Dear Brothers/Sisters,

Thank you very much for joining us in this Fatwa session. We would also like to thank our guest, Imam Mustafa Umar, for answering the questions directed to him. You will find the answers to your questions below. 

Q:

Are wives in islam supposed to look good in front of their husband no mattter the situation? Should the husbands appreciate the wife’s natural beauty? I thought that spouses should love each other no matter the way they look, and that they should be comfortable around each other at every moment. Please help Im so confused

A:

Both husband and wife should try to be the best spouse they can. This is called ihsan (excellence) in Arabic.

One of the ways to be nice to your spouse is to dress nicely, be clean, smell good, and have an overall pleasant appearance and attitude. This helps nurture the love between spouses.

Abdullah Ibn Abbas, a well-known Companion of the Prophet, said that he would make himself look good for his wife the way that she would do so for him.

Sadly, this idea of dressing nicely for your spouse is something many Muslims neglect. They will spend so much time to dress up and look nice when guests come over or when going to a social gathering, but neglect themselves at home.

Both spouses should regularly look good at home. When someone is sick or very busy, it may be an exception, and the natural beauty should still be appreciated, but the default is to put effort into making yourself look good. This helps the marriage be successful.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Is foreplay obligatory or recommended?

A:

In general, foreplay is highly recommended. If there will be harm due to tension from intercourse without foreplay, then it will be obligatory.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

In the Islamic paper regarding homosexuality topic I’ve read so far, every single one advises to get married. So, as I person who carries this greatest shortcoming in my heart due to my poor childhood, I’d like to rephrase it and ask you a question. Why don’t you marry a man? Sounds ridiculous. So does for the likes of us. Why can’t you be a bit more considerate on others’ feelings? Sorry, If I appear as a person who’s devoid of respect. I’m just in a utter despair, as I know how Allah sent upon his punishing on the wicked ones. So, is it okay If I do not marry, as I’m afraid of causing the damage to the other party.

A:

I’m not sure where you came across this advice but I do not agree with it. A person who experiences same sex attraction and knows that it is forbidden in Islam to act upon that is struggling with their desires.

Getting married to a woman quickly is not a solution to their problem because 1) they will not feel immediate attraction to their wife 2) there are usually other challenges they face in life that caused the same sex attraction to happen and they should deal with those first such as depression, childhood abuse, etc.

My suggestion is to join the group www.straightstruggle.com and to listen to the podcast “A Way Beyond the Rainbow” where the topic of whether or not a person with same sex attraction should get married is discussed in much detail by Muslims who struggle with this condition.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Is it permissible in Islam to be a sport journalist for a girl?

A:

I cannot see any reason for a woman not to be a sport journalist as long as she follows the guidelines for modesty in gender relations. Many Muslim women are journalists in general and I cannot see a reason why sports would be a different category.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Is it permissible for me to sell pictures of my feet online but nothing else just the feet? I want to know the fatwa behind it.

I have used a fake email i don’t want to reveal my true identity.

A:

If these pictures will just be used for normal people to look at, or to advertise some type of product that is halal, then it is fine for you to do that. There are some people who have a foot ‘fetish’ and are sexually aroused when looking at someone’s feet. If that is what they will do with your pictures, then it will not be allowed.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

How many prophets are there?

A:

There are about 25 prophets mentioned in the Qur’an (some scholars said that one or two are nicknames for other prophets so the count goes down). The Qur’an says:

“And there was no nation but that there had passed within it a warner.” 

Furthermore, the Qur’an clarifies that: “…and there are messengers which we have not told you about…” 

This makes it clear that there must have been thousands of different prophets sent throughout time to different regions. The ones mentioned by name in the Qur’an were from the Middle East region probably because that was the immediate audience to which the Quran was initially revealed.

The Bible, as well, has mentioned many of the same messengers that are in the Quran with the exception of the three that are believed to be from the Arabian Peninsula: Hūd, Ṣāliḥ, and Shuʿayb.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

How many prophets are there?

A:

There are about 25 prophets mentioned in the Qur’an (some scholars said that one or two are nicknames for other prophets so the count goes down). The Qur’an says:

“And there was no nation but that there had passed within it a warner.” 

Furthermore, the Qur’an clarifies that: “…and there are messengers which we have not told you about…” 

This makes it clear that there must have been thousands of different prophets sent throughout time to different regions. The ones mentioned by name in the Qur’an were from the Middle East region probably because that was the immediate audience to which the Quran was initially revealed.

The Bible, as well, has mentioned many of the same messengers that are in the Quran with the exception of the three that are believed to be from the Arabian Peninsula: Hūd, Ṣāliḥ, and Shuʿayb.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

What can I do,I don’t know that when am miscarriage I will pray,am not praying,and the pregnancy was in early stage,3 weeks,it’s about 3month that I know when u have miscarriage u will pray

A:

The blood that comes out after delivering a baby is called nifas and you will not pray for up to 40 days, unless it stops earlier. However, since you had a miscarriage, the blood you may see is not nifas and therefore you should not have stopped praying. Any blood or discharge you see is called istihadah (abnormal discharge) and you make wudu for every prayer, wash off the blood/discharge, and keep praying.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Is Reading Homosexual Romance Books Allowed?

I’ve been thinking about this all day and night and I still can’t find the right answer. Some people say it’s haram considering that it’s homosexuality, but some people say it’s fine as you’re only reading it and not acting upon it. Is it okay to engage in such activity?

Also the books don’t contain sex and it’s just like any other heterosexual romance books (married or not.)

A:

It is forbidden for Muslims to read something which glorifies and glamorizes sins because this has a major effect on the mind. Imagine reading a book about a person who loves to drink wine. The more details the book has, the more the reader is influenced mentally to want to do the same. This is well known in the field of psychology.

If there was a more scientific book which simply explained what was happening but did not glamorize it, then it would be allowed, but that is not what romance books do.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Married for more than 5 years. Husband has impotence and psychiatric illness. He is not ready to satisfy his wife by any other means too. Is divorce permissible in this case?

A:

The best thing is to see a sex therapist and try to resolve the intimacy issues between the two of you. If it does not work, this is a valid reason to ask for a divorce or khul` (release from the marriage).

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Is it haram to post roblox edits on YouTube? (YouTube videos with dancing and songs with animation)

I make these videos with dancing and songs in a game. (I’m not using my voice or camera in the video) I’m just showing a video game with me dancing and a song in the background. Because my mom thinks it’s haram. Even if it’s scripted animation
Is this true? I just wanna make sure if it’s haram. Or is it not haram since it’s animation, and I’m able to do it?

A:

Normally, posting a video of a roblox game online is not haram. However, it depends on what kind of dance and music you are adding to it. I cannot answer without knowing further details.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Are dogs najis?

A:

Muslim scholars have differed over whether dogs are najis (impure) or not. Most scholars said that the saliva of a dog is najis and you must wash it off fully (seven times recommended) before being able to pray.

Imam Malik said that it is not najis, and this is a valid opinion. However, I advise you to follow the majority of scholars and avoid dog saliva or at least wash it off when it gets on you.

Almighty Allah knows best.