Has the Hijab and other islamic observances becomes CHOICES to choose at our Will?

[Khayr]

Salams,

 

I turn on the news, radio, glimpse the papers and whenever a muslim or a group of muslims are questioned about their adherence or observance of their deen i.e. the HIJAB, Fasting, they are inevitably asked-

 

• WHY DO YOU WEAR IT?

• WHY DO YOU HAVE TO DO IT?

• YOU KNOW YOU DO HAVE CHOICE??

• YOU KNOW YOU DO HAVE THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE WHAT YOU WANT

and in this day and age, as muslims we seem to back track into an apologetic mode.

 

"I wear the Hijab because its my choice to do so"

 

"I pray 5 times a day because its my choice to do so"

 

Since when did practicing your religion became a matter of CHOICE???

[NGONGE]

It's always been a choice you buffoon. Submit and adhere and youll probably have a tiny chance of going to paradise. Choose not to adhere and you'll probably go to hell.

 

Still, as ever, you're nitpicking on the subtleties of language. Suffice it to say, these people are cutting a long story short. Imagine someone asking you why do you pray?

 

You'll probably reply: because it is my religious obligation

They'll ask you why do you have to adhere to it?

You'll reply: because I believe in god and god ordered me to pray to him.

They'll say why do you believe in god?

You'll reply: because he's the creator of the universe.

They'll ask, but why do you believe in him?

You'll reply: because he's the almighty.

They'll ask again but why do you believe?

You'll eventually have to reluctantly spit out the word choice somewhere along the way.

[Cara.]

Beats I wear it because otherwise my father is going to strangle me.

[Nur]

Ngonge writes:

 

"Imagine someone asking you why do you pray?

"You'll probably reply: because it is my religious obligation

They'll ask you why do you have to adhere to it?

You'll reply: because I believe in god and god ordered me to pray to him.

They'll say why do you believe in god?

You'll reply: because he's the creator of the universe.

They'll ask, but why do you believe in him?

You'll reply: because he's the almighty.

They'll ask again but why do you believe?

You'll eventually have to reluctantly spit out the word choice somewhere along the way"

 

 

" Inna minal bayaani la sixraa........" Hadeeth

 

Well said Ngonge.

 

 

Kheyr:

 

These questions open doors of understanding, as the world gets closer and closer, different faiths have to share close proximities, and when that happens an explanation is due to the hosts, so, so like Engonge said, you are not not opologetic if you patiently explain why.

 

 

Nur

[N.O.R.F]

The word choice has a couple of spheres here ya Khayr.

 

You are right that there is no choice in the commandments of Allah ca zawajel but people choose to either follow those commandments or not.

 

The 'choice' when one doesnt wear the Hijab can also be categorised as a choice to disobey that commandment and freewill comes into play.

[winnie]

its this thing that God gave us, its called free will. I mean if it wasnt a choice, than what would be the point? we d have to than categorize what we do as compulsion, which would relegate us to mindless drones, following tenets that were passed down generation to generation like a tradtion. there is a choice in everything in one does, and there is a level ihsan that we have to follow, meaning once we accept islam we have to excel in its tenets. some people excel naturally in certain aspects and fail at others, other people *choose* to focus on some parts and ignore others, and we will all be judged accordingly.