Search »

Advanced Search »

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.

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.

Our duty is first to turn to Allah and pray to Him sincerely to help the People of Palestine and Lebanon in their difficulty. We should repent from our sins and start doing good things by keeping away from sin, corruption, injustice and wrong doings to any person.

Second, we should be united as one body and one Ummah. We should forget our differences based on Madhahib or nationalities. We should work together for our common objectives. We must be one voice against the injustice and oppression committed by Israel.

Third, we should be generous in helping the victims of this man made disaster.

Fourth, we should work to change the public opinion in the favor of the oppressed Palestinians and Lebanese people. Israeli propagandists have been quite successful in turning the attention of the people away from their evils of bombing and killing and injuring thousands of the innocent people.

You can also read:

Duties of Muslims Living in the West

Two Levels of Backing Oppressed Muslims

Allah Almighty knows best.

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.

Please see the previous answer. It is our duty to help as much as we can. Every Muslim is required to do their best to help the victims and the oppressed.

Allah Almighty knows best.

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.

Interfaith marriage is based on mutual respect of each partner’s faith and practices. Neither a Muslim husband nor a Christian wife is to be compelled to do or participate in any religious practice against one’s own faith. If a Muslim man decides to marry a Christian, then the wedding is supposed to be performed Islamically so that the marriage is valid and acceptable. After the Islamic wedding, if the wife wants to celebrate the wedding in the church and have it recognized, then she may do so and the husband cannot stop her from doing that. As for the husband’s participation, he may attend the ceremony as long as he does not participate in doing or saying anything that would contradict his Islamic beliefs.

Allah Almighty knows best.

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.

People in the United States are generally kind and compassionate. They respond to the suffering of the people. It is very important that we Muslims living in US expose to the public the Israeli atrocities in this war. Photos, audios and videos of human suffering and destruction in Lebanon and Palestine should be prepared and circulated all over the world. There should be films made to show the suffering and pain. I am not asking that people should fabricate or make false propaganda; the real picture should be shown. This will tell the people about the real nature of Zionist entity that is making peace so difficult in the Middle East.

Allah Almighty knows best.

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.

Donating money to help the victims is one of the most effective means we can do. Besides, we should reach out to the public and try to change the public opinion; we should work together and speak out; and first and foremost we should turn to Almighty Allah and ask for His help and assistance.

Allah Almighty knows best.

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.

We are and we must remain law abiding citizens. We must not do or allow any acts of violence or terrorism. We should participate in our local and national affairs and should not be isolated and aloof. As citizens of free countries we have a right and duty to speak freely against injustice and oppression. We must protest and expose the double standard and hypocrisy of some of the policies of these governments. We should do our best to change all wrong policies whether they are affecting us or other people. We should make alliances with like minded people of other faiths.

Allah Almighty knows best.

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.

Muslim should not work alone; they should form alliances with other peace and justice loving people of other faiths. There are many groups that are willing to support and need our support. We should work with them.

Allah Almighty knows best.

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.

Qunut an-Nawazil is the du`aa’ for removing a crisis or a calamity. It can be done collectively or individually. It can be done in each salah, especially fajr, or in witr. It is to be recited after you raise up from the second rak`ah in two-raka`h prayer or the fourth rak`ah in four-raka`t ones, namely after the ruku` (bowing down) position. A simple version of it is to start with the normal du`aa’ for qunut starting with, “Allahummah ihdna fee man hadayta…..etc.” and then you move on with supplication to remove a crisis or alleviate a suffering the Muslim Ummah is facing.

Allah Almighty knows best.

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.

Referring to the verses of the Qur'an and the incidents of the Sirah is very good; but it should be done with great care. Anachronism (projecting the present into the past) or obcurantims (projecting the past events in the present) create problem. Every thing should be presented in its proper context. It is not right to say that all Jews and Christians hate Muslims or all problems in the world are caused by the Zionists. We should focus on what is happening now and how much wrong is done to Palestinian people without generalizing. Injustice is a common problem of human beings. What is happening now is injustice. There are many verses and hadiths of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) against injustice. Actually one can quote even verses from the Bible to emphasize this point. Look at the following verses:
Deut.27
1. [19] "`Cursed be he who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.' And all the people shall say, `Amen.'
Isa.59
1. [8] The way of peace they know not,
and there is no justice in their paths;
they have made their roads crooked,
no one who goes in them knows peace.
2. [9] Therefore justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not overtake us;
we look for light, and behold, darkness,
and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
3. [11] We all growl like bears,
we moan and moan like doves;
we look for justice, but there is none;
for salvation, but it is far from us.
4. [14] Justice is turned back,
and righteousness stands afar off;
for truth has fallen in the public squares,
and uprightness cannot enter.
5. [15] Truth is lacking,
and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.
The LORD saw it, and it displeased him
that there was no justice.
Jer.21
1. [12] O house of David! Thus says the LORD: "`Execute justice in the morning,
and deliver from the hand of the oppressor
him who has been robbed,
lest my wrath go forth like fire,
and burn with none to quench it,
because of your evil doings.'"
[13] "Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley,
O rock of the plain, says the LORD;
you who say, `Who shall come down against us,
or who shall enter our habitations?'
[14] I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, says the
LORD;
I will kindle a fire in her forest,
and it shall devour all that is round about her."

Almighty Allah also says, "Such is the chastisement of thy Lord when He chastises communities in the midst of their injustice: grievous, indeed, and severe is His chastisement." (Hud 11: 102)

"How many were the populations We utterly destroyed because of their injustice and oppression, setting up in their places other peoples? Yet, when they felt Our Punishment (coming), behold, they (tried to) flee from it. Flee not, but return to the good things of this life which were given you, and to your homes, in order that ye may be called to account. They said: "Ah! Woe to us! we were indeed wrong-doers!" And that cry of theirs ceased not, till We made them as a field that is mown, as ashes silent and quenched." (Al-Anbiya’ 21: 11-15)

Allah Almighty knows best.

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.

Only Allah knows about the Final Hour. We are not supposed to indulge in speculations about it. We should rather continue our efforts to make this world a better world. This is our responsibility and Allah will reward us according to our faith and sincere efforts.

Allah Almighty knows best.

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.

There are plenty of verses and hadiths speaking about the role the Muslim should play in changing the evil and the wrong around him or her. In the Qur’an, Allah says: “You are the best community that has been raised up for mankind. You enjoin right conduct and forbid evil; and you believe in Allah. And if the People of the Book had believed it had been better for them. Some of them are believers; but most of them are transgressors. They will not harm you save a trifling hurt, and if they fight against you they will turn and flee. And afterward they will not be helped.” (Aal `Imran 3: 110-111)

Also, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever sees evil should set it right by means of his hand; if not, by his tongue; if not, then by his heart and that is considered to be the weakest of faith.”

In another hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him), also said: “If my nation are afraid to say to the oppressor, “O oppressor”, then there is no hope it them.”

Allah Almighty knows best.

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.

There are a number of important points for our reflection. Almighty Allah says: “This is a declaration for mankind, a guidance and an admonition unto those who ward off (evil). Faint not nor grieve, for you will overcome them if you are (indeed) believers." (Aal `Imran 3: 138-139)

The situation in Palestine and Lebanon is very sad and painful. We see death and destruction everywhere. Hundreds are killed and thousands are injured. Hundreds of thousands are homeless and millions are starving. Homes, apartment buildings, hospitals, schools, roads, bridges, water and electric supply stations, mosques and churches, the infrastructure of the whole nation of Lebanon and the region of Gaza are destroyed within the last ten days.

Our Ummah is feeling sad, depressed, angry, frustrated, helpless and confused. Whom we should blame for all this? Israel, Hizbullah, Hamas, United States, United Nations, Arab and Muslim leaders or our own selves? There is plenty of blame that can go on to every one and there is no end to it. We know that Israel has acted with impunity and has shown its deep hate and contempt of Palestinians and Arabs. We know that terrorism is wrong and cannot help any cause. We know some unwise actions of Hizbullah and Hamas. We know that United States government could have stopped this tragedy but it preferred not to do for its own reasons. We know that the United Nations and the Security Council are under the control of big powers. Their resolutions are implemented only when they are in the interest of the strong, not the weak people and nations.

We know that the Arab and Muslim political leaders are divided and cannot work together even when they know that it is in their best interests to work together. Muslim masses all over the world would like to do something; but they do not know what to do and how to help.

However, let us Muslims know that we are not helpless. We can do a lot and we can change this situation. All of us can do something and should not sit back and watch this whole crisis in frustration or ignore it with carelessness. Every crisis has some reasons and the wise can learn something from it. If we read the Qur’an carefully we shall find both causes of this crisis and also its cures. Allah says in the Qur’an: “Whatever of misfortune strikes you; it is what your right hands have earned. And He forgives much. You cannot escape in the earth, for beside Allah you have no protecting friend nor any helper.” (Ash-Shura 42: 30-31)

And He also says: “Obey Allah and His messenger, and dispute not one with another lest ye falter and your strength departs from you; but be steadfast! Lo! Allah is with the steadfast." (Al-Anfal 8: 46)

We are told in the Qur’an: “Hold fast, all of you together, to the rope of Allah, and do not separate. And remember Allah's favor unto you: that you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love so that ye became as brothers by His grace; and that you were upon the brink of an abyss of fire, and He did save you from it. Thus Allah makes clear His signs unto you in order that you may be guided. And let there spring from you a community who invite to goodness, and enjoin right conduct and forbid evil. Such are they who are successful.” (Aal `Imran 3: 103-104)

We are also told: “You are the best community that has been raised up for mankind. You enjoin right conduct and forbid evil; and you believe in Allah. And if the People of the Book had believed it had been better for them. Some of them are believers; but most of them are transgressors. They will not harm you save a trifling hurt, and if they fight against you they will turn and flee. And afterward they will not be helped.” (Aal `Imran 3: 110-111)

The reasons we have this crisis and many other similar ones for many years are that we have lost our sense of mission. We are Muslims, we do a few Islamic things; but our lives as a whole are not Islamic. We have become too much divided among ourselves. We do not command what is right and do not forbid what is evil; rather we follow the examples of those who do not believe in Allah and in His Messengers. In short we as an Ummah have turned away from Allah and so Allah has left us to our own selves and is not giving us that special treatment that He promised us.

The remedy is that we turn to Allah, renew our faith in Him, become more conscious of His teachings and apply them to our individual, family and collective lives. We should be united as one community, with one purpose and with one mission and should help each other. If we do all these things then Allah will turn towards us with mercy and special favors. Allah has promised: “If Allah is your helper none can overcome you, and if He withdraw His help from you, who is there who can help you after Him? In Allah let believers put their trust.” (Al `Imran 3: 160)

You can also read:

Muslims' Weakness: Causes and Cure

Allah Almighty knows best.

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.

News | Shari`ah | Health & Science | Politics in Depth | Reading Islam | Family | Culture | Youth | Euro-Muslims | IOL Radio