Amina Inloes

Within the Sunni hadith collections, there is a narration condemning women who have hair that looks like a camel hump. So, some Sunni Muslims today interpret this to mean that one should not wear a big scrunchie.

Whether or not one acts on that hadith and whether one interprets it to mean this hijab-style, is a personal decision. Apart from that, hijab-style is also a personal decision.

This is a good question.

Apart from obvious things pertaining to content (for instance, avoiding gratuitous profanity or explicitness; falsities; poor ethics such as promoting racism or theft; or slander), it is good to consider one's intention in creating the piece, since the intention will be transmitted through the piece. Of course, sometimes one's intention is entirely practical (such as doing a paid job), or something may seem to have little to no ethical impact, but still it is good to have a sound intention.

It is also good to consider how the piece will impact the world. 

Gaming introduces some specific ethical considerations. While I am not against computer/video games (and in fact find the link between games and religion/spirituality to be quite intriguing), from an ethical perspective, it has to be admitted that games are often intentionally designed to be addictive. Furthermore, there may be impacts, particularly on children, with respect to the attention span, or due to exposure to excessive violence and hormonal/chemical reactions to that. On the other hand, some games are quite useful for things such as learning. So if you want to take ethics into consideration when designing computer/video games, it is worth considering current research and concerns about these things; overall, the effect of digital technology on the brain is still unclear. 

When producing content for social media which promotes a person or product, there is also the ethical consideration (from an Islamic viewpoint) that one should not feed the ego (nafs), and that it is poor ethics to engage in self-glorification or self-promotion (except in specific circumstances, like if one is applying for a job and it is necessary). So one has to balance current social requirements (i.e. living in a culture of "likes" in which many people commodify their image online) with a classical sense of Islamic ethics and spirituality. This isn't an easy yes-or-no question but rather goes under the overall category of intention, keeping in mind that people can easily become confused about their intention and, for instance, post a lot of selfies "for the sake of Allah" because they are involved in a religious cause, whereas it is really just feeding the ego/self. 

Some people consider the creation of art or writing to involve some sort of spiritual inspiration. This inspiration could be from Allah, aspects of the higher world promoting truth from Allah, or elsewhere. If one feels the inspiration is unhealthy (for instance, Iblis), one could take that into consideration. Inshallah this will not be the case with what you create, but possibly it relates to some things that have come into popular culture (such as some television shows) which have had (in my view) socially destructive messages. But of course is not good to get too worried about this as it may cause needless anxiety. I am just mentioning it because it is sometimes discussed among artists.

In any case, there is definitely a need for Muslims to be at the forefront of creating media of all sorts, including books, movies, and games, so it is excellent to be in this field. Media is power, and any power can be used for good or for ill. 

I am sure there will be other responses to this too. 

Happy writing and creating!

Inshallah, the intentions are sufficient.

Allah rewards and punishes based on intent, not accidental actions. 

I would aver that the fundamentals of Islamic theology are actually quite simple. For instance: God exists and is omnipotent/omniscient, is just and good, and responds to prayer; there is life after death and we are judged in accordance with our actions and intentions; God sends messengers to guide people; the Qur'an is divine revelation; the Prophet Muhammad was the final prophet; there are other beings such as angels. 

It is true there are some arguments about the details of this (for instance, details of exactly what happens during the Resurrection), but I think the fundamentals are simple and this is one reason why Islam has spread so much around the world. Most Muslims will agree on these major points and disagree on smaller points, such as how exactly to do wudu. 

However, I also don't want to shoot down your question; clearly you are considering there to be many different opinions.

In this case, I would say that it is human nature to differ over time, especially when a community becomes large, and, over time, Muslims developed various worldviews and understandings, especially when faced with new questions. 

As for why God made it complicated, the Qur'an often emphasises the importance of using the intellect, pondering, taking lessons from the natural world, and so forth. So, perhaps we are meant to use our intellect and experience to find solid answers to the questions that are before us - that is, we are meant to put effort into it, rather than just receiving instructions like a computer. 

This effort is what distinguishes us from the angels: they see the divine realities directly and receive their instructions and do them, but they do not have to go through the struggle to find out what is true or not. Therefore, this ultimately gives us a greater potential even if the process is difficult.

Conversely, we value the things we have to work for (including theological and spiritual understandings) and do not usually value the things we are given freely.

Just a few thoughts - I am sure there will be others!

Yawning does not invalidate the ritual prayers (salat), although it is better manners to avoid excessive yawning if possible.

If you are very sleepy and have time to take a nap before the salat time ends, you can do that too. 

There are some hadith narrated from Abu Hurayra along the lines that yawning and sneezing are from Shaytan. Some Sunni Muslims accept these hadith. Shi'i Muslims usually reject these hadith as incorrect/untrue (that is, in the Shi'i view, yawning and sneezing do not come from Shaytan). You may select whatever viewpoint is suitable for you (and Allah knows best). 

No, at least not directly in any way that it can be understood directly from the text. What can be said most accurately is that the Qur'an does not conflict with DNA theory and therefore is in harmony with it.

However, some people read this idea into the story of Imam 'Ali (A) marrying the mother of al-'Abbas (A). Some people also read this into a narration about examining a woman's family before you marry her.

However there is no evidence that either of these things relate to DNA theory as we know it, and there is a tendency for some Muslims to try to find current ideas in texts when they aren't obviously there.

The idea that traits are inherited has been known to people since ancient times, especially since people have done farming and animal breeding and know well that the offspring resemble their parents in many ways, while at the same time, some traits skip a generation or are not always inherited.

Still, there are some Muslims who will argue that the Qur'an does discuss DNA, so you can read their arguments and the Qur'an and come to your own conclusion.

Exegetes, Sunni and Shi'i, typically understand this verse to refer to the Day of Judgment.

Yawm, when used in this way in the Qur'an, typically refers to the Day of Judgment, as does the verb nab'ath (to resurrect from the dead).

The verses immediately before and after this one also appear to speak about the Day of Judgment; for instance, they speak of the Day when people submit directly to Allah (not a secondary agent, such as the Mahdi), and will see punishment directly from Allah (rather than through a secondary means, such as warfare, which is predicted to occur at the end times).

In this section, it also says that those who associated partners with Allah will see those partners, but this usually does not happen in this world, especially if those partners are non-physical beings such as angels or demigods, or intangible things like digital currency. However, after death, everything is made visible.

So the most likely interpretation is that the verse refers to the Day of Judgment.

Furthermore, to my recollection, narrations about the time of the Mahdi (A) on earth do not speak of witnesses coming from nations and presenting themselves for judgment. Instead, at that time, nations will split up: people will differ individually; some will follow him and some will not.

Rather, the Mahdi will be the witness over everyone since he will ultimately have rule over the planet, and (at least according to Shia belief) he has divinely granted knowledge about everyone.

As for why one witness is mentioned - Possibly, one witness is mentioned for each nation because a single witness will be able to bear witness to the nation as a whole. (On the topic of nations, here are some reflections by 'Allamah Tabataba'i about nations: https://www.al-islam.org/ask/what-have-ahlulbait-as-said-about-nationali...).

It is also narrated from Imam al-Sadiq (A) that every nation and every time has a witness; therefore, if each nation is different at a different time, it may have a witness for each time period. (For instance, Italy might have a witness for the pre-Roman period, the time of the ancient Roman Empire, the Christian Roman Empire, the modern nation-state of Italy, etc.; or those might be treated as different "nations".)

For the Muslim ummah, it is said that the witness is probably the Prophet (S) or the Imams (A), who would have access to knowledge of all the deeds of the nation. Some might argue that the witness is someone else who simply bears witness to the deeds, even if the Prophet and Imams are able to bear witness to all.

So, from all angles, the verse seems to speak about the Day of Judgment. However, as with many ayat of the Qur'an, the exact meaning of the ayah is open to interpretation, and sometimes the important thing is to ponder on what the meaning could be and see what one can take from it.

Love of one's homeland, and nationalism/patriotism are somewhat different things.

Love of Allah's creation is a good thing, and it is also a good thing to want to care for and defend your homeland.

Nationalism and patriotism in the modern era are ideological movements. Nationalism oftentimes relates to an arbitrarily drawn set of boundaries which separated formerly related peoples.

Today, nationalism and patriotism have an ugly side which can sometimes lead to hatred of the "other" or the "outsider", worshipping the flag, or caring only about what happens to the people within one's nation-state or ethnic/racial group. (For instance, neo-nazism.)

So it is good to love and develop one's homeland, but it is also good to be cautious about the negative side of modern nationalism.

Regarding hadith, there is a narration that love of one's homeland is part of faith (hubb al-watan min al-iman). However, the narration is weak, and poorly sourced, and some people consider it to have been fabricated so it is not really certain that the Prophet (S) said it, although it is often quoted today. Watan (homeland) here has also been understood to mean the hereafter, since the hereafter is the final home of everyone.

Here are some reflections by 'Allamah Tabataba'i in Tafsir al-Mizan on the nature of a society which might be pertinent. As one can see, a society is inherently neither good or bad (thus, supporting it is not inherently good or bad in and of itself, and most societies have both good and bad):

"The Qurʾan teaches that society is formed from a collection of individuals while being more than merely the sum of its parts. When people form a society, they create a new entity with its own life and identity. A society lives, ages, and dies; feels and decides: grows weaker and stronger; has its own duties; and is capable of both virtue and wickedness, and of attaining both happiness and misery, just like any individual human being. All of this has been explained by a multitude of verses in the Qurʾan, and it is something we have repeatedly pointed to through the course of our previous discussions."

Yes, this is fine, but it should be treated with the same respect that one would give to any other paper with the Qur'an on it, and if you choose to discard it, it should be discarded appropriately rather than put in the trash.

There isn't any specific advice in the Qur'an and hadith about this, apart from the general advice that it is good to have a profession.

However, you could consider what types of things you enjoy doing and come easily to you, and also what skill sets are easiest for you. (For instance, are you good at working with your hands, art, people skills, mathematical skills, etc.)

It is also good to ask other people for their advice since they may see things in you that you are not paying attention to. 

If you have the opportunity, you can also try different things and see what does or does not suit you. Every master chef begins with the first dish! The difference between the master chef, and the person who quits and does something else, is that the master chef perseveres. 

Sometimes people do multiple things in life (at the same time or at different times), so you do not always have to choose one thing. 

Also, people are often quite successful in jobs or endeavors that are not really their "true passion" or their best talent but are simply something they began to do or had to do. Possibly this is because when something does not come naturally to us, we have to work harder to get good at it, and, in the end, someone who works hard to learn a skill will do better than someone who has natural talent but who does not work to develop it. Most people can do most things with training and effort. 

You can also consider what is important to you, how you would want to be remembered after your life, or if there is any particular group you want to serve. For instance, some people go into Islamic religious work because they want to serve the ummah, or feel a similar calling. Some people go into medicine because they want to help people or see a need for it. Some people go into business because they admire people who are successful at business or want to provide a certain product or service somewhere, or help a certain community economically. 

With duas for your success!

Frequently, religious stories, legends, myths, folktales, etc, preserve an older historical memory, even if some of the details change over time, or even if they are written down later. So the most obvious explanation is that, at some time in history, a big flood happened, and also that people share a common understanding of our origin. 

When religious stories are shared cross-culturally, it can also be understood to mean that there was a shared idea of the story that predated those civilizations, the story is somehow archetypal to the human being (like a fear of snakes), or there was shared access to higher spiritual truths. However in the case of the flood, the historical explanation seems most likely - a big flood probably happened and was integrated into communal memory in various ways. 

I am sorry to hear about your difficulties. You are not allowed to end your own life, and this is a firm prohibition in Islam, since life and death belong solely to Allah.

Sometimes people end their lives because they feel that they have no way out of the difficulties they are facing. If that is your situation, it is good to pray that Allah opens some doors and finds a new way for you to improve your situation. (I am sure you are doing this, but you can continue to do it, inshallah.)

You also do not know what Allah has planned for you in the future, and maybe you have some things that it is important for you to do in the future in life, and you will look back and realize it was important for you to continue living. So right now your job is just to get through your situation in the here and now.

As they say, it is often darkest before the dawn, and difficult times do not usually last forever. Oftentimes, Allah's mercy reaches us when we are at our most difficult point and then we find relief from whatever we are suffering from. So do continue to pray for assistance and have hope!