FAQ

Islām means submission to the will of God. Islām teaches belief in only one God, the Day of Judgment and individual accountability for actions. One who submits to God is called a Muslim – this being the precondition to enter Paradise.

Allah is simply the Arabic word for God, the same God worshiped by Christians and Jews. It is the God of Abraham and Moses, not a different God. Christian Arabs also refer to God as Allah.

A: There are five Pillars in Islām:

Declaration of the Faith: To testify there is no deity worthy of worship except God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.
Prayer: Pray towards Makkah five times each day.

Charity: Donate a portion of your wealth to the poor

Fasting: Go without food, drink and having relations with your spouses from dawn until sunset during the month of Ramadan

Pilgrimage: Visit Makkah and perform the Hajj once in a lifetime, if you have the means to do so.

These pillars are built on the Articles of Faith – which can simply be broken down into the following:

God: There is only one God with no associate or partner. All that happened in the past, is happening now and is going to happen in the future is by the will of God.

The Angels: Angels are created from light and execute the commands of God without ques-tion.

The Books of God: These include the Torah, the Psalms of David, The Gospel revealed to Jesus and the Qur’ā Prophets of God: There were thousands of prophets who preached God’s message. Prophet Muhammad was the last prophet for all humanity and completed the message of God.

Day of Judgment: On this day all mankind will be raised back to life and judged by God. Those whose good deeds outweigh their bad deeds will be allowed to enter Paradise and those whose bad deeds outweigh their good deeds will be condemned to Hell except whom God has mercy on.

Divine Decree: God’s predestination of all things and events and His Decree. Nothing in the universe can occur without the knowledge of God. Whatever He desires, it occurs and what-ever He does not desire, it doesn’t occur. There is no power or any movement except by God.

Life after Death: The eternal life in Paradise where one will be rewarded for living a righteous life on Earth, or the fire of Hell where one will be punished for the evil that one committed.

Muslims pray five times a day because God prescribed it. For those who do not know the values of prayer may think it is too much. For those who practice the prayer, take solace in it as they are praising, glorifying and talking to the Greatest. Hence at five times during the day no matter what circumstances surround them they focus back to God and the true realities of life. Indeed, some prefer to pray more in order to attain happiness, peace and tranquility.

For every activity in life, there are rules and regulations. Sometimes there are pre-requisites to the general requirements too. In Islam there are also some rules and regulations for the systems that God has legislated. In schools, each teacher has his requirements for every course that he/she teaches. Through their knowledge and wisdom they have designed the course and the requirement so that the students will be able to pass the course. The prayer (salat) in Islām has its rules and regulations. It has its spiritual and physical dimensions – spiritually any minor sins that have been accumulated since the previous ablution are cleansed and physically it removes and cleans the body from all types of impurities. Islam also encourage the use of a toothstick to clean our teeth and apply scent – all in preparation for the Believer to presents him/herself before the King of kings, God himself.

The Ka’bāh is the first house built for the worship of God on earth. It was originally built by Adam and then rebuilt by Abraham and his son Ishmael. God has chosen the Ka’bāh as a focal point of unity of pray for all the Believers all over the world.

A Mosque or Masjid is a place of worship for Muslims. Muslims pray in a masjid in the same way that Christians pray in a church.

Fasting the whole month of Ramadan is the fourth pillar in Islām. This month is the 9th lunar month of the Islamic calendar and is the month in which the Qur’ān was revealed. For the whole month Muslims fast from dawn until sunset. During the Prophet’s life, the Angel Gabriel would descend every night of the month and go over the verse that had been revealed up to that point with him. In additional to the spiritual cleansing of the soul, fasting has many religious, social, cul-tural, economic and educational benefits to all – including the control of egos, appetites and lusts. Fasting has also been prescribed on other people before Islām too, like the Jews and Christians.

The pilgrimage to Makkah (the Hajj) is an obligation only for those who are physically and finan-cially able to do so. Nevertheless, over two million people go to Makkah each year from every corner of the globe providing a unique opportunity for those of different nations to meet one another. The annual Hajj begins in the twelfth month of the Islāmic year. Pilgrims wear special clothes: simple garments that strip away distinctions of class and culture, so that all stand equal before God. The rites of the Hajj, which are of Abrahamic origin, include going around the Ka’bāh seven times and going seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwa as did Hagar (Abraham’s wife) during her search for water. The pilgrims later stand together on the wide plains of ‘Arafat (a large expanse of desert outside Makkah) and join in prayer for God’s forgiveness, in what is often thought as a preview of the Day of Judgment. The close of the Hajj is marked by a festival, the Eid al Adha, which is celebrated with prayers and the exchange of gifts in Muslim communities everywhere, This and the Eid al Fitr, a festive day celebrating the end of Ramadan, are the two holidays of the Islāmic calendar.

Prophet Muhammad was the last and final prophet sent by God. He completed the lineage of prophets which included Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Moses and Jesus. He was born in Makkah in the year 570 C.E., during the period of history Europeans call the Middle Ages. The Prophet Muhammad was the son of Abdullah, a noble from the tribe of Quraysh. His father died before his birth and his mother, Aminah, died shortly afterwards. He was then raised by his uncle, Abu Talib. As he grew up, Muhammad became known for his truthfulness, generosity and sincerity, earning the title of al-Amin, the trustworthy one. He was of a contemplative nature and had long detested the decadence of his society It became his habit to retreat from time to time in the Cave of Hira’ near the summit of ‘Mountain of Light’ near Makkah.

At the age of 40, while engaged in a meditative retreat, he received his first revelation from God through the Archangel Gabriel. This revelation, which continued for twenty-three years, is known as the Qur’ān. The Prophet Muhammad began to recite the words he heard from Gabriel and to preach the truth which God had revealed to him. The people of Makkah were stepped in their ways of ignorance and opposed him and his small group of followers in every way. These early Muslims suffered bitter persecution. In the year 622 C.E., God gave the Muslim community the command to emigrate. This event, the hijrah or migration, in which they left Makkah for the city of Madīnah, some 260 miles to the North, marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar.

Madīnah provided the Prophet Muhammad and the Muslims the safe and nurturing haven in which the Muslim community grew and here he established the Islāmic state. After several years, the Prophet and his followers returned as conquerors. He was now supreme ruler of Arabia cleansing the land from idolatry and dedicated the Ka’bāh to the worship of the One God. He died at the age of 63 and within a century of his death, Islām had spread to Spain in the west and as far east as China.

Not at all!! Muslims only worship God alone. For this reason they are not called Muhammadans. For example, Christians worship Christ and are hence called Christians. It is the greatest sin in Islām to worship anybody or anything else alongside God.

No! Muslims believe in all of the Prophets and Messengers that God sent to mankind from the days of Adam to the days of the Prophet Muhammad. God sent over 124,000 Prophets in the history of mankind. However, God mentioned 25 names in the Qur’ān some of them being: Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Lot, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, King David, King Soleman, Jonah, Zachariah, John the Baptist, Jesus and Muhammad. Muslims believe in all of them and do not differentiate in their missions – all of whom were calling to the worship of one God. Any time any Prophet’s named is mentioned, Muslims say peace be upon him (pbuh).

Muslims are obligated to believe in Jesus and Mary. They deeply respect them consider them to be amongst the greatest of human beings with Jesus being one of the greatest Messengers of God and His mother the greatest of all women. In the Qur’ān there is one chapter (Sūrah) in the name of Mary herself – Sūrah 19. No other woman’s name was revealed explicitly in the Qur’ān except that of Mary.

Moses was not the Prophet of the Jews. He was the Prophet of God to the children of Israel. He was sent to save them from the persecution of Pharaoh of Egypt. However, Moses, was a Muslim. He preached the Message of God and taught them to believe in God, the Creator of the Universe. He instructed them to pray, fast and pay charity as well. Muslims believe in Prophet Moses in as much as they believe in all the other Prophets and Messengers without any discrimination.

Muslims are obligated to believe in Jesus and Mary. They deeply respect them consider them to be amongst the greatest of human beings with Jesus being one of the greatest Messengers of God and His mother the greatest of all women. In the Qur’ān there is one chapter (Sūrah) in the name of Mary herself – Sūrah 19. No other woman’s name was revealed explicitly in the Qur’ān except that of Mary.

Yes! Muhammad is the last Prophet and the last Messenger of God to all mankind. His teachings are meant for Christians, Jews, Bhudists, Hindus and others. You may need another Prophet if his teachings were distorted or lost. The originality, totality and authenticity of the Qur’ān are well doc-umented and proved to be intact. The teachings of Islam are meant for all human beings. This was not true to the previous Prophets who came for a particular tribe, nation, or even for a particular era and area. The Qur’ān was revealed as the last testament to mankind.

In Islām, every person is born free of sin. It would be inhumane and unjust that God would create us with sins. God is so merciful. He created us as pure as crystal ice. It is only after the age of puberty that one will be accounted for his deeds and actions preceded by intention. At that time, we will be rewarded ten times for any good deeds and we will be charged once for every bad deed. If we ask forgiveness from God, He will forgive us. Because we are born free of sins, we do not need to be baptized. We are already born as Muslims.

Salvation in Islām does not depend on someone else to do it do for us. We are responsible for our deeds and actions preceded by our good intentions. Therefore, everyone has to work hard with good intention. Our intention as Muslims is to please the Creator. Whoever believes in God, in all the Prophets and Messengers that God sent to mankind; in the Day of Judgment; and do good deeds to all without personal ego or without exploitation, then and only then God assures us eternal Salvation. Through His Mercy, Forgiveness and Blessings, people will be given Salvation.

Thank you very much for raising a very fundamental principle in Islam. Muslims believe in the Oneness of God. They do not believe in the concept of Unity of God. The word unity may give a wrong impression about the concept of God. It may mean two gods in one, or three gods in one. Christians believe in three gods in one; God the father, god the son and god the holy spirit. Three in One. This is the concept of Unity of God. Muslims do not subscribe to this concept. God is the only One. He is One-in-One. He begets no one; and no one has begotten Him. He is the Creator of the whole universe. No one shares with Him His Sovereignty.

Muslims believe in the Prophet Jesus. He was one of the five Mighty Messengers of God. How-ever, Muslims do not celebrate the birth of any Prophet. Even those Prophets did not celebrate their own birthdays. Its origins lie in the Pagan feast of the Roman Empire.

Jews and Christians are referred to in the Qur’ān as the ‘People of the Book’ – meaning their origins lie in scripture revealed by God. However, these scriptures have not remained untouched by human insertions and have been distorted. When each prophet was sent, the people of that era were obliged to follow him and would be defined as people of the truth or simply ‘Muslims’ – so when Moses came – people were obliged to follow him and these Jews were Believers. When Jesus came, people were obligated to know accept him as the Prophet of God and not doing so would remove them from being defined as Believers – even though they may have accepted Moses as a prophet. These Christians were now the Believers till the time the Prophet Muhammad was sent. After which

Any person claiming to submit to the will of God would have to accept the prophethood of Muham-mad and not doing so would excommunicate them from being a true Believer in God.

The question of ‘fate and freewill’ has baffled people for many centuries; but Islām have given a clear answer. The first point to be noted in this respect is that the Islāmic concept of Qadar and Qadha’ is quite different from fatalism, determinism and predestination, as understood by most peo-ple. In Arabic, the words Qadar and Qadha are often used for fate and destiny. The word, Qadha means to decide; to settle; to judge. A Qadhi is a judge who decides a matter between disputants. From the Islamic view, the events of the world take place within God’s Knowledge and Will.

Read the following verses:

“And not an atom’s weight in the earth or in the sky escapes your Lord, nor what is less than that or greater than that, but it is (written) in a clear Book.” (Yunus 10:61)

“No disaster strikes upon the earth or among yourselves that it is in a register before We bring it into being – indeed that, for God , is easy – In order that you not despair over what has eluded you and not exalt [in pride] over what He has given you. And God does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful.” (al-Hadid 57:22-23).

The above verses speak of God Almighty’s power and control over His creation, as well as of His will and plan. This is one aspect of His Qadar. There is also another aspect of Qadar, which is concerned with human freewill.

B: On human freedom and responsibility read the following verses:

“Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He [i.e., God] may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness].” (a-Rum 30:41)

“… The truth is from y6our Lord, so whoever wills – let him believe; and whoever wills – let him disbelieve.” (as-Kahf 18:29)

The above verses speak of the special status of humans as beings with a role and mission. God’s power over His creation and His fore-knowledge of all our actions and their results do not preclude that status. God’s Qadar and Qadha – which could be loosely rendered as ‘Divine decree and human destiny’ – include a certain amount of freedom for humans. We may say that God Almighty has willed that we must have the freedom to choose between good and bad and take the course of action we decide, i.e. to the extent we are permitted. It is God Who created us will all our talents and gifts and if we do not have the freedom to use them, what would be the meaning of those blessings? And remember that God gave us, not merely our intellectual faculties but also the power of moral judg-ment. And what is more, He sent us His Guidance through His chosen Prophets and Books, to help us make the right choices. So in Islam, there is no contradiction between belief in Divine Preordain-ment on the one hand and the freedom of man on the other.

First of all, God has not made this a permanent world. This is a temporary world and everything here has a time limit. Neither the good things of this world are forever, nor the bad things eternal. We are here for a short time and we are being tested – those who pass the test will find an eternal world that is perfect and permanent. “And when We let the people taste mercy, they rejoice therein, but if evil afflicts them for what their hands have put forth, immediately they despair.” [ar-Rum 30:36]

A number of reasons why bad things may happen:

As a punishment where the laws of God have been violated as in the case of the people of Noah and Lot: “Has there not reached them the news of those before them – the people of Noah and [the tribes of] ‘Aad and Thamud and the people of Abraham and the companions [i.e., dwellers] of Madyan and the towns overturned? Their messengers came to them with clear proofs. And God would never have wronged them, but they were wronging them selves.” (Sūrah at Tawbah 9:70)

Sometimes God allows people to be afflicted by the consequences of their actions as a sign and reminder in order that they have the opportunity to repent and reform themselves. “Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He [i.e., God] may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness].” (ar-Rum 30:41)

“And whatever strikes you of disaster – it is for what your hands have earned; but He par-dons much.” [ash-Shura 42:30]

Suffering can also be a test and trial for some people. God allows some people to suffer in order to test their patience and steadfastness. Even God’s Prophets and Messenger were made to suffer. Prophet Job is mentioned in the Qur’ān as a Prophet who was very patient. Through these trials and tribulations, one has the opportunity to draw closer to God.

God sometimes allows some people to suffer to test others, how they react to them. When you see a person who is sick, poor and needy, then you are tested by God to test your charity and faith. God says in a [hadith qudsi], ‘Verily, Allah will say to his slave when He will be taking account of him on the Day of Judgment, ‘O son of Adam, I was hungry and you did not feed me.’ He will answer: ‘How could I feed you? You are the Lord of the worlds!’ He will say: ‘Did you not know that my slave so and so who is the son of so and so felt hunger, and you did not feed him. Alas, had you fed him you would have found that (i.e. reward) with Me.’ O son of Adam, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink.’ He will reply: ‘How could I give You drink? You are the Lord of the worlds!’ He will say: Did you not know that my slave so and so, the son of so and so felt thirsty and you did not give him drink. Alas, if you had given him, you would found that (i.e. reward) with me.’ ‘O son of Adam, I became sick and you did not visit Me.’ He will answer: ‘How can I visit you? You are the Lord of the worlds!’ He will say: ‘Did you not know that my slave so and so, the son of so and so became sick and you did not visit him. Alas, had you visited him, you would have found Me with him.”

There are currently 1.6 Billion Muslims in the world, with about 2-3 million living in the United Kingdom. Contrary to popular perception, only 20% of Muslims are Arabs and live in the Middle East. The countries with the largest Muslim populations are India and Indonesia with about 175 million Muslims each.

No! Any person who reads, writes and speaks the Arabic language is called an Arab. There are about 1.6 billion Muslims in the world. 20% are considered Arabs while the rest are non-Arabs. Among the Arab people there are about 8% who are non-Muslims, such as Christians, Jews, Assyr-ians, Atheists, Agnostics, etc. However, every Muslim has to study and learn the Arabic language so that he/she will be able to pray daily and to read Qur’ān and the Arabic language.

No! Any person who reads, writes and speaks the Arabic language is called an Arab. There are about 1.6 billion Muslims in the world. 20% are considered Arabs while the rest are non-Arabs. Among the Arab people there are about 8% who are non-Muslims, such as Christians, Jews, Assyr-ians, Atheists, Agnostics, etc. However, every Muslim has to study and learn the Arabic language so that he/she will be able to pray daily and to read Qur’ān and the Arabic language.

The sources of Islam are the Qur’ān, the hadith (sayings of the Prophet) and the Unanimous decisions of the early Muslim scholars

Hadith is the exact sayings of the Prophet with quote and unquote. The Sunnah of the Prophet are his deeds, actions and his tacid approval, i.e. actions done by others in his presence which he did not comment.

Jihad linguistically means the process of ‘exerting the best efforts,’ involving some form of ‘strug-gle’ and ‘resistance’ to achieve a particular goal. In the Qur’ān this word has been used in different connotations – entailing to struggle in the way of God, verbally, monetarily and physically. In the context of was, the Qur’ān legislates the performance of Jihad in order to make His word the highest in the land, defend or establish the religion, remove oppression from weak men, women and children and to remove turmoil and corruption. A point to note – all of which was laid down by God and demonstrated by His Prophet.

A Fatwa is a religious ruling to a question based on Islāmic law and issued by Islāmic scholars.

Any person who makes his Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of his country, is legally responsible to defend that country according to what the political leaders decide. The leaders may decide to invade other countries and commit various types of injustices, atrocities, and crime. A Muslim’s loyalty is to God. He will never obey political leaders unless they themselves obey God. Partaking in unjust wars is amongst greatest of crimes. Therefore, the masses as well as the leaders should make a Pledge of Allegiance to God, the Creator of the whole universe.

Yes, the Pledge of Allegiance of Muslims is only to God, the Creator of the Universe. Muslims have to say daily the Pledge in the language of the Qur’ān, i.e., Arabic. They have to recite it vocally individually and collectively. They may pronounce it verbally, privately, and silently too.

The Pledge goes as follows:

“Ashhadu Anla ilaha Illa Allah… Wa Ashhadu Anna Muhammadan RasooluAllah.”

“I bear witness that there is no one worthy of worship except God (Allah)… And I bear witness that Prophet Muhammad is the Messenger of God.”

Islam teaches that the Believer cannot make any agreement with any person or government to displease God; they cannot make any deal with any group to decide any matter against what God has already decided. In Islām, State and Religion are to abide their total life according to the teachings of God. No one has the right to separate the state from religion – otherwise, we are creating two gods: One god for our daily life and one god for the spiritual life. This type of approach is totally rejected and unacceptable. In Islām, God created the whole universe. He is the Real Legislator of all systems of life for us and He knows exactly what we need. He legislated the Shariah (Islāmic Law) – that we should abide by. Then and only then we will live in peace and harmony in this life and the hereafter.

Generally speaking, Seerah means the life history of someone. Any time Muslims talk about the Seerah, they mean the biography of Prophet Muhammad. Muslims are to study the Seerah of the Prophet so that they will be able to imitate him, emulate him, and benefit from his wisdom and his teachings. The early followers of Islam have written a series of books about the Seerah of the Prophet Muhammad to act as a guide to all the new generations to come.

Refer to article in the appendices, “Women in Islām’

Freedom of conscience is laid down by the Qur’ān itself: “There shall be no compulsion in [ac-ceptance of] the religion..” (2:256) The life, honour and property of all citizens in an Islāmic state are considered sacred whether the person is Muslim or not.

“O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you. Indeed, God is Knowing and Ac-quainted.”

Qur’an 49:13

Online at www.quranproject.org – you will find relevant audio, video, books and articles which will expand on all the above questions.

Question

I just want to know about the Abjad letters where it came from. Is there a hadith in which Nabi sallallahu alaihi wa sallam has mentioned that alif = 1 and baa = 2 and so on?

Answer

Abjad means the numerical value of letters in the Arabic alphabet. This has got nothing to with astrology. Instead, long before Jahiliyya, the Arabs had a value for each letter. Ulema use this when writing Arabic words for ta’weez; instead of writing the Arabic, they write the total value of all the letters in that word. In that way there won’t be any be adabi or disrespect to the Arabic writing especially if one is writing a dua or a word from the Holy Quran. You must bear in mind that if Ulema do something, it won’t be against Quran and Sunnah, insha Allah. The Ulema are the guardians of Shariah. We who are ignorant must have confidence in the Ulema and not just object through our jihaalat or ignorance. We can’t just assume something is wrong and then start objecting against the Ulema. They have knowledge which we don’t have.

Allah knows best

Mufti Siraj Desai Darul-Uloom Abubakr

Question

Are domestic repair schemes permissible? For example, where one pays £10 a month and when the machine breaks down all costs are covered. Similarly, paying monthly installments for healthcare when the government health systems are failing.

Answer

A domestic repair scheme is a form of insurance, and generally Islam does not permit insurance on account of the riba factor. However, if a service agreement is entered into in terms of which the company will service the machine and also do repairs over a fixed period of time, then this is permissible. But just to have a vague agreement that only covers incidental damage indefinitely, this is not permissible.

As regards healthcare, some Ulema have give permission for people who have chronic illnesses or mother who will need maternity care to take out health insurance schemes. One may act on this

Allah Ta’ala knows best

Mufti Siraj Desai Darul-Uloom Abubakr

Question

Is writing on the hand/body sinful?

Answer

If writing or making marks on the hand or body resembles tattoos, then that is not permissible, although it won’t be as haraam and severe as actual tattoos. But it is still sinful because it resembles a haraam act and there is no valid reason for doing so. If one writes on the hand to make a note of something when no paper is available, then that is totally permissible. But this will apply to the hand, like writing down someone’s phone number. It won’t apply to other parts of the body for obvious reasons.

Using stick on tattoos is also not permissible for the above reason, and also that Shariah prohibits disfiguring of the body parts in any way.

Allah Ta’ala knows best

Mufti Siraj Desai Darul-Uloom Abubakr

Question

Is female genital mutilation allowed in Islam considering the fact that women face various complications such as infections, bleeding and even death?

Answer

I gather your question pertains to female circumcision. This is not genital mutilation. Mutilation of any organ of the body is haraam in Shariah. That is why male circumcision is not called ‘mutilation’. Female circumcision is permissible in Shariah. However, if it leads to infection, disease, and death, then it will not be allowed.

The reason why females suffer in this regard is that people are not conducting this type of circumcision in the correct manner. In certain cultures, males who have been circumcised also developed complications. In a few cases this has led to death. This is because the procedure was not carried out correctly.

Where cases like this have developed with females, it is necessary for the Ulema in those areas to speak out against this practice and to stop people from continuing. Female circumcision is not compulsory as is male circumcision. Those Ulema and Scholars who allow it, only do so because they believe it enhances pleasure at the time of sexual intercourse. But I have not come across any hadith to support this.

Allah knows best

Mufti Siraj Desai
Darul-Uloom Abubakr

Question

Is working in a firm which works as consultant or liaison between investors and mutual fund investment companies right according to Islam?

Answer

A consultant in modern day companies will be called upon to advise investors on interest schemes and riba relater matters. This is not permissible. One should not choose to work there. However, if one is already working there, then continue working, but in the meantime try to get another job. However, the income will not be haraam, even though the act of advising people on interest and riba is sinful. One who continues working there should make a lot of istighfaar until he gets a different type of job.

Allah knows best

Mufti Siraj Desai
Darul-Uloom Abubakr

Question

Our grandmother breastfed my maternal aunt’s son and my maternal uncle’s daughter. Is nikkah (marriage) permissible between the cousins?

Answer

Since both cousins drank milk from the same woman, they have become ‘milk’ brother and sister. Nikah between them is now eternally prohibited.

Allah knows best

Mufti Siraj Desai
Darul-Uloom Abubakr

Question

My husband has a habit of reading my messages on my phone. It’s not that I have anything to hide from him but my mother has personal problems which she sometimes tells me about in her messages in confidence as she does not have anyone else that she can talk to which he then reads about and is always getting the wrong idea. He never tells me that he has read my messages so I am not even aware. However this time I saw him doing it and then he brought up other conversations which he read. How should I address this?

Answer

If the husband has strong and valid reasons to suspect his wife of infidelity, then it is permissible for him to read her messages or her letters. However, if the grounds for suspicion are not strong enough, or merely based on hearsay, then it is not permissible for him to do so. Likewise, if he intends to spy on her for reasons other than suspected infidelity, then too, it is haraam for him to read her personal letters and messages.

You should approach him directly but decently and make it known that you are aware of this act of his and that you do not appreciate him doing so. Personal messages between you and your mother are confidential. Perhaps he will take heed and stop this habit.

Allah knows best
Mufti Siraj Desai

Question

Is there any record in the ahadith of how long ago Adam alaihis salaam was put down onto this earth? And also I was recently told that seeing as the people of those times were so large and we now are much smaller that this is evidence of evolution. What answer can I give to this?

Answer

There is no record of this time period in any authentic hadith. However, seerah (history) books mention a few thousand years. But only Allah Ta’ala knows

The fact that people grew smaller in size over the centuries is not the evolution that Darwin and his followers teach or espouse. The evolvement of man from an ape cannot be remotely deduced from the changing of people’s sizes. The human hasn’t change in the basic physical features since the time that Nabi Adam (alayhis salaam) was CREATED by Allah (Not having evolved from a baboon or monkey), though the sizes of people are different nowadays compared to before. But such change is not evolution. Evolution is the process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth, or it is the gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form. From this definition we can see that the changing of the sizes of people is not evolution.

Allah Ta’ala knows best

Mufti Siraj Desai

Question

Can a Muslim male person do a taxi driving job? Can he pick up female passengers in his car, talk with them, laugh with them etc? The lady who gives the money for the driver sometimes her hand may touch the drivers hand or finger, so is it ok for a Muslim male to do the taxi driving job? Sometimes he would travel alone with a female passenger.

Answer

It is permissible for a Muslim male to do taxi driving as a form of income. It will be permissible for him to transport females in the course of his work. However, the condition for this is that the female must sit at the back of the taxi and not next to him; it is haraam for him to laugh, joke, and make petty talk with the female. He must try his best not to allow his hand to touch the non mehram or ajnabi female. All this is haraam. He has to keep Allah as Haazir and Naazir and observe taqwa of the heart. If he cannot do this then he rather stop his taxi business or only transport males.

Allah Ta’ala knows best

Mufti Siraj Desai

Question

I have an investment that invests in livestock, I have requested a Rand value of the investment to determine my zakaat for 1436. I would like to know if the way I have gone about calculating my zakaat is correct? I was advised that the value of zakaat on livestock is greater than the respective rand value?

Answer

If your investment entails a partnership or joint ownership in livestock then the zakaat has to be calculated according to the number of heads of livestock and not on rand value. There is a table that Shariah has drawn up for zakaat on livestock. You and your partners will have to calculate your zakaat according to this table. However, after you have determined the number of animals to be given in zakaat, you are allowed to give the rand value of those animals in zakaat instead of the actual animals.

If on the other hand, you are not a partner in ownership of the animals but invested your money only to share in profits, then there is no zakaat on the animals but on the cash money you accumulate after one Islamic year. For example, you gave someone R100,000 to do business with the condition that you will receive 50 percent of whatever profits he makes in any Halaal trade. This person then decides to trade in livestock with your cash capital. He buys and sells sheep or cattle, after which he passes on to you half of the profits accrued. In such a case, you are not liable for zakaat on the stock. Instead your zakaat will be payable on the cash money you received that remains in your possession after 12 Islamic months.

Allah Ta’ala knows best

If your investment is any different to what I have described above, please let me know, for the ruling might differ

Mufti Siraj Desai

Question

A brother wants to invest ‘(for example $5000) in a business, and the one receiving the $5000 says I will return your 5000, plus $2000 in a period of 1 year.

The lender and borrower both agree on the terms of $5000 + $2000 return. My question is, is that extra $2000 haraam ?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

The initial amount $5000 is a loan forwarded to the borrower. Any surplus return on a loan is Riba and completely impermissible.

A Sharī῾ah Compliant alternative is through Mudārabah Contract. Please read through the detail guideline on the Mudharabah contract at: http://daruliftaa.net/sharcompliancy/Download-document/Mudarabah-Agreement.html

Also read detail guidelines on both Musharakah Partnership and Mudarabah Partnership at :http://daruliftaa.net/sharcompliancy/Download-document/Musharakah-and-Mudarabah-Excerpt-from-Introduction-to-Finance.html

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Mawlana Faisal bin Abdul Hameed,
Student Darul Iftaa
Montréal, Canada Checked and Approved by, Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

Quesiton

I can’t concentrate during the Salah . How do I get rid of these waswasa ‘s . They disturbs me so much. Please help me. How I can avoid ill thoughts. They make my prayer so difficult.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

The solution is simple. Simply ignore all thoughts. Do not pay attention to the thoughts. Do not even worry to expel the thoughts. Shaytan wants to distract you and consume your mind in such thoughts. Do not get caught up with the trick of Shaytan. When you are on a highway filled with smoke that obscures the road, you will not worry to remove the smoke. You will focus on the road and drive through the smoke. You will pay attention on the road and not at the smoke. The waswasa’s is like the smoke. Ignore the waswasa’s and work through them even though your work might feel obscured.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

Question

Aww. does it constitute shirk if someone says my son will become my ‘sahaara’ support in old age…she did not mean shirk , just that Allah make him pious and a waseela of help, may he be of support and help in her old age. hear from you soon. wslm

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Sister in Islam,

The word “Sahara” is an Urdu word meaning “support/help”. It is not a specific name or attribute of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala), therefore, the statement “My son will become my Sahara” does not constitute Shirk.

The statement in reference is merely a Du’aa that the son assists the mother in her old age. That does not constitute Shirk as long as the mother believes that Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) is the real supporter and helper.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Moulana Ismail Desai, Student Darul Iftaa Durban, South Africa

Checked and Approved by, Mufti Ebrahim Desai.