Queries

 

Women Changing their Names after Marriage

 

Question: Women usually change their last name (their father’s first name) after they get married, attaching their husband’s first/last name instead. Is there any Islamic significance in this tradition?

Answer: Islam does not require a woman to change or amend her name when she gets married. This has basically to do with the traditions of a society. Today many societies follow this tradition. Arabs in the times of the Prophet (sws), on the other hand, did not follow this tradition. So when A%’ishah (rta) got married to the Prophet (sws), her name did not change to A%’ishah Muhammad (rta). It remained as it was before. Similar was the case with other wives of the Prophet (sws), and indeed with every Arab lady.

 

 

Accountability of a Person Who Dies in Ramadan

 

Question: There is a Hadith which says that the doors of Hell are closed during the last ten days of Ramadan. Does that mean that if a person dies during these last ten days of Ramadan, he goes straight to Heaven ?

Answer: The Hadith you have referred tosymbolically depicts the fact that God’s mercy becomes more abundant in these days for a person who asks His forgiveness. People will enter Heaven or Hell after an account has been taken from them on the Day of Judgement. Till then, the spirits of the deceased reside will in Barzakh.

 

 

A ‘Heretical’ Translation of the Qur’an

 

Question: At www.Bibliomania.com, a translation by an Iraqi Jew called NJ Dawood can be found. He’s changed the order of the Surahs to suit his own fancy. His introduction casts doubt on the provenance of theQur’an. This translation has been decried by Muslim scholars all over the world. We should write to the webmaster of the site to remove it. It is really hurting our feelings. I think that you should also raise a voice against it.

Answer: A hard copy of this translation has been under my study for almost twelve years. It does suffer from the flaws you have pointed out -- but do not forget that it is not from a Muslim. He wrote what he found to be correct in his opinion.

From what I know of the Arabic language, Dawood’s grasp of Qur’anic Arabic is exquisite and so is his command on English. So the correct way is to ignore the flaws and benefit from the qualities. I am afraid that the general attitude of Muslims is of total rejection or acceptance in religious issues. This I think is not the correct approach. Human endeavours can never be perfect. Even efforts based on the best of intentions can result in mistakes. So instead of rejection, selective acceptance is perhaps the right way in such matters.

Consequently, I do not think that Muslims should press the webmaster of the site to remove this translation.

 

 

Birth Rites

 

Question: What rituals are obligatory at the birth of a child and when should they be performed? Is shaving the head of the newborn also a must?

Answer: Only two things are obligatory at the birth of a child:

i. Saying Adhan in the right ear and Iqamah in the left

ii. Circumcision

Both should be done as early as possible. No particular day has been fixed by the Shari‘ah. Thanking the Creator through animal sacrifice or through some other way is optional.

The custom of shaving the hair of the newborn has no religious basis.

 

 

Maidens for Men; ‘Nothing’ for Women

 

Question: When reference is made to the Heaven in theQur’an, it tells of the great things that will be there, including chaste maidens. I assume that the maidens will be for men. What will be provided to women in Heaven? Why does it not explicitly mention the reward of women in the same verses?

Answer: In all such verses, it is implied that pious women will be rewarded with pious men. This is not explicitly stated because such a mention is against modesty -- a value that has almost become extinct in present times. Haya (translated as modesty for want of a better word) is a fundamental feature of Muslim women as per the Qur’an. It is against the norms of Haya to say in words that women would be rewarded with men, though this is an understood fact.

It needs to be appreciated that the norms of modesty are different for the two, and, perhaps this difference is very difficult to communicate to the modern mind because of the influence of feminism on it. I’ll try to explain this to you, but I also admit at the outset that this is something to be felt and not something about which arguments can be given. The fact that Islamic societies have always given more protection to women and have been always more sensitive about women and their reputation is something we can start with as regards this difference. The fact that a boy has girl friends is a bad thing in Islamic societies, but the fact that a girl has boy friends is not just bad -- it is criminal. Parents would lovingly say to their sons: ‘We are going to bring a charming wife for you’, but they would seldom say to their daughters: ‘We are going to bring a handsome husband for you’. So you see this difference in attitude is present in such societies and allow me to say that it is the call of human nature -- a nature that has not been perverted or influenced by extremism. The Qur’an has only given due regard to this attitude and inclination innately found in human nature.

 

 

How to Convert Non-Muslims?

 

Question: Please give me some information on how to convert non-Muslims to Islam. How should we prove to them that Islam is the true religion from God and that they now have to follow the Holy Prophet (sws) and the Qur’an to attain God’s love and be successful on the Day of Reckoning.

Answer: There is no general formula for converting non-Muslims into Muslims. It varies with each case since each non-Muslim has different concepts or objections in his or her understanding of Islam. So the best thing is to begin by asking them about what they think about Islam and then try to clear their doubts. Moreover, it is of paramount importance that instead of showing an antagonistic behaviour towards them, Muslims should try to present the teachings of Islam in a lucid and articulate manner. They should think of ways and means to communicate the true message of Islam and refrain from policing and threatening non-Muslims. Like true preachers, they should invest their time in thinking of ways and means to earnestly call people to the truth. Their preaching should have a humble tone, and they should deal very affectionately and amicably with non-Muslims.

What you can also do is to ignite the flame for the quest of truth found in every human being by urging people to be sincere and earnest seekers of the truth. You can also draw their attention to the basic issues which stare man in his face – perhaps the greatest of which is: ‘What will happen when we die’.

 

 

Taking Interest from Non-Muslims

 

Question: I live in India. Here the government is non-Muslim. I wanted to know if bank interest is Halal in a non-Muslim country as I heard that there is a Hadith which says so?

Answer: Taking Interest is prohibited whether in a Muslim country or in a non-Muslim country because of the fact that it is inherently an unethical contract. Things which are unethical are prohibited whether they be with Muslims or non-Muslims. In other words, just as one should be honest not only with Muslims but also with non-Muslims, similarly one should also not be selective on the basis of religion in taking interest.

The Hadith you have referred to is not an authentic one* and is also not found in the six major books of Hadith . Its content also contradicts the Qur’an. As a result, I am afraid it cannot be accepted.

 

 

Silent and Loud Prayers

 

Question: Could you please tell me why the imam during the Zuhr and ‘Asr prayers remains silent and does not recite theQur’anic verses aloud as in other prayers? There must be a reason for it. I would like to know it.

Answer: No explanation of this exists in the sources. It seems that, in a natural setting, since these two times of the day are bustling with noise and public activity, silent prayers have been preferred. One generally enjoys listening to auditions when silence prevails. One would seldom wish to hear the Qur’an being read in noisy settings.

This explanation is of course a personal opinion and some other person may offer a better explanation

 

 

Folding Up the Legware

 

Question: Why is it necessary for Muslim men to keep their ankles exposed or naked.?

Answer: Folding up the legware is related to a particular form of dress called the Tehmad (loin cloth). In the times of the Prophet (sws), some people would wear it in a manner that a portion of it would drag behind them. Since this is an expression of arrogance and haughtiness, the Prophet (sws) forbade wearing it in this manner. This directive to fold up legware is therefore not related to forms of dress which are not worn in this manner or this purpose, for example pants, trousers or shalwars.

Also, even in case a person is wearing a Tehmad and his intentions are not to express such arrogance, exceptions can be given -- as is narrated in the following Hadith:

 

The Prophet is reported to have said: A person who makes his cloth to dangle after him will not be looked at by the Almighty on the Day of Judgement. At this Abu Bakr said: A portion of my cloth drags on the ground unless I am very careful about it. At this the Prophet replied: You do not do it out of arrogance [so your matter is different]. (Bukhari, Kitabu’l-Libas)

 

It is imperative that a the basis as well as the nature of a directive mentioned in a Hadith be analyzed before following it. Arrogance and haughtiness are condemned by the Qur’an. So all their manifestations and symbols have been prohibited by the Prophet (sws).

 

 

Sighting the Moon

 

Question: Why do we have to sight the moon for starting Ramadan? Why is the lunar calendar followed in Islamic rituals? Is there any advantage in following this calendar? Also, why is it that Eid happens one day after it is celebrated in Makkah?

Answer: Eid al-Fitr is observed at a particular day of the Islamic Calendar, which is based on the movements of the moon. According to this calendar, the beginning of each month is marked by the appearance of the moon above the horizon. This appearance can be observed by the naked eye. If accurate mathematical calculations can help in this sighting, physically observation is not required. Consequently, just as clocks have helped man in accurately determining the time of the five prayers and one no longer needs to measure one’s shadow for this, if at some point of time (if not already) scientific advancement is able to determine the exact time of the appearance of the moon, then, on similar grounds, one can benefit from this.

The lunar calendar was followed by the Arabs more out of necessity than choice. In the absence of clocks, the easiest way to measure time was through stars and the moon. The Arabs like their contemporary nations were well versed in finding out time through the passage of the heavenly bodies. Moreover, since the lunar calendar falls on different dates of the solar calendar, the lunar months fall in different weathers each year making the inhabitants of the earth experience Eid and other religious rituals (like Hajj) in different seasons. This of course is a great advantage.

Because Eid is dependent on moon sighting, which is at different dates in different areas, Eid day at Makkah and other places is likely to be different.

 

 

Use of ‘We’ for Allah

 

Question: At many places in the Qur’an, God speaks in the ‘We’ form. Who is We? Why is it not I? Does ‘We’ include the Angels?

Answer: In the Arabic language and in most other Semitic language a plural in the first person expresses the exalted status of the speaker. It is used by the Almighty because of His greatness and power. Consequently, it does not include the angels.

 

 

Fasting on Behalf of Someone

 

Question: What does the following Hadith mean?:

 

Narrated by A’ishah (rta): Allah’s Messenger (sws) said: ‘Whoever died and he ought to have fasted, then his guardians must fast on his behalf. (Bukhari , Kitabu’l-Sawm)

 

More specifically: Why should the guardians be responsible?

Answer: If all the texts of this Hadith and other similar Ahadith are collected and analyzed, it comes to light that here the fasts of Ramadan are not implied . The fasts mentioned here relate to vows. In other words, the Hadith means that if a person had pledged to keep some fasts and was unable to keep them because he died before he could, then one of his heirs should do so. This is much like a debt outstanding in a person’s name, which, we all know, is passed on to the heirs if the actual person dies. Consequently, the Prophet (sws) is reported to have said to the daughter of a deceased who had died and had left avowed fasts:

 

‘Had she had an outstanding debt in her name, would you not have paid it’. She said ‘Yes’. At this the Prophet replied: ‘It is more befitting to fulfillwhat is outstanding to Allah’. (Muslim, Kitabu’l-Siyam)

 

 

Solomon’s Death

 

Question: What is the meaning of the following verse ?

 

Then when We decreed [Solomon’s] death, nothing showed them his death except a little worm of the earth which kept [slowly] gnawing away at his staff: so when he fell down, the jinn saw plainly that if they had known the unseen they would not have tarried in the humiliating penalty [of their task]. (34:14)

 

Answer: The real stress of this verse as understood in the background of the Qur’an is that the disbelievers contended that the jinn-folk were employed by the Prophet (sws) to obtain knowledge of the unseen. In this verse, the manner in which a great Prophet of Allah – Solomon (sws) died is presented as testimony to the fact that Jinn-folk have no such knowledge.

According to this verse, the Prophet Solomon (sws) was made to stand on his rod even after his death, and it was only after his dead body, which was supported by his staff, fell to the ground after white ants had eaten it away that the jinn came to know of his death. Historically, it is known that Solomon (sws) had put some of his subservient jinn-folk to a special task: They were to construct the Temple at Jerusalem. Solomon (sws) died while work was still in progress and in order to keep the jinn-folk to work, his corpse was made to stand in front of them so that while remaining fearful to him, they would continue the work they had been assigned.

This incident clearly shows that the jinn-folk have no knowledge of the unseen, for had they known of Solomon’s death, they would have stopped their all important assignment.

 

 

Taking Allah’s Name while Slaughtering

 

Question: I have an issue on my mind. The issue is about whether one can eat meat if the name of Allah is not pronounced at the slaughter. The concerned verses are generally translated with the word ‘meat’ in parenthesis:

 

So eat of [meats] on which Allah’s name has been pronounced, if you have faith in His Signs. (6:118)

 

Why should you not eat of [meats] on which Allah’s name has been pronounced, when He has explained to you in detail what is forbidden to you -- except under compulsion of necessity? But many do mislead [men] by their low desires without knowledge. Your Lord knows best those who transgress. (6:119)

 

Eat not of [meats] on which Allah’s name has not been pronounced: That would be impiety. But the evil ones ever inspire their friends to contend with you if you were to obey them you would indeed be Pagans. (6:121)

 

My question is: Why is the word ‘meat’ in the verses in parenthesis when God did not put it there? Isn’t it possible that what is meant here is simply mentioning the name of God before eating anything, including meat, vegetables, fruits, etc? The reason I say this is because the actual Arabic does not contain the word meat, and I think if Allah wanted to say meat, he could have. Also, it doesn’t say when it should take place, before or after the slaughter. I look forward to your insight, as I am trying to keep an open mind on the subject.

Answer: The Qur’an has a context and background with regard to its addressees. It is known that the Mushrikin (polytheists) of Arabia would sacrifice their animals and eat their meat after taking the name of other deities while sacrificing these animals. Those who are aware of the history of various religions know that animal sacrifice is deeply linked to idol worship. To please various deities, the polytheists would sacrifice animals in their names and present their meat to them. They believed that these idols consumed this sacrificial meat and also enjoyed its aroma.

The Qur’an has referred to this practice in the words ma uhila bihi lighayrillah* (that animal which is sacrificed in the name of some one other than Allah) and forbade this type of food. 

At one place, while refuting this concept of theirs, the Qur’an makes a mocking reference to this practice by saying that the real Allah is the One who feeds instead of being fed (6:14).

It is therefore clear with all these background details that the verses you have referred to are referring to a special practice of the polytheists of Arabia. They cannot be applied to taking Allah’s name before eating food or to eating fruits or vegetables.