Know Your Deen

Islamic QA for North America

March 1, 2009
by Ml. Muhammed Shoayb
2 Comments

ablution (wuzu) duas

Q. What is the dua you can say when you are doing wudu?

Q. Is this the same as dua after wuzu?

A. Dua to be recited during wuzu:

?????????? ??????? ??? ??????? ????????? ??? ??? ?????? ????????? ??? ??? ???????

Alahum magh firlee zambee wa wassi’li fee darie wabariklea fee rizqi

O Allah, forgive my sins and make spacious for me my grave and grant barakat (blessings) in my sustenance

(As seen in Hisnul Hasin)

Duas to be recited after wuzu:

???????? ???? ??? ?????? ?????? ??????? ???????? ??? ??????? ???? ?????????? ????? ??????????? ???????? ???????????

Ashadu al la elaa ha illalahu wahdahu la shareekalaho wa ash hadu anna muhamadan  abduhu wararulu

I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah. He is all by Himself and has no partner and I testify that Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) is Allah’s Rasull (messenger)

Eight doors of Jannah will be open for the one reciting the above dua. The one reciting it will be able to enter from whichever door they please. (Mishkat)

The same narration states that the dua should be recited three times. However, doing so fewer times would also prove beneficial. But better to do its three times so as to emulate the sunnah.

Dua which can also be recited after Wuzu:

?????????? ?????????? ???? ?????????????? ???????????? ???? ????????????????

Allah hummaj ‘al knee minatawabeen waj al knee minal mutatah hareen

O Allah, count me among those who seek forgiveness and amongst those who stay clean

Allah Certainly Knows Best.

March 1, 2009
by Ml. Muhammed Shoayb
0 comments

unseen not the same as not seeing

Q. Do prophets have the ability to know the unseen, the most hidden and the future?

Answer:

????? ?????? ??? ???? ?? ???? ????? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ?????? ??? (???????? ? 343)

The knowledge of the unseen is matter specific to Allah (alone). No individual can attain (the unseen) except if Allah conveys (that given knowledge to) the person regarding it (the unseen)

Allah Certainly Knows Best.

February 28, 2009
by Ml. Muhammed Shoayb
0 comments

Islam, Christianity and Judism

Q. Can you explain to me the difference between Islam and Christianity?

Q. I was wondering if islam has similarities with other religions?

Q. Do Muslims believe in the life after?

Answer:

????????? ????????? ????????? ?????? ??????? ????????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ????????????? ??????????????? ???????????? ??????????? ?????????????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ????????? ?????? ??????? ????????????? ??? ?????????? ??? ????????? ?????? ??????? ????????? ???????? ???? ? ???????????

Say: We  (Muslims) believe in Allah and that which had been revealed to us, and in that which was revealed to Ibrahim and Ismail (Ismael) and Ishaq (Isac) and Yaqoub (Jacob) and the tribes (his twelve sons), and that which was given to Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus), and (in) that which was given to the prophets from their Lord, we do not make any distinction between any of them, and to Him do we submit.

Muslims have more similarities between people that are linked to Jesus, Moses and their followers, then to any other group of people.Take note of the following without prejudice:

  • Muslims believe in One God known as Allah.
  • Muslims believe that Allah is to superior to have a partner.
  • Muslims believe in the approximately 124 000 prophets, prophets given the most virtue are Adam, Noah, Abraham and his members of his family, Moses and his brother, Jesus (peace be upon them all) etc.
  • Muslims believe Muhammad (peace be upon him) is not a god, nor a partner to Allah. He is a prophet and final messenger in the long chain of messengers.
  • Muslims believe that Essa (Jesus peace be upon him) had been miraculously resurrected, just as he was miraculously born.
  • Muslims believe that they are responsible for each of their actions. Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not die for anyone’s sin.
  • Muslims are accountable for each action they take part in. They are held accountable  in this world and the hereafter.
  • Muslims must believe in the all the books that Allah revealed. Muslims are to believe that these books are indeed true in their original state — be it the Bibles, Torahs, etc.
  • Muslims cannot accept changes within these holy books (e.g the Bibles, etc); however, Muslims are called upon to not dispute about the contents of various scriptures either. A healthy discussion is encouraged for the concerned.
  • Muslims must believe in all the angels, life after death, life of the hereafter, day of resurrection, the awarding of heaven and hell for all people, be they Muslims or non-Muslims.

These are some of the basic differences and similarities. Glad to be of service. Wishing you the best in your quest for the truth, Ameen.

Allah Certainly Knows Best.

February 28, 2009
by Ml. Muhammed Shoayb
0 comments

Exposed or Axe-posed?!

Q: What is the severity of one showing their private parts to somebody in public?
Q: What if the person does not want to forgive that individual/s for that lewd act?
Q: Is it justifiable for a person not to forgive?

Answer:

??????? ?????? ??????? ?????????? ????????? ??????????? ?????????????? ???????????? ???? ?????????? ????????????? ??????????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ??????????? ??????? ???????? ???????? ????????? ?????????????? ?????????????? ??????????????

You are the best of the nations raised up for humanity; enjoining what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in Allah; and if the followers of the Book had believed it would have been better for them; of them (some) are believers and most of them are transgressors. 3:110

As Muslims, we called upon to be our very best in all do. To instigate wrong on any level would be wrong in itself. To sanction wrong is against our belief. We are called upon to prevent ourselves and others from forbidden actions. It is forbidden for a male to intentionally expose from the navel to the knee to a stranger, likewise, it is also forbidden for a female to expose from the neck to the ankles to a mere stranger. According to the Hadith, a simple way to stop people from continuing lewd actions is to talk to them in a gentle manner that inspires then towards positive change. We should use peaceful methods to bridge all moments of tension, so as to facilitate peace and reinforcment of good Islamic behavior. Should this fail, it would be best to pray for such individuals.

Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) has stated that Haya is part of imaam. Also Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) has stated: When modesty is lost, then do as you please. People that lack modesty lose direction of distinguishing between the good and degrading. In the process, they relinquish an important part of Islamic life, in the process they also give up a significant portion of faith.

If a minor exposed their private part, then the minor must be sat down and spoken to as to their distasteful deed. If a sane adult had exposed himself to another person, then not only would it be a sin, but it would be necessary for the person to seek forgiveness towards the victim.

As for forgiveness, Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) stressed its importance. Although one has a right not to forgive, forgiveness would create less pain for the wronged (victim). To hold a grievance only limits oneself to attaining maximum spiritual strength. Each person at some point has possibly wronged another. Should each restrict their forgiveness to situations that they deem fit, greater hostility would continue to exist within members of society. Thus the quran and hadtih stress the significance of forgiveness. To forgive is to liberate oneself.

Should one insist on not forgiving, then on the Day of Judgment, the perpetrator of wrong would be called upon to relinquish a portion of their deeds towards the victim.

Allah Certainly Knows Best.

February 26, 2009
by Ml. Muhammed Shoayb
0 comments

Missing Dhuhr for School

Q. If a person misses his/her Dhur prayer everyday because of school what should he/she do? Make it up everyday with Asr prayer, or pray at school?

A. If you are still in high school, then you can get a letter from your local mosque that explains to your school the importance of the obligatory prayers. Thereafter, you can request a private room on school premises in which you can pray. If there are a group of Muslim students, arrange to pray together at the same time so there is little disruption to the school as possible.

If you are in college, and it becomes difficult to work your class schedule around prayer times, you can probably take a quick five minute break half-way during class and find a private hallway to kneel to Allah.

On days on which exams or presentations and the like make it difficult to pray at the correct time, then of course, you should make up the missed prayer with ‘asr.

May Allah always keep you this conscientious and steadfast in wanting to fulfill your duties to Him. Ameen.

Allah certainly knows best.

February 24, 2009
by Ml. Muhammed Shoayb
0 comments

grave welcomes everyone

Q. A scholar was talking about grave innovations and he mentioned that we cannot recite any Qur’an while burying the deceased, cannot have tombstones with symbols or names on them (not even the name of the person who passed away) and says that doing these innovations is completely haraam and therefore detrimental to a Muslim’s spiritual well-being.
But every time someone passes away here, we do all of the above so is that really wrong to do?
Also he said that we can’t have a gathering where people recite Qur’an on behalf of the deceased which we also do.
Please advise.

A. To do some of the above voluntarily would be wrong. To abide by local ordinances would be correct, so long as it does not violate the key tenants of our religion. For example, to have an identification system like that of a tombstone is not ‘haraam,’ when required by local laws.

To recite prescribed portions of the Quran by the head and feet once the body has been placed in the grave is part of sunnah.

To recite Quran is only ‘haraam,’ if the person is reciting to a dead person. We are only allowed to recite Quran for Allah, and seek reward from Him. To gather people without pressuring them to attend such gatherings, nor to make a public weep to uphold such ‘cultural traditions’ is permissible. To insist people attend at a particular venue, partake in givens foods etc. is not allowed. However, if people do happen to be present, feeding them out of politeness would be allowed, so long as the food is not viewed as an expectation.

The intention of feeding should not be to feed for the ‘dead’ either. The monies of feeding cannot be deducted from the inheritance of the deceased.

The scholar is correct to say the following: worshiping the grave or praying to the dead is haram (forbidden).

To make dua at the grave site with the intent that we are praying to Allah for those that have passed away is most correct.

Under ideal conditions, one should make the dua for all those that have passed away. Persons making the dua should try and not face the grave, so as to not be accused of resembling those that take part in grave worship.

Allah Certainly Knows Best.

February 24, 2009
by Ml. Muhammed Shoayb
1 Comment

menses and the jurists

Q. I am really confused, I was told that the minimum days of menses for a woman is 3 days, now am told it is one day by sisters in our ladies halqa…. Is there a difference? Or just some misunderstanding? Is there proof ?

A. The sister should have asked you as to the school of thought you are utilizing for your everyday rulings, prior to embarking you on the journey of  confusion..

1. According to shawafees:

  • The bleeding lasts for at least 24 hours. If the bleeding is not continues and remains sporadic, the sum of all discontinuous bleeding periods must add up to at least a full day and night (24 hours)
  • The time period of menstruation must never exceed 15 days, irregular or continuous
  • There must exist a period of 15 days of purity between two periods of her menstruation
  • If the above conditions are fulfilled, a woman would be said to be part of her menstrual cycle and the necessary rules that pertain to it would also apply to her

2. According to Ahnaf:

  • Minimum amount of days for haiz is 3 days
  • Maximum amount days for your haiz would not exceed10 full days
  • Bleeding which was experienced does not need be continuous but will be counted
  • Bleeding which occurs after the full 10th day is called istihaza.
  • The minimum period of purity between ones cycle is 15 days

Yes proof does exist. Proof is derived from the ahadeeth. The Fuqaha have accepted the above. Should you be a muhadith (scholar of hadtih) and have devised a better method, do share its content. Suffice to say, if you have chosen the method of Ahnaf or Shawafee, then you must chose all their other rulings as well with consistency. To deviate from your school, you must prove yourself as an Islamic researcher well versed extensively in Arabic, as well as the quran, Hadeeth, sunnah, etc. The possibility of this is slim during our current era.

Allah Certainly Knows Best.

February 23, 2009
by Ml. Muhammed Shoayb
0 comments

The differance between ‘superior’ and ‘guardian’

Salamu Alaykum,

Q.1. If women are jewels and should be protected, then why shouldn’t men be considered as jewels also, aren’t we all equal and the same?

Answer: ?????? ?????? ????? ???? ???????

Hoping you are in the best of health — spiritual and physical.

For clarification purposes, since clarification is indeed is a two way street — you to us, and us to you — could you please substantiate your claim by furnishing the ayah or hadith that is aiding you ask such a question. Or is it something you heard from the grapevine? Are you referring to any particular woman? Are you referring to the woman of this world or hereafter? Are you alluding to a metaphor or reality? Perhaps the following questions you have also posed would shed light, and perhaps help you a little.

Q.2. Why are women called “irrational” and “emotional” when this is just sexist rather than real factual information?

Answer: Who is calling woman ‘irrational’ and ‘emotional’? Do you have an ayah or hadith that you are gaining such an insight from? Do you have a valid referent point from Islam teachings? If so, please enlighten us with its details. At best, we would help clear up your misconceptions. Or are you referring to claims made by westerners and ignorant people of the past who made similar claims as quoted by you regarding the ‘emotional, irrational and subhuman existence of woman?’ True Islam and Muslims were never in favor such thinking….


Q.3. The Qur’an says that “men and women are equal” and that “men are only superior in some degree” what is meant by that and couldn’t it be interpreted in a wrong way by sexist people?

Answer: Again, you have not mentioned to us where you have gotten your data from. But on this one, we shall try to help you a little pertaining to the second ayah you have quoted: The underlined word below (Arabic and English) is the one you have possibly used as your referent which has been often misquoted as ‘superior’ instead of ‘guardian.’ Here is the full context of the possible ayah you are seeking the correct translation of:

?????????? ??????????? ????? ??????????? ????? ??????? ??????? ?????????? ?????? ??????? ???????? ?????????? ???? ??????????????

Men are the guardians (upon you seeing the context and the Tafseer of this phrase, we are sure that you would agree with us!) and (thus) maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more than the other (more often then not), and because they support them from their means (thus they are viewed as guardians!).

Should you still insist that the Quran uses the word ‘superior’ with the connotation you are alluding towards, then we would recommend a basic Arabic cause for your greater understanding.

In all sincerity, we are glad to help clarify the misunderstanding that often takes place when translating between languages.

Allah Certainly Knows Best.

February 22, 2009
by Ml. Muhammed Shoayb
0 comments

witr not all the same

Q. What do the different madhabs say regarding Witr prayer?

Answer: general response as to the legitimate differences:

  • Some madhabs are of the opinion that it is three rakats with one salam, others separate the three rakats, and do not read it with one tasleem (salam). Those that separate the rakats, do so by performing two raktas in one go, and a third rakat separately.
  • Some view it as sunnah muaakadah, while others view it as wajib.
  • Some say it must be made up if missed. While others state that it must be performed on its time, and done before the time for it expires, which remains anytime after Isha, until its expiry time. (It is thus best to always do a make up for it, since this best.)
  • Some allow for a loud dua in the final rakat in ramadaan, others call for a soft dua within the third rakat.

These are some of the basic differences which are established from ahadeeth and sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) One should be consistent in their choice. For many, this would be an easy choice, based on them following a given mazhab.

We hold the opinion that it is wajib, it is done three rakats with one tasleem, and a soft dua in the final rakat. It can be performed in the form of jamat only in ramadaan. It should (and it is best that Witr) be performed behind an imaam that also holds the view that it is wajib over sunnah muakadah. Other views are just as valid, so long as they arel inked to Ahle-sunnah wal jamat.

Allah certainly knows best.