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Session Details
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| Guest Name |
Dr. Salah As-Sawi
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| Profession |
Secretary General for the Assembly of Muslim Jurists in America (AMJA)
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| Subject |
On Muslim Minorities Issues
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| Date |
Wednesday,Oct 28 ,2009
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Time |
Makkah
From...
14:30...To...
15:45
GMT
From... 11:30...To...12:45
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| Name |
Host
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| Answer |
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Brothers and sisters, the session has already started. You can submit your questions. Please, make your questions short and clear so as to help us answer all your questions.
Yours,
Islam Online Fatwa Editing Desk.
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| Name |
ahmed
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| Question |
Volunteering has a great value in the West. Muslim presence in a lot of volunteering activities that serve the whole society is very week. What is your advice for the Muslim youth in this regard? Jazakum Allahu khairan.
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| Answer |
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Voluntary work is one of the basic righteous deeds which deserve rewards in the Hereafter, especially those intended for the pleasure of Allah. The basic legal ruling is that voluntary work is not offered for a monetary compensation. Allah confirms this by saying "Follow those who ask of you no fee, and who are rightly guided." (Ya-Sin, 36:21) Allah further blamed the unbelievers for not following the path of Allah's Messengers by saying "Or dost thou (Muhammad) ask a fee from them so that they are heavily taxed? " (Al-Tur, 68:46) Western societies made big strides in organizing non-profit voluntary work by making it one of the avenues for tax expenditures. How many countries and places that were rescued due to such voluntary works and how many hungry people were fed and how many difficulties and sufferings were alleviated due to those acts? The Muslim nation is worth hastening in participating those acts which raises the emblem of this religion high, the true religion that Allah has chosen for His slaves up to the Day of Judgment.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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| Name |
Mubarak
- Nigeria
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| Question |
We offer `Eid Prayer in the front of Mighty rock. Idolaters worship that rock and sacrifices cows and other animals to the stone. In the same place the Imam slaughters rams during `Eid Al-Adha. Please, what should we do to safeguard our Tawhid?
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| Answer |
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
A Muslim should be keen to stay away from all kinds of shirk (associating others in worship with Allah). So, it is highly recommended for the Imam and those who follow him to choose another place to perform Muslim rituals in it. Also, the Imam should clarify for people in every occasion that worship and slaughtering should be only to Allah, the Creator. Allah says in the Qur’an: "Say: Lo! my worship and my sacrifice and my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the Worlds." (Al-An`am, 6:162)
This should be done in a wise way to gathers people’s hearts on worshipping Allah alone and staying away from shirk.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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| Name |
Aiyesha
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| Question |
AssalamuAlaikum, Please tell me the Islamic remedy for social phobia.
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| Answer |
Wa`alaykum As-Salaamu Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Maintaining solid belief in Allah is the healing remedy of all hearts. Persons who are firmly confident that Allah Alone is the One who brings goodness and the one who drives evil, the One who bestows His favors on whomever He likes, the One who benefits and the One who brings harm, such persons are retain good thought about their Lord and will never hold any fear of anybody else. Therefore, I encourage the one who has such a suffering to regain his good thought about his Lord and perfect his acts of worship which will draw him closer to the mercy of His Lord. He will definitely, afterwards, find traces of Allah's mercy and compassion in a way that he never expected, in sha' Allah.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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Kamal
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| Question |
I work in Dubai in a hotel that sells alcohol. Is the salary I am getting Halal or Haram? Taking into consideration that almost every hotel sells alcohol.
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| Answer |
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
If you work in a place where you do not handle selling those prohibited materials, I hope you are not. Hotels are basically mansions for hosting travelers. It is different from night clubs and casinos.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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Ali
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| Question |
Assalamu aliakum
I suffer from psychological illness due to an accident which happened to me 4 years ago, and this had led to facial scars. Therefore, I didn't leave my house or attend Friday prayer for 4 years, despite how much I love to attend the Friday prayer, but I can't. Alhamdulillah, I accept what happened to me but my family and the society treat me in a bad way, and I am not accepted by my family nor the society, because I look strange. That is what caused my illness. I am trying my best to keep my mind active and positive for the last 4 years. I study BSc from home. I began memorizing the Qur'an and fast like our Prophet Dawud. I never missed the night prayer and other sunnah prayers. But all the prayers are at home. I feel happy within myself, because my relationship with Allah (SWT) is better than any other time in life. I fear that Allah (SWT) is not pleased with me. My questions are: 'Will Allah (SWT) punish me for not attending Ja'maat prayers at the mosque, specially Friday prayer? Will I be rewarded for this calamity despite my shortcomings? Baraka Allahu feekom. Alhamdullah for everything. Wassalamu Alykom Wa rahmato Allahi Wa Barakatoh
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| Answer |
Wa`alaykum As-Salaamu Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
I ask Allah (SWT) to protect you, grant you speedy recovery, and reward you highly. Allah (SWT) has made this tribulation as a gift for you by opening doors of worship you wouldn’t have experienced otherwise. Praise to Allah who makes it easy for His servants after any hardship. I want to emphasize to you that Friday prayer absence cannot be excused by such types of excuses, as was unanimously agreed upon among scholars of Islam.
Other congregational prayers attendance is less strict because attending congregational prayer in times other than Friday is a controversy among scholars whether it is required or just encouraged. But, if you can observe all congregational prayers, that should be your first priority. Observing Friday prayer should be the absolute minimum though as whoever misses 3 Fridays out of negligence, Allah will conceal his heart. May Allah (SWT) bless you and reward you highly.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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| Name |
Akbar
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| Question |
I need clarification on certain matters: 1. What is place of cap wearing in Islam, isn't it a sort of hypocrisy? What type of cap it should be & how much area should it cover? Is plastic cap allowed? 2. What is place of wearing trousers above the ankle? Hadith narrates "those who wear trousers below ankle and feel proud will go to hell" But I feel in today scenario that most of us today wear trousers below ankle as there is no question of proud. Rather, those who wear it above ankle, in fact, do walk with proud. 3. The Hadith "Grow the beard and cut short the moustache and don't be like a 'Mushrik'- Most of Muslim brother do not grow beard, so merely by absence of it doesn't make us to interpret a person as 'Mushrik'. Is still growing beard is essential? 4. Another query, albeit on different topic, some say if 'Barelwi' offer prayer behind 'Devobandi' Imam, his prayer is not valid. Is it true?
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Wa`alaykum As-Salaamu Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Wearing hats is not one of the peculiar features that distinguish non-Muslims and, therefore, there is no harm in wearing them whether made of plastic or any other material. It is worth mentioning that it is more appropriate for a Muslim to wear familiar clothes that his people wear. As for covering the head with coffeie or cap that is familiar to Muslims, this is preferable according to Muslim norms but it is not an obligation.
As for the prohibition of wearing trousers below the ankles, scholars are unanimous to the effect that it is prohibited if they are worn in arrogance. If the intention is devoid of any arrogance scholars differed, but if you are able to avoid wearing them it is preferable so that you get rid of the scholars' difference.
As for letting the beard grow, it is the practice of the best Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), regardless that non Muslims grow it or not.
Pls send your fourth question in a seperate one.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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Tania
- Morocco
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| Question |
Assalamu alaikum
I have some relatives in a Western country, but I've never seen them (my grandmother, uncles, cousins, sisters). Is it necessary for me to go and meet them, to restore lost family ties?
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| Answer |
Wa`alaykum As-Salaamu Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Among one of the best acts of worship is to be kind to your kinship. Allah said in the Divine tradition, ”By my dignity and royalty, I will bless whoever maintains his relations with his kith and kin and condemn whoever disconnect his kinship." So, if you are able to re-establish these relations, please do so as a righteous act. Being kind to your kinship flourishes life and prolongs ages. I ask Allah (SWT) to make it easy for you.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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hasan
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| Question |
Muslims in general, especially the Muslim youth in the West, are facing a dilemma of keeping their Muslim identity amid diverse and open societies in the West. Can you please elaborate how can Muslim youth maintain their identity and integrate into such diverse societies?
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| Answer |
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Islamic identity can be achieved by two pillars: gathering on Islam, and using Shariaa as frame of reference for all affairs. Gathering on Islam entails loving those who follow the true religion and supporting them. It also entails disassociation from those who show enmity for the Deen and not to provide them with any kind of support in doing this. These are common practices among all religions and not subject for any dispute. Religious brotherhood does not abrogate other blood relations; neither gets it in the way for rights of such relation as long as it does not cause evil. Also, religious brotherhood does not go against having good social relations as long as it does not cause support on evil or affect the truth. Religious brotherhood is not against any covenants or agreements among human beings which support the oppressed, stop the aggressors, or help the needy. The concept of cooperation on good doing and preventing the evil is universal.
Using Shariaa as the judge requires having it as the ultimate frame of reference for any action or decision as long as it is authentic. Permissible is what Allah made permissible. Forbidden is what Allah made forbidden. Allah and his messenger are the only legislators. Trespassing these boundaries should not be tolerated even more than the boundaries of the laws that are observed, otherwise he /she will be among the wrongdoers.
Among the Shariaa guidelines is that habits are permissible by default, while acts of worship are not as open; i.e. acts of worship are not allowed unless Shariaa requires it through authentic sources. On the contrary, habits are permissible by default unless they were prohibited by Shariaa. Some aspects of life may contain both sides: for example, covering your body in a non-revealing or descriptive way of body waves, or resembling men's attire, or resembling other faiths attires, is an act of worship. The way you cover your body can be influenced by your culture or peoples' habits like gulf style, Pakistani style, Turkish style, or African style. The same rule applies to men's attire. So, the goal is not to have one style of clothes, but goal is to promote the covering of the body in a non-revealing or body waves describing way. Another example is what we eat. You do not have to eat something specific on breakfast to be known as a good Muslim. Eating cereal, bagels, donuts, and coffee does not make you a good nor a bad Muslim. You can generalize this concept on the rest of people habits.
Bottom line, as long as we use Shariaa as our frame of reference in what we do and what we should not do and as long we observe the rules regarding acts of worship versus acts of habits, then we are in a good standing with Allah SWT.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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Sister
- Egypt
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| Question |
Asalamu alaikum
A wife of one Muslim brother left Islam. But she says she still believes in God. She does not want to follow any religion. The man does not want to divorce his wife. Is this OK? What is your advice to him? Jazakumullah khairan.
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| Answer |
Wa`alaykum As-Salaamu Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Allah said, "And do not maintain marriage ties with the polytheists" (Al-Baqarah, 221) If she renounced Islam and there is no hope of her coming back, then this woman becomes unlawful for this brother. She cannot be got in marriage tie with a Muslim. A Muslim is permitted to get married to Muslim, Christian or Jewish women only. However, we advise this brother to show compassion in talking to her. He should work hard to remove all her misconceptions and draw her closer to Islam. If he is unable to get her back to Islam, he should divorce her and Allah will replace him with someone better, for whoever leaves something for the sake Allah, Allah will compensate him with something better.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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Anisa
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House-wife
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| Question |
Assalamu aleykum! A lot of Muslims in the west imitate non-Muslim trends, such as hippies, pankers, metalists, etc. Is it allowed according to Islam?
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| Answer |
Wa`alaykum As-Salaamu Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Whoever follows non-Muslims by imitating them in attributes or features peculiar for them is regarded as one of them. It is not appropriate for one who believes in Allah and the last day to emulate such people. Allah said, "And now have We set thee (O Muhammad) on a clear road of (Our) commandment; so follow it, and follow not the whims of those who know not." (Al-Jathiyah, 18) In each prayer we seek Allah's help to guide us to the straight path and divert us from the path of those who went astray.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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Editor
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In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Brothers and sisters, we are so sorry for not answering all your questions because the time is over. We apologize for any inconvenience. Do keep in touch. Join us in coming sessions.
Yours,
Islam Online Fatwa Editing Desk.
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| All Fatwas published on this website (Islamonline.net) represent the juristic views and opinions of eminent scholars and Muftis. They do not necessarily form a juristic approach upheld by this website. Click here to read Full Disclaimer. |
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