Saadiq, the fast of
that day is not compulsory. Nevertheless, it still is incumbent to refrain from
eating and drinking and to remain like a fasting person. This is for observing
the respect and honour of Ramadhaan. for which there will be much thawaab. (Subh
Saadiq is the time when the time for Fajr Salaat commences. Buloogh is the
occasion of attaining adulthood. This is either by emission of semen. If by the
age of 15 this condition is not experienced, then buloogh has been attained.
From 15 onwards a person is an adult in Islam even if none of the physical signs
of adulthood had appeared.)
Q. A wife refuses to fulfil the conjugal rights of her
husband, but she becomes angry and vengeful towards the husband when he refuses
to eat the food she prepares. Is the husband in this case obliged to eat her
food? In view of the wife’s attitude towards him, for which she has no reason
valid in the Shariah, he does not eat her food. Is he in error?
A. He is not in error. Among the prime purposes of Nikah is conjugal rights.
Preparing food and serving food to the husband are not among the legal rights of
the husband over the wife. If she is so disobedient and so callous as to invite
the Wrath and Curse of Allah and His Malaaikah for refusing to fulfill her
husband’s conjugal rights, then his refusal to eat the food she prepares is
entirely correct. Such a woman is cursed by Allah Ta’ala, the Malaaikah and
the Houris of Jannat. Neither her Fardh nor her Nafl acts of ibaadat are
accepted as long as she remains obstinate in the perpetuation of her nushooz
(gross disobedience).
Q. In Arafaat we were constrained by our guide to leave for
Muzdalifah at 11 in the night. Is there any penalty we have to pay for this?
A. It is Sunnat to leave immediately the sun sets. The departure should not
be intentionally delayed for no Shar’i reason. Istighfaar will suffice. There
is no penalty to pay for this act.
Q. We left Arafaat at 11 p.m. When and how were we supposed
to have performed our Maghrib and Isha Salaat?
A. Maghrib and Isha should be combined and performed at Muzdalifah even if
the departure is delayed to 11 p.m.
Q. Someone who is unable to recite the Qur’aan Shareef in
Arabic, reads the translation of Surah Yaseen after Fajr and of Surah Mulk in
the evening. Is this allowed or is it better to make Thikr instead?
A. It is permissible to read the translations of the Surahs at any time of
the day or night. But reading the translations does not compensate for the
deprivation of the thawaab of tilaawat of the Qur’aan Shareef. It is
infinetely better to engage in Thikrullaah, Durood, etc. than to read an English
translation of the Surahs. It is also incumbent that this person makes a
concerted efforted to learn how to recite the Qur’aan Shareef in Arabic.
Q. Every Eid we prepare a particular sweet dish which has
become an integral part of Eid for us. If this particular sweet dish is not
prepared, people say that it does then not feel like Eid. They also say that
without this sweet dish, it is not Eid. Please comment.
A. In these circumstances it becomes necessary to abstain from this
particular sweet dish. This has become a bid’ah custom. This custom has no
relationship with Eid.
Q. Some learned people say that it is Sunnat to give the family presents on
the 10th Muharram. Is this correct?
A. In terms of the Hadith, one should be somewhat lavish with food on the
Day of Aashura (10th Muharram). But in our context, how are we going to be ‘lavish’
with food, when daily there is an excess of delicious food in our homes? We are
killing our bodies and our souls with excessive indulgence in delicious foods
and in destructive delicacies everyday of our lives. We devour food like
animals, hence the many sicknesses from which we suffer nowadays. In a society
where people are poor and they find it difficult to to serve delicious foods
even on the Days of Eid, the Hadith will have full application among such
people. The practice of giving presents on 10th Muharram is not a Sunnat custom.
To observe it as a Sunnat will be bid’ah.
Q. Which form of kurtah (qamees) is Sunnat-the kurtah which
the Indo-Pak Ulama wear or the long, ankle-length kurtahs which the Arabs wear?
A. The modern-style maxi-kurtah which is nowadays worn by the Arabs,
definately has no resemblance to the qamees which was worn by Rasulullah
(sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and the Sahaabah. The length of the Sunnah kurtah
is halfway between the knees and the ankles. In this aspect, the kurtah worn by
our senior Ulama has a greater resemblance to the kurtah of Rasulullah
(sallallahu alayhi wasallam). The kurtah of the modern-day Arabs extend to even
below the ankles. This is haraam.
Q. What should one do if a musalli standing alongside one in
Fardh Jamaat Salaat faints and falls down?
A. Break the Salaat immediately and assist him. Try to prevent him from
falling. Some musallis in his vicinity should break their Salaat and assist him.
They should carry him away from the Jamaat.
Q. A man has two wives and offspring from both. These
children in turn have children. Can they intermarry?
A. These children are cousins. Marriage among them to one another is
permissible.
Q. Is it permissible to arrange a supplementary Eidgah on a
smallholding situated some 15 kilometres from the closest town? The smallholding
is a farm in a farm area where Jumuah is not performed. Some people of the town
bypassed the Eidgah and went to perform Eid Salaat at the Eidgah in the
smallholding. What is the ruling of the Shariah on this issue?
A. The so-called supplementary ‘Eid Gah’ is not a Shar’i Eidgah. Eid
Salaat is not valid there. Those who had set up this farcical show of an ‘Eidgah’
and those who had performed Eid Salaat there are in grave error. They are guilty
of having committed major sins. They did not perform Eid Salaat since the Salaat
they had performed at the smallholding is not valid. They have to repent for
their misdeed. Those who had bypassed the Eidgah for attending the mock ‘Eidgah’
had acted despicably.
Q. Are there any special Nafl Salaat to be performed on the
15th Night of Sha’baan?
A. There are no special acts of ibaadat or Salaat for this night. It is an
auspicious night. As much of the night should be devoted to ibaadat of any kind
of one’s choice.
Q. Is it permissible to accept old age pension from a
government?
A. It is permissible.
Q. Will a foetus in a miscarrage also intercede for its
parents on the Day of Qiyaamah?
A. Even such a foetus will intercede for its parents. On the Day of Qiyaamah
the foetus will be a perfectly developed child.
Q. After a man gave his wife three talaaqs she married
another man who also divorced this woman. Although they had sexual relations, he
had practised azal (withdrawal). Is this consummation valid? Can the first
husband again marry his ex-wife?
A. The consummation is valid. He can marry his former wife again.
Q. Is it correct to have rallies and marches to show our
solidarity with the Muslims of Palestine?
A. Rallies and marches are accompanied by evil and sinful acts. These are
the methods of the kuffaar. Our way of showing solidarity and support for our
bretheren is to make dua for them always. Shouting and howling slogans in the
street, and mingling with the opposite sex are the ways of non-Muslims. We
should not emulate their ways and methods.
Q. Is it permissible to visit the mazaars of the Auliya to
make dua?
A. In view of the many acts of bid’ah and shirk which are prevalent at the
mazaars (mausolea) of the Auliya, it is not permissible to go there. Dua could
be made from anywhere else.
Q. Is it permissible for Muslim men to wear baggy shorts
which are below the knees?
A. It is not permissible to wear such shorts. This is a style of the
kuffaar. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) forbade emulation of the ways
and styles of the kuffaar. He said: “Whoever imitates a people, becomes of
them.” When their styles are adopted, it betrays the thinking of the imitator.
He gives preference to the style of the kuffaar over and above Islamic
dress-style. Such preference and emulation are close to kufr.
Q. Is it permissible to wear a watch with a gold or silver
strap?
A. This is not permissible. While it is permissible for only women to wear
gold and silver jewellery, even they may not use any gold or silver item of
whatever kind.
Q. Is it permissible to keep qadha fasts on Thursdays and
Fridays?
A. It is permissible.
Q. A person comes out of a coma after several weeks. What is
the position of the Salaat which he had missed while in the coma?
A. All such missed Salaat are waived. There is no need to make qadha of the
missed Salaat. If a person remains unconcious for more than five Salaat, then
the Salaat is waived. If he remains unconcious for five or less Salaat, he has
to make qadha thereof.
Q. Is Salaat which had not been performed in the past
forgiven when Hajj is performed?
A. Hajj does not cancel out Qadha Salaat. All Qadha Salaat has to be
compulsorily performed. As long as one is alive, the Qadha will have to be made.
Q. Zaid has a business which he himself had started. After
operating his business successfully for a few months, Zaid’s father enters and
takes control of the business. He regulates the business and does not allow Zaid
to take money from the business as he pleases. The father says that he will
supervise the business. Zaid is allowed to take whatever he requires from the
business. The father also takes his expenses from the business. He has no other
income. Besides what he takes for his living, he says that he will retain all
the profit for Zaid. But Zaid is dissatisfied with this arrangement. An
acrimonious dispute has developed between father and son. Zaid wants the Ulama
to arbitrate in this dispute. What does the Shariah say in this matter?
A. Zaid should firstly understand that irrespective of his father’s
injustice, he (Zaid) has no right to stand up against him. It is despicable for
Zaid to even think of submitting this matter for arbitration. He has not
understood the rank and superiority of a father. The son is like a slave to his
father. If the father wrongs the son, Allah Ta’ala will take him to task. But
here on earth, the son has no right of rebelling against his father...
