Your Questions Answered

 

Queries

 

 

Can a Woman be Elected as President of an MSA?

 

Question: From the Islamic point of view, can a woman be elected as the president of a Muslim Student Association at a university? If so, can she still be president if she does not cover her hair?

Answer: As far as Islam is concerned, it asserts that whatever format has been adopted in appointing people to an office, it should be followed in letter and spirit. If election has been deemed as the appropriate way in appointing the president of an MSA, then whoever the candidate fielded, the decision should be based on the opinion of the majority. If the majority elects a woman, then, of course, she is eligible for the post.

As far as the matter of covering the hair is concerned, if this has not been stipulated as a condition for female candidates, then of course this should not stop someone from getting elected to such a post. However, a lady, independent of this election, must give this issue a sincere thought. If she comes to know that this is a requirement of her religion, she should, of course, try to follow it as well.

 

 

The Trial of the Affluent

 

Question: Why are the affluent people of the world put through lesser trial since they have wealth and riches to play about? They do not have to worry about their food and shelter. The luxuries of life open their arms for them. Also, how should we fight out the vicissitudes of life?

Answer: I am afraid your perception is not true. The Almighty has created this world as a trial and test for all of us. Everyone of us undergoes this trial in some form or the other. It is not that only the poor and the needy are put through this test. Affluence also is a form of trial. Here the trial is to test a person regarding his attitude with the Almighty. He is tested on whether he shows gratitude to the Almighty on His favours and blessings. As such, since a person generally tends to forget his Lord if he is blessed with an affluent life, this trial is perhaps tougher than that of a person who is put through the trial of poverty and adverse circumstances; in such circumstances, a person tends to remember the Lord more – or at least, has more opportunities for this remembrance.

Moreover, affluence is just one form of comfort a person may have. There are people who maybe affluent and very rich, but still undergo various forms of mental worries, troubles and tribulations.

Besides, having a strong relationship with the Almighty, the best way to fight out the ups and downs of life is to always look at people who are worse off and, believe me, a cursory glance would bring many to your mind. One will begin to realize what one actually has in contrast with millions of others. Where others have been deprived, he would find himself blessed with many favours. Remember the story narrated by the famous Muslim sage, Sheikh Sa‘di: A person was found wailing because he did not have any shoes to wear. One day, he came across a lame person and then he suddenly realized, what if he did not have shoes, he had legs to walk barefooted contrary to the lame person who did not even have the feet to wear shoes.

 

 

Difficulties in Wearing the Hijab

 

Question: I am a Muslim girl and I am currently a student in high school. I have many very religious Muslim friends who believe strongly in Islam. However, we sometimes argue about some rules that our religion has secured us by. One that often comes up is about wearing a scarf. No matter how much I try I always have a weak defense in the argument about this rule. One of my friends does not think it is necessary for women and girls to wear it and that it shouldn’t be one of the rules. I’ve tried to get the message through to her several times but she doesn’t understand. Please kindly send me a full explanation as to why women are supposed to cover their head and chest.

Answer: The objective of all the directives of Islam is to purify the individual and collective lives of people both in their beliefs and in their deeds. It is the verdict of the Qur’an (91:9) that only people who have purified their souls will enter Paradise in the Hereafter. Following the directives of Islam makes us purify our souls and makes us eligible for paradise. It is therefore mentioned in the Qur’an that the directives of the Hijab (24:30) have been given to purify the society and to purify the hearts of people from evil. This is the reason why Muslim women must wear the Hijab.

Another thing that I would like to mention here is that one must be very careful in discussing the Hijab with Muslim women. Let a Muslim lady first illuminate her mind with the radiance of the Qur’an and invigorate her heart with the fragrance of the Almighty’s love. Hijab is not the starting point of Islam. In fact, it comes quite later. Once Muslim women are urged to pray regularly and to read the Qur’an with meanings and to sit in the company of the pious, the change will come automatically. And if this cannot convince her how can you? The force in the divine message is such that it can conquer hearts and subdue souls. Let it do the work. Your job should be to direct a lady’s attention to the Qur’an. Of course, you should also be on the look out to present with wisdom and sagacity and with compassion and concern the viewpoint of Islam on such issues. Your job ends here. The rest is up to the Almighty.

 

 

Zakahfor unmarried Pregnant Teens

 

Question: Is it okay to support unmarried pregnant teens and their new-born children through charity organizations? Some people say that they have sinned and we should let them suffer. What do you think of this?

Answer: Whether a person is a sinner or not should not be the deciding factor in giving him or her Zakah or charity. In other words, being a sinner does not disqualify someone from being a recipient of charity. It is his or her state of being needy and afflicted with trouble that should be the basic factor in making such a decision. Once the decision is made on this basis, other factors such as this can, of course, play a supportive role.

Moreover, letting sinners suffer is certainly not the right way to deal with such people. I think that such people need to be helped both monetarily and spiritually. Also, in this regard the real thing is the attitude adopted after sinning: One cannot lead a sinless life. It is humanly impossible. One is required to repent and ask the Almighty’s pardon when he falls prey to sins.

People who have sinned need more sympathy and compassion. It is towards them that one’s efforts of reformation should be more focused. As the Prophet Jesus (sws) has beautifully put it:

 

…It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means. I desire mercy not sacrifice. For I have come not to call the righteous, but sinners. (Matthew, 9:12-3)

 

 

Zakahon Stocks

 

Question: How should we calculate Zakahon stocks and shares?

Answer: Before I answer this question, let me draw your attention to an important aspect regarding its calculation: One of the heads on which Zakahwas levied in the time of the Prophet (sws) was on the harvested crop. It is evident that, contrary to wealth (on which Zakahwas levied annually at the rate of 2.5 %), crops form a different category. While in the former, no production is taking place, the latter are actually a form of produce. On crops grown on rainy lands, Zakahwas levied at the rate of 10 % of the produce at the time of produce, while on lands which needed human effort for water supply to grow crops, it was levied at the rate of 5 % of the produce at the time of produce. In other words, if the spirit of this directive is kept in consideration, Zakahon any form of produce is either 10 % or 5 %, whatever be its nature. In the times of the Prophet (sws), since agricultural produce was the only form of produce, therefore Zakahwas imposed on it on the above mentioned rates. Today by analogy, it should be levied at these very rates on any other form of produce. Industrial produce, in these times, for example is a very common form of produce.

As far as the difference in the two rates of produce (5% and 10%) is concerned, it is evident that where human effort is very little – that is it is confined to sowing seeds only and where water is actually supplied through rains, the rate of Zakahis more, ie 10%. On the contrary, where this effort is considerable, the rate is reduced to 5 %. In other words, if one derives the principle underlying this calculation, one can safely conclude that Zakahon all items which are produced both by the interaction of labour and capital is 5%, and on items which are produced such that the basic factor in producing them is either labour or capital, it is 10%.

It also needs to be appreciated that all the tools of production are exempted from Zakah.

With this background, I now come to your question. By analogy, earning money through stocks seems to be a form of produce in which no labour is involved. It is the case of production made through capital only. If this derivation is true, then Zakah should be levied at the rate of 10 % on the dividend earned. The total amount invested in stocks is, of course, exempt from Zakah since it is basically the tool of prodution.

 

 

Sea Food

 

Question: What is the ruling on sea food? Are crabs and lobsters allowed?

Answer: At the outset, it needs to be understood that the basic objective of Islam is purification -- both physical and spiritual. Therefore, it only prohibits things that are unclean and hinder purification. Certain edibles are also prohibited because of this very reason.

The second thing which needs to be appreciated is that in case of most edibles, human nature is well equipped to know for itself which food stuff is inedible*. It is only in a very small sphere that human nature is unable to pronounce a clear verdict on edibles that are unclean, and it is in this sphere in which the Shari‘ah has guided man. Consequently, where this guidance is stated, the words of the Qur’an subtly allude to the fact that this guidance is being provided about edibles. The prohibition of animals or stuff which is non-edible is not mentioned for the simple reason that human nature has already pronounced them to be inedible:

 

Say: ‘I find not in the Message received by me by inspiration forbidden to a person who eats things which are edible, unless it be dead meat, or blood or the flesh of swine .’ (6:145)

 

Human nature has always remained averse to eating beasts. No one generally eats carnivores (animals that feed on meat) like lions, tigers, elephants etc. Such animals were never liked by man for eating. On the other hand, herbivores (animals that feed on plants) like goats, cows and camels have always been relished by human nature. The meat of such animals has always been eaten. According to the Qur’an, the following four are expressly forbidden food items and about the rest one must decide keeping in view human nature and instinct:

 

Believers! Eat of the good things that We have provided for you and be grateful to Allah if it is Him you worship. He has only forbidden you dead meat and blood and the flesh of swine and that on which any name other than Allah has been invoked. (2:172-3)

 

So based on this principle, one can decide about sea food also. Barring carnivorous fish and sea animals like sharks and other sea animals whose abhorrence is found in human nature, one can eat anything. Crabs and lobsters, on this very basis would be okay to eat. In other words, except for the above mentioned restrictions, all sea food is left to the choice and taste of the eater. In this regard, the real judge is one’s instinct and nature. Of course, there are differences in the taste of people also in this regard which should be tolerated.

 

 

The Bismillah Verse

 

Question: Is the Bismillahverse part of the various surahs of the Qur’an or is it an independent verse. Also we have been told by our parents and Islamic Studies tutor to begin the Qur’an by first reading this verse. Now, if this verse is not part of the Qur’an why should we read it before reading the Qur’an?

Answer: I will answer both  parts of your question by quoting relevant portions of Is~lahi’sexegesis of this verse:1

 

An important question which arises regarding this verse is its real place in the Qur’an. This question arises because of the fact that though it is written in the beginning of every surah (except Surah Tawbah) as an independent verse, yet apparently in none of the surahs except Surah Naml is it included in the text of the surah. For this very reason, there is a difference of opinions among scholars on whether it is part of some particular surah or whether it is written on top of every surah merely to invoke the blessings of the Almighty. The opinion of the readers (Qurra’) and jurists of Madinah, Basrah and Damascus is that it is not part of any surah including Surah Fatihah and it is merely a means to obtain the blessings of Allah and serves to separate the various surahs of the Qur’an. As such it differentiates between various surahs of the Qur’an and a reciter earns the favours and blessings of Allah by reading it before reciting a particular surah. Imam Abu Hanifah also holds this view.

 

On the other hand, the Makkan and Kufan jurists believe that it is part of every surah of the Qur’an including Surah Fatihah. Imam Shafi‘i also subscribes to this view.

 

In the opinion of my mentor, Imam Farahi, this verse is part of Surah Fatihah and a preamble of the other surahs of the Qur’an. As for myself, I prefer the view of the Madinan reciters. The reason for my preference is that it is the Prophet (sws) himself who has arranged the Qur’an in the light of the guidance provided by the Almighty.As such, this verse has also been divinely placed. In the arranged sequence of the Qur’an, no difference has been made in writing this verse whether it is the case of Surah Fatihah or any other surah. In every case, it stands out from eachsurah as an independent verse.

 

Even though this verse may not be part of the Qur’anic surahs, yet reading it before reciting the Qur’an has special significance. While pointing this out, Islahi writes:2

 

Firstly, when a person says  بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم before reciting the Qur’an, he actually obeys the directive revealed in the first Wahiin the words: ‘Read in the name of your Lord’, (96:1).

 

Secondly, these blessed words remind man of the reality that the greatest favour of the Almighty on human beings is that He has blessed them with the faculty of speech because of which they became the recipients of this Book. The attribute Rahman mentioned in the verse alludes to this fact. At another place in the Qur’an, it is specified that it is this attribute of the Almighty which made Him create man, grant him the ability to speak and as a result taught him the Qur’an: ‘It is the Most Gracious who has taught the Quran [because] He created man and taught him speech [so that he can receive guidance from this Blessed Message],’ (55:1-4).

 

Thirdly, this verse testifies to the veracity of a prediction that was made about the Prophet Muhammad (sws) found in previous scriptures. According to this prediction, he would teach and instruct people in the name of Allah:

 

I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. If anyone does not listen to My words that the prophet speaks in My name, I myself will call him to account. (Deuteronomy 18:18)

 

Fourthly, just as the Qur’an is the manifestation of the attribute Rahman of the Almighty, it is this very attribute which helps a person in understanding it. Difficult verses and passages unfold their meaning to a reciter if he seeks help from this attribute. Also, he would be protected through these words from the incursions of Satan while deciphering the meanings of its verse and be shielded from various evil suggestions of his own soul.