adena is a muslim character and i understand that a lot of you aren’t muslim so i’ve made a sort of general post (aka this) to like explain some aspects of islam to help you all
i tried dividing this up to the best of my abilities
this is also in no way the entirety of islam there are like a thousand things i’ve forgotten to add but whatever its a start
any more questions you have i’m happy to answer - google is also a friend guys!
also i know this is long but a lot of it is in bullet points and really easy to read
again! ask questions and stuff!
Prayers
most muslims call prayers namaz or salah but its fine if you have adena say prayer when talking (knowing it is good tho)
there are five daily prayers spaced throughout the day; fajr, dahur, asr, maghrib, isha
fajr - morning prayer
dahur - afternoon prayer done once the sun has hit midday
asr - another afternoon prayer to early evening
maghrib - evening prayer
isha - night prayer
there is a time limit to do them (a few hours) but if you miss one for any reason you can/are expected to make them up
the times to do them vary everyday - usually by a few moments. it’s all dependent n the moon really
if you’re writing a fic and having adena do a prayer please make sure that it lines up to your time
for instance adena wuldn’t really be doing the fajr prayer at night time
if you aren’t sure which prayer would be happening you can just look up ‘prayer times in new york’ and follow whatever date is pen on
the call to prayer is call adhan
usually a man does it and its not because of whatever liberal sexist reason you’re thinking of
before one can do their prayer they have to do their wudu
essentially it is a ritual to clean ones self before entering prayer
here is a how to (others also exist if that isn’t clear)
when praying it is expected for everyone to be wearing loose fitting clothes
prayer isn’t just for adults - kids also do it typically when they can yknow understand what to do (usually like. 7 yr olds are already doing it if that helps
you can pray whenever you want - the five prayers are just the obligatory ones
Dua’s
okay this is kinda hard to explain but dua’s are also like prayers?
prayers are a time for us to submit to Allah that is what we are doing
we’re submitting and asking for forgiveness
dua’s can be done whenever but are usually done after prayers
basically it’s like a one-on-one session with Allah where you can ask them for anything you want and to ask for forgiveness of your sins etc.
so like you can ask to get the job you need, to be accepted into heaven, for your family to be given peace, for your family to be given stability both in this life and the next
dua’s aren’t required per say but they are usually done and are recommended if that makes sense
Sex
okay i don’t know too much regarding islam and sex but -
from what i do know sex is expected to be done you know…as it is like yeah.
islam frm what i understand doesn’t really kinkshame as long as both people are consenting and it isn’t hurting anyone
that is without a doubt the strangest sentence i have ever written ohmygod
after the sex though both people are expected to clean themselves up and take a purifying shower
yup this was fun moving on
Fasting
yes there is a month of fasting called ramadan
no we don’t fast for an entire month non stop jfc
we just fast for a couple of hours - from fajr to maghrib
like i said the prayer times change daily so yeah we have an islamic calendar and stuff (phones? a blessing)
really its from dawn to dusk
usually muslims get up before dawn to eat a large breakfast together and eat a large dinner at night too
we are prohibited from eating or drinking the entire time
HOWEVER the quran explicitly states that if one is too old, too young or is sick they shouldn’t fast
sickness includes physically sickness like having the flu or disorders. if one has a disorder please do not fast
those who can! should!
the reason behind this all boils down to humility
there are millions of us in the world and when it comes down to it a lot of us are in decent conditions
we have a roof over our heads, a good support system, food on our plates, a place to sleep etc.
but there are others - muslim and non muslims alike who don’t and fasting reminds us of our place, it humbles us, reminds us about people outside of our circle
people on their periods can’t fast tho
actually they can’t pray or fast (everything else is fine) but the reason behind that is because they are bleeding frm a private area and really. everything gets dirty
islam above all values cleanliness so people who are on their period don’t fast or pray
they are expected to make up those fasts from ramadan tho but not the prayers
so sometimes when it isn’t ramadan you’ll see a muslim women fasting and it’s because she’s making it up lmao
while we can’t eat and drink during ur fast we don’t mind being around friends who do. like seriously go ahead
during the month of ramadan, while fasting we are expected to restrain from eating, consuming harmful substances, having sex and really limiting any sinful behavior we have
its about resisting the temptations (of evil)
alcohol/drugs
yes there are muslims who do drink and get high
islam frowns upon this bc really we aren’t supposed to
islam also understands that some people need to and struggle to get off of their addictions
thassit i cant think of anything else to add here
community
the muslim community is very big and so welcoming its lovely
we gather in the masjid (mosque) and pray and do community events and stuff
we raise money for programs, we have islamic schools/classes
the aunties gossip with each other while the kids play and the men do…whatever the men do
during ramadan it’s probably the most engaging everyone is with each other and stuff
i don’t really know how to explain it the community is like a big family we all know each other and are so good
clothing
it is RECOMMENDED for wmen to wear the hijab
i literally can’t say that enough it is NOT obligatory (unless ur praying)
we (men, women, nb n genderfluid folks) are expected to cover ourselves tho from top to bottom
ye there are ‘loose hijabis’ like adena and there are not-so-loose -hijabis
it doesn’t matter and really it all boils down to modesty and stuff
we all always look good no matter how we are dressed tho
sexualities
NO WHERE IN THE QURAN IS IT STATED THAT PEOPLE CANNOT BE GAY
reread that top phrase a hundred and one times im not kidding
yes there are homphobic muslims just like there are homophobic atheists, and homophobic christians
there are also clearly gay muslims who exist both with their sexuality and religion
as a non-muslim you have no fucking right to write about our relationship and islam
you can write us yes. you cannot write our stories and don’t even try. it is not your place
other stuff
islam boils down to this really:
worship Allah and after Them your family is the most important thing (unless they are toxic)
remember Allah and try to do good
don’t,,,,be an asshole,,,,thassit
no muslim has the right to judge another muslim and their relationhip with islam
please for the love of god don’t write our narrative with islam either
yeah go ahead and write muslim characters but don’t write about how we feel re. islam and our relationship with Allah it’s just gross and not your place
there are various sects of islam
if you’ve been on tumblr for a while you know that there muslim memes and muslim jokes in our community
and like no offense but when writing….don’t write the jokes
i mean write funny muslims but don’t try and write ur muslim character sharing the #MuslimMemes
mostly bc yall wouldn’t really get it and it would come out messy and just be weird and awkward for all of us okay eruheuarh
also if u guys really honestly care about muslim gays and you really wanna understand more about our community you should follow actual muslim gay people (like me - free plug in eruheuaihrauih)
such as @homojabi
don’t follow what @thebootydiarys says tho - they are clearly a troll blog meant for humor lmao
this is the end of the post bye
REALLY - ASK QUESTIONS AND REACH OUT! muslim gays exist and we are here to help
