I like reading, especially novels. I have some favourite authors, most of them are British. When I was little, I like reading Enid Blyton’s books. As I grow up, I also like reading detective novels, from Sir Arhur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. Of course I also read JK Rowling’s books, who didn’t anyway. At that time, every child must have read Harry Potter. Nowadays I like reading chicklit. Sophie Kinsella, Meg Cabot, Jane Costello and Paige Toon are my favourite chicklit authors so far. But the thing is, as I grow up, I also learn about my religion, Islam. It bothers me when there are few things in chicklit novels that doesn’t click with Islam. I give you a few example.
In chicklit, unmaried people usually have sex. In Islam, only married people can have sex. Pre-marital sex is zina, thus it is forbidden. As written in Holy Quran chapter 17 surah Al-Isra verse 32 “Do not even go near zina (fornication or adultery) for it is a very indecent thing and a very evil way.”
In chicklit, people often drinking alcohols, usually until drunk. In Islam, alcohol is forbidden. As written in Holy Quran chapter 5 surah Al-Maidah verse 90-91 “O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful. Satan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through intoxicants and gambling and to avert you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. So will you not desist?”
In chicklit, I often find people divorced, whether the parents, the hero or heroine. In Islam, it is okay to divorce, but Allah really hates divorce. “The most hated of permissible things to Allah is divorce. ” (Sahih) [Ibn Majah Vol. 3, Book 10, Hadith 2018]
Well, those things are bothering me when I’m reading chicklit. Do I still read chicklit nowadays? Yes, but I often skip many parts. I can easily skip sex part, but I hate skipping drinking part. Most crucial information usually is in the drinking part, even the hero and heroine first meet usually at the bar (not always though), get drunk and so on. Why oh why, people need to get drunk in chicklit? Can’t they find love or solve problem without drinking? Even if they are not Muslim, drinking alcohol is not good for their health. It can damage your liver and brain. *inhale* *exhale*
Btw, you can read about alcohol’s damaging effects on liver and brain here http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa63/aa63.htm
