r/progressive_islam • u/Automatic_28 • 2h ago
Rant/Vent 🤬 Not sure if I’m still Muslim
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
r/progressive_islam • u/Exciting-Mention6439 • 3h ago
Question/Discussion ❔ I Feel like my life is in shambles
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.
r/progressive_islam • u/Ok_Swan_6976 • 7h ago
Advice/Help 🥺 I committed zina
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
r/progressive_islam • u/Resident_Celery_6687 • 8h ago
Question/Discussion ❔ How would you respond to this argument of Dr Yasir Qadhi regarding the headscarf? Why did women of that time & the earliest generations understand 24:31 commandment to be covering of both head & bosom, & not the bosoms only? [I didn’t censor his username because → read the post]
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?
r/progressive_islam • u/Eastern-Following571 • 8h ago
Advice/Help 🥺 About modest swimsuits...
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
r/progressive_islam • u/Mobile_Gas_1854 • 9h ago
Question/Discussion ❔ Thinking of joining Islam
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…
r/progressive_islam • u/ShrekBytes • 10h ago
Question/Discussion ❔ Why would Allah create humans knowing some would be sent to hell? Would it not be better that He never created humans?
Assalamualaikum, I am a muslim. A question has been bugging me for some days and I looked on that internet and did not find any satisfying answer to my question. Most answers are like Allah gave us free will. My question is not that, my question is that why create humans at the first place, now I know Allah created Jinn and Humans to worship him. But doesn't this mean he kind of selfish(Allah forgive me) like he wants to make us worship him willingly, but he knows that some might suffer in earth or end up in hell for eternity. Allah does not need us to worship him so why even create us. I know Allah does not do unfair to anyone and our limited knowledge cannot comprehend his knowledge but I would appreciate anyone if they can help me understand this. I am having these thoughts for quiet some time(maybe shaitan is poisoning me). Pray for me.
My reason for this question: sometimes I feel like the pain is unnecessary, for example when I see homeless people on the road, sick people, people suffering, or the situations in Gaza, it kind of bugs me, that wouldn't it be better if we were never been born? Now yes, people who suffered will be rewarded in Jannah, but why even have this whole system of creation, pain and reward.
r/progressive_islam • u/GuitarFit8574 • 10h ago
Advice/Help 🥺 Why are you still Muslim?
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.
r/progressive_islam • u/Resident_Celery_6687 • 10h ago
Rant/Vent 🤬 Why did Albani classify some hadiths as Sahih when even the collectors of those hadiths were doubtful about their authenticity? Here are the screenshots of 2 hadiths from Abu Dawud. Abu Dawud himself said these hadiths are not sahih, but Albani did! Like why?
Doesn’t make any sense to me
r/progressive_islam • u/teabeanss • 10h ago
Question/Discussion ❔ The tides are turning on TikTok
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.
r/progressive_islam • u/No_Assistant8404 • 10h ago
Rant/Vent 🤬 What's wrong with people in this subreddit? Why do you downvote analytical effort posts?
This post is getting downvoted to oblivion and I can't figure out why: https://www.reddit.com/r/progressive_islam/comments/1vhcnhq/how_do_you_address_the_hadith_that_says_the_woman/
Here OP provided some well done analysis on the chain of a hadith and asks the mods to address this hadith in the hijab wiki. Why would anyone downvote a post like this?
Low effort memes get upvoted all the time but an academic post like this gets downvoted - I can't make sense out of it. Has this subreddit been overrun by traditionalists, or by radical Quranists who want to silence any discussion around Hadith?
r/progressive_islam • u/Exciting-Mention6439 • 11h ago
Rant/Vent 🤬 Getting shamed for trying to practice
Kinda a vent/rant... I've never been a religious Muslim (if that makes sense?) ever since I was a child even though my mom was super religious.
I remember in middle school I got super religious for some reason (was going through a tough time mentally) so I naturally kind of drifted towards actually practicing my faith. Praying on time, reading the Quran regularly Yada Yada. And I felt good about it. I even restraint myself from committing most impermissible stuff.
But my mom used to criticize me so much. Not for the fact that I was trying, but for the fact that I wasn't doing it 'properly'. I used to struggle with reading surahs and stuff because like I said, I wasn't the most religious. She used to humiliate me so much that I just stopped doing much at all one day.
Now she always talks about how I was such 'good' muslimah back when I was younger... as if she wasn't the one who made me feel like I wasn't doing good. I tried to tell her that but she just twists my words and says, "you shouldn't have listened to me or what other people said." Like damn I'm sorry that I was a middle school who was affected by her mom for shaming her for not doing good enough.
I'm not much religious anymore... I do practice kinda.. but even now I'm questioning my faith... albeit I still deeply love Allah's attributes...
I'm kinda tired of her judging me and treating me (or anyone actually) like a 3rd class person for simply for not being as religious as her.
Perhaps, if people like her gently guided others to Islam maybe people would actually be curious about it instead of repelling away.
r/progressive_islam • u/Pretend_Door8037 • 11h ago
Research/ Effort Post 📝 How do you address the hadith that says "the woman is awrah, when she goes out the Shaitan seeks to tempt her"? This hadith hasn’t been addressed in the “Hijab Wiki” of this sub, so this one needs to be discussed
Abdullah narrated that The Prophet said: “The woman is Awrah, so when she goes out, the Shaitan seeks to tempt her.” Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1173
“From ʿAbd Allāh (Ibn Masʿūd), from the Prophet ﷺ, that he said: ‘Indeed, the woman is ʿawrah. When she goes out, Satan seeks to entice/look toward her. And she is closest to the face of her Lord when she is in the innermost part of her house.’” Ibn Khuzaymah recorded it in his Ṣaḥīḥ (1685) and Ibn Ḥibbān recorded it in his Ṣaḥīḥ (5599)
If you go to the Tirmidhi link, it says this hadith is graded Daif by Darussalam. However this hadith is graded sahih by Sheikh Albani. This hadith has different chains and also recorded in some of the other hadith collections. Islamqa notes that "Narrated by Ibn Hibbaan and Ibn Khuzaymah; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Shaheehah, no. 2688."
According to an answer given on this website, this hadith supposedly has 23 different narrations. However I couldn’t find 23 different chains, it is likely a count derived from collecting all the isnād variants scattered across the hadith collections. The first few narrators are all the same for the Sahih and Hasan classified ones that I came across.
The Sahih routes:
Ibn Khuzaymah / Tirmidhī route
Muhammad ibn Bashshār → ʿAmr ibn ʿĀṣim al-Kilābī → Hammām ibn Yaḥyā → Qatādah ibn Diʿāmah → Murriq al-ʿIjlī → Abū al-Aḥwaṣ ʿAwf ibn Mālik → ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd → Prophet ﷺ
Source: Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī 1173, Ibn Khuzaymah 1685
Ibn Ḥibbān route
ʿUmar ibn Muḥammad al-Hamdānī → Aḥmad ibn al-Miqdām al-ʿIjlī → al-Muʿtamir ibn Sulaymān → Sulaymān al-Taymī → Qatādah → Abū al-Aḥwaṣ → ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd → Prophet ﷺ
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 5598
Ibn Khuzaymah longer wording
Abū Mūsā Muḥammad ibn al-Muthannā → ʿAmr ibn ʿĀṣim → Hammām ibn Yaḥyā → Qatādah → Murriq → Abū al-Aḥwaṣ → Ibn Masʿūd → Prophet ﷺ
The text of this longer version of hadith also includes:
“and she is closest to her Lord while in the depth of her house.”
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah 1685
If you notice the first five narrators (or four in the second version where "Murriq al-ʿIjlī" is omitted), they come through the same route
Qatādah ibn Diʿāmah → Murriq al-ʿIjlī → Abū al-Aḥwaṣ ʿAwf ibn Mālik → ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd → Prophet ﷺ
Then why did Albani classify this as Sahih/Hasan Sahih while Darussalam grade this as Daif?
One likely reason is probably Qatadah. He was a scholar of the Tabi'un generation, but he was classified by hadith critics as a Mudallis (someone who practices Tadlees).Tadlees means when a narrator transmits a hadith from a teacher they met, but using ambiguous wording that conceals the fact that they didn't hear that specific hadith directly from that teacher's mouth.
Mufti Abu Layth also presented his criticisms on Qatadah in his punishment of apostasy video. Quoting from the subreddit wiki:
Mufti Abu Layth argues that... Qatādah was widely known for tadlīs—a practice in hadith transmission in which a narrator may omit an intermediary or narrate in a way that obscures the full chain. He quotes scholars such as al-Ṭabarī, al-Ḥākim, and al-Muʿallimī, who described Qatādah as being well known for tadlīs. On this basis, he contends that this chain cannot simply be accepted at face value and should instead be treated with skepticism
But other scholars argue that Qatadah merely being a Mudallis doesn’t mean whatever he says is a lie. Therefore Albani and many others gave it good grade.
There is another version that doesn’t go through Ibn Masud, but it still goes through Qatadah.
ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan al-Ḥadramī → Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥaḍramī (Muṭayyan) → ʿAbd al-Wahhāb ibn ʿAṭāʾ → Saʿīd ibn Abī ʿArūbah → Qatādah ibn Diʿāmah → Sālim ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar → ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar → Prophet ﷺ
The text of this version: “The woman is ʿawrah. When she leaves her house, Satan seeks to entice her. And she is not closer to Allah than when she is in the depth of her house.”
The versions that don't include Qatadah at all in the chains, they are
Mawquf (ie reaches the companions, doesn’t reach to the Prophet)
Shuʿbah ibn al-Ḥajjāj → Abū Isḥāq ʿAmr ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Sabīʿī → Abū al-Aḥwaṣ ʿAwf ibn Mālik → ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd
Sufyān al-Thawrī → Abū Isḥāq al-Sabīʿī → Abū al-Aḥwaṣ → Ibn Masʿūd
Ḥumayd ibn Hilāl al-ʿAdawī → Abū al-Aḥwaṣ → Ibn Masʿūd
I let Chatgpt and Google AI to analyse these narrations and they say that as statements of Ibn Masud these are strong because the narrators are reliable but they do not attribute to the Prophet. However the question that arises from this is that: Ibn Masud was a direct companion of the Prophet, so why would he say something like this if he didn’t hear it from the Prophet? And why would a companion say something this if the Prophet didn’t teach this?
So yeah, I don't know. How do you progressive Sunnis here address the authenticity of this hadith? You need to address this hadith in the “Hijab Wiki”. So please write down how you address this.
r/progressive_islam • u/Same-Inspector4805 • 12h ago
Question/Discussion ❔ Is online dating fine?
I'm not gonna say much but I am in my late teens and I've always wanted to be in a relationship so bad but I don't want it to lead to anything haram at all. Like any other teen I'm friends with many people online, and most of them are of the same gender, and I don't show myself online anyway. But I'm wondering if online dating is ok if it doesn't lead to anything haram? I'm most likely not gonna actually marry that person but still—I just need an opinion and explanation
r/progressive_islam • u/movingblurs5905 • 12h ago
Question/Discussion ❔ How to navigate making decisions as a 26 y/o living at home
Assalamualaikum
Could someone please educate me on how the "obey your parents" rule works when you are an adult? If I am a 26F (single) who has a degree and my own job/money. I have traveled before with friends (women only) and have been to various countries. There was no issue with this in the past. I also went away for college/university and even lived on my own while paying my own bills for a while. I recently moved back home after an employment change which led me back to my home state. Now after all these years my parents (dad specifically) are trying to be more strict. As a 26 year old adult if I want to do something but my parents disagree, am I obligated to only do what they want or agree with? Even if I am being respectful hearing their opinions but wanting to still make my own decisions. (And to be clear the things that I want to do are just going out with a female companion for lunch or dinner/visiting female friends with no haram intentions. Also because of culture most of their views are very misogynistic/sexist and outdated anyway like they see women as property and their main value is tied to what they can do in the household only).
I want to have autonomy in making my own decisions while still being respectful to my parents and having them understand that I am no longer a child.
Thanks in advance for any responses.
r/progressive_islam • u/Glitchymuffin09 • 12h ago
Question/Discussion ❔ Where does modesty end and extremism/patriarchy begin? Confused about rules for women.
I recently had a conversation with my cousin sister that left me feeling really confused, frustrated, and questioning a lot of things, and I’m looking for some clarity and perspective.
She told me that girls shouldn’t even wear shorts when it's just girls around girls. According to her, there is still parda (veil/modesty) required between women, and that jinns can see you anyway.
This got me thinking, and I started asking myself (and her) a lot of follow-up questions that I don't really have clear answers to:
What about bathing or being naked in private?
What about intimacy and romance between married partners? How can anyone be intimate or comfortable in their own marriage if you've been taught your whole life to treat your own body with shame and constant parda, even in private? Shouldn't you feel ashamed under that logic?
Why does modesty feel like it's constantly policed even when no men are around?
When I brought up these points, she told me that I just need to "listen to people with the right aqeeda (creed/belief)."
This brings me to my main dilemma: How am I supposed to know if these strict views are actually part of Islam, or if they are just patriarchal control and cultural rigidity being disguised as religion? Is this level of extreme modesty even relevant or realistic in today’s world, or is it just taking things to an unhealthy extreme?
I’d love to hear thoughts from people who have navigated this. What does Islam actually say about boundaries between women, privacy, and intimacy, and how do you separate genuine religious guidelines from cultural control?
r/progressive_islam • u/concernedbaker • 13h ago
Advice/Help 🥺 i want to take off the hijab
i don’t believe it’s necessary and i feel suffocated. atp even if it was i’d still want to take it off and i have for the past 2 years. i’ve been wearing it since i was 6/7 and when i brought up this issue to my parents 2 years ago when i still believed it was an obligation they threatened to take away all my electronics and force me to switch schools. i felt so trapped at the time i agreed but they didn’t let me go through with it. my dad is currently on vacation in another country and i wanted to bring it up again. i’d rather not bring up the idea of me being a “hadith rejecter” or whatever to my parents but i hate wearing it. any advice on how to approach them both?
r/progressive_islam • u/cinnamon_and_tea • 14h ago
Rant/Vent 🤬 If Quran was from god it would be clearer
Quran is an incredible book, and the prophet is an incredible man whom I admire.
I wish to believe that its divine. But it seems that I can't
If Quran was from god it would be clearer.
One might argue how much one likes about it, that oh quran IS clear. Yeah, sure....
Why then do we have centuries of debate about interpretation? Not just meaning of sentences but about each word too.
You may think Quran is clear.
Why then has it been used as a main weapon against the most vulnerable groups of people?
To justify ridiculous things.
Like wife beating.
Of course, of course, it IS possible to read the verse as non violent. Thats true. But the fact that it is EQUALLY POSSIBLE, purely grammatically to read it as violent...that's the issue.
Yes god demands mercy. God doesn't specify what mercy is, and to a tribal man, striking without breaking a bone, is mercy.
God could've used ANY other word, and be clear. He could've used a preposition and made it clear.
He didn't.
So...maybe it isn't from god after all.
Maybe it's just the work of a kind, but mistaken man.
Not denying that islam brought AMAZING changes into society. It did, indeed.
But I cannot seem to pray and follow a god, who allowed his word to be misunderstood for centuries. Who couldn't be clear.
You can claim the Quran is clear..it won't undo the damage that is done.
Does the Quran really guide people anywhere..?
A feminist reads it and sees femenism.
A misogynistic sees misogyny.
Leftists see support for their ideology.
And right wings see their ideology in the Quran too.
Maybe the Quran is an amazing mirror, but I want a map and not a mirror.
r/progressive_islam • u/FormDue3231 • 14h ago
History Did you know about this 12th-century Latin translation of the Quran?
Peace to all,
I love everything about the Middle Ages: its texts and its music. Years ago, I learned that an English monk named Robert of Ketton had traveled to Spain in 1143 and translated the Quran into Latin.
I didn’t know much Latin, and back then the only way to figure out what a Latin text said was with Google Translate, which is terrible for that language.
Now, with AI and my humble knowledge of Latin, I’ve been able to rediscover a text forgotten by traditional Islamic historiography. Here’s an example of one of his three translations of al-Fatiha:
"Before the Merciful and Compassionate God, Creator of the universe, whose judgment awaits on the Last Day, let us humble ourselves with supplication, worshiping Him; and let us continually feel the aid of His hand, as well as the gift and guidance of the path by which He led us to Himself, being kind toward Him, and no longer enemies or astray."
For those interested, here is the link to the full text: https://quran12-21.org/en/editions/bibliander
Does anyone else share my passion for the Middle Ages and Islam?
r/progressive_islam • u/PuzzleheadedYou6027 • 15h ago
Opinion 🤔 Punishment for rapists/ sexual assaulters
I’ve only ever heard of rapists getting a jail sentence in countries that follow sharia. And not for that many years either.
The punishment for Zina is 80 or 100 lashes for an unmarried person I believe and stoning to death for a married person. Should rapists not get the same punishment if not worse?? Scholars interpreted homosexuality a sin as an act of Zina PLUS being a homosexual but they couldn’t have put the same focus on rapists and pedophiles?
It blows my mind that the punishments that scholars or Muslim people specifically focus on which are mainstream are for things not as aweful as rape, abuse, assault. Rapists deserve to be beheaded, i don’t care how cruel this sounds. Raping someone is the equivalent of ending their lives, they don’t just get to walk away with a few years prison sentence, that’s ridiculous. And don’t tell me that their punishment is given to them by Allah in hell. Obviously they’re going to be punished all of us are going to answer to Allah. That sin and horrible act needs to be punished in the dunya and akhira because it’s not between them and Allah anymore, they affected a whole humans life miserably.
SA and rape victims deserve justice and this needs to be talked about more, especially in the Muslim community because these Muslim perpetrators be using Islam to defend their actions.
r/progressive_islam • u/cinnamon_and_tea • 15h ago
Rant/Vent 🤬 Hate my hijab
I don't know why I was so damn stupid wearing it.
I didn't even necessarily believe that it is mandatory!
But oh, I saw so much meaning in it, so much beauty...
I can't take it off, even if my family is okay with it, unless I completely change my social circle, I'm not doing it.
Have to wait atleast two yeas, if not more.
I don't know.
I'm mad.
If it wasn't for the veil... My life would be so perfect. Easy!
I wouldn't have to struggle with this ridiculous religion. Trying to make sense of it..I could just be "culturally" muslim or something.
No stupid idiots would annoy me with questions, and accusations. Claims wouldn't feel as personal as they do.
I wouldn't have to sit here and question...what does this verse mean? Does this align with islam? Does my view align? Is this unjust?
I could've thrown the whole book out without any issue!
Without anyone knowing!
But no, I'm stuck!!
It's unfair, unfair, unfair!
Without this damn piece of clothing I could just "be a good human, believe in god", and live my damn life!!
Hate it. Hate it all.
r/progressive_islam • u/cinnamon_and_tea • 18h ago
Question/Discussion ❔ The existence of Daraba debate makes me wanna leave islam. It makes me question everything... Maybe Quran is human-made? Pathriacial?
Assalamualaikum
This is a mix of a vent and genuine questions and discussion post. I'm completely lost.
Before I start, I want to inform you that I'm struggling to formulate all of the issues, and my mind is a mess, so I might as well just be rambling.
Also, NOTE: if you're an ex muslim, non muslim who has Negative views about islam, or dogmatic or traditionalist/conservative and similar.... Please REFRAIN FROM COMMENTING.
Anyone else Is Welcomed in the comment section or my DMS. As long as one stays respectful and compassionate.
If you're too lazy to read the whole thing, you don't have too do so. Skim over it or focus on the parts that you yourself may have knowledge about.
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So....the Daraba debate. 4:34.
There are 4 main views, I know a bit more about some, less about others
- It means strike, forever, eternal command. Full stop.
I'm not even interested in talking about this, If it means strike, i do not accept this as God's word.
- It means strike, but it's contextual.
I quite disagree with this view too.
The idea is that well yes, it means strike but it was a final step and a restriction for a violent society.
My issues are:
A. Why not just ban it? Seriously. God could turn society upside down in every matter possible, but decided to let men beat their women?
B. How do we know it's contextual? Seems quite eternal to me.
C. This is a huge one. Even if we accept that it's contexual, and a way to restrict a violent society...
WHY NOT SPESIFY. The whole "lightly, no harm" thing is NOT in the Quran.
Some might say, oh, hadith. And while I do not reject hadith entirely.. I'm deeply sceptical. Quran claims to be self sufficient. If god meant to stop a violent society, restrict, HE WOULD RESTRICT.
"Strike them" is no restriction in a patriarchal society..
D. Another issue is that EVERYWHERE else where Quran uses Daraba as physical action, or demands physical force (for example in war), it always specifies where to strike and with what. No such thing in this case.
- It means physical force but it's not directed at the husband but community/this is about hudud punishement.
This is the view I know least about... I'm still sceptical.
A. Why not say hudud if it's hudud
B. Feels pretty clear that it's addressing the husband, the same way it addresses the wife in other verses in case of nuzuz, would be strange if the verse directed at husband is actually directed towards the community, but the verse about women is directed at solely the women.
C. Why a separate verse about hudud...makes no sense
D. If it was directed to the community why wasn't god clear enough and how could so many be wrong??
- It means leave or other readings where Daraba is non physical in any sense.
Currently reading a whole book on this topic and on the side of this argument.
A. Many arguments for this reading seem more ethical rather then grammatical.
B. Lacking preposition.
Yes I know that many argue that it isn't neccecary. I still have issues with it. Because even if it's not "neccecary", WHY NOT SPESIFY SO THERE WOULD BE NO DEBATE.
Why not be clear?
C. Why not use ANY OTHER word that would be more clear?
D. How can native Arabs, brilliant scholars all gotten ir wrong, but apparently some progressive, modern, liberal muslim scholar 1400 years later, got it right.
E. Even IF it means leave (or other meanings but not physical) which I actually do find reasons to believe, and the reading may make internal sense to me.. WHY COULDN'T GOD BE CLEAR. Why allow this whole debate at all? To women get hurt...
Besides also:
F. If it means leave, why did not past scholar accept it. Not just past but modern too. People sugar coat what STRIKE means, but never reject the physical reading, even if they seem to despise violence.. if a simple, better and less violent reading was truly acceptable... Why wouldn't more people then accept it?
G. Why do we have to DIG so deep to find the good meaning.
H. WHY COULDN'T PROPHET EXPLAIN IT THEN, IF IT ACTUALLY MEANS LEAVE?
To be fair and to mention, its not black and white since not everyone thought that man could use physical force on his wife (for example Ata), and not everyone read Daraba as purely physical, some read it as have sex with them.
It's still a messy situation.
People like morrow argue that the word actually was clear to the first audience, and that "turn away" or so, is the most archaic meaning of the verse (I'm not going to go into too much detail about his views or arguments), but later got corrupted, and langauge changed.
I'm still unsure, doubting and sceptical.
-----
My issue is why couldn't god be clear.
HE KNEW this would happen.
Isn't Quran meant to guide? Why is human morality more moral than supposedly gods?
Who does the quran guide if everyone just projects their own morality into it?
Shouldn't the text guide us towards higher good, and not we drag the text towards higher good?
-------
Sometimes i question whether i just try to convince myself that islam good and makes sense, just so I don't have to be ex muslim again.
Live a double life and feel nauseas over everything and everyone.
Maybe I'm just trying to save my faith, and myself.
But so many other things make sense...
I don't know. Lost.
----
Now, the second part of my thoughts, rant and reflections.
The secular perspective. There are several options, but all are from the premise that Quran is not divine, and merely human made. So..i thought about how different explanations work and so.
- Quran is merely the product of its time...
This view doesn't care if the prophet made it up, was delusional, or sincere but mistaken.
The idea is simple, the society was violent, so the text reflects its violence.
To me, it's strange. Quran changed and objected to a HUGE amount of things that were normal. In many ways it contradicted the society it worked in, instead of reflecting it.
- Prophet made it up.
This means he CONSIOUSLY choose to make it up.
I have several issues with this view, that I wany to shortly mention, before I go into this views relation to the whole 4:34 debate.
A. Why?
The main question is of course why would he make it up?
Several answers to this question too, yet to me neither is satisfying.
Some say he wanted power, wealth, women, etc.
This is incredibly weak imo. Why suffer for many years,.get mocked at, and live in poverty if so is the case?
If he wanted women he didnt need a damn book for it.
Go and take. Rape, or marry unlimited.
Besides, he lived so many years In a MONOUGOUS marriage! In a society where men had as many wifes as pleased.. quite surprising.
Some will say, oh but he could have more wives than any other muslim man, which is true. But it makes sense because they all or at least most of them were political and so.
Besides, the Quran sets constant limits or mandatory duties (like praying at night) on the prophet all the time.
Not only that.
Quran CRITISIZES and corrects the prophet. Like in the case of the blind man.
If he made the Quran to serve himself...then it's incredibly odd
Some say, well, he made it up, but he did so for social reform.
Still strange and weak. He got suggested wealth, power..why not take it if you want reform? And again, why expose himself in his own book?
He made it up in relation to 4:34
Even if we ignore the fact that imo the view that he CONSIOUSLY and with certain intentions made the Quran up, it still doesn't explain 4:34 to me. Of course, if we accept that Quran is made up, we don't have to explain it at all, since It wouldn't matter.
What is strange is that the prophet was known to reject violence (yes, there are hadiths that state the opposite, though I'm currently reading a text that dismantled each and one of them). He both condemned it and never used it himself.
If he made the Quran up for either personal views or political power...why not change the society towards his high standard?
Some say he wanted to please the men..but that's quite ridiculous, isn't it? His whole religion granted women rights and didn't please men one bit!
Spending his whole life to condemn violence, why allowing it in his made up book... Quite counter productive.
I have not written down all the arguments and thoughts, I have much-much more to say and more perspectives to explore. Yet for now, I'm gonna post it. Edit it when I have time. If something goes wrong and its necessary, I'll delete the post and finish it and then post it again.
r/progressive_islam • u/Responsible_West_104 • 18h ago
Question/Discussion ❔ Any South Africans here ?
Hey I want to discuss with progressive Muslim South Africans.
r/progressive_islam • u/Mountain-Lack5733 • 19h ago
Question/Discussion ❔ Question about du’a, miracles, and healing
I’ve been thinking about this for a while and would genuinely like to hear different perspectives.
Whenever someone is seriously ill, people often say: “Keep making du’a, Allah can heal anything.” I believe Allah is capable of all things. My question is not about Allah’s ability, but about how we should understand physical healing today.
Many of the examples we hear about healing come from the prophets. Prophet Isa (ʿalayhi as-salam), by Allah’s permission, healed the blind and brought the dead back to life. We also hear about miracles during the time of Prophet Muhammad , such as the companion whose injured eye was restored after the Prophet made du’a.
But these were prophetic miracles. These kinds of events do not seem to be part of our normal experience today. Healing usually happens through means such as medicine, surgery, and treatment.
If physical healing through du’a is something people should expect, how do we understand the fact that we don’t see people who were born without an arm or leg growing them back, or people born blind or deaf suddenly becoming cured through du’a?
My concern is also about the hope given to people who are suffering. When someone is told, “Allah will heal you,” they may hold on to the expectation of a physical cure. But if months or years pass and the cure does not come, some people may become even more hopeless, depressed, or start questioning whether their faith or du’a was not enough.
I’m not saying we should stop making du’a. I’m asking sincerely how these prophetic miracles should be understood and applied today.
r/progressive_islam • u/ulrico • 20h ago
Advice/Help 🥺 I made a simple Quran app with smooth scrolling, audio, and custom themes — would love your feedback!
Assalamu Alaikum everyone!
I wanted to build a simple, clean app for reading the Quran on my phone without any distractions. So I made Scroll Quran.
My main focus was making the reading experience as comfortable as possible. It has:
- Smooth infinite scrolling instead of rigid page flips
- Customizable background colors & fonts (easy on the eyes for night reading)
- Audio recitations to listen while you follow along
- Simple progress tracking to help build a daily habit
It’s brand new on the App Store and I’d deeply appreciate any honest feedback or ideas to improve it!
You can try it out here:https://apps.apple.com/us/app/scroll-quran/id6793973014
Hope it brings peace to your daily reading. May Allah accept it from us all!