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Itikaf, Zakat al-Fitr and Other Issues

Sheikh Ahmad Kutty
10 June, 2018

Dear Brothers/Sisters,

 

Thank you very much for joining us in this Live Fatwa session. We would like also to thank our guest, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, for answering the questions directed to him. You will find the answers of your questions below.

Monday, Jun. 11, 2018 | 21:30 - 23:30 GMT

Session is over.

AssalamuAlaikum waramatullahi WaBarakatuhu Bismillahi r rahmaani r raheem I am a 16 year old girl and i live in my Maternal grand Parents home........My Grandfather had worked in haraam way .....Now....as he also build his home of haraam money....And we earn the rent of these houses..... will this rent be haraam too........????...But How ....if it is Not the Actual House price..!!? Please help me... MAY ALLAH GRANT YOU WITH HIS BLESSINGS.....IN HEREAFTER...AND SHADE YOU



Wa `alaykum as-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

 

If you are sure that your grandparents earned their income in a purely haram way, then you should not use the rent from home she bought with such income. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “A body nurtured or nourished by haram is a worthy fuel for the hell-fire.” (Ibn Hajar)

 

Once Sa`d ibn Abi Waqas asked the Prophet (peace be upon him): How can I ensure that Allah answers my prayers”, he said, “Make sure your earnings are from pure sources, then Allah will answer your prayers.” (At-Tabarani)

 

Therefore, a penny one earns ethically is more blessed than a million dollar you earn through unlawful ways.

 

If, however, only part of her income was earned through haram way, then you may use the rent as long as you cleanse it by optional charities and Istighfaar and staying away from such practices on your part.

 

Allah Almighty knows best. 

My husband donated sperm to another women without my knowledge. The reason he tellls me that he wanted to help the girl, because she had to have a child to cure her sickness. However, i found out that they were dating and they had nikkah. When i spoke to that lady, she doesn’t accept it. My husband wants to support the child. Please help me, is it permissible to donate the sperm and is he responsible for the child although the girl is not accepting? She says they did this based on the contract , they did not have any relationship. I am agree if he supports financially but I don’t want the child call my husband father. And have see each other often. Is that ok for me to ask it.



In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

 

Sperm donation is not allowed in Islam as ruled by eminent jurists, including the World Council of Jurists. So, if your husband says he simply donated his sperm to help the girl cure a disease, it is not different than someone saying that he committed adultery with a woman to cure her of a certain disease.

 

However, he seems to contradict himself when he also says he married her. This does not help to render his action as valid as she denies it.

 

Therefore, there is no justification for sanctioning his action.

 

Allah Almighty knows best. 

Assalamualaykum. I am married for about 19 years with 2 sons aged 14 and 6 years. 3 years ago, I found my wife cheating. She had physical relations with a non-Muslim. She had just stopped her affair due to her problems with the guy when I found out all. I asked her to change her lifestyle completely and follow Islamic ways. She refuses to stop wearing western clothes and also refuses to stop talking to male friends. She is quite irregular in her prayers. I gave her Islamic literature to understand, also asked her to join Islamic classes, but she refuses. She clearly states that she cannot change herself and I can divorce her if I want to. If I continue to stay with her for the sake of children, and since I am unable to make her follow our Islamic ways, then would I be considered a "Dayooth" and become a sinner? If she continues to stay like this, then would it be better to part ways, rather than take the wrath of Allah-Taala. Please guide me as I've read that Dayooth would never enter Jannah. Awaiting your kind advice. May Allah-Taala guide us best.



Wa `alaykum as-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

 

If you have reasonable grounds to believe that your wife is persisting in her extra marital affairs and has no remorse, then as a conscientious Muslim you cannot tolerate it. If you do so, it is definitely the case of a dayooth.

 

Allah Almighty knows best. 

 

What criterias should be followed with the spouse if any of the two convert to Islam? Shall their marriage be considered as illegal?



In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

 

My advice is that in case of one of the spouses converting to Islam, they should wait. If the person is not interfering with one’s duties as a Muslim, then the marriage can continue, according to rulings of some eminent scholars.

 

If, however, that is not the case, then one should wait for a while hoping for change, and if there is not softening of attitude, then one should go for a legal divorce. In such a case, they are not allowed to remain in marriage.

 

Allah Almighty knows best. 

Assalamu alaikum Shaikh I'm female & my mother is sick & taken to ICU. She is in critical condition. I am crying & praying but also I'm trying to be mentally strong & continue to my academic study. . Am I doing the wrong thing? If women want to lead a normal life, want to do her religious duties, study, job(career), house works, & she wants to fresh her mind by doing halal hobbies, gaining knowledge in different worldly subjects, all other constructive/productive works & wants to stay happy, normal & mentally strong, despite of her tough time like sickness & death of her near & dear one, even her own sickness & sufferings, misbehaviour, torture, injustice, from others etc., is it wrong? Is she allowed to do that? Can she supplicate to Allaah, to make it easy for her to do above mentioned things, whenever she faces difficulty & whatever negative things in her life until her death?



Wa `alaykum as-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

 

If your mother is in ICU, you ought to spend as much time as you can to care for her – even if it has adverse effect on your studies.

 

Taking care of your mother is a greater priority in this case; the academic study can be put off or compromised and can be resumed later.

It is a priority for you if you are the only person closest to her who can do it.

 

Otherwise, you can divide your time and plan it in such a way that you don’t need to suspend or postpone your studies altogether. If you do it seeking the pleasure of Allah and the blessings of your mother, Allah will open doors for you in such a way that you will be able to complete your studies later. Allah promises us that if you forego something solely for the pleasure of Allah, He will never disappoint you; instead He will give you better substitute.

 

If on the other hand you are not the only person who can do it, and you have other closest relatives such as sister or aunts who can care for her, then you need to divide your time. If you have the best of intentions to balance your duties to your mother with your study and pray to Allah, he will make it easy for you. Thus, once again, you will not be compelled to sacrifice your studies altogether.

 

If however you were to ignore your mother altogether and focus solely on your studies you will be depriving the blessings of Allah and your mother, thus ending up as a loser in both worlds. I will never advise you to end up in this category

 

Allah Almighty knows best. 

When I grow up I want to be a psychiatrist, it’s been my dream for ages. My mum wants me to become a phsyciatrist too. But I don’t know whether it is allowed in Islam for a Muslim Girl To Become A Phsyciatrist. Can someone please help me?? Oh and also is it haram or not permissible to go to University??



In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

 

Psychiatry is a profession like any other branch of medicine or health sciences. So, there is nothing wrong for you in pursuing it as long as you abide by the Islamic ethics of the profession and interactions with patients, both male and female.

 

Allah Almighty knows best. 

Question:Assalamualaikum. I am asking for a male colleague. This brother got married to a woman he met at a language class. Before getting married, that woman had told the brother that she was going to marry another guy who is a citizen of France; and this marriage would be just a contract marriage (no physical intimacy involved). She was bound to do it as she was suffering from dementia and the treatment is only in France. My colleague agreed and married her. However, things didn't go well between them and they started having fights. Till then the girl didn't go for that contract marriage. After a fight the brother stopped contacting with his wife and the girl eventually got married to fill up the contract with that other guy from France. Now after a while my colleague decided to divorce her because he felt this couldn't go on. His wife will not be returning to him or they won't be able to start a family until she goes to France and gets a Permanent Residency. So it is long process. This brother is a practicing muslim and now he wants a solution. He says that , knowing everything he had married her, now if he divorces her she might hold him accountable. Also he loves her very much and wants to stay with her. So his concerns are what he should do. Can you please give an answer so that the right thing can be done?



Wa `alaykum as-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

 

If the brother knew that she was going to marry another guy while she is married to him, then the marriage is not valid. In Islam, a woman cannot be married to two men at the same time.

 

The excuse that she has no choice but to do it cannot make any difference. It is not different than someone saying: I need to commit adultery to get my status in the country or rob a bank to give charity, etc.

 

The marriage is fake; so, it is null and void in Islam.

 

Allah Almighty knows best. 

 

 

Assalamu alaikum shaikh, There are websites that offer online courses on variety of topics & subjects. Though some of those courses unlawful in nature there are many courses that are on worldly beneficial subjects & topics. These courses are of universities of Western & non Muslim countries & the educators are non Muslim, major/minor/all other types sinner, non hijab females & males with wrong aqidah. Though there are pictures & videos of them the main course topics are lawful if I choose lawful one(as there are many lawful courses). My main question is, as a female Can I continue those courses from those educators whether they are male or female, sinner (major sinner, minor sinner all other types sinner) or not, Muslim or not, whether the courses are from universities of Western countries or other parts of world , whether the courses from universities of Muslim (Shia, sunni) countries or not,whether they have authentic aqidah or not if I do courses about worldly beneficial subjects & topics while avoiding courses of unlawful topics & subjects? Though I'm medical student I have interest & hobby in gaining knowledge about all other lawful worldly beneficial subjects from those websites to nurture mind. (Please note that I'm talking about only worldly beneficial & lawful subjects like physics, chemistry computer science, biology, social sciences, food science etc, not about religious knowledge. I have authentic source to learn religion.)



Wa `alaykum as-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

 

You may enrol in courses that are beneficial for your career or enhancing your knowledge. However, since Islam emphasises priorities, we cannot pursue extra curricular studies (i.e. unrelated to your career or profession) at the expense of your obligatory duties.

 

So, in the case of a mother her duties of providing nurturing care outweighs other considerations. Likewise, a physician should pay greater attention in upgrading and updating knowledge related to his practice rather than spending time on acquiring knowledge that has no bearing on his profession, especially when faced with a tight schedule or time to balance his duties towards his spouse, children, parents, community, etc.

 

You may enroll in courses that are beneficial for your career or enhancing your knowledge. However, since Islam emphasizes priorities, we cannot pursue extracurricular studies (i.e., unrelated to your occupation or profession) at the expense of your essential duties.

 

So, in the case of a mother, her duties of providing nurturing care outweighs other considerations.

 

Likewise, a physician should pay greater attention in upgrading and updating knowledge related to his practice rather than spending time on acquiring knowledge that has no bearing on his profession, especially when faced with a tight schedule or time to balance his duties towards his spouse, children, parents, community, etc.

 

Allah Almighty knows best. 

Assalamu alaikum shaikh, as far I know majority of scholars tell , covering face & hand is not obligatory for women in front of non Marham relatives whether they are Muslim or not & other non Marham people who are non relatives whether they are Muslim or not . And I also read in another writing that, the reason for revealing the face & hands in public is to ensure the woman's full ability to interact & production at work without feeling any hindrance. But my question ,"is it only applicable to bad /average looking women or whose skin color is not fair /any other attractive colour or whose skin is not smooth?". If this is, it is matter of worry that beautiful,smooth,attractive,fair,good skinned, alike women will have to suffer, cause there are situations where covering face & hands cause difficulties ,especially wearing hand gloves cause difficulties in using touch screen device & other works while going outside home or even inside home. Even the covering face cause problems in some aspects. Can you clarify it?



Wa `alaykum as-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

 

There is no need for you to raise such questions as the Shari’a has not prescribed face veil or covering the hands for women.

 

We trust the wisdom of Allah who has ordained laws for us that are practical, and adaptable to diverse situations we face in life. Since covering face and hands may complicate our interactions and transactions (an example is recognizing the identity of the person or persons we are dealing with, etc.), Shari’ah did not consider it obligatory. The majority of commentators of the Qur’an are of the view; if a woman chooses to wear the face veil, she should uncover herself when making transactions or testifying in a court, etc.

 

In short, face veil is not mandatory at all. For details, I would urge you to refer to the answers posted on this site.

 

Allah Almighty knows best. 

My question is regarding my parents specially my mother . I am thier only daughter with four sons MashaAllah .Since my childhood my parents have tried to impose thier views and choices on us . They acted like a team often taunting me , always criticizing me . I have always been chubby and my parents were the one who first made me realize I'm not good looking n chubby . I should eat less . They had full control on me often making a fool out of me that we have installed cameras in your room to keep an eye on you . Still I used to love my parents madly assuming I'm worthless and I'm everything because of my parents .I spent most of my childhood studying and became a doctor still I was not confident.My mom once said that people say my mom is beautiful why me (her daughter ) is different . She treated me like a younger sister with whom she was always in competition for clothes , looks .I felt sad and alone all my life till I was 24 when I met a boy online he promised me a good life and gave me strength to make my own decision about my marriage. My parents literally tortured me when I told them about my choice . My mom used to say bad names to me in front of my brothers . She hit me .Abused me. After seven years of torture they married me to that boy. My husband is Alhamdolillah Allah's gift for me . After 8 years of marriage still my mother doesn't speak to my husband and my husband respects my parents like his own and he is so kind to them it makes me feel embarrassed as my parents doesn't give him any respect . They still interfere in our lives and decisions . I'm pregnant right now and my father has given lecture to my husband to ask me to lose weight and not go out for dinners. We moved to a western country and my mother black mailed me for four years why I moved there .I went to my home country to meet her and she didn't talk to me . I felt like a fool why I came all the way to meet her I have started hating my parents .They are responsible for my lack of confidence . My sad lonely childhood . They think of themselves so high and rich . We are struggling to get settle in a western country and my parents are here to help me for my pregnancy but I feel more stressed and sad since they are here . I love my husband and my mom makes funny faces when she sees my husband helps me in house chores . I was better alone here . I feel bad that I don't want to talk to my parents . I want to be an individual with my own life n choices . I don't Wana disobey Allah but how to love my parents and respect them from heart when they are so mean and selfish . I don't trust any one now . I have no friends and I feel that's because of my mother .I am in mid thirties but still feel like a lost depressed Child infront of my parents



Wa `alaykum as-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

 

Your parents are wrong in treating you the way you have described. And your lack of confidence and self-esteem may be a direct result of their constant abuse.

 

However, now that you are an adult you should be able to break this pattern. As a doctor by training, you should know that there may be professionals in behavior therapy who can help you. I would urge you to seek their help.

 

Now coming to the issue of hating your mother, my answer is you should never do that for reasons of emotional and spiritual health.

 

You should empower yourself and say: that is how they are; they are responsible for their behavior; as for my husband and me we will try to stand on a high moral ground and thus never allow their behavior take away your peace of mind. Instead, I will choose to forgive them.

 

While doing this, I am not saying you allow them to make decisions for you. You don’t have to do that. As adults you have the right to make decisions for yourselves; by keeping them out from your personal choices, you are not in any way being abusive towards them.

 

Allah Almighty knows best. 

ASSLAMUALAIKUM Consider 3 cases 1) My father has the duaa for travelling hung on his rear view mirror in the car. 2) In my house, a surah is written in caligraphy gold and beautifully hung on the wall. Also pictures of Mecca and Medina are hung in other rooms. 3) https://qa.islam.com/s/30001/surah_yasin_and_surah_kahf#gsc.tab=0 -In the above link, down the page a brother says benefits of 'reciting' every surah, like curing disease and increased blessing, along with extra benefits of writing them like: a) Writing Surah Al-kahf(18) on a paper and putting it in a glass bottle and keeping in his house, poverty will not come near him, he wont need to take loans and mischief mongers will not harass him. b) Whoever writes the surah Al-Hijr(15) and wears it on his body, there would be gain and profit in his buisiness dealings. c) If surah Al-Dukhan(44) is written on paper and kept in trading premises, the sales and profits would leap day by day. And Many more about writing in china plate with saffron, washing it and drinking the water. Brother i wanted to know if any of the 3 cases is accepted and rewarded in Islam? Or is it a type of taaweez/amulets, as Dr. Zakir Naik says in a speech that taaweez is not accepted in Islam as our Prophets didn't wear them and it is considered shirk. But I have seen other people(mullahs) on the interney also say that taaweez with anything other than quranic verses are shirk. But if they are quranic verses, it is allowed. Brother, I am not able to decide if taaweez is shirk or not and I am very desperate to make use of the ways stated in the above link, as my father is facing financial and huge debt issues (Please do pray for my father). Jazak Allah khair. May Allah show us the right way. May Allah forgive our mistakes and sins, major and minor.



Wa `alaykum as-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

 

You have raised quite a few issues. Let me respond to each one of them in their respective order:

As for hanging pictures or verses on the wall of home or car, there is nothing wrong with that if the purpose is to remind oneself of dhikr and favors fo Allah. Muslims throughout centuries have been doing that.

 

The mosques and Islamic institutions have always had inscriptions of Qur’an and the Prophetic traditions or even quotes from the pious predecessors as reminders. No scholar has objected to them.

And the cloth- cover on the Ka’bah is full of Quranic inscriptions, and I heard no alim worthy of the name object to it as it were akin to shirk.

As for the three other points, there is no basis for them in the authentic sources.

They are superstitious practices.  If that had been the case, then the Prophet and the companions would have practiced or recommended them.  People with similar challenges had approached the Prophet, and yet he never suggested such practices; instead, he told them to strive hard while praying to Allah.

Here are a few prophetic tips on how to expect the blessings of Allah for sustenance and success in life:

“Seek and expect to work for goals that are beneficial and strive hard while putting the trust in Allah.”

 

“If you were (to work hard and) trust in Allah, He would provide sustenance for you as He provides for the birds: see how they fly out of their nest at dawn and return satiated at dusk.”

 

Since birds do not sit in their nests hoping for sustenance from Allah, it behooves us humans to go work and seek the bounty of Allah.

 

He also prayed: “O Allah, bless my Ummah when they set out their work early mornings.” Accordingly, he advised one of his companions to start his business ventures early morning; the companion said, “When I acted upon his advice my business flourished tremendously.”

 

It also worthy of remembering that the Prophet (peace be upon him) put forth the best of his efforts and then only turned to Allah for help.

If there were any shortcuts, he would have followed them, and he would have also advised his companions to follow the same.

 

Having said this, I would like to add that on top of the above, the Prophet (peace be on him) also encouraged his companions to offer the following supplications:

Allaahumma aghninee bihalaalika an haraamika wa aghninee bi fadhlika amman siwaaka

 

Allaahumma inee a’oodhu bika mina al-hammi wa al-hazani wa a’oodhu bika mina al-‘ajzi wa al-kasali, wa a’oodhu bika min al-jubni wa al-bukhli, wa a’oodhu bika min ghalabathi al-ddayni wa qahr al-rrijaal

 

Allaahumma rabba al-ssamaawaathi al-ssab’i wa rabba al-‘arshi al-azheem, rabbana wa rabba kulli sha’in faaliqa al-habbi wa al-nnawaa wa munazzila al-thawraathi wa al-injeeli wa al-furqaani a’oodhu bika min sharri kulli sha’in antha aakhidhun bi naasiyathihi antha al-awwalu falaysa qablaka shayun wa antha al-aakhiru falaysa ba’daka shay’un wa antha al-aakhiru fa laysa ba’daka sha’un wa antha al-zzahiru falaysa fawqaka shay’un wa antha al-baatinu falaysa doonaka shay’un iqdhi ‘anna al-dayna wa aghninaa mina al-faqri

“O Allah, make me self-sufficient with that which You have allowed for me so that I do not need to that which You have not approved. And make me content with Your favor so that I do not need to turn for support of the mortals.

 

O Allah, I seek refuge and protection with You from worry and grief; I seek refuge and protection with You from helplessness and sloth, I seek refuge and protection with You from cowardice and miserliness; I seek refuge and protection with You from the burden of debts and tyranny of men.

 

O Allah, You are the Lord of the seven heavens, the Lord of the Great Throne, our Lord, and the Lord of all beings, the splitter of the seeds and the kernels, the revealer of Torah, Gospel, and the Qur’an. I seek refuge and protection with You from all of Your creatures under Your firm control. You are the First; there is nothing before You; You are the Last; there is nothing after You. You are the Outward; there is nothing above You; you are the Inward, and there is nothing below You. So, clear my debts for me and remove my poverty and make me self-sufficient.”

 

Allah Almighty knows best. 

As-Salaam-Alaikum, I wanted to ask if you could provide me some advice? I am a Shia muslim and last year I married my wife who is a Sunni muslim, we had some trouble and unfortunately we separated shortly after. My wife then seeked advice from a Mufti at the time who advised her that the Nikah was not carried out correctly and as I did not convert to be a Sunni, our marriage was not deemed valid. I have done research of my own and I have found that I did not need to convert to be a Sunni muslim as I already am a muslim and believe in the everything that a Sunni would believe in, however I was born into a Shia family. The Nikah which was carried out was a valid Nikah as the Molvi recited all the necessary wording and myself and my wife accepted the marriage, we are both of sound mind and we both wanted to be married to each other at that time. The Mufti which said the marriage was not valid told my wife that as the Nikah was not valid, the divorce procedure is simple; there is no need to have agreement or confirmation from myself for the divorce, and so my wife would be deemed as not married as the Nikah was not valid and so she would be able to marry someone else in 3 weeks. The Mufti had one conversation with myself and did not go through the details of a divorce, he merely mentioned that my wife and her family had been in touch and he would call me again to clarify the steps to complete the divorce. My wife was in contact with the Mufti in December of 2017 and in April of 2018, I have been in touch with my wife and I am keen to rekindle our marriage and work to be successful In'Sha'Allah. I am a follower of Islam and follow the Shia and Sunni doctrine. I am willing to make this marriage work and I have not agreed to a divorce, my wife and I have met a number of times and are in agreement that we would like to continue and proceed as husband and wife however we require confirmation that we are still Islamically married. Please could you assist me in this matter as it would be greatly appreciated. Jazākallāh



Wa `alaykum as-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

 

I am sorry to hear about your predicament. The marriage between Shia and Sunni is valid as long as you belong to Ithna Ashari or Ja’fair sect.

 

However, you should have made a pre-nuptial contract in regards to the differences between your theological differences.

So, you are justified in seeking to settle your differences through negotiations or counselling, etc. It is best that you go through counseling so that you do not repeat the same mistakes.

The scholar who insists that the marriage is null and void is wrong.

On the proper procedure of divorce, you may refer to the following answer by Dr. Muzzammil Siddiqi:

“Divorce is the most hateful thing to Allah, but it is allowed (halal) only in the case of absolute necessity. If a couple tried their best to reconcile their differences, but they still could not agree and they found impossible to live with each other, then only in that case they should separate in a proper and decent manner. Divorce can be initiated by the husband or by the wife. The husband has the right to pronounce the words of divorce (talaq) to his wife. He can also give her a statement of divorce in writing. The wife can seek divorce from her husband throughkhul`, but if he refuses to grant her request then she can seek the dissolution of marriage through the court of law. The Shari`ah has not given the right to a woman to divorce her husband, because only the husband has all the financial obligations of the family. After divorce he will be responsible to provide her maintenance during her`iddahand if there are any children in the family then he will be responsible for their expenses. Thus to grant her that right equally with the husband while she has no financial obligation is unfair and unjust. The wife can, however, divorce her husband if her husband gave her that right either at the time of marriage or afterwards.

 

A husband who wants to divorce his wife should use the words of divorce with full awareness after much thinking and consideration. Using the words of divorce in haste or anger is not right. The proper procedure is to give divorce when a woman is not pregnant and is not going through her monthly menstrual cycle. Divorce can take place by saying one time “I have divorced you” (talluqtuki) or “You are divorced” (anti taliq). After this the women should spend the time of her`iddah. During the period of`iddahthe husband can cancel his divorce and can resume the matrimonial relationship, but if it does not happen then the divorce takes effect and at the end of the`iddahperiod their marriage ends. There is no need to repeat the words of divorce more than once. Even one divorce is sufficient to terminate the relationship.

 

The provision of the second and third divorce is given for a husband who divorces his wife one time and then cancels his divorce, but then after sometime changes his mind and divorces her again second time. Then he changes his mind and resumes the relationship and then again after that he divorces her. The Shari`ah says that now this relationship should end. Marriage is a serious matter. One cannot keep divorcing one’s wife and returning her back. After the third divorce he cannot take her back. The third divorce is called the “irrevocable divorce” (talaq mughallaz). The wife now becomes forbidden to her husband completely. She cannot go back to this husband who has divorced her three times, unless she marries another person who out of his own free will divorces her and then after the`iddahshe and her previous husband want to remarry. This is calledhalalahin the language of the Shari`ah. This rule is given by the Shari’ah to reduce the occurrence of three divorces and to protect the honor of the woman.

 

Some people misuse this procedure out of ignorance or willingly. There are some people who think that the divorce (talaq) would not happen unless one makes the statement three times. There are others who repeat the words of divorce for emphasis and have no idea that this could be very serious. The jurists (fuqaha’) have discussed this issue for the last fourteen hundred years. There were some jurists who took the strict position that three divorces whether uttered at once or separately would be considered as three divorces. According to them, whether a person misused this right knowingly or unknowingly the affect would be the same. If some one uttered the words of divorce three times, then this would betalaq mughallazand his wife would become totally forbidden for him and they could not reconcile without ahalalah. There are, however, some other jurists who emphasize the role of will in marriage and divorce. They say that if the husband used three divorces intentionally as three, then they will be counted as three, but if he repeated the words in anger or to emphasize his point then this is one divorce and he will have the right to resume the relationship with his wife. I feel that the second position is closer to the spirit of the Shari`ah. I am pleased to see that there are now some Hanafi jurists also who are inclined to this position. There were fatwas issued to this effect by the `Ulama’ of Deoband and Nadwa in India as well the `Ulama in Saudi Arabia.

 

The issue of a divorce given in anger is also important. The basic rule is that divorce must be uttered with full consciousness and without any coercion. If a person pronounced the words of divorce to his wife, in a fit of anger, while he lost all control over himself or due to the influence of intoxicants which he sinfully consumed, or he was forced by someone else to do so, then in all these cases his words of divorce are null and void and have no effect. In conclusion, let me say that Muslims must protect their family life and must avoid divorce as much as possible. If it becomes necessary to have divorce then use the Islamic methods and procedures. Obviously we cannot give all the details here. Those who need more information they should consult special books on this subject or speak to those who are knowledgeable.”

 

Allah Almighty knows best.

Asalamualaikum I have a question which I am hoping you can help me with. My husband's parents took in 3 children into their care as they were mistreated by their parents. The eldest girl was 7 when they took her into their home and had a few learning difficulties as in she is behind in her reading age and takes longer for her to learn things of her intellectual age. She is now 12 and of age of puberty. My husband says she is his sister and does not observe hijab in front of her. However, I get jealous of this because she is not Mahram to him and now that she is baligh I feel she should wear hijab in front of him, not sir beside him, or sit alone in a car with him or shake his hands. However, she observes this with other men but not my husband and I get jealous of this. His excuse is that he is waiting for his parents to say she now has to observe hijab in front of him and says that due to her learning difficulties even if she is menstruating she isn't baligh because she lacks full understanding. I don't agree with this and feel she is baligh because she is menstruating. Please can you advice as this is coming between our marriage. Jazakallah



Wa `alaykum as-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

 

Your husband is wrong in treating the girl who has attained puberty as if she is his blood relation. No. she is not. There is no marriage taboo between them. That is clear from the Qur’an. So, she has to observe the rules of hijab in his presence, and he is not allowed to be alone with her. She is not different from any other mature woman without close blood relationship.

The categories of women we are not allowed to marry are listed here in the following verse:

 

“Forbidden to you are your mothers, and your daughters, and your sisters, and your aunts paternal and maternal, and a brother’s daughters, and a sister’s daughters; and your milk-mothers, and your milk-sisters; and the mothers of your wives; and your step-daughters – who are your foster children – born of your wives with whom you have consummated your marriage; but if you have not consummated your marriage, you will incur no sin [by marrying their daughters]; and [forbidden to you are] the spouses of the sons who have sprung from your loins; and [you are forbidden] to have two sisters [as your wives] at one and the same time – but what is past is past: for, behold, God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.” (An-Nisaa’ 4:23)

 

So, the girl you mentioned is not one of them; as such, she has to observe proper rules of hijab or modest attire in front of your husband.

 

Allah Almighty knows best. 

 

I am 26 yrs old single will marry after getting established, I have my best friend (girl) we care about eachother needs, we both just want to be good freinds but we both have some needs so can we married Nikah without notice of our home families, just to fulfill our sexual desire? which is now uncontrollable



In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

 

 

If you are in full control of your senses, then you are responsible for your actions. If according to your physician, your physician says that these could be due to the side effects of your medications, then you may be excused. However, such judgment belongs to Allah.

 

 

You owe it to yourself to see a behavior counselor or therapist who may help you with tips and practical methods of altering or changing your behavior.

 

In the meantime, I ask you to avoid such situations that are provocative as best as you can and seek repentance and ask forgiveness of Allah constantly.

 

Only Allah has the authority to send people to heaven or hell. So, I cannot make that judgment.

 

Allah Almighty knows best. 

Assalam.o Alaikum Question 1 If A husband gives one divorce and after passing iddah he gives one more divorce. 2nd divorce comes under divorce?? Question 2 Is that enough for ruju to say come back during iddah without the intention of ruju.



Wa `alaykum as-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

 

Ruju’ can be made either through words or actions. As for the words, scholars divide it into categories: uttering words explicitly denoting return; for instance, saying: I take you back, or I take you back as my wife. Such words are sufficient enough. They do not require any
intention.

 

As for words that are not so clear like saying: You and I are as we were before; you come back such words require intention; however, the husband should be trusted if he says that he said so with the intent of taking her back.

 

As for actions, according to Hanafi school: intercourse, as well as foreplay and touching and kissing lustfully, are valid forms of return; they do not require intention.

 

Malikis consider any action of touching and foreplay is deemed to be valid and acceptable.

As for the Shafi’ites, action alone without intention cannot be reckoned as valid for return.

 

Hanbalis consider intercourse as indicative of return; however, foreplay is not valid without intention.

 

Based on above, I would say the majority view is that any action on the part of the husband denoting Ruju’  can be valid.

 

In light of the above, if a husband says to his wife, ‘come back to me’ it can be deemed as sufficient form of return if the husband intends to take her back.

 

Allah Almighty knows best. 

Can we pay zakat al-fitr in cash?



In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving

All praise is due to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad.

 

There are those who insist that it should be given in kind, the preferred view of eminent scholars is that it should be paid in cash – if that is what is beneficial and practical. Since in urbane societies today that is the only viable option, we should go for this view:

 

For details, let me cite here from my book on Ramadan and Fasting: A Concise Guide:

 

“During the time of the Prophet (PBUH), he ordered the people to take Zakatul Fitr out from the foods they used to have available, such as wheat, dates, etc. Thus, Bukhari and Muslim reported on the authority of Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri: “During the time of the Prophet (PBUH), we used to take out zakaatul Fitr in the form of a sa‘ of food, or a sa‘ of wheat or dates, or cheese or raisins” (Reported by Bukhari, Muslim, and others).

 

Scholars differ in specifying the foods referred to in the above tradition. Some say the food is meant to be grain; however, others say it could include any of the staple foods customary in each country, including rice, wheat, raisins, pulses, flours, etc.

 

A question arises: What is a sa‘? Scholars agree that it was the standard measurement in Madinah during the time of the Prophet (PBUH). It was comparable to four mudds; a mudd is what an average person can hold when he cups his hands.

 

As for the wisdom of fixing the measurement as one sa‘, Imam Shah Waliullah explained that it was considered sufficient at the time (i.e., during the Prophet’s time) for sustaining a family for the day of Eid.

 

The conversion of a sa‘ into the metric standard of weights is contentious, precisely because of the fact that it varies according to the type of foods that are being weighed. Therefore, many consider it best to consider four mudd, as measured by average persons, as the standard to follow. The Saudi Council of Scholars, after due deliberation, has estimated it to be equivalent to approximately three kilograms.

 

According to Ibn Taymiyyah, while paying Zakatul Fitr, one should ideally take into account the standard of living he is used to, for a rich person may spend lavishly on the Eid feast, while an average person cannot afford do so; therefore, one would do well to give according to his own means.

 

Based on the traditions referenced above, the standard ruling of the majority of scholars is that Zakatul Fitr is to be paid in staple foods rather than in cash. However, Imam Abu Hanifah is one of those who ruled early on that one should pay what is most beneficial for the poor. There is no doubt that this view seems to be in perfect agreement with the wisdom of Zakatul Fitr, as the Prophet (PBUH) clearly stated it was “in order to help the poor celebrate Eid.” We need not mention the fact that paying in grains, although beneficial in a rural setting, may not be beneficial for the people in an urban milieu, so Imam Abu Hanifah’s position seems to be more relevant in such cases. This position has also been endorsed by Imam Ibn Taymiyyah, as well as by a number of eminent scholars in modern times, such as the late Shaikh Mustafa al-Zarqa and Shaikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi among others. There is no need to point out that in North America, and in the West in general, that this is perhaps the most practical way to implement Zakatul Fitr, since giving grains may not be beneficial for either the giver or the beneficiary.

 

As far as calculating the amount to be paid in cash, it is estimated to be the equivalent of one full meal; according to current Canadian standards, it can be considered ten dollars as less than that amount cannot fetch a decent meal. However, Imam  Ibn  Taymiyyah’s  opinion  cited  above should be taken into account, as it allows some leeway for individuals to decide how much they can afford to pay, although it is always best to err on the side of giving rather than withholding, especially in the realm of ‘ibadah.”

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

 

Can women observe itikaf?



In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving

 

All praise is due to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad.

 

Women are allowed to perform I’tikaf in the mosque, especially in the last ten days/nights of Ramadan.

 

Islam does not discriminate against women; all of the divine ordinances apply to both males and females – unless explicitly stated otherwise. As for I’tikaf, not only there is nothing forbidding women from sitting in I’tikaf; on the contrary, we have precedents for it in the traditions and the precedents of the Prophet, peace be upon him.

 

We can safely infer from these that I’tikaf is a Sunnah, for both men and women. Accordingly, the Prophet’s wives and mothers of faithful used to perform I’tikaf with him during his life, and they continued the practice after his death. Aishah, the beloved wife of the Prophet, peace be upon him, states: “The Prophet, peace be upon him, used to perform I’tikaf during the last ten days of Ramadan until Allah called him to Himself. His wives continued the practice after him.” (Reported  by Bukhari and Muslim).

 

As eminent scholars have said, the evidence is clear proof that I’tikaf is a Sunnah applicable to both men and women.

 

Having said this, I would like to hasten to state: Even though it is permissible for women to do i`tikaf in the mosque — provided they have special arrangements for them to do so. Most of the mosques in the city [Toronto], however, do not have adequate facilities for women. Sadly enough, we find women often being relegated to a dark room or crowded corner, which is indeed a disgrace to womanhood. It is undoubtedly against the teachings of our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), as he always ordered us to treat them with respect and dignity.

 

So until proper arrangements are in place for women to observe the Sunnah of i`tikaf in the mosque, it would be preferable that they do it in their own homes. For as scholars and jurists such as Imam Abu Hanifah have ruled, women may perform the Sunnah of i`tikaf in their Musalla (Prayer place) at home.

 

Women, however, need not despair; they may do well to recall an important point raised by Imam Shah Waliullah in his study of the philosophy of Shari`ah. He says that one of the underlying principles of the Shari`ah is compensation which allows a person who cannot do a specific act of worship to reap the same rewards by doing what he/she can do according to his/her circumstances or means.

 

Shari’a is all based on the infinite mercy of Allah, Who dispenses His graces freely to all of His servants.

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

We heard the sad news of a young man committing suicide in the holy Mosque; it is not clear if the man had mental problems that caused this act or it is his free and full choice. But in view of this incident, I have some questions: I would like to know how suicide is seen in Islam. If it is committed in the Holy mosque, does that make it OK? And if a person has serious depression and suicidal thoughts, is there any problem if he seeks a psychiatrist advice or he should seek religious counseling only?



In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving

 

All praise is due to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad.

 

That is indeed profoundly saddening news. I pray that the person did not resort to it while in full control of his senses and mind; and forgive him for the grave offense he has committed.

 

No conscientious Muslim would ever contemplate such an action: it is a double offense: committing suicide; on top of that, doing it in the sacred precincts of the Haram or holy sanctuary.

 

That is why I am more inclined to think that the person was going through uncontrollable depression which had not been treated.

 

As an Imam who has been serving for over four decades, I have come across so many people suffering from depression, and yet most of them never go for treatment; often deluding themselves that it would go away through Ruqyah or exorcism, etc.

 

Such indeed is a distortion of Islamic teachings which stress treatment and medication; The Prophet (peace be upon him) reiterated: “Seek treatments for Allah has appointed cure for every kind of affliction or disease except old age.” (Ibn Hibban)

 

We also learn from his beloved wife Aishah that he used to consult physicians who often visited from various parts of the Arabian Peninsula and that she would retain those prescriptions they shared with the Prophet (peace be upon him).

 

One should ask: If there was no need for medications, why did the Prophet consult physicians and their prescriptions?

 

So, depression can be a severe condition which ought to be treated by those who are professionals. There are ample cases of people suffering from depression taking their lives.

 

So, it behoves the Muslim community to address this issue seriously as many people refuse to get the necessary treatment. If we don’t pay urgent attention to such cases, I am afraid we may lose many to such acts of suicide.

 

As for suicide itself, it is indeed one of the most heinous offenses in Islam.  Life is a gift from Allah; it is bestowed on us for our salvation. As long as we are living, we have the chance to gain salvation no matter how enormous our past sins are. Once life is snuffed out, we lose the opportunity to redeem ourselves. There is nothing worse.

 

That is why the Prophet (peace be upon him) refused to pray the funeral prayer of those who committed suicide. He did so in as a lesson for others (i.e., as a deterrent). While doing so, he asked his companions: Pray for your brother.

 

So while refusing to pray, he still did not consider the person as a disbeliever. So, we should have no reason to put out such people from the fold of Islam. They are to be judged by Allah.

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

 

Asalamualaikum wa rahmatullah hi wabaraktahu, I just wanted you to help me with very important thing during last 10 days of Ramadan, my menses starts on 17th Roza and continues until beginning of last ashrah maybe till 23rd roza,can I sit for ehtekaaf soon after my menses completes?



Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

 

In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving

  

All praise is due to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad.

 

You are perfectly allowed to resume Itikaf after the expiry of your menses.

As for your concern over the fact that your menses interferes with your plan for

I’tikaf, you should remember the words of the Prophet peace e upon him,

Menses is something that Allah ordained for the daughters of Adam.” (Muslim)

So since Allah is All-Merciful, He would not deprive them of any of the blessings

they would miss because of that, for a person is rewarded for his or her

ntentions.

In other words, since you had the intention of spending the entire ten days in

I’tikaf, but you could not do it because of menses, you can rest assured that you

would be rewarded for your intention. The same is the case with a person who

intended to wake up for Tahajjud but could not do so because of extreme

exhaustion and oversleep; the person still gets the reward for his intention.

Furthermore, even if you are not sitting in I’tikaf because of menses, you can still

attain rewards for other spiritual works such as dhikr, supplications, charities, etc.

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

Assalamu alaikum... My mother is having severe gastro problems and it increases during ramadan. Every year this happens and still she used to fast with all the stomach pains and difficulties.Unfortunately this year things got worsened and the pain increased very much with diarrhea.Doctor suggested not to fast.But my mother is very sad that she cant fast. I have heard that if we cant fast there are some things that we should do like giving sadaqah or food to homeless. What is the exact details of it? So we can do that and my mother feels a little better. Thank you And may Allah(swt) reward all of us and take our fasts as our good deeds. In sha Allah



Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

 

In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving

  

All praise is due to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad.

 

Your mother is exempt from fasting because of her health challenges; she shouldn’t be fasting as advised by her physician.

 

There is no need for her to feel sad or guilty over this. While ordering us to fast, Allah says in the Qur’an: “As for those who are unable to fast (because of ill-health or advanced old age), let them offer compensation by feeding a poor person instead.” (Al-Baqarah 2:184)

 

Fidyah is to feed a poor person for each day of the fast she has missed. It is estimated to be the cost of a meal. In our Canadian standard today, it is estimated to be equivalent to ten Canadian dollars to be given for each day.

 

Your mother should have no reason to feel guilty about not fasting, for as the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “Allah loves His servants to make use of the concessions He has allowed them even as He wants them to carry out His orders.” (Ibn Hibban)

 

As for Fidyah, she should give it directly to the poor if she can; otherwise, she can entrust it to reputable agencies that can be trusted with such tasks. Islamic Relief of Canada, Human Concern International are reputable charities. They allow the donor to specify whether the donation is for Zakah or Fidyah or Sadaqah.

 

If you are in another country, you may find similar reputable charities.

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

Assalamu alaikum shaikh, recently mom is dead. So from Now I have to handle both cooking & study as sister & daughter. I took decision I will cook in large amounts so that the next few days I don't have to cook & I can concentrate on study & other works. Is it permitted or is it mandatory to cook everyday? Can my brother & father help me in cooking & all other house chores to decrease my workloads? I am requesting you to understand my condition cause my mom wanted so much for me to complete my study & having career when she was alive and I also want it for myself. I want to be financially independent so that no one think me as weak or no one exploit me for their advantage just because I have no money.and no one want to be poor. As far I know Islam encourages male members of family to help their female members of family in house works. Please kindly clarify



Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

 

In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving

 

 All praise is due to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad.

  

Your question indicates your sincere intention and efforts to take on responsibilities after your mother’s sad death while you badly feel for your studies. I pray to Allah to ease your burden and grant you success in your studies and future career.

 

Now as for your question whether you are supposed to do all the work at home the answer is no. You have every right to expect that your brother as well as your father – unless he is sickly or extremely old – to contribute to the household chores.

 

The Prophet’s wife, Aishah, the mother of the faithful was asked, “What was the Prophet, peace be upon him, doing at home?”, she replied, “He would be helping his family in household chores., and when the time for Salah came he would prepare himself to go to the mosque.” (Al-Bukhari)

 

On another occasion, when the Iqama for salah was called, and people were ready to start the Salah, he bade his companions to wait: He then went home and came back saying: I forgot to place the cover on the cooking pot!”

 

If the Prophet, peace be upon him, in spite of all of the heavy responsibilities would do the household chores such as the above, then it is only reasonable for you to expect that they share the household duties with you.

 

As for the question, whether you need to cook every day, the answer is, again, no. It is entirely right that you divide your work at home in such a way that you can devote to your studies. Cooking twice a weak would be fine.

 

As you can see from the example of the Prophet, peace be upon him, if your brother and father want to eat fresh food every day, then they can also find some time to learn how to cook. It is easy nowadays with all the recipes on the internet which can be easily accessed through google.

Finally, you have the right to consider advancing your studies; Islam does not stop you as a woman from pursuing your goals in life.

 

I pray to Allah to grant you success.

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

This questing is regarding my mother. She is now 57 and can keep fard fast in ramadan. However from the age of her puberty till now she has some missed fast(Almost 200 fard fast) due to menstrual cycle and also sickness. Now at this age she has some severe sickness of weakness, dizziness, gastric and other old age sickness. so what is the ruling of those 200 fasts. 1) is it ok to give fidya for those fasts or she has to keep those fast as she can keep fard fast till now though this is really tough for her with this sickness to keep those missed fast.



Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

 

In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving

  

All praise is due to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad.

 

If your mother is of sound health, then she ought to make up the fasts she missed or failed to observe in the past. If however, she is weak and unable to do so, then she is allowed to offer Fidyah (compensation).

 

Allah says: “As for those who cannot afford to fast, let them offer the Fidyah of feeding a poor person for each day.”  (Al-Baqarah 2: 184)

 

Fidyah is to feed a poor person for each day of the fast she has missed. It is estimated to be the cost of a meal. In our Canadian standard today, it is deemed to be equivalent to ten Canadian dollars to be given for each day.

 

She should give the Fidyah directly to the poor if she can; otherwise, she can entrust it to reputable agencies who can be trusted with such tasks. Islamic Relief of Canada, Human Concern International are legitimate charities. They allow the donor to specify whether the donation is for Zakah or Fidyah or Sadaqah.

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

Salaam, Is working for a sugar company that also manufactures biotethanol? I will be employed and work as the Group IT Infrastructure Lead (reporting to the Group IT Manager) in the IT Department in the management company of the group. The management company provides shared services including IT Services to the Sub Companies of the Group. The activities of the sub companies are Sugarcane Cultivation, Sugarcane mill, Cane Sugar Refinery, Thermal Power Plants, Carbon Burnout Project, Property Development and Bioethanol Distillery. The bioethanol produced by the distillery are sold to other companies and can be used in pharmaceutical, industrial products, biofuel, food, liquid fertilisers and also alcoholic beverages. Is it halal or haram to accept the post as IT Infrastructure Lead given the context mentioned above while noting that my country is not ruled by Islamic Law and consist of multi religions?



Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

 

In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving

 

 All praise is due to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad.

 

You are allowed to work as IT manager in the company. Your work is not affected by the fact that some of the products made by the company could be misused or abused in a manner that is not lawful in the Shari`ah.

 

One of the rules of Fiqh is that we are not questioned about things hidden or out of sight over which we have no control. If we were to declare things as forbidden, then no one could sell any products for most of them are liable to misuse.

 

A clear example is a seller of grapes or knives, beds, carpets, mics, computers, etc., as someone may buy them to make wine or hurt or kill someone, or purposes that are explicitly forbidden by Allah. And yet the seller is not responsible for such actions, even though he may have sold them to him or her.

 

Since the seller is not responsible for such actions, he does not need to inquire into who buys them and for what purpose.

 

Having said this, I would also like to add: If you still have doubts about the taints of haram associated with your work, you may cleanse and redeem yourself through optional charities and lots of Istighfaar. Allah says, “Verily, good deeds help expiate bad deeds.”(Qur’an: 11: 114).

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

 

Salaam! Is it correct to do the following: I came to Dubai from USA;from Dubai Im going to Jeddah for Umrah on visit visa I dont want to encounter any immigration hassle,can I NOT do niyaah for Umrah when the plane crosses meeqat?Instead Ill go to meeqat after landing in Jeddah,is this permissible, can i do 1 umrah for multiple deceased people or does it have to be separate for each dead person? Kindly reply ASAP as my journey is this week inshaallah!



Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

 

In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving

 

All praise is due to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad.

 

Although ideally, you should assume Ihram before crossing the Meeqaat, if you find it hard for you then you may postpone the intention of Umrah until you arrive in Jeddah and assume ihram from Jeddah.

 

You can do this if you have gone to Saudi Arabia on a visiting visa to do business or family visit, etc.

 

Although the standard view of scholars is that those arriving by air to Jeddah should assume ihram when they fly over Meeqaat, there are also a number of eminent scholars from various schools who are of the view that the standard Meeqaat does not apply to the air travellers; instead Jeddah can be considered as a Meeqaat for them.

 

Those who uphold this view include the late Mustafa al-Zarqa from Syria, Atiyya Saqar from Egypt, Mubarakphuri from India, Abd Allah b. Zayd Al Mahmood from Qatar, Shaikh Abd Allah Kanoon from Morocco, and many others.

 

The reason that the standard Meeqaat should not apply to air travelers as they are merely over them and not passing by it.

 

The purpose of Meeqaat was to halt and prepare themselves for assuming ihram – as the Prophet, peace be upon him, demonstrated in his farewell Hajj. He stopped at Dhul Hulayfa and spent the night there and then prepared in advance for assuming Ihram.

 

Today, the pilgrims passing by Dhul Hulayfah are halting there, recuperating and refreshing themselves there before assuming ihram. Nothing of these can apply to air travellers; so it is only reasonable and comforting to the spirit of Shari`ah to allow them to make Ihram from Jeddah rather than in the flight.

 

I consider this view as strong, and you may follow it if you find it hard to assume ihram earlier.

 

If you do not find it suitable, you can head first to Madinah and then assume ihram from Dhul Hulayfah – retracing the steps of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The last alternative is not at all controversial.

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

 

Assalamualaikum!! I am MOHAMMED IDRIS 21 years old. I am studying in Ukraine. Here it's a very cold climate like -25to-30 degrees. I should eat chicken to stay healthy here. Here everywhere there is non veg like in every edible thing. But it's very difficult to find halal meet. The Christians cut here meat like chicken and sheep but not in Islamic procedure. Can i eat chicken which is not cut in Islamic procedure in emergency case ?? I cannot find halal chicken here easily . My friends told to say Bismillah and eat Allah will forgive pls answer this question..



Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

 

In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving

 

All praise is due to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad.

 

In conditions you have described it is not at all forbidden or haram for you to partake of such meats occasionally so long as the meats are coming from the People of the Book and so long as they do not contain pork or its by-products, and so long as they are not cooked in wine or other ingredients that are considered purely haram.

Most scholars of the past, belonging to the four schools, have ruled that meat of the People of the Book are lawful for us to consume based on the Qur’anic verse, “This day are (all) good things made lawful for you. The food of those who have received the Book is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them.” (Al-Ma’idah 5:5)

 

This verse, according to Ibn `Abbas, refers to the meat slaughtered by the People of the Book (i.e., Christians or Jews). We find in the sources that the Prophet’s Companions used to eat the food of the Christians and the Jews whenever entered their territories.

 

Having said this, however, I must add: If you have a choice of going for meats provided by Muslims and those that are served by non-Muslims, you should definitely go for that which is provided by Muslims.

May Allah help us to be steadfast on the straight path.

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

 

It has always been my dream to spend the last 10 days of ramadan in Haram but my husband never took me there even when we were living in jeddah. Now that his mind has come towards Islam and has become more practicing, he himself is going there alone in the last 10 days but not taking me with him saying that it will be very difficult with small children. I am going through a mental torture now thinking about this. For years i wanted to go but never got a chance as i was dependant on him. For him its only 1 year that he started practicing and praying salah and Allah swt invited him for this great opportunity. Why did Allah swt not fullfill my desire and call me. Because of my children and dependancy on a mahram, i will never be able to go there as i wish. I cry everyday. How can i calm myself down. What can i do? People say that because i have the niyat and full intention of going to haram but because i cant go because of my smalll children, i will get full sawab of umrah just staying at home looking after children if i let my husband go. And that i will get sawaab rewards for all the ibadah he will do there if i let him go. Is this true? Please guide me. JazakumAllaho khair



In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving

 

All praise is due to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad.

 

You need not feel guilty or aggrieved over this situation. Although you had the best of intentions to spend the last ten days of Ramadan in spiritual retreat in the Haram, you were prevented from doing it for circumstances beyond your control. Allah assures us in the Qur’an that a person is not burdened with duties that are beyond his or her means or ability.

 

Furthermore, Allah is All-Merciful; and thanks to His infinite mercy, he rewards a person for his or her intentions. That is the lesson that the Prophet, peace be upon him, shared with his companions during the arduous expedition of Tabuk.

 

For as he was gathered with his Companions who had accompanied him on that critical venture, he told them: We have left behind us many who would have wanted to be with us and yet they could not make it because of unavoidable circumstances such as sickness, etc. However, because of their intention, they stand to share the rewards with us!

 

Therefore, you ought to console yourself that your spiritual blessings and rewards are guaranteed for you – if you have had the intention to spend time in the Haram in worship.

 

And you should also remind yourself that your duties of nurturing and caring for your children are as essential – if not more – as your worship in the Haram. In fact, I would even venture to state that while the former is obligatory, the latter is only optional and voluntary. So, you need not despair as you did not deprive yourself of the rewards for your intention.

 

Almighty Allah knows best.