Your Questions Answered
Queries
Why are some Prayers offered Silently?
Question: Why are daytime prayers offered silently and the night time prayers offered audibly?
Answer: At the outset, it needs to be appreciated that the Shari‘ah is silent on this issue. Thus we can only present our understanding of the matter. It is obvious that the basic purpose of loud recitation during some of the prayers is that the worshippers can listen to the part of the Qur’an recited. Now if we consider the timings in which the Qur’an is not recited loudly we would know that, during these timings, human activities are often at their peak. This leaves little possibility for the worshippers to listen to the recitation very carefully. Therefore, in these hours the Holy Qur’an is not recited loudly.
Determining the Qiblah Direction while Travelling
Question: How can one determine the Qiblah direction while praying in a moving ship?
Answer: The Almighty has directed us to turn to the Qiblah while praying. Muslims always abide by this rule when they can. In situations where the Qiblah cannot be determined, they may face any direction they reasonably think the Qiblah lies. However, once a person has determined the direction and started praying, he will have fulfilled the obligation upon him. The Almighty does not burden the believers with unbearable responsibilities. There is a golden principle in the Islamic Shari‘ah that none would be asked to do beyond what is humanly possible. This is why Muslim scholars say that one can keep on praying without giving attention to which way one happens to face in prayer while travelling in a ship.
Regarding Cremation
Question: What is the Islamic stance on cremation?
Answer: I am afraid the issue of cremation never arose during the life of the Prophet (sws). Therefore, we do not have any Qur’anic verse or a prophetic saying in this regard. The Sunnah (practices established as a part of the religion) requires the Muslims to bury their dead after washing the corpse and clothing it in a shroud. This practice is based on divine guidance, and it distinguishes the Muslim tradition from others. We see that all three Abrahamic religious traditions follow this practice. Therefore, we believe that cremation should be avoided.
The Threat of Divorce for Good Deeds
Question: In a family, if the wife is regular in prayer but the husband is not and in spite of great efforts on her part the husband does not respond, what measures can the wife take against her husband? Should she ask for divorce? What if a woman does not discharge her religious obligation in spite of constant counselling by the husband? Should he threat her with divorce?
Answer: It is the duty of every Muslim to act upon divine commandments himself and exhort others to the same. The first addressees of our call should be our near relations. The Almighty has mentioned in the Holy Qur’an that His great Messengers and Prophets cherished this great virtue of calling the family members and friends to the prayer.
The Qur’an says:
Also mention in the Book Ishmael: He was [strictly] true to what he promised, and he was a messenger [and] a prophet. He used to enjoin on his people the Prayer and Zakah, and he was most acceptable in the sight of his Lord. (19:55-6)
Believing men and women have been called friends and helpers of each other by the Qur’an and are expected to guide each other in religious matters.
However, as to the extent one can go while urging a life partner on observing basic religious duties such as the prayer, it depends upon the individuals involved. The most appropriate and the most effective way is that of persuasion and counselling. A person should try to convince his or her spouse to realize the gravity of the matter and do so very politely with utmost wisdom. The Almighty has guided His messenger to preach politely with wisdom and care. We must not let go of this line of action otherwise our efforts may become counterproductive. Going as far as demanding or threatening with divorce is a question that is very unlikely to produce positive results. What good it will do when the couple get separated? We can better influence a spouse while being united and not after severing marital ties.
About a Hadithagainst a Scientific Fact
Question: I came across this Hadith in Bukhari. The Prophet (sws) explains to Abu Dharr:
Do you know where the sun sets...? Indeed it travels till it prostates itself underneath the throne. (No: 4428)
This Hadith clearly seems to contradict the fact that sunset is brought about by the rotation of the earth. How should this Hadith be interpreted, and how do we counter criticisms by non-Muslims who might make use of this Hadith to assert that some of the Prophetic sayings contradict scientific facts?
Answer: The apparent meaning of the Hadith seems to go against what today is an established scientific fact. However, a careful analysis of this Hadith would show that this is not true: This subject has been discussed in the Qur’an also. Consider the following verse:
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ وَالنُّجُومُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَالشَّجَرُ وَالدَّوَابُّ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنَ النَّاسِ (18:22)
Do you not see that all those in the heavens and the earth, the sun and the moon and the stars, the mountains and the trees, the beasts, and countless men bow before God alone? (22:18)
Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi explains this verse as follows:
This refers to the argument for the oneness of God practically witnessed by everything in the universe. We have explained at various places in this book that every thing in the universe is of Abrahamic nature regarding its attitude towards God. The sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains and beasts all submit before God’s will. None of them dare to deviate from the rules they are subjected to. The sun, which has been the most favourite deity of the naive, evidences that it stands, bows and prostrates before God everyday. At sunrise, it lifts its head from prostration and keeps standing till noon. In the afternoon, it bows down and again prostrates before the Lord at sunset. It continues in this position till the next morning.1
After elaborating upon this point to a great length, he cites the following verse:
وَلِلّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا وَظِلالُهُم بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالآصَالِ (15:13)
All who dwell in the heavens and on the earth prostrate themselves before God alone: willingly or perforce and their very shadows too prostrate before Him morning and evening. (13:15)
He says that this and other similar verses allude to the very fact under discussion. The Almighty says that nothing disobeys him and nothing deviates from the rules set for them. It is clear that the Hadith you have quoted also explains this theme.