Queries

 

Stealing in Retaliation

 

Question: If anyone steals from my property, do I have the right to steal something of his?

Answer: No person has the right to commit a public offence in retaliation. Theft is a public offence, and a person who commits theft can only be punished by the State authorities. As the aggrieved party, you must bring the matter to the relevant state forum and let justice take its own course.

Neither Islam nor any civilized state allows people to take the law in their own hands; the simple reason is that if this right is given to people themselves, no one can check whether justice has been truly carried out or not. Such a right would be tantamount to jungle law, and would therefore only give rise to anarchy.

 

 

Is Depression Condemned in Islam?

 

Question: Is depression condemned in Islam? And if it is, are there any directives on how to deal with the problem?

Answer: No, depression is not condemned in Islam. Feeling depressed is but human; Islam does not want us to be superhuman; it only wants us to get out of this state as soon as possible.

In thisregard, the true philosophy of life should be understood. We have been created by the Almighty to be tested and tried (67:2). This trial is conducted through the circumstances we are put in. If we are put through good circumstances, then our trial is whether we remain thankful to the Almighty, who gave us without asking and without our having any right. If we are put through bad circumstances, then our trial is whether we show perseverance and patience in these times or not.

Both these circumstances generally come in a person’s life. They are his real test. He cannot be given total happiness or total misery since that would make the trial profoundly difficult.

It is evident from the Qur’an that the Almighty tests us through hardships:

1. to punish us for our own misdoings(42:30),

2. to shield us from greater misery (18:74, 18:79),

3. to sift out the evil within us (3:179),

4. to give us the opportunity to earn reward by showing patience (3:142, 76:12).

In such circumstances, a person must remember that Allah is our only Saviour and Refuge. One Whom we will never lose like our other relations; Who is always with us and Who always thinks well for us. Our objective as a Muslim is to surrender to His will, since we know that He always means well for us. This is the essence of Islam.

 

 

Old Parents in Old Homes

 

Question: Why is it wrong to send old parents to old homes? Here in the US, people are busy with work and cannot cope with both work and parents especially when senility sets in. So is not an old home in the interest of both parents and the children?

Answer: If parents are more comfortable in living in Old Homes in which all their needs are met, there seems to be no harm in using such a facility. However, if the parents do not want to go to such a place or if such a place is detrimental to them in any way, then, of course, their children must wholeheartedly accept them and serve them well. In such cases, the children must thank God that He is providing them with an opportunity to earn great reward by looking after their parents.

They should remember that their own existence and upbringing is greatly indebted to their parents. Imagine the fact that at one time one or both of the parent ‘in spite of being busy with work’ took out time to rear them; and not only did they take out time, they spent all the resources they could muster to feed them; they preferred hunger if their children could be provided with food; they preferred to stay awake if this could provide them with sleep and comfort; they opted to work in the scorching heat of summers and the biting cold of winters to provide their children the basic necessities of life – and they would even gladly embrace death if they knew that only this could provide life to their children. No one, can match the time, love, and affection they provided. Don’t you think that looking after them personally when they need to be looked after is a very small repayment of the tremendous service their children benefited from? Money and comfort are nothing compared to the love and warmth provided by the children.

 

 

Joint Family System

 

Question: Should parents and their married sons live together or separately? Is it not natural to move out and settle elsewhere?

Answer: Married children living with parents or separately is an issue that has been left to culture and circumstances; no ruling has been given by the Shari‘ah in this regard and wisely so because what maybe possible in one type of family set up may not be in another.

 

 

Why can’t Adults view Pornography?

 

Question: What is wrong with adults viewing pornography? We know minors should not be allowed to have access owing to their immaturity, but then what about 40 year old mature, sensible, responsible couples viewing it privately, as many adults do here where I live?

Answer: A clean mind and an unsoiled soul are the basic objectives of all Islamic directives. A Muslim has been promised Paradise only if he has tried to cleanse his inner self. Pornography tends to stimulate base emotions and normally leads to excesses. It takes its toll whether young people view it or mature adults; the inner soul becomes more and more indulgent to carnal pleasures and then there is no bound to it; eyes, ears and the mind becomes so engrossed with it that it effects one’s morality deeply and even one’s family life; more often than not it may lead to a craving for extra-marital relationships.

 

 

Was Eve created from Adam’s Rib?

 

Question: Was Eve actually created from Adam’s rib? What is the meaning of the following Hadith?

 

Allah’s Apostle said: Treat women nicely, for a women is created from a rib, and the most curved portion of the rib is its upper portion; so, if you should try to straighten it, it will break, but if you leave it as it is, it will remain crooked. So treat women nicely. (Bukhari, Kitab Ahadith al-ambiya)

 

Answer: According to the Qur’an, Eve was not created from Adam’s rib. The first verse of Surah Nisa explicitly states that the first man and woman (Adam and Eve) were created directly by the Almighty:

 

O mankind! Fear your Lord who created you from a single soul and of like nature his mate and from the two scattered [like seeds] countless men and women. (4:1)

 

Some people translate this verse as ‘It is he Who has created you from a single person (Adam) and then He created from him his wife (Eve)’. They explain this verse by saying that Eve was created from the rib of Adam. This misleading translation has probably arisen because of the Arabic words khalaqa minha zawjaha, which if literally translated mean ‘created from him [-- the initial soul--] his wife’. Actually the word minha (from the soul) does not imply that ‘Eve was made from Adam’; they rather imply that Eve was made from the same species as Adam, meaning that both were human. A similar verse points to this interpretation:

 

It is God who has made from your species your mates. (16:72)

 

A literal translation of the words ja‘ala lakum min anfusikum azwaja of the above quoted verse (which are very similar to khalaqa minha zawjaha) would mean ‘it is God which has created your mates from you’ implying that every wife is made from her husband as Eve was. This of course is incorrect; the word anfus (plural of nafs) in this verse means ‘genre’, ‘species’ and not ‘physical being’.

As far as the H~adithyou have quoted is concerned, it needs to be appreciated that in Arabic the words ‘created from’ do not necessarily refer to the substance of creation; they can also refer to the nature of something. For example the Qur’an says: ‘Man has been created from hastiness’, (21:37). This does not of course mean that man’s substance is hastiness; it only refers to his nature.

Secondly, if all the texts of the Hadith you have referred to are collected and analyzed, it becomes evident that the Prophet (sws) has compared the nature of a woman with a rib. The comparison subtly alludes to the fact that a woman’s nature is very delicate and tender as well as a bit adamant. The Prophet (sws) has advised men to treat them tactfully keeping in view this nature. Instead of forcing them to accept a particular point of view which will only bring out their obduracy, men should try to convince and persuade them.

 

 

Eating Sheep’s Testicles

 

Question: Is eating sheep’s testicles permissible in Islam or not. Please explain to me in detail because some of my friends are eating them regularly; when I stopped them, they told me that they are permissible in Islam.

Answer: The edibles which are prohibited in Islam are clearly mentioned in the Qur’an; sheep’s testicles are not among them. Therefore, they can be eaten. However, it is certainly not imperative to eat them; if you feel an aversion to a certain type of food you can refrain from it but you can’t stop others from eating food items that are not forbidden; do keep in mind that people have varied tastes regarding food; what may seem unpleasant to you might seem very delicious to others.

 

 

Working in an Internet Café

 

Question: I am working in Saudi Arabia for the past five years. Six months ago my sponsor opened an Internet Cafe and shifted me there. Now I feel very bad to work in this Internet Cafe because many customers come here and ask me to open dirty sites. I always insist on not opening them but they do not listen to me. Being a practising Muslim, I don’t want to be involved in this act. What should I do? I cannot get another visa as it costs more and my family is fully dependent on me.

Answer: When a person is forced to do some evil and he has no other option, it is hoped that the Almighty would forgive him. In your case also, it seems that circumstances are such that inspite of wanting to remain away from evil you are forced into it; you seem to have no other option but to continue. But keep asking for the forgiveness of Allah and also keep praying to Him to help you in finding a way out.

One must remember that the Almighty always holds a person accountable according to his circumstances. We have one very clear precedent from the Qur’an which shows how extenuating circumstances affect the extent of accountability. We know that during the Prophet’s times, there were people who forced their slave girls to prostitution. They would compel them into this heinous crime and thereby earn money. If we look at the conditions of slavery which prevailed in the Prophets times, it becomes clear that it was so very rampant in that society, and there were dozens of slaves owned by a single person. All these slaves, whether men or women, were totally dependent on their masters for their livelihood, and, the way things were in Arabia at that time, it was very difficult for them to think of any other economic activity independently. So the Qur’an never demanded from these slave girls forced to prostitution to run away from their masters. Instead, it comforted them by saying that if in spite of wanting to refrain from this abomination and having a severe dislike and aversion for it, they were driven into it by their masters, the Almighty shall forgive them:

 

But if anyone compels them, Allah will be Forgiving and Merciful to them. (24:33)

 

 

Is Travelling Allowed in Iddat

 

Question: My ninety-year old father-in-law just passed away and my husband would like to bring his aging mother to stay with us in the US. Is she allowed to leave her house before her Iddat has expired? Are there any exceptions? What if she is unable to live by herself?

Answer: Yes, she can certainly come and stay with you. Travelling during Iddat is not prohibited; staying at home during Iddat is no directive of the Shari‘ah, as is generally understood. It needs to be appreciated that there are two basic objectives for this waiting period (Iddat) for a widow:

1) To ascertain whether she is pregnant or not. If she is, this waiting period extends to the birth of the child.

2) To provide her with some time to adjust to the situation of her husband’s demise.

For ladies who have passed the child bearing age, as in your mother-in-law’s case, obviously the first condition does not apply. As far as the second one is concerned, it is befitting that a widow, during this period, should not go about doing things which are against its objectives stated above. The mourning period has its own sanctity and a widow should observe this period with solemnity and austerity. Keeping these objectives in consideration, she can lead her life in any way she wants.

 

 

Marriage Options

 

Question: Is it more rewarding to marry a practicing and knowledgeable Muslim woman or a non-Muslim woman, who I will hopefully be able to bring closer to Islam?

Answer: Both carry reward-- this is certain; which carries more is not. So, besides thinking of the reward -- which you are going to get in both cases --, I would earnestly advise you to use your common sense and judgement in taking this decision; you should think more about the adjustment and the compatibility factor of the family and of the lady herself with you and your family. I would even advise you to settle for less reward if the compatibility factor is not there in a particular case

 

 

Is using Olive Oil a Sunnah?

 

Question: I want to know if it is  true that using olive oil is a Sunnah of the Prophet (sws).

Answer: No this is no Sunnah of the Prophet (sws). As a principle, the Sunnah is that established practice of the Prophet (sws) which he sanctioned as religion. Acts which are not done in a religious perspective never form the Sunnah. In other words, using olive oil or such other acts of the Prophet (sws) like riding a camel or eating by hand or wearing a turban are related to the common practice of the society he lived in; for example, he fought with a sword because wars in that time were fought with swords; he used a Miswakstick because this was the common way of cleaning one’s teeth in those times; no one can say that if today a person uses a gun to fight a war or a toothpaste to clean one’s teeth, he would not be following the Prophet’s Sunnah. This of course does not mean that a person cannot adopt these practices; he, however, should always be clear that these are not Sunnah.

 

 

Stability of Interest Based Economies

 

Question: Being a Muslim it is our faith that whatever Islam presents is the most correct thing and of course has some benefits for humanity. My question is that interest is prohibited in Islam; naturally there must be some curse in it. But if we look at the western developed countries, interest is fully present but still their economies are stable and booming day by day. How would you reject this argument?

Answer: According to Islam, a contract between a lender and borrower should be an equitable one. It should ensure justice to both parties and safeguard their rights on equal footings. If one party’s interest is protected more than the other even minutely, injustice creeps in. In a Riba (interest) contract, justice to both parties is not ensured. While the lender is ensured a safe return, the borrower is not -- and the lender is least bothered with it. This is unethical. Various measures have been suggested by economists that reduce risk for the lender. All said and done, these measures may be efficient, but the fact remains that they do not ensure equal justice to both parties. Injustice, you’ll agree, is something very objectionable and cannot be tolerated at any level.

The fact that a certain unjust act might cause an economic boom is not reason enough that it should be legalized. There are many practices which may be ethically incorrect but which may boost the economy of a country. Drug trafficking and smuggling for example can be very beneficial for a country. Similarly, in the far eastern countries, child pornography is a very lucrative way of earning. In some African countries, slave trading is very profitable. So you see that if a thing is economically profitable, it does not necessarily mean that it is morally correct. Interest is prohibited because of the fact that it is an unethical contract. You would perhaps agree that economic boom is only commendable if it is based on ethical contracts.

 

 

Dealing with a Raped Woman

 

Question: I’d like to know how a lady who has been raped should be dealt with. Does this incident make her impure in any way? Does it make her an unbeliever? Is she guilty of adultery? If not, then is it permissible under Islam to marry her and give her a good life; but then the Qur’ansays that a Muslim should marry a chaste woman only?

Answer: Rape is one of the most heinous crimes a man can commit. Obviously, his victim is absolutely blameless. On the contrary, she deserves all the sympathy and compassion a society can give her. A raped lady does not become impure in anyway. Only a willful indulgence in such an act makes the concerned man and woman impure. So, yes a chaste Muslim can marry her.

The one thing that a person must consider is pregnancy; if the lady has become pregnant as a result and has passed the abortion period*, then of course till childbirth she should not marry anyone. After childbirth only marriage options can be considered.

You can now marry her keeping the implications of such a marriage in mind; you maybe doing a pious gesture, but your family and the society might make your life miserable; embark on this venture only if you are able to handle these pressures.