Any Muslim women out there?

Question

Hi guys! I’m raised a Christian and I was thinking today about how in history classes you always learn in detail about different denominations of Christianity, but, at least where I’m from, you don’t really learn about Islam. I was just wondering if someone could explain the different sects of Islam, what you believe in, why some women wear a hijab, etc. If this was offensive in any way, I’m so sorry! I would just really like to learn more about other cultures and religions different from my own. Thank you!

Answer

Hello!
Firstly, thank you for asking the questions you want to ask. Having an interest in others is brilliant and you’ll find Muslims are very happy to talk about their faith :)
The core belief in Islam is that there is only One God, and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His final Messenger. Muslims believe Islam to be the third and last of the Abrahamic religions, following on from the messages of Judaism and Christianity. 
There are two main sects, Sunni (majority) and Shia. They have the same core beliefs but differ historically over the leadership of early Muslims following the death of our Prophet. 
Hijab is a massive topic on its own, so I would suggest you pop over to another Glow group called Muslim Ladies/Muslimah and Islam. We have some good discussions over there, one of which was about hijab a couple of months ago. Essentially, hijab is about modesty, but as you will see, the meaning of it goes much deeper for different women. 
If you’re interested, I also have a little blog about my own experience of Islam as a convert to the religion. The link is in my profile. 
Hope that is useful!!

Answer

This isn't at all offensive! Personally, I am a Sufi Muslim - although Sufism was originally introduced and practised by Muslims, today not all Sufis are Muslim and there are different types. I follow a specific path of Sufism that aims to follow Islam as it was originally practiced 1400 years ago, with nothing added nor taken away from it. Sufism allows a much more spiritual practise of Islam, which involves a lot of meditation and remembrance of God. The aim is to attain His nearness and develop a very personal relationship with Him. 
There are many different sects within the main two groups - Sunni and Shi’a. All sects of Islam have the same core beliefs, but the divides generally occur when scholars have differing opinions on interpretation of the Qur'an (word of God) and Hadith (sayings of the prophet Muhammad (s)).
Muslims believe that God sent moses (a) as a prophet, to teach His word through Judaism. And when people began to stray from Judaism, He sent Jesus (a) as a prophet to teach His word - what we know as Christianity. And when people began to stray from the path of Christianity, He sent the prophet Muhammad (s) as His final messenger, to teach His word, through Islam. We believe Islam to be the perfected, complete and final religion, before the day of judgment. 
The hijab is a concept of modesty, that applies to both women and men. It is not just a headscarf, but more an inner and outer state of modesty - one's character must adopt the hijab as well as how one carries themselves in front of others. The headscarf is a part of the outer hijab for a woman. 
If you have any other questions I'm more than happy to answer them! And as Emma said, the Muslim Ladies group on this app might be helpful to you - if you scroll through past posts, you will come across some interesting discussions we've had and have covered some big misconceptions on Islam too. ☺️

Answer

Basically the sects of Islam differ in who they recognise as prophets.
Shia believe that Ali is a prophet after mohammed  (although quran says mohammed is the last).
Sufis also have their own prophets not recognised by Sunni Muslims (as Sunni do not recognise any prophet after mohammed). For example the followers of Rumi and Rumi also has influenced greatly new age spirituality. Many Sunni Muslims do not like Sufi beliefs because they belive it is shik (making partners w Allah or giving power to things other than Allah).
There are some sects also within Sunni Islam but they are not particularly important as they vary in practices only not belief. (eg. Prayer styles, certain foods being forbidden etc)
There's also some culty Islamic sects like the gulenists from Turkey who hold a lot of Sufi beliefs and believe that their leader is a prophet or somehow special. 
Islam is also very different to Christianity in its structure for example there is no hierarchy. Imams and scholars do not have any greater authority than the average Muslim, there is nothing like the pope etc (although some of the culty sects try to copy this idea to give the leader authority) 
You don't need any qualifications to be an imam. For example, when families pray together the most senior person in the home (usually the father/husband) takes the position of imam and you only need one other person to recognise you as such to be an imam. Same goes for scholars, they have no actual authority as far as the religion is concerned. However, many verses in the quran get misinterpreted due to Arabic being very nuanced and English being rather limited in conveying the true meaning. 
There are many words in Arabic that have multiple meanings and when used in the quran, any of those meanings fit perfectly. So to truly understand what is said you need to know all the meanings because it gives detail and nuance to the text which is lost otherwise. This is why we need scholars skilled with arabic
Some other big concepts in Islam are helal/haram and the sunnah. The quran lays out what is haram and what is helal. There are also some things which are not haram but advised against. If the quran doesn't label something as haram then it is permitted. 
Sunnah are the practices of the Prophet mohammed and it is encouraged to follow them as he teaches how to implement the religion. There are lots of things here like men should grow a beard, circumcision, using the left hand/foot for anything unclean (eg entering bathroom w left foot, using left hand to wash genitals and feet, using the right hand for eating.) 
These are not compulsory practices but generally seen as good and rewardable. 
Hijab is a subject of debate because it is not actually mentioned in the quran explicitly. So many interpret that as it being something optional. The verse where the hijab is coming from refers to a head covering worn by the followers of mohammed, in which Allah commanded they wear it differently to cover their chest. So it's really debatable also about whether the head covering is actually important or covering the chest. Etc. 
Many people such as myself abandon the hijab because it attracts a lot of unwanted attention and it's a matter of personal safety. 
The quran says you are not required to do anything which puts your life in danger. 
And w some of the stories that went around at mosque safety is a real issue for women who wear hijab. 
Hope that helps some? Take care.

Any Muslim women out there?

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