السلام عليكم
I pray that you are well.
While I was sitting by a fence outside a shop waiting for my car to be smog tested (a requirement in California every 2 years before a vehicle's registration can be renewed), a man walked up to me and asked me what I was reading. I said, Qur'an. He asked me where I was from. I said, "Malaysia." He said he was from Algeria. Then I asked him if he is a Muslim. He said he is an atheist but came from a Muslim family. I asked him what happened to him. He said he saw a lot of bad things that Muslims have done to people and he got turned off with religion. I said don't judge the acts of some to all Muslims and don't believe everything you hear. I said may Allah guide you and I thought he would go away. But he proceeded to ask me what I thought of the oppression of women in Islam. I asked him what made him think that the women in Islam are being oppressed. He gave me examples like women in Saudi Arabia cannot drive, the women under Taliban, etc, etc. I said I am a woman and I never felt being oppressed. I don't really care about not able to drive--I rather someone drive for me. I told him I have been in Saudi Arabia and other middle eastern countries and I did not see anything really to complain about any more than women can complain about in America. On the contrary, if I were to feel oppressed, I would feel it here in America. I gave him an example of me having to have my smog test (while I am sick) and having to wait for more than an hour for it, in the cold, and trying to ward off pit bull and chihuahua coming to me. Women don't have to do or experience this in Muslim countries. I gave him also an example of him having to work 16 hours a day under the car in the cold for the sake of freedom of speech. I asked him if this is what happiness mean to him--freedom of speech! I asked him to think about it and I asked to be excused.
It turned out that he memorized the Qu'ran and have read various Islamic texts. I sat back thanking Allah for the precious gift of Iman.
فَمَن يُرِدِ ٱللَّهُ أَن يَهْدِيَهُۥ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُۥ لِلْإِسْلَـٰمِ ۖ وَمَن يُرِدْ أَن يُضِلَّهُۥ يَجْعَلْ صَدْرَهُۥ ضَيِّقًا حَرَجًا كَأَنَّمَا يَصَّعَّدُ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَجْعَلُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلرِّجْسَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١٢٥[Qur'an, Al-An'am 6:125]
So whoever Allah wants to guide - He expands his breast to [contain] Islam; and whoever He wants to misguide - He makes his breast tight and constricted as though he were climbing into the sky. Thus does Allah place defilement upon those who do not believe. (125)
الٓمٓ ﴿١﴾ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿٢﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ ﴿٣﴾ وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ وَبِٱلْءَاخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ ﴿٤﴾ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ عَلَىٰ هُدًى مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٥[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:1-5]
Alif, Lam, Meem. (1) This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah - (2) Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them, (3) And who believe in what has been revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what was revealed before you, and of the Hereafter they are certain [in faith]. (4) Those are upon [right] guidance from their Lord, and it is those who are the successful. (5)
May Allah protect our Iman and not let us die except as Muslims, in complete submission to Him. Ameen.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
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