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After a woman reaches the end of her menstruation cycle, what is the order for her before she can have relations with her husband? I mean is it mandatory for her to perform Ghusl before resuming relations with her husband?

Praise be to Allah.It mandatory for a Muslim woman to perform Ghusl after her menstrual cycle so she can perform prayers. It is not permissible for her to have intercourse with her husband until she performs Ghusl, as Allah Almighty says (interpretation of the meaning): ".. and when they have purified themselves (from menses, have taken a bath) approach them (i.e. for intercourse) as Allah has ordained for you (i.e. in any manner so long as it is in the vagina)." (Al-Baqarah 2:222) Purification does not mean merely that the blood stops, but also the act of Ghusl afterwards. It is performed by washing the whole body, and it is Sunnah to wipe the area from which the blood effuses with a perfumed (Musk) cloth as indicated by the Hadith in which the Prophet ( peace be upon him ) says: "Take a piece of cloth or cotton that is perfumed with Musk and purify yourself with it". May Allah guide us to the right path. For more, please see these answers: 94839 , 38932 , 2121 , and 50059 And Allah knows best.

Is it permissible for a Muslim man to wear his shirt tucked in his pants, showing the shape of his legs, buttocks, etc., especially in some countries where women are not ashamed to look at them? And when they perform prayer, shouldn't they be wearing a long shirt covering their private parts while they prostrate?

Praise be to Allah.The `awrah (private parts to be necessarily covered) for men includes what is between the navel and the knees as stated by the Prophet SAWS (peace be upon him), so covering it is obligatory according to Islamic law. Wearing shorts that disclose the thighs or show the shape of the buttocks, does not cover the `awrah. Neither does a dress that is transparent and displays skin complexion, nor a tight dress that shows the size, shape or bends of the `awrah. All of this is prohibited (haraam) in front of people whether the women are ashamed of looking at it or not (as asked in the question). If the trousers (or pants) are wide enough and not tight, then one may tuck his shirt in it as long as it does not display his `awrah. Covering the `awrah is obligatory during the prayer and outside it. What many people do is cover their `awrah while going to prayer but are negligent of it outside the prayer. This is a clear mistake and a wrong act which happens due to lack of understanding or as a result of a misunderstanding of the matter. May Allah cover our sins in this world and in the hereafter.

My question is about manhaj salaf. I said that manhaj salaf was not different with Ahlus sunnah wal jama'ah. But my friends told that it was different. So, how do you think about that? What do you think about salafi ?

Praise be to Allah."Al-salaf" (the forefathers, or ones who passed before) are one and the same as "ahl ul-sunnah wal-jamaa'ah" (the followers of the sunnah and the united Islamic community).  They comprise those who follow the example of the Prophet  (peace be upon him) and his companions (may Allah be pleased with him), and adhere to their principles, beliefs, and practices.  This fact is witnessed by the Prophet's  statement when he was asked about the party that will be saved and spared (from Hell), in which he said:  "They are those who are (i.e., live, act, and believe) as I and my companions are today."

Assalaam Aleikum,Is it sinful to buy liqor or other Alcoholic drinks to non muslims? As for myself I have never even tested alcohol and would discourage other muslims from doing so.

Praise be to Allah.al-hamdu lillaah. It is not permissible for a Muslim to sell wine (or any other intoxicating substance) to non-Muslims, because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Verily when Allaah forbids something, he forbids its price" (i.e. forbids earning money from it). The Prophet also cursed ten types of people relating to the issue of wine, among them the one who sells it. In addition, selling it would be assisting and abetting people in sin and transgression, and Allaah the Almighty has said (interpretation of the meaning): ...and do not aid and abet one another in sin and transgression. (al-Maa'ida 5:2) It is incumbent upon you to advise those who have fallen into this evil among the Muslims, that he should repent to Allah the Most Glorified and desist this practice.

Is it permissible to walk across in front of someone who is praying Salaat?

Praise be to Allah.It is not permissible to walk across in front of someone who is praying, and it is a great sin, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said (approximate translation of meaning is): "If the one crossing in front of a praying person knew what sin is upon him, it would be better for him to wait forty than walk across." Abu Al-Nadhr (one of the narrators of the hadith) said: I don't know whether he said forth days, months, or years. (Bukhari) Imam Al-Bukhari (R) has named the chapter in which he brings the hadith as follows: Chapter on the sin of walking across in front of a praying person. When the praying person is the leader in the prayer or praying alone, and he has a sutrah( some object like a peice of wood) in front of him, then walking across in between him and his sutrah is not permitted. However, if he is praying without a sutrah, it is not permissible to walk across in between him and his place of prostration. For the followers (in a jamaa'ah prayer), the leader's sutrah is enough for them. Based on this, it is permissible to walk through in front of a row if need be. And Allah knows best.

Assalam alaikoum, I'm a muslima since august 1996. My problem is about hijaab. I really want to wear it but it's very difficult to do it in France. I'm not married (I will be next year, incha Allah) and I live alone, so I'm obliged to work in my country. In France, it is extremely difficult to find a job and wearing hijaab. I feel very bad about that, I know the meaning of wearing hijaab, I don't want to wear it and to take it off later. For the moment, I have large garments and do my best to have a correct attitude. I plan to go to Boston for working next year, I know there is no problem of that kind there. My problem is just in France and just for one year, I don't want to stay there because of the reaction of French people (I'm French with no Arabic origins). So my question is: Is it possible (I mean correct) to wear hijaab all the time except for working ? thank you very much.

Praise be to Allah.All praise be to Allaah, who has guided you to Islam, and we ask Allaah to give you the strength and courage to be steadfast in following His guidance. It is the greatest blessing He has bestowed upon you, and it is incumbent upon you to express and show thanks for this blessing, by worshipping and obeying Him. As for your question, wearing hijaab is a mandatory obligation which cannot be neglected. If you cannot find a place in France that will allow you to work while wearing hijaab, then you must strive to move to a country you can wear the hijaab while working, as you have indicated. It is not permissible for you to not wear hijaab under any circumstance. If it is possible for you to accelerate your efforts to get married so that you may be able to manage without working under such circumstances, this would be even better and preferable. We share with you your feelings, in the sense of religious brotherhood, of the hardship that faces our fellow sisters in France with regards to the issue of hijaab, and ask Allaah to strengthen you with the courage it takes to stand up to it. By no means is it easy, and it takes great will and determination.

Can you give us an idea about the Dajjal, Al-Dabbah and Yajuj and Majuj?

Praise be to Allah.Three major signs of the Day of Judgement  There follows a brief description from the Quran and authentic Sunnah narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about Gog and Magog, the Antichrist, and the Beast which are three major signs that will precede the Hour and will come at the end of time just before the Day of Resurrection. The Antichrist (Al-Dajjal) The Dajjal – a man created by Allah, who will appear at the end of time because of something that makes Allah angry. He will spread corruption on earth and will claim divinity, calling on people to worship him.  People will be tested by the extraordinary powers that Allah will grant him, such as causing rain to fall, reviving the earth with vegetation and extracting the treasures of the earth.  The Antichrist will be a young man with a ruddy complexion, short of stature, with curly hair. He will be one-eyed; his right eye will be flat and his other eye will have a thick piece of flesh over it. Written between his eyes will be the word “Kafir” (disbeliever). Most of those who follow him will be Jews. He will meet his end at the hands of ‘Isa ibn Maryam (Jesus the son of Mary) who will kill him with a spear in Lod, which is in Palestine. Gog and Magog Yajuj and Majuj are two disbelieving tribes from among the sons of Adam. They have wide faces and small eyes. They used to spread mischief on earth, so Allah gave Dhu’l-Qarnayn the power to build a barrier to detain them. They will keep on digging at it until Allah gives them permission to come out at the end of time, after ‘Isa (peace be upon him) has killed the Dajjal.  Gog and Magog will emerge in huge numbers and will drink up the lake of Tiberias (in Palestine). They will spread mischief on earth and no one will be able to resist them. Jesus (peace be upon him) and the believers with him will take refuge in Mount Tur until Allah destroys Yajuj and Majuj by sending worms that will eat their necks. Then Allah will send rain to wash away their bodies into the sea and cleanse the earth of their stench. The Beast Al-Dabbah is a great creature which Allah will cause to emerge when the people become corrupt. It will speak to mankind and exhort them, having the ability to reason and speak. It will make marks on the people’s noses which will distinguish the believers from the disbelievers. (For more, please see Ashrat al-Sa’ah by Yusuf al-Wabil or al-Qiyamah al-Kubra by ‘Umar al-Ashqar). The responsibility of the Muslim is to believe in what was narrated from Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). How many wondrous and strange things has Allah created in this world, which speak of His might and power, may He be glorified and exalted. And Allah knows best.

Assalam'alaicum wa rahmatoullahi wa barakatouh My father, who is a non-Muslim, is very generous.As he knows that my husband and I don't have a lot of money, he gives us all the meat we need.  We know that we should eat only the meat which has been slaughtered by Muslims, but what can we do with all the meat my father gives us?  Are we going to throw it in the garbage?  One may say that we should tell him where to buy it (i.e. halal store), but when someone gives you food so generously, it would be very impolite to tell him where he should go to buy it, wouldn't it?

Praise be to Allah.wa alaikum us-salaam wa-rahmat ullaahi wa-barakaatuh All Praise be to Allaah. First of all, we pray that Allaah hastens with blessing your generous and considerate father with the guidance of Islam, for indeed He is The All-Hearer, and the One who grants the requests of His worshippers.  It is incumbent upon you to invite him to Islam and show him and explain to him the light of truth.  Your should solicit the assistance and participation of your husband in this effort as well. Second of all, regarding the ruling on eating the meat found in non-Muslim countries, please refer to question # 103. Thirdly, a Muslim should be clever and sagacious in choosing the appropriate words and gentle-mannered approach to inform such a kind person of the place where one can buy "halaal" meat.  Since he is already spending money on the meat whether he buys Islamically-slaughtered meat or otherwise, your guiding him to the appropriate place preserves the benefits and interests from all facets, i.e.:  not refusing his gift; and achieving the permissibility of eating the meat.  In fact, it would be a wise idea even for the meat he buys for himself and his house, as it will be better and healthier.  Perhaps you could approach him with the idea as a suggestion and not as a firm requirement, explaining to him the reasons behind it both from the point of view of the Islamic shari'ah as well as health reasons.  Thus, it would not be something you are presenting as forcing your opinion upon him; rather, you would express the importance of the issue for you, while at the same time complimenting and praising him for his generosity, expressing your embarrassment for having opened the subject.  I would expect such a generous man to accept a well-mannered approach, don't you think?

haven't any question, but I want to say to you : ana uhebbuka fe allah( I love for the sake of Allah )wa asaalu Allaha an yuwaffequka fe al dunya wa al akherah( I pray that Allah may grant you success in this life and the life after).

Praise be to Allah.May Allah reward you, dear brother, for practicing the sunnah, as it has been related by Al-Miqdaam bin Madi Karib that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "If any of you loves his brother then he should inform him" (Tirmidhi, hadith Hasan Sahih) Also, Anas ibn Maalik related: "I was sitting with the Prophet when a man came passing by, and he said, Oh Prophet of Allah, indeed I love this man (in a brotherly way); so he (the Prophet ) said, Have you informed him of this?; so the man said, No.; so the Prophet said, Get up and go tell him.; so he got up and went to him and said, Oh so-and-so, by Allah, indeed I love you for the sake of Allah; so he said, May the One for whom you have loved me, love you (in return)." (related by Imam Ahmad and Abu Daawood and it is hadith sahih.) So I say to you: ahabbak allah ullaadhi ahbabtani feeh (May the One for whom you have loved me, love you, in return.)

When a non-believer becomes Muslim, should he pronounce the two testimonies of faith, al-shahaadatain, or perform wudu' (ablution) first?

Praise be to Allah.He should say al-shahaadatain first, then he should purify himself for Salat and he can perform ghusl (complete bath) because the prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ordered some of his companions to perform it when they accepted Islam. See question #179 for an explanation of the two testimonies of Islamic faith.

What is the ruling on having the word “allaah” and the word “ muhammad ” written in an interwoven fashion on the door of a mosque?

Praise be to Allah.Among what the Islamic shari’ah asserts is the binding and coupling of the testimony of oneness for Allah and the testimony of the calling and message of prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Examples of such linking are in the adhan for salaat and in the iqaamah for it. Additionally, in a hadith the prophet (peace be upon him) teaches: “Islam was built upon five pillars: to witness that there is no deity except Allah, and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah… .” It represents what a mukallaf (one who is legally capable, liable for one’s actions, and obliged to perform required acts, which in Islamic law, shari’ah, starts at puberty) is required to believe. It must be understood together, and are pronounced together as a testimony of belief. As for writing it interwoven, nothing is available neither in the Book of Allah nor in the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). As a result, there is great danger in this. For it has a resemblance to the false precept in the Christian faith of trinity, and the concept that the father and the son and the holy spirit are one deity. Further, it could be construed as an emblem representing the false faith of the unity of existence. In addition, it may be used as support for the extremism in the Prophet and worshipping him with Allah. Therefore, writing the name of Allah (the Most High) with the name of his prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in this way, i.e. making the letters of their names interwoven and the crossing of the letters of each of their names with the other, must be prevented. It is even not permissible to write (Allah - Muhammad) on the door of the masjid, nor in other locations, due to the confusion, misrepresentation, and serious concerns described and warned of above.

What is the meaning of the words “la ilaha illa Allah Muhammadun Rasul Allah”?

Praise be to Allah.Meaning of “la ilaha illa Allah”  Bearing witness “la ilaha illa Allah” and that “Muhammadun Rasul Allah” is the first pillar of the five pillars of Islam. And the meaning of “la ilaha illa Allah” is that nothing worshipped is worthy of worship except Allah—it is simultaneously a denial and affirmation. “la ilaha” is denial of all worship other than that of Allah. “illa Allah” is affirmation that all worship is for Allah Alone without partners. Meaning of “Muhammad Rasul Allah” As for the declaration, “Muhammadun Rasul Allah ,” its meaning is the assertion of the message of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and to believe in it and to adhere to it by speech, action and faith, and to avoid all that is against it, whether it be sayings, actions, or intentions. In other words, obeying him in what he ordered and believing in what he said and relayed and avoiding what he has forbidden and denounced and not worshipping Allah except as he has ordained. And Allah knows best.

A man lives within a community that commits shirk (polytheism) by appealing for help from other than Allah. Is he allowed to pray with them with their leading the prayer? Is it obligatory to abandon them? Is their Shirk considered shirk al-akbar (great and serious act of disbelief by associating other beings with Allah’s supremacy)? Is alliance with them treated the same as alliance with true non-believers?

Praise be to Allah.If the condition of those with whom you live is as you mentioned, appealing for help from other than Allah, such as appealing for help from the dead and the non-living or the trees or stones or planets and the like, then they are committing the greatest shirk which causes expulsion from the community and faith of Islam. It is not allowed to ally with them just as it is not permissible to ally with non-believers. Praying behind them is not valid. It is not allowed to mix socially with them nor to reside amongst them except for the one who calls them to the truth with knowledge, and sees hope that they will accept and that their religious condition will become correct due to his efforts. Otherwise, it becomes obligatory for him to abandon them and to join a different community in which he can work with on establishing the fundamentals of Islam and its branches and reviving the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him). If he is not able to find the proper community, he should seclude himself from all communities, even if he experiences harshness, as has been related by Huthaifa (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: “The people used to ask the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) about goodness. And I used to ask him about evil from fear of falling in it. So I said, O Messenger of Allah, we used to be in ignorance and evil but Allah gave us this goodness, so is there evil after this goodness? He said: “Yes”. So I said is their goodness after this evil? He said “Yes and it has some darkness” I said what is its darkness? He said: “A people following an example other than my example and calling to a guidance other than my guidance; you would agree with some of what they do and disagree with some.” So, I said is there any evil after that goodness? He said: “Yes, callers on the doors of Jahanam (the Hellfire); whoever answers their call to it are thrown in it.” So, I said: O Messenger of Allah describe them to us. He said: “They are from amongst us and they speak with our tongues” I said: O Messenger of Allah, what do you command me to do if this happens in my time. He said: “Adhere to the community of Muslims and their leader.” So, I said: What if there weren’t a community of Muslims nor a leader? He said: “Then seclude yourself from all the communities, even if you were to bite on the root of a tree until death” Mutafaqun alayh (lit. agreed upon, i.e. narrated by both Muslim and Bukhari). Blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Mohammed, his family and companions.

Assalamu'alaikum. I am very in love with my girlfriend, a Chinese non-Muslim.We've been together for 5 years and planned to be wed soon. The problem is she is the eldest in her family and by tradition has to look after her parents who are non-Muslim.I have tried to convert them to the Islamic faith but they refused to submit to Islam. As a Muslim, I respect their decision but will I be doing a sin if they continued to live with my girlfriend and I after we wed. I deeply love and respect them even though they rejected our religion as they are my girlfriend's parents. They however were understanding enough to not keep idols and deities in the house after we wed but they love to eat pork (just like any other Chinese) What am I supposed to do? My girlfriend doesn't eat pork anymore and she has submitted to Islam willingly but she is concerned about changing her name as her parents want her to keep her original name(i.e. Wong Wan Pei). Can this be allowed?

Praise be to Allah.All praise is due to Allah. First of all, we praise Allah the most glorified that He guided this woman to Islam and that you are now allowed to marry her under Islamic law (shari'ah). May Allah the Almighty help you to remain firm toward your faith. Out of compassion and caring for your sake, please allow me to reproach a particular aspect of your question, which is that you did not indicate any regret on your part regarding the sinful and forbidden relationship of taking a girlfriend and continuing with her in a friendship that angers and displeases Allah regardless of the extent of that friendship. Your question focused on a secondary issue regarding the ruling on changing one's name which is not as serious as what you have practiced for the past five years. Allah the most glorified has forbidden such an indecent relationship in the Qur'an (interpretation of the meaning, ) "not committing fornication, nor taking them as lovers (i.e. girlfriends)" (Al-Maa'ida, 5:5) So, it is obligatory upon you to repent to Allah and to regret what has passed and to have the firm will not to return to the same action again, and to do good deeds and perform acts of worship to expiate the evils of that sin, and Allah is surely forgiving and merciful. (Please see also similar discussion of this issue in question #61) As for your statement: "I deeply love my girlfriend's parents even though they rejected our religion," by Allah it is extremely astonishing how a Muslim man that believes in Allah and the last day can love people who are non-believers that don't believe in Allah and the last day and don't forbid what Allah forbids and don't practice the religion of truth and also refuse the religion of Islam??! Is this not a clear violation of Allah's statement in the Qur'an in surat al-Mujadlilah 58:22 (interpretation of the meaning): "You will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, making friendship with and loving those who oppose Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad- Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon Him), even if they are their fathers or their sons or their kindred" We are not saying to you curse them or pick up arms against them; however, it is obligatory upon you to abhor them for their disbelief and their denial of the Lord of the worlds and to hate the invalid and untruthful religion that they are practicing. On the other hand, there is no objection for you to treat them with kindnesswhile disliking them in your heartand to be amicable towards them so that perhaps Allah will guide them through you. You will find no conflict or contradiction between these two ideas if you consider them carefully. Furthermore, there is no objection to her parents living with you after marriage if they do not perform forbidden acts in the home (e.g., eating pork, drinking alcohol, etc.) As for the question raised at the end of your letter regarding changing her name, the answer is: if the name of the person has a forbidden meaning, like the name of an idol or one of their deities or a name that means worshipping other than Allah, such as Abdul-Maseeh (worshipper of Jesus the messiah) or Abdul-Hussain (worshipper of Hussain) then it is mandatory to change it. However, if its meaning is permissible and not objectionable, e.g. if it means one of the colors such as red or green or a vocation like carpenter or baker, then it is OK and it is not obligatory to change it. However, if changing the name in official documents would cause the person much distress or harm, then it suffices to change it amongst his family and acquaintances. Finally, I ask Allah to give you and this woman a halaal (lawful and good) and blissful life, full of imaan (faith) and taqwa (piety - God-fearing) and enriched with righteous posterity. All success is from Allah.

In America there is a mosque which consists of three levels or floors. The top floor is the women’s prayer hall, the floor beneath it is the main prayer hall, and the floor beneath that is a kind of basement, in which there are washrooms, a room for Islamic magazines and publications, and classrooms for women; there is also an extra place for women to pray.Is it permissible for menstruating women to enter this lower level?Also, there are pillars in the mosque which interrupt the rows of worshippers, splitting a row into two halves. Does this break the row or not?

Praise be to Allah.If the building you describe was intended as a mosque, and the people on the higher and lower floors can hear the voice of the Imaam, then the prayer of all of them is valid. In this case it is not permissible for menstruating women to sit in the place that is prepared for prayer in the lower level, because it is part of the mosque. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I do not make the mosque permissible for menstruating women and those in a state of ritual impurity.” As for a menstruating woman passing through the mosque for some purpose, as long as she takes care to ensure that no blood leaks, then there is nothing wrong with this, because Allâh says (interpretation of the meaning): “… Approach not As-Salaah (the prayer)… when you are in a state of Janaabah (i.e., when you are in a state of sexual impurity and have not yet taken a bath) except when travelling on the road (without enough water, or when passing through a mosque)…” [al-Nisa’ 4:43] And it was reported that the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told ‘Aa’ishah to fetch his prayer rug from the mosque, and she said that she was menstruating. He SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told her: “Your menstruation is not in your hand.” But if it was not the intention of those who established this mosque that the lower floor was to be part of the mosque, but it was to be a storeroom or to serve some other purpose, as mentioned in the question, then it does not come under the rulings governing mosques. It is permissible for menstruating woman and those who are in a state of impurity to sit there. There is nothing wrong with praying there in the places that are pure (taahir) and are not part of the washrooms, as it is permissible to pray in all clean places where there is no shar’i reason not to pray. But anyone who prays there cannot be considered to be following the imaam who is praying on the upper floor, if he cannot see him or any of the people who are praying behind him, and because this is not a part of the mosque, according to the more correct scholarly opinion. With regard to the pillars which interrupt the rows, they do not adversely affect the prayer, but if it is possible to form the rows in front of or behind the pillars so that the row will not be interrupted, this is better. And Allaah is the source of strength.

Some folowers of Islam tell me that Muhammad and Jesus were two of the great prophets .  They tell me that the reason Muhammad wasn't mentioned in the Bible was because he was born after the Bible was already written.  Well, Jesus was born after the Old Testiment was written, yet there were over 600 prophesy's in the Old Testiment about Jesus that all came true, yet there are NO prophesy's about Muhammad in the entire Bible.  How can Muhammad be like Jesus if that is true?

Praise be to Allah.This is one of two cases: either this man is ignorant and what he says is of no significance, or what he says is a fabrication and a lie. We Muslims know well the aayah (Qur’aanic verse) in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write (i.e. Muhammad) whom they find written with them in the Tawraat (Torah) (Deut, xviii 15) and the Injeel (Gospel) (John, xiv 16), — he commands them for Al-Ma‘roof (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islam has ordained); and forbids them from Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism of all kinds, and all that Islam has forbidden); he allows them as lawful At‑Tayyibaat (i.e. all good and lawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons and foods), and prohibits them as unlawful Al‑Khabaa’ith (i.e. all evil and unlawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons and foods), he releases them from their heavy burdens (of Allaah’s Covenant with the children of Israel), and from the fetters (bindings) that were upon them. So those who believe in him (Muhammad), honour him, help him, and follow the light (the Qur’aan) which has been sent down with him, it is they who will be successful [al-A’raaf 7:157]  Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his commentary (tafseer) on this verse: “ ‘Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write whom they find written with them in the Tawraat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)’ – this is a description of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the books of the Prophets who gave their nations the glad tidings of his coming and commanded them to follow him. This description is still there in their books and their scholars and rabbis know it. Imaam Ahmad narrated: Ismaa’eel told us from al-Jareeri from Abu Sakhr al-‘Aqeeli, a man from among the Bedouin told me, I brought a milch-camel to Madeenah during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). When I had sold her, I said, “Let me meet this man [the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] and listen to him.” I met him walking between Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, and I followed them until they came to a Jewish man who was reading from a scroll of the Torah, consoling himself for the plight of his son who lay dying, a boy who was very handsome and good looking. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘I ask you by the One Who revealed this Torah, do you find any mention in this book of yours of my attributes and my coming?’ The man gestured with his head to indicate ‘No’. But his son said, ‘Yes indeed, by the One who revealed the Torah, we do find mention of your attributes and your coming in our book, and I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah and that you are the Messenger of Allaah.’ [The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] said, ‘Keep this Jew away from your brother.’ Then he took care of shrouding him and praying [the funeral prayer] over him.” This is a qawiy jayyid hadeeth.  It was narrated that ‘Ataa’ ibn Yassaar said: “I met ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr and said, ‘Tell me about the attributes of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) described in the Torah.’ He said, ‘Yes, by Allaah he is described in the Torah as he is described in the Qur’aan (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, We have sent you (O Muhammad) as a witness, as a bearer of glad tidings, and as a warner” [al-Fath 48:8] – and as a saviour to the unlettered; you are My slave and My messenger; your name is al-Mutawakkil; you are not harsh and aggressive; Allaah will not take him (in death) until He has straightened a crooked nation through him so that they will say that there is no god except Allaah, and has opened hard hearts, deaf ears and blind eyes.’”  ‘Ataa’ said: “Then I met Ka’b (who was one of the People of the Book who had become Muslim) and I asked him about that, and he told me exactly the same, not even one letter was different…”  Al-Bukhaari narrated in his Saheeh that ‘Ataa’ ibn Yassaar said: “ I met ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allaah be pleased with him) and said, ‘Tell me about the description of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the Torah. He said, ‘‘Yes, by Allaah, he is described in the Torah in some of the same terms as he is described in the Qur’aan (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, We have sent you (O Muhammad) as a witness, as a bearer of glad tidings, and as a warner” [al-Fath 48:8] – and as a saviour to the unlettered; you are My slave and My messenger;  your name is al-Mutawakkil; he is not harsh and aggressive, and he does not make a noise in the market-place; he does not repay evil with evil, rather he overlooks and forgives; Allaah will not take him (in death) until He has straightened a crooked nation through him so that they will say that there is no god except Allaah, and has opened hard hearts, deaf ears and blind eyes.’” (al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, no. 2125)  Allaah did not send any Prophet without taking from him the covenant and promise that if the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) were to appear during his lifetime, he would follow Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).  Allaah says in Soorat Aal ‘Imraan (which no Christian reads with an open mind but he will become Muslim) (interpretation of the meaning): “And (remember) when Allaah took the Covenant of the Prophets, saying: ‘Take whatever I gave you from the Book and Hikmah (understanding of the Laws of Allaah), and afterwards there will come to you a Messenger (Muhammad) confirming what is with you; you must, then, believe in him and help him.’ Allaah said: ‘Do you agree (to it) and will you take up My Covenant (which I conclude with you)?’ They said: ‘We agree.’ He said: ‘Then bear witness; and I am with you among the witnesses (for this).’” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:81]  Al-Qurtubi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his commentary (tafseer) on this verse: It is said that Allaah took the covenant from the Prophets that they would confirm one another, and He commanded them to believe in one another. This is the meaning of believing and helping (‘you must, then, believe in him and help him’)… Taawoos said: Allaah took the covenant from the first Prophets that they would believe in the Message of the later Prophets… The Messenger here is Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), according to the view of ‘Ali and Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them). Allaah took the covenant from all the Prophets that they would believe in Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) if they met him, and He commanded them to take the same covenant from their nations. If you want to know more about the references to the coming of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the Bible (even after it has been altered!) we refer you to the books “Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the Bible” and “What the Bible says about Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)” by Ahmad Deedat. We ask Allaah to guide you.

A sister's husband became addicted to crack cocaine, and he beat her badly, threw a knife at her and tried to kill her, and abandoned her for four months. She requested a khula from the Imaam of the community and even though everyone could see how badly she was beaten (scars, bruises) and that her husband was no longer home, the Imaam refused to nullify the contract unless the wife drew up a written summary on paper of why she wanted a khula, which as she puts it "is long as a book." She refused to write it, and she did not get divorced. And as the weeks passed, it became apparent that the Imaam (who is a part of the bid'ah of giving bay'ah) was incompetant and handled the situation badly. Her husband rehabbed himself, and came home, and she accepted him back, and months later, his addiction came up again and he left weeks ago. She now wants a khula again, but she does not know what to do.  Please Advice.

Praise be to Allah.the Lord of the Worlds. If what is described in the question is true, then it is a lesson and a warning about how sin can destroy homes and families. Every Muslim must repent to Allaah and give up sin and disobedience. It is very strange that this sister does not want to write down her reasons for asking for divorce. She should respond to this request what harm could it possibly do? If the influential person who is responsible for the affairs of the Muslim community in that place sees that there is no possibility of reconciling the two partners and continuing the marriage, he should issue a divorce (khula divorce instigated by the woman) freeing her from the husband, on conditions that are mutually acceptable. We ask Allaah to protect our families and the families of all Muslims from fitnah (temptation, tribulation), and to rectify all our affairs.

Bismillahir rahmaanir raheem, As salaamu 'alaykum, I have read a number of refutations written by the ash'areeyah/soofiyah regarding the concept "bid'ah hasanah" - they justify this concept by the narration in Bukhaaree's saheeh when the sahabi said "Rabbanaa lakal hamd hamdan katheeran tayyiban mubaarakan fih" when coming out of rukoo' and rasulullah ( ) approved. They say Ibn Hajr was of this opinion and supported this view. Also they quote Ibn Hajr as condemning Ibn Taymiyyah as "a slave who is leading others astray." Any comments on this?

Praise be to Allah.the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon his truthful Prophet. Firstly, how can there be any such thing as bidah hasanah (good innovation) when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: Every bidah is a going astray and every going astray is in Hell-fire.  So, if anyone says that there is such a thing as bidah hasanah, he can only be insisting on going against the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Secondly, saying al-hamdu Lillaah (praise be to Allaah) when coming out of rukoo is a well-known phrase of dhikr which is proven in sound ahaadeeth reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). All that this Sahaabi did was to come up with a new phrase expressing praise to Allaah. How can this be used as evidence to support innovations in worship and dhikr that have no basis in the sources of Islam? Thirdly, what this Sahaabi did cannot be taken as evidence in and of itself. It was not even considered to have been a correct action until after the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had approved it, and not before. But how on earth could this innovator obtain the approval of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) after he has passed away?" Fourthly, if we accept the use of this report as evidence, it is still no more than an isolated incident which cannot be generalized, whereas the hadeeth every bidah is a going astray is clearly a general statement. It is a well-known principle among the ulamaa (scholars) that what is stated clearly takes precedence over what is merely implied. Fifthly, how can we know what is good or not with our limited minds alone and without the input of Revelation? Is there not the possibility of differences of opinion? What one person sees as good will be seen differently by another, so what would the standard be? Whose reasoning could we rely on or refer to? Would this not be confusion, even anarchy itself? Sixthly (which confirms the third point made above), when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) approved of an act of worship or a dhikr (remembrance of Allaah) on the part of one of his Sahaabah, it would thus become a part of shareeah and hence be regarded as a sunnah hasanah. But with the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the ceasing of Revelation, how can we know whether innovated acts of worship or dhikr are correct or would be approved? We have no way of knowing, so we should limit ourselves only to the forms of worship that have been narrated in sound reports. The great scholar al-Haafiz ibn Hijr (may Allaah have mercy on him) narrated many comments by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah in Fath al-Baari; he agreed with some and disagreed with others. This is the business of the scholars: they discuss and debate with one another, with the aim of reaching the truth which may lie with the one who is disagreeing or with the one whose opinion is being criticized. As for the unpleasant comment quoted in the question, from what we know of Ibn Hijr (may Allaah have mercy on him) and his good manners, fear of Allaah, awareness of the value of knowledge and respect for the scholars, we are sure that this comment is a fabrication. May Allaah forgive all the scholars and reward them for their efforts and concern.

Can you tell me the characteristics of jama’ah Islam that we must follow?

Praise be to Allah.It is the Muslim’s duty to follow the truth and to join the victorious group, the people of Sunnah and Jama`ah (Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah ) who are followers of the pious predecessors (al-salaf al-salih ), loving them for the sake of Allah whether they are in his own country or elsewhere, and cooperating with them in righteousness. The attributes of the victorious group  The attributes of the victorious group are related in a number of sahih hadiths, for example: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “My ummah is an ummah which carries out the commands of Allah; those who let them down or differ from them do not harm them and they will keep adhering to this path until the Day of Judgement.” Mu‘awiyah and ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with them) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘A group of my ummah will continue victoriously adhering to the truth until the Last Hour begins.’” Al-Mughirah ibn Shu‘bah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: “Some people of my ummah will remain victorious over the people until the decree of Allah reaches them.” ‘Imran ibn Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “A group of my ummah will continue fighting for the truth, and will prevail over those who oppose them, until the last of them will kill al-Masih al-Dajjal (the Liar or Anti-Christ).” From these hadiths we may understand the following: The Prophet’s words “A group of my ummah will continue . . .” indicate that this is a section of the ummah, not the entire ummah. This also indicates that there will be other groups and sects. His words “those who oppose them will not harm them” indicate that there will be other groups who oppose the victorious group in the way they practice the religion. This also concurs with the Hadith which describes the ummah being divided into seventy-two groups or sects who oppose the one group that is following the truth. Both hadiths offer glad tidings to the people who are following the truth. The Hadith that speaks of the victorious group speaks of their victory in this world. The words “until the decree of Allah reaches them” refer to the wind or breeze that will come and take the soul of every believing man and woman. This does not contradict the Hadith “A group of my ummah will remain victoriously supporting the truth until the Day of Resurrection,” because that Hadith means that they will continue to follow the truth until that gentle breeze takes their souls just before the Day of Resurrection, when many other Signs of the Last Hour have already manifested themselves.  Characteristics of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah From the hadiths quoted above, and other reports, we can derive the following characteristics of the victorious group : They follow the truth. They are described variously as “following the truth,” “following the commandments of Allah,” “following the true religion,” etc. All of these phrases indicate that they are adhering to the true religion with which Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent. They obey the commandments of Allah, which means: They are distinguished from the rest of mankind by carrying the banner of Da`wah towards Allah. They undertake the mission of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil. They will be victorious until the Last Hour. The hadiths say that “they will be victorious until the decree of Allah comes,” “they victoriously support the truth,” or “they will be victorious over those who oppose them.” This victory includes: Being open and not hiding: they are well-known and prominent and have the upper hand. Adherence to true religion, righteousness, following Allah’s commands and fighting against His enemies in jihad Victory by defeating others They are patient and resist others with patience. Abu Tha‘labah al-Khashani (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “After you there will come days of patience, in which the patience required will be like having to hold a burning coal in one’s hand.” Who are the people of the victorious sect? Al-Bukhari said: “They are the people of knowledge (the scholars).” Many scholars said that the victorious group is the scholars of Hadith . Al-Nawawi said: “It is possible that this group is scattered among all types of believers. Some may be brave fighters, or jurists, or scholars of Hadith, or ascetics, or people who enjoin good and forbid evil, and other types of good people.” Al-Nawawi also said: “It could be a group of different types of believers, including those who are brave and skilled in warfare, faqihs, scholars of Hadith, Quranic commentators (mufassirin), those who enjoin good and forbid evil, ascetics and devoted worshippers.” Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, explained the matter as follows: “They do not have to all be in one city; they could be gathered in one country or dispersed across the world. They may be gathered in one city or in a part of it. It is possible that one group may exist, then disappear, then be replaced by another group, and so on, until the Day of Judgement, when all will disappear except for one group in one city, who will disappear when the breeze decreed by Allah comes.” The scholars’ discussion of this group does not specify one type of people, or one city or country, except for the last group, which will be in al-Sham (the territory comprising modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine) and will fight the Dajjal, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said. No doubt those who are involved with the sciences of Shari`ah – `aqidah, fiqh, Hadith and tafsir, studying and teaching – are the people who are most qualified to be called the Victorious Group, and they should be at the forefront of Da`wah and jihad, and enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, and refuting the people of bid`ah, all of which must be accompanied with sound knowledge based on the Revelation. We ask Allah to make us among them. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad. And Allah knows best.

If you are traveling and you are shortening your prayers, is the witr prayer still wajib?

Praise be to Allah.The majority of scholars assert that witr prayer is a confirmed sunnah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) practiced consistently, and that it is not obligatory. This is based on the hadith regarding the Bedouin who once came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asking about Islam, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) answered, "Five prayers within one day-and-night." The Bedouin asked, "Am I obliged to other than those?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, "(not) Unless you volunteer of your own." (Agreed upon) Some scholars have said that qiyam al-layl (prayer at the heart of night) and witr prayer are the best of the voluntary prayers . Therefore, one should consistently practice them and not neglect them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not neglect the prayers during the  night nor two rak`ahs before Fajr neither in residence nor in travel as reported in authentic hadiths. And Allah knows best.

How many adthans are there for fajr? If people are in the mosque do you still say "prayer is better than sleep" I heard it is a biddah to do this. Apparently there is a hadith to this effect. Could you send something?

Praise be to Allah.There were two calls for salaat ul-fajr (prayer) at the time of Allaah's Messenger (peace be upon him), the first just before dawnfor those who are awake performing night prayers( Qe iaam Al-lyl) so as for them to either rest for Fajr or have food if they intend to fast the next day, and for those who are asleep in order they may begin to arouse and be ready for Fajr( since it is preferred as early as possible)and the second at the actual time of fajr to indicate the appropriate time and to call people to the prayer, among other benefits of the adhaan. Regarding the second point, jumhoor al-'ulemaa' (majority of the scholars) agree that the statement (within adhaan for fajr) "prayer is superior to sleeping" should be said in the second call to prayer. Hence, the caller or mu'athin should adhere to the saying phrase and recite it even if people are inside the mosque. It contains benefits which might be slip one's mind. Moreover, it reminds people of the very fact: "prayer is superior to sleep" which concerns the immediate day as well as all forthcoming days. Muslims benefit from it even when they are already in the mosque and gain the reward of repeating it after mu'athin, as per the saying of the Prophet : "If you hear al-Mu'athin, say [i.e, repeat] as he says" which is hadith sahih. Perhaps women and children who live near the masjid may benefit as well, and even the Muslims among the jinn. Additionally, there may be some people who feel sleepy inside the mosque or those who have nodded off while sitting. Thus, Muslims should preserve and practice this sunnah and not abandon it. May Allaah make us all successful in following the sunnah and vigilant in adhering and preserving it.

For a great time now my community and I have been concerned with the issue of foods such as Gelatin, mono and dyglycerides, pepsin and rennetAll these thing are in our foods today and yet we do not know what we can eat and the reason for each. PLease give me a very detailed response that could end this trouble.

Praise be to Allah.Allaah has blessed His slaves by creating for them all kinds of provision on earth, and He has permitted them to eat from that which is halaal (permissible) and good; this includes very many things, it is not limited. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “O mankind! Eat of that which is lawful and good on the earth, and follow not the footsteps of Shaytaan (Satan). Verily, he is to you an open enemy.” [al-Baqarah 2:168] Allaah forbids a limited number of foods, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “Say (O Muhammad): “I find not in that which has been revealed to me anything forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it, unless it be Maitah (a dead animal) or blood poured forth (by slaughtering or the like), or the flesh of swine (pork); for that surely, is impure or impious (unlawful) meat (of an animal) which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allaah (or has been slaughtered for idols, or on which Allaah’s Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering).” [al-An’aam 6:145]  The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade the eating of every carnivorous animal that has fangs, and every bird which has talons. (Narrated by Muslim, 6/60)  And he forbade the flesh of (domestic) donkeys (narrated by al-Mukhari in al-Fath, no. 4215).  Of the foods which are to be found nowadays, some of them are clearly haraam, such as dead meat [from an animal which has died naturally as opposed to being slaughtered properly] and pork. Some foods may contain ingredients and derivatives which come from haraam sources, so we have to find out where they come from so that we may know what the ruling is concerning them. The gelatin which was mentioned in the question may originate from the skin, muscles and bones of haraam animals such as pigs. Hence gelatin which is derived from collagen which comes from pigs is haraam, because it is as if the pig had been turned into salt. The most correct view is that it is haraam even if it has been changed, so long as it originally came from a pig, which is haraam.  The fats which are used in foods come either from vegetable sources or animal sources.  If they come from vegetable sources they are halaal, so long as they have not been mixed with anything that is impure (najjis) or anything that could contaminate them. If they come from animal sources, they are either from animals that we are permitted to eat or animals that we are not permitted to eat.  If they come from an animal that we are permitted to eat, then they come under the same ruling as the meat of that animal.  If they come from an animal which it is haraam for us to eat – such as pigs – then we look at whether they are used in foods or for other purposes.  If they are usedfor non-food purposes, e.g. many fats are used in making soap, then there is a difference of scholarly opinion, but the most correct view is that they are haraam.  If they are used in foods, e.g., pig fat (lard) is used in making sweets and other foods, this is haraam.  With regard to cheese: if it is made from the milk of an animal which we are not permitted to eat, then according to scholarly consensus it is not permissible to eat it. If it is made from the milk of an animal which we are permitted to eat, and it is known that it is made with rennet that has been derived from an animal slaughtered according to sharee’ah andit has not been mixed with any najaasah (impurity), then it may be eaten.  If it was made with rennet derived from dead meat, there is a difference of scholarly opinion as to whether we may eat it, but the most correct view is that it is haraam.  If it was made with rennet from a source which is inherently naajis (impure), such as rennet derived from pigs, then it should not be eaten.  See Ahkaam al-At’imah fi’l-Sharee’ah al-Islamiyyah by al-Tareeqi, p. 482  In many cases these matters are unclear to the Muslim (he does not know the source of food ingredients). In this case, it is better to fear Allaah and be cautious. Avoiding doubtful things may be preferable to using them in these circumstances, as stated in the hadeeth narrated by al-Nu’maan ibn Basheer (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say – and al-Nu’maan pointed to hisears – “That which is lawful is plain and that which is unlawful is plain, and between the two of them there are doubtful matters about which not many people know. Thus he who avoids doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his religion and his honour, but he who falls into doubtful matters falls into that which is unlawful, like the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein. Truly every king has a sanctuary, and truly Allaah’s sanctuary is His prohibitions. Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh which, if it is sound, all the body issound and which, if it is corrupt, all of it will be corrupt. Truly it is the heart.” (Narrated by Muslim, 1599). From the above we learn that the basic principle concerning food is that it is halaal, apart from those things for which there is clear evidence (daleel) that they are haraam, such as dead meat, blood, animals sacrificed to other than Allaah and meat over which the name of Allaah was not pronounced at the time of slaughter. Concerning the foods mentioned in the question: if it is proven that they contain ingredients derived from haraam sources, it is necessary to avoid them, otherwise they need not be avoided. If you are not sure whether they contain anything haraam or not – without being paranoid or succumbing to the waswaas (insinuating whispers of the Shaytaan) – then it is preferable to avoid them as a precaution out of fear of Allaah. And Allaah knows best.

The question is regarding the unsureness of the number of rakaats ones prayed. How would we go about correcting it. Some say at the end of prayer you say salam once and go into sujdah and others say you finish your prayer and than do the sujdah. This issue is very confusing please explain.

Praise be to Allah.The prostration of forgetfulness (sujood ul-sahw) is required whenever one inadvertently adds extraneous parts or misses parts or is in doubt regarding parts of the arkaan (essential pillars) of the prayer and/or its other requirements. The question posed regards what to do when in doubt regarding the number of raka’aat prayed, and the answer is covered in the following points: First, definition of doubtfulness: when two possibilities are equally probable without knowing or feeling one is more likely true than the other. Second, when one doubts after performing salaam: One should disregard such doubt. For example, take the case of one who has completed praying dhuhr then questions after finishing the prayer, "Did I really pray four raka’aat or only three?" Such doubt should be disregarded completely unless it is substantiated by clear and certain indications; otherwise, it opens the door to waswasah (the whispering of Satan) and unwarranted extraneous additions to the prayer. Third, when one doubts during the prayer; this must fall into one of the following two cases: One can discern that one of the two possibilities about which one is in doubt is more likely or more certain by virtue of one’s prevalent feeling or most likely inclination: In this case, one should act according to his best assumption and perform the prostration of forgetfulness after the salaam. The evidence for this opinion is what was related by Ibn Mas’ood, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed either an extraneous addition or missed an essential part of the prayer (one of the narrators of the hadeeth was in doubt which). After saying ‘salaam,’ it was said to him, "Oh Prophet of Allah, has there been a new change in [the way of performing] the prayer?" He replied, "Why [would you say that]?" They responded, "You prayed in such and such manner." So he bent his legs and faced towards the qiblah and performed two prostrations then performed tasleem (saying ‘salaam’ to the right then the left). After facing towards us, he said, "If something new had been introduced regarding the prayers, I would have informed you about it. To the contrary, I am but a human like you I forget as you forget, so if I forget, remind and inform me. If any of you doubts during his prayer then he should try to discern the more certain and correct case, then complete the prayer based upon it, then perform tasleem, followed by two prostrations." (Al-Bukhari, Fath Al-Baari #401). One cannot discern nor is there any prevalence apparent to indicate which of the two cases is more certain: In this case, one should assume the least of the two and continue based on this assumption, then perform the two prostrations of doubt before tasleem. An example of this would be one who while praying the dhuhr prayer is completely uncertain whether he has completed three or four raka’aat and cannot determine which is more true. Thus, he would assume the lesser of the two, i.e. three, and complete another raka’ah then sit for the tashahhud, then prostrate two prostrations before saying "salaam." The basis for this ruling is the hadeeth related by Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, in which he said: the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "If any of you doubts during his prayer and he does not know how many [raka’aat] he has prayed, whether it is three or four, then he should discard and cast away his doubt. He is to continue upon what one is sure of [i.e. the lesser] then perform two prostrations before making tasleem. If he ends up [in reality] praying five [raka’aat], then his prayer will be an intercession for him; and if he ends up completely the [requisite] four [raka’aat] then it is targheeman for shaytaan." (targheeman: i.e., a way of vexing Satan and humiliating and debasing him, as well as rejecting him as a result of his failure to achieve his desire of disturbing the worshipper.) (Al-Nawawi in explaining the hadeeth from Sahih Muslim, 5/60).

Can muslims accept donations from non-muslims to use in Islamic Cause?

Praise be to Allah.Imaam al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) gave one of the chapters in his Saheeh the title of “Baab qabool al-hadiyah min al-mushrikeen (Chapter on accepting gifts from the polytheists),” under which heading he listed a number of ahaadeeth indicating that this is permitted. Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar commented: “On this topic, Abu Dawood and al-Tirmidhi narrated from ‘Ayyaad ibn Himar [??] who said: ‘I gave the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) a gift of a she-camel. He asked me, “Have you become Muslim?” I said, “No.” He said, “I have been forbidden to accept the gifts of the mushrikeen.”’ Then al-Haafiz (may Allaah have mercy on him) quoted some of the comments made by the scholars to reconcile the texts which indicate that such gifts should be refused with those which indicate that they should be accepted. (The scholars said that) gifts should be refused when the intention behind them is to win the Muslim over (by softening his heart towards them), and they should be accepted when by doing so there is the hope of befriending that person and opening his heart to Islam. There is nothing wrong with accepting unsolicited gifts and donations from non-Muslims, and it is permissible to spend them on Islamic projects and in other ways. But asking for donations from non-Muslims carries several risks, such as being humiliated in front of them or being controlled by them. If there is no danger of such things happening, there is nothing wrong with asking. When he was still in Makkah, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to ask for help for the sake of da’wah, without any humiliation involved, from some of the mushrikeen, such as his uncle Abu Taalib and others. There is no humiliation involved in putting out charity boxes or circulating flyers giving account numbers for donations, and so on. And Allaah knows best.

Finding Islamic employment is sometimes difficult. Is it necessarily incorrect to work for a state government? I feel that it's better than working for most businesses, at least better than working for businesses revolve around interest transactions. I would greatly appreciate some direction on this. Thank You

Praise be to Allah.All Praise be to Allaah. Muslims must realize that the age of living estranged (religiously) in non-Muslim societies effects the proliferation of the haraam and the diminishment of the halaal. It is very possible what you have suggested is true, since the business sector specifically is more involved in interest than those in the government sector. However, I do not think that this cannot be generalized as a matter of principle in this matter. In general, we can say that it is permissible for the muslim to work in any sector as long as the work there involves halaal activities, and that it is not permissible to work in any occupation or position in any sector which would involve the Muslim in a function that is muharram. (interpretation of the meaning): "... And for those who fear Allaah, He (ever) prepares a way out, and He provides for him from (sources) he never could imagine. And if anyone puts his trust in Allaah, sufficient is (Allaah) for him. For Allaah will surely accomplish His purpose; indeed, for all things has Allaah appointed a due proportion". (Surah At-Talaaq, 65:2-3)

Being a Muslim Woman,how must they wear their attire to say that she is a muslim woman.

Praise be to Allah.The scholars have based the conditions of the hijaab (covering) which Muslim women must wear in front of non-mahram men on the evidence in the Qur’aan and Sunnah. So long as a woman adheres to these conditions, she may wear whatever she likes in public places and elsewhere, and her hijaab will be considered Islamic. These conditions may be summarized as follows: The hijaab must cover her entire body It should be thick enough to conceal what is underneath it It should be loose-fitting, not tight It should not be so attractive as to call men’s attention to it It should not be perfumed It should not be a dress of fame and vanity (i.e., it shouldn't be extravagant or excessively opulent) It should not resemble the dress of men It should not resemble the dress of kaafir women It should not be adorned with any crosses or pictures of animate beings Further discussion of each of the above points will appear soon, in sha Allaah.

If you are a minor and your parents earn income that might be haram for example they service businesses among them are bars, and deal with interest like when paying deposits on a apartments they rent out. My question is that there is I think (several hadith) where it says that Allah does not accept du'as and prayers of those who get there sustenance through haram means. If a little of the sustenance (money) is from haram means, and you are a minor in this case does hadith count in your case?

Praise be to Allah.Expenditure is obligatory upon a father to his son/daughter according to the Islamic law and shari'ah, as regards his/her housing, clothing, food, drink and the like. However, the concept is not tied to being a "minor" in the sense of Western laws. The requirement according to Islamic shari'ah are: that the person spent upon is poor or does not own anything, or does not own or possess what is enough for his requirements and is unable to gain their own income. that the one spending has enough wealth to spend on himself and his wife. that the one spending and the one spent upon are of the same religion. When the son/daughter is in need for expenses, then he/she is allowed to take from his/her father's earning even though it is haram (forbidden). In such a case his/her du'aa' to Allah won't be affected, since being a minor, he/she has neither might nor power. But while doing so, he/she should abide by the following observations: Not to expand and widen the scope of taking or accepting from his/her father's illegitimate earnings. He/she should try if he/she is able to earn a halaal income to become independent and self-sufficient and no longer in need of the father's support. To try as hard as possible all ways to admonish and advise he/her parents in the hope that Allah Almighty may guide them towards repentance from haram earnings.

I found an offensive site to Islam. Can we do something to explain the truth? Shukran Jazillan

Praise be to Allah.You have discovered pages at a particular site, for which you have asked a proper rejoinder, that indeed show hostility towards the religion of Islam, ridicule the personality of our Prophet (peace be upon him) and carry false accusations and distortions. However, the matter is as said by Allaah (azza wa jall) (interpretation of the meaning): "They want to blow out, with their mouths, the light that Allah has sent, but Allah has decided to bring this light to a completion even though the disbelievers do not like it" (Al-Tawbah 9:32) I do not see any point in announcing the URL of their page in any other Islamic page which Muslims visit frequently. We should not propagate its existence or invite people to it even by indirect means. What I see as important is that some capable persons should send the proper translation of meanings of the following verse of Qur'an and other such verses to them: "Those who disbelieve spend their wealth in distracting people from the right path, will continue to spend until it becomes a source of regret for them and then they will be overcome. And the disbelievers will be resurrected towards Hellfire so that Allaah may distinguish the evil from the righteous" It should be enough to send them this and similar verses of Quran in rejoinder and to raise their anger. Doing so will be an act of worship and nearness to Allaah as Allaah (azza wa jall) has informed about the true believers (interpretation of the meaning): "They suffer neither thirst nor fatigue, nor hunger in the Cause of Allaah, nor they take any step to raise the anger of disbelievers nor inflict any injury upon an enemy but is written to their credit as a deed of righteousness. Surely, Allaah wastes not the reward of the righteous"(At-Tawbah, 9:120) I ask Allaah to reward you for your religious spirit and protect and support you.

1. What is the position of a woman when her husband invites his brother to dinner, does she eat dinner with them, can she serve him? 2. Is the husband’s brother a mahram, can she travel with him?

Praise be to Allah.Can your wife serve your guests? A wife is permitted to serve her husband and his guests if she is wearing complete hijab and nothing of her body can be seen. She is also permitted to sit with them so long as there is no sitting alone with one non-mahram man, wanton display or other cause of temptation involved. As far as eating with them is concerned, if this involves uncovering some part of her body, then she should not eat with them. Is a brother-in-law a mahram? The husband's brother is not a mahram . The various types of mahram have been described in the Quran. On this basis, it is not permitted for her to travel with him . In view of the seriousness of the matter of non-mahram men, especially the husband's relatives, entering upon women , and the fact that so many people take this matter lightly, there follow a few words of important advice: Warning against non-mahram relatives entering upon women in the absence of their husbands Some homes are not free of the presence of relatives of the husband who are not mahrams of his wife. They may be living with him for a number of reasons, such as brothers who are students or bachelors. These men enter the house without there being any sense of something strange, because they are known to the neighbours as relatives of the head of the household. The neighbours know that this is a brother, or nephew or uncle. This casual approach leads to many immoral deeds that earn the wrath of Allah because the limits that He has prescribed are not being adhered to. The basic principle in this matter should be the hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Beware of entering upon women." A man of the Ansar asked, "O Messenger of Allah, what do you think about the brother-in-law?" He said, "The brother-in-law is death." (Reported by al-Bukhari, Fath al-Bari, 9/330) Al-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, said:  “This hadith refers to all the relatives of the husband apart from his father and sons, who are mahrams for the wife and she is allowed to be alone with them; they are not described as "death." It refers to the brother, nephew, uncle, cousin and other relatives of the husband whom she would be permitted to marry if she were not already married. Because people customarily treat this matter so lightly, and a man may sit alone with his brother's wife, the brother-in-law is likened to death, and he is the foremost among non-mahram men who should be prevented from doing so. Meaning of ‘the brother-in-law is death’ The expression "the brother-in-law is death " may have a number of meanings, such as the following: That being alone with a brother-in-law may lead to religious doom if it results in sin. That it may lead to actual death if an immoral deed is committed that dictates the punishment of stoning. That it may spell disaster for the woman if her husband's jealousy leads to divorce. That you should fear being alone with a non-mahram woman as much as you fear death. That being alone with a non-mahram woman is as terrible as death. All of this stems from the fact that Islam wants to preserve families and households, and prevent anything that could lead to their destruction. What do you say now, after hearing the warning of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about those husbands who say to their wives: "If my brother comes and I am not here, show him into the sitting-room" or a woman who says to a male visitor: "Go into the sitting room" - when there is no-one else present in the house? To those who take the idea of trustworthiness as an excuse, and say things like, "I trust my wife and I trust my brother or my cousin," we say: do not trust too much and do not doubt too much, but know that the hadith "No man sits alone with a (non-mahram) woman , but the Shaytan is the third among them" (reported by al-Tirmidhi, 1171) includes both the most righteous of people as well as the most immoral of people, and that Islam makes no exceptions whatsoever in such reports. This is the problem. A man marries a woman and brings her to his family's home, where she lives happily with him, then his younger brother starts to enter upon her when her husband is absent, and they begin to talk in an affectionate or even passionate manner. This leads to two things: she begins to detest her husband, and grows attached to his brother, but she cannot divorce her husband, or do what she wants to with the other. This is the grievous torment. This story represents one aspect of corruption, besides which are other kinds which reach the level of immoral sexual conduct and illegitimate children. Can wife travel with husband’s brother? In answer to the second question, a woman is not permitted to travel with her husband's brother , who is not her mahram, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "A woman should not travel unless she is with a mahram, and no man should enter upon a woman unless she has a mahram with her." (Al-Bukhari, 1729) Among the conditions of a mahram for travel purposes are: he should be someone whom she is permanently forbidden to marry, such as her grandfather, father, brother, paternal uncle, nephew, etc.  And Allah knows best.

Why do Muslims think that Islam is true? Is there any factual basis?

Praise be to Allah.Why Islam is the true religion This is a reasonable enough question for one who has not entered Islam , but one who believes in and practices this religion already knows the blessings which are his because of this religion. There are many reasons for this, which include the following: The Muslim worships One God, Who has no partner, and Who has the most beautiful names and the highest attributes.  Thus the Muslim’s focus and aim is concentrated, focused on His Lord and Creator; he puts his trust in Him and asks Him for help, patience and support; he believes that Allah is able to do all things, and has no need of a wife or son.  Allah created the heavens and earth; He is the One Who gives life and death; He is the Creator and Sustainer from Whom the slave seeks provision. He is the All-Hearing Who responds to the supplication of His slave, and from Whom the slave hopes for a response. He is the All-Merciful and All-Forgiving, to Whom the slave turns in repentance when he has committed a sin or fallen short in his worship of Allah. He is the Omniscient and All-Seeing, Who knows all intentions and what is hidden in people’s hearts. The slave feels ashamed to commit a sin by doing wrong to himself or to others, because his Lord is watching over him and sees all that he does. He knows that Allah is All-Wise, the Seer of the Unseen, so he trusts that what Allah decrees for him is good; he knows that Allah will never be unjust to him, and that everything that Allah decrees for him is good, even if he does not understand the wisdom behind it. The effects of Islamic worship on the soul of the Muslim include the following: Prayer keeps the slave in contact with his Lord; if he enters it in a spirit of humility and concentration, he will feel tranquil and secure, because he is seeking a "powerful support," which is Allah, may He be glorified and exalted. For this reason, the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to say: "Let us find relaxation and joy in prayer." If something distressed him, he would hasten to pray. Everyone who finds himself faced with disaster and tries prayer finds strength, patience and consolation, because he is reciting the words of his Lord, which cannot be compared to the effect of the words of a created being. If the words of some psychologists can offer a little comfort, what do you think of the words of the One Who created the psychologist? Now let us look at Zakah (the poor due), which is one of the pillars of Islam . Zakah purifies the soul from stinginess and miserliness, and accustoms people to being generous and helping the poor and needy. It will bring a great reward on the Day of Resurrection, just like other forms of worship. It is not burdensome, like man-made taxes; it is only 25 in every thousand, which the sincere Muslim pays willingly and does not try to evade or wait until someone chases him for it. Fasting involves refraining from food and sex for an appointed time. It is a form of worship, and a way in which one can feel the hunger of those who are deprived. It is also a reminder of the blessings of the Creator, and it brings rewards beyond measure. Hajj is the Pilgrimage to the sacred House of Allah, which was built by Ibrahim (Abraham, upon whom be peace). By performing Hajj one is obeying the command of Allah and the call to come and meet Muslims from all over the world. Islam commands all kinds of good and forbids all kinds of evil . It encourages good manners and proper treatment of others.  What are the good characteristics in Islam? Islam enjoins good characteristics such as truthfulness, patience, deliberation, kindness, humility, modesty, keeping promises, dignity, mercy, justice, courage, patience, friendliness, contentment, chastity, good treatment, tolerance, trustworthiness, gratitude for favours, and self-control in times of anger. Islam commands the Muslim to fulfil his duty towards his parents and to uphold family ties, to help the needy, to treat neighbours well, to protect and safeguard the wealth of the orphan, to be gentle with the young and show respect to the old, to be kind to servants and animals, to remove harmful things from the road, to speak kind words, to forgive at the time when one has the opportunity to take revenge, to be sincere towards one’s fellow-Muslims, to meet the needs of the Muslims, to give the debtor time to repay his debt, to prefer others over oneself, to console others, to greet people with a smiling face, to visit the sick, to support the one who is oppressed, to give gifts to friends, to honour his guest, to treat his wife kindly and spend on her and her children, to spread the greeting of peace (salam) and to seek permission before entering another person’s house, lest one see something private that the other person does not want one to see. Some non-Muslims may do these things out of politeness or good manners, but they are not seeking reward from Allah or salvation of the Day of Judgement. What is forbidden in Islam? If we look at what Islam has prohibited, we will find that it is in the interests of both the individual and society as a whole. All these prohibitions serve to safeguard the relationship between the slave and his Lord, and the relationship of the individual with himself and with his fellow-man.  The following examples demonstrate this: Islam forbids the association of anything in worship with Allah and the worship of anything other than Allah, because this spells doom and misery. Islam also forbids visiting or believing soothsayers and fortune-tellers; magic or witchcraft that may cause a rift between two people or bring them together; belief in the influence of the stars on events and people’s lives; cursing time, because Allah is directing its affairs; and superstition, because this is pessimism. Islam forbids cancelling out good deeds by showing off , boasting or reminding others of one’s favours; bowing or prostrating to anything other than Allah; sitting with hypocrites or immoral people for the purposes of enjoying their company or keeping them company; and invoking the curse or wrath of Allah on one another or damning one another to Hell. Islam forbids urinating into stagnant water; defecating on the side of the road or in places where people seek shade or where they draw water; from facing the qiblah (direction of prayer) or turning one’s back towards it when passing water or stool giving the greeting of salam (peace) to one who is answering the call of nature; and putting one’s hand into any vessel before washing it, when one has just woken up. Islam forbids the offering of any nafl (supererogatory) prayers when the sun is rising, when it is at its zenith, and when it is setting, because it rises and sets between the horns of Shaytan (Satan); praying when there is food prepared that a person desires; praying when one urgently needs to pass water, stool or wind, because that will distract a person from concentrating properly on his prayer. Islam forbids the Muslim to raise his voice in prayer, lest it disturb other believers; to continue offering supererogatory prayers at night when one feels drowsy - such a person should sleep then get up; to stay up all night in prayer, especially one night after another; and to stop praying when there is doubt as to the validity of one’s wudu - unless one hears a sound or smells an odour. Islam forbids buying, selling and making "lost and found" announcements in the mosque - because it is the place of worship and remembrance of Allah, where worldly affairs have no place. Islam forbids haste in walking when the iqamah (call immediately preceding congregational prayer) is given, and prescribes walking in a calm and dignified manner.  It is also forbidden to boast about the cost of building a mosque; to decorate a mosque with red or yellow paint or adornments which will distract the worshippers; to fast day after day without a break. Islam forbids building over graves, making them high, sitting on them, walking between them wearing shoes, putting lights over them or writing on them. It is forbidden to disinter the dead or to take graves as places of worship.  Islam forbids wailing, tearing one’s clothes or leaving one’s hair unkempt when a person dies.  Eulogizing the dead in the manner of the times of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah) is also forbidden, although there is nothing wrong with informing others that a person has died. Islam forbids the consumption of riba (interest); all kinds of selling which involve ignorance (of the product), misleading and cheating; selling blood, wine, pork, idols and everything that Allah has forbidden - their price, whether bought or sold - is haram (unlawful); najash, which is offering a price for something one has no intention of buying, as happens in many auctions; concealing a product’s faults at the time of selling; selling something which one does not own or before it comes into one’s possession; undercutting, outbidding or out bargaining another; selling produce before it is clear that it is in good condition and free of blemish; cheating in weights and measures; and hoarding.  A partner who has shares in a plot of land or a date palm tree is forbidden to sell his share without consulting his partners.  It is forbidden to consume the wealth of orphans unjustly; to bet or gamble; to take anything by force; to accept or offer bribes; to steal people’s wealth or to consume it unjustly; to take something for the purpose of destroying it; to undermine the value of people’s possessions; to keep lost property which one has found, or to keep quiet about it and not announce it, for it belongs to the one who recognizes it; to cheat in any way; to ask for a loan with no intention of repaying it; to take anything of the wealth of a fellow-Muslim, unless it is given freely, because what is taken because of another person’s shyness is haram (impermissible); and to accept a gift because of intercession. Celibacy and castration are forbidden, as is marrying two sisters, or a woman and her aunt (paternal or maternal), whether he marries the aunt after marrying her niece or vice versa, for fear of breaking the ties of kinship.  It is forbidden to make deals in marriage, such as saying "Let me marry your daughter and I will give you my daughter or sister in marriage." Such reciprocal deals are a form of oppression and injustice, and haram.  Islam forbids mut`ah (temporary marriage) , which is a marriage contract for a period of time agreed by the two parties, at the end of which the marriage expires. Islam forbids intercourse with a menstruating woman, until she has purified herself (by taking a bath after her period ends), and also forbids anal intercourse.  A man is forbidden to propose marriage to a woman when another man has already proposed to her, unless the other man withdraws his proposal or gives him permission.  It is forbidden to marry a previously-married woman without consulting her, or a virgin without seeking her permission. It is forbidden to wish (a newly married couple) "Bi’l-rafa wa’l-banهn (a joyful life and many sons)," because this is the greeting of the people of Jahiliyyah (ignorance), who hated daughters.  The divorced woman is forbidden to conceal what Allah has created in her womb (if she is pregnant).  A husband and wife are forbidden to speak (to others) about the intimacies of married life.  It is forbidden to turn a woman against her husband or to take divorce lightly. It is forbidden for a woman to ask for another’s divorce, such as asking a man to divorce a woman so that she can marry him.  A wife is forbidden to spend her husband’s money without his permission, or to keep away from his bed without good reason, because the angels will curse her if she does that. A man is forbidden to marry his father’s wife, or to have intercourse with a woman who is pregnant by another man.  It is forbidden for a man to practice ‘azl (coitus interruptus) with his free wife without her permission.  It is forbidden for a man to return home from a journey late at night and startle his family, unless he has previously notified them when he will arrive home. A man is forbidden to take anything of his wife’s mahr (dowry) without her consent, or to keep annoying his wife so that she will give up her wealth. Islam forbids women to make a wanton display of themselves (tabarruj).  It also forbids extreme forms of female circumcision.  Women are forbidden to admit anyone into their husband’s home without his permission; his general permission is acceptable so long as they stay within the limits of shari’ah (Islamic law).  It is forbidden to separate a mother and child (in case of divorce); to let one’s womenfolk behave foolishly (in an immoral fashion) and not say anything; to let one’s gaze wander everywhere; and to follow an accidental glance with an intentional glance. Islam forbids the eating of dead meat, regardless of whether it died by drowning, strangulation, shock or falling from a high place; eating blood, pork and anything slaughtered in a name other than that of Allah or for idols; eating the flesh or drinking the milk of beasts that feed on filth and waste matter; eating the flesh of every carnivorous beast that has fangs and every bird that has talons; eating the meat of domesticated donkeys; killing animals by keeping them and throwing stones at them until they die, or detaining them without food until they die; slaughtering with teeth or nails; slaughtering one animal (for food) in front of another; or sharpening the knife in front of the animal to be slaughtered. In the area of clothing and adornment, men are forbidden the extravagance of wearing gold.  Muslim men are forbidden to be naked or to expose their thighs; to leave their clothes long (below the ankles) and trail them on the ground for the purpose of showing off; and to wear clothes that will attract attention. It is forbidden to bear false witness; to make false accusations against a chaste believing woman; to accuse someone who is innocent; to utter lies; to slander and backbite; to call people by offensive nicknames; to spread gossip and malicious slander; to make fun of the Muslims; to boast about one’s status; to shed doubts on a person’s lineage; to utter slander, insults and obscenities; to speak in an indecent or rude manner; or to utter evil in public, except by one who has been wronged. Islam forbids telling lies; one of the worst kinds of lies is to lie about dreams, like fabricating dreams and visions in order to prove one’s virtue, or make some material gains, or to frighten an enemy. Muslims are forbidden to praise themselves, or to talk in a secret way: two may not converse secretly to the exclusion of a third, because this is offensive. It is forbidden to curse a believer or someone who does not deserve to be cursed. Islam forbids speaking ill of the dead; praying for death; wishing for death because of some suffering that one is passing through; praying against one’s self, one’s children, one’s servants or one’s wealth. Muslims are told not to eat the food that is directly in front of others or to eat from the centre of the dish or platter; rather they should eat from what is directly in front of them or thereabouts, because the barakah (blessing) comes in the middle of the food. It is forbidden to drink from a broken edge of a vessel, because this could cause harm; or to drink from the mouth of a vessel; or to breathe into it.  It is forbidden to eat while lying on one’s stomach; to sit at a table where wine is being drunk; to leave a fire burning in one’s house when one sleeps; to sleep with Ghamr in one’s hand, like an offensive smell or the remainder of food (grease); to sleep on one’s stomach; or to talk about or try to interpret bad dreams, because these are tricks of the Shaytan. It is forbidden to kill another person except in cases where it is right to do so; to kill one’s children for fear of poverty; to commit suicide; to commit fornication, adultery or sodomy (homosexuality); to drink wine, or even to prepare it, carry it from one place to another, or sell it.  Muslims are forbidden to please people by angering Allah; to offend their parents or even to say "Uff" (the slightest word of contempt) to them; to claim that a child belongs to anyone but his real father; to torture by means of fire; to burn anyone, alive or dead, with fire; to mutilate the bodies of the slain; to help anyone commit falsehood; or to cooperate in wrongdoing and sin. It is forbidden to obey any person by disobeying Allah; to swear falsely; to swear a disastrous oath; to eavesdrop on people without their permission; to invade people’s privacy or look at their private parts; to claim something that does not belong to one or that one did not do, for the purpose of showing off; to look into someone’s else’s house without permission; to be extravagant; to swear an oath to do something wrong; to spy on others or be suspicious about righteous men and women; to envy, hate or shun one another; to persist in falsehood; to be arrogant or feel superior; to be filled with self-admiration; to be pleased with one’s arrogance.  Islam forbids taking back one’s charity, even if one pays to get it back; employing someone to do a job without paying him his wages; being unfair in giving gifts to one’s children; bequeathing everything in one’s will and leaving one’s heirs poor - in such a case the will should not be executed; writing a will that concerns more than one third of one’s legacy; being a bad neighbour; or changing a will to the detriment of one or some of one’s heirs.  A Muslim is forbidden to forsake or shun his brother for more than three days, except for a reason sanctioned by shari’ah; to hold small stones between two fingers and throw them because this could cause injury to eyes or teeth; to include his heirs in a will, because Allah has already given heirs their rights of inheritance; to disturb his neighbour; to point a weapon at his Muslim brother; to hand someone an unsheathed sword, lest it harm him; to come (walk) between two people except with their permission; to return a gift, unless there is some shar’i objection to it; to be extravagant; to give money to foolish people; to wish to be like someone to whom Allah has given more of something; to cancel out his charity by giving offensive reminders of his giving; to wilfully conceal testimony; or to oppress orphans or scold one who asks for help or money. It is forbidden to treat with evil medicines, because Allah would not create a cure for this ummah which includes something that He has forbidden.  It is forbidden to kill women and children in warfare; to boast to one another; or to break promises. Islam forbids betraying a trust; asking for charity that one does not need; alarming a Muslim brother or taking away his possessions, whether jokingly or seriously; changing one’s mind after giving a gift, except in the case of a gift from a father to his child; practising medicine without experience; or killing ants, bees and hoopoe birds. A man is forbidden to look at the ‘awrah (private parts) of another man, and a woman is forbidden to look at the ‘awrah of another woman. It is forbidden to sit between two people without their permission; or to greet only those whom one knows, because the greeting is to be given to those whom you know and those whom you do not know.  A Muslim is forbidden to let an oath come between him and good deeds; he should do what is good and make expiation for the oath.  It is forbidden to judge between two disputing parties when one is angry, or to judge in favour of one party without hearing what the other has to say.  It is forbidden for a man to walk through the market-place carrying something - like a sharp weapon - that could harm the Muslims, unless it is properly covered. A Muslim is forbidden to make another person get up, so that he can take his place. There are more commands and prohibitions which came for the benefit and happiness of individuals and mankind as a whole. Have you ever seen any other religion that can compare to this religion? Read this response again, then ask yourself: is it not a great pity that I am not one of them? Allah says in the Quran (interpretation of the meaning): "And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers." [Al ‘Imran 3:85] Finally, I hope that everyone who reads this will be guided to the correct way and to follow the truth. May Allah protect you and us from all evil. And Allah knows best.

How soon do a married couple have to consumate their marriage in Islam? If one of the partners feels uncomfortable, what is he/she to do, if he/she does not want to consumate right away, but would prefer to wait about 3 months?

Praise be to Allah.al-hamdu lillaah. If a man executes a valid marriage contract with a woman then it is permissible for the two to do as they please between themselves, even with only the contract. There is no period prescribed by Islamic shari'ah between the contract and consummation of the marriage, so this issue is up to the two partners as to what they decide is most appropriate and in their best interests. It is incumbent upon both parties to consider, respect, and ensure the other one's personal comfort and ease. Thus, if the husband sees that the wife needs some time to become acclimated and develop their relationship and level of intimacy before consummation, such as 3 months, for example, he should do so, and vice versa. Likewise, it is incumbent upon the wife if she sees that her husband feels an urgent need to guard his chastity by consummating the marriage that she should not prolong the period so that he does not fall into a state of awkward discomfort and difficulty, and vice versa.

Assalam'alaicum wa rahmatoullahi wa barakatouh I heard a muslim brother and a imam saying that: a) People who have children and embrace islam should make a 'aqiqa for them (the children), no matter how old they are and also one for themselves because their non-muslim parents did not make one for them; b) Making a 'aqiqa is so important that if one doesn't have the money to make it, he should borrow that money. However, they didn't give any references to prove what they said. What is the truth?

Praise be to Allah.wa aliaikum us-salaam wa-rahmat ullaahi wa-barakaatuh. al-hamdu lillaah. (a) Jumhoor al-ulemaa' (vast majority of the scholars) agree that the aqeeqa is a sunnah mustahabbah for those who are capable of doing it and can afford it. Among its benefits are breaking the influence of the shaitaan on the new-born. It is also permissible for a Muslim to make an aqeeqah for himself if his parents did not perform it for him. Similarly, he can do it for his children even if it is after many years if he didn't do it when they were young. Refer to the book "Tuhfat ul-Mawdood bi-Ahkaam il-Mawlood" by Imam Ibn ul-Qayyim, Chapter 6: "The Aqeeqah and its Rulings", Part 19: "The Ruling for One Whose Parents Did Not Perform an Aqeeqah--Should He Perform one on His Own Behalf?" for more details. It is mentioned there that Ismaa'il ibn Sa'eed al-Shaalanji asked (Imam) Ahmed regarding a man whose father informed him that he did not perform an aqeeqah on his behalf--should he perform it on his own behalf? He said, "That is the father's duty." ... and it was said, "Should one perform an aqeeqah on his own behalf as an adult?" ... and I saw that it is preferrable if an aqeeqah was not performed as a child then it should be performed as an adult, and (Imam Ahmed) said: "If someone does that I would not discourage it or regard it as reprehensible." (b) It is not mandatory for a person to take a loan in order to spend on an aqeeqah. However, if he does it then it would be considered commendable as per Imam Ahmed's opinion. It was related by Abi il-Harith that he asked Abu Abdullah regarding one who doesn't have enough to perform an aqeeqah; Imam Ahmed said, "If he borrowed for it I hope Allaah would reward and provide for him by virtue that he has observed a sunnah." Refer to "Tuhfat il-Mawdood," same chapter, Part 11: "Regarding Borrowing for an Aqeeqah and its Rulings and Benefits."

Being a Muslim woman, how must they wear their attire to say that she is a Muslim woman?

Praise be to Allah.Scholars have specified the requirements of the Muslim-woman's proper dress before al-ajanib (lit. foreigners, i.e., those to whom marriage is permissible) from both the Glorious Quran and the Sunnah.  Once a woman adheres to such conditions, she can wear whatever she likes and go out into public places so long as her hijab complies with the Islamic law.  A summary of the requirements of the Islamic dress code for females is as follows: It should cover the whole body. It should be thick enough, i.e. non-transparent or translucent. It should be loose and not tight on her body. It should not be decorated or ornate such as to attract onlookers. It should not be perfumed. It should not be considered libas al-shuhrah. It should not resemble the dress of men. It should not resemble the dress of the unbelievers. It should not bear crosses or depictions of anything with a soul (humans, animals, etc.) This is a summary of the requirements of the Islamic dress code for women according to the Islamic Shari'ah.  For more, please see these answers: 7436 , 13245 , 114050 , and 20475 . And Allah knows best.

Assalamu alikem Is it perimissible to donate blood to Blood Bank in the USA since most of the usage will be for non muslim?Also is it perimissible to recieve blood from Blood Bank knowing that it is mostly from non-muslim?Sheikh, I read your book. Jazak allah khir. We here love you in Allah. May allah reward you. Salam

Praise be to Allah.wa 'alaikum us-salaamu wa-rahmat ullaahi wa-barakaatuh al-hamdu lillah It is permissible to receive blood from the Blood Bank even if the donor was a kaafir. Likewise, it is also permissible to donate blood to non-Muslims as long as they are not fighters of Islam. A fighter of Islam would be defined as one who fights Muslims with weapons or finances such fighting with his wealth, or helps such fighting. If one is not able to know for sure, then it suffices to act according to ghalabat ul-zann (one's best estimate or what is most likely and probable). ahabbak allaah ul-ladhi ahbabtani fih. (May Allaah love you as you have loved me for His sake.)

My brother, after returning from a trip, started acting very strangely. He would say weird things and now doesn't talk to anyone at all. He has been sitting outside for 2 months now. He has even spit on our mother. At first we thought there was something psychologically wrong with him. However, when we took him to a mental doctor, he talked as if he was fine. We think he is either possessed by a Jinn or some magic was done to him.   How can you tell if someone is possessed or if magic was done to them? How do you remove it? My mother is getting very sick over this.

Praise be to Allah.Signs of jinn or Satanic possession People who have had experience with such situations have related that the following are among the signs of a person who is possessed by jinn (or Satan): Strong repulsion when hearing the Quran or Athan (call for prayers). Episodes of losing consciousness and/or epileptic attacks, especially when Quran is recited for the possessed person. Frequent nightmares during sleep. Tendency to avoid people accompanied by out-of-the-norm behavior. The jinni who possess him might speak when the Quran is recited for the possessed person. Madness, as stated in the Quran (interpretation of the meaning): "Those who devour usury will not stand except as stands one whom Satan by his touch hath driven to [epileptic] madness" (2:275) Signs of black magic As for a person struck by magic he might experience the following: Dislike of ones’ spouse, as indicated in the Quran by the following verse (interpretation of the meaning): "And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife..." (Al-Baqarah, 2:102) Different attitude in the house from that which is outside the house. For example, a person will feel that he is missing his family when is outside the house but when he goes home, love changes quickly to extreme hatred. Inability to have sexual intercourse with ones spouse. Frequent miscarriage for pregnant women. Sudden change in behavior without obvious reason. Complete loss of appetite for food. Thinking or imagining one has done something when in reality one has not. Sudden obedience and/or love for a particular person. It should be noted that if a person experiences some of the above symptoms this does not necessarily mean that he is either possessed by a jinni or struck by black magic. It might be due to physiological or psychological reasons. How to protect yourself from black magic and Satanic possession As for curing this condition the following steps are recommended: Putting ones trust in Allah with a sincere belief that He is the only cure for everything. Reading Quran and known supplications expressing seeking refuge, the most important and effective of which is sura 113 and 114, Al-Falaq and Al-Nas, which were used to cure the Prophet himself. Surah 112, Al-Ikhlas, is recommended along with them, as well as the opening chapter of the Quran, Al-Fatihah. To cure black magic, some have successfully used seven lote-tree leaves. The leaves should be crushed, then mixed with water (enough for taking a bath). The following verses from the Quran are then recited: verse Al-Kursi (2:255), surah Al-Kafirun (109), surah 112, 113, 114; the verses which mention magic, which are: in surah Al-Baqarah (2:102), Al-A’raf (7:117-119), Yunus (10:79-82), and Taha (20:65-69). The possessed person drinks some of the water, and the rest is used to give him a bath. Removing the elements of magic as was done by the Prophet when he was struck by black magic by a Jewish man called Lubaid ibn Al-’Asim. Eating seven Aliya Al-Barniy dates (among the dates of Al-Madinah) first thing in the morning; if not possible, any dates will suffice, by the will of Allah. Cupping --removing excess blood. Offering supplications. And we ask Allah to cure your brother and ease your hardship and his, as He is the One who cures and there is no one else who can cure. And Allah knows best.

As Salam aliakum I have purchase a business ( Dry Cleaners ) and we have borrow some money from Credit Cards, on which we are paying interest. My question is , is the money we are making and paying off our Debts is Hilal or Haram, plus the profits. Second thing, i am working their too and i take salary, is that Halal ? Thank u,,,,

Praise be to Allah.Borrowing with interest is considered one of the greatest of the major sins (al-kabaa'ir). The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) has cursed those who consume interest, and those who pay it. Borrowing money with interest is considered as peddling in it as the borrower pays it to the borrower. Whoever does this is to repent and express remorse, and he is to try as much as he can to return only the principle he borrowed without the interest, advising the person who lent him the money against this practice. If he cannot, as in the case of borrowing from interest-based banks, which rarely forgive but rather get back their dues even if by force, he is to return the principle plus the interest offering repentance to Allaah at the same time. Whatever the borrower has bought or developed in terms of legitimate and Islamically-permitted business based on the borrowed money, can remain in his possession. He is allowed to continue his enterprise and profit from it, paying sadaqah at the time on a frequent basis to purify his business and himself of the misdeed he has committed. Those who work in businesses functioning on money borrowed using interest for which they are not responsible can continue to work in such enterprises as long as the nature of the business is halaal and legitimate such as a Laundromat, etc. Allaah the Most Knowledgeable knows what is most correct and best.

  My family is not very religious but I try to be, but am constantly mocked and ridiculed for trying to follow the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad and enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong. My family think I am extreme in my views because I hold hadith in high regard, whereas my father does not. He believes that a hadith explaining the commandments in the Qur'an, for example praying, should be followed, but those concerning matters outside of the Quran, for example prohibition of touching a female who is not your mehram, should not be followed. He has many other beliefs, but my question is this: Is it permissible for me to pray behind him with him as the Imam? If not, is it permissible for me to pretend that I am praying so that he does not feel offended that I do not want to pray behind him? Because I have read in Quran that children should not hurt their parents, and one of the biggest sins in Islam is a child making his parents cry, and I feel that in telling him that I am not able to pray behind him, I would infact hurt him. I eagerly await your response. Jazzakallahkhairum for your help. Wa alaykum-as-salam wa rahmatulla wa barakatuh.

Praise be to Allah.The situation in which you are, dear brother, is certainly a difficult one. It is not easy to live with a father that has aberrations and perversities stemming from being misguided from the true path of ahl us-sunnah wal-jamaaah (the followers of the Quran, sunnah, and our pious predecessors). However, a Muslim is to anticipate and seek reward from Allah for: being patient with and persevering in dealing with your father; and, being polite when counseling and showing him the truth of guidance, using appropriate and agreeable methods that do not give your father the impression that you are trying to show superiority or arrogance, or that you are belittling him. Instead, your father should feel that the advice is from a son that acknowledges and respects his position as his father, and that your concern is out of care and veneration., as the case was with Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) when calling his father to the path of truth. Allah the Most Glorious said in the Quran (interpretation of the meaning): When he (Ibrahim) said to his father: "O my father! Why do you worship that which hears not, sees not and cannot avail you in anything? O my father! Verily, there has come to me of knowledge that which has not come to you. So follow me; I will guide you to a straight path. O my father! Worship not Satan. Verily, Satan has been a rebel against the Most Beneficent (Allah). O my father! Verily, I fear lest a torment from the Most Beneficent (Allah) overtake you, so that you become a companion of Satan ( in Hell-Fire)." He (the father) said: " Do you reject my gods, O Ibrahim? If you do not stop (this), I will indeed stone you. So get away from me safely before I punish you." Ibrahim said :" Peace be upon you. I will ask forgiveness of my Lord for you. Verily, He is unto me, ever most gracious. (surat Maryam, 19:41-47) Note that Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) addressed his father in the most subordinate and most refined, courteous, and polite expression (abati in Arabic). Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) did not say to him, "I am a scholar and you are ignorant"; instead, he said "There has come to me of knowledge (as a Prophet) that which has not come unto you." Ibrahim (peace be upon him) showed his concern and compassion towards his fathers well-being when he said, "O my father! Verily, I fear lest a torment from the Most Beneficent (Allah) overtake you." When his father rejected the truth and threatened to stone him, Ibrahim (peace be upon him) replied in utmost politeness, "Peace be upon you," and promised him that he will pray to his Lord on his behalf for forgiveness. This is how a righteous son should advise his misguided father. You also should know that rejecting or denying the sunnah of our Prophet (peace be upon him) is an extremely grave matter; hopefully this subject will be covered in detail as a separate issue. In brief, if your fathers bidaah (innovation in religion) takes him out of the fold of Islam, then your prayers behind him is not valid since he would be a kafir (infidel, unbeliever). Such would be the case if, for example, he insists and persists in completely rejecting the sunnah in its entirety, even after the proof and evidence demonstrating and substantiating the truth and validity of the matter is presented to him. On the other hand, if your fathers bidaah does not take him out of the fold of Islam, such as the case of refusing to perform certain acts mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah, then it is permissible to pray behind him and your prayers are sound, and Allah knows best. Addendum: Sheikh Muhammad ibn Salih ibn Uthaimeen has replied the following with regards to this question: Denying (the sunnah) could be of two types: a denial with regards to interpretation or a denial of rejection. If it is a denial of rejection, in the sense that one might say, "Yes, I realize that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said this, but I reject it and dont accept it," then the person is a kaafir (unbeliever) and has committed apostasy. Thus, it would be impermissible to pray behind him. If, on the other hand, it is a denial of interpretation, then he is granted a respite, if the interpretation is possible and warranted by the language, and he knows the sources of Islamic law and its resources. In this case, it is not an act of kufr, but rather under the category of those who innovate incorrect practices in the religion (if his interpretation is such). It would be permissible to pray behind such a person, unless there is a beneficial objective behind not doing so, such as deterring him from such opinions, so that he may reconsider his mistaken interpretations. In this latter case, then it would be preferable not to pray behind him (if such a beneficial effect would be realized).

Why do some people accept and somenot accept the celebration of Prophet Muhamamd’s birthday (malwid al-nabi)? What is your opinion?

Praise be to Allah.Is it permissible to celebrate Mawlid al-Nabi (Prophet Muhammad’s birthday)? There is nothing in the Quran to say that we should celebrate the Mawlid al-Nabi or the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Prophet himself did not do this or command anyone to do it, either during his lifetime or after his death.  Indeed, he told his Companions not to exaggerate about him as the Christians had exaggerated about Jesus (upon whom be peace). He said: “Do not exaggerate about me as the Christians exaggerated about the son of Maryam. I am only a slave, so say, ‘The slave of Allah and His Messenger.’” (Reported by al-Bukhari) What did Prophet Muhammad do on the day of his birth? What has been reported is that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) made the day of his birth a day of worship, which is different to celebration. He was asked about fasting on Mondays, and he said: “That is the day on which I was born and the day on which I was entrusted with the Mission or when I was first given Revelation.” (Reported by Muslim, al-Nasai and Abu Dawood) Did the Companions celebrate Mawlid al-Nabi? Moreover, we know that the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were the people who loved the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) most.  Was it reported that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), who was the closest of people to him and the one who loved him the most, celebrated the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)?  Was it reported that ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), who ruled for twelve years, or ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), did this? Was it reported that ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), his relative and foster son, did this?  Was it reported that any of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) did this? No, by Allah! Is it because they were not aware of its importance, or did they not truly love the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)?  No one would say such a thing except one who has gone astray and is leading others astray. Did leading Muslim scholars celebrate Mawlid al-Nabi? Did any of the imams – Abu Haneefah, Malik, al-Shafi'i, Ahmad, al-Hasan al-Basri, Ibn Seereen (may Allah have mercy on them) – do this or command others to do it or say that it was good? By Allah, no! It was not even mentioned during the first and best three centuries.  The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said in a saheeh hadeeth: “The best of mankind are my generation (or my century), then those who come after them, then those who come after them. Then there will come a people who will not care if their testimony comes before their oath or vice versa (i.e., they will not take such a matter seriously).” (Reported by al-Bukhari, Muslim and al-Tirmidhi).  When did the celebration of Mawlid al-Nabi appear? The celebration of the Prophet’s birthday appeared many centuries later, when many of the features of true religion had vanished and bid’ah had become widespread. Thus this celebration became a sign of one’s love for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)? But can it be possible that the Sahabah, the imams and the people of the best three centuries were unaware of it, and it was only those who came later who were aware of its importance?!  How to express love for Prophet Muhammad What the Quran tells us is that love of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is demonstrated by following the guidance he brought. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Say (O Muhammad): ‘If you (really) love Allaah, then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Say: ‘Obey Allah and the Messenger.’ But if they turn away, then Allah does not like the disbelievers.” [Aal ‘Imran 3:31-32] The first ayah explains that love is just a claim, but the proof of sincerity is following what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) brought. The second ayah reaffirms the importance and necessity of obeying Allah and His Messenger.  Hence Allah ended the ayah with a very stern warning in which those who refuse to obey are described as kafirs, and Allah does not love the disbelievers. We ask Allah to keep us safe from that.  The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told us of the danger of not obeying him, and the danger of adding to what he brought. The celebration of Mawlid or his birthday is indeed an addition to what he brought – as all the scholars agree. He said: “The best of speech is the Book of Allah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The most evil of things are those which are newly-invented (in religion), and every innovation is a going astray.” (Reported by Muslim and al-Nasai). We ask Allah to protect us from bid’ah and to bless us by helping us to follow. Allah knows best. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad. And Allah knows best.

I have heard that the reason behind women not being able to visit the deceased is because the people in the graves are able to see people that are alive, naked. But this doesn't make any sense to me, and I am a little confused, because my sister and mother would like to visit my father's grave, and have visited, but I feel awkward not knowing if it is permissible or not? I don't see anything wrong with it my self, but please do clarify this situation ASAP. Thank You very much (Jazak-Allah Khayr)

Praise be to Allah.The reason for prohibiting women from visiting graves is the ahaadeeth of the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned in question #127. It is not because dead people can see their visitors. This reason is invalid and the rules of the world of the dead people are different from the rules dealing with the world of living people. If the reason for prohibition was the ability of the deceased to see people who are alive naked, then it would also be prohibited for men to visit the graves. You need to encourage your mother and sister to make du'aa (supplication) for your father, as this offers the greatest benefit to the deceased, and it is much better than the mere visit. Tell them that this du'aa will benefit him whenever and wherever the person making the du'aa is, whether he or she is near the grave or far away from it. We ask Allaah to have mercy upon your deceased, and to give you patiencefor your loss. To Allaah we belong and to him is our return.

When visiting Muslims, I noticed that many of them put verses of the Quran on the walls or pictures with the names Allah and Muhammad. I know a lot of Muslims think that it is good to do so because it will protect them and their house. Personally, I consider it a form of shirk or superstition. Is there any ruling on that subject?

Praise be to Allah.Hanging plaques and cloths containing verses of the Quran in homes , schools, social clubs and places of business, involves a number of reservations and prohibitions according to Islam, such as the following: In most cases, hanging such things on the wall is done for purposes of decoration and adornment, as the verses etc. are written in calligraphy and colorful brocade. This is an inappropriate use of the Quran, as it was revealed to guide people and to be read regularly. The Quran was not revealed to decorate walls, but to guide mankind. Some people hang up such things for blessing - which is a form of worship. The blessing as described in Islam comes from reading or reciting the Quran, not from hanging it up or placing it on shelves or turning it into artwork and three-dimensional images. This is contrary to the practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the Rightly-Guided Khalifas (al-Khulafa al-Rashidun), may Allah be pleased with them, who never did such a thing. The best way is to follow them, not to introduce innovations in religion. History tells us that in places such as Andalusia, Turkey, etc., the adornment of houses and mosques with ornate carvings of verses only happened at times when the Muslims were weak and humiliated. Hanging up such pictures or plaques could lead to shirk, because some people think that these things are amulets that will protect the house and its people from evil and disease. This is shirk and is haram, because the One Who really offers protection is Allah, may He be glorified, and one of the means of gaining His protection is sincere recitation of the Quran and du’as taught in the Quran and Sunnah. There is the risk that the Quran may be used, in such cases, as a means of promoting one's business or increasing one's earnings. The Quran should be protected from being used for such purposes. It is well-known that the production and sale of these pictures and plaques involves a great deal of extravagance and wasting money. Many of these plaques are painted with real gold, which makes using them and hanging them up even more haram. Many of these plaques involve a kind of carelessness, because the letters are twisted into complex designs that are of no benefit to anyone because they are barely legible. Sometimes words are fashioned into the shape of a bird or a man prostrating, and similarly forbidden pictures of animate beings. Verses and surahs of the Quran are exposed to misuse and abuse by this practice. For example, when moving house, they are piled up with the rest of the furniture and belongings, and other objects may be placed on top of them. This also happens when they are taken down so that the wall may be painted or cleaned. Some Muslims whose observance of Islam is lacking put these plaques and pictures up so that they can feel that they are doing something religious, in order to reduce their feelings of guilt in spite of the fact that this practice does not help them in any way. All in all, we must close the doors of evil and follow the leaders of guidance of the early centuries of Islam, whose people the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) testified were the best of the Muslims in faith and practice. If someone were to say, We are not going to abuse it or make it a decoration or exaggerate about it, we only want to remind people (about their religion) in our gatherings, our response would be: if we look at real life, will we find that this is what actually happens? Do people really remember Allah? Do they even read these verses when they raise their heads? What really happens is the opposite: people go against the words hanging over their heads, they still tell lies, engage in gossip, make fun of others and do and say evil things. Even if we assume that there are some who do benefit from these plaques etc., the fact is that they are very few, and this does not change the Islamic ruling on the matter. The Muslims must turn to the Book of Allah, read it and recite it, and act in accordance with it. We ask Allah to make the Quran a light of guidance for us, and a means of removing our grief and anxiety. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad. For more, please see these answers: 39185 , 13648 and 170060 . And Allah knows best.

Asalam Alaikum? I have no doubt whatsoever, but these kind a things come to mind. Whem Adam and Eve bore children, I assume their children got married among themselves. Isnt marrying between brothers and sisters haram in the Quran? Can you recommend a good book(s) on Islamic Law covering every and each aspect of Life? Thank you very much for the generous work for the sake of Allah. Thanks.

Praise be to Allah.wa alaikum us-salaam wa-rahmat ullaahi wa-barakaatuh All Praise be to Allaah. As long as you are confident in your heart about your belief, no such insinuations will hurt you (inshaa' Allaah). If a doubt strikes a believer or something appears to him as a conflict between different textual sources of Shari'ah, he must believe that indeed for such doubts there are true answers and for such apparent conflicts there are solutions even if he doesnt know it or is unable to find the right answer himself. However, a person should not collect all the doubts in his heart and worry about the complexities and leave aside the learning of useful knowledge. This is because it is incumbent upon a Muslim to learn and know things which have been clearly described (Muhkamaat) in Shari'ah so that he may be able to repel the doubts. Regarding the question you have asked, it is a known fact that legislation differs from one Shari'ah to another, while the principles and beliefs remain the same in all of them. So, making of portraits was allowed in the Shari'ah of Sulayman (peace be upon him) but is prohibited in our Shari'ah. Similarly, making prostration of salutation was permitted in the Shari'ah of Yusuf (peace be upon him) but is illegal in ours. Also, war booty was prohibited for nations before us but it is completely legal for us. The Qiblah of people before us used to be towards Bayt Al-Maqdis, but for us it is towards Ka'bah. In a similar way, marriage between brothers and sisters was permitted in the Shari'ah of Adam (peace be upon him) as opposed to those that came afterwards. The following is a clarification on the issue by Haafidh Ibn Katheer, who said: Allaah allowed Adam (peace be upon him) to marry his daughters to his sons for necessity. Every couple used to have a boy and a girl. Hence, he married the girl of one couple to the boy of another. This is said by Suddi regarding what has been narrated by Abu Maalik and Abu Salih, from Ibn Abbas, by Murrah from Ibn Masood and by other companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that Adam did not have (in his grandchildren) a baby boy unless it was accompanied by a girl, so he married the male of a couple to the female of another, and the female of a couple to the male of another.

  If you have to do sujud-as-sahw, but you forget and do not do it, is the prayer valid? Is there a way to make up for it after the prayer has finished or must the whole prayer be repeated? What if you remember when you are praying sunnah - should you break your prayer?

Praise be to Allah.Imam al-Mirdawi said in al-Insaf (2/154): The author– Ibn Qudamah – said that two conditions apply for sujud to be made up later: It should be in the mosque A long time should not have passed. This is the right opinion, as he stated. Imam Ahmad said: “He should do the sujud if the time that has passed is short, even if he has left the mosque.” He also said: “He should do the sujud even if the time that has passed is long, or he has spoken or left the mosque. This is the opinion favoured by Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah].” (Al-Ikhtiyarat al-Fiqhiyyah, p. 94) In Al-Rawd al-Murbi’ Sharh Zad al-Mustaqni’ (2/461) it says:  “(If he forgets), i.e., he forgets to do the sujud as-sahw which should be done before the salam, (and he says salam), then he remembers, (he should do the sujud) and it is obligatory (if the time that has passed is short)… If he has said salam – and if a long time has passed according to what is ordinarily regarded as a long time, or he broke his wudu, or he left the mosque – he does not need to do the sujud, and his prayer is still valid.” In Al-Sharh al-Mumti’ by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-‘Uthaymin (3/537), it says:  “The phrase ‘If he forgets and says salam, he should still do the sujud if the time that has passed is short’ refers to the sujud that should be done before the salam, when he has already said the salam. He should do this sujud if the time that has passed is short, otherwise he no longer has to do it, and his prayer is still valid. Examples: A man may forget the first tashahhud, so he has to do sujud as-sahw before the salam, but he forgets and says the salam. If he remembers shortly afterwards, he should do the sujud, but if he remembers a long time afterwards, he no longer has to do it. This is why he said ‘He should do sujud if only a short time has passed. If he has left the mosque, he should not come back to do this sujud – he no longer has to do it, which is unlike when he has said salam before completing the prayer. In the latter case, he should come back and complete it, because he has omitted an obligatory act. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said: Indeed, he should do the sujud , even if a long time has passed, because this will make up for what was missing. So when he remembers it, he should make up for it. But the most likely opinion is that suggested by the author (may Allah have mercy on him), which is that if a long time has passed, the person no longer has to do the sujud, because sujud as-sahw is obligatory (wajib) either to make the prayer valid or it is wajib in the prayer as part of the prayer, so it is connected to the prayer and is not a separate prayer. We say that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever sleeps and misses the prayer, as soon as he remembers, let him pray.” (Reported by al-Bukhari (597) and Muslim (684) from the hadith of Anas)  But we cannot use this evidence with regard to sujud as-sahw, because it is part of something else. If a person remembers soon afterwards, he should do it, otherwise he does not have to do it.”  And Allah knows best.

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu ya Shaykh; Is it permissible (or obligatory) for sisters to pray in Jama‘a (with a leader) if there are no brothers? I’ve heard different views on this. Jazakumullahi khairan wassalamu alaikum

Praise be to Allah.wa alaikum us-salaam wa-rahmat ullaahi wa-barakaatuh It is permissible for women to pray in congregation among themselves. Their leader should stand in the middle of the row according to the narration regarding Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) which indicates that she used to lead women in prayer and would stand with them in the middle of the row. This has been narrated by ‘Abdur Razzaq in Al-Musannaf 3/141 and Daraqutni 1/404, and is authentic due to evidences for it. Similarly Umm Al-Hasan narrated that she saw Umm Salmah (may Allaah be pleased with her) leading women in prayer while she stood in the middle of their row. This has been narrated by Ibn Abee Shaybah 2/88 and is also authentic due to other supporting evidences. Ibn Qudamah has quoted the difference of opinion on whether congregation for women is recommended, and then says about their leader: “The one who leads them should stand in the middle of the row. We do not know of a difference of opinion on this among those who support that one women may lead others in congregation. Since it is recommended for the women to be covered, ….. standing in the middle of the row makes it a better covering for her from the sides.”(Al-Mughni, 2/202) The author of Al-Muhadhdhab (4/295) says: “It is sunnah that the leader of women in congregation stand in the middle of them as narrated about ‘Aa’ishah and Umm Salmah that they lead women and stood in the middle of their row.” For further details refer to Jaami‘ Ahkaam Al-Nisaa’ by Al-‘Adawi (1/351). And Allaah knows what is most correct and best.

Salam What does the number 786 mean. Please be detialed. I heard it does not mean Bimillah and I would like to know why not.. Salam

Praise be to Allah.The number 786 means 786 and nothing more! When Allah or His messenger want to teach us something, they do so in the clearest way, far from puzzles and mystery numbers. All the efforts made by some Muslims to count letters and relate them to numbers are nothing but a waste of time. Sometimes they do so with good intention to show that our deen is great. Indeed our deen is great, and not in need of such erroneous approaches.

I have been told that a woman cannot put nailpolish because the wadoo is not done with it. How far is this true. Can she wear nailpolish (or any sort of makeup and perfo9rm her wadoo and salat.)

Praise be to Allah.Some powders and cosmetics that are used as makeup form a insulating layer over the skin and prevent water from reaching it, while others do not prevent water from reaching the skin. If a cosmetic item insulates the skin (e.g., nailpolish as asked in the question) then it is not permissible to perform wudu or ghusl over it, for any act of worship that requires wudu or ghusl (such as prayer, etc.). Allaah the most glorified and Almighty says (interpretation of the meaning): "O you who believe! When you prepare for prayer, wash your faces and hands ." Al-Maa'idah (5:6) Washing implies that water must actually reach the part of the body being washed. Based on this observation, anything that prevents water from reaching the skin must be removed, otherwise purification will not be achieved, resulting in the prayer being void. If the cosmetic item does not insulate the skin and does not prevent water from reaching it (e.g., dying by henna or similar things which do not insulate the skin), then wudu or ghusl may be performed with it. Hence, dyes are of two type: the first is that which is waterproof, such as nailpolish, which must be removed before performing wudu or ghusl. The second is that which does not form an impermeable barrier to water, such as henna dye, and hence does not hurt the wudu or ghusl. And Allah the most glorified and Almighty knows what is most correct and best. References: Al-Mufassal fi Ahkaam Al-Marah, Abdul Karim Zaidan, 1/84-85. Fataawi Al-Marah Al-Muslimah, Shaykh Muhammad bin Salih Al-Uthaymeen, 1/220. Ahkaam Tajmeel Al-Nisaa fi Al-Shariah Al-Islamiyyah, Izdihar Al-Madani. Zeenat Al-Marah bayn Al-Tibb wa Al-Shar

I've a friend who likes to pray five times a day, and he likes to advise others to pray. He'll listen to whatever I talk about Islam.  Whenever I approach him he'll listen to me and I tell him, why can't you pray?  He told me he will, and I have heard this for the past ten to twenty years. One day I call him to pray and he gives excuses. I think that during prayer time his mind goes somewhere else; after that he thinks "why can't I pray?".  I am very tired of telling him.  I need advice.

Praise be to Allah.All Praise be to Allaah. If your friend is mentally sound, then all you have mentioned about him indicates his disrespect of prayers.  If he means what he says, then he would perform his prayers.  His claim that he likes prayers is not truthful; if it were, then he would perform them accordingly.  In fact, the following verse from the Holy Qur'aan applies to such a recalcitrant and unobservant person (interpretation of the meaning): "Then there has succeeded them a posterity who have neglected and lost the prayers, and followed their lusts; thus, they will face devastation (on the Day of Judgment, i.e., he will face Hell)." Surat Maryam 19:59. By completely ceasing to perform prayers, a person is judged to be a kaafir, based on several ahaadeeth of the Prophet  (peace be upon him), one of which is: "The obligation and pact between us and them (the munaafiqeen, the hypocrites) is the prayer, so whoever abandons it has indeed committed kufr (i.e., become a kaafir, a non-believer)." (Tirmidhi, hadeeth #2621, and it is sahih)  The meaning here is that the hypocrites are guaranteed their security and immunity from being fought by the Muslims as long as they perform their prayers; if they abandon their prayers, then they are among the kuffaar, and are subject to being fought and killed in the war against them.  The Prophet  further says, "What is between a person and committing shirk (associating partners with Allaah) and kufr (disbelief) is abandoning the prayer." (Sahih Muslim, #82) The man in question, accordingly, is to be shunned--no one should eat the meat he slaughters; he is not to marry a Muslimah; he is not to inherit a Muslim relative; he is not allowed to enter Mecca; upon dying he is not entitled to Muslim burial rites such as the washing of the body or the shrouding or the funeral prayer; and his inheritance is to go to the the community fund and not to his inheritors. Thus, it is incumbent upon you to exert as much effort as possible in advising him and admonishing him concerning the gravity and danger of his crime, and of the punishment of Allaah the Almighty.  If he persists and rejects your admonition, then you would not be wrong in abstaining from your friendship with him, until you can solicit help from other friends among those who accept guidance so that you may spend your time with them inviting him to Allaah.

My Mu-Alleem told our class that when you sujood, your toes should be bended and you are not allowed to put your feet on top of the other when you come to the sitting position Any-one leading the salaah and does not do the above, he's not aloowed to lead a salaah and we should not follow him in the salaah

Praise be to Allah.What your muallim (teacher) has told you, that in sujood the toes should be bent and should touch the ground, is correct. It is a proven part of the sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) reported in his Saheeh from Abu Humayd al-Saaidi that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he prostrated the tips of his toes would be facing the qiblah (Fath, no. 828). Abu Dawood reported from Abu Humayd al-Saaidi: he would bend his toes when he prostrated. (Reported by Abu Dawood, no. 716, Bab fi iftitaah al-salaah). The author of Awn al-Mabood Sharh Sunan Abi Dawood said: He would bend (yaftukh) his toes the meaning of fatkh is to bend or flex, so he would bend his toes and point them towards the qiblah. (Awn al-Mabood, 2/419). The hadeeth was reported by al-Albaani in Sifat al-Salaah p. 142, 1411 AH edition [This book is also available in English under the title The Prophets Prayer Described Translator]. Pointing the toes towards the qiblah is sunnah and is encouraged, but if a person does not do it, his prayer or leadership of the prayer is still valid, especially as many people do not have the ability to flex their toes in the manner described. But everyone should put their toes on the ground when prostrating, because they are counted among the seven parts of the body on which we are commanded to prostrate. If a person lifts his feet off the ground when prostrating, and does not place the tips of his toes on the ground, then his prayer or leadership of the prayer is not valid. With regard to the way one should sit between sujoods, two ways of doing this have been narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Keeping the right foot upright and sitting on the left foot, as was described in the saheeh hadeeth which describes how he sat between two sujoods: He kept his right foot upright, and he pointed its toes towards the qiblah. This is the most well known way, and it is the way he sat most of the time. Keeping both feet upright and sitting on the heels, as was described in the saheeh hadeeth which describes how he sat between two sujoods: Sometimes he would rest on both his heels and the balls on his feet. (See Sifat al-Salaah by al-Albaani, p. 152). This is not the way of sitting that is forbidden. If a person who is praying puts one foot on top of the other and sits on them, he is doing something other than the sunnah, but his prayer or leadership of the prayer is still valid. In all cases, we should guide people towards the sunnah and teach them about it, because this is an important matter how could it be otherwise? The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: Pray as you have seen me praying. (Reported by al-Bukhaari, no. 631). And Allaah knows best.

In a discussion among Muslims, we were trying to arrive at a definition of "love" in Islam. Though we are all well aware of the love of Allah and our obligation to love both Him and His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), we wondered if there is a clear outline of love between humans (similar to the Christian "brotherly love"...NOT the romantic variety). Some posited that "love" lies only within the family, all else is but respect/friend- ship/etc. Others questioned whether love is limited to spouses and/or children. Still others questioned if love can be conditional or not. One idea is that "love" (as the term is commonly used) may even be an 'innovation' of sorts, based on fairy tales and Christian philosophy. Many of us have looked in various sources to seek out an "answer", but no one has found a definitive answer as of yet... Can you help?

Praise be to Allah.Types of love in Islam I was very happy to hear that you and your fellow Muslim sisters are studying Islamic issues and trying to find out about Islamic views of love. No doubt, you and your sisters understand the importance of the scholars’ views and referring to them in matters of dispute. I will quote here a number of views about love, so that you will understand the matter better, in sha Allah Love in Islam may be divided into specific love and general love. Types of specific love Specific love may be divided into types that are permissible and types that are prohibited. Permissible love: Love of Allah : This is the most important obligation, as it is the basis of Islam. By perfecting one’s love of Allah, one perfects their faith. If one’s love of Allah is lacking, then one’s Tawhid is also lacking. The evidence for this is the verses (interpretation of the meaning): “But those who believe, love Allah more (than anything else)” [Al-Baqarah 2:165] “Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision (torment). And Allah guides not the people who are Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient).” [Al-Tawbah 9:24] There are also other similar proofs in the Quran and Sunnah. The love of Allah may also take the form of preferring what Allah loves and wants of His slave over what the slave himself might love and want. So he loves what Allah loves, hates what He hates, takes as friends or regards as enemies for His sake, and adheres to His laws. There are many ways to strengthen this type of love. Love of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him): This is also one of the most important duties of Islam. Indeed, faith is not complete until a person loves the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) more than he loves himself, as in the Hadiths: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “None of you truly believes until I am more beloved to him than his child, his father and all the people.” (Reported by Muslim, no. 44) ‘Abdullah ibn Hisham (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “We were with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he was holding the hand of ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him); ‘Umar said to him: O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), you are dearer to me than everything except my own self. The Prophet (peace be and blessings upon him) said: No (that is not right), by the One in Whose Hand is my soul, (not) until I am dearer to you than your own self. ‘Umar said to him, now, by Allah, you are dearer to me than my own self. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Now (you are right), O Umar.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari, no. 6632). This love is part of loving Allah and is manifested by following the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and giving precedence to his opinion over that of others. Love of the Prophets and the believers: This is obligatory because loving Allah dictates that one should love the people who obey Him, namely, the Prophets and righteous people. The evidence for this is the Hadith: “Whoever loves for the sake of Allah (i.e., loves the people of faith for the sake of Allah ) … has perfected faith”  Obedience to Allah is based on the love of Allah. Faith cannot be perfected except in this way, even if one has a lot of prayers and fasting to their credit. ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I have witnessed at the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), none of us would think that he had more right to his own money than his Muslim brother.” Forbidden love : This includes love that constitutes Shirk (ascribing rivals to  Allah), which is when a person loves something instead of Allah or as much as Him. In such a case he has taken that thing as a rival to Allah. This is the Shirk of love, and most people have taken things as rivals to Allah in love and glorification. There are also types of forbidden love which do not go to the extent of Shirk, such as loving one's family, wealth, tribe, business or house, and preferring those things, in whole or in part, over doing the duties that Allah requires of him, such as Hijrah (migration for His sake), Jihad, etc. The evidence for this is the verse quoted above “Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight . . . are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision (torment).” [Al-Tawbah 9:24]) Types of general love General love is of three types: Natural love, such as the love of a hungry person for food, or a thirsty person for water. This does not involve any kind of glorification, so it is permissible. Love based on mercy and pity, such as the love of a father for his small child. This also involves no kind of glorification, so there is nothing wrong with it. Love based on acquaintance and friendship, such as that between those who share a common profession, or scholars in the same field, or people one meets on a daily basis (such as fellow-commuters), or people one does business with, or travelling-companions. This type of appropriate love between people or between fellow Muslim brothers does not imply Shirk or associating anyone else in one's love for Allah. For more information, please see Kitab Taysir al-Aziz, Bab wa min al-nas man yattakhidhu min dun-Allahi andadan. We hope that this explanation makes the matter clearer.

If a Muslim performs taraaweeh in a mosque, is it allowed for him to perform the night prayer at home? What is the Prophet's (peace be upon him) manner in performing night prayer?

Praise be to Allah.If a Muslim performs Taraaweeh in congregation in the mosque, and wants to offer more prayers at home, he should pray a series of two-rak'ah prayers and should not repeat witr, because the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: "There cannot be two witr prayers in one night." (Reported by Imaam Ahmad and others, and deemed saheeh in Saheeh al-Jaami', 7565). Umm Salamah reported that the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) used to pray two rak'ahs after witr. (Reported by al-Tirmidhi and others, al-Sunan 433). Al-Nawawi said: "The correct opinion is that he performed the two rak'ahs after witr sitting down, to demonstrate that this is permissible, and he did not do this all the time." (Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi Sharh Jaami' al-Tirmidhi). The sunnah is to make the last of one's night prayers an odd number of rak'ahs, as is reported (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, no. 943). But if he has already prayed with the imaam, and wants to perform more prayers on his own and has time to do so - especially in the winter - he should do as is outlined above. As regards the number of rak'ahs to be performed in the night prayers, the Sunnah is to perform no more than eleven rak'ahs, because of the hadeeth narrated by 'Aa'ishah may Allaah be pleased with her, who said: ". . . He never used to pray more than eleven rak'ahs, in Ramadan or at any other time . . ." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, no. 1874). The best way to perform the night prayer is to pray two by two (rak'ahs), and to separate the two even rak'ahs of witr from the one rak'ah (i.e., not to join the three rak'ahs of witr). The evidence for this is the hadeeth of Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them both), who said: "The Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) used to perform the night prayers two by two (rak'ahs), then he would end with a single rak'ah." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, no. 940). This is the best-known way of performing the night prayers according to the Sunnah of the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him); other ways are also known.

I was given the name Tyrone Anthony Parker at birth by my non-muslims parents. After taking shahada, I changed my name to Bilaal Faaruwq Abdus-Salaam. I have recently found out that I shouldn't have left my family name and I plan on returning to it. If my parents tell me to return to my given name (Tyrone-has pagan origins ; Anthony-means flourishing) do I have to do it?

Praise be to Allah.For the one whom Allaah has guided to Islam, it is sufficient for him to choose an Islamic first name for himself and to keep his fathers name or surname, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not command the Sahaabah to change their fathers and grandfathers names when they embraced Islam. However, he did change the first names of those who had names with forbidden or undesirable meanings. Because your first name has pagan origins, your changing it to another name, such as Bilaal, is proper and correct. But you should keep the rest of your name and surname as it is; this will please your parents. May Allah guide them, and may He give us and you strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

  My wife is studing to become a nurse at a University, is it lawful to: -examine patients(male or female) and give them baths which are apart of the class projects. -examine men as a nurse in non-emergency situations at a non-muslim hospital. -work at a home for the mentally ill where the co-workers are male and the patients are also.

Praise be to Allah.If a woman finds that she has to work because of necessity, she is permitted to work outside the home, as is indicated by the fact that the two daughters of Shu’ayb used to water the sheep, and the story of Asma’ bint Abi Bakr working outside the home. If a woman is widowed with children, and has no breadwinner and is receiving no money from the Bayt al-Maal (treasury), it is permissible for her to earn a living. Although we say that a woman is permitted to work outside the home when it is necessary, she should nevertheless do only the work she needs to do in order to meet her needs. If a woman has professional skills which not every woman possesses, and which are needed by other woman and society as a whole, then it is permissible for her to practice her profession outside the home, so long as she adheres to the conditions prescribed by sharee’ah and has the permission of her legal (shar’i) guardian. The evidence that it is permissible for the woman to work outside the home in a field where there is a need for her work, as long as she adheres to the conditions prescribed by sharee’ah, is to be seen in the fact that at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), midwives used to attend women in labour, and skilled women used to practice circumcision, and he did not condemn them for doing so. It is also known that Rufaydah al-Ansaariyyah used to treat the wounded in her tent, which had been set up in the mosque for that purpose. She was very skilled in treating the sick, and her work was done with the knowledge and express permission of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Sa’d ibn Mu’aadh was transferred to her tent for treatment. This indicates that it is permissible for a woman to practice her profession outside the home, and by analogy we may deduce that it is permissible for a female doctor to open a clinic outside her home for the treatment of women and children. By doing this, she is fulfilling the duty of fard kifaayah (a duty falling on the entire community – if some people fulfil it, responsibility is lifted from the rest, otherwise all will be held accountable. Translator). Such clinics make it easy for sick women to come to a female doctor, hence they no longer have to uncover their ‘awrah before a male doctor when they need treatment. But this permission is given on the condition that this work does not affect her duties towards her own home, husband and children, and that she has her husband’s permission, because these duties are her individual duties (fard ‘ayn), which take precedence over her responsibilities towards the community (fard kifaayah). When there is any conflict, her individual duties must come first. (Al-Mufassal by ‘Abd al-Kareem, 4/272). Another hadeeth which describes Muslim women at the beginning of Islam practising a profession was narrated by Hafsah, concerning a woman who used to treat the wounded. Al-Bukhaari, may Allah have mercy on him, reported in his Saheeh that Hafsah said: “A woman came and stayed at the fort of Bani Khalaf, and told us about her sister. Her sister’s husband used to go out on military campaigns with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He had been on twelve campaigns, and she (his wife) had accompanied him on six. She said, ‘We used to treat the wounded and take care of the sick…’” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, no. 313). But a woman’s work as a nurse or doctor is regulated by the rules indicated in other Islamic texts. Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, commenting on the above hadeeth, mentioned some of these conditions: “What we learn from this hadeeth is that a woman is allowed to offer medical treatment to a non-mahram man (one to whom she is not related), so long as this takes the form of bringing medicine to him, for example, or other forms of indirect treatment (i.e. with no touching or direct contact involved) – except in cases where it is necessary and there is no fear of temptation (such as in an emergency situation or in the event of a disaster).” If a woman works in complete hijaab, without touching a male patient, or being alone with him in any way, and as long as there is no fear that she may be the cause of temptation or be tempted herself, and she is not neglecting a more essential duty such as taking care of her husband or children, and she has the permission of her guardian, then it is permissible for her to work. In principle, men should be treated by male doctors and nurses, and women by female doctors and nurses. There should be no mixing of the sexes in medical treatment, except when it is necessary and as long as there is no fear of temptation. And Allah knows best.

Assalam alaikum, The question has arisen due to many needy Muslims who are being thrown out of schools due to lack of tuition. There are many Muslims who have bank accounts which give interest, and they have not been using it as interest is haram. What should one do with the interest. Should he leave it to the bank or can it be used for such case as paying the tuition to the non Islamic institutions ? Please give valid reasons. This question is very important and urgent as the academic term has just started and funds are not available. Jazakawallahu Kheiran,

Praise be to Allah.and may His peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad and on his family and companions. To the honorable brother: Sheikh Ali Darani , May Allah safeguard you , Judge of Nairobi - Kenya May Allaah’s peace and blessings be upon you. I have received your question by e-mail concerning the legality of spending interest money for the benefit of needy students studying in educational institutions in your country. Herein, I will summarize the answer to your question according to what scholars have mentioned: If a Muslim has earned or received unlawful money, he should get rid of it. He must neither derive any personal benefit from it, such as spending this money in eating, drinking, housing, family expenditure, educational tuition, nor can he use it in averting hardship and acts of injustice as paying compulsory insurance fees, government or sales taxes, and customs and duty charges. Indeed, the intention of its removal must be the purification of one’s money from interest, and it is not considered alms giving because Allaah is pure and good and He, the Almighty, accepts only that which is pure and good. This interest money can be spent in many beneficial areas, such as for the poor and needy, for medication costs for needy people, helping mujaahideen and advocators of Islam, sustaining the impoverished and relieving debtors who can not repay their debts. Moreover, this money could be used in Islamic Center needs, such as maintaining mosques (i.e. mosque washrooms and other such facicilities), roads, etc… Thus, spending this money in the tuition of needy students studying in educational institutions falls within the aforementioned possible avenues of expenditure. This is permissible even if these institutions are supervised and directed by unbelievers, on condition that the subjects areas studied are Islamically permissible and do not result in any harmful or unlawful consequences. Moreover, this interest is considered forbidden and unlawful to the one who earns it, but as for the people to whom this money given, it is permissible and lawful to make use of it, for it is considered as lost money that no one owns. Finally, may Allaah grant us success in supporting Islam and Muslims. Reference: Fataawa Islamiyyah, 2/401-411, "What should one do who repents from earning forbidden money", Al-Fawzaan.

In making salah,do you combine Fardh and Sunnah rakahs?? Or you do one(fardh)or the other(sunnah)? Also, to become a Muslim,is it necessary to declare that you are a Muslim in the company of two other Muslims? thank you

Praise be to Allah.al-hamdu lillaah. Fardh and sunnah prayers have to be performed separately. You don't need witnesses to become a Muslim. Once you utter the Shahadatain believing in them, you are then a Muslim. Please see the section on "Accepting Islam & Related Issues ".

Who are the Ahlul Kitab? Are they the ones who believe in the Oneness of Allah? Or do they include the ones who believe in the Trinity? If they include Trinitarians, is Trinity not Shirk? And are present day Christians in Africa also amongst the People of the Book?

Praise be to Allah.Who are the Ahlul Kitab?  Ahlul Kitab (People of the Book) consist of both believers and disbelievers, as indicated in the Quran, where Allah the Almighty mentions the disbelievers among them (interpretation of the meaning): "O people of the Scripture!: Why do you disbelieve in the verses [about Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)] of Allah, while you (yourselves) bear witness (to their truth)." (Al ‘Imraan, 3:70) And: "Say: O people of the Scripture! Why do you stop those who believe from the path of Allah, seeking to make it crooked, while you (yourselves) are witnesses? And Allah is not unaware of what you do". (Al ‘Imran, 3:99) And Allah, the Almighty, said about the believers among them, making clear the difference between them and the aforementioned (interpretation of the meaning): "Not all of them are alike; a party of the people of the Scripture stand for the right, they recite the Verses of Allah during the hours of the night, prostrating themselves in prayer. They believe in Allah and the Last Day; they enjoin what is right and forbid evil and they hasten in good works; and they are among the righteous. And whatever good they do, nothing will be rejected of them; for Allah knows well those who are the pious." (Al ‘Imran, 3:113-115) These people also believe in our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Quran which was revealed to him as mentioned (approximate translation of meanings is): "And there are, certainly, among the people of the Scripture, those who believe in Allah and in that which has been revealed to you, and in that which has been revealed to them, humbling themselves before Allah. They do not sell the Verses of Allah for a little price, for them is a reward from their Lord. Surely, Allah is swift in account." (Al ‘Imran, 3:199) Are modern Christians among Ahul Kitab? The disbelief of the disbelieving People of the Scripture, that include Jews and Christians, in our times does not expel them from being People of the Scripture. So, the rules and regulations related to them regarding permissibility of eating their food and marrying their chaste women, in the Quran and Sunnah, are still applicable to them. For issues related to Ahlul Kitab, please see these answers: 2527 , 22661 , and 45645 .  And Allah knows best.

If a person enters the Masjid during one of the times when making prayer is makruh (e.g. sunrise, sunset, zawal,...), does he still have to pray two rak`ahs of Tahiyyat Al-masjid?

Praise be to Allah.There are differences among the scholars concerning this matter. The correct opinion is that Tahiyyat al-masjid is permitted at all times, even after Fajr and after ‘Asr, because of the general applicability of the hadith “When any one of you enters the Mosque, he should not sit down until he has prayed two rak`ahs.” (Sahih – agreed upon)   Tahiyyat al-masjid is one of the prayers that is done for a specific reason, like Salat al-Tawaf (prayer done after circumambulating the Ka`bah) and Salat al-Kusuf (prayer at the time of an eclipse). The correct view concerning all of these is that it is permissible to do these at times when prayer is generally disallowed, like making up missed prayers.  Concerning Salat al-Tawaf, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “O Banu ‘Abd Manaf, do not prevent anyone from circumambulating this House and praying at any time of night or day.” (Reported by Imam Ahmad and the authors of Sunan with a sahih isnad)  Concerning Salat al-Kusuf , he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The sun and moon are two of the Signs of Allah; they are not eclipsed because of the death or life of anyone.” (1/332) For more, please see these answers: 11960 , 5266 , and 21206 . And Allah knows best.

Can somebody please let me know the Rules in Islam about the State and Inheritance. My father is died and he left four sons, three daughters and my mother is alive. Jazakallahulkhairun.

Praise be to Allah.al-hamdu lillaah. The division of the inheritance in the case you mention is as follows: An eighth of it is due to the wife, since the father had children, as indicated in the verse (intrepretation of the meaning): "And if you have children, then to them (the wives) is due an eighth of what you have left behind, after [paying] any amount specified in the will or any loans due." (surat al-Nisaa':12). The remaining seven-eighths (7/8) is divided into 11 equal portions. Each male among his children is entitled to two portions and each female one portion, as per Allaah's specification (interpretation of the meaning): "Allaah has enjoined upon you with regards to your children that the [entitlement of] the male is twice that of the female." (al-Nisaa':11). For example, let's suppose the man in question left property and wealth with a total worth of $88,000, and he does not owe payment on any loans and did not specify any special requests or instructions to make particular donations in his will. Thus, the division would be as follows: For the wife, an eighth, 1/8 of 88,000 which is $11,000. The remaining 77,000 is divided into 11 equal portions, 1/11 * 77,000 = $7,000 So each son is entitled to two portions, or 2 * 7,000 = $14,000 And each daughter is entitled to $7,000.

What does a person say when he is in times of distress?

Praise be to Allah.Imam Ahmad reported from ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood, may Allah be pleased with him: "The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: "There is no slave who, when he is stricken by anxiety and sorrow, says ‘O Allah, I am Your slave and the son of Your male slave and female slave. My forelock is in Your hand (i.e., You have complete mastery over me), Your command over me is forever executed, and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You which You 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 Quran the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety’ - but Allah will remove his sorrow and replace his grief with joy." The people said: "O Messenger of Allah, we should learn these words." He said: "The one hears them should learn them."   Ibn ‘Abbas reported that at times of distress, the Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) used to say: "There is no god but Allah, the All-Great, the Patient; there is no god but Allah, Lord of the Mighty Throne; there is no god but Allah, the Lord of heaven, the Lord of earth, and the Lord of the Noble Throne." (reported by al-Bukhaari, may Allah have mercy on him, no. 5870).   The Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: "The prayer for one stricken by distress is: "O Allah, it is Your mercy that I hope for, so do not leave me in charge of my affairs even for a blink of an eye, and rectify for me all of my affairs. None has the right to be worshipped except You." (Reported by Imam Ahmad in al-Musnad, Abu Dawud in al-Sunan, Kitaab al-Adab, Baab maa yaqool idhaa asbaha; see also Saheeh al-Jaami‘, 3388). Asmaa’ bint ‘Umays said: "The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said to me: ‘Shall I not teach you some words to say at times of distress? "O Allah, You are my Lord and I do not associate anything with You."’" (Reported by Abu Dawud in al-Sunan, Kitaab al-salaat, Baab fi’l-istighfaar; see also Saheeh al-Jaami‘, no. 2623). The Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said to his companions: "Shall I not tell you some words which, if distress or grief befalls any of you and he offers this prayer (supplication), it will bring him joy? It is the du`a of Dhoo’l-Noon (i.e. Yunus or Jonah): ‘There is no god but You, Glory to You; verily I was one of the wrongdoers.’" (Saheeh al-Jaami‘, no. 2605). Anas ibn Maalik said: "Whenever something distressed him, the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) used to say: ‘O Ever-Living, O Self-Sustaining, by Your mercy I seek Your help." (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, no. 3446). You must recite these du`as, may Allah benefit you thereby and replace your sorrow with joy. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

Is it permitted to have intercourse with one's wife during the ‘iddah of divorce?

Praise be to Allah.If a man has divorced his wife for the first or second time, she spends her ‘iddah (waiting period) in his house and stays with him because she is still his wife and under his guardianship. If he wants to have intercourse with her, then according to some scholars if he does so at that time (i.e. the time of iddah), this means that he has taken her back and her ‘iddah is over.  Other scholars say that he should say words that indicate that he has taken her back (e.g., "I take you back" or "I take so-and-so back") before he has intercourse with her, and that there should be two Muslim witnesses to these words. This puts an end to the ‘iddah , and he may then have intercourse with her whenever he wishes.  The second opinion is the soundest course to take if he wishes to have intercourse with her. But in the case of the third divorce, she does not stay with him during her ‘iddah. She leaves his house and is no longer permissible for him (i.e. he cannot have intercourse with her) unless she has married another man; if he divorces her, then she is permitted to return to her first husband in a new marriage.  For more, please see this category: Waiting Period of Widow or Divorcee And Allah knows best.

What is the ruling on buying or keeping magazines containing pictures?

Praise be to Allah.There is nothing wrong with keeping Islamic magazines that contain pictures, because a person keeps them for the useful information in them, not for the pictures. As for magazines which are published and bought and kept for the sake of the pictures in them, these are haraam and it is not permissible to keep them, because the angels do not enter a house in which there are pictures. Liqa’ al-Baab al-Maftooh, 52/52. If the magazine is useful and you want to keep it, then blot out whatever pictures are on the cover. And Allaah knows best.

What do Muslims believe will happen to Athiests in the Hereafter

Praise be to Allah. The athiest is destined to Hell fire in the Hereafter. This is mainly because an athiest refuses the most basic belief which is the existance and oneness of Allaah. I ask Allaah to guide us all to the truth and help us to follow it, for He is the best Supporter and Helper.

Assalam O Alikium My mother is planning to go to ummrah inshallah. But she needs a mairram and her husband nor her brothers are able to go. We have asked an alm he said she can go with her brother in-law which is also her first cousin. As long as his wife is there which she will be cause she's going too. Is this permissable in Islam because I still have my doubts. Jazak allah ho karun.

Praise be to Allah.One of the ways in which Islam protects women is that it requires a woman to travel with a mahram, to protect her from those who have bad intentions and to help her, because of her weakness, in facing the arduous trials of travelling. A woman is not permitted to travel without a mahram because of the hadeeth narrated by Ibn Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him), who reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: A woman should absolutely not travel unless she has a mahram with her. A man stood up and said, O Messenger of Allaah, I have enlisted in such-and-such a military campaign, and my wife has set out for Hajj. He said, Go and do Hajj with your wife. (al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, 3006). What indicates that a mahram is obligatory is the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded this man to give up the idea of jihaad (on this occasion), even though he had enlisted for a campaign and his wife was travelling for the purpose of worship, not for some frivolous or suspicious reason. In spite of all this, he told him to go and do Hajj with his wife. The ulamaa have listed five conditions for a person to be considered a mahram. He should be male, Muslim, adult, and of sound mind, and he should be a relative to whom marriage is permanently forbidden, such as a father, brother, paternal uncle, maternal uncle, father in law, mothers husband or brother through radaaah (breastfeeding), etc. (as opposed to relatives to whom marriage is temporarily forbidden, such as a sisters husband, paternal aunts husband, maternal aunts husband). On this basis, the husbands brother and the son of a paternal or maternal uncle are not mahrams, so it is not permitted for her to travel with them. And Allaah knows best.

  My Question About Taharah for women after childbirth. My wife kept bleeding after our child birth for exactly 56 days that is 16 days more than usual. Could you give us details about what she should consider those extra 16 days. some says that it might be her period (Dawrah ), some said it is estihathah. other said it is a collection of Dawrah and estihathah. We have Sheikh Mohmmed bin Saleh Al-Othaimeen book " Al-dema'a Al-tabeeiyah", but we did not realy understand exactly what he means.How do we know that it is her periond or it is not?

Praise be to Allah.There is a dispute amongst the religious scholars regarding the longest period of nifaas (the post-natal bleeding period). Some scholars say it is forty (40) days, others say it is sixty (60) days and some say there is no limit to the maximum number of days a woman can be a in a state of nifaas. The most predominate opinion is that the maximum period is forty (40) days according to what is narrated by Umm Salama. Umm Salama said "The nufasaa' (a woman in a state of birth blood discharge) used to continue to be in childbed for forty days at the time of the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him." Al-Tirmidhi reported: "It is unanimously agreed upon among religious scholars from the sahaabah (companions of the Prophet , peace and blessings be upon him) and al-taabi'oon (those who had met only a companion of the Prophet , but not the Prophet himself) that the nufasaa' does not pray for forty days unless she sees tuhr (blood stoppage) before the end of the forty days period. She should then perform ghusl (ablution of the whole body) and she resumes praying. The majority of the religious scholars say that a woman does pray even If she continues to notice blood after the forty days period expires and this is the opinion of the majority of fuqahaa' (religious scholars) among whom Sufian Al-Thawry, Ibn Al-Mubarak, Al-Shafi'i, Ahmad and Ishaaq." Sunan Al-Tirmidhi hadeeth # 139. The same hadeeth is also reported by Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah and Al-Daraami and is classified as hasan by Al-Albaani in Irwaa' Al-Ghaleel # 201. Al-Albaani has supported this narration by another hadeeth reported by Abu Dawood narrated by Umm Salama who said, "A Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) wife used to remain in (a state of) nifaas for forty nights and the Prophet would not ask her to make up the prayers she missed during the period of nifaas". Ibn Majah also reported that Anas, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated that "The Prophet had specified a period of forty days for the nufasaa' unless she achieves tuhr before that." Irwaa' Al Ghaleel # 223-222/1. Therefore, if a woman experiencing post-childbirth bleeding spent forty days and she still sees blood, then we consider this blood as istihaadha (womb bleeding between periods) which does not stop a woman from performing prayer (salaat) nor fasting (siyaam), unless the end of the forty days coincides with the regular menstrual period (dawrah); in this case she would consider this blood as menstrual blood. Allaah knows best.

My I have read in another Islamic website that you shouldn't play cards even if you aren't gambling. If this is true, I don't understand why, if you are just playing for the fun of it. If you would please explain. Jazaka Allah Khairan.

Praise be to Allah.The reasons are: Wasting of time in something which has no benefit in this life nor in the hereafter. This game of cards is based on the idea of gambling, and it resembles playing with dice, which is clearly prohibited in Islaam, as related in the authentic hadeeth of the Prophet : "Whoever plays with dice, would (resemble) one who has tainted his hand with the flesh and blood of a pig," narrated by Muslim (2260). The playing cards include pictures of creations with a soul (the Jack and Queen ). The rancor, enmity, bitterness, and/or ill-feeling which may occur between the players (shahnaa' wa-baghdaa'). The game promotes cheating, deception, and trickery (ghish wa-tahaayul). It distracts from the worship of Allaah, and from salaat. Even if one performs salaat on time, and with the congregation in the Masjid, how would he escape the hadeeth of the Prophet : "Everything other than remembering Allah is (considered) wasteful play except four: a man humoring his wife, a man training his horse, a man walking between targets (learning archery), and man learning swimming," narrated by An-Nasaa'i and authenticated by Al-Albaani (Sahih Al-Jami' 4534).

My wife's mother has in effect cut herself off from her daughter in recent times. Whilst there was some form of communication it was often quite turbulent and heated. My wife has tried a number of times to re-establish contact yet her mother refuses, quite stubbornly, to reply. We are both reverts and have often felt that our acceptance of the religion has played some part in her mother's negative attitude. I would be grateful if you could advise us on what me might possibly do to rectify this situation. Jazak Allahu Khairan

Praise be to Allah., The reactions of non-muslim mothers towards their children's embracement of Islam varies. Some mothers are peaceful and passive considering this as a personal matter which does not affect the relationship between the mother and her son or daughter. In such cases more piety by the child towards his or her mother will make the mother admire and respect Islam. Other mothers adopts a more stubborn approach at the beginning but the mother finally gives in and accepts the new religion as a fact of life after she sees the child's determination and persistence which could lead the mother herself to embrace Islam. In the third case we find that some mothers are constantly stubborn to the extent that she might hurt and oppress her son or daughter. Usually such mothers are blindly prejudice because they consider that her son or daughter had gone astray by leaving the faith of his fathers and ancestors and she must do something to help go back to the right path (according to the mother). The following are three stories that took place at the time of the Prophet, Peace and Blessings be Upon Him, that involved three of the Sahaba (Companions of the Prophet, Peace and Blessings be Upon Him) which illustrates the reactions of their mothers after they embraced Islam: Story #1 On the authority of Asmaa' Bint Abi Bakr she said "My mother came to visit me one day. At that time she was still a polytheist and there was a pledge between the Prophet, Peace and Blessings be Upon Him, and Quraish (one of the great tribes in Arabia that lived in Mecca in the pre Islamic Period of Ignorance who used to enjoy great spiritual and financial powers). I requested the Prophet's, Peace and Blessings be Upon Him, religious verdict and said: Oh Prophet of Allah, my mother came to visit me, seeking my help; should I keep a good relationship with her? Yes, keep a good relation with her said the Prophet, Peace and Blessings be Upon Him:. Reported by Bukhari and Muslim, and this narration is listed in Sahih Muslim under # 1003. In another version narrated by Ahmad, on the authority of Asmaa' Bint Abi Bakr she said " My mother came to visit me when she was still a polytheist and she was living amongst Quraish. She was desirous, meaning in need, so I asked the Prophet, Peace and Blessings be Upon Him, and said: Oh Prophet of Allah my mother came to me and she is a polytheist and she needs help. Should I keep a good relationship with her? He said yes maintain a good relationship with her. Story #2 On the authority of Abu-Huraira, who said: I used to call my mother to Islam when she was still a polytheist. One day, while I was calling her she mentioned something about the Prophet , Peace and Blessings be Upon Him, that I detested. So I went to see the Prophet, Peace and Blessings be Upon Him, while crying and told him: I used to call my mother to Islam and she would refuse. I called her today and she mentioned something about you that I detested. Please invoke the blessings and guidance of Allah on her. Then the Prophet, Peace and Blessings be Upon Him, said: O Great Allah guide the mother of Abu-Huraira. So I left full of hope because of the Prophet's supplication for my mother. When I reached home I found that the door was partially closed. My mother heard my footsteps and said: Stay still Abu-Huraira, then I heard the water running; he added my mother performed body ablution, put on her cloths and hurriedly opened the door without her head-cover and said: "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad, Peace and Blessings be Upon Him, is the Messenger of Allah". I went back to the Prophet, Peace and Blessings be Upon Him, crying of joy and told him: I am bringing you good news; Allah answered your prayers and guided the mother of Abu-Huraira. The Prophet, Peace and Blessings be Upon Him, praised and glorified Allah and said: this is good. I said: Oh Messenger of Allah, pray to Allah to make me and my mother beloved by Allah's believing slaves and make us love them. The Prophet, Peace and Blessings be Upon Him, said: Oh Allah, make this little slave of Yours and his mother (meaning Abu-Huraira and his mother) become beloved by your believing slaves and make the believers love them. Ever since, there was not a believer who heard of me, even without seeing me, that did not love me. Reported by Muslim in Sahih Muslim (Muslim Authentic volumes) under # 2491. Story # 3 On the authority of Saa'd (Ibn Abi Waqas May Allah be pleased with him) who said that verses of the Qur'an revealed his story. He said Um Saa'd (his mother) swore not to talk to him ever nor eat or drink until he renounces Islam. She said: You claim that Allah commanded you to obey your parents. I am your mother and I order you to do this ( to renounce Islam). He said: She stayed with nothing to eat or drink for three days until she fainted because of strain. Then one of her other sons named Umarah gave her water to drink. And she started to imprecate against Saa'd, then Allah revealed this verse in the Qur'an, which translates to the meaning of And We have enjoined on man to be good and dutiful to his parents; but if they strive to make you join with Me (in worship) anything (as a partner) of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not. Unto Me is your return and I shall tell you what you used to do Verse 29:8 - Surah 29, Al Ankabut. This Hadith is narrated by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad and in Sahih Muslim in his Sahih under # 1748. Also, Allah revealed another verse in the Qur'an, which translates to: "But if they (both) strive with you to make you join in worship with Me others that if which you have no knowledge, then obey them not; but behave with them in the world kindly, and follow the path of him who turns to me in repentance and in obedience. Then to Me will be your return, and I shall tell you what you used to do"( 31:15 - Surah Luqman). Based on the above stories one can determine how to deal with a non believing mother and can draw the following significant conclusions: The importance of good presentation of Islam to the non believing mother and to try to kindly persuade her and to strive to convince her as Abu Huraira did (story # 1) Continue to do good to the non believing mother and to remember that her disbelief does not justify disobedience by the son or daughter and that doing her good does not contradict with your innocence of her as a non believer, on the contrary as it is stated in Verse 31:15 above, Allah has commanded us to treat the non believing parents kindly even if they strive to make their child a polytheist because of their rights as parents hoping that they will embrace Islam. Continue to sincerely pray and supplicate for the non believing mother hoping that Allah may guide her, as evident in Abu Huraira's story (story #2). The divine guidance of Allah may come after continuous strive by the child and strong objection of the mother as in Abu Huraira's story, therefore the son should never surrender or give up but should continue to pray and supplicate for the non believing mother. Regardless of how hard does the non believing mother strive to make the son renounces Islam, and the pressure she will exercise against her son such as refusing to eat or invoking upon him , the son should never surrender or give in nor should he retrocede away from the righteous path as one of the Sahaba said to his non believing mother in a similar situation: :If you had one hundred (100) souls and it all left your body one after the other I will never give up my religion (Islam)". It seems that the mother in question deliberately oppresses her daughter through estrangement which makes her emotional torn but that should never weaken the muslim or shake his faith and belief in his religion. There is no objection to make the non believing mother understand that you are not going to retrocede , however she (the mother) can kindly ask for anything and she will be immediately answered to it except for giving up this religion. We ask Allah to quickly guide her to the righteous path and give you patience to call her to Islam and lead you to the righteous and correct way.

Allah mentions in the Quran that when an evil befalls us it is due to what our own hands have earned. Also our beloved Messenger, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said in a hadeeth (report) that the most tried are the Prophets, then those in piety after those. So therefore in our day to day life when things go wrong in our lives, how do we decide whether it is due to our sinfulness or that Allah loves us  and therefore sends a trial upon us?

Praise be to Allah. Punishments are what happen to people in return for their evil deeds. Trials are tests which are sent to try people, and people may be tested by good things or by bad. Concerning punishments, Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Whatever of good reaches you, is from Allah, but whatever of evil befalls you, is from yourself…” [al-Nisa 4:79] Concerning the phrase “is from yourself”, Qatadah said: “[It means] the punishment is for you, O son of Adam, because of your sin.” Abu Salih said that “whatever of evil befalls you, is from yourself” means “because of your sin, and I [Allah] am the One Who decreed it for you.” (Tafseer Ibn Katheer). Allah also says (interpretation of the meaning): “And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much.” [al-Shoora 42:30] Ibn Katheer, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “[It means] whatever misfortune happens to you, O people, is because of evil deeds that you have already done, and ‘He pardons much’ refers to evil deeds – He does not punish you for them but He pardons them. ‘And if Allah were to punish men for that which they earned, he would not leave a moving (living) creature on the surface of the earth…’ [Fatir 35:45 – interpretation of the meaning].” Concerning trials, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “If Allah loves a people, He tries them, and whoever has patience will have patience, and whoever is anxious will be anxious.” (Reported by al-Imam Ahmad; Saheeh al-Jami’, 1706). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said: “The extent of the reward will be in accordance with the extent of the trial. If Allah loves a people, He tries them, and whoever is content will have contentment, and whoever is angry will have anger.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 2320; Saheeh al-Jami’, 2210). The following outlines how one may tell whether a given event is a punishment or a trial: If the misfortune results from doing an act of obedience to Allah, such as being wounded in jihad, or losing money when migrating for the sake of Allah, or losing a job because of becoming a Muslim or increasing one’s commitment to Islam, then this is a trial. Whoever bears it with patience will be rewarded, but if one reacts angrily then one will earn the wrath of Allah. If the misfortune results from sin, such as sexually-transmitted diseases or illnesses caused by drinking alcohol and taking drugs, and so on, then this is the kind of punishment that comes in this world (as opposed to being deferred until the Hereafter). If the misfortune is connected neither to a good deed nor a sin – such as other kinds of diseases and sicknesses, losing a child, or failing in business – then it depends on the person’s situation. If he is good and devout, it is a trial, and if he is sinful, it is a punishment. The misfortune may be a punishment to atone for sins, or it may be a trial aimed at raising a person’s status and increasing his hasanat (good deeds/rewards) – this may be determined by whether a person is obedient or disobedient. A person should not praise himself, rather he should criticize himself for his shortcomings and strive to attain perfection. He will benefit from misfortunes in any case, if he has patience and hopes for reward. And Allah knows best.

I am currently in a sitaution that may be common among the muslim community. I have met a wonderful Muslim XXX girl six months ago, I am XXX. We talked for many months and have become very close. Actually we are in love with each other. Everything about our relationship has been wonderful.I feel Allah has brought us together. We have talked about marriage and both agree we want to spend our lives together.Now here is where the problem begins.Her father would not agree to marry her to anyone but a XXX that he has chosen in an arranged marriage.Even if she doesnt love him. I have spoken to her mother and she really likes me.She tried to talk to her husband but he wouldnt listen.Now it looks like her dad will arrange a marriage for her soon. What can we DO!!!I dont want to lose her I love her soooo much.Is there anything we can do?

Praise be to Allah.besides Whom there is nobody to praise when calamity strikes. My dear brother, you should realize that no calamity befalls a person except because of sin, and it cannot be lifted except by repentance. Despite all the hardship you are facing and the intense pain you are feeling, you still have to think about the root of the problem and understand the shar’i ruling on it and learn a lesson from what has happened. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “… whatever of evil befalls you, is from yourself…” [al-Nisa’ 4:79] it comes from yourself because you gave yourself free rein in starting this forbidden relationship and getting to know this girl in a manner that is not approved of in sharee’ah, and because you indulged in absolute freedom in an environment that is far removed from the laws of Allaah. Don’t you see that our Lord is truly Wise and All-Knowing when He forbids men to deliberately look at non-mahram women or to touch them or be alone with them or take them as friends? Allaah knows that this leads to haraam things whether it is immoral actions of varying decrees or falling in love – which is the serious and fatal disease from which you are suffering because of your sin. You have become one of its victims, suffering its pain and choking on it. You have been very frank in describing this disease from its onset, and how you fell into this devilish trap, when you said in your question: “I have met a wonderful Muslim girl six months ago... We talked for many months and have become very close. Actually we are in love with each other.” But you mention that you feel that Allaah has led you to one another. If you mean that this has happened by the will and decree of Allaah, then this is correct. Even Iblees exists by the will and decree of Allaah. But if you meant that Allaah decreed this because He likes it and approves of it, (this is wrong, because) Allaah does not approve of anything that is haraam. Just because something happens does not mean that Allaah likes it or approves of it. Allaah decrees good and evil for reasons which only He knows. If you say now that what has happened has happened, and cannot be changed, so what can we do about this father who is standing in the way of these two lovers who want to get married? I would say that there is nothing wrong with making efforts – in halaal ways, of course – to persuade this father, such as bringing mediators from within the family, or the imaam of the Islamic Centre where the father goes, and so on, and praying earnestly to Allaah to make this girl part of your lot in life if this is good for you and for her. If what you want happens, then praise be to Allaah, Who is the Giver of bounty and blessings. But if all attempts fail, mediation does not work and the wind blows in the way that the sailor does not like (i.e., things do not go the way you hoped), then you should know that from the point of view of sharee’ah you can never marry this girl without the consent of her guardian – which is her father in the case – because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Any woman who gets married without the consent of her guardian, her marriage is invalid, her marriage is invalid, her marriage is invalid.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, no. 1102, and by Abu Dawood, Ahmad and Ibn Maajah. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 2709). The marriage contract will not be valid even if it was approved by jaahili courts and kaafir judges. It is impossible for running away with this girl to be a valid solution, either in this world or in the next. We must also ask some other questions raised by your situation, such as: what is your commitment to Islam – do you pray regularly, for example? Does she adhere to the hijaab prescribed by sharee’ah? What is the attitude of your own family to the idea of your marrying this girl? Finally, you must realize that you will have to forget about her if she marries someone else. In that case, you should not waste your life regretting losing her. You never know where good may come from. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “… it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you, and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allaah knows but you do not know.” [al-Baqarah 2:216] What has happened is a mistake of which you are going to bear the bitter consequences, but you have to be sincere towards Allaah and strive to repent and turn back to Him. If this girl is not destined to be your lot in life, then we ask Allaah to compensate you with someone better than her. “Verily, he who fears Allaah with obedience to Him, and is patient, then surely, Allaah makes not the reward of the muhsinoon (good-doers) to be lost.” [Yoosuf 12:90 – interpretation of the meaning].

I have a question which I am shy to ask but another sister who has come to Islam recently wants an answer to and I do not have an answer (with evidence from the Quran and Sunnah). I hope you can help and I hope Allah will forgive me if it is inappropriate but as Muslims we should never be shy in seeking knowledge. Her question was "Is it permissible in Islam to masturbate?" May Allah increase us all in knowledge!

Praise be to Allah. Is masturbation haram in Islam? Masturbation (for both men and women) is haraam (forbidden) in Islam based on the following evidence: Prohibition of masturbation in the Quran Al-Imam Shafi'i stated that masturbation is forbidden based on the following verses from the Quran (interpretation of the meaning): {And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts, from illegal sexual acts). Except from their wives or (the captives and slaves) that their right hands possess, - for them, they are free from blame. But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors.} (Al-Muminun 23:5-7) Here the verses are clear in forbidding all illegal sexual acts (including masturbation) except for the wives or what their right hand possesses. {And whoever seeks beyond that is the transgressor.}  Some scholars used as evidence the ayah (in meaning), {And let those who find not the financial means for marriage keep themselves chaste, until Allah enriches them of His bounty.} (Al-Nur 24:33) This verse also clearly orders whoever does not have the financial means to marry to keep himself chaste and be patient in facing temptations (including masturbation) until Allah enriches them of His bounty. Prohibition of masturbation in the Sunnah 'Abdullaah ibn Mas’ud said, "We were with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) while we were young and had no wealth whatsoever. Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, 'O young people! Whoever among you can marry, should marry, because it helps him lower his gaze and guard his modesty (i.e. his private parts from committing illegal sexual intercourse etc.), and whoever is not able to marry, should fast, as fasting diminishes his sexual power.'" (Al-Bukhari 5066) The hadeeth orders men who are not able to marry to fast despite the hardship encountered in doing so, and not to masturbate despite the ease with which it can be done. There is additional evidence that can be cited to support this ruling on masturbation, but due to the limited space we will not go through them here.  Tips on how to give up masturbation As for curing/treating the habit of masturbation, we recommend the following suggestions: 1. The motive to seek a cure for this problem should be solely following Allah's orders and fearing His punishment. 2. A permanent and quick cure from this problem lies in marriage as soon as the person is able, as shown in the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) hadeeth. 3. Keeping oneself busy with what is good for this world and the Hereafter is essential in breaking this habit before it becomes second nature after which it is very difficult to rid oneself of it. 4. Lowering the gaze (from looking at forbidden things such as pictures, movies etc.) will help suppress the desire before it leads one to commit the haram (forbidden). Allah orders men and women to lower their gaze as shown in the following two verses and in the Prophet's hadith. {Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things) and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.). That is purer for them. Verily, Allah is all-aware of what they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things) and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.) ..... } (24: 30-31) Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not follow a casual (unintentional) look (at forbidden things) with another look." (Al-Tirmidhi, 2777) This is a general instruction by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to abstain from all that may sexually excite a person because it might lead him/her to commit the haram (forbidden). 5. Using one's available leisure time in worshipping Allah and increasing religious knowledge. 6. Being cautious not to develop any of the medical symptoms that may result from masturbation such as weak eyesight, weak nervous system, and/or back pain. More importantly, feelings of guilt and anxiety that can be complicated by missing obligatory prayers because of the need to shower (ghusl) after every incidence of masturbation, especially in the winter, and the invalidating of the fast. 7. Avoiding the illusion that some youth have that masturbation is permissible because it prevents them from committing illegal sexual acts such as fornication or even homosexuality, while they may not be at the gates of that immorality to begin with. 8. Strengthening one's willpower and not surrendering to the shaytan, and avoiding spending time alone as recommended by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when he said "Do not spend the night alone" Ahmad, 6919. 9.  Following the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) aforementioned hadeeth and fasting when possible, because fasting will temper one's sexual desire and keep it under control. However, one should not overreact and swear by Allah not to return to the act because if one does not honor one's promise, one would be facing the consequences of not living up to one's oath to Allah. Also, note that medication to diminish one's sexual desire is strictly prohibited because it might permanently affect one's sexual ability. 10. Trying to follow the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) recommendation concerning the etiquette of getting ready for bed, such as reading the well-known supplications, sleeping on the right side, and avoiding sleeping on the belly (the Prophet-peace and blessings be upon him- forbade sleeping on the belly). 11. Striving hard to be patient and chaste, because persistence will eventually, Allah willing, lead to attaining those qualities as second nature, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explains in the following hadith: "Whoever seeks chastity Allah will make him chaste, and whoever seeks help from none but Allah, He will help him, and whoever is patient He will make it easy for him, and no one has ever been given anything better than patience." Al-Bukhari:1469. 12. If one falls into this sin, they must hasten to repent, asking forgiveness from Allah, doing good deeds, and not losing hope and feeling despair; these are all prerequisites to curing this problem. Note that losing hope is one of the major sins punishable by Allah. 13. Finally, Allah is the Most Merciful and He always responds to whoever calls on Him. So, asking for Allah's forgiveness and help will be accepted, by His will. For more about the issues related to masturbation, please see these answers: 826, 27112 and 245978 And Allah knows best

Asalaamulaikum respected brother, Insha'Allah, you may be able to help me answer these questions for a friend of mine. What is Islam's view on the parents' (especially the father's) responsibility to educate their children? Additionally, what type or manner of education is most Islamically correct (i.e. private or public school etc.)?

Praise be to Allah.Al-hamdu lillaah. Praise be to Allaah. No doubt that a child's education is one of life's necessities, and as such spending to achieve it is obligatory on the parents. However, the level of education that a Muslim should provide for his children is not necessarily the highest level possible. This is because a child can lead a perfectly normal life with only, for example, high school education. And as for whether private schools are better than public schools from the shari'ah (Islamic jurisprudence) standpoint, I do not think that there is a general rule by which we can favor one schooling system over the other. It all depends on the specifics of each individual case when assessed with respect to curricula, teachers' skills, and the school district credibility. Wallaahu a'lam. And Allaah knows best.

As Salam Wahalakum, Can we pray salat while in a moving car that's because there is no place to stop and pray?

Praise be to Allah. Performing prayers at the right time is a trust and an obligation, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "Verily, al-Salaat (the prayer) is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours." [al-Nisaa' 4:103]. Delaying the prayer past its appointed time is a grave major sin, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "So woe unto those performers of salaat (prayers) (hypocrites), who delay their salaat from their stated fixed times." [al-Maa'oon 107:4-5] Some scholars state that the person who deliberately misses one prayer and leaves it until the appointed time is over, with no excuse, is a kaafir. Claiming that one cannot find a place to pray is not a valid excuse, because either one is living on the face of the earth or not, and if one is living on the face of the earth, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The (whole) earth has been made a mosque (or a place of prayer) and a means of purification for me, so wherever a man of my ummah may be when the time for prayer comes, let him pray." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, no. 335) According to a report narrated by Muslim, he said: "The (whole) earth has been made good for me, a means of purification and a mosque (or place of prayer); so wherever a man may be when the time for prayer comes, let him pray wherever he is." (Saheeh Muslim, no. 521) The entire world is a suitable place to prostrate oneself; the scholars have made no exceptions except very few, such as graveyards and lavatories. Wherever a Muslim is when the time for prayer comes, he should pray: in a mosque, if possible, or else in a hallway or park, on a sidewalk or in a parking lot, or in a corner of a store. Even if one can find no other place than a church, it is permissible to pray in it. As far as praying on board means of transportation is concerned, then it is possible to pray there so long as the necessary conditions of prayer are fulfilled, or else one can wait until one gets out of the vehicle. If waiting means that the time for the prayer will pass, then you should pray in the best way that you can. Let us assume, for example, that you are in a car or train where there is no place to pray, you cannot stop and pray at the side of the road, and the time for that prayer is running out. In such a situation, the Muslim should pray in the best way that he can, even if he is sitting in his seat and even if he is not facing the qiblah, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can" [al-Taghaabun 64:16], and because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "If I have commanded you to do something, do as much of it as you can." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, no. 7288) An exception to be above is naafil (supererogatory) prayers offered when riding a camel, which is permissible even if one cannot get down or if one is not facing the qiblah. This is known from the report of Ibn 'Umar, who said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to pray when travelling on his camel, no matter which direction it was facing, and he would gesture with his head to indicate the movements of the night prayer, apart from the obligatory prayers, and he would pray witr on his camel too." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 945) Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to pray voluntary (nafl) prayers when riding on his camel, no matter what direction it was facing, when he came from Makkah to Madeenah." Then Ibn 'Umar recited this aayah (interpretation of the meaning): "And to Allaah belong the east and the west, so wherever you turn yourselves or your faces, there is the Face of Allaah (and He is High above, over His Throne)" [al-Baqarah 2:115] Ibn 'Umar said: "It was concerning this that this aayah was revealed." (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 2883; he said, this is a saheeh hasan hadeeth) We should not forget to point out here that Muslims living in non-Muslim countries sometimes delay or abandon their prayers for another, completely different, reason, which is that they feel too embarrassed to pray in front of the kuffaar in public or open places, or they are afraid that they will make fun of them and regard them as odd. This is a serious mistake. How can a Muslim feel embarrassed about proclaiming the truth and worshipping openly, hastening to fulfil the command of Allaah at the time when Allaah has said it is to be done? This matter has been dealt with in a similar question on this website (see question # 980). We ask Allaah to help us all to remember Him, to be grateful to Him and to worship Him properly.

Is the act of shaving a newborn baby's head rooted in Islam? What is the purpose of doing this, and is it referenced in the Quran?

Praise be to Allah.Shaving the newborn’s head is Sunnah on the seventh day from his birth. Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A child is held in pledge for his ‘Aqīqah which should be slaughtered on his behalf on the seventh day after his birth, and he should be given a name, and his head should be shaved." (Ibn Majah) Salman ibn ‘Amir narrated that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah upon him) said: "For a boy, there is an 'Aqiqah. So spill blood for him and remove the harm from him." (Ahmad) He said that Ibn Sireen used to say if removing harm from him did not mean shaving the head, then I don't know what it is. Ibn Al-Qayyim (Allah's mercy upon him) said about the benefit of shaving the newborn's hair :  “Shaving his head removes the harm from him,  removes the weak hair so that stronger and firmer hair replaces it and it is beneficial for the head.  In addition, it comforts the newborn and opens the head's skin openings...  And along with this is a strengthening of his eyesight, his sense of smell and hearing. (Ahkam al-Tifl by Ahmad Al-’Isawi 192) Sheikh Ibn Uthaimin said: “It appears that shaving the head on that day has a positive effect on the hair roots.” (Al-Sharh Al-Mumti` 7/540) And Allah knows best.

Many people are concerned about their childrens unstable characters and the effects of luxury on their personalities. How can we introduce strength and honour into our childrens characters?

Praise be to Allah. The issue referred to in the question is one of the most serious problems in raising children nowadays. Some of the Islamic solutions to this problem and ways of instilling strength and honour in our childrens character are listed below:Takniyyah (using the kunya or patronymic in addressing children) Calling a young boy "Abu Foolaan" ("Father of so-and-so) or a young girl "Umm Foolaan" ("Mother of so-and-so") will make the child feel more responsible and grown up, so he will become more mature and will feel above normal childishness. The Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) used to give kunyas to children. Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) was the best of people in attitude and manners. I had a brother whom people used to call Abu Umayr. I think he was just past the age of weaning, and whenever he came along the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) would say to him, O Abu Umayr, what did the nughayr do (Ya Abaa Umayr ma faala al-nuhgayr)?" (The nughayr was a small bird with which he used to play). (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 5735). Umm Khaalid bint Khaalid reported that the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) was given some clothes, among which was a small black garment made of silk, known as a khameesah. He said, "Who do you think I should give this to?" The people were silent, then he said, "Bring me Umm Khaalid" and she was carried to him (which indicates that she was very young). He picked up the garment and put it on her, saying, "Enjoy it until it wears out." There was a green or yellow spot on it, and he said, "O Umm Khaalid, this is sanaah" sanaah means "beautiful" in Ethiopian. (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 5375). According to another report also narrated by al-Bukhaari: "He looked at the khameesah and pointed to it, saying, O Umm Khaalid, this is sanaa, O Umm Khaalid, this is sanaa." Sanaa in Ethiopian means beautiful. (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 5397).Taking them to gatherings and letting them sit with grown-ups This will increase their understanding and wisdom, and make them try to imitate adults, as well as keeping them from spending too much time on games and entertainment. The Sahaabah used to bring their children with them when they went and sat with the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him). One of the stories that describe this was narrated by Muaawiyah ibn Qurrah from his father, who said: "The Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) used to sit with a group of his Companions. One man had his little son with him; he would bring him from behind and make him sit in front of him" (Reported by al-Nisaai and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Ahkaam al-Janaaiz).Talking to them about the heroic deeds of earlier and subsequent generations, Islamic battles and Muslim victories This will encourage them to be brave, which is one of the most important parts of being strong and honourable. Al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam had two children, one of whom was present at some of the battles, and the other of whom used to play with the old battle scars on his fathers shoulder. This was reported by Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, who said that the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said to al-Zubayr on the day of Yarmook, "Will you go and attack, and we will go with you?" He said, "If I attacked, you would be lying." They said, "No, we will do (as we promised)." So he launched an attack (against the Romans), penetrating their ranks and passing straight through, but no one was with him. Then he turned around and came back, and the Romans seized the reins of his horse and wounded him twice in the shoulder. Between these two new wounds was a scar from a wound he had received at Badr. Urwah said, "When I was little, I used to play by putting my fingers in those scars." Urwah said, " Abdullaah ibn al-Zubayr was with him on that day. He was ten years old. He (al-Zubayr) put him on a horse and entrusted him to the care of another man." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 3678). Commenting on this hadeeth, Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: "Al-Zubayr felt that his son Abdullaah was brave and chivalrous, so he put him on a horse, but he feared that he might attempt to do more than he was able, so he put another man with him so that he could feel that he was safe from the attacks of the Romans should he become distracted by the fighting." Ibn al-Mubaarak reported from Hishaam ibn Urwah from his father from Abdullaah ibn al-Zubayr that he was with his father on the day of Yarmook, and when the mushrikoon (pagans)ran away, he attacked and started killing their wounded, i.e., he finished off every wounded soldier whom he found. This indicates that he was strong and brave from childhood.Teaching them good manners Among the manners that should be taught are those described in the hadeeth (prophetic narration) narrated by Abu Hurayrah from the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him): "The young should greet the old, the passerby should greet one who is sitting, and the small group should greet the larger group." (Al-Bukhaari, 5736).Giving them the praise and respect they deserve in front of others This is made clear by the following hadeeth: Sahl ibn Sad (may Allaah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) was brought a cup and he drank from it. There was a boy, the youngest of all the people, on his right and some elders on his left. He said, "O young boy, will you allow me to give this to these elders?" The boy said, "I will not give away my share of your blessings to anyone, O Messenger of Allaah," so he gave the cup to him. (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 2180)Teaching them manly sports - such as archery, swimming and horse riding.Avoiding humilating them, especially in front of others Never belittling their ideas, and encouraging them to take partConsulting them and asking for their opinionsGiving them responsibilities in accordance with their age and abilitiesTeaching them to be brave as appropriate including how to speak in publicMaking sure their clothes are modest and protecting them from inappropriate clothing, hairstyles, movements and ways of walkingMaking sure that boys do not wear silk, as this is only for womenAvoiding extravagance, luxury, laziness and idleness Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "Get used to a rough life, for luxury does not last forever."Avoiding entertainment or pastime gatherings, singing, music and other wastes of time, because these go against strength, honour and seriousness These are some of the ways and means which will increase strength and honour, and protect our children. Allaah is the One Who guides to the Straight Path.

Is proportional representation in Islam alowable or not.The situation is thus, if there are say 10 Muslim organisations(each with a differant number of members) and they all join together to form one mother organisation so that they can co-ordinate between the Islamic work between each other. Is it permissible that we catogorise the organisation according to their membership. That is if one organisation has 1-100 members they get one vote, 101-200 members they get two votes and so on, Is this permissible in Islam? I hope you can answer this thank you

Praise be to Allah. There is no problem with this because it is a way of organizing things in order to reach the right or better opinion, by using points to represent groups according to their size or number of members. But you should know that a "one man one vote" system may be unfair if the people involved are not equal in trustworthiness, ability, knowledge and experience that are necessary for the kind of decision-making that you want to undertake. If they are equal or close enough, then "one man one vote" is fair and wise. The people of authority (ahl al-hall wa’l-’aqd) in this ummah are those who have knowledge and virtue, who are rational and wise, and who are prominent and distinguished. These, not the ignorant masses whose opinion is worthless, are the ones who select the khaleefah. May Allaah help you to do that which will please Him.

Can the marriage contract be a verbal contract or must it be in writing ?

Praise be to Allah.Writing down the contracts and agreements that people make among themselves is a way of confirming and formalizing them, but it is not a condition for the validity of the contract. The marriage contract may be made verbally by means of an offer on the part of the bride’s wali or guardian (e.g. “I marry my daughter to you”) and acceptance on the part of the groom (e.g. “I accept”). Writing it down is not a condition, but it does serve to document and confirm the contract, which is a good thing, especially nowadays. And Allaah is the source of help.

My question is : IS the taking of PHOTOGRAPHS ALLOWED,(I know drawing pictures of living things is not allowed -but what about taking photograph's of people etc.), can you supply me with some evidence please. I need this information quickly.- Inshallah.

Praise be to Allah.Photography (tasweer) means the taking of pictures of living, animate moving beings, like people, animals, birds, etc. The ruling is that it is forbidden on the basis of a number of reports, such as the following: 'Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Those who will be most severely punished by Allaah on the Day of Resurrection will be the image-makers." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, see al-Fath, 10/382). Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah, may He be exalted, says: 'Who does more wrong than the one who tries to create something like My creation? Let him create a grain of wheat or a kernel of corn.'" (Reported by al-Bukhaari, see Fath al-Baari, 10/385).   'Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "Shall I not send you on the same mission as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent me? Do not leave any built-up tomb without levelling it, and do not leave any picture in any house without erasing it." (Reported by Muslim and al-Nisaa'i; this is the version narrated by al-Nisaa'i).   Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Every image-maker will be in the Fire, and for every image that he made a soul will be created for him, which will be punished in the Fire." Ibn 'Abbaas said: "If you must do that, make pictures of trees and other inanimate objects." (Reported by Muslim, 3/1871)   These ahaadeeth indicate that pictures of animate beings are haraam, whether they are humans or other creatures, whether they are three-dimensional or two-dimensional, whether they are printed, drawn, etched, engraved, carved, cast in moulds, etc. These ahaadeeth include all of these types of pictures.   The Muslim should submit to the teachings of Islam and not argue with them by saying, "But I am not worshipping them or prostrating to them!" If we think about just one aspect of the evil caused by the prevalence of photographs and pictures in our times, we will understand something of the wisdom behind this prohibition: that aspect is the great corruption caused by the provoking of physical desires and subsequent spread of immorality caused by these pictures.   The Muslim should not keep any pictures of animate beings in his house, because they will prevent the angels from entering. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or pictures." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, see al-Fath, 10/380). But nowadays, unfortunately, one can even find in some Muslim homes statues of gods worshipped by the kuffaar (such as Buddha etc.) which they keep on the basis that they are antiques or decorative pieces. These things are more strictly prohibited than others, just as pictures which are hung up are worse than pictures which are not hung up, for how easily they can lead to glorification, and cause grief or be a source of boasting! We cannot say that these pictures are kept for memory's sake, because true memories of a Muslim relative or friend reside in the heart, and we remember them by praying for mercy and forgiveness for them. Taking pictures with a camera involves human actions such as focusing, pressing the shutter, developing, printing, and so on. We cannot call it anything other than "picture-making" or tasweer, which is the expression used by all Arabic-speakers to describe this action.   In the book Al-I'laam bi naqd kitaab al-halaal wa'l-haraam, the author says: "Photography is even more of an imitation of the creation of Allaah than pictures which are engraved or drawn, so it is even more deserving of being prohibited There is nothing that could exclude photography from the general meaning of the reports." (p. 42, see also Fataawa Islamiyyah, 4/355).   Among the scholars who have discussed the issue of photography is Shaykh Naasir al-Deen al-Albaani, who said: "Some of them differentiate between hand-drawn pictures and photographic images by claiming that the latter are not products of human effort, and that no more is involved than the mere capturing of the image. This is what they claim. The tremendous energy invested the one who invented this machine that can do in few seconds what otherwise could not be done in hours does not count as human effort, according to these people! Pointing the camera, focusing it, and taking the picture, preceded by installation of the film and followed by developing and whatever else that I may not know about none of this is the result of human effort, according to them!   Some of them explain how this photography is done, and summarize that no less than eleven different actions are involved in the making of a picture. In spite of all this, they say that this picture is not the result of human action! Can it be permissible to hang up a picture of a man, for example, if it is produced by photography, but not if it is drawn by hand?   Those who say that photography is permitted have "frozen" the meaning of the word "tasweer," restriciting it only to the meaning known at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and not adding the meaning of photography, which is "tasweer" or "picture-making" in every sense - linguistic, legal, and in its harmful effects, and as is clear from the definition mentioned above. Years ago, I said to one of them, By the same token, you could allow idols which have not been carved but have been made by pressing a button on some machine that turns out idols by the dozen. What do you say to that?" (Aadaab al-Zafaaf by al-Albaani, p. 38)   It is also worth quoting the opinion of some contemporary scholars who allow the taking of photographs but say that the pictures should not be kept: "The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or pictures." (See al-Sharh al-Mumti', 2/198).   There are many bad things involved in the making of pictures. Besides the element of imitating the creation of Allaah - which is an accusation denied by many of those who make pictures - reality bears witness to the great extent of immorality and provocation of desires caused by the prevalence of pictures and picture-making nowadays. We must remove or blot out every picture, except when it is too difficult to do so, like the pictures which are overwhelmingly prevalent in food packaging, or pictures used in encyclopaedias and reference books. We should remove what we can, and be careful about any provocative pictures that may be found.   "So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can" [al-Taghaabun 64:16 - interpretation of the meaning]   Photographs which are essential are permitted - such as those required for identity documents, or for identifying or pursuing criminals [e.g. "wanted" posters and the like - translator's note], or for educational purposes which cannot be achieved otherwise. The principle in sharee'ah is that we should not exaggerate about what is necessary. We ask Allaah to accept our repentance and have mercy on us, and to forgive our excesses, for He is the All-Hearing Who answers prayers. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

Some Muslims have exaggerated about breaking their fast to the point that they miss the Magrib prayer; after eating dates comes the soup and juice and so on. What is your advice with regard to such behavior?

Praise be to Allah.If the meal is put in front of a person without his own intention being to miss the congregational prayer, then he can eat and drink, even if he misses the Maghrib congregational prayer , based on the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "If the meal is served and the prayer starts, begin with the meal." (Al-Bukhari, 631) As for putting a large portion of food out purposely to miss the congregational prayer, this is the wrong approach and incorrect behavior. Then what is the sunnah ? The sunnah is what is reported on the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) "that he used to break the fast before he prayed with fresh dates, if there were no fresh dates then with dry dates, and if there were no dry dates, then he sipped from water." (At-Tirmidhi and others. He stated it was hasan, gharib hadith. Also Al-Albani declared it hasan in Sahih Al-Jami`,499).

Is it part of the Sunnah to acknowledge the Black Stone after performing two rak’ahs of Tawaaf and before performing al-Saa’iee

Praise be to Allah. Passing the Black Stone and acknowledging it, after praying two rak’ahs of Tawaaf and drinking from the well of Zamzam and before going out to perform al-Saa’iee is proven to be part of the saheeh Sunnah, but it is mustahabb (encouraged), not waajib (obligatory), so there is nothing wrong with not doing it. The proof (daleel) that it is in accordance with the Sharee’ah is the hadeeth of Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him), reported by Muslim, in which he described the Hajj of the Prophet : ". . . Then he went back to the Rukn (the corner of the Ka’bah where the Black Stone is situated) and acknowledged it, then he went out through the gate towards al-Safaa’." Al-Tirmidhi reported from Jaabir that: "When the Prophet came to Makkah, he entered the Mosque and acknowledged the Black Stone, then he passed to the right of it and ran for three (circuits of Tawaaf) and walked for four. Then he came to al-Maqaam and said: ‘Take Maqaam Ibraaheem as a place of prayer.’ He prayed two rak’ahs with the Maqaam between him and the House (Ka’bah).’ Then he came to the (Black Stone) after praying two rak’ahs and acknowledged it. Then he went out to Safaa’ and I think he said, ‘Safaa’ and Marwa are of the Symbols of Allaah [al-Baqarah 2:158].’" (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 784). Al-Tirmidhi said: The hadeeth of Jaabir is a saheeh hasan hadeeth and the scholars ruled that we should act in accordance with it). Al-Nawawi, may Allaah have mercy on him, said: "This is evidence in favour of the opinion of al-Shaafi’i and other scholars, that after performing Tawaaf al-Qudoom (the Tawaaf of Arrival) and praying behind the Maqaam, a person should go back to the Black Stone and acknowledge it, then go out through the Gate of Safaa to perform al-Saa’iee. The scholars agree that this acknowledgement is not obligatory, but it is Sunnah; the one who does not do it is not obliged to offer a sacrifice in compensation. (Saheeh Muslim bi Sharh al-Nawawi, 8/428). And Allaah knows best.

Is it the sunnah to say assalaamu 'alaykum out loud when entering the masjid (while others are praying or during the khutbah) ? Please advise the daleel. Jazzakallhu Khayrun

Praise be to Allah.The author of Zaad al-Mustanfi said it is permissible for the imaam to greet the congregation with salaam when he faces them. Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen said, in his interesting comment, that this is because this practice was reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Even though there is some weakness in this hadeeth (i.e. in its isnaad), this is what the ummah has done and it is well known that when the imaam comes and gets up on the minbar, he greets the people with salaam. (Reported by al-Shubi). Abu Bakr and Umar used to do this. Reported by Abd al-Razzaaq , Ibn Abi Shaybah, 2/114, Ibn Maajah and al-Tabaraani. It was also reported by al-Bayhaqi from Jaabir ibn Umar, narrating from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then he said: a report concerning this was narrated from Ibn Abbaas from Umar ibn Abd al-Azeez. Then the shaykh said in his commentary: it is not permitted to speak when the imaam is delivering the khutbah, it is only permitted before and after the khutbah, even after the khateeb has arrived and after the adhaan, so long as the khateeb has not started his khutbah. (Ibn Uthaymeen, Al-Sharh al-Muttabi li Zaad al-Mustanfi, 5/78). [?? Makath ??] is well known, from which we know that it is obligatory to return the greeting of salaam, so in this case we understand that it is not forbidden to speak. And Allaah knows best. Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughni: When the imaam faces the people, he greets them with salaam and they respond, then he sits down. Then he mentioned the hadeeth quoted above, and others. Then he said (may Allaah have mercy on him): When he greets them with salaam, the people should respond, because it is more of an obligation to return the greeting than to initiate it. Then he should sit down and rest until the muadhdhinoon (muezzins) finish. (al-Mughni 2/297). And Allaah knows best. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family.

Is it mandatory for one who newly embraces Islaam to change his or her name?

Praise be to Allah.al-hamdu lillaah. He or she is not required to change his or her name unless it embodies the worship of someone or something other then God, Allaah. However, its amelioration by choosing a new Islamic name is legitimate and encouraged. The fact that he or she would change his or her name from a pagan or non-Islamic name to an Islamic one would be considered commendable--however, it is not mandatory. Thus, if one's name is Abdul-Messiah, for example, or similar such names, then he is obligated to change it, as the Prophet (peace upon him) had people with the names Abdul-Ka'bah and Abdul-Uzzah change their names upon accepting Islaam. If the original name does not comprise or imply anything forbidden in Islaam, then he or she is permitted to retain it (such as the name George, for example). As noted, though, it is preferable to change it to an Islaamic name, as this also distinguishes him or her from the kuffaar. Note that if changing one's name in official documents and records poses a great inconvenience, it would suffice to change it among the people. In this case, he or she is called by his or her new name by friends, acquaintances, and the general public, while offical documents would retain the original given name.

A married woman commits adultery, then she repented but the guilt of the act is haunting her. She is now thinking about suicide. What should be done and what is your advice?

Praise be to Allah. Ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The believer sees his sin as a mountain beneath which he is sitting and which he fears may fall down upon him. The rebellious person sees his sin as a fly which passes in front of his nose and he swats it away" (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 6308) This woman's overwhelming sense of the burden of her sin is a sign of faith. We offer her the following advice: She should examine her divorce from her first husband to make sure that it is sound according to sharee'ah (Islamic law), whether it took the form of talaaq (male-instigated divorce) or khul' (female-instigated divorce). She should make sure that her marriage contract to the second man is also sound, because a marriage between two people guilty of adultery is not valid unless they have repented (see questions # 33); if the contract is found not to be valid, it must be repeated. If this woman is sincere in her repentance towards Allaah, regrets what she did and is determined never to do it again, Allaah will forgive all her sins, no matter how great they were, so she should not despair of the mercy of Allaah, for no one despairs of Allaah's Mercy, except the people who disbelieve, and who despairs of the mercy of his Lord except those who are astray? She should hasten to do many good deeds, to expiate for her sin, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "And perform al-salaat (the prayer) at the two ends of the day and in some hours of the night. Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds" [Hud 11:114] She should resume a pure Islamic life, based on purity and chastity. Suicide is not a solution at all, as it is one of the most grievous of major sins, and will only increase the punishment of the one who does it. The Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever throws himself down from a high mountain and kills himself will be throwing himself down from a mountain in the Fire of Hell for all eternity. Whoever takes poison and kills himself will be taking poison in the Fire of Hell for all eternity. Whoever kills himself with a weapon (literally, iron) will be holding it in his hand and stabbing himself in the stomach in the Fire of Hell for all eternity. (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 5778) We ask Allaah to help this woman to repent sincerely, to forgive her sins and to include her in His Mercy, for He is the All-hearing Who answers prayers.

ALSALAAM ALAIKUM I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT KEEPING PETS IN THE HOUSE.I KNOW THAT THE KALB(DOG)IS CONSIDERED NIJASA, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHY. I REMEMBER A SECTION IN THE Qur'an WHERE THE PROPHET PEACE BE UPON HIM ONCE GAVE A THIRSTY DOG WATER TO DRINK OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT. COULD YOU PLEASE ELABORATE. THANK YOU

Praise be to Allah. According to Islaamic Shareeah, it is not permitted to keep a dog except within narrowly-defined limits, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained: "Whoever keeps a dog, his good deeds will decrease every day by one qeeraat (a unit of measurement), unless it is a dog for farming or herding." According to another report: ". . . unless it is a dog for herding sheep, farming or hunting." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, 2322) Dogs are extremely naajis (impure, unclean). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "If a dog drinks from the vessel of any one of you, let him wash it seven times" (reported by Muslim, no. 279). According to another report: ". . . and clean it the eighth time with earth." (Saheeh Muslim, no. 280). It is forbidden in Islaam to sell a dog and to receive payment for it, as is reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaari from Abu Masoud al-Ansaari: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade (accepting) the price of a dog. (al-Fath, no. 2237) The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us not to resemble dogs by placing our forearms on the ground during sujood (prostration), as in reported in the hadeeth narrated by Anas ibn Maalik, according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Do sujood properly; none of you should spread his forearms like a dog does." (al-Bukhaari, Fath, no. 822). Whoever keeps a dog in his house is denied the blessing of the angels presence in his house, as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 3225). Keeping dogs nowadays is the habit of the kuffaar, who adopt them as friends, kiss them, let them lick them and their clothes, sleep with them and even leave them money in their wills. Keeping a dog is an imitation of the kuffaar. Some Muslims may claim that they need to keep a dog at home for purposes of protection, to which we respond that nowadays there are burglar alarm systems and other measures one may take for security purposes, and there is no need to keep a dog, praise be to Allaah. It only remains for us to say that the fact that it is forbidden to keep a dog and interect closely with it does not mean that we should not be kind or feel compassion towards dogs if we see them in a pitiful state. These are two entirely separate matters. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that "a man saw a dog biting the dust because of thirst, so he took his shoe and started to scoop water up with it until the dogs thirst was quenched. Allaah appreciated his good deed and granted him entry to Paradise for it." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, no. 174). According to another report, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whilst a man was walking he became very thirsty, so he went down to a well and drank from it. When he came out, he saw a dog panting and biting the soil because of thirst. The man said, He is suffering the same as I suffered, so he filled his shoe (with water), came out and let the dog drink until his thirst was quenched. Allaah appreciated his good deed and forgave him because of it." The people asked, "O Messenger of Allaah, will we be rewarded for how we treat animals?" He said, "In every living thing there is a reward." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, Fath, no. 2363). We do not want to omit reminding you of the importance of reading the Quraan properly and referring to it. You say in your question that the story of the thirsty dog is in the Quraan, and that is not the case, as it is reported in the Sunnah. And Allaah knows best.

I have read the many pages of your web site that instructs a non-believer. I believe that there is only Allah (one God). Ibelieve that Muhammed is the seal of the prophets. History bears this out. My question is: How do I declare this (shahadah) if I do not speak arabic?  How do I perform the five daily prayers (salah) without understanding arabic? Finally would I have to change my name?

Praise be to Allah.To the dear inquirer:I welcome you with a warm greeting.  I was besieged with great joy as I discovered your question while browsing through the ten questions which arrived during the past hour today, and it was the dearest question for me.  This fact is not surprising, as how could our hearts not open to a wise man who has discovered the truth and has acknowledged and confirmed it for himself--one who wishes to embrace Islaam and asks about the next steps? In reality, everything that poses a problem for you is actually an easy matter, and can be solved simply, God willing (in shaa' Allaah), so let's take them one by one: First:  all that is required of you to embrace this religion right now as you are reading these lines is to pronounce al-shahaadatain, or the two confirmations and attestations of faith, to the best of your ability.  Perfect pronunciation of the Arabic letters is not required, and the following is a transliteration of the phrases with English letters to help you: ash-hadu an laa ilaahah illallaah (I bear witness and attest that there is no god worthy of worship but the One God Allaah) ash-hadu anna muhammad-ar-rasool ullaah (I bear  witness and attest that Muhammad is the messenger of Allaah) After pronouncing them, you should promptly hasten to take a shower to purify yourself and prepare to start performing your regular prayers which will be an obligation as soon as you have declared your belief. Second:  If you have not yet learned the manner and characteristics of performing the prayer (i.e. at least the movements and positions), appended to this message is a description from which you can learn.  What is requried from you for the time being is to say in the beginning of the prayer and between each movement between positions "Allaahu ak-bar" (a glorification of Allaah).  While standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting, you should say "subhaan allaah wal-hamdu lillaah wa-laa ilaaha illallaahu wallaahu akbar."  (Glory be to Allaah, and praise and thanks be to Allaah, and there is no god but Allaah, and Allaah is the most Exalted and Great.)  Then conclude the prayer by turning your head to the right then left, each time saying "as-salaamu alaikum." This way of performing salaat is permissible for you until you can learn and memorize what should be said in each movement and position of the salaat. Third:  You are not required to change your name, and in fact, a number of scholars among the forefathers and modern-day Muslims have indicated declared that your name is in fact the name of one of the prophets! I ask Allaah to aid you and ease your affairs, and to bestow upon you the blessing of Islaam and perseverence in adhering to it.  We are ready and willing to assist in explaining or helping to solve any problem or difficulty you may face, and to provide support and aid in any way possible.

I come from a muslim family and was brought up with Islamic faith. Although, I have been through a stage in my life which I call the "dark stage" of my life, in which I was involved with "jahiliyah" practices for some years (yes, those irresponsible and sinful acts). Allah has blessed me with guidance and brought me to His straight path again. Since that time, I have been having a relationship with a christian girlfriend, who has accepted Islam just recently, by Allah's will. We plan to be wedded soon after we are settled. One problem is that she comes from a devout Christian family, not to mention her father being a christian priest. Ever since her family found out about our involvement, they have tried almost everything to part us, we haven't told them about my girlfriend's conversion though. Right now, our relationship has reached a point where she is willing to oppose her family and runaway from them eventually. Even though we know it will be hard to go through, my girlfriend and I really love each other. As I understand, the Islamic law requires that in marriage, a woman should be accompanied by a "wali", which to my knowledge, should come from her family. My first question, can our plan to marry without her family's consent be in accordance with Islamic law? And second, if it can, who can be her "wali?", since not one of her family member agree with our relationship. Thank you, assalaammu'alaikum.

Praise be to Allah.First, I offer thanks to Allaah for his grace in having guided you to the path of truth after experiencing a dark journey through 'jahiliyyah', a journey into ignorance and meaninglessness. Allaah guides to his truth whomever he wills. At this point of your life, as an expression of gratitude for Allaah's blessing, you should carry out your duties towards him and desist from the actions that gain his wrath. In fact, Allaah, at this point in your life, must take priority over everything else. You further ought to make up for what you missed in the previous part of your life, to double your efforts in performing worship and to haste in doing good deeds. Secondly, since this lady in question has converted to Islam, thanks to Allaah, none of her kaafir family members can act as a guardian (wali) of her interests; no kaafir can act in this capacity over a Muslim. If there is a Muslim with some authority in your area over the affairs of the Muslim community, then he can act in this capacity, based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) hadeeth: "No marriage contract can be concluded without the presence of a Wali. A Sultan (authority figure) can act as a Wali for those without one." (see Ibn Majah and Imam Ahmad, Hadith number 1880; also in Salih al-Jaami', hadeeth number 7556.) If there is no authoritative Muslim person, then one should refer to the community Muslim leader or any Muslim who is just ('aadil), respected, and of high character, such as the director of the Islamic center or its imam, to conclude the marriage contract of this sister, with her consent.

Who goes to heaven?

Praise be to Allah.We have been told by the Creator of Heaven of the qualities of those who will go to Heaven. We read in Verse 40 of Surat al-Mumin, or the Believer: "...and he that works a righteous deed – Whether man or woman – And is a believer – Such will enter the garden (of bliss): therein will they have abundance without measure". We also read in Verses 13 and 14 of Surat al-Ahqaf: (Verily those who say, "Our Lord is Allah", and remain firm (on that path), - On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve (13) Such shall be companions of the garden, dwelling therein (for aye): a recompense for their (good) deeds. (14)). And in Verse 60 of Surat Maryam, or Mary: ("Except those who repent and believe, and work righteousness: for those will enter the garden and will not be wronged in the least. (60) ) All those who submit to Allah, do what He asked and avoid what He proscribed will go to Heaven.

Aassalaam walaikum.Is it permissable to reserve a grave for oneself or member of family?

Praise be to Allah.Al-hamdu lillaah. It is not desirable for a person to dig his grave ahead of time as this was not done by Prophet (peace be upon him) nor by his companions. A person does not know where he will die. If the intention of the person is to get ready for death, then preparation should be in good deeds. (See selections of Jurisprudence writings by Ibn Taymiyah, Funeral Rights, by al-Albani, p.160, 40th ed, Islamic Center).In otherwords, preperation for meeting Allaah, is not by digging graves. Instead, it is accomplished by overabundance of good deeds. If it is not possible in predominantly non-Muslim countries to have a cemetery or dedicated plot for the burial of Muslims unless the graves are reserved beforehand (e.g., to raise the funds), then there would be no objection in this case.

This is a simply question. I just to know, what is the best way to perform Ghusal. All the fards and sunnahs. Please describe..

Praise be to Allah.A brief summary of the requirements for the Ghusl follow. First, the Muslim should make their intentions for purification, then wash the private parts. Then make wudu like the wudu done for prayer, then pour water on his right side, then the left side. Then water should be poured on his head, covering the entire body with water. It is also reported in the sunnah that the washing the feet should be delayed until the end of the ghusl. As is reported on the authority of A'ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) when performing ghusl from janaba used to wash his hands, then wash his private parts with his left hand. After that he performed wudu like that for prayer. Next he took some water and ran his fingers in the roots of his hair until he used three handfuls of water on his head. He would then go on pouring water on the rest of his body and wash his legs. (It was reported by Muslim #479.) In the narration of Al-Bukhari it states that he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) then turned aside and washed his legs. Allah knows best.

I would like to know more about female circumcision in Islam. I have read the ahadith where the Prophet told a woman how to perform it. I would like to know if it is optional or obligatory, and - if it is obligatory - whether there is a certain way to do it (what part should be cut?).

Praise be to Allah. Ibn Qudamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said, in his book al-Mughni: "Circumcision is obligatory for men, and it is an honour for women, but it is not obligatory for them. This is the opinion of many scholars. (Imam) Ahmad said: For men it is more strictly required, but for women it is less strictly required." (al-Mughni 1/70). Circumcision of the female consists of the removal of a part of the clitoris, which is situated above the opening of the urethra. The Sunnah is not to remove all of it, but only a part. (al-Mawsu‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah 19/28). In this matter, it is wise to follow the interests of the female: if the clitoris is large, then part of it should be removed, otherwise it should be left alone. This size of the clitoris will vary from woman to woman, and there may be differences between those from hot climates and those from cold climates. A hadith on the topic of female circumcision has been attributed to the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon Him), according to which he said: "Circumcision is a Sunnah for men, and an honour for women," but there is some debate as to the authenticity of this hadith. See Silsilah al-Ahadith al-Da‘ifah by al-Albani, no. 1935. How circumcision is to be performed is mentioned in the hadith narrated by Umm ‘Atiyah, may Allah be pleased with her, according to which a woman used to perform circumcisions in Madinah. The Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon Him) told her: "Do not abuse (i.e. do not go to extremes in circumcising); that is better for the woman and more liked by her husband." (Reported by Abu Dawud in al-Sunan, Kitab al-Adab; he said this hadith is da‘if). The scholars’ opinions cited above should be sufficient explanation. And Allah knows best.

I am a Muslim and my parents are not. They have written in their will that whatever assets they have will be divided between myself, my brother and my sister (who are also not Muslims). What is the Islamic ruling on inheritance for Muslims whose parents are non-Muslim?

Praise be to Allah. A Muslim is not permitted to inherit anything of the wealth of a non-Muslim relative, as the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The believer does not inherit from a kaafir (disbeliever) and the kaafir does not inherit from a believer." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath 4283). According to another report, he said: "The Muslim does not inherit from a kaafir and the kaafir does not inherit from a Muslim." (al-Bukhaari, 6764). The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) also said: "People who belong to two different religions do not inherit from one another." (Reported by Abu Dawud in al-Sunan, Kitab al-Faraa’id, and deemed hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami‘, 7614) - because when the ties of religion are cut, the ties of inheritance are also cut, because the former is the basis of the latter. However, if a non-believer makes a will leaving one-third or less of his wealth to his child (son or daughter), one is entitled to take it, because this is a will as opposed to inheritance according to a non-Islamic system. This difference is well-known in Islamic fiqh. And Allah knows best.

In some bookshops there are advertisements for a scheme whereby the customer pays a set amount of money each month and gets two things: he will be supplied with new books in a specific area of interest, such as fiqh, etc, and he will get a 10% discount if he wants to buy books from these stores. What is the ruling on this?

Praise be to Allah.This is a kind of gambling, concerning which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), gambling, al-ansaab (stone altars for making sacrifices to idols, etc.) and al-azlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaytaan’s handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination)…” [al-Maa’idah 5:90] Gambling means everything that involves one side trying to take advantage of the other, so that one will be the winner and the other will be the loser. This is the shar’i ruling on gambling. So a man who pays 500 riyals every month, for example, may buy books for which his discount adds up to more than a thousand riyals, or he may not buy anything at all. If we suppose that he buys things for which the discount adds up to more than five hundred riyals, then he will be the winner, and the storekeeper will be the loser; if he does not buy anything, then the storekeeper will be the winner and the man will be the loser, because he paid 500 riyals and did not get anything in return. This transaction is a kind of gambling and is not permissible.

What do Muslims believe happens in the hereafter to Non-Muslims that believe in one God?

Praise be to Allah. Your interest in studying Islam is something great, which we appreciate. Everyone should seek the truth wherever it may be, and follow it even if it differs from the way of their forefathers or the religion of the country or society in which they live, because salvation from the Fire of Hell on the Day of Judgement is more important than anything else. One of the most important things that the would-be student of Islam should do is to consult authentic Islamic references, in order to understand the reality of this religion. For example, one should consult translations of the meanings of the Qur’an and the ahaadeeth (sayings) of the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace be upon him), ensuring that the translations are sound. But reading books written by non-Muslims, or by Muslims who do not really understand or practice their religion, is not a scholarly approach or a sound method of finding out the truth. Returning to your question, what do Muslims believe will happen to atheists? Or for that matter, what about monotheists who are not Muslim? Will their fate be Hell in the Hereafter? The answer is that Allaah has clearly created everything, sent His blessings on His creation, and sent Messengers and Revealed Books to tell them that whoever believes in and worships Him alone, not associating any partner with Him, will enter Paradise, and whoever denies Him, or worships something else besides Him, or takes other gods instead of Him, or says that He has a wife or son, or that the angels are His daughters, or follows a law other than that which He revealed to judge between people in truth, or turns away from His religion, will be doomed in the Hereafter to the eternal punishment of Hell. This is exact justice, and this will be the fate deserved by the one who did not give his Creator His due. Worshipping Allaah, obeying His commands and adhering to His prohibitions are basic matters, but they form the essence of the relationship between the Creator and His creation. Allah says: "And I (Allaah) created not the jinns and men except they should worship Me (alone)." [al-Dhaariyaat 51:56] Messengers were sent with one message: to tell their people "Worship Allaah, for you have no god besides Him." Hence we may understand just how far short the person falls who believes that Allaah is one and does not associate anything with Him, but does not worship or obey Him, but rebels against Him and fails to follow His religion or Law, or the Revelation and Messengers which He sent for him and people like him. Does such a person deserve to enter Paradise or Hell? This is the person who says: "I believe that there is One God Who created the universe, but I am going to stop there; I will not pray to Him or fast or perform Hajj or pay zakaat as He commanded. I am not going to carry out any duties towards Him; I will follow my own desires and do whatever I want, whether He permitted it or forbade it." Can such a person attain salvation on the Day of Judgement? Allaah sent Messengers to every nation, that they might worship Him and shun false deities. The last nation is this ummah, and the last Messenger is Muhammad (peace be upon him). Allaah sent him for the whole of mankind, the entire world, and thus abrogated the previous laws and made this religion the best and most perfect and complete. Hence it is obligatory for everyone to enter this religion, for Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "And whoever seeks a religion other than Islaam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers." [Aal ‘Imraan 3:85] On this basis, the fate of one who says "I believe in the idea of One God, but I do not want to be a Muslim, or I do not want to follow the last Revelation or the last Prophet," is clear. Furthermore, the fate of an atheist, who rejects even the belief in God, is even clearer and more evident. Finally, I hope that the matter is now clearer to you. I ask Allaah to guide us all to the truth and help us to follow it, for He is the best Supporter and Helper.

Please explain to me, according to the Qur’an, is it possible for a human to produce life? If not, then explain in detail about the cloning of animals and possibly humans, by humans. Please give the answer in detail as it is confusing the minds of many, who think that in the next century science will conquer religion.

Praise be to Allah. The evidence that Allah is the only Creator of life may be found in many places in the Qur’an and Sunnah. For example: "Blessed is He in Whose Hand is the dominion, and He is Able to do all things, Who has created death and life, that He may test you which of you is best in deed, and He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving."[al-Mulk 67:1-2] "Is, then, He Who creates as one who creates not?"[al-Nahl 16:17] "Yet they have taken besides Him other gods that created nothing but are themselves created . . ."[al-Furqaan 25:3] Allah challenged all of mankind to create even the most insignificant creature, i.e. a fly, but no one could do that and no one ever will. Allah says: "O mankind! A similitude has been coined, so listen to it (carefully): verily! Those on whom you call besides Allah cannot create (even) a fly, even though they combine together for the purpose. And if the fly snatched away a thing from them, they would have no power to release it from the fly. So weak are (both) the seeker and the sought."[al-Hajj 22:73] Imam al-Bukhari reported in his Saheeh from Abu Sa‘eed (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: "There is no created being but Allah created it." In Arabic, the word "khalaqa" means to make out of nothing, which is something that only Allah can do; it is impossible for anyone except Allah to do this. It also carries the meaning of decreeing or foreordaining. [**] See Fath al-Bari Sharh Saheeh al-Bukhari, 13/390. The Religion of Allah (Islam) is proud and cannot be defeated by the kaafirs’ arrogance about the knowledge they possess. Allah says: ". . . [they] are deceived by the life of this world . . ."[al-An‘aam 6:70] "They know only the outside appearance of the life of this world, and they are heedless of the Hereafter."[al-Rum 30:7] We ask Allah to help us to be steadfast in our adherence to His Religion, and to make our end good. And Allah knows best.

A young man is an imam in one of the mosques. He is, as he says, well-liked by the people at the mosque, but he knows deep down that he has shortcomings and is guilty of some sins, and does not deserve to be the imam or to have this love and respect from people. He fears that if he remains as imam of the mosque, he may become a hypocrite or show off. Should he stay in the mosque? Should he continue leading the people in prayer, or should he leave this position out of fear of becoming a hypocrite and show off?

Praise be to Allah.You describe this young man as being loved by his people, but he is guilty of some transgression which is a matter between him and his Lord. I say that the fact that Allah has blessed him with the position of imam and the love of his people dictates that he should give up his sin and stop transgressing against himself, and he should worship Allah properly, and give thanks to Allah, because the fact that a person is loved by his people and is their imam is a great blessing from Allah. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And the slaves of the Most Beneficient (Allah) are those who walk on the earth in humility and sedateness… And those who say: ‘Our Lord… and make us leaders for the muttaqoon (the pious)…” [al-Furqaan 25:63-74] Those who pray are among the pious, and the one who leads them in prayer is included in this aayah, “…and make us leaders for the muttaqoon (the pious)…” So let him praise Allah for this blessing, and stop transgressing against himself, and let him make this one of the means of bringing himself back to obedience to Allah, and let him fear Allah with regard to his status. When he says that he is afraid he may show off, this is waswaas (insinuating thoughts) that the Shaytaan puts into a person’s mind whenever he wants to do an act of obedience to Allah. The Shaytaan comes to him and says, “You are showing off.” He has to cast this idea aside, ignore it and seek the help of Allah, for he always recites in his salaah the words, “Iyyaaka na’budu wa iyyaaka nasta’een (You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help” [al-Fatihah 1:5 – interpretation of the meaning].

  Can a man shave his body hair if when he gets hot or does exercise he sweats? i.e from his chest,his back and his legs.

Praise be to Allah.In Islamic shari’ah, hair is divided into 3 types:   First: Hair that has been ordered to remain, such as man’s beard.   Second: Hair that has been ordered to be removed, such as pubic hair, the hair of the armpits, and the extension of the mustache if it reached the lips.   Third: Hair about which we are told nothing, such as hair of hands, legs, chest, and back; this hair is permissible to be removed and Allah is the most Knowledgeable.

My wife and i have discused me having a second wife and she sayes that if i do then she would devorse me.we did not get married by the kafirs but we do have a islamic contract. and there was no agreement on that contract forbiding me from taking a second wife.so my question is .Is it permisable for her to deny me this?And is'nt she making the hallal harram on me. my wife is a good muslimah (I.S.A.) and she would respect a answer whith proof. jazallahkum ma lakair

Praise be to Allah.If a man is able to marry a second wife, physically and financially, and he can treat both wives in a just manner, and he wants to take a second wife, then he is allowed to do so according to Islam. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “… then marry (other) women of your choice, two or three, or four…” [al-Nisaa’ 4:3] And this was the practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and of his Companions (may Allaah be pleased with them), but apart from the Prophet, no one is permitted to have more than four wives. It is well known that women are by nature jealous and reluctant to share their husband with other women. Women are not to be condemned for this jealousy, for it existed in thebest of righteous women, the Sahaabiyyaat, and even in the Mothers of the Believers [the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)]. But women should not let jealousy make them object to that which Allaah has prescribed, and they should not try to prevent it; a wife should allow her husband to marry another woman for this is a kind of cooperating in righteousness and piety. According to a hadeeth whose authenticity is agreed upon, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever pays attention to his brother’s needs, Allaah will pay attention to his needs.” The first wife’s consent is not a prerequisite for a man to take another wife. The Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas was asked about this and replied as follows: “It is not obligatory for the husband, if he wants to take a second wife, to have the consent of his first wife, but it is good manners and kindness to deal with her in such a manner that will reduce the hurt which women naturally feel in such situations. This is done by being kind to her and speaking to her in a gentle and pleasant manner, and by spending whatever money may be necessary in order to gain her acceptance of the situation.” Concerning her request for divorce if her husband wants to marry another wife, this is a mistake. But they should examine the situation, and if she really cannot cope with living with another wife, then she can ask him for khula’ [ a kind of divorce instigated by the wife, whereby she forgoes the mahr]. If she can cope with living with the second wife, but it hurts her to do so, then she should be patient and seek the pleasure of Allaah. Thawbaan (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No woman asks her husband for a divorce for no reason, but the fragrance of Paradise is forbidden for her.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood and others, and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani, may Allaah have mercy on him). If she bears it with patience, then Allaah will make it easier for her and will expand her chest (i.e., grant her peace and calm), and will compensate her with something good. The husband must also help her by treating her kindly, being patient with her for any jealousy etc. on her part, and overlooking her mistakes. And Allaah is the source of help.

I want to know if copying software on my hard drive that I have not bought is wrong.

Praise be to Allah.The Permanent Committee for Iftaa' (Islamic Rulings), chaired by Sheikh Abdul-Aziz bin Baz, has replied to this question by ruling that it is not permissible to copy software without permission from the original author or the copyright holder based on the following three haadeeth of the Prophet (peace be upon him): (1) "Muslims are to honor their agreements (with others)"; (2) "A Muslim's wealth is forbidden for others to use without his permission;" and, (3) "Whoever is the first to acquire a mubaah (something lawful to acquire) is entitled to keep it". This applies to both Muslims and non-believers (who are not engaged in an act of war with Muslims) because the right of a non-believer is respected in the same manner as a Muslim's right. Allah knows best. (Committee Fatwa no: 18453) Also, Sheikh Muhammad bin Salih Al-'Uthaimeen has ruled that whatever is customary among people should be the rule except when a user wants a copy for himself and the author or the copyright holder did not explicitly prohibit copying the software for private or public use. However, if the author or the copyright holder specifically stated that private and public copying of the software is prohibited, then it is not permissible to copy that software.

Is circumcision mandatory for the man who adopts Islam?  What is the Islamic rule on female circumcision?

Praise be to Allah.All Praise be to Allaah.   To the dear inquirer: We appreciate the question you have submitted, as it is an issue which is truly among those which may pose a hindrance in some cases for those who wish to adopt Islaam. In reality the issue is really simpler than many may think.  Male circumcision is among the rites of Islaam and is part of the fitrah, or the innate disposition and natural character and instinct of the human creation, and is from the religion of Ibrahim (peace be upon him).  Allaah has said (interpretation of the meaning): "Then we revealed to you (the command) to follow the pure and uncorrupted religion of Ibrahim."  The Prophet  (peace be upon him) said:  "The Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was circumcisized when he was eighty years old." (Al-Bukhari, Vol 6/p. 388, Al-Salfiyya printing). Male circumcision is obligatory for the Muslim male if he is able to do it.  If, however, he is unable, whether due to fear of injury or if a respected and authoritative doctor has told him he will experience profuse bleeding which may make his life miserable, then the obligation for cirumcision is waived and he does not commit a sin by not having it done. It is not permissible under any circumstance for the issue to become a hindrance for a person wanting to accept Islaam.  The validity of one's acceptance of Islaam is not dependent on his performance of circumcision and it is valid for one to adopt Islaam even if he has not had himself circumcized. Regarding the issue of female circumcision, please refer to question # 328. I ask Allaah to bring you success in all that is good and to protect you from all that is evil, and may the peace and blessings of Allaah be upon our Prophet Muhammad  .

I would like to know if Muslims are allowed to dye their hair (not including henna).

Praise be to Allah. Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah reported that Abu Quhaafah was brought on the day of the conquest of Makkah, and his head and beard were white like "thaghaamah" (a plant whose flowers and fruit are white). The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: "Change this with something, but avoid black." (Reported by Muslim, no. 3962). Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: ‘At the end of time there will be people who will dye their hair black like the crops of pigeons. They will never even smell the fragrance of Paradise." (reported by Imam Ahmad, see also Saheeh al-Jaami‘, no. 8153). It was also reported from the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) that one should change grey hair, using any colour except black. Abu Dharr reported that the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: "The best things with which to change grey hair are henna and ‘katam’ (a plant similar to henna which is used as a dye)." (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, no. 1675; he said: This is a saheeh hasan hadith). Dyeing hair with pure black dye is haram because the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: "Avoid black," and because of the threat of punishment reported with regard to this matter. This ruling applies to both men and women. But if the black dye is mixed with another colour, so that it is no longer black, there is nothing wrong with it.

Is zakat due on Mutual Funds investments that are in a RRSP (Registered Retirement Savings Plan) account? If yes, then is it due on the total value or only on that portion which will be available after Income Tax has been deducted at source? (RRSP is the Canadian equivalent of the U.S. 401K Plan. Under this scheme, one can save money towards future retirement income and defer current Income Tax on the portion of the income that is being saved in the plan. The deferred income tax is later deducted at source when the funds are eventually withdrawn from the plan; however, since the withdrawals are usually done after retirement (when there is no other significant source of income), one ends up being taxed at a substantially lower tax rate. Naturally, withdrawal prior to retirement will incur higher tax rates.)

Praise be to Allah. If a person receives an amount of money that he could not have received before, like a bonus or lump sum paid at the end of a period of work, or on retirement, no zakat is due for the time that has passed. Zakat must be paid on whatever is left of that money after an entire Hijri year has passed. If tax or anything else is deducted, then zakat is due only on the amount which the person receives, and after one year has passed. And Allah knows best.

 would like to know the significance and purpose of walking around the Ka`bah. Why is it to be kept to the left? Is the walking only done at Mecca or is it done on a daily basis as well? Any information you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

Praise be to Allah.The basic reason for keeping the Ka`bah on one’s left when performing tawaf (circumambulation) is to follow the suit of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Following the Prophet has been ordained in the Quran (interpretation of the meaning): "Obey the Prophet so that you may be blessed with mercy" and "Say (O Muhammad): if you really love Allah, then follow my suit and Allah will love you and grant you forgiveness of your sins". The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), furthermore, has said regarding the rituals of Hajj and `Umrah, "Follow my suit in performing your rituals". (See An-Nasai as reported by Jabir. Also, Sahih al-Jami`, hadith No. 7882) This should suffice as the reason for a Muslim to perform tawaf around the Ka`bah in the way it is done, and we do not need other reasons that attempt to tie this act to the movement of galaxies and stars or the revolving of planets, etc.  Muslims by nature must believe, submit to and act according to what was validly and duly recorded as the behavior or statements of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).  If on top of this a reason or some relevant wisdom comes to be known, then so be it, thanks to Allah. Otherwise, a Muslim submits to the order of Allah and His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and will accordingly be recompensed for his compliance and deeds. Finally, we must note that circumambulation is an act specified only for the Ka`bah as part of the worship and is not to be done in other places or situations as such. Allah is the Most Knowledgeable and knows best.

Assalam o Alaikum I want to ask that , Is it right if somebody recite some Quranic aya for a specific purpose like for example If I read the one of the name of Allah for 99 times and after I make a Dua that May Allah fulfill my that wish. And its just begging from Allah with no shirk. Please answer me Jazakallah

Praise be to Allah.Allaah has said (interpretation of the meaning): Unto Allaah belong the beautiful names. Pray to (and ask of) Him using them. As part of the prayer to Allaah using His names, we call on him by saying, O Merciful, have mercy on me; O Forgiver, forgive my sins; O Provider, provide for me, etc. However, to read a specific verse a certain number of times (whether 99 times or whatever else) without any valid documented evidence is a bidaah (an unacceptable act of innovation in religious practices) that is not permissible. Such acts invent a way to worship Allaah which was not revealed or taught by Islam. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Whoever innovates in our religion a new act (of worship) then his act is rejected" (Sahih al-Bukhari, Fath al-Baari No. 2697.) The best guidance is that of the Prophet . There is no allowance for innovation in the religion of Allaah. Is it possible for us to discover new things in our religion that the Prophet didnt know? Indeed, it is incumbent upon us to read the Koran in the way the Prophet read it, we need to pray in the way he prayed, and glorify Allaahs name in the way the Prophet has been validly reported to have done. Only Allaah is the one who provides success, and He is the one who guides to the right path.

I need to know about any celebrations of this religions or any festivals.

Praise be to Allah.As Muslims, we celebrate only two eid (festivals): eid ul-fitr (after the end of Ramadhan), and eid ul-Udh-ha, the day of the greater hajj (pilgrimage). During these two festivals, we offer felicitations, spread joy, and entertain children. But more importantly, we offer remembrance of Allaah's blessings, celebrate His name and offer the eid salaat (prayer). Other than these two occasions, we do not recognize or celebrate any other days in the year. Of course, there are other joyous occasions for which the Islamic shariah dictates appropriate celebration, such as gathering for special meals during weddings or on the occasion of the birth of a child (aqeeqah). However, these days are not specified as particular days in the year; rather, they are celebrated as they happen in the course of a Muslims life.