Misconceptions about Islam

By Navaid Aziz | 2026-01-16T17:16:51.166123+00:00 | Topic: Iman

By Navaid Aziz

Opening

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Honorable guests, ladies and gentlemen, (السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ ٱللَّٰهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ - Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh)

Introduction: A Story

I wanna begin by sharing a joke with you. This is a joke about a husband and wife, and they're on their way to take a journey. And you can imagine maybe they're going from Calgary to Kelowna, you know what I did today.

And the husband, he asks his wife, "Honey, how long are you going to be?" And the wife says, "I will be ready in 5 minutes." The men in the room, we've heard this all the time from our wives, from our partners. 45 minutes go by, and the wife still isn't ready.

Eventually she comes down, and the husband's really angry. So, she's trying to put on a cheerful face, and she's like, "Honey, let's get going." And the husband's like, "Shut up and let me drive." They get into the car, and they start driving along. And the wife, she feels really bad, she's remorseful of everything that's taking place.

So she wants to spark up a nice conversation. And as they're driving by this beautiful tree, she says, "Honey, isn't this tree so beautiful?" And the husband gives her the stare of death. "Just let me drive, leave me alone, I don't want to talk to you."

Now the husband, he starts to feel bad. He's like, "Why do I always treat my wife like this? I should be more kind, I should be more courteous. So what if we're late from time to time?" So now, with his mixed emotions of being angry, as to why she's always late, and wanting to make up for what he's done, he tries to spark up a conversation. Now when a guy tries to spark up a conversation, you know it's going to go terribly wrong.

And this is what happened. So they're driving by a farm, and I want you to imagine, you hear the braying of a donkey, the mooing of a cow, the barking of a dog. And he goes, "Honey, let me guess, these are relatives of yours?" She goes, "You're right, they're my in-laws."

Now I begin with this joke, my dear brothers and sisters, and guests here tonight, because this is sort of what the discourse between the Muslim community and the non-Muslim community has been. Where both parties, they come in with these pure intentions, wanting to contribute to the discussion on Islam, but somewhere in between, something went wrong. And they end up becoming like that couple that is constantly arguing and bickering, but not knowing why.

Foundation for Discussion

So tonight's discussion is about misconceptions about Islam. Now when we talk about misconceptions, before

we open up the floor for the misconceptions that you would like to discuss, I would like to develop a foundation. And this foundation is going to consist of three things.

1. The Importance of Having a Holistic Approach

So I want you to imagine I'm telling you a story.

The first part of the story is, a man died. That's pretty sad, isn't it?

Second part of the story, this man died after he shot five people. Now you feel a bit more upset. Why would this man kill five people? What's his deal?

You learn more about this story. This man killed five people after they tried to annihilate his whole town and rape all of the women and kidnap all of the children. It's getting a bit more dramatic now. You now have a bit more knowledge, you have a more complete picture.

You add to the story now, the first man that I spoke about that died, he was actually a police officer.

How does our perception change as we increase in knowledge? The more we know, the more complete picture we have, the more assessment we can make as to what is right and what is wrong. And that is why I believe that when we approach any subject matter, we have to have the complete picture. It has to be a holistic approach.

We can't just take bits and bobs and assume that you know what, just because I have a pixel from the TV screen, that's what the whole picture actually is. No. If you want a complete picture, step back, look at all the pixels inside the TV screen, and that's when you actually have a complete picture.

2. Distinguishing Between Faith and Followers

It's very important to distinguish between what a faith is and what its followers try to represent. What does this actually mean? The religion under discussion today is Islam. Someone that affiliates themselves with this religion is known as a Muslim. Somewhere along the lines, disconnects happen. People do things for wrong reasons under a particular name.

So to give you an example, if I was to come to Kelowna, and actually this is my first time in Kelowna, staying over, the first restaurant I went to, we went to go have sushi. And I was really looking forward to it. And in the sushi experience, as I'm trying to place an order, the lady that was taking our order, I was having a difficult time understanding what she was saying. And she was having a very difficult time understanding what I was saying.

So now after this first experience in Kelowna, would it be fair for me to say, everyone in Kelowna doesn't speak English well? No, it wouldn't. It would be a great overgrossed generalization that is not factual at all.

And Kelowna, it has many community members, a part of it, it is very diverse in terms of its ethnic population. And it's going to be very diverse even in terms of the religions that are represented in it. Now in order to have a good understanding of the people of Kelowna, to speak to one or two people, you're not going to get a good understanding of what Kelowna is about. But rather speak to as many people as you can. Particularly those

people that would represent Kelowna. Right? The mayor of the city, and other people of authority in the community. Those are the people that you want to get to know.

So when we talk about Islam, it's very important to understand that every single Muslim, they affiliate themselves with Islam, but they don't truly represent the religion. They don't truly represent the religion. Why? Because every community will have its fringe members that do things in the name of their community, but in actuality their community is free from it.

As a Muslim global community, there are about 1.6 billion Muslims across the world. 1.6 billion. That's over a sixth of the world's population. So look around you, what that technically means for every six people in the room around us, one of them is Muslim.

3. Understanding the Media

There's a reason why the name Muslim and Islam has become at the forefront of the media. And I want to do justice to this topic over here to the best of my ability. I was speaking to a journalist not too long ago, and I asked him, why is it that you only report the bad stuff that happens? You watch the news, what do you hear? You hear about someone getting killed, you hear about a bank robbery, you hear about bombs being dropped.

These are the sort of stories you hear in the news. Why is it that we don't hear stories of, you know, someone saving a cat on a tree? Why is it that we don't hear about the amazing jobs that firemen and doctors and police officers do on a daily basis? We hear very very few of those stories. And what he told me was very profound.

He said, how many planes do you think take off a day? I said, thousands of planes take off a day. He said, as a journalist, what people want to hear about are the ones that crash, not the ones that successfully take off. So media is actually a business. They are there to sell stories, not only to consumers, but also to advertisers that want the attention of the consumers. That's what actually happens in media.

Topic 1: Sharia Law

With that introduction, I like to start off my first topic of discussion. Which is the word sharia. What does it actually mean and where does it come from?

Linguistic Meaning

The word sharia is a very similar word to the word (شَارِع - shari'a). And the word shari'a in the Arabic language means street. It means a road.

What is the relationship between a road and this concept known as sharia law? From a linguistic perspective, sharia was the road people would take to reach a source of water. So back in the day, they didn't have pipes that brought water to your house. You would actually have to go outside of your house, walk down a street, or many streets in fact, a long distance to go and get some water to drink, to bathe with, to cook with, and so on and so forth. And that street that you took to the source of water is what was called sharia.

The Nature of Islamic Law

Now what's the interesting thing about water? For those of you that are Bruce Lee fans, you remember this famous quote by Bruce Lee, "Be like water." Why did he say that? Because the impressive thing about water is that it can take any form that you put it into. So for example, you put water into a cup, it takes the shape of a cup. You put it into a jar, it takes the shape of a jar. It takes every single shape that you put it into.

It is with that understanding that when you look at Islamic law, it is like water. Dependent on the time, dependent on the place, it is very dynamic. And it will accommodate to that place and to that time.

The Five Integral Things Sharia Protects

When we talk about Islamic law and we talk about sharia, it is important to understand like any other system of law, it has integral components that it's trying to preserve. So when we talk about sharia law and Islamic law, it has come to preserve five matters. It has come to preserve five integral things.

1. Human Life

The most important thing in Islamic law that needs to be preserved is human life. From a logical perspective, let us look at why. Because if you don't have human beings, there are no individuals to implement this law. Right? And without those human beings, there is no law to practice. That is why they are the first integral component. So when you look at sharia law, the first thing that it came to protect is human life.

2. Faith/Religion

The second thing it has come to protect is faith, is religion. Why is religion important? When we talk about religion, and I understand people have a wide variety of orientations when it comes to their faiths and beliefs when it comes to their faiths. So take what I am saying in consideration to your particular belief.

From a Muslim's perspective, when we talk about faith, it's not just about something that we do in a mosque. It's not just something that we do when Muslims get together. But when I talk about faith, faith for me is a way of life.

The way I interact with my parents, the way that I interact with my spouse, the way that I interact with my children, the way that I interact with the mayor of the city, the way that I interact with all of you. All of this is dictated by a form of guidelines through my faith and religion. So my faith teaches me to be kind to people, to be courteous to people, to smile at people, to be generous to people, to be hospitable at people.

3. Human Intellect

The third thing that the sharia came to protect is human intellect. Human intellect. Why is that important?

Because it is through our intellect that we are able to make good decisions as opposed to bad ones.

And this sort of gives you a small introduction as to why is it that Muslims don't drink alcohol. And we have such a strong stance against alcohol. Why is it that Muslims don't do drugs and they have such a strong stance

towards drugs? Because one of the things that the sharia came to protect was the intellect. Because if your intellect is compromised, you are no longer able to protect your religion, nor are you able to protect mankind and humanity.

4. Wealth

Number four. The fourth thing that the sharia came to protect is wealth. So as a Muslim, we have guidelines as to how we spend our wealth, as to what we spend our wealth on. And in fact, there's a mandatory charity upon every single Muslim of 2.5% that he has to or she has to give to poor people. These are some of the rules of wealth preservation.

Why is wealth important? Because whether we want to admit it or not, money is king. Without money in this world, you're not going to get very far. In fact, if you didn't have money, you couldn't have come to this school. If there was no money, the school couldn't have been built. If there was no money, we couldn't have taken planes to come to this beautiful country that we call home, known as Canada. All of it is dependent on money.

5. Honor

And the fifth and last thing that the sharia came to protect and preserve is honor. So now with all of these things, the way that we interact with one another has to be in an honored and dignified manner. We cannot disrespect people. We cannot look down at people. We cannot be arrogant and condescending towards people. We treat anyone and everyone with honor and respect.

Understanding Sharia

Now, it is with this lens, when you hear something about a Muslim in the news, you can automatically judge is what this person doing actually Islamic or actually against Islamic teachings. So now, when you see this ISIS member on TV, and he's going around just mercilessly killing people, and you have learnt that the first thing that the sharia has come to preserve is human life, you now understand that yes, this person may affiliate themselves with Islam, but what they're actually doing is not very Islamic.

Topic 2: Jihad

The next subject matter I would like to discuss is the topic of jihad. You know, people when I mention jihad, they get on edge. They're like, oh my god, what's going to happen right now? And I was actually thinking about pulling a prank on you guys. If I had like the, I guess if I wasn't as nervous, I would have said, okay guys, shut the doors. But I didn't do that.

Linguistic Meaning

So, what does jihad actually mean? And I'm really glad that I can use the word jihad and actually laugh about it. You know, that's one of the beauties of living in this country, that we have that freedom of speech.

The term jihad comes from mujahidah, which means to struggle, to counter, to go against. So, when there's any form of struggle, this is known as jihad.

The First Revelation of Jihad

Now, when we talk about jihad from an Islamic perspective, what are we referring to? Let us go back to the very first revelation in the Qur'an, which is the holy book for Muslims, where the term jihad was revealed for the very first time. If you were to look inside the 25th chapter of the Qur'an, in terms of its chronological order. And the command that God gave in this verse was:

وَجَاهِدْهُم بِهِ جِهَادًا كَبِيرًا

(Quran 25:52)

"And go and perform with this a great jihad"

So go and perform a great struggle with this. What is the intended meaning of this? The intended meaning of this in this verse, is actually the book of God Himself, the Qur'an. That's what it's referring to.

So go and perform a great jihad with this book. Meaning that the very first jihad that was revealed in the Qur'an, was to wage a struggle against ignorance. That it was an educational, scholastic, academic struggle. That when ignorance is prevalent in the world, the first step to eradicating it, is enlightening people with knowledge. Getting people to know that yes, there is ignorance, and we need to do something to change it.

Types of Jihad

What are the different types of jihad that actually exist? Common knowledge would assume that when we talk about jihad, it's simply about killing people. Because that's what we see on Fox News. You'll see someone again from an extremist group, like ISIS or like Al-Qaeda, they're blowing up buildings, and they're like, yes, we're waging Islamic jihad.

But that couldn't be further from the truth. Because when you actually look at the concept of jihad in Islam, there's approximately 14 different categories of it. Of which, only 3 of them have any form of physical violence related to it.

Examples of different types of jihad include:

1. Educational Jihad

From a Muslim's perspective, the greatest form of jihad is definitely an educational jihad. Waging war on ignorance is of the utmost importance.

2. Jihad in Serving Parents

A second form of jihad is the struggle that we face as human beings in serving our parents. A man came to the Prophet Muhammad once, and he said, O Prophet of God, grant me permission to go out on an expedition with you. The Prophet asked this young man, Are your parents still alive? The man said, Yes, O Prophet. The Prophet responded by saying:

فَفِيهِمَا فَجَاهِدْ

"That go and perform jihad in serving your parents"

Jihad with One's Wealth

Another form of jihad that takes place, is jihad with one's wealth. And what this means is, when we talk about wealth in Islam, we consider wealth as a trust from God. Right? Our life is a trust from God. Our ability to see, smell, and taste, and to love, are trusts from God. Similarly, our wealth is a trust from God.

And as I mentioned previously, that minimal threshold of righteousness, in terms of one's wealth, 2.5% of my wealth, every single year, has to go towards poor people. It has to. No matter how much I may not want to do it, my faith is dependent upon it. I will be doing an act of sin, if I'm not giving it in charity.

The Greatest Form of Jihad

Now, let me conclude the issue of jihad. The Prophet Muhammad has said that the greatest form of jihad is to speak the truth to the face of a tyrannical ruler. To speak the truth to the face of a tyrannical ruler. These are the exact words of the Prophet Muhammad. That is the greatest form of jihad.

So when we talk about physical manifestations of jihad, where violence may be involved, it's not for the sake of taking over countries. It's not for the sake of accumulating a country's resources. It's for the sake of eradicating oppression. For making sure that people are no longer being oppressed.

Out of the 14 categories that exist, would only consist of about 3 of them. Would only consist of about 3 of them.

Topic 3: Women in Islam

The last topic of discussion that I want to enlighten you with to a certain degree, and I hope you'll allow me to use that word. I can see some of you are falling asleep already. My apologies for that. But I blame your coffee for not being strong enough. Is the issue of women in Islam.

Personal Connection

And as I mentioned, the issue of niqab was the forefront in our elections. It was a highly polarized, politicized debate that women are second class citizens in Islam. They have no rights. Their fathers marry them off at a very young age. And you know what, that is how they spend the rest of their lives, hiding behind this veil. Now this sentiment I find very very offensive.

Very very offensive. Why? Because it was the decree of God that I have one sibling who is a sister. It was the decree of God that when God blessed me with children, He granted me two daughters. It was the decree of God that if I was to count all of my cousins in Canada, I have nine female cousins and one male cousin. If I was to

Answer: That is correct. So the Qur'an was revealed in the Arabic language. And if a person wants an unedited version of it, they would need to learn the Arabic language. But what I can say is, for the vast majority of translations, people do put their best effort forward to give an unbiased translation of it.

So if you want to approach the Qur'an and do not know the Arabic language, there are multiple translations that are available. If you are asking for which translation, I would suggest, then there is one that was published out of SOAS, the School of Oriental and African Studies in England by a professor there, I am not sure what the initials stand for, but M.S. Abdul-Haleem. So it's M.S. Abdul-Haleem.

For me personally, this is the translation I feel very comfortable with. I'm not saying it's a perfect translation, but I'm saying it's probably the one that I agree with the most. So yes, since the Qur'an is in Arabic, it would be impossible to get a perfect picture of what the Qur'an has to say without knowing the Arabic language. But academic credibility is also very important. And when these academics translate the Qur'an, I do believe that they are trying to be as unbiased as possible. And for the most part, most translations will be free of major flaws in translation.

Question 2: Differences in Qur'an Translations

Question: So the different versions, the different translations of Qur'an translated by different organizations or individuals, do they differ vastly or are there minor differences? What kind of differences would you find in them?

Answer: Fantastic. So the differences that you'd find in the different translations of the Qur'an are not different versions of the Qur'an. So that's something that's very important. It's the same text that's being translated, but just different choices of words that are being used.

Whereas M.S. Abdul-Haleem, as I mentioned, that was translated, if I'm not mistaken, in 2009. Fairly recent. The, you know, vernacular and vocabulary is very relevant and similar to what we use today. So the message is going to be the same, but the choice of words is what's going to be different.

Just to let everyone know, we have some copies of the Qur'an in the English language. So if anyone's interested, you can go to one of these after the Q&A, and we'll give you one.

Question 3: Respecting Muslim Boundaries

Question: First of all, I just want to say thank you for coming all this way. It was very informative. My question is, how can you make sure that you're respecting some of the Muslims, respecting their boundaries, and what you believe in, and the standards, and the Sharia law that they want to hold themselves to when you don't necessarily know what they are or what level of faith they hold themselves to?

Answer: That requires like a whole different lecture. But it's a great question. It's a great question.

So when it comes to faith, I think it's pretty well known that faith is generally a very personal matter. And each and every one of us has a different level of commitment, a different level of dedication. So for me to come up here and stand and say, this is how you should interact with Muslims, as if they're all monolithic and homogenous, would be a great injustice.

So if you are in a situation where you are interacting with a Muslim, I would say the best thing to do is probably get to know them and see what their understandings are. But more than likely, they're just like any other human being, and they will let you know, okay, this is what the boundaries are, and this is what the guidelines are. Right? If they're uncomfortable with something, they'll definitely let you know. That's what I would say is the best thing to do.

Question 4: Laws of Apostasy

Question (from a student): You have made the analogy between Sharia law and how a potter transforms to the shape of a glass. Can this analogy be used to help explain the application of the Quranic verses regarding the beginning of an apostate?

Answer: Why all the complicated questions? Why can't we just all get along? Okay.

So, when I was talking about the dynamic nature of Sharia, my intention behind that is to show that when we approach religion, it's not religions themselves that need to be reformed, it's interpretation of religion that needs to be reformed.

And certain interpretations will be relevant to certain places and times, and other interpretations will not be relevant to other places and times. So now, when we talk about laws of apostasy, while this is a very, I guess, front page topic, for me personally, this is not very relevant. And I'll explain why.

Because when you study the laws of apostasy, the laws of apostasy are not just about a person choosing to practice another faith, it is about a person choosing to practice another faith, while being treacherous to the Muslim community, while living under the Islamic state. So now, let us take all three of these components together.

The Islamic state - When I mention Islamic state, I'm not talking about ISIS. Right? Let's make that very clear. I'm talking about a sovereign state that rules by the true implementation of what the Qur'an actually dictates.

And while ISIS may claim that, the vast majority of Muslims will clearly tell you that that is not the case. So that is the first component of that you need an Islamic state that actually governs by what the rule of God, or what the true and pure form of the sharia actually is. Which unfortunately in this day and age, we do not have.

Number two, is that we mentioned that this person would have been treacherous to the Muslim community, and to the Islamic state itself. So now, the concept of laws of treason are not really relevant in this day and age anymore. But if you were to even look at Canadian law and American law, the laws that talk about treason,

mean that you sell your state's secrets to another nation, particularly one if it's at war with, it's punishable by death still. Those laws still exist. So that's the concept of treason.

And then the third thing is the issue of abandoning of faith. So I believe it was Adnan, did you mention it in the introduction? That there's a verse in the Qur'an that says "لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ" - That there's no compulsion in religion. And as a Muslim, I openly say this, no one can compel you, or force you, or dictate to you which religion you should follow, or which religion you shouldn't follow. That is a personal choice.

Now, if we want to talk about how Saudi Arabia implements laws of apostasy, or how they're implemented in Nigeria, we can speak about political innuendo, and political objectives. But that's a completely different discussion as to what the law of God actually says. So now, trying to answer the question of, does that mean we can wipe out laws that are mentioned in the Qur'an, or laws that are mentioned in text? And the answer to that is no.

But what we can do is, we can figure out guidelines as to when it is appropriate for them to be implemented, and when it is not appropriate for them to be implemented. And that would be the distinction between reforming the sharia, as opposed to reforming our interpretation of it. And the simplest thing I can say is that God knows best.

Question 5: Allah and God of Christianity

Question: Is Allah and God of Christianity the same God?

Answer: Good question. And in a simplistic version of it, yes.

Even linguistically speaking, if you were to find a Christian that speaks Arabic, they will refer to their God as Allah. So Allah, linguistically, all it means is the one that is worthy of being worshipped. That's what it linguistically means. So one that is taken to be worshipped because he is worthy of being worshipped, is known as Allah. And this is shared in the Arabic language with Christians, with Jews, and with Muslims.

Question 6: Conflicts Between Islamic Sects

Question: So if Islam is based upon the principle of equality, why do we see such conflict between the different sects?

Answer: Okay. So if Islam is based upon the principle of equality, how do we understand the various conflicts that take place? Okay. How can there be conflicts between... Fantastic. Okay.

So there's two main schools of thoughts inside of Islam, as you know this, but I want to enlighten everyone else here. The larger school of thought is the Sunni school of thought, which makes up about three quarter of the Muslim population. And then the other school of thought is the Shia population, which makes up about one quarter of the Muslim population. Then you have other branches, which are less than 1%.

So now with that having being said, what I want to emphasize and highlight over here, is that there's the word of God, and then there's the human understanding of it. So two things I would like to highlight in terms of sectarial

conflicts. Number one is that a lot of the times, they're financially, politically, economically, geographically motivated. Right? The way a Sunni and a Shia would interact in Canada, would be completely different to a way a Sunni and Shia would interact in Iraq. And that's just because the way we're brought up is relatively a lot more tolerant.

So now people will justify it, but does the religion actually say it? No, not at all. In fact, I believe throughout history, not even within different sects, but within different religions, we've all lived peacefully and tolerantly with one another, up and until a select few from each and every community came, and said, you know what, we're no longer, we don't like this, we don't like peace, so let us create war.

Question 7: Treatment of People of Other Faiths

Question: A few months ago, on CBC radio, they had people calling in talking about ISIS and there was a guy who claimed to be, he was an older man, a scholar of the Muslim religion, and he said on the radio that nowhere in the teaching of Islam does it say to be kind or talk to people who believe differently than what the Quran teaches. And I heard that. I was like, wow. Pretty shocking. I was wondering if you could give some representative examples from the teachings of Islam how Muslims, people who believe in Islam, are to deal with, treat, interact with people who believe differently than others.

Answer: Fantastic. So the first thing I'll refer you to is a verse of the Quran itself. Chapter number 60, verse number 8. In this verse, God tells us how to interact with different faiths that are not at war with you, nor have they exiled you from your homes. So in this verse, God highlights two things:

وَتَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ

"That you show righteousness and justice to them"

Number one, birr is to show righteousness, and qist is to show justice. So God has emphasized two key components over here, that our interaction with other faith members is to be based upon righteousness and justice. Justice meaning that we give them their due rights and fulfill their rights for them. And then righteousness is to go above and beyond what the situation requires.

So for example, I can see that you're thirsty, rather than me waiting for you to ask for a glass of water, I'm like, Hey, why don't you take this bottle? So that's righteousness is going above and beyond. And this is what actually God legislated in the Quran itself. Chapter 60, verse number 8.

In terms of practical examples, I mean I believe history is filled through them. One example that I can give you is in the Spanish Empire, when Muslims ruled Spain during that land, the Jewish community felt a lot safer living with Muslims at that time, than they did living amongst other religions and other faiths. So that is one simple example where the Muslim community and the Jewish community lived amongst one another, and they felt safe, and they prospered, and economically thrived, and things went very very well.

What I would like to highlight, if you ever get a chance, there is a really good book called "Misquoting Muhammad" by Jonathan Brown. He is a professor at Georgetown University. And it's, you know, great

examples of how religious texts are misconstrued and misinterpreted.

Question 8: Islamic Banking and Profit

Question: I do not support profit. I intend to do extensive business with the UAE, but I don't understand the concept of Islamic banking and profit.

Answer: Islamic banking and profit. Okay. Bismillah.

Okay. So, the foundation of Islamic banking is that we are not allowed dealing with money that we have not rightfully and justly earned. That is the basic premise of it. And under this basic premise, that is where you get such strict guidelines in transactions.

So, for example, as a Muslim, I'm not allowed selling something that I don't have. So, for example, in my mind, I can think to myself, Hey, I know you want to buy a Honda CRV. By the way, that's the car that, you know, I drive. So, I was like, you know what, I know you want to buy a Honda CRV, and I could probably make like a good 10% off of you because I know someone inside Honda that, you know, is going to hook me up with a deal. Islamically speaking, I'm not allowed to sell you this car up and until I've gone and purchased the car from him and then I sell it to you. That's one example.

A third thing I would mention is that Islamic contracts are very, very detailed and specific. Because we're trying to avoid something called gharar. And gharar is misinterpretation and miscommunication. So, I tell you, I will sell you a 2016 Honda CRV. It would be incumbent upon me to tell you that it would have zero mileage, it would be brand new, these are the possible colors it will come in interiorly and exteriorly, just so that the other party doesn't feel cheated.

Question 9: Pure Form of Sharia Law

Question: Is there a pure form of Sharia law present in this world now?

Answer: And simple answer to that, in its purest form, no, it does not exist.

Question 10: Women Permitted in Islam and English Congress

Question: Is being a woman permitted in Islam and English Congress?

Answer: Okay. So, let me... This is a very long answer. But, I will summarize it to the best of my ability.

The reason why people presume this is an Islamic issue. Number one, is the prevalence of domestic violence in certain cultures. Certain cultures are more prone to domestic violence than others. Some of those cultures

ARABIC TEXT (CRITICAL - PRESERVE EXACTLY)

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RULES

happen to come from Muslim lands. So, that is why it is seen.

Number two, is that there is a verse in the Qur'an, which is Surah number 4, verse number 34, that depending on how you read this verse, and who has translated the verse, they will interpret this verse that if you find from your spouse, and spouse over here in the feminine gender, that she has been adulterous, or has been on the verge of adulterous, and you fear from her disobedience and rebellion, then advise them, and then separate from their beds. And then the third thing that is mentioned is the word, Darb, in the Arabic language. Now, the word Darb is one of those words that has multiple understandings and interpretations.

So the word Darb can be used to travel. The word Darb can be used to separate. The word Darb can also be used to strike. Right? So now, depending on the person who is interpreting it, they will come up with a different presentation of this verse.

What I would like to highlight over here is, let us go back to this concept of having a holistic approach, and see what the guidelines of interaction between a man and woman are. When God says in the Quran, in the 30th chapter, that He has made marriage as a sign from God. If you want to talk about the existence of God, one of His signs is marriage within of itself. That He has created for us, spouses for us, with whom we will be loving and merciful, and together we build a house of serenity and tranquility. Now, just based upon this one verse alone, if there is domestic violence in the house, how will you have a house based upon tranquility and serenity, and love and mercy? Where is that?

Number two, clearly without a shadow of a doubt, the wife of the Prophet, she says, the Prophet Muhammad never hit a woman or a child. The Prophet Muhammad never hit a woman or a child. And the best example for a Muslim is the Prophet Muhammad himself. So with that having being said, without a shadow of a doubt, I do not believe it is permissible for a man to strike a woman under any context. Under any context.

If you're interested in learning more about this subject, there's actually a 20-page essay. It's called, "The End to Hitting Women." And it's a paper that I had helped research by a colleague of mine in England. It's available online on a website called Muslim Matters. But even if you don't go to the website, just look up "The End to Hitting Women."

Question 11: Religious Exclusivity and the Afterlife

Question: In Christianity they say, if you do not invite Jesus into your path, you will go to hell. Also in Islam they say, if you do not believe in Prophet Muhammad, in the Prophet's teachings, you will go to hell. So if I am a good person, if I've been a good person my whole life, but do not believe anything that I did not see, hear, or myself, then, do I go to hell?

Answer: So, this concept of religious exclusivity. Who gets to decide who's going to heaven and hell? Each and every religion will have their own interpretation of this, and I can only offer what Islam says about this. And I need to again portray a complete picture. So, from a Muslim's perspective, we, actually how do I even say this? From a Muslim's perspective, there's one of two ways, or sorry, one of three ways to go to paradise.

There's one of three ways to go to paradise. Those three ways are:

Number one, is that anyone that is alive after the time of Muhammad, he has to believe in God, and the articles of faith, and the pillars of Islam, and believe in Muhammad. And then, through living that good life, and doing good deeds, and trying his best or her best to stay away from bad deeds, then through the mercy of God, that is how they will enter paradise. That is post coming of Muhammad.

Number two, pre coming of Muhammad, we believe that the followers of every prophet, they will enter paradise due to their following of the prophet. So, for example, during the time of Jesus, those that followed Jesus, truly, then they would be entered into paradise. Those that followed Moses, they would be entered into paradise. Those that followed Noah, and Abraham, and Jacob, and all the other prophets that are more commonly known, if they followed their prophets during their times, they would be entered into paradise.

Number three, there's a third category of people, and this third category of people is those individuals that knew nothing about God, or religion, or prophets, but they tried their best to search for truth. And they tried their best to search for meaning in their life. Yet, this did not lead them to finding any religion whatsoever, or did not lead them to being content with a particular religion, and therefore the truth never actually reached them. So, from a Muslim's perspective, this third category of people, they would actually be raised on that final day that we call the day of judgment, and they would be sent a prophet at that time. If they follow the prophet that is sent to them at that time, and it's not Muhammad, this is a completely different prophet that would be sent, if they followed that prophet, then they would be from the inhabitants of paradise. And if they didn't follow that prophet, they would be from the inhabitants of the hellfire.

Now, rather than focusing on this technicality, what I would like to share with all of us, is that, inherently speaking, I do believe every single one of us is a good person. We will all agree upon, stealing is bad, killing is bad, we should respect and honor our parents. These are morals that we all have in common. Now, where we will differ on, is how we decide what our purpose of life is. And I don't want to tell you that your purpose of life should be that you need to become a Muslim. What I want to share with you, is that your purpose of life should be directed by the question, why do I exist? What is the higher purpose of my existence? And through that question, begin a path of seeking the truth, and as they say, the truth will set you free.

Final Comments on Truth and Faith

Comment from audience: I think that's a very good point. But I think this is the bad part of the Muslim- Muslim association. Learn your religion. Don't inherit it. Because not Christians are Christians. Christians are Muslims, and Muslims are Muslims, because you're training your Muslims into their religion, so we inherit our religion instead of learning it. So, I mean, and this is a difficult thing. Yes, there are certain forces that guide a person's ideology, but that's a struggle. And most of the time, you've got to overcome that, you've got to learn your religion, and choose it for yourself.

Response: Thank you. Thank you for having my back. I appreciate that.

Question about Islamic Sources

Question: So, my question was a bit short. I see you're putting things mixed here. One is the Torah. Another is, as you said, another is the tradition. It's just that I'm noticing Jesus, the Old Testament, and the church traditions of the Christian church. Like, you just mentioned the rock blasphemy. There is a law of apostasy. There is none in the Torah, but there is a sociocultural reason for a Christian to be a Muslim. How do you comment about that?

Answer: I mean, and a lot of these problematic things, we can evade the questions, but they do exist in the Hebrew, and the church, you know, church traditions are sharing a law. Right. So, I'm so glad that it's 8:33 right now. I'm not going to run away from the question. But what's important to understand is each religion has its sources of legislation. Right.

And I've highlighted two of them in the Muslim faith. One is the Quran, and the other one is the Hadith, or the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad. Now, these aren't the only two sources of legislation. But what I would say, again, these are discussions that every religion has had to have at one point. Where the religious leaders of that place, of that time, have had to come together and say, okay, without changing the word of God, how do we implement the word of God in a way that is relevant and accommodating to the place and time that we are in.

Closing Remarks

Announcement about Syrian Refugees

So the Muslim Student Association understands that the refugee crisis in Syria is something that is very sad. And hence, the Muslim Student Association is launching a three-year review trial. We are helping some amazing people, like Jamie over there, to sponsor some Syrian families. We have already, you know, traffic stated on our hand and found some amazing people who are willing to help sponsor families. And we're also launching our project to send medical supplies to refugee camps and to medicine. If anyone wants to volunteer for that, please do approach me or Mr. Umair.

Where is Mr. Umair? Right there. The gentleman right there with the very beautiful British eyes. So if any one of you Muslims wants to volunteer for this, please approach us.

And I thank every one of you, every single one of you from the bottom of my heart for joining us and making this an amazing night. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you.

وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

Question and Answer Session

Question 1: Which Version of Islam is Correct?

Question: I have a number of problems with what you've said, but I will restrict it to one point. You have just given us your version of Islam. Now, by the way, I would ask the same question if you were a Christian or a Jew

or a Hindu. If we had an ISIS member standing before you right now, he would give us his version of Islam. And he would say his version is correct and your version is wrong. So my question is why should I believe your version and not his version?

Answer: Fantastic. Thank you very much for your question. So in terms of understanding what is truth and what is ultimate truth and what are our sources of knowledge, this is what I was sort of alluding to in the beginning when I spoke about we need to differentiate between what the religion is versus what its followers actually say and do.

So that having being said, if I wanted to judge Christianity, I would go towards the Bible and I would study the Bible. Similarly over here, if I wanted you to know what Islam truly says, I would say read a copy of the Qur'an, read a copy of the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad. And that would be the only way that you could know for sure what the religion of Islam actually says. And then you could corroborate, hey, did what Naveed Aziz say tonight, is it actually true? Or is he just talking a bunch of hot air, right? But this is just an introduction to that further discussion that I mentioned verses of the Qur'an, I mentioned statements of the Prophet as an introduction that those of you that are interested, you have an opportunity to get a copy of the Qur'an, to get some traditions of the Prophet Muhammad and see what he actually says. And that is the only way for sure you can know which version of Islam is actually true.

Follow-up: Is it not true that in Islam, the only true Qur'an is the one in Arabic? And once you translate it, it is no longer the Qur'an?

Question 2: Different Translations of the Qur'an

And those will depend on, you know, one's time that they're translating at. So if you find a very early translation, like Marmaduke Pickthall, right? That's translated in like 1934. Not Shakespearean, post Shakespearean, but uses words like Thou regularly, right? And Doth, and things like that. No one speaks like that anymore. Whereas Amos Abdel Halim, as I mentioned, that was translated, if I'm not mistaken, in 2009. Fairly recent. The, you know, vernacular and vocabulary is very relevant and similar to what we use today. So the message is going to be the same, but the choice of words is what's going to be different.

Question 3: Respecting Muslim Boundaries

Answer: That requires like a whole different lecture. But it's a great question. It's a great question. So when it comes to faith, I think it's pretty well known that faith is generally a very personal matter. And each and every one of us has a different level of commitment, a different level of dedication.

So for me to come up here and stand and say, this is how you should interact with Muslims, as if they're all monolithic and homogenous, would be a great injustice. So if you are in a situation where you are interacting with a Muslim, I would say the best thing to do is probably get to know them and see what their understandings are. But more than likely, they're just like any other human being, and they will let you know, okay, this is what the boundaries are, and this is what the guidelines are. Right? If they're uncomfortable with something, they'll definitely let you know. That's what I would say is the best thing to do.

Question 4: Laws of Apostasy

Question: You have made the analogy between Sharia law and how a potter transforms to the shape of a glass. Can this analogy be used to help explain the application of the Quranic verses regarding the beginning of an apostate?

Answer: So, when I was talking about the dynamic nature of Sharia, my intention behind that is to show that when we approach religion, it's not religions themselves that need to be reformed, it's interpretation of religion that needs to be reformed.

1. The Islamic state

When I mention Islamic state, I'm not talking about ISIS. Right? Let's make that very clear. I'm talking about a sovereign state that rules by the true implementation of what the Qur'an actually dictates. And while ISIS may claim that, the vast majority of Muslims will clearly tell you that that is not the case. So that is the first component of that you need an Islamic state that actually governs by what the rule of God, or what the true and pure form of the sharia actually is. Which unfortunately in this day and age, we do not have.

2. Treason

We mentioned that this person would have been treacherous to the Muslim community, and to the Islamic state itself. So now, the concept of laws of treason are not really relevant in this day and age anymore. But if you were to even look at Canadian law and American law, the laws that talk about treason, mean that you sell your state's secrets to another nation, particularly one if it's at war with, it's punishable by death still. Those laws still exist. So that's the concept of treason.

3. Abandoning of faith

So I believe it was Adnan, did you mention it in the introduction? Or you mentioned it in the interview? That there's a verse in the Qur'an that says:

لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ

(Quran 2:256)

"There's no compulsion in religion"

And as a Muslim, I openly say this, no one can compel you, or force you, or dictate to you which religion you should follow, or which religion you shouldn't follow. That is a personal choice. The one that settles with you most logically, and spiritually, and philosophically, is the way of life and religion that we should all follow. Right? That is the freedom that we have of living in this day and age.

Now, understanding all of this, people like to talk about the laws of blasphemy. My simple response to this is, let's talk about what is relevant. We're talking about something that is completely theoretical, and has no practical application whatsoever.

Question 5: God of Christianity and Islam

Question: Is Allah and God of Christianity the same God?

Answer: Good question. And in a simplistic version of it, yes. Even linguistically speaking, if you were to find a Christian that speaks Arabic, they will refer to their God as Allah. So Allah, linguistically, all it means is the one that is worthy of being worshipped. That's what it linguistically means. So one that is taken to be worshipped because he is worthy of being worshipped, is known as Allah. And this is shared in the Arabic language with Christians, with Jews, and with Muslims.

Question 6: Conflicts Between Islamic Sects

Question: So if Islam is based upon the principle of equality, why do we see such conflict between the different sects?

Answer: Okay. So there's two main schools of thoughts inside of Islam, as you know this, but I want to enlighten everyone else here. The larger school of thought is the Sunni school of thought, which makes up about three quarter of the Muslim population. And then the other school of thought is the Shia population, which makes up about one quarter of the Muslim population. Then you have other branches, which are less than 1%.

So now with that having being said, what I want to emphasize and highlight over here, is that there's the word of God, and then there's the human understanding of it.

So two things I would like to highlight in terms of sectarial conflicts. Number one is that a lot of the times, they're financially, politically, economically, geographically motivated. Right? The way a Sunni and a Shia would interact in Canada, would be completely different to a way a Sunni and Shia would interact in Iraq. And that's just because the way we're brought up is relatively a lot more tolerant. We'll spend a lot more time to get to know one another and what we stand for, and appreciate our diversity. Whereas a culture in another part of the world may not do so.

So now with that having being understood, people never want to look foolish. They want to be able to justify their actions with something, even if it's nonsensical. So people will take verses of the Qur'an and traditions of the Prophet, and they will say that, I'm justifying my act according to this. But this goes back to the issue, and I'll come back to you in a second, is that human interpretation versus what actually God said, are two different things. So now people will justify it, but does the religion actually say it? No, not at all.

In fact, I believe throughout history, not even within different sects, but within different religions, we've all lived peacefully and tolerantly with one another, up and until a select few from each and every community came, and said, you know what, we're no longer, we don't like this, we don't like peace, so let us create war.

Question 7: Muslims and Non-Muslims

Question: A few months ago, on CBC radio, they had people calling in talking about ISIS and there was a guy who claimed to be, he was an older man, a scholar of the Muslim religion, and he said on the radio that nowhere in the teaching of Islam does it say to be kind or talk to people who believe differently than what the Quran teaches. And I heard that. I was like, wow. Pretty shocking. I was wondering if you could give some representative examples from the teachings of Islam how Muslims, people who believe in Islam, are to deal with, treat, interact with people who believe differently than others.

Answer: Fantastic. So the first thing I'll refer you to is a verse of the Quran itself. Chapter number 60, verse number 8. In this verse, God tells us how to interact with different faiths that are not at war with you, nor have they exiled you from your homes. So in this verse, God highlights two things:

لَيْهِمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا تَبَرُّوهُمْ أَن

"To show righteousness (birr) and to show justice (qist)" (Quran 60:8)

So God has emphasized two key components over here, that our interaction with other faith members is to be based upon righteousness and justice. Justice meaning that we give them their due rights and fulfill their rights for them. And then righteousness is to go above and beyond what the situation requires.

So for example, I can see that you're thirsty, rather than me waiting for you to ask for a glass of water, I'm like, Hey, why don't you take this bottle? So that's righteousness is going above and beyond. And this is what actually God legislated in the Quran itself. Chapter 60, verse number 8.

What I would like to highlight, if you ever get a chance, there is a really good book called Misquoting Muhammad by Jonathan Brown. He is a professor either at Georgetown or Duke, one of the two, at Georgetown, at Georgetown University. And it's, you know, great examples of how religious texts are misconstrued and misinterpreted. And it comes with historical examples as well as a holistic approach to the topic.

Question 8: Islamic Banking and Profit

Question: I do not support profit. I intend to do extensive business with the UAE, but I don't understand the concept of Islamic banking and profit.

Answer: Okay. So, the foundation of Islamic banking is that we are not allowed dealing with money that we have not rightfully and justly earned. That is the basic premise of it. And under this basic premise, that is where you get such strict guidelines in transactions.

Another example, and this is probably the more common one, is that Muslims do not deal with interest. And as Muslims, we don't differentiate between usury and interest. In other religions, they differentiate between percentages. If it's a large percent, it's not allowed. If it's a small percent, it is allowed. But from a Muslim's perspective, we're not allowed using money as a commodity. Money is a currency of exchange. It is not a commodity. So, you cannot buy and sell money and make profit off of money. And likewise, we view loans as an act of kindness, not as a means of business. So, if I wanted to, I could not tell you Islamically, Hey, I will lend you $100 for you to give me $100 and 1 cent later. Islamically speaking, even that 1 cent, I'm not allowed to accept because that would be interest and usury.

A third thing I would mention is that Islamic contracts are very, very detailed and specific. Because we're trying to avoid something called gharar. And gharar is misinterpretation and miscommunication. So, I tell you, I will send you, I will sell you a 2016 Honda CRV. It would be incumbent upon me to tell you that it would have zero mileage, it would be brand new, these are the possible colors it will come in interiorly and exteriorly, just so that the other party doesn't feel cheated.

Because, you know, the way people feel after a transaction is just as important. Now, I know this is beyond the scope of what we're discussing. So, I'll conclude with those three points.

But if you are interested in knowing more, what I can say is, one of the other community members that I work with at my mosque, he's actually done his bachelor's and master's in Islamic finance. And we have a YouTube channel. If you go to that, he's delivered a six-week course. And each week was about an hour and a half. So, if you go to IISC Multimedia, IISC Multimedia on YouTube, that's my mosque's YouTube channel. And you can find a series on Islamic finance over there in the English language. That will hopefully facilitate your journey in Islamic banking.

Question 9: Is There Pure Sharia Law Today?

Question: Is there a pure form of Sharia law present in this world now?

Answer: And simple answer to that, in its purest form, no, it does not exist.

Question 10: Women in Islam

Question: Is being a woman permitted in Islam and English Congress?

Answer: So, let me... This is a very long answer. But, I will summarize it to the best of my ability.

Number two, is that there is a verse in the Qur'an, which is Surah number 4, verse number 34, that depending on how you read this verse, and who has translated the verse, they will interpret this verse that if you find from your spouse, and spouse over here in the feminine gender, that she has been adulterous, or has been on the verge of adulterous, and you fear from her disobedience and rebellion, then advise them, and then separate from their beds. And then the third thing that is mentioned is the word, Darb, in the Arabic language. Now, the word Darb is one of those words that has multiple understandings and interpretations. Multiple interpretations.

So the word Darb can be used to travel. The word Darb can be used to separate. The word Darb can also be used to strike. Right? So now, depending on the person who is interpreting it, they will come up with a different presentation of this verse.

chapter, that He has made marriage as a sign from God. If you want to talk about the existence of God, one of His signs is marriage within of itself. That He has created for us, spouses for us, with whom we will be loving and merciful, and together we build a house of serenity and tranquility.

Now, just based upon this one verse alone, if there is domestic violence in the house, how will you have a house based upon tranquility and serenity, and love and mercy? Where is that?

If you're interested in learning more about this subject, there's actually a 20-page essay. It's called, The End to Hitting Women. The End to Hitting Women. And it's a paper that I had helped research by a colleague of mine in England. It's available online on a website called Muslim Matters. But even if you don't go to the website, just look up The End to Hitting Women. And it's a detailed explanation of this verse and the context behind it that needs to be understood.

Question 11: Truth and Subjectivity

Audience Comment: I think that's a very good point. But I think this is the bad part of the Muslim-Muslim association. Learn your religion. Don't inherit it. Because not Christians are Christians. Christians are Muslims, and Muslims are Muslims, because you're training your Muslims into their religion, so we inherit our religion instead of learning it. So, I mean, and this is a difficult thing. Yes, there are certain forces that guide a person's ideology, but that's a struggle. And most of the time, you've got to overcome that, you've got to learn your religion, and choose it for yourself. And yes, it is a struggle, but, you know, you can't really deny it.

Response: Thank you. Thank you for having my back. I appreciate that.

Question 12: Heaven, Hell and Religious Exclusivity

Question: In Christianity they say, if you do not invite Jesus into your path, you will go to hell. Also in Islam they say, if you do not believe in Prophet Muhammad, in the Prophet's teachings, you will go to hell. So if I am a good person, if I've been a good person my whole life, but do not believe anything that I did not see, hear, or myself, then, do I go to hell?

Answer: So, this concept of religious exclusivity. Who gets to decide who's going to heaven and hell? Each and every religion will have their own interpretation of this, and I can only offer what Islam says about this. And I need to again portray a complete picture. So, from a Muslim's perspective, we, actually how do I even say this? From a Muslim's perspective, there's one of two ways, or sorry, one of three ways to go to paradise. There's one of three ways to go to paradise.

Three ways to paradise:

1. Post-Muhammad Era - Anyone that is alive after the time of Muhammad, he has to believe in God, and the articles of faith, and the pillars of Islam, and believe in Muhammad. And then, through living that good life, and doing good deeds, and trying his best or her best to stay away from bad deeds, then through the mercy of God, that is how they will enter paradise.

2. Pre-Muhammad Era - Pre coming of Muhammad, we believe that the followers of every prophet, they will enter paradise due to their following of the prophet. So, for example, during the time of Jesus, those that followed Jesus, truly, then they would be entered into paradise. Those that followed Moses, they would be entered into paradise. Those that followed Noah, and Abraham, and Jacob, and all the other prophets that are more commonly known, if they followed their prophets during their times, they would be entered into paradise.

3. Those Who Never Received the Message - There's a third category of people, and this third category of people is those individuals that knew nothing about God, or religion, or prophets, but they tried their best to search for truth. And they tried their best to search for meaning in their life. Yet, this did not lead them to finding any religion whatsoever, or did not lead them to being content with a particular religion, and therefore the truth never actually reached them. So, from a Muslim's perspective, this third category of people, they would actually be raised on that final day that we call the day of judgment, and they would be sent a prophet at that time. If they follow the prophet that is sent to them at that time, and it's not Muhammad, this is a completely different prophet that would be sent, if they followed that prophet, then they would be from the inhabitants of paradise. And if they didn't follow that prophet, they would be from the inhabitants of the hellfire.

And I don't want to tell you that your purpose of life should be that you need to become a Muslim. What I want to share with you, is that your purpose of life should be directed by the question, why do I exist? What is the higher purpose of my existence? And through that question, begin a path of seeking the truth, and as they say, the truth will set you free.

Question 13: Homosexuality and Same-Sex Marriage

Question: What if you are gay?

Answer: So the same laws would apply to someone that is homosexual. So in terms of, before they get married, if they find someone attractive, they should lower their gaze towards them, not have eye contact with them. If they are at an age where they can get married and are not, they are encouraged to fast.

Now, I want to tie in the stance of homosexuality in Islam. There's two things that people often confuse. One is a legal right, versus what is morally, religiously sinful, versus rewarding.

So let me start off with the first aspect. Again, one of the beautiful things about living in Canada, is that we get to choose our sexual orientation. And there's the freedom to have any form of orientation that you like. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, it's actually illegal, or on its way to becoming illegal, to asking someone what their sexual orientation is. That's the beauty of living in a place like Canada.

So now in a place like Canada, where someone can choose and decide who they want to marry, and fall in love with, and have a relationship with, that freedom definitely exists. And the religion will not come and impose its view on a legal national level. Because we have a belief as Muslims, that the laws of the land should always be respected. The laws of the land should always be respected.

Now, in terms of what is the Islamic approach to homosexuality. And where do we stand on this? So, in terms of the feelings that an individual has towards someone of the same gender, those feelings are not sinful. Those feelings within of themselves are not sinful. What ends up becoming sinful, is the actual sexual act itself. That is what becomes sinful.

Now, you'll get a wide spectrum of understanding marriage and homosexuality from Islamic faith, from Islamic perspective. You'll find certain Imams, a very very small minority, and by Imam I mean religious leaders in the Muslim community, that actually will perform matrimonial services for members of the same gender. You'll find that the vast majority of them will not accommodate to the religious marriage, but they will accommodate to the civil marriage. They will accommodate to the civil marriage.

Now, understanding this distinction between religious marriage and civil marriage is very important. Because in terms of religious marriage, we believe that it is not up to human beings to decide who can religiously get married and not. But rather that is something that is ordained by God Himself. But in terms of the civil marriage, this is something that the law of the land dictates, and the law of the land will say who gets to get married, and who doesn't.

Question 14: Headscarf and Visual Stimulation

Question: So, you mentioned about male beauty and why women should cover. Can you expand on this?

Answer: Very good question. So, there was actually a lapse in my speech or in my thought process when I was talking at that time. And what I wanted to mention was the holistic view to gender interaction in Islam.

So one of the rules that we have in terms of gender interaction is that if you find the opposite gender sexually attractive, then one of the first things that you're meant to do is that when you interact with them, you don't directly look at them in the eye, but rather when you speak to them or interact with them, you look down at the ground. Likewise, there's the encouragement that in Islam you're not allowed to have intercourse before marriage. So in that situation, the people who are of an age where they're able to get married, they're actually encouraged to fast to decrease their sexual desire.

So now part of this holistic approach is that we have this belief that God knows us best. And the way that's complemented with psychology, when you look at it from a psychological perspective, men are more visually

stimulated as opposed to women. And that is why when you look at who the porn industry actually targets, it is men and not women. Yes, there are a fragment of society that will be targeted by the porn industry for that, but the clear majority is definitely men because they thrive off that visual stimulation. Whereas that is not the case for women. Now does that mean that a woman is not visually stimulated? No, I'm not saying that at all. But what I am saying is that studies actually show that when it comes to visual stimulation, it's a lot greater exponentially for a man than it is for a woman.

And that is why a woman has that extra step, and this is my understanding of the situation, of covering herself along with when a man finds a woman attractive that he not look her in the eye and he lower her gaze towards her. And if he is at an age where he should get married but doesn't get married, he is also encouraged to fast, and he is also encouraged to refrain from that temptation.

Closing Announcements

So the Muslim Student Association understands that the refugee crisis in Syria is something that is very sad. And hence, the Muslim Student Association is launching a three-year review trial. We are helping some amazing people, like Jamie over there, to sponsor some Syrian families.

We have already, you know, traffic stated on our hand and found some amazing people who are willing to help sponsor families. And we're also launching our project to send medical supplies to refugee camps and to medicine. If anyone wants to volunteer for that, please do approach me or Mr. Umair. Where is Mr. Umair? Right there. The gentleman right there with the very beautiful British eyes. So if any one of you Muslims wants to volunteer for this, please approach us.

And I thank every one of you, every single one of you from the bottom of my heart for joining us and making this an amazing night. Thank you very much. Thank you very much.

Thank you.