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Answer
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Name
Joseph
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Profession
Question
My question is: what does the word whose meaning is like "Anonymous Muslim"-has frequently been used in Christianity(Anonymous Christian)-represent?
Answer
Salam Joseph,
Thank you for your question.
The word, “anonymous” means “nameless” or “of unknown identity”. The expression, “Anonymous Muslim” stands for a Muslim who is NOT KNOWN as a Muslim. Also, it stands for a person who keeps his Muslim identity a secret.
There may be anonymous Christians or Jews and so on. If your question is why such words exist, the answer is obvious. There may be a situation prevailing in some societies that urges a person to keep his /her religious identity a secret, maybe for security or for some other reason. And so a word or phrase is necessary to refer to such people; and that is why such a name exists.
Hope I have answered your question.
Name
Sara
-
Profession
Question
As-salamu `alaykum,
I am a muslim al-hamdulillah. The problem is that every day when I check out some Islamic sites, they state a new reason which I've never heard of. It puts a person out of the fold of Islam. I'm not criticizing these sites, its just that I still don't have any clear views on what does and put a person out of the Islamic teachings. For example, I checked out a site again in which one of the scholars had stated for a person who sins consistently that he is ridiculing the law of Allah. What I believe is that its not necessary that such a person may have an intention of ridiculing Shari`ah laws. I always thought it was upon a person's intention whether he is doing it to ridicule Shari`ah or not. I am very confused about these questions please provide me with a clear concept. May Allah bless you.
Answer
Salam Sara,
Thank you for your question.
Allah Almighty has bestowed on us reason and analytical power. In fact, He has not only commanded us to use our reason, but also compared those who do not use their power of reasoning to cattle. (See Noble Qur’an 7:179). This means that we-Muslims-must use our own rationality whenever we read or hear any opinion or ruling on any issue, whether religious or otherwise.
Now about the example about the consistent ridiculing of the law of Shari’ah: the point made by the scholar (you quoted) is that if a person commits a sin repeatedly, he must be charged with deliberately ridiculing the Shari’a law. The basis of his ruling is his assumption that, a person considers the particular Shari’a law lightly; and so he is ridiculing it. Can’t you see that there is good reason in this?
By this I am not ruling out the possibility that the person concerned may NOT have any intention of ridiculing the Shari’a law. If so, he is free from a very serious sin. On the other hand, he is guilty of laxity and carelessness in the observance of the Shari’a law.
The point I wish to make here is: even ordinary humans, not necessarily great scholars, can view things reasonably and arrive at a conclusion about such issues in the light of reason. And in some cases, if our finding goes counter to the view of some cyber-mufti, so be it. But it is always desirable to seek a second ruling in such instances.
And Allah knows best.
Name
Truth Seeker
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Profession
Question
Could you give me a breif on how Islam views the issue of qadar (destiny)?
Thanks for your time.
Answer
Salam Truth Seeker,
Thank you for your question.
From the Islamic point of view, man is not completely a master of his fate; nor is he a controller of his fate.
It is true that Allah’s sovereignty is all pervading and nothing falls outside its purview. This means that Allah knows everything and it is according to His Will, things happen. Humans are completely subject to the overriding power of God, and they can do nothing without God willing it to be so.
However, Allah not only created everything but determined its nature and scope. In His infinite wisdom and mercy, He gave man limited power and freedom according to which a man enjoys freedom of choice within limits. It is because of this autonomy enjoyed by man that he is held accountable for his deeds.
The Noble Qur’an says what means:
*{Man shall have nothing but what he strives for}* (An-Najm 53: 39).
*{Allah will never change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves}* (Ar-Ra`d 13: 11).
*{Say: "With Allah is the argument that reaches home: if it had been His Will, He could indeed have guided you all."}* (Al-An`am 6: 149)
*{Whoever has done an atom's weight of good shall meet with its reward and whoever has done an atom's weight of evil shall meet with its consequences.}* (Az-Zalzalah 99: 7-8).
In fact the word taqdir used in the Qur'an often means a measure of the latent possibilities with which Allah created man and all things of Nature.
For example, Allah says what means:
*{He created everything for its Destiny (or its Measure)}* (Al-Furqan 25: 2).
*{We created everything according to a Measure or Destiny.}* (Al-Qamar54: 9)
In both these verses destiny implies the scope and potential of things, i.e their latent capabilities.
That is to say, God has not created a Universe, finished off and complete, bound to the iron rules of nature. The idea behind taqdir is that the creation of this universe was in accordance with the grand design of the Creator. There is no element of chance in the creation of this Universe. Everything is well-arranged and well-planned. That is part of qadar.
Of course, Allah has a foreknowledge of everything that He created; but this does not imply that human beings are deprived of the freedom of action. The foreknowledge of God is different from predestination. Otherwise, man will not have any freedom of will or action. In addition, God Himself is then made to be inactive, as things happen according to the so-called predestination. But the Holy Qur’an clearly says that God is constantly active in Creation:
*{Allah. There is no god but He,-the Living, the Self-subsisting, Supporter of all. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is thee can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. For He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory)}*. (Al-Baqarah 2: 255)
This verse indicates that God does not feel tired or sleepy in spite of the fact that He is constantly active.
The idea of past, present and future is relative. It is, we may say, a great ‘present’ for the All-Seeing God. The whole expanse of endless time lies before Him in the shape of now. When He decrees a thing it happens, and He sees it before it happens. God in Islam is therefore a free Creator with foreknowledge.
The concept of taqdir therefore indicates that we must co-operate with God’s Plan and consciously submit to His Will. Destiny as conceived by Islam therefore does not take away our freedom of choice and action. It is our willful choice of those actions from our inherent possibilities that are in harmony with God’s Will, that earns us our Reward from Allah. Thus taqdir can be a source of inspiration and encouragement for us and it really opens up vast fields of human activity. It need not make us utterly powerless or helpless; on the contrary it can be a source of inspiration and encouragement.
Thus from the point of view of Islam, man is free (within limits) for all practical purposes, and he has no excuse for making the wrong choice in the name of taqdir or fate.
And Allah knows best.
Name
mahmoud
- Iran
Profession
business
Question
Why drinking alcohol is prohibited in Isalm ?
And if somenoe do it, so what is the result in the other world?
Answer
Salam Mahmoud,
Thank you for your question.
Allah Almighty has prohibited alcohol, because He does not want the best of His creation (i.e humans) to behave like the worst of His creation. So, He has commanded us:
*{O ye who belive! Intoxicants and gambling...Are an abomination, - of Satan's handiwork: Shun such (abomination), That ye may prosper.}* (Noble Quran 5:93)
To know about the effect of alcohol on the human body and mind, read what Dr
Charles Richet, Nobel Prize Winning French Physiologist has got to say about it:
"Alcohol paralyses the senses, makes one lurch, vomit, extinguishes the feeble glimmer of reason which flickers in our poor minds. It soon overcomes the strongest man, and turns him into a raging beast who with empurpled face and bloodshot eyes, bellows forth oaths and threats against his surroundings and insults imaginary enemies. Never in any animal species, not among pigs, nor jackals, nor donkeys, is such ignominy to be found. The ugliest thing in creation is the drunkard, a repulsive being, the sight of whom makes one ashamed to belong to the same living species."
According to the Noble Qur’an, no action of ours is lost. Everything we do we will find in the other world. And on the Day of Judgment, Allah judges us on the basis of our beliefs and actions; and any one whose good actions (such as prayer and helping the poor etc) as judged by Allah outweigh the bad actions (including the drinking of alcohol) will be sent to Heaven and any one whose bad actions outweigh the good ones will be sent to Hell, as He declares in His Qur’an what means:
*{Then, he whose balance (of good deeds) will be (found) heavy,
..Will be in a life of good pleasure and satisfaction. But he whose balance (of good deeds) will be (found) light,-
Will have his home in a (bottomless) Pit.}* (Al-Qare`ah 101: 6-9)
And Allah knows best
Name
leena
- Pakistan
Profession
house-wife
Question
1.I embraced Islam (not for a long time)after reading a lot about it. What Islam say about the Archeology, Historians? Is it allowed to take these professions and dig out the tombs, statues etc, learn about the past/history?
2. Can one just visit beautiful/historical places/cities even if some are Christians (i.e. Rome, Paris (Louvre))or Egypt, etc. Moreover, what about taking photos near different historical or recently man-made places/objects, like a pyramid, a Sphinx statue, old relics, buildings, churches, etc.?
Thank you very much.
Answer
Salam Leena,
Thank you for your question.
In fact the Noble Qur’an commands us that we must visit places of historical interest and learn about how those past civilizations once flourished in glory and how they in course of time crumbled and disappeared. Allah Almighty has endowed us with reason and imagination. He commands us to use them. It is our duty as Muslims to learn not only history, archeology, anthropology etc...(i.e history of man) but also chemistry, physics, biology etc...(i.e nature in its varied forms).
It is by observing and learning about nature and history, mankind passes from one stage of development to the next stage. And that is how we humans must progress through civilization and make our own contribution to humanity in general. The Noble Qur’an is the only scripture to my knowledge that makes it obligatory on its adherents to study humanities and the sciences as knowledge leading to the ultimate reality.
As far as I understand, we can record the pictures of great relics and beautiful works of art for the purpose of study and artistic contemplation. However, we must take care NOT to take them as idols of worship [which amounts to ‘shirk’ (=giving worship where it is not due), an unforgivable sin in Islam]
And Allah knows best
Name
Hisham
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Profession
Question
As-salamu `aleykum,
Some of my non-Muslim friends ask me about the permissibility of polygamy, and I try my best to explain to them the Islamic ruling regarding polygamy and the conditions related to it. Can you explain this to me in details. Also, my friends note in a negative tone that if a man has up to four wives then its filthy and there is a tendacy for diseases etc. I would be grateful if you could provide me with a detailed answer.
Jazak Allah khayr and Barak Allahu Feek.
Answer
Salam Hisham,
Thank you for your question.
Within the scope of this Live Dialogue and due to time limit, I am sorry I can't give a detailed answer to your question. You may refer to books or articles on the subject written by authors like Dr Jamal Badawi. For the time being, I will confine myself to just a couple of points:
First you should understand that polygamy is not a norm, or a rule; it is an EXCEPTION.
Please tell your friends that Islam does NOT command Muslims to marry four wives. That is a provision to be followed in extreme cases. For instance, where there are a large number of women and men are very few in number. Also, this might be the case after a war; or in certain countries where women far outnumber men.
Also, there are strict conditions to be followed IF one wants to marry more than one wife. For instance, all the wives MUST be equitably treated by the husband. There must not be discrimination. However,of course, there are several cases where Muslims ignore these conditions, and VIOLATE the Islamic rule of marriage. This is not a shortcoming of the law, but of the people.
People often follow their own lusts, and it applies to people belonging to ALL religions. For instance, those Christians who find fault with the Islamic rules of marriage forget the celibacy inflicted on the Catholic priests and nuns and the consequent abuses. Or they just close their eyes to what happens to women in ‘modern’ ‘secular’ cultures. We must consider all aspects of an issue before passing judgment on it..
And Allah knows best.
Name
zack
- United States
Profession
Question
Hi,
My sister is Mulsim, however I'm not. It seems that you guys do the same thing you say everyone else does. You worship the ka`bbah, and use the Qur'an to know what God wants you to do. This is the same thing that every other religion does, use something between them and god. My sister says it's not the same, but if you walk into a room and see a muslim, a buddist, and a hindu praying its all the same. You cannot see a difference.
Sorry, I just don't see how you are different from them.
Can you further explain if possible?
Thanks
Answer
Salam Zack,
Thank you for your question.
It is only natural for a 'Non-believer' who looks from outside to think that all religious persons are the same; or that they do the same kind of worship. This is not true. Since all are humans, they may look alike and behave alike. However, what is IN the heartsand minds is different; that is what matters.
Consider the attitudes and approaches to problems. How life is viewed etc...
For instance, no one can face pain and suffering so bravely as a real Muslim, because of his or her full dependence on Allah. Muslims view life on earth as temporary; and whatever that is lacking here will be more than compensated in the next world. This complete trust in Allah and hope for future happiness that is eternal keep Muslims level-headed and happy.
Hope you will spend some time to learn more of Islam.
May God help you and guide you to the Truth!
Name
natasha
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Profession
Question
Can you provide me with some information about polygamy: benefits behind it and reward for women involved. Also, were the Prophet's wives jealous of each other?
Answer
Salam Natasha,
Thank you for your question.
Please see my answer to Hisham above.
Look at the relevant verse in the Noble Qur’an permitting polygamy:
*{If ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, Marry women of your choice, Two or three or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, or (a captive) that your right hands possess, that will be more suitable, to prevent you from doing injustice.}* (An-Nisaa' 4:3)
It is very clear that the original permission for polygamy was for the purpose of protecting orphans and helpless widows. However, note the condition: The wives MUST be treated with equity. If that is not possible, marry ONLY ONE.
It is possible that some modern educated women in developed countries may view this as an unjust advantage given to men. Yet, think of the poor countries like India where women are constrained to lead a helpless life without a job, a home, and without a man to look after them and sometimes with illegitimate children (which in such societies is a serious sin unlike in the ‘modern’ countries). In such societies, this provision of a man (i.e. a man of sufficient income) to marry and care for more than one wife is a real blessing, to avoid a lot of evil.
Now jealosy between wives is a matter of emotional adjustment. In the case of wives having one husband, there could be worse conditions existing than jealosy. In certain conditions, polygamy is the only way out for many women and children.
Allah knows best.
Name
James
- United Kingdom
Profession
Question
I have an intrest in the islamic concept of abbrogation.
I am aware of the change in the direction of prayer from Jerusalem to Mekkah in the Qur'an.
My question regards the notion of tolerance. Is tolerance truely Islamic? Many western muslims often quote the verse "let there be no compulsion in religion" (2:256) from the early mecca period. But couldn't this teaching be abbrogated by the later medinan verse (9.29) regarding fighting those unbeleivers, and force the people of the book to pay the Jizyah tax?
I would appreciate your opinion.
Answer
Salam James,
Thank you for your question.
The subject of abrogation is NOT as you interpret it. Abrogation is relevant in cases where God wanted to progressively introduce a law according to the changing circumstances or according to the needs of the evolving Muslim society.
You raised the question of tolerance. Please note: No other religion can be as tolerant as Islam, because only Islam approves ALL the previous prophets and ALL the previous Scriptures.
Firstly, The basis of Islam's tolerance is One and Only God Who created everything.
Secondly, Islam teaches that there is ONLY ONE HUMANITY, irrespective of color, tribe, nationality, language or whatever.
Thirdly, Islam teaches that the true religion is the UNCONDITIONAL OBEDIENCE TO THE ONE TRUE GOD- namely ISLAM. And Islam was the religion of Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, peace be on them all. Muhammad never claimed that his religion is a new religion. He said his mission was to restore the religion of all the Prophets of God; especially the religion of Abraham. Abraham is considered the Model for Muslims as he was a model for Jews and Christians.
The verse, "Let there be no compulsion in religion" is NOT abrogated as you allege. The verse, 9:29 was revealed in the particular context of an ongoing war. It has not a universal application. And also Jizya was a tax in the place of Zakah given by Muslims, IN AN ISLAMIC COUNTRY. That is to say, Non-Muslims had to pay a tax as Muslims had a tax to pay. One tax was called zakah, the other was called jizya.
Hope I have answered your question.
Name
James "Poopsie" McGillicuddy
- United States
Profession
Question
Dear Professor, Why does Islam prohibit one wife from having more than one husband simultaneously?
Answer
Salam James,
Thank you for your question.
Islam insists on a person having only one father, because from the Islamic point of view, the kind of confusion that arises from illegitimacy is a serious one. Similar is the view of other religions too, as far as I understand.
Allah knows best
Name
Suzie Ombraker
-
Profession
Question
Are you optimistic or pessimistic about Islamic terrorists?
Answer
Salam Suzie,
Thank you for your question.
I don't know what you mean by "Islamic terrorists". If you mean people who misuse the name of Islam for terrorizing people, I don't know why you should forget Jewish terrorism, Christian terrorism and Hindu terrorism.
I am optimistic about good human beings everywhere.
As God is there, and you will see that everything comes fine in the end.
