A list of questions from a curious person.

[LittleFlower]

I have tonnes of questions about Islam. After going to a funeral and also welcoming a new baby (not my own, my friends baby) to the world ... I find myself very overwhelmed ... I want to find a faith, last week was full of death and birth within days and it was a very trying time. I'm not sure if I would be a good Muslim (or if I can even become one in the first place) so I am here to ask questions and see if -given time and patience- Islam is the right path for me.

Here comes questions -I humbly apologise if anything comes across as offensive or if I say soemthing that is taboo, I honestly have very little knowledge of Islam and I'm hoping to learn from the ground up.-

1. Even as a baptised Catholic, can I become Muslim? Is there anythign I should be aware of because of my Catholic background that would be a problem?

2. -This is very important to me- I am a twin, sadly my sister passed away while my mother was 8 months pregnant. She's always been incredibly important to me however, I've had people tell me (both inside and outside of Catholic/CHristian faith) that because she died before baptism, she will be sent to Hell or Purgatory. It tears me apart to think that that would happen to her, would she go to Heaven? What happened to her? What about people who are of different faiths? Will a Christian meet a Muslim in Heaven if they have both led very good, honest lives?

3. The Hijab. As a modest person, I'd love to wear one anyway, but I fear I would be disrespectful to wear the Hijab and not practice Islam. How would you respond to someone who is not Muslim wearing a Hijab? Also, with the rest of the clothing, I like to wear skirts that go to the knee length, but I wear leggings and very long socks underneath (so no skin is exposed) but I am aware that skirts should not be that short and that wearing tight clothing like leggings and tights/socks is immodest. Would it be wrong to wear a Hijab and a knee length skirt even with leggings? Also the arms, are the entire arms supposed to be covered to the wrist or are 3/4 length sleeves/t-shirt sleeves okay?

4. Are Muslims allowed to play musical instruments? I play guitar and bass and I LOVE it, playing bass helped me through painful physical therapy because it gave me a goal to strive towards while I was recovering and physio was tough. I'd dread to give it up, I'm also a big fan of a rock band and I'd miss listening to their songs. I know Buddhism has certain rules about music, in Catholic church however there are choirs and hymns etc, but I don't know about music in Islam so I'd appreciate it if someone could explain the stance on music in Islam.

5. What do Muslims think of cats? I look after shelter cats and generally help look after strays and so on, is there any rules in Islam I should be aware of that concern pets or animals?

6. Are there any professions/hobbies/activities that a Muslim person should avoid? Or activities (aside from prayers, fasting during Ramadan etc) that should be encouraged?

7. What is the Muslim stance on homosexuality and transgender/sexualism?

8. What is the Muslim view on mixed marriages or interacting with other religions in general? (My parents were both Christians, but different types of Christians, in Northern and Republic of Ireland, even though both Protestant and Catholic are Christians there have been massive divisions in society, and thats within Christianity!! How do followers of Islam respond to other religions? Would it be okay for a Muslim to marry a non-Muslim?)


I'm sorry a lot of these questions sound stupid Im sure. I'd appreciate any answers, I'll probably only ask more questions though!

Thank you for your time.

 

[AabiruSabeel]

I have tonnes of questions about Islam. After going to a funeral and also welcoming a new baby (not my own, my friends baby) to the world ... I find myself very overwhelmed ... I want to find a faith, last week was full of death and birth within days and it was a very trying time. I'm not sure if I would be a good Muslim (or if I can even become one in the first place) so I am here to ask questions and see if -given time and patience- Islam is the right path for me.

Here comes questions -I humbly apologise if anything comes across as offensive or if I say soemthing that is taboo, I honestly have very little knowledge of Islam and I'm hoping to learn from the ground up.-

1. Even as a baptised Catholic, can I become Muslim? Is there anythign I should be aware of because of my Catholic background that would be a problem?

Welcome to IslamicBoard. We hope you will enjoy a beneficial stay with us.

Everyone can become a Muslim. There is no exception at all. Islam is for the whole of humanity. Allah :swt: says:

Say (O Muhammad): O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. None has the right to be worshipped but He; it is He Who gives life and causes death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write, who believes in Allaah and His Words, and follow him so that you may be guided. [7:158]​

When anyone becomes a Muslim, all his previous sins are forgiven.

Narrated Abu Sa'id Al Khudri :ra::
Allah's Messenger :saws: said, "If a person embraces Islam sincerely, then Allah shall forgive all his past sins, and after that starts the settlement of accounts, the reward of his good deeds will be ten times to seven hundred times for each good deed and one evil deed will be recorded as it is unless Allah forgives it." [Sahih al-Bukhari 41]

In another narration, he says:
"The Messenger of Allah :saws: said: 'If a person accepts Islam, such that his Islam is good, Allah will decree reward for every good deed that he did before, and every bad deed that he did before will be erased. Then after that will come the reckoning; each good deed will be rewarded ten times up to seven hundred times. And each bad deed will be recorded as it is, unless Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, forgives it.'" [Sunan an-Nasa'i 4998]
​

2. -This is very important to me- I am a twin, sadly my sister passed away while my mother was 8 months pregnant. She's always been incredibly important to me however, I've had people tell me (both inside and outside of Catholic/CHristian faith) that because she died before baptism, she will be sent to Hell or Purgatory. It tears me apart to think that that would happen to her, would she go to Heaven? What happened to her? What about people who are of different faiths? Will a Christian meet a Muslim in Heaven if they have both led very good, honest lives?

Every human being is born as a believer.

Narrated Abu Huraira :ra::
Allah's Messenger :saws: said, "No child is born except on Al-Fitra (Islam) and then his parents make him Jewish, Christian or Magian, as an animal produces a perfect young animal: do you see any part of its body amputated?" Then he recited 'The religion of pure Islamic Faith (Hanifa),(i.e. to worship none but Allah), The pure Allah's Islamic nature with which He (Allah) has created mankind. Let There be no change in Allah's religion (i.e. to join none in Allah's worship). That is the straight religion; but most of men know not..." (30.30) [Bukhari]

It is reported on the authority of Abu Mu'awiya :ra: that (the Holy Prophet :saws said:
Every new-born babe is born on the millat (of Islam and he) remains on this until his tongue is enabled to express himself. [Sahih Muslim]​

It is narrated in a long Hadith that all the children who die before becoming an adult are with Ibrahim :as: in Paradise.

... And the tall man whom you saw in the garden, is Abraham and the children around him are those children who die with Al-Fitra (the Islamic Faith). The narrator added: Some Muslims asked the Prophet, "O Allah's Messenger! What about the children of pagans?" The Prophet :saws: replied, "And also the children of pagans." [Sahih al-Bukhari 7047]
​

I hope someone else will answer your remaining questions.

 

[jkekeis]

As-salamu alaykum


I imagine you have a great number of questions, aside from what you have just listed. I recently turned to Islam after believing in Allah, but not adhering to any religion in particular. I have come across some of the information which you are seeking which can be daunting to find, given the mass volumes of information which Allah (SWT) and the Prophet (SAW) have given to us all.


In regards to cats, they are OK. They were admired in past times because of their cleanliness because in that sense, they are similar to what a Muslim should be: clean and pure. They are allowed to enter homes and mosques because of their cleanliness.


What should be avoided? Anything that is sinful including extramarital sex, drinking alcohol, staring at people of the opposite sex, clothing that doesn't cover the awrah, stopping people from remembrance of Allah (SWT), lewd or obscene talk or behavior, and that's just to start. There is a whole laundry list of things to avoid in Islam, and with varying rationales behind them, that is just too long to list here.


Homosexuality is a sin. Period. That is evidenced in the Qur'an, specifically about the story of Lot's people and Sodom and Gamorrah, which you will be familiar with as a Catholic. As for transgendered persons, --- there are ahadith that state "Allah has cursed men who imitate women and women who imitate men.” If I come across specific information regarding it, I will be happy to pass it along.


Regarding mixed faith marriages, Islam is tolerant, but it must be to a person who embraces the Oneness of Allah and believes in a single God and associates no partners with Him. Surah 5, verse 5 “Made lawful to you...are chaste women from the believers (Muslims) and chaste women from those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians).”


In terms of inter-faith relations, there are many verses regarding the relations of Islam to Judaism and Christianity, such as Surah 29, verse 46 “Do not argue with the People of the Scripture, unless it be in a way that is better (with good words and manners), except with such of them as do wrong; and say ‘We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you; our Ilah and your Ilah is One, and to Him we have submitted’”; Surah 3, verse 111 “They (Jews and Christians) will do you no harm, barring a trifling annoyance; and if they fight against you, they will show their backs, and they will not be helped.” But there are other verses that level charges of idolatry at the Christians (for associating Jesus ('Isa) on the same level as Allah (SWT) and that the Jews invented lies about Mary (Maryam) by implying that she committed illegal sexual intercourse. Once again, there is a laundry list of interfaith relational verses that I have been compiling for months.


I'm sure, by now, your head might be spinning as mine did, struggling to understand the massive influx of information, but don't worry, if Allah (SWT) in His infinite wisdom has decided to bring you to His religion of truth, He has already decreed it to be so, and you need not worry. The answers will be given to you in time.
I hope this helps, and I am always here to find and assist the brothers and sisters of this Ummah. That being said, I must go back to my statement that I am not a scholar, nor an expert on the Qur'an or the ahadith. I simply find and relate the information, it is up to the person to decide what to do with that knowledge.

 

[Ahmad H]

I would like to give you simple answers as possible, if you wouldn't mind.

1. Even as a baptised Catholic, can I become Muslim? Is there anythign I should be aware of because of my Catholic background that would be a problem?

There is no problem with anyone o any background. Everyone can and are encouraged to join Islam. Even if you are on the deathbed and you are dying from a sickness, even then there is great encouragement to join Islam. Joining it means that your previous sins are forgiven by Allah and you start off with a clean slate. The condition is that you should continue to keep a clean slate according to your knowledge and capacity as a new convert. It is much better to first study Islam while you are healthy and to join it once you fully understand what it is you must do as a Muslim. For example, pray five times a day, fast during Ramadan, go for Hajj when possible, etc.

2. -This is very important to me- I am a twin, sadly my sister passed away while my mother was 8 months pregnant. She's always been incredibly important to me however, I've had people tell me (both inside and outside of Catholic/CHristian faith) that because she died before baptism, she will be sent to Hell or Purgatory. It tears me apart to think that that would happen to her, would she go to Heaven? What happened to her? What about people who are of different faiths? Will a Christian meet a Muslim in Heaven if they have both led very good, honest lives?

In answer, every newborn baby is sinless. I believe in Christianity you are told that everyone is born in sin. However, we do not accept that in Islam. A newborn baby is not made to suffer. Every newborn baby, a person who was never exposed to Islam and an insane person are not accountable when they die for being Muslim. You have to have heard and received the message of Islam and rejected it totally in order to be held accountable for rejecting the message.

3. The Hijab. As a modest person, I'd love to wear one anyway, but I fear I would be disrespectful to wear the Hijab and not practice Islam. How would you respond to someone who is not Muslim wearing a Hijab? Also, with the rest of the clothing, I like to wear skirts that go to the knee length, but I wear leggings and very long socks underneath (so no skin is exposed) but I am aware that skirts should not be that short and that wearing tight clothing like leggings and tights/socks is immodest. Would it be wrong to wear a Hijab and a KNEE LENGTH SKIRT even with leggings? Also the arms, are the entire arms supposed to be covered to the wrist or are 3/4 length sleeves/t-shirt sleeves okay?

You are Catholic, correct? If I remember correctly, I think Catholics have pictures of Hazrat Bibi Maryam (ra) wearing a head scarf. This injunction of modesty was given to pretty much every religion. I know for a fact that Christians are also supposed to be wearing modest clothing as well. This is something from Judaic law as well. My belief is that Christianity is just an extension of Judaism. Jesus (as) himself was a Rabbi, and so he did not go against the teachings of the faith he was part of. Based on this logic, I find it safe to assume that you are required even by your own religion to wear a head scarf. If you wanted to do things as Muslim women do, then I don't see why you stop yourself. It doesn't seem to go against even the teachings of your faith. In fact, you would be following the Sunnah (example) of the blessed Mary. Normally, I make the argument to Christians that they shouldn't speak against the Hijab which Muslim women wear, since they depict Mary wearing a Hijab as well. This is overlooked more often than it should be.

4. Are Muslims allowed to play musical instruments? I play guitar and bass and I LOVE it, playing bass helped me through painful physical therapy because it gave me a goal to strive towards while I was recovering and physio was tough. I'd dread to give it up, I'm also a big fan of a rock band and I'd miss listening to their songs. I know Buddhism has certain rules about MUSIC, in Catholic church however there are choirs and hymns etc, but I don't know about music in Islam so I'd appreciate it if someone could explain the stance on music in Islam.

Music is for the most part forbidden in Islam. I will say that it is not completely forbidden, since the Holy Prophet (saw) allowed the duff to be played during Eid celebrations. This means that Music itself is not forbidden. As for the context, I do not know if Eid is the only occasion it is allowed, but celebrations can have the duff. As for which instruments are allowed or not, this I won't answer here.

5. What do Muslims think of cats? I look after shelter cats and generally help look after strays and so on, is there any rules in Islam I should be aware of that concern pets or animals?

Every animal should be taken care of when they need it. Islam has the best teachings on animal rights, it is far ahead of our current era. Harmful animals that kill or harm humans, are the only exception, where in some cases it is directed to kill them when you see them. For example, harmful snakes, rats, scorpions, black dogs (a harmful type of canine species in the Arab regions, I suppose), etc. Also, dogs are not allowed to be kept in people's houses as pets, but they can be used for guarding, tending flocks, hunting, etc. Cats are considered cleaner than dogs in Islam. There are probably more specifics to this than I know.

As for hunting animals, current society, by Islamic standards, is very cruel. Hunting animals for the fun of it is allowed, but Islam does not allow this. Only harmful animals can be killed, and hunting animals can only be for the purposes of food. Thus, you only hunt a bird if you're going to eat it, not simply as game to hang on a wall. Hunting animals as game to hang on walls or for recreational purposes is strictly forbidden in Islam. It is cruel. Even for killing an animal for food, Islam requires that we even consider the feelings of animals. For example, we are to sharpen knives as best as possible, cut the neck so the blood flows out quickly and before cutting, we do not show the animal the knife. Animals are considered intelligent beings who are aware of their surroundings, that they weep, they communicate with one another, and that they have their own communities just like we humans do. Thus, animals should be treated with respect even when we kill them for food.

It is funny that only now, scientists are considering experiments to see if animals have emotions or not. Islam taught that animals are like humans, but we just don't understand their speech. Thus, they should be treated with respect. They may be lesser than us in some forms of intelligence, but they are not to be treated badly. A person can go to Hell for killing an animal with cruelty. So the penalty for disobeying the rules with regards to animals in Islam is severe. Especially since they cannot communicate with us in our languages.

6. Are there any professions/hobbies/activities that a Muslim person should avoid? Or activities (aside from PRAYERS, fasting during Ramadan etc) that should be encouraged?

Islam is a way of life. There are many rules allowing and disallowing things. Then, there are some things which are not forbidden, but disliked, or other things which are concessions to the rules. This requires a deeper study of Fiqh, and so you would have to be more specific as to what it is you would like to know. The simple truth lies in the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (saw).

One thing I will mention, is to avoid clubs, bars, dances, animal fights, lying, etc. These are things which people normally do in Western society, but they are not allowed in Islam at all. Any place with an environment of people who commit evil acts, such as lewdness, drugs, etc., are to be avoided completely. Islam advocates keeping company with people of good influence, and keeping far away from people of bad influence. If people of bad influence get to you in this life, then in the Hereafter you may regret it, to the point where you would wish that they would be on the extreme east and you on the extreme west (as far from each other as possible, complete disassociation from one another) on the Day of Judgment.

7. What is the Muslim stance on homosexuality and transgender/sexualism?

Homosexuality is considered something one can change in Islam, or at least suppress if one truly thinks they are born with it. This is an act that is unnatural. A man should not imitate a woman, and a woman should not imitate a man. Whatever gender a person is born with, is most certainly their gender, whether they are convinced of it or not.

Islam stresses on the importance of marriage, which is only to be done with a man and a woman together. This marriage leads to the procreation of children. Homosexuality is completely opposed to this, since children cannot be produced out of such a wedlock. Thus, it is forbidden in the legal sense, and in the moral sense as well.

Let it be clear that Islam does not advocate hatred towards homosexuals. However, it advocates extreme displeasure with the actions of people who practice homosexuality. This practice itself is to be hated, not the people themselves. Islam advocates preaching to them to refrain from their ways. This is in order to help them from the punishment of Allah. Whether or not Allah forgives them in the end, that is up to Him. Everyone's situations are different. Some may not know the truth, others may reject the truth. Allah knows best.



I hope I answered your questions. If I missed anything or if you have any other questions, then I hope you can respond and let us know. Everyone here at the forum will be glad to respond back to you and give you information. I tried to simplify things and stick to the facts as much as possible.

 

[Hulk]

Islam is for anyone who acknowledges that there is no deity worthy of worship except the one and only God and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is his Messenger. That is really the essence of it

 

[Ahmad H]

There is some additional information which I wrote before, but which did not have references so I was unable to post them earlier.

For #2:

Children who die before the age of puberty are sinless. In the Hereafter, the children who did not get to puberty, from everyone, will be gathered around Hazrat Abraham (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). There is a very detailed Tradition which mentions this:

Narrated Samura bin Jundab: Whenever the Prophet finished the (morning) PRAYER, he would face us and ask, "Who amongst you had a dream last night?" So if anyone had seen a dream he would narrate it. The Prophet would say: "Ma sha'a-llah" (An Arabic maxim meaning literally, 'What Allah wished,' and it indicates a good omen.) One day, he asked us whether anyone of us had seen a dream. We replied in the negative. The Prophet said, "But I had seen (a dream) last night that two men came to me, caught hold of my hands, and took me to the Sacred Land (Jerusalem). There, I saw a person sitting and another standing with an iron hook in his hand pushing it inside the mouth of the former till it reached the jaw-bone, and then tore off one side of his cheek, and then did the same with the other side; in the mean-time the first side of his cheek became normal again and then he repeated the same operation again. I said, 'What is this?' They told me to proceed on and we went on till we came to a man Lying flat on his back, and another man standing at his head carrying a stone or a piece of rock, and crushing the head of the Lying man, with that stone. Whenever he struck him, the stone rolled away. The man went to pick it up and by the time he returned to him, the crushed head had returned to its normal state and the man came back and struck him again (and so on). I said, 'Who is this?' They told me to proceed on; so we proceeded on and passed by a hole like an oven; with a narrow top and wide bottom, and the fire was kindling underneath that hole. Whenever the fire-flame went up, the people wereLIFTED up to such an extent that they about to get out of it, and whenever the fire got quieter, the people went down into it, and there were naked men and women in it. I said, 'Who is this?' They told me to proceed on. So we proceeded on till we reached a river of blood and a man was in it, and another man was standing at its bank with stones in front of him, facing the man standing in the river. Whenever the man in the river wanted to come out, the other one threw a stone in his mouth and caused him to retreat to his original position; and so whenever he wanted to come out the other would throw a stone in his mouth, and he would retreat to his original position. I asked, 'What is this?' They told me to proceed on and we did so till we reached a well-flourished green garden having a huge tree and near its root was sitting an old man with some children. (I saw) Another man near the tree with fire in front of him and he was kindling it up. Then they (i.e. my two companions) made me climb up the tree and made me enter a house, better than which I have ever seen. In it were some old men and young men, women and children. Then they took me out of this house and made me climb up the tree and made me enter another house that was better and superior (to the first) containing old and young people. I said to them (i.e. my two companions), 'You have made me ramble all the night. Tell me all about that I have seen.' They said, 'Yes. As for the one whose cheek you saw being torn away, he was a liar and he used to tell lies, and the people would report those lies on his authority till they spread all over the world. So, he will be punished like that till the Day of Resurrection. The one whose head you saw being crushed is the one whom Allah had given the knowledge of Quran (i.e. knowing it by heart) but he used to sleep at night (i.e. he did not recite it then) and did not use to act upon it (i.e. upon its orders etc.) by day; and so this punishment will go on till the Day of Resurrection. And those you saw in the hole (like oven) were adulterers (those men and women who commit illegal sexual intercourse). And those you saw in the river of blood were those dealing in Riba (usury). And the old man who was sitting at the base of the tree was Abraham and the little children around him were the offspring of the people. And the one who was kindling the fire was Malik, the gate-keeper of the Hell-fire. And the first house in which you have gone was the house of the common believers, and the second house was of the martyrs. I am Gabriel and this is Michael. Raise your head.' I raised my head and saw a thing like a cloud over me. They said, 'That is your place.' I said, 'Let me enter my place.' They said, 'You still have some life which you have not yet completed, and when you complete (that remaining portion of your life) you will then enter your place.' " (Book #23, Hadith #468)
(Sahih Bukhari)

Here is a website link which has a very good answer to this as well, detailing what is said about children dying in infancy:
Died in Infancy: Where Do Children Go? - Interfaith Issues - counsels - OnIslam.net

 

[LittleFlower]

Just to clarify, Im not a practicing Catholic, I live in a Catholic area with one Catholic parent (and a non-Catholic parent), I was baptised just before I hit my teenage years but I've never really practised the Catholic faith and my knowledge of Catholicism is rather limited in scope so I wouldn't claim to be a devout Catholic simply because I lack the knowledge and don't practice.

I am really, really glad to read these comments that reassure me that my sister isn't suffering. I take great comfort in that since people have said to me that shes in Purgatory, shes in Hell, shes gone to Heaven, all different answers, it troubles me, but so far everyone here who has posted says she is safe.

As far as modesty in the Catholic religion goes, very few people here adhere to it. I do know that there do exist Christians who wear the Hijab and dress modestly, but by in large, no one here follows that kind of code aside from my grandmother, she has never worn trousers in her life, just long skirts and pinafore dresses, she also always has her arms fully covered, she does not cover her head though but aside from that she is extremely modest. Where I live there is no dress code or rules about modesty that are practiced, often at weddings the women wear long white dresses but they have not straps and the shoulders are entirely bare, as are the neck and even the tops of the breasts, arms are totally bare as well. These ceremonies take place infront of the entire family and the Priest, inside a church and are totally acceptable for some reason. I do notice that effigies of the Virgin Mary depict her as modestly dressed and wearing the Hijab, I shall study the New Testament and see what is written there, I do not know enough about the Christian Bible to quote it regarding modesty but I will investigate.

I totally agree with you, Christian women shouldn't speak against the Hijab, even if wearing the Hijab was entire disassociated with the faith, its entirely rude and disrespectful to speak to people in that way, especially since modesty is a good thing, regardless of what faith people are!

Im glad that cats are okay in Islam, I love my cat dearly, and you are very right about them being clean creatures, my cat is always cleaning her paws!!!

I'm a virgin, vegetarian who doesn't drink or smoke or take drugs, though I'm not a perfect person by any means of the word, I think I am avoiding a lot of the bad things in life, I need to work on my speech though, I can have a bit of a temper and swear sometimes, so I shall certainly work on that!!!Killing animals for fun or for sport is terrible!!! Fur farming is illegal here as far as I'm aware, so killing animals to turn into coats is not okay!!!

Hmm I'll have to work on avoiding bars then. I live in a rural area with lots of bars and there are very few other places to have social gatherings, even though I don't drink myself, perhaps I should indeed work to avoid these places!!

Thanks so much all of you for all of this information Im not even sure I fully responded to everything but you have all given me a lot to research and think about. I'm also going to look into the Catholic Bible as well and educate myself more. I believe there is a lot to be learned from lots of religious texts, the more you teach me about Islam, the more I realise I don't know about Catholicism and other faiths. I have a lot of learning to do but your posts have given me immeasurable amounts of knowledge!

 

[Insaanah]

Greetings LittleFlower and welcome to the forum. What a lovely username!

Thank you for asking all your questions.

I don't know how much you know about the core Islamic beliefs regarding the concept of God, but I'll put the main ones here, for your information, in case you're not already familiar with them:

Effigies and statues of religious personalities, such as Jesus, Mary (peace be upon them both), or of any human being for that matter, are strictly prohibited. This is in line with the ten commandments given to Moses (peace be upon him) as stated in the Bible.

Prayer to saints, Jesus, Mary (peace be upon them both), or to anyone else, is strictly prohibited. Prayer is directly to God alone.

There is only One God. He alone should be worshipped. He is our Creator, Sustainer, and Lord.

He does not beget, nor is He begotten. He has no sons, daughters, spouses, siblings, parents, cousins, or relatives of any sort.

He is eternal and does not die. He does not depend on anyone/anything yet we all depend on Him. He is free of all want and need.

There is nothing like Him. He is all Hearing, all Seeing, all Knowing, all Powerful, Incomparable, the Creator of the Universe.

He did not/does not, become flesh, dwell in human or animal bodies, nor are there any incarnations of Him. He is not mixed up in His creation in any way.

He is not composed of persons, nor a trinity. There are no secondary, lesser, greater, equal, or multiple gods, nor any intermediaries. And no denying of God's existence either.

There are no sharers, associates, persons or parts whatsoever in His exclusive Divinity. Simply, He is One, in every sense.

You may also be wandering what we believe about Jesus (peace be upon him). Muslims love and respect Jesus (peace be upon him) and believe in him as he was; one of the noblest and purest of humanity to ever walk the earth, and one of the greatest messengers of Allah, sent to the Children of Israel. We do not reject him (as Jews do), nor do we deify him (as Christians do). Neither he, nor any other messenger, ever claimed divinity, or to be God's son. We believe he was born miraculously of the noble virgin Mary (peace be on her), and that he is the messiah. We do not however, believe that he died or was crucified. He'll return to earth near the end of time.

This link contains a bit more information in brief: Leaflet on Islam

Please do feel free to ask any further questions you may have.

Peace.

 

[Futuwwa]

1. Even as a baptised Catholic, can I become Muslim? Is there anythign I should be aware of because of my Catholic background that would be a problem?

Islam is a universal religion, all humans were created to worship God. None are prevented from becoming Muslims, regardless of personal history or the state you were in previously.

2. -This is very important to me- I am a twin, sadly my sister passed away while my mother was 8 months pregnant. She's always been incredibly important to me however, I've had people tell me (both inside and outside of Catholic/CHristian faith) that because she died before baptism, she will be sent to Hell or Purgatory. It tears me apart to think that that would happen to her, would she go to Heaven? What happened to her? What about people who are of different faiths? Will a Christian meet a Muslim in Heaven if they have both led very good, honest lives?

As for your twin, I would not know. There is, however, no basis in Islam to assert that it would have made any difference whether she had been baptized. At final judgment, we will be answerable for the choices we made, not for whether someone else performed this or that religious ceremony on us.

3. The Hijab. As a modest person, I'd love to wear one anyway, but I fear I would be disrespectful to wear the Hijab and not practice Islam. How would you respond to someone who is not Muslim wearing a Hijab? Also, with the rest of the clothing, I like to wear skirts that go to the knee length, but I wear leggings and very long socks underneath (so no skin is exposed) but I am aware that skirts should not be that short and that wearing tight clothing like leggings and tights/socks is immodest. Would it be wrong to wear a Hijab and a knee length skirt even with leggings? Also the arms, are the entire arms supposed to be covered to the wrist or are 3/4 length sleeves/t-shirt sleeves okay?

I don't think anyone would object to you wearing a hijab, but you might get mistaken for a Muslim if you do.

4. Are Muslims allowed to play musical instruments? I play guitar and bass and I LOVE it, playing bass helped me through painful physical therapy because it gave me a goal to strive towards while I was recovering and physio was tough. I'd dread to give it up, I'm also a big fan of a rock band and I'd miss listening to their songs. I know Buddhism has certain rules about music, in Catholic church however there are choirs and hymns etc, but I don't know about music in Islam so I'd appreciate it if someone could explain the stance on music in Islam.

On this issue, there is a significant faction within Islam that considers music to be sinful. I don't ascribe to that notion myself, but a significant number do. I wouldn't say they are in the majority, but a significant minority certainly.

5. What do Muslims think of cats? I look after shelter cats and generally help look after strays and so on, is there any rules in Islam I should be aware of that concern pets or animals?

None that I can think of. There's a significant faction with an aversion to dogs, but cats, no.

6. Are there any professions/hobbies/activities that a Muslim person should avoid? Or activities (aside from prayers, fasting during Ramadan etc) that should be encouraged?

Don't really know, would depend on the activity.

7. What is the Muslim stance on homosexuality and transgender/sexualism?

Well, Islamic scriptures say very little about the matter, but the way in which marriage is addressed makes it clear that marriage is between a man and a woman, and that to be the only morally sanctioned form of pair-bonding.

8. What is the Muslim view on mixed marriages or interacting with other religions in general? (My parents were both Christians, but different types of Christians, in Northern and Republic of Ireland, even though both Protestant and Catholic are Christians there have been massive divisions in society, and thats within Christianity!! How do followers of Islam respond to other religions? Would it be okay for a Muslim to marry a non-Muslim?)

Well, the conventional view is that Muslim women are only eligible to marry Muslim men, while Muslim men are eligible to marry women adhering to all religions that worship the Abrahamic God. As for other kind of interaction with adherents of different religions, well, there isn't much in terms of general strictures. The main difference is that as Muslims, we have a kind of communal duty of support and protection towards other Muslims, which we don't have against non-Muslims.

Keep the questions coming, you're doing good so far.