Are you well-versed in Islam / the Quran? I need answers regarding some basic dos/dont's 4 Muslims, pls help?

Question

1) True that Muslims are not to use playing cards? What about cards that are NOT classic playing cards, kiddie cards like ones with fruits and animals on them? Friend says they are not allowed to touch these either even the kids. 2) True that they are never to listen to any kind of music and never supposed to dance (especially during Ramadan)? 3) Is it true that Muslims are not supposed to have their pictures taken? 4) Is it true that when viewing a movie a Muslim is not supposed to view any kind of affection between a man & woman, i.e. even a 4 second kiss fully clothed in a busy airport is considered to be pornographic and therefore they are not to look at it? 4) Is it true that Muslims are not supposed to keep any animals in the house? Not even a bird or a rabbit? 5) Is it true that the consensus of the Muslim community says that it’s OK to play violent video games but no playing cards? If you answer any of these questions can you please site your source? Thanks so much!

All of these things were told to me by a MUSLIM FAMILY! They are not just crazy random questions.

Answer 1

Ill try to answer your questions using the logic thats behind Islamic teaching:

1. playing cards are not an issue. its the gambling Islam fights against. some people will tend to exaggerate and say its not okay to play cards but thats not the point. the point is to avoid giving your children impulses on gambling games. if your child knows about the wrongs of gambling am sure theres no problem with her or him playing with the cards.

2. Music is a debated issue in Islam. some will refer to the music that arouses the carnal instincts in man and will say its against the teachings of Islam and Id have to agree. however music that does not have a bad moral influence on you is pretty much allowed. Dancing is a different issue. Women should not dance around men who arent their immediate family or husband because dancing entices sexual responses and is against the teachigns of Islam to entice someone whose not your spouse.

3.Theres no such ruling that says muslims cannot have their pictures taken. those who say so will say it will have personal reasons for it.

4.no thats seriously exaggerated. were not allowed to look at obscenity, and the private parts of people.

5.thats also not true. you can harbor any animal in the house as long as you tend to the cleanliness of the general area because we muslims can pray anywhere on earth and the house needs to be clean for praying. as for dogs, the mouth of the dog contains harmful bacteria and we are warned against being too close to dogs. they may be kept in the garden and away from places that need to stay clean for your own health and welfare.

6.Any consensus that thinks so superficially is veering from the understandings of the Quran and the values the Prophet Muhammad tried to instill in Muslims.

Answer 2

You must ask your Muslim friends for the evidence from the Quran, which is the only true source of Islam, but there are no honest translations of the Quran available, not even on Muslim websites.

So far you have only asked about supposed "donts" so why not come up with some "do's"?

Your friends are warned in the Quran about donts that are not mentioned in the Quran but Muslims make a game of the Quran with their idle tales and their lack of understanding of Quran or their refusal to understand.

Your donts are really for those who miss the Message of Quran and only say they believe but faith has not yet entered into their hearts.

You must try reading the Quran with an open mind and see what it can do to open your eyes and your heart.

Answer 3

There are so much misunderstanding about Islam and Muslims not only among Non Muslims but also maong Muslims who are Muslims by name only.
1) Gambling, lottery, interest etc. are not allowed in Islam. They are absolutley forbidden was were in previosu versions of Islam i.e. Moses, Jesus (Peace be upon them)
2) One can play simple cards as a game. This is not forbidden and does not matter if thees have pictures or not. Keeping pictures in albums or on the floor or on the table are not forbidden. What is forbidden is to display on the walls etc. This to discourage personality or human worship. So Muslims do not have pictures of Muhammad (PBUH) etc.
3) Muslims can listen to simple music e.g. Daf.etc. But as they are supposed to be the role model for the rest of the people as they alone have the totally protected divine book in its original language, they must not spend their time in useless activities. They must spend time very judicially for the growth and reconstruction of entire humanity.
4) Muslim man and woman are supposed to lower gaze and aovid all thsoe acts which would lead them closer to adultry and extra marital relations as these cause severe damage to family life and this is perhaps the reason that Muslims have the lowest divorce rate and their faimly ties are the strongest and they have the lowest rates of AIDS and other Sexuallay transmitted diseases.
5) It is not true at all that Muslims are forbidden to keep birds or animals. Only prohibition is for keepin dog n your huse as it scares your guest. However if yu have a fram house or farm you are allowed to keep dog too for protection
6) Muslims are not allowed to see violent and vulgar videos. Islam is peace and has nothing to do with violence. Jihad is like clean surgery where only dead tissue is removed with minimal bleeding so when the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) conquered Makkah there was no killing. No celebrations. His head was touching the ground or the back of camel on which he was riding to thank the God. He forgave his most bitterest enemies. beleive it or not all current violene is carried out by enemies of Islam and through wrong propagenda they hold Islam responsible for it. E.g. 9/11. and WMDs.

Answer 4

cards are not haram.gambling with them is.music is frowned upon especially when the lyrics are despicable.and any thing that makes a four yr old girl move like she's on stage at a forbidden mens club need not be permissible.unless you are a christian for they dont feel that way.pictures.frowned upon.they are not to be hung up on walls because the angels of mercy do not enter a house with images hung up.4. its true that to be grateful to Allah for your eyesight you have to look at things permitted by Him.public affection is for a society that promotes hedonism and the like.how does it make you feel if your children were to see the goings on of the couple who dont care what you see them doing?only dogs are not allowed inside unless its a guard dog.birds, cats.. o.k.there is no consensus on video games.too many opinions.

Answer 5

1/ we are not allowed playing cards for money ( like poker or black jack)
2/absolutly not! Islam respect arts and we listen to music! now if it's to listen to a song full of vulgarity and naked women or sexual teasing... well this is forbidden in the three religions
3/not at all!
4/ yes ! any kind of physical affection is to be kept for privacy between husband and wife
4/ not at all, only dogs are not allowed inside the house because he is not pure, but you can have a dog outside your house
5/I never hear about this consensus, sounds very strange ...

Answer 6

Very simple....as for playing cards...it is we are not to gamble....playing cards and kiddie cards weren't around in the time the Qur'an was written so no referrence.
As for music...yes we can listen to music "Say, 'Who prohibited the nice things God has created for His creatures, and the good provisions?' Say,' such provisions are to be enjoyed in THIS life"7:32 (QURAN)...The sincere Muslim who is following the Quran will not find in the Quran ANY PROHIBITION whatsoever OF MUSIC OR SINGING. God is very specific and His commands are very clear regarding any prohibition given in the Quran. God, the Most Merciful, NEVER prohibited music or singing in the Quran. Any prohibition of music or singing that is talked about among some Muslims has no basis in the Quran. These prohibitions are innovations made up by some of the scholars and their followers who do not shy from refusing to follow the clear commands in the Quran and instead follow man made laws and books of Hadith and Sunna that contradict the Quran, contradict simple common sense and insult the message of the prophet Muhammad. These books of Hadith and sunna were written over 200 years after the death of prophet Muhammad. The prophet Muhammad himself followed and preached ONLY the Quran....again no reference from the Qur'an as it is not forbidden....men came along later and decided this.
As for pictures taken...again nothing wrong...no camera's in the time of the Qur'ans time...this is the word of men later who falsely attribute it to God..to us Muslims the Qur'an is whole and perfect (6:19.,38 and 114; 7:52; 17:12; 11:1; 41:3; 12:111, and 16:89) and God did not leave anything out that is to prohibited, God does not run out of words, when God includes something it is deliberate when he doesn't mention something it is deliberate, God does not make mistakes...so yes photos are ok.....again words of men who think they are God or think they have the power to speak for God later....which they don't.
As for 4. I guess this is left up to the individual..again movies not mentioned in the Qur'an so it depends on what you feel is right and how moderate you are...anyone who can give a definate answer on this is mistaking themselves for God......left up to people to decide what they feel is right...a muslims slavation does nto depend on this..... it would be similar to asking this of a Christian....
As for the pets....A common misconception by Muslims. It is interesting to know that dogs are mentioned in the Quran 5 times, not just once, 7:176, 18:18, 18:22 (three times). NO WHERE does God call the dogs dirty animals or give any indication that they should be avoided or treated the way many Muslims think they should. Actually the story of the people of the cave, in Sura 18, gives the indication. that we should appreciate;
...It tells of early muslims ( as mentioned on the Qur'an) slept in the caves with their dogs and how God found nothing wrong with this, infact God had the angels enter the cave and roll them over in their sleep and watch over them....as for me personally, i prefer to have a cat inside as it cleans itself, my dog generally stays outside as it smells a bit sometimes, but i love her none the less and she gets just as much affection. This rule is again the words of men who think they have the power to prohibit things hen they don't, not the words of God...as for birds, again no mention that it is wrong in the Qur'an, infact birds are condsidered to be one of the amazing wonders of God.
As for 5, I have never, ever heard of this! how ridiculous, now that is just bad parenting.....my chidren will not play violent video games because they are violent, the will not play video games full stop, they will be outside playing or reading....and as above we can't gamble.....but a game of memory or snap with cards between two little kids....well that ain't exactly gambling.
In Islam Muslims should only follow the Qur'an. No one, including the prophet Muhammad, can prohibit what God did not, 66:1. When the Prophet Muhammad once did, God admonished him in public to remind the believers that ONLY GOD can prohibit. See 66:1 and 33:37. If God did not cover EVERY facet of modern life it is because it wasn't necessary. In addition to reminding us repeatedly that the Quran is DETAILED, God told us that He detailed for us what has been prohibited for us, see for example 6:119. God did not need assistance from any Imams, Sahaba or Tabi'in. God did not expect or wanted the prophet Muhammad to make his own laws. The Prophet Muhammad did not bring any laws other than the Quran, but the fabricators of the books of Hadiths and Sunna did.
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Answer 7

One thing i can say for sure i am also doing these !May be this site will help you you can put up a question here.Peace be upon you!
www.islamdoor.com

Answer 8

my friend if you understand Urdu. go to this site where u can ask any question regarding religion.
http://www.dawateislami.net Free Subscribe and ask your question you'll get your answers there..

Answer 9

Most of what you describe here has to do with the Wahabi movement, and mostly in Saudi Arabia.

Please see more information here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wahabi

Answer 10

I will do the best I can to answer your questions.

The Quran forbids wasting time in games and gambling. Many of what you have cited are various interpretations of different scholars and are not clearly cited in the Quran except the gist of it. In our belief human intellect is given to develop our minds so that we can serve humanity as well as be stewards for this Earth. If one is wasting time in playing cards or other activities that lack in purpose other than to kill time, it is considered a wasting of one's life, which is a most precious gift of the Lord Almighty. If is like throwing away a nice gift somoene gave you and not caring for them or the gift.

When someone asked Imam Ali is it wrong to earn more money than you need. He answered, we should earn legitimate money using all the faculties given to us and as if we will never die. But, we should share the money with the needy as if we will die tomorrow. Essentially the purpose in some of these rules is to alleviate poverty and hardships for those who are less blessed than us. If the best minds are using up their time in fun and frolic, then who will take care of the needy.

Games are allowed when they develop us mentally or physically so that these faculties are better employed to improve the World.
The Quran just says do not waste your time in fun and frolic and games when there are important things that need to be done when each of us is given a limited time.

The rulings about pictures are again an interpretation. It is generally understood that pictures (without the written word) can lie. For example if you ask me for my picture and I send my picture when I was five years old, without saying anything, I am suggesting to you that I am five years old when I am not. If you draw the picture of a person or being it generally lies. As soon as you take the picture, it begins to get old. However, that does not mean you can not take a picture at all. Living beings are constantly changing. As soon as you draw their picture, they have changed, and what you have in your hand really is a lie of a sort. Imagine someone making an image of air or gravity and worship it? That is the ultimately misuse of picture making. When you turn ideas into physical forms which is the last aspect of existence, whereas mind, intellect and forces etc. can not be properly depicted in pictures.

There was a real fear that people will make a picture of the Prophet and begin worshipping him or other important persons in early Islam or pictures of God. Islam teaches us that it is not the physical that is important but the character and teachings and essence of the Prophet that teach us to be good human beings that is important. People keep tending to focus on the physical aspects in preference to the deeper aspects of life. Physical selves are destined to be destroyed. The body or looks are temporal, whereas teachings are critical.

It is however, easier and simpler to worship a picture of a person you love than to implement their teachings in your life. When there is no picture and you love someone you will implement their teachings in your life and become a good human being. The most beautiful but evil person is worse than the most ugly but good person. So, pictures put the emphasis on the wrong side of the issue.

The Prophet regularly kept cats at home. However animals that do not keep themselves clean are not preferred. Dogs for example may lick their gentials or anus in one moment and kiss or lick your face in the other. So, dogs are generally to be avoided to be kept at home. Birds or any animals that can make feces and spoil your furniture or create dirt or grime or germs to come into your home are not preferred. However, there is no general restriction on all animals.

When you view movies, you are looking up to lesser beings such as actors or actresses who do not really represent good examples of honorable persons. In the old days prostitutes and dancing girls and pimps used to entertain the average person, but no one looked up to them. In these days these same people prostitute their bodies and are on the silver screen making a lot of money. When you look up to them as your idols, then you begin to follow them and slowly become like them. Therefore it is discouraged that we watch movies and look up to lesser people when you have great examples of better people whose lives are much more productive for mankind.

Music per se is not prohibited. The beautiful songs of David and the instrument he played them on are mentioned in the Quran. The adhaan or call to prayer itself uses musical notes. In the old days music used to be the precurser to dancing and love making finally in illicit ways. Music should also be used to bring people closer to God. God Almighty gave music. Like any thing else, it can be used wrongfully. Notice it that Music in Arabic is called MOOSIQI. Whereas GHINA Is forbidden. Ghina is a special type of music which leads you to shake your body, dance and get involved in the opposite sex in an illicit manner.

Quran or Islam does not forbid sex between the opposite sex if it is done in the context of family. In fact it is strongly encouraged that sexual activity take place between husband and wife. However, illicit sex leads to a lot of harm to society at many levels and is strictly forbidden.

It is like there is a blind well, and you put a wall around it, put signs around it and show arrows indicating where the danger lies. If you remove all the precautions, than the chances of falling in the well increase. So, in Islam begins to stop you from moving in the direction of wrong doing.

Show of love between the opposite sex in public was looked down upon in all cultures as that sets up the precedent towards illicit sexual activity. It is human nature to take things one step further. Thus in the West people at times have the opportunity to watch live sex between people. This did not happen in one step but in many small steps. What is wrong with watching such activity? It leads to illicit relationships, experimentation and activities that result in children being born out of wedlock.

Regardless of how much one tries to use contraceptives, one will have children. If the family setting and mental preparedness is not there to support these children, they are either killed through abortions or abandoned or a single mom is forced to bear the responsibility of earning a living while taking care of the child, which is not possible in many cases. So the child pays a price for what seems initially as an insignificant action. But all actions are connected to chains of action. When you shake one end of the chain, it will go through all the links at least in some cases. Thus it may seem implausible initially, but if you do a deeper study, the harmless kiss can ultimately lead to the murder of a child in the womb which gives him/her life!!

I do not support my children playing violent video games as they can desensitize you to pain and suffering. When that happens you become callous and lose the great blessing that the Lord Almighty has endowed all human beings with, which is compassion. When you do not have compassion, you become more of an animal than a human being.

However, our faith also teaches us that the good people, especially males be also strong. If compassion has an imbalance to the point that you give in to the violent, then your goodness is of no use and time and again the passive have been over-run by the violent. So, one should face the violent ones without fear and if need be breed fear in their hearts so that they do not attack the innocent without paying a due price. There is no harm in subduing a bully. However, if one becomes a bully in the process, then God help us. Balance is critical.

This should be done while not forgetting that the purpose of facing them is to preserve compassion. If due to dealing with violence, one loses one's compassion, then one has really lost the whole purpose. Ultimately if you love and fear God Almighty you know that everyone is his creature including animals. If you love Rembrandt, you would not support destruction of his paintings. Similarly all life, including human and animal life is sacred and must be preserved regardless of what animal it is or which human being from what religion, race, national origin or sex he or she is.

Violence is allowed only and only to subdue unprovoked aggression and violence in true Islam. Some kings and politicians have misused this and created hell on earth. The Lord Almighty shall deal with them for the mischief they created in the name of Islam in my belief.

I hope all this makes sense to you.