Dear Ummah,
I've technically been a Muslim all my life, but only now am I seriously trying to apply the rules of Islam to my life.
One facet of Islam I'm finding extremely, extremely difficult is how to interact with non-mahram women.
I'm a 17 year old guy with a brother and two step-sisters. We more or less grew up together over the last few years. But now I find out that because they're non-mahram, according to Islam, I'm supposed to treat my step-sisters as I would any unrelated lady.
It's already taking so much out of me to keep the girls outside my family who were in my life at arm's length; to apply to that to my own family is a new level of difficulty.
I belong to an Indian family. We all live in the same house, and love each other a great deal. My parents are Muslim, but nowhere near as strict about it as I am; as such, they take my step-sisters out with us wherever we go, on everything from trips to the mall to vacations abroad. So what am I to do? In order to follow Islam, am I to isolate myself from my family completely?
What about their weddings? Am I to refuse an invitation?
Please, please be gentle in your replies. Please don't tell me "if you speak to your sisters again, you will be thrown in the fire of Hell for all eternity".
Please tell me I can continue to spend time with my family. Because with all these rules, I'm already so incredibly anxious about how I'm going to live my life. And my family is the only thing keeping me sane.
I've technically been a Muslim all my life, but only now am I seriously trying to apply the rules of Islam to my life.
One facet of Islam I'm finding extremely, extremely difficult is how to interact with non-mahram women.
I'm a 17 year old guy with a brother and two step-sisters. We more or less grew up together over the last few years. But now I find out that because they're non-mahram, according to Islam, I'm supposed to treat my step-sisters as I would any unrelated lady.
It's already taking so much out of me to keep the girls outside my family who were in my life at arm's length; to apply to that to my own family is a new level of difficulty.
I belong to an Indian family. We all live in the same house, and love each other a great deal. My parents are Muslim, but nowhere near as strict about it as I am; as such, they take my step-sisters out with us wherever we go, on everything from trips to the mall to vacations abroad. So what am I to do? In order to follow Islam, am I to isolate myself from my family completely?
What about their weddings? Am I to refuse an invitation?
Please, please be gentle in your replies. Please don't tell me "if you speak to your sisters again, you will be thrown in the fire of Hell for all eternity".
Please tell me I can continue to spend time with my family. Because with all these rules, I'm already so incredibly anxious about how I'm going to live my life. And my family is the only thing keeping me sane.
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