ImamFaisal.com

Question:
What is the ruling on celebrating or sending good wishes in new year of lunar calendar?

Answer:

Alhamdulillah, the Islamic calendar reminds us of our connection to our
Islamic history and identity. The Ulema did not reject the concept of
remembering the Islamic new year, but at the same time it is not
reported from the pious predecessors that they exchanged greetings on
this date. The preferred opinion is that one should return the
greetings of others on the Islamic New Year, but it is not legislated
to initiate such greetings since this ritual is not based on evidence.

Allah knows best.

Question:

What is the ruling on someone that is on life support; is it allowed to
remove a person from life support? What about DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) orders?

Answer:

Verily the praises are to Allah, and may Allah’s peace and blessings be
upon prophet Muhammed.

Darul Ifta, the lead scholars of the world directed by shaikh Bin Baz, has ruled that
in cases such as this, the situation should be examined by three specialist doctors. If all three
determine that there is no chance of survival, i.e. the condition of the patient would just
degenerate and not improve, it would be allowed to remove the patient from life support
and implement the DNR (Do Not Resusciate) order. The DNR order should be determined by the
three specialist physicians, and no consideration should be given to the statements of the
family, or the patients previous statements regarding the DNR.

And Allah knows.

Shaikh Sajid

Question:

Is it permissable to prescribe morphine or Pethidin for patients? Is morphine
a type of intoxicant (khamr) that is forbidden as medicine?

Answer:

Verily the praises are to Allah, and may Allah’s peace and blessings be
upon prophet Muhammed.

Generally speaking, medications such as morphine, etc. are not allowed
because they are intoxicants (khamr), and rasul Allah, may Allah’s peace and
blessings be upon him, stated that they are not cures, but rather a malady

Darul Ifta, the lead scholars of the world directed by shaikh Bin Baz, has ruled that
in cases where there are no other permissable drugs that can be used to relieve pain except
for them, it would be permissible to make use of them when necessary, as long as
greater harm does not result from them like being addicted to them. They also ruled that
it is not allowed to prescribe them if they advance death, even if a patient suffers
profusely without them.

And Allah knows.

Shaikh Sajid

Question: As salam alaykum wa raghmatulahi wa barakatuh, I look for information about the subject of to change the colour of hair. There is hadeeth that forbiddens us to dark our hair to black, there is other that say that we will not imitate to the people kufr…in all hadeeths they name the use of natural products like henna, zafran…. so…and always the ahadeeths speak about the old people, so my question is can a young woman change the color of her hair with quimic products, these doesnt, go agains these ahadeeths and about the rule of to doesnt change the creation of Allah (Subhanna wa ta’ala)?

Answer:

All praise be to Allah.

Changing the color of the hair is from the permissable means of
beautification. There are no texts that prohibit changing hair color,
and it is not an act of worship, therefore the default ruling is that
of permissiblity. Coloring hair is not specific to the people of
kufr, rather it is something general, and was practiced in the time of
the Prophet may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him.

Some of the ulema are of the view that black should be avoided, due to
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam advising one of the Sahabah to
avoid using black. However, any color other than pure black is
generally permissable.

As for using natural verses chemical dyeing products, the ruling would
be that of general permissibility unless some harm would result from
the use of chemical products, in which case the level of prohibition
would be in accordance to the amount of harm caused.

It is not correct to state that dyeing hair is changing the creation of Allah,
since we must go by the texts, and there is no analogy in this issue. What
would be the ruling on cutting the hair then, is it not also changing Allah’s Creation?
Rather we must stick to the texts. This is what the ulema have ruled for many centuries
and what we have learned from them.

It is essential that all Muslims stick together in the obedience of Allah, and hold
on the the Sunnah of the pious predecessors.

And Allah knows best.

Question:

Is it allowed for a Muslim woman to have a male physician, nurse, etc deliver her baby?

Answer:

All praise be to Allah.

I pray that you are well and that Allah accept from our righteous actions.

The Ulema state that women receiving medical attention should be treated by Muslim female doctors and nurses. If this is not possible, then non-Muslim female doctors or nurses should be sought. If this is not available, then a Muslim male doctor should be sought. Finally, if none are available, then a non-Muslim male doctor or nurse is permissable.

This is due to necessity. Care should be taken to only uncover the parts of the ‘aura (private area, anything other than hands and face) that are necessary for treatment, and only for the duration of time needed.

A male doctor (whether Muslim or not) should never be alone with a female patient, rather a relative should always be present.

Male nurses, helpers, etc, that are not needed for the medical treatment should not be present when the ‘aura is uncovered.

Once the necessity has passed, matters return to their original ruling, and the ‘aura should be guarded from uncovering.

In the case mentioned, if no female doctors are available, as is often the case, then there is no harm in a male doctor doing the delivery.

The fiqh principle involved in such cases is: al mushaqqatu tajlib at tayseer (overbearing hardship brings ease) and ad durooraat tuqaddaru bi qadariha (necessities are limited by their extent).

As a side note, this issue highlights the importance of Muslim sisters advancing in the field of women’s medicine to fulfill this need of the Muslim community.

And Allah knows best.

Question:

I converted to Islam in February. During my fast I had a very emotional breakdown, and out of frustration I broke my fast and for about two days stopped praying. After this time, I resumed fasting the rest of the month and have continued to pray the five prayers as normal. I am not sure what to do. Can you please tell me if I should make up for the whole fast by fasting 60 days or feeding 60 poor people? Or should I make up for the days missed only. I was also not in my hometown during the entire month of the fast because I was away staying with family. I would appreciate any advising you could give me.

Answer:

All praise is due to Allah.

Alhamdulillah and congratulations on your coming to Islam and being guided to the Oneness of Allah. Beloved brother, know that our faith will be tested and that a beautiful home in the hereafter awaits the righteous.

As for the hardships you faced during Ramadan, the majority of ulema state that you should make up the two days that you missed, along with the prayers. You should also ask Allah for forgiveness for missing those days of fasting and prayer. As long as you did not have marital relations in the daytime during those two days, the correct view is that there is no need for the kafarah (expiation of fasting or feeding 60 poor people).

The school of Imam Ahmad states that one who abandons salat is not Muslim, so their view is that one who resumes prayer should simply make tawbah for abandoning prayer, and do a lot of extra good deeds and make lots of duas to make up for what they missed.

It would be advisable to spend time developing your Imaan, attending the masajid, and meet your fellow Muslims to support you. Try not to let the worries of the dunya affect your religious life. Remind your family and colleagues that you are following the original message of Jesus, and that they should go away from the innovations and commercialization inserted into his message.

I pray that Allah Most High grants you knowledge that will dispel any doubts and imaan that will help you overcome the trials of this dunya. May Allah make your affairs easy and guide you further as you increase your knowledge of this beautiful deen, and keep you firm on Islam for your entire life.

And Allah knows best.

Question:

is it haram to trick or treat

Answer:

All praise is due to Allah.

May Allah reward you young sister for your noble question. You are doing the right thing by seeking knowledge. It is always good to get closer to our Ulema and love them very much. If you seek knowledge and follow Allah’s commandments, Allah will make you very happy in this world, and in the Paradise He will give you everything that your heart desires.

It is not allowed to celebrate halloween or trick-or-treat. Trick or treat and halloween are from the innovated or new customs that Allah did not give any permission for. Rather people who do not believe in Allah invented this custom. If we imitate them then we will be following a wrong path that will lead us away from Allah and towards the path of the Shaitan.

In Islam it is not permissable to dress up and imitate animals. Wearing costumes that have images on them is not allowed either, since only Allah can create living things.

Also, eating too much sugar can be bad for your teeth and make them fall out. Sometimes evil things happen during halloween. Many times youth damage property and steal things from the young kids.

By the way, Muslims are discouraged from begging from people, whether it is for money or candy or anything else, unless there is a real need. You can save your money or perhaps your parents can buy anything you need for you.

During these blessed days of Dhul Hijja we should remember our father Ibrahim, and the great sacrifice he made. He was ready to sacrifice his beloved son to answer Allah’s commandments. Should not we be ready to sacrifice the things we love also, such as candy and unIslamic customs, to please Allah?

If you give up these unislamic customs, Allah will give you something better.

The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said, ‘Whoever gives up something for the sake of Allah, Allah will grant him something better in return.’

May Allah reward you for your question.

And Allah knows best.

Question:

Can you please tell me a dua to read to try and have a baby boy? If there is one can you tell me when and how many times to read this? Can you tell me the dua in english and the meaning of the dua?

Answer:

All praise are due to Allah.

Jazakumallahu khairan for your question. You have done the correct thing by turning to Allah ta’ala alone to answer your prayers. However, you should not be too insistent in asking only for a boy, since both male and female children are blessings from Allah, and are from His Decree.

Allah criticizes the pagan Arabs in the Qur’an for the dislike of having daughters, He Almighty says: “When one of them is given the good news of a baby girl, his face turns dark and he is enraged.”

There is a general dua for having righteous children:

“Rabanaa hablanaa min azwaajinaa wa dhuriaatina quraata ‘ayun, wa ja’alna lil mutaqeena imaamaa.”

“Our Lord! Grant us from our spouses and progeny what shall cool our eyes, and make us leaders for the righteous.”

Some of the righteous asked for a pious male child that would serve the deen of Allah, such as Zakariyya, and Hinna the mother of Maryam. If this is your intention then there is no harm in asking for a male child, while accepting and praising Allah for a female. Do you not see Allah’s wisdom in granting Hinna a baby girl?

Make your dua’ at times of acceptance, such as in the last third of the night, in sajdah, or between the adhan and iqaama, during rain, or just before tasleem in prayer. Remember to make sure your and your husband’s rizq is halal, for impure earnings will be a barrier between you and acceptance of your dua.

Finally, pray to Allah to guide your children, for whether male or female, what really counts is where they end up in the Afterlife. A parent’s greatest concern should be that their children do good deeds and that they learn from you, as they will be a Sadaqa jariyya for you after you have left this world.

May Allah guide you to all that is good.

And Allah knows best.

Question:

In which verse and sura ,the topic about the punishment at the Grave is written? Also can you mention any hadith related with that?

Answer:

All praise is due to Allah.

Jazakumallahu khairan for your question. It is very nice to hear from you.

The Belief in the punishment of the grave is established in the Qur’an, Sunnah, and by the consensus of the Ulema.

Allah ta’ala says regarding the punishment that Firoun and his family are receiving while in their graves:

[النَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوًّا وَعَشِيًّا وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُوا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ} [غافر : 46}

"Fire is exposed to their graves morning and evening, and on the Day of Resurrection, (it will be said:) 'Enter Family of Firoun the Most Terrible Punishment!'"
[Surah Ghafir, Verse 46]

In the Sunnah, there are many texts that affirm the punishment in the grave. For example, the Prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) once passed by the graves of two people who were being punished. He said, “These two are being punished for something not big (in terms of action). Rather they are big (in the sight of Allah). As for the one, he spread slanderous tales amongst people. As for the other, he did not protect himself from urine.” Narrated by Bukhari.

The Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, “Were I not afraid that you would not bury your dead, I would have asked Allah to allow you to hear their torment.” Narrated by Muslim.

In addition, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to ask for safety from the punishment of the grave at the end of each prayer before the tasleem, saying, “O Allah, I seek refuge in you from the punishment of the grave.”

May Allah ta’ala grant us and all the believers safety on the Day we meet Him.

And may He bless you with beneficial knowledge.

Question:

I was listening to the first lecture on Fiqh of Purification and you said (or I heard it that way) in the Q&A session that lizards are Halal? Are they not so impure? I am sorry, it might sound like a weird question, but it was very surprising. Also Sunan Abi Dawood 3787 mentions that Prophet (PBUH) forbade eating its flesh.

Answer:

All praise is due to Allah.

Jazakumallahu khairan for your question, there are no weird questions on Islam and it is very noble for one to seek out the Islamic rulings and learn the ‘ilm. I congratulate you on beginning the series on Tahara and I hope you benefit much from them.

It is not correct that all types of lizards were forbidden by the Prophet sallahallahu alayhi wa salam. Al-Bukhaari narrated from Khaalid ibn al-Waleed that he and the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) entered upon Maymoonah, who was his [Khaalid’s] maternal aunt and the maternal aunt of Ibn ‘Abbaas, and found that she had some roasted lizard that her sister Hafeedah bint al-Haarith had brought from Najd. She offered the lizard to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but he would rarely stretch forth his hand to food until he had been told what it was. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stretched forth his hand, then one of the women who were present said, “Tell the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that what has been offered to him is lizard.” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) withdrew his hand from the lizard, and Khaalid ibn al-Waleed asked, “Is lizard haraam, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “No, but it is not found in the land of my people and I feel that I would have no liking for it. Khaalid said, Then I chewed it and ate it, and the Messenger of Allaah was looking at me.

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5391; Muslim, 1946)

The text you are referring to in the Sunan of Abi Dawood is in regards to a particular species of lizard that is harmful and causes skin diseases. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa wassalam commanded killing these types of harmful lizards.

The Prophet alayhi salam forbade eating all types of harmful insects and pests. As for a common lizard that is not harmful to one’s health, then there is no objection to eating it.

An important point to note is that one should be careful about deriving a ruling from a single hadith, rather all texts must be analyzed before reaching a conclusion. One must therefore always refer to the explanations of the ulema and not hasten to rely on one’s own feelings or judgements.

May Allah increase you much in knowledge.

And Allah knows best.