I am currently in Indonesia/Java and the muezzin/minaret/mosque calls go on for much longer than what I've experienced before. I've been to a couple of Muslim countries and they've done the calls 5 times a day, couple of minutes and that's that. But here it's 21:03, I have checked the prayer times and the last one was more than two hours ago. The call is still going on. It's currently Ramadan, can it be due to that? And what is the content of the call?

When visiting a mosque, it matters if the imam is really a Muslim. Otherwise, why would one listen to his speeches? When celebrating an important islamic day, it matters if the people around you are Muslim. Otherwise, why would you celebrate with them? However, not being a Muslim has consequences. In some countries, such as Indonesia , it is mandatory for adults to choose some religion which makes islam an obvious choice but it does not necessarily make someone a Muslim. People in such countries who are actually atheist need to pretend being religious in order to prevent negative legal consequences. In addition, in countries with a higher level of religious freedom, there is a similar problem. An imam who stops believing in god, can loose his job when he admits that. In some families, admitting not being religious anymore can have negative consequences too. People who are relegious may be shocked or angry. As a consequence of this all, there are atheist who say that they are Muslim. So there is a problem. Like I explained, it is important to know who around you is Muslim. However, people who say that they are muslim may not be a truely believing Muslim. How should Muslims deal with this discrepancy to know who around them is Muslim or not?

While there is also another related question on the website, my question is however different: In many countries, Muslim women don't cover their face and palms, although they cover their hair, ears, neck, the parts of hand higher than wrist, and their body by Hijab. There are also some Islamic countries that women cover their face with Hijab. Is it part of Islam or it's just a cultural issue of that countries? Is it a must? And if it is not a must in Islam, doesn't it limit the social activity of women in that countries?

I have seen this question on the Judaism.StackExchange: What is the appropriate response of someone outside Israel during a war? Jewish people living outside Israel feel responsibility to help the cruel regime that fired the war unfairly and very far from basics of humanity. Muslims can also ask the same question, to be at least a Muslim, as prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: > مَن اَصبَحَ وَ لَم یَهتَمَ بامُورالمُسلِمین فَلَیسَ بمُسلِم > > The one who does not care the Muslims affairs is not a Muslim So I want to make the same question: What is the appropriate response of someone outside a Muslim country during a war? Please verify both cases of Muslims being attacked by non-Muslims (like the case of Palastine or Myanmar) or a war between two Muslim countries.

Assalamualaikum, I recently heard a sheikh give a speech, he said Prophet (Saw) sent letter to Oman from Amr Ibn al aas, and the two kings: abd and jayfar converted willingly. I have found this to be referenced in Zaad Al maad by Ibn Qayyim. However after this the sheikh said that Amr Ibn al aas also tried to convert their father whose name was "Julanda" and apparently this was the conversation: "The name of the King of Oman was al-Julanda, and news reached him that Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) had invited him to Islam. Upon hearing this he said, "By Allah who has guided me to the unlettered Prophet, if he commands something good, he is the first to do it, and when he forbids something, he is the first to avoid it. When he conquers he is not proud, and when defeated his is not aggrieved. He fulfils a contract and is true to his promise. I bear witness that he is a prophet", and sheikh said he accepted at hands of nabi (saw) according to my research I cannot find anything of Julanda , I only find that his sons (abd and jayfar) converted willingly in many different books, How true is that conversation which I listed above, and if anyone could find reference would be appreciated,

In the Qu'ran, it says “Verily, as for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves (as they stayed among the disbelievers even though emigration was obligatory for them), they (angels) say (to them): “In what (condition) were you?” They reply: “We were weak and oppressed on the earth.” They (angels) say: “Was not the earth of Allaah spacious enough for you to emigrate therein?” Such men will find their abode in Hell — what an evil destination!” And the Prophet said: “I disown every Muslim who settles among the mushrikeen.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 2645; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood. Do I have to live in a Muslim country and am I committing a sin?

Why are not now Muslim countries well developed in science & technology whereas this was not the case in era between 8th-12th centuries after BC?

Does any one know meaning of **alayina** or **elaaina** i want to give this name to my daughter.

There are two Iranian Grand Ayatollahs , Khomeini (former) and Khamenei (current), a title which Wikipedia describes as: > ...a label provided to the highest level Shia authority... See also: https://islam.stackexchange.com/q/36673/17163 I just visited Iran's neighbouring country Azerbaijan , also a majority-Shia country, whose culture and laws contrast greatly with Iran. Azerbaijan seems far more relaxed than Iran, e.g., if we do a Google Image search for baku azerbaijan women , we see women doing things that would not be legal in Iran. This leads me to the question: **Question**: Do Ayatollahs Khomeini and Khamenei have influence outside of Iran? I may be misinterpreting things here. E.g., I might be that Iranian laws are deduced by some process I'm unfamiliar with (my impression is that many Iranian laws are deduced based on fatawa from the Grand Ayatollahs). Or the difference in laws between the two countries may be for other reasons. I'm not sure.

It seems to me that there is no country with a muslim majority where Islam is not used for political reasons. All of them have at least a few laws forbidding sex before / out of marriage, alcohol, leaving Islam, or a muslim woman marrying a non muslim. Why is the state watching over this behaviour, and why is it not left to the people themselves to behave? It seems to me that forbidding something by fines or jail time leads to a lot of hypocrisy. Not only from the people, but from the rulers too, and even more so since they can use islam for their own material gain. Is there any part of the quran (or hadiths, but I would rather have a quran verse) that says the state has to do this?