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’m 24 years old University student. I’m Muslim & Unfortunately I’m in haram relationship. My parents & girlfriend don’t want marriage right now. And people know about our relationship. I want to stay halal & also from this public negative comments. What should I do now, I feel helpless, I’m doing haram. I dreamed to night & it’s was a bad dream. I show, I died & punished. After that I woke up & feeling scared. I’m in serious trouble, please suggest me what should I do now

Answer 1:

You know you are in a haram relationship. So, you already know you are responsible for your misery. Your case is not different from someone driving a car with a broken brake system; he can only blame himself if he did end up causing an accident-killing himself and others.

The only way forward open to you to save yourself is to stop this relationship and seek repentance.

The dreams you are experiencing are warnings for you. You should take it seriously and act upon the message: Seek repentance and start a new chapter.

While speaking of repentance, I must point out that repentance is not simply saying I am sorry; instead, it entails a serious commitment to change your life.

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

The Door of Repentance Is Wide Open

Question 2:

Everything was by my choice but My family did my nikkah even I told them not to do it….they did my nikkah but didnt bring girl to home then after sometime my wife’s brother wife put blame on me that she and her Husband (my wife brother) catch me With my wife on bed before nikkah..they force fully did my nikkah Which is not true now my heart is broken I have been disrespected with my wife family now my heart is not accepting her even im afraid of her family but my family Still want me to marry her but I dont want what should I do when my heart is noy accepting her even if we get together also my heart will never accept it I cant see her as my wife or love her as my wife what should I do even I told to my family I cant marry her my family came against me

Answer 2:

Islam does not allow anyone, parents included, to force their sons or daughters to marry someone they don’t want to. So, you cannot simply blame them; you could have resisted.

So, you should try to make it work. That is a better solution unless she has some fundamental character flaws that prevent you from being married to her.

So, it would help if you tried to make it work. That is a more reasonable Islamic way of dealing with the solution unless you are confident, she has some fundamental character flaws you cannot tolerate.   

Islam teaches us to be faithful to our marriage vow and work on our marriages. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Let no believing man hate his believing spouse; if he finds some displeasing trait in her, he will find something more pleasant in her.” (Muslim)

In other words, we can never find an ideal spouse; you know you are not perfect, so how could you expect her to be perfect? We ought to dwell on our spouses’ strengths instead of focusing on their weaknesses.

Please study the book Blissful Marriage: A Practical Islamic Guide by Ekram. I am sure you will find some valuable tips to make your marriage work.

If, after trying your best, you cannot still live with her, you are allowed to divorce her and part ways amicably.

For details on divorce, please refer to the answer linked here:

What Are the Procedure and Rulings of Divorce?

Question 3:

I have been afraid of death. Questioning if my deeds are enough if I were to die today. The fear of getting the punishment of the grave keeps me up at night and I can’t calm my heart. I have been suggested to get counseling but I want to ask how do I get through by the day calmly if I am shaking because of the fear. My prayers and Duas and my heart always feel heavy. Afraid of the punishment I might get. Allah is the most merciful and the most forgiving. I just need some guidance on how to calm my heart

Answer 3:

I empathize with you and pray to Allah to help you overcome your worries and grant you peace of mind.

Anxiety and worry can be overcome by seeking refuge in Allah through consistency in dhikr. As Imam Ibn al-Qayyim has pointed out, dhikr entails manifold benefits; the most important of which is that it brings us closer to Allah while keeping us away from Satan, who whispers all kinds of thoughts and suggestions in our minds/hearts.

The next most important benefit of dhikr is that it removes all feelings of grief, worry, and anxiety from our hearts and bestows our souls with true serenity, joy, peace, and bliss. Allah says, “Those who believe and whose hearts find tranquility in the remembrance of Allah. Lo, it is in the remembrance of Allah that hearts find tranquility (Ar-Ra`d 13:28)

We also read that the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to look expectantly towards Prayer (being the perfect means of dhikr) as the authentic source of bringing joy to the heart. He said, “The true joy of my heart is in Prayer.”

It is also worth remembering that, according to Islam, Allah alone is the Ultimate Source of Peace; His name is as-Salam.

Therefore, you should practice dhikr consistently so that it becomes your second nature. It can be achieved through consistency:

• The first step is to be diligent in performing your prayer always and regularly at the appointed times while being fully awake and mindful of its meanings and feeling its true spirit.

• Secondly, condition yourself to turn to Allah always in du’a and istighfaar. An excellent way of establishing consistency in dhikr is by forcing yourself to say and meditate on the Power Words such as the following:

Subhaana Allaah wa bihamdihi subhaana Allaahi al-azheem

(Glory be to Allah, and Praise be to Him; glory be to Allah the Tremendous

Subhaana Allaah bi hamdihee ‘dada khalqihi, wa ridhaa’a nafsihi, wa zinata ‘rshihi, wa midaada kalimaatihi

(Glory be to Allah, and praise be to Him in a manner that befits the (infinite) number of His creation, and as it pleases Him, and as it befits the proper weight of His Throne and His Infinite knowledge).

Furthermore, condition yourself to read the following Du`as regularly as the Prophet has prescribed them for repelling anxieties and gaining serenity and peace. You should read them an odd number of times (preferably three) in the mornings as well as at night before retiring to bed:

Laa ilaaha illa Allaahu al-azheem al-haleem; Laa ilaaha illa Allaahu, rabbu al-‘arshi al-‘azheem, laa ilaaha illa Allahu, rabbu al-ssamaawaati wa al-ardhi wa rabbu al-‘arshi al-kareem

(There is no god but Allah, the Tremendous, the Clement; there is no god but Allah, Lord of the Mighty Throne, there is no god but Allah, Lord of the heavens and the earth, and Lord of the Noble Throne).

Allaahumma innee (If you are male add: ‘abduka wa ibn abdika ibn amatika; if, however, you are female add: amatuka wa bintu abdika wa bintu amatika), naasiyatee bi yadika qadhin fiyya hukmuka ‘adlun fiyya qadhaa’uka as’aluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka aw anzaltahu fee kitaabika aw allamtahu ahadan min khalqika aw ista’tharta bihi fee ilm al-ghaybi indaka an taj’ala al-Qur’ana al-rabee’a qalbee wa noora basaree wa jilaa’a huznee wa dhahaaba hammee

(O Allah, I am your servant, son/daughter of your servant, my forelock is under your firm grips, Your decree in my case is sure to be realized, and Your judgment is just. I ask of You by invoking every single name that You possess, with which You have called Yourself, or You have revealed in Your scripture, or You have instructed any of Your creation or You have kept hidden with Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen realities to make the Qur’an the spring of my hearts, light of my eyes, and dispeller of my grief and remover of my anxieties).

Yaa hayyu yaa qayyoomu bi rahmatika astagheethu

(O the Ever-Living, the Eternal Source of all beings! I beg for Your mercy and assistance (in my distress).

Before closing, I must point out only one can benefit from dhikr if we first practice consistency in establishing Prayer and abide by the commandments and prohibitions of the Shariah.

Once we do that, we should not fear death or punishment of the grave or hellfire. Allah promises us in the Quran:

“Truly those who say, “Our Lord is God,” then stand firm, the angels will descend upon them, [saying], “Fear not, nor grieve, and rejoice in the Garden that you have been promised.” (Fussilat 41: 30)

And, “Truly those who say, “Our Lord is God,” then stand firm, no fear shall come upon them; nor shall they grieve.” (Al-Ahqaf 46: 13)

So, I advise you to practice consistency in establishing Prayer and dhikr; if you do, you don’t need to worry. You can rest assured of the peace and freedom from fear and grief.

Question 4:

One of my friend became Muslim years ago he is in the military he pray and fast Ramadan his parents and brother and sisters are not Muslim he was catholic before from Spanish background he would like to marry my sister he asked several times from me to allow him to marry my sister my family and my sister is agree to marry him but his parents and brothers and sisters don’t want him to marry Muslim sisters because they want to bring him back to catholic religion personally I am not sure what to do because I scare he leave Islam in the future then my sister have to divorce him please advise me what to do ?

Answer 4:

It would be best if you asked how serious he is in his adherence to the teachings of Islam and how good his character is. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “If a person of sound faith and good character proposes marriage, you should accept it; if you fail to do that, you are opening the door to corruption.”

Therefore, the criteria for marriage proposal acceptance are faith and character. Once these criteria are fulfilled in a person, and both the boy and girl agree to marry, a guardian should not refuse to consent.

Having said this, you should find out how firm this person is so that he does not give in to the pressures from his family. It is an important consideration. You should have a free and frank discussion with him and your sister.

If you are satisfied with his integrity, you should agree and leave the matter to Allah, for after all, Allah alone is in charge of people’s hearts. That is why the Prophet (peace be upon him) told us to pray, “Alllaahmma yaa mqalliba al-quloob thabbith quloobana ala al-haqq

(O Allah, You are the twister and turner of hearts; so, make our hearts firm on the truth)”

Question 5:

I have ADHD and have trouble with concentration during prayer, my mind tends to drift off but I am able to catch myself and ask for forgiveness. Sometimes my thoughts go so far, I lose sense of time and space and forget if I prayed correctly. It’s a condition in my mind that is affecting a lot of aspects in my life, but I fear my prayers won’t be accepted because of it. Should I repray each time this happens?

Answer 5:

I urge you not to worry about such nagging doubts. They are due to the whisperings of Satan as the Prophet (peace be upon him) told us that Satan will approach us in our prayer, trying to distract us from it.

In doing so, he will play different cards with different people. If, in your case, he is to try to cast doubts in your mind regarding the validity of your prayer, in the case of another, it may be by suggesting some other thoughts, and, hence, the remedy for it is simply turning to Allah for protection and invoking His help against the accursed one.

As soon as such thoughts creep your mind, dismiss them by seeking istighfar.

Allah says, “Indeed, when Satan whispers to those mindful of Allah, they remember their Lord, then they start to see things clearly.” (Al-`Araf  7:201)

Question 6:

My father in Law has died on February 2022 leaving behind his wife, four daughters and sons and daughters of his brother. He had a House which he had donated to his daughters. He did not discuss this issue with the sons of his brother. As per local Govt rule this was ok. But now we are afraid if he would be punished by Allah swt for his such decision as apparently he discarded the sons of his brother from their inheritance. Kindly guide what we can do to cover it up?

And on August 2023 my Mother in Law has also died. She has three brothers and three sisters including their children. My Mother-in-law had only some cash. Now, how should we divide the cash amongst the inheritance? Please guide us. Thank you.

Answer 6:

If your father-in-law offered his daughters the house as a gift, then his brother’s children have no right to it. If he has left anything else as inheritance, the daughters can claim two-thirds of it, and the rest can be divided among his brother’s children.

If your mother-in-law has passed away and has no children, her inheritance should be divided among her brothers and sisters. Each brother will take two shares, and sisters will take a single share each.

Question 6:

My father in Law has died on February 2022 leaving behind his wife, four daughters and sons and daughters of his brother. He had a House which he had donated to his daughters. He did not discuss this issue with the sons of his brother. As per local Govt rule this was ok. But now we are afraid if he would be punished by Allah swt for his such decision as apparently he discarded the sons of his brother from their inheritance. Kindly guide what we can do to cover it up?

And on August 2023 my Mother in Law has also died. She has three brothers and three sisters including their children. My Mother-in-law had only some cash. Now, how should we divide the cash amongst the inheritance? Please guide us. Thank you.

Answer 6:

If your father-in-law offered his daughters the house as a gift, then his brother’s children have no right to it. If he has left anything else as inheritance, the daughters can claim two-thirds of it, and the rest can be divided among his brother’s children.

If your mother-in-law has passed away and has no children, her inheritance should be divided among her brothers and sisters. Each brother will take two shares, and sisters will take a single share each.

Question 7:

Can I pray Isha after midnight due to travel? (For example 10 minutes after midnight)

Answer 7:

Ideally, one should pray ”isha before midnight. It is important for us to be diligent in prayer and not put it off unnecessarily when the time arrives, although if someone is praying ‘isha in jama’ah it is best to delay it up to one third of the night; but it is not good to postpone it later than midnight. This is what we can infer from the traditions from the Prophet (peace be upon him). We are told that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The (preferred) time of ‘isha prayer extends to the middle part of the night.”

There are other traditions in which the Prophet exhorts us to delay ‘isha: “If it wouldn’t have caused hardship on my ummah, I would have ordered them to delay ‘isha.“

However, no where he told us to delay it past midnight.  

In light of the above traditions and other valid inferences, scholars are of the view that ideally one should not delay ”isha farther than midnight. However, if a person could not pray before midnight, he could still pray it before dawn–as the permissible time extends up-to that time.   

We read in Mughni of Ibn Qudamah (who is of Hanbali school): “Ideally, one should not delay ”isha farther than one third of the night, if he did delay it until midnight it is fine; after midnight, it is the time of darurah  (i.e. the time for those in extreme circumstances or valid excuses).”.

Imam Nawawi (who belongs to Shafi’ school says, “The ideal time of ‘isha extends up-to one third of the night; beyond that is the permissible time; which extends to the arrival of dawn.”

 The Hanafi view is almost the same as mentioned above. Thus Imam Tahawi (who is affiliated to hanafi school) states:  “The time of ‘isha can be divided into three: The ideal or the most preferred time extends to one third of the night; after which is the less preferable time which extends to midnight, still less preferable is the time past midnight until the arrival of dawn.”

Question 8:

I have a query which i need some light shedding on.

Me and Mrs had an argument. She annoyed me as we were at her family house.
I came out angry and we had a big argument in the car. Foul words were exchanged and I got really angry with her. She for swearing at saying divorce me then ini swearing and abusive I was in an anger where I was really hurt and felt crazy and out of extreme anger I sed I F’kin divorce u.

I had no idea what I was doing because she knows which buttons to press when I get angry and when I get angry it gets really bad.

After she told me she was on her menstrual. My question is will that be considered as a divorce even though I was in an extreme anger due to her pushing the wrong buttons.

I would appreciate your help and guidance.

Answer 8:

On this, you can access my answer posted earlier; you can access it here:

Pronouncing Divorce in a State of Anger: Valid? (aboutislam.net)

Question 9:

If a paper has a reference to one of Allah’s name, which in this case is “The Almighty”, which has been written in English, and no other reference has been made to Allah in neither English or Arabic, is it permissible to throw it away like any other paper?

Answer 9:

It is best that you dispose them of respectfully by shredding them or burning them if it is safe to do so.

Question 10:

 I am a 22 year old single girl and I am in love with a married man. We met online and we are in a long distance relationship. This man didn’t tell me in the start that he was married. When 1 year passed he told me he is married and has a daughter. I was depressed and angry but He claims that he isnt happy with his marriage and he wants a 2nd wife for mental peace, love etc. He says he loves me alot and he is willing to send a proposal as well. His first wife doesn’t know about this and we are in a relationship for 4 years now. I haven’t told my parents either. My parents wouldn’t agree to marry a married man but i love him and he loves me alot too. So for this reason i wanna break off the relationship bc of my parents and even his wife bc this is cheating. But be doesn’t lsn and says he want to marry me and claims to love me alot. Can you give me guidance on marrying such a man and talking to my parents about him? Is he worthy? And to add my parents are not gonna marry me off to a married man with a daughter bc im a single young girl, i don’t want to fight them bc they are right on their position. Can i please have a genuine advice? Im really in need of help and a wise advice. He loves me and i love him. Jazak Allah.

Answer 10:

I would advise you against proceeding with this marriage. The man is forming an adulterous relationship with you, which is a grave sin on his part, and you are also committing a grave sin by continuing this illicit relationship.

He is cheating on his wife; I am sure she married him with the tacit understanding that she would be the only wife he would have, so by marrying you without her consent, he would breach his marital contractual obligations.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “There are no terms more worthy of compliance like the terms of marriage contract.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Another point for you to consider: if you marry him without his wife’s knowledge, what guarantee is there that he would not marry a third one without your knowledge?

Therefore, by giving in to your passion, you are dragging yourself into a complicated situation, thus depriving yourself of peace of mind and true happiness.

Question 11:

My parents used to blessed me when they were alive. but now they passed away, what can i be doing to continue getting their blessing?

Answer 11:

I commend you for your love for your parents. I pray to Allah to reward you and bless you with their pleasure.

Now, coming to your question as to how you can be dutiful towards your parents after their death, let me state the following hadith:

Someone asked the Prophet (peace be upon him), ‘Do I owe anything to my parents after their death, he answered, “Certainly, you owe to them to pray for them and invoke Allah’s mercy and forgiveness on their behalf, fulfilling their pledges and promises, fostering their ties of kinship and honoring their friends.” (Ahmad and others)

Allah reminds us in the Quran to pray for our parents:

“And say, Lord, have mercy on my parents as they nurtured me when I was little.”

For further details, you may access the following link:What Acts Should You Do that Will Benefit Your Dead Parents? | About Islam

Question 12:

My school requires me to memorize first 8 ayah for surah kahf for a test is this minor shirk because I would most likely not memorize it if my school didn’t tell me to should I recite the verses Infront of my class because I also have a feeling inside me that it’s like I’m showing off my Quran recitation and my classmates will think better about me I don’t know what to do

Answer 12:

It is not shirk if your school curriculum requires you to memorize parts or even the entire Qur’an. This has been an acceptable method of instruction followed in many Islamic schools and universities for a long time. So, it is a perfectly Islamic practice. You should consider it an honor to comply with this requirement.

Question 13:

Is it permissible to sell children luxury clothing from 1 to 15 years old, such as boys suits and flower girl dresses ( normal dresses not tight or revealing just fancy dresses) as these type of clothes can be used for halal and haram at the same time, birthday, wedding, eid, going out on occasion.
As we have a mix of Muslims and non Muslim customers.

Answer 13:

There is nothing wrong with selling such clothing. You need not worry about how some people may abuse it. By this logic, no one can sell anything. Everything can be used or abused. Since there is nothing intrinsically haram about such clothing, you may sell it, regardless of what some people may do with it. According to one of the rules of jurisprudence, ‘We are not accountable about what is beyond our control.”

Question 14:

I am a hiajbi but wants to join Airforce in which they ask me to remove my hijab as they want unity in it . I have always dreamed to join the Indian air force but eventually, I am unable to do so as they asked me to remove my hijab what should I do is it permissible for me to remove it only when I am in uniform or should forgot what I had dreamed from childhood

Pls answer it as soon as possible

Answer 14:

There is no harm in skipping the hijab as long you are allowed to abide by the requirements of the modest attire as prescribed in Islam.

As for what constitutes modest attire for women, I would like to state that Islamic rules of modest clothing for women are, above all, intended to help them maintain their dignity, respect, and honor so that they are not sexualized or treated as objects for satisfying man’s carnal desires or passions.

What is essential in proper Islamic attire is that it should cover the body parts that need to be covered and, therefore, cannot be exposed. And to do so with modest clothing that is not flashy, revealing, or highlighting the contours and shapes of the body. That is because how we dress sends a message to those who see us; the message could be of modesty, purity, dignity, or God forbids seduction, inviting or engendering evil thoughts, or awakening carnal desires. As Muslims, we are to send out a message of purity. The best people are those who, when the people see them, are reminded of Allah.

In conclusion, if they allow you to abide by the above rules of modest attire, you may go for it; otherwise, you should find something else where you will not be forced to compromise your Islamic identity.

Islam teaches us that if Allah forbids something, He does so by allowing us to pursue better options for us in this world and the next.

As a Muslim, your priority number one should be to please Allah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever works to please, even by doing so they were to displease the people,  Allah will take care of them; but, if someone works to please humans by displeasing Allah, Allah will abandon them to the people.” (At-Tirmidhi)

So, I urge you to turn to Allah to inspire you to choose the best for you in both worlds.

Question 15:

The question is about the Lineage of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus (PBUH). According to Christian sources the answer is divided! Some will say he is ‘Heli’ and some will say it is ‘St. Joachim’ with the mother being ‘St. Anne’ and the third and last says that the name ‘Heli” and ‘Joachim’ are one and the same still making ‘Anne’ the mother of the Blessed virgin.
The Verse of the Noble Qur’an that is Verse 3:33, 3:35 and 19:28. The claims are the following.

-Muhammad (PBUM) Did not know the difference between ‘Miriam’ the sister of ‘Aron (PBUH)’ and ‘Moses (PBUH)’ that he thought there was only one ‘Amram’ and mistakenly made him the father of the blessed virgin Mary. [Amram here being the father of Moses and Aron. And in Islam I know both the Father of Virgin Mary and the Father of Moses, Aron and Miriam! Are called “‘Imran”]
-Amram’s Wife Did not give birth to Mary [According to Christian sources the father is, Heli, Joachim, or that both names mean the same thing hence making them both valid]
-Mary was not the sister of Aron [the brother of Moses]! But it was Miriam.

The missionaries’ claim that there is a historical and chronological mistake on “Muhammad’s part” (PBUH). I would say all Four names [Heli, Joachim, Amram and ‘Imram] mean the same thing!

– Biblical name Amram: עַמְרָם; Means ‘Kindred of the High’ or ‘friend of Jehovah’ and the definition is ‘exalted people’ and the name is probably of ‘am’ and ‘ruwm’ again with the same meaning ‘high people’ the main definition is on Gods people being praised [raised or exalted] with the focus on the words ‘high’ and ‘exalted’.
– Biblical name Joachim: Ιωακείμ is actually a Greek name ‘Ioakeim’; In Hebrew it is Yehoyakim יְהוֹיָקִים; means ‘the LORD raises up’ as in “The Lord raises up [Gives a higher rank to] a group of people” or it means ‘the LORD establishes.’. Again, the main definition is Gods people being praised [raised or exalted].
– Arabic name ‘Imran: عِمْرَٰنَ; means ‘Build up’ and ‘prosperity’ Literal synonymous’ to ‘Exaltation’ and ‘Raising up’. The name ‘Imran is a common name and it also means ‘Exalted’ and ‘happiness’. The definition of ‘Rising up’ or ‘Prosperity’ are all there between the Arabic name ‘Imran and the Greek and Hebrew names Joachim, Yehoyakim and Amram. Though they have distinct linguistic and cultural origins.
-both ‘Heli’ and ‘Joachim’ having the same meaning; the name Joachim is only a variation of Heli or Eliachim, substituting one Divine name (Yahweh) for the other (Eli, Elohim).

There is a gospel called the gospel of James, that where the Christians got the name of ‘Joachim’ and ‘Anne’ and in that book the birth of Jesus (PBUH) is similar to that of the Quran, but they believe in the names of the parents of marry but they drop the story and much of that which is mentioned, they believe in some and say the rest is a made-up lie. Another group of them argues that the book of James is a complete lie, but this claim will be heavy on them because of the whole book is a lie then the two parents mentioned will cease to exist and they’ll have to explain why they have temples in their names.

I want to know where we come in? what is Islam’s take on this? what is the answer to such a question about the Lineage of Jesus (PBUH)?

Answer 15:

 Muhammad Asad, the eminent scholar and the Jewish convert to Islam, was well versed in the Jewish and the Christian scriptures, has provided the best clarification of this issue in his Message of the Qur’an:

Commenting on the verse in Q.3, ‘the woman of the (the House of) Imran prayed.’ He states:

“The House of Imran comprises Moses and Aaron, whose father was Imran (the Amran of the Bible), and Aaron’s descendants, the priestly caste among the Israelites-thus including John the Baptist, both of whose parents were of the same descent (cf. the reference in Luke I, 5, to John’s mother Elizabeth as ‘one of the daughters of Aaron’), as well as Jesus, whose mother Mary-a close relation of John-is spoken of elsewhere in the Qur’an (19: 28) as a ‘sister of Aaron’, in both cases embodying the ancient Semitic custom…”

“In ancient Semitic usage, a person’s name was often linked with that of a renowned ancestor or founder of the tribal line. Thus, for instance, a man of the tribe of Banu Tamim was sometimes addressed as ‘son of Tamim’ or ‘brother of Tamim’. Since Mary belonged to the priestly caste and hence descended from Aaron, the brother of Moses, she was called a ‘sister of Aaron’ (in the same way as her cousin Elizabeth, the wife of Zachariah, is spoken of in Luke I; 5, as one of the daughters of Aaron’).

Therefore, you should not allow yourself to get carried away by the Christian polemic and their attack on the Quran and the Prophet (peace be upon him). You should know that thousands of converts, including eminent Rabbis and Christian scholars, have embraced Islam since the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him); they never had any issues with the Quranic usage. They all converted to Islam because of their firm belief that the Qur’an is infallible and the true Word of Allah. That is why Muhammad Asad dedicated his work ‘to the unlettered Prophet prophesied in the Torah and Gospel.’

Finally, I advise you to pray to Allah to keep your heart firm on the straight path:

Allaahumma yaa muqalliba al-quloob thabbith quloobanaa ala al-haqq

(O Allah, You are the twister and turner of hearts; make our hearts firm on the truth).

Question 16:

I am planning to get married and I had questions with the girl and she gave very nice explanation that with mother in law there will be fights and if I live separate with my husband then we will have respect and whenever I will visit her we will be kind to each other as when you live together you end up having fights and arguments. Also that’s a right if woman to have a private lifestyle with her husband. My question is my parents are old and at the moment they live with my brother in Pakistan and I am in the UK and I moved here 3 years ago. What if my parents want to live with me or in any case they don’t want to live with the brother. I just want to know what old parents will do if both sons are living separate? What is the solution to that because if I live with my wife as Islam says then what about my parents? I love them and they can’t be on their own, this feels so wrong. I am so worried that what if I end up doing injustice to either my wife or parents. Please give me a solution and in detail. Jazak Allah Khayer

Answer 16:

Your future wife is wrong in starting out her marriage in this negative way. Psychologists think of it as a self-fulfilling prophecy. They say that an individual’s belief or expectation about a future event manifests because the individual holds it.

So, if she thinks it would be hard for her to live with her mother-in-law, her attitude might make her prediction true as she may unconsciously work to affirm her belief by ignoring the positive and amplifying the negative.

It is, therefore, best for her to think positively and look forward to relating to your mother more affectionately and kindly. That is the Prophetic way of building a successful relationship. He advised us to start our days by counting the blessings of Allah and setting the tone for a positive attitude. He also said, “Expect that which is beneficial and positive and work hard to attain it by putting your trust in Allah and never feign helplessness.” If, however, after we expected the best and put forth the best of our efforts, things did not work out the way we had expected, then say, ‘That was God’s will, and He does what He wills,’ and never say, “I wish I had done this or that, for such thoughts open the doors for Shaytan to play with your mind.”

She may know that while your wife has rights over you, your mother also has rights over you, and you can never sacrifice the latter for the former.

It would be best if you balanced both. Your wife has the right to her privacy, but she can never take you away from your mother or insist that you don’t take her to live with you in the UK if she needs to do so. You can never abandon her. So, if she needs to move with you to the UK, you should arrange a separate accommodation for her without sacrificing your wife’s need for privacy. In other words, you ought to balance the rights of both.  

It is not simply a question of choosing your mother or your wife. You must have both. You can never abandon your mother because your wife insists on that; by doing so, she is unreasonable; she has no Islamic ground to stand upon.

A person’s duty towards his parents comes second only to his duty towards Allah. Allah says: “Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him and that you shall be kind to your parents. (Al-Israa’ 17:23)

 “And We have enjoined man concerning his parents—his mother bore him, weakness upon weakness, and his weaning was two years—give thanks unto Me and unto your parents. Unto Me is the journey’s end.” (Luqman 31:14)

 May Allah inspire us with wisdom to reverence our parents while being kind to our wives and children and thus attain the pleasure of Allah.

Question 17:

I have friend that have ocd of kufr he always have bad thoughts about existence of Allah but he not beliveing it and do his salah but the thoughts are coming to him is he is accountable and count as kafir for these wiswas

Answer 17:

You don’t need to worry about such doubts if you do not dwell on them and repell them.

Imam Muslim reports on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) once complained to him: “Often such thoughts occur in our minds of which we do not even dare to speak about?’. The Prophet said, “that is pure faith!”

Explaining this hadith, Imam Nawawi says, “We are not accountable for the flashes of thoughts or self-talks that assail our minds as long as we do not dwell on them. That is the consensus of scholars; that is what the above hadith intends. Such thoughts may even include sins such as ghibah (thinking or speaking evil of others) and words of infidelity.

The fact that one does not allow himself to pursue such thoughts, feels terrible about them, and finds it sinful even to divulge them indicates true faith. In other words, no human being can be free of such doubts and whisperings from Satan, but no sooner such thoughts occur to a believer, he must repel them and seek refuge in Allah.

Allah says, “If any suggestion from Satan assails you, seek God’s protection, for He hears and knows (all things). Those who bring (God) to mind when an evil thought from Satan assails them are reminded (of their allegiance to God), and suddenly they can see again! However, their (evil) ‘brothers’ will always seek to plunge them into error, and they never let up.” (Al-A`raf 7: 200-202)

Therefore, I urge you to seek refuge in Allah from the whisperings of Satan. And make sure to arm yourself always with dhikr and du`a. For there is no better weapon to defeat Satan than dhikr and Du`a: It is reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Satan runs through the blood veins of the children of Adam; however, when they remember Allah, he retreats immediately.”   

Question 18:

Can I marry a Christian girl who is not a virgin? If yes, does she have to do anything in her religion for repentance?

Please answer quickly; this is killing me from the inside.

Answer 18:

Islam allows you to marry a chaste Christian woman. If she had extramarital relations, you can only marry her if she has repented and changed her life. Since Christianity also forbids fornication and adultery, she should seek repentance if she is a genuine Christian.

Once she has done so, and you can trust her, you may marry her. However, before you do so, you need to clearly understand how you will navigate the differences arising from the differences in faith. 

How do you ensure your children will be brought up in sound faith?

You may access the following answer for further information:

Marriage Between a Muslim Man and a Christian Woman? | About Islam

Question 19:

After the death of father, father left only some money and 5 adult children kept a land with that money in the name of their mother.now the mother owns the land. Mother has two sons nd 3 daughters. Sons have no property in their name whereas mother has land in her name which she owns it. Moreover mother has property from her own father too. So my question is the sons earn a minimum amount of salary that is not enough to run his own wife and children. In that case does the son need to bear his mother’s expense? mother have the option to sell the land nd feed on that but she is not doing that. So is it necessary that the son has to give her a portion every month from his salary?

I want to know it very urgent

Answer 19:

If your mother has an income to support herself, you need not provide for her from your minimum income. If, however, she cannot, then it is your responsibility to look after her. You cannot force her to sell her land to do so but there is no harm in suggesting that to her by explaining your straight financial circumstances.

It would be best to try to provide for her according to your means. You should discuss it with your brothers and reach a mutual agreement where you all share the duty amicably without causing her distress. You should consider it the greatest blessing for you all to take care of your mother and gain her pleasure for your ultimate salvation.

Question 20:

May Allah be pleased with you and everyone reading this. I am a teenager currently in school and I am in dire need of your response to a family problem.

My father and mother work very hard for us. My father is a businessman and his business didn’t work very well for some years, so he had to keep transferring back and forth. I got accostomed to living without him.

My mother was in a tight situation. She’s a housewife and everything fell on her.
My school fees and my siblings’ is a lot and they work very hard to pay it. They never bother us with any thing.
However, there’s a problem. I have a very bad temper. My father is a playful man. He cracks a lot of jokes. He is the type of man who doesn’t really like his authority being questioned, especially in a disrespectful manner.
He makes lots of jokes on me and it makes me really angry. I’ve called him many weird and mean names. I have even formed a hatred in my heart for him..
Deep down, I know it’s destroying my heart. I’m also breaking my family apart.
I really need to do something. Due to the job problems, I believe my father’s attitude has changed. He just doesn’t like it if someone corrects him.
I don’t have anyone I can talk it out with. I just can’t talk with him, no, I cannot be close with him anymore. His habits also disgust me some times. His ways of eating and drinking annoy me.
He sometimes embarasses me in public.
I’m a bad child. I know that.

Please help. What should I do?

Answer 20:

I empathize with your situation. I pray to Allah to open your heart to love your father and tolerate his idiosyncratic behavior; some aspects could be due to his advancing old age. Allah reminds us of our duty to tolerate it even as our parents tolerated our unpleasant behavior when we were young.

If you are convinced that you are right and your father is wrong, then you owe it to him to point out his mistakes, but do so with utmost respect.

The fact that your father is wrong does not give you the right to act arrogantly or rudely towards him. Remember Allah ordered His Messengers, Mosa and Harun, to speak to Pharoah gently–although the latter was a tyrant. “Go to Pharoah, for verily he has transgressed all bounds, but speak to him with gentle words, that perhaps he may take warning, or fear (Allah).” (Taha 20:43-44)

And while reminding the children of their duties towards their parents, Allah says, “Your Lord has ordained that you shall worship none but Him. And do good unto [thy] parents. Should one of them, or both, attain to old age in thy care, never say “Ugh” to them or scold them, but [always] speak unto them with reverent speech…” (Al-Isra’ 17:23)

Question 21:

Can the father beat their children (25yr daughter) because she doesn’t eat her meals properly and eats raw (uncooked) rice very frequently instead and sleeps in the mornings and studies at night for her entrance exams (misses Fajr sometimes, but sometimes she prays tahajjud). She doesn’t speak about the reasons when asked about this. Parents hate her routine and ask her to change, but when she doesn’t, can father beat her.?

What can be the role of the mother in this situation?

Answer 21:

I empathize with your challenges and pray to Allah to grant you relief.

Now, coming to the issues you have raised, my sincere advice is that you should see a counselor who can help you overcome some of your behavioral challenges.

Here is my brief response to some of your challenges:

No father has the right to beat up his children; perhaps your father was brought up in a dysfunctional home where his parents used to beat them. However, that does not justify his behavior; as an adult, he can change his behavior. 

You owe it to yourself to see how you can positively respond to your father’s concerns.

You may do well to see where your father’s concerns come from. He cares about your future, so he wants you to change your behavior.

To succeed in life, you must be disciplined and manage your time. For Muslims, the best method of managing our time is to organize our lives according to our prayer schedule. We should organize our sleeping hours accordingly since prayer has been enjoined upon us at the appointed times. So, going to bed early, waking up early, and starting your study after Fajr is the ideal Islamic way. You are not allowed to skip Fajr saying that you pray Tahajjud occasionally. Praying Fajr on time is more important than praying Tahajjud. Fajr is obligatory, while Tahajjud is not.

By doing this for your own sake, you will be pleasing Allah and your parents.

Otherwise, no matter how wrong your father’s way of dealing with you is, you can never justify your duty to change your behavior. I pray to Allah to show us the truth and help us follow it, and show error as an error and help us to shun it.

Question 22:

Are Fat removal surgeries considered permissible? Fat is something that isn’t a feature we get by birth, and we can lose it without surgery too, so is Fat removal haram even though it is not already a permanent change? Same with lip fillers, they last about 6 months are they also considered haram?

Answer 22:

According to the teachings of Islam, our body–including all our physical faculties– is a trust from God in our hands, which we are required to protect and preserve to the best of our ability.

Consequently, we are not allowed to alter or tamper with them unnecessarily; we are only permitted to interfere with them to correct a natural deformity or repair or remedy an ailment. Any other form of interference or tampering with our body is akin to altering Allah’s creation, which has been condemned in the Quran.

We read in the Quran that Satan, the accursed one, has pledged to Allah that he will be tirelessly working to lead humans unto ways of perdition and self-destruction: “And I will surely lead them astray, and arouse desires in them, and command them, and they will cut the cattle’s ears, and I will surely command them, and they will change Allah’s creation.” Whoever chooses the Devil for a friend instead of Allah is assuredly a loser, and his loss is manifest.” (Q.4: 119). While reflecting on the above verse, we must also read the following statements of Allah in the Qur’an: “There is no altering Allah’s creation.” (Q. 30:30); “Do not cast yourselves into destruction by your own hands.” (Q. 2: 195)

Therefore, if you are obese, it is acceptable for you to resort to exercise and diet programs to get rid of excessive fat and enhance your God-given beauty and appearance. That is not the same as interfering with God’s creation, which is forbidden.

 Islam teaches us to keep ourselves strong, tidy, and beautiful as long as we avoid the forbidden methods. The Prophet, peace upon him, said, “Allah is beautiful, and He loves beauty” (Reported by Muslim). We also learn from the Prophet’s beloved wife ‘A’ishah, that the Prophet, peace be upon him, always cared for his appearance and kept himself neat.

So, you do not need to have any qualms about following the exercise regimen and a balanced diet to enhance your natural beauty.

If obesity has become a severe condition posing health challenges, and professionals recommend it as the only way to restore health, then it is allowed.

Question 23:

I love listening to pop songs without music for fun sometimes. Since it’s just the human voice singing free of instruments I didn’t think it was music so I listen to singing a lot during the day. I only listen to female singers and avoid harm subjects. Is this ok?

I’m a woman and I love singing.

Answer 23:

In answering this question, let me cite here one of my earlier answers posted elsewhere:

“Music has been an issue hotly debated by scholars, some dismissing it outright while others approving of forms free from vulgar or unethical messages. The former group seems to be associated generally with vices and sins. However, such a judgment seems to be unwarranted when we consider the following:

Musical instinct is natural to humans. Islam being a religion that takes into account all the genuine instincts of humans, albeit in its most sublime expressions, it would be wrong to condemn all forms of music. Secondly, we learn from authentic traditions that the Prophet ordered us to chant the Quran in a melodious voice even as he chose Bilal to call the adhaan because of his ‘musical voice’. These can be invoked as evidence to show that Islam does not disapprove of musical talent in itself, rather its abuse. In this sense, it is comparable to poetry, which is condemned when employed for the evil purposes; the Prophet even invoked the support of the holy spirit on behalf of Hassan b. Thabit.

Furthermore, Prophet himself condoned and approved of singing of girls on particular occasions, and he also approved of the Abyssinians singing and dancing in the mosque.  

Now as for the traditions that seem to condemn to music, as pointed out by scholars such as Imam Ghazali, Ibn Hazm, Attar, Muhammad al-Ghazzali, Yusuf al-Qaradawi and many others, they refer to music associated with vulgarity and lewdness.

Thanks to such a balanced approach music thrived in Islamic cultures all over the world; it is now emerging as a viable means of Islamization. We can never exaggerate the fact that music is a powerful form of art; it is a vital expression of a culture that is alive and well.

In conclusion, classical music and any music that is clean and free from vulgarities cannot be considered anything but halaal and permissible. However, like any good thing in life, we cannot overdo it.

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

Can We Listen to Western Music and Songs?