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Live Fatwa (Hijrah and Other Issues)

Sheikh Ahmad Kutty
18 September, 2017

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.

Thursday, Sep. 21, 2017 | 13:00 - 15:00 GMT

Session is over.

Assalamu alaikum, is it permissible for someone to join Isha in congregation while praying for Maghrib? kindly support your answer with reliable ahadith where necessary and its sources .



Wa `alaykum As-Salamu waRahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

 

If you find the imam praying `Isha’, you should join him in `Isha’ – even if you haven’t prayed Maghrib. You should pray Maghrib later: after you complete `Isha’ with the Imam.

 
We don’t have precedent for anyone joining `Isha’ with the intention of praying Maghrib; we have precedents for someone praying `Isha’ with the intention of Fard and then repeating it as Imam in the congregation while leading another group who didn’t pray `Isha’. We have reports from Mu`adh b. Jabal that he would pray `Isha’ behind the Prophet in Madinah. Then he would head to Quba’ where he would lead `Isha’ for the people of Quba’.

 
Based on the above precedent, scholars rule that one is allowed to join the imam with a different intention in particular cases. For instance, one may pray with the imam praying `Asr with the intention of Zhuhr; likewise one may join the imam praying Taraweeh with the intention of praying `Isha’ – as long he stands up and complete the remaining two Rak`ahs. Also, a traveler can lead Zhuhr or `Asr or `Isha’ shortening them, while the locals following him should complete the Rak’ahs after him.

 
We don’t have any precedent, however, for someone joining the imam in Isha with the intention of praying Maghrib; since Maghrib is only three Rak`ahs, one would end up breaking the structure of prayer by his action.

 
Therefore, you are advised in this case to join the imam with the intention of `Isha’ and makeup Maghrib later.
Almighty Allah knows best.

Assalamu'alaykum. I got my answer recently and I have another question regarding combining prayers. It is said that attending theatre etc. is not an excuse to combine prayer. What about meetings and classes? There is a break time which I can use to pray dzuhr. But once I use that break to redo my experiment to get a score, and I intend to combine dzuhr and asr after school. I fear that occasion like this will happen again. There is several cases that I face too, and I hope you can answer to these patiently: -I once went somewhere with my friend and rain was coming, so me and my friend chose to go home instead of praying at that place bcs we don't carry umbrella. We expect that the time for dzuhr will end after we get home. -I went to a restaurant with my family after maghrib begin. I can go pray but the mosque is accross the street and it is a little difficult for me to go there. -Occasion such as lectures, beneficial events (not theatre but something similar to showcase and exhibition), and others when it is troublesome to go and pray. Are the occasions that I mentioned not included in excuse that allow me to combine prayers? Thank you very much.



Wa `alaykum As-Salamu waRahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

Let me try to answer your questions in their respective order:

 

1- If your exam or experiment interferes with your prayers, you ought to ask: Do you have the option of doing it in such a way that it does not conflict with your prayer times? If you have, then you should not combine. If however, you have no such option, then you are allowed to combine Zhuhr with `Asr either at the time of the former or the latter; likewise, you may combine Maghrib and `Ishaa’.

 

2- If you happened to make this mistake in the past while you had a choice not to do it, then you ought to ask forgiveness. You should resolve never to do it again. If you can combine Zhuhr with `Asr before the expiry of the time of the latter, you may do so in such circumstances. We learn from Ibn `Abbas that the Prophet (peace be upon him) combined prayers to set a precedent for his community that they are allowed to do so when faced with hardship.

 

4- If you can go to the mosque to pray Maghrib, you should so; if you find it hard then, you are allowed to combine. You should make this judgment for yourself based on your moral conscience. The Prophet (peace be upon him) “Consult your conscience – even if they give you a ruling.”

 

4-    In such cases you are allowed to combine prayers as long as they did not set aside prayer times and places.

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

Assalamu alaikum. I am from Bangladesh. In my county, most of the people can't afford air conditioning system at home. So, we need to keep the windows open, specially in the summer. Now, a woman doesn't wear hijab in her home. But as the window is open, men from other houses can see her without hijab. My question is, will she be sinful for this? My second question, how much hijab does a woman need to observe when a non-mahram man come to visit her house & she needs to go in front of him? Third question, how much hijab a woman need to observe in front of her close non-mahram relatives, like male cousins, when she's at her own home? Jazakallahu khairan.



Wa `alaykum As-Salamu waRahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

A woman does not need to observe Hijab in the privacy of her home as long as she can be safe from gouging eyes.

 

If as you mentioned the strangers can see the women going around without hijab, then she needs to guard herself; she may have to use a screen where others cannot see her.

 

As for hijab or modest attire she ought to wear in front of non-mahram who visits her home, she is required to cover her body except her face and hands:

 

The prophet told Asma’ who was his sister-in-law – sister of his wife `A’isha; when she appeared before him in a less modest attire: “O Asma’, when a woman reaches maturity nothing of her body should be exposed to strangers except her face and hands.”

 

So, if this rule applies to Asma’, in front of the Prophet who was his sister in-law, then the same should apply to others as well.

 

As for the rest of your question, let me cite here one of my earlier answers:

Islamic rules of Satr (covering) for women are intended to safeguard and preserve the honor and dignity of women. Rules of covering vary according to whether the degree of risk of seduction/temptation is greater or lesser; where such risks of seduction/temptation are greater, rules of covering are stricter, and where the risk is minimal, rules are minimal.

.

Rules of covering are, therefore, stricter in the presence of males who are strangers ( who are not related to her by blood, marriage or milk-relationship). All scholars agree she must cover her entire body except her face and hands.

 

As for males who are considered maharim (those who are related to her through blood, marriage or milk-relationship, and whom she can never marry) all scholars agree that she does not need to observe the above strict rules of covering; rather all of them agree that she is allowed to uncover her hair, face, hands, neck, feet and shoulders in front of such relations.

 

Coming to the question of what she must cover in presence of women, some scholars make a distinction between Muslim women and non-Muslim as regards the degree of covering.

 

There is general agreement among scholars that she may uncover her hair, face, hands, neck, shoulders, legs from below her knees as well as feet in front of Muslim women.

Concerning what she must cover in presence of non-Muslim women, broadly speaking, there are two views, one may be considered very liberal while the other may be considered very strict. Both scholars of the Maliki and the Hanbali schools generally consider only what is between navel and knee as the awrah that a woman ought to cover as a must in front of other women, regardless of whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims.

 

As opposed to the above view, both the Hanafi and the Shafi scholars consider it obligatory for her to cover her entire body except what is normally exposed in ordinary course of daily interaction and domestic work. They consider it a must for her to cover all her body except her face, hands and feet.

 

The above difference of opinion is based on the differences in interpreting the Qur’anic verse concerning rules of covering “they shall not display their charm except what is apparent from it in front of…..or their womenfolk” (An-Nur 24:31). According to the scholars of both the Maliki and the Hanbali schools, the phrase “their women” includes all women including non-Muslims, while the scholars of both the Hanafi and the Shafi schools say rather it specifically distinguishes Muslim women from others, and, therefore, she must observe stricter rules of covering when appearing before non-Muslim women as opposed to Muslim women.

 

 

The last mentioned view that a Muslim woman is absolutely obliged to cover her entire body except her face, hands, and feet in presence of non-Muslim women seems to be a little extreme. We find no evidence in the sources to support such a conclusion; there are numerous instances of non-Muslim women, from both Jewish and pagan backgrounds, visiting the wives of the Prophet, peace be upon him, as well as other Muslim women, and yet, there is no mention anywhere that the Prophet, peace be upon him, ever ordered them to observe special rules of covering in their presence. If it had been necessary for them to do so, it is most unlikely that the Prophet, peace be upon him, would have failed to mention it to them plainly and clearly.

 

Therefore, the view of Maliki and Hanbali schools on this issue seems to be more consistent with the evidences of the sources, as well as the general spirit of the Shari’ah.

 

Having said this, however, it must be stated clearly: All scholars agree that while normal laws apply in normal circumstances, where there is a suspicion of seduction or temptation or inclination towards vices either due to corruption of society or moral perversion, Muslim women are obliged to take all necessary precautions and thus cover appropriately in order to safeguard their honor, dignity and chastity.”

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

Assalam Alaikum sheikh, My father (in old age) came to me and told me he wanted to gift me money to buy an apartment to rent it, to secure my future after he's gone. The thing is I told him it would haram to give to me and not my other half-siblings. It would be unfair for them. My father is not happy with them because they never visit him or call him, they do not respect his rights (they have no notions of birr al walidayn) while he loves dearly as I take care of him andhis affairs because of his old age. This situation is due to the fact that they never accepted the divorce between my father and their mother and even forbidden him to marry again and have more children. Naturally, they rejected my mother and me. My mother suffered deeply from this rejection, me too to a certain extent. Besides, they are much older and very well established financially (married, with jobs and kids alhamdulillah while I'm young lady, unmarried, barely starting with life and still jobless). My father says these reasons are good enough to give me an apartment to help when he'll not be here to provide. Still, I 'm confused and I'd like to hear the sheikh advice before signing any paper. I'm not comfortable accepting this gifting knowing that my older sibling might hate more. Can you also advice on how to keep family ties with my siblings, as I barely exist to their eyes? I'm afraid that after my dad is gone, family ties will be severed since there would be absolutely no reason to keep contact from their part. JazakAllahu khair



Wa `alaykum As-Salamu waRahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

If your father knows that his other children are grown up and independent and can support themselves and you are not able to do so because of your age and station in life, and you are the only one taking care of him, then he is allowed to buy you a home for you to support you.

 

That is not considered, according to the best of my judgment, discrimination against his other children.

 

First of all, I understand they are independent and able to support themselves;

 

Secondly, they are not taking care of their dad, and you are doing so.

 

Therefore, you need not feel guilty over this.

 

Having said this, you should do your best to continue to foster ties of kinship with them.

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

A strong believer is better and dearer to Allah than a weak one. But it is the weak and the poor who enter Paradise. Please explain



When the Prophet spoke about the strong believer, he didn’t just refer to pyhysical or material strength; rather he primarily meant moral and spiritual strength.

 

So those in paradise mostly are not the rich and famous; rather they are firm believers although they are weak in material status.

 

The prophet is told in the Qur’an to keep the company of the believers such as Bilal, Suhyab, Salman, `Ammar, etc. who were materially week but spiritually and morally strong.

 

 

When some of the companies laughed at the slender legs of Ibn Mas`ud as he climbed a tree, the Prophet asked them: Are you laughing at his legs; they are weightier in the sight of Allah than the mountain of Uhud!

 

So, we must never try to project our subjective meaning onto the sacred texts (i.e., the Qur’an and Hadith).

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

Assalamualaikum brother...1 iam very confused that how to get rid of sins..2 satan is torchering more n more in salah n after salah .....what to do to get rid of satans thoughts....can we be away of the thoughts of satan?



Wa `alaykum As-Salamu waRahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

 

You cannot fight devil alone; you need the help of Allah. And the best weapon to use is Dhikr and Du`aa’. The Prophet said, “Du`aa’ is the weapon of the believer.”
 

However, before counting on the help of Allah, you need to ask yourself: are you guilty of any major sins which deprive you of your experiencing the sweetness of Salah?

 

Scrutinize your actions and if you find yourself guilty, then you ought to repent sincerely and resolve to change your life. Having done so, you may consider following some of the following tips:
In order to gain proper concentration in salah, it is important to keep one’s mind free of all pre-occupations with worldly affairs. Since our minds tend to dwell on the things which we are currently absorbed with, it is important to break the hold of this world upon our minds by conditioning ourselves to think of Allah and the Last Day.

 

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “A true believer is one who has made all of his thoughts subservient to the bigger thought: Allah.”

 
Another important point to remember is that often because of our indulgence in major sins, we may be deprived of true joy in salah – as a penalty for these sins. Such sins include displeasing one’s parents, fornication or adultery or indiscriminate mingling and mixing with members of the opposite sex, or unethical conduct and behavior in financial dealings, etc.

Therefore, as a prerequisite step towards improving our concentration in salah, we must examine our life and purge it of all the major sins according to the best of our ability.

 

 

After having done so, we can follow these tips which have been gleaned from the discussions of the salaf al-salih (pious predecessors):

 

1- Before standing up for salah, try to deal with all the minor urgent matters which demand your attention. If you are oppressed by hunger, eat first; if you are pressed to attend to the call of nature, relieve yourself; if you are the parent of an infant, feed him or her, or keep him or her busy.

 

2- Perform your ablutions well, paying due care and attention.
 

3- Approach the salah with zest and passion as if it is the most important task in your life. Actually the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught us that we could do nothing in this world that could ever surpass salah in merit and excellence.

 

4- Visualize that in your salah you are going to have a special audience with Allah, Lord of the worlds, and that you are enjoying a direct communion with Him – which, in fact, is true.

 

5- Think of the salah you are performing as if it were the last salah of your life. In fact, it could very well be the last one, since no one is given a guarantee that he would live to perform another salah.

 

6- Picture the scene of the Last Day when people will be lined up into two groups, one destined for heaven, and another for hell, and ask yourself where you would be placed.

 

7- Focus your mind on what you are reading in your salah.
 

8- If, in spite of your best efforts, your mind is still wandering, seek refuge in Allah and bring your mind back to salah.

 

9- Pray to Allah and beg Him to grant you true the joy of concentrating in your salah and protection against the wanderings of your mind.

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

Assalamu alaikum sheikh,author of articles written in Wikipedia, other websites and blogs may add pictures, videos, information or other contents without permission of authors /owners of main sources with their articles, is it permitted or not to read those articles? please note that I only want to read those article or watch picture/video/other content without copying, downloading, distribution etc. Is this responsibility extended to reader or it is confined to author only?



Wa `alaykum As-Salamu waRahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

You may read articles posted online sources as long as you are critical in your judgments about the content and sources. You will not be questioned about the author’s violations of copyright laws, plagiarism, etc. as long as stay clear of them in your work.

 

One of the principles of jurisprudence states: we are not accountable for something away from our sight or control.

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

Assalamu alaikum! I would like to know hadiths on sporting a beard!! and also how to maintain it?



Wa `alaykum As-Salamu waRahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

On this, I cannot do any better than citing here one of my earlier answers:

 

“Growing a beard is considered a great Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). It is also one of the great legacies inherited from all of the previous prophets and messengers of Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered us: “Grow your beards and trim or clip the moustaches.” In light of such precedents, most of the past scholars and Imams go as far as declaring that growing a beard is obligatory on males.

 

What we stated above makes it clear that no Muslim should take the issue of the beard lightly. At the same time, we must also state categorically that one should not conclude from what has been said earlier that growing a beard in Islam has the same religious significance as that of the other prescribed rituals. This is definitely not the case. Thus it is important for us to recognize that we are not allowed to ostracize men who do not have beards nor are we to question their basic faith.

 

Since beard is undoubtedly a great Sunnah, every Muslim male should try to practice this Sunnah according to the best of his ability. Allah does not take us to task for what is beyond our power or ability. We are told to fear Allah as best as we can.

 

As for the size of the beard, there is nothing specific about it in the sources. How could the Prophet fail to mention it–if it had been an important matter? We are not allowed to be rigid on issues the Law-giver is silent about. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “That which Allah is silent about belongs to what He has excused–while saying this, the Prophet recited the verse, “your Lord is never forgetful’).

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

 

So how can you tell if an excorcist it a real one that can really help and get rid of jinn and evil eye or a fake or harmful excorcist?



I don’t know anything about the so-called practice of exorcism; if by this term you mean spiritual healing, Islam provides resources for us. In fact, the Qur’an refers to itself as the source of healing, mercy and guidance for mankind. And mind you one of the names of Fathihah is Healer; so it has been used for purpose of healing.

 

For further details, let me cite here one of my earlier answers on a similar question:

 

“Islam teaches us that Allah alone has the absolute power to bring benefit or harm. Once this belief is firmly rooted in your consciousness, you cannot allow for such dubious notions to agitate your mind. All of us ought to reflect on the Prophet’s advice to his cousin Ibn Abbas: “My son, be mindful of Allah, Allah will take care of you…If you must ask, ask Allah; if you must seek help, seek help from Allah. You should know that if the people of the whole world were bent on benefiting you, they would never be able to do so unless Allah wills it. And know that if they were bent on harming you, they would never be able to do so, unless Allah wills it…”

 

Allah tells us in the Qur’an that those who submit to Allah and are committed to serving Him will never be under the permanent sway and control of the devils:

“(And yet,] behold, thou shalt have no power over [such of] My servants [as place their trust in Me]: for none is as worthy of trust as thy Lord.” (Qur’an: 17:65)

 

I advise you, therefore, to dismiss such thoughts and turn to Allah to dispel the whisperings of Satan:

 

Here are a few du’as to read for protection and healing:

 

Bismillaahi alladhee laa yadhurru ma’ismihi shay’un fi al-ardhi walaa fi al-ssamaa’i wahuwa al-ssamee’ al-‘aleem

 

(In the name of Allah; with His name nothing in the heavens or earth can do any harm. He is the All-Hearing and All-Knowing).

 

A’oodhu bi izzati Allaahi wa qudratihin min sharri maa ajidu wa uhaadhiru

 

(I seek refuge in the might and power of Allah from the evil of what I experience and fear from)

 

A’oodhu billaahi al-ssamee’i al-‘aleem mina al-sshaytaani al-rrajeem

 

(I seek protection with Allah from the evils of Satan the accursed)

 

Rabbi innee a’oodhub bika min hamazaati al-sshayateeni wa a’oodhu bika rabbi an yahdhurooni

 

(My Lord, I seek protection with You from the whisperings of the devils. My Lord, I seek refuge with You from their presence around me)

 

Finally, let me remind you that dhikr and du’as will have beneficial effects only if we are diligent in performing salah and reading the Qur’an.

 

You may also refer to the article by Shahid Athar linked below:

 

http://aboutislam.net/science/faith-science/prayers-and-healing/

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

Assalamu alaikum. 1) What is the ruling on celebrating personal birthdays/wedding anniversaries? 2) On those functions, many people bring a cake & light candles above them. Then, they blow the candles & cut the cake. Is there anything wrong with this tradition? Jazakallahu khairan.



Wa `alaykum As-Salamu waRahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

All of these are fine as long as we recognize them as customs as distinguished from religious rituals and celebrations.

 

In matters of religious rituals, we are bound by revealed texts. In the absence of such texts, inventing anything is an innovation; as such it is forbidden in Islam.

 

As far as the area of custom is concerned, the general rule is permission as long as while practicing them we bear in mind the following criteria:

 

1- We must avoid all wasteful and extravaganza; for we do so at the expense of depriving the poor of the valuable resources they need for survival. `Ali, the pious caliph, said, “ The poor people starve only  because of the overindulgence or extravaganza of the wealthy.”

 

2- We must stay clear of all practices that are contrary to the principles of the Divine Laws.

 

Once we follow these guidelines, as eminent scholars have ruled, there is no reason to prohibit such customs.

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

Assalamu alaikum. What is the ruling on saying words like "holy cow", which are very common to English speaking people but not sound. Jazakallahu khairan.



Wa `alaykum As-Salamu waRahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

No Muslim should utter such words or expressions. The cow is holy only for some Hindus; for others, it is simply a creature of Allah. To worship cow as a mother is a pagan concept; so by uttering such words, we are condoning or reinforcing such superstitious beliefs and practices.

 

Those who speak such words should seek repentance; for in Islam shirk or associating partners with Allah is the ultimate sin; so we can never take this lightly.

 

Allah says: “God does not forgive idolatry, but forgives anything else for whomever He wills. And whoever associates anything with God has concocted a monstrous wrong.” (An-Nisaa’ 4:48)

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

 

A sister was in contact with a brother (NON-MAHRAM) as a NECESSITY. He made 2 NON-MARRIAGE promises to her and told her on multiple of occasions that he will fulfill them. He broke them due to a mistake due to conflicts that came out during the time that they were in contact. This mistake of his had affected her health (Islamic remedies has not fully cured her along medicines and herbals hasn't aid much either). On Eid Al-Adha, she sent him a video that had important information. - the video mainly consists of pictures . He saw the video and sent an email to tell her that he wants her to leave him alone, forgive him for breaking his promises, forget him, and move on. The sister DOES NOT HAVE LOVE SICKNESS. She is ONLY seeking for ALLAH'S HONOUR and HER RIGHT AS A HUMAN BEING. She sent him an email that had evidences from scholars who are in the view that he is obliged to fulfill the 2 promises that he broke. He doesn't have to speak to her in order to fulfill them. He can fulfill the objectives by any other means, but if he needs to speak with her, he may do so as long the Sharia etiquette is observed. When she sent him this, he never responded back. Does the brother have any rights over her OR does she have rights over him?



If you mean to ask whether your sister has rights over a man she was in an illicit relationship, the answer is no. Unless he owes him money or other financial obligations, in which case, he certainly owes her.

 

Other than that, if he promised her something, if he is a Muslim he ought to honor his pledge.

 

If the promise is lawful surely, he will be accountable before Allah for as Muslims we are bound to fulfill the promises we make.

 

Having said this, if the brother is not fulfilling, then the sister should simply let that chapter closed and move on with her life; she shouldn’t waste her life waiting for him to knock at her door. He has already told her to forget him! So, she should leave him alone, and move on with her life – to preserve her dignity and honor.

 

Perhaps she needs to seek professional counseling if she is experiencing depression because of this sad experience.

 

Depression sometimes can be fatal unless treated.

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

What should we think about ours and others' past, present and future Iman and righteousness and fate in after -life without being self-righteous? Can you indicate in percentages of Iman, righteousness and certainty to enter Paradise or Firdous? Is it better to pray for a perfect score or the best score for me in an exam? If we pray for the perfect score can we expect the best score?



A Muslim cannot be self-righteous or think highly of his faith or the good deeds he performs. Allah described the true believers:

 

“And they who perform virtuous acts while their hearts are  trembling at the thought that they must return unto their Lord.”  (Al-Mu’minun: 23: 60)

 

When `A’ishah, the beloved wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him), asked him: Does this verse refer to a person who steals or fornicates or drinks while fearing Allah?

 

The Prophet replied, “Not at all; rather it refers to someone who prays, fasts and offers chastity while fearing Allah!” (Al-Bukhari)

 

Allah also orders us not to practice self-righteousness:

 

“And do not, then, consider yourselves pure – [for] He knows best as to who is conscious of Him.” (An-Najm 53: 32)

 

We learn this lesson also from the story of the great Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismaeel. Allah tells us in the Qur’an that when they built the Ka`bah, they supplicated to Allah as follows:

 

“Our Lord, accept this work of ours for certainly You are the All-Hearing, and the All-Knowing.” (Al-Baqarah 2: 127)

 

Therefore, we ought to continue to engage in introspection and pray to Allah for forgiveness, while praying to Him to accept our good deeds.

 

Now as for your second question, Allah tells us that whoever works for the good of this world diligently, he will reward him or her; as for those who work for the good of both worlds, they will gain both if they work hard.

 

Therefore, you cannot simply count on prayer alone for success. Prayer and work go hand in hand, neither is good without the other.  Therefore, if you want to get a perfect score in your exam, you ought to put forth the best of your efforts and pray to Allah at the same time.

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

Is it haram to tease mentally or physically? I want to know that in colleges and in universities seniors tease newcomers and make fun of them by telling them to do something that is usually insulting and mostly its completely opposite of human manners? Does this contradict Quran and Sunnah?



Islamic sense of ethics and morality abhors such practices. Here are texts that explicitly prohibit them:

 

“O you who believe, no man shall ridicule other men; the latter may be better than the former. And no woman shall ridicule other women; the latter may be better than the former. And don’t defame each other, or call each other insulting nicknames. Evil is the name of impiety after faith. And any who do not refrain are doing wrong.” (Al-Hujurat: 49: 11)

 

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “A believer cannot be the one who impugns, curses or utters foul words.” He also said, “It is indeed a grave sin for a believer to deride his brother.”

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

 

Asslamu alikum Thanks for your attempts for solving Muslims problem may allah solve your teams and all of us problem on the day of judgment day I have a question some days ago I saw that imam ibn kathir wrote on his tafsir on the commentary of the verse ma nansakh min ayatn aw nonsha nat bekhern minha aw misloha ........ verse 106 suratul baqarah that ibn hatim says that whatever a verse do nansakh means that erase and rise it such as erasing the following wordings from the quran 'the married adulterer and the married adulteress: stone them to death' and ' if the son of Adam had two valleys of gold he would seek a third' in the tafsir of ibn hatim 1:326 what it means does it mean that this verse was erased? if erased by whom these were erased? if by prophet saw himself by the command of Allah swt then why these verse first revealed ? jazzakallhu khyran



Wa `alaykum As-Salamu waRahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

Don’t get confused by such reports. You will find all sorts of dubious statements in the works of tafsir; their intention in citing them was not to make judgments on the preservation of the Qur’an. Their methodology was to cite everything heard.

 

The issue of Naskh is one of the most contentious issues among scholars. We cannot expect to do justice to it in this limited forum.

 

However, all that we can say with certainty is that to prove any verse as part of the Qur’an it must transmit through the Mutawaatir channels; in other words, it ought to be transmitted through an overwhelming number of transmitters that leave no doubt of its authenticity). That is not the case with any of the so-called ‘verses’ such as the ones you have cited.

 

Therefore, I would agree with the following commentary of Muhammad Asad on the verse you cited above:

 

“The principle laid down in this passage – relating to the supersession of the Biblical dispensation by that of the Qur’an – has given rise to an erroneous interpretation by many Muslim theologians. The word ayah (“message”) occurring in this, context is also used to denote a “verse;” of the Qur’an (because every one of these verses contains a message). Taking this restricted meaning of the term ayah, some scholars conclude from the above passage that certain verses of the Qur’an have been “abrogated” by God’s command before the revelation of the Qur’an was completed. Apart from the fancifulness of this assertion-which calls to mind the image of a human author correcting, on second thought, the proofs of his manuscript. deleting one passage and replacing it with another-there does not exist a single reliable Tradition to the effect that the Prophet ever, declared a verse of the Qur’an to have been “abrogated”. At the root of the so-called “doctrine of abrogation” may lie the inability of some of the early commentators to reconcile one Qur’anic passage with another: a difficulty which was overcome by declaring that one of the verses in question had been “abrogated”. This arbitrary procedure explains also why there is no unanimity whatsoever among the upholders of the “doctrine of abrogation” as to which, and how many, Qur’an-verses have been affected by it; and, furthermore, as to whether this alleged abrogation implies a total elimination of the verse in question from the context of the Qur’an, or only a cancellation of the specific ordinance or statement contained in it. In short, the “doctrine of abrogation” has no basis whatever in historical fact, and must be rejected. On the other hand, the apparent difficulty in interpreting the above Qur’anic passage disappears -immediately if the temp ayah is understood, correctly, as “message”, and if we read this verse in conjunction with the preceding one, which states that the Jews and the Christians refuse to accept any revelation which might supersede that of the Bible: for, if read in this way, the abrogation relates to the earlier divine messages and not to any part of the Qur’an itself.(Quran Ref: 2:106)

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

Askm, My father in law doesn't support my husband in any circumstances bcz he has done luv mrg neither in his studies nor in his mrg.it has been 10yrs he is working and struggling for a good life but still we have lot of financial problem as we don't have any support frm our back.my father in law owns a lot of property but he Is not willing to give our share right now but we need at this point of time for setting my husband business.we only want that he should give share of property from his grandfather property whatever it may be but he is not willing to give that also.so my question is can we go through court for taking our share in grand father property as it is given in law that we can claim.what is Islamic perception in this situation??can we legally fight or not??plz help



Wa `alaykum As-Salamu waRahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

You should not depend on your father-in-law; rather you should try to have your source of livelihood without depending on him, especially if he is not willing to offer voluntary help.

 

Your husband does not have rights to his property while he is still alive. After his death, he becomes entitled to his share of the inheritance.

 

Likewise, he has no share in his grandfather’s estate while his father is alive. In Islam, a grandchild does not inherit as long as the grandfather has survived by a son or sons.

 

Therefore, instead of counting on inheritance or his father’s handouts to support himself, he should try to earn his living. Perhaps he needs to upgrade his skills if his present skills and education are not helpful.

 

Can you also look for a job to help him out?

 

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

 

“A believer who is strong (and healthy) is better and dearer to Allah than the weak believer, but there is goodness in both of them. Be keen on what benefits you and seek help from Allah, and do not give up. If anything afflicts you do not say, ‘If I had done such and such things, such and such would have happened.’ But say, ‘Allah decrees and what He wills He does,’ for (the utterance) ‘If I had’ provides an opening for the deeds of the devil.” (Muslim)

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

Asalamualaikium I am an teenager from Kashmir I want to pursue a career in photojournalism but my parents want me to become a doctor. I have two questions (1) which of these careers is better for akirah? (2) Is photography haram?



Wa `alaykum As-Salamu waRahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

You ought to choose whichever of these two areas you can excel and render service to the community.

 

Just selecting a field of study solely for making money is not desirable in Islam. Islam teaches us to excel in whatever we set out to do in life. So, if you choose to become a doctor, you should try to excel in it. However, you may not be able to do so if you have no interest in it. We should love what we do.

 

Journalism is a good area of study to pursue although it may not be very promising as far job opportunities are concerned.

 

As for photography, let me cite here one of my earlier answers:

 

“Photography as a medium of communication or for the simple, innocent retention of memories without the taint of reverence/shirk does not fall under the category of forbidden Tasweer.

 

One finds a number of traditions from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, condemning people who make Tasweer, which denotes painting or carving images or statues. It was closely associated with paganism or shirk. People were in the habit of carving images and statues for the sake of worship. Islam, therefore, declared Tasweer forbidden because of its close association with shirk (association of partners with Allah). One of the stated principles of usul-u-Fiqh (Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence) is that if anything directly leads to haram, it is likewise haram. In other words, Tasweer was forbidden precisely for the reason that it was a means leading to shirk.

 

The function of photography today does not fall under the above category. Even some of the scholars who had been once vehemently opposed to photography under the pretext that it was a form of forbidden Tasweer have later changed their position on it – as they allow even for their own pictures to be taken and published in newspapers, for videotaping lectures and for presentations; whereas in the past, they would only allow it in exceptional cases such as passports, drivers’ licenses, etc. The change in their view of photography is based on their assessment of the role of photography.

 

Having said this, one must add a word of caution: To take pictures of leaders and heroes and hang them on the walls may not belong to the same category of permission. This may give rise to a feeling of reverence and hero worship, which was precisely the main thrust of the prohibition of Tasweer. Therefore, one cannot make an unqualified statement to the effect that all photography is halal. It all depends on the use and function of it. If it is for educational purpose and has not been tainted with the motive of reverence and hero worship, there is nothing in the sources to prohibit it.”

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

Salmo aleykom! I am currently 20 years old hamdulla i have been praying constatly everyday for about 5-6 years i think and i try to read quran everyday. However i am feeling bad because i wrote to you yesterday about my issue which was that i am not making my prayers in-time because of class. It’s my first year in university and i live in Sweden. No matter what happens i always manage to pray alhamdulillah BUT problem is it might not always be on time. Duhur and asr is a huge problem. Yes i can leave class no problem nothing is more important than my prayer but i just feel so indescribable uncomfortable praying in public that i don’t even pray intime rather il pray when i am at home. Second problem is that it is killing me and i am afraid because of the day where i will be standing in front of Allah and i just feel bad and unhappy in general. In worst case scenario i am thinking about praying in the bus, i won't be able to perform the movements perfectly because of the space issue but it’s at least something? However am i allowed to do so? I was only afraid of ONE thing and that one thing was university affecting my prayers being prayed at time. In senior high school i did not have this issue because of we had prayer rooms. In this university i don’t think we have because it is not as many muslims at it was in the senior high school where we were a lot of muslims alhamdulla. This is something that is bothering me greatly and i just to solve it because i don’t want to waste my limited time on this earth. And thank you very much for any answer i get!



Wa `alaykum As-Salamu waRahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

I must commend you for your desire to enhance your knowledge and practice of Islam. I also pray to Allah to inspire you to make choices that are pleasing to Him.

 

Before answering this question, let me ask you:

 

1- Have you inquired into the possibility of space in the library or anywhere in the common rooms, etc. of the university where you can pray.

 

2- Is there a chapel you can go where you are allowed to pray, knowing that Fard prayer would only take five minutes. As for the Sunnah, you can make up at home at your leisure.

 

3- If there is nothing, will it be possible for to speak to the students’ counselor at the university if they are open to accommodate your prayer needs (explain to them all it takes is a few minutes)?

 

If none of the above options are available, then can you get home before you miss both Zhuhr and `Asr? If you start at the time of Zhuhr, you can pray both Zhuhr and `Asr and go to the class; if on the other hand, you start before Zhuhr and you can return home before the expiry of `Asr, you can combine both prayers upon reaching home.

 

If you are driving, then, if left with no other choice, you can pray in your car.

 

Can you also think of speaking to other Muslim students to find a place nearby where you can pray?

 

4- Praying in a moving bus should be last resort if you cannot even combine the two prayers such as Zhuhr and `Asr as you fear that times of both prayers will be over before you get home. In such case, you may pray in the bus while sitting.

 

Allah says, “Be mindful of Allah – as best you can.” And the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “If I order you something, do it according to the best of your ability.”

 

In light of this, you don’t need to feel guilty as long as you have tried your best to pray – in the given circumstances you face. Allah says, “God wants for you ease; He does want to impose hardship on you.”

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

What can we learn from Hijrah?



Hijrah is full of lessons for the believers as individuals and as a community.

 

Before proceeding let me define the meaning of Hijrah:

 

Hijrah has various shades of meaning such as forsaking, leaving, boycotting, emigrating, etc.

As a term, it is used to refer to migrating to a safer place because of persecution to practice one’s faith in peace.

 

However, on a spiritual level, Hijrah means shunning the evil in all forms, in obedience to Allah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “A muhajir is the one who shuns that which Allah has forbidden.”

 

As a technical term, the word Hijrah denotes the Prophet’s migration from Makkah to Madinah.

Before Hijrah to Madinah, Muslims emigrated to Abyssinia twice to flee the persecution in Makkah.

 

I list five lessons for us to learn from Hijrah

 

1- Sacrifice: Hijrah entails great sacrifices for the believers. They had to leave behind them their homes and property and even hard-earned wealth and savings. They did so to flee from persecution and to live their faith in peace. We ought to remember earlier they suffered persecution and even lynching.

 

2- Women’s empowerment:

 

One of the least remembered lessons of Hijrah is the participation of women. Women in the early history of Islam were not passive witnesses. Rather, they were active participants but also the narrators. And without this dual role of women, we won’t have any knowledge of this phase of Islamic history since most of these reports came from `A’ishah and Umm Salamah.

 

3- Brotherhood:

 

Upon arriving in Madinah, the Prophet was challenged to solve the problems of refugees who had come to Madinah barehanded. The Prophet solved this problem by forging the institution of Brotherhood. He did so to ensure that the immigrants were treated like blood brothers until they were able to stand on their own feet.

 

4- Institution building:

 

The Prophet laid the foundation for Islamic institutions starting with the mosque; this later became the model for the future Islamic cities where the mosque was at the center and settlements and services were organized around the mosque.

 

The mosque was not merely a place of worship; rather it became an educational center, and hub of activities; social and cultural, etc.

 

5- Social organization through building consensus and principle of pluralism

 

As soon as he became settled in Madinah, the Prophet wrote a constitution, often termed as the first written constitution in the world, which laid the foundations for a pluralistic society. The constitution had terms which stated that all of the citizens of the new state would enjoy rights and duties as equal citizens.

 

It is a model for Muslims to follow to live as citizens of a pluralistic society.

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

Can we celebrate Hijrah?



It all depends on what we mean by celebration.

 

If you mean to say whether are allowed to commemorate this most momentous event in the Islamic history and celebrate it without establishing any new religious rituals, the answer is most affirmative.

 

Nations celebrate their historical moments to deepen their sense of community as a source of inspiration and instruction for their future generations.

 

Allah tells us in the Qur’an to rejoice in God’s blessings and favors, and the Prophet is ordered to remind them of the Days of Allah. And the believers also celebrated the arrival of the Prophet in Madinah with fanfare and music (i.e., songs). Anas b. Malik – a young boy at the time – fondly remembered it as the Prophet’s arrival in Madinah as the greatest moment of joy and celebration the like of which he never experienced in his life.

 

So, how could fail to celebrate this great event?

 

The precedent for it was already set by the Caliph Umar and the companions by choosing it to mark the Islamic calendar?

 

Therefore, we ought to continue this tradition while at th3e same time purging such celebrations of innovations.

 

We ought to use the occasion for education, instruction, and inspiration.

 

Here are three ways to do so:

 

Hold seminars and symposium on the Hijrah and its lessons

 

Keep celebratory events with nasheeds, and competitions in poetry, speeches, and essays involving children, youth, and adults.

 

Hold public programs in the model of the campaign launched by some British Muslim artists labeled as “Inspired by the Prophet’ to let the world know of the Prophet who is a Mercy to the worlds.

 

Let our preachers and khateebs chose themes from Hijrah to educate and inspire the community.

 

Since we are not allowed to institute rituals of worship, we must never do so as were a religious act; rather as a custom, albeit a good one.

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

Why did the Prophet leave Makkah?



The Prophet (peace be upon him) left Makkah by order of Allah to flee the persecution of Quraysh and thus to be free to practice Islam without fear.

 

Allah says in the Qur’an:

 

“And (remember, O Prophet,] how the disbelievers were scheming against you, in order to stop you [from preaching], or to murder you, or to drive you away: thus have they [always] schemed: but God brought their scheming to nothing – for God is above all the schemers.” (Al-Anfal 8:30)

 

“If you do not help the Messenger, then [know that God will do so -just as] God helped him at the time when the disbelievers drove him away, [and he was but] one of two: when these two were [hiding] in the cave, [and] the Messenger said to his companion, “Grieve not: verily, God is with us.” And thereupon God bestowed upon him from on high His (gift of] inner peace, and brought utterly low the cause of the disbelievers, whereas the cause of God remained supreme: for God is almighty, wise.” (At-Tawbah 9:40 )

 

Almighty Allah knows best.

What is the significance of Hijrah?



Hijrah was a momentous event in the history of Islam. It marked the transition of Islam from a private faith to life- transforming vision affecting both moral and social reform. Thanks to its decisive nature, Caliph `Umar chose Hijrah to mark the Islamic Calendar.

 

In other words, Islam in Makkah remained a private affair. In Madinah, it became instrumental in affecting social and political reform.

 

Muslims in Makkah were a persecuted minority. In Madinah, they soon emerged to become a power to assert and affirm and capable of defending themselves against the aggressors.

 

Islam began a new era of embarking on its vision of influencing and shaping the course of world history.

 

The Prophet’s mosque became the lighthouse from which emanated the life of Islam, mentoring world leaders. Thanks to their efforts the message of Islam spread to the far corners of the world.

 

`Umar and the companions, therefore, had a foresight into the historical role of Hijrah when they commemorated the event by marking the Islamic Calendar. I pray to Allah to inspire us all by rereading our history to shape our present and future, accordingly.

 

Almighty Allah knows best.