Q&A About Islam
LEGAL
RULINGS’ FOR NEW MUSLIMS
The
Salat Of One Whose Clothes Are Polluted By Fork, Lard Etc.
Q.
Is it permissible to make Salat in clothes, which are polluted by
pig meat? Is it permissible to use plates and knives, which have pork or
lard on them without washing them? Does the same rule apply to
intoxicants?
A.
It is
not permissible for a person to pray in clothes polluted by pork,
because pig meat is unclean. As Allah, the Exalted, said:
“Say:
‘I do not find in that which has been revealed to me any (meat)
prohibited to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it, unless it be a dead
meat, or blood poured forth, or the flesh of Swine for that surely is
impure’” (Al-An’am: 145)
Based on that, it is
not permitted for a person to pray in such clothes until he washes them,
thus, if he washes them, they become purified.
It is permissible to
use dishes and knives, etc. if they have been washed. However, it is not
permitted to use it before washing since they are polluted with
Impurities.
As for intoxicants
(there is a difference of opinion regarding its cleanliness or
filthiness). According to the stronger opinion, (though it is forbidden
to drink) it is not impure.
_
Does
A New Muslim Have To Separate From His Wife?
Q.
Does a new Muslim have to separate from his wife, if she doesn't
accept Islam? Should his children from her be considered as Muslims?
Does he have to change their names to Muslim names?
A.
It is
permitted to stay married to her if she is a Jew or Christian, in
accordance with the statement of Allah, the Exalted:
“And a chaste women
from the People of the Book (are lawful for you).” (Al-Ma’idah: 5)
A chaste woman is one
who does not have illicit sex guarding thereby her own honor and that of
her husband. However, if she is a Buddhist, Hindu or Rafidi, he has no
(legal) right to stay married to her except if she accepts Islam during
her ‘Iddah, in which case the marriage remains valid.
As
for the children, they should follow the better of their two parents in
religion, so if the mother accepts Islam, but her husband refuses, they
should follow her in religion. Likewise, if the father accepts Islam,
but the mother refuses, the children should follow the Muslim father.
This rule applies to those children who have not reached maturity. After
maturity, the choice is up to them, since they are responsible for
themselves. They would not be considered Muslims based on the Islam of
one of their parents until they accept Islam themselves, like any other
adult.
As
for changing the names of those who accept Islam among them, or who are
classified Muslims in accordance with the Islam of one of their parents,
the issue is the same as for adults, as has already been discussed.
A
Non-Muslim Touching A Translation Of The Qur’an
Q.
What is the rulling concerning a non-Muslim touching a translation of
the Qur 'an?
A.
The translation is only the meanings of the Qur ‘an, so there
is no harm for a disbeliever to touch it, if the purpose for doing so is
to know its meanings, and to benefit from it - which may induce him to
accept Islam. The same applies to the printings, which contain parallel
texts, the original Arabic beside the translation.
Eating The
Animals slaughtered By Christians
Q.
Is it permissible to eat of animals slaughtered by Christians in our
present age, bearing in mind the various methods of slaughter they
employ, such as electrocution, spring-loaded guns which drive a bolt
into the brain, and toxic gases, etc.?
A.
It is permitted to eat of the meat they slaughter, as long as it
is not known to be killed in contradiction to the instructions of
Islamic Law. That is because the basic assumption is that the meat of
animals they slaughter is lawful, just like that slaughtered by a
Muslim, in accordance with the statement of Allah:
"And the food of
the People of the Book is lawful for you and your food is lawful for
them" (Al-Ma’idah:
5)
_
Visiting A
Sick Christian And Attending His Funeral And Burial
Q.
(We are) Muslims with Christian neighbors. Is it permissible for a
Muslim to visit his Christian neighbor when he gets sick? When he dies
may he attend the funeral and burial. Would a Muslim doing so incur sin?
A.
All praises are due to Allah, the Rubb of the worlds, he
shouldn’t attend the funeral or burial. As for visiting him when he is
sick, there is nothing wrong with that, and in fact, there may be a
benefit in that for drawing his heart closer to Islam. If he dies as a
disbeliever, he will surely be in the fire, so it is not permissible to
pray for him and Allah knows best.
_
How Should
One Deal With His Non-Muslim Neighbor?
Q.
If my neighbor is a disbeliever, is it permissible for me to fulfill his
requests for help? Sometimes I might meet him in a narrow passage and we
chat and smile and exchange friendly words, although I dislike them as a
group, so is there anything wrong with that? How should we answer when
they say “As-Salamu Alaikum” to us?’
A. There is nothing wrong in carrying out the
request of a non-Muslim as long as it doesn't constitute an act of
disobedience to Allah, because a neighbor has certain rights on you, and this (kindness) may encourage him towards Islam.
There
is nothing wrong with smiling and speaking kindly with them if there is
a benefit in it, but if there is no benefit, it should be avoided.
If
they greet us, we should say “the same to you” or “likewise” as
the Prophet e
instructed us, However, if they say “As-Salamu Alaikum” distinctly,
we should say: “Wa Alaikum As-Salam”
It Is
Obligatory For A Woman To Cover Herself After Accepting Islam.
Q.
Can a Muslim (man) speak with a non-Muslim woman, who is improperly
dressed by Islamic standards, in order to inform her about Islam? Must
she cover her face after accepting Islam? May a man be alone with her to
teach her more about Islam?’
A. The inviter to Islam should request her to
cover herself, including her face at the beginning of the conversation,
If she doesn't want to, he can continue to speak to her, as long as he
is not alone with her. When she accepts Islam it should be impressed
upon her that covering herself
is obligatory. It is
permissible for the man to teach her one-to-one, if precautions are
observed, and if there is no alternative.
Is It Permissible For A Non-Muslim To Enter A Masjid If There Is Hope
That He May Become A Muslim.
Q.
Is it permissible for a non-Muslim to enter Al-Masjid (Mosque) to
attend a lecture where Islam is being taught?
A. It is permissible for that purpose, if it is
hoped that he may become a Muslim, after he hears the merits of Islam
and an explanation of its teachings. If he is known to be opposed to
Islam and far away from it, then it is not permissible for him to enter
the Masjid of the Muslims.
The Proof That Jews And Christians Are Disbelievers, And The Refute To
Those Who Claim It Is Not.
Q.
A preacher in a masiid in Europe claimed in one of his lectures that it
is not permissible to say that Jews and Christians are disbelievers. As
you know, most of the Masjid attendants in Europe have very little
knowledge, and we fear that this kind of view will spread there. Could
you clarify this issue with sufficient details and proofs to remove any
confusion?
A. I say: the opinion put forward by this man is
misleading; it may even be Kuffur (Disbelief) because Allah declared the
Jews and Christians to be disbelievers in His book. The Exalted said:
“And
the Jews said ‘Ezra is the Son of Allah,’ and the Christians said:
‘The Messiah is the Son of Allah.’ That is their saying with their
mouths. They imitate the saying of those who disbelieved of old.
Allah’s curse be on them; how they are deluded. They have taken their
rabbis and priests as lords besides Allah, and the Messiah the Son of
Mary, while they were commanded to worship only one Ilah (Deity); there
is no deity (worthy of worship) but He (Allah). Praise and glory be to
Him; (far is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him).”
(At-Tawbah: 30-31)
- this
indicates that they are Mushrikun (Polytheism).
Allah made it
clear in another Ayah that they are explicitly disbelievers:
“They
surely have disbelieved who say: ‘Allah is the Messiah, the Son of
Mary.”’ (A1-Ma'idah:
17, 72)
And
He the Exalted said:
“They
surely disbelieve who say: ‘Allah is the Third of the Three.’”
(Al-Ma'idah: 73)
And
Allah also said:
“Those
among the Children of Israel who disbelieved were cursed by the tongue
of David and of Jesus, the Son of Mary”
And
Allah also said:
“Those who
disbelieve among the People of the Book and among the polytheists, will
be in An-Nar (Hell-Fire)”
The Ayaat with this
meaning are many, as well as Hadeeths.
And he who denies that Jews and Christians are disbelievers,
knowing that they do not believe in Muhammad e
and they consider him a liar, is rejecting
what Allah said of Truth - and denying the truth of Allah's words is
Kufr. Whoever is in doubt about their disbelief, there is no doubt that
he also has disbelieved.
Glory be to Allah!
How can it please this man to say it is not permissible to call them
disbelievers while they say “Allah is the third of three”, and their
Creator has already called them disbelievers? How can he feel
uncomfortable about calling them disbelievers when they say: “The
Messiah is the son of Allah,” and they say: “The hand of Allah is
fettered.” and they say: “Allah is poor and we are rich.''
How
can he feel uncomfortable about calling them disbelievers while they
describe Allah with these evil descriptions, all of which are flaws,
insults and abuse?
I
call this man to repent to Allah and to read the statement of Allah:
“They
wish that you should compromise (in religion out of courtesy) with them,
so they (too) would compromise with you.” (AlQaIam: 9)
In
order not to fawn on these people in their disbelief, and to make clear
to everyone that they are disbelievers, and that they are inhabitants of
the fire. The Prophet e
said: “By the one who holds my soul in His hand, any Jew or Christian
from this Ummah (that is the Ummah he was sent to call to Allah) who
hears about me, then doesn't follow what I have brought (or he said:
“Then doesn't believe in what I have brought...”) but he will be a
denizen of An-Nar.”
This
man is obligated to repent to his Rubb for this immense fabrication, and
to publicly declare in a clear announcement that these people are
disbelievers, headed for An-Nar, and that they are obligated
to follow
the unlettered
Prophet Muhammad e
for he is well-known to both Jews and Christians; they recognize him as
they recognize their own sons. Allah the Exalted said:
“Those
who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find
mentioned in their own (scriptures) in the Torah and the Gospel - he
commands them what is right and forbids them what is wrong; he allows
them as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them from what is
foul; and he will relieve them of their burden and the fetters that were
imposed on them. Then those who believe in him, and revere him and help
him, and follow the light which is sent down with him; they are the
successful”
(Al-A'raf: 157)
This
refers to the glad tidings of his (Muhammad e)
coming announced by Jesus. Jesus
u
definitely announced his coming,
as his Rubb reported his words:
“’O children of
Israel! Lo! I am the Messenger of Allah unto you, confirming that which
was (revealed) before me in the Torah, and bringing good news of a
messenger who will come after me, whose name is Ahmad. But when he came
to them with clear signs, they said ‘This is clear sorcery.”’
(As-Saff: 6)
When
the predicted one (I.e. Ahmad) came with clear signs, they said: “This
is clear sorcery.”
We refute the claim
of those Christians who say:
“The
one, Jesus
predicted, was
Ahmad, not Muhammad e.”
-
for we say:
“Allah said: ‘But
when he came to them with clear signs...”’ - and no one came after
Jesus except Muhammad e,
and Muhammad is Ahmad-but Allah inspired Jesus to name Muhammad,
“Ahmad”, which is the superlative form, indicating that Muhammad was
the most praiseworthy of mankind to Allah. The superlative form can be
interpreted to be the superlative of the active form, meaning the one
who praises (Allah the most) and it can be interpreted as the
superlative of the passive form, that is, the most praiseworthy.
I say, anyone who
claims that there is another religion on earth acceptable to Allah
besides Islam, he is a disbeliever, there being no doubt about his
disbelief, because Allah, the Almighty and Glorious, says in His book:
“If anyone desires
a Deen (religion) other than Islam (submission to Allah) it will never
be Accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the
losers.” (Al- ‘Imran:
85)
And He says:
“The religion
accepted by Allah is Islam (submission to His Will)”
(Al- ‘Imran: 19)
And Allah the
Almighty and Glorious, also says:
“This day I have
completed your Deen for you, perfected My favor upon you, and have
chosen for you Islam as your Deen." (Al-Ma'idah: 3)
Based on this, I
repeat it for the third time, this man must repent to Allah, the
Almighty and the Glorious. He should make it clear to all people that
Jews and Christians are disbelievers, because the proofs have been
established against them, and the message has reached them, but they
disbelieved out of obstinacy.
Verily, the Jews have
been described as those whose portion is wrath -since they knew the
truth and contradicted it; and the Christians have been described as
those who have gone astray, because they wanted the Truth, but lost
their way. Now, most of them know the Truth and have recognized it, but
they opposed it, and by doing so, have deserved, all of them, to have
wrath upon them.
I invite the Jews and
Christians to believe In Allah and all
of His Messengers,
and to
follow Muhammad e
as it is what they have been ordered to do in their books, as Allah, the
Exalted, said:
“And My mercy
extends to all things. I shall extend it to those who do fear (Allah),
abstain from forbiddens, abide to His commandments, and pay Zakat and
those who believe in Our Signs. Those
who ‘follow the Messenger (Muhammad e),
the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own
(scriptures) in the Torah And the Gospel. He commands them what is right
and forbids them what is wrong; he allows them as lawful what is good,
and prohibits them what is foul, he releases them from their heavy
burdens and from the fetters that are upon them, so those who believe in
him, revere him, help him and follow the light which is sent down to him
(the Quran), they are the successfuls. Say: ‘O mankind! I am sent to
you all, as the Messenger of Allah, to Whom belong the dominion of the
Heavens and the Earth; there is no deity (worthy of worship) but He; He
gives both life and death.' So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the
unlettered Prophet, who believes in Allah and His words, and follow him
that you may be guided.” (Al-A’raf: l57-158)
They (those who
believe in Islam) will get a double reward, as the Prophet e
said: “Three (people) will get a double reward a man from among the
People of the Book who believed in his own prophet and has believed in
Muhammad”.
In addition to this
it happened that I found the following statement in the book, Al-Iqna”
in a chapter on laws regarding apostates: “...or he who doesn't
consider whoever appoint a religion other than Islam, like the
Christians, to be disbelievers, or is in doubt whether they are
disbelievers, or considers their altered religion to be correct, but has
disbelieved."
It has been
transmitted from Shaikh-ul-Islam Ibn Taimiyyah that he said: “Whoever
believes that churches are houses of Allah, where He is worshipped, and
that what Jews and Christians do is worship of Allah and obedience to
Him and His Messenger, or that He (Allah) loves that and is pleased with
it, or he helped them to open them up and establish their (distorted)
religion and consider what they do as an act of obedience which draws
one closer to Allah, but has disbelieved.”
He said in
another place: “Whoever considers visiting the Dhimmis in their
churches, as an act which draws one closer to Allah, is an apostate.”
This substantiates what we
have mentioned at the beginning of the answer. In this issue, there is
no ambiguity, and Allah is solely the One whose aid must be sought.
_
Continual Mixing With Non-Muslims Extinguishes The Attitude Of Vigilant
Care For The Religion
Q.
I am living in Jordan in a place where most of the residents are
Christian brothers. We have
food together. Is my Salat invalid? Is my living among them
impermissible?
A.
Before answering your question, 1 would like to remark on what I
hope you said unintentionally, that is your statement: “l live with
Christian brothers.” There can be no brotherhood between Muslims and
Christians, ever. Brotherhood is on the basis of the Faith (Islam). As
Allah, the Mighty and Glorious said:
“Verily the
Believers (Muslims) are brothers” (Al-Hujurat: 10)
And if a
blood-relationship is conflicted by a difference in religion, then how
can a brotherhood be established with a difference of religion?, with no
blood-relationship? Allah the Almighty and Glorious said about Noah and
his son, when Noah u
said:
“O my Rubb! Surely
my son is of my family and Your Promise is True, and certainly You are
the Most Just of judges!” He (Allah) said “O Noah! He is not of your
family, for his conduct is not righteous.”
(Hud: 45-46)
There can be no
brotherhood between a believer and a disbeliever, ever, rather it is
mandatory for a believer not to take a disbeliever as a Wali. Allah the
Exalted, said:
“O you who believe!
Take not My enemies and yours as Awliya (friends or protectors) offering
them (your) love, while they have disbelieved in what has come to you of
the Truth.”
Who are the enemies
of Allah? The enemies of Allah are the disbelievers. Allah, the Exalted
said:
“Whoever is an
enemy of Allah and His angels and His messengers, Gabriel and Michael,
then Verily! Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers” (Al-Baqarah: 98)
And Allah Glory be to
Him, said:
“O you who believe!
Do not take the Jews and Christians as Awliya. They are but Awliya to
each other and whoever
amongst you takes them AwIiya, then surely he is one of them. Verily
Allah does not guide an unjust people.”
So it is not
permissible for a Muslim to describe a disbeliever-whatever form of
disbelief he has, whether Christianity, Judaism, Magianism, or atheism-
as a brother, ever. So beware, O brother, from this expression.
As for the reply to
your question, I say: It befits you to avoid constant mixing with
non-Muslims, because constant mixing with them will obliterate the
attitude of vigil and care for the Deen (Islam) from your heart, and may
possibly lead you to love them. Allah, the Exalted, said:
“You (Muhanirnade)
will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, loving
those who oppose Allah and His. Messenger, even though they be their
fathers or their sons, or their brothers, or their kindred. For such He
has written Iman (Faith) in there hearts, and strengthened them with Ruh
(proofs, light, and true guidance) from Him. And He will admit them to
gardens beneath which rivers flow, to dwell therein (forever). Allah
will be well pleased with them, and they with Him. They are the party of
Allah. Truly, it is the party of Allah that will be the successful.” (Al-Mujadilah:
22)
_
Entertaining
A Non-Muslim By Offering Him Alcohol
Q.
Is it permissible for a Muslim to offer (as a hospitality to
non-Muslim companions) them alcoholic drinks that Islam has made
unlawful for him?
A.
Islam is the religion of magnanimity and ease, yet it is also,
the religion of justice. Hospitality is part of the Islamic manners, but
if the person is a disbeliever, the ruling varies according to the aim
of the (Muslim) person extending hospitality, and what he offers him in
the way of hospitality. If the aim is in accordance with the aims of
Islam, in that he wants to create harmony with the non-Muslim in order
to invite him to Islam and save him from disbelief that is a noble aim.
There is a well-established rule in the Shari’ah that says: means are
judged in accordance with aims. If the aim is something mandatory, the
means to achieve it becomes mandatory, and if the aim is forbidden, the
means leading to it becomes forbidden, etc. When extending hospitality
to them is not for a specific Islamic purpose and there is no harm
expected as a result of not doing it, it is better to leave that.
However, offering them
hospitality with food and drinks that Allah prohibited, like pork and
alcohol, that is not allowed, ever. Entertaining them in this way is
disobedience to Allah, and obedience to them and also it involves giving
precedence to their rights over the rights of Allah. So it is obligatory
for a Muslim to hold firm to his Deen, and in foreign lands, his firm
observance of his Deen has a significant impact on inviting non-Muslims
to Islam by words and deeds.
_
Trade
With Disbelievers
Q.
Is a transaction or business with a person legitimate when we
know that he is a disbeliever? Especially when we are in need of what they
manufacture?'
A.
There is nothing wrong in using what the disbelievers
manufacture, out of necessity and need, insha Allah (if Allah wills),
as is the situation in this age of mutual relations with non-Muslim
countries. We buy from them their manufactured goods, cars, airplanes, clothing,
equipment, dishes, etc. Our need of these goods requires us to reach
agreement with them on
prices and specifications, and rules for delivering the money and
receiving the merchandise and other details of necessity to a purchaser,
and Allah knows best.
The
Ruling Concerning Giving A Non-Muslim Neighbor A Present Of Sacrificial
Meat
Q.
Is it permissible for Muslim to give non-Muslim neighbor a share
of a sacrificial animal or not?
A.
It is permissible for a Muslim to share sacrificial meat with his
non-Muslim neighbor and to be generous to him in order to draw his heart
closer to Islam, and to discharge the right of one’s neighbor, since there is no evidence to
forbid it, and based on the general guidance of
Allah’s statement:
“Allah does not
forbid you with regard to those who do not fight you on account of
religion nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly
with them, for Allah verily loves those who are just.”
(Al-Mumtahinah: 8)
A Fatwa on this topic
has already been issued by The Permanent Committee, the text of which is
as follows: ”Yes, it is permissible for us to feed a Non-Muslim with
whom we have a treaty or a prisoner of war from sacrificial meat, and it
is permissible to give it to him for reasons of his poverty, or blood
relationship, or neighborliness or to draw his heart towards Islam. That
is because the sacrificial rite consists of cutting the animals’
throat as an offering to Allah and an act of worship to Him. As for its
meat, it is best, to eat one third of it oneself and to give one third
of it to ones relatives, neighbors and friends, and to give one third of
it as a charity to the poor, though there is no problem if the division
is imprecise or even if one or more of the categories is ignored
altogether - since the issue has plenty of leeway in it. But,
sacrificial meat should not be given to a non-Muslim with whom the
Muslims are in a state of war, since it is mandatory to do all that is
possible to weaken and subdue them, not to give them charity and feed
them - so the same prohibition is binding in voluntary charity to them,
based on the general guidance of Allah the Exalted’s statement:
“Allah does not forbid you
with regard to those who do not fight you on account of religion nor
drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly
and justly with them, for Allah loves those who are just. Allah
only forbids you with regard to those who fight you on account of
religion, and drive you out of your homes, and support (others) in
driving you out, from turning to them (for friendship and protection).
And whosoever befriends them, then such are the wrongdoers”
(Al-Mumtahinah: 8-9)
And the Messenger of Allah e
instructed Asma’ Bint (daughter of) Abi Bakrt
to acknowledge the relationship with her mother, who was a polytheist,
by giving her money.
And
may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad e
and his companions.
Giving
Charity To Non-Muslims
Q.
Is it permissible to give charity to Non-Muslims?
A.
It is not permissible to give Zakat to disbelievers, and it is
disliked to give voluntary charity to them since it is a way of helping
them while they disbelieve.
Allah, The Exalted
said:
“Don’t help each
other in sin and transgression” (Al-Ma’idah: 2)
However, if it is
hoped that he might become a Muslim, there is no harm in giving him
charity also, in order to encourage him to enter Islam. Moreover, if the
Non-Muslim is facing death, it is permissible to save him, so he can see
the virtues of Islam.
It
Is Not Allowed To Accord Importance To Christian And Jewish Holidays
Q.
Some Muslim
accord importance to Christian and Jewish holidays, arranging vacations for
Muslim
Schools on the occasion of Jewish and Christian celebrations, but not on
the occasion of
Islamic Eids, and they say, “If you observe Jewish and Christian
holidays, they will
eventually enter Islam.” We wish if you would clarify the law on this
topic?
A.
Firstly, the Sunnah is to make a publicize Islamic practices
among Muslims and to abandon whatever is at variance with the guidance
of the Messengere.
It is established that he e
said, “(Obligatory) upon you is my Sunnah and the Sunnah of my rightly
guided Khalifahs.”
Second, it is not
permissible for a Muslim to participate with disbelievers in their
holidays and show happiness for these occasions and to take time off
work, whether their holidays are religious or secular. That is because
it comprises imitation of the enemies of Allah, which is prohibited. It
is established that Allah’s Messenger e
said, “Whoever imitates (to look like) a people, he is one of them.”
We urge you to refer to the
book, Iqtida Al-Sirat AlMustaqim by Shaikh-ul-Islam, Ibn Taimiyyah for
it is very beneficial on this subject. Ability is only by (the sanction)
of Allah, and may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon Prophet Muhammade,
his family and his companions.