Dear Brothers/Sisters,

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

Q:

Assalamu Alaikum.
I am the mother of a medically complex child & our State Health Insurance company offered during Pandemic if the parents take care their sick,medically complex child by themselves instead of taking home nursing care services through nursing agency , then parents will get paid . The company considered it as a job and they gave me certain amount of hours for this job and they provide me timesheet to sign and submit it weekly.
It’s obvious that as a mother i always take care my child and I should not have specific day/time to takecare my child but for this job, in the Timesheet I have to write which specific day and time i work to takecare my child and also write my name as employee and my child’s name as Client/Patient. My concern is about this Timesheet.
Is this sinful as I am writing my name as employee and my child’s name as Client (though our relation is mother-child but in timesheet I have to write this relationship as employee-client relation) and also writing specific working days with specific working hours? Though the company know that I (the employee) am the mother of the sick child( client/patient)
And is this income Halal?

A:

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

I pray to Allah to heal and cure your child; grant you patience to take care of him, and may the All-Merciful One shower you all with His mercies in both worlds.

Now let me come to the question you asked: I see no objection to accepting this payment offered to you. You didn’t ask for it; it is given to you to compensate for your forgoing the nursing care services. So, instead of paying others, they give it to you to ease your burden. You are not depriving anyone of their right; you are simply accepting what they have awarded you.

Therefore, you don’t need to have doubts about the permissibility of this payment.

You should receive it and spend it on your child and yourself. It is halal or lawful for you.

Once again, please accept my best wishes and prayers.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

I saw a dream related to my dua in the last hour of the night after reading tahajjud

A:

Such dreams may be reassuring and good as long as you have gone to bed in a state of purity.

If the dream is something ominous or unpleasant, then you should offer the following supplication:

Bismillaahilladhee laa yadhurru ma`ismihi shay’un fi al-ardhi walaa fi a-ssamaa’i wahuwa al-ssamee`u al-`aleem

(In the name of Allah; with His name, nothing on the heaven and the heaven cannot harm. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing).

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

How do i redisover my real self, put back my goal in my sight, and not think im not worthy of guidance or not worthy of fullfilling my goal?

I used to listen careful to all critisism so perhaps i may detect the wrongs in me and correct them, but before islam i was a very cruel ,apathetic but islam changed me but when i met someone who was victim to my past or perhaps present self, It broke me, i feel like i forgot or lost myself , am i really this bad ? how could i do this? How dare I, Why did i used to do this , I dispaired , not from Allah’s mercy but from me deserving islam, so i started forcefully commiting sins because i never thought i deserved mercy, and here i am now, that person is gone , and I forgot myself.

A:

I empathize with your condition and pray to Allah to bring peace and comfort to your heart.

You need not despair at the mercy of Allah. No matter how ugly our sins are and how distanced we are from the straight path, we can still hope for the grace of Allah if only we turn towards Him in sincere repentance and seek His mercy.

Islam is a way of hope and mercy. Therefore, I would urge you to read the following answer on the topic:

The Door of Repentance Is Wide Open

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Es-selamu aleykum, FARAJ word what means on Arabic language and is it beautiful name for male kid?

A:

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

The name Faraj means dispelling worry, grief, and anxiety. So it is a good name as long you don’t confuse it with Farj, which means private parts.

On etiquettes of naming children, let me cite one of my earlier answers:

“Children are a trust in the hands of parents. Parents, therefore, have a duty to receive this divine gift with a true sense of gratitude and do everything at their disposal to provide the best nurturing. There is nothing better they can do in this regard than by providing them a home filled with love and kindness, and thus contributing to their overall physical, intellectual, ethical and spiritual growth and development. Such a duty begins before the birth of the child and extends all through their lives. Having said this, I must say, that the first important duty when a child is born is to recite the adhan in the right ear in a gentle voice, and give him or her a good name.

As for the choice of names, we are given the following guidelines:

1. We must certainly avoid names that indicate any trace of shirk or association of partners with Allah. Therefore it is forbidden to call someone `Abd al-Ka`bah, or `Abd al-Nabi (servant of the Ka`bah or servant of the Prophet), since all of us are servants of Allah alone.

2. We must also avoid names that imply meanings that are offensive or unpleasant in connotations. The Prophet (pbuh) changed names such asHarb (War) with Salam (Peace), ‘Asiyah (Rebellious) with Jamilah (Beautiful), Sa`b (Difficult) with Sahl (Easy to deal with), etc.

3. We are encouraged to give names that have good or noble meanings or associations, for names may inadvertently inspire a person to do great things or stay away from vices. Choosing names of prophets or great persons who have been role models of virtue and piety is an excellent idea. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) named his son Ibrahim, and he said, “I have called him by my father’s name!”

Having said this, I must add: There is nothing in the Islamic sources to indicate that we are allowed only to give our children Arabic names. Since Islam is a universal religion, there is no such requirement. Any name is okay so long as we keep in mind the above points. But, at the same time, while choosing names, we must strive our best not to compromise our Islamic identity.”

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Being in the bathroom, does the cat become impure?

A:

I do not see anything wrong or objectionable about a cat’s presence in the bathroom. However, I wonder why you would want a cat or any other pet in the bathroom while relieving yourself or bathing or showering.

I would discourage you from taking the cat to the bathroom unless warranted by its sickly nature or some other reason.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

I took a false oath out of fear, will Allah forgive me?

A:

We ought to reverence Allah and His symbols; it is therefore sinful to take the name of Allah. Making a false is a major sin. 

Allah says:

“And do not allow your oaths in God’s name to hinder you from virtue, and righteousness, and making peace between people. God is Listener and Knower.” (Al-Baqarah 2: 224)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The gravest sins are the following: shirk or associating partners with Allah; dishonoring one’s parents, murder and false oath.” (Al-Bukhari)

Therefore, if you did make a false oath you ought to repent and ask forgiveness of Allah.

Repentance entails feeling deep remorse over your act; refraining from it altogether and resolving never to repeat the same.

You are also advised to offer expiation for your false oath. Allah says:

“Allah will not call you to account for your thoughtless oaths, but He will hold you accountable for deliberate oaths. The penalty for a broken oath is to feed ten poor people from what you normally feed your own family, or to clothe them, or to free a bondsperson. But if none of this is affordable, then you must fast three days.” (Al-Ma’idah 5:89)

Based on the above hadith, you should feed ten poor persons if you can; if you cannot afford it, then you should fast three days.

Finally, I would urge you to resolve not to make false oaths in future.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

I remember when i first came to Islam, it was really just a ” Lets check it out ” and then i got attached to it , but nowadays when im listening to lectures , people often mention e.g In order to Have Sabr you must ” want ” sabr , i dont get it How must one WANT something , Also feel like deep down some enmity towards the deen is layed ,

Perhaps the thoughts i used to have ” Allah hates me ” Or ” Im doomed He is punishing me ” or basically , i cant,

I think my problem is more physiological then spritual.

Standing into prayer , sometimes i get this anger thought , WHy do i have to be nice to people ? Why do i feel good ?

Sometimes all my khushu is destroyed with a simple question , Why or how dare i get this good feeling??

A:

I commend you for raising this question. It shows your desire to enhance your knowledge and practice of Islam.

The challenge you are facing is not unusual; we are all vulnerable to tests in our faith and anxieties about our faith due to doubts and whisperings of the Devil. 

There is nothing to despair about it as long we work hard to renew and revive our faith.

Therefore, I give below a few tips about dealing with such challenges.

First of all, it is crucial to recognize that often we may be deprived of the sweetness of faith because of sins we may be guilty of: such sins include: dishonoring one’s parents, adultery/fornication; severing the ties of kinship, and excessive greed and obsession with worldly matters, unlawful earnings, etc.

Therefore, the first step on the path of spiritual renewal is sitting down and engaging in introspection. That is why the Prophet (peace be upon him) told a person who asked him for some advice: “Sit at home and shed tears over your sins.”

Having done this, here are some tips that would soften our hearts to feel khushu and experience the sweetness of faith:

1. Read and listen to the Qur’an with an open and receptive heart. Choose a beautiful reciter such as Shaikh Basit, Minshawi or Husari, or Ra’d al-Kurdi, especially after Fajr when your mind is free of all preoccupations.
2. Practice consistency in dhikr; for this purpose, I urge you to get a copy of Invocation of God by Imam Ibn al-Qayyim. It has a chapter on dhikr’s benefits, which should inspire anyone to practice dhikr.
3. Think of Death and make a habit of occasional visits to the graveyard. It should remind you of the many who were powerful, rich, and famous who have left the world to retire to a hole in the ground. It should remind us that we would also end up there sooner or later.
4. Think of the countless blessings of Allah we enjoy every day; one should motivate himself to do so by thinking of the numerous human beings who are deprived of even most of the basic things we take for granted.
5. Visit the poor, including orphans, and do something to alleviate their pain and suffering.
6. Attend lectures on spiritual topics and keep the company of the pious and God-fearing people.
7. Last but not least, keep praying to Allah to open your heart to receive guidance and make you love faith and good works and make you loathe and detest disbelief, disobedience, and sins.

I pray to Allah to inspire us to enhance faith and spiritual awareness.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Assalamu allaikum,
My sister is married to an atheist who took the shahada in order to get married. He supports her in her believe for example he tries to fast with her. They agreed that the kids will grow up as Muslims. However he doesn’t believe in Allah. What should she do? Thank you in advance.

A:

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

A Muslim man or woman cannot remain married to an atheist who does not believe in God and the Hereafter.

Allah says:

“O you who believe! When the believing women come unto you as emigrants, examine them. God knows best their faith. Then if you know them to be believers, do not return them to the disbelievers. Those women are not lawful for those men; nor are those men lawful for those women.” (Al-Mumtahanah 60: 10)

The case will be different if he believes in God and the Hereafter. Otherwise, they are not compatible with each other as they have no shared spiritual values.

May Allah endear faith and good works to our hearts and make us hate disbelief, sins, and transgressions.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Asalamu alaikum
I have married to my husband as a second wife, he is a wealthy man but he already has given all his property to his first wife and he will continue to do this, always put her and his kids first because his first wife has been telling him that he knows her for 20 years and she and her kids must me his first priority, I am treated unfairly in everything still I am trying to stay nice and understand them. We have, a strong feelings towards each other and we love each other but he has been just washed brain by his wife because he thinks she is a religious person and he believes whatever she says.. When I am trying to talk to him in a nice way that he has to treat his first wife and I equal and the first thing he thinks is like he feels I am after his money because his first wife always tells her that I am with him for his money which is not true at all but as a wife I need more support for my future I am a refugee and have nobody here to stand for me or support me .he give me money just enough to pay my rent and bills and food while his first wife is living in a house that is like a castle, she has everything that all women wish to have, he made him a really powerful woman and me nothing if I talk they will judge me he said he can tell about me to people he knows because this is disrespectful to his first wife and kept me as a secret and he says as long as we are getting great he doesn’t care about people but I found this very disrespectful and unfair.. He knew I want a kid but he makes an excuse that he it’s better not to have another kid it will cause lots of trouble.. I have lots of concerned ,I live in constant fear and concerns for my future ..can you please give me prices of advice regarding Islamic law?
Jazakum Allah khayran

A:

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

Islam does not allow secret marriages. That would be the case if someone marries a woman and keep her as a secret wife, denying her rights and status ordained for her by the Shariah.

Marriage in Islam is a social contract. As such, it should be witnessed and publicized by society’s standards.

However, you may agree to forego some of your rights, on your own free will, if you choose to; however, he has no right to force you to do so without your own volition or free will.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

After miscarriage how long should the partner wait to conceive a child again?

A:

If the miscarriage occurs after the embryo has grown into a baby, you should wait until the bleeding has completely stopped and bathed.

If, however, the miscarriage occurred before that, then you may resume marital relations. However, you ought to avoid it during the days of the monthly cycle.

Bleeding after miscarriage before the child is formed in the womb is not considered nifas or post-natal bleeding; instead, such bleeding is abnormal bleeding. It is called istihadah. In the case of istihadah, one should resume prayer after cleaning oneself. It is not taboo to engage in marital intimacy during istihadah.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

I loved someone and Allah took them away from me, it was a lovely person but i was abusive towards them in our past, when faced with rejection, despite sincerely wanting to fix things, i was unable to do so.
I fell into a like time of sadness , remorse eventually they became into frustation , well i looked towards Islam to find comfort, i was unable to do so , i was still in alot of awe of Allah and with alot of positive feelings , but i felt like that somewhere deep inside i hadnt submitted yet, mainly because i asked? “Why?” not at first but eventually i made dua and asked for the person back but didnt work.
I turned to islam to completely submit back and return and never go back into haram , kept falling into shameless sins, kept trying to bring up emaan, eventually i became so frustrated that, i forgot all about others around me, no sympathy and hard to show empathy, When i did zikr , i felt angry , i had enmity towards Allah, EMAAN doesant increase and life is also bad where else can i go ? , this increase me sins.
I am unable to get khushu or good feelings , i question any emaan in me until it returns to self doubt , i quit the shameless deeds but, my Iklakh and chracter is gone or more like buried.
I know there is perhaps a little beam of light somewhere for me someday, but it hurts to much to reach it so i stay back , and delay acts of dhikr , i never quit my obligations , only stopped Quran, working on my chracter is hard now , especially when theres a deep dark small little hidden enmity or grudge against Allah ,
I went thru the phases of
1. Its okay it will be fine (didnt actually have much tawukkul)
2. Is Allah punishing me ? (turned into arrogance)
3. Why me all i did was went back an old sin of watching shameless videos ,
4. I can or will never trust Allah again
It then turned into internal kufr until it burst out with a range of emotions, Betrayal,guilt,hate but dont know to who,mental torture because i’d speak kufr like wrong things about Allah, then right after crying in prayer then again kufr back forth but i was unable to detect ” WHY ” not why me but WHY AM I DOING THIS?
eventualy i gave up trying i just refrain from evil now and do the obligations with no desire for who and what for.

Found comfort inn Surah aduha once upon a time , but negative talk ruined that too , no longer “Desire” Allah pleasure but again i want to “desire” Allah Pleasure and love.

A:

I would refer to my earlier answer posed above on a similar question.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Wiping the both at once or separately three times?

A:

Wiping on the socks should be done only once. There is no need to do it thrice. There is no tradition attributed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) stating that he did it more than once.

We should follow the example of the Prophet in all such matters. He said, “Pray as you have seen me praying.” The order is not limited to prayer; it includes ablutions and all other aspects of worship.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

I watched this video on how to make money on youtube https://event.webinarjam.com/login/107mzcpt8tp888wtwlll7hm. Could you please tell me if it is halal or haram?

A:

Since I am not an expert on Islamic finance, I do not answer such questions. However, on such matters, you may contact Dr. Monzer Kahf; he appears on this site sometimes. Alternatively, you may contact him here:
http://monzer.kahf.com

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Assalamalaikum,
I wanted to know if I can invest in mutual funds? One of my cousin has invested and he says it’s not haram because it’s not interest, It’s basically the profit which the business owner makes and the share of that profit is what the investor receives, but some say it’s the interest. But my cousin also said you dont have to invest in banks or anything like that, maybe I can invest in big capital owned companies or muslim owned companies or non bank companies
Also, I need tax savings options and also an invest option because I want a steady income.
Please Please guide me whether I should invest or not?

A:

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

For questions on Islamic finance, I would advise you to refer the question to Dr. Monzer Kahf; he appears on this site sometimes. Alternatively, you may contact him here:

http://monzer.kahf.com

 Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Selamu aleykum,

i left the schoom 3 years ago and since then i didnt finde a job to work. I am 22 years old and i want finally to marry. The friend of my father has an insurance company where he said i can work and now i work there. So are the earning i get haram or halal? We dont do riba

A:

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

You may take this job as long as you are not dealing directly with interest.

However, suppose your income is tainted with elements of haram. In that case, you should cleanse it by making lots of istighar and giving optional charities that you can afford to on top of paying the zakah that is due on your income.

You may leave the job once you find a wholly free job of any taints of haram.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Salaam,

Prior to me accepting Islam (formally) I was at home during Ramadan and a Quran competition was on Television. I started crying uncontrollably at remembrance of Allah at hearing the Qur’an. I want to know does this blessing fall in line with the hadith that explains the 7 shaded by Allah (one being a person that remembers Allah in solitude and crys) and the Quran that states Allah doesn’t burden a soul beyond it’s scope. Because I cried uncontrollably & and had know knowledge of this hadith.
Jazakallahu khair

A:

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

If you are in the habit of shedding tears while listening to the Qur’an, or reading it or making dhikr, you can consider yourself as belonging to one of the categories mentioned in the hadith:

“There are seven persons who would be sheltered the Shade of Allah: One of them is a person who engaged in dhikr while his eyes shedding tears.” (Muslim)

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Is it permissible to gift a living person (parent) a water well? Or is that only permissible as Sadaqah Jariyah for the deceased?

A:

Do you mean to ask: You want to give the gift of a water well to your parent and whether it counts as an act of sadaqah jariyah?

If that is the question’s intent, then since helping out your father is your duty, it is not reckoned as a sadaqah or sadaqah jariyah.

If, however, you ask whether you can give the gift of a water well for the poor on behalf of yourself or your parents while they are alive, will that be counted as a sadaqah jariyah. The answer is: Certainly, it is a sadaqah jariyah.

Undoubtedly, it is a great act of virtue from which you can expect continuing rewards long after your death.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘When a person dies, all of his works stop except three: A sadaqah jariyah (ongoing charitable work), beneficial knowledge they have imparted, or righteous offspring they left behind them.” (Muslim)

We can include the following under the category of Sadaqah jariyah: Digging wells, setting up endowments for charitable purposes, building hospitals, orphanages, setting up scholarships for poor students, etc.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

AoA if we have commit sex after 6th day of periods but we have doubt about spot. So then what should we do?

A:

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

If you have passed the days of your monthly pattern and bathed after seeing the white discharge, you need not worry about the discoloring you experienced. For details, let me cite here one of  my earlier answers; it should clarify the issue:

“The appearance of white discharges at the end of the period is an indication of the expiry of the menses. You should determine the end of your period based on your regular pattern of menses. The pattern may vary, as some women experience menses for seven or eight days, while others may experience it for less or more. Once you see the clear white discharge at the end of your regular pattern, you need not worry about the streaks of blood after. If, on the other hand, the white discharges did not appear, then the blood drops you experience are due to continuation of menses –unless the bleeding exceeds fifteen days.

The Prophet’s wife Aishah –as reported in the authentic sources –counseled menstruating women to wait for the appearance of clear white discharge to mark the end of menses.

We further learn from Umm Atiyyah: During the Prophet, peace be upon him, women did not pay any attention to the brownish or pinkish streaks of blood, following the expiry of the menses (as determined by the appearance of clear white discharge at the end of the period).

Therefore, you should wait for the clear white discharge to appear at the end of your period before you make ghusl. If you do not see it, then you ought to make ghusl only if your bleeding exceeds fifteen days. The cut off point for the period is fifteen days; so what one experiences afterwards cannot be reckoned as menses; rather it is due to the chronic condition known as istihadah. In the case of istihadhah, you ought to perform ghusl at the expiry of the period of menses (fifteen days is the maximum ). Once you do so, you only need to wash your private, wear a pad and perform wudhu immediately prior to each salah.”

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

My husband when disciplining my children is too harsh with them physically, I am his wife he doesn’t listen to anyone advice. What can I do I can’t be patient with abuse of my children it is causing me mental health problems?

A:

I empathize with your situation and worry about your child’s future.

You should seek the advice of a knowledgeable scholar or imam in the community to advise your husband so that he stops such abusive behavior. If no imam or scholar is available, you may seek professional counseling.

If he does not stop it, I am afraid that your child may become a delinquent person.

For details, I would lite to quote here one of  my earlier answers on the Islamic method of parenting:

“Your husband’s behavior is unacceptable. That is not the correct method of teaching/training children. He needs to brush up on his parenting skills.

Islam does not allow parents to resort to corporal punishment in training children. Such a method is counterproductive. The Prophet, the most successful leader and trainer of men and women, never used such methods.

Our ideal role model is the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him). He had children and grandchildren, wives, servants and all kinds of people interacting with him; some of them extremely crude, insolent and difficult to deal with, and yet he never beat any one of them. Aishah, his beloved wife, said about him: The Prophet never beat anyone: a man or woman, or servant or anyone else, for that matter. Anas, his companion, who served the Prophet for almost ten years from age ten until his death said of him: “The Prophet never even condemned me for any of my mistakes or offences. Whenever any of his wives did condemn me for any of my actions, he would reprimand them for doing so.”

If this was the Prophet’s exemplary behavior, then one ought to ask, how did the Prophet change people then? The answer is, he did influence them and motivate them to change through his own exemplary actions and behavior. In other words, he applied the principle: Children learn what they practice. Therefore, it behooves us, parents, whether mothers or fathers, to train our children by serving as examples for them.

This is why Allah tells the believers, “You have a beautiful example in Allah’s messenger if you look forward to meeting Allah and the Last Day and want to remember Allah much.”

I would therefor urge both of your to learn the rules of Islamic parenting. The following book should be helpful.

Meeting the Challenge of Parenting in the West: An Islamic Perspective by Ekram Beshir.

I pray to Allah to help us see the truth as truth and follow it and see error as error and to shun it.”

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Assalamualaikum, i have a question, i saw a hadits saying that we’re all gonna commit zina and what about those who are asexual and aromantic? It’s been there in my mind for like 2 weeks and this makes me doubt Islam and i hate that i have bad thoughts about my religion.

This is the hadits:
Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Apostle as saying: “Allah has decreed for every son of Adam his share of zina, which he will inevitably commit. The zina of the eyes is looking, the zina of the tongue is speaking, one may wish and desire, and the private parts confirm that or deny it.”

I know it’s like a contradiction between reality and the hadith, being an aromantic and asexual is not a choice as i know, and there’s no cure to this since it’s not a disease, so this makes me panic a lot.

How do asexual and aromantic commit zina ? while you need lust for it, i know some asexual and aromantic still have lust (grey-area), but what about those who don’t have any desire and feel empty about romantic relationship / sexual relationship ?

Some asexual and aromantic still can commit zina but it’s not zina of the eye or zina of the tounge since they completely don’t feel anything, how do they commit zina of the eye if they don’t feel anything when they see something sexual ? They still can commit fornication but that rarely happen and it’s not because of their lust for fornication.

And if only the answer is between them and Allah, Allah is the judge then you don’t believe that we’re all gonna commit zina ? since the hadits says clearly we’re all gonna commit zina ? I don’t know how to solve this problem and i need a scholar to solve this since you guys knows better. I wish I’ll find my answer. Insyaallah, i think that’s all from me

points
•Are we all gonna commit zina of the eyes, ,tounge, etc even for aromantic and asexual who’s not in the grey area ? but how do they commit it ? They need lust for that
•If only the answer is between them and Allah and only Allah who’ll judge then does that mean you don’t believe we’re all gonna commit zina ? it feels like you’re making justification only for aromantic and asexual people since the hadits says we’re all gonna commit it.

Wassalamualaikum

•Are we all gonna commit zina of the eyes, ,tounge, etc even for aromantic and asexual who’s not in the grey area ? but how do they commit it ? They need lust for that
•If only the answer is between them and Allah and only Allah who’ll judge then does that mean you don’t believe we’re all gonna commit zina ? it feels like you’re making justification only for aromantic and asexual people since the hadits says we’re all gonna commit it.

A:

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

I do not wish to be dragged into all of these nit-picking or hair-splitting questions you have posed.

I can only explain this tradition in light of the explanations of reputable scholars. Allah tells us that we should refer to experts if we do not know certain things. And while asking questions, our intention should be to understand the intent and purport of the revealed texts; in other words, we ought to ask questions only for the sake of understanding and not for disputations.

The above tradition purports to warn us against getting carried away by our natural inclinations or weaknesses. Allah created us with tendencies towards good and evil, lust, desires, and cravings, including sexual union. So as humans, we need to curb our desires; otherwise, we may fall into actual fornication. The Prophet is teaching us that the process of Zina starts with preliminaries like lustful thoughts, speech, touching, etc.

These steps end up in the actual act of fornication or adultery; so, since all humans have these inborn sexual desires, they may fall prey to something of these preliminaries. So, we ought to restrain ourselves and must never get carried away. By failing to do so, we may end up committing the real thing: fornication or adultery.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

I am the only child of my mom. She’s a stroke patient and has loved with me and my husband but last year she fell and hurt her foot. This has caused her to be more weak and needing professional help that I am not trained for. She’s been in a rehab facility and is very unhappy.

She cries everyday to come home but I can not bring her until she’s able to get back on her feet (in sha Allah) I don’t know what to do? Am I doing the right thing by keeping her there? I’m trying to find a better alternative for her but I feel as though I’m committing a crime . I have so much guilt and wish that she can return home but at this point she needs 24/7 care which is difficult for me to provide. Please guide me on what I should do ?

A:

I can empathize with your situation and share the pain you are feeling within your heart. I pray to Allah to guide you to act in a way that pleases Allah and discharge your duty towards your mother in the most compassionate manner.

Suppose your mother needs 24/7 care and you cannot provide it. In that case, you can entrust her to the care of a professional facility. However, it would be best if you still did everything within your means to pay her frequent visits and comfort her by calling her and being in contact with her. Then, when she is safe to be moved to your home, you should bring her home and take care of her as best as you can.

You need not feel guilty over entrusting her to the care of the professionals as long as you are doing so because of your own circumstances and your limitations. 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; and pardon us, and forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our Lord and Master, so help us against the disbelieving people.'” (Al-Baqarah 2: 286)

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

A.o.a if we receive interest on a saving account and we give that interest amount to non muslim , is that fine?

A:

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

Since the interest is considered haram (unlawful) in Islam, you are not supposed to use it either yourself or those who are considered your dependents. You are also not supposed to leave the interest accumulated in the bank either, for to do so is akin to fattening an institution that thrives on interest.

Therefore, the only permissible option left to consider for you is to take out the amount thus accumulated and give it all away to your poor relatives, the poor, refugees, or public charities such as hospitals, orphanages, refugees, and welfare. By doing so, you have discharged your obligation, and you are absolved of any sin or guilt, in sha Allah.

Q:

We have been separated for 14 months. I am here at philippines and he is an arab living in Palestine with my children. He supports my children and I support myself. I want to divorce him and I dont want anything financial support from him. I just want all the inheritance to go to the children. I am not looking for another marriage and i want an emotional stanility.
I was the one who left Palestine due to some of my daughters issues.
Do i hve grounds to divorce him? I asked for it but he does not seem to want to.

A:

You are allowed to seek divorce from your husband under certain conditions. For details, let me cite here my detailed answer. You should make up your own decision in light of the factors mentioned below:

You are allowed to seek divorce from your husband if you have valid grounds for doing so; for details, let me cite here one of my earlier answers for a similar question:

“Generally speaking, divorce is not at all viewed favorably in Islam; rather it has been either condemned or discouraged unless warranted by valid reasons. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cautioned against senseless exercise of divorce when he said, “Among lawful things, divorce is most hated by Allah.” (Abu Dawud)

So no one with the sound Islamic spirit and attitude must resort to divorce except in extreme and unavoidable cases, where it has been considered as legitimate in Islam. The reason for this is clear, for divorce entails dire consequences affecting families and individuals; it results in deep psychological and emotional scars, especially when children are involved.

Because of such factors and others, Islam considers marriage a solemn contract (mithaq ghalizh) and reckons it as the duty of both parties who have entered into such contract by invoking God’s name and words, to seek to preserve it intact according to the best of their abilities. For future of humanity lies in the sound family which is the cornerstone of society.

Consequently, divorce has been generally frowned upon in Islam; hence it is imperative that we exhaust every possible avenue to avert the same; the steps thus recommended involve the following:

1. Seek counsel from those who possess wisdom, experience, and knowledge and seek to solve the outstanding issues between yourselves after gaining insight and advice from them.

2. In the event that such efforts fail, both spouses must resort to Islamic arbitration; in this arbitration one should have parties representing both sides. They should submit to abide by the decisions thus agreed upon.

The reason for this is that often humans become so preoccupied with their temporary personal likes and dislikes that they fail to see their own destructive behaviors and weaknesses. Thus they are encouraged to seek advice and wisdom from those with experience and knowledge, who may help them to empower themselves to take charge of rectifying their behavior and attitudes.

Having said this, divorce however, must not be considered a closed door. There are genuine cases when divorce is the only option available. Here are a few valid reasons:

1. Physical, mental, or emotional abuse or torture. When one of the spouses becomes abusive and inflicts physical, mental, or emotional torture, and is not willing to change by taking practical measures through therapy or counseling, then it is a valid reason for seeking divorce, for the Islamic principle states, “There shall be no inflicting or receiving of harm.” Zhulm(injustice) is not tolerated in Islam, regardless of who the perpetrator is.

2. Failure to fulfill the objectives and purposes for which marriage was initiated. This can be utter incompatibility between the partners, which may be expressed by their irreconcilable differences in temperaments, likes, and dislikes.

3. Marital infidelity. This can be a major cause for dissolution of marriage, for marriage is built on trust and confidence. Its main purpose is to preserve the chastity and modesty of those involved. Once this foundation is eroded and undermined and there is no chance to restore the same, then divorce is the way to go.

4. Failure of the husband to provide. When the man, who is considered the provider and maintainer of the family, fails to shoulder his responsibilities and the wife decides that she cannot continue tolerating his shirking of responsibility, this is grounds for divorce.

Any one of the above-mentioned reasons can be considered as a valid ground for divorce in Islam. If in a legitimate case warranting a divorce a husband refuses to divorce his wife, then she is certainly justified by Islamic Law to approach the proper legal authorities to get a divorce: The judgment of divorce thus rendered by such authorities can be deemed as valid in Islam. May Allah help us all to conduct our affairs with sound wisdom, understanding, sincerity, and faith, amen.”

I hope the above answer is clear.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

Can you confirm the 3 reasons in Islam that it is not a sin to lie? Thanks

A:

Lying is a major sin in Islam. Truthfulness is one of the most fundamental virtues in Islam; it is the hallmark of a Muslim. The Prophet said, “Beware of lying for lying leads to sins and sins lead the way to hellfire. A person continues to lie until his name is recorded as a liar in the register of Allah.”

There are, however some exceptions where some form of lying is allowed to bring about peace and prevent harm; perhaps it is better to call it a ‘white lie’ where it is used to avoid injury or to bring about a beneficial outcome or for saving lives:

Here are the three examples:

1. You may use a ‘white lie’ to bring peace and reconciliation between two estranged persons or groups. For this, you may say something like I heard the person saying something good about you or something like that.
2. You may use a statement with dual meanings, one of which is factually correct. For instance, if you are asked about someone by a person who came to attack him: Is so and so here: You may say: he is not here, and you mean it in the specific spot!, while he may be in some other part of the house. That is allowed to save the other person.
3. Husband and wife are allowed to use ‘white lies’ to strengthen marital bonding. For instance, a husband can say to his wife: While coming home, I was craving for your delicious food; you cook better food than others, etc. however, this does not mean that they are allowed to lie to each other in such a way as to harm each other or undermine or deny the rights of each other. 
4. In war, specific lies are allowed to stop the enemy from attacking or turning their attention away. For instance, a person caught by the enemy can use a lie to prevent them from attacking his people.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Q:

I’ve been having doubts about Islam and I want to know how to get rid of these doubts and I have a few questions and I don’t want to keep them to myself so they can grow.

1.How do we know Allah exists?
2. How do we know Islam is the truth because there are so many religions and if one is correct all the others are fake so how do we know that Islam is it
3.If the universe had to have had a creator doesn’t that mean Allah had to have one as well?

I hope you can answer these because I really do not want to keep these thoughts to myself so they can grow.

A:

I know that Allah exists when I know for an inevitable fact that I did not create myself, nor am I born of a sheer accident. My body functions with all of its faculties in harmony in such a way without any input from myself. The brain and other connectors and cells and joints are structured and work so that no one with a sound mind can say it is all happening by sheer accident.

Look at the cosmos and the myriad creatures in the land and sea. All of them manifest the signs of a Great Power behind them.

Knowledge of God is innate in human nature. Even a person who may otherwise deny the existence of God may be compelled to turn to Him when all the material supports fail. How often do we read people in a plane facing doomed to crash turning to God?

They say: you will be hard-pressed to meet an atheist in such a plane!

I know Islam is the truth when we see that it is the fastest-growing religion globally, even though Muslims face genocide, oppression, hatred, and discrimination in many parts of the world.

Nevertheless, people are embracing Islam despite these extreme circumstances. They come from all religious and ethnic backgrounds: religious, ethnic, and linguistic. There is no shortage of individuals who spent years fighting Islam and Muslims embracing Islam after experiencing the truth.

Take, for instance, the examples of guards in Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp, and Joram van Klaveren is the second ex-PVV politician to a convert-a former member of Geert Wilders’ far-right Dutch party. There is no shortage of monks, priests, and nobles from various parts of the world who embraced Islam.

Look at those orientalists who studied Islam and then converted to it. To cite only two names: Abdul-Karim Germanus (formerly known as Julius Germanus) Germanus (in 1979) after serving the cause of Islam and Muslims for nearly 50 years.

Muhammad Asad, a Jewish convert to Islam, came from a Rabbinical family who worked as a journalist, traveler, writer, linguist, political theorist, diplomat, and Islamic scholar. Aminah Assilmi – former Southern Baptist preacher who converted to Islam while converting Muslims to Christianity; Jonathan A.C. Brown and Murad Wilfried Hofmann (d. 2020) -German diplomat and author. The list goes on and on.

How can scholars, intellectuals, and thinkers of such diverse religious, intellectual, and racial backgrounds be inspired to accept Islam against all the odds- if Islam is not the truth?

I have religious experiences that force me to believe in Allah and His saving interventions in my own life. Therefore, I testify there is no god but God and Muhammad is His Messenger.

Therefore, my only wish in life is to die as a true believer and be gathered after death in the company of the Prophet Muhammad and other prophets and saints and martyrs.

Almighty Allah knows best.