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Name
Mahmood
- Canada
Profession
Student
Question
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "O youth, whoever of you can handle the responsibilities, he should get married because it lowers the gaze and protects the private parts. However, those who cannot, they should keep fasts because it will diminish their desires." (Bukhari).
What age is referred to by Youth? Is marriage a practical solution to those who are in their late teens living in the west? Also, what are the proper (Islamic) steps that one should take when seeking a spouse and proposing? (Please target your answer to the late teen age group.) Jazakum Allah khayran.
Answer
Dear brother, As-salamu `alaykum.
In fact, the term youth applies to every boy and girl who reached the age of puberty. The Islamic definition is totally different from that in the West which recognizes the age of "childhood" till the age of 18. We can find this in the UN declaration of Children Summit in 1992. In Islam, a boy or a girl of 13 are responsible for their deeds in front of Allah and law as long as they have hit puberty.
As far as this issue of the proper age of marriage is concerned, it is not restricted by a certain fixed rule, it varies from one culture to another. In the early days of prophethood and in later periods, the proper age was that of reaching puberty for both boys and girls.
This means the age of more or less ten for the girls and thirteen for boys, in earlier times, Pharonic times, for example, the proper age was that of six and seven for both genders!
I don't think that such norm can exist any more with the tremendous change that happened in modern style of life. Now we have systematic education that keeps the teenagers busy till their early twenties. During their school time, youth are unable to work full time to sustain their own living and the living of their expected families...etc. However, just in case the young teenagers live in an atmosphere of fitnah, like in the West, and afraid to fall in an forbidden act, I think early marriage will be recommended in this case with the help of the families to help them out with their lives.
As for the second half of the question, I think our Prophet gave us the right answer when he directed us to seek the spouse who is "Dhat-al-din" or the most religious. Direct contact with the girl, through her family and in their presence, is the best first step that a young man can take. No private dating is allowed in this marriage process in Islam.
Name
Suzie Ombraker
- Alaska
Profession
Breath Analysis
Question
What attracts so many terrorists and suicide bombers to Islam? Please respond with your honest prognosis of this issue. Thank you so very much.
Answer
Dear Suzie,
Thank you for contacting us.
From my point of view the word "terrorist" always needs to get defined and redefined. Now it wrongly refers to anybody who fights, whatever his cause might be. We need to distinguish those who carry weapons or even blast their own bodies to kill their occupiers who usurp their land under no legal considerations, kill the peaceful and innocent women and children of the natives and demolish their houses like this happening in Palestine by the Zionist occupation or in Iraq by the Anglo-American troops.
In this case we can not call them terrorists even "suicide bombers". However, we would rather refer to them as "martyrs". Sometimes, there exist others who would steal into these noble people's groups to commit nasty things such as killing natives or spreading racial and sectarian troubles, bombing haphazardly.
My diagnosis is that they are either ignorant Muslims -a diagnosis that hardly convinces a baby in diaper! Or that they are part of a well made conspiracy planed by the enemies to distort the image of the honest resistance groups and make people loose faith in their cause.
Name
sumaya
-
Profession
student
Question
As-salam `alaykum
While I understand that Allah created both good and evil, I find it difficult to understand why Allah would allow such evils to exist? I particularly have a hard time with the sexual abuse of children. Children are innocent and don't deserve such trauma. If Allah is Merciful, this shouldn't be happening to our children.
Thank you.
Answer
As-salamu `alaykum Sumaya,
I really appreciate your sensitivity and your worries towards the others. In fact, this issue of creating good and evil has been an obsession to the human mind since the dawn of humanity, all Greek, Persian, Hindu etc. Philosophers tried to answer this question. However, Islam looked at this issue from a different perspective.
Islam teaches that Allah could have created everything as good and beautiful but He, in His Wisdom, has created the element of evil to test us and see who is going to resist and deserve His reward and who would fall into and deserve His punishment.
Allah Al-Mighty says what means:
*{We try you with evil and with good for ordiel}* (Al-Anbiyaa’ 21:35)
As for your worries about the children, Allah is most Merciful to them but sometimes their families are not!
The continuous negligence of parents towards their sons nowadays running after worldly profits and glamorous opportunities in life at the expense of child care is behind the spread of this phenomena. Then it is US who failed to do what Allah has entrusted us to. Is this supposed to be His sign of His Mercilessness?
May Allah pardon us all.
Name
Sara
-
Profession
Question
As-salamu `alaykum,
I have two questions: Does ingratitude constitute major or minor kufr? Or does a certain level of ingratitude puts a person out of Islam? Also, if the answer is that all ingratitude puts a person out of Islam, then does this mean that if some Muslims complain about their situations ranging from family problems to things as complaining about complexions etc ,or show frustration sometimes when they don’t get what they worked hard for or are sad in such situations then they are out of Islam be a kafir? What about people who don’t do work out of laziness do they fall in the same category?
Also are women allowed to wear some amount of fitting in front of other women? I mean not the obscene type of fitting but somewhat less than the `abayah?
Answer
Dear Sara,
Allah is the Only One Who decides about Kufr and Iman. Frustration and desire to complain is a common human frailty that we have to make effort to overcome in almost every minute in our lives.
We should always remember that tests are from Him in order to show our patience and gratitude and in this case we get rewarded by erasing our bad deeds and elevating our ranks in the Hereafter.
In all cases a Muslim should be thankful to Allah, in case he is not and he shows dissatisfaction with His destiny then, Allah knows if this dissatisfaction is out of ignorance. In this case, He might pardon the one who shows this.
Name
Rasha
-
Profession
Question
How can I fix my iman?
Is there any way to protect my faith?
Answer
Dear Rash,
Your question needs pages to answer, but in few words, out of my own personal experience, one's company can lead one to the highest degree of iman and vise versa! keep with your pious sisters. Also try to learn and teach others what you have learned. Make this a habit that you always do.
Name
Rasha
-
Profession
Question
Can you tell us: What are the first things Allah will ask us about in the Hereafter?
Answer
Salam, dear Rasha.
Thank you for your quesiton.
According to the narrators of hadith Ibn Majah and An-Nasa'i, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him) said that the first thing we would be asked about would be our Salah (ritual Prayers).
Name
Neveen Nabil
- Egypt
Profession
Question
Could you please tell me how to correct the misconception some people have about the inequality of gender in Islam? And that some people think that men are superior to women?
Answer
Dear Neveen,
Thank you for your keenness on the image of Islam in front of non-Muslims who currently suffer from Islamophobia due to terrorism but more due to this issue you are talking about!
Unfortunately, those who attack the Muslims for this gender inequality will not be satisfied by reading "texts" explaining the opposite but they need to see "real practice" from Muslims who unfortunately and constantly prove this misconception.
Then, the best way to correct this thing is to guide the Muslims first to understand and practice the real Islamic concept of gender equality, then there will be no need to talk much.
Name
mother, wife, student
- United States
Profession
Question
As-salamu `alaykum,
As a recent convert to Islam, I am wondering where the steps related to salat (ritual Prayer) are derived from, particularly Wudu', number of rakats, etc.
I understand Allah commands us to pray five times a day, but where do the specified times for each prayer come from? And where can I read this information?
Thank you for your help, may Allah reward you for your efforts.
Answer
Dear mother, wife and student,
Thank you and congratulations for converting. In fact, we have two main sources for Islamic legislation: the first is Qur'an or Allah' direct words on Muhammad (peace be upon him). The second is Sunnah which consists of all the Prophet's sayings and deeds as revealed on him, indirectly, by Allah.
The second source has the same authority and the same abiding as the first one. Details of prayers either related to time or Wudu' steps and all such information come from this source.
Name
Ima Hogg de la Gruzelda
- Guatemala
Profession
Mongoloid
Question
My love of my life has asked to marry me if I revert. But I have been a Mongoloid since my papa and mama first introduced me.
Is it possible to revert and still be a Mongoloid?
Answer
Salam,
Thank you for your question.
Islam is not a religion of a certain group of people. It is for every body, i.e., Hidu, Arab, Mongoloid, European etc. I wish you convert out of love to this religin beside your wish to marry your sweetheart.
