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Du`a': Its Etiquette & Optimum Time

Allah Almighty knows best.

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.

First of all, we ask Allah Almighty to help the victims of the disasters and to grant them patience and piety.

It is absolutely permissible to send zakatul-Fitr to fellow Muslims who are afflicted in the recent disastrous earthquake that hit South Asian countries. It is also permissible to help them from Zakah money and charities bearing into consideration that in times of crises or disasters, Muslims should precede others in giving a helping hand to the afflicted people. However, we'd like to pay your attention to the fact that aids should be organized to be from the type needed by the afflicted people.

May Allah reward you and protect you against disasters and evils.

Allah Almighty knows best.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Thanks for your question which shows your apparent keenness to busy yourself with the affairs of Muslims.

Indeed, Muslims in Europe are part and parcel of the whole Muslim Ummah. In any far or near spot in the four corners of the globe all Muslims constitute one entity and one body if any part of it aches the whole body aches as a result.

With this wider view of humanistic and comprehensive perspective, we can say that Muslims in Europe can help their brothers and sisters in south Asia who are suffering from the quake by applying the following tips:

1. Donating money to their brothers and sisters in the afflicted areas.

2. Raising funds in their local Muslim communities making use of the blessed month of Ramadan to urge Muslims to give to their brothers and sisters in charity.

3. Sending their money through reliable organizations and through other legal channels.

4. Help pressurize their local governments to give all forms of assistance to those afflicted by such quakes.

5. Educating the younger generations about the comprehensive sense of belonging to the greater entity of the Muslim Ummah, and the fact that such younger generations in rich European countries should try their best to provide their brothers and sisters in afflicted areas with all forms of physical, psychological, spiritual and financial assistance.

6. Muslims in such parts of the world should remember the bereaved mothers, the fatherless children and demolished homes in such afflicted areas and they should be moved by such horrific scenes they watch in the media to make sincere supplication to Allah so that He Almighty rescue all human beings from all sources of evils and bless the whole humanity with social peace and inner tranquility.

7. Muslims in Europe should always remember their Muslim brothers and sisters in their supplication right before the 'iftar.

Allah Almighty knows best.

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.

Dear brother in Islam, thanks a lot for your question which is a sign of your good faith and kind heart. May Allah grant you happy and blessed Ramadan!

You should strike balance between doing spiritual acts of worship in Ramadan and participating in the aid activities that afflicted people are in dire need of. There is no contradiction between both because both are required especially in times of crises or disasters. The afflicted people are in need of different kinds of aids: they need material aid as well as spiritual aid by our du`aa's (supplications) for them and through encouraging people to give a helping hand to the victims and asking Allah Almighty to grant the afflicted Muslims patience and mercy.

Allah Almighty knows best.

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.

Dear Ali, thanks a lot for your question. You can know the situation in the South Asian countries hit by the recent earthquake that claimed the death of many thousands and left behind other thousands from causalities and homeless by checking the news page on our front page. You can also watch news channels and check other news websites for knowing the real situation and giving a helping hand to the victims, if possible.

Allah Almighty knows best.

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.

Dear sister in Islam, thanks a lot for your question and we ask Allah Almighty to alleviate the suffering of afflicted people in the four corners of the globe.

In fact, earthquakes, hurricanes and other disasters may be a punishment from Allah or a test for people. It may be a punishment for the oppressors and a test for the believers. It is also a sign of Allah's Mighty and Supreme Power. No one knows exactly whether the hurricanes that hit America or the earthquake that hit south Asian countries are punishments from Allah or a test for people. Anyway, Muslims should never gloat over people's misfortunes. Rather, they should take admonition from such disasters asking Allah to forgive their sins and protect them against such disasters and evils.

Moreover, these disasters are signs from Allah Almighty. So, we have to be back to Allah and resort to him to alleviate our pains and sufferings.

Allah Almighty knows best.

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