Ask a Muslim

[Salah-Al-Din]

Is it Muslim women who cover their faces?

If that answer is yes, could you please answer these questions(?):

Second, why do they cover their faces?

Third, do Muslim women have any vanity at all?

Yes, it is Muslim women who cover their faces. This is called Niqab (face veil). However, it should be noted that only a very small percentage of Muslim women wear the face veil. In fact, I would guess that the percentage is less than 1&#37; and at maximum maybe 5%. So to answer your question: yes, the women you see who cover their faces are likely to be Muslims, but <1% of Muslim women cover their faces.

The Niqab (face veil) is *not* mandatory in Islam. However, Hijab (headscarf) definitely *is* mandatory. As for why Muslim women wear the Hijab (headscarf), this is as a sign of modesty, chastity, and piety. Even religious Jewish and Christian women cover their hair, which is a commandment in the Old Testament. The typical covering of a religious Muslim woman is fairly the same as a Christian nun. A Muslim female covering her body properly is considered a defense of her honor, chastity, and morality. We believe that women dressing in a revealing manner is immoral, unchaste, and obscene, which leads to the degradation of the very social fabric of society.

As for covering of the face, this is considered optional and usually done during times of great Fitnah (evil). When lewdness and obscenity become rampant, then some Muslims believe in being extra careful and taking the extra step of covering of the face.

However, the vast majority of religious Muslim women choose not to wear the Niqab (face veil) but rather stick to the Hijab (headscarf). It is inappropriate for those girls who wear Hijab only to criticize those who wear Niqab, and it is also inappropriate for those girls wearing Niqab to criticize those who wear Hijab only. Both are acceptable positions: Hijab is the requirement. But there can be no blame on someone who is being extra careful.

Fourth, how can Muslim men (maybe you) tell which girl looks pretty?

Muslim men are not supposed to tell which girls looks pretty or not, unless they are in search of a spouse. In that case, as long as this is a man's sincere intention, then he can look at girls who wear the Hijab and it is not that hard then to tell who is pretty and who is not.

As for those girls wearing the Niqab, the usual mechanism they get married is the following: the man informs his mother or sister(s) that he wishes to get married and tells them what type of girl he is looking for. The mother and/or sister(s) look for a spouse for him (someone who fits those "specifications"), and let's say that one such potential wears the Niqab. Then the male's parents will contact the female's parents, and they will arrange a meeting in which the two can see each other and talk to see if they are a compatible couple. In this meeting, the girl would not wear the Niqab (as this is an exception to the rules of covering in general, namely that some laxity is given during the courtship phase).

 

[knigh+]

Is it Muslim women who cover their faces?

very few of them. The common practice is headscarf but no veil.

Second, why do they cover their faces?

(Answering for the veil)
Because they
-are forced to by men
-believe they are acting in accordance to the requirement of the religion.
-can, as there is no laws against it either

Third, do Muslim women have any vanity at all?

Presumably - nobody is flawless

Fourth, how can Muslim men (maybe you) tell which girl looks pretty?

They don't need to. Most couplings involving veiled women are arranged marriages.

 

[Elrohir]

I have a question. (It's probably been asked before, knowing this crowd....) Do you really believe that you will have 72 women to have your way with for all eternity after you die? Do you think there will be anything more to heaven - like, say, worshiping God - besides screwing houri?

If we have a woman Muslim here (And I thought we did) what's your take on this? Do you find the idea of your husband spending eternity sleeping with a couple dozen eternally virginal beautiful women at least a little disconcerting? Is the man's wife supposed to try and comete with all those women? Or are there male houri to keep her busy?

 

[Mott1]

Honestly, I found the movie to be boring. But I had no real objections to it, other than that. Having said that, I watched it a very long time ago, so I don't really remember that well.

I took a gander at the thread, and it seems that Mott is trying very hard to criticize Islam, once again. It is an established fact that Saladin (ra) was one of the world's most noble heroes. Mott's distortion of history is unacceptable and runs contrary to every book/article on the Crusades that I have read. I think Mott is trying to slander one of the heroes of Islam, because it is a fact that Saladin (ra) is one of the few people who is revered by Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

First there is no maleficence in criticising Islam, beliefs do not have to be respected. You Salah-Al-Din must be respected, not your beliefs. This is a prerogative in free societies. Secondly, my critcism on that thread was directed at the presentation of dishonest history not at Islam. As I have stated in that thread:

Atrocities existed on both sides of the conflict, no one side was the heroic good guys while the other the villainous bad guys which is clearly portrayed in the movie.

The objective examination of history cannot be approached with a moral affiliation, doing so will only compromise the integrity of the truth. Saladin may be a revered hero to you and many Muslims however he did not exude the excellent moral qualities you attribute him. By our modern standards I doubt that many at the time period did. That is why I asked you what is the criterion you employ to determine morality.

As for the second question: do I object to objective criticism of Islam? I'll answer that honestly. I do not condone *any* criticism of Islam. In my faith, it is blasphemous to *criticize* Islam. I simply tolerate it of others simply because they are not Muslims, and so of course I kindly listen to their objections and then I try responding to them. In Islam, we are not allowed to question our faith or its doctrines *if* these questions are asked to raise criticism; the only times we are allowed to ask such questions is not with the intention of criticism but rather of removing doubt in our hearts and of increasing our faith.

Take care, brother.

I understand it is forbidden to criticize Islam, however how is it possible to accept Islam without questioning the infallibility of the Quran? What is the proper approach to examine the Quran with the standards intellectual scrutiny? Is it not an intellectual exercise to remove doubt in your heart and increase your faith?

 

[Salah-Al-Din]

(Answering for the veil)
Because they
-are forced to by men
-believe they are acting in accordance to their religion.

In my experience, I've never known of a case of a woman being forced to wear the Niqab (face veil). *All* of the people I have known in my life who wear the Niqab are girls who themselves choose to do so, oftentimes to the great consternation of their parents. This is especially in the West, in particular places like the UK and America. I even know of girls who wore it and their parents pretty much threw them out of the houses for it. In the West, it's altogether unheard of a woman being forced to wear a face veil.

As for countries like Afghanistan and Saudi, these women are also not "forced" to wear the veil, at least not by their husbands and fathers. Instead, this is a cultural practise that dates back hundreds of years. All women of those societies wear it and have been wearing it, and they would be completely out of place if they stopped wearing it. The issue of forcing it never comes into play, because it is something that women take for granted and a part of their culture, just like going to prom is a part of Western culture. Westerners mistakenly think that the Taliban forced the Niqab/Burqa on Afghan women, when in fact this is ludicrous. Afghan women were wearing the Burqa long before the Taliban came into power, and even today, long after the Taliban have been removed from power, they are still wearing the Burqa. No change whatsoever. So nobody was forced to wear it by the Taliban. By peer pressure and society? Perhaps.

There could be isolated cases of men forcing it upon their women, but there are isolated cases of everything in every society. But the vast multitude of cases I have seen (and I interact with a *lot* with Muslims) are women who choose to wear the Niqab (face veil) on their own because they themselves want to do it.

 

[knigh+]

I have a question. (It's probably been asked before, knowing this crowd....) Do you really believe that you will have 72 women to have your way with for all eternity after you die? Do you think there will be anything more to heaven - like, say, worshiping God - besides screwing houri?

If we have a woman Muslim here (And I thought we did) what's your take on this? Do you find the idea of your husband spending eternity sleeping with a couple dozen eternally virginal beautiful women at least a little disconcerting? Is the man's wife supposed to try and comete with all those women? Or are there male houri to keep her busy?

I am actually not sure where the number 72 came from. I just searched Quran for "heaven", "houri", "martyr" and there is no mention of a number. In Quran it is generally said that believers will get appropriate houris, this does not mean plurality, and for couples they are the appropriate ones for each other (as well as their family). There are hordes of verses describing the heaven, but I'll just post a few relevant examples:

38:50 - Gardens of Eternity, whose doors will (ever) be open to them; 38:51 - Therein will they recline (at ease): therein can they call (at pleasure) for fruit in abundance, and (delicious) drink; 38:52 - And beside them will be chaste women restraining their glances, (companions) of equal age.

13:23 - Gardens of perpetual bliss: they shall enter there, as well as the righteous among their fathers, their spouses, and their offspring: and angels shall enter unto them from every gate (with the salutation):

Once a muslim asked Muhammad that he liked his camel very much, and would he be given a camel as good as it in heaven. Muhammad replied that Allah gives each believer the reward they wish (or something like that - I am quoting my 6th grade religion classes here). So it is easy to get adolescents into the cause by promising 72 houris in heaven, as most adolescents will like; and also point out that martyrs go to heaven and hand him some weapons. Very simple and efficient recruitment.

 

[Salah-Al-Din]

I have a question. (It's probably been asked before, knowing this crowd....) Do you really believe that you will have 72 women to have your way with for all eternity after you die? Do you think there will be anything more to heaven - like, say, worshiping God - besides screwing houri?

Excellent question, and I'm glad you asked it.

In fact, there are a multitude of rewards that we are told about in the Quran and the Prophetic Sayings. The 72 virgins promised are but *one* of the many rewards promised. Although there are dozens of verses in the Quran about Paradise and its rewards, only five of them mention the virgins. The rest mention other rewards in Paradise.

Amongst all of these rewards in Paradise, the *greatest* reward in Paradise is to see the Face of Allah, which means to be in the Glory of God's presence and to be in His good pleasure. Allah describes Paradise by saying:

"Allah has promised the men and women of the believers Gardens with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, forever, and fine dwellings in the Gardens of Eden. But the greatest bliss is the Good Pleasure of Allah: that is the supreme felicity." (Quran, 9:72)

It is said in the Islamic lore that the Greatest of all rewards is to be in the presence of God in Paradise, and this will make people forget all other rewards...that is how great it will be.

There are many materialistic rewards that are offered to the believers in Paradise, and these are definitely mentioned in the Quran and the Prophetic Sayings. Let us look at one of the Prophetic Sayings in which Allah gives these materialistic rewards to the People of Paradise, and then Allah asks them:

"Are you well pleased now?" They would say: "Why should we not be pleased, O Lord, when You have given us what you have not given to any of your creations?" He (Allah) would, however, say: "May I not give you something even more excellent than that?" And they would say: "O Lord, what thing can be more excellent than this?" And He (Allah) would say: "I shall cause My Pleasure to alight upon you and I shall never be afterwards annoyed with you." (Saheeh Muslim, Book 040, Hadith Number 6787)

The Quran uses materialistic rewards like 72 virgins simply as an encouragement to do good on this earth, and it is the only type of reward that people can understand and relate to.

You have tried to portray the Islamic Paradise as non-spiritual, but this is not the case whatsoever. In one of the descriptions of Paradise, the Prophet (s) said of the People of Paradise: "There would be no dissension amongst them and no enmity in their hearts. Their hearts would be like one heart, glorifying Allah morning and evening." (Saheeh Muslim, Book 040, Hadith Number 6797)

So most of the time would be spent in spiritual bliss and prayer. The carnal rewards mentioned are so that people on this earth can relate to Paradise, and thereby strive for it. A Muslim man is commanded, for example, to lower his gaze and to refrain from looking at women on the street. In fact, if he looks at them (i.e. "checks them out"), it is said that he loses virgins in Paradise as a punishment. So the basic principle is that you are getting rewarded in Paradise for the sacrifices and struggles you had on earth. This is something noble, not something disgusting.

For a life of austerity and struggle, you get rewarded in Paradise. This is only fair. Muslims, like I've said, should not listen to music, mix with the opposite gender, etc etc...these are all very tough things to do, and the encouragement is given with materialistic things in Paradise. Many of the things forbidden to us in this life are promised to us in Paradise (in a sin-less form) if we just give it up here. So the *reason* that Allah promised men these virgins is because men must not womanize in this life. The same is the case with wine: it is forbidden in this life, but it is promised in the next life as a compensation. But the wine of Paradise will have its sin removed from it, and so will the sin from the women be removed.

If we have a woman Muslim here (And I thought we did) what's your take on this? Do you find the idea of your husband spending eternity sleeping with a couple dozen eternally virginal beautiful women at least a little disconcerting? Is the man's wife supposed to try and comete with all those women? Or are there male houri to keep her busy?

First of all, the Prophet (s) said that a believing woman who gets Paradise will be made 7,000 times more beautiful than the Hooris (virgins).

Secondly, the women should not complain at all, because Allah has promised them a great reward in Paradise, so great that they can't possibly be ungrateful. Allah says:

"And whoever does good deeds--whether male or female--and is a believer: these shall enter the Garden (of Paradise), and they shall not be dealt with an iota unjustly." (Quran, 4:194)

"I will not waste the work of a worker among you, whether male or female..." (Quran, 3:195)

"Whoever does good--whether male or female--and is a believer: We will most certainly make him live a happy life, and We will most certainly give them their reward for the best of what they did." (Quran, 16:97)

"Enter the garden, you and your wives; you [all] shall be made happy." (Quran, 43:70)

There are some women who wonder why Allah has promised men these Hoor and not the females. Allah reassures them:

"I have prepared for My righteous slaves (such excellent things) as no eye has ever seen, nor an ear has ever heard nor a human heart can ever think of." (Saheeh Bukhari, Volumn 009, Book 093, Hadith Number 589)

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Sexual fulfillment is considered a basic need and necessity. Therefore, it would not be appropriate for Allah to have left out mention of this in the rewards for Paradise. Likewise, other essential needs and necessities--such as food--have been mentioned in the descriptions of Paradise. Luxurious foods await the believers. The basic principle, again, is to eat sparingly on this earth (without gluttony) and get luxurious food in Paradise as a result. The sheer chastity and modesty that Islam commands its believers in regards to sex necessitates that the Muslims be rewarded in this category in the next life, and this is why Allah has promised the believers such rewards.

It should be noted that 72 virgins were promised the martyrs in battle. This was because men were forced to leave their wives behind and risk their lives for the defense of justice. Many of the men did not wish to leave their wives behind and had a difficult time controlling their sexual urge for months. Therefore, this promise was made to them: that their sacrifice would not go unanswered. There is a story in one of the Prophetic Sayings about a very ugly man who finally gets married to a woman, and somehow he managed to get one of the most beautiful girls in the city! Everyone is shocked that such an ugly man got such a pretty girl, and the guy is of course elated when the two are wed. Unfortunately, he is called off to battle right after the wedding, even before the first marriage night. He dies in battle. The people feel pity on him saying "what a shame" since he left behind such a wife, but the Prophet (s) smiles and says that one of the virgins of Paradise is greeting this soldier and this is his reward for his sacrifice.

The reason that the Quran and Prophetic Sayings did not mention women getting male virgins, is because this would contradict the extra level of modesty that is demanded of women in Islam. The Quran and Prophetic Sayings are shy when it comes to women, in this department, as it is not considered appropriate. This may seem strange to people of a Western culture in which these things are openly discussed, but this is not the case for Muslim cultures.

 

[knigh+]

@ Salah-al-Din

Could you also post the verse or hadith promising 72.

 

[Salah-Al-Din]

I am actually not sure where the number 72 came from. I just searched Quran for "heaven", "houri", "martyr" and there is no mention of a number. In Quran it is generally said that believers will get appropriate houris, this does not mean plurality, and for couples they are the appropriate ones for each other (as well as their family).

The number 72 comes from the Prophetic Sayings, in which the Prophet (s) promises 72 virgin women (Hooris) to the People of Paradise, and it is generally assumed that this refers to martyrs specifically. (It should be noted that suicide is forbidden in Islam and so is suicide bombing. Therefore, the idea of some extremists that you get 72 virgins by blowing yourself up has no basis in Islam. Instead, this reward is for the soldier fighting on the battlefield in a just war.)

Once a muslim asked Muhammad that he liked his camel very much, and would he be given a camel as good as it in heaven. Muhammad replied that Allah gives each believer the reward they wish (or something like that - I am quoting my 6th grade religion classes here). So it is easy to get adolescents into the cause by promising 72 houris in heaven, as most adolescents will like; and also point out that martyrs go to heaven and hand him some weapons. Very simple and efficient recruitment.

In fact, you have mentioned a very important point. The basic principle is that you get whatever you want in Paradise. Therefore, the Prophet (s) would encourage believers with various rewards depending on his audience. So for example when he talked to poor people, he would inspire them with rewards in Paradise that would impress them, whereas he would inspire the elite class with a different set of rewards (since the two groups would be enticed by different things).

So yes, the encouragement of 72 hooris (virgins) to the martyrs is a method of encouraging people to Fight in the Cause of God against an evil oppressor and to risk their lives to do it. Again, these are men who leave their wives for months on end, and many of them were not ready for this sexual restraint. Therefore, this encouragement and reassurement was given to them, that they would be rewarded with 72 virgins for their sacrifice.

 

[Stylesjl]

Why 72? Why a finite number? After you have had your way with all the virgins, what do you do for the rest of eternity?

 

[Salah-Al-Din]

@ Salah-al-Din

Could you also post the verse or hadith promising 72.

The Prophet (s) said: "The smallest reward for the People of Paradise is an abode where there are 80,000 servants and 72 wives, over which stands a dome decorated with pearls, aquamarine, and ruby, as wide as the distance from Al-Jabiyyah [a Damascus suburb] to Sana'a [Yemen]."

 

[Salah-Al-Din]

Why 72? Why a finite number? After you have had your way with all the virgins, what do you do for the rest of eternity?

The Arabs did not have a number for infinity. Instead, they used multiples of 7 to denote a very large number. You will find this pattern everywhere. For example, when the Prophet (s) says that a man's wife will be 7,000 times more beautiful than the Hooris, it does not mean a literal multiple of 7,000. Instead, in Arabic Balagha (colloquialism), multiples of seven are always used to denote "a very large number."

Therefore, you will often see numbers like 7, 70, 700, and 7,000 being used, oftentimes for the very same thing. It simply denotes a very large number. And for some odd reason, Arabs throw in random numbers in it, and you will see 71, 72, and other such numbers, all denoting "a very large number."

This is a well-known fact to those who are Arabic speakers. Basically, the Prophet (s) is telling us that you will get a large number of whatever in Paradise.

 

[Salah-Al-Din]

Question:

Very often I hear from non-Muslims negative remarks regarding 72 virgins in paradise for martyrs. Can you teach me a good answer about that issue, or guide me to some article about it.

Answer by Shaykh Gibril F Haddad:

Tell them that the perfection of Islam dictates that it have a motivation for every type of person including those that are not motivated except through sensory reward, which is the common lot whether Christians deny it or not, and that the principle of Paradise as reward for martyrs is also very much present in their doctrine. However, Paradise in Islam also describes a higher level called ridwan i.e. the lavishing of Divine good pleasure, to which we pray that Allah guide us.

 

[Salah-Al-Din]

The Quran says that those who do get into Paradise will be rewarded with blessings that eclipse anything on earth; unlimited food of your choice, riches, and wishes come true. Things considered sinful on Earth such as wine will be allowed, and people will be able to eat and drink all they want and not get full or hungover or sick. People will be reunited with their friends and relatives, we will all be made young again, and there will be no anger or pain. Everyone will be given palaces to live in, and clothing fit for royalty, with luxurious couches and thrones for everyone. There will be rivers of the purest water, milk, wine, and honey, all of which are better than any you will find on earth. Each person will get hundreds or thousands of servants to take care of his every whim. Those who get to the highest part of Paradise, Jannah al-Firdaus, will also be able to be in God's Presence. Therefore, Heaven is a paradise filled with pleasures. Sexual fulfillment is but one small part of this grand scheme of things, and no doubt Paradise would have been incomplete without it. There is, however, much more to Paradise than simply getting virgins.

 

[aneeshm]

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Sexual fulfillment is considered a basic need and necessity. Therefore, it would not be appropriate for Allah to have left out mention of this in the rewards for Paradise. Likewise, other essential needs and necessities--such as food--have been mentioned in the descriptions of Paradise. Luxurious foods await the believers. The basic principle, again, is to eat sparingly on this earth (without gluttony) and get luxurious food in Paradise as a result. The sheer chastity and modesty that Islam commands its believers in regards to sex necessitates that the Muslims be rewarded in this category in the next life, and this is why Allah has promised the believers such rewards.

It should be noted that 72 virgins were promised the martyrs in battle. This was because men were forced to leave their wives behind and risk their lives for the defense of justice. Many of the men did not wish to leave their wives behind and had a difficult time controlling their sexual urge for months. Therefore, this promise was made to them: that their sacrifice would not go unanswered. There is a story in one of the Prophetic Sayings about a very ugly man who finally gets married to a woman, and somehow he managed to get one of the most beautiful girls in the city! Everyone is shocked that such an ugly man got such a pretty girl, and the guy is of course elated when the two are wed. Unfortunately, he is called off to battle right after the wedding, even before the first marriage night. He dies in battle. The people feel pity on him saying "what a shame" since he left behind such a wife, but the Prophet (s) smiles and says that one of the virgins of Paradise is greeting this soldier and this is his reward for his sacrifice.

The reason that the Quran and Prophetic Sayings did not mention women getting male virgins, is because this would contradict the extra level of modesty that is demanded of women in Islam. The Quran and Prophetic Sayings are shy when it comes to women, in this department, as it is not considered appropriate. This may seem strange to people of a Western culture in which these things are openly discussed, but this is not the case for Muslim cultures.

I'd like to clear up two things here:

a) Does this mean that some things and promises (such as that virgins one) was necessitated by the demands of Mohammed's time, and not by divine commandment?

and

b) Does this mean that Islam uses differing standards form women and men?

 

[Salah-Al-Din]

I'd like to clear up two things here:

a) Does this mean that some things and promises (such as that virgins one) was necessitated by the demands of Mohammed's time, and not by divine commandment?

No. Not at all. We believe that the two are intertwined. It was both a Commandment of Allah and it *also* facilitated the Message. For example, the Muslims at first prayed towards Jerusalem to show solidarity with the Jews. Secularists say that this is the time period in which Prophet Muhammad (s) was trying to woo the Jews into his camp. But then the Jews rebuffed the Prophet (s) and said that he could not be the Prophet that was foretold to them since he was not the ethnicity of the Chosen People. When the Jews thereby rebuffed Prophet Muhammad (s), he was instructed by Divine Commandment to change direction in prayer, away from Jerusalem and towards Mecca.

So secularists like to say that what Prophet Muhammad (s) did was political and not religious. But Muslims do not differentiate between the two. We believe that Allah manifests Himself in this manner, and that His Commands are a direct result of the events on the ground. It was Allah Himself who gave a chance to the Jews to enter the fold of Islam, and when they rejected it, then Allah commanded His Prophet to rebuff them by turning face towards Mecca.

In conclusion, Prophet Muhammad (s) was divinely commanded to call people towards Islam in the manner that he did, in order that the Message of God be successful. He (s) was instructed to tell people of the rewards of Paradise, and the manner he did this was by divine command.

b) Does this mean that Islam uses differing standards form women and men?

Islam believes that men and women are different, and they are thus dealt with differently. However, they are both dealt with justice and fairness. In fact, the Islamic belief is that dealing with both of them in the same manner would be unjust since they are inherently different. Therefore, the focus is on justice and not on equality. We do not agree in equality in the sense of sameness or identical-ness, because we believe men and women are very different. Jihad is enjoined on men, but it would be unfair to also enjoin it on women.

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid says:

"One of the things that people misunderstand is when they say that 'Islam is the religion of equality'. What they should say (instead) is that Islam is the religion of justice."

Shaykh Ibn &#8216;Uthaymeen said:

"Based on this, Islam does not regard men and women as equal in matters where regarding them as equal would result in injustice to one of them, because equality that is inappropriate is a severe form of injustice.

"The Qur&#8217;aan commands women to wear clothes that are different from those worn by men, because of the differences in the ways each sex is tempted by the other. The temptation posed by men is less than the temptation posed by women, so the clothes that women should wear are different than the clothes that men wear. It makes no sense to tell women to expose the parts of the body that men are allowed to expose, because of the differences in the temptation posed by a woman&#8217;s body and a man&#8217;s body. "

---------------------

There are definitely certain matters in which men and women are treated differently. For example, man is the head of the household. He is the breadwinner and earner, supporter, and maintainer for the woman. The woman is the home-maker and she raises the next generation. It would not make sense to give both of them the same role.

And there are other parts of the Shariah that differ for men and women. Women are not commanded to fight and die in Jihad, as a mercy to them--and since Jihad is an instrument to protect women, not to endanger them. Another difference is that men can travel long distances alone but a woman is enjoined to take along a male relative if safety is an issue. Men are obligated to pray every prayer in the mosque, but women are exempted from this as it would hamper their role in their house. (Prayer in the mosque is optional for them.) A woman may wear silk and gold, but a man must not wear them. And there other differences, depending on the respective role of each. (Men, for example, are not expected to get pregnant. )

However, men and women are seen as spiritual equals, and differ based only upon deeds. Furthermore, the rewards in Paradise are of equal value for both. One shall not be favored over the other. If you have a man and a woman, they are to be differentiated in rank only based upon their piety and good deeds.

Take care, brother.

 

[Fox Mccloud]

Are you Shi'a or Sunni and what's the difference?

I'm a Shi'a. Between 10 and 15 percent of the the world's Muslims are Shi'a. Sunnis make up the other 85-90. We are found in and around Iran and along the Mediterranean.

Wikipedia has a map showing Shi'a and Sunni distribution:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a0/Muslim_distribution.jpg

The differences are hard to understand myself let alone explain to a non-Muslim. Matthew, try as he might, doesn't get it.

Hi, I don't mean to sound offensive to Shi'as, but since your version of Islam is followed by a minority of Muslims, and the Sunnis have like 10 times the number of followers, what makes you sure Allah doesn't favor the Sunnis? Again, I don't mean this to offend.

 

[Bill3000]

Hi, I don't mean to sound offensive to Shi'as, but since your version of Islam is followed by a minority of Muslims, and the Sunnis have like 10 times the number of followers, what makes you sure Allah doesn't favor the Sunnis? Again, I don't mean this to offend.

Even I can answer that. Because the probability of a religion being true has absolutely nothing to do with how many members it has. As well, for all intents and purposes, all religions have an equal chance of being true.

 

[Oerdin]

Do Muslims believe in the ten commandments?

 

[knigh+]

Do Muslims believe in the ten commandments?

Yep, totally. We don't have a blaring list of them as was given to Moses, but several verses from different parts of Quran order each of them. Sorry, quoting all of those seems too much work right now.