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Queries
(Answered under the supervision of the Editor)
Guarding the Secrets of Husbands
Question: While discussing the responsibilities of husbands and wives, the Holy Qur’an says that wives are supposed to be bearers of their husband’s secrets. Is this true? What does that mean? Take for instance a scenario in which a wife tells all good and bad happenings to her own mother about her mother and father-in-law. Does this violate the directive of the Holy Qur’an relating to the wife? Is she allowed in Islam to do this?
Answer: The Holy Qur’an says:
Thus, good women are the obedient, guarding in secret because Allah too guards secrets. (4:34)
This verse mentions traits of good wives that include the virtue of guarding the secrets of their husbands. This virtue obviously is very important in the relationship of a husband and his wife. Both, the good and the bad of the husband and his household are exposed to her. Therefore, she is supposed to guard all the secrets of the house. Secret, it should be noted, covers all those things which are not supposed to be revealed and which the husband would not like anyone else to know. The common implication of the word is well known and there is no specific implication added to it in this context. Obviously, the situation you have described would come under disclosing the secrets of her husband. It should thus be avoided.
(Tariq Hashmi)
Transfer of Reward to the Deceased
Question: Can you please enlighten me on the question of Chehlum ceremony which is commonly held some 40 days after a person dies. Is it allowed by the Shari‘ah? I am told that this thing is Bid‘ah and that there is no Hadith in support of this, nor was it practiced by the Companions (rta) of the Prophet (sws).
Answer: The concept of Chehlum and recitation of the Holy Qur’an to transfer its reward to the dead is an activity not supported by the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (sws). People had been dying during the Prophet’s (sws) time and never did he organize such a gathering. The reason for the absence of this activity is that the Holy Qur’an makes it clear that everybody will be held accountable only for the deeds he himself does during his life. It says:
That no one shall bear the burden of another. And that man shall have only that which he strived for, and that his striving shall soon be examined [and] then he shall be rewarded with a complete reward. (53:38-41)
The above quoted verses fully negate the possibility of transfer of bad as well as good deeds to another person. The Prophet (sws) is reported to have said:
When a person dies, the reward of his deeds ceases except in the case of three things: in the case of something the benefit of which is reaped [even after his death] for a long time; in the case of some knowledge that he leaves behind, which benefits the world [even after his death] for a long time; and in the case of a righteous child who prays for his forgiveness. (Muslim, No: 3084)
In the light of the above verses of the Qur’an and the saying of the Prophet (sws), we see that it is not possible to transfer reward of good deeds to another person. The only things one can get benefits from are prayer and his own acts which continue to benefit the world after his departure.
(Tariq Hashmi)
Dissolution of marriage after a fixed time
Question: Due to insurmountable differences between a man and his wife, if they decide to live separately, without dissolution of marriage, then will the marriage automatically dissolve after a fixed period of time according to the Hanafite school of thought? If yes; then what is that time period? Can they re-establish their relationship after a certain period? If the husband refuses to divorce; what is the Islamic and legal way for the wife to apply for divorce? If the wife takes the divorce, is the husband obliged to give maintenance for children if the children live with his ex-wife?
Answer: Imam Abu Hanifahis of the opinion that if a husband and his wife live separately for a long time, divorce does not come into effect by default. However, he opines that a divorce effectively takes place when a husband does ’Ila (a practice that was rampant among the Arabs at the advent of Islam whereby a husband swears that he would not maintain sexual relationship with his wife). The Holy Qur’an has given clear directives in this regard that the husband should not thus drag his wife along and must decide within four months if he wants to reestablish the contract.
So if he does not decide within the stipulated time period about the relationship, then divorce would automatically come into effect. However, the case that you have put forth is entirely different. The husband and wife have decided that they cannot live together, but for some mutual interests, for example, to avoid the disastrous consequences befalling the family, especially children, or for any other reason they mutually decide to live separately. Obviously, this is not a case identical to ’Ila.
As far as your questions regarding divorce are concerned, you must know that a wife needs to ask her husband first to divorce her if she sincerely feels she cannot live with him anymore. If he does not respond to her request, she has the right to turn to the court of law which can force the husband to free her.
The husband is only obliged to keep his divorced wife in his house and provide her during the period of ‘Iddat. If the woman is pregnant, then this responsibility is extended to the day she gives birth to his child. The matter of guardianship will be dealt with according to the circumstances and position of both parties and the agreement they make while separating. If the husband does not hand over the infant to the mother and she sues him, then the court will decide who should be the guardian. There may be cases where it is the mother who bears the burden and still, in some other situations, the father is asked to shoulder the responsibility.
(Tariq Hashmi)
Reporting Sexual Misdemeanors
Question: My question is that if a person is involved in sex with several girls, all of whom yield to his desires even though they are clearly being exploited, should we complain about this to any government authority because he is defiling the atmosphere of a place or should we hide all this?
Answer: You have described a very sad state of affairs. The crime this criminal seems to be obsessed with is indeed awfully disgusting and heinous.
As far as the action that you should take is considered, I would say that you are the best judge in this situation since you are in a position to better understand the circumstances. I would, however, like to bring to your notice some facts that one must consider before embarking on such an expedition.
Keeping in view the spirit of Islamic teachings and what the Prophet (sws) is reported to have said in this regard, the crime of those who stumble and commit adultery should be kept hidden from society in order to give them a chance to mend their ways. However, if a person is of the view that this will allow the couple to go astray further and lead a complete life of sin, then he may report it to the authorities. In this case he will have to produce four eyewitnesses in the court of law to prove the crime. These witnesses would testify that they have actually witnessed the crime committed. In case of failure to produce four eyewitnesses, the plaintiff shall stand punishable with eighty stripes under the law of Qadhf (24:4). Again, this provision of four witnesses has been so promulgated by the Almighty so that this crime is kept hidden from society and that the criminals be given a chance to mend their ways; and thus be saved from public humiliation.
However, as far as those people are concerned who habitually commit this crime, the society does become alive to their crime. In their case, the Qur’an requires that only four witnesses be presented, who would testify to their ill ways just to comply with the proceedings of a court. After their crime stands proven formally, the Qur’an demands that they be administered an exemplary punishment, which ranges from executing the criminal in an exemplary manner to exiling him to another area. (5:33)
However, I think that this second situation has not yet occurred in the case you have referred to. The society is not yet aware of the ill ways of the criminal. Thus, in case you choose to go to the court and register your report, you will surely have to produce four eyewitnesses as I have described above. It is only after the nature of this crime is exposed to the court that they declare him a habitual criminal and choose to administer any of the punishments as ordained in 5:33-4 for those who spread disorder in the society.
(Jhangeer Hanif)
Co-Education and Islam
Question: What does Islam have to say regarding co-education in schools? What are your viewpoints regarding this? Please elaborate on the pros and cons of such a system. Two popular arguments in favor of co-education are:
1. Coeducation builds confidence in a person and makes him/her a more complete person to live in a real world. In other words, studying in the same-sex education system makes a person lack in self confidence.
2. Another argument given by the proponents of co-education is that a person’s moral and Islamic values are built at home, thus neither co-education nor same-sex education plays any part in damaging or improving these values.
My personal argument is against co-education and I say that in co-education environments students have more opportunity and temptations to go astray. They cannot maintain the right etiquette of intermingling as prescribed by the Islamic Shari‘ah, at all times during school hours. Also, students in a co-education school might become more consumed by how they appear or present themselves to the opposite sex as compared to their studies. Please comment.
Answer: I think you yourself have well described the pros and cons of subjecting students to co-education. I however would like to mention that co-education is not an issue that has specifically been addressed by the Shari‘ah. In other words, what we should keep in mind is the fact that co-education has not categorically been proscribed by the Almighty. However, there is no question about the view that it should be avoided, keeping in view the essence of the Islamic teachings regarding gender interaction and also the dictates of our intuition.
As far as the arguments in favor of co-education are concerned, I believe that the strongest argument put forth by its proponents, who also have little knowledge about Islam, is the exhortation that Islam has extended to Muslims to allow their women into mosques and let them offer prayer in congregation if they want to. Why on earth should it not be allowed in schools and colleges then? To my mind, this seems to be the strongest of all arguments offered by them since, through this, they manipulate a religious directive in their own favor.
A little deliberation here will reveal that there is a world of difference between the environment of a mosque and that of a school. In mosques, we indeed have an overwhelming feeling of the presence of the Almighty. Moreover, our intentions to visit and our concept regarding the sanctity of the mosque make a real difference in this respect. In spite of all this, Islam further enjoins certain etiquette to be observed by both Muslim men and women while they are in their Lord’s House. They are never allowed to intermingle freely or sit side by side. Ladies are directed to cover themselves properly and men have been directed to lower their gaze of which they become profoundly aware when they enter the sacred house. Is the situation with schools the same? Of course not. It is for this reason that co-education in schools and colleges must not be extrapolated on the basis of the permission given to women to attend mosques.
As you have pointed out, the tremendous loss caused by co-education is moral degeneration. The students are completely exposed to the opposite sex. Curiosity plays its role well in this regard. The wrong ideals set by the media and the awful bombardment of immoral images and characters fill the space left out by the germs of curiosity implanted by Satan. This reality coupled with the fact that they are mostly devoid of the supervision of any true and sincere mentor at school in that their teachers themselves do not present their students with a role model of morality, cause the innocent students to fall prey to the deadly predator of sexual impurity.
Thus, the ideal situation that springs to mind when one takes into consideration the spirit of Islamic teachings and dictates of common sense is that provision of separate class rooms for male and female students is imperative. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the government to make necessary arrangements in order to realize this end. However, in my opinion, if in a developing country like Pakistan, the government is unable to provide separate classes for both sexes, they must take necessary steps to ensure that morality still plays an important role while deciding the curricular and extra-curricular activities of the institute in question. The underlying reason for this allowance is the stark reality that it is better to have some female doctors educated in an environment of co-education than to have our mothers and sisters be compelled to expose their private parts to male doctors in the time of ailment. Another step that the government must take in this regard is that they should very carefully choose the faculty of their institutes. All the teachers must be an embodiment of the values of decency and goodness. If these measures are taken, I am hopeful that the possibility of going astray will greatly decrease; though those at the helm of the state affairs will still be required to sincerely strive to provide separate campuses to their scholars, as soon as their funds allow them to.
(Jhangeer Hanif)
Basis of Morality
Question: It is generally said that without God, the cognizance of morals found within every person cannot be explained. Please shed some more light on this.
Answer: According to religious scriptures, the creation of man is not accidental or spontaneous. He has, indeed, been created by His Master to abide in this world, for a term appointed in which he would be tried and tested. In this trial, he is required to follow what is good and avoid what is bad. As regards the good and the evil, the Qur’an maintains that man is inherently aware of both (91:8). In other words, he has inborn knowledge of all that is good and evil. The scriptures further go on to assert that those who lead a good life will be rewarded by their Creator in the Hereafter and those who live a life of sin will be punished in various degrees.
These premises when linked with our ‘being’ bring a striking connection to our mind. Had we been the outcome of some chemical action and reaction we would not have been blessed with innate knowledge of good and bad. In other words, our inborn awareness about what is good and what is evil bears witness to the fact that ‘someone’ has inculcated these values within us. This awareness is so pronounced that it is acknowledged by all of mankind without any distinction. Hence, every one of us regards justice, veracity, and honesty as virtues; and oppression, lying, dishonesty as wicked crimes. So much so, that we feel guilty and ashamed in case we don’t comply with our inborn concept of right and wrong. Thus, the testimony of our conscience, and the fact, that we are aware of the good that we must follow; and the blemishes we must get rid of, leads to only one conclusion: that a Wise and Sagacious Creator very wisely has instilled them into His creation, human beings.
Conversely, when it comes to the viewpoint of atheists, we find that they may provide us with a hypothesis regarding the first cause of man’s creation, but their theory never explains how we have acquired a universally accepted knowledge of right and wrong, and why we feel ashamed when following the wrong path. In other words, without going into the absurd details of chemical action and reaction, the facts that negate the very possibility of such hypotheses are our inborn awareness of what is good and what is evil and the exhortation that we feel from inside to follow the right path and avoid the wrong one. In addition, we are also intellectually convinced on the basis of our idea of good and evil that a Day should come when justice, in its ultimate form, must be dispensed. Therefore, I dare say, a connection between God and our knowledge is evident; and without establishing this connection, it is not possible to comprehend and understand the moral aspect of humanity.
(Jhangeer Hanif)
Women’s Rights in Pakistan
Question: I am a Palestinian Muslim. I already know many things about Islam. I, however, wanted to ask you a couple of questions: Do you in Pakistan give equal rights of education for both genders – male and female? Do the women even have the right to be educated, in Pakistan?
Answer: Your concern is important, and I shall try to simplify my response as much as possible. Pakistan is a developing country and its growth rates have not been encouraging – relative to, for instance, India since the country’s creation in 1947. The lack of efficient allocation and sub-optimal exploitation of resources have been translated into a society of low literacy rates, low levels of hygiene etc. Most of Pakistan’s population lives below the poverty line. This implies that poor parents prepare their kids for hard work and toil, or alternatively, for begging from very young ages. We see five year olds begging on the streets, cleaning the gutters, working as home servants, or employed for manual labor in factories, and so on. My own inclination is to understand all this, as a product of poverty more than anything else. Why wouldn’t parents want to spend in their children’s education instead of forcing them to bring much needed money into the household? Since death rates are high, especially infant mortality rates in the villages of Pakistan, poor parents produce many children, in the hope that some will survive to work.
Now, having said all that, let’s come to the question of entertaining the ‘rights to education of girls and boys’. Sadly enough, there is great tendency to generalize on the basis of what I have explained above regarding the adverse state of affairs in Pakistan. They exaggerate the situation as much as to claim that children’s rights to modern studies have generally declined in the country. I think this is not the case. My argument is based on the very encouraging, and evident success of NGOs (Non-Government Organizations). There are many projects currently underway, in the rural areas of the country that are aiming to educate the masses, at least up to the secondary level. The way some of them work is extremely pleasant; they offer a fixed amount of money each time a child attends a class lecture. This is an excellent imitation of a welfare state by the conscious members of out society. Such programs eradicate two problems: they educate the children, and simultaneously, improve the financial positions of poverty-stricken households. With the kind of response that is being announced by these NGOs, it seems that parents are willingly and happily sending their children to study, and express their jubilation over the opportunity for their kids to live a normal and healthy childhood. I view this as a marvelous attempt to revitalize the system of education for children. There was a time when girls were absolutely discouraged, but by the grace of the Almighty, those scenarios seem to be disappearing; except of course, in areas where either the jagirdars (landlords) impose all kinds of slavery impressions in order to maintain their rein over their subjects, or where cultures are still primitive.
Coming to city life, where mainly the middle and upper class reside permanently, there is much insistence on good education for both boys and girls. Those who can afford to see their girls and boys enroll into PhD programs at home and abroad. There are exceptions, of course. It may be noteworthy to mention here that some employers even educate their home servants – male and female – on a personal level inside their houses.
To sum it all up, in my opinion, the question is not about allowing education for males and females, rather, the question is about allowing education to precede sustenance. Of course, this opinion is open to criticism.
(Saadia Malik)
Refusing Medical Treatment
Question: A friend of mine is extremely sick but refuses to seek any medical help. He uses Islam as the reason behind it: that by dying, he will be closer to God. Personally, I think that one should appreciate life, and use any means to take care of oneself. What does Islam say about life and death? Is it wrong to use medicine? Is my friend’s outlook right about life? I would love it if you had time to give me some advice on this matter.
Answer: Islam is very clear on these points; and you should try to convey these to your friend who is confusing several issues. The prevailing state you have explained to me is understandable, especially given his physical/medical condition. The Qur’an states that every individual will meet his or her own death; this is a universal truth. However, the Book of Allah also says that no one knows of his or her own appointed time, just like the actual time of the Day of Judgment is not known to us. We, therefore, cannot claim to have knowledge of the timing of our death. There is no basis for assuming that a serious illness is necessarily a harbinger of death. Allah has power over all things; and He can bring health to a sick or dying person if He wishes to.
As to the second point concerning nearness to Allah the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (sws) give us the method for how to become closer to Allah in this life. There is no example in these two sources of a sick individual deciding to forgo medical treatment so as to hasten death in order to be closer to Allah.
Allah, first of all, says explicitly that He is closer to man than his own jugular vein. Allah is already very close to us in this world and it is up to us through our actions and ritual acts of worship to realize that.
Second, the Qur’an offers examples of specific actions which can lead to closer proximity to Allah. For example, in Surah Baqarah:
When My servants ask you concerning Me, I am indeed close [to them]: I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on Me. (2:186)
Not only does Allah speak in ‘the first person’, but the style of this verse provides ever greater emphasis to the assertion that Allah is close to the servant who calls upon him.
The point is that nearness to Allah is something which He grants us not something that we earn through our deeds. Indeed, we have to pray to Allah to grant us this exalted state in this life; and also perform our obligations to Him. Death represents passage from one stage of our soul’s existence to the next, but it is neither a prerequisite nor a guarantee of greater proximity to the Creator.
(Aasil Ahmad)
Compulsion and Hereditary Traits
Question: You know that science says that the chromosomes and DNA are responsible for the characteristics being transferred from forefathers to their offspring. If this is true, then how come we are responsible for some of our bad actions that we perform since we inherited them from our forefathers? Kindly respond in detail, both scientifically and religiously.
Answer: Scientific discoveries have shown that certain physical and biological characteristics are inherited from parents by their offspring. This includes traits such as hair color, height, facial features, eye color, etc. Also, it is known that certain genetic diseases are transmitted from parents to offspring such as diabetes, sickle cell anemia, heart disease and high blood pressure, and various neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis.
However, there is no established scientific link between actual behavioral characteristics and genetic inheritance. A father or mother, inclined towards evil deeds, cannot pass such characteristics onto their children. Behavioral traits are widely understood to be the result of one’s environment and upbringing.
From the Qur’an we understand that an individual does not inherit the sins of other people or of his forefathers. The clearest example of this is Islam’s rejection of the doctrine of Original Sin that exists in Christianity. Every individual is responsible for his/ her own actions before Allah. Similarly, we cannot say as an excuse that we were engaged in wrongdoings only because our forefathers were involved in the same evil acts. It is up to the individual to think and reflect on his ethical and moral condition and make decisions between right and wrong based on reasoning and more importantly on the guidance provided by divine revelation.
Therefore, the answer to your question, in short, is that we are indeed responsible for our own actions. Genetic inheritance refers only to physical traits and not ethical or moral values upon which we base our lives. Every individual bears the weight of his own misdeeds and the benefit of his righteous actions. Before Allah, the individual person will be accountable for that which he has done, and not what has been done at the hands of his forefathers.
(Aasil Ahmad)