Well as I was reading the BBC today, they had this entry about this popular Islamic website being shut down today, but staying open in the English language. It has entries submitted by people with questions about the religion and things that are happening around them.
I found it helpful since it answered a lot of questions I was curious about.
First of which. It's totally f'in OK to sit AND talk with mixed sex's, especially if their husband/wife is with them. The only thing that shouldn't be involved is "soft voice" or trying to get the other sex aroused.
Code:
http://islamtoday.com/node/1239 http://islamtoday.com/node/635
The second one is shaking hands with a stranger (woman). I've always said, if you do it without getting turned on, then what the hell. And only a seriously deprived person would get turned on by shaking hands. And so, it's a vicious cycle, if you take it away from them, then this "sin" becomes just that. But if you make it something normal, then I doubt anyone would be aroused by it. So yeah, ladies. I can shake your hand, trust me, it takes more than that. lol
They also advance as evidence what is related that Abû Bakr used to shake hands with old women, and that al-Zubayr had an old woman give him medical treatment. Allah knows whether this is true or not. Touching a woman is forbidden to prevent temptation. If the woman is not desirable, then the temptation does not exist.
Code:
http://islamtoday.com/node/1238
The third one is the abaya thing. It doesn't have to be black and you could actually wear pants/long dress/loose shirt. As long as it's not tight fitting, it's OK to wear in/outside the house.
It does not matter what style of dress you adopt. However, the clothing must be thick enough not to show the color of your skin and it must be loose enough to completely conceal your form. The means of covering is not important. Any clothes that fulfill the conditions of covering may be worn inside or outside the house. Different cultures have different customs in this regard, and those customs may be respected as long as the woman is properly covered. If you are wearing wide pants and your shirt covers you completely down to the bottom of your thighs, then this should be sufficient.
Code:
http://islamtoday.com/node/1131
The fourth is the face covering. Niqab thing. This one is very iffy. As there are 3 different articles and they all fight each other. Some believe it's the whole entire face, some thing it's just showing ONE eye. Some think it's just wrapping it around the face (hijab style). The most important point is that it should drop down over her cleavage (bosoms). The part I thought about the most was that they don't have to cover up infront of "attendants free of sexual desire" So does that mean if I'm not attracted to you it's totally OK to see you?
And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their father.....
or male attendants free of sexual desires
Code:
http://islamtoday.com/node/1131 http://islamtoday.com/quesshow-29-854.htm http://islamtoday.com/node/1132
They fought for that right, going on how men are allowed to take their shirts off when running, but the ladies can't. haha
though the part of "qoute: sexual desires. unqoute" can go to alot of details. so you cannot easily justify the lack of "sexual desires" hehehe.
and Pleaazzzz stop defaming Islam 
