Bristol or Birmingham? What’s better for a Muslim?

Got offers from both for physics f303, praise be to Allah.
I can easily find information on my course and where is better for my course, in sha Allah.
But where is a better ISOC?
What campus is safer for a Muslim to be on? Where can I pray easier?
I saw a few posts about Birmingham and… ehhhh… Bristol shows little information as for what I have seen but it looks very sweet and nice.
This info is usually quite ambiguous online. My backup choice uni turned out to have a beautiful ISOC according to my friend.
Bear in mind I want to wear the niqab (please do not try to convince me not to, its my choice, if you have no advice it’s okay :smile:

) and I want to wear it strictly because I would like to restrain myself from evil temptations like boyfriends etc. I know what I’m like, I know what shaytaan is like too and I know I need to control myself!
And I don’t want people to pressure me into being more liberal, I’d like a place where I’m pressured in a friendly way into being a better person and a better Muslim. That also means, a person who doesn’t judge others for their choices but sticks to their own for themself.
Apologies if I offended anyone with my word choices.
Peace be upon you all…

Reply 1

hassassin04

17

I suggest Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan.

Reply 2

jonathan_Smith

4

Wearing a niqab will cause problems with integration and social cohesion anywhere in the UK. I can't recommend that, what is the issue with the hijab?
Also, this is a strange argument: you want to wear a niqab to avoid getting a boyfriend? Wear a hijab, dress modestly and DECIDE not to have a boyfriend is enough to prevent that from happening.

Reply 3

The_Lonely_Goatherd

20

I'm not Muslim and have no knowledge of either of these cities personally - but Birmingham is almost certainly more ethnically diverse. So you may feel more comfortable/run into fewer problems there

Reply 4

I7V

7

Original post by username6050311

Got offers from both for physics f303, praise be to Allah.
I can easily find information on my course and where is better for my course, in sha Allah.
But where is a better ISOC?
What campus is safer for a Muslim to be on? Where can I pray easier?
I saw a few posts about Birmingham and… ehhhh… Bristol shows little information as for what I have seen but it looks very sweet and nice.
This info is usually quite ambiguous online. My backup choice uni turned out to have a beautiful ISOC according to my friend.
Bear in mind I want to wear the niqab (please do not try to convince me not to, its my choice, if you have no advice it’s okay :smile:

) and I want to wear it strictly because I would like to restrain myself from evil temptations like boyfriends etc. I know what I’m like, I know what shaytaan is like too and I know I need to control myself!
And I don’t want people to pressure me into being more liberal, I’d like a place where I’m pressured in a friendly way into being a better person and a better Muslim. That also means, a person who doesn’t judge others for their choices but sticks to their own for themself.
Apologies if I offended anyone with my word choices.
Peace be upon you all…

I would strongly advise against a Muslimah going to uni, even more so a niqābī.

Reply 5

JamesNotFound

2

Original post by username6050311

Got offers from both for physics f303, praise be to Allah.
I can easily find information on my course and where is better for my course, in sha Allah.
But where is a better ISOC?
What campus is safer for a Muslim to be on? Where can I pray easier?
I saw a few posts about Birmingham and… ehhhh… Bristol shows little information as for what I have seen but it looks very sweet and nice.
This info is usually quite ambiguous online. My backup choice uni turned out to have a beautiful ISOC according to my friend.
Bear in mind I want to wear the niqab (please do not try to convince me not to, its my choice, if you have no advice it’s okay :smile:

) and I want to wear it strictly because I would like to restrain myself from evil temptations like boyfriends etc. I know what I’m like, I know what shaytaan is like too and I know I need to control myself!
And I don’t want people to pressure me into being more liberal, I’d like a place where I’m pressured in a friendly way into being a better person and a better Muslim. That also means, a person who doesn’t judge others for their choices but sticks to their own for themself.
Apologies if I offended anyone with my word choices.
Peace be upon you all…

free pakistan

Reply 6

Quietperson1234

6

Original post by I7V

I would strongly advise against a Muslimah going to uni, even more so a niqābī.

op here, i wanted to do islamic studies in a girls college but i have to be the breadwinner due to family situations
so physics was the next thing
it does scare me, i hope i can fear Allah
and also im not paying ribaa in sha Allah

Reply 7

I7V

7

Original post by Quietperson1234

op here, i wanted to do islamic studies in a girls college but i have to be the breadwinner due to family situations
so physics was the next thing
it does scare me, i hope i can fear Allah
and also im not paying ribaa in sha Allah

That's a tough situation. I ask Allāh to make it easier for you.

Alhamdulillāh, you are putting effort into trying to please Allāh by avoiding ribā and wearing the niqāb, which is rare to see nowadays so may Allāh bless you for that. If I were you, I would try to look for a trusted mufti to look into your situation to see if it is an actual necessity and see if there are other options for you to take.

Uni is a very dangerous environment for a Muslim, let alone a practising niqabī Muslimah, so it is important that you realise this and take precautions if you need to go by necessity. I would advise you, may Allāh bless you, to avoid free-mixing as much as you possibly can as this is a huge fitnah, especially if you decide to live there away from your parents.

Another advice to you is to choose your friends wisely.
Abū Hurayrah reported that the Prophet ﷺ said (meaning): “A man is upon the religion of his best friend, so let one of you look at whom he befriends.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2378 - Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Nawawi]

Abū Mūsa reported that the Prophet ﷺ said (meaning): “Verily, the parable of good and bad company is that of a seller of musk and a blacksmith. The seller of musk will give you perfume, you will buy some, or you will notice a pleasant smell. As for the blacksmith, he will burn your clothes, or you will notice a bad smell.” [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5534, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2628]

Allāh said (meaning): {Close friends on that Day will be enemies one to another except al-Muttaqûn} [az-Zukhruf 43:67]

{And (remember) the Day when the Zâlim (wrong-doer, oppressor, polytheist) will bite at his hands, he will say: "Oh would that I had taken a path with the Messenger! Oh woe to me! If only I had never taken so-and-so as a close friend! He indeed led me astray from the Reminder after it had come to me. And Shaitân is to man ever a deserter”} [al-Furqān 25:27-29]

These evidences point to the fact that we should only take Muslims who fear Allāh as friends, and warns of taking others as friends. This includes the kuffār as well as "non-practicing Muslims" or those that clearly and openly disobey Allāh by being negligent with sins (free-mixing, negligent with salāh, tabarruj, and so on). These are the ones who will lead you astray after the Reminder came to you (the above āyah), as you have clearly shown that you are trying to practise the dīn. Their actions will rub off on you and affect you (second hadīth) so that you become like them and follow their way (first hadīth).

I decided not to go to uni so I am not sure about the ISOC situations but I assume that will not find many practising Muslimāt as they decide to stay home to avoid the fitnah that goes on there, however you are in a different situation. From what I know about the situation of Muslimāt in uni is that they tend to have liberal tendencies (negligent of free-mixing, tabbaruj, incorrect hijāb) but I could be wrong and Allāh knows best. I have heard that there may be a few good, practising Muslimāt at Birmingham uni, so you could consider that. Maybe a sign of them would be that they are wearing the correct hijāb (no makeup, at least the jilbab as there is a difference of opinion about the obligation of covering the face). You may come to find that some of them may just be ignorant about Islamic rulings, rather than purposely opposing them, so be gentle with them, advise them and teach them.

My final advice to you is to seek Islamic knowledge.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said (meaning): "Whoever travels a path in search of knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise. People do not gather in the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it together, but that tranquillity will descend upon them, mercy will cover them, angels will surround them, and Allah will mention them to those near Him" [Sahīh Muslim 2699].

Allāh said (meaning): {Allâh will exalt in degrees those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge.} [al-Mujādilah 58:11]

Allāh said (meaning): {It is only those who have knowledge among His servants that fear Allah.} [Fātir 35:28]*

Seeking Islamic knowledge is what makes you fear Allāh (the above āyah). Without knowledge, you cannot know what pleases Allāh and what angers Him, what He has commanded you with and what He has prohibited you from. When you fear and keep your duty to Allāh by obeying His commandments and staying away from His prohibitions, then as He said in the āyāt He will (meaning):

{And whosoever fears Allâh and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allâh, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allâh will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allâh has set a measure for all things.} [at-Talāq 65:2-3]

Therefore, it is upon you to learn the most important matters of the Dīn, the foremost of which is Tawhīd (worshipping Allāh alone), that which all the Messengers were sent to call to. Allāh said (meaning):

{And We did not send any Messenger before you except that We revealed to him (saying): Lâ ilâha illa Ana [none has the right to be worshipped but I (Allâh)], so worship Me (Alone and none else)."} [al-Anbiyā' 21:25]

{And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allāh and avoid ṭāghūt (everything worshipped besides Allāh)"} [an-Nahl 16:36]

I recommend you to go to the YouTube channel "Garden of Ilm" and start studying the books on that channel. Start with the playlist "Important Lessons" which covers and explains the essential knowledge for every Muslim (pillars of Islām, Īmān and Ihsān) and then you can progress to "The three principles", "The four rules, "The book of Tawheed" and the rest of the books explained on the channel, which go through numerous Islamic sciences such as 'Aqīdah, Fiqh, Tafsīr, Fiqh and so on. It is important that you do not neglect your Islamic studies whilst at uni, because this is when you are in dire need of it in order to ward off the doubts and desires that you will face there.

I hope that this advice was beneficial. If you need any more help, I will be happy to help - in shā' Allāh.

(edited 4 months ago)

Reply 8

Quietperson1234

6

Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd

I'm not Muslim and have no knowledge of either of these cities personally - but Birmingham is almost certainly more ethnically diverse. So you may feel more comfortable/run into fewer problems there

Thank you for your input!

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