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Pre-Cognisant Omnipotence = No Free Will Accountability.

Plain and simple.

If Allah, Subhanu Wa Ta'Ala, knows what we will do before we do it..then what is the point indeed.  It becomes a robotic universe.

To me, and my limited understanding, it makes a whole lot more sense if Allah gave us the capacity to act for the good or the bad.  It makes the universe infinitely more interesting and beautiful.  In this scenario, Allah is all powerful.  Which means, he can intervene directly in human affairs so that his will is done.  Someone could choose to do something that is contrary to his will, but he intervenes and that person is not permitted to achieve their ends.  He is omnipotent, which means to me, he has eyes and ears everywhere that do not fail in reporting. 

Just my two cents.

What I am seeing here, is that the women here, may Allah bless them, are using the hijab as a certain type of symbol.  Something to distance themself with.

Would we have the same opinion about a miswak?  Or what brand of toothpaste we use?

We should be conformed to the Qur'an.  Not making the Qur'an give us permissiveness to do as we see fit.  Granted, the Qur'an does not say wear hijab.  I am of the opinion, that in the arabic, there is a precedent for it.  Yet, I am not going to force it.  More a personal opinion that I can keep there.

I respect the sister saying she felt better when she stopped wearing hijab.  I mean you no disrespect.  Yet, it was not the hijab, but what it meant to her.  To me, this is a psychological issue and has nothing to do with exegesis with Qu'ranic passages.

Another of the reasons I am no longer a christian, was people who wanted the bible to give them permission to do something.  A holy book is meant to guide us and inform our life, not because we think it is politically inconvenient or old fashioned.

Let me try another illustration.  Let us say you arrived in a culture that believed in women doing all that was stereotypically male.. rude behavior, bravado and profanity.  (just follow me here.. lol).  Male and female were both of this behavior and no one questioned it.  You arrive, as a practicing muslim.. wherein, women are respected, protected and cherished.  They are modest and soft of speech.  After a few years, the collective peer pressure will soon make her question the wisdom of her entire being. 

I think the hijab is a symbol, yes.  In today's world, it identifies one as a muslim.  We should use that as a means for da'wah and as a silent expression of our commitment to our deen.  Same with some brothers who chose to shave their beard or wear jeans and a tshirt.  We are to not emulate those who are unbelievers.

I am not trying to argue, and I truly have enjoyed the discussion going on here.  Alhamdulillah.

Hijab or Niqab does not equal modesty.  Islam finds itself as a religion which is both orthodox (a set of beliefs) and orthopraxic (a set of activities) that make it the complete deen.  I know, Astaghfurillah, that there are sisters who wear hijab, yet their hearts are impure.  A woman wearing next to nothing in an island community, can be just as modest as a woman wearing niqab for the right reasons.

Yet, my point was not to say that hijab makes one proper.  What I was going for the heart of, was if Allah, Subhanu Wa Ta'Ala, is pleased with certain deeds (modesty being a sign of Iman) then we should seek to emulate them.  Say, a sister is pure of niyaah inside and out.. yet, she seeks to do more (we should all be seeking to strive that much harder in the deen, as I aforementioned) then we can point her to wearing Hijab.  In the states, wearing hijab, more often than not, serves as a great da'wah opportunity.

I do not have to wear a kufi and long white clothing to be muslim.  Alhamdulillah, the deen is easy by the grace of Ar Rahman.  Yet, it is a great da'wah opportunity for me as well.  I stand out and this naturally invites the curiosity of those around me.  Sure, there can be some negative reactions in other cities by the smaller minded, but in my years in this deen, I have found more genuine interest than scorn.

I thank those for their opinions and I wish all the best, Insha'Allah.

Asalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatu.

I will be quite honest.. one of the things that contributed in a large degree to my interest in Islam, those years ago before I reverted, was the teaching (as I thought it) for women to wear the hijab.  I was awed and humbled that a person would be so modest and go against the culture in their service to Allah (Subhanu Wa Ta'Ala).

Yet, I was re-reading over the front page of free-minds.org, where it speaks that it is not a requirement.  We need not subject or force the women of this Ummah to do so, obviously, but what is a definition of modesty then?  Surely, it is in her polite speech and gentle presence which speaks volumes about her character and her niyaah is to not encourage another man to impurity with her beauty otherwise displayed.

The more common sense approach, would be that our women should not be dressing in short skirts or plunging necklines.  Sure.  Yet, as I understood it too, we are to compete with each other in good deeds.  To strive every day for Jannah Al Firdaus. 

We have tales of how the Sahaba, may Allah be pleased with them, that they would pull each other back in racing to Jihad so that they would be first to do such pleasing deeds in the name of Allah, Subhanu Wa Ta'Ala.

Should not, our women then, likewise strive for good deeds?  Not settling for simply the base requirements of this deen?  As a brother, I strive to keep my eyes down as often as safety allows, wear long sleeve shirts and pants.  Things I can do to keep my own body as covered and modest as possible.

Looking for thoughts, Insha'Allah.

I have to admit 2:106 is a bit disquieting to me too.

Why would God edit his perfect holy book as it were?  Ah well.

As I understood it, there was a Qur'an in Heaven (could just be another Sunni corruption) yet it was as I was told in the beginning.

If this is accurate, then why would God send the revelation worded differently thereby giving another instruction only to edit it later with the actual verse in this presumed heavily version?

Asalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatu

Brothers and Sisters, I was curious about something in all seriousness.

There are some ahadith which says we can demand Jannah from Allah on judgment day because of the Prophet, upon him be peace.  Yet, since this is not a hadith friendly place.. haha.. I would refer to Al-Qur'an then for this reference.

When it says about their being no grief for them who are the christians, sabians and now muslims (as we call them today) does this mean if one is faithful to Allah in tawheed and does deeds of righteousness for his sake we could have a reasonable certainty of Jannah?

I recall as a christian the idea was "well, if only to escape hell I should be a christian so I can get heaven."  This can be a good first initiative I suppose as a young person or young in a faith in general.  One then learns about the love of Allah and doing deeds for his pleasure as its own reward.

Yet, as a man I must admit to be admitted to gardens with pure wives, wine which causes no drunkeness and delicious foods.. I was hooked lol.  Could we not say it is among the things one could converse about to others of the book who are interested in learning about Islam?

Christian:  "Well, I am going to praise God for all eternity.."

Muslim:  (to paraphrase Shabir Ally) "Eternity is a long time.. I would rather walk with Allah some of the time, and enjoy the other pleasures in its own proportion."

Looking for thoughts.

Ma Salaama

*sneaks in and shuffles the topic title to 'geometrical' before anyone notices and sneaks back out*

Rami,

what really can bake a person's noodle is when you tell them that the majority of myths from Sumer (creator God, savior figure, flood.. dying/rising God) are there.

Copied by the Jews later? makes one ponder lol.  One needs not even go into the fact that pre-Yahwistic Jews had a Goddess and she was axed out when the patriarchy rose to power and the rabbinical reforms.  ( Gotta love history which tells the whole truth that most religions would rather forget. )

I might say, no disrespect intended, that a later holy book is just the earlier one with a new spin to it.

umm.. no.  I do remember that part of my study.  Sabians were a people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabians

Meteora,

According to that logic, which I agree with, go over to the Monotheists thread and rally against Ahmad Bilal who is heck bent on refuting 2:62 where it says "anyone who does deeds of righteousness.." to mean just Jews, Christians, Sabians or Muslims (as we see the term used today).