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In the above-mentioned verses, there are three important points to prove that stoning to death punishment is absurd. (1) Only hundred lashes are commanded for this offence. (2) The adulterer will marry an adulteress. Now how is it possible to marry two dead persons? (3) There will be half the punishment to the adulterer or adulteress if that person was a slave before marriage. Now just imagine how will you half stone to death? Is this not a mockery of the commandment of God?
6. Hijab: It is given to understand that Muslim women must cover their whole body, including the face when in public. Women’s dress code in Islam is one of the most discussed subjects not only in the Western media but also in Muslim countries, yet it remains one of the most distorted and misunderstood. The reality is quite different. The dress code criteria mentioned in Qur’an are as follows.
[33:59] O prophet, tell your wives, your daughters, and the wives of the believers that they shall lengthen their garments. Thus, they will be recognized (as righteous women) and avoid being insulted. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.
[7:26] O children of Adam, we have provided you with garments to cover your bodies, as well as for luxury. But the best garment is the garment of righteousness. These are some of GOD’s signs, that they may take heed.
[24:30] Tell the believing men that they shall subdue their eyes (and not stare at the women), and to maintain their chastity. This is purer for them. GOD is fully Cognizant of everything they do.
*24:30-31 Dressing modestly, therefore, is a trait of the believing men and women. The minimum requirements for a woman’s dress is to lengthen her garment (33:59) and to cover her chest.
Tyrannical Arab traditions have given a false impression that a woman must be covered from head to toe; such is not a Quranic or Islamic dress.
[24:31] And tell the believing women to subdue their eyes, and maintain their chastity. They shall not reveal any parts of their bodies, except that which is necessary. They shall cover their chests, and shall not relax this code in the presence of other than their husbands, their fathers, the fathers of their husbands, their sons, the sons of their husbands, their brothers, the sons of their brothers, the sons of their sisters, other women, the male servants or employees whose sexual drive has been nullified, or the children who have not reached puberty. They shall not strike their feet when they walk in order to shake and reveal certain details of their bodies. All of you shall repent to GOD, O you believers, that you may succeed.
The garment of righteousness or piety could refer to choosing a garment that reflects the quality of oneself. The righteous and pious conduct is the best garment of modesty. What women learn from the verses is to lengthen their garments, cover their chests and avoid striking their feet while walking so as not to shake and reveal certain details of their bodies. And lastly the most important command is for all of us to subdue our eyes. These are a few major misconceptions and misunderstandings by which the scripture is abused largely. There are many more. God is Most Gracious, Most Wise. Whoever repents after his wrongdoing and makes amends, then God will forgive and guide him. Truly, God is Forgiving, Merciful. May God guide us and provide us the wisdom to understand Qur’an in its true sense and implement its teaching in our day to day life.
The Quran is All We Need
[12:111] In their history, there is a lesson for those who possess intelligence. This is not fabricated Hadith; this (Quran) confirms all previous scriptures, provides the details of everything, and is a beacon and mercy for those who believe.
For most Muslims Hadith (the reported sayings of the prophet Muhammad) and Sunnah (the reported actions of Muhammad) form a major portion of their religious understanding and practice. With so many followers of Islam using these sources, why do I reject them as part of my religion?
For the first part of my answer let’s take a short look at the history of Submission (Islam) as God gives it to us in the Quran. We know from Verse 22:78 that Abraham first used the term “Submitters” (Muslims) and God founded Submission (Islam) through Abraham. Yet we do not follow Abraham’s Hadith and Sunnah. Instead we follow the practices of the religion that God blessed us to have through Abraham and God’s own words—the Quran, which He sent to mankind through Muhammad.
When I first became a Muslim, all I knew about was traditional Islam. And so I began trying to become a traditional Muslim. I read reams of confusing instructions on how to live as a Muslim. It seemed overwhelming.
I tried to read the Hadith, which I had been told I must read in order to understand the Quran. By this time I had been reading the Quran for about five years and it was clear and understandable to me. But when I read the Hadith I was totally confused. They made little sense to me, especially as they often contradicted each other. It wasn’t until a few years later when a friend pointed out the following verses that the distinction between them became clear to me:
39:28-29 An Arabic Quran, without any ambiguity, that they may be righteous. God cites the example of a man who deals with disputing partners (Hadith), compared to a man who deals with only one consistent source (Quran). Are they the same? Praise be to God; most of them do not know.
Even more important for my guidance, God tells us in several verses of the Quran not to follow any other sources besides His words for our religion.
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