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Session Details
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| Guest Name |
Dr. Sano Koutoub Moustapha
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| Profession |
Professor of Jurisprudence & Its Principles at the International Islamic University, Malaysia.
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| Subject |
Helping Disaster Victims
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| Date |
Thursday,Dec 30 ,2004
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Time |
Makkah
From...
16:30...To...
18:00
GMT
From... 13:30...To...15:00
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Host
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| Question |
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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 |
Paul
- Canada
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| Question |
I have heard that the Asia tsunami death toll has reached 87,000. I wonder, how can Muslims living in far remote areas support those people afflicted there in South Asian countries?
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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.
Thank you for your concern.
Indeed, it is a very difficult time and situation for all those people living in those areas. However, the distance should not be a hindrance to extend to the beloved Muslims who suffered from this destiny. Do send to them whatever you can and do pray for those who passed away, may the Almighty accept them in His Paradise and may He grant them the status of Shuhada’ as stated by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Certainly all Muslims should share the sorrow of their parents. You should remember them in your prayers and do whatever you can in terms of donation and contribution to the NGOs which are assisting them over there.
You can also read:
Paying Zakah to South Asian Quake Victims
Du`aa’: Worship and Resort of the Helpless
Helping Disaster Victims (Special File)
Allah Almighty knows best.
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Mary
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| Question |
It is permissible for us, as Muslims, to make du`aa’ for those human beings afflicted there even if those people include Muslims and non-Muslims?
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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.
Thank you.
There is no harm or prohibition to pray for those people who lost their lives in that natural disaster. However, your beloved Muslim brothers and sisters deserve more and more of prayers and du'aa’. They deserve your moral and financial assistances. You should share their sorrow and difficult time and do invoke Allah to accept them among the Shuhada’ or martyrs on the day of Judgment.
You can also read:
Du`aa’: Worship and Resort of the Helpless
Helping Disaster Victims (Special File)
Allah Almighty knows best.
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Dawud
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Are those Muslims who die in such devastating Asia tsunami martyrs?
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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.
Yes, for sure those Muslims who died in that divastating tsunami are considered martyrs. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did one day ask the companions whom do you consider shuhada' "martyrs" among you? The companions replied that those who are killed in Jihad. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commented by saying, if that is the case then the martyrs of my Ummah are very few. Then the companions asked him, so who are the martyrs? the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said whoever is killed on the path of Allah is martyr, whoever dies on the path of Allah is also martyr, whoever passed away by ta'un is martyr and whoever passed away by drown is martyr.This hadith was reported by Imam Muslim.
Accordingly, those Muslims who died in this devastating tsunami are all considered as martyrs because they are considered as drown. Let us pray that Allah accept them among the martyrs on the day of Judgment.
You can also read:
Types of Martyrs
Allah Almighty knows best.
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Emerick
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How can we shroud those great numbers of dying Muslims there? What shall we do if the corpse of a certain person got mixed with the other?
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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.
Thank you. As I did say earlier that those Muslims who passed away they are all considered as martyrs, therefore they need not to be given any bath. Having said that they should be shrouded with whatever is available. There shouldn't be no worry about any mixture with others.
If they fail to find shroud for them or they shroud them with others there is no problem. Thus, their souls have been already taken and they are living different lives in the Paradise, in sha’ Allah.
Surely, it is a very difficult situation for those devoted people who are working and burying them, therefore, they should do their best to give them proper shroud and bury them nicely and decently.
You can also read:
How to Shroud and Bury the Dead in Quake-Stricken Areas
Allah Almighty knows best.
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Hakim
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Can we give those afflicted people a portion of our zakah money even if they are non-Muslims? How about giving them charity?
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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.
Thank you. The receivers of Zakah money are clearly mentioned in the Qur'an. Among them, the poor and needy people. Looking at the situation of those people who are afflicted, one can conclude that the Muslims among them fall under the category of needy people.
In this regard, those Muslims deserve to receive a portion of Zakah. As for non-Muslims, they might deserve donation or any other form of assistance but not Zakah.
Thus, Zakah should be given to poor and needy Muslims. Some non-Muslims may receive a portion of Zakah if there is hope that by giving them Zakah that might lead to their conversion into Islam. They would be then considered under the category of mu'allafati qulubuhun or those whose hearts are inclined to accept Islam.
You can also read:
Paying Zakah to South Asian Quake Victims
Helping Disaster Victims (Special File)
Allah Almighty knows best.
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| Name |
Ramiz
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| Question |
In your opinion, what is the Islamic role that should be played by Muslim governments towards helping those in such a disaster as well as similar disasters?
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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.
Thank you very much.
Certainly, it is an obligation upon all Muslims, individuals, institutions and governments to assist beloved Muslims brothers and sisters in this devastating disaster.
Every Muslim must share the feeling and sorrow of those afflicted Muslims in this disaster. The obligation upon Muslim governments is more and more than upon the individuals. They have to do their best to help ease the plight and suffering of those people.
All in all, I shall call upon our beloved rich Muslims individuals as well as governments that this is a golden chance for all of them to gain the ridwan of Allah as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who is reported to have said, “Whoever assists a needy Muslim by removing his or her hardship then Allah would assist him or her and remove all his or her hardship on day of Judgment.”
Do remember our Islamic brotherhood, do remember the sayings of Prophet to the Muslims that they in their mutual love and ambition resemble one single body when any part of the body suffers the whole body will share the agony and suffering.
Our beloved brothers and sisters in Indonesia are part of the body, therefore let us feel their pain and agony. Do not leave them in the hands of others! All of us will be held responsible if we don’t assist and feel their sorrow and difficult time.
At least, don't forget them in your prayers. May Allah reward all those good people who are lending them a hand of help and assistance.
You can also read:
Helping Disaster Victims (Special File)
Allah Almighty knows best.
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`Aisha
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In Malaysia, we have heard about PM Badawi calling upon Mosque imams to raise the morale of the people and to encourage the well-off to help those afflicted by the quake, in your opinion, can this Malaysian experience be generalized in other affected countries?
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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.
Yes, the Malaysian experience should be generalized. It can be also in the form of donation of food, money, cloths etc..
The contribution should be fast and quick. Any delay would cost more lives and render the lives of the affected more horrible and difficult.
It's time of Muslim solidarity, Muslim unity and compassion among Muslims.
Allah Almighty knows best.
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Yuki
- Japan
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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. Dear Prof. Sano As-salam 'alaikum
At first, I'd like to offer my deep condolences for the victims.
Now, with the whole picture of this huge earthquake accompanying big tsunami waves becoming gradually clear, the handling of a lot of remains is becoming an issue. The Thai government first expressed a message to the effect that the method of handling of the dead bodies would be cremation with infectious diseases spreading taken into consideration. But with Indonesia or other Islamic countries opposed to this method, the Thai government this time proposed a draft amendment that the method of that would be interment.
Here, I'd like to ask you a question. Which should be the priority, religion or taking measures to deal with infectious diseases? Could you tell me about that?
Lastly, I really respect Islam and esteem its teachings, but I am wondering about infectious diseases. Thank you in advance.
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Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
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 Muslims it is forbidden to cremate their dead bodies. Therefore, cremating all dead especially when their faiths is known is considered as a clear violation of human right and a devastating oppression to the freedom of religion.
Yet, if burying the dead of other religions such as Buddhism is not allowed why cremating Muslims should be allowed.
However, I shall call upon all governments to respect the faith of the minority and avoid violation of human rights and imposing a belief or faith upon others.
The dead Muslims should be given to Muslims to bury them and they shouldn’t be cremated under any speculative or false scientific finding. They should have respect to other's faith as the other do have to their faith.
All in all, the priority in this issue is given to the religion not to the imagination and speculation. Please leave Muslims alone and let them handle their beloved dead ones in the ways their religion recommended them to do. Do have respect to their feelings and right of choosing their way of living. Do bear in mind that an oppression is forbidden by Buddhism and all religions of the world.
You can also read:
How Islam Views Cremation
Allah Almighty knows best.
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| Name |
Mathew
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| Question |
What is the role of the religious organizations in such crises?
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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.
Thank you.
The religious organizations have multiple duties in this crisis.
Firstly, they should call upon individuals and governments in their sermons to come forward to the assistance of the victims.
Secondly, they should organize at the level of their best in lectures and forums to explain to the people the necessity and obligation of assisting our fellow Muslims who are suffering.
Thirdly, they should conduct Salatul-gha’ib for those people who died in this disaster and pray that Allah accept them among the martyrs in Hereafter.
Fourthly, they coordinate all efforts aiming at contributing or donating to NGOs which are working in the fields.
Finally, they have to oppose and denounce any attempt of undermining the faith of Muslims by cremating their dead bodies under an imagination and false scientific findings. This type of practice is another form of humiliating and terrorizing Muslims. It is against the charts of human rights and against all religions and beliefs. The religious organizations should speak up and denounce this ugly, oppressed and unjust treatment to the Muslims. Let us not forget them in the prayers.
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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