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. You will find the answers to your questions below.

Q:

Presently staying in UAE for job purpose, recently i went home for vacations and my family decided to go for my engagement. We send a proposal to a family about their daughter and they accepted. In our culture we have long process of getting married so acceptance of proposal from both families is done.
Now my question is , is shariya allowing me to talk to her till i will get her to my home.

As nikah cermony is not yet done, but both families have accepted the nikah proposal.

A:

I pray to Allah to bless your marriage.

As for your question about whether you can talk with your fiancé before nikah, the short answer is yes. You may do so while observing the Islamic guidelines.

Mind you, the engagement, in no way, makes what was haram halal; in other words, even though you are engaged, you are still considered as strangers as far as intimacy is concerned.

For further details, let me cite here one of my earlier answers;

“Engagement in Islam is simply a commitment or promise to marry at a future date or time. Its sole function/significance is to keep other suitors at bay for the time being.

There are virtually no other legal consequences that accrue from engagement:  Hence, it does not in any way make what was otherwise considered haram (prohibited) halal (permitted).

In other words, engagement is not a license for the parties to be together, hold hands, or isolate themselves from one another. Therefore, none of these things are considered permissible.

Since engagement does not make what was previously haraam halaal; therefore, for all practical purposes, they are still strangers. The only difference is that since they are committed to marrying each other, no one else is supposed to approach either one for marriage so long as they are engaged or married.

Furthermore, since we ought to remain faithful to our commitments, one must never consider breaking an engagement for petty reasons.

In conclusion, you can talk with your fiance while observing the above rules.”

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

I have a neighbour who through someone told my mom to send our maid to her house. I wanted to tell the maid immediately but my mom said that tell her when she gets done with cleaning our house. Later I and my mom both forgot and the maid left our house. That neighbour came to our house after 20 min or so to inquire about the maid. my mom opened the gate and she talked to the neighbour but she didn’t apologize for forgetting. I gave the neighbour maid’s number but didn’t apologize either and she went away. Now, this thing keeps bothering me and I should have apologized. What should I do now? I don’t feel like going back to my neighbour’s house and apologizing for that mistake as she already has the number and the matter has been resolved. But what if she wanted to talk to the maid about something important today? maybe she wanted the maid to clean the house today for her. I don’t know what to do now. Am I obliged to apologize in this case? I think I have OCD about such things and I overthink so much about all this. Since that neighbour has gone it’s been hours and I don’t have peace while my mom doesn’t overthink such little things. What Allah wants me to do in this situation?

A:

You do not need to dwell on this mistake and worry about it. Instead, you need to apologize to your neighbor for the error, ask Allah’s forgiveness, and resolve never to repeat the same. Once you do so, you should forget and continue with your life.

It would help if you also practiced constancy in the Istighfar. The Prophet (peace be upon him) set the perfect example for us when he said, “O people, ask forgiveness of Allah and return to Him in repentance (for your sins): I do so a hundred times a day.”

Here is a dua that covers all the sins:

Rabbi ighfir lee dhanbee kullahu diqqahu wa jillahu wa awwalathu wa aakhirahu wa sirrahu wa alaniyyathau wa khataahu wa amdahu wamaa alimthu minhu wamaa lam a;lam

(My Lord, forgive all of my sins for me: the major and the minor, the first and the last, the secret and the open, the intentional and the u unintentional, those of which I am aware of and those I am not aware of.)

May Allah inspire us all to be diligent in iIstighfaar and penance.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

So long ago i had asked a question about fajr.My parents dont let me pray and sometimes they used to sleep with me which meant i could not wake up for fajr,so i had to stay awake till fajr which was 3am and i would always fail to do so and fall asleep,only succeeding like 3 times and failing like 20 times.Once i decided that since i wont be able to i would sleep through it.I had asked sheikh a question about this and he said that i should still try to stay awake,but this was after this,so since i didnt know the ruling,am i sinful?Also one day i was extremely sleepy and i was not sure if my dad was gonna come to sleep in my room.I was extremely sleepy and i thought that instead of lying down if i stay sitting i can last longer awake but since sunrise is at 6am i knew i had no chance so i lied down but still tried to stay awake however i fell asleep shortly after.When i woke up i found out that my dad didnt come at all in my room and maybe if i stood awake longer i could have realized that he went to sleep with my mom and i would of put my alarm and wake up for fajr,however i was extremely tired and wasnt thinking well.Now am i sinful for these scenarios and if i am how am i suppossed to repent when i didnt even know about these rulings?How can i force myself to repent if i was sinful?

A:

I did answer this question in the previous session on this site. I have nothing else to add to it. However, I would urge you to practice constancy in Isitighfaar.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) set the perfect example for us when he said, “O people, ask forgiveness of Allah and return to Him in repentance (for your sins): I do so a hundred times a day.”

Here is a dua that covers all the sins:

Rabbi ighfir lee dhanbee kullahu diqqahu wa jillahu wa awwalathu wa aakhirahu wa sirrahu wa alaniyyathau wa khataahu wa amdahu wamaa alimthu minhu wamaa lam a;lam

(My Lord, forgive all my sins for me: the major and the minor, the first and the last, the secret and the open, the intentional and the u unintentional, those of which I am aware of and those I am not aware of.)

May Allah inspire us all to be diligent inIstighfaar and penance.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Is it true that wearing pants below the ankle is haram?

Follow up question, since motorcycle pants need to go below the ankle, would motorcycle related pants be considered haram aswell? *For the purpose of motorcycle riding*

A:

On this question, let me cite one of my previous answers:

“Scholars agree that wearing a loose robe dropping down below the ankles with the intention of pride is wholly forbidden and haram. However, they disagree on whether to do so would be haram or not if done with no such intention in one’s mind.

The reason for the above disagreement is the two sets of traditions, which seem to be contradictory; therefore, they have taken different approaches to resolving the conflict:

One set of traditions clearly states that whoever drops the clothes out of pride, Allah will not look at him. We also read that Abu Bakr said to the Prophet (peace be upon him), ‘but my clothes drop down unintentionally’; whence he replied, “You are not doing it out of pride.” There is another report from Abd Allah b. Mas’ud (another prominent companion of the Prophet, peace be upon him) said that his clothes would hang below the ankle; when someone pointed it out to him, he said he had a slender leg.

Another set of traditions states that the clothes should not go lower than one’s ankles; if they do, they will be in the fire.

According to most scholars, the first set of traditions provides the rationale for the prohibition: the rationale being the motive of arrogance, vainglory, and false pride. We can very well relate to this as we see royalty in many cultures dragging their clothes on the ground. Therefore, it is understandable that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would condemn such a lifestyle. So, he wants Muslims to stay clear of such flamboyancy and vainglory: Condemnation of pride is a recurring theme in the Quran and hadith.

Thus, the prohibition of isbaal is associated with ostentation and pride. Therefore, it cannot be generalized to include those who wear their pants, as long as the pants do not touch the ground. We know that the Prophet (peace be upon him) allowed women to drop their clothes an inch or two below their ankles–if they took care to avoid sweeping the floor with them.

A second group, which consists of a minority, generalizes the prohibition; because of the strict word used, they say that anything below the ankle is forbidden without sweeping the floor.

That is the view of most scholars belonging to the four schools; as Imam Showkani has stated, the wisdom of prohibition was spelled out in the traditions; therefore, it particularizes the general.

That seems to be a plausible view.

Having said this, I should point out that, as believers, we should shun the habit of wearing pants or robes touching the ground.

In conclusion, you need not worry about wearing pants below your knees while riding a motorbike as long as you do not do so out of ostentation.”

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Is it halal to work for my friend that is doing dropshipping.I know dropshipping is haram but all I have to do is look if any one has ordered from the website and report back to him

A:

I do not think dropshipping in all forms is considered haram; there is no need to rush to condemn them as long as they comply with ethical guidelines and all of the terms and conditions are in place to protect the rights of the buyers and the sellers.

The Prophet allowed for selling products before taking possession of them as long as their weights, measurements, and specifics to pre-empt cheating and exploitation.

Dropshipping is becoming an unavoidable part of e-commerce. If Muslims were to stay away from it, they would be lagging. Therefore, it should come under the category of things permitted under the rule of unavoidable necessity because they are so rampant that it would be impossible to avoid them altogether.

So, it would be best if you asked which company you are working for is legitimate and is bound by the strict guidelines that are set up to protect the rights of the parties involved you may continue. If you doubt, you should leave it and look for another job. Allah will surely provide for you if you try to find one.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

I want to know about conditional divorce.
I told to my wife if you do not pray namaz you are divorce. 

As far as I know conditional divorce depends on intention. I am very confused or in doubt about my intentions. If there is any doubt about my intention, will conditional divorce be valid or not? What is the ruling of Islam?

A:

You ought to ask yourself: By making such a pronouncement, did you intend to force her to pray, and you had the intention to divorce her, and yet she didn’t comply?

If that was your intention, yet she didn’t comply, she is divorced. If, however, you intended to urge her to pray, then the divorce did not take place, and you ought to redeem yourself by offering kaffarah (expiation)

For further details, let me cite her from one of my previous answers:

“Allah says in the Qur’an:

“Allah will not take you to task for oaths which you may have uttered without thought, but He will take you to task for oaths which you have sworn in earnest. Thus, the breaking of an oath must be atoned for by feeding ten needy persons with more or less the same food as you are wont to give to your own families,  or by clothing them, or by freeing a human being from bondage; and he who has not the means ( to do so) shall fast for three days [instead]. This shall be the atonement for your oaths whenever you have sworn [and broken them]. But be mindful of your oaths!’ Thus Allah makes clear unto you His messages, so that you might have cause to be grateful” (Al-Ma’idah 5:89)

Based on this verse, the expiation for breaking an oath entails one of the following:

• One should feed ten poor people offering them same food or equivalent in cash or providing them clothes;
• The second option of freeing a human being from bondage is not available now as slavery is has been abolished, and we are not allowed to re-introduce it;
• Therefore, if a person is unable to feed ten poor persons, because of lack of material means, then he ought to fast three days by way of expiation.

 Having said this, let me rush to add the following:

The above rules apply only to oaths in regards to matters that are virtuous or permissible; they do not apply to oaths entailing sins or acts of disobedience. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever vows to obey Allah, let him do so; if however, he has pledged to commit an act of transgression or disobedience, he must never do it.” (Reported by Abu Dawud, Ibn Hibban and others on the authority of Aishah, the beloved wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

My husband want to give our daughter a name after our prophet (S.A.W) name. One of our prophet Muhammad’s name is “MAHI”. He wanted to name our daughter Mahi. Are we allowed to do that?

Thank u so much in advance for ur answer

A:

Children are one of the most beautiful gifts of Allah; as such, we ought to thank Allah for it. They are a great trust in our hands, so we are obligated to do everything within our means to ensure that the children are nurtured to become responsible Muslims. It cannot happen unless we take all the necessary steps to set them on the straight path through our actions and practices at home and outside.

One of the first duties we owe the children is to give them good names and ensure they are brought up with the best manners.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that the best names are names such as Abd Allah, Abd al-Rahman, etc. (that connect a person with Allah); the most fitting names are Harith and Hamman. You may also name your children after the names of prophets.

However, it would not be desirable to choose such names of the Prophet that describe his specific function. For instance, the name al-Mahi refers to the unique role of the Prophet as an eraser of disbelief; as such, it is too pompous to name your daughter al-Mahi. So I would urge you to look for another good name. You should be able to find one.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

I am a Muslim man. I feel that my question is best for a man to review. I have some questions regarding masturbation. I know it is a sin in Islam. I heard things like if a man is sexually aroused but cannot have an orgasm or ejaculate, then, he could get something called “blue balls.” I am not sure if this is true and I want to clear misunderstandings like, why is it a sin in Islam to masturbate if that could happen? I also heard that if a man does not masturbate at all and he has sexual desires but does not do anything about it, he can get “blue balls.”
I have been so sad lately. I have made the mistake of doing this act. I am so upset. I feel like I have certain symptoms like pain in my area after doing it. I feel nauseous. I do not want to upset my Muslim family after doing this. I need some healthy and Islamic advice. JazakAllah Khayran. Allah is with us all. Assalamu ‘alaikum

A:

Masturbation is generally considered forbidden in Islam since it falls under the category of sexual satisfaction outside the framework of marriage.

According to the Qur’an, those who seek fulfillment outside the framework of marriage are deemed as transgressors. (See the Qur’an 23:7) While explaining this verse, one often finds the commentators listing masturbation under the list of the forbidden categories of sexual fulfillment.

What we have stated above is the generally accepted view. However, according to some scholars, if a person is so tormented by his intense sexual desire or craving that he fears falling into zina (fornication), in such a case, masturbation is permitted as the lesser of the two evils. His case may be compared to that of a person who is permitted to eat pork because of fear of death by starvation.

However, having mentioned the above, we must state that one hardly needs to resort to it when we recognize Islam’s relatively flexible approach towards marriage. Unfortunately, against the clear teachings of Islam, marriage has been rendered another complicated process today due to warped customs and conventions and undue expectations. Therefore, when we approach marriage from the point of view of pristine Islam, we shall find fewer people being forced to exercise the above type of special rulings.

As for your inquiry about the health issues of masturbation, you should consult your physician.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Is it permissible for a man to be a househusband as long as a he fulfils the rights of his wife?

A:

As you should know, men are the maintainers of women, so you should be the family’s primary breadwinner.

“Men shall take full care of women with the bounties which God has bestowed more abundantly on the former than on the latter and with what they may spend out of their possessions.” (Ab-Nisaa’ 4:34)

So, you owe yourself to go out and work to support your household.

If, however, you are prevented from it because of health challenges, you may mutually agree to take on the duties of a household husband.

If you have no such challenges, it is undesirable and unbecoming of a self-respecting man. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘it is a major sin for a man to neglect maintaining his family.” He also said a person going out to earn a lawful source of livelihood to maintain his family is rewarded like someone going out in jihad.

Islam teaches the faithful to work for a living. The Prophet used to kiss a worker’s hands, saying these are the hands loved by Allah and His Messenger.

To stress the great value of work in Islam, Allah orders the faithful to disperse in the land seeking the bounty of Allah even on Friday after the Prayer: “When the Prayer is over, disperse in the land seeking the bounty of Allah.”

In conclusion,

You should not choose this option if you have a choice. However, you may do so as a temporary option while awaiting a job or, God forbid if you are suffering from health challenges that prevent you from going out to work.

May Allah guide us to think and act in ways that would preserve our self-esteem and dignity and thus earn His goodly pleasure.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

I bought a house using a mortgage from a non-Islamic bank 3yrs ago and am paying riba on it. Alhumdulilah i have realised the big sin i am involved in and want to repent and get out of paying any more riba InshaAllah.

I have two options.

1. Refinance the mortgage with islamic bank under an (Ijarah Muntahia Bittamleek) loan arrangement. Problem is i feel thats is still riba just wrapped up nicely to look halal.

2. I sell the house. Which will stop me from paying anymore riba. But there are 2 problems with that. Firstly, house value has gone up and i will likely make a profit. and i dont know if thats halal money i can use.

Secondly, the price of the house almost guarantees that the buyer will have to take a loan to purchase it. Will i be sinful for selling the house like that?

If you can please advise on the above? Jazakallahu Khairyan

A:

I would offer the third option: keep paying the mortgage and try your best to clear it as soon as possible.

Buying a house for living through a mortgage, in the event of no other choice, is permissible as per the ruling of the European Fiqh Council and other eminent scholars.

This ruling is based on the fact that owning a house is a Hajah or need; as such, it can be permissible under the rule of necessity. It can also come under the principle of choosing the lesser of two evils.

In other words, if you opt to rent a house, you are helping someone else pay their mortgage, and you end up losing. But, on the other hand, the rent you will be paying over some time will be sufficient for you to own the same.

In light f of the above considerations, it is permissible for you to purchase the house using the standard mortgage method–if you have no other option.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

I am a 20 year old muslimah that is an artist. My purpose as an artist is to use my art as a means to communicate my relationship with Islam and to spread the Deen through visual communication. I am of the opinion that drawing faces and living beings are permissible so long as it does not depict anything sinful and is not used as means to worship or venerate. I recently started a series of metaphorical paintings that shows the life long pursuit of a muslim. The first painting of the series was a portrait of a smiling grandma in the center and a verse from the Quran that is repeatedly written in Kufic calligraphy throughout the entire canvas as her background as well as going over her face. The verse was سَلَامٌ قَوْلًا مِنْ رَبٍّ رَحِيمٍ. “‘Peace!’ is the word from the Lord All- Compassionate.” (36:58) The verse narrates the moment when Allah welcomes His creation to heaven with the word “Salam” The painting of the elderly women depicts the lifelong pursuit of a Muslim and the hope and wait for the day when Allah greets us with those words. The verse makes up her background as a metaphor about how the words of Allah is what guides us and how we view the external world is through the lens of the Quran and it’s teachings. The verse then becomes inverted on her face as a means to show how the verse is embedded onto her being and what makes us Muslims is through the words of Allah. It is meant to show how His words bring her the strength to navigate life and that the ultimate day of happiness and peace is on the Day of Judgement. I wanted each painting in the series to showcase an emotion and to have a verse that gives us the direction and strength to navigate that emotion for our ultimate goal in life.

Someone reached out to me and said that it could not be allowed to have the words of Allah on top of the drawing. My heart has not been at peace since hearing this since the main purpose of my art is to showcase the true essence and teachings of this beautiful religion. Is there a ruling in regards to placing Quranic verses and are their guidelines that I should be aware of as an artist that might go against the purpose of my paintings? I want to ensure that I am creating through the guidelines of our faith.

JazakAllahukhairan for taking the time to read this.

A:

Art is a powerful medium that can be used for good or evil purposes. Muslims ought to master it and use it to promote truth, justice, and compassion. By failing to do so, Satan will use it against us.

However, as with any other medium, we ought to use it while observing the law of haram and halal.

If the way used to inscribe the Quranic verse is akin to desecrating the holy word, you should not do so; if it does not involve any such activity, there is no need to back out of it.

If that is the case, you should find other creative ways of using the Holy Word to convey the message you wish to share. Once you try to do so with your faith and trust in Allah, your creative mind should open new doors for you.

I would advise you to ask: Does my use of the Holy Word show irreverence or abuse of the same?

If it doesn’t, you may embark on this noble task by praying and trusting Allah.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

If someone gets waswas that if you did that you will get the sin of riba or zina even if the thought is about salah or exercise….it is confused for someone that in a hadith mentioned that whatever goes in your mind is not sinful until you speak about it or “act upon it “.

A:

It would be best for you to dismiss such thoughts by seeking refuge in Allah.

For details, let me cite here one of my previous answers to a similar question:

“We are accountable for our deliberate thoughts, while we are not accountable for thoughts that assail our minds over which we have no control. However, we can learn to master our thoughts through spiritual discipline so that they do not lead us astray.

Let me explain this concept:

Imam  Ghazali divides thoughts into three categories: 1. Mental chatter over which we have no control; for at any time we are assailed by suggestions; 2. However, once we dwell on any of them, it is raised to the next level: an obsession; 3. When we decide to pursue this further, it is termed a niyyah or resolution. The latter is an act of the mind. When we are excused for the first two kinds of thoughts, we are questioned above the intentions we deliberately cherish in our minds.

Allah says, “Unto Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. And whether you bring into the open what is in your minds or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it; and then He will forgive whom He wills, and will chastise whom He wills: for Allah has the power to will anything” (Qur’an: 2: 284).

Having said this, I must also rush to add: we are to dispel the whisperings of Satan by seeking refuge in Allah through dhikr. Constancy in dhikr is the best antidote. Dhikr and du’a are the best weapons in our fight against our sworn enemy: Satan.

It is precisely for this purpose, we are ordered to read the last three surahs before retiring to bed as well as in the morning. We are also told to read;

Rabbi innee a’oodhu bika min hamazaati al-shshayaateeni wa ‘aoodhu bika rabbi an yahdhurooni

“My Lord, I see refuge in You from the evil whisperings of the devils, and I seek refuge in You from their presence around me.”

I would therefore advise you to practice constancy in dhikr and condition yourself to turn to Allah when faced with temptations or evil suggestions. We can defeat Satan only by the help of Allah. When we turn to Him for help, He is ready to help us.”

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

I want to know Islam’s stand on living with in-laws that invades your privacy, called you with bad words, provoke your husband living overseas and force you to live and serve them while your husband is away

A:

You don’t need to tolerate the abuse of your in-laws. It would be best if you asked your husband to take charge and try to make them understand how they harm their souls. Islam teaches that Allah does not tolerate injustice or abuse, no matter who causes it. If he does not stand up, he contributes or condones the same.

Alternatively, you may ask an elder or imam to intervene and speak to them.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

I wanted to ask if i see adult videos and there are ads on the sides and if unintentionally click it and the publisher from ads earns money, and with that money will produce more and more videos then will i get continuous sin even in the grave.

Thank you

A:

I would urge you to stop watching such videos. It is a grave sin; if you persist, it will corrupt your soul and endanger your salvation.

As for the ads that prop up, add to the burden of your sins. By watching such videos, you are condoning it by watching such videos. Therefore, you earn a double sin: the sin of watching an adult video and the evil of promoting unlawful income.

I would therefore advise you to stop the habit. Furthermore, you should empower yourself by practicing dhikr and Istighfaar and begging Allah to help you overcome this bad habit.

You should know that breaking a bad habit can only be done by thinking of the consequences of the sin, stopping it, and starting a good habit. 

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

I took an interest based loan in the past now I have paid the loan am I obliged to pay the interest or not?

A:

When you took the loan, you signed a contract to pay the amount plus the interest. Therefore, you are bound by the agreement you signed or agreed to. So you cannot escape it by saying you don’t want to pay the interest. 

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

I’ve heard not too long ago about a Hadith which stats that the Prophet SAW used to destroy crosses. Since the English alphabet includes the letter “t”, which sometimes resembles a cross, would I need to destroy or erase every letter “t” in my home that I can find? Jazāk Allāhu Khayran

A:

Your attempt to interpret the letter T as the cross is nit-picking. The cross is banned because it represents an idea inimical to the pure doctrine of tawhid or Divine Oneness preached by all prophets and messengers, including Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad.

The letter T has no such connotation, so you should not go to extremes in such matters by taking things out of their context.

The Prophet warned us against extremism in all shapes and forms.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Can I restrict my sister, from going to a food place which has a bad male environment?

There is a restaurant, which has a shisha bar, outside it, and you have to walk through it to get to the restaurant, and there are alot of males, and i do not feel comfortable letting her go.

A:

You ought to try to protect your sister. However, you have no right to restrict her freedom of movement. as an adult, she has the right to choose for herself.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

What do you have to say about supposive scientufic errors in the Quran and Sunnah? I know that Islam is perfect and that Quran and Sunnah have no mistakes, but some people claim there are. Could you please explain this to me?

A:

You seem to be brainwashed by the Islamophobes who want to discredit Islam. If you believe in Islam, you should never pay attention to those driven by hatred to spread lies against Islam.

It is primarily due to the rational coherence and miraculous nature of the Quran that hundreds of men and women have embraced Islam and are still doing so. They include such luminaries as Muhammad Asad, Murad Hoffman, and countless others.

You can see a list of converts to Isalm from all over the world here:

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

I cheated in a major exam to enter university and i got in.  Will my earnings be haram if I don’t cheat the university?

A:

You need to redeem yourself by retaking the exam, if possible. If that is not possible, you ought to study and master your field to make your income lawful. By bypassing the exam by cheating, you have earned a degree without proper study; as such, you are not qualified for the job, and thus your income is dubious. The only way you can make it lawful is by earning the necessary credentials through proper study and thus convincing yourself you know the field to do the job expected of you.

Furthermore, it would be best if you continued to ask the forgiveness of Allah and cleanse your income through voluntary charities on top of the zakah due on your income.

As a Muslim, you should never cheat or resort to dubious methods to achieve goals in life.

Integrity, truthfulness, and honesty are all essential traits of a true Muslim. So, it would be best if you tried to acquire these habits.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

I have a quick question from what I understand when we go to the grave and say salaam and dua the dead know and benefit from it… my question is when we do sadka or charity on their behalf do they receive the presents instantly in barzakh? Like any good deeds we do for them are they aware of this? And when we visit their grave do they get happy?

A:

The answer to this question is yes. That is what we can rightly conclude from the authentic sources of Islam; your father can know when you visit him; he will also be able to hear and return your greeting, besides benefiting from your Du’as and good deeds on his behalf.

To further clarify the issue: This question belongs to an area or realm which is beyond the confines of logic, reason or experimentation: It belongs exclusively to the area of revelation.

As far as we can know from the revelation, it is clear that those who are buried in the grave not only know their visitors, if they had known them prior to their death, but also return their greetings.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, has left us clear instructions to visit the graves of our relatives and friends, to greet them and to offer prayers for them. This is lest we forget them after their death; through frequent visits to their graves we renew our relationship with them, invoke Allah’s mercy upon them, besides reminding ourselves of our final destination in the next world.

Such instructions, it is clear upon pondering, have meaning only if they are able to know their visitors and are able to return their greetings.

Imam Ibn Abd al-Barr, in his famous work Kitab al-Tamhid, has cited the following report on the authority of Ibn Abbas: The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “If a Muslim were to pass by the grave of his believing brother whom he used to know in this world and greet him, the latter would recognize him and would return the same.”

The Prophet, peace be upon him, further taught us to visit the graves of our relatives and friends and offer salutations/greetings thus:

Assalaamu alaikum diyaara qawmin mu’mineen wa inna inshaa Allaah bikum lahikun yaghfiru Allah lanaa wa lakum wa li saa’iri al-mulsimeen

(Greetings of peace to You O believers, dwelling in these residences; with Allah’s leave we will also be joining you in the near future; may Allah forgive us and you and all the Muslims).

Furthermore, referring to the disbelievers who were slain in the battle of Badr, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “Surely you are not better able to hear me than them; but the only difference is that they cannot respond to me!”

To conclude, you should continue to visit the grave of your father and greet him and offer prayers and supplications on his behalf; insha Allah, he will be able to know you when you visit him.

May Allah grant us sound understanding of our religion and sincerity in practicing it-ameen.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Is there a marriage in Islam if a girlfriend accepts her 3 times without having Imam?

A:

There is no room in Islam for the concept of a secret marriage, so you cannot simply assume you are married by telling each other you are husband and wife.

In Islam, marriage is a solemn religious and social contract; as such, it must conform to certain minimum standards and requirements to be valid and acceptable; without these, it cannot be valid, for it is then hardly distinguishable from fornication or illicit relations.

The minimum conditions for the validity of nikah are as follows: the consent of the guardian of the woman, the presence of witnesses, offering and acceptance, and finally mahr (dower). Once a person fulfils the above conditions, the marriage will be valid; but if he fails to fulfill them, it is null and void.

It concerns as far as the consent of guardian, and it can only be dispensed with if the guardian is refusing to give permission for considerations other than Islamic, in which case the judge can allow the marriage after having followed the due process. If such is not the case and no attempt was made to determine the consent of the guardian, then such a marriage would be considered invalid and, therefore, unacceptable in Islam. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “There is no (valid) marriage without a guardian and two reliable witnesses.” (Reported by Tabarani)

By stipulating the conditions mentioned above for the validity of marriage, Islam insists that marriage should remain distinct from other loose and immoral lifestyles such as fornication and illicit affairs. Hence, the Prophet emphasized making unions public.

Based on what we mentioned above, the concept of a marriage “just for both of you or for Allah” is not tolerated in Islam.

Society has a share in marriage in the sense that people should know that both of you are married so that they do not suspect you of maintaining an illicit relationship. According to the teachings of Islam, we are under obligation to do whatever we can to safeguard our religion, honor, and dignity; and as such we should stay away not only from that which is considered as strictly haram or forbidden but also from all that is doubtful and dubious

The Prophet (peace and blessings be him) said, “Whosoever shuns what is doubtful he has protected his religion and honor; but whosoever commits what is doubtful, he may inadvertently fall into haram!” (Reported by Muslim)

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Is it permissible to make dua after finishing the prayer?

A:

Dhikr and Dua after the Salah are not only permissible but strongly recommended. The Prophet (peace be upon him) has set a precedent for it. There are numerous traditions that state he used to offer supplications after salam.

He used to recite astaghfirullah three times (as reported by Thawban)

The Prophet also used to supplicate:

Rabbi qinee adhaaba yawma tabathu ibaadaka

(My Lord, save me from Your punishment when you gather Your servants (for the final reckoning) (Reported by Bara b. Azib)

And he advised Muadh b. Jabal to supplicate as follows after every Salah:

Allaahumma ainee alaa dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni ibaadathika

(O Allah, help me to remember You, to thank You, and to worship You in the best way)

The above are only a few traditions that prove that offering Duas after the Salah is a strong tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Can Muslims eat KFC and McDonald’s?  

A:

Muslims should try their best to eat meat slaughtered by Muslims when and wherever possible.

If left without such choices, it is not haram to eat meat served or prepared by the people of the book, such as the Christians and the Jews.

For details, I would cite here one of my earlier answers:

“The question of meat slaughtered by the People of the Book has been a controversial issue among Muslim scholars. The vast majority of scholars from all of the four schools consider it permissible for us. They base this on the clear statement of the Qur’an: “Today, I have permitted for you all good things, and the food of the People of the Book is permissible for you, and your food is permissible for them.” (Al-Ma’idah: 5)

According to Ibn ‘Abbas, the food of the People of the Book mentioned in the above verse refers to the meat slaughtered by them.

Based on this, the majority of scholars belonging to the four schools of thought consider it permissible for Muslims to eat animals slaughtered by the Christians and Jews so long as these animals are considered lawful for us to eat.

If you fall in this category of those who live among the People of the Book, then you may eat their meat, especially if you cannot find meat slaughtered by Muslims.

As for stunning the animal, it does not make the animal dead, for it is intended only to knock the animal unconscious so that it does not feel pain and it is brought under control. This itself does not render the animal impure and unlawful unless it is dead before slaughter.

My own experience with the slaughterhouses is that they do not make use of animals that are already dead before slaughter. Inspectors, who are appointed by the government (in countries such as Canada), do make sure that this is not the case.

As far as the wisdom of stunning is concerned, it is really in conformity with the wisdom established in the Prophetic hadith in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said, “Allah has prescribed excellence and compassion in all things, so when you kill, kill well; when you slaughter, slaughter well, and let him sharpen his knife and spare the animal pain.”

In conclusion, we are definitely allowed to partake of such meat, especially if we do not find meat provided by Muslims.”

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Can a widow go out during iddah?

A:

She can do so if she observes the required conditions associated with iddah.

For details, I would like to cite one of my earlier answers:

“The rule of ‘iddah applies to all widows without any age distinction. I find no evidence in the sources which would allow us to make a distinction, nor do I see any scholarly ruling allowing for an exception. Therefore, I would urge her to spend the prescribed period even though she has passed the age of marriage.

However, it is essential to point out that ‘iddah in no way implies that she cannot move around, breathe fresh air, or experience sunshine; she can do all of these; she can also move with her children if she finds it necessary to do so because of her need to get help or even simply for socialization. The Prophet (peace be upon him) allowed widows in ‘iddah to visit their neighbors and converse with them while making sure to return home to return to bed. The Prophet’s wife ‘Aishah, used to take the widows of her family circle with her to perform ‘umrah; when questioned about it, her reply was,’ iddah is all about your attitude and how you carry yourself around. In other words, a woman in ‘iddah must shun all forms of beautification.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Is there any difference between subh and fajr?

A:

There is virtually no difference between Subh and Fajr. Both names have been used in the sources for the dawn prayer, whose time begins upon the arrival of true dawn and lasts until sunrise.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Can I work in the field of changing currencies?

A:

Working in currency exchange is permissible as long it adheres to the Islamic guidelines>

The exchange of one currency for another should be done in the same sitting so that one may exchange a pound for a dollar or vice versa in the same sitting.

For further details, you may consult Dr. Monzer Kahf, an Islamic finance expert. You can contact him here: monzer.kahf.com

Almighty Allah knows best.