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.

Question 1:

I was at the gym until around 2 am my phone didn’t have charge. Nobody at the gym and I was basically stranded

I I looked in the lost and found , to find a charger cause of the necciesty.

Then I couldn’t find anything.
I then had no other way to get a charger but to walk far or to go to this bar and grill where I could ask to call somebody. They gave me a charger and I didn’t do anything wrong. A female tried to talk to me asked me where was I at , where is my mom , and things like this. I then told her after another question that because of my religion I don’t want to speak to her. Was anything I did any wrong I only answered her questions that mattered only looked at her face for second glances and lowered my gaze.

Should I tell my parents that I went to this place ? Or not because I feel she would get very upset with me

Answer 1:

All you need to do is to ask for Allah’s forgiveness and beg for His mercy. Allah does not take us to task for mistakes that are not willful or deliberate; Instead, He looks into our hearts and intentions. Since you had no evil intentions, you do not need to worry overly about what happened or tell your parents about it.

Allah says:

“Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity. To its credit is what it earns, and against it is what it commits. ‘Our Lord, do not condemn us if we forget or make a mistake. Our Lord, do not burden us as You have burdened those before us. Our Lord, do not burden us with more than we have strength to bear; pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our Lord and Master, so help us against the disbelieving people.” (Al-Baqarah 2: 286)

So, I urge you to seek forgiveness and repentance. You may use the Du`a in the verse mentioned above. Here is another one to use:

Rabbi ighfir lī ḍanbī kullahu diqqahu wa jillahu wa awwalahu wa ākhirahu wa sirrahu wa ̔alāniyyathahu wa khaṭa ̓ahu wa ̔amdahu wa mā ̔alimthu minhu wa mā lam a ̔lam

(My Lord, forgive me all of my sins: the minor and the major, the first and the last, the silent and the public, that which I have committed deliberately and that which I did do unintentionally; and those of my sins that I am aware of and that I am not aware.)

Question 2:

Respected Scholar, I will try to express what I want to say. I feel like my emotions have overflowed. I am in a higher grade, and this year is supposed to be important. I need to score good. I really “want” to as well, I want to top as well. It’s not because of study pressure, but I do want to come first in my grade. But I’m really bad at studying. And during the start of the year, during Ramadan, I was close to My Deen, and I had planned out all my study sessions. But I got a bit lazy, and it increased and now I’m back on square one..I don’t pray daily, and I’m doing bad habits.
I also have a hard time managing my emotions. Whenever I see a good-looking person, I get so attracted to them. This is natural. But when I’m alone, I imagine myself having a spouse, having these delusions about a perfect life, and living under the thought that Everything will be perfect. But I’m not working for it.

My family’s financial condition is not good, yet my parents have never said no to anything. They’re helping us always. But I’m always betraying them by listening to music secretly or not studying. At school, I just can’t focus. I don’t understand the concepts. I can’t help but feel like I don’t belong. I don’t.
Whenever I’m at school, I feel that if I get good grades, and become the most brilliant student, then it wouldn’t matter if anyone liked me or no, since I’d be a good student.

And I’m also confused about my future. I don’t know which career to pick. What’s wrong or right. I don’t know what to do. Please help…please advise.

Please understand that when it comes to romance, I’m only the type to enjoy. I’m not willing to marry every good-looking person I come across, I won’t. I will look at their Deen and personality.
So why am I wasting my time yearning for this temporary pleasure? I tell myself. I know it’s wrong. But I don’t know how to control myself.

Studying is important. I should be studying, I love it, but I don’t study. My Nafs gets stronger.
Delusional, listening to music, and imagining myself being happy is all I do. This is why I despise myself..please help me.

Answer 2:

It would help if you spoke to the student counselor at the university; he should be able to give you some practical tips to focus on your studies.

From an Islamic point of view, you need to develop your willpower. The first step towards achieving success is to intend to change your life sincerely.

Once your intention is sincere and you follow it with consistent action, trusting in the Lord, success is guaranteed. Allah assures us in the Qur’an: “And those who shall strive for Our Sake, We shall surely guide them unto Our ways.” (Al-`Ankabut 29: 69)

While combating laziness, the first thing to do is to recognize that, like all negative habits we have formed, it is a habit we have acquired through consistent practice. We persist in it because we find comfort and gain pleasure in it. So, we can only be expected to get rid of it when we learn to link this habit with horror, pain, and suffering rather than glamorizing it. So, list all the negative aspects and dire consequences associated with laziness.

List everything you stand to lose if you were to persist in this habit. Do this as often as possible until laziness becomes automatically associated with pain and suffering in your consciousness.

Secondly, every time you tend to feel lazy, take whatever steps you can immediately counter the tendency and nip it in the bud. By doing these things consistently and repeatedly, you will be empowered to overcome laziness.

 Here are a few more practical steps you can take to fight this all-pervasive habit:

1. List all the successes you could achieve if you shake yourself free of this harmful habit.
2. Think and meditate on the success stories of the great leaders who, through sheer determination, hard work, and trust in Allah, achieved what was thought impossible: Think of the success story of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who, without hardly any material supports, did what no other person has done. Think of those who have been physically challenged yet accomplished what others could not do through sheer determination and hard work.
3. List all the positive strengths you have, which even the Prophet (peace be upon him) or those who have been physically challenged and who achieved incredible feats did not possess.
4. Until you have overcome laziness, it is crucial for you to associate with those who are successful or hard-working; if you are a student, try to choose a study environment to read or study. Fight the temptation of studying at home until you have mastered laziness.
5. Last but not least, start your day by counting the blessings of Allah, and thus focus on your strengths rather than on your weaknesses, and pray to Allah to grant you a day of glory, acceptance, and success. You may consistently make the following Du`as:

Allaahumma ineee asbahtu minka fee ni’matin wa aafiyatin wa sitr fa atimma alayaa ni’mataka wa aafiyataka wa sitraka alayya fi al-ddunyaa wa al-aakhirah

 (O Allah! I enjoy this morning Your gift of blessings, well-being and protection, all because of Your sheer favor; so consummate these gifts for me in this world and the next)

 Allaahumma innee a’oodhu bika min al-‘ajzi wa al-kasal wa al-jubni wa al-bukhl

 wa ‘a’oodhu bika min munkaraati al-akhlaaqi wa al-ahwaai

 (O Allah! I seek refuge in You from feelings of helplessness, laziness, cowardice, and niggardliness; I also seek refuge in You from all despicable traits and opinions/whims)

 Allaahumma innee as’aluka khayra haadha al-yawmi nasrahau wa fathahu wa barakatathu wa ‘aoodhu bika min sharri haadha al-yawmi wa sharri maa ba’dahu

 (O Allah! I beg You to grant me the best that this day holds out in terms of success, victory, and blessings, and I seek refuge in You from the worst that this day holds out and the day after). I pray to Allah to inspire you to overcome challenges and excel in your studies.

Question 3:

I am a VR developer working for a university. In my job, I develop VR simulations for researching digital psycho-therapy. I also have to create and implement 3D Human Characters.
These look realistic, animated, and voiced.

I create them using a tool (Character Creator 4) and AI-generated faces.
At first, I thought this job was perfect, but after reading some scary hadith about image-makers being punished on the day of judgment, I am in doubt.

Do you recommend I quit my job?

Answer 3:

As far as I can see, your work does not fall into the prohibition of image-making condemned in the Hadith.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) is speaking about carving images for worship, which is shirk, the antithesis of Tawhid.

Therefore, the Prophet condemned those who carve images for shirk.

Your work does not fall into the category of shirk; it is simply a medium of education. Therefore, as with any medium, its intended use makes it halal or haram.

Since I assume you are creating educational materials, it is lawful and may even be recommended, especially for therapeutic or healing purposes. Islam is a life-affirming faith that encourages us to explore all genuine treatment methods. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Seek treatments, O servants of Allah, since Allah has appointed a cure for every ailment except old age.”  (Reported by Imam Ahmad)

Question 4:

I’ve been thinking about writing a fiction novel that includes a non-Muslim girl finding her way to Islam and becoming a Muslim, is it permissible for me to write this novel? The novel includes violence, death, mental illnesses etc.; there’s also a message behind the book about chasing money. I’m not going to publish the story but I just want to write because it’s been on my mind for a while, so is it permissible for to write it and if not, what are the rulings for writing a fiction novel?

Answer 4:

Writing fiction or non-fiction alone cannot be considered haram or halal; it depends on the intent, the method, and the message you wish to communicate.

All of our faculties will be called to account for their actions; we ought to use them in the service of Allah. To use them for any other purpose is akin to misuse or abuse; as Imam Ghazali refers to it, it is zulm or injustice.

A famous writer, al-Jahiz, appeared in the dream of a pious person; the latter asked him to impart the lesson he had learned from his experience. The famous writer said, “Do not write with your hands anything that you would not like to see in your register on the day of resurrection.”

Therefore, you need to ask: What is the purpose of this enterprise I am embarking on? Is it beneficial for me in the Hereafter when I will stand before Allah for the final reckoning?

Question 5:

Does Allah listen to dua, which we do in the heart like if we are working in the kitchen while doing work, we are praying in the heart but tongue, does Allah listen to our prayers?

Answer 5:

Indeed, you can make dhikr in your heart while engaging in daily chores like cooking, driving, etc. However, you should not do so while you are in relieving nature.

Dhikr, or the remembrance of Allah, is the most excellent deed we can ever perform. As Imam Ibn Al-Mubarak said: “If a human knew anything and everything of this world, and yet he did not know Allah, then he lost everything. If he knew Allah and nothing else, then he gained everything.”

When Allah spoke with the Prophet Musa (peace be upon him), He addressed him, saying: “I am God; so, worship Me and establish prayer for celebrating My remembrance.”  (Taha 20:14)

Allah says, “Remember Me: I will remember you.” (Al-Baqarah 2:152)

Allah describes the believers as those who remember Allah standing, sitting, and lying on their sides.’  (Aal `Imran 3:191)

It is no wonder that the Prophet’s beloved wife, Aishah, said he was always in the habit of remembering Allah.

Now, coming to the question as to how to remember Allah, Allah reminds us that our best exemplar is the Messenger of Allah: “You have indeed a beautiful exemplar in the Messenger of Allah: for those of you who expectantly look towards Allah and the Last Day and remember Allah much.”   (Al-Ahzab 33: 21)

The question arises as to what form of dhikr is the most excellent. Imam An-Nawawi and others state that the best form of dhikr involves the heart and tongue. So, if you have a choice, try to engage your heart and tongue; if you have no choice, do so in your heart. Allah says in a Hadith Qudsi, “I am with My servant when He remembers Me; if he remembers Me in his mind/heart, I will remember him in My mind; if he remembers Me in an assembly, I will remember him in a better assembly.”  (Reported by Al-Bukhari)

Having said this, we are to engage our tongues in reciting the essential readings of the prayer, such as Al-Fatihah, surahs, and associated duas or adhkar. However, we will always go right if we keep the examples of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in all such matters.

Question 6:

I am a young female and I was talking to a boy. We did not exchange any pictures or any nudity nothing of a such. However, we did talk about sex and he went into great detail. I followed along but felt guiltier and guiltier as the conversation went on that I put an end to it and blocked him entirely. I do not know if this counts as Zina and if it does will Allah SWT forgive me? I am so paranoid now and have tremendous guilt in my heart. I feel as if I am going to vomit. I pray every single day and I’m so worried I have just lost a spot in Jannah because of my idiotic actions. Please help me.

Answer 6:

Adultery/fornication in Islam is one of the most heinous and deadliest of sins; its enormity can be gauged from the fact that it has often conjoined in the Quran with the gravest of all evils: shirk or associating partners with Allah.

Allah says in the Qur’an, “Do not even go near adultery for it is, for it is an indecent thing and an evil way.” (Al-Isra 17:32)

 “(And the servants of the Beneficent) are those who do not upon another god with Allah, and who do not…….commit fornication/adultery, for whoever does that shall receive the penalty; for them shall the torment be doubled on the day of resurrection, and therein they shall abide forever, disgraced, save them who repents and believes and does good works; those, Allah shall change their misdeeds into good works. And Allah is Forgiving, Compassionate.” (Al-Furqan 25:68-70)

 The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “Whoever guarantees me that he/she will guard his/her chastity, I will guarantee him/her paradise.” (Al-Bukhari)

Since Islam is a natural and rational religion, Allah orders us not only to refrain from fornication but also to keep away from all leads and associations, including circumstances and incentives. That is why the Prophet said, “Eyes fornicate; the fornication of the eyes is lustful stare; ears fornicate; their fornication involves hearing or listening; hands fornicate; their fornication involves touching; feet fornicate; their fornication involves walking or taking the steps towards it; and heart or mind lust, finally it is consummated the private parts.”

In another tradition, the Prophet said, “tongue fornicates; it involves lustful talk.” (Reported by Ibn Taymiyyah)

Therefore, there is no doubt that you took the steps towards fornication, although you did not consummate the final act.

Therefore, if you are sincere in seeking repentance, you should take the following steps:

1. Feeling deep remorse over the sinful act.
2. Refraining from it and all the leads, circumstances, and actions associated with it; including staying away from bad company or friends.
3. Resolving in your mind never to return to such actions.
4. Finally, following it up with good deeds to wipe out or expiate for the sin.

Allah says, “As for those who repent, believe, and do good deeds, they are the ones whose evil deeds Allah will change into good deeds. For Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Al-Furqan 25:70)

For further details on repentance, you may access the answer linked below:

The Door of Repentance Is Wide Open | About Islam

Question 7:

I have a question about Surah Tariq which talks about a star in the first few ayat but then goes on to talking about the sky in ayat 11, according to quran.com the ayat 11 specifically translates to “By the sky with its recurring cycles”. Is this referring to water cycle or a solar cycle because i thought it might be a coincidence because other translations say its talking about water cycle. But the words وَٱلسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ ٱلرَّجْعِ dont mention water anywhere furthermore, a solar cycle is every 11 years in space where sun shifts its magnetic field it also can be seen as a cycle in space/sky and the fact is mentioned in the exact 11 ayat could it be hinting to that instead. Please correct me if im wrong

Quran.com

Answer 7:

Since the word used in the Quranic verse is general, one should not make it exclusive; instead, it should be inclusive. There is no reason to limit it to a single one.

We know there are not just one but various cycles going on in the sky: the water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles are the most prominent examples. There could be many more. Therefore, there is no reason for us to limit it to a single cycle. It is best that we leave it as inclusive as possible.

Question 8:

I sometimes watch tv shows or movies, and sometimes there will be lines where they mock god, I hate them in my heart, but I continue watching them. Is this disbelief? I suffer from severe waswasa in these matters.

Answer 8:

You should stop watching such programs; if you persist in watching them despite such blasphemous scenes, it betrays a lack of reverence for the symbols of Allah.

Allah tells us how to deal with those who scoff at the fundamental tenets of faith,

“As He has already revealed to you [believers] in the Scripture, if you hear people denying and ridiculing God’s revelation, do not sit with them unless they start to talk of other things, or else you will become like them: God will gather all the hypocrites and disbelievers together into Hell.” (An-Nisa 4:140)

And in another place, “When you come across people who speak with scorn about Our revelations, turn away from them until they move on to another topic. If Satan should make you forget, then, when you have remembered, do not sit with those who are doing wrong.” (Al-An`am 6:68)

Therefore, we ought to stop watching such programs; if we do not, as Imam Ghazali observes, what we watch may be imprinted in our subconscious whether we like it or not, they may come up to haunt us and lead us astray as Satan may use his devious methods to influence us.

May Allah inspire us to cherish faith and hate disbelief and transgressions.

Question 9:

I always hear whisper that i can’t control in my brain, especially when i need to do something as buying a car, rent a place, or to do something good for business legal and halal, but it says don’t do this if you do this you will go to hell, or your parents or your child, it says, but if you cancel doing it then ok no hell, by the way i always check this in mind, and when whisper comes by threatening me with hell, makes me confused, sad, highly anxiety, is this waswas or coming from Allah, or my illness can’t know which? i then start to think Allah may be punishing me for my wrongs or not? really I am in deep waswas or not ,what’s your comment? thanks much for reading, Salam

Answer 9:

I advise you to ask your physician to refer you to a specialist who can help you with this issue, insha Allah.

From a spiritual perspective, you should dismiss such thoughts as soon as they occur by seeking refuge in Allah saying: 

Aoodhu billaahi mina as-shaytaani ar-rajeem

Allaahumma a’oodhu bika min hamazaathi as-shayateeni wa’ aoodhu bika rabbi an yahdhurooni

(I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed. O Allah, I seek Your protection from the whisperings of devils and their presence around me)

You should also read the last three surahs of the Quran in the morning and evening, and the throne verse or ayatul kursi, all of them are effective protection from the assails of Satan and his army. However, they will be effective only as long as you are steadfast in the observance of the commandments of Allah.

For details, let me cite here one of my earlier answers on a similar question:

“Satanic whisperings assail the minds of believers, but we should try to repel his attacks by turning to Allah to seek refuge in Him. Allah says: “Verily, they who are conscious of God bethink themselves [of Him] whenever any dark suggestion from Satan touches them – whereupon, lo, they begin to see [things] clearly.… (Al-A`raf 7:201)

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “Satan runs through the blood veins of the children of Adam; however, if they remember Allah, he retreats.” Satan cannot stand the power of dhikr and du’a. The Prophet advised the believers to develop immunity through constancy in dhikr and du’a. In another hadith, the Prophet is reported to have said: “Du’a is the weapon of the believer.” So please don’t get frustrated by such whisperings; fight them through dhikr and du’a, and seek to acquire beneficial knowledge. 

I advise you to read the following books on the purification of the heart and practice the tips mentioned: The Purification of the Heart compiled from the works of Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, Ibn Al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya, and Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, and Purification of the Heart: Signs, Symptoms and Cures of the Spiritual Diseases of the Heart (Paperback) by Shaikh Hamza Yusuf.

Question 10:

Do the husband and wife have to make wudu or ghusl each time if the private part of husband slips out during intercourse?

Answer 10:

Ghusl or ritual bathing is obligatory in case of sexual intercourse, whether one experiences ejaculation or not.

It is not, however, necessary in case of foreplay, in which case, one should wash the genitals and renew wudhu if it results in wetness.

Question 11:

Is it valid to force a girl to get marry? When the girl never accepted it and clearly clarified to family and the boy that she doesn’t want to marry him. And then forced to her to spend time with the boy that she doesn’t want and told them, and to the boy not to do that. And if family don’t want to hear anything and stick their decision. So the girl had to move out from the family and pretend to accept him? Will it make the marriage valid anyway?

Parents are separated and father is alive but he has no contact with the daughter.

Answer 11:

Assuming what you stated above is correct, your marriage is not valid according to the rules of Islamic Shari`ah.

However, if the marriage has been legalized, you have the right to seek an annulment or ask for its dissolution. You don’t need to wait for the approval of anyone in this matter. Islam does not allow anyone, father or mother or anyone else for that matter, to accept anyone as a spouse without his or her free will and choice.

Question 12:

Brother I’m 14 and my parents are Hindus and they don’t know I reverted and only think I’m looking into Islam. They hate that I am. They sent me to a Hindu camp hoping to bring me back to hinduism and in the camp we had to do something. We had to lie on our backs and have our heads facing the idols and they would play a song praising their gods. We had to close our eyes and be totally still. Obviously that’s shirk. So I faced diagonally away from the idols and put my head to a wall. And I closed my eyes just to pass the time and to avoid drawing any attention. I moved only when I had to and that was so that I would not be seen. I didn’t want to draw attention because I feared then the teacher would ask me to shift my head toward the alter. So when he came to look at me I stayed absolutely still and pretended I was focused to Make Him go away bc I didn’t want him to ask me to move my position now that he knew I was not properly focused. I would constantly say La ilah ill Allah and ask Allah swt to protect me. When he said to get up and face the alter with our eyes still close I kept my eyes open and turned to the alter normally (there is no worshipping behind facing the alter because the teacher was already over there so we would have to face either way) I also ignored the music that the teacher was playing.
Have I committed shirk?

Brother please help me
I denounce their gods and believe in Allah swt and I tried my very best to avoid doing shirk.

Answer 12:

Your faith is intact as long as you did not deliberately say or do anything indicating belief in false gods or rejecting the Oneness of Allah.

When faced with such situations, repeat in your mind the testimony of the Oneness of Allah.

Your challenge is the same that the Prophet’s eminent companion Bilal experienced while the pagans of Makkah persecuted him. He was dragged through the red-hot sand beds of Makkah to denounce his faith in the Oneness of Allah while only repeating the words of Oneness all along; he remained unflinching, holding steadfastly to his inner conviction.

Allah says:

“Whoever renounces faith in God after having believed—except for someone who is compelled, while his heart rests securely in faith—but whoever willingly opens up his heart to disbelief—upon them falls wrath from God, and for them is a tremendous torment.” (An-Nahl 16:106)

In conclusion, your actions under duress or compulsion do not fall into the shirk category.

I pray to Allah to inspire you with patience and strength to overcome such challenges and help you to remain steadfast.

Question 12:

Brother I’m 14 and my parents are Hindus and they don’t know I reverted and only think I’m looking into Islam. They hate that I am. They sent me to a Hindu camp hoping to bring me back to hinduism and in the camp we had to do something. We had to lie on our backs and have our heads facing the idols and they would play a song praising their gods. We had to close our eyes and be totally still. Obviously that’s shirk. So I faced diagonally away from the idols and put my head to a wall. And I closed my eyes just to pass the time and to avoid drawing any attention. I moved only when I had to and that was so that I would not be seen. I didn’t want to draw attention because I feared then the teacher would ask me to shift my head toward the alter. So when he came to look at me I stayed absolutely still and pretended I was focused to Make Him go away bc I didn’t want him to ask me to move my position now that he knew I was not properly focused. I would constantly say La ilah ill Allah and ask Allah swt to protect me. When he said to get up and face the alter with our eyes still close I kept my eyes open and turned to the alter normally (there is no worshipping behind facing the alter because the teacher was already over there so we would have to face either way) I also ignored the music that the teacher was playing.
Have I committed shirk?

Brother please help me
I denounce their gods and believe in Allah swt and I tried my very best to avoid doing shirk.

Answer 12:

Your faith is intact as long as you did not deliberately say or do anything indicating belief in false gods or rejecting the Oneness of Allah.

When faced with such situations, repeat in your mind the testimony of the Oneness of Allah.

Your challenge is the same that the Prophet’s eminent companion Bilal experienced while the pagans of Makkah persecuted him. He was dragged through the red-hot sand beds of Makkah to denounce his faith in the Oneness of Allah while only repeating the words of Oneness all along; he remained unflinching, holding steadfastly to his inner conviction.

Allah says:

“Whoever renounces faith in God after having believed—except for someone who is compelled, while his heart rests securely in faith—but whoever willingly opens up his heart to disbelief—upon them falls wrath from God, and for them is a tremendous torment.” (An-Nahl 16:106)

In conclusion, your actions under duress or compulsion do not fall into the shirk category.

I pray to Allah to inspire you with patience and strength to overcome such challenges and help you to remain steadfast.

Question 13:

I am a 23-year-old Muslimah who wants to get married. I discussed this with my parents and my siblings. I asked my brother to find me a good husband because I don’t think I can do that myself. I don’t want to talk to men, I also don’t know many Muslim sisters who might know someone. My brother first said yes, but now he is saying he will not find someone for me because he is not my wali. The problem is that my father lives in another country (close by) ever since I was little, so I see him twice a year for a few months. I am just afraid that he wont find me a suitable partner who is very strong in deen and has good akhlaq. People are telling my that i have to find someone myself, but i know myself, and I don’t have many friends and i am not that much on the internet.

Is my brother now being unjust, or is he right? It sort of feels unfair because why can’t he look for someone for me out of kindness? Is it not a good thing that I want to get married?

Could you please advise me on this situation and tell me what I can do best besides making lots of dua, of course?

Jazakullahu Khair.

Answer 13:

Your brother should be keen to help you as best as possible. You can also try to find prospective candidates through reliable Islamic channels or attend matchmaking events organized by mosques or Islamic centers in your area, if available.

I’m afraid you might be mistaken in saying that you cannot look for yourself. Just as a man can look for a girl to marry, a girl can also look for a boy to marry as long as they abide by the strict Islamic guidelines regarding male-female interactions.

You may be glad to learn that Khadijah took the initiative to propose to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) after she became attracted to him because of his excellent morals.

Furthermore, women during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to appear in the assembly of the Prophet (peace be upon him), expressing their desire to seek marriage partners.

In conclusion, just as you may ask your brother or any elder in the community to find a suitable spouse, you can also take the initiative to find someone.

I urge you to pray to Allah to bless you in your search for a righteous spouse.

I pray to Allah to grant you success.

Question 14:

5 years ago, I was engaged. My fiancé and I used to commit fornication rarely.
Later I had fornication with my cousin’s brother. I repented for all the grave sins that I did. [We both pray daily and my fiancé even reads tahajjud] Now I learnt my fiancé has also engaged in fornication with his cousin sister. He said he cheated on me and he repented. He said he wants to marry me soon. I’m scared to marry him because he cheated on me. Yet I’m feeling guilty because I too cheated on him and it’s between me and Allah. I do feel to marry my fiancé and start a few life but now that he cheated on me I’m worried about future if he does this again.
Please guide me.

Answer 14:

You owe it to yourself to seek repentance and change your life around. Since both of you cheated, as you have doubts about your fiancé, he also has reasons to doubt your integrity. So, if you can both trust each other—after seeking repentance—you may get married.

Please get a copy of the following book and apply its lessons:

Blissful Marriage: A Practical Islamic Guide by Ekram Beshir.

Coming to the proper method of repentance, you may find details in the answer linked below:

The Door of Repentance Is Wide Open | About Islam

Question 15:

If I marry a non syed man, can our children take my syed surname if it’s agreed by both me and the man?

Answer 15:

I don’t know why you are obsessed with the Syed as a surname; if you think it can enhance their nobility, you are wrong. Islam as the Prophet came to abolish pagan pride based on ancestry and lineage; he addressed the people of Quraysh on the occasion of the fall of Makkah.

O People, let it be known that through Islam, Allah has erased the pagan racism and pride based on ancestors (or lineage): a person is either a pious believer or an immoral wretch; all humankind are children of Adam, and Adam is from the mud.” (Reported by at-Tirmidhi)

The Prophet stated emphatically that no one can be saved because of their blood relationship or lineage with him. He told his beloved daughter Fatimah, “O Fatimah, you ought to work to save yourself from hellfire, for I cannot save you.”

When the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent Mu’adh b. Jabal, as a teacher and governor of Yemen, addressed him, saying: “Verily, the closest people to me are pious wherever they come from.”

So, instead of attaching the title of Syed as your children’s surname, you ought to be concerned about instilling faith and nurturing them on Islamic values.

Question 16:

I am wanting to start a clothing brand which gives reminder of what to do.

What should I change to make it more halal?

What it includes:
on the chest it has be the best you can be with logos same as what’s on the back below it.
On the back it has pray, eat, gym, study, sleep with logos matching them such as 🍽🛏 etc to match each reminder.

Answer 16:

I see nothing wrong with placing such logs or messages on T-shirts or outer garments. However, you should never inscribe the Quranic verses or Allah’s names as it would show a lack of reverence.

Question 17:

How Can I purify myself after this sinful act if I don’t have any chance to perform ghusl?

Answer 17:

I urge you to shun such habits. You can do so if you work on it with the help of Allah.

Now, coming to purification, you may resort to tayammum if water is not available or cannot be used due to health challenges.

Tayammum involves the following steps:

1. Make the intention (niyyah) to perform tayammum.
2. Strike any clean surface or dry and or clean dust with both hands.
3. Blow away any dust on the hands and then wipe the face with both hands.
4. Strike again; wipe the right hand and the left up to the elbow.

When water becomes available, or your health improves, you ought to bathe or perform ghusl with water.

Question 18:

I am an army officer. My organization is not morally upright, but at the same time, one is not compelled to do wrong. I want to leave and join a startup my brother started four years ago. Yes, it’s not earning good or at all but it’s halal and will remain so and grow, me are my brother are well educated and ambitious.

Now, I don’t see any wrong in it and believe Allah will help me in the journey but my parents can’t take any of it. They think it’s a mistake, and I will suffer, in short, they have ordered me not to do so, and that is followed by emotional statements like not keeping contact and what not ( common in Indian culture and also in ours)

Is it disobedience of parents?

That’s my main concern, and they have done this in the past by not allowing me to do bachelor’s aboard in another Muslim country- I think they are scared
But the question is if it comes in the domain of disobedience? Because I think Allah has given free will to all

Answer 18:

If continuing in your present job is bothering your conscience, then you may quit it and join the business partnership with your brother. After all, you are accountable to Allah first. Your obligation to please Allah outweighs your duty to your parents. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “There is no obedience to anyone in disobedience to Allah.”  (Reported by Baghawi)

I must, however, rush to point out that you should explain to your parents that you would like to quit this job as you feel uncomfortable with it and feel guilty. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “If something causes agitation in your heart, you should leave it.” Therefore, they ought to commend your decision and pray for your blessings in your new job based on your sound Islamic judgment.

Question 19:

I’m 19-year-old girl who has been consistently getting this burning question in her mind. A few days ago, I and my mother got into a fight where I hurt her by saying a couple of pretty bad things out of anger and she cursed me saying that I never would succeed in my life and May my life be ruined. Later that night, realizing what I said to her and feeling guilty, I went up to ask her for her forgiveness. She did forgive me and said that a mother’s ill dua is never accepted.

Although I’ve asked Allah to forgive me and have promised my mother never to utter a word like that ever again, I still think that Allah will accept her bad duas for me. I just wanted to ask: Will Allah accept her bad duas even though she forgave me, even after I cried the whole night seeking His repentance and my mother’s repentance?

Answer 19:

You did indeed commit a grievous sin by uttering hurtful words to your mother. You should beg her forgiveness and seek repentance since it is akin to displeasing Allah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Shall I tell you of the three most heinous sins? -he repeated these words thrice; when the companions said, “Of course, we would like to know, he said, “it is to associate partners with Allah, displeasing one’s parents and bearing false testimony.”  (Reported by Al-Bukhari)

Now that you realize the gravity of your sin and seek her forgiveness, you should be happy that your mother has forgiven you. However, this does not mean that you take this matter lightly; instead, you ought to learn to manage your anger. Your inability to control your anger landed you in such a predicament in the first place. You should take an anger management course to avoid repeating such mistakes.

You also ought to go out of your way to please your mother as best as possible. Furthermore, never give up praying for your parents as Allah has ordered us:

Rabbi irhamhumaa kamaa rabbayaanee sagheeran

(My Lord, have mercy on my parents as they nurtured me with compassion when I was little.)

Question 20:

My wife and I, still married, decided to pack and leave during a fight, she changed her number I assumed moved back to her mum’s.. never called divorce on me…then I busted her out at a bar dressed up with friends even said to come home to do an Islamic marriage counseling and she said I’m the blame for all this. Is this permissible in Islam for divorce?

Answer 20:

Your wife is right in suggesting that you both go for Islamic counseling instead of resorting to divorce. A professional counselor can sit with you and provide practical tips to resolve your marital challenges.

You can also learn how to manage your anger. Anger can engender grave consequences unless it is brought under control. The Prophet said, “The strongest person is not the one who can knock you out in a wrestling match; instead, they can control their anger!”

You can also benefit from reading this book and applying its lessons:

Blissful Marriage: A Practical Islamic Guide by Ekram Beshir.

If God forbids, after going through marriage counseling and exhausting your efforts to reconcile your differences, you find it hard to keep the marriage, then you are allowed to resort to divorce. Divorce is the final recourse when all other steps fail.

As for the details on divorce, you can access the following answer:

What Are the Procedure and Rulings of Divorce?

Question 21:

I know that taking a student loan is haram, but I´m considering applying for a scholarship.

The scholarship itself is not a loan. It might become a loan IF I drop out from the uni OR don´t pass my exams. I have thought about a solution regarding this issue. I´m loaning 150 000 NOK from my husband. If I in some way manage to not pass my exams after (2 trials), then I will drop out form my education and use the money I borrow from my husband to pay back the scholarship so it doesn´t become a loan and turn into Riba after 36 months.

Does this go under committing to riba? There is a very small probability that i will not pass the exams, as you have 3 trails and I´m an excellent student, and I have already a solution of paying it back immediately in case of any scenario happens (pay it from the money I loan for living expenses in the city I’m studying at).

I am desperate in need to find an ok solution for this. Why i´m considering applying for the scholarship is so that I don´t need to end up loaning more from my husband and family when the scholarship is free if you pass your exams and don´t drop out. That means that 40% of the cost, I don´t need to pay.

Looking froward to hearing from you.

Answer 21:

You should put your trust in Allah and go for the scholarship option. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Always look forward to achieving beneficial goals (and pursuits) and put your trust in Allah (while exerting the best of your efforts) and never feign helplessness. If, after all of your efforts, things still did not turn for the better, then say, “That was God’s will’ and never say, “ I wish I had done this or that’ for such thoughts leave the door open for Satan to play with your minds.”

Allah assures us in the Quran, ‘Those who struggle hard in Our Way, We will guide them unto Our ways. Indeed Allah is with those who excel in their works” (Al-`Ankabut 29:69)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) further said, “If you were to work hard by putting your trust in Allah, He would certainly provide for you; see how He provides for the birds as they fly out of their nest at dawn (in search of food) and return at dusk satiated.”

So, I urge you to believe in yourself and work hard to earn the scholarship. You cannot take it for granted by wishing you will succeed. As Allah and His Messenger taught us, once we expend our best efforts, we can count on the help of Allah. That is the lesson the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught us. Mind you, he was the most successful leader the world has witnessed. The secret of his success was that he worked hard while trusting Allah. So, as his followers, we also ought to follow his examples.

As for the ‘interest’ element in your scholarship, you need not worry about it. It is excused according to the rules of Islamic jurisprudence, which states, ‘where there is hardship, the rigors of the law are relaxed.’

Question 22:

I am mother of two kids my husband is living with his parents and we are living away from him..we were happy family but before two three our relationship suffering be use of their parents they are not happy with me..and with my doing work always complaining to my husband first he was not to them day by day he is listening now he telling me you good at all..I try to make them happy but fail still complaining…now I am depressed I miss my husband I love him lot he also but not showing because their parents…i want him back please any wazifa.

Answer 22

There is no prescribed du`a’ for this. However, you can use any general Du`as to seek the help of Allah. Here are three Du`as I can suggest for you:

Allaahumma rahmathaka arjoo falaa takilnee ilaa nafsee tarafatha aynin wa aslih lee sha’nee kullahu

Laa ilaaha illaa antha subhaanaka innee kunthu mina az-zalimeen

Rabbanaa hab lanaa min azwaajinaa wa dhurriyyaathinaa qurratha aynin waij’lnaa lil muthaqeena imaaman

(O Allah, I seek Your mercy (and help me out of my crisis); so do not abandon me to my own devices; instead, straighten out all of my tangled affairs for me.

Our Lord, grant us comfort in our spouses and children and make us role models for the God-fearing people).

Furthermore, it would help if you tried to get the help of the Imam or wise people in your community to mediate and reconcile your differences.

Question 23

I have known a sister for over two years now and after so much hardship the parents have finally agreed. However, as wedding date was getting closer- the girls family member was concerned as my mother has Huntingtons’ disease which runs in the family. The girls farther knew about this but I think they forgot about it until someone mentioned that it is genetic and there is a possibility that I could get it in the future. So now the wedding has been cancelled as the girls parents have requested for me to take a genetic test to find out if o have the gene for the disease.
I still really much want to marry this sister but she has also sided with her parents and is asking me to take the test. What do I? I am very scared in case it comes back positive but I am very certain I do not have it and I have tried to reason with her that she should just marry me if she really loves me.

I don’t know what to do, please guide me.

Thank you.

Answer 23

It would be best if you never objected to their suggestion to undergo this test, for genetic testing can reveal whether you’re at risk for Huntington’s.

If Huntington’s disease runs in your family, a simple genetic test on a blood sample can tell you if you have the mutated HTT gene and will eventually develop the disease. You should hope and pray that the test proves negative, which will put you at ease. If, on the other hand, the test comes out positive, you may see how to treat or cope with it by seeking professional help.

Scholars agree that prospective marriage candidates should be willing to undergo medical tests in case of any risk of genetic or infectious diseases. Islam teaches us to take all precautionary measures to protect our health and the health of those we interact with.

You should continue to pray to Allah and never despair of His mercy.