|
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.
Brother, we appreciate your forwarding this question to us, and we commend your desire to become well acquainted with the teachings of Islam. May Allah help us all to keep firm on the right path. Ameen.
As Muslims, we are required to practice Islam wherever we are to the best of our abilities. When it comes to cooperation and interaction with non-Muslims, Muslims are required to play a good role in understanding others and to use every legal means to make them aware of Islamic practices and teachings.
In his response to your question, the prominent Muslim scholar Sheikh Muhammad Iqbal Nadvi, director and imam of Al-Falah Islamic Center, Oakville, Ontario, Canada, states the following:
Muslims are supposed to practice Islam wherever they are and to the best of their ability. They are supposed to hold fast to the marked features of their own Islamic identity and never try to compromise their faith in order to fit in their societies.
As for applying the Shari`ah, it all depends on the aspects of the Shari`ah and the ability to implement them. For Muslims living in the west, there can be no implementation of the hudud or penal law system in Islam because that requires an Islamic government that applies the rules of Islam, which is not the case with Western countries.
As for the practical rules of Shari`ah, Muslims are supposed to strive hard to practice the teachings of Islam and educate non-Muslims about them. However, in certain situations, the law of necessity may apply to certain individuals under specific circumstances. For example, if a lady was forced to shake hands under certain conditions, she may apply this rule for her, but we cannot give a general fatwa for all women to start shaking hands. This is because the understanding of Islam and the level of cooperation and interaction between Muslims and non-Muslims differ from one country to another and even from one city to another. At a time when wearing niqab is acceptable in certain cities, other cities consider it extremely bizarre and out of the ordinary. In the latter case, we should always look at the pros and cons and try our best to apply the rules of Islam to the best of our ability.
|
 |
