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Session Details
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| Guest Name |
Dr. Hatem Al-Haj
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Professor of Fiqh at Shari`ah Academy of America
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| Subject |
General Fatwa Session
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| Date |
Monday,Oct 5 ,2009
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Time |
Makkah
From...
13:30...To...
15:00
GMT
From... 10:30...To...12:00
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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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Shahnawaz Ahmad
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Employee
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| Question |
Can the parents of prophet Mohmmad (s.a.w) enter into Paradise in the Hereafter?
2. Is it permissible to keep beard less than one hand?
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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.
Imam Muslim reported from Abi Hurairah that the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said, "I asked Allah for permission to seek forgiveness for my mother, and He did not permit me, and I asked him for permission to visit her grave, and He permitted me." Imam al-Nawawi said, while commenting on this hadeeth, "…it indicates the impermissibility of seeking forgiveness for the disbelievers."
It was also reported by Muslim from Anas that the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) was asked by a man about the destiny of his father, and the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) indicated that he was in the Fire, and when the man started to walk away, he called him back, and said, "Both my father and your father are in fire." And although the Prophet told him that to relieve his distress, he wouldn't say but the truth.
The parents of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) were non-believers, and al-Jannat is meant to be entered only be believers. Prior to the message of Islam, the people, including Arabs, were still required to believe in Allah alone if the message of monotheism adequately reached them, though they were not required to follow a certain message. There were people of Quraish who followed the monotheism of Ibrahim (blessings and peace be upon him) and they used to be called "al-Hunafa'"
Although the statement about the Prophet's mother is less decisive as to her final abode, it still means that to us, in the rulings of this life, she was not a believer.
Al-Imam al-Suyoti (Allah bestow mercy on him) argued that Allah will save the Prophet's parents and supported his argument with reports that are classed unacceptable by the multitudes of the other hadeeth scholars.
This issue is a matter that doesn't constitute a pretext for certain actions, and doesn't deserve much argumentation.
The clear benefit from the ahadeeth here above is the enunciation of the Islamic principle that it is about one's deeds and devotion to Allah, not ancestry or tribal or family belonging.
The length of the beard is an issue of controversy, and while some scholars indicated that it may not be trimmed at all, others said, that it may be trimmed down to one's fist. It seems that the qualifying hadeeth here is the one in which the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said "waffiroo", which means "make abundant" and as long as one's beard is abundant, there should be no harm in trimming it to less than a fist.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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| Name |
Najal
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Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu. I would like to know whether we should abstain from eating at "pizza hut"? Recently, we have been receiving mails that pizza hut uses Denmark products since the onset of recession. Just relying upon these mails, my husband is reluctant to take me to the pizza hut. I understand that its his taqwa that prevents him from taking me there. What is your opinion about eating from pizza hut? Have you heard of any such thing that they use Denmark products or so? We live in the UAE. So, I don't think there's a question of anything haram being used. Jazakallah khairan. wassalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu.
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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.
I would personally encourage the Muslims to take part in the boycott campaigns when they are called to by trustworthy scholars and organizations. This is a tool that we have and should use, particularly in times where we lack other tools, to demand respect to our values and interests. Every people have the right to transact with whomever they want. This, however, is a temporary measure that may be used for a particular cause, and once the cause is fulfilled, normalcy should be resumed. If that is true about Pizza Hut, which is another thing we need to ensure, there are many alternatives to this particular franchise, and better yet, there is the good and healthy homemade food.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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anjilla
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Asalamu aleykum. Sir, My non-Muslim friend, who is a blind person, has a guide dog. She has recently been expelled from two food shops run by Muslims here in Edinburgh, on account of her having the dog. This country's laws (specifically the Disability Discrimination Act) clearly state that a guide dog may go anywhere that the person it is guiding wishes to go, including all shops and restaurants. From reading previous rulings by Islamic scholars it is clear that, even where she a Muslim, keeping a guide dog would be permissible. The dog would even be permitted into the Mosque precinct, but not to enter a hall of worship. Muslims may eat food caught by dogs (otherwise it would not, presumably, be permissible for Muslims to keep dogs for hunting). It seems to follow that there is no reason why a working dog should not be permitted in a food shop. Please correct my interpretation if this is incorrect, as I am also not a Muslim but would like to live in peace and understanding with my many Muslim neighbors. Furthermore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught compassion, and it is known that Allah is compassionate. I am therefore confused that His followers seem to show no compassion towards my friend. Is it therefore correct that she and her dog be expelled from food shops run by our Muslim neighbors? If it is correct, please explain why. If it is not correct, how should she best assert her right to enter the shops, or indeed such places as restaurants, if the same rules apply? We would both like to live and trade in peace with our Muslim neighbors. Is it also correct that Muslims living in a secular country may ignore the country's laws depending on their interpretation of their faith? Thank you for your time.
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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.
Thank you for your interest in peaceful coexistence and mutual understanding and cooperation with your Muslim neighbors.
You are in fact quiet right about what you said with regard to the permissibility of having guide dogs, hunt dogs, sheep and farm dogs, guard dogs…etc.
There should be no reason why your friend should be barred from those places Islamically. They may have another excuse to do with personal inclinations or business concerns, but this is not an Islamic position. They shouldn't attribute their position to the laws of Islam, which allow the use of dogs for those reasons mentioned here above and the like.
The Muslims who live in a non-Muslim land are bound by the covenants they have with the people of the land, whether they emigrated to it or are of the natives of such lands. Muslims are ordered by Allah in the Qur'an as in in the first Ayah (verse) of Surah Al-Ma'idah (5) to honor and fulfill their covenants.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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N.A
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Dear scholar, I am a 31 year old male doctor, residing in Pakistan and a Sunni Muslim. I have done well all my life except in the past two to three years when my problems began. I am a feminine guy and by nature, I am sexually attracted to males. This has been going on since childhood and I think this is genetically determined. When I was 12 years old, my driver had anal sex with me. At that time, I was very young and presumably this was not my fault. But three years back, my trouble began when I left my clinical career for research in Pakistan as I was finding difficult to manage a clinical career. The research work was very boring and my colleagues kept on telling me to marry to find some success in life. Since, I was attracted to guys only, one day I met a guy in my hospital. He was very nice to me and also touched me and I offered to have oral sex only with him and he agreed. He took me to a place and there he had anal intercourse with me which was with my consent due to my nature after my initial reluctance but also his insistence. Since then, I have been in deep trouble. I am having problems at work and fear that Allah's wrath will fall on me. I think I have committed a sin and will be punished for that. After having intercourse, I bled anally at home as well next morning which was seen by my parents. So I had to admit this to my parents as well and eventually my whole family got to know about it. Later on, I found out that the person with whom I had sex was an Aga Khani. I have a few questions: I have become an object of joke and fun among boys and girls in my hospital which I don't like. What should I do to get my sin forgiven? If I have to get married to a girl, my parents would be reluctant to find a girl. How should I find a girl who would stick to me and whom I would be able to satisfy? What should I do to have my sins forgiven and get Jannah on the Day of Judgment?
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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.
Allah (exalted is He) forgives all sins, and he put no obstacles between his servant and repentance as long as he does not reach the death rattle and the sun does not rise from the west. There is no need for any intermediaries or intercessors. Simply, seek his forgiveness, give up the sin, have enough regret that will help you with your commitment to not return to the sin again, but never have despair from the mercy of Allah, for that could prove to be bigger than all sins.
I would also advise you to relocate and find a new environment in which you will not suffer from mockery and will not be reminded of your sin. I would also suggest that you establish yourself in your identity as a male before getting married, so as not to cause emotional harm to your future wife. Finally, it may be advisable to see a specialist who may help you, biologically and/or psychologically, depending on your case, with confirmation into your male identity.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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ahmed
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Some have heard or seen in the news what Israelis are doing in Jerusalem against praying Muslims and against the blessed Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa. Can you please shed light why the Palestinian and Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa are pivotal for Muslims? Also, under this current situation, what is the duty of Muslim individuals and scholars towards the recent events or what can they do?
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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.
The importance of the case of Palestine and centrality of it to us as Muslims is due to various reasons that pertain to the value of the land of Al-Aqsa and its surroundings, the nature of the plight of the people of Palestine and the size of the conspiracy against them. Here are some of the reasons why this case is pivotal for us, Muslims:
a- Because of what this land means to us. It is the destination of the Prophet's Night Journey (Isra’), and the beginning of his ascent to the heavens, (Mi`raaj), and it is the land which Allah called blessed in the Qur'an, and the one that has the third most sacred mosque to us.
b- Because of the magnitude of the crime. This is not a simple occupation; this is a crime of replacing a people by others and erasing a nation off the map and denying identity of some people. The Jews of the whole world may go to live in the land they wrongfully seized from its people, and the people who hold the keys of their homes in Palestine may not go back. Four hundred-twenty villages were destroyed in 1948 and people were massacred to be terrorized into exile, and more than half the population were forced out of their land, so that the Jews from East Europe and other places can take their homes, farms, and lands.
c- Because of the type of the enemy. The Zionist movement is strong enough to make the challenge in Palestine greater. They are also backed by superpowers, who never fail to support their injustices and massacres of our peoples and condemn the victims. They are trying to create a new set of rules, previously unknown to humanity, which is that the people whose lands were occupied and their families massacred and their properties seized and demolished should do nothing except peacefully protest in the streets of London, amongst other capitals. They may also write letters to the UN, which will be thrown in the trash before or after a comic meeting to discuss the issue. The resolutions to be passed should come from the General Assembly, like no. 194, which means that they are practically – even if not morally – meaningless. Whenever the Security Council decides to pass a resolution, like no. 242 or 338, it has to be under chapter XI, not XII, which means ‘non-enforceable’!
d- Because of the duration of the tragedy. Again, this started long before 1947, when Israel declared independence. It started with an influx of European Jews in the late 1800s to replace the indigenous population and escalated with the Balfour Declaration, in which the then prime minister of Britain promised the land of Palestine to the Jews. Throughout the period of their emigration to Palestine, which spiked with WWII, Jews were, generally, being backed by Britain, who was the occupier of Palestine. The Palestinians were massacred whenever they showed discontentment with the gradual demise of their nation and loss of their lands. Jack Straw, the former British foreign secretary, himself, admitted the shameful role of Britain in this crime.
e- Because of the rapid progress of the case. The time factor is important here. Israel continues to build settlements despite the hypocritical calls from the international community. This means the cancer is spreading in the weak body, and if the immune system is not activated now, the complications will be devastating. In the Partition Plan, we were given 45% of the land (which is all ours) despite being, at that time, twice the number of the Jews. In 1967, Israel captured 77% of the land, and left us with 23%. That is what we are trying to get now! (At least our governments).
f- The conspiracy against Palestine is one against the Ummah. If you study the case and see the number of players who took part in this plot, you will realize that. The interruption of the land continuity of this Ummah is a main gain to its enemies, and that can only happen by overtaking Palestine. To have an enemy within the heart of the Ummah with easy access to many vital regions, including the sacred precincts is not trivial either.
Finally, the cause of Palestine will be served by actions, and here is my suggested action plan:
In the short term:
1) We shouldn't do anything hasty and irresponsible, for that will not serve the cause or the legacy of our living people and martyrs in Palestine.
2) We should visit the Masjids and be around our brethren if we feel too frustrated and distressed. Listen to the news in moderation to stay in touch, but shouldn't allow ourselves to get overwhelmed.
3) We should put our trust in Allah and have good thoughts about Him. Our martyrs ascend to the heavens the moment their bodies fall to the ground. Allah is most capable, but He tests and tries His people to select some of them for the highest rankings of His Jannah. The Prophet Musa was harmed by Pharaoh and his people were tormented by him and his predecessors for generations; and many Prophets were massacred by their people. Prophet Yahya (John) was killed and his head was given as a gift to a prostitute. Allah lets all of this happen for wisdom He only encompasses, but we can see glimpses of it.
4) We should supplicate, but repent first to make our supplication more worthy, and seek wasilah (means) to Allah through prayers, fasting and charity.
5) We should donate generously. Many people fear harm, and harm will not touch us in sha' Allah if you donate through the legal channels. But, if it did, then let it be. We will not let ourselves become too intimidated to do the least and use legal channels and legitimate relief organizations to have them carry our help to our people to relieve part of the humanitarian crisis.
6) We should protest and be vocal, but, learn the facts and commit the most important of them to memory, so that we can communicate an intelligible argument, on behalf of our brothers and sisters under fire, to the people of conscience around the world, regardless of their religious affiliations.
In the long term:
We must feel angry at ourselves without acquitting the victimizers of their crimes. It is our collective weakness and apathy. It is our collective sin and departure from the way of Allah that brought us to this level of humility, and encouraged every predator to attack us.
Isn't it time for us to remember Allah? Isn't it time to close our ranks and work for the best of the Ummah? Isn't it time to come to the Masajid and repent to Allah for having abandoned His houses? The people in Gaza prayed in huge numbers, in the Masajid, under fire, during this very last massacre. Isn't it time to stop injustice between ourselves?
I think it is overdue for all of us to realign ourselves with the will of Allah, learn what He asks of us, purify our hearts and work righteousness, and help the Ummah recuperate from its current ailment. Our Ummah is not dead, and will not die. That is His promise to us. It is we, who die when we fail to honor our obligations towards it.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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hussein
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Can one work in a bank that collect interest on loan in order to gain banking experience that may be used in an interest-free islamic bank whenever it is set up? Secondly, can a person that lives with Christian relative observe Tahajjud in a room even though pictures were hang or displayed in that room?
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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.
As for working in a bank with such intention, if it is a true and sincere intention, there should be no harm in sha' Allah, particularly in countries where that would be the only way to learn about the business of banks. As for praying in a room with pictures hung on the walls, that would be permissible in sha' Allah for this individual.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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jana
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Does second hand smoking invalidate fasting? I sat in the same table with my colleague at work while he smoked.
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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.
Second hand smoking doesn't invalidate fasting. It is important that we don't mix with sinners while they are sinning, as far as we can. If we need to be in the presence of people who smoke, and we find it appropriate, given our relationship with them and the nature of the setting…etc, We ought to advise them against smoking for the sake of their religion and life as well.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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Ahmed
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Assalam-u-Alaiklum! My question is in regards to parent?s accountability on the Day of Judgment for upbringing of their kids. We are working very hard to keep our kids on the straight path (Insha Allah) but I am worried about second and third generation to come. In case one of these generations goes astray from Islam, we being the very first immigrants who planted this seed; how much we will be accountable for our second or third generation going away from Deen. And of course there is this issue of living in Non-Muslim country without any valid reason which is a whole separate discussion. Wassalm Atif
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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.
Your concern for the religious commitment of your offspring and descendents is admirable and commendable.
We should do our best in raising our kids and we should engrave in their minds and hearts that the deen comes first, and whenever they feel unable to practice it freely, they should leave from that land to another where they are able to do so.
We should not cut off ties with the original lands of Islam. This also applies to the converts and natives of non-Muslim lands. I know many of them who adopt a particular Muslim country where they feel most comfortable, and visit it with their families for long periods of time.
It is permissible to live in a non-Muslim land for one who can practice his religion and raise his kids to do the same.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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imran
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As-salamu `alaykum. Dear, respected, scholars, My first question is: "When Muslims are admitted to Paradise, will we remember our lives from this world, the experiences we've had and the people we've met here? I'm asking this question because I've read that in Paradise all our wishes will be granted so if a person has no memory of his/her past life then he/she won't know what he/she was deprived of the most in this world and won't be able to wish what he/she so longed for." The second question is: "Is there any restriction in the wishes a person can make in Paradise? I mean, what if a person makes a wish that seems unlawful in the first place, like wishing to have another man's wife as his own?"
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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.
People will remember events of this life in the Jannah, for Allah said, "And they draw near one another, questioning: Before, we were afraid of the punishment of Allah while with our families. But Allah has been gracious to us, and saved us from the torment of the Fire." [At-Tur, 52:25-27]
As for the wishes, the people of the Jannah will have their wishes honored including the wish to farm and grow things as authentically reported by Al-Bukhari. They will not desire evil or lowly things.
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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