We’ve all heard it. In Islamic Shar’ia, there is a law pertaining to every facet of human life. I have, myself, heard that there are even laws for the most private of functions. I’ve found these laws in a book called “The Reliance of the Traveler” (“A Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law”).

My point in quoting these laws is not (necessarily) to draw attention to absurdities within them. Bearing in mind that these rules were originally set down for a desert-dwelling people, some of them make sense. Rather, my purpose is to demonstrate the extent of the “sacred law” regarding one tiny portion of the human condition.

e9.0 GOING TO THE LAVATORY

e9.1 It is recommended when one needs to use the lavatory:

(1) to put something on one’s feet, unless there is an excuse (such as not having shoes;

(2) to cover the head (even with only a handkerchief or other);

(3) to set aside anything on which there is the mention of Allah Most High, His messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace), or any revered name (like those of prophets or angels). If one enters with a ring (on which something worthy of respect is written) one closes one’s hand around it;

(4) to ready stones (or other suitable material, if one uses them) to clean oneself (though water alone is sufficient);

(5) to say before entering : “In the name of Allah. O Allah, I take refuge in You from demons, male and female.” And, after leaving : “O Lord, Your forgiveness. Praise be to Allah who rid me of the hurt and gave me health”;

(6) to enter with the left foot first and depart with the right foot first (and this, together with (3) and (5) above are not only for indoors, but recommended for outdoors as well);

(7) not to raise one’s garment until one squats down to the ground (to keep one’s nakedness covered as much as possible) and to lower it before one stands up;

(8) to put most of one’s weight on the left foot while squatting;

(9) not to spend a long time;

(10) not to speak;

(11) when finished urinating, for men to squeeze the {word deleted due to censorship} with the left hand from base to head (recommended because this is where the urethra is, and for women to squeeze their front between thumb and forefinger) (so urine does not exit later and nullify one’s ablution) pulling lightly three times (this being recommended when one thinks the urine has stopped, though if one thinks it has not, this is obligatory);

(12) not to urinate while standing (which is offensive) unless there is an excuse (such as when standing is less likely to spatter urine on one’s clothes than sitting, or when sitting is a hardship);

(13) not to clean oneself with water in the same place one relieved oneself, if it might spatter, though if in a lavatory one need not move to another place;

(14) to distance oneself from others if outdoors and to screen oneself;

(15) not to urinate in holes, on hard places, where there is wind, in waterways, where people gather to talk, on paths, under fruit trees, near graves, in still water, or in less than 216 liters of running water;

(16) and not to relieve oneself with one’s front or rear facing the sun, the moon, or the Sacred Precinct in Jerusalem.

e9.2 It is unlawful to urinate on anything edible, bones, or anything deserving respect, a grave, or in a mosque, even if in a receptacle.

e9.3 It is unlawful to urinate or defecate with one’s front or rear towards the direction of prayer when outdoors and there is no barrier to screen one, though it is permissible when outdoors or indoors within a meter and a half of a barrier at least 32 centimeters high, or in a hole that deep. When one is not this close to such a barrier, it is not permissible except in a lavatory, where, if the walls are farther from one than the maximal distance, or shorter than the minimal height, relieving oneself with front or rear towards the direction of prayer is permissible, though offensive.

e9.4 It is obligatory to clean oneself of every impure substance coming from one’s front or rear, though not from gas, dry worms or stones, or excrement without moisture.

e9.5 Stones will suffice to clean oneself, though it is best to follow this by washing with water. Anything can take the place of stones that is a solid, pure, removes the filth, is not something that is deserves respect, is worthy of veneration, nor something that is edible (these being five conditions for the validity of using stones or something else to clean oneself of filth without having to follow it by washing with water).

But it is obligatory to wash oneself with water if:

(1) one has washed away the filth with a liquid other than water, or with something impure;

(2) one has become soiled with filth from a separate source;

(3) one’s waste has moved from where it has exited (reaching another part of one’s person) or has dried;

(4) or if feces spread beyond the inner buttocks (meaning that which is enfolded when standing) or urine moved beyond the head of the {word deleted due to censorship}, though if they do not pass beyond them, stones will suffice.

It is obligatory (when cleaning oneself with a dry substance alone) to both remove the filth, and to wipe three times, even when once is enough to clean it, doing this either with three pieces (stones) or three sides of one piece. If three times does not remove it, it is obligatory to (repeat it enough to) clean it away (as that is the point of cleaning oneself. Nawawi says in “al-Majmu” that cleaning oneself (with a dry substance) means to remove the filth so that nothing remains but a trace that could not be removed unless one were to use water.) (and when this has been done, any remaining effects of filth that could only have been removed by water are excusable) An odd number of strokes is recommended. One should wipe from front to back on the right side with the first piece, similarly wipe the left with the second, and wipe both sides and the anus with the third. Each stroke must begin on a point of the skin which is free from impurity.

It is offensive to use the right hand to clean oneself of filth.

e9.6 It is best to clean oneself of filth before ablution, though if one waits until after it to clean, the ablution is nevertheless valid (provided that while cleaning, the inside surface of the hand does not touch the front or rear private parts).

If one waits until after one’s dry ablution to clean away filth, the dry ablution is not valid (because lack of filth is a condition for it).

Obviously, for the Muslim, the act of relieving him/herself is nothing short of a ritual.  I can think of no other religion that has any requirements for how to perform eliminatory functions.

It may be called Shar'ia, or Islamic law, but my friends--it's Islam.  In the eyes of its adherents, this is the perfect way to live, and everybody in the entire world must be made to live this way.  By the word, and by the sword, this is what Islamists are working toward.

The following message is from the www.thesavedsect.com website. It and others like it can be found under the "Non Muslims" category link at the left side of the main page. It is a perfect example of Da'wa, the attempt to make Islamic converts by using words of persuasion and logic, rather than violence. Parts of it are appalling, while other parts are amusing. Comments appearing in brackets ({}) are mine.


An introduction to Islam

Over 1400 years ago a man called Muhammad (PBUH – peace and blessings be upon him) came with a message that was to change the way half of the planet was to think about life. This man came to a people who used to allow the live burying of their daughters and the rape of women; a people where the son would inherit the wives of his father. Indeed that civilisation is historically documented to be morally one of the most digressed cultures.

{This is true. Islam frowns upon the burial of one’s daughters, but stoning is still very popular. Wherever Shar’ia (Islamic law) is the law of the land, women cannot be raped. Allow me to explain. When a Muslim woman is set upon and sexually violated by any man (or gang of men), and seeks redress through the legal system, she is invariably found to be guilty of fornication. Her testimony on her own behalf is considered invalid. In order for her to prevail in this “court”, she must produce six male eyewitnesses to testify for her. If she loses her suit, she loses her life. She will be stoned or hanged. As for the civilization having been “digressed”, there is no usage of this word as an adjective in my dictionary.}

However, the message that this man Muhammad (PBUH) brought taught that a black man and a white man were equal in the eyes of God.

{No, he didn’t. Muhammad taught that all “believing” men were equal in the eyes of Allah.}

A man and a woman were protectors to one another, as God says in the Qur'aan, "They (your wives) are a garment for you and you (husbands) are a garment for them" and in another verse, "And they (women) have rights (over men) similar to those of men over them in a just manner".

{The first quote above is an answer to the question of whether or not a man can have sex with his wife, during Ramadan. I confess, I don’t know about the second quote, but it sounds like a whole lot of doubletalk, to me.}

The status and privilege of the woman was that of a mother, a sister, a daughter, and a wife and not that of a sexual toy, nor a commodity or an advertising gimmick.

{Nor, please note, as an individual human being. All of these examples relate to what women are, in their relationships to other people.}

The message of Muhammad taught Muslims (literally those who submit to the One and only Creator and Legislator) to respect the beliefs of the other religions, as Jesus, Moses, Abraham as well as the other Prophets before them were all brothers to one another teaching the same message of the one true God, Allah.

{No, he didn’t. Muhammad maintains in the Qur’an that Jesus, Moses, Abraham, and every other noteworthy Biblical personage, were Muslims. The Qur’an supposedly corrects all the mistakes that were made in the Bible, and all previous religious texts. }

This segment of Da’wa is so flawed, on so many levels, I don’t know where to begin! Jesus, Moses, Abraham, et al were Jews. This description of them comes from their own mouths, in the Old and New Testaments. To say that the message of Jesus was in any way like the message of Muhammad is pure insanity, if you believe it. It’s blasphemy, to say it, if you know better!

As for Muhammad teaching to “respect the beliefs of other religions”, yes—in the beginning, he did. Those verses of the Qur’an were abrogated, however, as Muhammad’s power, greed and bloodlust increased. The most current of Muhammad’s mad rantings refer to Christians and Jews as “sons of monkeys”, and “sons of swine”. Christians and Jews, in Muhammad’s opinion, are “the worst of all created beings”. As such, they are irredeemable, unless they convert to Islam.}

Islam teaches that one should only become a Muslim through conviction after study and careful contemplation. The basis and foundation of Islam is not built upon blind faith or conjecture; in fact, any human being, after using their faculties of reason and senses, can easily arrive at the conclusion that Islam is the truth.

{The usual period allowed for such contemplation is three days. One’s faculties of reason and senses generally tend to make him wish to avoid being killed.}

"How does one go about doing this?" you make ask. Well to start with, fundamentally any human being should ask the following questions, "Where did I come from?", "What am I here for (i.e. what is my true purpose and objective in this life?)", and lastly, "Where am I going to when I die?" As a necessity for life to continue, these questions must be answered as leaving them unanswered will inevitably drive you insane.

{Silly drivel. I know lots of perfectly sane atheists.}

As a human being with a sane mind, you have the ability to think using your "faculties of reason" and the ability to taste, smell, touch, hear, and see with your senses which were given to you by Allah.

{You can taste, as long as it’s halal. You can smell, but if you’re a woman, you shouldn’t wear cologne in public, so as to avoid enticing men. You can touch, as long as you’re wearing your gloves, and never touch the left (unclean) hand of another. You can hear. Just don’t listen to music. Music is haram (forbidden). You can see, but don’t look at anything that is a representation of any living thing. In other words, NO art! Not even really bad art!}

By using these tools in the correct manner and linking them with what you have been taught or your previous experiences and also your previous information, one is able to understand the reality and from this one can arrive at thought.

The unique thing about Islam is that nobody persuades you that it is correct, rather you, yourself proves that it is the truth by using this process of thinking.

{So, don’t be convinced by this da’wa. We’re not trying to persuade you.}

Proof of the existence of the Creator (God) is established by the fact that this limited universe must require an unlimited force to bring it into existence. The argument of some that there was a big bang which caused the universe to exist does not answer the question of where the matter which constituted this explosion came from. Also the chance of the explosion to create a planet that has all the necessary elements and correct molecular structures to sustain life by chance is mathematically impossible as well as rationally inconceivable – when you see a car or a table or anything, you know that somebody made it. So by applying the same logic to the trees and the animals, where did they come from? Who originated them? We can definitely conclude that a creator unlimited by the universal constraints of space and time must exist.

{ A pathetic attempt to convince you and me that religion and science are mutually exclusive. Personally, I’ve found that science, more often than not, hints at proof of God—not disproof.}

The next logical question, once the existence of the Creator has been established is, has this Creator communicated to us? And if anybody claims that the Creator has, can they prove it rationally?

As we began this article, a man 1400 years ago called Muhammad (PBUH) claimed that this Creator spoke to him.

{No, he didn’t. He said the archangel Gibreel (Gabriel) was his contact.}

The revelation he was endowed with is known as the Qur'aan. For us or anybody to accept the Qur'aan as a Book of God without verifying its origin or contents is irrational and goes against human nature.
 
{But... If you do not read and understand it in Arabic, you will never understand it.  The Qur'an is a magical document that defies translation to any other language.  Read the Qur'an.  Approach a Muslim.  Back him into an intellectual corner, using "his" book.  His final answer, when he is beaten in the argument will be a huffy "Do you speak Arabic?".}

The Qur'aan also contains the most powerful intellectual argument, which has stood for over 1400 years, and remains unbeatable to this day. The proofs for the divine authenticity of the Qur'aan are numerous. The first aspect is that the Qur'aan contains NO CONTRADICTIONS, whether numerical or statement of fact.

{I must be reading a different Qur’an. There are a few more paragraphs to this absurd treatise, but I think everyone gets my general drift. Here are the last two.}

Islam offers true peace and inner tranquillity by complete submission to the will of the Creator and not to His creation from such likes as money, women, desires, a football team, movie or enjoyment etc.

{Do not, whatever you do, enjoy your life. Do not create—destroy. Do not think—buy the knowledge. Do not speak of anything but Allah and the wretched Qu’ran. If you’re in pain, do not take medicine. If you want a wife, buy her from her nearest male relative. If she won’t cover her head, beat her. If she disagrees with you, beat her. If she’s smarter than you, and you sense that, beat her. If she complains to anyone else that you beat her, beat her.}

The message has reached you. The challenge is clear, ISLAM IS THE TRUTH AND WE BRING YOU INTELLECTUAL PROOF.

{I guess if it’s in all caps, it must be true.}

Welcome to my blog--all three of you!  If you're here at all, I probably know you.  You're probably related to me.  Oh well... If that's the case, you can be assured of being treated like family, eh?  The Thought Police may show up, since I've opted to allow comments, but they have no real power here.  Not yet, anyway.

I'm having a little bit of trouble setting my metaphorical pen in motion.  Why don't I tell you what I'm doing, right now?  I'm typing, of course, and I'm eating pizza while I watch the comings and goings at the mosque across the street.  I live in a very ecumenical neighborhood.  Drive down my street, and you'll find not only the mosque but also a Methodist church, and a Buddhist temple.

Though it's not popular to admit it, the Muslims cause me some concern.  I know--  Not all Muslims are terrorists.  However, most terrorists are Muslims.  I'm not the first to say that, but it bears repeating.  Some may think I'm paranoid.  I'm not.  I don't know what goes on inside the mosque, and until it ends up on the local news, I may never know. 

But, here are some things I do know.  Women don't appear to be welcome there, unless it's a special occasion, and they have a male (maharam) escort.  I know that the teens, all boys, used to play a lot of basketball, until 11 pm on some nights.  There's been no basketball for two months or more, and I have to ask myself, "What are they doing, instead?"  It isn't because of school.  The kids used to play year-round.  The mosque still remains open until around 11 pm each night.

I know the Imam doesn't like me, and the feeling is mutual.  He's a very humble, pious fellow who walks to and from the mosque.  Whenever I pass by him, in my car, he always (and I mean ALWAYS) gives me a filthy look.  Whether it's because I'm a woman and sitting behind the wheel, or just that I'm not one of the faithful, eager to give him a ride, I don't know.

I know the mosque used to be a home.  For whatever reason, the former owner erected a seven-foot wall in front of the place.  I know it sits on a large piece of land (by the standards of the neighborhood).  I know there are several outbuildings.  It's not quite a fortress, I admit.  But I doubt it was chosen by the Muslims to use as a mosque, by accident. 

In short, it's a secretive place.  Why, I wonder, does a house of worship--any house of worship--need a wall?  Paranoid?  Me?  Think about the question above, for a little while.  Ask yourself how many non-Islamic churches, temples, synagogues in your town have a wall in front of them. 

No, it's not a fortress.  But it's forbidding.  It has a barrier between its congregation and the rest of the world.  The barrier says, "Go away.  Stay away."