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Transplant of a Thief’sAmputated Hand
Question: Since it is now possible to get a hand transplant (the donor being someone who recently died), how would that affect the punishment of the amputation? The objective of the punishment is to teach the criminal a lesson, but if he can just easily go to France and get a new working human hand, then what is the point of the punishment?
Answer: No doubt the purpose of the punishment of the hand is to make the criminal an example in the society – for such a criminal deserves no lenience because a judge can only give this extreme punishment when the extent of his crime and his own circumstances are such that he deserves no mitigation.
To keep the criminal in such an exemplary state can only be possible if he remains in the bounds and jurisdiction of the court which pronounced the verdict. If the criminal stays within the bounds of an Islamic state’s jurisdiction a transplant can be checked. But, of course, nothing can be done if he proceeds to a country which is beyond this jurisdiction.
Praying in a Mosque Constructed from Illegal Resources
Question: There is a mosque in our village which is known to have received a large donation from a drug dealer. Everyone in the locality knows it was built on money donated by him. Is it permissible to pray in such a mosque?
Answer: There is no harm in praying in such a mosque. Illegal money may deprive the person who donated the money of any reward. It cannot deprive those who pray in it.
Amnesty at the Conquest of Makkah
Question: It is narrated that at the conquest of Makkah, the Prophet (sws) forgave all his enemies. Is not this contrary to your view that the rejecters of the Messengers of God are destined to humiliation?
Answer: The humiliation of the Prophet Muhammad’s rejecters took place in two phases. Once it was evident through divine bidding that his opponents had rejected Muhammad (sws) in spite of the fact that they were convinced that he was a true Messenger of God, in the first phase, only open and avowed enemies were slain and the rest were spared. It was in the next and final phase when every rejecter was humiliated. While the polytheists were put to death the People of the Book were allowed to live if they wanted to stay on their faith by remaining subservient to the Islamic state.1
The conquest of Makkah belongs to the first phase. Consequently, at that time also while general amnesty was granted, some people who were guilty of aggression were hunted down and put to death.
Watching Obscene TV Programs
Question: I watch a TV program on Star World (The Practice) about lawyers which SOMETIMES contains vulgar language and skimpy clothes. I watch it purely for entertainment, and I do not have anything objectionable in mind. Does Islam allow watching such programs, and others?
Answer: The real objective of Islam is purification of the soul. It wants us to lead clean and pure lives as much as possible because only people who have cleansed their selves would enter Paradise in the Hereafter. Therefore, we should choose to watch TV programs which do not impede our inner purification and which do not stimulate base feelings.
Our conscience is the best judge of such programs.
The Middle Prayer
Question: What is the true implication of the verse 238 of Surah Baqarah keeping in view the fact that it is placed among the verses relating to some instructions regarding divorce. Also, please inform me about the true meanings of the words ‘Salatu’l-Wusta’ (the middle prayer) used in the referred verse; some say it means Salatu’l-‘Asr and some declare it to be Salatu’l-Fajr.
Answer: The placement of 2:238 has generated a lot of debate among the exegetes. It reads thus:
حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَى وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَ(238:2)
Guard strictly your prayers, especially the Middle Prayer; and stand before Allah in a devoutly. (2:238)
To me the most plausible opinion is that of Islahi 1 according to whom this verse is actually the last of the directives stated in Surah Baqarah regarding the Shari‘ah that began with verse 177. Verse 177 also mentions the prayer. In this way, a section which began with the prayer also ends with it keeping in view its supreme importance in Islam.
The words ‘Salatu’l-Wusta’, in my opinion, do not connote a specific prayer. They actually mean ‘Salatu’l-Wusta bayna’l-‘amal’. This implies every prayer that comes in between any activity. In other words, it does not connote any specific prayer but rather any prayer that might seem to interrupt some work/activity/routine one might be doing. Muslims are told to be specially mindful of such a prayer and to guard it with more diligence since one tends to be a little careless about such a prayer and is always thinking of postponing it.
Inheritance of a Mentally Retarded Person
Question: Does a mentally retarded boy deserve the same share of his fathers property as a normal person ?
Answer: Yes he should be given the same share. However, this will be given in the custody of his guardian. He can spend on the upkeep of the handicapped person and if that person is in the financial dependence of the guardian, then he can also take out his own expenses from the share according to the good conventions of the society.
Patriotism towards a Non-Muslim Country
Question: In a non-Muslim country, can Muslims celebrate the independence day. As a Muslim, how should we feel about the land/country where we are born and brought up and get education and livelihood? Can we have feelings of love with this land? Can we use the passport of this non-Muslim country?
Answer: Having emotions of love and patriotism for the country one lives in even if it is a non-Muslim country is but natural and, as such, not condemnable at all. One’s homeland is like one’s mother and hence the affiliation is very ‘human’. Celebrating the independence day of such a country is thus also a very natural affair. If the celebrations do not contradict the values and teachings of Islam, they cannot be objected to in any regard.
Using a passport of a non-Muslim country also cannot be objected to if one is able to discharge one’s Islamic obligations in their true spirit and form in such a country.
About Fortune Tellers
Question: One keeps hearing of people who are able to predict the future accurately. Has Allah given such powers to human beings (who are not necessarily religious)? Is it allowed in Islam? Is one supposed to believe them and follow their advice?
Answer: Predicting the future with accuracy has not become a science and it is quite unlikely that it will since it seems to be against the Almighty’s scheme of running the affairs of this world. This world would no longer remain a place of trial and test for a person who knows what exactly is going to happen to him in the future.
Most people who are blessed with this ‘skill’ base their predictions on conjectures, which, of course, sometimes come true. One should try to avoid such ‘fortune tellers’ and should always base decisions on reason and concrete premises, other wise one enters the realm of superstition – and superstition makes a person lose his relationship with Allah.
Looking after Parents
Question: In our male dominated society, it is believed that if the parents have both sons and daughters, then it is the duty of the sons to take care of their parents. The elderly parents are supposed to live with the son(s). It is considered bad on the part of the son(s) if, for any reason, the parents start living with their daughter(s). Would you please explain this from Islamic point of view?
Answer: Children whether sons or daughters are equally responsible for taking care of their old parents. Parents, however, generally feel more comfortable living with their sons since in this case they are dependent on someone more close than a son-in-law. But, there is absolutely no restriction if they live with their daughters as far as the Shari‘ah is concerned.
In our society, the practice of parents living with daughters is considered improper since it is against the customs of this society. Social customs have their own importance and prudence demands that they should not be violated for trivial reasons. However, every person has the right to make a decision for his ownself in matters in which the Shari‘ah has posed no restriction on him or her.
Grieving for the Dead
Question: Why is it forbidden to grieve for more than three days after the death of someone? Is it in the control of a person not to grieve?
Answer: It is certainly not forbidden to feel aggrieved for a dead person for more than three days. To grieve for a person is not in one’s control. In fact, it is so natural that the Prophet (sws) himself wept at the death of his son Ibrahim:
When Ibrahim was about to die, the Prophet (sws), it is reported, picked him up, kissed him while tears were coming out of his eyes. One of his companions asked: O Prophet of Allah, do you cry also? The Prophet replied that this crying is a blessing and then while weeping remarked: Eyes shed tears and the heart is aggrieved but we shall only say that with which the Lord is pleased and we are sad at being separated from you O Ibrahim! (Bukhari, Kitabu’l-Jana’iz)
The thing which is desirable is that a person should come back to his normal life routine by not later than three days. He should not just sit and sob after this period, but should try to adjust to the new situation.
Regarding an Event on the Day of Judgment
(Answered by Tariq Hashmi)
Question: I have heard that on the Day of Judgment the Almighty would call theirchildrenby theirmothers’ names. Is this correct? I have also heard that people will be called after the names of their names on the Day of Judgement. Please explain.
Answer: There are different sayings ascribed to the Prophet (sws) in this regard. According to some, children would be called by the names of their fathers and while others say that they will be called by the names of their mothers. Bukhari and other compilers of the sayings of the Holy Prophet (sws) have quoted narratives part of which clearly say that on the Day of Judgment people will be called ‘such person son of such person’1. This clearly shows that people will be called by the names of their fathers. The narrative, which, says that people will be called by the names of their mothers is not that authentic and is not mentioned by the famous scholars of Hadith. The text follows:
Ishaq Ibn Ibrahimreported on the authority of Marwan Ibn Mu‘awiyyah who reported from Hamid who reported from Anas that the Prophet said: ‘People will be called by the names of their mothers’2.
Before stating the narrative, the compiler has made it clear that the Ishaq Ibn Ibrahim is not a reliable narrator. He writes:
Ishaq Ibn Ibrahim, lived in Sana. Ibni ‘Adi said: ‘He is Munkiru’l-Hadith’ (one whose report is not accepted because of his faltering memory and bad character).3
As is obvious from the above information, the report carries many flaws and is considered to be a concocted one. Therefore, it would be inappropriate to ascribe it to the Holy Prophet (sws). The narrative is only mentioned in some books, which deal with the lives of those who reported something from the Prophet (sws) as the authors of books referred to above.
As regards the matter of people being called in the names of their Lord (or leader or Prophet or others which one follows in religious matters), I think you are referring to the following Qur’anicverse:
Keep in mind the day when we will call every group with their respective imams. (17:71)
The verse has nothing to do with the calling people bythe names of somebody on the Day of Judgment. It states that people will be called to account along with their leaders in religious matters for example Prophets and Messengers or other religious leaders.