My Muslim Parents

[Jane]

I'm not sure I'd advise pushing his parents right now...please correct me if I'm wrong, anyone who knows better, but it was once told to me that to become an apostate (leave the religion) is considered a serious sin - punishable by death.  

I am in NO way suggesting his parents would think this way. I AM saying there's every possibility they'll take the news very hard. With this time of adjustment (leaving for college, etc)...I'm not sure if I wouldn't just leave off the subject with them for a while.

[Will]

Jane, that's a good point.

Maybe when I come up with a religious argument you can just keep it on the back burner, as a contingency.

[Benoît Bôls]

Maybe you could get them to spring the cash for an off-campus apartment?

[Asmodean]

Jane, that's a good point.

Maybe when I come up with a religious argument you can just keep it on the back burner, as a contingency.

If you can manage to convinve them that you never have believed in their god, mebbe that would be... Oh wait, that's a deadly sin too, isn't it..?  

[Benoît Bôls]

If you can manage to convinve them that you never have believed in their god, mebbe that would be... Oh wait, that's a deadly sin too, isn't it..?  

Yep:

31:24 We give them comfort for a little, and then We drive them to a heavy doom.

2:24 And if ye do it not - and ye can never do it - then guard yourselves against the Fire prepared for disbelievers, whose fuel is of men and stones.

2:39 But they who disbelieve, and deny Our revelations, such are rightful Peoples of the Fire. They will abide therein.

2:88 And they say: Our hearts are hardened. Nay, but Allah hath cursed them for their unbelief. Little is that which they believe.

2:98 Who is an enemy to Allah, and His angels and His messengers, and Gabriel and Michael! Then lo! Allah (Himself) is an enemy to His disbelievers.

...and so on...

[Will]

I'm not finding anything really decent in either direction, so I'm going to contact a good friend of mine that is a devout Muslim. His understanding of Islam is the best I know.

[Will]

Unless it's a coed dorm, you're 100% in the clear Islam wise. I just got an email back from my friend (who's dad is a Muslim scholar of some note), and he confirmed that you're clear to live with other men. The only way it would be a problem is if you slept in the same room as young women, which isn't a common dorm policy.

[Benoît Bôls]

One thing that might be of concern to your parents is diet. I don't know of a Quranic reference, but I was told that a Muslim cannot use cooking or eating utensils if they had ever touched pork. Your roommate might like to have some bacon for breakfast, but you would get in trouble with Allah if, later, you want to make some falafels with that same pan no matter how clean it was prior to your use.

[curiosityandthecat]

One thing that might be of concern to your parents is diet. I don't know of a Quranic reference, but I was told that a Muslim cannot use cooking or eating utensils if they had ever touched pork. Your roommate might like to have some bacon for breakfast, but you would get in trouble with Allah if, later, you want to make some falafels with that same pan no matter how clean it was prior to your use.

So, could someone maliciously--and unbeknownst to you--rub a pork chop on your chef's knife and Allah would still be mad?  

[Will]

One thing that might be of concern to your parents is diet. I don't know of a Quranic reference, but I was told that a Muslim cannot use cooking or eating utensils if they had ever touched pork. Your roommate might like to have some bacon for breakfast, but you would get in trouble with Allah if, later, you want to make some falafels with that same pan no matter how clean it was prior to your use.

You don't have to eat at the cafeteria and use your own utensils. Problem solved. Get one of those smaller-than-average fridges (if you don't already, and they're cheap on craigslist), and keep some food in there.

[Benoît Bôls]

So, could someone maliciously--and unbeknownst to you--rub a pork chop on your chef's knife and Allah would still be mad?  

Yep. Sucks.

One thing that might be of concern to your parents is diet. I don't know of a Quranic reference, but I was told that a Muslim cannot use cooking or eating utensils if they had ever touched pork. Your roommate might like to have some bacon for breakfast, but you would get in trouble with Allah if, later, you want to make some falafels with that same pan no matter how clean it was prior to your use.

You don't have to eat at the cafeteria and use your own utensils. Problem solved. Get one of those smaller-than-average fridges (if you don't already, and they're cheap on craigslist), and keep some food in there.

But I didn't mention the cafeteria; I was talking about him rooming with somebody else: his roommate using the frying pan, utensils, etc. Some sort of "contamination" is bound to happen in close quarters.

[Will]

They don't trust you to keep your own utensils separate? The Muslim friend I contacted just graduated last year from college after having 4 years of non-Muslim roommates. Not once was there a utensil issue. As a matter of fact, he said it was easy. He thought that you were concerned about utensils used in the cafeteria, which makes more sense. Even that is a piece of cake, though.

If you keep your fork, knife, and spoon in your own drawer, I can't imagine someone accidentally going into your drawer and stealing your fork to maliciously eat a delicious pork dinner.

Really, it's not a strong argument, and as such you're presented with a choice: take their argument apart or go after the real reason they're doing this. Regardless, just remain calm, respectful, and direct.

[Benoît Bôls]

They don't trust you to keep your own utensils separate? The Muslim friend I contacted just graduated last year from college after having 4 years of non-Muslim roommates. Not once was there a utensil issue. As a matter of fact, he said it was easy. He thought that you were concerned about utensils used in the cafeteria, which makes more sense. Even that is a piece of cake, though.

If you keep your fork, knife, and spoon in your own drawer, I can't imagine someone accidentally going into your drawer and stealing your fork to maliciously eat a delicious pork dinner.

Really, it's not a strong argument, and as such you're presented with a choice: take their argument apart or go after the real reason they're doing this. Regardless, just remain calm, respectful, and direct.

I don't see a problem with any of that, but the OP's parents might. What I know is based on another Muslim's reason for living alone while at school.