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Daughter
Praying Salaat
QUESTION:Salam
Alaikum, My daughter is 11 years old and she wears hijab
and she prays namaz,
but sometimes I feel she lies to me and says she has done
the Wazu and she
quickly goes to stand for prayers. I dont know if she is praying
or just
standing there pretending to act like praying. Since girls are not
allowed
to say their prayers loudly , how can I be sure she is praying or not.
what
is my obligation as a parent? Should I just trust her and be quiet. I
make
her pray loudly sometimes to make sure she is doing it right but I dont
know
if she is pretending to pray or not. The reason I became doubtful is once
when
I caught her praying without wazu and when I asked her if she did wazu
she
said she did when she had not, and then when I told her that she will be
grounded
if she lies to me, she confessed that she did not do her wazu. Could
you please let me know what to do. My daughter and I are in taqleed of
Imam
Khumaini. Khuda Hafiz
ANSWER:
Wa
Alaikum As-Salaam, Of course, I cannot give you an opinion
of Imam Khomeini on such a issue. I
can say that it is allowed for a woman
to vocalize her recitation when
there is no chance of a non-Mahram hearing
her voice. Therefore, you could
ask her to pray aloud where allowed. As far
as praying without Wudhoo' is
concerned, trust and incentives may work best.
Otherwise, it's difficult to
know for certain. Allah knows better. Was-Salaam,
Ali Rasheed | |
Death
COMMENT:
We are told of Heaven and
Hell in the Holy Q'uran. We are told about the
punishment of those who go against
the WILL of ALLAH(swt) ie. how they will
have their hearts come up to their
throats. May they repent. QUESTION:
My
question is about DEATH. With as detailed an account
allowable to one Mujtahed in this medium please
describe the DEATH ceremony
and when the soul will realize its death. What is told
to actually happen to the person when they die?
What happens in the grave and
who will question us?
What is the realm of BARZAKH?
What is the plight of
the SHAHEED because it is told to us in the HOLY BOOK
not to think of them
as dead?
The stories of GHOSTs that have traveled down the ancient road of
INSAN are
these just manifestations of the JINN or just pure imagingation and
folly?
Finally, what is the thing that we should say to keep away the evil
of the
INSAN around us, this fourth dimensional evil eye, that we carry AYAT
Kursi
and Wanyakat?
Maybe the history of those two Ayats would serve some
benefit to us all. Inshallah this has not been a bothersome
question for you. However, the
truth is the struggle to deal with the concept
of what happens after death
is a pain that moves with us all through out our
lives. We endure to have
the final peaceful sleep yet we WONDER OF THE DREAMS
THAT APPROACH US in
that realm or should I say the REALITIES.
ANSWER:
Bismihi Ta'ala The issue of death and what happens to
the soul after this stage has
captivated human imagination as it deals with
the unknown and
mysterious. Many accounts on near death experiences have been
written
to get a sense of what will happen after death. On our side, many
philosphers,
metaphysicists and theosophists have attempted to define
the nature of the
soul but have not reached a consensus. This is in
keeping with the Qur'anic
assertion: "And they ask you about the
soul (rooh). Say: The soul is one
of the commands of my Lord, and you
are not given of the knowledge but a little."
(Qur'an, 17:85) Thus, our obligation is to believe in
the generalities of death and
what ensues after it without getting bogged down
in the fine and
intricate details. Some of the hadith reports that give graphic
accounts
of what will transpire after death are suspect. The Qur'an
gives the best account
and summary on this issue. See for example
Surat-ul-Qiyamah and Mu'mineen.
Also, Najul Balagha, Khutbas 109-111. With the above
words of caution, let us proceed to understand the
phases starting with the
approach of death. "And the stupor of death
will come in truth; that is
what you were trying to escape." (Qur'an
50:19) This is the stage of sakaraat-ul-Mawt
and is extremely
difficult for the soul. It is said in Al-Kafi and in Bihar
that the
pious will see the Prophet (S) and the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) whereas the
unbelievers
will be stricken on their faces: "Certainly you were
heedless of it, but
now We have removed from you your veil, so your
sight today is sharp."
(Qur'an, 50:22) "And had you seen the angels
will cause to die those who
disbelieve, smiting their faces and their
backs, and (saying): Taste the punishment
of burning." (Quran, 8:50)
In Furu al-Kafi and Bihar, it is reported on
the authority of Imam
Sadiq (a.s.) that the souls of three categories of people
will suffer
the most during sakaraat-ul-mawt. They are, unjust ruler, illicit
consumer
of the property of the orphan and one who gives false
testimony. Actions that
alleviate the pain endured in this phase are
clothing and feeding the poor,
fasting on the last day of Rajab,
prayers on the 7th night of Rajab, certain
du'as that are mentioned
in Mafatih, Sura az-Zilzaal. These are general guidelines
and one
should not mechanically perform them and feel complacent that he/she
is
insulated from the suffering of sakaraat-ul-mawt. What is
important is to ensure
that we conduct ourselves in the area of
human inter-relationship as ethical,
moral, responsible, sensitive
and conscientious human beings. The purpose of
du'a is exactly this. The next stage is in the grave.
This account is given in Man la
yahduruh al-faqih, Bihar and Mustadrak al-Wasa'il.
It is certainly
a terrifying and a grave phase. Even the Prophet (S) said thrice
after
burying a member of the ansaar that "I seek refuge in God from the
punishment
(azaab) of the grave." It is for this reason that we recite
namaz-e wahshat
to dispel some of the fear of the deceased and comfort
him/her. There are two
ways of reciting this prayer - one is to
recite Surat-ul-hamd and ayatu-ul-kursi
in the first rakat; surat-ul
hamd and 10 times surah inna anzalna in the second
rakat. After
completing the prayers ask God to send the thawaab of this to
the
deceased, on the first night after burial. The second method is to
recite
surat-ul-hamd and sura qul huwallah. .. two times in the first
rakat; surat-ul-hamd
and sura al-haakum-ut-takathur 10 times in the
second rakat. Thereafter, ask
God to send the thawab to the deceased.
During one's lifetime one may recite
sura Yasin before going to bed
and fast 12 days in the month of Sha'ban to
lessen the gravity of
this period. The next is squeezing
in the grave which is mentioned in the books of
hadith. Everyone will experience
this phase so as to expiate one of the
sins commited in this life. (Bihar,
6:221) It is reported from the 8th
Imam, Ali ar-Rida (a.s.) that one who dies
between noon on Thursay and
Friday noon will be spared from the squeezing in
the grave. Again, this
is a general guideline and should not be taken literally,
otherwise the
Shah of Iran who raped the Iranian nation and brutally killed
innocent
people should go to paradise as he died in the month of Ramadan!!
The next phase is questioning in the grave by Munkar
and Nakir on the basic
fundamentals of Islam. This is why we recite the talqin
twice to help
the deceased in answering the question. We are asked to remain
awake on
the 23rd of Ramadan and pray 100 rakats to ease this phase for us.
The
next stage is barzakh (purgatory): "Until when death overtakes one
of
them, he says: Send me back, my Lord, send me back; Haply I may do good
in
that which I have left. By no means! it is a (mere) word that he
speaks; and
before them is a barrier (barzakh) until the day they are
raised."(Quran
23:99-100) It is this phase that the Prophet (S) and our
Imams (a.s.) were
most concerned about us because they will not be able
to mediate on our behalf.
One can alleviate the suffering of the
deceased by reciting du'as and giving
in charity, especially on Friday.
One can also recite a 2 rakat prayer with
al-hamd and sura inna anzalna
in the first rakat and al-hamd and sura al-kawthar
in the second rakat.
Recite at night for one's children and in the daytime
for one's
parent(s). The next phase is resurrection
from the grave and the day of
judgment. This can be obtained from the Qur'an.
There will be an
evaluation or report-card day (mizaan) for all of us. If we
are given
our register book on the left hand, then we are doomed. In contrast,
if
we receive it in the right hand, then we are the successful ones. I pray
to
Allah (s.w.t.) that He makes us amongst the latter group. I
conclude by paraphrasing a profound statement by our Imam of the
oppressed,
Imam Ali (a.s.) who said that O God, I do not worship You out
of fear of the
hell-fire because this would be the worship of a slave.
Nor do I worship You
out of desire for the pleasures of paradise because
this would be the worship
of a merchant (tujjar). Rather I worship You
because You are worthy of worship.
Thus, we should not become too
preoccupied with the punishment in hell-fire,
instead we should focus our
energies in elevating ourselves spiritually and
following the
legal-moral-ethical guidelines of Islam with certitude and conviction
and
voluntary submit to God because He is worthy of our servitude. To protect
oneself
one can recite the four quls, however, remember that no one can
harm us so
long as God insulates us. If we engage in haram and shady
activities, then
we leave ourselves open and vulnerable for an attack.
There are also hirz
(ta'wiz) that our Prophet (S) and Imams (a.s.) have
given for protection. This
often has become a money-making industry for
unscrupolous people who exploit
the common folks. Do not fall into this
trap. Finally, the martyrs are bestowed
a high rank and will be amongst
those who will intercede (shafaa'at) on behalf
of people. See khutba
no.27 of Nahjul Balagha. The Qur'an says: "And do
not speak of those who
are slain in Allah's way as dead; nay, (they are) alive,
but you do not
perceive. (Qur'an, 2: 154). See also 3:169. wa
bi-l-laahi-t-tawfiq, Hamid Mavani Sources:
Qur'an
Nahjul Balagha
Day of Judgment by Sayyid Akhar Rizvi
Books
of hadith
Manazil-ul-Aakhirah by Shaykh Abbas Qummi | |
Death
Rites
QUESTION I
am a muqallid of Ayt. Khamenei. Q1. What religious actions
should we do if our father/mother is laying on
the bed and in the state of
dying? ANSWER:
For
the person approaching death, it is recommended to place
him/her on their back
such that the soles of the feet are facing the
qiblah. Also, the basic tenets
of faith should be read out aloud in
a language that the dying person understands.
There are some du'as
that one can recite which are mentioned in books of supplication.
If
the person is experiencing great torment and difficulty, then it
is recommended
to place him/her at the place where he/she customarily
offered the prayers.
It is also recommended to recite certain suras
and passages from the Qur'an
- Surah Yasin, as-Saffat, al-Ahzab, Ayat-
ul-Kursi, verse 54 of Surah al-A'raf
and the last three verses of
Surah al-Baqarah and/or other parts of the Qur'an. |
|
Defination
of Kafir
Question: I
am a muslimah in taqlid of of Agha Seestani. Q.
I was having a discussion with a Sunni sister yesterday and I told her
the
Shia Ithna Asheri definition of a "kaafir".. such like.. a kaafir's
sweat is
najis for us .. a kaafir's cooked food is najis for us. She was pretty
apalled
at my words.. and told me that since Allah S.W.T. Has Created us all
clean and
pure, how is it possible that we can be so unclean to one another,
based on our
beliefs, whatever they may be. I told her the treatment we extend
to kaafirs is
synonymous with the treatment we extend towards dogs... but I
know that I was
limited in my knowledge to adequately satisfy her..and that's
why I need help to
explain this issue to her.. and please, if I fell short
when explaining to her,
do tell me.
Answer: Salaamun
Alaykum Before I answer the question, I believe it is
essential to understand how we
define a kafir: A kafir
is, first of all, according to the the Qur'an, one who is ungrateful
to the
blessings showered by Allah, the Almighty.
This sense of being ungrateful is
connected to the state of turning away
(i.e. disbelieving in God) despite clear
guidance coming from Allah. The
guidance is not only in the form of the Prophets,
Imams and Qur'an but also
inner voices (waridat), the ability to distinguish
good from evil and also
outer ayat of Allah. Despite Allah talking to a person
through these
different modes, he/she chooses to turn away. A
kafir then is one who does not show gratitude in his/her conduct despite
God's
benevolence. This act of kufr is often accompanied by haughtiness and
istghna'
(free from God) In several verses, the Qur'an warns them
of the consequences of their evil
acts and even curses them for it. e.g. (2:6).
Verse 2:221 asks us not to
marry them until they believe. The
definition of a kafir is not a Shi'a Ithna-asheri definition (as
mentioned
by you in the question) rather it is a Qur'anic definition. Please
mention
this to your sunni friend. It is important to remember
that although the Qur'an severly condemns them
for their kufr, at no time does
it ask us to deal with them in an inhumane
way. i.e., our duty is to try to
guide them not to treat them as lesser
beings. Hence your comparison between
a kafir and a dog was not appropriate
at all. Please
remember Allah has bestowed dignity to all human beings and only he
can take
away that dignity, not us. The prohibition on eating
a kafir's food has nothing to do with his/her
physical state of uncleanliness.
Rather, it is connected with his/her
spiritual state. What we eat makes a difference
to our own spiritual state
and our character formation. Therefore, we are required
to eat pure food for
the sake of the well being of our own spiritual states.
Purity in the
spiritual realm is dependent on consuming that which is spiritually
pure. By
the way, this is not unique to Islam - Yogis, some Hindus share a
similar
view. Therefore the najasat is connected to the spiritual state of
a kafir.
There is no doubt that we still have to treat them humanely.
Talking
about the cleanliness of a kafir is very misleading since people
assume it
is connected to their physical state, I would therefore prefer
using the term
spiritual well-being or spiritual state. May Allah guide
us all Yours in Islam Liyakatali |
|
| Deposit
Interest for Charity
QUESTION: If
I deposit a fixed amount of money in a bank for the sole purpose of
utilising
the interest earned for a charitable cause, is it in order?
ANSWER:
To
invest money with the purpose of earning interest is HARAM, and it cannot
be
spent by the investor, because it does not belong to him according to
Sharia'.
It belongs to Imam (A.S.) and therefore he will refer to the
Mujtahid for it's
usage.
Asgherali M M Jaffer
| |
Dice
QUESTION: Is
it ok to play with dice; games involving use of dice?
ANSWER:
Use
of dice does not make a game haraam. Salaams, Mulla |
|
| Direction
of Prayer in Space Question: I
was recently reading a book about the mysteries of the cosmos, and a
question
came up. Lets say the human race is still around when the sun
theoretically
disintegrates the Earth in five billion years, or if we find a
way to travel
to other worlds in short time (wormholes); if these things
happened before
the day of judgement, to which direction would we be
praying? Also, we as Muslims
believe in other lifeforms, which worship
Allah similar to us, as said in the
Holy Qur'an. Is there any insight as to
how they would pray and to what direction?
Is there a "Mecca", or great
holy city in each of these worlds?
Thank
you. Answer: You have asked
hypothetical questions. I will attempt to answer what has
been discussed by
our `ulama. 1. In the light of the Islamic belief of
the end of this world and the death
of all living beings, the question of human
beings surviving the
disintergration of the earth does not arise at all. 2.
It is true that the Qur'an talks about "praying/worship" by non-human
creatures.
However, as far as the concept of "worship -- ibadat" by other
beings
is concerned, their "worship" is not same as that done by human
beings.
"Ibadat" is more broader in meaning than the term "salat/namaz".
"Ibadat"
means the act of submission to the Almighty whereas "salat" means
the
ritual prayers done by Muslims. It is in salat that one has to face
towards
the direction of the Mecca as required by the specific order of the
Qur'an
(2:144). But for other prayers (du`as) you can face any direction you
want.
Wherever you turn, you will find Allah in that direction. 3.
Our mujtahidin have also discussed the issue of qiblah for those who
travel
in space-crafts or visit other planets (e.g. the Moon). They say that
when
you are on the earth, your qiblah for salat is Mecca; but when you are
in the
space, your qiblah for salat is the planet earth. Was-salaam, Sayyid
M. Rizvi | |
Direction
of Qiblah
QUESTION: The
direction of Qibla in North America has been established as North East.
However
recent discussions among our community in Wichita Kansas and by
studying the
map shows that it should be South East. This has became a
controversial issue
as half of the community prays in North east while some
do in South East.
I would like some clarification from an Aalim in this
matter as there is a
lot of confusion among ourselves.
ANSWER:
Q26:
The views of the ulama differ regarding the (direction of the) qiblah
from
New York and similar places in North America. Can you explain in some
detail
how we are to face the qiblah from there?
A:
Facing the qiblah from distant places which have the curvature of the
earth
between them and the revered Ka'bah is determined by the parallel
lines that
commence from the front of the body of the person praying and the
lines of
curvature that arch around the surface of the earth in the
direction of the
revered Ka'bah, in such a manner that the lines end there
(the Ka'bah), even
if it is only by probability. The direction of the lines
may be established
on a globe by connecting the position of the person
praying to the revered
Ka'bah by a thread -- ensuring that it remains on a
direct course, rather
than veering left or right. According to our tests,
the direction of this
thread from areas such as New York in North America is
to the East, yielding
to the North by the degree indicated by the
aforementioned thread.
As
for those who say that Mecca lies beneath the 22nd parallel, New York
falls
above the 40th parallel, and this requires that the person in New York
must
face the direction of the honored Ka'bah by bearing to the South rather
than
to the North, the answer to this is as follows: This
holds true if one uses a flat map as opposed to a global one. The
change in
the direction of the abovementioned thread on a global model is a
result of
the portions lying between the two points, if it is viewed in
relation to
the North and South poles. The support for this is that, if we
neglect and
do not take into consideration the four cardinal points on the
globe, and
we turned around a global map putting Mecca in the summit, as if
it were the
North Pole, we would observe that the direction of the
abovementioned thread
(in a situation for a person in New York) would be
exactly the same as that
obtained by the earlier mentioned thread. The
person in New York who wants
to face the direction of the revered Ka'bah
must take this direction and not
veer towards the right. In short, in our opinion, what
is more likely in the method of facing the
direction is as explained in the
foregoing. It is clearly the better
position also with regard to the necessity
of observing the imaginary line
that passes through the earth directly between
the position of the person
praying and the Ka'bah. Since it is not possible
to face the direction of
this (imaginary) line during prayer, it is necessary
to follow the direction
of the line of curvature parallel to it, and which
goes over the surface of
the earth. The parallel line just mentioned is the
same as that which we
already pointed out, whose direction from New York is
towards northeast.
Even so, however, the prayer of a person facing southeast
would be valid if
he is acting on a firm shar'i proof in his possession to
that effect. God
knows best. (MMS, pp. 9-11, Q1)
Note:
"MMS" refers to "al-Mustahdathat min al-Masa'il al-Shar'iyyah"
by
Ayatullah Seestani
| |
Disciples
of Jesus (a.s.)
QUESTION: Assalaamu
'Alaykum, What was the merit of The Disciples of Prophet
Isa (ASWS)? Were some
corrupt? What do The Qur`an and aHaadeeth say about them? Jazaak
ALLAHU Khayr
ANSWER:
The
Holy Qur`an does not make much distinct commentary on the companions of
the
Prophet Isa (AS). Most of what we know of them comes from the Christian
and
Jewish sources. It is generally known that the one disciple who is
regarded
as corrupt was Judas, who is known as the one who betrayed the
Prophet Isa
(AS) and turned him over to the Roman authorities. Some
accounts from Muslim source say that when the Romans came to arrest
Hazrat
Isa (AS), they had made arrangements with Judas that he should kiss
Hazrat
Isa (AS) to identify him to the Romans. Allah Ta'ala informed Hazrat
Isa (AS)
of the conspiracy. When the Romans arrived, Allah made Judas
resemble Hazrat
(AS) and Hazrat Isa (AS) kissed him first. Thus, Judas was
taken and crucified. The
Qur`an strongly refutes the death of Hazrat Isa (AS) in Surah An-Nisaa`
(verse
157): "And their saying: Surely we have killed
the Messiah, Isa son of Marium,
the Apostle of Allah; and they did not kill
him nor did they crucify him,
but it appeared to them so (Like Isa) and most
surely those who differ
therein are only in a doubt about it; they have no
knowledge respecting it,
but only follow a conjecture, and they killed him
not for sure." Allah knows best! Was-salaam, Ali
Rasheed | |
| Disposal
of Old Papers
Question: There
is a huge load of old papers accumulated at the office storage.
Being in the
Middle East many of them may contain 'bismillah etc.. What
method of disposal,
eg burning is allowed? Burial /Sea is very dificult. Taqleed
of Ayat Seestani Answer: Any
manner of disposing which is not direspectful is permissible - e.g.
recycling,
in my judgement, is a permissible method.
Sayyid
Muhammad Rizvi
| |
| Disposing
of Prayer Mat
QUESTION: I
have been using a Mussallah for a long time. Now it is so worn down that
I
think it needs rest. I would like you to tell me how I can get rid of it
in
a very Islamic way. There are no arabic inscriptions
on the prayer mat. From what I can make
out there is a picture of some mosque
and next to it is the Kaaba. The
borders are decorated with some designed lines..There
are no names
whatsoever.
ANSWER:
The
Islamic perspective indicates that things which are sacred and holy are
to
be treated with great respect. In order to preserve
the sanctity of and not to exhibit disrespect to the
Ka'ba, it is better to
dispose the musallah in a way which would not show
any contempt or violate
it's sanctity e.g by burying it in the ground.
And
Allah knows best.
Liyakatali |
|
| Divorce
Question: Can
a man divorce his wife if she does not pray? Answer: If
the wife persists knowingly, the husband may divrce her, but it does not
become
obligatory upon him to do so.
Wassalaam
Asgharali
M M Jaffer
Divorce
QUESTION: Last
December I traveled to Baku, Azerbaijan where I got married. Sadly,
I was coerced
and pressured into marrying a Sunni Muslim woman. I did not
want to marry this
woman, but was told I must marry her as she was one of
three
women my Sheikh
recommended for marriage. I am not a drinker, but my
"friends" in
her country drink heavily and got me drunk the night I
proposed. We had a
"City
Hall" legal marriage in her country, and then she went and got some
Hoja
or someone to write-up an Islamic marriage certificate. I was not present
when
she obtained the Islamic certificate. Is there such a
thing as "annulment" in Islam? Is this certificate that she
obtained
a valid Islamic marriage certificate? If I am married to her, under
Islamic
Law, then what is the proper way for me to divorce this woman under
Islamic
Law? ANSWER: It
seems the marriage has taken place without your consent. However, if you
did
consummate the marriage, then you have, in other words, endorsed the
marriage.
Thus, the only way to call off the marriage would be through
divorce - an action
very unpleasant to the Almighty. With Salaams and Duas Mustafa |
|
Divorce
During Pregnancy
Question:
According
to Ayatullah Khameini/Khomeini,
I would like to
ask a question from a faqeeh regarding a divorce from a
pregnant wife. How
long after delivering a baby, can a man divorce his wife?
What is Quranic ruling
about this matter, if specifically explained in
Quran?
What are Ulamaa saying,
in this specific situation?
I know the Quran rules that a pregnant woman must
be kept at home and
not to be divorced and be well treated until she has delivered
the baby.
What is the ruling if the wife wants to divorce at or around her
delivery? Please
explain specifically regarding this matter. Thank you
in advance Answer:
Bismihi
Ta'ala
According the opinion of our jurists,
the divorce formula can be
pronounced at any time while the wife is pregnant.
However, her
waiting period (iddah) will end only upon delivery of the child.
During
her pregnancy, she will observe the waiting period at the house of
her
husband and it is not permissible for him to expel her. Also, if
he dies before
she delivers the child, then she will be entitled to
her share of the inheritance.
During the waiting period she is entitled
to maintenance from her husband.
See
the Qur'anic verses (65:1) and (65:4): In the Name of
Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Chapter 65 - Talaq
(Divorce) Ayat 1: O Prophet! When you divorce women,
divorce them for their
prescribed time, and calculate the number of days prescribed,
and be
careful of (your duty to) Allah, your Lord. Do not drive them out of
their
houses, nor should they go forth unless they commit an open
indecency; and
these are the limits of Allah, and whoever goes beyond the
limits of Allah,
he indeed does injustice to his own soul. You do not
know that Allah may after
that bring about reunion. Ayat 4: And (as for) those
of your women who have despaired of
menstruation, if you have a doubt, their
prescribed time shall be three
months, and of those too who have not had their
courses; and (as for) the
pregnant women, their prescribed time is that they
lay down their burden;
and whoever is careful of(his duty to) Allah, He will
make easy for him
his affair.
In the period
between delivery of the child and before commencement
of the period of nifas,
the husband can divorce his wife. However, with
the onset of nifas, divorce
can not be recited until the woman is free
from this period. In both these
cases, the period of waiting (iddah)
will be two menstrual periods after the
pronouncement of divorce. The
iddah would terminate upon commencement of the
third menstrual cycle.
wa bi-l-laahi-t-tawfiq,
Hamid
Mavani | |
| Diyaa
QUESTION: I
just read the Diyaa for Abortion, and I am shocked to find out that the
Diyaa
for a male fetus is about twice the amount as for the female! I have heard that
girls are a Rahma from Allah; and boys are Nemat. Is the price for Rahma one half
of Nemat?
ANSWER:
Both
a boy and a girl are Nemat and Rahmat. There is no justification for
calling
one Rehmat and excluding it from being Nemat. They are both Grace
from Allah,
and at the same time His Gift. The question of Diyah
is proportionate to the law of inheritance, where the
Holy Qur'an says that
a male child will inherit twice the amount of a
female. In Islam, as you are
aware, the designated earning factor is a male
person, who has to maintain
his family, thus making its loss a heavier one.
Asgharali
M M Jaffer
QUESTION:
Abortion
is haram in Islam. What is the Diyyat to be paid if the husband
and wife knowingly
go ahead with the abortion of the foetus without any
valid reason ?
ANSWER:
If the foetus is upto 40 days old, it is 70 gms. gold
80 days old - 140 gms. gold
120 days old - 210 gms. gold
160 days old
- 280 gms gold
Older than that:
if a male child is aborted 3500 gms. gold
if
a female child is aborted 1750 gms. gold
Plus Istegfar - may Allah forgive
us our sins; so that the aborted life may
not seek destitution.
Mulla
Asghar
| |
| Doctors'
Touch
QUESTION:
Yesterday
I went to give blood (as a blood donor). It was a male
doctor who inserted
the needle, and obviously my arm was exposed to
the doctor and he touched
it in order to insert the needle.
I wasn't sure whether this is haraam considering
he was a doctor, and
he touched my arm in a proffessional capacity. Have I
committed a
sin? Would it have been better not to have given blood? In what
ways
can I atone/repent? ANSWER: In
a professional situation like you just described, where there is no
alternate
available then there is no sin. Repentance is only there if a sin
has been
committed - for e.g. Was his touch on your arms arousing to you? It
is that
which makes it Haram even in such professional situations. Atonement
stipulates that next time, before you donate blood, find out
if you can be
served by lady doctors. If so then all the better. If not,
then proceed, but
cautiously... Wa Minallahit Tawfiq Mustafa
Jaffer | |
| Dog
as Pet
QUESTION: Would
you be so kind as to explain the circumstances & the guidelines
under which
a momin would be able to keep a dog as a pet. We live
on a large parcel of land and with all the criminal activity these
days we
have entertained having a guard dog on the premises. It would
always be outside
and would never enter the living quarters. Is there
anyway to accomplish both, have a dog and still meet the Islamic
directive.
Also, I understand a dog by the name of Tatmir will
be allowed into
heaven; if it is truly "Najis", why then the exception?
Thanks in advance for your response. Salam
ANSWER:
In
His name, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Wa-`alaykum as-salaam. Islamically
there is no problem in keeping a guard dog on your premises.
Since dogs (and
pigs) are from Najisul `ayn (inherently impure) animals, you
will have to make
sure that they do not lick the areas which are always
supposed to remain tahir,
such as place of prayers, place where sacred
things like the Holy Qur'an and
sajdagha (turbah) are kept. Also, do not eat
or drink from the utensils which
have been licked by the dog, unless you
have cleansed it by rubbing with wet
clean earth and then washing it with
water. Sometimes your dog will cling to
your clothes (say, pants) then such
clothes should not be worn for salat. The
dog which accompanied Ashabul Kahf (people of the cave) has been named
in some
accounts as KITMIR. Some people believe that it will go to Jannat.
Perhaps,
its accompanying the youths who stood up for tawheed (absolute
unity of God)
against the mushrik (polytheist) king of their time may have
cleansed him from
other external impurities. In any case, such issues (why
a particular dog will
go to Jannat?) do not have any bearing to the noble
teachings of Islam. God
knows best. With salaams and du`as. (References:
Islamic Law by Syd Seestani, Elements of Islamic Studies by S.
S. Akhtar Rizvi,
commentaries to surah 18 of the Qur'an). Hasnain
Kassamali
Humble servant of the Ahlul Bayt (a).
QUESTION
2 Asalaam Alaaykum My
parents are non-Muslim and keep pets including dogs, cats and fish. I
live
with them and would like to know if I may walk the dogs and feed
them, etc.,
as my parents expect me to do if I am careful to clean my
clothing, etc., thoroughly
afterwards. If I am always having a level of doubt that
there may be a dog hair on my
clothes while praying, is my prayer valid (I
have tried everything to keep
dog hair off of my praying clothes but it is
impossible.) What pets are acceptable for a Muslim to
keep? Dogs, dogs that do not
shed hair, cats, rodents (rabbits, ferrets, mice,
hamsters), reptiles,
birds, goat...? Is there a pet that is especially recommended? thanks
you and salaam
ANSWER:
There
is no harm in walking the dogs and feeding them, as long as you keep
yourself
and your clothes clean and Tahir. If you are careful enough to
avoid the hair
and other moisture from the dog's body, then you may ignore
the doubts. Pets
are all allowed, except that one must be careful about such pets which
are
NAJIS. Secondly Islam enjoins upon us to look after them well. If we
cannot,
then they must be released. Asgharali M.M. Jaffer
FOLLOW-UP QUESTION: Asalaam
Alaaykum I was just wondering, what pets are najis?
I
know dogs and pigs, but are cats also najis, for instance?
ANSWER:
Dogs
and pigs are Najis. Other pets like cats are not |Najis, but since
they belong
to a clan of animals whose meat cannot be eaten by Muslims,
therefore prevention
should be taken that their hair do not remain on your
clothes in which you
pray. Asgharali M.M. Jaffer |
| Donating
Blood on Ashura
QUESTION: My
question is what are the ruling of the Mujtahids on: Donating
blood to non Muslims, on the day of Ashura? In a non Muslim
country? (Noting
that the country in general is facing insufficiency of
blood, and that such
act would also spread good idea about Shia Muslims,
and making the people here
aware -somehow- about Imam Hussain (alaihi
afdhalu assalat wa assalam). Please
give the fatwas of as many marjas as possible, we MAY organise
such donation
if it is permissible in Islam. please let us know as soon
as possible. PS.
please try to answer this urgently so we can have time to spread the
idea and
get as much people as possible.
ANSWER:
Bismihi
Ta'ala There is no harm in donating blood especially
in the name of Imam Husayn
to non-Muslims. Since the question is posed in a
hurry, I am not able to
have access to the fatawa of the maraji especially
as the issue is not
covered in the normal risala works. However, since the
donation of blood
can help save lives, the act is covered under the Qur'anic
verse: One who saves a soul (Muslim or non-Muslim) it
is as if he has saved
whole humamity (5:32) Let us
remember that Islam is a humane religion, any act which helps
other human beings
and gives a positive image of Islam is to be
encouraged. Iltimase
Du'a Liyakatali | | Donating
Body Organs
Question:
Q.
Is it permissible to sell or donate a part of a Muslims's body to a Kafir
(as
per
Ayat. Seestani)? Answer:
A.
A living Muslim can donate some of his body parts to others whether to a
Muslim
or to a Kafir. He can also take money for the exchange of the parts
with a
condtion that there will not be a severe harm to the donor. As for
the Muslim
corpse it is not allowed to cut any of his body parts for
patching a Kafir's
body. Hasnain Kassamali
Humble servant
of the Ahlul Bayt (a).
QUESTION 2
INITIAL QUESTION: Is
it permissible to sell or donate a part of a Muslims's body to a Kafir
(as
per Ayat. Seestani)? ANSWER: A
living Muslim can donate some of his body parts to others whether to a
Muslim
or to a Kafir. He can also take money for the exchange of the
parts with a
condtion that there will not be a severe harm to the donor.
As for the Muslim
corpse it is not allowed to cut any of his body parts
for patching a Kafir's
body.
Hasnain Kassamali
Humble servant of the Ahlul Bayt (a). FOLLOW-UP
QUESTION # 1: I would like further clarification with
regards to this question. Please
answer per Seestani and Khui. Does
this mean taking an organ from a muslim corpse is allowable if the
body part
is given to a muslim or a "person of the book"? If this is
allowed,
would it then be permissible to sign an organ donor card, as the
major religion
in N. America is Christianity (i.e. one can assume the
recepient of the organ
is likely a Christian)? ANSWER: Apparently,
your question has three parts. The first part is on the
permissibility of receiving
organ donation. This has been responded to
recently and will be appearing along
with the other answers on the net.
The second part is about signing of an organ
donor card. The following
mas'alah by Ayt Seestani throws some light on it.
"If a person has willed that some parts of his
body be cut after his
death so as to join a body of a living person without
the life of the
living person depending on it (i.e. on the amputated part),
then acting
upon such a will and the cutting (of parts) is problemsome (ishkaal).
But,
what is apparent is that no compensation will be due from the one
who cuts
the parts [i.e. from the donee]." (Al-Seestani, Minhaj
al-swaliheen, v.1,Qum,
1414, p.458) It seems from this mas'alah and other related
masaa'il that leaving a
will (wasiyyah) saying that one's organs be donated
is permissible
provided it is clearly and emphatically stated that the organ
will only
be donated to a person whose survival depends on receiving the said
organ
or organs.(Whether this can be done in organ donor cards needs to be
studied).
As for Ayatullah al-Khu'i (may God be pleased with his
ruh), he says that
one can say in his/her will that his organs will be used
by the one who
needs it. It can also be placed in an organ bank and used later
on by
either a Muslim or non-Muslim. However, al-Khu'i qualified the answer
by
saying that it is preferable and better (afdal wa ahsan) to specify that
such
organ donations will go to Muslims.(Al-Khu'i, Muniyatul Masaa'il,
Beirut, 1412,
p.222) The last part of your question refers to giving
organs to people of the
book. When Ayt Seestani said (in our earlier posting)
that we can not cut
a Muslim's body to put in a Kafir's body, he meant, according
to our
understanding, that a Muslim's body can only be cut up for helping
another
Muslim. Of course, what has been said earlier on organ donation
still applies.
God knows best.
Hasnain Kassamali
Humble
servant of the Ahlul Bayt (a)
FOLLOW-UP QUESTION
# 2: Ok I understand where donation of organs stands.
How about acceptance?
For example since an organ from someone who has passed
away can't be
donated, does that mean that someone isn't allowed to accept
a heart for
a heart translpant? Or a liver? I'm now
talking from the perspective of the person who is sick and in
need of a transplant.
From the answer to the previous question, I'm
seeing that having a heart transplant
operation would be haram too.
Please correct me if I'm wrong. ANSWER:
The response to organ donation, posted on the ABDG-A,
was a direct
translation of Ayatullah Seestani's answer to a specific question.
It was
not my response to any particular question. Coming
to your question: Is it allowed to accept a donation of an organ,
say, heart
or liver, where the life of the receiver depends on this
donation? Response:
From a living person one can receive only those parts (e.g.
skin, flesh, part
of bone marrow) which will not entail severe pains to
the donor. Receiving
of major organs/limbs such as eye, hand and legs
from a living person is not
allowed. As for receiving from a dead person any organ/part
can be taken. In mas'alah
# 59 on p. 458, Mihaj as-swaliheen, Ayt Sesstani
writes: "If protecting the
LIFE OF A MUSLM IS CONTIGENT TO amputating
an organ from a corpse of a
Muslim for joining to his [living Muslims's] body
then it is permissible to
amputate. However, compensation money (diyah) will
be due from the donee,
according to [recommended] precaution.". (emphasis
by the translator). God knows best. Hasnain
Kassamali
Humble servant of the Ahlul Bayt (a) | | Donating
to Non Muslims
QUESTION: Some
students here want to make a donation to diabetic patients
organization. My
question is, is it permissible to donate money to
non-muslims who are in need,
especially when we know that there are
Muslims who are also in need somewhere
in the world? And does the hukm
apply also when the donation is organized in
a way to show the Muslims
and mainly Shia Muslims in a good picture, and to
bring the attention to
Islam and Ahl al Bayt, and hence can we call it a way
of propagation of
Islam? Does donating money in such
way equal to spending money in other forms
which goes to non Muslims for example
translating books and copying them? I am asking this
because a group of Muslim students here who are members
in a diabetic organization
"Diabetic Friends" came to me and asked me to
take part in this,
so I asked them to wait to get an advice. So please
advice me as soon as possible. Please forward this to an
ABDG-Alim.
ANSWER:
Furthering
the cause of the ahl al-bayt can be done in different ways -
e.g through publications,
literatures, lectures etc. If by donating money to save
people's lives one is able to further the
cause of the ahl al-bayt then this
is permissible since it is also a form
of tabligh. This act is also significant
from an Islamic perspective due
to the Qur'anic verse which states that "one
who saves a single soul it
is as if he/she has saved the whole of humanity.(5:32)".
And Allah knows best Liyakatali Dry
Cleaning / Salaat
QUESTION: I
work in a company where I am required to wear a suit to work everyday.
These
suits cannot be laundered at home and must be dry cleaned. Since I do
not have
my own office, it would be impractical and unrealistic to bring a
change of
clothes to work. My hours are such that if I don't pray at work,
my salat will
become qaza. Should I pray at work with my dry-cleaned
clothes or come home
and pray with a qaza niyaa? ANSWER: Unless
you are certain that the clothing is Najis, there is no restriction
in praying
in them just because they have been dry-cleaned. If the clothing
has been
made Najis, dry-cleaning will not purify them. If that is the case,
the simplest
solution would be to have another set of clothing at work to
substitute at
the time of prayer. Agha Seestani says: "When only
Najis clothing is available, if it is not
possible to remove (the Najasah)
due to coldness or something similar,
pray in (the Najis clothing) without
objection and the Qadhaa is not obligatory... the recommended precaution is to
combine the prayer in (the
Najis clothing) with the prayer naked." Of
course, this ruling is based on the idea that you can pray naked without
anyone
seeing you or pray after removing the Najis clothing. Of course,
this would
be difficult at one's workplace. Ali Rasheed |
| Dua
for Concentration
QUESTION: I
was wondering if anyone knows of any particular d'ua that someone could
recommend
to me for concentrating because it seems to be a serious
problem that I have.
ANSWER:
Lack
of concentration is a common problem that many of us encounter and it
emanates
from a lack of focus and orientation in one's life. The acts of
rituals and
du'as that we recite are very much geared to give us that
direction and focus.
Some of the things that our Imams (a.s.) have
recommended to remedy this situation
are as follows: 1. Place your hand on your forehead
and recite: Salla-l-laahu alaa Muhammad wa aal-e Muhammad.
Allahumma inni
as'aluka yaa mudhakkira-l khayr wa faa'ilahu wa-l-aamimira
bihi
dhakkir-ni maa ansaani-hi-sh- shaytan. Translation: Blessings
of God be upon Muhammad and his progeny. O God
I ask You, the One who mentions
goodness and actualizes it
and commands it, remind me of that which the shaytan
makes me
forget. 2. To fast and recite the Qur'an,
especially Ayat-ul-Kursi. 3. Eat raisins, grains, lentils,
honey, sour apple, cheese. 4. Take a walk. 5.
To avoid committing sins and not be distracted by the world. 6.
To begin every act with the praise (hamd) of God and by glorifying
Him and
recite: Allahumma anta-l-awwal fa laysa qablaka shay.
wa anta-
-l aakhiru fa laysa ba'daka shay. wa anta-z-zaahiru fa
laysa
fawqaqa shay. wa anta-l-baatinu fa laysa dunaka
shay. wa anta-l-'azizu-l-
hakim. Translation: O God,
You are the first and there was none before You. And
You are the last and
there is none after You. And you are the
Apparent and there is none above
You. And You are the Hidden and
there is none below You. You are the Mighty
and the Wise. The above regimented exercise is designed
to train our mind, body and
soul to focus all our concentration and energy
on the one and only
transcendental Reality worthy of all our attention - Allah
(s.w.t.). The
way of attaining this goal is through personal spiritual purification
and
service to humanity. Source: "Mafatih-ul-Jinan,"
pp. 523-26 (Beirut, n.d.)
wa bi-l-laahi-t-tawfiq,
Hamid
Mavani | | Dua
in English
QUESTION: Please
verify if Duas eg in the Almanac have to be recited in Arabic, or can
we read
the English translation? Does reading them in English diminish
their spiritual
blessings? My Arabic recitation is not very fluent nor do I
understand the
language, does this make any difference to the ruling on this
matter?
ANSWER:
The
English translation of duas can be read as it does not diminish the
blessings.
However, reading in Arabic original, and simultaneously trying to
understand
the meaning in any language add to the merit. Salaams, Mulla |
| Dua
Shabaniyyah
QUESTION: What
are the benefits of reciting dua -e- Shabbaniyah? When is the best
time to
recite this dua?
ANSWER:
Sha'baniyya
is a Dua which has profound meanings and when understood,
carries the reader
to a new experience of nearness to the Ultimate Reality. It
is to be read in the month of Sha'ban, preferably at the time of Noon
Prayers. Asgharali
M M Jaffer | | Dua
e Iftitah
Question: What
is the source of Dua-e-Eftetah? Answer:
Bismihi Ta'ala
Salaamun
alaykum,
The origin of Dua-e Iftitah can be traced through
a reliable chain of
transmission by way of which we know that this du'a, which
is recited in
the month of Ramadan, was handed down to us from Imam al-Mahdi
(may God
expedite his return). There is also internal
evidence within the du'a that gives us a clue the
Imam al-Mahdi (a.s.) is the
one who composed it. Idd mubarak to all of you. It is
time to bid farewell to the blessed
month of Ramadan. wa
bi-l-laahi-t-tawfiq, Hamid Mavani | |
|
