How Do You Measure Religiousness?

MuslimSister —

Salaam

"Being religious" means different things to different people.

Depending on where you're standing the water will look a different colour. "Too much" or "not enough" is all open to interpretation.

I’ve often heard people ask, “Are you religious?” Or say “She’s SO religious”….or “Mashallah he has a beard so he must be religious”. Or that so and so is "too" religious.

But how does one measure religiosity?

According to some, establishing an Islamic Khilafa makes one “practicing”

According to others, it’s to internally perfect yourself i.e. to have the right intentions and a clean/pure heart.

So what do you say about a brother who attends all marches, talks, gives out leaflets etc but does not have a beard and is not regular with his prayer.

Is he practicing?

Or the sister who boycotts Marks and Spencer, attends anti war rallies, but does not wear a Hijaab, is she more or less practicing then the girl who sits at home all day, reading her five prayers and observing the Hijaab?

What about the one who is involved in Jihad day and night, yet neglects all other rituals of Islam?

Is the hijabi with a boyfriend religious? Or the bearded guy who does a bit of fraud?

Does praying five times a day makes one “practicing?”

Would you say that YOUR religious? And is it even possible to measure religiosity?

What do you use as indicators to judge religiosity if your one of the people who likes asking these questions.

Share your thoughts.

Wasalaam

p.s is “religiosity” even a word?

Forum

TPOS — Sat, 3 Dec 2011 - 20:32

It's hard to judge everyone with the same 'scale'. I'm not sure you can even judge 'religiosity'.

With the older generation, most people pray so that doesn't make them any more religious than anyone else. But with the youth, praying can be a very big thing, so we call them religious people, even though praying is the most basic thing that everyone should be doing anyway.

I think I call people who pray, try to learn about Islam more etc etc 'religious'
Whilst those who are humble and have great characters, 'good people' or the like.

Well actually, I don't think I really describe people as 'religious'. But when in conversation with friends they will refer to people as religious followed 'prays and everything' sorta thing, or even if they didn't that's the meaning I would take.

Really it should be called 'practising'and when we refer to religious people we should think of it meaning that the person has a good character too as the two things can't be separated.

You — Sat, 3 Dec 2011 - 20:40

you can't measure "religiousness" as as soon as you try - especially the religiousness of others - not only will you fail as appearances can be decieving, you actually damage your own religiousness as all the judging will be bad for you.

Hajjar — Sat, 3 Dec 2011 - 21:02

this thing about noor on the face being an indicator or piety i'm not buying it. Only because how do you know it's not the persons natural complexion? The twinkle in their eye, the radiant skin, women with pregnancy glow. I'm not saying noor doesn't exist just it's difficult to know if it is noor. Ive often heard people saying about their sheikhs, mash'Allah hes so close to Allah look at the noor on his face, meanwhile my inner sceptic voice can be heard saying "you would say that he's your sheikh, i can't see any noor"...lol If i had a sheikh i may see something in him that others can't because i want to believe it? Am i making any sense?

Like dust i think piety can only be measured by Allah, but a sure way according to hadith and Quran is those who do salat and those who don't. Those who excel in good manners and those who don't amongst other things they're high on my list of indicators if i was carry a piety thermometer, which i am not, i've got better things to do, like changing nappies.

LookingToSee — Sun, 4 Dec 2011 - 15:53

[quote=Ocean]A twinkle in eyes is known as a Corneal reflex, the fresher the cornea, the brighter the reflex which is why babies have the best "twinkle"[/quote]

+1.

laila — Tue, 6 Dec 2011 - 11:52

[quote=Lilly][quote=Ocean]A twinkle in eyes is known as a Corneal reflex, the fresher the cornea, the brighter the reflex which is why babies have the best "twinkle"[/quote]

+1.[/quote]

Yes and their closest to Allah!

s.b.f — Tue, 6 Dec 2011 - 20:10

You can buy these rulers from some Islamic shops. The scale varies from 'Almost english/christian' to 'mashallah'. I think the instructions tell you to put the ruler in your mouth as you would with a thermometer as this ruler uses mercury in its system too. Easy! Simple! Accuracy is yet to be tested.

TPOS — Tue, 6 Dec 2011 - 20:38

[quote=s.b.f]You can buy these rulers from some Islamic shops. The scale varies from 'Almost english/christian' to 'mashallah'. I think the instructions tell you to put the ruler in your mouth as you would with a thermometer as this ruler uses mercury in its system too. Easy! Simple! Accuracy is yet to be tested.[/quote]
lol! 😃

LookingToSee — Tue, 6 Dec 2011 - 22:12

[quote=s.b.f]You can buy these rulers from some Islamic shops. The scale varies from 'Almost english/christian' to 'mashallah'. I think the instructions tell you to put the ruler in your mouth as you would with a thermometer as this ruler uses mercury in its system too. Easy! Simple! Accuracy is yet to be tested.[/quote]

love it.