Rafed English

Your Questions Answered (volume 1)

Your Questions Answered (volume 1)


by :

Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi

 

Joseph Mwambwa, Mombasa, Kenya.

A. Islam is to believe and accept that there is none to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger. It means that one MUST believe in and accept all that has been brought by Muhammad (s.a.w.w.). For details, see "Islam" obtainable from this Mission.

Q2: Why are you a Muslim?

A. I am a Muslim because I realise that: First of all, religion is the most essential thing to develop a man into a perfect human being. And secondly, I have come to the conclusion, after a thorough study of the world religions, that only Islam is the perfect, sensible and wellbalanced religion in the world.

Q3: What is the best religion in this world?

A. Islam is the only perfect religion in this world. See for details the booklet "Need of Religion" published by this Mission.

Q4: Who started the religion of Islam?

A. Islam is a religion which was originally brought in this world by Hazrat Adam (A.S.). All the prophets have been following the same religion (e.g. One God, Day of Resurrection, etc.) but the actual laws of religion differed from time to time depending upon the time of respective prophets. The last Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) brought the same religion, which is commonly known as 'ISLAM' today. There will be no Prophet after him. Therefore, Islam is the first and last religion, having been started by Hazrat Adam (A.S.) and perfected by our Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W.).

Q.5: What is the basis of faith and what role does it play in our lives?

A. About basis of faith: In our theology, Reason is the basis of faith. Here we differ completely from the Christianity whose motto is "First believe, then you will understand". But we say "First understand, then believe". The role which our faith plays in our lives is very comprehensive and prevalent. A Muslim's faith governs all his religious, ethical, social, and financial and family activities. It is not like Christianity in which the hold of religion on a Christian's life is limited to a few minutes of Sunday mornings when he attends the church.

Q.6: Where can I go to register myself as a Muslim and am I allowed to be a Muslim since I like the religion very much.

Miss Mary Oyoo, Mombasa, Kenya.

A. If you have studied the tenets of Islam and are convinced of its truth, there is no need to get your name registered anywhere. Islam is the only religion which establishes a direct relationship between a human being and God. There is no organised clergy or priest-hood as in Christianity; there is no forgiving of sins by priests; no dispensation and nothing to show that you depend on some human being for the salvation of your soul. If you are convinced about the truth of Islam and if you recite the following sentences with conviction, you are a Muslim without any need of any witness or priest or registration.

"I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS NO GOD (OR NONE TO BE WORSHIPPED) EXCEPT

ALLAH, AND I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD IS THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH".

Q7: What should we do if we want to be the most God-Fearing person?

A. The most God-fearing person these days is the one who obeys all the commands of God and abstains from all forbidden things.

Q.8: What should we do if we want to be the richest of people?

A. The richest person is he who is the most perfect in faith.

Q.9: What should we do if we want to be the faithful?

A. The faithful (i.e. ? ): Faith( ? ?? ) has been defined as "Firm belief, declaration by tongue? and Actions according to the commands of Allah.

Q.10: Here I seek some question on Islam. I think of a man, who sincerely believes in all the fundamentals and professes them in words but he neither observes prayer nor performs pilgrimage. Would it be right to call him a true Muslim?

A. Your question concerns the relationship between 'Iman' and 'Good Deeds'. Iman is likened to a flame of a lamp, and worship of Allah and good deeds are like its light. The stronger the flame of the lamp, the brighter its light. Likewise, the stronger the Iman the better and more sincere the worship of Allah and more virtuous good deeds.

If a person is slow in worship and good deeds, it means that his Iman is weak. If he does not worship Allah and performs no good deeds at all his claim of Iman is like a claim that lamp is burning while the whole room (walls, floor, roof, furniture) is absolutely dark.

Q.11: How many Muslims are in the World and where is the headquarter?

A. There is no authentic figure available. But it is estimated that there are between 650 and 750 million Muslims in the world.

There is no headquarter if you mean something on the lines of the Vatican. But the holy places of Islam are in Mecca and Medina (Saudi Arabia), Najaf, Kerbala, Kadhimain and Samarra (Iraq), Damascus (Syria) and Masjid-ul-Aqsa (Jerusalem).

Q.12: The other day my cousin asked me what proof have we got that Islam is the true religion. I told him that the Qur'an proves it. But he said that even Christians have Bible for their own proof. How should I reply him?

A. Your approach to that question was wrong and it gave your cousin the chance to object in the way he objected.

According to Shia Ithna-Asheri faith, the matters of belief (known commonly as Usul-e-Deen) must be understood through reason and intellect. When a person has accepted by logical reasoning that there is a Creator who is Omnipotent, Omni-scient, Omni-present; that He is Just and Loves His creatures; that because of that Justice and Love, He cannot leave mankind without a Guide; and that the Last of those guides was our Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) who brought Islam and Qur'an, then, and only then, may we argue with him on the strength of Qur'an and Hadith.

Otherwise, if he does not believe in God (or the Holy Prophet), you cannot expect him to accept the verdict of Qur'an and Hadiths.

You have been sent 5 units of the Islamic Correspondence course. You may show them to your cousin and he may find the answer to his problems in them.

If after carefully reading those books, he wants more clarification, he or you may write to me,

Q.13: All religions believe in God. So do I. But where did God come from?

A. God did not come from anywhere. He is "Self-existent"; therefore, His existence cannot be limited by "from" and "to". He is forever. Other things sometime exist, sometime do not exist. We may ask about these things "when" or "how" or "where from" did they come into being.

Q14: Does our Ithna-Asheri faith accept the theory of evolution, i.e., we were not created at an instant, but were evolved?

A. First let it be clear that our faith is based on the "belief in the Creator". If evolution means that Allah created different things in stages, there is not much conflict with religion. If, on the other hand, evolution means that there is no creator and that the things came into being just by progress of matter, then it is naked "Kufr" (atheism) and our faith cannot tolerate it even for an instant.



"And surely He has made you Fashion after Fashion". (71:14).

A. The translation of ayat given by you is wrong. It is translated by Abdullah Yusuf Ali as : "Seeing that it is He that has created you in diverse stages" Mir Ahmad Ali translates it :- "While indeed He created you through regular stages."

And the meaning of "in diverse stages" or "through regular stages" is explained by Aimma (a.s.) as a reference to the various stages a foetus passes through, which has been shortly described in Qur'an (22 : 5) :-

"O' people! if you be in doubt about (your) rising again (resurrection), then (reflect ye that) verily We created you from dust, then from sperm, then from a clot, then from a lump of flesh, formed and (sometimes) partly unformed, that we may manifest (our power) unto you, and We cause to stay in the womb what We will until an appointed term, then bring ye forth as babes, then (foster you) that ye reach your maturity; and of you is he who is caused to die, and of you is he who is brought back to the feeblest (stage of) old age that he knoweth not aught after knowing (much)".

In another Ayat, it is described thus :-

"And indeed We created man, from an extract of clay. Then we made him sperm, in a firm resting place. Then made We the sperm a clot, then made We in the lump of flesh bones, then clothed We the bones with flesh; then We did grow it into another creation; so Blessed be God, the Best of the creators (23:13-15).

If you are interested to know the Islamic view of the hypothesis of evolution, you will find it explained in "Need of Religion" and "God of Islam", both published by this Mission.

Q.16: About how many years ago, Nabii Adam was created?

A. We have not been informed of it in the Traditions of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) or Imams (A.S.).

Q.17: How can I be convinced that Allah was the God which Muhammad preached?

A. Well, open any page of the Qur'an and you will find the name "Allah" mentioned in it several times. Once a Hindu friend of mine happened to look at an English translation of the Qur'an and said, "It is safe to say that the key word of this book is "Allah" The Kalema which the Holy Prophet preached contains the name "Allah" twice in the two short sentences. What more proof can anyone demand?

Q.18: Why does God exist?

A. Your question is misplaced. God is "Self-existent" therefore His existence cannot be questioned. Other things sometimes exist, sometimes do not exist; a few years ago you were not there, now you do exist; after some years your existence will come to an end. We may ask about such things why do they exist. There "being" needs a creator; without a force to cause them "to be" they cannot come into existence.

Therefore, it is quite right to ask the cause of the existence of other things; but God is Existence Himself and we cannot ask "why" does He exist.

Q.19: Why have we been created?

A. Allah says in the Qur'an :- "And I did not create Jin and Human Beings but so that they worship me". The Maarifat (knowledge) of Allah and then obeying His Will and Command is included in the word "Worship"

Q.20: How far away from the earth is the moon?

A. The average distance of moon from the earth Is estimated to be 238,860 miles.

Q. 21: I believe God is nature; that means that nature is God. Is it right?

A. The answer is "NO" - Nature is a created thing and God is its Creaor. The two cannot be the same.

Q.22: I have been told that Nabii Elias went to the Heavens and is still awaited by the Jews. Is this also what we believe?

A. According to our Ahadith, Hazarat Elias is alive in this world, not in Heaven.

Q23: Is Hazrat Isa (A.S.) still alive or dead? If the former is the answer where is he?

A. Hazrat Isa (A.S.) is still alive and is in the heaven. He will return to earth before the day of Resurrection to help Imam Mahdi (A.S.).

Q.24: Who was Muhammad? (S.A.W.W.)

A. He was son of Abdullah and Amina, from the clan of Hashim, tribe of Quraish, in Mecca. He was the Last of the Prophets sent by Allah to lead mankind onto the right path.

Q25: Where was Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) born, and where and when did he expire?

A. Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) was born in Mecca in A.D. 570 and died in Medina in A.D. 632.

Q.26 How old was Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) when he first began to preach?

A. He was 40 years old when he announced his Prophethood.

Q.27: Our Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) got his spiritual power from God after reaching the age of 40, to preach Islam. Why not before, when there were other people who were worshipping idols during that time and also needed preaching of Islam.

A. It is wrong to say that "Our Holy Prophet got spiritual power from God after reaching the age of 40". He was Nabi even before the creation of Hazrat Adam (A.S.) you should say "He was allowed to preach when he reached the age of 40".

Why was he ordered to wait for such a long time? It was because Allah wanted the people of Arabia to see his character, truth, honesty, so that when he claimed that he was sent from Allah nobody could say (God forbid) was an untrustworthy person or an imposter. In fact, the people of Mecca accused him of being a poet, a sorcerer or a bewitched man; but never could they accuse him of being untrustworthy. Even as they were planning to kill him, they used to keep their valuables with him in trust.

This trust and faith could not have been manifested had the Holy Prophet announced his Prophethood in his earlier life.

Q. 28: When we mention the apostle's name, Muhammad, we say (S.A.W.W.) Why? What does it mean?

A. (S.A.W.W.) after the name of the Holy Prophet is the abbreviation of "Sallallahu Alayhi wa Aalihi wa Sallam". It means, "May Allah Bestow His Mercy, Grace and Peace upon him (Muhammad) and his progeny" The Muslims say it in compliance with the command of Allah :-"Verily, Allah Bestows His Grace upon the Prophet and His angels pray for him; O ye who believe send ye blessings on him and salute him as is the proper way" (Qur'an; Sura 33, Ayat 56).

And the addition of "wa Aalihi" (and upon his progeny) is in accordance with the command of the Holy Prophet who said:

"Do not send on me an incomplete salawaat". The companions asked: "What is the incomplete salawaat, O Messenger of Allah!" The Holy Prophet said "It is incomplete to say "O Allah Bless Muhammad" and then to stop. Nay, you should say: "O Allah Bless Muhammad and his Progeny". (Jawahirul-Iqdain; As-Sawaiqul-Muhriqua)

Q.29: Had the Prophet Muhammad any other names as we read in Christians' Bible that Jesus had other names as Christ, etc.?

A. Yes, He was referred to as "Ahmad" in his lifetime. And according to an authentic Hadith, he said: "I have five names, I am Muhammad, I am Ahmad, I am Hashir, I am Mahi, and I am Aaquib." Also, he is referred to as "Mustafa" (the chosen one).

Q. 30: How many wives Prophet What are their names, if any?

Muhammad had besides Khadija?

A. The Holy Prophet did not marry any other woman in the life time of Khadija. After her death, he married 12 wives, nine of whom were alive at the time of his death. Their names were (1) Sauda (2) Aaisha (3) Umme Salma (4) Zainab binti Jahash (5) Safiyya (6) Hafsa (7) Maimuna (8) Zainab Ummul Masakin and (9) Umme Habiba.



A. He died at Medina and was buried there. Medina is in Hejaz, which nowadays is a part of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Q32: How old was Muhammad the Prophet when he died in 632 A.D, and when he started Islam?

A. The Holy Prophet died at the age of 63. He was 40 years old when he started preaching Islam.

Q33: Who buried him?

A. He was buried by Ali bin Abi Talib (cousin and son-in-law of the Holy Prophet) assisted by 3 family-members and two companions (Usama and Shaquran).

Q34: Did Muhammad the Prophet arise as Christ from the dead?

A. The Holy Prophet of Islam did not arise from the dead in the sense which you have in mind, nor did, for that matter, arise Christ. It is a long argument, and a short letter is not a place for this discussion.

Q35: Who wrote the Qur'an and in which year?

A. The Qur'an is not the work of any human being; it is the Revelation from Allah revealed to the Holy Prophet of Islam (S.A.W.W.) So, you may say that Allah is the author of the Qur'an. As soon as a revelation was received, the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) used to dictate it to one of the official Scribes. The Qur'an was revealed during 23 years between 610 and 632 A. D.

Q36: I would like to know the languages into which the Qur'an has been translated?

A. The Qur'an has been translated in more than 100 languages. It is difficult to give a list of them. The Qur'an has been translated into almost all the languages of Asia and Europe.

Q37: Is it a sin reading the Bible?

A. Well, the Bible is a collection of Old Testament and New Testament. First five books of old Testament are said to have been written by Hadrat Musa (A.S.), but in fact, the books were compiled 1000 years after Hadhrat Musa (A.S.). The New Testament is named "The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ", but not a single book is claimed to have been written by him. And the authorship of even 4 gospels is shrouded into obscurity and nobody is sure who was, for example, the author of the 4th Gospel. Therefore, if you read Bible with a belief that these books are authentic, true and written by the prophets to whom they are attributed, it will be wrong.

Also, if your knowledge of the alterations, misinterpretations,, forgeries and additions of the Bible is not complete, you should not read them as they may create confusion in your mind. On the other hand, if you have adequate knowledge of Islam, and a fair idea of the background of the Bible as I have mentioned above, you may read it. I advise you to read our book "Qur'an and Hadith" which will give you some idea about the compilation of the Bible.

Q38: What is Sura Yaasin' generally held to signify?

A. "Sura Yasin" is said to be 'the heart of the Qur'an'. It exhorts the faithful in many ways to abstain from Satanic schemes and to wholeheartedly follow the right Path shown by Allah through His last Prophet Hadhrat Muhammad Mustafa (S.A.W.W.).

Q39: Who succeeded as Caliph after Muhammad?

A. The Muslims became divided into two groups : The bigger group following Abu Bakr, the other following Ali bin Abi Talib (A.S.).

For details see "Imamat" which is available from this Mission.

Q.40: A certain community believes to such an extent that Hazrat Ali (A.S.) is greater than the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) and probably as great as God. I shall be extremely obliged if you will please supply me with necessary text and satisfactory explanation so that this absurd notion could be checked.

A. It will help a great deal if I make one thing clear at the start. According to their belief, Hazrat Ali (A.S.) was god; and this "hereditary god-ship" has now come to the present Aga Khan IV. And their constitution says that whenever and wherever the words "Hazrat Ali", "Maula Ali", "Imam Hussain", etc., are used the real meaning is "the present Aga Khan".

Their Kalema says: "Ameerul-Momeneen Ali Allah", i.e. "Ameerul-Mome-neen Ali is Allah". (The English and Gujarati translations have been twisted to hide their actual belief from others. The translation (quite wrongly) is given as "Ali is From Allah".) What all the declarations mentioned in your letter boil down to is that H. H. Aga Khan IV is the god; he is superior to the Holy Prophet of Islam; he can change the sheriat.

"Hazrat Ali' is not Ali bin Abi Talib" but H. H. Aga Khan IV; their 'Imam' is not a successor to the Holy Prophet but a god; their 'book' is not the Qur'an, but the ginan; and their Ibadat is not that of the general Muslims, but some secret rites of their own. Therefore, even when they use the words 'Imam' or 'sheriat' they mean the things which are quite different from the Imam or sheriat as known to us. Consequently, when the words, used by the arguing parties, are used for different meanings, the argument can never come to an end.

Therefore, you should not worry too much about such "absurd notions". So, if, according to them, Hazrat Ali was god, he naturally would be superior to the Holy Prophet; La Haula wala Quwwata Ilia Billah.

In fact, the claim that "Hazrat Ali was greater than the Holy Prophet" is just rubbish. Hazrat Ali spent every moment of his life obeying the commands given to him by the Holy Prophet; his fondest claim was that he was the first to follow the footsteps of the Holy Prophet. His lectures and letters in 'Nahjul-Balaghah' are full of such references for the whole world to see. So, according to his own claims, Hazrat Ali was a follower, helper, and successor of the Holy Prophet. He himself never claimed more than that. Any body claiming any thing else has the responsibility to prove it from the books known to the Muslims.

Imam Raza (A.S.) has explained the cause of their misunderstanding in a lengthy Hadith, a gist of which will not be out of place here. Imam (A.S.) said that "these astray unbelievers" did not get this idea into their brain but because they overestimated the value of their own selves. This led them to believe whatever got into their brains without seeking guidance from the representatives of Allah. This continued and in the end "they belittled the honour of Allah and thought nothing of His dignity and degraded His great prestige, as they did not know that Allah is the Omnipotent Himself, "Ghani" (Above every need) Himself, that His Power is not borrowed (from someone else) nor is His Wealth to be exhausted" "Then they looked to a servant of Allah whom He had given some special powers to show his nearness with Him...

Then the Imam (A.S.) gives the example of some people who sought an audience with a certain King and were told that the King would pass in a procession with all his knights and nobles through that avenue. They were also told that when they saw the King, they were to bow down and show their allegience to him; and also that they were not to include anybody else in that courtesy.

"They promised to do accordingly. Then, lo, there came a knight of the King resplendent in the court robes and armour. These people thought that must be the King. They saluted him like the King, and even when he said that he was just a servant of the King they refused to listen - because they did not know the splendour of the King. They were dazed with the entourage of the Knight and said that nobody could be above him.

"They, inspite of the warnings given them by the said Knight and other persons, persisted in their folly. Then the King reached there, saw their infidelity and ordered them to be imprisoned and punished.

"Likewise, when these "Ghulat" saw Hazrat Ali - a servant of Allah who was raised in dignity by Allah - they thought Allah too small to have a servant like Ali, and considered Ali too big to have any Lord and God. They called him by a name which was not his (i.e. they called him "Allah"). Hazrat Ali and his followers forbade them (from this belief) and said : "O people, Ali and his children are the honourable servants of Allah but they are created and they have no power except that which has been given them by Allah, the Lord of the Universe; and they possess nothing except that which has been bestowed upon them by Allah; and they do not have any power about death, life or resurrection, nor on any closing or opening, nor on any movement or stillness except that which has been given to them by Allah, and that their Lord and Creator is above all the attributes of the creatures, and that anybody who thinks about them (or about any of them) that they are gods, then he is unbeliever (kafir) and has gone astray from the right path".

"But these people refused to listen and revolted against Allah and blindly continued in their rebellion. In the end their hopes (with Allah) were shattered and their aim remained unfulfilled and they got their punishment from Allah" In fact, such ideas, were propagated by a certain Abul-Khattab during the days of Imam Jaffer Sadique (A.S.) Imam (A.S.) cursed him and ordered the Shias not even to talk to him as he had become "Mushrik" (poly-theist).

Mr. Hollister says that Mohammed s/o Ismail s/o Imam Jafer Sadique (A. S.) used to befriend him despite the above mentioned "Lanat" and became influenced by his ideas. Such people are called "Ghali" (pi. "Ghulat"), i.e. the people who claim such virtues for Nabi or Imam which are not theirs, like godship, creation, etc.

Other group was called "Mufawwidha" (Delegators). They believed that Allah created Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) and Ali (A.S.) and delegated all His powers to them. So, it is they who created and sustained (Rizk) the world.

When somebody told Imam Jafer Sadique (A.S.) about this belief, Imam told him to go to him and recite this Ayat of the Qur'an : "Or do they assign to Allah partners who have created anything as He has created, so that the creation seemed to them similar? Say, Allah is the Creator of all things, He is the One, the Supreme and Irresistible". (Qur'an, 13:16) When the said man went to him and recited this Ayat, he could not reply and remained as though his mouth was filled with stones".

And, if inspite of all these things, somebody still claims that Hazrat Ali (A.S.) was god, he should be reminded of Sura Tauhid :

"Say Allah is one Allah, having no need (or imperfection); He did not beget (anyone) and was not begotten (by anyone); and there was none equal to Him". Hadhrat Ali (A.S.) was begotten by Abu Talib and Fatima binti Asad; he himself begot 35 children. He needed food and drink; he needed rest and sleep; he married; he was born and was martyred.

Allah says in the Qur'an, refuting the belief of godship of Hazrat Isa (A.S.), that he used to eat food. Eating and drinking show the 'need' to sustain the body by replacing its spent cells which in its turn shows the constant change' (Need and change both being impossible for Allah). So, taking food shows that Hazrat Isa (A.S.) was not God, Does not this very argument show that Hazrat Ali (A.S.) also was not God?

It will not be out of place to mention that H. H. Agakhan III had written a book, "Khoja Qaum na Mazhab na Ketlak Mul Tatwo tatha kirya sam-bandhi nano Pustak", in which he described the faith and sheriat which was to be followed by the Khojas. There he gives his own designation as "Khoja no Peer". In that booklet, he says that, God is not surrounded by anything; He is not made of anything neither he has begotten anyone; nor was He begotten by anyone".

Was it not strange that after describing such attributes for God in 1894, he claimed godship for himself in 1908 as can be seen from the judgement of Haji Bibi case. Surely, he was surrounded by so many things including his living place, his clothes and what not; he was made of flesh, bone, etc.; he was the son of his parents and father of many children. And still he is thought to be a god ! Here I should quote another Hadith of Imam Raza (A.S.) which very thoroughly shows the fallacy of such ideas :-

Our 8th Imam once described the attributes of Allah. A man said that he knew a certain person who claimed to be a Shia and believed that all these attributes belonged to Hazrat Ali (A.S.) and that he was the God, the Lord of the Universe.

When Imam (A.S.) heard it he trembled (with the fear of God) and said : "Allah is above all things which people believe to be a Sharik (partner) of him; Allah is high above all such talks of the "Kafirs". Was not Ali eating as others ate, and drinking (water) as others drank and marrying as others married, and was not he subject to all needs of body as others were? And, moreover, he was praying humbly, showing humility before God, and was turning with his body and soul towards God. Can a person with such attributes thought to be God? And, if he was God, then there is none among you who is not god, because all of you share with Hazrat Ali these attributes (which are in fact ample proofs that the person concerned is a creature not a creator)".

Here I should mention an episode of about 1000 years ago. A man during the Ghaibat-e-Sughra claimed that the 12 Imams were gods, and that he was their prophet. Husain bin Rauh (A.R.) declared that that man was claiming the Imams to be god, so that he could pave the way for his own godship, by claiming at a later day that the Imam's soul had been incarnated in his own body.

And it happened as predicted. So, you see, such people who have been led to believe in godship of any of the Imams are like toys in the hands of those who use them for their own purpose.

And the purpose can be seen in the Translation of their old Dua (now out of print) which is given by Justice Russel in the famous Haji Bibi case, and which runs as follows :- "True declaration - God is Holy, Thanks to God. Praise to God. There is no God but God. God is great. There is no might or power except that of God, the High, the Great, the Merciful, the Magnanimous, the God, the Great Holy Providence (who is) in the district of Chaldea, in Persia, in human form, descended from the seventy-seven Patras (ancestors) and Who is the forty-eighth Imam (Spiritual Chief), the tenth Naklanki Avtar, our Master, Aga Sultan Mahomed Shah, the Giver. Then you are to prostrate. Then say 'Hak Shah' (i.e. O Shah, Thou art true)."

Q41: They also argue that the Imam can change the "Furu" and not the "Usul" of Islam.

A. So far as the Ismailis are concerned, their "Imam" means "god" And god can do whatever he likes ! The Sheriat of the Holy Prophet was perfected by Allah during the days of the Holy Prophet. See Sura Maida where it says :

"Today I made perfect your religion for you, and completed my Blessing upon you..." This Sheriat is upto Qiyamat and is not to be changed or cancelled. The Holy Prophet has said : The 'Halal" of Muhammad is "Halal" upto Qiyamat and "Haram" of Muhammad is "Haram" upto Qiyamat.

The Imams elaborated it and made it clear, but they were not to change it. The Ismailis believe that the Sheriat was cancelled by one of the ancesors of H.H. Aga Khan, Hasan Ala Dhikrihissalam (the great-grandson of Hassan bin Sabbah) who ruled in the Castle of Almut from 1162 A.D. to 1166 A.D. During this short reign in a month of Ramadhan (on 17th) he went on 'Mimber' and declared that from then on the Sheriat was cancelled; ordered his followers to break their fast which they promptly did by eating, drinking and merry-making. One of their poets praises it in the following lines:

"Hasan Ala Dhikrihissalam removed the fetters of the Sheriat from the neck of the people by the grace of God''.

So that is their real tenet and belief for the last 8 centuries. Whenever they pose themselves as abiding to the rules of Sheriat as in Pakistan or India. (or very recently in East Africa), it is just for the sake of politics so that they may not be despised by the Muslim Community.

Q42: The same community also argued that Imam Hasan (A. S.) was not given Imamat because Hazrat Ali (A.S.) knew that Imam Hasan's descendants were not to survive, and, therefore, the Imamat was given direct to Imam Husain (A.S.).

A. This trash is worse than the talk of the pagans of Mecca who claimed that our Holy Prophet was "Abtar" (without any descendant). The pagans according to their own way of life, thought that claim to be justified, because they did not give any importance to a daughter, and, the Holy Prophet's sons did not survive.

But the Ismailis' talk is worse than that because Imam Hasan (A.S.) had at least 8 sons and 7 daughters. Out of those 8 sons, the descendants of two (Zaid and Hasan Muthanna) are still found in thousands and thousands. (Vide the books of Ansab-e-Aal-e-Abi Talib). Our last Mujtahid, Marhum Aqua Sayyid Mohsin Al Hakeem Tabatabai, was one of them. And their genealogy is not in dispute like that of Hasan Ala Dhikrihissalam who happens to be among the ancestors of H. H. Aga Khan, and who was a descendant of Hasan bin Sabbah (admittedly a Persian of non-Arab origin). Justice Arnold in his famous judgement of Khoja case (1866 A.D.) (of which H. H. Aga Khan II was very proud and wrote that the said judgement "established" the position of Aga Khan 1) had also established the lineal descent of Hasan Ala Dhikrihissalam from Hassan bin Sabbah.

And while we are on this subject, we might better mention that at least upto 1866 A.D, Imam Hasan (A.S.) was believed by the Ismailis to be the 2nd Imam. Mr. Justice Arnold, in the said judgement gives the list of the first seven Imams, according to the belief of the Ismailis and mentions Imam Hasan (A.S.) as the second Imam. But Justice Russel in Haji Bibi Case (1908) says about Imam Hasan (A.S.) that he was a peer, not an Imam.

The question is when was the name of Imam Hasan (A.S.) dropped from this list and who omitted it and why?

Q43: I have been told that after we die, we still feel pain if someone touches us. But as the soul has left the body (after our death) how can we feel pain? Because we feel pain because we are alive, (that is because have soul). A. The body does not feel anything; but the soul feels the pain if the body is mishandled just as the parents are pained to see their child mishandled though they themselves are not touched. As the soul remained in that body, it developed a kind of attachment with it which causes this feeling of pain even after being removed from it.

Q44: If a man knows nothing about Qur'an nor about praying and he is a Muslim and if he fasts, does he get any "God's Reward" or not and why?

A. If a Muslim knows nothing about the Qur'an nor about prayers but keeps the fast during the month of Ramadhan properly, he will get "Reward" of fasting but will be punished for his neglect of prayers.

Q45: We believe that our 12th Imam is alive but he is "Ghayab". We also believe that when our Prophet died, he left two things to guide us, namely Qur'an and Ahlul-bait. Till 11th Imam, two things were going along together. Now, we have Qur'an but why not our Imam in person?

A. 1. You say that this question was asked by the Ismailis. What right these people have to quote this Hadith of the Holy Prophet when their 48th Imam expressly told them to forget about Qur'an because it was 1300 years old and was in Arabic; they were ordered to follow, instead, the Ginan which was in an Indian language and only 500 years old?

2. There is a difference between the Qur'an (which can be found in every house) and the Imam (who naturally would be in a certain place).Thus even in normal conditions the Imam would not be available to everyone everywhere.

3. At least since the days of 6th Imam, the work of Tabligh was done through the authorised "Wakils" (agents). The system was perfected during the Imamat of Imam Musa Kazim (A.S.) and is still working.

4. Since the inception of that system, it was made clear to all the Shias that they were to approach those "Wakils". Our present Imam (A.S.) has clearly ordained in numerous letters to all the Shias before the start of the "Ghaibat" that, thenceforth, his Shias were to approach the scholars of religion, because "they are my representatives for you, and I am the Representative of Allah for them; anyone who rejects their words rejects my words, and whoever rejects my words rejects the words of Allah and whoever rejects the words of Allah would go into the Fire (of Jahannam)".

5. Of course, "Ghaibat" has made a difference. Previously, the representatives of Imam had a liberty to ask his guidance even on minor things, even If those things were already fully explained by previous Imams or the same Imam. Now that liberty is lost. Our present lmam (A.S.) still guides the scholars, BUT ONLY WHEN THE MATTER OR THE QUESTION IS SUCH WHICH WAS NOT CLEARED PREVIOUSLY. If any previous Imam or Alim has already thrown light on that question, the present Imam remains silent and lets the scholars find the answer by their own research. But if the question is a new one and the Alim is unable to solve it by himself Imam (A.S.) invariably always guides the Ulama in that respect. I could have given you many examples of which I am personally aware, but I am not at liberty to narrate them.

So, you may rest assured that our 12th Imam (A.S.) personally guides the Shias through those who have achieved spiritual perfection and whom he guides whenever It is necessary.



A. Yes. If any Ithna-Asheri is really anxious to meet him (A.S.) personally, he should spend 40 Tuesday nights at Masjid-e-Sahla (near Kufa), or 40 Thursday nights (Shab-e-Juma) at the grave of Imam Husain (A.S.) in prayers and remembrance of Allah. At the end of that period he will surely see and meet the Imam (A.S.).

Q47: Can you, please; direct us with reference to Qur'an when, why and where our Imam was "Ghayab"?

A. 1. When and Where? Well, what is the use of seclusion if people are made aware of his "whereabouts"? So, the question "Where" cannot be answered if you mean "where is he?". But if you mean "where was he living at the time of Ghaibat?", then I may tell you that he became Ghayab from "Samarra" in the year 329 Hijrah.

2. Why? Here is a Hadith from Imam Jafer Sadique (A.S.) explaining about Ghaibat some 200 years before that event :-

Abdullah bin Fadhl heard Imam Jafer Sadique (A.S.) talking about the "seclusion" and its long period in which every man of wrong belief would start doubting (even the existence of Sahib-ul-Amr). Abdullah asked the reason of ghaibat, to which Imam replied :

"The reason of his "Ghaibat" is the same as of the ghaibat of other representatives of Allah before him.Verily its reason will not be clear until after his re-appearance; as the reason of the actions of Khidhr (i.e. damaging the boat, killing the child and repairing the wall) was not explained to Musa (A.S.) until the time came for them to separate. O Son of Fadhl, this is an Amr from Amr of Allah, a secret from the secrets of Allah, and hidden thing from the hidden things of Allah; and when we know that Allah is Hakeem (Creator of wisdom) we confirm that all of his actions are based upon wisdom though its reason at the time might be unclear to us.(Ihtijaj, Volume II, p. 140). So, you see that the actual reasons cannot be known till our Imam (A.S.) ends his seclusion. Then, we will know the facts.

Still, the following reasons which have been mentioned in the Hadith of Imams right from Ameerul-Momeneen upto our present Imam (A.S.) will throw some light on this question of 'Ghaibat' :-

1. He is in seclusion so that when he stands to put the world on right path, he is not bound by an oath of allegiance to anybody.

2. Safety of his life.

3. Testing the strength of the Iman of believers, as was done in the case of Hadhrat Nuh (A.S.) when the coming of the flood was repeatedly postponed and each postponement saw many so-called 'faithfuls' deserting Hadhrat Nuh (A.S.) and becoming kafir.

You have not put "How" in your question; but I think I should reply this question also, to make the picture clearer. Ghaibat does not mean that our Imam has got an invisible body. The meaning of Ghaibat is that people, even when he is among them, do not recognise him. Here is a Hadith from Imam Jaffer Sadique (A.S.) on this subject :-"And why do these people think it strange? Verily, the brothers of Yusuf were Asbat - the children of the prophets - they made business transaction with Yusuf, and bought things from him and talked with him and they were his brothers and he was their brother - and they did not recognize him until Yusuf told them, "I am Yusuf". So why does this cursed Ummat reject the idea that at a certain time Allah may want to hide his Representative.

Surely, Yusuf was the ruler of Egypt (and, thus, a famous man) and there was between him and his father a distance of only 18 days journey and had Allah wanted to reveal to Yakub where Yusuf was, He had power to do so (By God, when they got the good news of Yusuf, Yakub and his children covered that distance in 9 days only).So, why does this Ummat think it objectionable if Allah wanted to do with His Representative what He did in case of Yusuf, i.e. the 12th Imam may be visiting their markets, walking on their floors and yet they would not recognize him till Allah allows him to disclose his personality, as He did to Yusuf when he said, "And did you know what you did with Yusuf and his brother when you were ignorants?". They said, "Say, Art thou Yusuf?" He said, "I am Yusuf and this is my brother"(Biharul-Anwar Vol. 13)

So far as the question of long life on this earth is concerned the following Ayat about Hazrat Yunus is to the point: "And, verily, Yunus is from among the Apostles; when he fled to the boat. And had he not been from those who say the Tasbih, he would have stayed in its stomach till the day when they would be resurrected"

This ayat clearly shows that but for his Tasbih, Yunus would have stayed in the stomach of the fish till Qiyamat. Then what is strange if a man stays on the earth till Qiyamat? Then there is the long life of Hadhrat Nuh. According to Qur'an, he preached to his people, before cursing them, for 950 years. Then came the Flood and he lived long after the Flood. In all he lived 2500 years. Compare it with the age of our present Imam which at this time is 1132 years only and you will not see any cause for objection.

Q48: What is the main difference George Chiteri, Mombasa, Kenya.

A. In this connection, first let me explain that, according to Islamic belief, Jesus Christ was a prophet sent by God to guide the children of Israel unto the right path. His Prophethood continued till the arrival of Muhammad, (S.A.W.W.) the Last Prophet sent by God. Thus Islam and Christianity both have come from the same source; but the difference is that Christianity was for a specific tribe and for a specific period, while Islam has come for all mankind for upto the last day of the world.

By the passage of time many such things had crept into Christianity which had made it necessary to send anotner Prophet to remove those wrong ideas and beliefs. For Example :-

1. The Muslims believe that there is only one God. The Christians, while claiming to have the same belief, actually believe in 3 gods : God, Christ and Holy Ghost. They want to reconcile both their claims by saying that these 3 are 'one' and at the same time '3'. How this strange arithmetic is believed is beyond comprehension. They say that first you believe it then you can understand it.

2. The Muslims believe as they have been taught in Qur'an :-

"Say, He is God, The One and Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He be-getteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him".

The Christians believe that God begot a son who was Jesus Christ. Thus God became a father. And as Christ also is a god and he is called "the son of god", so god became a son also. How God became father of Jesus is not explained. The only argument is that Jesus was born without father, so Allah was his father. To this claim, the Qur'an replies :- "The example" of Jesus before God is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him, "Be" and he was"

If Jesus can be claimed to be "son of God" because he had no father, Adam has far stronger claim to be the son of God because he had neither father nor mother.

3. The Muslims believe that every man is responsible for his own actions. No man will be punished for other's sin. Qur'an says, "that no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another"

The Christians on the other hand believe that as Nabi Adam ate from the tree in Jannat, he committed a sin; and that sin has been inherited by every human-being; thus every person is born with that sin and will be punished for it. It is also diametrically opposed to the Muslims belief that all children are born free from every sin and disbelief.

4. Resulting from No. 3, the Christians believe that it was to remove that sin from mankind that Jesus Christ died on the cross. Now anyone, believing that Jesus Christ died on the cross for atonement of the sins of mankind, will automatically become free from every sin and thus will be saved from punishment.

Muslims emphatically refute this belief, because it is based on the wrong and illogical assumption of the "original sin" of Nabi Adam.

5. Christians believe that one of their gods (i.e. Jesus Christ) died and again became alive after 3 days. The Muslims' God is the Creator of death and life. Death cannot reach him. Resulting from these differences, many, other differences have arisen. But I think this much is enough for this letter.

Q 49: Is Islam related in anyway with the Chritianity?

A. You have asked about the relationship between Islam and Christianity. Being a Muslim, you must be aware that Allah sent 124,000 prophets beginning with Hadhrat Adam (A.S.) and ending with our Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W.). All these prophets came from Allah and brought His message. As they all came from one Allah, their basic faith (e.g. Unity of God, His Mercy and Justice, the Day of Judgement, etc.,) was always the same. But the rules of prayers, of family system, etc., etc., changed according to the needs of the time.

Consequently, five new sheriats were sent one after another through Hadhrat Nuh, Ebrahim, Musa, Isa and Muhammad Mustafa (peace of Allah be on them). Every later sheriat abrogated and cancelled the previous one. Thus, the sheriat of Hadhrat Muhammad Mustafa (S.A.W.W.) cancelled the sheriat of Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) and all the previous sheriats.

In this background you may easily understand the relationship between these two religions; Islam and Christianity both came from the same source, but Islam was sent to cancel all the previous religions including Christianity.

Q50: What is the message of Islam to the non-Muslims?

A. The message of Islam to the non-Muslims is found in the following ayat of the Holy Qur'an:- "Say, O People of the Book, come on the word agreed between us and you; that we shall worship none but Allah and that we shall ascribe no partner unto Him and that none of us shall take others for lords besides Allah". (Ale-lmran : 64).

Q51: Why is Islam and Ahmadiyyas not same in their beliefs?

A. Here also there are many differences; but the basic differences are as follows :-

1. Muslims (without exception) believe that Hadhrat Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) is the Last Prophet. No prophet is ever to come after him.

The Ahmadiyyas (commonly known as Qadianis) believe that Mirza Ghu-lam Ahmad of Qadian (died in 1908 A. D.) was prophet.

2. The Muslims believe that Imam Mahdi will re-appear before Qiyamat and that Hadhrat Isa(A.S.)willcomeasoneofhisfollowerstohelphim.

The Qadianis believe that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani was Imam Mahdi and Nabi Isa - all in one, like the "3-in-1" god of the Christians.

3. The Qadiani's belief about angels and Satan appears to be quite different from the belief of the Muslims.

There are other differences which it is not possible to explain in a short letter.

Q52: I am really confused about my attitude towards the Ahmadiyya Sect. What should my standpoint be? Is it merely a dissident group which differs in its opinions as to the interpretation of certain Islamic beliefs or do its contentions differ fundamentally with the basic Islamic tenets? And if so how should we (Muslims) regard them?

A. Ahmadias (commonly known as Qadianis) differ with the Muslims in many of the basic tenets, the most important one being the finality of Prophethood.

Also they do not believe in 'Malaika,' and resurrection of the dead. There are many items in religion which are called "Dharuriyaat-e-Deen", i.e., such Basic Tenets which are known to every Muslim as part of religion. Take for example, the 5 times prayers, Fast of Ramadhan, Hajj of Kaaba, etc.

If any person rejects even one of Dharuriyaat-e-Deen, he according to the unanimous belief of the Muslims, becomes Kafir, though he may be reciting "La llaha Illallah Muhammadun Rasulullah".

The belief that our Holy Prophet was the last Prophet and no other prophet is to come after him, is one of the Dharuriyaat-e-Deen. Anybody or any sect rejecting this belief is Kafir. (For details, see "Muhammad Is The Last Prophet" published by this Mission.)

Q53: ("Note: This letter was sent to Mr. Jamifur Rahman Rafiq, Chief Missionary of Ahmadiya Mission of Kenya, Nairobi. No reply was ever received).

"During the Agricultural Society Show of Mombasa you told some Shia youths that Abdul Hamid bin Abil-Hadid (who wrote one of the commentaries of Nahjul-Balagha) was Shia. When I asked you whether you had seen that commentary, you told me that you had not seen it but that you depended upon a book prepared by your headquarters in which he is mentioned as Shia.

I gave you an old issue of the "Light" (March-June, 1967) in which your claim that Ibn Abil- Hadid was Shia had been shown to be completely against his own declarations. For your information, we have in our Mission's Library the Mash-hadi edition of Nahjul- Balagha; and I have in my personal library all 20 volumes of the Sharh of Nahjul-Balagha by Ibn Abil-Hadid; and our Mombasa library has the Egyptian edition of Nahjul-Balagha (with foot notes by Mufti Mohammad Abduh).

You are welcome to see all or any of the above editions at any time.

Then you showed me an Arabic writing in the same book of yours purporting to be a letter of Ameerul-Mumineen Ali bin Abi Talib, some of whose sentences praised the First and Second Caliphs as 'Siddique' and 'Farooque'. The writer of your book has given the reference of Nahjul-Balagha. When you showed me that writing I knew that it was not in Nahjul-Balagha. Still I wanted to check your reference once more and I copied the said "quotation".

Now, I have checked the whole book and no such or similar paragraph is in Nahjul-Balagha. Now you have two tangible items to check the reliability of your writers :

(a)They wrote that Abdul-Hameed Ibn Abil-Hadid was Shia - while he himself writes in the same book that he was a Mutazilite and propounds the beliefs of Baghdadi Mutazilites from the beginning of his book to the end.

(b)They claim a "quotation" to be from "Nahjul-Balagha" while there is no such wording in Nahjul-Balagha.

If your writers can mislead you so blatantly in matters which can easily be checked what trust can you put in them in other matters?

Q54: I write this letter in reply to your advertisement in the Uganda Argus of 13th November, 1969. I am a student of Islam at Makerere University College and at present I am faced with many unanswered questions, theological, historical and others about Islam. For example, "Western critics claim that Sufism was borrowed from Christianity or other religions outside Islam"' and not within Islam itself.

I am not satisfied by answers given by my lecturer in Islamics, partly due to the fact that he is a Christian and also his knowledge is western orientated. I am also interested, and have been thinking for some time on the following topic :-

"ISLAM AND NOT MOHAMEDANISM".

Therefore, I shall be most grateful if you send me literature (free or otherwise) so that I could get answers to my questions and also defend my religion Islam from some pamphleteers and critics.

A. So far as Sufism is concerned, it is almost certain that it was borrowed from the sources outside of Islam. Muhaddith Dehlavi was of the opinion that first Sufis were from Kharijites. Others trace its origin to Hasan Basri who, undoubtedly, was against Ali bin Abi Talib, a fact which must be remembered in view of the later generations' assertion that he got his training from Ali.

I think the point of contention is not that whether Sufism sprung from within Islam or it was imported from outside. The only point of argument is whether it was borrowed from Christianity or Hinduism.

I think that both groups are partially right, because Sufism has taken something from both. Your idea of "Islam and NOT Muhammadanism" is quite right. Islam is the religion which was brought by all the prophets beginning from Hadhrat Adam (A.S.) and ending with Hadhrat Muhammad Mustafa (S.A.W.W.). All the prophets and apostles brought the same faith (e.g., Unity of God, His Mercy and Justice, Day of Judgement, etc. Etc.). Of course, their Sheriats concerning mode of prayer, family system, penal code, etc., etc., were changing in response to the maturity of humanity; but the basic faith was never changed.

Therefore, to give Islam the name of "Muhammadanism" is very misleading and absolutely wrong. Islam was and is the Religion of Allah, not of Muhammad (S.A.W.W.). I hope this will be sufficient to your needs.

Q55: Can a Sunni Muslim pray with Ismailis or Bohras in the same Mosque? Bukere Suleman, Entebbe (Uganda)

A. I am not aware whether the Ismailis or Bohras will allow you to enter Jamat Khanas or mosques during prayer time.

Moreover, Ismailis do not pray like other Muslim Sects. They have an entirely different way of "Bandagi" which has no resemblance with Muslims' prayers.

Q56:Explain why Ismailism Miss Minaz S. Hassan, Kampala, (Uganda).

is a complete way of life?

A. It would have been better if you had put this question to the Ismaili hierarchy. This question presupposes that Ismailism is a complete way of life and you just want to know how is that so. Now, as it happens, we cannot, in good conscience, concur with you in that supposition. We know that Islam established the dignity of mankind by rejecting all the ideas of human worship, nature worship or idol worship. (You better read 'Islam' pp. 3-5). So if any group, calling itself a sect of Islam, cultivates the idea that God was incarnated in a certain person, and thus demands the prerogatives of God for that human being, that group brings the human dignity down to the stage of sub-humanity. Such a faith cannot be termed as a complete way of life.

I am afraid I may have offended your feelings. In fact, the main cause of delay in replying to your question was that I did not like to give you a shock, but on the other hand, I felt obliged to give the reply as you have sought our help in this matter of religion. I would not go into the details of my reply at this stage, but if you want some details and quotations, please write to me again and I will supply the required information.

Q57: What is the difference between Shia and Sunni sects of Islam?

A. You may refer to a cyclostyled article 'Sects of Islam' published by this Mission which will give you a fairly comprehensive idea of all the differences. If there is anything more which you want to be explained fully, please write to me without hesitation. (now that article is published as an Appendix of 'Your Questions Answered', Vol. 2, available from this Mission).

Q58: What is the difference between Shia and Ithna-Asheri?

A. The word 'Shia' is from Arabic word. 'At -Tashayyo which means to follow. This word has been used for the followers of the Prophets of Allah in the Holy Qur'an. "And verily among his (Noah's) Shias (followers) is Ibrahim" (Qur'an 37 : 83).

We are called Shia because we follow the Holy Prophet according to the way shown by Hazrat Ali (A.S.) and other sinless members of the family of the Holy Prophet. In fact, it was the Holy Prophet himself who named followers of Hazrat Ali (A.S.) as Shia. The famous Sunni Scholars, Allamah Ibn Hajar (in his book "As-Sawaiqul-Muhriqua") and Allamah Ibn Athir (in his book 'Nihaya') recorded that the Prophet said : "O Ali, verily thou wilt come in the presence of Allah,thou and thy Shias happily and Allah will be pleased with you". 'Ithna-Asher' is the Arabic for 'twelve'. As we believe in 12 Imams after the Holy Prophet, hence this name.

Q. 59:

The following letter was written in reply to some questions sent by Sheikh Omar Schubert Al-Muhtadi, Vice-President of Islamic Community in Hamburg, (West) Germany.

RULES OF SHIA SHERIAT CONCERNING PERSONAL HYGIENE

(a) AFTER URINATING :

1. It is wajib to wash the organ TWO times, with pure and Tahir Water. The organ cannot be Tahir except by water.

2. ISTIBRA: It is a device to make sure that no drops of urine have remained in the male organ. It is not wajib; but still is very much necessary. The standard method is to :

(a) Press a finger near the beginning of the urine-passage at the bottom and rub it upward three times upto the testicles.

(b) Likewise, put finger at the root of penis and rub the urine-passage from the root upto the tip three times;

(c) Then, shake the penis three times to make sure that all urine has gone out,

(d) Also at the time of shaking it, put pressure on it by coughing gently. After the Istibra, the penis should be washed as mentioned have no need of Istibra.

in No. 1. Women

3. The benefit of Istibra is that if after Istibra and washing, you suspect that some wet material has come out of penis and you are in doubt whether it is urine or not, you have no need of washing again. You will say to yourself that I have done Istibra and taken out all urine, so it is not urine. But, if you are sure that it is urine, or if you have not done Istibra and you are doubting whether it is urine or not, in both these conditions, you will have to wash again.

(b) AFTER THE ACTION OF BOWELS (LAVATORY)

4. If the stool (excreta) is somewhat dry so that it has not dirtied more than the normal exit of the stool, it can be cleaned by :

(a) stone;
(b) or clay;
(c) or cloth;
(d) or paper:
(e) or other such things

which may rub out the stool (excrata). All such things must be Tahir before starting the rubbing. Also, it is necessary that the rubbing should be done at least 3 times. If you feel that there is still some stool, you should go on rubbing (even after 3 times) until the paper (or other material which is used for cleaning) comes clean. The third necessity is that for every rubbing a fresh paper (or cloth etc.) should be used. One paper cannot be used twice. It is necessary to mention here that use of the water for cleaning is preferable in every case.

5. If the stool is not dry and has dirtied more than normal portion of the body, it can be cleaned by Water only. Nothing else can clean it.

5(a) In cleaning by water, you must clean so much that you are sure that the stool has been washed completely.

6. It is necessary to wash hand, after cleaning stool or urine, two times.

(C) OTHER RULES REGARDING URINATING OR BOWELING :

7. It is Wajib to sit in a place where nobody can see your genital parts. This rule does not apply in case of husband and wife. It is not necessary to hide from either of them.

8. It is Haram (Unlawful) to sit facing Quibla, or with back towards Quibla.

9. It is haram to rub the stool (as mentioned in No. 4) with sacred things like a paper of Qur'an or clay of the graves of Imams (A.S.). Also it is Haram to rub it with any bone or any other stool of animal like cow-dung, etc.

(D) OTHER THINGS:

10. It is highly stressed that the superfluous hair on the genital parts should be removed regularly. Women are encouraged to remove it at least twice a month, while men should remove it once a month at least. Muslims, generally, do not wait so long. Many people shave it twice weekly. Hair removing lotion or soap may be used by women. Indeed, it is preferred in the Shariat. They are not encouraged to use razor. But I have seen in many books that man should not use these lotions etc., because they harm his masculinity. He should shave it with razor. The superfluous hair in the arm-pits also should be removed.

11. Nails should be cut at least once a week. If there is more than normal dirt in the nails, Wuzu or Ghusl may become difficult. Therefore attention is drawn to it.

12. Nail polish is a nuisance, because Wuzu cannot be done with nail polish on. It is necessary that water should reach the nails without any cover.

(E) CONCESSIONS FOR A NURSING MOTHER:

13. A woman (not man) who is rearing a boy infant (not girl), who has got no other cloth to wear, and her only cloth becomes Najis by the urine of the boy (not by any other Najasat) is permitted to pray in the same cloth. There is only one condition. She must wash and clean that cloth once in 24 hours. After that she may pray without any anxiety though the child may urinate on her. This rule is for the cloth only, not for parts of body.

Q60: Can a woman recite Qur'an or Dua during her monthly period?

A. Qur'an :

1. It is Haram to recite from those 4 Suras which have ayats of Wajib Sajda. These are Alif Lam Meem Sajda; Ha Meem Sajda; Najm and Iqra. Even reciting Bismillahir- Rahmanir-Rahim with intention of any of these Suras is Haram.

2. It is Haram to touch writing of the Qur'an in that condition.

3. It is allowed (but strongly disliked) to carry Qur'an or touch it (even without touching the writing) in that condition.

4. It is allowed to recite Qur'an (other than the 4 above mentioned Suras) by memory but it is strongly disliked to recite more than 7 ayats.

Dua:

1. It is not allowed to touch the writing of those parts of Dua (in any script) which contain the ayats of Qur'an or names of Allah, Prophets, Imams or Masumeen. As almost all Duas contain these things, one MUST avoid touching any part of the writings of Dua.

2. Reciting Dua by looking into it (without touching the writing) or by memory is allowed during the monthly period.



A. If it has not come out as a result of sexual act or thought then it is not Najis. But she should see her Doctor to make sure that her health is all right.

Q62: The sweat produced on human body after masturbation but before "Ghusl" is najis. Is the sweat produced after night ejaculations during dream (wetbed) najis also?

A. No - And, according to the Fatwa of Agha-e-Khoui, even the sweat produced during or after unlawful Janabat is not Najis. But if that sweat is on the body or cloth, Namaz will not be valid.

Q63: Why do Muslims pray five times a day?

A. The Holy Prophet once asked his companions that if a man had his house on a river-bank and bathed properly in that river 5 times a day, would there remain any dirt on his body? The companions replied : "No, O Prophet of Allah, he would remain absolutely clean. There would be no dirt on his body". The Holy Prophet said : "The daily prayers of 5 times are like that river and if a Muslim properly prays 5 times a day there would remain no dirt of sin or i

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