r/progressive_islam

This is not an exhaustive list.

- No music, no TV, nothing that distracts you from worship 

- Scariness of death, being punished in the grave. I grew up hearing descriptions in detail of how scorpions will sting us, etc. I don’t understand why this is so emphasized.

- The extremes of things that are considered "tabarruj" like women can't wear perfume, women's voices are awrah, like God forbid we just want to smell nice but no, everything feminine is haram, and everything fun is haram 

- Can’t get your eyebrows shaped but removing unibrow and upper lip and chin hair is okay because that would make you look like a man  

- That dating is so frowned upon - this really stunts healthy emotional and sexual development in my opinion.  I managed to avoid this by just uh, not being that religious, but I’m seeing how sticking to the rules has hurt my friends. 40 year old virgins. Literally. Imagine spending your teenage and young adulthood years not having any dating experiences at all. Imagine how emotionally stunted this would make somebody. And then all the guilt and shame around sex doesn’t just go away when you get married; sometimes the shame is still there and manifests in vaginismus and things like that. It’s just sad. It’s not healthy. 

- You can't have premarital sex, but you also can't masturbate. It’s just unrealistic 

- No hugging or shaking hands with the opposite gender. It just weirdly sexualizes every relationship. My husband’s extended family is practicing religious and greeting his brother in laws or his cousins or cousins’ kids (who are literal kids in my eyes because they are teenagers) is so awkward, because we're not mahram.  We all just wave to each other awkwardly while saying salaams. It really just makes me feel reduced to my sex. 

- People that take the no genders freemixing to the extreme and can't even sit next to or use the same entrance as a woman. We are people too. Extreme gender segregation isn’t healthy and leads to sexualizing us.

- Gender roles. Men are leaders, providers, etc. It doesn’t seem universal to me but rooted in patriarchy

- The fact that women are always second class citizens in Muslim spaces. We sit at the back, our masjid spaces are small and cramped. That’s if women are allowed to go to the mosque at all, because a lot of places in the world don’t even have that custom of women going to the mosque. They always say how it's better for women to pray at home.

And again, the segregation at the masjid. I can't even pray with my 7 year old son even though he's more comfortable with me because I’m his first ever Islamic teacher. I’m literally the one who is teaching him how to pray, but there's always some aunty or uncle telling us he's too big or asking him if he’s a girl because he wants to pray next to Mommy. 

And God forbid you take your toddler or preschooler to the masjid; everybody prioritizes the khushu in their prayer in Ramadan (over being accommodating and welcome of children in masajid). This goes really against the spirit of Islam in my view 

- That my husband is supposed to stand in front of me when praying. I can accept it at the mosque, okay, I guess, but being discriminated against in my own home? No. Won’t happen.

- That women have to make up the fasts they miss when on their periods or when pregnant. Everybody always says how it’s mercy, but it’s not much of an exemption if we have to make them up 

I don’t want to hear “explanations” for why this stuff is, honestly. I’m not looking for apologist explanations. Trust me, I’ve read them all.

I am venting and sharing why as a woman, I find myself being driven away from Islam and Muslims.

At this point, I’m not even sure I am Muslim, honestly. I mean I love Allah and I love the Prophet SAW but that’s the only faith I have in my heart; otherwise, there’s too much in the religion that I just don’t agree with.

This Question is for everyone who were born or migrated to any country in the American Continent (both North And South America) except for Native Americans who later converted to Islam.

Do you ever feel bad thinking about how the European colonial powers and later many of their descendants massacred the Native Americans and made them a minority in their own lands? Do you feel like you are living on a stolen land because what they did in the past (and if they didn’t do that then people from Europe Asia and Africa wouldn’t have migrated there, so even though Muslims did not participate in those acts but their acts paved the way for Islam along with other religions to come to the Americas in later centuries)? Do you feel like you should leave and migrate to other countries if you have the means to?

I was at a beach in Miami and over there at the beach I saw a Muslim couple the dad was dress like an average dude with just a pair of shorts but the mother had full brukha , she could not see properly and just played on the sand it honestly shows a weird double standards and how the rule applies to women but not men kind of weird

Salaam. I’d like to first clarify i have severe OCD.

I have plenty of compulsions. And the only way to stop doing them is saying things like an oath on Allahs name, to not do that act. But then, that stopped working and i changed to something extremely terrible. I started uttering phrases like.. if you do this then you’re challenging/ daring Allah. For instance when i kept buying new headphones and returning them i said, “If you buy another pair of headphones then you’re daring Allah to send you to hell etc”.

Now, i know how severely disrespectful this is but i just can’t stop. I keep saying it when I’m frustrated and now it’s become a habit.

Now, thankfully recently i’ve been having less compulsions. But Recently, i’ve become a bit overweight and the only way to stop myself from eating has been taking oaths on Allahs name. I know how disrespectful this is, but idk why i do it and it’s the only thing that makes me serious enough to stop eating more.

I have an event I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. Now this is where i messed up. Yesterday, after a meal, i made an oath on Allahs name and said “if you eat anything else today then that means you’re challenging Allah to kill you during the event.”

I’m a Muslim, and believe in Allah’s power. I know how insignificant i am, and how anything is possible. I was ok with not eating all day, but i accidentally bought bubble tea with boba balls and when i had swallowed a few balls (which included chewing so eating them) i realised what i had done. Even so, I still continued to eat the rest of the balls and finish the drink. I should’ve stopped when i realised, but i still continued.

Now, i’m spiralling. In my heart, and mind, i’ve NEVER had any intention to challenge Allah. I just say it to stop actions, although eating is not an OCD related action. But i really have to go to this event tomorrow. I’m terrified of what’s going to happen, i don’t want to die.

I know there’s terrible people who insult Islam, but i doubt anyone has outright said those words like i have and so i’m doomed. How can i save myself or is it inevitable?

I know how you are forgiven for OCD related actions, but this wasn’t OCD, i said those words to stop EATING and to not gain fat, it wasn’t an ocd compulsion so i was completely sane.

Edit: i really appreciate the ocd advice but this situation yesterday in particular wasn’t really an OCD related event it was more of me repeating a habit i had back from my OCD past of saying these phrases to stop myself from doing something…

Same as title. I found some hadiths too liberal.

it’s for safety. for context I live in the UK, in Europe. By all means, the UK is a very friendly, safe country most, if not all the time for visibly Muslim people. However, lately, in politics, we are being a targeting as a people, you can imagine, all the usual stuff. But it’s getting scary. Hijabis have been getting attacked near me, on public transport which I take, it’s terrifying. it seems as though the whole world hates us - recently in London where I live there was a huge far right rally with over 50,000 people attending, which included non Muslims dressing up in niqabs and burkas and then taking them off to show ‘freedom’. The leader also says he wants to stop Islam in the UK and ‘get Muslims out’. It’s pure terrorism and outward hatred. If this were an anti Jewish protest then the rally would’ve never been able to take place.

in the US Muslim hate crimes are kind of on another level, it’s even in government now that there is apparently new legislation targeting Muslims (Mamdani Act). It hasn’t been passed yet, but it’s clear that there are islamophobes in the US government. The reason I’m mentioning the US is because for some reason, what ever happens in the US affects the UK aswell (also the rest of the world). It’s a scary time for us right now and I do not want my life to be as hard as it already is. What do I do.

I'm a 19 yo practicing Muslim, and Alhamdullilah, I have never left Islam.

The miracles of the Quran are more than enough for me to remain a Muslim. I truly believe in Islam, I love it and its rulings, and I genuinely find it beautiful (in most things)

But the reason I'm posting here is that I'm looking for people who might have also struggled with the fact that sex with concubines/captive women was permissible without marriage (without consent)

(To be specific, my issue is with the sexual aspect of it, not the institution of slavery itself at that time)

I’ve searched a lot for answers. I’ve read so many fatwas and watched so many videos, but the more I dig the more disturbing Sahih Hadiths and Athars I find. At this point, I think I know Hadiths and Athars related to slavery that 90% of Muslims aren't even aware of because of how deeply I’ve researched this topic over the past year.

Now whenever I watch a video on YouTube about slavery in Islam, all I notice is how much sugarcoating is being done, and that just makes me more upset.

If anyone here has struggled with this exact doubt and finally managed to find peace with it could you please DM me? I'm genuinely so depressed over this topic, and finding even more disturbing Athars just yesterday has made everything feel so much worse

Salam, I’m a Muslim sister in my late teens, and lately I’ve been struggling with my relationship with Islam—mainly because of the hijab. Sometimes I even catch myself thinking: if I never plan on wearing hijab, then what’s the point of following the religion at all?

Islam has always been the religion that made the most sense to me. I grew up going to Islamic school and doing hifz, but the environment there was extremely toxic. I still remember one teacher telling all of us that as soon as we left the program, we’d become disgraceful and stop dressing modestly once we left. She was partly right in my case. I stopped wearing hijab in sixth grade, but at the time it didn’t feel like I was abandoning Islam. I still prayed, still believed, and still considered myself Muslim—I just didn’t wear hijab.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed more girls around me becoming hijabi, and with trends online, it almost feels like hijab has become both fetishized and idealized at the same time. That never really bothered me until I started talking to someone I truly cared about. He later became very strict in his beliefs and identified as Salafi, to the point where religion became the center of his entire personality. Eventually, he told me that if I never wore hijab, our relationship could never work. He also believed that if I wore pants, they had to be extremely loose and baggy.

It made me feel controlled and restricted, especially because we had loved each other and talked for nearly five years. I couldn’t understand how something like a piece of cloth could outweigh everything we shared. Even when we tried to compromise, it was never enough because, in his view, it didn’t meet the standard he believed the Quran required. Eventually, I ended things, but the whole experience left me associating Islam with the loss of someone I deeply loved.

Now I’m left wondering: if I struggle with hijab and don’t see myself wearing it, can I still have a genuine relationship with Islam, or does that make me a bad Muslim? And if I can’t fully accept this part of the religion, should I just leave Islam altogether? Did I make the right decision leaving that guy?

My younger cousin, she’s literally a kid, and a few days ago she was in the hospital as her mom (my aunt) was sick. she was pointing at the wheelchair and asking if she could sit in it and as a result got yelled at and obviously her parents said no because it’s for sick people.

And now, a few days later, she is now sick and having to use a wheelchair for the time being and both my aunt and uncle were asking her if she was “satisfied” because she had asked to go in a wheelchair (for fun because she’s literally a KID) and now it happened. Are they being superstitious or is this genuinely a thing? I told them to chill a bit since she was already in pain.

They have told me in the past that even my PET could give me evil eye and mention this type of stuff often whether it’s about saying something and having it come true or negative energies and it feels like a LOT.

Seriously, these people are no less than the Khawarij, They label any non Salafi a Kafkr, Mushirk, Munafiq, Apostate, Bad muslim

When the British were attacking Ottomans, ending caliphate, Taking over Jerusalem "They are Sufis"

When Amarica bombed Afghanistan "They are deobandis"

When Amarica bombed Iraq "They are Baathists"

When Amarica bombed Iran "They are Shias"

I guarantee, if America or Israel bomb Turkey or Pakistan they will have the same old arguments

Modern empirical science operates within a framework of secular materialism, which focuses on identifying material causes for occurrence, often disregarding Supreme Authority.

The study of biology and neuroscience often leads to a materialistic viewpoint, suggesting that consciousness itself is a product of material processes rather than a spiritual entity(soul).

According to modern physics and cosmology, the universe came into being spontaneously governed by the law of physics and maintained, rejecting the concept of Creator and creation.

During the 11th century Abu Hamid al-Ghazali famously refuted the idea that the universe was eternal or came into existence spontaneously without a creator. He directly challenged the theories of earlier Islamic scholars (like Avicenna and Al-Farabi) who were heavily influenced by Aristotle.

The god of science is nature, which is entirely defined by the physical universe and its unchanging rules. Spinoza gave rise to this radical idea that god and nature are a single entity, which is the laws of science or nature's physical laws. Scientists like Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawkins believed in Spinoza's god. Studying science paves way for understanding Spinoza's god.

Science subtracts the need for religious explanations leaving a material reality.

As Muslims, we believe in and love all the prophets equally from Adam عليه السلام all the way to the seal of the prophets, Muhammad ﷺ, who holds the highest station among them. That love is non-negotiable and part of our iman.

But I think it’s natural for certain prophets to resonate with us more deeply on a personal and spiritual level whether it’s their story, their trials, their miracles, or what they symbolize. So I wanted to ask: which prophet do you feel most connected to, and why?

For me, it’s Hazrat Isa/Jesus عليه السلام.

His story is unlike any other. Born of a virgin mother, Maryam (RA), in circumstances that defied everything people around her understood a miracle before he even spoke. And then he did speak, as an infant in the cradle, defending his mother’s honor in one of the most powerful moments in the entire Qur’an.

His miracles were extraordinary even by prophetic standards healing the blind and the leper, giving life to birds formed from clay, and raising the dead all by the permission of Allah. Yet despite all of that, he remained humble, devoted, and deeply ascetic. He carried no kingdom, no army, no palace. Just a message, complete reliance on Allah, and an unshakeable spirit.

And then there is what is yet to come.

In Islamic eschatology, Isa عليه السلام holds a truly unique place he is the only prophet whose story isn’t over. He was not crucified; Allah raised him up, body and soul, and he is alive in the heavens right now. And before the Day of Judgment, he will descend again near the white minaret of Damascus, place his hands on the wings of two angels, and return to this earth.

When he does, it will be one of the greatest signs of the Hour a moment of liberation and glad tidings for the believers. He will fight alongside the Muslims, break the cross (refuting the false doctrines attributed to him), and slay the Dajjal. Under his rule, justice and equity will fill the earth the way oppression once did. Islam will be established in its fullest sense peace, order, and truth prevailing across the world. He will lead a unified humanity under the law of Allah, and it is said that during his reign, hatred, envy, and war will fade away.

Hazrat Isa عليه السلام to me represents hope the promise that truth always returns, that oppression doesn’t have the final word, and that Allah’s plan always completes itself beautifully.

So, who is your favorite prophet and what draws you to them? Would love to hear different perspectives from this community 🌿

From everything I've researched into Islam so far I like and understand it. Recently I have been thinking that heaven/hell makes more sense than reincarnation, but am still stuck on hell.

The christian hell and saved by faith doesn't make sense, but eternal hell in general doesn't make sense too. Like what does that achieve. Also who goes to hell. I've also heard of how taking shahadah wipes past sins, or doing things on certain days gives you more good deeds which I also don't understand. I know a few people who have read the Quran and understoof Islam without any bias or misinformation, and still didn't choose it, and just believe in one God but not religion. Are they going to hell? Even if they lead good lives? Isn't that God's fault for not making the true religion more obvious. I feel like believing in One God and them creating everything is obvious but religion isn't

Lately been seeing a lot of discussion with more western feminists, they're not all white before we come to conclusions, but they do argue saying that you "can not be a feminist whilst believing in religion as you're following a patriachal structure", once you do argue some points have been delivered through bias and culture, they argue along the lines of "now you're denying the beliefs in islam." honestly, sometimes its frustrating since it feels like they're trying to dismiss a lot of work that the religious feminsts have done and like to label it as "cognitive dissonance." Also could someone please enlighten me on what Islam's thoughts are about the slave women? I'm not too educated on the matter, but a lot of western feminists like to bring this point up.