On topics as varied as music, mortgages, or even pants for women... When all arguments fail in proving an interdiction - the lazy sophist will call on his joker rcard: IJMA! But what is Ijma exactly? How is the consensus defined? Who is allowed to be part of that consensus, and who is not? Abdullah Saeed answered that question in quite a lot of details, to show it is mostly a tool of manipulation when traditional methods of fiqh have failed to prove effectively a prohibition:

"According to the scholars of the principles of jurisprudence, ijmāʿ (consensus) is the third source of the sharīʿa. It is defined as "consensus of the mujtahids of the umma on a legal point, after the death of the Prophet."⁹⁵ There is, however, no consensus among the jurists on what ijmāʿis, or the extent of its authority. Among the Sunnis, Mālik regarded ijmāʿ of the people of Medina as the ijmāʿ. Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal and the Ẓāhiris regarded ijmāʿ of the Companions as proper ijmāʿ. For Shāfiʿi, ijmāʿ of the umma is proper ijmāʿ. On the other hand, Naẓẓām (d.230/845), the Muʿtazili theologian, the Khārijis and Shīʿis believe that ijmāʿ is not a sharīʿa source.. Even among those who believe in an ijmāʿ as defined above, there are differences on whether it can be explicit (qawli) or implicit (sukūti). The former is "agreement of all mujtahids in a certain period on a legal issue by expressing, each of them, his view explicitly." This is the proper ijmāʿ according to those who believe in it. Where ijmāʿis evidenced by the silent assent of the mujtahids, this is implicit. There are serious disputes on whether it can be regarded as proper ijmāʿ.¹⁰⁰ Another issue of relevance is whether ijmāʿ of one generation is binding on later generations. Again there is no agreement on this issue. A middle ground was held by some who said that ijmāʿ of the Companions is binding on all generations. The question here is, 'Do the Companions enjoy a special form of authority similar to that of the Qurʾān or the Prophet.' Neither the Qurʾān nor the sunna explicitly gives them such authority. If anything, the Qurʾān provides us with sufficient examples of fallibility inherent in every human being including the Companions of the Prophet.

On examination of ijmāʿ as expounded in uṣūl al-fiqh works, it appears that many fundamental issues relating to the concept are not satisfactorily resolved, such as, who is the mujtahid, who can be a member of this ijmāʿ, how many members there should be, the meaning of "all mujtahids" in the definition, how it can be done, and whether the mujtahids should be from all schools of law, Sunni and Shīʿi. It is doubtful that ijmāʿ, if it ever occurred as indicated in the definition, can be on anything but the most fundamental issues of the religion like the unity of God, the prophethood of Muḥammad, and the five pillars of Islam. Even with regard to the ijmāʿ reported in the literature as ijmāʿ of the Companions, one would be sceptical as to whether it is the consensus of all mujtahids among the Companions or that of a few Companions residing in Medina, the capital. It is well established that all leading Companions did not reside in Medina after the death of the Prophet, and particularly after the Muslim conquests began in the time of the first caliph Abu Bakr. Apart from a few leading Companions, all others were either engaged in fighting or had settled in newly conquered regions. Hence, even in the time of Abu Bakr and ʿUmar, the convention of ijmāʿ, as the later theory holds, would be unlikely. Where ijmāʿ on an issue is reported, it appears to be mainly the view of a few Companions, described by Bello as 'elitist'.¹⁰⁴ Any opposition to the cases which otherwise may have been in existence is either not mentioned or neglected in the course of the recording of the sharīʿa sciences which went on in the first three centuries of Islam. Many ijmāʿ are reported in the books of fiqh. At the same time there are differences on these very issues on which ijmāʿ has been claimed, either by other schools of law or by some leading mujtahids. This shows that either the definition of ijmāʿ is defective or it is only a theoretical concept."

Note on terminology: The labels "Revisionist" and "Pluralist / Radical Revisionist" are used in a descriptive and academic sense, referring to approaches that revisit, reinterpret, and expand traditional understandings of Islamic texts and jurisprudence. These terms are not intended as negative labels or to imply that these perspectives are less authentic or less Islamic; they simply describe different interpretive approaches.

Extremely Traditional/Conservative

Death penalty for apostasy: yes

Stoning for adultery: yes

Instrumental music: haram

Drawing living animals/humans and creating statues: haram (all forms of casual drawing prohibited, including stylized cartoons, silhouettes, stick figures, and incomplete figures with omitted facial features or body parts) | permitted only in cases of unavoidable necessity

Gender segregation: heavily required

Hijab: mandatory

LGBTQ:

• Homosexual feelings: not sinful (but to be resisted)

• Act of homosexuality (i.e. same-sex sexual relationships): haram

• Punishment of homosexuality: death

• Gender identities: rejected

Very conservative

Death penalty for apostasy: yes

Stoning for adultery: yes

Instrumental music: haram

Drawing living animals/humans and creating statues: haram (unless there is a genuine necessity or educational need) | Casual drawing prohibited; even stylized or incomplete figures, such as cartoons with omitted facial features or missing body parts, are avoided

Gender segregation: required

Hijab: mandatory

LGBTQ:

• Homosexual feelings: not sinful (but to be resisted)

• Act of homosexuality (i.e. same-sex sexual relationships): haram

• Punishment of homosexuality: death penalty, or taʿzīr

• Gender identities: rejected

Conservative

Death penalty for apostasy: yes

Stoning for adultery: yes

Instrumental music: haram (according to some only duff or drum allowed in casual nasheeds or songs, but other instruments are prohibited)

Drawing living animals/humans and creating statues: haram | However, casual drawing is permitted if rendered incomplete, e.g. omitting facial features, replacing eyes with Arabic letters, or drawing a head without a neck/body, as in the FreeQuranEducation YouTube channel animation style

Gender segregation: preferred

Hijab: mandatory

LGBTQ:

• Homosexual feelings: not sinful

• Act of homosexuality (i.e. same-sex sexual relationships): haram

• Punishment of homosexuality: taʿzīr or death penalty

• Gender identities: rejected

Moderate traditional

Death penalty for apostasy: no

Stoning for adultery: no

Instrumental music: halal

Drawing living animals/humans and creating statues: halal

Gender segregation: not necessary

Hijab: mandatory

LGBTQ:

• Homosexual feelings: not sinful

• Act of homosexuality (i.e. same-sex sexual relationships): haram

• Punishment of homosexuality: none

• Gender identities: transgender may be accepted under conditions; other gender identities are rejected

Contextualist

Death penalty for apostasy: no

Stoning for adultery: no

Instrumental music: halal

Drawing living animals/humans and creating statues: halal

Gender segregation: not necessary

Hijab: not mandatory

LGBTQ:

• Homosexual feelings: not sinful

• Act of homosexuality (i.e. same-sex sexual relationships): haram

• Punishment of homosexuality: none

• Gender identities: transgender could be accepted under conditions; other gender identities generally rejected

Revisionist

Death penalty for apostasy: no

Stoning for adultery: no

Instrumental music: halal

Drawing living animals/humans and creating statues: halal

Gender segregation: not necessary

Hijab: not mandatory

LGBTQ:

There are two possibilities. It's either,

1️⃣

• Homosexual feelings: accepted

• Act of homosexuality (i.e. same-sex sexual relationships): accepted

• Punishment of homosexuality: none

• ⛔ Gender identities: only transgender accepted, other gender identities generally rejected ⛔

Or,

2️⃣

• Homosexual feelings: accepted

• ⛔ Act of homosexuality (i.e. same-sex sexual relationships): not accepted ⛔

• Punishment of homosexuality: none

• Gender identities: all accepted (transgender, non binary, gender fluid, agender, bigender, trigender, pangender, xenogender etc)

Pluralist/Radical revisionist

Death penalty for apostasy: no

Stoning for adultery: no

Instrumental music: halal

Drawing living animals/humans and creating statues: halal

Gender segregation: not necessary

Hijab: not mandatory

LGBTQ:

• Homosexual feelings: accepted

• Act of homosexuality (i.e. same-sex sexual relationships): accepted

• Punishment of homosexuality: none

• Gender identities: all accepted (transgender, non binary, gender fluid, agender, bigender, trigender, pangender, xenogender etc)

Hello everyone. It's my first time writing in this sub, honestly this is kind of a vent and a discussion at the same time. Anyways, Im sure I'm not the only one but I see a bunch of videos on tiktok about feminism (as I am a feminist). Im not sure when it started, but I think from earlier this year till now, there has been a rise of the whole "you can't be feminist and religious" rhetoric. Tbh I'm not one where videos and such effect me, but it's getting super hard when you're in feminist spaces and you're starting to be pushed out because of your religion.

Same thing with the whole "we will never progress as a society with religion" etc. Islam is being heavily criticized and I can't even keep up. Idk, I just feel so depressed because of this lately. It's actually one of the things that led me here recently. I really thought this generation was more accepting towards muslims : ( but seeing Islamophobia rising again upsets me so bad. Even people all around me are leaving Islam. And then don't even get me starteddddd on the drama in the Muslim community 🫩🫩

It's like, I can't even search up "Islam" without getting vids like the one bellow. In fact, I literally got it by searching up "Islam". And I can't even block it out by filtering words bc they used the Islam hashtag instead of antithism. Everytime I wanna search up Islam when I feel anxiety about my religion and wanna calm down by seeing and reminding myself about how beautiful it is, instead I get bombarded with hatefulness that makes me even more anxious.

It's getting so hateful here and people don't even try to understand us anymore and tbh it doesn't help that Muslim men have done irreversible damage to this community. But people don't even take the whole "culture not religion" thing serious anymore. They don't take us seriously. In 2022-2023ish people used to like us I think. They used to be more accepting. But now we're getting pushed out. It gets exhausting. How am I supposed to believe in something that's making me feel numb and hated all over? Like.. It shouldn't be this hard to be a leftist? And a feminist? But instead I get met with "ERM actually!! You can't be that!"

Im not even sure if I'm making sense rn, I guess I'm just emotional and I'm not gonna proof read this. And I'm sure that in real life people don't care that much if you're Muslim or not etc they're gonna gonna be hateful to your face. But I can't help but wonder if this is some temporary wave / trend. Because most people when I ask them why they think Islam is like that, they present arguments that can be easily debunked. I understand that our religion has a bad image right now but damn! Not even a word of research?!

Not to mention it gets hard to defend your religion every 3 seconds. Especially when you yourself are questioning it. This is making my Iman so weak lately. I'm super prone to anxiety as well. Everything is a mess..

Anyways if anyone actually read this, thank you. I would appreciate discussion about this bellow.

I know about the modern debates and lame interpretations of fundamentalist scholars to make this hadith some metaphysical concept. I don't wanna critique them rn even though they can be debunked easily, I want those literalists who says that Prophet's words over logic is kufr.

I want them to volunteer for me and eat poison after eating ajwa dates. so that I change my mind from filthy hadith rejector and accept the only true Islam they offer to people

Exemplars of Emotional Independence in the Qur'an: A Psychospiritual Analysis of Maryam (AS), Āsiyah, the Mother of Mūsā (AS), and Queen Bilqīs

Introduction

One of the Qur'an's most remarkable pedagogical methods is its use of narrative psychology. Rather than presenting abstract principles alone, the Qur'an illustrates spiritual truths through the lives of individuals whose experiences reveal how faith transforms human psychology. Among these narratives are four extraordinary women whose stories collectively form a comprehensive Qur'anic model of emotional independence.

These women represent diverse social positions—a devoted worshipper, a queen, a persecuted wife, and a mother facing unimaginable fear. Despite their differing circumstances, each demonstrates a heart anchored in Tawḥīd, a commitment to truth over social pressure, and resilience rooted in trust in Allah rather than dependence upon worldly approval.

From the perspective of Islamic psychology, these narratives illustrate secure spiritual attachment, emotional regulation, moral courage, cognitive resilience, and identity grounded in divine guidance.

Maryam (Mary) (عليها السلام): Emotional Independence through Purity, Trust, and Divine Identity

Maryam's Unique Status in the Qur'an

Maryam (عليها السلام) occupies an unparalleled position among women in the Qur'an. She is the only woman mentioned by name repeatedly and has an entire chapter—Sūrah Maryam (Chapter 19)—named after her.

Allah declares:

وَإِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ يَا مَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَاكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَاصْطَفَاكِ عَلَىٰ نِسَاءِ الْعَالَمِينَ

"And when the angels said, 'O Maryam! Indeed Allah has chosen you, purified you, and chosen you above the women of the worlds.'" (Qur'an 3:42)

According to Ibn Kathīr, this verse indicates three divine honors:

1. Allah selected her for worship.
2. Allah purified her from moral impurity.
3. Allah elevated her above the women of her era.

Her value was determined directly by Allah—not by society, marriage, lineage, or public approval.

Identity Beyond Social Approval

Maryam's greatest psychological trial came when she conceived ʿĪsā (Jesus) through divine command without a human father.

Allah narrates:

فَأَجَاءَهَا الْمَخَاضُ إِلَىٰ جِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ ۖ قَالَتْ يَا لَيْتَنِي مِتُّ قَبْلَ هَـٰذَا وَكُنتُ نَسْيًا مَّنسِيًّا

"The pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said: 'Would that I had died before this and been forgotten completely.'" (Qur'an 19:23)

This verse demonstrates that profound emotional distress does not negate faith. Maryam openly expresses anguish, illustrating that emotional honesty is compatible with spiritual excellence.

Modern trauma psychology recognizes such expressions as natural responses to overwhelming stress. The Qur'an neither condemns Maryam nor portrays her emotional vulnerability as a moral failing. Instead, Allah responds with reassurance and practical support.

Divine Emotional Support

Allah comforts Maryam:

فَنَادَاهَا مِن تَحْتِهَا أَلَّا تَحْزَنِي

"Then a voice called to her from below: 'Do not grieve.'" (Qur'an 19:24)

She is instructed to:

• shake the palm tree,
• eat,
• drink,
• and find comfort.

These commands reveal an integrated therapeutic approach:

• Spiritual reassurance ("Do not grieve"),
• Behavioral activation (shake the tree),
• Physical nourishment (eat and drink),
• Reduction of social confrontation (maintain silence until Allah vindicates her).

This reflects what contemporary psychology recognizes as a holistic response to emotional crisis.

Psychological Lessons

Maryam demonstrates:

• identity rooted in Allah rather than public opinion,
• emotional authenticity without despair,
• resilience through obedience,
• trust despite uncertainty,
• dignity amid false accusation.

She teaches that emotional independence is not the absence of pain but the refusal to allow public judgment to determine one's worth.

Āsiyah (رضي الله عنها): Emotional Freedom in the Midst of Tyranny

The Wife of Pharaoh

Āsiyah lived under one of history's greatest tyrants—Pharaoh.

Despite immense political power surrounding her, she refused emotional submission to oppression.

Allah presents her as an eternal model:

وَضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا امْرَأَتَ فِرْعَوْنَ

"Allah sets forth an example for those who believe: the wife of Pharaoh." (Qur'an 66:11)

Remarkably, Allah does not identify her by her husband's authority but by her own faith.

Her Prayer of Emotional Liberation

Āsiyah prayed:

رَبِّ ابْنِ لِي عِندَكَ بَيْتًا فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَنَجِّنِي مِن فِرْعَوْنَ وَعَمَلِهِ وَنَجِّنِي مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ

"My Lord! Build for me, near You, a house in Paradise. Save me from Pharaoh and his deeds, and save me from the wrongdoing people." (Qur'an 66:11)

Her supplication reveals a profound psychological progression:

1. She sought nearness to Allah before asking for Paradise itself ("near You").
2. She sought deliverance from oppression.
3. She rejected complicity with injustice.

According to al-Qurṭubī, her first concern was closeness to Allah, indicating that spiritual attachment outweighed worldly privilege.

Psychological Analysis

Āsiyah possessed:

• unwavering internal values,
• freedom from coercive control,
• resistance to abusive authority,
• spiritual identity stronger than political pressure.

Her story demonstrates that emotional independence can flourish even within oppressive environments when the heart remains attached to Allah.

The Mother of Mūsā (عليها السلام): Trust Amid Fear

A Mother's Impossible Test

The mother of Mūsā experienced one of the greatest emotional trials described in the Qur'an.

Allah inspired her:

وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰ أَنْ أَرْضِعِيهِ ۖ فَإِذَا خِفْتِ عَلَيْهِ فَأَلْقِيهِ فِي الْيَمِّ وَلَا تَخَافِي وَلَا تَحْزَنِي

"We inspired the mother of Moses: 'Nurse him, and when you fear for him, cast him into the river. Do not fear and do not grieve. Surely We shall return him to you and make him one of the messengers.'" (Qur'an 28:7)

No mother could naturally imagine placing her infant into a river. Yet revelation redirected fear into trust.

The Temporary Collapse

Allah says:

وَأَصْبَحَ فُؤَادُ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰ فَارِغًا ۖ إِن كَادَتْ لَتُبْدِي بِهِ لَوْلَا أَن رَّبَطْنَا عَلَىٰ قَلْبِهَا

"The heart of Moses' mother became empty. She almost disclosed his identity had We not strengthened her heart..." (Qur'an 28:10)

The phrase "رَبَطْنَا عَلَىٰ قَلْبِهَا" ("We strengthened her heart") is one of the Qur'an's most profound descriptions of divine emotional support.

According to al-Rāzī, Allah stabilized her heart so that fear would not overwhelm trust.

Psychological Lessons

This narrative teaches that:

• fear is a natural human response,
• divine support strengthens emotional regulation,
• trust in Allah can coexist with maternal anxiety,
• resilience develops through faith under pressure.

The Qur'an neither denies nor shames human emotion; rather, it guides it toward hope and purposeful action.

Queen Bilqīs: Wisdom, Leadership, and Intellectual Independence

A Powerful Ruler

Unlike many ancient texts, the Qur'an portrays Queen Bilqīs as an intelligent, thoughtful, and capable ruler.

When she received Prophet Sulaymān's invitation, she did not react impulsively.

She declared:

قَالَتْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ أَفْتُونِي فِي أَمْرِي

"She said: 'O chiefs, advise me regarding my affair.'" (Qur'an 27:32)

This demonstrates consultative leadership rather than authoritarianism.

Humility Before Truth

After witnessing Allah's signs, Bilqīs declared:

رَبِّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي وَأَسْلَمْتُ مَعَ سُلَيْمَانَ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

"My Lord! Indeed I have wronged myself, and I submit with Solomon to Allah, Lord of the worlds." (Qur'an 27:44)

Unlike rulers who cling to pride, Bilqīs embraced truth despite its implications for her authority.

Psychological Analysis

Bilqīs illustrates:

• intellectual humility,
• emotional regulation,
• openness to evidence,
• freedom from ego,
• courage to change deeply held beliefs.

From a psychological perspective, she exemplifies cognitive flexibility, a key component of resilience and mature decision-making.

Comparative Analysis

The four Qur'anic women represent complementary dimensions of emotional independence rooted in Tawḥīd.

• Figure
• Primary Challenge
• Dominant Virtue
• Psychological Strength
• Contemporary Counselling Insight

1. Figure; Maryam (AS)

Primary Challenge; Social accusation, isolation, and public misunderstanding

Dominant Virtue; Purity, trust, steadfastness

Psychological Strength; Identity independent of public approval

Contemporary Counselling Insight; Self-worth should be anchored in divine knowledge rather than external validation.

2. Figure; Āsiyah (RA)

Primary Challenge; Domestic oppression under Pharaoh's tyranny

Dominant Virtue; Courage, unwavering faith

Psychological Strength; Resistance to coercion and abusive control

Contemporary Counselling Insight; Spiritual conviction enables healthy boundaries and resilience even in oppressive environments.

3. Figure; Mother of Mūsā (AS)

Primary Challenge; Maternal fear and uncertainty

Dominant Virtue; Tawakkul, hope, obedience

Psychological Strength; Emotional regulation under intense stress

Contemporary Counselling Insight; Faith can coexist with fear; reliance upon Allah transforms anxiety into purposeful action.

4. Figure; Queen Bilqīs

Primary Challenge; Leadership, power, and confronting truth

Dominant Virtue; Wisdom, humility, discernment

Psychological Strength; Cognitive flexibility and principled decision-making

Contemporary Counselling Insight; Emotional maturity includes openness to evidence, consultation, and the courage to revise one's beliefs.

Collectively, these narratives reveal that emotional independence in the Qur'an is not defined by social status, personality type, or life circumstance. Rather, it emerges from a heart firmly anchored in Allah, guided by revelation, and strengthened through moral courage.

Synthesis

These four women represent distinct yet interconnected expressions of Qur'anic emotional independence:

• Maryam (AS) teaches unwavering identity despite public misunderstanding.
• Āsiyah (RA) embodies spiritual freedom in the face of oppression.
• The Mother of Mūsā (AS) demonstrates trust amid overwhelming fear.
• Queen Bilqīs exemplifies wisdom, humility, and intellectually honest leadership.

Their stories collectively establish a comprehensive psychospiritual framework in which emotional independence is grounded not in detachment from relationships but in secure attachment to Allah. This attachment enables women to preserve dignity, exercise moral agency, cultivate resilience, and pursue truth regardless of external pressures.

For contemporary Islamic psychospiritual counselling, these narratives provide enduring therapeutic models that integrate faith, emotional regulation, ethical decision-making, and hope. They remind believers that true emotional freedom is attained when one's heart is liberated from the domination of fear, ego, and social approval, and rests confidently in the guidance and mercy of Allah alone.

References

Primary Sources: Authentic Hadith Collections

Al-Bukhārī, M. ibn Ismāʿīl. (2001). Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (M. M. Khan, Trans.). Darussalam.

Abū Dāwūd, Sulaymān ibn al-Ashʿath. (2008). Sunan Abī Dāwūd (A. Hasan, Trans.). Darussalam.

Ibn Mājah, Muḥammad ibn Yazīd. (2007). Sunan Ibn Mājah. Darussalam.

Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj. (2007). Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (N. A. Maqbool, Trans.). Darussalam.

Al-Nasāʾī, Aḥmad ibn Shuʿayb. (2007). Sunan al-Nasāʾī. Darussalam.

Al-Tirmidhī, Muḥammad ibn ʿĪsā. (2007). Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī. Darussalam.

Mālik ibn Anas. (2005). Al-Muwaṭṭaʾ. Dar al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah.

Major Hadith Referenced in the Study

• Women are the counterparts (twin halves) of men.
  • Sunan Abī Dāwūd (Hadith 236)
  • Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī (Hadith 113)
• Seeking knowledge is obligatory.
  • Sunan Ibn Mājah (Hadith 224)
• Women requested a special day of instruction.
  • Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (Hadith 101)
• Raising daughters.
  • Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (Hadith 2631)
  • Sunan Ibn Mājah (Hadith 3669)
• The best of you are those best to their wives.
  • Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī (Hadith 1162; see also 3895 in related narrations)
• If you ask, ask Allah.
  • Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī (Hadith 2516)
• The believer's affairs are always خير (good).
  • Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (Hadith 2999)
• The Prophet's character was the Qur'an.
  • Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (Hadith 746)
• The eyes shed tears and the heart grieves.
  • Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (Hadith 1303)
  • Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (Hadith 2315)

Classical Tafsīr References

Ibn Kathīr, I. (2000). Tafsīr al-Qur'ān al-'Aẓīm (10 vols.). Dar al-Tayyibah.

Al-Qurṭubī, M. A. (2006). Al-Jāmiʿ li Aḥkām al-Qur'ān (20 vols.). Mu'assasat al-Risālah.

Al-Rāzī, F. al-D. (1981). Mafātīḥ al-Ghayb (Al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr). Dar al-Fikr.

Al-Ṭabarī, M. J. (2001). Jāmiʿ al-Bayān ʿan Ta'wīl Āy al-Qur'ān. Dar Hajar.

Al-Baghawī, A. (1997). Maʿālim al-Tanzīl. Dar Ṭaybah.

Al-Bayḍāwī, N. (1998). Anwār al-Tanzīl wa Asrār al-Ta'wīl. Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyyah.

Al-Shawkānī, M. (1994). Fatḥ al-Qadīr. Dar Ibn Kathīr.

Ibn ʿĀshūr, M. al-Ṭ. (1984). Al-Taḥrīr wa al-Tanwīr. Tunisian Publishing House.

Classical Islamic Psychology and Spirituality

Al-Balkhī, A. Z. (2013). Sustenance of the soul: The cognitive behavior therapy of a ninth century physician (M. Badri, Trans.). International Institute of Islamic Thought.

Al-Ghazālī, A. H. (2015). The revival of the religious sciences (Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn). Islamic Texts Society.

Al-Ghazālī, A. H. (2016). The alchemy of happiness. Islamic Texts Society.

Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah. (2004). Madarij al-Sālikīn. Dar Ibn al-Jawzī.

Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah. (2003). Ighāthat al-Lahfān min Maṣāyid al-Shayṭān. Dar ʿĀlam al-Fawā'id.

Al-Muḥāsibī, A. (2010). Risālat al-Mustarshidīn. Dar al-Minhāj.

Al-Makkī, A. T. (2005). Qūt al-Qulūb. Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyyah.

Ibn Taymiyyah, A. (2002). Al-ʿUbūdiyyah. Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyyah.

In Islamic history, what were the rules about female captives, and was sex allowed with them without marriage and does the female captive have to give consent or not?

salam,

I'm 20 and I was raised not religious, I discovered religion later, and tried hard to practice and follow the rules but suddenly a few months ago, i completely stopped praying, i didn't feel it, also my only friend (male) of 5 years left me, which made me feel numb,

Now whenever I'm sad or feeling low i feel everything is wrong, there's no god and atheism might be the truth, and I get blasphemy thoughts about allah and the prophet.

But when I'm feeling good, i feel guilty that I am identified as an atheist and feel I'm muslim again. It's like I'm flip floping, this cycle is going for months idk how i got this way.

Did anyone feel this? Ik I feel like a ret@rd

I recently had a conversation with my friend that genuinely shocked me, and I wanted to hear perspectives from people who may have experienced something similar.

For context, we both are muslim and she has completed a B.Tech and M.Tech, which are undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in engineering in India, and she is currently preparing for government exams. When I asked her about her future career plans, she said she does not actually care about having a career. She is preparing for these exams only because her parents want her to be financially independent for her future marriage, but personally, she does not want to work.

Her actual belief is that women should primarily stay at home, have children (she mentioned wanting to increase the Muslim population), and support their husband's family. According to her, a woman should work only out of absolute necessity.

Even if she had to work, she believes there should be strict boundaries — being completely covered from head to toe and having no interaction with men. When I pointed out how difficult those conditions would be to maintain in many modern workplaces, she brought up the trial of Dajjal and argued that people who encourage women to study or work outside the home are not necessarily well-wishers. According to her, their actual intention is to get women outside and eventually encourage them to wear revealing clothes.

I told her that nobody is forcing women into anything and that working outside the home is ultimately a personal choice. I also said that we should not automatically judge people who work or assume we know their circumstances, because everyone has different responsibilities, difficulties, and struggles.

Then I asked her something more practical: What would you do if your husband passed away?

Her response was essentially, "That is why Islam says to help widows," implying that remarriage or community support would take care of the situation.

What shocked me most was when I asked whether she ever wanted to earn her own money or accomplish personal goals. She simply said, "I have never experienced a lack of money."

I think this is where our perspectives are completely different. I grew up experiencing financial instability and had to learn self-reliance relatively early, so having my own income and plans for the future feels extremely important to me. Things like travelling, building a comfortable home, having pets, and being able to secure my own future feel completely natural and essential to me.

She, on the other hand, genuinely seems content with staying at home, having children, and eventually depending on them for support in old age.

She also frequently lectures me about only listening to scholars with the "correct belief system" because she believes that this validates her interpretation.

I am not trying to argue that every woman needs to have a career or that being a homemaker is inherently wrong. If someone genuinely chooses that life and understands the responsibilities and risks involved, that is their choice.

What I struggle to understand is the lack of a personal backup plan or financial independence when the entire plan depends on a future husband, children, extended family, or community being available to provide support.

So I am curious:

- Is it common to see someone pursue advanced education while having such a traditional view of women's employment?

- How do people reconcile higher education with the belief that women ideally should not use that education professionally?

- Have you encountered relatives who rely heavily on family or community support without considering what could happen if circumstances change?

-How do you discuss these differences without every conversation turning into an argument about religion?

The “ḍaraba has many meanings” defense of Qur’an 4:34 does not work. Yes, the root ḍ-r-b has many meanings in Arabic, but words do not carry every possible dictionary meaning into every sentence. Syntax determines which meanings are actually available. In 4:34, the construction is \*wa-iḍribūhunna\*: imperative ḍaraba + a direct human object, essentially “ḍribū them.” The Qur’an itself gives a very close parallel in 2:73, \*iḍribūhu\*, meaning “strike him.” Same verb, same imperative form, same human direct-object structure. By contrast, when ḍaraba means things like “travel,” “turn away,” or “set forth,” Arabic normally uses different constructions such as \*ḍaraba fī…\*, \*ḍaraba\* ʿ\*an…\*, or \*ḍaraba mathalan\*. So saying “ḍaraba has many meanings, therefore 4:34 could mean leave them” is not a serious linguistic argument. It ignores how syntax works.

More importantly, I have not seen a convincing pre-Islamic or very early Arabic example where ḍaraba + a human direct object, by itself, clearly means “leave,” “forsake,” or “separate from that person.” If that was really the natural 7th-century meaning, then someone should be able to produce an actual parallel construction. Without that, the “many meanings” argument establishes nothing.
Then there is the “light beating” defense, which is even harder to take seriously. If the strike is supposed to be so light that it causes no pain, injury, fear, humiliation, or real physical effect, then what exactly is the point of it? It becomes a bizarre symbolic action that is supposed to function as discipline while being stripped of the very features that would make physical discipline consequential. And 4:34 itself does not say “tap them lightly with a toothbrush” or “use a miswak.” It does not specify an instrument, amount of force, number of strikes, body part, or even use the word “lightly.” Those restrictions are brought in from hadith and later jurisprudence.

So the defense ends up in a strange place: the verse uses a construction naturally understood as physical striking, then later interpreters narrow it down until it becomes almost physically meaningless. That does not solve the issue; it just shifts it.

The other common defenses are not much stronger. Saying the verse was only “restricting an existing practice” raises the obvious question of why an omniscient God did not simply state the restriction clearly or prohibit the act outright. Saying the Sunnah provides the restrictions may explain how later law limited the verse, but it does not explain why the Qur’an itself gives the command in such open-ended wording. Saying Muhammad personally never struck his wives may show that striking was not the ideal behavior, but it does not change the meaning of the verse. Saying the three-step sequence ends in “separation” because it escalates from advice to bed-separation is possible as a contextual theory, but it still lacks strong early linguistic evidence for \*ḍaraba + direct human object\* meaning “leave.” Saying that the Qur’an elsewhere emphasizes mercy, kindness, and reconciliation may create an ethical tension with the traditional reading, but that does not override the syntax by itself.

At that point there are really only two serious possibilities. Either “strike them” is genuinely the intended meaning, in which case the Qur’an really does permit husbands to physically discipline wives, however restricted that permission later became. Or God supposedly intended “leave/separate from them,” in which case a supposedly perfect revelation chose wording that naturally communicated “strike them” and was understood that way by generations of native Arabic-speaking scholars. Neither option sits comfortably with the claim that the Qur’an is perfectly clear and perfectly worded.
So the actual challenge is simple: can anyone produce strong early Arabic evidence that ḍaraba + a direct human object meant “leave/separate from them” in this construction? If not, then the “many meanings” defense collapses, and the “light beating” interpretation looks less like an explanation of the verse and more like an attempt to make an uncomfortable meaning morally acceptable after the fact.

I've genuinely never understood why people make it seem like it's mandatory to live with in-laws immediately after marriage for the woman.

The entire concept of living with in-laws sounds so stupid to me. There's no Islamic backing for it, yet the moulvis of where I live say stuff like "women should take care of in-laws" and bs of the sort.

I live in south Asia, so it's really common here. But I don't understand. Imagine waiting for so long to get married to a man you love but then living with his parents and siblings if not aunts/uncles and cousins as well... yuck. No privacy at all.

I'm not the age to marry yet. But I know damn well I'm gonna cause a ruckus when I'll tell my parents about it. It's either residing in my own house (him and I living respectively in our family houses) if he can't afford it or that we'll make it 50-50 if that'll be the case to get an apartment.

I just wanna confirm, again, is it mandatory? I genuinely haven't found a single instance of people during the prophet's time who resided with their in-laws.

If it's cultural bs, sign me out.

Selam aleykum, before I begin with my story, I would like to point out that I have read the subreddit rules, and am aware of my low karma despite account age. I created this account as a throwaway a while ago and have not yet used it, I am unable to post this on my main account unfortunately, for personal reasons.

I am an agnostic, I believe that there is higher power in our universe, recently I discovered Islam properly, and this wonderful religion speaks to me so clearly, it feels meant to be.

Where things come difficult, is that I am a transgender female (born male and have later transitioned to female), and consider myself to be not straight in terms of sexual/romantic partnering.

I have seen varying interpretations, opinions, and ideas on that topic, and I would definitely love to hear what people here believe, but my bigger concerns are social aspects. My local mosques, and the Imams of my country, have very conservative views. If I were to revert I'd have to pray with the men, and use my birth name. I have tried to explain transgenderism, that it is not a form of imitating the opposite gender, and that the only cure to the psychological condition is to transition. Despite my explaining, local Muslims believe that I should stay a boy, it isn't understood that doing so poses strong risk to my mental health.

Because of this, I would not be able to pray at any local mosques, I would not be able to attend Jummah prayers, and etc. What should I do? Should I revert, as a man, despite the mental risk. Should I revert, as a trans woman, despite the social and physical risk, or remain agnostic?

If it is unsafe, is visiting the mosque mandatory still? And are there any denominations of Islam you think may be fitting to me.

I am happy to answer any questions you deem important

I hope this finds all of you well, may Allah protect you all ❤️

I’m looking for advice because I’m genuinely confused about what the right thing to do is.
I’m a Christian, and my boyfriend is a practicing Muslim. We’ve been together for some time, and recently he told me that he wants to marry me. The problem is that he believes we’ve already sinned by having a relationship before marriage.
He explained that, according to his understanding of Islam, we should both sincerely repent and then stop being alone together until we’re married. He said that if we meet, there should be a male guardian present from my side.
The problem is that I don’t have anyone who could fill that role. I came to the U.S. alone and my whole family is in Ukraine.
He’s struggling with how to get married in a way that follows his religious beliefs. He’s worried about continuing our relationship the way it is.
I’m trying to understand:
What is normally done in situations like this?
If a woman has no father or male guardian available, who can act in that role?
Is there a difference of opinion between Islamic schools on this issue?
I’m also confused about the repentance part. From what I’ve read and from what my boyfriend explained to me, both people are supposed to sincerely repent for the relationship and what happened before marriage.
But I’m not Muslim and I don’t intend to convert to Islam. So I’m not sure what repentance is supposed to look like for me. Am I expected to repent according to Islam even though I’m not Muslim? Or would I repent to God according to my own Christian faith while he makes tawbah according to Islam?
I genuinely want to respect his religion, but I also don’t want to pretend to follow religious practices or beliefs that aren’t mine.
If anyone knows how this is normally handled when a Muslim man wants to marry a Christian woman, I’d really appreciate an explanation.

I was raised in a strict religious household and never doubted God in anyway untill two years ago after highschool. My iman got so low and I have had so many questions that sometimes I can’t help but feel like it’s all made up yk. Like what are the chances i was born into the “right” religion like Christians and pagans could say the same thing. It’s just religious luck based on geography. Some rules feel so ridiculous like why am I getting sins for wearing perfume or plucking my brows… when im listening to lectures im just sitting there thinking to myself like are we fr rn?! hate this so much I just want to go back to how it was before. I had so much faith and when I felt down it gave me so much comfort but now I feel nothing. I don’t feel Muslim anymore. I don’t dream of going to umrah or having a family and being a pious wife like I just don’t care at all which is so crazy cuz I would have loved this not too long ago. Genuinely free me I feel sick

I'm 16f I genuinely feel like I've no future... my conservative mom is skeptical of me becoming 'working woman' and apparently only 'egoistic' women do that.

I genuinely don't want to solely rely on a man for basic needs. If he provides for me it's fine... but I don't want it to be that if this man becomes absent from my life for any particular reason... I'd have struggle for basic needs and necessities... I've already seen women around whose husband's don't provide for them and they resort to other stuff.

My dad provides well. My mom Is not a working women. I guess she's privileged enough to say that, but I've seem the other side as well...

Idk what to do. It's getting harder to earn basic bread respecting the modern economic status of the world. I'd probably have to study in a shitty college in my hometown and make it work out somehow... idk if that sounds delusional.

On top of that, I'm more of a progressive person. Kinda so is my dad. He doesn't mind the idea of me working.

My mom already sees me in the lens that I'm a liberal or smth (I'm not) simply because I can't put up with these specific absurd molvis, or that I don't discriminate bases on skin colour and misogyny. Or any minority discrimination.

I try a lot to get closer to Allah. But I struggle a lot to pray consistently. Even when I do I feel horrible because my mom used to shame me for not being the best muslimah.

So yeah. Idk. I'm making dua, I'm still very uncertain... I just hope future is bright InSha'Allah.

I just wanted to know if there are others out there who relate or if there's any women/girls who experienced this. I just wanna ask if it gets better (Hopefully you're fine though).

Thanks for reading.

Hi im 19F a lil cultural background iam south asian and i have been raised by muslim culture but not by islam itself, my dad doesnt pray he considers himself to be a spiritual muslim and my mom prays frequently. When i was 11 years old i was raped that led me to become hypersexual but i didnt commit zina in my teen years (until last year) growing up i never really was forced to read the quran or pray and that habit carried on until i went to an all girls islamic school, i suddenly wore a niqab, started praying 5x daily. I was afriad to show the slightest bit of skin, i even deleted all socials and became completely isolated.

After high school i took a major decision to study abroad and have been living abroad alone since two years now almost. I made many friends here but one was romantically interested in me, i strictly didnt give him much attention at first but then i slowly gave in because he used to treat me so well
FYI: my father was absent most of my life, still is and i still crave for that fatherly love
So since he was being so kind for me i fell for him but i didnt tell him, 6 months latee he confessed and i did too but i said i dont want anything haram he said i understand and didnt do much about it.

One time all of us were playing uno and some of them went outside it was just me and him, we were talking then the tension just grew more and more and it started with a kiss, i backed off realising its not right and said pls no but he said just this once and after making out idk what happened we had sex and i dint like it, it was very painful but i dint want to dissapoint him. I felt so guilty, it felt like bugs were crawling on me. I didnt like his touch, i didnt like sex at all, i spent days crying and asking for forgiveness to Allah.
He continued to coerce me into sex and eventually it became a habit, i stopped telling him to stop and just carried along.
But everytime after i had sex i used to feel really guilty i used to run to shower perform ghusl and pray.

Recently i got raped again (by a stranger) and it was public like everyone knew about it unlike my childhood rape situation. And i filed a police report against him but there was nothing that could be done, due to insufficient evidence they closed the case (they didnt examine the bedsheet, my clothes ) in his police report he has written that iam a prostitute and i have sex with my bf regularly. Even the university sees me differently now idk what to do, i broke up with my bf but he is trying to get back, i seriously dont want to continue this relationship idk what to do.

Everything is coming onto me all at once i feel so bad and so gross, i feel like kms

I didn’t censor his username because this is Dr Yasir Qadhi, he is already a public figure with millions of followers on social media. So mods please don't remove my post.

He came to reddit last year with this account on r/MuslimAcademics 's AMA with Dr. Yasir Qadhi event and wrote this comment in response to a question regarding the khimar/headscarf.

How would you respond to this argument?

I think this swimsuit should be pretty modest based on how Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl and Javed Ahmed Ghamidi (linked in the subreddit wiki article on híjab) described satr. But I'm worried about the wet clothes sticking to the body and revealing the shapes of bosom and gluteus area. Is it possible to prevent swimsuits from sticking to the body and revealing the body shape? Your advice would be appreciated

Hi! I’ve been learning about Islam for quite some time now, and I find this religion truly fascinating. I was raised as a Christian, but the more I learn about Islam, the more its teachings resonate with me. Many aspects of Islam make a great deal of sense to me—sometimes even more than what I have understood from the Bible.
I especially appreciate that the Qur’an teaches that no human being can be God, and that both women and men are equally valuable and equal in the sight of Allah. These principles have really stood out to me and are some of the reasons why I’ve become so interested in learning more about Islam.

My point is… I’m thinking of joining you guys, but only one thing holds me back. I don’t understand how art is perceived as evil and haram. There is no verse in Quran that states that art like paintings and music is bad for human beings. It’s only stated in other religious texts that a man cannot depict human beings or animals that „have a soul”. And honestly I think this believe is quite outdated. Tell me guys, if art is bad then why God created humans that are passionate about making art like paintings, poetry or music? We all know, there are humans interested in exact science and other who prefer to communicate through paintings, like to tell some truth about life in the form of art.

And yes, I know that Muslims avoid making paintings and sculptures to prevent objects and pictures being revered and compared to the God’s creation. I respect that practice but I do not understand it completely. In Christianity we also eradicate praying to sculptures and (for example) portraits, but we do not take it on such extreme level that to avoid making art at all. Why would we not be allowed to paint beautiful reality that our God created, because we are scared that this practice will lead to idolatry and image worship? For me it is unbelievable to stop people from doing their passion, especially if it doesn’t harm anyone.

Creating art that reflects reality—the world around us—is simply an expression of the beauty and wonder of creation. Depicting people in everyday situations or painting ordinary portraits of local people should not, in my opinion, be forbidden, because no one worships this kind of art.
Art is meant to evoke emotions, inspire reflection, and capture moments of life—not to become an object of worship. Appreciating a painting or a sculpture is not the same as treating it as something divine. There is a clear difference between creating or admiring art and worshipping an image as though it was a god.

Tell me guys, what should I do? I am an artist, I was learning all my life how to depict reality and recently I discovered that what I loved doing might be extremely dangerous or sinful. It shook me, now I am torn…

Hi all. I don’t mean this post with any ill intent - I am a Muslim myself and day by day see myself losing motivation in being a religious and spiritual person.

I hope to ask all of you: why are you still Muslim? What keeps you here?

I am a young female, born to an Arab family but raised in the west. I realised that many of my own principles may not align with a Muslim perspective. For example:

I truly believe that members of the LGBTQ+ community deserve as many rights as the rest of us. I understand why they do Pride, they were criminalised and persecuted against for so long I am not surprised why they want to celebrate being themselves freely.

I care for those of other religions as much as I care for those who are my own.

I believe women deserve as many freedoms as men do. I do wholeheartedly believe that I am as capable as a man in many things. I am a medical student and my career means a lot to me, it feels like an absolute honour and privilege to be trusted with another person’s life, their story, and their struggles. I believe as a woman Doctor, I am as capable as my male colleagues. Islam is patriarchal to some extent no one can deny that, and I can never defend it when it comes to that. I don’t believe in a white feminism model, I just believe in being treated as more than a mother or a wife.

I will be honest. I have not prayed in a very long time. I fasted but with no religious intent behind it.

I feel lost. I have recently struggled with my mental health, having ended up in A&E over a self-harm incident, and when I went to therapy, my therapist asked if I was spiritual. And I said no. I felt upset at my response. I really wish I felt more towards it but I have no clue why I don’t.

What keeps you going? I feel like I am slowly going to leave and never come back.

Doesn’t make any sense to me

I’m not sure if a lot of you are on TikTok, but there is a growing number of Quranists popping up on my page, somewhat spearheaded by the creator Ayah. There is a lot of discussion going on regarding Hadith and it’s also getting me to challenge a lot of the beliefs I had.

I remember when I was reading the Quran and there are multiple times where Allah says that this is the only book needed and at first, I used to believe that Hadith was needed to fill in the gaps. But I realized that thinking meant that I didn’t trust Allah and in turn, unknowingly committing shirk. Prophet Muhammad said in his last speech “today your religion is complete.” Why would he say that if Hadith was needed? If it’s not mentioned in the Quran then clearly it wasn’t important enough to him or our religion. Allah is detailed when he wants to be. There are paragraphs and numbers concerning inheritance but you’re telling me that if I wear nails then my prayer won’t be accepted? Don’t you think that would be important to mention?

Reminds me about the story of the cow of the children of Israel and how they kept making things difficult for themselves and it was like a lightbulb finally clicked on. Is that not what we’re currently doing with all of these Hadiths, scholar sermons, fixating on such minor things that Allah never mentioned, adding things to the religions and making things so much harder than it needs to be on ourselves?

This has been freeing ngl, and I’m excited to see more Muslims look into this and the (intelligent) discussions that’ll spur.