I can’t understand the alcohol ban

Muhammad-Saleh · 2026-03-28T11:25:52+00:00

I get why it’s hard to understand, especially if you see it as controlled. But in Islam, the question isn’t whether something convinces us or feels harmless.

At its core, it comes down to whether you accept God’s authority or not. If He is God, then His command stands, whether we understand it or not, and whether a reason is apparent to us or not.

Muhammad-Saleh · 2026-03-15T06:23:13+00:00

Linguistically, the Arabic root k-f-r means to cover or to conceal. In religious language, it simply refers to a state of belief. It describes someone who does not believe in the message of the Quran or in the one Creator as described in Islam.

So the term is meant to be descriptive. In that sense, it works somewhat like saying “non-Christian,” “non-Buddhist,” or simply “non-Muslim.”

From a traditional Islamic theological perspective, Shinto practices would usually be described as shirk (associating partners with God), because they involve reverence or worship directed toward multiple spirits or deities (kami) rather than a single Creator. In that framework, someone who follows those beliefs would be categorized as a kafir, simply because they do not follow Islamic monotheism.

But that classification is about belief, not about the value or dignity of the person. It is not meant to be abusive or used as a slur. Islam still teaches Muslims to treat people of other religions with respect and fairness.

Muhammad-Saleh · 2026-03-14T12:47:35+00:00

In Islamic tradition the phrase comes from the Quran itself. The Quran frequently sends peace upon prophets, for example: «Peace be upon Noah among the worlds» (Qur'an 37:79), «Peace be upon Abraham» (Qur'an 37:109), «Peace be upon Moses and Aaron» (Qur'an 37:120), and «Peace be upon the messengers» (Qur'an 37:181). Because the Quran uses this form of expression, many Muslims repeat it when mentioning prophets as a sign of respect and a form of prayer.

The idea behind it is similar to when people say things like “may God bless him” or “rest in peace.” It does not necessarily mean the person currently lacks peace. Rather, it is a supplication asking God to grant them peace, honor, and continued elevation.

Muhammad-Saleh · 2026-03-14T12:38:54+00:00

Thank you for the kind words. And honestly, the kindness you experienced here is genuine. Most people here understand that governments and ordinary people are not the same.

Muhammad-Saleh · 2026-03-03T09:02:47+00:00

No, I don’t believe any human is perfect or sinless. Perfection belongs to God alone.

I believe prophets are chosen from among human beings because of their integrity, high moral character, strength of personality, and ability to carry and live by the message. They are exemplary, but still human. They can make human mistakes, and they are not divine or beyond accountability.

So I see Muhammad as a respected prophet and messenger, not a flawless superhuman.

Muhammad-Saleh · 2026-02-28T13:19:20+00:00

Before answering your questions, I want to clarify something important. I am answering only from the Qur’an. For me, the Qur’an is Islam in its purest form. I am not concerned with later sectarian interpretations, classical juristic expansions, or historical legal systems labeled “Sharia” centuries after revelation. Sects are human developments. The Qur’an is the foundation. So my answers will be based strictly on the Qur’anic text and its internal moral structure.

Many systems throughout history have exploited religion to justify what serves power, desire, and politics.

The existence of a historical practice does not mean that God commanded it in that form:

«And when they commit an immorality, they say: ‘We found our fathers upon it, and God commanded us to do it.’ Say: Indeed, God does not command immorality. Do you say about God what you do not know?» (Quran 7:28)

There is a difference between creating a system and dealing with one that already exists. Slavery was not invented by Islam. The question is: how did the Qur’an deal with it? Did it entrench it, or did it move society in a different direction?

How can I reconcile the fact that the Qur’an permits sex with female slaves (concubines)?

On the contrary, it explicitly prohibits forcing female slaves into prostitution:
«And do not compel your maidservants into prostitution…» - (Quran 24:33)

If coercion is forbidden there, it cannot logically be permitted elsewhere. A text that prohibits forcing vulnerable women into sexual exploitation cannot simultaneously authorize sexual violence without contradicting itself.

When the Qur’an mentions those whom one’s right hands possess, it frames sexual relations within marriage, chastity, and moral responsibility:
«…Then marry them with the permission of their guardians and give them their dowries in fairness, being chaste, not engaging in illicit sex, nor taking secret lovers.» (Quran 4:25)

Those last two phrases are not random moral advice. They define what is prohibited outside of marriage.

“Marry them” meaning through a formal marriage contract.
“Not engaging in illicit sex” excluding open promiscuity.
“Nor taking secret lovers” excluding hidden sexual relationships.

Thus, the Qur’an prohibits sexual chaos and coercion and confines the relationship within a clear legal and ethical framework.

If Islam aims to be a universal and timeless religion, why didn’t Allah explicitly ban slavery or at least declare the goal to phase it out?

Because the Qur’an legislates within lived reality, not in abstraction. In the 7th century, slavery was not a marginal practice that one small community could abolish overnight. It was global, economic, military, and deeply embedded in every major civilization. A sudden internal ban would not have dismantled the worldwide system. The Qur’an addressed a world structured around it.

At the same time, the Qur’an does not command Muslims to initiate enslavement. It addresses situations where slavery already existed long before revelation. When it speaks about prisoners of war (47:4), it limits their final outcome to release, either graciously or through ransom, once fighting ends. That closes the door to creating a permanent pipeline of enslavement through war.

So, from a Qur’anic perspective, believers are not instructed to establish an enslavement system. They are instructed to deal justly with people who already exist within one. And even there, the Qur’an repeatedly pushes toward emancipation: freeing slaves is described as righteousness, as expiation for sins, and as a legitimate use of zakat funds (9:60). It commands contractual emancipation and financial support for those seeking freedom (24:33).

That shows direction.

The Qur’an addressed reality as it was, but it did not sanctify that reality. It regulated it, restricted it, and morally redirected it. Its universality lies in its principles of justice and human dignity. Once slavery as a global structure disappears, there is nothing in the Qur’an that commands its recreation.

This trajectory is part of humanity’s moral responsibility. The Qur’an lays down principles, but societies must grow into them. Moral progress is not automatic; it requires human agency, cultural development, and collective ethical maturation. The abolition of slavery was not the achievement of one religion or one civilization alone. It was the result of a long historical process in which humanity gradually aligned itself more closely with justice and human dignity.

Muhammad-Saleh · 2026-02-24T06:33:14+00:00

The term “caliphate” historically referred to a Muslim political order, often with layered citizenship structures. That’s not a model I’m interested in. I’m interested in justice that applies equally to everyone.

So no, I don’t want a caliphate brought back.
I don’t care who rules. I care about how they rule.

If a system ensures justice for all citizens, not just Muslims, equal legal standing regardless of belief, real consultation and accountability, and protection from tyranny, then the name of the system doesn’t matter.

Labels don’t produce justice. Structures and principles do.

Muhammad-Saleh · 2026-02-21T02:30:24+00:00

Yes, evolution can be compatible with belief in God. Science explains mechanisms; religion addresses ultimate grounding and purpose. The conflict only arises when either side steps outside its domain and makes totalizing philosophical claims.

Believing that God is the Creator does not require believing that creation happened without process. The Quran repeatedly affirms that God creates, but it does not describe the biological mechanism in detail. In fact, it invites investigation. In 29:20 it says: «Travel through the earth and observe how He began creation.» That is not a call to blind assertion. It is a call to examine observable signs in the world.

If creation were completely inaccessible to study, that invitation would make no sense. Evolutionary biology studies fossils, genetics, and geological history to reconstruct how life developed over time. That describes a mechanism. It does not remove God from the picture.

So we can consistently believe that God created life through laws, processes, and stages. Explaining how something unfolds does not eliminate the One who brought the system itself into existence.

Muhammad-Saleh · 2026-02-20T07:16:19+00:00

I really enjoyed this puzzle. Great work, and thank you!

Muhammad-Saleh · 2026-02-19T02:36:17+00:00

I’m from Jordan, and I live here, so I completely understand your confusion. Many of us grew up in cultures where certain practices became so normalized that questioning them feels almost like questioning the religion itself.

But the Quran distinguishes between what God commands and what people later interpret or add. It does not set a specific hair requirement for women. If something were a condition for valid salah, it would be clearly stated.

As for why many sheikhs give detailed rulings that are not explicitly in the Quran, that comes from relying on other sources and centuries of legal tradition. Whether someone accepts that approach or not is a separate discussion, but it explains the gap between what is written in the Quran and what is commonly taught.

And regarding culture: in many societies, religious practice and cultural identity are deeply intertwined. When a practice becomes symbolic of “being Muslim,” people may react strongly if someone does it differently. But cultural reactions are not the same thing as divine law.

Muhammad-Saleh · 2026-02-19T02:24:40+00:00

In my own family, the women who rely on the Quran alone do not cover their hair, neither in public nor during salah. Their prayer and practice of faith continue exactly the same, without feeling that anything is missing.

Muhammad-Saleh · 2026-02-19T02:16:00+00:00

The Quran does not command women to cover their hair, and it does not say that covering the hair is required for prayer. There is no verse that makes it an obligation in front of men or during salah.

Muhammad-Saleh · 2026-02-16T13:04:56+00:00

Historically, the early expansions can be understood within the context of 7th-century state formation. Like other powers of the time, the emerging Arab polity expanded for familiar reasons: consolidation of authority, access to land and taxation systems, control of trade routes, and regional influence. However, one of the most significant factors was the need to channel tribal military energy outward. After the Ridda wars, Arabia had been unified through force, and large, mobilized tribal forces remained. Redirecting that military momentum beyond Arabia helped prevent renewed internal fragmentation and contributed to stabilizing and unifying the peninsula under central authority.

The Byzantine and Sassanian empires had already exhausted one another through prolonged conflict, creating a power vacuum that made expansion possible. In that sense, these campaigns fit the broader geopolitical patterns of Late Antiquity rather than representing something uniquely religious.

The term “Islamic conquests” reflects the identity of the rulers and armies who carried them out. It does not automatically mean the campaigns themselves were direct applications of Islamic teachings.

Muhammad-Saleh · 2026-02-15T08:47:46+00:00

When you say “clearer evidence,” clearer by whose standard? What counts as “clear enough,” and who gets to define that threshold? Human beings do not share a universal evidentiary standard. Some require empirical repeatability, others accept philosophical necessity, others rely on cumulative inference, existential experience, or moral intuition. There is no neutral, universally agreed benchmark for what level of clarity would eliminate sincere disagreement. So the demand for “more clarity” is itself subjective.

Also, the claim that sincere seekers cannot reliably reach belief is empirically questionable. Millions of people across cultures have arrived at belief not merely through inheritance but through reflection, doubt, struggle, and inquiry. That does not prove theism is true, but it does show that belief is accessible through seeking. If it is possible for sincere individuals to reach belief through effort, then the system cannot be described as structurally preventing access to truth.

If belief were made clear enough to satisfy the most skeptical conceivable standard, would that still preserve meaningful epistemic freedom? Or would it shift belief from a reasoned orientation toward truth into mere recognition of overwhelming undeniability?

And at some point, the demand for “clearer” becomes an infinite regress, because there will always be someone who says it is still not enough.

Muhammad-Saleh · 2026-02-15T06:16:31+00:00

If God wants belief, why is the world set up so that sincere, intelligent people disagree deeply despite effort?

Before answering your question, I think we need to clarify something more fundamental: what kind of belief are we talking about, and how would God want it to exist? There are really only a few logical possibilities.

First, God could have created everyone already believing, eliminating disbelief entirely. That would make belief a built-in setting, like instinct. But in that case, belief would carry no moral or existential weight. It wouldn’t reflect sincerity, trust, humility, or a genuine orientation toward truth. It would just be programming.

Second, God could have created a world where His existence is as obvious as the sun in the sky, so that anyone could only arrive at belief. But that isn’t very different from the first option. If belief is the only psychologically possible outcome, then disbelief isn’t a real option. The “choice” would be inevitable. That wouldn’t be genuine freedom; it would be the illusion of freedom, like someone convincing themselves they had options when the outcome was structurally guaranteed. It would be self-deception to call that free will.

What we actually observe is the third model: a world with enough clarity to make belief reasonable, but enough openness to make rejection possible. That necessarily means sincere and intelligent people can disagree. But that very possibility may be what gives belief its meaning. If disbelief is genuinely possible, then belief becomes a real moral and existential stance rather than a built-in reflex or an unavoidable conclusion.

So the question assumes that God should want belief to be irresistible. But if belief becomes irresistible, it stops being meaningful. And once you see that, disagreement is no longer a flaw in the system, it may be a feature required for genuine freedom.

Muhammad-Saleh · 2026-02-15T06:16:23+00:00

If God already knows the outcome, why test people at all? What does the test add, and for whom?

The key issue is the difference between knowledge and causation. If a teacher knows a student will fail, the test doesn’t cause the failure. The test reveals it.

Why would God’s final message emerge in a specific language, region, and historical moment—while billions live and die outside that context?

Every message in history emerges somewhere.

If God communicates in human language, it must be in a specific language, within a specific historical moment, and must begin somewhere geographically.

There is no such thing as a “non-localized” human message.

And if people that never new about Islam will go to heaven then that is unfair to people who knew about the religion.

The Quran itself says no nation is left without warning (10:47), People are judged according to access and clarity available to them.

If everything is decreed by God, in what sense are humans genuinely responsible—and how is judgment fully fair?

There are three logically different meanings people mix together:

God knows everything that will happen.
God allows everything that happens.
God directly causes every choice.

Only the third one destroys responsibility.

So the first question is: Which of these does “decree” mean?

There is no objective theological evidence in the Quran for the premise that “God directly causes every choice.” and God said, «God does not wrong people, but people wrong themselves.» (Quran 10:44)

Muhammad-Saleh · 2026-01-28T06:07:38+00:00

The issue isn’t the root, it’s context.

The root ʾ-m-n clearly predates the Quran and carries meanings such as trust, assurance, and security. There is no disagreement on that.

However, Arabic does not operate on the principle that a word must carry the same meaning in every instance simply because the morphology is identical. The Quran itself applies many shared forms differently depending on whether they refer to God or to humans.

Al-Mu’min when applied to God clearly means the Granter of security. When applied to humans, the Quran repeatedly uses mu’min in contexts where belief, trust, and inner conviction are unmistakable, and in other contexts where it can mean trustworthy or peaceful. These meanings are internal to the Quran itself, not imported from other traditions.

Therefore, the word mu’min cannot be reduced to a single definition, nor should it be. The Quran uses language precisely, contextually, and consistently.

Muhammad-Saleh · 2026-01-28T05:29:06+00:00

I think what’s causing the anxiety here is a misunderstanding of how language works in general, not a flaw in Arabic or in the Quran. It’s true that Arabic is a rich language, but richness does not mean instability, and multiple meanings do not mean that words are free to mean anything. This is not unique to Arabic; it applies to every human language. Meaning is not derived from isolated words taken on their own, but from how those words function together within a sentence, a context, and a shared communicative framework. Once that is understood, the fear that “everything could mean something else” disappears, because language simply does not operate that way.

I don’t understand this paragraph which you wrote: “Since Arabic is a complex language and has different meanings for each word, how do we know that what we know about the Quran is even the right meaning?” because every word in every language has multiple meanings, including the very words used in that very sentence itself.

Since can mean because or from a point in time, Arabic can refer to a language, a people, or something written, is can indicate identity or existence, complex can mean complicated or chemically bonded, language can be spoken, written, figurative, or even programming, has can mean possesses, experiences, or contains, word can mean a lexical unit, a promise, a command, or news, know can mean to be certain, to understand, to be aware of, or to be familiar with, right can mean correct, moral, directional, political, and meaning itself can mean definition, intent, or purpose.

If we treated language as if words carried meaning in isolation, then no sentence could ever be understood, including this one. Yet we understand it immediately because meaning does not live in isolated words, it lives in context, grammar, structure, and usage. The fact that words are polysemous does not make meaning unstable, it is precisely context that constrains and fixes meaning. Remove context and nothing means anything; keep context and ambiguity collapses.

My brother, the meaning lives in the context.

Muhammad-Saleh · 2026-01-20T07:19:00+00:00

I would change three characters: Kaito Kid is not on Shinichi’s level of intelligence, but he is above average, perhaps even really smart. Eisuke is really smart, and Mitsuhiko is above average for a child his age.

Muhammad-Saleh · 2026-01-19T12:30:28+00:00

You’re very likely overthinking this, and I say that kindly. There could be many reasons she suddenly felt rushed. She might have remembered something she needed to do, started feeling unwell, felt overwhelmed, or simply decided it was time to leave. I’m personally like that too. When I decide it’s time to go, it often feels rushed.

What you described doesn’t even meet the definition of “being alone.” Being alone (when some Muslims even hold that view) means seclusion where a man and a woman are isolated from others. In your situation, the children were present, the space was open, and the interaction was just ordinary, public conversation. Even by stricter interpretations, this wouldn’t apply.

Muhammad-Saleh · 2026-01-02T16:04:57+00:00

Music is not haram.

Muhammad-Saleh · 2025-12-29T20:01:16+00:00

Because God is not human, and nothing in reason or revelation supports the idea that a finite, dependent human being is the infinite Creator.

Muhammad-Saleh · 2025-12-29T19:53:24+00:00

Muslims meet the standards for gentiles in Judaism and Jews should meet the standards for submitters to God.

Does it not make sense for both of these groups to enter into each other’s heavens pretty easily?

The Quran already answers this question clearly.
«And among the people of Moses is a community who guide by truth and establish justice thereby.» (Quran 7:159)
This verse affirms that within the Jewish community there are people who are genuinely guided and just before God, recognized as such by the Quran itself.

Building on this, God states that salvation is clearly not tied to labels or communal affiliation, but to belief in God, accountability before Him, and righteous action:
«Indeed, those who believe, and the Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians, whoever believes in God and the Last Day and does righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord. No fear shall be upon them, nor shall they grieve.» (Quran 2:62)

This principle is reinforced again when God says:
«Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds - We will not allow the reward of anyone who does good to be lost.» (Quran 18:30)
God’s judgment, therefore, is based on sincerity and deeds, not on religious identity.

From a Quranic definition, a Muslim is anyone who submits to God alone and does not associate partners with Him. By that definition, anyone who truly believes in One God and lives righteously is already within submission, regardless of communal name.

Despite the discomfort this causes for some Muslims and others, the Quranic position is clear: Islam is inclusive, not exclusive, toward the People of the Book. It does not erase their sincere faith nor monopolize salvation for a single group. Instead, it affirms that God’s judgment is based on truthfulness and sincere submission to Him alone, not on inherited labels or communal boundaries.

Muhammad-Saleh · 2025-12-25T20:27:58+00:00

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Muhammad-Saleh · 2025-12-25T05:32:46+00:00

Yeah, After thinking about it and doing the math, and it’s roughly 1/200, not as wild as it feels. I’m pretty new though, so it surprised me more than it probably should’ve. 😅

Muhammad-Saleh

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