Dear Brothers/Sisters,

Thank you very much for joining us in this Fatwa session. We would also like to thank our guest, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, for answering the questions directed to him.

Below are the answers for the first batch of questions; more answers will be added soon.

Q 1. Wudu and sock lint on the side of nail

When I was cutting my toe nails after Wudu and praying Salah, I had lint from my socks stuck on the side of my nail/skin on my big toes. Would this affect my Wudu or not? I read about the under nail dirt issue but what about the side of the nail when the lint is quite stuck in there? Some of it was visible during Wudu but I assumed it would be okay.

Answer

You don’t need to worry about this issue. I venture to say that Shaytan wants to create whispers in your mind to distract you from paying attention to your prayer. So, you must repel such whisperings by seeking refuge in Allah and being attentive to your prayer.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has warned against rigidity in religion. He said, ‘Woe to those who are rigid in practicing religion-he repeated it three times.”

In conclusion, don’t surrender to the evil suggestions of Shaytan.

Q 2: Puberty

When I reach one stage of puberty at 11 am I being counted for my sins?

Please answer because this is urgent.

Answer

If you experience the onset of the signs of puberty, you are considered an adult, and you become responsible for your wilful actions. 

So, you should avoid all the forbidden things and diligently perform your religious duties, such as prayer and Fating.

Also, if you slipped up and did something sinful, ask for the forgiveness of Allah and turn to Him in repentance. You should know once you do it sincerely, you can hope for the forgiveness of Allah.

On repentance, you may refer to the answer linked below:

The Door of Repentance Is Wide Open | About Islam

Q 3. Interpretation of  71:16

Can you explain surah 71:16 about the moon because it makes it sound like its in all of the seven heavens but we know it’s in the lowest heaven and we know the moon is closer to us than the stars how do we reconcile the ayah with the Hadiths which says the heavens are separate like by 500 years because the ayah makes it sound like the moon is in all of them or in the middle jazakALLAH Khair

Answer

You are referring to the following verses: “Do you not see how Allah created seven heavens, one above the other,  placing the moon within them as a ˹reflected˺ light, and the sun as a ˹radiant˺ lamp?”

The answer to your question is that the Quran is revealed in Arabic, conforming to the usage and style they can readily understand.

The tafsir scholars explain that the verses mean He placed the moon within them (i.e., in the lower heaven). The Arabs would use expressions like Abu Tamim came, or I went to Bani Tamim; meaning one member of the Bani Tamim. So, if the moon is in one of them, it is included.

Q 4: Divorce

I divorce my wife on WhatsApp twice, and she’s pregnant. I was so angry at that time. But we both love each other. Is talaq happening? We want to live together. What can we do to revoke this?

Answer

You are playing with the laws of Allah as you are using the Sacred Laws for intimidation and thus abusing your wife. It is nothing but abuse and oppression; you should know you are accountable for such actions before Allah. 

I urge you to seek repentance and go to counseling to learn to control your anger; if you don’t, you will repeat the same offense. 

As a conscientious believer, you should never resort to it.

If, as you say, you did so out of control without being aware of the consequences of your action, then it cannot be counted as a divorce. For details on this, refer to the answer linked below:

Pronouncing Divorce in a State of Anger: Valid?

In conclusion, you have a severe problem with anger management. So, seek professional counseling for your benefit. Otherwise, you will end up destroying yourself and your family.  

Q 5. About Fasting

Outside of the month of Ramadan I practice Time-restricted eating ( TRE ) because of its health benefits.
Every day I eat all of my food for the day in a 6-hour period. I eat from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. I do not eat any food in the remaining 18 hours of the day. However I drink water whenever I need to.
I want to know that my fasting in Ramadan is valid if I fast, i.e. not eating and drinking from the beginning of Fajr Time until the beginning of the Maghrib Time. And during Iftar time I eat and drink from the beginning of Maghrib Time until about 10 p.m. Then, I do not eat after 10 p.m. until the Maghrib Time of the following day. Of course I do not eat Suhoor either.
Jazakallah Khairan

It is extremely important to me to know that my fasting in Ramadan is valid . Therefore I kindly request you to answer my question. I would sincerely and greatly appreciate your answer.

Answer

I don’t understand the intent of your question as you said you will abstain from eating and drinking from Fajr until Maghrib. If you did so, your fast is valid. However, by skipping your suhoor or pre-dawn meal, you are depriving yourself of great blessings and the opportunity to engage in at least a few minutes of intimate communion with Allah at the most auspicious time.

Therefore, I would advise you not to skip your suhoor.

Q 6. Friday Prayer

I am in the United Kingdom as an international student and with all the attacks happening on mosques; I am afraid to go for the Friday prayer. Can I pray it alone at home?

Answer

I suspect you have a phobia or irrational fear. Mosques in the UK and North America are much safer than those in India, Pakistan, or anywhere else.

If it happens, it would be in a million of it happening. So, it would be best if you dismissed such worries.

If you have any valid ground to think that your neighborhood is unsafe on certain days, you may skip the Jumuah until the circumstances improve.

Q 7. Regarding maintenance

Lady residing in India whose nikkah was in Aug 2020, and the husband was in newzealand , both couldn’t travel due to strict covid registrations till sep 2022. During this period the wife was residing at her parents house , whose responsibility is to provide for expenses of wife during this period as per shariah?

Answer

As far as I can remember, I have answered this question before. According to the preferred view of scholars, if you have had the rukhsathi and consummated the marriage, then it is your husband’s responsibility to provide for your expenses during this period.

If that is not the case, he is not obligated to do that.

Q 8. Suppressing desire using chemicals

What is the ruling on chemical castration or any other way to block hormones because of one’s own wish?

Answer

Islam does not allow castration under ordinary circumstances, as it is akin to altering Allah’s creation. Mutilating the divine creation is a pet project of Shaytan, as we read in the Quran:

“He pledged to Allah saying:  I will certainly mislead them and delude them with empty hopes. Also, I will order them, and they will slit the ears of cattle and alter Allah’s creation.” And whoever takes Satan as a guardian instead of Allah has certainly suffered a tremendous loss.”

(Quran 4: 119)

However, if it is done to treat prostate cancer as the specialist prescribes, that is a particular case. It will be permissible based on the rule of necessity. The juristic principle states that exigencies render the prohibited as acceptable.

As for your wish to lower your sex drive, you may resort to frequent fasting and other practical measures.

Q 9. Explanation of Qur’an verse

Many Muslim scholars say that ‘and stay in your houses’ verse refers to all Muslim women, is this true? I know that there is a scholarly consensus that the commands before and after to not be soft in speech and not do tabarujj are for all Muslim women, so how can we isolate one part of the verse and say that it is only for the wives of the Prophet SAW?

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How do we know the verse ‘and stay in your houses’ only refers to the wives of the Prophet SAW?

I read an article on this website that the verse ‘and stay in your houses’ only refers to the wives of the Prophet SAW, then how come there is scholarly consensus that the verse before about not being soft in speech and the verse after about not doing tabarujj, apply to all women?

Answer

The verse you referred to can be translated as follows:

“Abide in your homes and flaunt not your charms, as they flaunted them in the prior Age of Ignorance. Perform the prayer, give the alms, and obey God and His Messenger. God only desires to remove defilement from you, O People of the House, and to purify you completely.

(Quran 33: 33)

The first is addressed directly to the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him), yet most scholars agree the rule applies to all women. However, its intent is not to limit their freedom of movement. Women may travel if needed; they used to do so during the time of the Prophet and afterward. They were in the marketplace, mosque, or active participants on all critical occasions. It is well documented in a reputable work in six volumes by Abd al-Halim Abu Shuqqah titled Tahrir al-mar’a fi asr ar-risalah.

The verse, however, orders them to shun the wayward and reckless lifestyle of the pagan women who used to flaunt their fineries and beauty. Muslim women should observe modesty and avoid mannerisms that invite attention from members of the opposite sex.

Q 10. Parents reject choice of spouse because he is divorced

My choice of spouse is a very pious and kind man – he is a Hafiz who I am sure will bring me closer to Allah. My parents reject my choice to marry him completely and will not consider him at all, because he is divorced. They liked everything about him until I told them he was divorced. Is it permissible for them to reject him because he is divorced? How can I deal with this issue under Islam?

Answer

Your parents have no valid Islamic grounds to reject this proposal. That he is a divorcee is not a valid reason. The criteria for selecting marriage partners can be inferred from the following hadith:

“If a person with sound faith and acceptable character comes with a proposal, marry him. If you don’t you are opening the door for corruption in the land.”  (Reported by at-Tirmidhi)

For details, you may refer to the answer linked below:

Can Parents Reject Marriage Proposals Because of Caste System?

How to Get an Islamic Divorce in Canada | About Islam

Q 11. Making music

Is making music haram only the instruments not singing only the instruments

Answer

On this issue, you are advised to refer to the answer linked below:

is music permissible? | About Islam

Q 12. Explain this verse: “but you cannot will ˹to do so˺ unless Allah wills.””

Answer

The verse means that in so far as humans choose, they do so according to the will of Allah, as He is not only the Creator but also the controller of the universe. It does not mean that humans have no choice; how can we say that when Allah tells us in the Quran:

And say, “It is the truth from your Lord! So whosoever will, let him believe, and whosoever will, let him disbelieve.” (Quran 18: 29)

The belief in qada and qadar means that nothing happens in this universe by chance; everything happens by the will of Allah; for Allah is the Creator, Sustainer, and Cherisher of all beings, and not even a leaf falls without His leave.

“For, with Him are the keys to the things beyond the reach of a created being’s perception: none knows them but He. And He knows all that is on land and in the sea, and not a leaf falls but He knows it, and neither is there a grain in the earth’s deep darkness, nor anything: living or dead, [49] but is recorded in [His] clear decree” (Qur’an: 6:59)

In other words, nothing happens haphazardly or erratically; everything happens according to Allah’s full knowledge and will.

I pray to Allah to inspire firm faith in God’s sovereignty and lordship and to honor us to serve Him.

In conclusion, the verse means that it is the will of Allah that humans choose for themselves. Therefore, in so far as they do so, they do so according to the will of Allah.

Q 13. Ghusl afta sex

How can a woman clean herself if her husband plays sex every day or every week?

Answer

Women and men ought to perform a ghusl after sexual intercourse. However, I do not know why it should be such a challenge unless the water is too cold and you cannot warm it. In that case, you may perform Tayammum (symbolic ablution using clean dust) until you can heat the water.

Mind you-daily bathing is healthy; it invigorates your mind and spirit and will calm your nerves, so you should only look forward to it instead of dreading it.

For details as to how to perform ghusl, let me cite here one of my earlier answers:

“Ghusl, or ritual bath, according to the rules of fiqh, can be performed in the following way:

1. Once you are ready to perform ghusl, affirm the intention to do so in your mind; this is important since you are doing ghusl to make yourself eligible for worship, after which you should do the following:

2. Wash your private parts thoroughly with water; you may use soap and something to scrub your body;

3. Perform wudhu as you would for salah except for the fact you need not wash your feet; which you can do later;

4. Pour water over your head and wash your head; you may use shampoo if you wish;

5. Wash the whole body, starting with your right side, then left.

The perfect method of ghusl is to wash the entire body at least three times. However, doing it once thoroughly is sufficient to make you eligible for salah.”

Q 14. Using robots

I have a question, me and my friends are making this robot for innovation day for a little game to see how many balloons someone can pop in a specific time, sheikh if the robot has a sensor that are eyes and a neck and wheels and body to move and a hand to pop balloons, but no proper circular head, does this consider as haram? Thank you sheikh and have a great day.

Answer

I don’t see any reason to consider making robots an innovation that is forbidden in Islam; it is a device that can be used for a good or evil purpose; so the rule varies according to the way it is used; if used for a good purpose, it is permissible; if however, used for an evil purpose it is haram. So, I don’t think the way you are using it cannot be deemed as haram.

Q 15. Problem with fajr

I hide my prayers cause i have an anti islamic family who threaten me. Recently my brother started sleeping in my room so he sleeps in my bed since there is nowhere else to sleep. I have no way to wake up for fajr. Staying awake is impossible since fajr is at like 5am and i always pass out at like 2am. I used to put my alarm on vibrate to wake up before he came but now i cant even do that since he will hear it and tell my parents. Trying not to miss fajr i have been trying to stay awake and i never can. The lack of sleep is destroying my life since i fail at school and other aspects because of it. I ask you scholars to please reply to this question as soon as possible and not to ignore it cause i am lost and i dont have much time that i can last like this.

Answer

I empathize with your situation and pray to Allah to ease your difficulties.

You should remember the Quranic verse:

“God does not burden any soul beyond its capacity.” (Quran: 2: 286)

 And the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “If I order you to do something, do your best to fulfill it.” The Prophet advised one of his companions who was sick, “Pray standing if you can; if you cannot sit, pray sitting; if you cannot sit, then pray while lying in your bed.” Therefore, pray as you can by using gestures while saying the supplications in your mind.

According to the rules of jurisprudence, if a person cannot do something fulfilling all its conditions, they should still do it by fulfilling whatever requirements they can fulfill.

Based on the above, if you can only pray in your bed, do so.

If, as you stated, you cannot wake up for Fajr because of exhaustion, then you should pray when you wake up. The Prophet told someone who complained of being unable to wake up for the salah that he should pray when he woke up. (Reported by An-Nasai)

When your condition changes, pray by observing all its rules and conditions. In the meantime, remember God much and beg Him to ease your difficulties, for after all, He is in control of the affairs of the universe.

Q 17. Wudu breaks easily and missed prayers

If someone’s wudu breaks easily, it was mentioned that they make new wudu for every obligatory prayer. However, if someone was making up missed salah, for example they make up a missed fajr salah after praying that day’s fajr, would they have to make new wudu to pray missed salah?

Answer

If you are making up for a prayer you missed, you can do so after the Fajr prayer or any other prayer with the same wudu as long as your wudu is intact; if, however, you know for sure that your wudu is broken, then you need to renew it unless you are suffering from bladder incontinence, in which case you are excused. For details, let me cite here one of my earlier answers:

The answer to your question may vary according to one of the two scenarios described below:

“If you are suffering from incontinence, or bladder control problems, then you should do the following:

 You should wash and perform your ablution close to the time of the Salah you intend to perform. After having done so, if, during your Salah, you were to experience any wetness, drops, etc., you need not worry about it; it shall be considered as “excused” in your case. Allah tells us

 “He has not appointed any hardship for you in your religion.” (Q. 22:78) But we must, once again, stress that in this case, one must only perform the necessary purification and Wudhu as close to the Salah as possible.

 Regarding the second scenario:

Suppose you do not suffer from incontinence or bladder problems. In that case, you must ask yourself whether you are sure that you have started your Salah after having established the necessary purification and Wudhu or not. If you are sure that you have done so, you don’t need to pay attention to intrusive thoughts or doubts that assail your mind unless you see some tangible signs indicating otherwise. Such signs include wetness, foul smell or sound of passing winds or fart, etc. If you were to experience any of these tangible signs, you must break your Salah and resume it only after having performed the requisite procedure of purification and Wudhu,

 If, on the other hand, you did not experience any such tangible signs indicated above, then you don’t need to pay any attention to such doubts. That is under the principle of Fiqh that “Certainty cannot be undermined by mere doubt or hesitation”. Therefore, you should continue your Salah until you see clear signs to the contrary.

 In this case, as indicated above, we need to know that such nagging doubts are due to the whisperings of Satan as the Prophet (peace be upon him) told us that Satan will approach us in our Salah, trying to distract us from it. In doing so, he will play different cards with different people. So, it would be best if you dismissed such thoughts.”

Q 17. Purity

I’m confusing 2 things. If there are some impurities like urine on the floor (tiled) we should pour a bucket of water. But in the issue of impurities fall on water there is a view that if the water is less than 2 qullah it becomes impure. So how is impurity gone from the floor by using a bucket of water acording to them who say impurities mixed with water less the 2 qullah remains impure?

I don’t understand this matter. We know that if there is an impurity we can pour 1/2 bucket of water, impurity mixes with water and it’s gone. But some scholars say that if the water is less than 2 qullah then the water mixed with impurity is impure. But 2 qullah water is a lot of water. Then how do they purify such impurity?

Answer

If there are some impurities on the floor, you can clean it by wiping it clean with a cloth or mop; there is no need to pour a bucket of water over it.

Aishah, the beloved wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him), tells us she used to wipe clean traces of blood or semen from her clothes.

The issue of qullah does not apply in this case. Instead, it refers to a well or pond where the impurities have fallen. 

Q 18. About Islam

In the Quran it says that sexual acts between siblings is not allowed but how come Adam and Eve had children and they,(siblings) conceived?.

Answer

That is because Allah is the Lawgiver, and He has abrogated some of the earlier laws according to His infinite wisdom; we are His servants, and we ought to obey His laws.

However, we can see that it was the only way to begin the procreation of humankind.

Therefore, Allah reveals different laws for different circumstances. Slavery was allowed at once, but not now; drinking was allowed in Makkah; later, it was forbidden.

Aishah also tells us Arabs practiced different marriages before Islam; however, Islam forbade them all gradually one by one until the only marriage union allowed now is the one we practice now.

Q 19. Marriage

Me and my cousin (from my father’s side) want to marry each other, but my mother does not want me to marry her I have not tried to convince her as she told me she would harm herself even if the thought crossed my mind. At this point I have decided not to marry her and have made peace with my decision, as the most important person to me is my mother. I wanted to know if what I am doing is a sin or not as my cousin (who I want to marry) is very insistent on marrying me, I have told her about my situation she is silent for now but I feel a burden on me. please clarify this issue for me and guide me with what to do next. Thank you.

Answer

According to the laws of Islam, you may marry her; however, you may do well to give in to your mother’s demands if you fear for her life.

Q 20. Fatwah

I bought a new cloth and gave it to my mother to sell. My mother gives zakat every year. My mother wants to buy this cloth with the zakat money and give it to the poor. Is it permissible?

Answer

Your mother cannot buy the cloth from you and give them to the poor as Zakah. Therefore, Zakah should be given in cash for the income or money she has. However, if the poor person she is giving the money wants to buy it from her using the zakah money she has given them, that is up to them./

Q 21. Dreams

A thought is irritating me for some days, I saw two videos in YouTube in which two girls who were ex-Muslims were claiming that they had a dream of Jesus, that’s why we are converting to Christianity. İ didn’t watch the whole video because the title itself was so irritating, because I was wondering that what Jesus had told them that he is God? Or Prophet Muhammed is not his messenger God Forbid. One video title was ‘God reveals himself to her’. I am so tensed and disturbed for days. can you please help me out in this situation?
Thank you.

Answer

Why are you watching such videos put out by the enemies of Islam? What else can you expect from them? 

You should know that islamophobia is a billion-dollar industry whose sole intent is to spread hatred of Islam and Muslims.

As a Muslim, you may do well to watch the authentic testimonials of countless men and women from different backgrounds who have embraced Islam after ascertaining the truth. Here is one such site:

TheDeenShowTV – YouTube

Q 22. Beautifying after marriage

I’m a woman married. In my country Muslim women say after marriage we need to wear gold. It is mandatory after marriage, i would like to know is it really important or we can just avoid wearing any jewelry.

I don’t like, but elders connect it to religion, so is it compulsory for women to beautify themselves after marriage?

Answer

There is nothing in Islam mandating women to wear gold jewelry after marriage. It is left to her discretion; she should comply with her husband’s wish if he insists on it.

However, husband and wife are supposed to appear appropriately for each other. Ibn Abbas said, “Just as my wife appears beautifully in front of me, I also beautify myself in front of her.”