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Muharram, `Ashura’ and Other Questions (Live Fatwa)

Dr. Muhammad Salama
04 October, 2016

Dear Brothers/Sisters,

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

Friday, Oct. 07, 2016 | 17:00 - 19:00 GMT

Session is over.
DISCLAIMER
Views expressed by hosts/guests on this program (live dialogue, Facebook sessions, etc.) are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.  

Greetings! Thank you very much for giving me an opportunity to clarity doubts regarding Muharram..I have some very basic doubts regarding Muharram., I have listed them below, I would be very happy if you could clear the same for me:1. I have read the Quran & follow the teachings of our beloved prophet Mohammed, while festivals of Ramadan & Bakrid is well documented, but at the same time I have not come across Muharram being mentioned in the holy book. I would like to know why is it not highlighted..2. Even though Shiias are muslims, why do they follow Imam Hussain & his priniciples, rather than our beloved Prophet Mohammed?3. Muharram is marked by sorrow & chest beating, injuring oneself to share the grief, is this allowed in Islam?4. Lastly as a pious & a keen follower of Islam, I would like to know what is the best way to follow Muharram?



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

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

Allah, most High, said in the Quran “Thus whatever the Messenger brings you, then you shall take it. And whatever he has forbidden you, you shall desist from it” [59:7]. This means that we, Muslims, have to follow the guidance and teachings of the prophet just as we follow the teachings of the Quran. Both the Quran and the prophetic traditions constitute the religion and the shari`ah. So, if there is a prophetic injunction concerning a matter and we cannot find it in the Quran, we still have to follow and abide by it.

There is actually an indication in the Quran concerning the virtue of Muharram being one of the sacred month mentioned in the Quranic verse that reads, “Indeed, the [ordained] number of the months with God is twelve [lunar] months, [as was decreed] in the [Preserved Heavenly] Book of God on the day He created the heavens  and the earth. Four of them are sacred- [and] that is the upright religion. ” [9:36] Muharram is one of these four months. There are also a number prophetic narrations that tell of the virtue of such a month. In authentic narrations the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) called it the Month of Allah and told us that the best month to fast in after Ramadan is the month of Muharram. This month also contains a blessed day that is highly recommended to fast on (you can see the above fatwa about fasting in Muharram).

So, the best way to celebrate this month is to follow the Quranic and prophetic guidance in this regard by considering it a sacred month in which one has to refrain from doing wrong and injustice and by observing fasting as much of it one can; partculalry the 10th of it, known as Ashourah.

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The shi`ah way of celebrating the day of Ashourah through sorrow, chest beating, injuring oneself to share the grief, etc., is not Islamic and has no foundation in authentic narrations. It is an innovation they fabricated to emotionally blackmail their followers through commemorating the martyrdom of al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him).

Allah Almighty knows best.

 

As-salamu alaykum. I would like to ask, if i make an oath that if i do such and such then if i marry the guy i would like to marry then I am a disbeliever. And i mean what i say, does this make me a disbeliever after marriage. I regret taking this oath and really want to marry him. Please help me. JazakAllah



 

It is not permissible for a Muslim to take such an oath or to say such words. You need to seek Allah’s forgiveness and sincerely repent to Allah SWT.

There is, however, scholarly disagreement on whether such an oath requires atonement or not. To be on the safe side, you should pay the atonement mentioned in the Quranic verse that reads, “God will not hold you accountable for unintended vows in your oaths. But He will hold you accountable for what you have [intentionally] bound yourselves to by oaths, the atonement of which is feeding ten indigent people with the average of what you feed your own families; or clothing them; or freeing a human being from bondage. But if one [of you] does not find [such means], then fast three days [instead]. That is the atonement for your oaths, when you swear [and break them]. So guard your oaths. Thus does God make clear to you His [revealed] signs, so that you may give thanks.” (Al-Ma’idah 5:89)

Allah Almighty knows best.

Salamualaikum.pls I would want a clarification and understanding on d work am doing right now which is banking work. All I heard is various hadith's and verses from d holy Quran about interest. I believe its what we r dealing with here. So Malam as I can't get any work right now, is my work prohibited or haram for me!?



Traditional banks are riba-based institutions. According to an authentic narration, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the one who consumes usury, the one who pays it, the one who writes down such a usurious contract, and those who witness it. This hadith clearly declares the prohibition of assuming any job that has a relation with such usurious activities whether in banks or any other institution.

A large number of scholar, therefore, maintain that it is prohibited to have any job in traditional banks (not even as a car driver or an office boy), because these are usury-based institutions and their main income is based on usury.

A group of scholars, however, maintains that if one avoids direct contact with usurious contracts and his job has no relevance to usurious transactions of the bank, he may have this job, because he will then get his salary for a permissible job.

But, in response to this argument, the first group of scholars can say that without the help of such persons, the bank will not be able to run its activities smoothly. In other words, these jobs, though permissible in principle, have become integral part of the bank activities and facilitate its flourishing and development. Allah Almighty says, “And you shall help one another to virtuousness, and to the fear of God. But you shall not help one another to sin and to aggression.” (Al-Ma’idah 5:2)

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Allah Almighty knows best.

I have problems and I've been reading the Qur'an, asking local Imams regarding my problems and we often got into fights, etc. I'll start off by telling you how my childhood is like, you know when I was 5 years old, my mother abused me physically and mentally, My father left us, so he is out of the picture. The problem is that my abusive mother is one of those deluded woman who thinks what she's doing is good. She would often bring her friends over and tells me and my sister that this is her way of raising kids. I told her that if she has her way, then I'll have my own way, as soon as she hears this, she said "Your jannah is on the bottom of my foot" You know, This has been anger me a lot recently, I know in Qur'an we must respect our parents but am I suppose to stand there and let my mother torture me for no end? Whenever I tried to stand up, everyone, INCLUDING the Imam told me that it is a sin. I feel like this is injustice, Just because she's a mother, she can't be right at everything. She told me that she can tell me to step on the Qur'an and it's not a sin because she's the mother and that I owed her for raising me. What kind of injustice is this? Please elaborate, I am at the edge of renouncing Islam and murdering her.



There are numerous instructions in the Qur’an and the Sunnah that command Muslims to be dutiful toward their parents. Allah Almighty says ”Moreover, [God has said]: We have charged each human being with [dutifulness and goodness toward] one’s parents. One’s mother bore one in feebleness upon feebleness, and [the full period of] one’s weaning is within two years. So give thanks to Me and to your parents. To Me is the ultimate destiny.” (Luqman 31:14)

In one famous narration, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about the person who is most deserving of one’s good company and his answer was “Your mother”, which he repeated 3 times, and then in the fourth one he said, “Your father.”

However, a general principle founded by a prophetic statement states that “No obedience is due for any created being in disobeying the Creator”. This is also supported by the Qur’anic verse that comes right after the above cited one and that reads “But if ever they strive in order to compel you to associate gods with Me- [or command you to anything] about which you have no [sure] knowledge [from God]- then do not obey them. Yet [still] keep company with both of them in this world, in accordance with what is right. But follow the path of one who turns to Me in penitence.” (Luqman 31:15)

This verse simply solves your problem. Parents are not always right, but still we have to be dutiful to them and treat them kindly. When they make mistakes or command us to disobey Allah, we may not obey them or follow them in their mistakes. But still we have to keep a good company with them and try to give them advice as far as we can.

A Muslim has to keep this balanced attitude. Your mother misunderstands her role as a parent, but this is not a reason for you to be disrespectful or undutiful to her.

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I advise you, brother, to find a good and pious friend, attend prayers and lectures at the mosque, to keep your time busy with reading the Qur’an and observing Islamic teachings. Ask Allah, most high, to guide your mother and to help you be dutiful to her.

Allah Almighty knows best.

 

Is it permissible for women to go in the streets and call to Islam? Is it permissible for women to interact with non Muslim men for the purpose of dawah? Under what circumstances and for what reasons did the women of the Salaf go out into the streets?



Da`wah, or calling others for the true path of Allah, is not restricted to men. Muslim women have a great responsibility in this regard as well; particularly with the members of their own sex.

A practitioner of da`wah has to fulfill certain conditions and should observe certain etiquette so that his/her da`wah should be effective. There are various channels to practice da`wah. In addition to traditional ways, modern technology has opened the gate for many more developed, and sometimes more effective, ways. A Muslim woman can thus participate in a variety of da`wa activities, in addition to her actual practices of Islamic teachings and code of conduct; particularly in public, which is a kind of practical da`wah.

A Muslim woman has to observe hijab. Hijab is not only a head scarf. Hijab is a code of conduct and a lifestyle as well. Islam aims at safeguarding the society from the evil consequences of nakedness and of unnecessary mingling between the two sexes. Therefore, Islamic teachings have laid restrictions on the interaction between marriageable men and women to block all ways to evil practices. Islam takes prohibitive measures and does not wait for evil to take place. Both men and women have been commanded to lower their gazes and not to look at members of the opposite sex except for a legitimate reason. Unnecessary mingling between marriageable men and women is not permissible and any contact has to be within the Islamic guidelines in this regard. All evil practices between men and women are results of neglecting such teachings.

Consequently, Muslim women may not go to street to practice da`wah with men. This involves contravention to the abovementioned teachings and will likely cause troubles for them.

Allah Almighty knows best.

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If a women is in impure condition on 9th 10th and 11th of Muharram, due to which she can not fast. Is it possible to make up those fast on other days after her ghusl?.



Fasting on these days is only mustahabb (recommendable), not obligatory to be made up for when missed. By missing the prescribed meritorious days one cannot get them back as the reward is restricted to fasting on these specific days.

However, if a person has an excuse for not fasting on all or some of these days, though he had the habit of fasting on, as in cases of sickness, travelling, having menses, then he/she will hopefully get the reward for his/her intention as mentioned in a hadith that reads “When a servant of Allah falls sick or sets on a journey, he will get reward similar to that he gets for good deeds he used to do when he was healthy or at home.” A woman in her menses falls under the same category as the impediment in all such cases is something beyond one’s capacity.

Allah Almighty knows best.

2- It was reported that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived in Madinah and found the Jews celebrating `Ashura’ by fasting, he ordered the Muslims to fast as well. How would you explain the fact that he (peace and blessings be upon him) had forbidden Muslims before to copy the People of the Book in many things, yet he allowed this?



The confusion you have regarding this issue is a result of misunderstanding the proper order of events in this regard.

Imam Al-Bukhari reported on the authority of Ibn `Abbas that he said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to Medina and saw the Jews fasting on the day of `Ashura’. He asked them about that. They replied, “This is a blessed day when Allah rescued the Children of Israel from their enemy. So, Moses fasted this day.” Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “We have more claim over Moses than you.” So, the Prophet fasted on that day and ordered [Muslims] to fast on it. But the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) observed fasting on that day even before his migration to Medina.

Both Al-Bukhari and Muslim reported on the authority of `A’ishah that she said: Quraish used to observe fasting on the day of `Ashura’ in the jahiliyyah (pre-Islam period of ignorance) and the Messenger of Allah used to observe it. Then when he migrated to Medina he observed fasting it and commanded [Muslims] to fast on it.” This should cause no confusion because it is reasonable that both parties fasted on the same day but for different reasons.

On the other hand, authentic narrations tell us that the Messenger of Allah liked in the beginning of his migration to act like the People of the Book who were closer to Muslims than the polytheist pagans. Then he later started to distinguish himself and his followers from them and issued various commands and instructions to emphasize and highlight such distinction. One of these commands was to distinguish fasting on the day of `Ashura’ by fasting another day before or after it.

Allah Almighty knows best.

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How many consecutive days to fast in Muharram?



Fasting in the month of Muharram is highly recommendable. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The best month for observing Fasting after the month of Ramadan is the month of Muharram.” (Muslim)

The tenth day of that month, known as `Ashura’, is most recommended to fast on as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) told that such fasting causes minor sins to be forgiven for the year that went before. Fasting that day was even obligatory before the obligation of fasting Ramadan, but then it became only recommendable; though the Messenger of Allah used to observe fasting on it.

Ibn `Abbas said “I never saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) seeking to fast on a day more preferable to him than this day, the day of ‘Ashura’…”

In another authentic hadith, the Prophet recommended fasting on the 9th day of Muharram along with the 10th to distinguish Muslim’s fasting from the one observed by the Jewish on the 10th day. In a less authentic narration, it is also recommendable to fast on the 11th day for the same reason.

To sum up, it is recommendable to fast as much of that month as one can; particularly the 9th, the 10th and the 11th days of it. Added to these are the established recommendation of fasting the 13th, 14th and the 15th of each lunar month.

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Allah Almighty knows best.