“The thing is Scher, there are some who consider that, that kind of action is justified by the books (Quran, Haddits, etc) and they feel that they're told to do so. This goes to the "hardliners" I suppose. This is my own personal experience. When I was still in college, one day I went to the library then I took a seat beside a Muslim guy (I could tell from the way he dressed). Then he moved away and took another chair. I didn't get the reason and I was thinking at that time "Did I smell or did I look like some kind of person with sickness or something". Then I asked my friend, who also a Muslim (and he is labeled the "liberal" Muslim), about it and he explained that there's a rule in Islam that a man and a woman, who don't have a "special relationship" (in this case special relationship means who are not married to each other), are not allow to sit too near (like less than a meter or something). Well I was surprised, but then I thought "O ok, religious rules can be very "awkward" sometimes so I can understand though I can't accept it.
Another one was when there was this Muslim guy who refused to shake hands with me cause, more or less, the same reason with the above (not allow to touch a woman who doesn't have special relationship with him).”
I read your comment with interest because I can see how other people could get the same ideas as you, given the experience you had, but I have to explain some things. It is a misconception to believe that there are variations of Islam, such that there is the "hard-line" Islam vs. the "liberal" Islam. It is true that some people accept Islam to the fullest, while others do not follow all the rules, but that merely means that those who are not following certain things are committing sins. Some will tell you that they know it is a sin, others will maybe try to justify their behavior by saying that times have changed ;) or that we live under difficult circumstances and it is hard to observe all the rules, and many other excuses. The truth is that their faith is simply not strong enough and therefore they are not observing all the rules. Another thing, it is not true that one can tell a Muslim man from the way he dresses, because a Muslim man can wear anything as long as it is not made of silk, it is not too tight and when wearing pants, they cannot be above his knees. If you see a man wearing long robes, it has nothing to do with Islam, but rather with his country’s tradition and customs. The only way you could recognize Muslim men by their appearance would be by their long beards (although not all Muslim men have them, but it is very common).
Now, to understand Islam, one has to know the basic things on which it is founded. Namely, the first source of all teachings in Islam is the holy Qur’an. It is God’s revelation to Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), and it is believed that every letter in the Qur’an is God’s word and has not changed since the revelation. It is the Book in which all rules, regulations, prohibitions, laws and commandments are expressed, so that nothing has been left out. After the holy Qur’an, we have the sunnah (Prophet Mohammed’s life), which is expressed in thousands of hadith (stories, sayings,advices) from the Prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h). These are the stories about Prophet’s life, about things he said to his followers, things he did, advices he gave and so on. The people who were his followers remembered those, narrated them to others and eventually they were written down. The theologians did a great deal of research and classified hadith based on their truthfulness. Namely, when someone cites a hadith, he or she will usually provide the chain of transmission from the Prophet to the last person who heard it before it was written down. If that list of people contains one person who is considered not trustworthy, the hadith will not be accepted as true, and cannot be used to prove any teaching in Islam, or be used as a basis to issue any law or ruling. Only those hadith, which transmission can be traced back to Prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h), and which have a strong chain of transmitters, have been accepted as truthful, and those hadith have been compromised in several books, which are considered the second source of Islamic teachings. The hadith have such high value and importance because it is believed that Prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h) did nothing that was not inspired by God, and his life was a practical way to show Muslims how they should live their lives. Prophet’s wife Aisha (may God be pleased with her) said that Prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h) was a “walking Qur’an”. For example, in the Qur’an, it is said that Muslims need to pray, but it was Prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h) who showed the Muslims the exact way how to pray, which prayers to say, when to pray, how to perform the religious washing ritual before the prayer etc.
Now, after this small introduction :D , back to the topic….
One of the biggest sins a person can commit is adultery, meaning engaging in sexual activity with a person you are not married to. The importance of marriage, chastity and honor is highly regarded in Islam, since it instructs us to have high moral values and show respect to one another. However, one has to understand that God knows human beings better than we know ourselves. Therefore, when he commended us to do something, he also showed us the way to do it. This means that it is not only sin to commit the act of sexual intercourse, but anything that could lead to that is also considered to be a sin. People are easily tempted, and that temptation is the first thing that needs to be controlled, so that it does not come to the final “crime”. Because of that, a man and a woman, who are not related or married, are not allowed to touch one another. Only when a man has a sincere intention to marry a woman is he allowed to interact with her, speak to her, and meet with her. During that time, it is also not allowed for them to touch, only to speak to one another, so that they may get to know each other and decide if they would like to get married. Also, men and women are instructed in the Qur’an to guard their eyes, meaning to avoid looking at forbidden things which might tempt them, make them lust for something, or commit sin. Islam is a way of life, and Muslims are instructed to develop high morals, be pure, respectful, modest, thankful, so that they may lead lives in harmony and peace. It is believed that those who attain such morals become closer to God in such a way that He becomes the eyes with which they see, the tongue with which they speak, the ears with which they hear. This means that they are so aware of God’s presence that they almost automatically do things with which He is satisfied, because they are in his Grace and He guides and protects them. Now, I will cite two verses from the holy Qur’an so that you may see what I was trying to explain. In the surah An-Nur, verses 30, and 31, Allah s.v.t. says: ”Tell the believing men to lower their gaze, and protect their private parts. That is purer for them. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what they do. 31. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze, and protect their private parts and not to show off their adornment except that which is apparent….” This shows that men and women, who are not married or related, are to lower their gazes when they meet each other, so that they do not open ways for temptation and lust to arise. So, when that guy moved away from you, he was only showing you respect and at the same time protecting himself from temptation, lust and impure thoughts. As for the shaking of hands, in one hadith Prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h) said that it is better for a piece of hot iron to go through one’s brain than to touch a woman who is a stranger (not married and not related) to you.
Of course it is true that many might find these rules to be very strict and find justifications not to observe them, but one cannot change the teachings of Islam simply because one is not strong enough to live by them. Muslims believe that the holy Qur’an was God’s revelation and as such it is not to be limited to a particular time or specific people. God is not constrained by time or space, and He knew of the changes that would come in human lives, but He sent the Book that was to guide people until the Judgment Day, and which is not to be changed or adopted to human desires. It is up to us to strive each day, to fight against our temptations, to control our desires and to live a life that would ultimately bring us God’s satisfaction and reward. We are not expected to be perfect, and God will certainly forgive all sins that we do out of our inadequacies and weaknesses, if we sincerely fight against those. Islam teaches us that people will always sin, and that the evidence that one is a believer is not that he will stop sinning, but that he asks God’s forgiveness when he does sin. In this way, we show our need for His mercy, and our need for His Guidance. However, those who sin but try to justify their sins negating teachings of Islam are not “liberal” but rather not true Muslims, because Muslims have to accept the whole Qur’an, not just parts that are in sync with their desires and wishes.
P.S I seem to not be able to write short comments. :smash: :wave:
P.P.S Thanks for all the kind comments.. :blush:
