Does western society need more Islam?
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Topic: Does western society need more Islam?
Posted By: Jon Harington
Subject: Does western society need more Islam?
Date Posted: 19 November 2017 at 6:55am
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Hello everyone and as Salaamu Aleikum, this is my first serious post at IslamiCity.
Today on my way into work, I noticed advertising is everywhere. At the train station, there were huge posters of women wearing sexy underwear and posing on the beach. Obviously that company is hoping that people will see this and spend money, buying their products. But I have been wondering, is it really a good idea for society? Is this healthy? Is this a good idea? It seems to me if you over expose something, you make it less special. People become de-sensitised to what they are seeing. Women's beauty should be something special, but instead we have it shoved in our faces every day by marketing companies that want to make money out of us. I am starting to think it's bad. Every two weeks, the giant-sized posters in that train station change, and ever more images of women posing in sexy bikini and underwear are put on the walls. I am starting to wonder if western society could actually benefit from having a bit more Islam. In Muslim societies, things are very different. Instead of competing with each other to see how little clothes they can get away with, some Muslim women dress modestly and some of them even cover their hair. If we turn on the TV or look at the newspaper, we see so-called pop stars like Miley Cyrus 'twerking', showing off their bodies, making sexual videos and trying to be as slutty as possible. It all seems to devalue and debase everything. I am quite young, but I'm starting to see pop culture more and more for what it is - it all seems to be a cynical marketing exercise, in which all they care about is money and appealing to the lowest common denominator. A lot of our pop culture is just trash. But I have spent a lot of time recently reading about Muhammad, and I take inspiration from how he lived. I guess I am becoming more spiritual with age. Anyway I guess the nub of my question is this: Would western society benefit from having a bit more Islam? It seems to me that making things a bit more spiritual and a bit cleaner might be to the benefit of everyone. What do you think? |
Replies:
Posted By: adeeliqbal
Date Posted: 22 November 2017 at 12:35am
| Yes, definitely, There is less Islam and people are unaware of teachings of Islam. It's our duty to spread this religion towards non-Muslims. |
Posted By: abuayisha
Date Posted: 22 November 2017 at 7:20am
| Jon welcome! I think it's a question of western society becoming less secular, not more Islamic. |
Posted By: Tim the plumber
Date Posted: 22 November 2017 at 12:41pm
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The society we have today is very different to that of 50 years ago. When my grandmother would not have left the house without something covering her hair. The capacity for the West to take as absolute the validity of the current moral consensus is shocking for anybody with any sense of history. The mad rush of cultural change that is the modern western world is bewildering. But I like it. |
Posted By: NABA
Date Posted: 03 December 2017 at 12:28am
| Allah in ch 24 v 30-31 of Quran ordered men to lower gaze whenever you had a bad thought after looking at a girl,if one practice this then there will be decrease in such immoralities |
Posted By: asep garut
Date Posted: 14 January 2018 at 9:45pm
Your question reminds me of the word of Allah 61: 8, whose content implies that the teachings of Islam will spread throughout the world including to the Western, because the Qur'an is revealed to all human beings who have common sense as in His word 39: 9 Asep Garut. |
Jon Harington wrote:Posted By: dialamah
Date Posted: 30 January 2018 at 8:23am
Based on how woman are advised to dress by their religious books and leaders, you might also ask if Western society would benefit from more Christianity, since modest dress is also advised in that religion. As someone else said - more secularism and less religion. Too many people are only too happy to moralize about others' behavior and some of them, believing God is on their side, decide its their holy duty to impose their morality on others, even to the point of killing them. So I don't see religion as being any kind of solution to the over sexualization rampant in Western society. People should be free to choose, whether it's twerking in short shorts or wearing a burka in public. Those that dislike it are free to do so, but they should not seek to impose their preferences on others. |
Posted By: asep garut
Date Posted: 01 February 2018 at 8:34pm
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Dialamah, For Muslim women, in wearing clothing there is a guide from the Book and their Prophet. But Islamic teachings do not forbid non-Muslims to dress like that, it's up to their favorites. And for Muslim women will get some benefits, among others: 1. Received the reward from God because it is one of His commands. 2. Avoiding the heat of the sun when it's sweltering. 3. Avoiding from dust or pollution so that the hair will be kept clean. 4. To cover personal disgrace. 5. Avoiding negative views, especially in a predominantly Muslim countries, if not following the shari'ah of Islam will lead to various prejudices such as a naughty woman, cheap woman etc. |
Posted By: dialamah
Date Posted: 12 February 2018 at 8:28am
My sister, who converted to Islam about two decades ago, tells me there is nothing in the Quran requiring women to dress in long, black dresses, with hair and face coverings, yet that is enforced in some countries and in some families. Even the use of the hijab is not required; Allah only instructed the covering of the bosom. If one goes beyond what the Quran instructs, is that not the same as criticizing God?
This would not apply in countries where there is minimal sun; however, in the Middle East it makes some sense.
Many women who do not wear head coverings also manage to keep their hair clean; I think this reason is a stretch. I think that hair loss due to hijab wearing would be of greater concern to both men and women. There is also documented evidence that women who wear head coverings and "modest dress", regardless of religion, tend to suffer from Vitamin D deficiency. Is this information on the negative effects of covering well known and understood among Muslim women?
I'm sorry, I do not understand how 'clothing' can cover personal disgrace. Unless one is implying that the mere fact of being female is a 'disgrace'.
It's foolish to think that just because a woman is wearing 'certain' clothing she is purer. An adulteress can wear a burka just as well as a non-adulteress can wear a bikini. One's morality is not controlled by one's clothing. But aside from that: In Western countries a hijab, burka or niqab can all make the women targets for those who consider Muslims unacceptable in their countries. Would not Allah want His followers to be safe from 'negative views' in any country? Especially given that Allah doesn't even require the wearing of these items. Do not misunderstand me: in Canada, I support the right of Muslim (and all) women to dress as they wish. I even find some of the hijabs attractive. However, I dislike the idea that women around the world are misled into believing this is a requirement of Islam when really it is not: it's the requirement of men who wish to control women and who will use religion to do so. |
Posted By: asep garut
Date Posted: 18 February 2018 at 4:12pm
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dialamah, It is true that in the Qur'an does not require long dress and black color, in the Qur'an one of them is as follows: �O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies. That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable woman) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.� (33:59) In that verse there is the word "Khumur" which generally explains the obligation to cover the head (hair), chest and neck with something like a veil. In a hadith the Prophet Muhammad said: "Truly a woman if she is baligh (adult), then it should not be visible from her limbs except this and this (he hinted his face and palms). [Narrated by Abu D�wud, no. 4104 and al-Baihaqi, no. 3218. This hadith is authenticated by shaykh al-Alb�ni rahimahullah] From both sources it can be concluded that visible are the face and the palms. Even if your country does not apply it, what about God command ? Will it reject the command of God? From what you say is only human opinion, whereas if God commands something, it is certainly good for His servant because God will not harm His servant. I want to ask you, if you go out in a dressed-up fashion like the breasts, the thighs are visible to others, I'm sure there are some people who look you with negative assumptions. Wearing hijab is a command of God, but if there is a Muslim woman who has been veiled and her behavior is negative, then that is not Muslim, hijab is only one of God's commandments, while there are still many others commands, one of those is good behavior. Islam is forbidden to force non-Muslims to participate like Muslims do because there is the word of their Lord, Muslims duty is to convey the truth of Allah, good Muslims will obey the commands of Allah than the others. A fact proves that in some countries that initially rejected veiled women, but now you can see by yourself. |
Posted By: Ebrahim786
Date Posted: 19 February 2018 at 11:48pm
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وعليكم السلام
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ I believe so because Islam fixes and removes a lot of the negatives to our societies even down to things such as Childhood obesity, Drug Abuse, Racism, Crime, Ignorance and the list goes on. And actually I believe the west is the only place a truly Islamic society could function because we see in so many so called Muslim countries such as Pakistan, Libya, Saudi Arabia and Egypt that the people in power will use the Religion as a means to rally the support of the people but when in control will abandon the Religion we see this in the Bidah (Innovations) of the Muslims of Pakistan, The Racist slavery taking place in Libya, The thirst for wealth and power in Saudi Arabia and the Abandonment of Islamic influence in Egypt. |
Posted By: akthus
Date Posted: 10 March 2018 at 7:13am
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Religion should be a personal choice. How someone dresses is their personal choice. Personal freedom should never be taken away and the Saudi model is not a desirable way to live. |
Posted By: asep garut
Date Posted: 12 March 2018 at 12:14am
Yes ... in embracing a religion there is no compulsion, and in this world there will be many religions, we can not reject it because it is a sunnatullah (a will of Allah). Islamic teachings are not just for a nation or middle eastern person, but for rahmatan lil 'alamin for whoever wants to follow it. For example, I am a Muslim not from the Middle East, which I follow not because of the performance of the clothing or the material model, but what I follow is Allah's command to cover the aurat (nakedness) and that has been spoken by His Prophet. There are many ways and models to cover aurat in accordance with personal desires but not against Islamic sharia. |
Posted By: Tim the plumber
Date Posted: 12 March 2018 at 1:54am
So is it OK for me not to follow Islam? |
Posted By: asep garut
Date Posted: 12 March 2018 at 5:04pm
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Posted By: asep garut
Date Posted: 12 March 2018 at 5:06pm
yes .... because there is no compulsion to be a Muslim as in His word. The duty of Muslims is only to convey the truth of Allah's teaching and the result is only Allah who has "Hidayah" (guidance) |
Posted By: MIAW
Date Posted: 13 March 2018 at 1:13am
Of course! The Qur'an tells us (in many, many places) that it's all about choice... the choice is entirely yours. Ah... but... it's like everything else in life Tim... The choice is definitely yours... but the consequences aren't!  MIAW |
Posted By: Tim the plumber
Date Posted: 14 March 2018 at 12:57am
How about all those exMuslims who get killed for leaving Islam? Why do they not get freedom of choice? |
Posted By: akthus
Date Posted: 15 March 2018 at 12:36pm
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I was born in to a Muslim family and for most of my adult life believed and took at face value what was taught and said about Islam. However when I started to question my birth religion people ignored the uncomfortable truths. For instance as a Muslim you have to accept that the Koran came from God with an angel transmitting this to Mohammed. You also have to accept Muhammad was a prophet. But there is no evidence that these things can be taken as fact. There are no witnesses who confirmed Muhammad met an angel or indeed if it was an angel. And the person who relayed the message was Muhammad. So the whole religion is based on whether a single human being is telling the truth. |
Posted By: Al Masihi
Date Posted: 16 March 2018 at 4:55am
| I'm a middle eastern Christian and I believe the West is missing it's faith I believe most countries of the Middle East need less Islam in them and the West needs less decadence. I hold Greece the the example all Western countries should follow. Secular yet still based on Christian principles just as America once was before it turned into this decadent society of the modern world. Where is your cross America? |
Posted By: Tim the plumber
Date Posted: 16 March 2018 at 11:11am
I live in the UK. One of the least religious societies in the world. We consistently produce far more science innovation, cultural works and international influence of all sorts than our population size and economy would imply. I think that the two are not unrelated. How do you think that the UK would benefit from more religion? |
Posted By: asep garut
Date Posted: 19 March 2018 at 6:24am
From where you can say like that ?, Qur'an, Hadith saheeh or other sources? Thanks. |
Posted By: Tim the plumber
Date Posted: 19 March 2018 at 10:33am
Well these countries punish leaving Islam with death; https://www.indy100.com/article/the-countries-where-apostasy-is-punishable-by-death--Z110j2Uwxb" rel="nofollow - https://www.indy100.com/article/the-countries-where-apostasy-is-punishable-by-death--Z110j2Uwxb
And groups such as these take the job into their own hands; http://www.heraldsun.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/australian-muslim-group-death-to-those-who-leave-islam/news-story/1c7bd7ae92533a4cb04bbfe6c4f97371" rel="nofollow - http://www.heraldsun.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/australian-muslim-group-death-to-those-who-leave-islam/news-story/1c7bd7ae92533a4cb04bbfe6c4f97371
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Posted By: asep garut
Date Posted: 19 March 2018 at 4:45pm
Allah does not order to kill anyone unless he committed murder, but Allah order to keep human, and that it's the same with he has kept all human beings (Qur'an 4:32). On the basis of that verse, then if we want to seek a truth in religion, please don't look at the behavior of the person, but the understanding of God Words. Let alone murder, berating the worship of one who isn't worshiping Allah is forbidden (6: 108) |
Posted By: Tim the plumber
Date Posted: 21 March 2018 at 1:33am
Given there are parts of Islamic teaching which expressly tell you to kill the apostate and convert with the sword and the torch and that this happens when Islam is politically strong, just as any other religion does, you will understand that I see it as a nasty thing that if given a chance will kill me. |
Posted By: asep garut
Date Posted: 21 March 2018 at 4:25pm
That is the devil to persuade people to kill each other, but for those who truly obey the commands of their Lord they will not do that unless they are attacked, persecuted and the form of such evil. Islam does not teach to kill one another except two things, as in the word of Allah: 60: 8 "Allah does not forbid to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion nor drove you out of your homes. Verily, Allah loves those who deal with equity." |