ﺒﺴﻢﺎﷲ ﻠﺮﺤﻤﻦ ﻠﺮﺤﻳﻢ
Rules, rules, rules… if that was what Islam is all about, who would want to become Muslim? Not me!
I mean… why on earth would I want to deny myself that delicious bacon with the eggs, or not have a sip of wine to warm my insides on a cold winter’s evening? And what about that savoury parmesan cheese which I wanted to use with my pasta dish – until I saw it had animal rennet in it? And how could I deny myself my mother’s delicious pumpkin fritters – only because she frequently cooks pork in her pans? Or her amazing lasagne or spaghetti – just because the beef mince is not halaal?
On the other hand…why would I want to pray five times a day at set times, having to wake up at sunrise for Fajr – even when it is at 4am? Why bother washing every time you need to pray and every time you break a little wind? And why would I want to wear all-enshrouding, loose clothing which makes me stick out a mile around the non-Muslims in the mall? Or why would I have give up dating men, or limit my choice in husband to a Muslim man – and obey him on top of it! I could just hear the feminists in uproar: “You’re free to do what you want! You don’t need a man to maintain you!” And then – what about the rule permitting polygamy of all things… surely not something for “civilised Westerners,” is it?
Rules, rules, rules… No, Islam is not so much about rules, as it is about the joy, happiness, beauty and peace of the Straight Way. The Shari’ah given to us by Allah Ta’ala is not mean to bog us down and make life boring, restrictive and devoid of fun – it is a very powerful reminder that He knows best what we need to be ultimately happy. We search for so much happiness in things that may not be good for us; following the crowd and our own short-sighted desires. Yet…do we really know best in the long-term? Just look at all the failed marriages. Look at the harm of dating various partners. Look at all the promiscuity and prostitution. All the increasing statistics of heart disease, cholesterol, obesity and other illnesses. All the abuse of the earth’s resources and the animal kingdom – and the heartless materialism of today’s existence.
To put this into perspective, let me use the examples which I cited above. Why would we as Muslims need to avoid pork, alcohol, animal rennet, and meat which is not halaal – but could potentially be? And why would we need to pray five times a day – even if it means waking up early – performing wudhu before each prayer or before touching the Qur’an, or wear hijab? Or why would ladies marry a Muslim man and obey him – as opposed to any man we ladies want, and doing anything we want? Why couldn’t we date men? And why would polygamy be permitted when it seems to be something so primitive and backward in the modern age?
After much reading, I came to the conclusion that if these rules are followed, society would be nigh on being Paradise…
Pork is the fattiest and most unhealthy meat that humans consume. Therefore it would contribute to heart disease, cholesterol and obesity. It contains harmful parasitic worms in it, and causes various allergies. Pigs eat filth, which is deposited in their muscles – which we would then eat. That means that all that filth they eat is transmitted to us. Some people even hold the opinion that the promiscuous sexual habits of pigs cause us to behave promiscuously, too – as the saying goes: “You are what you eat.”
I don’t even have to stress how much harm alcohol has done to society… But there are those who say they don’t drink too much. TV adverts advise, “Drink Responsibly.” But is society showing that they are drinking responsible as a whole? It is a case of letting the devil slip through the crack in the door. Better to abstain altogether until we are in Jannah, where the river of wine spoken about in the Holy Qur’an will not make us drunk, and no sin and physical lust exists.
Meat, like beef and lamb – which is usually considered halaal – becomes haraam when either sacrificed to another God besides Allah, or the animal is slaughtered in any way besides the Islamic way which is the most painless. To slit the throat with a very sharp knife kills them instantly – and they are not to be slaughtered in front of other animals either. When we abstain from eating this meat, we show that we are animal rights activists, who do not tolerate animals being subject to abuse in the abbatoirs where they are stunned or shot - in front of other animals, which wait in terrible fear for their turn. We also avoid some animal products, like rennet, which is taken from the stomach of an unweaned calf – probably slaughtered too, to get to it. Not only do we benefit the welfare of animals by eating halaal meat, but we benefit ourselves, too. There are health benefits in eating halaal meat – the blood drains out, enabling the meat to stay fresh for longer.
Salaah and wudhu are given to us as a mercy from Allah SWT. He gives us a chance to purify ourselves from our sins. Wudhu is the key to Salaah, and Salaah is the key to Jannah. Ultimately – as I showed in a previous post “Islam – and ditching bad habits!” – to cultivate the habit of salaah and wudhu, causes us to naturally move away from some rather bad behaviour, whilst at the same time remembering to fear, love and respect Allah Ta’ala and His Absolute Sacredness.
Then we come to hijab – one of my favourite subjects. J There is no need to expound on the need for this in a world where women are cheapened to objects; their value and dignity transformed from that of diamonds to pebbles. To veil is for us ladies’ own good – and to uphold our hijab, is to uphold our dignity. I’m sure decent men would respect women who don’t physically provoke their desires, either – and would love to know that their wife’s beauty is for them alone. What a wonderful secret! Then there is some benefit for ourselves, too - no more body issues and bad hair days to worry about! If Islam brings together black and white peoples, it brings together fat and thin ladies, too. Each one’s personality shines, no matter how many flaws they have. Masha’Allah!
To the dissenting Feminist voices in society, we Muslimahs would say: “Look at our life and then look at yours.” When a woman obeys her husband, she maintains peace in the home and family – and obedience is only asked from us within the Islamic bounds. If one’s husband tells her to do something contrary to the Divine Law, she is even commanded to disobey him! Muslim women only marry Muslim men, because they want to prevent their children from suffering in a household of divided values and beliefs. Like it or not, men really are the maintainers and protectors of women, because Allah SWT designed them to do this. And they are not without their duties. When I see all the responsibilities men are burdened with, I am only too happy to be a Muslim woman who is given such wonderful rights by the Shari’ah! The West has put so much pressure on women to be ambitious and career-minded as much as men are, and this is against their nature. Let the ladies be proud housewives if they want to be! We are not obliged to work as men are, but we are allowed to if we want. As for dating… it may seem harmless, but look at the risk of promiscuity when a woman is left alone with a strange man. Finally, polygamy is an exceptional measure to ensure that the women who cannot find a husband – or give him much-desired children – are taken care of in an honourable manner. Admit it – mistresses may have “fun”, but are they really and truly respected by their men?
Rules, rules, rules…No, just a lot of good. I didn’t became Muslim to give up pork, alcohol, fitting in with the crowd, wearing “sexy” clothes and dating. Nor did I become Muslim to imprison myself in a rigourous schedule of washing and praying. I became Muslim, because to give up the haraam things and take on the hijab, salaah and Islamic lifestyle is better for me.
In the end, there is so much beauty and inner wisdom in the Divine Law, that to follow it becomes a pleasure. It is only an outward manifestation which increases our consciousness of the inner Reality. It also increases our consciousness of our actions and intentions. We come face-to-face with why we act the way we do, and how we are to act. And in the end, we live in the all-embracing Reality, walking in the Truth, being with Allah our Maker, Who loves us infinitely. What greater happiness could we ask for than to live out our purpose and destiny?
And Allah knows best.
Salaam
Saadiqah
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