power over them. Of course, this doesn't work for everybody, and it is a sure way to gain a reputation.

Could you elaborate more on why these communities are not good comparisons? Much of the Islamic Party was Shia, the Abode of the Message community was Sufi and would often quote the Ahlul Bayt. Islamberg (Sunni Sufi) enjoys some success as a long-running Muslim hamlet, and it is probably the best present day example. I think commitment to Ahl al-Bayt and a fair leadership are very vague. Some may say that Yasir al-Habib's community near London is committed to Ahl al-Bayt and is fair; others may point to Iran or the Da`wa Party. I'm all for your initiative, and I just think that all the contingencies need to be planned out carefully. I think a mannurbund of like-minded men mutually supporting each other and their families in a geography may be an easier and more effective initiative.

Something to keep in mind is that these garrison towns were built for the military to overlook Persian cities (like Hirah) and they were funded by the caliphs. Eventually, they grew and became part of the cities. I would say that this is different from an intentional community in America. Intentional communities are not garrison towns, they are self-funded, they are further from the major cities, they are under the jurisdiction and law of the American government, and they cannot merge with the broader community (because that would defeat the whole purpose). On a related note, the The Abode of the Message community (in New Lebanon, New York, set up by the famous American Sufi mystic Vilayat Inayat Khan) announced recently that they will be selling their land. Most of their members were white American Sufi baby boomers, and it seems like their children do not hold their ideals - at least not enough to preserve their community. This is the common problem with these communities.

As a sidenote, Mecca and Medina were both centres of commerce. Mecca was a trade route and Medina made money from date palms. The Prophet (s) and the Muhajirin did not establish a new town, they were a small number of people who moved to an existing town that had previously been predominantly Jewish and pagan Arab tribes. The same goes for the hijra to Abyssinia.

Nobody disagrees with having good leadership, but it's another case of easier said than done. Leading a town is different than leading a mosque, and mosques go through the same power struggles every decade - imams vs boards, boards vs themselves, community vs boards, etc. Some disputes will be on legitimate theological grounds and not just personal or moral grounds - which maraji` to follow, politics, which cultural practices to encourage, where money should be spent. There are also many sociological and legal nuances that go into building a town - what we see today in the West is the culmination of centuries of work and (in some cases) pain. This is people's lives we're talking about, where someone lives is very personal, and tens of millions of dollars would be spent just for the very basics. The Jonestowns of the world are the extreme example, I would suggest you research Islamberg, Baladullah, the Islamic Party of North America, etc. I have a shaykh that grew up in an intentional community, and while he has some fond memories of it, it seems that almost all of these initiatives are doomed from the start. Any communal initiative requires us to understand the Muslim diaspora. The diaspora largely consists of middle class urban professionals. They like to move to cities with an existing Muslim population, centres, halal foods, higher education, and ways to mingle with people from that country. We may be better off creating institutions that serve those communities, like in Dearborn or elsewhere. You can't redeem everybody - even in any town in any Muslim country - but you can educate, uplift, and create a lasting impact, rather than putting all your energy and money into a faraway hamlet. I think the Muslim community can become a real force for good in the heartlands of North America, once their priorities are set right.

There is a book on this topic called "The Benedict Option" by Rod Dreher, written from a Christian perspective. He explores a few different options, from setting up intentional communities (like what you mention) to other models that don't involve leaving the city. There are a few fundamental hurdles. One is that, other Muslim communities have tried this. Typically they don't last more than a generation, because the children don't always share the values of the parents, and many want to go to universities or find a job in the city. Secondly, internal disputes are pretty inevitable, which cause people to leave or prevent people from joining. Perhaps the biggest hurdle is that Muslim immigrants largely came to the West for dunyawi reasons. Sure there are refugees who fled danger, but the majority came here to improve their quality of life. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but for many Muslim immigrants, living in an all-Muslim community is not high on their list of priorities, otherwise they would've stayed in the Muslim world. Shia centres were established mainly to commemorate Muharram, anything else is an afterthought. Thinking out loud, we live in a time where physical separation is probably becoming less important. Living in cities has their problems, including the many corrupting influences that exist in 2023, but we truly are capable of living intentional lives anywhere in the world now. We choose what to watch on television, we choose what to follow online, we choose the schools we send our children to, and Muslim families are everywhere now for friendship/comradery/marriage. What needs to change is not so much physical separation, but a mental and cultural revolution. If the larger community cares only about becoming a doctor, making money, maintaining some random culture and language, and making white people happy, then it doesn't matter if Muslims establish a community on the Moon, it won't be of any benefit to them.

Yes there are detailed references in the book. you may have to visit your own country’s Amazon

I figured that Abu Mikhnaf is already free, widely available and translated by others, so instead I included the maqtal found in Saduq’s.

I have seen the brother a few times; he has been an active community member for a long time. He is the head of an organization called Canadian Defenders for Human Rights. Focuses on activism related to Iran and Palestine. He goes to public events to ask questions like this. In 2020 he spoke outside of the same mosque, and the mosque put out a letter distancing themselves from him. So they probably don't want him on their property to avoid controversy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT26yCjhCuA&t=1s

It seems to be a problem with kindle. I’ll look into it.

The murder of the Prophet's family in Karbala was a scene full of mayhem, and it would make any of us panic or enter into madness. Then there is pandemonium's root words, "all demon", because there were thousands of demons all around Husayn (عليه السلام), demons in Syria, Iraq, and Hijaz, demons from the top of society to the very bottom. Then there is "paradise lost", because in Husayn's rule was a utopian potential, but we squandered it, and hence lost our chance at a paradisal rule on Earth; and others lost their chance at Paradise in the Hereafter, and the pulpit of the Messenger (s) was inverted into a pulpit of fire.

The answer lies in the definition (and the roots) of the word.