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We have recently seen the spread of AIDS, which has many repercussions on society. This raises a number of questions, such as whether the person who has AIDS should be forcibly isolated from people who do not have the disease. What is the ruling on a person who deliberately transmits the disease to others? Is the person who has this disease considered to be suffering a terminal illness, because this is a factor in matters of divorce and financial transactions?

Praise be to Allah.Firstly: isolation of the sick. The medical information that is currently available states that the AIDS virus is not transmitted through living with a person or touching him; it is not airborne; it is not transmitted through insects or through sharing food, drink, swimming pools, seats, eating utensils, and whatever else has to do with the ordinary details of living together day by day. The disease is primarily transferred in one of the following ways: Sexual contact, of whatever kind. Transfusion of infected blood or blood products. Using infected needles, especially among those who use drugs; using infected razors. AIDS may be passed from an infected mother to her child during pregnancy or childbirth.  On the basis of the above, it is not necessary to isolate infected people from their healthy colleagues if there is no fear of them passing on the disease. The patient may be dealt with according to regular medical procedures.  Secondly: deliberately transmitting the disease. Deliberately passing on AIDS to a healthy person is the deliberate commission of a haraam (forbidden) deed, and is counted as a serious major sin. It requires a punishment in this world, to be determined in accordance with the level of the crime and its impact on individuals and society as a whole. If the intention was to spread this terrible disease in society, this is counted as a kind of aggression and spreading mischief on earth, which should be met with one of the punishments referred to in the aayah: “The recompense of those who wage war against Allaah and His Messenger and do mischief in the land is only that they shall be killed or crucified or their hands and their feet be cut off on the opposite sides, or be exiled from the land. That is their disgrace in this world, and a great torment is theirs in the Hereafter.” [al-Maa’idah 5:33] If his aim is to deliberately infect a specific person, and this is what happens, but the person who has been infected has not yet died, the person who did this should be punished with ta’zeer (a punishment to be determined by the qaadi or judge). If the infected person dies, then the matter of execution should be looked into. If his aim is to deliberately infect a specific person, but this does not happen, then he should be punished with ta’zeer. Thirdly: considering AIDS to be a terminal illness: In sharee’ah, AIDS is counted as a terminal illness once it is full-blown and the patient is no longer living a normal life and death is approaching.

Is it OK to shave armpit hairs with a razor?

Praise be to Allah.It is permitted, because the object is to remove the hair, whether by plucking, shaving or some other method. Plucking is better, if one can manage it, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The fitrah is five things: circumcision, trimming the moustache, cutting the nails, plucking the armpit hairs and shaving the pubic hairs.” (Agreed upon).

What is the ruling about a woman shaving her head?

Praise be to Allah.It is not permitted for a woman to shave her head except in cases of necessity, because of the hadith narrated by al-Tirmidhi and al-Nisaa’i from ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade women to shave their heads. Al-Khallaal reported from Qutaadah from ‘Ikrimah who said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade women to shave their heads.” Al-Hasan said: “This is mutilation.” Al-Athram said: “I heard Abu ‘Abd-Allah asking about a woman who was unable to take care of her hair properly and whether she should remove her hair according to the hadith of Maymoonah. He asked, ‘Why does she want to remove it?’ He said, ‘She cannot put oil on it or anything else that will make it look better, and she has a bad infestation of lice.’ He said, ‘If it is the matter of necessity, I hope that there is nothing wrong with doing so.’” And Allah knows best.

A while ago, Allaah guided me and I came back to Islam, praise be to Allaah. I let my beard grow, along with two other brothers, and this sunnah reached some of my family members too. At home we were able to create an Islamic atmosphere and all the sisters in the house put on Islamic dress. We adhered to the Qur’aan and Sunnah as much as possible. Then there was some trouble in our country, and the people turned against those who have beards and started to harass them. They think that everyone who has a beard wants to kill people and shed their blood, but we, as Muslims, have no desire whatsoever to kill people whom our Lord has forbidden us to kill. My father, my mother and my family have started urging me to shave my beard. My mother says that my father is angry with me, but I am afraid to do anything that goes against what the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, and I am afraid to commit a sin.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly, may Allaah reward you with good for following the guidance of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and for calling your family to do likewise. Secondly, shaving the beard is haraam, and letting it grow is obligatory, as you know. Obedience to the Creator takes precedence over obedience to any created being, even the closest of relatives. There can be no obedience to any created being if it involves disobedience to the Creator, and obedience to any other created being should only be with regard to what is good (ma’roof). What you describe of your father being angry and upset because you are letting your beard grow is only because he loves you and is afraid that what has happened to others may happen to you too. But what happened to others was, in most cases, because of provocation on their part, not just because they let their beards grow; it also happened to some of those who shave their beards. You must be steadfast in your adherence to the truth, and continue to let your beard grow in obedience to Allaah and in order to earn His pleasure, even if His creatures are angry. You must also avoid the sources of trouble, and put your trust in Allaah, hoping that He will provide a way out for you. Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings): “… And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allaah will accomplish His purpose. Indeed, Allaah has set a measure for all things” [al-Talaaq 65:2-3] and, “…and whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make his matter easy for him. That is the Command of Allaah, which He has sent down to you, and whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will remit his sins from him and will enlarge his reward.” [al-Talaaq 65:5]. We advise you to honour and respect your parents, and to explain to them with all good manners and politeness why you cannot do their bidding in this case.

What is the ruling on women wearing hair extensions?

Praise be to Allah.Women are forbidden to add extensions to their hair, whether they are made of hair or anything else, if they could be mistaken for hair, because of the reports that have been narrated concerning that.

Is it permitted to dye the beard black?

Praise be to Allah.It is not permitted for a man to die his beard black because of the reports which command us to avoid that and forbid us to do it. Abu Dawood reported from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah who said: “Abu Quhaafah was brought on the day of the Conquest of Makkah, and his head and beard were like thughaamah (a plant whose leaves and flowers are intensely white) because they were so white. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Change this white hair, but avoid black.’” (Reported by Muslim, al-Nisaa’i and Ibn Maajah). Ahmad, Abu Dawood and al-Nisaa’i reported from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘There will be a people at the end of time who will dye their hair black like the crops of pigeons; they will not even smell the fragrance of Paradise.’” But it is encouraged to change grey or white hair by dyeing it any other colour except black, because of the hadeeth of Jaabir quoted above. It is permitted to dye the hair with henna or any other substance that will give it a reddish or yellowish colour, because it is reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to dye his hair with yellow. Muslim reported that Abu Bakr dyed his hair with henna and katam and that ‘Umar used to dye his hair with henna. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also said, “The best things with which you can change this grey hair are henna and katam.”

Is female circumcision sunnah or a bad practice? I read in a magazine that female circumcision in any form is a bad practice that is harmful from a medical point of view, and that it may sometimes lead to sterility. Is this correct?

Praise be to Allah.Circumcising females is sunnah; it is neither a bad practice or harmful, if it is done within moderation. When extreme forms of female circumcision are carried out, harm may result.

What is the ruling on shaving the beard or removing part of it?

Praise be to Allah.Shaving the beard is haram because of the sahih ahadith that clearly state this, and because of the general application of texts that forbid resembling the unbelievers.  Ibn ‘Umar narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Be different from the polytheists; let your beards grow and trim your moustaches.” According to another report: “Trim your moustaches and let your beards grow .”  There are other hadith which convey the same meaning, which is to leave the beard as it is and let it grow long, without shaving, plucking or cutting any part of it.  Ibn Hazm reported that there was scholarly consensus that it is an obligation to trim the moustache and let the beard grow . He quoted a number of ahadith as evidence, including the hadith of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) quoted above, and the hadith of Zayd ibn Arqam in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever does not remove any of his moustache is not one of us.” (Classed as sahih by al-Tirmidhi).  Ibn Hazm said in al-Furu’: “This formula according to our colleagues [i.e., the Hanbalis] means that it is haram to shave the beard .”  Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  “The Quran, Sunnah and ijma’ (scholarly consensus) all indicate that we must differ from the unbelievers in all aspects and not imitate them, because imitating them on the outside will make us imitate them in their bad deeds and habits, and even in beliefs, which will result in befriending them in our hearts, just as loving them in our hearts will lead to imitating them on the outside. Al-Tirmidhi reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “He is not one of us who imitates people other than us. Do not imitate the Jews and Christians.” According to another version: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them. ” (Reported by al-Imam Ahmad) ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab rejected the testimony of the person who plucked his beard. Al-Imam Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said in al-Tamhid: “It is forbidden to shave the beard, and no one does this except men who are effeminate” i.e., those who imitate women. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had a thick beard (reported by Muslim from Jabir). It is not permitted to remove any part of the beard because of the general meaning of the texts which forbid doing so.” And Allah knows best.

I am a committed Muslim and I have a beard. I own a barber shop for men. This is my profession, and it means that I shave my customers’ beards and use dryers to style their hair. What is the Islamic ruling on this?

Praise be to Allah.It is forbidden for a Muslim to shave his own beard because of the saheeh reports that indicate that this is forbidden. It is also forbidden for another man to shave a person’s beard, because this entails cooperating in sin, which is forbidden in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “… do not help one another in sin and transgression…” [Al-Maa’idah 5:2] It is permissible for you to comb and style men’s hair, and apply oils and perfume to it, but it is not permissible for you to do this for women, except for those who are your mahrams (close relatives to whom marriage is forbidden).

My wife is suffering from excessive hair loss, and it was suggested to her that she should cut her hair short to reduce this loss. Is this permissible?

Praise be to Allah.If this is the case, then it is permissible to cut her hair because this will protect her from harm. (Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 5/182), on the condition that she should not make herself look like men or kaafir women. See Question #1192. And Allaah knows best.

What is the ruling about women cutting their hair short for reasons of necessity? For example, in Britain, the women think that washing thick hair is too difficult in a cold climate, so they cut their hair short.

Praise be to Allah.If that is indeed the case, then it is permissible for them to cut their hair short, but only as short as is necessary, and they are not permitted to cut their hair short to look like kaafir women, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” (Fatawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 5/182). Similarly, they are not permitted to cut their hair short in ways that resemble men’s hairstyles, because of the hadith of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them both) who said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) cursed men who imitate women and women who imitate men.” (Reported by al-Bukhari, 5435). And Allah knows best.

When my father became very old and was no longer able to take care of his own personal hygiene needs, I used to trim his moustache and shave his pubic hairs for him, but this meant that I saw his ‘awrah (private parts, which should remain covered) without intending to. Is this a sin on my part or not? I heard that the person who sees his parents’ ‘awrah has to fast for two months – is this correct or not?

Praise be to Allah.There is no sin on you if you remove your father’s pubic hair when he cannot do this for himself. What you have heard about having to fast for two months is not correct.

I have seen that some people use materials to dye their hair different colours, be it black, red, etc., and also using something else to make curly hair straight. It is permissible to do such things, and does the ruling apply equally to young and old?

Praise be to Allah.There is nothing wrong with changing the hair colour and dyeing it any colour, except black. There is also nothing wrong with using something to make curly hair straight. This ruling applies to young and old alike, so long as no damage results from doing this and the material used is pure (taahir) and something that is allowed in Islam. However, dyeing the hair pure black is not allowed for men or women, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Change this grey hair, but avoid black.” (Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 5/168).

What is the ruling on men or women letting their nails grow long? If it is forbidden, what is the wisdom behind this prohibition?

Praise be to Allah.Cutting the nails is part of the fitrah . Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The fitrah is five things: circumcision , removing the pubic hair, trimming the moustache, cutting the nails, and plucking the armpit hairs .” (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim). According to another hadith, ten things are part of the fitrah, including cutting the nails. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) set a time limit for us to cut our moustaches, cut our nails, pluck our armpit hairs and shave our pubic hairs: we were not to leave it any longer than forty days.” (Reported by Ahmad, Muslim and al-Nasai; this version narrated by Ahmad). Whoever does not cut his nails is going against the fitrah. The reason behind this is cleanliness and hygiene, because dirt can gather under the nails. It also serves the purpose of making us different from those among the non-Muslims who allow their nails to grow long, and from animals that have claws and talons. (Fatawa al-Lajnah al-Daimah, 5/173) Another bad habit that many people have is to leave one nail long. All of this is clearly contrary to the ways of the fitrah.  We ask Allah to keep us safe and sound. Allah is the Guide to the Straight Path. And Allah knows best.

In our locality there are people who hold celebrations of the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) every year. They think that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is not like the rest of mankind, but that he is light from the Light of Allaah Himself, that he is present and watching in every place, and that he himself attends every gathering held to celebrate his birthday, he hears what the people say about him, and he is there with them. For that reason they stand up and say in unison: “Yaa Nabi-Allaah, yaa Rasool-Allaah, yaa Habeeb-Allaah, salaam ‘alayka (O Prophet of Allaah, O Messenger of Allaah, O Beloved of Allaah, peace be upon you).” They call out to him as if he were present and ask for his help and support. What is the Islamic ruling on this? Is it correct or not? Is it sunnah, bid’ah, or what?

Praise be to Allah.alone, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger and his family and companions. Celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is an innovation (bid’ah) which goes against the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and of the Rightly Guided Khaleefahs (al-khulafaa’ al-raashidoon) and the Sahaabah, may Allaah be pleased with them. It is proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does anything that is not part of this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), will have it rejected.” (For more details, please see Question # 249). Believing that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is not like the rest of humanity, and that he is light from the Light of Allaah Himself is not a correct belief, because it contradicts the Qur’aan. Allaah has stated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is human, and has explained what makes the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) different from the rest of mankind. He said (interpretation of the meaning): “Say (O Muhammad): ‘I am only a man like you. It has been inspired to me that your God is One God (Allaah). So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord.” [al-Kahf 18:110] Mankind, human beings, are created, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him He created his wife (Hawwa/Eve), and from them both He created many men and women…” [al-Nisaa’ 4:1] “O mankind, if you are in doubt about the Resurrection, then verily! We have created you from dust, then from a nutfah (mixed drops of male and female sexual discharge)…” [al-Hajj 22:5] “O Prophet! Verily, We have sent you as witness, and a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner, - and as one who invites to Allaah by His leave, and as a lamp spreading light.” [al-Ahzaab 33:45-46] In contrast, Allaah is the First, and He has no beginning, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “He is the First (nothing is before Him) and the Last (nothing is after Him), the Most High (nothing is above Him), and the Most Near (nothing is nearer than Him). And He is the All-Knower of every thing.” [al-Hadeed 57:3] Allaah called His Prophet “light” and a “lamp spreading light” because of the guidance and light with which Allaah sent him, with which Allaah guides all those who answer his call (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “… Indeed, there has come to you a light (Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)) and a plain Book (this Qur’aan).” [al-Maa’idah 5:15] Saying that he is present and watching in every place, that he is himself present at every gathering to celebrate his birthday, and that he hears what the people present are saying, is all false. There is no basis for this in either the Qur’aan or the Sunnah. Calling on him and seeking his help and support is a form of major shirk which is not permitted, whether one is calling on the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or on any other created being, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “… so invoke not anyone along with Allaah.” [al-Junn 72:18] “And whoever invokes (or worships) besides Allaah, any other god of whom he has no proof, then his reckoning is only with his Lord. Surely! Al-kaafiroon (the disbelievers) will not be successful.” [al-Mu’minoon 23:117] (Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 3/4) The Muslim should follow, not innovate. He should believe in Allaah alone, call on Him alone and seek His help alone. He should not call on or seek the help of anyone else. The consequences of shirk are devastating, as it will wipe out all a person’s good deeds and lead to his doom in Hell. Bid’ah is a serious matter, which will cause a person’s deeds to be thrown back at him, not accepted. The Muslim should love, respect, honour and obey the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and give his words precedence over the words of any other human being, but it is not permitted to exaggerate about him, or to raise his status above that which has been bestowed upon him by Allaah, or to call on him instead of Allaah, because this is a violation of the rights of Allaah, and involves directing acts of worship to someone other than Allaah, when they should only be directed towards Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted. We ask Allaah to help us to do that which will please Him and to avoid that which will earn His wrath, and to help us to love Him and His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad. And Allaah knows best.

I did wudoo’ for prayer, and during the prayer I remembered that I had not rinsed my nose. What is the ruling concerning my wudoo’ and my prayer in this case?

Praise be to Allah.Rinsing the nose in wudoo’ is obligatory, because it is proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did this and said: “Whoever does wudoo’, let him rinse his nose.” Whoever does not rinse his nose, his wudoo’ is not valid. So you must repeat both your wudoo’ and your prayer.

It happens that after I have cleaned myself (after passing water) and done Wudu, I feel some drops of urine come out, which makes me repeat my wudoo, sometimes twice. After the urine has come out, I wait for five minutes until I am sure that it has stopped, but after I finish Wudu, I feel that a few small drops of urine have come out of me. I am trying to solve this problem so that I will have no doubts at all. If it happens that a few drops of urine get onto my clothes, do I have to wash it? If this happens, does it invalidate my prayer? Sometimes I start washing my trousers because I am not sure whether there are any drops of urine on them.

Praise be to Allah.If you are certain that some drops of urine have come out, then you have to clean yourself again and repeat your Wudu for each prayer, and you have to wash off whatever urine has got onto your clothes. But if there is some doubt, you do not have to do that. You should not pay attention to doubts, lest you fall prey to waswaas (insinuating thoughts from Shaytaan).

What is the ruling about having tattoos on the body? Does it stop a person who has tattoos from performing the duty of Hajj?

Praise be to Allah.It is forbidden to have tattoos on the body . Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) cursed the one who adds hair extensions and the one who has this done, and the one who does tattoos and the one who has this done.   A tattoo may be on the cheek or lip, or elsewhere on the body, where the skin color is changed to blue or green or black, etc.   But having a tattoo does not prevent a person from performing Hajj .

My husband and I wanted to know if it were permissable to take Arabic classes at a college where the classes are mixed (men-women). We understand that there is no mixing between the sexes, but confused about the definition of "mixing". Please tell us what is permissable, what is not and give proof

Praise be to Allah.The meeting together, mixing, and intermingling of men and women in one place, the crowding of them together, and the revealing and exposure of women to men are prohibited by the Law of Islam (Shari'ah). These acts are prohibited because they are among the causes for fitnah (temptation or trial which implies evil consequences), the arousing of desires, and the committing of indecency and wrongdoing. Among the many proofs of prohibition of the meeting and mixing of men and women in the Quran and Sunnah are: Verse No. 53 of Surat al-Ahzab, or the Confederates (Interpretation of the meaning); "...for anything ye want, ask them from before a screen: that makes for greater purity for your hearts and for theirs..." In explaining this Verse, Ibn Kathir (May Allah have mercy on him) said: "Meaning, as I forbade you to enter their rooms, I forbid you to look at them at all. If one wants to take something from them, one should do so without looking at them. If one wants to ask a woman for something, the same has to be done from behind a screen." The Prophet (May peace and blessings be upon him) enforced separation of men and women even at Allah’s most revered and preferred place, the mosque. This was accomplished via the separation of the women’s rows from the men’s; men were asked to stay in the mosque after completion of the obligatory prayer so that women will have enough time to leave the mosque; and, a special door was assigned to women. Evidence of the foregoing are: Umm Salamah (May Allah be pleased with her) said that after Allah’s Messenger (May peace and blessings be upon him) said "as-Salamu ‘Alaykum wa Rahmatullah’ twice announcing the end of prayer, women would stand up and leave. He would stay for a while before leaving. Ibn Shihab said that he thought that the staying of the Prophet (May peace and blessings be upon him) was in order for the women to be able to leave before the men who wanted to depart." Narrated by al-Bukhari under No. 793. Abu Dawood under No. 876 narrates the same hadith in Kitab al-Salaat under the title "Insiraaf an-Nisaa’ Qabl al-Rijaal min al-Salaah" (Departure of Women before Men after the Prayer). Ibn ‘Umar said that Allah’s Messenger (May peace and blessings be upon him) said: "We should leave this door (of the mosque) for women." Naafi’ said: "Ibn ‘Umar never again entered through that door until he died." Narrated by Abu Dawood under No. 484 in "Kitab as-Salah" under the Chapter entitled: "at-Tashdid fi Thalik". Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet (May peace and blessings be upon him) said: ""The best of the men’s rows is the first and the worst is the last, and the best of the women’s rows is the last and the worst in the first." Narrated by Muslim under No. 664. This is the greatest evidence that the Law of Islam (Shari'ah) forbids meeting and mixing of men and women. The farther the men are from the women’s rows, the better, and vice versa. If these procedures and precautions were prescribed and adhered to in a mosque, which is a pure place of worship where people are as far away as they ever are from the arousal of desire and temptation, then no doubt the same procedures need to be followed even more rigorously at other places.   Abu Usayd al-Ansari narrated that he heard Allah’s Messenger (May peace and blessings be upon him) say to the women on his way out of the mosque when he saw men and women mixing together on their way home: ‘Give way (i.e., walk to the sides) as it is not appropriate for you to walk in the middle the road.’ Thereafter, women would walk so close to the wall that their dresses would get caught on it. Narrated by Abu Dawood in "Kitab al-Adab min Sunanihi, Chapter: Mashyu an-Nisa Ma’ ar-Rijal fi at-Tariq."We know that the intermingling, mixing and crowding together of men and women is part of today’s unavoidable yet regrettable affliction in most places, such as markets, hospitals, colleges, etc., but:   · We will not willfully choose or accept mixing and crowding, particularly in religious classes and council meetings in Islamic Centers.   · We take precautions to avoid meeting and mixing of men and women as much as possible while at the same time achieving desired goals and objectives. This result can be achieved by designating separate places assigned for men and women, using different doors for each, utilizing modern means of communication such as microphones, video recorders etc., and expediting efforts to have enough female teachers to teach women, etc.   · We show fear of Allah as much as we can by not looking at members of the opposite sex and by applying self-restraint. There follow some of the results of a study on mixing undertaken by some Muslim social science researchers.  When we put the following question: What is the Islamic ruling on mixing as far as you know? The results were as follows: 76% of respondents said “It is not permitted.” 12% said, “It is permitted” – but moral, religious, etc. restrictions apply… 12% said, “I don’t know.”  Which would you choose?  If you had the choice between working in a mixed workplace and working in another where there was no mixing, which would you choose? The responses to this question were as follows: 76% would choose the workplace where there was no mixing. 9% preferred the mixed workplace. 15% would accept any workplace which suited their specialties, regardless of whether it was mixed or not.  Very embarrassing  Have any embarrassing situations ever happened to you because of mixing?  Among the embarrassing moments mentioned by respondents in this study were the following:  I was at work one day, and  I went into one department where one of my female colleagues who wears hijaab had taken off her hijaab in front of her female colleagues. My entrance took her by surprise and I was very embarrassed as a result.  I had to do an experiment in the lab at university, but I was absent on the day of the experiment. I had to go to the lab on the following day, and I found myself the only male among a group of female students, in addition to a female teacher and a female lab technician. I was very embarrassed and felt very awkward with all those female eyes glaring at me.  I was trying to take a feminine towel out of one of the drawers when I was surprised by a male colleague standing behind me, who wanted to take something from his own private drawer. He noticed that I was embarrassed and he left the room quickly to avoid my embarrassment.  It so happened that one of the girls at the university bumped into me when turning a corner in a crowded corridor. She was walking quickly, going to one of the lectures. As a result of this collision, she lost her balance, and I caught her in my arms, as if I was embracing her. You can imagine how embarrassed I and this girl felt in front of a group of careless young people.  One of my female colleagues fell on the stairs in the university and her clothes fell open in an extremely embarrassing fashion. She landed upside down and could not help herself; the young men standing nearby had no option but to cover her and help her to get up.  I work in a company and I went in to give some papers to my boss. When I was going out, my boss called me back. I turned around and saw him with his face turned away. I was waiting for him to ask me for a file or for more papers, and I was surprised by his hesitancy. I turned away to the left side of his office, pretending to be busy with something, and he spoke to me at the same time. I thought that this boss would say anything except what he actually said, which was to point out that my garment was stained with menstrual blood. Can the earth open up and swallow a human being at the moment of making sincere supplication? For I prayed that the earth would open up and swallow me.  Victims of mixing… True stories  Lost hope  Umm Muhammad, a mature woman over the age of 40, tells her story.  I lived a life of modest means with my husband. There was never any closeness and harmony, and my husband did not have the kind of strong personality that a woman would hope for, but his good nature made me overlook the fact that I was the one who was responsible for most of the decision making in the family.  My husband often used to mention the name of his friend and business partner, and he would talk about him in my presence, and I often used to meet with him in his office which was originally part of our apartment. This went on for many years, until circumstances led to us exchanging visits with this person and his family. These family visits were repeated and because of his close friendship with my husband, we did not notice how the number of visits increased and how many hours a single visit would last. He often used to come on his own to sit with us, me and my husband, for long visits. My husband’s trust in him knew no bounds, and as days passed I got to know this person very well, and saw how wonderful and decent he was.  I began to feel a strong attraction towards this man, and at the same time I began to sense that the feeling was mutual.  Things took a strange turn after that, when I realized that this man was the kind of person I had always dreamed about. Why had he come along now, after all these years? The more this man’s status increased in my eyes, the more my husband’s status diminished. It was as if I had needed to see the beauty of his character in order to discover how ugly my husband’s character was.  The matter between this person and myself did not go beyond these persistent thoughts which were occupying my mind night and day. Neither he nor I ever voiced what we felt in our hearts… until today. Yet despite that my life is over and my husband is little more than a weak man with no self-esteem. I hate him and I do not know how all this hatred towards him started to boil over. I wonder how I put up with him all these years, bearing all these burdens by myself, facing life’s problems on my own.  Things got so bad that I asked him for a divorce, and he divorced me at my request. After that he became a broken man. Even worse than that is that after my marriage was wrecked and my children and husband were devastated, problems arose in this man's family. His wife, with her feminine intuition, realized what had been going on in his heart of hearts, and his life became hell. She was overwhelmed with jealousy to the extent that one night she left her house at 2 a.m. and came to attack my house, screaming, weeping and hurling accusations. His marriage was also about to collapse.  I admit that the lovely gatherings which we used to enjoy gave us the opportunity to get to know one another at a time that was not appropriate at this stage in our lives. His marriage has been wrecked and so has mine. I have lost everything, and now I know that my circumstances and his will not permit us to take any positive step towards coming together. Now I am more miserable than I have ever been, and I am looking for illusionary happiness and lost hopes.  Tit-for-tat  Umm Ahmad tells us:  My husband had a group of married friends, and because of our close friendship with them, we used to get together with them once a week in one of our houses, to enjoy an evening of chat.  Deep down in my heart I was never really comfortable with the atmosphere in which we would have dinner, sweets, snacks and drinks of juice accompanied by waves of laughter because of the jokes and chit-chats that often went beyond the bounds of good manners.  In the name of friendship, the barriers were lifted and every now and then one would hear suppressed laughter between a woman and the husband of another woman. The jokes were too much, dealing – with no sense of shyness –with sensitive topics such as sex and women’s private matters. This was usual and was even accepted and regarded as desirable.  Although I indulged in these things along with them, my conscience made me feel guilty. Then the day came when it became quite clear just how ugly and filthy this atmosphere was.  The telephone rang, and I heard the voice of one of the friends in this group. I said hello to him and apologized that my husband was not home. He replied that he knew that, and that he was calling to speak to me! After he suggested starting a relationship with me, I got very angry and spoke harshly to him and cursed him. All he could do was laugh and say, “Don’t try and show these good manners to me; go and check on your husband’s good manners and see what he is doing…” I was devastated by what he said, but I pulled myself together and said to myself, this person is only trying to cause the break up of your marriage. But he succeeded in planting the seeds of doubt concerning my husband.  Shortly after that, the major disaster struck. I discovered that my husband was cheating on me with another woman. It was the matter of life or death as far as I was concerned. I found my husband out and I confronted him, saying: “You are not the only one who can have a relationship. I have received a similar proposition.” And I told him all about his friend. He was stunned and absolutely shocked. (I said:) “If you want me to respond in kind to your relationship with that woman, then this is for that, tit-for-tat.” This was a huge slap in the face for him. He knew that I did not intend to do that in reality, but he realized the great disaster that had befallen our lives and the immoral atmosphere in which we were living. I suffered a great deal until my husband finally left that loose woman with whom he was having a relationship, as he admitted to me. Yes, he left her and came back to his family and children, but how can I ever feel the same towards him as I used to? Who will restore respect for him in my heart? This huge wound in my heart is still bleeding out of regret and rage at that filthy atmosphere; it still bears testimony to the fact that what they call innocent get-togethers are in reality anything but innocent. My heart still begs for mercy from the Lord of Glory.  Intelligence can also be a temptation (fitnah)  ‘Abd al-Fattaah says:  I work as the head of department in one of the big companies. For a long time I admired one of my female colleagues, not for her beauty, but for her serious attitude towards her work, her intelligence and her excellent achievements – in addition to the fact that she was a decent and modest person who focused only on her work. This admiration turned into attachment, and I am a married man who fears Allah and never misses any obligatory prayer. I expressed my feelings to her and she rebuffed me. She is married and has children as well. She sees no reason why I should have any kind of relationship with her, whether it be friendship, as work colleagues or based on admiration… etc. Evil thoughts come to me sometimes, and deep down I wish that her husband would divorce her so that I could get her.  I started to put pressure on her at work and put her down in front of my bosses. Perhaps this was a form of revenge on my part, but she accepted it with good manners and did not complain or comment. She works and works; her performance speaks of her quality, and she knows this well. The more she resisted me, the stronger my infatuation grew.  I am not a person who is easily tempted by women, because I fear Allah and I do not overstep the mark with them and go beyond what is required by my work. But this woman attracted me. What is the solution?… I do not know.  Baby ducks know how to swim  N.A.A., a nineteen-year-old girl, tells us:  At that time I was a little girl. My innocent eyes watched those evening get-togethers when family friends would meet in the house. What I remember is that I could only see one man, who was my father. I watched him as he moved about the room, how his glances would devour the women present, looking at their thighs and chests, admiring this one’s eyes, that one’s hair, the other’s hips. My poor mother had no choice but to take care of these get-togethers. She was a very simple lady.  Among the women present there was one woman who would deliberately try to attract my father’s attention, sometimes by coming close to him, and sometimes by making enticing movements. I would watch this with concern, whilst my mother was busy in the kitchen for the sake of her guests.  These gatherings stopped suddenly and I tried, young as I was, to understand and make sense of what had happened, but I could not.  What I remember was that my mother collapsed completely at that time, and she could not stand to hear my father’s name mentioned in the house. I used to hear mysterious words whispered by the adults around me: “Betrayal… bedroom… she saw them with her own eyes… despicable woman… in a very shameful position…” etc. These were the key words which only the adults could understand.  I grew up and came to understand, and I bore a grudge against all men. All of them were treacherous. My mother was a broken woman and accused every woman who came to us of being a man-snatcher who wanted to make my father fall into her trap. My father hasn’t changed. He is still practising his favourite hobby of chasing women, but now he does it outside the home. Now I am nineteen years old and I know lots of young men. I feel great pleasure in taking revenge on them, because every one of them is an exact copy of my father. I tempt them and entice them, without letting them get anywhere near me. They follow me in gatherings and in the marketplaces because of my movements and deliberate gestures. Sometimes my phone never stops ringing and I feel proud of what I do to avenge the sex of Hawwa’ and my mother. But sometimes I feel so miserable and such a failure that it almost chokes me. My life is shadowed by a huge dark cloud, and its name is my father.  Before it is too late  S.N.A. tells of her experience:  I never imagined that my work circumstances would force me to be in contact with the opposite sex (men), but this in fact is what happened…  In the beginning,  I used to cover and screen myself from men by wearing niqaab (face-veil), but some of the sisters advised me that this dress was attracting more attention to my presence, and it would be better for me to take off the niqaab, especially since my eyes were somewhat attractive. So I removed the cover from my face, thinking that this was better. But by continuing to mix with my colleagues, I discovered that I was the odd one out because of my antisocial attitude and my insistence on not joining in the conversation and chatting with others. Everyone was wary of this “lone-wolf” woman (as they saw me), and this is what was stated clearly by one person who affirmed that he would not want to deal with such a snooty and stand-offish character. But I knew that I was the opposite, in fact, and I decided that I would not oppress myself and put myself in a difficult position with my colleagues. So I started to join in their chats and exchanges of anecdotes, and they all discovered that I could speak eloquently and persuasively, and that I could influence others. I could also speak in a manner that was determined yet at the same time was attractive to some of my colleagues. It was not long before I noticed some changes in the expression of my direct supervisor; with some embarrassment, he was enjoying the way I spoke and moved, and he would deliberately bring up topics in the conversation where I would see that hateful look in his eyes. I do not deny the fact that I started to entertain some thoughts about this man. I found it astonishing that a man could fall so easily into the trap of a woman who was religiously committed, so how must it be in the case of women who adorn themselves and invite men to commit immoral actions? In fact, I did not think of him in any way which went beyond the bounds of sharee’ah, but he did occupy a space in my thoughts for quite some time. But soon my self-respect made me reject the idea of being a source of enjoyment for this man in any way, shape or form, even if it was only psychological in nature, and I stopped getting involved in any kind of work that would force me to sit alone with him. In the end, I reached the following conclusions: 1-  Attraction between the sexes can occur in any circumstances, no matter how much men and women may deny that. The attraction may start within the bounds of sharee’ah and end up going beyond those bounds.      Even if a person protects himself (by marriage), he is not safe from the snares of the Shaytaan. 3-  Even though a person may be able to guarantee himself and he works with the opposite sex within reasonable limits, he cannot guarantee the feelings of the other party.      Finally, there is nothing good in mixing and it does not bear fruit as they claim. On the contrary, it corrupts sound thinking. What now? We may ask, what comes next, after this discussion on the matter of mixing? It’s about time for us to recognize that no matter how we try to beautify the issue of mixing and take the matter lightly, its consequences are bound to catch up with us, and the harm it causes will have disastrous results for our families. Sound common sense refuses to accept that mixing is a healthy atmosphere for human relations. This is the sound common sense which made most of the people included in this survey (76%) prefer working in a non-mixed environment. The same percentage (76%) said that mixing is not permitted according to the sharee’ah. What makes us sit up and take notice is not this honourable percentage – which indicates the purity of our Islamic society and the cleanness of its members’ hearts – but the small number who said that mixing is permitted; they number 12%. This group, with no exceptions, said that mixing is permitted but within the limits set by religion, custom (‘urf), traditions, good manners, conscience, modesty, covering and other worthy values which, in their opinion, keep mixing within proper limits. We ask them: is the mixing which we see nowadays in our universities, market-places, work-places and family and social gatherings, taking place within the limits referred to above? Or are these places filled with transgressions in terms of clothing, speech, interactions and behaviour? We see wanton displays of adornment (tabarruj), not proper covering; we see fitnah (temptations) and dubious relationships, with no good manners and no conscience and no covering. We can conclude that the kind of mixing that is happening nowadays is unacceptable even to those who approve of mixing in a clean atmosphere.  It’s about time for us to recognize that mixing provides a fertile breeding-ground for social poisons to invade and take over our society without anyone ever realizing that it is mixing which is the cause. Mixing is the prime element in this silent fitnah, in the shade of which betrayals erupt, homes are wrecked and hearts are broken.  We ask Allah to keep us safe and sound, and to reform our society. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

AsSalaamu Alaikum. Before I accepted Islam I committed adultery an conceived a child with a married woman. The woman's husband has been told the truth and is aware that the child is not his, but he still wants to keep the child and his wife. Her husband wants to have nothing to do with me(understandably) and wishes that I keep away from my son who I have rarely seen and he does not know who I am. The child is almost 3 years old and I have been a Muslim for almost 2 years. What is the Islamic ruling in such a case? Can I consider the child to be mine? The husband and his wife are both kaffirs.

Praise be to Allah.All Praises are Due to Allah Islam erases whatever took place before it and after Allah guides you there is no sin on you, regarding something which took place in the past. The rule according to the Shariah (Islamic Laws) is that the child is to the bed and follows the husband, unless he washes his hands of the matter. The child in not considered to be your son, nor do you have any responsibility for him. So start a married life according to Islam. May Allah forgive you and increase you in protection.

I have a question that everyone I asked had a different answer for. Does the Muslim have to say anything during the sexual intercourse? And does the Muslim "husband and wife" have to pray before the first day of sexual intercourse? Thank you for having this website to help us understand our religion more.

Praise be to Allah.Du`a before sex Among the manners prescribed by the Shari’ah is that the Muslim should say when he commences intercourse with his wife : "In the Name of Allah,  Oh Allah, shield us from Satan and keep him away from us and from what You [may] bestow upon us (i.e. children)" Narrated by Al-Bukhari, Fath ul-Bari No. 138) Transliteration of du`a before sex ​​​​​​"Bismillah, Allahumma jannibnash-shaytan wa jannib-ash-shaytana ma razaqtana" This opening invocation is useful in that if Allah blesses the husband and the wife with a child, this child will not be harmed by Satan. As for what is to be said by the husband when consummating the marriage with his wife, please see this answer: 854 . And Allah knows best.

I made a vow and I have orphans under my care. Can I fulfil this vow from the property of these orphans?

Praise be to Allah. It is not permissible to fulfil the vow from the property of the orphans. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And come not near to the orphan’s property, except to improve it” [al-An’aam 6:152] If we pay this from the orphan’s property, there is no benefit to the orphan, rather taking it is counted as stealing. Everyone who is in charge of orphans’ property has to dispose of it in the manner which he thinks is in the orphans’ best interests. With regard to that which is not in their interests, or which serves some interest but there is some doubt as to whether it is in their best interests, then it is not permissible to dispose of it in that manner, because of the quotation mentioned (interpretation of the meaning): “And come not near to the orphan’s property, except to improve it” [al-An’aam 6:152] So it is not permissible dispose of it, even if they are her children.

What is the view of Islam towards friendship with followers of different religions

Praise be to Allah.; Reply for this question would be the same as the reply to question #23325. In addition, the following should be noted: We should differentiate between good treatment of non-Muslims and befriending them. We should differentiate between establishing a relationship with a non-Muslim for the purpose of da’wah (i.e. teaching him and inviting him to Islam) and befriending him for no valid Islamic purpose. We should differentiate between establishing a relationship with a non-Muslim for trading and/or education reasons and befriending him, as friendship would mean deeper feeling of affection and fondness, comradeship, and being influenced by him.

Is buying Computer and Technology companies' stocks Halal or Haram? AND WHY?  And if Halal, is giving money to mutual fund company that buy these stock (only Technology stocks) Halal or Hram? and Why?

Praise be to Allah. It is permissible for a person to buy shares in these companies if they do not deal in riba [usury/interest] (and they do not sell anything haraam and they do not do business in a manner that is not Islamic). But if they deal in riba then it is not permitted, because it is clearly established in the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and by scholarly consensus, that dealing in riba is haraam.  See Fataawa Islamiyyah, 2/392; see also Question no. 8590.

How correct is it to say, “I have done my best and the rest is up to Allah”?

Praise be to Allah.This phrase is not correct, because it means that the one who says it is putting his trust in himself first. What he should say is, “I have done my best and I ask Allah for help.” This is what is correct. Perhaps when a person says “I have done my best and the rest is up to Allah”, what he means is what I have suggested here, i.e., what I could do, I have done, and what I cannot do is up to Allah, But the phrase is basically incorrect. Rather he should say, “I have done my best and I ask Allah for help.” And Allah knows best.

I want to know whether condoms can be used. Or what are the means of preventing pregnancy? What is the advisable means according to Islam?

Praise be to Allah.It is permissible to use condoms so long as this does not cause any harm and so long as both husband and wife consent to their use, because this is similar to ‘azl (coitus interruptus or “withdrawal”). But it reduces the sensation of pleasure, which is the right of both partners, and reduces the chance of conception, which is also the right of both partners. Neither one of them is allowed to deprive the other of these rights.  For more, please see these answers: 161204 , 22027 , and 566   And Allah knows best.

There is a big dispute among Muslim scholars concerning the timing of the beginning of Ramadaan and ‘Eid al-Fitr. Some of them act upon the sighting of the new moon, because of the hadeeth, “Fast when you sight it [the new moon] and stop fasting when you sight it…”; others rely on the calculations of astronomers, saying that these scientists have progressed so far in the science of astronomy that they are able to know when the lunar month begins. Who is right in this matter?

Praise be to Allah.Firstly: the correct opinion which must be acted upon is that indicated by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Fast when you see it [the new moon] and stop fasting when you see it, and if it is cloudy then complete the month with thirty days.” That is the basis for determining the beginning and end of Ramadaan by the actual sighting of the new moon. The Islamic sharee’ah with which Allaah sent our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is universal and everlasting, until the Day of Resurrection. (It is valid for every time and place, whether worldly sciences are advanced or otherwise, whether there are telescopes etc. or not, whether there are any people in the population who are able to do astronomical calculations or not. Sighting the moon is something that people of all places and times can do, unlike calculations which may or may not be within the reach of the people, and telescopes which may or may not be available) Secondly: Allaah knew what progress would be made in astronomy and other sciences, but despite that He still said (interpretation of the meaning): “… So whoever among you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadaan), he must observe sawm (fast) that month…” [al-Baqarah 2:185] and the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Fast when you see it [the new moon] and stop fasting when you see it…” So the beginning and ending of Ramadaan are connected to the actual sighting of the moon, and not to the calculations of astronomers, even though Allaah knew that the astronomers would develop their science to the point where they would be able to calculate the positions of the stars and heavenly bodies. The Muslims are obliged to follow what Allaah has prescribed for them through His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), basing the beginning and end of the fast on the sighting of the moon. This is like the consensus of the scholars, whoever differs with this and relies on calculations is shaadhdh (“odd”) and his opinion cannot be relied on. And Allaah knows best.

I would like to ask this question concerning my business, I usually sell cars and finance it by islamic law which mean i dont charge any interest,but to brotect my self i usually charge a late charge fee if they dont pay on time,please advice me is this halal or haram?

Praise be to Allah.This extra fee that you are charging for late payments from the purchaser is the essence of ribaa. Hence when Allaah stated that the ribaa which the people of the Jaahiliyyah used to charge when the debtor delayed payment, when they would charge the debtor more in return for a respite, was forbidden, He commanded that the debtor should be given a respite without further charges being made. Allaah said (interpretation of the meaning):  “And if the debtor is in a hard time (has no money), then grant him time till it is easy for him to repay; but if you remit it by way of charity, that is better for you if you did but know” [al-Baqarah 2:280]  And Allaah knows best.

What is The wisdom behind the creation of dangerous animals ?

Praise be to Allah.There are two aspects to the answer to this question: general and specific. The general answer is that the Muslim believes that Allaah is All-Wise and All-Knowing, and He does not create anything in vain; all of His actions are based on Wisdom. If the wisdom behind any of His actions is hidden from the believer, then he should still adhere to this principle, and not think of his Lord in bad terms.  The specific answer is that the wisdom behind the creation of these things is to manifest the perfect nature of Allaah’s creation and control of all things. Even though the created things are so many, He provides for them all. He also tests people by means of these  (dangerous creatures), rewards those who are afflicted by them and makes manifest the bravery of those who kill them. By creating them, He tests His slaves’ faith and certainty: the believer accepts the matter and submits, whilst the doubter says, “What is the point of Allaah creating this?!” He also demonstrates the weakness and incapability of man, whereby he suffers pain and sickness because of a creature which is far smaller than he is. One of the scholars was asked about the wisdom behind the creation of flies. He said, so that Allaah may humiliate the noses of the tyrants with them. Because of the existence of harmful creatures, it becomes apparent how great is the blessing in the creation of beneficial things, as it is said that contrast with the opposite demonstrates the nature of things. The study of medicine has demonstrated that many beneficial drugs are derived from the venom of snakes and the like. Glory be to the One Who has created benefits in things that to all outward appearances are harmful. Moreover, many of these dangerous animals are food for other creatures which are beneficial, and this forms the ecological cycle in the environments where Allaah has created them.  But the Muslim has to believe that everything that Allaah does is good, and that there is no pure evil in what He creates. In everything that He creates there has to be some aspect of good, even if it is hidden from us, as is the case with the creation of Iblees, who is the head of evil. But there is wisdom and a purpose behind his creation, for Allaah tests His creatures by means of him, to distinguish the obedient from the disobedient, those who strive from those who are negligent, the people of Paradise from the people of Hell.  We ask Allaah to bless us with strength of faith and understanding of our religion. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and grant him peace.

  Someone has asked me this question (she is about to become a muslimah). Her statement: 'A lot of others will never meet a Muslim in person. Will they be held responsible for their ignorance? What exactly does this mean: "After the revelation of the Quran who ever receives this message & does not abide by it is a non-believer"? i. Who is considered to have received the message? ii. Isn't it possible for people to have not received the message even though the Quran is in existence?'

Praise be to Allah.It is part of the justice of Allah that He does not punish any people until He has first sent a warning to them and unless there is evidence against them. Allah does not treat anybody unfairly. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning). [al-Israa 17:15]. In his tafseer (commentary) on this aayah, Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said: These words, And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning) tell us of the justice of Allah, may He be exalted, and that He does not punish anyone until after He has established evidence against him by sending a Messenger to him. This is like the aayat (interpretation of the meaning): Every time a group is cast therein [into Hell], its keeper will ask, Did no warner come to you? They will say, Yes indeed; a warner did come to us, but we belied him and said: Allah never sent down anything (of revelation), you are only in great error. [al-Mulk 67:8] and: And those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups, till, when they reach it, the gates thereof will be opened (suddenly like a prison at the arrival of its prisoners). And its keepers will say, Did not the Messengers come to you from yourselves, - reciting to you the Verses of your Lord, and warning you of the Meeting of this Day of yours? They will say: Yes, but the Word of torment has been justified against the disbelievers! [al-Zumar 39:71] A person who has never heard of Islam or the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and who has never heard the message in its correct and true form, will not be punished by Allah if he dies in a state of kufr (disbelief). If it were asked what his fate will be, the answer will be that Allah will test him on the Day of Resurrection: if he obeys, he will enter Paradise and if he disobeys he will enter Hell. The evidence (daleel) for this is the hadeeth of al-Aswad ibn Saree, who reported that the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: There are four (who will protest) to Allah on the Day of Resurrection: the deaf man who never heard anything, the insane man, the very old man, and the man who died during the fatrah (the interval between the time of Eesaa (Jesus, upon whom be peace) and the time of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)). The deaf man will say, O Lord, Islam came but I never heard anything. The insane man will say, O Lord, Islam came but the children ran after me and threw stones at me. The very old man will say, O Lord, Islam came but I did not understand anything. The man who died during the fatrah will say, O Lord, no Messenger from You came to me. He will accept their promises of obedience, then word will be sent to them to enter the Fire. By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, if they enter it, it will be cool and safe for them. According to another report, he said: Whoever enters it, it will be cool and safe for him, and whoever does not enter it will be dragged to it. (The hadeeth was reported by Imaam Ahmad and Ibn Hibbaan, and deemed saheeh by al-Albaani, Saheeh al-Jaami, 881). Everyone who hears the message of Islam in a sound and correct form (and rejects it), will have evidence against him. Whoever dies without having heard the message, or having heard it in a distorted form, then his case is in the hands of Allah. Allah knows best about His creation, and He will never treat anyone unfairly. And Allah is All-Seer of His slaves.

It is not possible to see the new moon with the naked eye before it is 30 hours old, and in addition to that, it is sometimes not possible to see it at all because of the weather conditions. On this basis, is it permissible to resort to using astronomical information to calculate the likely time for sighting the new moon and the start of Ramadan, or do we have to actually sight the new moon before we start fasting the blessed month of Ramadan?

Praise be to Allah.It is permissible to use telescopes etc. to sight the moon, but it is not permissible to rely on astronomical data to confirm the beginning or end of the blessed month of Ramadan, because Allah has not prescribed that for us in His Book or in the Sunnah of His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). What He has prescribed for us is to confirm the beginning and end of Ramadan by sighting the new moon of Ramadan to start fasting, and the new moon of Shawwaal to end the fast and gather to offer the Eid prayers. Allah has made the new moons to mark fixed periods of time for mankind and for the Hajj, so it is not permissible for Muslims to use any other method to determine the times for acts of worship such as fasting, celebrating Eid, performing Hajj, fasting for two months as expiation (kafaarah) for killing someone by mistake or divorcing one’s wife by zihaar, and so on. Allah says (interpretation of the meanings): “… So whoever among you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan), he must observe sawm (fast) that month…” [al-Baqarah 2:185] “They ask you (O Muhammad) about the new moons. Say: these are signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind and for the pilgrimage…” [al-Baqarah 2:189] The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Fast when you see it [the new moon] and stop fasting when you see it, and if it is cloudy then complete the month with thirty days.” On this basis, the one who does not see the new moon from the time it rises on a clear or cloudy night must complete the month (of Sha’baan) with thirty days. (Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/100). This is the case if the sighting of the new moon is not confirmed in another country; if the moon is sighted according to the guidelines of Sharee’ah, then fasting is obligatory, according to the majority of scholars. And Allah knows best.

Since the prophet said "Begin fasting after sighting the moon", how can muslims be fasting one on Tuesday in one part of the world and wednesday in another part. We should all begin our fast at the same time regardless of where we live. We are students in the U.S. and Canada, and we face the same problem every year at the beginning of Ramadaan, because the Muslims are split into three groups:A group that fasts when the new moon is sighted in the city in which they live. A group that fasts when fasting starts in Saudi Arabia. A group that fasts when they hear news from the Muslim students’ union in the U.S. and Canada which watches for the new moon in different parts of America, and as soon as the new moon is sighted in one city, they spread the news to different Islamic centres so that the Muslims in America can start fasting on the same day, despite the great distances between the different cities. Which group should we follow? Whose sighting of the moon should we rely on? Please give us a fatwa, may Allaah reward you.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly: the fact that the moon rises at different times in different places is a well-established fact; no scholar disputes this. However, the scholars differ as to whether this matters or not. Secondly: the question as to whether different times of moonrise is something that matters is a theoretical question in which ijtihaad is permissible. Those who have knowledge of science and religion differ on this matter, and this difference of opinion is permissible; the one who has the correct opinion will have two rewards, one for being right and one for making ijtihaad; the one whose opinion is wrong will still be rewarded for his ijtihaad. The scholars’ differences on this matter may be described as one of two: some of them thought that the differences in the times of the moon’s rising was of significance, and others thought that it was not. Both groups cite evidence from the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and maybe even quote the same text, such as the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “They ask you (O Muhammad) about the new moons. Say: these are signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind and for the pilgrimage…” [al-Baqarah 2:189] and the hadeeth, “Fast when you see it [the new moon] and stop fasting when you see it…” The difference is one of interpretation of the texts, as each group has its own methods of deriving evidence. Thirdly: the committee has looked at the issue of confirming the new moon by calculations and what was said on this matter in the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and they have studied the opinions of the scholars on this matter. They decided unanimously that astronomical calculations do not count when it comes to confirming the new moon for shar'i purposes, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Fast when you see it [the new moon] and stop fasting when you see it…” and also: “Do not fast until you see it [the new moon] and do not stop fasting until you see it…”, and because of the evidence that is derived from these ahaadeeth. The Standing Committee on Scientific Research and Fatwas (al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Iftaa’) thinks that the Muslim students’ union (or any other group representing the Muslim community) in countries where the government is not Islamic should take the place of an Islamic government in the matter of confirming the new moon for the people living in those non-Islamic countries. On the basis of the above, this union has the choice of two options: either to consider the differences in times of moonrise to be of significance, or not to do so. Then they should inform all the Muslims in their country what their opinion is, and the Muslims have to follow what they have been told, so as to unite the Muslims in their fasting and to put an end to disputes and confusion. Everyone who lives in those countries should try to sight the moon in the place where they are living, and if one or more trustworthy persons sight the moon, they should fast according to that and tell the union to spread the news. This is at the beginning of Ramadaan; at the end of the month there has to be two witnesses to see the new moon of Shawwaal or the completion of thirty days of Ramadaan, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Fast when you see it [the new moon] and stop fasting when you see it, and if it is cloudy then complete the month with thirty days.” And Allaah knows best.

What is the iddah period of a woman who deserts her husband? Is the marriage nullified, or must the husband pronounce the divorce, or does a kuli' go into effect?

Praise be to Allah.; If a woman deserts her husband, the marriage contract will not be nullified. It remains valid until the husband divorces the wife, the wife gets a divorce (khul), or the Qaadi (judge ruling according to Islamic shariah) annuls the marriage contract. Allaah knows best.

  Is the hadith about the coming of Mehdi Saheeh? Because I was told by a friend of mine, that it's not and it's a weak hadith.

Praise be to Allah.There are saheeh ahaadeeth that indicate that the Mahdi (peace be upon him) will appear at the end of time. He is one of the signs of the Hour. Among these ahaadeeth are the following:   1. Abu Saeed al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: "At the end of the time of my ummah, the Mahdi will appear. Allah will grant him rain, the earth will bring forth its fruits, he will give a lot of money, cattle will increase and the ummah will become great. He will rule for seven or eight years. (Mustadrak al-Haakim, 4/557-558; he said: this is a hadith whose isnaad is saheeh, although it was not reported by al-Bukhaari and Muslim. Al-Dhahabi agreed with him, and al-Albaani said: this is a saheeh sanad, and its men are thiqaat (trustworthy), Silsilat al-ahaadeeth al-saheehah, vol. 2, p. 336, hadith 771)   2. Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: The Mahdi is one of us, a member of my family. Allah will guide him in a single night." (Musnad Ahmad, 2/58, hadith 645, edited by Ahmad al-Shaakir, who said: its isnaad is saheeh; Sunan Ibn Maajah, 2/1367. This hadith was also classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami al-Sagheer, 6735). Ibn Katheer said: "This means that Allah will forgive him, grant him help, inspire him and guide him, when he was not like this before." (Al-Nihaayah, al-Fitan wal-Malaahim, 1/29; edited by Taha Zayni).   3. Abu Saeed al-Khudri said: "The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: The Mahdi is of my lineage, with a high forehead and a long, thin, curved nose. He will fill the earth with fairness and justice as it was filled with oppression and injustice, and he will rule for seven years." (Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitaab al-Mahdi, 11/375, hadith 4265; Mustadrak al-Haakim, 4/557; he said: this is a saheeh hadith according to the conditions of Muslim, although it was not reported by al-Bukhaari and Muslim. See also Saheeh al-Jaami, 6736).   4. Umm Salamah said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) say: The Mahdi is of my lineage and family, from the descendants of Faatimah." (Sunan Abu Dawud, 11/373; Sunan Ibn Maajah. 2/1368. Al-Albaani said that it is saheeh in Saheeh al-Jaami, 6734)   5. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: Eesaa ibn Maryam will descend, and their leader the Mahdi will say, "Come and lead us in prayer," but he will say, "No, one of them should lead them as an honour to this ummah from Allah."" The version narrated by Muslim says: " Then Eesaa ibn Maryam (Peace be upon him) will descend and their leader will say, Come and lead us in prayer, but he will say, No, some of you are leaders over others as an honour from Allah to this ummah." (Reported by Muslim, 225)   6. Abu Saeed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: "He is one of us, behind whom Eesaa ibn Maryam will pray." (Reported by Abi Naeem in Akhbaar al-Mahdi. Al-Albaani said it is saheeh; see al-Jaami al-Sagheer, 5/219, hadith 5796).   7. Abdullaah ibn Masood reported that the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: "The world will not come to an end until the Arabs are ruled by a man from my family whose name will be the same as mine." (Musnad Ahmad, 5/199, hadith 3573. Another version says: " whose name is the same as mine and whose fathers name is the same as my fathers." Sunan Abi Dawud, 11/370).   The ahaadeeth concerning the appearance of the Mahdi reach the level of Tawaatur in meaning (tawaatur refers to a hadith which was narrated by so many people through so many isnaads that it is inconceivable that they could all have agreed on a lie). The imaams and scholars of this ummah have stated this, and a few of their comments are quoted below:   1. Al-Haafiz Abul-Hasan al-Aabiri said: "The mutawaatir reports from the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) describing the Mahdi are very many. They state that the Mahdi will be of his family, that he will rule for seven years, that he will fill the earth with justice, that Eesaa ibn Maryam will emerge and help him to kill the Dajjaal, and that he will lead this ummah in prayer and Eesaa will pray behind him."   2. Muhammad al-Barzanji said, in his book al-Ishaaah li Ashraat al-Saaah: "The major signs and the signs that will be immediately followed by the Hour: these signs are many, of which the Mahdi will be the first. Know that the ahaadeeth that have been narrated about him in various reports are numerous." He also said: "You know that the ahaadeeth which speak of the Mahdi, his appearance at the end of time, and his lineage and descent from the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) via Faatimah reach the level of tawaatur in meaning, so there is no point in denying them."   3. Al-Allaamah Muhammad al-Safaareeni said: "There are so many reports which speak of the appearance of the Mahdi that they reach the level of tawaatur in meaning; they are very popular among the scholars of Sunnah and have become part of their faith." Then he quotes a number of ahaadeeth and reports about the appearance of the Mahdi and the names of the Sahaabah from whom they were narrated: "Many reports were narrated from the Sahaabah whose names were mentioned and others whose names were not mentioned, may Allah be pleased with them all, and from the Taabieen after them, all of which proves that this is definitive knowledge. Belief in the appearance of the Mahdi is obligatory, as it has been confirmed by the scholars and is listed among the beliefs of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamaaah."   4. Al-Allaamah al-Mujtahid al-Shawkaani said: "The ahaadeeth that we have come across that speak of the awaited Mahdi reach the level of tawaatur, including fifty saheeh, hasan and daeef munjabar ahaadeeth. There are mutawaatir without a doubt; indeed they are more mutawaatir than others, according to all the standards of usool. There are also many reports from the Sahaabah that speak about the Mahdi and that reach the level of marfoo, so there is no room for individual opinions in such an issue."   5. Al-Allaamah al-Shaykh Siddeeq Hasan Khaan said: "Even though there are different versions of reports concerning the Mahdi, they are so many that they reach the level of tawaatur in meaning. They are to be found in al-Sunan and other books of Islam."   6. Al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Jafar al-Kattaani said: "The conclusion is that the ahaadeeth narrated concerning the Mahdi are mutawaatir, as are the ahaadeeth concerning the Dajjaal and the descent of Eesaa ibn Maryam, upon whom be peace." (See Ashraat al-Saaah by Yoosuf ibn Abdullaah al-Waabil, pp. 195-203).   You should be aware that some liars have fabricated ahaadeeth about the Mahdi, and others have even claimed to be he, or that he belongs to a group other than Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamaaah. Some of these "false mahdis" have tried to deceive the slaves of Allah for some worldly gain and to distort the picture of Islaam. Some have started movements and revolutions and gathered those people and supporters whom they were able to deceive. Then they were destroyed, and their lies and falsehood were exposed. None of this affects the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamaaah in the Mahdi, upon whom be peace, and that he will undoubtedly appear and rule the earth in accordance with Islamic Shareeah. And Allah knows best.

Is it permissible for the imam to read from the Quran during Tarawih prayers in Ramadan? Are prayers not accepted if the Imam reads from Quran during Tarawih prayers?

Praise be to Allah.There is nothing wrong with reading from the Mus-haf during night prayers in Ramadaan, because this will make the members of the congregation hear all of the Qur’aan. The Qur’aan and Sunnah indicate that Qur’aan should be recited in prayer, whether it is from the Mus-haf or from memory. It was proven that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) told her freed slave Dhakwaan to lead her in praying qiyaam in Ramadaan, and he used to read from the Mus-haf. Al-Bukhaari mentioned this in his Saheeh…

What is the ruling in a case where the fiancée puts the condition that there should be a dog in the marital home?

Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Jibreen, may Allaah preserve him, who replied as follows: This is an invalid condition, and if he has got married on this condition, he does not have to fulfil it.

In our centre we pray salat'u tarewea but one of the boy's who actas a Immam used to trim his beard inspite that he is good reciter of quran and also has a good voice. 1. The question is shall we allow him to act as imam beside that there is the altenative of boys who can act as imam. 2. My wife is preganent in our second months she can only fast few days what shall I do to rectify her due days which she didn't fast.

Praise be to Allah. If your imaam shaves his beard, then you should advise him to let it grow, in adherence to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). If he refuses, then ask someone else who can recite Qur'aan well, even if he has not memorized as much or does not have as beautiful a voice. If you cannot find anyone but this man who can recite well, then let him lead the prayers, but keep advising him. May Allaah guide him to follow the sunnah and become a leader who sets the right example. One of the scholars was asked the following question: We are led in prayer by a man who shaves his beard. Are we permitted to pray behind him or not? He answered: If this man who shaves his beard is the official permanent imaam in a mosque, you should try to replace him with someone better, and look for someone who is righteous and qualified, and free of this sin, who could be appointed as the imaam. If he is an imaam who always leads the prayers in an office or school, leading zuhr prayers during work hours, then first of all you should advise him of how abhorrent his action is. If he then persists, then try to find someone else who does not have this fault, even if he is less skilled in recitation. But if this is a situation where he is leading the prayers only once, then there is nothing wrong with praying behind him if he goes forward to lead the prayer and you cannot find anyone better than him. In general, such a prayer should be good enough, in sha Allaah, but you should know that you have to advise him and every other Muslim who falls into the error of committing this sin or others. And Allaah knows best. (Fataawa Islaamiyyah, 1/393) A pregnant woman is excused from fasting, and all she has to do is make up the fast later on. See the book titled "70 Issues Relating to Fasting" under the topic of "Women's fasting," page 34 (Section 17 in English Translation), first paragraph. And Allaah knows best.

What should a Muslim do if he moves from one country to another during Ramadan, where the people started fasting on a different day?

Praise be to Allah.If a person finds himself in a country where the people have already started fasting, he must fast with them, because he must follow the ruling of the country he is in. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Fast when the people fast, break your fast when the people break their fast, and offer your sacrifice when the people offer their sacrifice.” (Reported by Abu Dawood with a jayyid isnaad; there are corroborating reports narrated by Abu Dawood and others). Suppose that he moved from a country where he had begun fasting with the people there, and went to another country. He has to either break his fast or continue fasting according to the ruling of the people in the country to which he has travelled, even if they end their fast earlier than the country where he started fasting. But if it turns out that he has fasted less than twenty-nine days, he must make up the fasts later on, because the hijri month cannot be less than twenty-nine days.

What is the importance of 13th, 21st, 22nd, and27th of the Islamic month of Rajab.

Praise be to Allah. There is nothing special about these particular days at all. All the days of Rajab are special, with no exception, because Rajab is one of the Sacred Months, like Dhoo’l- Qi’dah, Dhoo’l-Hijjah and Muharram. The thirteenth day of each month - not just Rajab - is one of the three Ayyaam al-Beed (white days) on which it is encouraged to fast. These days are the 13th, 14th, and 15th of each hijri month. Many of those who follow bid’ah (innovations) think that there is something special about certain days and do special acts of worship on those days, with no sound Islaamic basis or evidence (daleel). Their deeds are not acceptable, because they have innovated something in the religion of Allaah without the permission of Allaah. We ask Allaah to help us follow the Sunnah and avoid bid’ah. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad .

What is your view on the practice of burning a tray of coal that emits smoke, which is used to cover every nook and corner of the house, especially on Thursday nights? It is believed that this practice will rid the house of jinn and shaytan. I have been told that the presence of smoke is one element where it is the food of jinn. Is there a hadeeth (prophetic narration) on this practice?

Praise be to Allah. What you describe is a type of cheating or fraud, which the believer is not permitted to believe in or to do. I warn you against falling into the trap of shaytan. You should read the last two surahs of the Quran and Surat al-Baqarah in the house: this is the strongest protection against shaytan; it will expel him from your house and protect you from his evil by the permission of Allah.

Will brushing your teeth break your fast?

Praise be to Allah.If toothpaste does not get into the throat, then the fast is not broken. However, it would be better to use toothpaste at night and to use Siwak in the day time. May Allah guide us to His obedience! For more, please see these answers: 13619 , 13767  , 363474  , and 82308 .

I have diabetes type II which is NIDM non-insulin dependent diabetes, I don't use any medicine, I only control diet and I do little physical exercise to keep in right level of my sugar(blood). I have had this disease for one year and two months. Last Ramadan I fasted some days but I could not continue due to my low level of sugar(blood). This year I feel good (Alhamdu Lillah) I ONLY feel pain in my brain during fasting!? So my question is, is it my DUTY to fast despite my disease? Can I test my blood during fasting times; "causing blood to come from my fingers"?

Praise be to Allah.Can sick people break the fast? It is prescribed for sick people not to fast in Ramadan, if fasting will cause harm or make the sickness worse, or if they need treatment during the day in the form of medicine or pills that must be swallowed. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe Sawm (fasts) must be made up] from other days” [al-Baqarah 2:185] Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah loves people to avail themselves of His concessions (rukhsah) just as He hates them to commit sin.” According to another version, “As He loves His commands to be obeyed.”  Can we check sugar during fasting? With regard to taking blood from veins for testing etc., the correct view is that this does not break the fast, but if it is done often, it is better to leave it until night-time. If it is done during the day then to be on the safe side that day should be made up, because this is akin to cupping.” (Fatwa of Shaykh Ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him), from Fatawa Islamiyyah, vol. 2, p. 139)  Can diabetics fast? Sickness is of various kinds:  That which does not affect the fast, such as a light cold or mild headache or toothache, and the like. In this case it is not permissible to break the fast, even though some of the scholars permitted that because of the ayah (interpretation of the meaning): “and whoever is ill…”[al-Baqarah 2:185] But we say that this ruling is based on a reason, which is that not fasting is easier. If that is the case, then we would say that not fasting is better, but if fasting does not have an effect on him then it is not permissible to break the fast, and he has to fast.  If fasting is difficult for the sick person, but it does not harm him, then it is makruh for him to fast and it is Sunnah for him to break his fast.  If fasting is difficult for him and will cause him harm , such as a man who has kidney disease or diabetes and similar cases where fasting will cause harm. In this case fasting is haram. Hence we may see that some mujtahids and sick people make a mistake when fasting is difficult for them and may harm them, but they refuse to break their fast. We say that they are mistaken because they refuse to accept the kindness of Allah and the concession that He has given to them, and they are harming themselves, although Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And do not kill yourselves”[al-Nisa 4:29] (Al-Sharh al-Mumti’ by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin, vol. 6, 352-254) And Allah knows best.

A woman sees some liquids (yellow color) in her underware while she is not in period. This frequently happens to her and causes a real difficulty for praying specially out side the home and as you know women in this country go out of their home frequently. What is the judgment on these liquids (pure or inpure) and should she change the underwar every time!? and What is the status of her wudu?

Praise be to Allah. What is well-known is that the scholars say that everything that is discharged from the front and back passages is naajis (impure) except for one thing, semen, which is taahir (pure); apart from that everything else that has substance is naajis and breaks one’s wudoo’. On this basis, whatever fluid comes out of a woman is naajis and requires her to renew her wudoo’. This is what I understand after researching the issue with some scholars and consulting reference material. However, I did not feel entirely comfortable about this issue, because some women always have this discharge; if this is the case, then she should handle it as incontinence is handled: if she has wudoo’ she should wash her private parts when the time for prayer comes, and be careful not to let the urine contaminate her. This is similar to the advice that the Prophet gave to the woman suffering from istihaadah (abnormal non-menstrual bleeding). Having also discussed the matter with some doctors, it is clear that if the discharge is from the bladder, the woman should do as described above; if it is from the vagina then she must perform wudoo’ because of it, but the discharge is taahir and she does not have to wash her clothes if it gets on them.

We would like to ask you to explain to us whether what we do during mourning ceremonies or obsequies is correct according to sharee’ah. We do the following: We recite Soorat al-Faatihah over the grave of the deceased. The offering of condolences may last for three days or more, and we eat and drink during the mourning ceremonies. Twenty-five riyaals are collected from each person and the money is given to the family of the deceased. We slaughter a sheep or similar animal three days after the death. We gather pebbles whilst saying “Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah” out loud, and put them on the grave of the deceased. The women raise their voices, weeping and wailing, and they strike their cheeks and eulogize the deceased. The women wear clothes of coarse black cloth as a sign of mourning. The women do not do any kind of work during their ‘iddah period, such as preparing food or doing any other kind of work that is usually done by women.

Praise be to Allah.There are jaahili customs, or reprehensible innovations, and you have to give them up and explain to others that they are wrong. With regard to reciting Qur’aan over the grave of the deceased, this is not permissible, and none of the Salaf did this. If it were good to do this, they would have done it before us. It has been reported that Soorat Yaa-Seen should be recited for the person who is dying, before his soul departs, but after he has died and when he is being buried and after the burial, there is nothing that should be recited, and one should not tell him to say “Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah” and so on. Offering condolences is Sunnah, but it need not be during the mourning ceremonies. Condolences may be offered to the family of the deceased in all places. There is nothing wrong with all the relatives of the deceased gathering together in one place so that people may come and offer their condolences, but they should not gather for the purpose of eating. Food should be prepared only for the immediate family of the deceased; it is makrooh for them to offer food to others. There is no need to gather this money from everyone, unless the family are poor, in which case they may be given zakaat funds. It is not permissible to slaughter this sheep, whether it is from the wealth of the deceased or from someone else. But if food is prepared for the family of the deceased, from one or more animals, there is nothing wrong with this. Collecting these pebbles, and making dhikr whilst doing so, and putting them on the grave – this is a reprehensible innovation (bid’ah) which must be given up and denounced. Raising one’s voice in wailing and lamenting, striking the cheeks and eulogizing the deceased are all bid’ah and actions of the jaahiliyyah. It was reported in a hadeeth: “He is not one of us who strikes his cheeks, rends his garments and calls with the call of the jaahiliyyah.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1294, Fath 3/163; Muslim, 103; Ahmad, 1/244). Wearing black as a sign of mourning for the deceased is bid’ah; but the wives of the deceased should avoid wearing fancy or adorned clothes, jewellery, makeup and perfume during their period of mourning. It is bid’ah for women to avoid their usual work and activities; the newly-widowed woman can still prepare food, clean the house, wash the dishes, do laundry, etc. There is nothing wrong with her doing that. And Allaah knows best.

What is the ruling on a person who testifies that there is no god except Allaah and establishes regular prayers, but he does not pay zakaah and does not accept that? What is the Islamic ruling on such a person if he dies – can the funeral prayer be offered for him or not?

Praise be to Allah.Zakaah is one of the pillars of Islam. If a person does not do it because he does not believe that it is obligatory, the ruling should be explained to him and if he persists, then he is a kaafir, and the funeral prayer cannot be offered for him and he cannot be buried in the Muslim graveyard. But if he does not pay zakaah because he is stingy, but he believes that it is obligatory, then he is a sinner who is guilty of a major sin and he is a wrong doer, but he is not a kaafir. Therefore he should be washed (ghusl) and the funeral prayer should be offered for him if he dies in this state, and his case will be decided on the Day of Resurrection.

What is the ruling on paying zakah on money loaned to someone who is going through difficulties and may take years to repay? What is the ruling on paying zakah on money loaned to a rich man who is delaying repayment? What is the ruling on a loan given to someone who one knows is rich and will pay it back – of course, after one year has passed?

Praise be to Allah.If the debtor is going through difficulty or is rich but is delaying repayment, and it is not possible to get the money back from him, either because there is not sufficient evidence to get the matter resolved through the courts, or because one has evidence but the authorities will not help him to get it back, as is the cases in some countries where the authorities do not support people’s rights, zakah does not have to be paid until the loan is recovered and one hijri year has passed. If, however, the debtor is rich and it is possible to recover the loan, then it is obligatory to pay zakah on the money each time a year passes, if the loan reaches the level of nisaab either by itself or when added to one’s other money and other wealth. Allah is the Source of strength. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.

I raise lambs on our farm and have been asked by a group of Muslims to sell them our lambs , my question do I have to have anything special in order to let them slaughter on my farm[have a state inspector check the lambs or the facility]I would like to sell lambs but I don't want the hassle with the state agriculture dept. Thank you

Praise be to Allah.It would be a great deed, If you can allow Muslims slaughter lamp according to Islamic Laws. If you can not, the only thing you can do is to sell them the lambs so they could take care of the matter on their own. However, I urge you to try to ease matters as much as possible for Muslims so they could slaughter the lamps at your farm, for they may not be able to find as suitable of a place as your farm. May Allaah guide us and you to all the good deeds.

We are from Fall River High School in California. We would like to know about the materials used in making Islamic bridal dresses as well as any religious significance they might have. Thank You

Praise be to Allah.There isn't any special material in Islam for wedding cloths. Islamic Sharee'a( Ruling ) is merciful not to place such provisions. However, there are general guidelines like forbidding men from wearing items that are specific to women such natural silk or gold since both degrade manhood. Furthermore; women are forbidden to dress like men. All of this is based on the concern of the Islamic Sharee'a to distinguish between the two sexes since the removal of such distinction is primary causes for corruption and decadence.

What is the ruling on a matter where a man does not have to fast because of medical reasons yet forces his wife to have relations while she is fasting ?

Praise be to Allah.It is not permitted for the husband to do this no matter what condition he is in since fasting is obligatory on her. If he requires to have sexual intercourse, then it must be between Magrep and Fajr during Ramadaan.

What is the ruling regarding using soap products (ex. hand and bath soaps) that contain pig (khanzeer) by-products or some of the ingredients in the soap originate from pigs.

Praise be to Allah.You will find the answer to your question by reviwing question #210. In summery, the most accurate answer is that it is not permissible to use such soap or products. Allaah knows best.

We have date palms which are growing near the sanitary waste flow.  Is it permissible to eat of their dates?

Praise be to Allah. Yes, it is permissible to eat of the dates of the trees which are irrigated with water from the sanitary waste flow because if there is no taste or smell, that means that the najaasah (impurity) has disappeared.

I would like to ask you if wearing perfume such as CK Eternity, or Aramis which contains Alcohol SD, or Alcohol denat.

Praise be to Allah.We need to talk at length about the issue of perfumes that are said to contain cologne or alcohol . If the percentage of alcohol in perfume is very little, we say that it does not matter, and a person may use them without any concern, such as if the alcohol content is 5% or less. This does not matter. If the percentage of alcohol in perfume is very high, so that you can detect it, then it is better not to use it except where it is necessary, such as for sterilizing wounds and the like. In cases where it is not necessary, it is better not to use it, but we do not say that it is haram. The most we can say is that this high alcohol content is an intoxicant, and no doubt consuming intoxicants is haram according to the texts of Islam and the consensus of the scholars, but is using it in ways other than drinking it permissible? This is open to speculation, but to be on the safe side we should not use it. If you say that it is open to speculation because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! Intoxicants, gambling, al-ansab [animals that are sacrificed on stone altars for idols], and al-azlam [arrows for seeking luck or decision], are an abomination of Shaytan’s handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful. Shaytan wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from al-salah (the prayer). So will you not then abstain?” [al-Maidah 5:90-91], then we look at the general meaning of the phrase ‘So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination), and say that alcohol should be avoided in all cases, whether it is drunk or applied to the skin, or used in some other way.  If we look at the reason why, Allah says, “Shaytan wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from the prayer. So will you not then abstain?”  We may understand this to mean that only drinking it is forbidden , because applying it to the skin does not lead to that (enmity and hatred, etc.). So, in conclusion, we say that if the percentage of alcohol in this perfume is low, there is no need to worry about using it, but if it is high, then it is better to avoid it unless it is for a need, such as sterilizing wounds and the like. And Allah knows best.

I have heard that there are ahaadeeth which indicate that it is allowed to recite the Qur’aan in a melodious voice (taghanni). How are we to understand these ahaadeeth?

Praise be to Allah.Reciting in a melodious voice (taghanni) may mean: 1 – Making the voice beautiful when reciting, whilst reciting aloud in a tone that conveys the feelings of humility, softening of the heart and sadness, without making too much effort or exaggerating. Taghanni means reciting aloud, as it was narrated in Saheeh Muslim that Abu Hurayrah said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah does not listen to anything (more approvingly) than He listens to a Prophet reciting the Qur’aan aloud in a melodious voice…”  This indicates that we are commanded and encouraged to make our voices beautiful when reciting Qur’aan. This hadeeth clearly states the meaning of taghanni. The phrase “reciting aloud” explains it. Reciting aloud means raising one’s voice when reciting and making it beautiful, in a natural manner with no artifice, which one enjoys and finds pleasure in. Before the Qur’aan was revealed, the Arabs used to sing hudaa’ (songs of camel drivers) when riding camels, to make the journey pass more quickly when they were sitting in their saddles, and so on. But when the Qur’aan was revealed, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) wanted to make them focus on the Qur’aan and raise their voices and make them beautiful when reciting it. He wanted that to take the place of singing, whilst paying attention to the correctness of the recitation. So in place of the pleasure of singing, they were given the pleasure of reciting Qur’aan, just as everything forbidden was replaced with something that was better for them. So istikhaarah was prescribed in place of seeking decisions from azlaam (arrows for divination) and marriage in place of fornication, and so on. 2 – It may be that what is meant by taghanni is that which resembles singing and music, and impressing others with the tune, without understanding and without any humility, as mentioned in the hadeeth which describes the Signs of the Hour. 3 – It is unlikely that taghanni means being content with the Qur’aan alone and having no need of people, because the meaning is different and is linguistically unacceptable. This making the voice melodious in recitation should be done in a natural manner, not by means of teaching and training according to the rules of music. Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned that reciting Qur’aan with a tune and in a melodious voice, if it is done naturally with no exaggeration or special teaching or training, then it is permissible. If extra effort is added to the natural tone to make it more beautiful, such as when Abu Moosa al-Ash’ari said to the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “If I had known (you were listening), I would have made it more beautiful for you,” then that is OK. But if the reciting in a melodious voice is done in an artificial manner, with special training and musical rhythms, this is something which the salaf despised, and which they criticized and condemned. It is known that the salaf used to recite the Qur’aan in a sad tone, making their voices beautiful and giving it a sad tone sometimes and a joyful tone sometimes. This is something natural. Defining the meaning of making the voice melodious (taghanni) (a)I say: there is no dispute concerning the validity of the fatwa of Imaam Maalik which is based on the hadeeth of the Signs of the Hour, with its various isnaads, and which states that it is not permitted to recite with a musical tune and following the rules of music in a manner that goes beyond the limits of recitation and correct pronunciation, and does not befit the dignity of the Qur’aan. (b)The ahaadeeth of Anas and Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with them both) refer to the recitation of the Khawaarij, who used to recite the Qur’aan throughout the night and day, but it did not go any deeper than their throats or collar bones, because they did not have knowledge of the Sunnah which clarifies matters, so they were deprived of proper understanding and the reward for recitation. In the ahaadeeth it says that they would exit from the religion like an arrow passing through its target. The ahaadeeth contain the command to kill them and says that they are the most evil of creation, even though you would think that your prayer and your recitation are as nothing when compared with their prayer and recitation.  This is the description of the Khawaarij and those who are like them. Ibn Taymiyah said: the hadeeth about the Khawaarij is saheeh in ten different isnaads, which were narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh, and some of which were narrated by al-Bukhaari. The Khawaarij used to denounce the Muslims as kaafirs merely for committing sins, but they were the followers of bid’ah (innovations) and misinterpretations who had split away from the mainstream of the ummah. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound in our religious commitment and their worldly affairs. This is a description which applies only to the Khawaarij and those who are like them. The reciters nowadays are not like this as far as we know. (c)The fatwa of Imaam Ahmad has to do with distorting the letters and exaggerating elongated vowels, which results from altering the letters and elongating them too much, which takes the recitation beyond what is correct. This fatwa states that it is emphatically disliked, as al-Qaadi Abu Ya’laa said. This refers to someone who goes to extremes and whose recitation is not correct, because he adds letters, such as adding waw and alif to the word Muhammad, making it Moohaamad. This is haraam, according to consensus. At the time of Imaam Ahmad, the people used to sing poetry and elongate the letters however they wished. Ishaaq al-Mawsili criticized Ibraaheem ibn al-Mahdi for doing that, because he distorted the words from the way they should be in Arabic. And denouncing that in the case of reciting Qur’aan in a melodious voice is more essential, and this problem does not exist nowadays, praise be to Allaah. (d)Ibn Taymiyah said: the kind of tune which the scholars regard as makrooh for reciting Qur’aan in is that which involves shortening long letters, lengthening short letters, giving a vowel to a silent letter, or making a vowelled letter silent, in order to make it fit the rules of music. If that also involves changing the way the Qur’aan should be recited and elongating the vowels, then this is haraam. Reconciling between the evidence which says it is forbidden and the evidence which says it is allowed There is no contradiction between the evidence which says it is forbidden and the evidence which says it is allowed if the prohibition applies to that which goes beyond the limits of correct recitation, whether by adding or taking away, or by neglecting an obligatory rule, or by going against the well-established rules of recitation.  The prohibition also applies to that which is recited according to the rules of music, even if it is without the accompaniment of instruments, to make the voice tremble or quaver, or exaggerating in going along with a particular musical key which is in the reciter’s mind whilst he is reciting. The permission applies only to that which is in accordance with the rules of sound recitation whilst making the voice beautiful.  If what is meant by giving a tune is adding or taking away anything, or going against the well-established rules of recitation, this is haraam. If I mean making the voice melodious in recitation (taghanni), in order to make the listener feel happy or sad, or to soften his heart or to make the recitation attractive whilst also pondering the meanings and reflecting humility, then it is mustahabb, so long as it does not distort the meaning or change the pronunciation, or follow the rules of music. Al-Suyooti said: Reciting Qur’aan with a tune and with beautiful, quavering voices, so long as it does not deviate from the correct way of reciting, is a good way (Sunnah hasanah); if it does deviate from the correct way of reciting, then it is haraam and is an evil deed.  And he said in Sharh al-Risaalah: From the comments of the imams it may be understood that making the voice beautiful whilst paying attention to the rules of music and also following the rules of recitation is an area that is subject to scholarly dispute. Some of the scholars said that this is different from the way of the salaf, because the reader may neglect to recite properly, so they said that this was not permitted, in order to prevent the means that may lead to something haraam.  But making the voice beautiful whilst reciting Qur’aan, without paying attention to the rules of music is what is required, and there is no dispute concerning this. Ibn Qudaamah said: the scholars are agreed that it is mustahabb to read Qur’aan with a sad tone, with a measured pace and with a beautiful voice. I say: this is taken from the hadeeth of Buraydah, “Recite the Qur’aan in a sad tone for it was revealed with sadness.” And the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas: “The best of people in reciting Qur’aan is the one who recites it in a sad tone.” But these hadeeths are both da’eef (weak) and the first one is da’eef jiddan (very weak).

My parents bought me a car which they pay intest on the car till now. Is it permissable to continue using the car or not? because they pay the financing.

Praise be to Allah.So long as the purchase with interest has been made and it is not possible to go back on that, you can use the car, but you must advise your parents and explain to them that ribaa is haraam, so that they will not do this again. And Allaah knows best.

So far I have learned 33 of the 99 Arabic names for Allah (SWT), I don't have a list of the rest. Where can I find it on the internet, or perhaps you know them?

Praise be to Allah.Allaah has many names, all of which are indicative of His Greatness, Perfection and Majesty, may He be glorified and exalted. He has told us some of these Names in His Book and through the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him); He also has other Names which are known only to Him, as is indicated in the hadeeth of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 'There is nobody who is afflicted with distress or grief and who says: "Allaahumma inni 'abduka wa ibn 'abdika wa ibn amatika, naasiyati bi yadika maadin fiyya hukmuka 'adlun fiyya qadaa'uka, as'aluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka aw 'allamtahu ahadan min khalqika aw anzaltahu fi kitaabika aw asta'tharta bihi fi 'ilmi al-ghaybi 'indaka an taj'al al-Qur'aana rabee'a qalbi wa noor sadri wa jilaa'a huzni wa dhihaaba hammi (O Allaah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, son of Your maidservant, my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is ever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the Unseen with You, that You make the Qur'aan the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety," - but Allaah will take away his distress and grief, and replace it with ease.' He was asked, 'O Messenger of Allaah, should we not learn it?' He said, 'Of course, whoever hears it should learn it.'" (Reported by Imaam Ahmad; this is a saheeh hadeeth). The Names of Allaah mentioned in the Qur'aan and Sunnah number over one hundred, as several scholars have agreed (see Al-Qawaa'id al-Muthlaa fi Sifaat Allaahi wa Asmaa'ihi by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih ibn 'Uthaymeen). Among these are ninety-nine names which, if one learns them and acts in accordance with them, will bring a great reward, as is indicated in the hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), in which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah has ninety-nine names, one hundred less one; whoever learns them will enter Paradise." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, no. 2736) The learning referred to in the hadeeth includes the following: Memorizing them. Understanding their meanings. Acting upon them: so if a person learns that Allaah is al-Ahad (the One and Only), he will not associate anything else with Him; if he learns that He is al-Razzaaq (the Provider), he will not seek provision from anyone else; if he learns that He is al-Raheem (the Most Merciful), he will not despair of His Mercy, and so on. Calling upon Allaah by these Names, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): "And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allaah, so call on Him by them" [al-A'raaf 7:180] - so one might say "Yaa Rahmaan arhamni (O Most Merciful, have mercy on me)," "Yaa Ghafoor ighfir li (O All-Forgiving, forgive me)," "Yaa Tawwaab, tubb 'alayya (O Accepter of Repentance, turn towards me in forgiveness)," and so on. If you pay attention to the endings of many aayaat, you will find many of the names of Allah mentioned there. And Allaah knows best.

I would be very grateful if you could advise me on the fundamental differences between the main sects of Islam, although I know that originally Islam was a unified religion. Thankyou.

Praise be to Allah.The answer to your question is lengthy and deserves a book to itself. We cannot answer in details here, but we can say the following in brief: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us beforehand that this Ummah would be divided as the previous nations were divided, as stated in the saheeh hadeeth: Wahb ibn Baqiyyah told us from Khaalid from Muhammad ibn ‘Amr from Abu Salamah from Abu Hurayrah who said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Jews were divided into seventy-one or seventy-two sects, and the Christians were divided into seventy-one or seventy-two sects, and my Ummah will be divided into seventy-three sects.” This was narrated by Abu Dawood in his Sunan, Kitaab al-Sunnah, Baab Sharh al-Sunnah. It was reported from ‘Awf ibn Maalik who said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Jews were divided into seventy-one sects, one of which is in Paradise and seventy are in the Fire. The Christians were divided into seventy-two sects, seventy-one of which are in the Fire and one is in Paradise. By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, my Ummah will be divided into seventy-three sects, one of which will be in Paradise and seventy-two will be in the Fire.” It was said, O Messenger of Allaah, who are they? He said, “Al-Jamaa’ah.” Sunan Ibn Maajah, no. 3982. What is meant by al-Jamaa’ah is the ‘aqeedah and actions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his Companions. Among the sects that claim to belong to Islam are those who are misguided with regard to the Unity of Allaah (Tawheed) and His Names and Attributes; they say that everything that exists is Allaah and that He is incarnate or present in His creation – glorified be He far above what they say. On the contrary, He is above His heavens, settled on His throne, distinct from His creation. Others are misguided with regard to eeman (faith) and say that deeds are separate from faith and that faith does not increase or decrease. The correct view is that faith consists of words and deeds; it increases when one does acts of obedience to Allaah and decreases when one commits sin. Others are misguided by their declaring that the person who commits sin goes beyond the pale of Islam and is doomed to eternity in the Fire. The correct view is that the one who commits a major sin – apart from shirk and al-kufr al-akbar – does not go out of Islam. Others are misguided with regard to the issue of al-qadaa’ wa’l-qadar (divine decree), and said that man has no choice in what he does. The correct view is that man has freedom of will on the basis of which he will be called to account and will bear the consequences of his deeds. Others are misguided with regard to the Qur’aan, and say that it is created. The correct view is that it is the words of Allaah, revealed not created. Others are misguided with regard to the Sahaabah, whom they revile and denounce as kaafirs even though they are the companions of the Prophet among whom the Wahy (Revelation) was revealed, and they are the most knowledgeable and the most devoted in worship among this Ummah, and they strove in jihaad for the sake of Allaah and Allaah supported this religion through them – may Allaah be pleased with them all. And there are other groups who deviated from the path of Islam and innovated matters in the religion of Allaah; each of them rejoices in what they have, but they have followed the ways of the Shaytaan and gone against the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): “And verily, this is My straight path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His path. This He has ordained for you that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)” [al-An’aam 6:153] We ask Allaah to make us among the followers of the Sunnah who will be saved from the Fire, and to admit us to Paradise among the righteous. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

I work in the restaurant business (12 hour shifts) and I am constantly dirtied by pork products. What are my salaat requirements? Can I perform all five prayers as athaa at the end of the day, after I have bathed?

Praise be to Allah.You have to do the five prayers at the proper times, after removing the najaasah (impure things) from yourself and purifying yourself as Allaah has commanded. You should also look for another job from which you can earn halaal provision, because cooking and serving pork is haraam and is not allowed. (See Questins #s 1883, 751).  May Allaah help us and you to do all that pleases  Him, and keep us away from things which will earn His anger and wrath.

What do you give for zakatul fitr? Is it money or grain? and what about if you don`t know any body to be given? Is it permissable to give it to the masjid or a kaafir homeless, or kaair in general?

Praise be to Allah.Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) made giving a saa’ of dates or a saa’ of barley as Zakat al-Fitr an obligation for all Muslims, slave and free, male and female, young and old, and ordered that it should be given before the people went out to pray (Salaat al-Eid).” (Al-Bukhaari, 1503). Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “We used to pay as Zakat al-Fitr a saa’ of food or a saa’ of barley (which was their food at that time) or a saa’ or dates or a saa’ of aqit (dried yoghurt) or a saa’ of raisins.” (1506) From this it is clear that Zakat al-Fitr must be food, not money, so we must adhere to what has been recorded in the Sunnah. So give one saa’ of whatever is the staple food in your country, such as rice or wheat, for example, on behalf of yourself and each member of your household. (A saa’ is equivalent to approximately 3 kilograms). It is not permissible to give it to anyone except a needy Muslim. If you cannot find anyone in your own country, you can delegate someone else to give it on your behalf in another country. May Allah help us and you to do the duties that He loves. And Allah knows best.

Will Allah accept the prayer and good deeds of a person who is continually committing sin such as fornification eventhough in his/her heart the person is aware that he/she is sinning and is full of guilt and tries his/her very best not to continue committing such sin. Except for this weakness this person tries to be a good muslim e.g. never misses daily prayers, giving out time and money towards the cause of Allah, never take alcohol or other un-halal foods etc.

Praise be to Allah.Yes, Allaah will accept whatever righteous deeds he does, such as praying, fasting, giving charity etc., and He will also accept his repentance, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “And He it is Who accepts repentance from His slaves, and forgives sins, and He knows what you do.” [al-Shooraa 42:25]. But there is the condition that his repentance must be sincere. Does this person truly regret what he has done? Is he indeed determined not to repeat the sin? Has he, I wonder, gotten rid of everything that may lead him to sin, such as relationships, addresses, telephone numbers, going to evil places, bad friends, movies, pictures and so on? What we believe is that if this person truly repents, he will give up this sin. Zina is one of the worst kinds of immoral deeds. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And come not near to the unlawful sexual intercourse. Verily, it is a faahishah [i.e., anything that transgresses its limits, a great sin], and an evil way (that leads one to Hell unless Allaah forgives him).” [al-Isra’ 17:32]. Married people who commit zina (adultery) are to be punished with the worst and most severe form of punishment, which is to be stoned to death, so that every part of their bodies may feel pain just as they felt pleasure in a haraam manner even though they were not without a halaal source of pleasure (i.e., within marriage). Unmarried people who commit zinaa, and had never been married before, are to be given the maximum number of lashes prescribed in sharee’ah, which is one hundred lashes. In addition, they are subjected to the humiliation of having their punishment witnessed by a group of believers, and are to be banished for one full year from their city, the place where they committed the crime. The punishment for those who are guilty of zinaa in Barzakh (i.e., after death and before the Day of Resurrection) is that they will be in an oven, the top of which is narrow and the bottom of which is wide. A fire will be lit under it, and they will be naked in (that oven). When the fire is lit, they will scream and rise up until they almost come out of the oven, then when the fire subsides, they will go back down into it. This is what will keep happening to them until the Hour begins. So how will their punishment be in the Fire of Hell itself? We ask Allaah not to despise us and to accept our repentance; we ask Him to help us to do good and to avoid evil, for He is the All-Hearing, Ever-Near.

what would be a good du'a or ayah to recite if you want Allah to open the heart of someone very close to you to Islam?

Praise be to Allah.The best thing to do in this situation is to pray for guidance for that person. This is what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did, as is reported in a number of ahadeeth, such as the following: Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that Tufayl ibn Amr al-Dawsi and his companions came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allaah, Daws have rebelled and disobeyed, so pray to Allaah against them. People said, Now Daws are doomed! He said, O Allaah, guide Daws and bring them here. (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 2937). Abu Hurayrah said: I was calling my mother to Islam, when she was still a mushrik. One day I called her to Islam and she said something about the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that upset me. I came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), weeping, and said: O Messenger of Allaah, I was calling my mother to Islam and she refused. Today I called her and she said something about you that upset me. Pray to Allaah to guide the mother of Abu Hurayrah. So the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: O Allaah, guide the mother of Abu Hurayrah. I left, feeling hopeful because of the Prophets prayer. When I got home, as I came near to the door I saw it was ajar. My mother heard my footsteps and said, Stay where you are, Abu Hurayrah! I could hear the sound of water. She washed herself, got dressed and put on her khimaar (head covering). Then she opened the door and said, O Abu Hurayrah, I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. I went back to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), weeping with joy, and said, O Messenger of Allaah, good news! Allaah has answered your prayer and has guided the mother of Abu Hurayrah. He praised and thanked Allaah, and said, That is good. I said, O Messenger of Allaah, pray to Allaah to make my mother and me dear to His believing slaves, and to make them dear to us. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, O Allaah, make this slave of Yours (meaning Abu Hurayrah) and his mother dear to Your believing slaves, and make the believers dear to them. There is no believer who hears of me or sees me, but he loves me. (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 4546). Jaabir said: They said, O Messenger of Allaah, we have suffered much from the arrows of Thaqeef (this was when they were fighting, before they became Muslim), so pray to Allaah against them. He said, O Allaah, guide Thaqeef. (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, who said: this is a hasan saheeh ghareeb hadeeth. Sunan al-Tirmidhi, no. 3877). We ask Allaah the Most Generous, Lord of the Mighty Throne, to guide your loved one to Islam soon, by His Grace and Mercy. Allaah is the One Who guides to the Straight Path.

Can you tell me what is the ruling in wearing ties. some people say it is haram and others say no.

Praise be to Allah.The Muslim is supposed to be distinct from non-Muslims in his appearance and clothing, because this is what Islam says. Also, the Muslim should not wear anything that is the distinctive clothing of the kuffaar. With regard to neckties, if a person can do without them, this is better, but if he has to wear them there is nothing wrong with that, in sha Allaah – but he should make sure that they are not made of natural silk and that they do not have crosses or pictures of animate creatures on them. And Allaah knows best.

Why does Islam ,believing that its roots lie with abraham ,nonetheless not believe in the veracity of hebrew scriptures?

Praise be to Allah.Muslims believe in all the Prophets and Messengers without exception; whoever denies any Prophet is a disbeliever. Muslims believe in all the Books that were revealed by Allaah to His Prophets, without exception; whoever denies any Book is a disbeliever. On this basis, Muslims believe in Moosa (Moses) as a Prophet from Allaah, and in the original Torah as a Book from Allaah, and in ‘Eesa (Jesus) as a Prophet from Allaah, and in the original Gospel as a Book from Allaah. When the previous books were distorted and altered because of men’s desires and division among the Jews and Christians, it was no longer possible to rely on them. Allaah abrogated all previous laws (sharee’ahs) when Islam came, and all previous Books when the Qur’aan was revealed. When He sent Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as the final Messenger and Seal of the Prophets, it became obligatory to believe in and follow the Qur’aan which was revealed to him, especially since Allaah has guaranteed to preserve the Qur’aan and protect it from alteration and distortion, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily We: it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e., the Qur’aan) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption).” [al-Hijr 15:9] Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) is the Khaleel (Friend) of Allaah, the Father of the Prophets and the pride of the Muslims. Allaah sent him with the message of Tawheed (Divine unity) just as He sent Moosa, ‘Eesa and Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon them all). The happiest of mankind is one who follows his way, which is Tawheed (belief in Divine unity). Because both the Jews and Christians claimed that Ibraaheem belonged to them, Allaah explained that they were both wrong, giving decisive historical evidence in the aayaat (interpretation of the meaning): “O People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Why do you dispute about Ibraaheem, while the Tawraat and the Injeel were not revealed till after him? Have you then no sense? Verily, you are those who have disputed about that of which you have no knowledge. Why do you then dispute concerning that which you have no knowledge? It is Allaah Who knows, and you know not. Ibraaheem was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim haneefa (Islamic monotheism – worshipping none but Allaah alone), and he was not of al-mushrikoon (polytheists). Verily, among mankind who have the best claim to Ibraaheem are those who followed him, and this Prophet (Muhammad (peace andb lessings of Allaah be upon him) and those who have believed (Muslims). And Allaah is the Wali (Protector and Helper) of the believers.”[Aal ‘Imraan 3:65-68] Become Muslim and you will be saved. Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds.

I read your replay to the question regarding working for a life insurance company. The company I work for provides as part of the benefits package a life insurance policy for all employees. Is this haram on my part even if I had not asked for it? What does one do regarding such a situation if the company does not cancell the policy upon request? May allah bless you for your help.

Praise be to Allah.So long as it is not you who has set up and agreed to the insurance, there is no sin on you working there, so long as the work is permissible. And Allaah knows best.

I want to know is there a starting point for a man who Is interested in the true religion of Islam. I have been given many different answers.

Praise be to Allah.Yes, there is a very important starting-point, which is to pronounce the Shahaadatayn (Declaration of Faith). This is the only answer to your question.  (For more details please see the questions and answers under the heading: ‘Aqeedah (basic tenets of faith) – important matters for those who wish to enter Islam.  We extend the warmest of welcomes to you, and offer our congratulations for the new direction you are about to take. May Allaah protect you from all evil.

Alsalam Alykuym my question is regarding a posting i saw in your website that it is preffered for a Muslim to sleep on his right side and not on his stomach. Is that true? and what if a person due to problems with his back can't sleep except on his stomach? Jazakum Allah Khair

Praise be to Allah.If you have no choice but to sleep on your back, there is nothing wrong with doing so, so long as you are keen to follow the Sunnah and the only reason you cannot put this particular aspect of it into practice is your illness. And Allaah knows best.

Assalamu-'alayka I was wondering about praying salah while reading the quraan (the book in your hands). We have a congregation here and no body has memorized the full Quraan in our community. So, instead, the imam is reading the quraan in his hands during Taraweeh. I heard that this is haraam according to some Hanafi Jurists, and might be makrooh according to others. Sould we just pray the salah with what we know (have memorized)? Please respond urgently to this question, and translate it to English soon also, inshaa-Allaah. Barakallaahu feek.

Praise be to Allah.Al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his Saheeh: Chapter on a slave or freed slave leading the prayer: Aaishah used to be led in prayer by her slave Dhakwaan whilst he was holding the Mus-haf. (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, Kitaab al-Adhaan). Ibn Hijr (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Fath al-Baari Sharh ala Saheeh al-Bukhaari (his commentary on Saheeh al-Bukhaari): The phrase Aaishah used to be  Abu Dawood completed the chain of narration in Kitaab al-Masaahif, via Ayyoob from Ibn Abi Maleekah, who said that Aaishah used to be led in prayer by her slave Dhakwaan whilst he was holding the Mus-haf (the Quraan). The chain of narration was also completed by Ibn Abi Shaybah, who said: Wakee told us from Hishaam ibn Urwah from Abu Bakr ibn Abi Maleekah that Aaishah freed a slave she owned he used to lead her in prayer during Ramadaan, holding the Mus-haf. If the imaam or a person who is praying alone recites from memory, this is better, but if he reads from the Mus-haf, there is nothing wrong with it. And Allaah knows best. * (Translators note) Mus-haf: a written or printed copy of the Quraan.

my sister who has shahada is married to a man who is not, at the time she didn;t know that he is haram for her. My husband will not allow me to visit her home because he is not muslim, it this allowed? I would just visit her home when he is not there

Praise be to Allah.There follow some details about the issue of women upholding their ties of kinship, and what they should do with husbands who prevent them from doing so. Upholding the ties of kinship is obligatory even for females, who must uphold them as much as they can. Therefore it is not permissible for a man to prevent his wife or daughter from upholding her ties of kinship, and if he stops her from visiting them, but he lets her convey greetings to them, whether by letter or through a third person, or send them gifts, then she should do that. It is sufficient even if she only sends greetings without a gift, but if she sends her greetings with a gift, that is better. If he stops her from sending a gift but allows her to send greetings, then she should send greetings. If he allows her to send a gift but stops her from sending greetings, then she should send a gift. If he allows her to go and see them, then she should go. If he stops her from doing anything that comes under the heading of upholding ties of kinship, then there is no obedience to any created being if it involves disobedience to the Creator. In this case she should maintain her family ties in the way that is least objectionable to her husband or father, whether it is sending gifts or conveying greetings, and she can conceal that if she is fearful. If her relatives are faced with some hardship, she should help them with what they need, even if he says not to. She should uphold her family ties by offering condolences in the case of bereavement or loss, and condolence means advising patience. She should also congratulate them on joyful occasions, and congratulating them means praying that they will enjoy to the full whatever has brought them joy, and that it will not be spoilt for them. Such joyful events include the return of a traveller, a wedding, etc. She should not adorn herself or display her adornment in front of those to whom she should not show herself, such as cousins (sons of maternal uncles or paternal uncles), and she should convey her greetings to them from behind a barrier and without making her voice soft, but this is only in cases where there is no fear of fitnah, otherwise she may convey greetings through a third party. She does not have to attend funerals. It is not permissible for the husband to stop his wife from upholding the ties of kinship even if it involves her going out, but she should not go out except with his permission. The same applies to fathers. The wife should treat her husband gently so that she will still be able to fulfil her shar’i duty of upholding the ties of kinship. We ask Allaah to put all our affairs in order.

is it wrong for a girl to love someone in her heart and wish allah to marry her to this guy?

Praise be to Allah.If this love is not distracting you from the love of Allah, and will not lead to you doing or saying anything haraam, then there is nothing wrong with this, in sha Allah, or with praying to Allah to make him a part of your future – so long as he is a Muslim who fears Allah.

In the Christian religion, a dove is a symbol not only for peace but also for the Holy Spirit.In the Islamic religion, does the dove hold any significance ?

Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Jibreen, may Allaah preserve him, who answered as follows.  The dove does not have any particular meaning in Islam. It is simply one of the birds that Allaah has permitted us to eat, just like any other permissible bird.  In Islam, the dove does not stand for peace or for anything else. It is sufficient for us Muslims for us to follow the commands of Allaah to establish justice on earth.

What is the ruling on saying in one’s du’aa’: ‘O Allaah, I ask You by the virtue of So and so’? Is there any difference between this and saying to the occupant of a grave, ‘O So and so, help me!’?

Praise be to Allah.It is not permissible to ask Allaah by the virtue of anyone, not even by the virtue of the Prophets or Messengers or awliyaa’ or righteous people. No one can compel Allaah to do anything. It is not permissible to ask Him in any way except by His Names and Attributes, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allaah, so call on Him by them” [al-A’raaf 7:180]. With regard to saying to the occupant of a grave, “O So and so, help me,” this is obviously shirk, because it is a supplication to someone other than Allaah. Asking by the virtue of someone is a means to shirk, and calling upon a created being is shirk in worship. And Allaah knows best.

What is the method of confirming the beginning of every lunar month? Is there a certain length of time that the new moon has to be in the sky?

Praise be to Allah.The saheeh ahaadeeth reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) indicate that when the new moon is seen by a trustworthy person after the sun has set on the thirtieth night of Sha’baan or the thirtieth night of Ramadaan, this sighting is considered to be valid, and the first of the month is established without any need to consider the length of time that the moon stays in the sky after sunset, whether twenty minutes or more or less. There is nothing in the saheeh ahaadeeth to indicate how long it should take for the moon to set after the sun has set.

My mother recently passed away, on the first of Ramadan. She never performed Hajj, so I am planning to do that on her behalf. My question is: can I perform Hajj for her even though I have not yet performed Hajj for myself?

Praise be to Allah. I ask Allaah to reward you for your kind feelings towards your mother and your eagerness to perform your filial duty towards her after her death. In response to your question, if a Muslim wishes to perform Hajj on behalf of someone else, he must first have performed it for himself. The daleel (evidence) for that is the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas, according to which the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) heard a man saying “Labbayk (here I am) on behalf of Shubrumah” [i.e., he was performing Hajj on behalf of Shubrumah]. He (the Prophet) asked, “Who is Shubrumah?” The man said: “He is a brother (or a relative) of mine.” He asked, “Have you performed Hajj for yourself?” He said, “No.” He told him: “Perform Hajj for yourself, first, then perform Hajj on behalf of Shubrumah.” (Reported by Abu Dawud in Al-Sunan, Kitaab al-Manaasik, Baab al-rajul yuhijj ‘an ghayrihi). This is a saheeh hadeeth. I ask Allaah to forgive your mother and extend His Mercy to her, for Allah is the best of Helpers.

I am living in Oman, where women follow a practice of remaining in the house for 40 days following the birth of a child. I have asked several people about this. Most people do not seem to know if it is sunnah or not. If it is, I would like to try to follow the practice (I am in the 9th month of my 4th pregnancy).  However, I have also been told it is a bid'ah practice and therefore I should avoid it.  Please try to clear up this issue, which I have been researching for almost 6 years!

Praise be to Allah.40-Day Rule after Birth in Islam Forty days is the longest period that the woman in nifas can refrain from praying and fasting , so long as blood is still flowing. After that, she should do ghusl and pray, and consider herself to be in a state of istihadah (irregular vaginal bleeding which is neither menstruation nor nifas) if the bleeding does not stop.  Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “At the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the woman in nifas would sit (i.e., refrain from praying and fasting) for forty days…” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi).  Can women go out during the nifas period? With regard to the belief that a woman has to stay in her house for forty days after giving birth and not go out, this is a mistaken belief and women do not have to do this. It is permissible for them to go out during these forty days to any place she wants, so long as she fulfills the shar’i conditions (i.e., hijab etc.) And Allah knows best.

Assalaamualaikum, I have heard that Noah's ark was found a few years ago using references from the Quraán as opposed to the bible. Is this true?

Praise be to Allah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "The people of Nuh denied (their Messenger) before them, they rejected Our slave, and said: A madman! and he was insolently rebuked and threatened. Then he invoked his Lord (saying): I have been overcome, so help (me)! So We opened the gates of heaven with water pouring forth. And We caused the earth to gush forth with springs. So the waters (of the heaven and the earth) met for a matter predestined. And We carried him on a (ship) made of planks and nails, Floating under Our Eyes, a reward for him who had been rejected! And, indeed, We have left this as a sign, is there then any that will remember (or receive admonition)? Then how (terrible) was My Torment and My Warnings!" [al-Qamar 54:9-16] In his Tafseer, Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy on him, said: "And, indeed, We have left this as a sign, is there then any that will remember (or receive admonition)? refers to this story, which serves as a lesson." It was also suggested that it referred to the ship or ark itself, which was left so that those who came after the people of Nuh might learn lessons from it and not reject the Messengers. Qutaadah said: "Allaah left it in Baaqirdi in the Arabian Peninsula (a place in Iraq), as a lesson and a sign, so that the first generations of this ummah would see it. How many ships have there been after it that have turned to dust and left no trace!" The apparent meaning is that this refers to ships in general, as in the aayaat (interpretation of the meaning): "And an aayah (sign) for them is that We bore their offspring in the laden ship (of Nuh), And We have created for them of the like thereunto, so on them they ride." Yaa-Seen 36:41-42] "Verily! When the water rose beyond its limits [Nuhs Flood], We carried you [mankind] in the floating (ship that was constructed by Nuh). That We might make it a remembrance for you, and the keen ear (person) may (hear and) understand it." [al-Haaqqah 69:11-12] Hence Allaah says here "is there then any that will remember (or receive admonition)?" i.e., is there anyone who will remember and learn? In his tafseer of the words "We have left this as a sign" Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy on him, mentions three opinions: 1. That Allaah has left this story as a lesson to those who come after the people of Nuh; 2. That Allaah has left the ship of Nuh so that subsequent nations may see it and learn from it how Allaah saved the believers and destroyed the kuffaar. 3. That Allaah taught mankind how to make ships and left this invention as a reminder of His blessings and how Nuhs children and the believers were saved by means of a ship like those which are well-known. In any case, there is nothing that would go against either Islamic teaching or reason if Nuhs ark were to be discovered and if generations of mankind after Nuh were to see it, because it would be a sign to them. The issue would be how to prove that the ship discovered was really Nuhs ark; not everyone who finds an ancient ship and claims it to be Nuhs ark is to be believed. And Allaah knows best.

What is the Braylwiyyah sect and what is their belief ?

Praise be to Allah. The Braylwiyyah are a Soofeesect which was born in India at the time of the British rule there. It's followers concernthemselves in exceeding in their love and honour for the Prophets and the "saints" in general, and the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) specifically. It's founder was a man bythe name of Ahmad Ridhaa Khaan ibn Taqee 'Alee Khaan who was born in 1272 A.H. (1851 C.E.) and called himself Abdul-Mustafaa (slave/servant of Mustafaa, i.e. Muhammad (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wasallam)). He was born in the city ofBraylee in the province of Uttar Pradesh and was a student of al-Mirza GhulaamQaadir Begg who was the older (blood) brother of Mirza Ghulaam Ahmad al-Qaadiyaanee (founder of the Qaadiyaaniyyah sect). He was of a slim build andknown to be shrewd and clever, whilst also being ill-tempered and foul-mouthed. He used to suffer from chronic illnesses, and used to consistently complain ofheadaches and back pains. He visitedMakkahand studied under some of thescholars there in 1295 A.H. (1874 C.E.). Amongst his "notable" booksare: Anbaa. al-Mustafaa and Khaalis al-I'tiqaad. From the beliefs of thissect is that the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) hasthe ability/power to control the creation and all that occurs, and that the "saints" have the ability/power to influence the creation and all that occurs. And they have exceeded intheir belief with respect to the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) suchthat they have ascended him to a rank close to that of worshipping him. And theyhave exceeded in their belief with respect to the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) such that they believe he has knowledge of the unseen, and they deny that he was a human being, rather that he was the light (noor) of Allaah. And they also permit calling for assistance from the "saints" and the Prophets and other than them from the false beliefs.

I understand that a child becomes "related" to a woman when he nurses from her. Does he also become related if he receives her breastmillk in a bottle ?

Praise be to Allah. Yes, the rules of Radaa' still apply, so long as the child drinks the equivalent of the well-known five breast feedings within the first two years of life.

Assalomu Aleykum My Grandparents are Muslim people. My Parents consider themselves also as Muslims, but they pray and fast time-to-time. They do not follow all roles in Islam. As for me I just open Islam for myself. At the mean-time I am learning praying and other questions about Islam with my Grandmother. This was the first I when I was fasting. I understand that I did a lot of things wrong in the past. Will I be ever forgiven for the sins I made in the past?

Praise be to Allah. Whoever repents, Allaah will turn to him in acceptance. Whoever seeks to draw closer to Allaah, Allaah will draw closer to him. As you have been guided and have returned to Islam and turned to Allaah, then rejoice in the news that Allaah has accepted your repentance and forgiven you. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):"And verily, I am indeed Forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them, (till his death)." [Ta-Ha 20:82]

Assalamu ALikum Rahmatullahi wa Baraktuh, I want to know about pictures of people in Islam, specifically those used in children's books. Is it permisable to illustrate children's books about Islam with pictures of muslims? If so, what is the basis for this, and if not what is the basis? There is so much controvery about this issue, and I fear Allah because of the Sahih hadeeth about Allah cursing the picture-makers. Still, how are we to educate our children about Islam in this Western Society without children's books with pictures in them? Also, what is your opinion about the book The Lawful and the Prophibited in Islam? Is this a truestworthy publication? JazkAllahkhairun for your efforts!! Walikum Salam Rahmatullahi wa Baraktuh.

Praise be to Allah. On the subject of photographs, please refer to question # 365. Know, my sister, that we should be careful about pictures of animate beings, lest we do something that has been forbidden by Allaah and His Messenger. I wonder what urgent need there can be for putting pictures of Muslims in children's books. If we want to make the books attractive to them, there are plenty of colours, advanced methods of printing and pictures of inanimate objects such as trees, flowers, cars, houses etc., which can be used instead of pictures of animate beings. As for useful books which we need to keep at home, like reference books and dictionaries that may contain pictures that are difficult to erase, we can keep them as long as we blot out any pictures on the cover. Whatever does not need to be kept, like newspapers, should be disposed of after reading. As for the book "Al-Halaal wa'l-Haraam fi'l-Islam," the author was very lenient in a number of issues, may Allaah forgive him. Some scholars have written refutations of this book, such as Shaykh Saaleh al-Fawzaan, who wrote Al-I'laam bi naqd kitaab al-halaal wa'l-haraam fi'l-Islaam. We ask Allaah to guide us to the truth in those issues concerning which there are differences of opinion, for He guides whom He will to the Straight Path.

I need to know, when did the Holy Prophet get married to Hazrat Aisha, there have been claims on newsgroups that the Holy Prophet was a pedophile. I want enough information to be able to answer such allegations. I need to know everything about this particular marriage, quoting sources. Wa-alaikum

Praise be to Allah. The answer to your question may be found in the ahaadeeth of Saheeh al-Bukhaari and the commentary of al-Haafiz al-‘Asqallaani, which are quoted below: ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) married me when I was six years old. Then we came to Madeenah and stayed in Bani al-Haarith ibn Khazraj. I fell ill and my hair started to fall out (due to the illness; then it grew back thick again). My mother Umm Roomaan came to me whilst I was on a swing and my friends were with me. She shouted for me and I came to her, not knowing what she wanted. She took me by the hand and led me to the door of the house. I was out of breath and we waited until I had calmed down, then she took some water and wiped my face and head, then took me inside. There were some women of the Ansaar in the house, and they said: " ‘Alaa al-khayri wa’l-baraka wa ‘ala khayri taa’ir (blessings, best wishes, etc)." My mother handed me over to them and they tidied me up, then suddenly the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was there. It was mid-morning, and they handed me over to him. At that time I was nine years old." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 3605). ‘Urwah said: "Khadeejah died three years before the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) migrated to Madeenah. He stayed alone for two years or thereabouts, then he married ‘Aa’ishah when she was six years old, and consummated the marriage when she was nine years old." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 3607) The phrase "he married ‘Aa’ishah" means that the marriage contract was drawn up; the marriage was consummated later on, when she was nine. Muslim reports from al-Zuhri, from ‘Urwah, that ‘Aa’ishah said that she was taken to him when she was nine years old, and she took her toys with her. He died when she was eighteen years old. Muslim also reports a similar account from ‘Aa’ishah via al-Aswad. He reports from ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Urwah from his father that ‘Aa’ishah said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) married me in Shawwaal and consummated the marriage with me in Shawwaal." ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) married her when she was six years old and consummated the marriage when she was nine years old, and she stayed with him for nine years." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 4738) Al-Bukhaari calls this chapter of his Saheeh "Baab inkaah al-rajul wuldahu (or waladahu) al-sighaar (Chapter on a man marrying off his young children)." The fact that Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ". . . and for those who have no courses [periods] [(i.e., they are still immature) their ‘iddah is three months likewise, except in case of death] . . ." [al-Talaaq 65:4] is an indication that it is permissible to marry girls below the age of adolescence. This is a good understanding, but the aayah makes no specific mention of either the father or the young girl. It could be said that the basic principle concerning marrying children is that it is forbidden unless there is specific evidence (daleel) to indicate otherwise. The hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah states that her father Abu Bakr married her off before the age of puberty, but there is no other evidence apart from that, so the rule applies to all other cases. Al- Muhallab said: "[The scholars] agreed that it is permissible for a father to marry off his young virgin daughter, even though it is not usually the case to have intercourse with such a young woman."(The above was summarized from Fath al-Baari Sharh ‘ala Saheeh al-Bukhaari) In summary, then, it is permitted to contract marriage with a young girl and to hand her over to her husband to stay with him before she reaches adolescence. As for consummating the marriage, this does not happen until she is physically able for it. Thus the matter becomes quite clear. Do you see anything wrong with a man living with his young wife in one house, bringing her up and teaching her, but delaying consummation until she is ready for it? We ask Allaah to show us truth and falsehood and to make each clear. And Allaah knows best.

Is the niqab a pre-islamic custom if not what is the evidence (qur'an or hadith) to support the wearing of niqab, and is it preferred for sisters to wear the niqab? jazakumallaahu khairan.

Praise be to Allah.We have already spoken about the fact that it is obligatory for women to cover their faces in Question #2198, so please refer to that question. With regard to the niqaab, this is a cover or veil with a hole in it for the eyes. It is a way of dressing that was known to Muslim women at the beginning of Islam, and it is mentioned in the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in which he mentions what women in ihraam (for Hajj or Umrah) are not allowed to do. He said: The woman in ihraam should not cover her face with a veil or wear gloves. (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 1707). Some of the scholars mentioned that a woman may uncover her left eye in order to see where she is going, and if necessary she may uncover both eyes. The opening should only be wide enough for the eyes, and the woman should beware of wearing a niqaab with wide openings lest the beauty of her eyes becomes apparent and the niqaab becomes a means of temptation instead of a veil covering her beauty and adornment.

I have heard a ruling regarding the reasons a male Muslims is allowed to speak to a Muslim female and want to know if it is correct. It said that there are only five reasons one may talk to her: 1. to ask how her family 2. for medical purposes 3. for financial purposes (e.g. in a shop) 4. to find out about her personality for marriage suitability 5. to give her dawah (Islamic knowledge). Is this correct? If it is, please provide the evidence from where the ruling is made (i.e. Daleel).

Praise be to Allah.The conditions for speaking to a woman to whom one is not related are mentioned in the following aayaat (interpretation of the meaning): ". . . And when you ask (his wives) for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen; that is purer for your hearts and for their hearts . . ." [Al-Ahzaab 33:53] ". . . then be not soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease should be moved with desire, but speak in an honourable manner." [Al-Ahzaab 33:32] Ibn Katheer, may Allah have mercy on him, said in his Tafseer: "This means that they should not speak softly. Allah commanded them to speak in a concise and decisive manner (i.e., they should be serious and brief in their speech, and not be vague or talk aimlessly). There should be no possible indication on the face that could be taken to indicate any softness in the heart, as the Arab women (before Islam) used to do when speaking to men, by making their voices soft like women who are taking care of small children, or like prostitutes. Allah forbade women to do that. The phrase "lest he in whose heart is a disease should be moved with desire" means lest such a person should hope for immoral deeds, indecency or romance. "Speaking in an honourable manner" means speaking in a way that does not go against Sharee’ah or offend people. Women are encouraged when speaking to men to whom they are not related and to mahrams among their in-laws to be somewhat rough or abrupt in their speech, without raising the voice, because they are commanded to lower their voice. Speaking with a woman to whom one is not related (i.e., not mahram) should only be for a specific need, such as asking a question, buying or selling, asking about the head of the household, and so on. Such conversations should be brief, with nothing doubtful in either what is said or how it is said. The idea of limiting speech with women to the five instances mentioned in the question needs to be approached with caution, because they could be taken as examples instead of limits. One must also adhere to the conditions set out by the Sharee’ah even in instances where such conversations are necessary, such as in da’wah, giving fatwas, buying or selling, etc. And Allah knows best.

If I meet a person and I do not know whether he is a kaafir or a Muslim, should I say salaam to him or return his greeting or not?

Praise be to Allah.It was reported in the hadeeth that you should say salaam to those you know and those you do not (narrated by al-Bukhaari, 12; al-Fath 1/55) but this applies only to Muslims, or those who appear to be Muslim. It was also reported that it is forbidden to say salaam to Jews and Christians, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do not initiate the greeting of salaam to a Jew or Christian, and if you meet them in the street, push them to the narrowest part of the road.” (Narrated by Muslim, 2167). He also said: “If the People of the Book greet you with salaam, say ‘wa ‘alaykum’ (and also upon you).” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6258). But at that time the People of the Book were distinct from the Muslims in their dress and appearance, and they were not allowed to resemble Muslims. But in these times, unfortunately, many Muslims look like them, and we can no longer tell the difference between a Muslim and a Christian. Everyone - except for those whom Allaah wills – looks the same in dress, in being clean-shaven, in wearing nothing on their heads, or wearing western-style caps, so the matter is more confusing. If someone who looks like the mushrikeen says salaam to you, say “Wa ‘alaykum,” and do not initiate the greeting, because of the uncertainty about him. If he objects and tells you off, then apologize to him. You had reason to act as you did, because you did know whether he was a Muslim or a Christian, because he is not dressing as a Muslim and prefers the dress of the Christians and others. Tell him that “whoever imitates a people is one of them” (Saheeh, narrated by Imaam Ahmad, 2/50-92), and advise him to distinguish himself from the kuffaar and to dress as the Muslims dress, like his father, grandfathers and the scholars of the Muslims. If he persists in what he is doing, this means that he likes the characteristics of the Christians and is imitating them, and that he despises the Muslims and is going against them, even though he does not gain anything from that besides blind imitation. This indicates that he admires those kuffaar and thinks that their worldly achievements and inventions, etc., stem from their false religion. This is going too far, for the Muslims are wiser and more able to invent and produce, so he should not be deceived by the Mushrikeen.

There are people who sit together to read the Qur’aan quietly. Each individual reads one juz’ (part) of the Qur’aan, claiming that the entire Qur’aan will have been read in this gathering. Is this permissible or is it counted as being bid’ah (innovation)?

Praise be to Allah.In my opinion the action mentioned is not permissible, and I do not recall anything of this kind being reported from the Salaf. A person will only be rewarded for what he himself reads or listens to in order to benefit from it. But if another person reads and he does not listen, the reward for that will go to the person who read it. These people are not considered to have completed the whole Qur’aan; but if each person has read a juz’ he will be rewarded for that. But they should not do this; either one person should read and the others listen, or each person should read by himself without making a connection between his reading and that of the others.

if someone who is born nonmuslim (christian ) he/she is honest and never commits major sins and he/she belives everybbody is right on their own religion but knows nothing about islam nobody told them about it and they die in this stage  so where will they go on the day of judgement

Praise be to Allah.The person whose situation is described in the question cannot be said to be a Muslim even if his attitude and morals were good, because he did not utter the Shahaadatayn and did not believe in Allaah as his Lord, Muhammad as his Prophet and Islam as his religion. The belief that all religions on earth are correct and that their followers are all following the truth is one of the gravest falsehoods and one of the greatest examples of kufr. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning); “…Say: ‘Are those who know equal to those who know not?’…” [al-Zumar 39:9] “And not equal are the blind and those who see; nor are (equal) those who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous good deeds, and those who do evil. Little do you remember! [Ghaafir 40:58] “Say (O Muhammad): ‘Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?’ Say: ‘(It is) Allaah.’ Say: ‘Have you then taken (for worship) Awliyaa’ (protectors) other than Him, such as have no power either for benefit or for harm to themselves?’ Say: ‘Is the blind equal to the one who sees? Or darkness equal to light?’” [al-Ra’d 13:16] “Say (O Muhammad): ‘Not equal are Al-Khabeeth (all that is evil and bad as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons and foods) and At-Tayyib (all that is good as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons and foods)…’” [al-Maa’idah 5:100] “Not alike are the blind (disbelievers in Islamic Monotheism) and the seeing (believers in Islamic Monotheism). Nor are (alike) darkness (disbelief) and light (belief in Islamic Monotheism). Nor are (alike) the shade and the sun’s heat. Nor are (alike) the living (i.e., the believers) and the dead (i.e., the disbelievers). Verily, Allaah makes whom He wills to hear, but you cannot make hear those who are in graves” [Faatir 35:19-22]  With regard to the ultimate destiny of the person referred to in the question, and whether he will be excused for his ignorance or not, and what his situation will be on the Day of Resurrection, we believe that his case rests with Allaah. A similar question has already been answered – please refer to Question # 2443And Allaah knows best.

As we know interest is haram in Islam but can you please tell me why it is haram? I have some money but I don't know how to invest the money. There is someone who knows how to manage this money if I gave him my money and fix some amount for him as interest. We both agree on this and we are both pleased with this decision. Is it still haram? If yes, then can you please explain it for me?

Praise be to Allah.Why is interest haram? Riba (which means adding something extra to certain products, like selling gold for gold, or by not receiving something when a contract is signed, or paying extra in return for extension of a loan) is haram because Allah - Who rules as He wills - has forbidden it. No one can ask Him about what He does; He is the One Who will ask people about what they did, on the Day of Resurrection. Allah has explained that riba is haram, and warned those who do not give it up, in the verses (interpretation of the meaning): "O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah and give up what remains (due to you) from riba (usury) (from now onward), if you are (really) believers. And if you do not do it, then take a notice of war from Allah and His Messenger . . ." [al-Baqarah 2:278-279] Does accepting riba make is halal? One of the most important points to remember about Islamic Shari`ah - and this is one of the major differences between Shari`ah and earthly jahili laws - is that mutual consent to commit a haram deed does not make it halal. If a man and a woman agree to commit zina (fornication or adultery), it does not become halal. If a businessman agrees with the bank to deposit a sum of money in the bank and take interest on it, or to take out a loan and pay interest on it, that does not make such transactions halal. Things that are haram will remain so until the Day of Judgement. Man is ignorant and inclined to do wrong. He may not even know what is in his own interests or in the interests of others, so he may do things that harm himself or others. You state in your question that you want to give some money to a person to invest it, in return for something. There is nothing wrong with that if it is done in accordance with Shari`ah, which includes a contract of silent partnership - i.e., you give money to someone to do business on your behalf, in return for an agreed percentage of the profits. According to Shari`ah, a contract of silent partnership includes the following: The one who receives the money for investment is not permitted to guarantee the capital and is not expected to repay it except in cases of recklessness or negligence. In the event of loss, the investor loses his capital and the one who took the money loses the time and effort invested. May Allah help you and us to earn a halal income.  And Allah knows best.

i would like to know can a person cut out any of his childern from the inheritences. because their was some problems between him and his son-in-law. or use it as an excuse to cut his daughters out of the inheritences. can a person that has 10 childern .give one of them more then the other. while he is still alive put in his name a house and land and say it is not haram because it is his money and nobody has anything to do with it.

Praise be to Allah.This will is not permissible, because it goes against the teachings of sharee’ah and is contrary to the justice and fairness that Allaah has enjoined, especially among one's children. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “There is a share for men and a share for women from what is left by parents and those nearest related, whether, the property be small or large — a legal share” [al-Nisaa’ 4:7]  Then Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning); “Allaah commands you as regards your children’s (inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to that of two females; if (there are) only daughters, two or more, their share is two-thirds of the inheritance; if only one, her share is a half. For parents, a sixth share of inheritance to each if the deceased left children; if no children, and the parents are the (only) heirs, the mother has a third; if the deceased left brothers or (sisters), the mother has a sixth. (The distribution in all cases is) after the payment of legacies he may have bequeathed or debts. You know not which of them, whether your parents or your children, are nearest to you in benefit; (these fixed shares) are ordained by Allaah. And Allaah is Ever All‑Knower, All‑Wise” [al-Nisaa’ 4:11]  Then Allaah warns those who go against this division of legacies and play with it, by saying (interpretation of the meaning); “And whosoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger (Muhammad), and transgresses His limits, He will cast him into the Fire, to abide therein; and he shall have a disgraceful torment”[al-Nisaa’ 4:14]  Whoever deprives some of his children of their inheritance, or gives some of them less than is their shar’i due, or gives some more than is their shar’i due, or includes someone who is not an heir among those who are given his legacy, is a sinner who is guilty of committing a major sin. Also, it is not permissible to make a will concerning one’s heir, because he has a share which is defined by sharee’ah. Ahmad, Abu Dawood and al-Tirmidhi (may Allaah have mercy on them) narrated from Abu Umaamah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has given everyone who is entitled his rights, so there is no will concerning the heir.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 2046).  If it is proven according to sharee’ah that one of the children is a kaafir, e.g. by the fact that he does not pray, at the time of the father’s death, then he is not an heir, even if instructions to that effect are not mentioned in the will, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Muslim does not inherit from the kaafir and the kaafir does not inherit from the Muslim.” (Saheeh – agreed upon).  With regard to giving a gift to one of one's children and not to the others for no shar’i reason, this is haraam and is unfair, as it creates hatred in the children’s hearts towards one another. The evidence (daleel) that it is forbidden is the hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim (may Allaah have mercy on them) from al-Nu’maan ibn Basheer (may Allaah be pleased with him), that his father came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: “I have given this son of mine one of my slaves.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Have you given all your children a similar gift?” He said, “No.” He said, “Then take it back.” According to the version narrated by Muslim, he said: “Fear Allaah and treat your children fairly.” So my father took back his gift.  According to another version, he (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “My father took me to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, bear witness that I have given al-Nu’maan such-and-such of my wealth.’ He said, ‘Have you given all your children something similar to what you have given to al-Nu’maan?’ He said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Then let someone else bear witness.’ Then he said, ‘Would you not like all your children to honour you equally?’ He said, ‘Of course.’ He said, ‘Then you should not do that.’” (Muslim, 3059).  But if the gift is being given to one of the children for a shar’i reason, such as the child being poor, or in debt, or needing medical treatment, then there is nothing wrong with that. And Allaah knows best. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad, and grant him peace.

I was recently reading a description of the physical characteristics of the Noble Prophet. I formed a picture in my mind. Then I saw in a dream, a man who looked like the picture formed in my mind. I do not clearly remember what he said, but I am afraid he might have said that some Muslim brothers who I love very much will see a dream with me in it. I committed a sin in their house before, and before this dream, I was always worrying that they might find out through a dream. How do I know for sure if I saw the Prophet in this dream? This is worrying me very much. Also, I just had a dream, where I thought it was the Prophet again, during his last recitation of the Quran to Jibreel (AS) during Ramadan. Zaid (RA) was there, too, but also Hamzah (RA) was there in my dream. I know that Hamzah (RA) wasn't really there, because he was martyred at Uhud. So was this the Prophet in this dream? How can we know for sure?

Praise be to Allah.What did Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) look like? We will quote below a number of hadiths which describe Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). If what you saw in your dream is in accordance with this, then you did indeed see the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), because he said: "Whoever sees me in a dream has really seen me, because Shaytan cannot appear in my image." (Reported by al-Bukhari, 5729) Rabi'ah ibn Abi 'Abd al-Rahman said: "I heard Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) describing the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He said:  'He was of average height,  not too tall and not too short,  with a pinkish colour,  not very white and not dark,  and his hair was neither very curly nor very straight.  The Revelation came to him when he was forty years old, and he stayed in Makkah for ten years after the Revelation came, then in Madinah for ten years. When he died, there were no more than twenty white hairs on his head and in his beard." (Al-Bukhari, 3283) Al-Bara ibn 'Azib said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was broad shouldered and had thick hair coming down to his shoulders and earlobes. He was wearing red garments. I have never seen anything more beautiful than him." (Reported by Muslim, Kitab al-Fadail, Bab Sifat Sha'r al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), no. 2338) 'Ali said:  "He was neither tall nor short, and had large hands and feet.  He had a large head and was big-boned,  and the thin line of hair (starting from his chest and extending to the navel) was long.  When he walked, he would lean forward, as if he was walking downhill.  I have never seen anyone like him, before or since." (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 3570, who said this is a sahih hasan hadith).   Jabir ibn Samurah said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was dali' al-fam, ash-kal al-'ayn and manhus al-'aqib." Shu'bah said: "I asked Malik, 'What is dalه' al-fam?' He said: 'Wide-mouthed.' I asked, 'What is ash-kal al-'ayn?' He said, 'Big-eyed.' I asked, 'What is manhus al-'aqib?' He said, 'His heels were not fleshy.'" (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Fadail, 2339) As for the sin which you committed in the house of your brothers, repent to Allah for this. If you took something that belongs to them, then give it back. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. And Allah knows best.

Is the doctors knowledge of the fetus in the uterus complete?

Praise be to Allah. Imaam Abu Abdullaah Muhammad ibn Ismaaeel al-Bukhaari reported, in al-Jaami al-Saheeh, which is the soundest book after the Quraan: "Ibraaheem ibn al-Mundhir told me that Man told us that Maalik told me, from Abdullaah ibn Deenaar from Ibn Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said: The keys of the Unknown are five, which no-one knows except Allaah: no-one knows what will happen tomorrow except Allaah; no-one knows what is in the wombs except Allaah; no-one knows when it will rain except Allaah; no-one knows in which land he will die; and no-one knows when the Hour will begin except Allaah." (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, Kitaab Tafseer al-Quraan, hadeeth no. 4328). He also reported it with the wording: "The keys of the Unseen are five: Verily, Allah! With Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He send down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die. Verily Allaah is All-Knower, All-Aware (of things) [Luqmaan 31:34]." (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, Kitaab Tafseer al-Quraan, Baab (wa indahu mafaatih al-ghaybi laa yalamu illaa huwa), hadeeth no. 4261). Allaah is the only One Who has knowledge of the Unseen, as He says (Interpretation of the meaning) : "Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the Unseen except Allaah . . ." [al-Naml 27:65] The Unseen referred to in this aayah is the same as that described in Soorat Luqmaan (see quote in preceding paragraph). There is no doubt whatsoever that this hadeeth is saheeh. What has confused the questioner is the fact that doctors are able to know the gender of the foetus via x-rays and ultrasound scans, but we should note that this knowledge is vague and incomplete. They may make mistakes, as has happened on numerous occasions. Moreover, they can only perform these scans etc. after a certain number of weeks of pregnancy have passed, and not before. Even if they know whether the foetus is male or female, they do not know whether it will be miscarried or carried to term, whether it will be born alive or dead. They do not know the precise length of time that it will stay in its mothers womb. They have nothing but conjecture and uncertainties. They do not know how long this person will live, how he will behave or what his provision will be, or whether he will be of the people of Paradise or the people of Hell. Knowledge of what is in the wombs is not merely a matter of knowing whether the foetus is male or female; it is broader than that, and no-one can know it all except Allaah, as He says (Interpretation of the meaning): "Allaah knows what every female bears, and by how much the wombs fall short or exceed. Everything with Him is in (due) proportion." [al-Rad 13:8] In his Tafseer of this aayah, Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy on him, said: "Allaah is telling us here of His complete knowledge: nothing is hidden from Him and He knows fully what the females of every species carry in their wombs. He says (Interpretation of the meaning): (He) knows that which is in the wombs, i.e., He knows whether it is male or female, good or bad, destined for Paradise or doomed to Hell, whether its life will be long or short. Similarly He says (Interpretation of the meaning): He knows you well when He created you from the earth, and when you were foetuses in your mothers wombs [al-Najm 53:32] In the two Saheehs there is a report from Ibn Masood, who said: The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said: "The way that each of you is created is that he is gathered in your mothers womb for forty days and then for a similar length of time as a blood-clot and then for a similar length of time as a lump of flesh. Then an angel is sent and he breathes the spirit into him and is charged with four commands: to write down his provision, his life-span, his actions, and whether he will be wretched or happy." According to another hadeeth, the angel says: O Lord, male or female? Wretched or happy? How much provision? How long a life span? and he writes that." Al-Awfi said, from Ibn Abbaas: "and by how much the wombs fall short" refers to miscarriage, and or exceed means how how far beyond the normal time the pregnancy will last before a child is born, because some women carry a child for ten months and some for nine months; the length of pregnancy varies from woman to woman. This is what is referred to here. Al-Dahhaak said, from Ibn Abbaas, that this phrase referred to pregnancies longer or shorter than nine months." Every Muslim must believe in what the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) has told us, and not doubt a single word of it, because what the Prophet says is wahy (revelation) revealed to him by Allaah: "By the star when it goes down, your companion (i.e., Muhammad) has neither gone astray nor has erred. Nor does he speak of (his own) desire. It is only an Inspiration [wahy] that is inspired." [al-Najm 53:1-4] Whoever doubts what the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said or doubts that it is wahy is a kaafir who has left Islam. The Muslim must believe that what the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said is absolutely true. This is shown in the hadeeth of Abdullaah ibn Amar, who said: "I used to write down everything that I heard from the Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him), because I wanted to memorize it. Quraysh told me not to do that and said: Are you writing everything down that you hear? The Messenger of Allaah is only a man who may speak when he is angry or happy. So I stopped writing things down, and I mentioned this to the Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him). He pointed to his mouth and said: Write; by the One in Whose hand is my soul, nothing comes out of it (my mouth) but the truth." (Reported by Abu Dawud, may Allaah have mercy on him, in al-Sunan, Kitaab al-Ilm, hadeeth no. 3161, see also Saheeh al-Jaami, no. 1196). We ask Allah to protect us from the whispers of Shaytaan and to give us strength of faith. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

Is setting a date to meet and read the entire Qur’aan for a deceased person and to pray for him, and doing this every year a bid‘ah.?

Praise be to Allah. There is no indication in either the Qur’aan or the Sunnah that would prescribe the actions described in the question. Based on this fact, these actions are bid‘ah (a reprehensible innovation) which is not permitted; we should avoid it and warn others not to do it. The Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) used to say in his khutbahs (sermons): "The truest of speech is the Book of Allaah, the best guidance is that of Muhammad and the worst of things are those which are newly invented. Every newly-invented thing is a bid‘ah, every bid‘ah is a going astray, and every going astray will end in the Fire of Hell." (Reported by al-Nisaa’i, may Allaah have mercy on him, in al-Sunan, Kitaab salaat al-‘eidayn, no. 1560). It is permissible to pray for the deceased, without arranging a formal gathering, and without setting a specific date for doing so. We ask Allaah to help us and you to do that which He loves and which will please Him. Allaah knows best.

What is the symbolism behind the Muslim star and crescent? I did a keyword search of your site and searched my library's reference books and cannot find anything more than a reference to the flag of the Ottoman Empire. Thank you for your interest.

Praise be to Allah.There is no basis in shareeah for taking the crescent or star as a symbol of the Muslims. This was not known at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or at the time of the Khulafa al-Raashidoon (the first four leaders of Islam after the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or during the time of the Umawis (Umayyad dynasty). It emerged some time after that, and historians differ as to when this symbol was first adopted and who was the first to adopt it. Some say it was the Persians, others say it was the Greeks, and that this symbol was somehow passed to the Muslims. (See Al-Taraateeb al-Idaariyah by al-Kittaani, 1/320). It was said that the reason why the Muslims adopted the crescent was that when they conquered some western countries, the churches there had crosses on top of them, the Muslims replaced the crosses with these crescents, and the practice spread in this way. Whatever the case, symbols and banners must be in accordance with the teachings of Islam, and as there is no evidence that this symbol is prescribed by Islam, it is better not to use it. Neither the crescent nor the star are symbols of the Muslims, even though some Muslims may use them as symbols. As regards what Muslims think about the moon and the stars, they believe that they are part of the creation of Allaah, and as such can neither benefit nor harm people, and they do not have any influence over events on earth. Allaah has created them for the benefit of mankind, an example of which is seen in the aayah or verse of the Quraan (interpretation of the meaning): They ask you (O Muhammad) about the new moons. Say: These are signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind and for the pilgrimage [al-Baqarah 2:189] [The commentator] Ibn Katheer said, explaining the phrase Say: these are signs to mark fixed periods of time: From them (the new moons) they may know the times for repaying loans, the iddah (waiting period) of their women [after being divorced or widowed] and the timing of their Hajj (pilgrimage) Allaah has made them signs to mark the times when Muslims should start to fast and break their fast [the beginning and end of Ramadaan], to count the iddah of their women and to know the times for repaying loans. (Tafseer Ibn Katheer). [Another commentator] Al-Qurtubi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his commentary on this aayah [verse]: This explains the wisdom behind the waxing and waning of the moon, which is to avoid any confusion in appointed dates, dealings, oaths, Hajj, iddah, fasting, breaking fasts, length of pregnancy, rentals and other matters that concern mankind. Similar to this aayah are others (interpretation of the meanings): And We have appointed the night and the day as two aayaat (signs). Then, We have made dark the sign of the night while We have made the sign of day illuminating, that you may seek bounty from your Lord, and that you may know the number of the years and the reckoning [al-Isra 17:12] It is He Who made the sun a shining thing and the moon as a light and measured out its (their) stages, that you might know the number of years and the reckoning [Yoonus 10:5] Counting the new moons is easier than counting days. (See Tafseer al-Qurtubi). With regard to the stars, the scholars of Islam say that Allaah created these stars for three reasons: to adorn the heavens, to drive away the devils (shayaateen) and as signs for navigation. (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, Kitaab Bad al-Khalq), as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): It is He Who has set the stars for you, so that you may guide your course with their help through the darkness of the land and the sea [al-Anaam 6:97] And indeed We have adorned the nearest heaven with lamps, and We have made such lamps (as) missiles to drive away the shayaateen (devils), and have prepared for them the torment of the blazing Fire. [al-Mulk 67:5]

Some people formed a co-operative whereby each male, old or young, pays one hundred dollars at the beginning of the year, so that the money is saved in case any of them has to pay diyah (blood-money) or is faced with some other disaster. Do they have to pay zakaat on this money each time a year has passed?

Praise be to Allah.If the situation is as you describe, and the money does not go back to the person who donated it according to the proportion that he donated, but is now no longer owned by any one of them and is to be spent only for the purpose for which they donated it, then there is no zakaat due on it. And Allaah knows best.

Is it permissible for any person nowadays to swear an oath insisting that Allaah should do something that he wants, or not?

Praise be to Allah.It is not permissible to swear an oath saying I swear, O Lord, that You should send down rain, or defeat the Jews, or make So and so rich, or give him such and such, or do for me what I ask in this place, and so on. This implies that a person is obliging his Lord to do something, but it is Allaah Who controls the affairs of His slaves, and His slave has no right to make demands of his Lord or try to oblige Him to do anything. This goes against Tawheed, or it either compromises its integrity or uproots it altogether, depending on the persons intentions. The reports about some of the Salaf insisting by an oath that Allaah should do something probably refer to their duaas (supplications). The hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): There are among the slaves of Allaah those who, if they were to insist by an oath that Allaah should do something, He would fulfil it (narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2703) is hypothetical in nature, meaning that Allaah would respond to such a person's duaa although it is known that nobody would dare to address their Lord in this manner. And Allaah knows best.

Some of the offices of al-Muntada al-Islami are in countries which use the Gregorian calendar. We use the Hijri calendar, but this causes us problems when we deal with government departments which do not use the Hijri calendar, or when drawing up budgets, paying salaries and preparing financial reports for the appropriate departments in those countries.

Praise be to Allah.There is nothing wrong with using both dates, so long as the Hijri date is written first, followed by the equivalent Gregorian date. The Hijri date is based on the lunar months, which are clear and can be readily observed by anyone who has eyes to see, but the Gregorian months do not have any clearly visible signs and can only be known through calculations. Hence the Islamic sharee’ah uses the Arabic months for the dates of fasting, Hajj, I’tikaaf and so on. Beginning with the Hijri date is also a manifestation of the symbols and features of Islam among those who do not know them. And Allaah knows best.

There is a slaughter-house in which some of the people who work there pray, and some do not. Most of the people who work there slander the religion of Islam. Is it permissible to eat the meat they slaughter?

Praise be to Allah.It is not permissible to approve of those who slander the religion in this slaughter-house, even if they pray, because slandering the religion is kufr which puts a person beyond the pale of Islam. As for those who do not pray, they should not be left to do this job if they deny that it is obligatory, or they persist in not praying, or if they do not pray even at home. It is not permissible to eat the meat slaughtered by these people, even if they call themselves Muslims and mention the name of Allaah when they slaughter the meat. You should not keep quiet about them if they are in a Muslim country where the laws of sharee’ah are applied. If you cannot get them thrown out from this kind of work, then you have to warn the Muslims against eating meat slaughtered by them. And Allaah knows best.

If one has a child with a woman, and not married to them is it permissable for them to be alone with one another (not being married at the time of conception or after the birth) The 3rd party will always be shayton, and are children suitable chaparones.

Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Jibreen, who replied:  They will no longer be counted as being alone together (khulwah) if there is a third person present with them, whether he is their child or someone else’s, and whether he is the child of zinaa or the child of a legitimate marriage – on the condition that he is above the age of discretion and is of sound mind, that there is no fear of fitnah, and that the woman is wearing full hijaab.

What is the ruling on a person who does not fast according to the first sighting of the new moon of Ramadaan, but waits until he sees it for himself? Is their interpretation of hadeeth, “Fast when you see it [the new moon] and stop fasting when you see it” correct??

Praise be to Allah.What is obligatory is to fast when the sighting of the moon is confirmed, even if it is seen by only one trustworthy Muslim, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) issued orders to fast when a Bedouin testified that he had seen the new moon. Interpreting the hadeeth “Fast when you see it and stop fasting when you see it” as meaning that no individual should fast until he sees the new moon for himself is incorrect, because the hadeeth is telling everyone to fast when the sighting is confirmed, even if only one trustworthy Muslim sees the new moon. (Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/94). Further evidence that the sighting of the new moon by one trustworthy, reliable Muslim is sufficient for fasting to be obligatory on all the people is the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said: “The people went out to sight the new moon and I told the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that I had seen it, so he fasted and told the people to fast.” (Reported by Abu Dawood in his Sunan, Kitaab al-Sawm, Baab fi Shahaadat al-Waahid ‘ala ru’yat hilaali Ramadaan). Some of those who follow bid’ah delay fasting until after all the other Muslims have started to fast, because of their misguided belief that fasting is not obligatory on a person until he sees the new moon for himself. The ahaadeeth refute this, and we would ask them moreover: what are those who are blind or who have poor eyesight supposed to do? It is as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “…Verily, it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that grow blind.” [al-Hajj 22:46]. And Allaah is the One Who guides to the Straight Path.

As-salamo Alikum Wa Rahamtu Allah Wa Barakatoh I pray that Allah grant your Tech. by his mercy. Still he in sha;a Allah got the reward of this valuable home page. Please, visit the following web-site, XXXX it is concerning Hilal sighting and calculation, they claimed that in XXXX they never sight the moon and every thing run according to astronomy calculations. My question, Is this information is right or worng, and what is the real authentic way to decied the begining of Hajrii moneth?

Praise be to Allah.Islam is easy and its rules apply to everyone, mankind and jinn alike, regardless of whether they are scholars or illiterate, settled or nomadic. So Allaah made it easy for them to know the times for the acts of worship, and made their beginning and end signs which everyone can know. He made the setting of the sun the sign for the beginning of Maghrib and the end of ‘Asr, and He made the disappearance of the red glow in the sky the sign of the beginning of the time of ‘Isha’. He made the sighting of the moon after its disappearance at the end of the month the sign of the beginning of the new lunar month and the end of the previous month. He did not give us the task of knowing the beginning of the lunar month from something which is known to only a small number of people, namely astronomy and its calculations. Thus the texts of the Qur’aan and Sunnah make the actual sighting of the new moon the signal for the Muslims to start fasting Ramadaan; they stop fasting when they see the new moon of Shawwaal; the dates of Eid al-Adhaa and Yawm ‘Arafaat are similarly determined. Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings): “… So whoever among you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadaan), he must observe sawm (fast) that month…” [al-Baqarah 2:185] “They ask you (O Muhammad) about the new moons. Say: these are signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind and for the pilgrimage…” [al-Baqarah 2:189] The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Fast when you see it [the new moon] and stop fasting when you see it, and if it is cloudy then complete the month with thirty days.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made the beginning of the fast conditional upon the confirmed sighting of the new moon of Ramadaan, and the ending of the fast conditional upon the confirmed sighting of the new moon of Shawwaal; he did not connect this to calculations of the movements of stars or other heavenly bodies. This is how it was done at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), during the rule of the Khulafa’ al-Raashidoon, at the time of the four imaams, and during the three centuries which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said were the best. Referring to calculations of the lunar months to start and end periods of worship, instead of actually sighting the new moon, is a bid’ah (reprehensible innovation) that has no good in it and has no basis in sharee’ah. The best of all is to follow the salaf in religious matters, and the worst of all is to follow newly-invented innovations in religion. May Allaah protect us and you and all the Muslims from tribulation, both obvious and hidden.

as-salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhuplease inform we whether or not i must pay interest on loans i took out before coming to islam, or in my days of ignorance. i intend to pay off all of the principal ,of course, but i hate that i enter a state of war with Allah and His Messenger (SAW) because of fulfilling a haram contract that i entered while not knowing better. i would also hate to give muslims a bad name by not paying my debt conscientiously. can i pay of the principal and give a gift stipulating that i reject riba and that i am only giving this extra sum for another reason?may Allah subhanu wa ta'Ala reward you with the good.

Praise be to Allah.If you are able to, then do not pay the interest, so that you will not be counted among those referred to in the hadeeth: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed the one who consumes riba, the one who pays it, the one who writes it down and those who witness it, and said that all are equally sinful. (Reported by Muslim, 2995). All of them are cursed for their participation in this sin. In order for a Muslim to avoid giving a bad impression to the people from whom he took out the loan and who may be unaware of the fact that it is forbidden, if he does not want to pay the interest, he could explain to them the shari reason for this. If you have no choice and are forced to pay the interest, unwillingly, then your repentance should be sufficient, in sha Allaah. For more information, please see Questions # 824 and 2492. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

What is the ruling on visiting zoos with the aim of enjoying looking at the animals?

Praise be to Allah.On the basis of the opinion that it is permissible to keep animals in cages, visiting places designed for the purpose of displaying these animals to the public such as those known nowadays as zoos, for the purpose of enjoying looking at the different types of animals, is permissible. It is no exaggeration to say that doing so is in fact mustahabb and encouraged, when the motive for this is to think about the creation of Allaah and His Signs by looking at these animals and finding out about their different ways of life and so on. This has a good effect on a person’s heart, namely it strengthens his faith in his Lord and in His exalted attributes, for example, His Power, Ability and Wisdom. When we understand the good effects of visits to these zoos, the wisdom behind the Qur’aan’s call to think about the greatness and majesty of creation will become clear. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Do they not look in the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all things that Allaah has created…?” [al-A’raaf 7:185]. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Think about the signs of Allaah, do not think about Allaah.” (Reported by al-Bayhaqi in al-Shu’ab, 1/136 and by al-Laalakaa’i in al-Sunnah, 3/525. See al-Saheehah, 4/395). But we should not omit to note here the many wrong things that happen in zoos, such as mixing of men and women. Even in places where some days are set aside just for men to visit and other days just for women, there may be some women wearing types of clothing that it is not even permissible for them to wear in front of other women. We must therefore prepare da’wah programs to be carried out in these places so that we may fulfil our duty of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, thus making sure that there is no room in these places for license and things that go against Islam. With regard to zoos in countries where it is not possible to achieve this kind of reform, Muslims should choose the most suitable time to take their children to the zoo; they should avoid places of evil and protect themselves and their children from seeing anything that could adversely affect their faith. And Allaah is the Source of Strength.

A very personal and difficult to explain question: I have a boy-friend who is originally from XXX, so he is a muslim. He now lives in the XXX and I live inXXX. I am a christian.He has asked me to marry him and I have agreed. The problem is .... his family. They have arranged a future wife for him, but he does notwish to marry her. But out of respect for his father he will anyway, unles I become a muslim.Then he HOPES his father will agree to our marriage.Once I knew this, I asked him, what his family would do if they found out he intends to marry a European girl.He could not really answer that question. Now my question is: Do you have any idea how the family might react, and is it likely that the father would agree if I am a muslim?

Praise be to Allah.It is difficult to say what their reaction will be. Most parents want their children to marry in accordance with their wishes, and in most cases they will have chosen a wife for their son from their own country, whose customs and tradition are closer to those of the society in which they live. The idea of their son marrying a western woman may be very strange for them and difficult to accept, especially if they have heard about the widespread promiscuity in the West and the freedom with which Western women enter into relationships. They may also want their son to be near them, and they may be afraid that if he marries someone overseas they will only see him rarely. They may warn him about the consequences of raising his future children in a non-Islamic environment. On the other hand, they might agree if they hear that their son is going to marry a decent, upright Muslim girl, especially if their son is going to stay on and work in the West after completing his studies, and if they give any weight to their son’s own wishes – which is a matter that differs from family to family. Whatever the case, you will not lose anything by entering Islam, whether you marry this man or not. If you become Muslim and marry this man, after you both repent from the forbidden relationship, then you will have got what you wanted. If this marriage is not destined for you, then maybe Allaah will send you another good, clean Muslim man whom you can marry and be happy with. The most important thing here is that you understand that striving to please Allaah by following His religion is more important than all other considerations. In any case, we hope that you will become Muslim and that your hopes will be realized in accordance with the laws of Allaah. Thank you for your trust and your question.