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Queries

 

Human Conscience and the Day of Judgement

 

Question: Is human conscience inborn? What is its basic function? ‘Does it die away’ so to speak? You have also mentioned somewhere in your articles that the mere existence of human conscience shows that the Day of Judgement is bound to come. Please explain.

Answer: Every human being is born with a conscience. Within the conscience of every human being is contained the cognizance of good and evil. The Qur’an says:

 

We showed him the path. It is now up to him to be grateful or ungrateful. (76:1-3)

 

Have We not shown him the two ways [that he could understand the good and the evil]? (90:7-9)

 

In other words, a person through his conscience has an inborn knowledge of what is good and what is evil. Not only does a person has the ability to discriminate between good and evil, he is also equipped with an internal correcting mechanism: The conscience within him praises him on every good he does and pricks him on every evil that emanates from him. This is the basic function of human conscience. If a person does not pay heed to the calls of his conscience, the conscience starts getting weaker and ultimately even dies. A dead conscience means that it no longer rebukes a person on any wrong he commits. Conversely, it remains alive only when its calls are heeded to.

     As far as the last part of your query is concerned, it needs to be appreciated that it is the verdict of sense and reason that a person should succeed if he adopts the good revealed to his conscience, and  be doomed if he adopts the evil revealed to it. However, since this world is a place of trial and test, and as a consequence of this, the result of a good enterprise is not necessarily good and the result of an evil undertaking is not necessarily evil, a day must come when results are in accordance with the nature of deeds. Furthermore, if the Almighty has no intention of evaluating a person one Day, why at all has He endowed him with such an internal mechanism of correction? The Qur’an stresses that not believing in a Day in which good and evil shall produce congruous results would mean that this world is the toy-land of an unjust Creator in which the righteous and the wrongdoers meet the same fate.It, therefore, asserts that the mere existence of conscience in a person is evidence enough for the Day of Judgement:

 

[They think that the Day of Judgement will never be]; By no means! I present as evidence the Day of Judgement itself. And [they think that the Day of Judgement is a far-fetched reality]. By no means! I present as evidence this reproaching soul [within you]. Does man think that We will not be able to bring together his bones? Why not? We can put together his very finger tips. [No this is not so]; in fact [the truth is that] man wants to be mischievous before his [conscience]. He asks ‘When will the Day of Judgement be?’ (75:1-6)

 

In other words, this chiding conscience within a person shows that he will not be left unaccountable for his deeds. One day, he will be called to account. A person may be blind to the brimming evidence of this Day in the world around him, but he cannot be blind to the world within him, unless of course he has lulled the calls of his conscience to sleep.

 

 

Can a Muslim be a Vegetarian ?

 

Question: I was asked this question by my daughter and wanted guidance for my reply. Her question was: Can a Muslim be a vegetarian?

Answer: If a person is a vegetarian because he does not like meat and prefers eating vegetables or because of some dietary reasons, then this cannot be objected to on religious grounds. However, if he or she thinks that slaughtering animals to eat their meat is doing injustice to them, then this perhaps is not the correct attitude. He or she must realise that animals which give Halal meat have been put to the service of man by the Almighty:

 

And cattle He has created for you. From them you derive warmth, and numerous benefits, and of their [meat] you eat. (16:5)

 

It is God who made cattle for you that you may use some for riding and some for food. (40:79)

 

In my humble opinion, one should not try to be more merciful than the Merciful Allah. Such philosophising is tantamount to expressing ingratitude to the Creator. One should remember that Allah has created many things for the service of man so that man himself realise that these favours and blessings have a source: The Almighty. A person who develops a true comprehension of His Gracious Creator cannot lead a life of sin, though he may sometimes stumble into sin.

In other words, eating the meat of the animals is acknowledging the favours of a Gracious Creator, and this acknowledgement in turn is instrumental in the inner purification of a person – the primary goal of Islam.

 

 

Code of Dress in a Funeral Ceremony

 

Question: I am a Christian living in New Zealand and am supposed to attend a Muslim funeral. Could you please tell me what color is worn by mourners at a traditional Islamic funeral ?

Answer: No specific ruling has been given by Islam on this issue. Such matters have generally been left to the cultural traditions and customs of a society. These traditions among Muslims may not be universal. They may be different in New Zealand and in Britain for example.

So I would suggest that you follow the tradition of your area. What at best can be said is that the occasion demands a sober dress. Sports clothes, for example, would seem out of place.

 

 

Inflationary Adjustments

 

Question: I keep my money in a current account so that I may avoid interest. However, the funds do depreciate due to inflation. Does Islam recognise inflation and how does it compensate for devaluation and depreciation due to inflationary pressures?

Answers: Money in the form of paper currency has originated in the last few centuries. The issue of depreciation due to inflation has arisen because of the very nature of paper currency. Prior to this, goods were bought and sold on the basis of real commodities like gold and silver coins for example, and there was no ‘false’ depreciation. However, today, this change in situation certainly calls for some corrective measures.

As such, in my opinion, there seems no reason for Islam to disregard inflation and depreciation of paper currency. Whether this measure will actually root out inflation may be debatable, but the point however is that the nature and extent of the corrective measure is such that it requires state authority. Only a state has the power to bind financial institutions and other sectors of the economy to make inflationary adjustments. The common man, you would perhaps agree, cannot do this. Therefore, unless the state realises this problem, nothing much can practically be done.

 

 

Masculine Gender for God

 

Question: Does God have a gender? Why does the Qur’an refer to God in the masculine gender by using words like ‘He’, ‘His’ and ‘Him’?

Answer: When the Qur’an addresses God by the masculine gender, it is not because that His gender is masculine. The real reason is that in the Arabic language like almost all the other languages the gender used for addressing God is masculine. In divinely revealed scriptures like the New and Old Testaments also, God has been addressed in the masculine gender. In other words, this is basically related to linguistics and has nothing to do with the gender of the Almighty.

An example may help understanding the point. In the English language, the feminine gender is used for referring to countries. This of course does not mean that a country has a feminine gender; it only means that in a language the gender employed to refer to a country is feminine. How such a gender is selected depends on the usage of a language.

 

 

Frequency of Sexual Intimacy

 

Question: Both my husband and I reverted to Islam. Our marital relationship has been suffering. My husband has stated that he will have sex when he feels like it but I feel that he is not meeting my needs. This is very straining as I do not feel as close to him as I did before. In fact, we are moving into separate bedrooms soon. My husband says that moving in to separate bedrooms is an essential religious requirement. Please give us any Islamic advice.

Answer: Islam has not given any specific instructions regarding the frequency of sexual relations between a husband and wife. This frequency, it seems, has been left to the couple itself, and normally settles down on a mutually consented pattern. In this matter, each must give due regard to the needs of the other.

Similarly, whether a couple live in the same bedroom or in different ones is a matter on which Islam has given no ruling. It is left to their own choice and to the traditions of the society they live in.

 

 

Male-Female Friendship

 

Question: I’m a young Muslim living in San Jose and I wonder if it is un-Islamic to have a friend of the opposite sex?

Answer: This depends on what one means by the word ‘friend’. Usually, this word is indicative of intimate, close and frank relations. If this is the case, then my answer would be in the negative. You see Islam has based its social structure on the institution of family. To safeguard this structure, it discourages temporary unions and male-female friendships for these often lead to excesses and tend to stimulate base emotions. Also, such relationships tend to damage the repute and honour of a lady, which are so very essential for her.

On the other hand coming into some meaningful contact with one another like for example exchanging views is a different matter. Nevertheless, developing frankness is not desirable since this affects the inner purity -- something which is the very objective of Islam. Islam wants that a person should always be mindful of inner purification in his activities and dealings. It declares that only people who have purified their souls shall enter Paradise. Therefore, every person must try as much as he can to guard his soul and to preserve the modesty within him.

 

 

What is Jallalah?

 

Question:There is a lot of confusion these days regarding the Islamic concept of Jallalah and animal feed. Some individuals as well as animal rights organisations are campaigning that since most of the animal feed contains extracts from other animals, the rule of Jallalah applies here and hence Muslims cannot consume any meat in the North American Continent. My questions are as follows: What is the definition of Jallalah? Why is it prohibited? Is there a difference of opinion among our scholars regarding its prohibition? Since the animal extracts that are used in the feed undergo a long process in which they are changed from their original state, does the rule of Jallalah apply here? Does mishandling or ill-treatment of animals before slaughter restrict Muslims not to eat their meat?

Answer: ‘Jallalah’ means an animal that is addicted to eating filth. There is no difference of opinion as far as the definition is concerned. Ibn ‘Umar reports:

 

The Prophet (sws) prohibited the meat and milk of Jallalah. (Abu Da’ud, Kitabu’l-At‘imah)

 

A little deliberation on the nature of the directive and on its relation to the original sources of Islam shows that its prohibition is not part of the Islamic Shari‘ah. It belongs to the category of directives that forbid certain things whose abhorrence is found in human nature.

Among the authorities whose opinion we know, Imam Malik regards it to be undesirable (makruh) and Imam Shaf‘i calls it prohibited (h~aram).*

In my opinion, the word Jallalah does not apply to the situation you have described. Animal feed is prepared from animal extracts through a chemical process that changes the original material.

The answer to your last question is in the negative as well. Muslims can use the meat of all animals which are slaughtered the Islamic way. This of course does not mean that Islam condones the maltreatment of animals.

 

 

Making Friends with Atheists

 

Question: Is it prohibited to be friends with atheists?

Answer: No, I do not think so. In fact, I think that one must find ways to develop friendship with them and induce them to ponder on certain basic questions of life. Who knows this might make them realise that they are wrong. In general, people who seem to have deviated from the right path deserve more sympathy and concern. A practising Muslim naturally feels disturbed when he sees such people. However, this disturbance should not drive him away from the person. In fact, it should kindle in him the spark to help his brother in seeking the truth. We should remember that deep down every person is the ingrained perception of God. People try to forget Him, but I don’t think that they really can. He continues to make His presence felt. So, if sincere efforts are made, a person can rediscover God.

 

Looking more Beautiful in the Hijab

 

Question: Someone has told me that I look more beautiful in the H~ijab. Does this not defeat the purpose of wearing it?

Answer: The purpose of wearing the H~ijabis not to look ugly. Its purpose is to look decent. If a lady looks more graceful and decent in the H~ijab, then looking graceful and decent is no sin. Muslim men, on the other hand, are directed not to stare at women. So even if a lady is wearing the H~ijaband as a result looking graceful, Muslim men must guard their gazes and refrain from staring at her.

In other words, if a lady is wearing the H~ijab, it does not mean that Muslim men can freely gaze at her. Rather they must look at her, if they have to, the way they would like others to look at their own sisters and mothers.

 

 

The Purpose of the Hijab

 

Question: Is not the basic purpose of wearing the H~ijabnot to arouse males? Should not then males be asked to control themselves and not stare at women?

Answer: I am afraid this is an incorrect inference. ‘Not to arouse males’, is certainly not the purpose of the H~ijab. Nowhere does the Qur’an say so. On the contrary, the main purpose of the H~ijab,as stated by the Qur’an, is to purify the soul of the person who is wearing it. The Qur’an explicitly states that the basic purpose of Islamic directives is to achieve inner purification:

 

It is He who has sent among the unlettered a Messenger from amongst themselves who rehearses upon them His verses and purifies them and for this he instructs them in law and in wisdom. (62:2)

 

It is only a purified soul who will enter Paradise in the Hereafter. So one must strive one’s utmost to try to cleanse oneself from things which pollute the soul. Not wearing the Hijab, according the Qur’an, is a hindrance in this purification for women. Consequently, during the H~ijabverse of Surah Nur, this objective is mentioned in the following words:

 

That is purer for them. (24:30)

 

 

Islamic System of Education

 

Question: I am writing a paper on Islamic education and need to address two issues:

a. What exactly is the Islamic system of education?

b. Is it the religious obligation of Muslims to obtain general (secular) education?

I would like to know your opinion about these two issues.

Answer: The answer to your first query is that Islam has no particular system of education. It has left such things to common sense and experience. One should benefit from the experience and practices of those who are involved in this field. Islam’s first concern, whatever system be followed, is that universal human values must be inculcated in children. They should have all the good attributes of human beings. Its second concern is that every child should have a basic knowledge of his religion.

These two may be called the principle guidelines of an Islamic system of education.

The answer to your second question is in the negative. All the Prophets of Allah urged mankind to have knowledge of the basic guidance revealed to them. This is what is evident in most Ahadith of the Prophet (sws). In them, the word ‘Al-Ilm’ means religious knowledge and does not mean knowledge other than this. This of course does not mean that they discourage a person from obtaining general education. The fact is that the urge for general education is naturally found in a person and Prophets of Allah leave such affairs to this internal urge.