“Do ye not see that Allah has subjected to your (use) all things in the heavens and on earth, and has made His bounties flow to you in exceeding measure, (both) seen and unseen?

Yet there are among men those who dispute about Allah, without knowledge and without guidance and without a Book to enlighten them!” Holy Qur’an [31:20]

The general guideline in Islamic religious law is everything is lawful (halal) except that which has been specifically forbidden (haram). As for the small number of things which are not proscribed in Islamic teachings, these are for very good reasons, as in the well known cases of pork and alcohol. Both of these have been shown by modern medical science to be bad for human consumption. Many non-Muslims who care about their health don’t eat much pork and watch how much they drink. God hasn’t forbidden anything which is good for us, and who knows us better than our Creator?

But unfortunately some Muslims belonging to extreme sects such as Wahabi’s and Deobandi’s have taken it upon themselves to police other Muslims. In many cases they pick on people who are not doing anything wrong. Even if they were, we should be careful about judging others unless we wish God’s judgement to fall harder on us. Ultimately we all have to answer to our Creator. As Jesus famously said:

“Do not judge lest you be judged yourselves. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it shall be measured to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Matthew [7:1-5]