the muslim cafe

the muslim cafe

A place to hang out, give your salams and have a cuppa

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  • Created Fri Dec 18, 2020 11:22 am

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  • junipers
    junipers · Jan 3, 2025
    hey all, i recently made a friend from malaysia who is a Muslim and i just have a few questions for you all! disclaimer- i know very little about Islam.
    are Muslim women required to wear hijab, or is it just a strong recommendation?
    can Muslim women take off their hijab around non-Muslim friends who are female?
    Theoretically, if someone was a horrible person their whole life and then later converted to Islam, do you believe that they could be saved? (not sure if that is the proper terminology)
    Is there anything that will completely bar you from going into heaven?
    And how are you granted entrance to heaven?
    this is the third time i've edited this because i thought of more questions...what makes food halal or not halal? are there any meats that are halal no matter what, or do the animals still have to be killed a certain way?
    I'm sorry if these are ignorant or don't make sense...

    Valkyria replied · Jan 3, 2025

    Spoiler
    Hey twiggy! It's really cool that you want to learn more about Islam! For the record, I am only going to answer a couple of questions, since I feel more confident about them:

    Muslim women are required to wear the hijab, but it also depends on each woman. I know I contradicted myself, but as a Muslim who only wears a hijab for prayer, I have personal reasons for not wearing one in public. I don't see myself as any less of a Muslim because of it. It also helps that the Muslim side of my family doesn't see it as anything bad. And yes, Muslim women can take off their hijab around their non-Muslim female friends.

    To answer your last question, halal food is anything that isn't pork products or alcohol products. So if a meal uses cooking wine (or any other alcohol) it's no longer considered halal. Same goes with any food that has pork in it. Even rice krispie treats is not allowed because it has gelatin in it.

    Those are the questions I am able to answer, so I hope they help!


    Arcticus replied · Jan 3, 2025

    Spoiler
    Hey @twiggy - those are some very good questions!

    The hijab is like a special expression of modesty for women. It's required for them to wear it in front of men who aren't family. Some women wear it all the time, while others might be figuring it out. Everyone is on a journey, and it's important to respect that.

    And yes, when Muslim women are hanging out with their non-Muslim girl friends, they can totally take off their hijab if they want to. It's like being in your comfy clothes at home super relaxed and cozy!

    Regarding your third question, here's a cool part: if someone has been a bit of a troublemaker but decides to turn their life around, make geniune amends and embrace Islam, they can totally be forgiven! Islam teaches that everyone can have a fresh start, like getting a new game save.

    Fourth question: In Islam, there are some big no-nos (like major sins) that could keep someone from heaven if they don't repent, the greatest sin being ascribing partners to God.

    Getting into heaven is like reaching the ultimate station where you are with God. You need to have faith in one God, his prophets, his books, his angels, the last day, divine decree, do good things (like helping others), and genuinely repent for any wrongs. It's all about having a good heart and trying your best!

    Now let's talk about food! Halal food is like the VIP section of snacks. For meat to be halal, it has to come from animals that are treated well and slaughtered in a special way while saying Allah's name. Some foods, like pork, intoxicants, carnivorous animals are always off-limits (like a no-entry sign). If you have more questions or want to explore more fun facts, just let me know!


    junipers replied · Jan 3, 2025

    Spoiler
    thank you both so much for your answers! that was very helpful, thank you.


    LuminescentAnt replied · Jan 3, 2025

    Spoiler
    Hi twiggy! Don't worry, these are great questions, I've probably asked these questions before too!

    I'm gonna answer the questions that I know - I don't know a lot about the heaven thing though.

    Like Valkyria said, they are required, but some people have different beliefs or preferences. Some only wear it when they are ready, some don't wear it at all but still are religious, some wear it at a very early age. It really depends on how religious someone feels and also cultural beliefs. And yes, Muslim women can take off their hijab in front of other women and girls, as well as any family member they can't marry (i.e. husband, brother, father, uncle I think) so most hijabi women take off their hijabs at home.

    So basically the difference between halal and non-halal meats are that halal meats are slaughtered in a way that ensures the animal receives as little pain as possible when they die, and also that the person slaughtering the animal reads something that basically means the animal is slaughtered in Allah's name, like Arc said. Pork and I think amphibians are always non-halal. And yes, there is actually food that is halal no matter what: fish, because you can't exactly slaughter fish, you just need to take it out of the water and it will die.

    I hope this answered your questions! :) Thanks for stopping by!



A wizard is never late. Nor is he early; he arrives precisely when he means to.
— Gandalf