I Am Enjoying Being A Muslim

Studying is Jihad.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

"If anyone travels in a road in search of knowledge, God will cause him to travel on one of the roads of Paradise."

What is Jihad?
Smiling in tough moments is Jihad. Keeping patience in hard times is Jihad. Struggling for good deeds is Jihad. Taking care of old parents in a loving way is Jihad. Forgiving is Jihad. Jihad is not what the media promotes, but what the Quran says, to Strive and to Struggle.

You want a real Jihad?
Smile to your parents when you come home. Pray on time. Control your tongue, your eyes, and your thoughts.
Declare your Jihad on thirteen enemies you cannot see - egosim, arrogance, conceit, selfishness, greed, lust, intolerance, anger, lying, cheating, gossiping, and slandering. If you can master and destroy them, then you will be ready to fight the enemy you can see.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

"The real Jihad is to battle your own soul, to fight the evil within yourself."

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Madeleine · 41-45, F

@Northwest Islamic reformation is a topic that created a lot of controversy within Muslims. There are those who want to destroy every ruling in the Sharia and adapt to the norms of the times whilst others are ultra-conservative and believe there is no such thing as reform in Islam. It is a topic that I have been interested in recently, but the question is where do we draw the line when it comes to Islamic reform?
NOTE: I am talking about reform, and not Reform (with capital R).
In light of all the changes taking place in Islamic thought, what issues are open to negotiation, and what issues are non-negotiable? I am not eligible to discuss this topic since I don't have enough knowledge of how Islamic scholarship works, but I am taking the middle path between the two groups I mentioned earlier. I feel that there are aspects of the Islamic law that can be reformed, and others are fundamental that shouldn't change. And God knows best.

The Arabic word used in Verse [4:34] is "اضربوهن: idribuhunna", which is derived from "ضرب: daraba" which means "beat". The issue with all of the Arabic words that are derived from the word "daraba" is that they don't necessarily mean "hit". The word "idribuhunna" for instance, could very well mean to "leave" them. It is exactly like telling someone to "beat it" or "drop it" in English.

God used the word "ضرب: daraba" in Verse [14:24]:

"Seest thou not how Allah sets (daraba) forth a parable? -- A goodly Word Like a goodly tree, Whose root is firmly fixed, And its branches (reach) To the heavens".

"daraba" here meant "give an example". If I say in Arabic "ضرب مثلاً: daraba laka mathal", it means "give you an example".

God also used the word "ضربتم: darabtum", which is derived from the word "ضرب: daraba" in [4:94], which mean to "go abroad" in the sake of God:

"O ye who believe! When ye go abroad (darabtum) In the cause of Allah, Investigate carefully, And say not to anyone Who offers you a salutation: 'Thou art none of a Believer!' Coveting the perishable good Of this life: with Allah Are profits and spoils abundant. Even thus were ye yourselves Before, till Allah conferred On you His favours: therefore Carefully investigate. For Allah is well aware Of all that ye do."

So "daraba" literally means "beat", or "go abroad", or "give".

Important Note: Notice how God in Chapter (Surah) 4 He used "daraba" and "darabtum [4:94]", which are both derived from the same root. He used both words in the same Chapter, which tells us that "daraba" in Verse [4:34] means to desert or leave, since that's what its derived word meant in Verse [4:94].

Plus, there are verses and that support the prohibition of any type of wife beating.

[Quran 2:231]:

"...Do not retain them (i.e., your wives) to harm them..."

[Quran 4:19]:

"O ye who believe! Ye are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor should ye treat them with harshness, that ye may take away part of the dower [money given by the husband to the wife for the marriage contract] ye have given them, except where they have been guilty of open lewdness; on the contrary live with them on a footing of kindness and equity. If ye take a dislike to them it may be that ye dislike a thing, and God brings about through it a great deal of good."

[Quran 4:15] It's not puzzling. If you know anything about the Quran, you will know that it was revealed gradually, so the early ruling for fornication was confinement, until God sent down Surat An-Nur (chapter 24) which abrogated that ruling with the ruling of flogging. Note that the ruling of flogging is for both men and women.

Thank you.