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Queries
(Answered under the supervision of the Editor)
Meaning of the Term Shahid
Question: What does the term shahid in Islamic literature truly represent? Are all those die in the holy wars and the innocent people killed in some accidents or are murdered Shahid? I am really confused. Please enlighten me on this issue and also explain what happens to a shahid after his or her death.
Answer: The word Shahid connotes ones who bears witness to a certain fact. It implies martyrs as they live their lives bearing witness of the truth and spare nothing to remain steadfast in the way of their Lord even their lives. The basic thing that qualifies one to the position is this conviction. This conviction varies in different individuals raising them to different stages. Therefore, we cannot draw a line to distinguish between their degrees.
Those who die in accidents or killed innocent may get some reward from the Almighty but accidentally being killed in a war by the enemy does not raise one to the status of Shahid. The basic criteria are living the life of submission to God and sacrificing all in His way even life if need be.
The Holy Qur’an has informed us that those who lived life of submission before God and sacrifice their lives necessarily merit success in the Hereafter and are rewarded right from their death. It says:
Think not of those, who are slain in the way of Allah, as dead. Nay, they are living. With their Lord they have provision. (3:169)
This brief information tells that they are not dead like others rather they are being rewarded. This treatment is special for the martyrs, the Messengers, the Prophets (sws), and other pious people who lived lives of virtue and rightness. They will be rewarded right after death. The Holy Qur’an does not tell us the nature of this life. This falls within the matters we cannot fully comprehend like most of the matters regarding the hereafter. We only know that they will be experiencing life and will be rewarded by their Lord and while the nature of this reward cannot be comprehended.
Taking a Small Amount of Alcohol
Question: Does the Holy Qur’an specifically declare ‘alcohol’ or wine prohibited (haram)? Some people argue that it does not. Therefore, these people contend that a Muslim can consume alcohol as long as it does not cause a loss of sanity and he does not fall into the state of mindlessness. Please provide Qur’anic reference in support of your reply.
Answer: It would be safe to say that there was no need for the Holy Qur’an to expressly declare alcohol haram. All intoxicants are already known to be harmful through our innate guidance. The Islamic Shari‘ah takes these dictates of nature for granted. While pointing towards this abhorrence for liquor the Qur’an asks its followers to abstain from consuming it:
O you who believe: this liquor and gambling and idols and these divining arrows are abominations devised by Satan. Avoid them that you may succeed. Satan seeks to stir up enmity and hatred among you by means of liquor and gambling and to keep you from the remembrance of Allah and from the prayer. Will you not then abstain from them? (5:90-1)
Hence, it does not mean that we can take as much quantity of wine that does not cause inebriation. Many things are forbidden because they can eventually lead one to the undesired state, which we are required to refrain from. Take for example the matter of fornication. The Holy Qur’an while giving the directive of the prohibition of fornication enjoined upon the Muslims not to draw near fornication. That means that no one should indulge in activities that are likely to lead him or her into committing fornication. Similarly, one cannot draw a line between the quantity which casts intoxication and which does not. Therefore, one cannot be allowed to take even a small amount of it. An Islamic state can forbid it on the ground of restriction on the means, which are likely to lead one to the state of inebriation.
Celebrating Birthdays
Question: I have been told that celebrating birthdays is tantamount to innovation in the religion of God. The following saying of the Holy Prophet (sws) is quoted to prove this claim.
Whoever introduces anything into this matter of ours that does not belong to it shall have that action rejected. (Bukhari, Muslim).
In another version recorded by Muslim and by Bukhari, the wording is as follows:
Whoever performs a deed which is not in accord with our affairs, then that deed is rejected.
These people maintain that the Holy Prophet (sws) did not celebrate his birthday at all during his lifetime nor did he ever order it to be celebrated. He also did not teach this to his Companions (rta). Therefore, the rightly-guided caliphs and all of his Companions (rta) did not celebrate it. They were the most knowledgeable of the people concerning his Sunnah and they were the most beloved to the Holy Prophet (sws). Therefore, if one is supposed to celebrate the Holy Prophet (sws)’s birthday, this would have been made evident at their time. Similarly, not one of the scholars of the best generations celebrated his birthday nor did they order it to be done. The absence of the celebration with the Companions (rta) and the most learned scholars of the past would mean that such a celebration is not from the Law that Allah sent Muhammad (sws) with.
Answer: I humbly differ with the referred to opinion on the ground that the A^hadithquoted to prove the notion do not lead to the conclusion. Let us consider the A^hadithpresented in favour of the opinion.
The words ‘into this matters of ours’ used in the first hadith are worth pondering. These words clearly indicate that the Holy Prophet (sws) is talking about something specific. The same is the case with the second tradition. Here again you find the words ‘in accordance with our affairs’ which clearly indicate to it being specific. We will try to determine what that specific thing is.
We know that the only thing that the Holy Prophet (sws) brought is the religion of Islam. We also know that all religious matters should spring from the fountainhead of the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah. He should not have forbidden us from other realms of affairs. If so the religion would be an impediment in progress. We would not even be able to use all are kitchen utensils we use today. Therefore, the Hadith should be interpreted in context of religious teachings and practices. The Holy Prophet (sws) only forbade innovation in religion not in all human activities and disciplines.
Now the question arises whether celebrating birthdays is an act religious in nature. The answer to the question lies with those who celebrate it. They simply express their joy or express their gratitude towards the Almighty. The act in its nature is not a religious act rather it is a social custom.
A legitimate objection would be that celebrating the birthday of the Holy Prophet (sws) very likely is an act that can be easily (not necessarily) be associated with religion. We regret to say that often it is deemed a religiously rewarding act. However, celebrating our own birthday could not and should not be given a religious tint. This is a social act not religious. Therefore, there may be other faults in the custom but it can no way be deemed an innovation in religion. Its prohibition must be mentioned explicitly in the Shari‘ah. We cannot hold something prohibited for ourselves. We cannot extend the effect of a ruling issued by the Qur’an or the Sunnah to what it has no relevance with.
Marrying a Hindu Girl
Question: I wanted to know do Islamic teachings allow a Muslim to marry a Hindu girl? If so then what is the reason of this permission and if does not then why?
Answer: Faith and religion is a very important matter for all the individuals. Therefore, commonly people marry into their respective faiths. However, the Islamic Shari‘ah has allowed Muslims to marry women of the People of the Book. This it should be noted is also a conditional allowance. The Holy Qur’an only allowed the Muslims to marry into adherents of these faiths when the supremacy of Islam was established in the Arabian Peninsula. The People of the Book were living the life of subjugation. The Holy Qur’an made subtle allusion to the fact. The related verse of the Holy Qur’an reads:
This day are [all] good things made lawful for you. The food of those who have received the Scripture is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them. And so are the virtuous women of the believers and the virtuous women of those who received the Scripture before you (lawful for you) when ye give them their marriage portions and live with them in honor, not in fornication, nor taking them as secret concubines. Whoso denies the faith, his work is vain and he will be among the losers in the Hereafter. (5:5)
TheQur’anic words ‘now you can marry’ clearly allude to the fact that the circumstances and position of Muslims is considered in this regard. We cannot marry in any circumstances among the followers of other religious barring the People of the Book.
Wearing Bangles
Question: I was wondering whether non-golden bangles and necklaces are forbidden for males.
Answer: I would like you to appreciate that the Islamic Shari‘ah has not forbidden Muslims from wearing gold in the first place. The A^hadithascribed to the Holy Prophet (sws) prohibiting men from use of gold are actually an application of another Qur’anic directive. The Holy Qur’an hasclearly declared extravagance as condemnable because it is this habit, which eventually leads him to pomp and show. The Holy Prophet (sws) applied this directive to wearing of the gold which was and still is a status symbol and a mean of showing off ones wealth. However, since women have a natural desire for beautifying them and adorning themselves with ornaments, the Holy Prophet (sws) granted them a common sense exception. Keeping the basis of the directive in mind one can safely conclude that not only gold but every other item which becomes a status symbol and is used as a mean for showing off wealth should be dealt with accordingly. As a necessary corollary, one cannot be stopped from using things which are generally not considered status symbols. We believe that bangles and necklaces are not worn for the purpose; therefore there is no point to declare wearing these as prohibited.
Hiding One’s Sins
Question: I wanted to know how far is an adulterer or fornicator rightfully allowed to draw a veil across his misdeeds? If someone questions him whether he has committed adultery or fornication, for instance, is it permissible for him to lie to hide his sin? If he says that he chooses not to answer that question it is very likely that questioner will automatically understand that there is something wrong.
Answer: It is desirable not to reveal such sins to others. The Holy Prophet (sws) would not willingly hear such voluntary confessions. If someone questions such a person he should try not to reveal the matter. However, if the matter has been brought before the court and he is questioned there, then he is not allowed to hide the truth.
The Prophet (sws) is reported to have said:
He among you who gets involved in such filth, should hide behind the veil stretched out for him by Allah, but if he unfolds the veil, we shall implement the law of Allah upon him. (Mu’atta: No. 1562)
Similarly, he once told a person:
If you had hidden the crime of this [person], it would have been better for you. (Mu’atta: No. 1553)
Offensive Language for the Prophet (sws)
Question: Recently my teacher was lecturing on the life story of the Holy Prophet Mohammed (sws). I was very disturbed when she referred to his moving to Madinah from Makkah in words like he ‘sneaked away’ or ‘fled’. She is not a Muslim and neither are many of the students who are taking this course at my University. Through another source I was given the impression that the Holy Prophet (sws) had migrated to Madinah. I was wondering if you could guide me through this. I would be very grateful.
Answer: It is a well known historical fact that the Holy Prophet (sws) faced severe difficulties in Makkah and when he was commanded to leave the city because the Makkans were out to kill him. But it is evident that he did not leave Makkah for fear of his life rather he migrated to Madinah on divine bidding like many other messengers of Allah did (for example the Holy Prophet (sws) Moses, Noah and Abraham). In all cases, the migration undoubtedly was done as required by the Almighty in the course of the preaching mission of the respective Holy Prophet (sws) to save them from the vicious intentions of the disbelievers and punish the rejecters after them. This obviously does not translate into the cowardice of the Messengers of Allah. We well know the Holy Prophet (sws) faced severe persecution at the hands of the people of Makkah and faced it with steadfastness.
A person is expected to mention this reality as it is but if someone speaks of it in offensive tone we can only argue with him to consider the reality and also to respect at least the personalities which are revered by a large number of people in the world. We cannot criticize and condemn such people severely. We can only discuss the point with them politely. The best course for you would be ignore the remarks as it would do not good to fret over this for long. However, the concern you show over the matter reflects your love and belief in the Messenger of Allah.
Marriage without being Divorced
Question: I have a very important question. Three years ago my father had forced me into marriage with man whom I do not like. I was fortressed in home for over a month and nobody would see me until the day they brought the man and forced the marriage upon me. Everything was against my will God truly knows that. After marriage we did not establish marital relationship. I think God was with me all the while until I availed the chance to escape from him. It has been three years since I escaped from him.
I have developed liking for a Muslim boy and we want to be married. Can we enter into this marriage contract without obtaining divorce from my husband? This I ask because we have not been married in the true sense of the relationship and it was forced upon me at the first place and I never received anything from him not the dowry or any properties not even a wedding ring. I have fear of upon my life from that man.
Answer: I feel real sorry on the plight you are facing. May Allah deliver you from this state and grant you life full of peace and content. You have asked whether you could enter into a new marriage knot without officially breaking the previous one. I am afraid I would not recommend it. Even if you were forced to enter into a marriage contract against all your will they must have got your consent and you must have signed the marriage papers. Now unless you get a divorce from the previous husband you should not enter into a new contract. It would be safe and in conformity with legal and moral principles that you turn to a competent court of justice and file for a divorce. We pray to the Almighty that he smoothes the way for you.
Regarding Five Daily Prayers
Question: When were five daily prayers enjoined upon the believers?
Answer: The prayer in fact has been an important worship ritual in all the divine religions only with slightly different methods. It has always been an obligation for the followers of all religious doctrines. It has been promulgated among the followers of Abrahamic religious traditions both Israelite (Jewish and Christian) and the Ishmaelite (descendents of Ishmael sws) as a Sunnah of the Prophet (sws) Abraham. Thus we find that the pre-Islamic Arabs would also offer prayers. The Holy Qur’an and the pre Islamic Arabic literature contain ample evidence in this regard. Therefore, we believe that the prayer has been an obligation for the followers of all the divine religions from the beginning. When the Holy Prophet (sws) began preaching Islam and reviving the religious traditions of the Holy Prophet (sws) Abraham in Makkah he exhorted his addressees upon establishing the prayer. Historical evidence shows that the timing and form of the prayer has also been almost the same over the history in different religious faiths. Thus we can safely conclude that the prayer has been a necessary obligation for the followers of the divine religion since its conception. We need not find the date on which it was promulgated or held necessary. In the Islamic religious tradition it takes its place as a Sunnah of the Prophet (sws) Abraham revised and promulgated by the Holy Prophet (sws) as necessary part of Islam.