Category: Fiqh

By this link They said to me: We have some problems understanding verse five of Sūrah al-Māʾidah: “and the food of those given the scripture before you is lawful for you and your food is lawful for them.” So, please assist us in solving the ambiguity and unveiling its hidden meaning. I replied: The book of God is surely worthy of our striving in understanding its vagaries, clarifying its difficulties, and explaining its secrets. I thank God that He granted you success in seeking to be guided by His definitive revelation. I asked them: What is the source of your…

By this link: We’ve noticed that some Imāms and mosque administrators prevent young children from attending the mosque and chastise them when they do. I replied: This is a detestable policy! Preventing children from attending the mosque is in effect preventing their parents from attending and worshiping in the houses of God. God says specifically regarding being concerned with the religious affairs of our families and children: “Save yourselves and your families from the Fire.” And He says concerning Ismāʿīl, peace be upon him: “He used to bid his family to [maintain] the prayer and to [pay] the zakāt.” And…

By Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwi A vegetarian or vegan diet may be the right one to adhere to in particular situations. The reasons for this may be that this diet is more healthy or economical, or more something else. Reasons like this are put forward on the basis of human understanding, in turn based on human experience: a dietary regime has tangible effects on individual bodily and mental health which can be studied; similarly, the aggregate effects on the environment of a society’s consumption habits (of meat or plants) can be studied and reasoned about. But then, for different individuals…

By Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwi Your question: Can women who missed some days of their their fasting in Ramadan due to menstruation or post-natal bleeding combine the intention of making up the missed days of fasting in Ramadan with the commended six days fasting in Shawwal? My response: Women in the state of menstruation or post-natal bleeding are not allowed to fast. Nevertheless, fasting the full month of Ramadan is obligatory on those women, and they have to make up the number of days missed when they are able to do so. Mu`adha al-`Adawiyyah asked `A’ishah, may Allah be pleased…

By Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwi Your question: How important is fasting six days in Shawwal? My response: Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him, reported from Allah’s Messenger, peace be upon him, that he said: “For one who observed the fast of Ramadan and then followed it with six days of fasting during the month of Shawwal, it is as if he had fasted continually [i.e., the whole year].” (Muslim, k. al-Siyam, b. istihbab sawm sittati ayyam min shawwal).  On the basis of that one hadith some scholars (Imams al-Shafi`i, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ishaq ibn Rahawayh, others) considered…

By Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwi Your question: If a woman’s menstruation stops while she is at work or travelling and she is not able in that situation to take a bath (ghusl), is she allowed to miss the obligatory prayers (i.e., defer them until the time when she can take a bath)? My response: Prayer (salah) is the firmest of the obligations placed on believing men and women. They must do the obligatory prayers within the time when they are due. If a Muslim is willing but simply not able to do wudu’ or ghusl within the time when a…

By Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwi Your question: Who should I pay my zakah to in the West? My response: The qualification in the question, “in the West”, does not have much significance for the answer, except that in the West, Muslims however numerous, do not (or do not yet) organise the collection and expenditure of zakah as a state function. Individual Muslims have to assess and tax themselves, and they have themselves to dedicate the expenditure of what they have collected from themselves. How should they spend the zakah they collect from themselves? The obligation of zakah, and the categories…

By Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwi Part one Your question: JazakAllah for the detailed response. Really helps. Can I ask one more question in addition to above as it is slightly connected. Is guided meditation allowed? In this case, someone else guides you to focus on breathing and then you are asked to imagine like you are collecting all those negative emotions which have been keeping you in a state of unhappiness and then letting it go so to stop over thinking and calm your mind. It can be considered as self-hypnosis of sort as you are not surrendering your consciousness…