ummtaalib

The time of Tahajjud Q. What is the time of performing Tahajjud Salaah? Can I perform Tahajjud Salaah at Fajr time? (Question published as received) A. Tahajjud Salaah may be performed after the Esha Salaah until Subah Saadiq (the starting of Fajr Salaah time). However, the reward for Tahajjud Salaah increases if it is performed after half of the night has elapsed. Tahajjud Salaah cannot be performed after Subah Saadiq or at Fajr Salaah time. Allah Knows Best Mufti Ismaeel Bassa Confirmation: Mufti Ebrahim Desai Fatwa Department Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) Council of Muslim Theologians

Allah's Promise: A Journey Through Bipolar Disorder What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. -Ralph Waldo Emerson You could have hit me upside my head a 1000 times and I would have been unaware of it all. My mind was detached from consciousness leaving my body unable to function. I could not eat on my own, walk on my own and I was verbally unresponsive. I was comatose and for a month’s time I have no memories of my own. You might be wondering what could cause such a state? A severe case of Bipolar Disorder. There is a dark angle to this story yet I must share it with you, and when the story is finished I pray you will be enlightened. At the age of fourteen, my future was bright. I was a straight A student, a well-liked president of my class and a participant in a plethora of after-school activities. I was confident, determined and, in my mind, headed straight to Harvard in four years. Allah had different plans for me. Sophomore year, I had to leave private school and transfer to a public school that was three times the size of my precious former school. I was unprepared for how it would, by design, chew me up and spit me out. I was ostracized at my new school. I was the “know it all” black girl who came from an uppity private school and I was not received well. I tried to fit in, but was unable to fit into a place that was not made to fit me. I was swallowed up by the rejection of my peers. I found myself very alone in a state of cultural shock. I didn’t have any friends and would spend the majority of the school day talking to no one. I quickly became depressed and things spiraled out of control. In order to cope, I started acting out. I found a home in the “bad crowd”. I started skipping school, doing drugs, stealing and lying incessantly. I experienced many sleepless nights and my thoughts would race in an uncontrollable battle. I didn’t want to keep doing the things I was doing; the things I knew Allah didn’t want me to do, but I couldn’t stop. I was a tortured soul. I didn’t know the erratic state I was experiencing had a name. It was Mania. The state of mind that accompanies the Depression found in the Bipolar illness. My parents thought something was wrong with me and sent me to the therapist, but it was useless. I was so confused and couldn’t voice the currents of inner turmoil that were afflicting me. It was a turmoil I saw eating away at my soul; a turmoil no one else could see. Towards the end of my breakdown period, I started running away habitually. The last time I ran away the police became involved and I had to go to court. In court, I declared that I wanted to divorce my family and live as a ward of the state in foster care. My parents were disgusted with me, but they had no idea how disgusted I was by me. I wanted to leave my family because I felt like I didn’t deserve their love. So in the end they let me go to teach me a lesson. I regrettably went. I stayed in foster care for about a month. It wasn’t the worst of places or the best of places. In my tortured state, I would cry to go home every day and when I arrived home I felt like the lesson was learned. I felt like I could miraculously do better this time, but once again Allah had different plans for me. In no time, I experienced scary hallucinations. I would see animals (snakes and alligators) in me and feel them move in serpent like patterns. My parents told me I was talking about being dead and in Hell along with the hallucinations for about two weeks before my mind and body shut down. In the hospital, it took the doctors some time to reach a proper diagnosis. In the early nineties, hallucinations with Bipolar Disorder were very rare. The comatose state troubled the doctors as well. They had never seen a case so severe in a person so young. They pumped my body with thirty pills a day in order to bring me out of the comatose state. I stayed on thirty pills for about five years too long. I was over-medicated and the medications had devastating side effects that worsened with time. I suffered from hair loss, 100 pound weight gain, hand tremors and eye seizures; returning to life was just the beginning. My rebirth was the beginning to uncertainty and never knowing if my past would repeat itself again. It was the beginning to living a life that was held captive by debilitating side effects. I was told by doctors that I never would have to be that sick again if I took the thirty pills. So you could imagine how hard it was for me to challenge this theory, but I did. I did because I believed that Allah would answer my prayers for relief. I started researching my array of pills and discovered that I was, in some cases, taking triple the amount of pills for the same symptoms. So I asked the doctors why and I started to ask more questions and more questions until it was clear that I wasn’t going to stand for being their guinea pig anymore. I started to pay attention to my symptoms. I would journal improvement or lack of improvement. I became my best advocate and Allah paved the way. I had insurance issues and had to change doctors. My new doctor was more willing to change the medicine. This happened a couple of times before I found myself on only 6 pills rather than thirty, then three and eventually down to one over a ten year span. With the decrease of the pills, I found it easier to lose weight. I actually became stable and my illness went into remission, which is when symptoms become significantly reduced or disappear and no longer impact your life. My faith in Allah gave me the courage to fight for stability and freedom from the weight of side effects. This was not an easy fight, but I believed to my core that Allah would protect me. Despite everything, I always knew I came back for a reason, Allah’s reason. I experienced my darkest days to share the promise of light given to us every day. I never forgot Allah and His promise to us all. His promise that with every difficulty there is relief ( Qu’ran Sura 94), and He gives us no burden greater than what our hearts can bear (Qur‘an Sura 2). Today, I am no longer on thirty pills. I am a mother of a beautiful four year old, a graduate of Mount Holyoke College, and an author, Al-Hamdulillah. My memoir, "She Smiles and Cries", utilizes poetry and prose to highlight my teenage breakdown and critical aspects of recovery. I have shared my journey with mental illness to inspire others. I pray all who read this article will feel inspired. More importantly, I pray you will remember that we all have the capacity to rise above pain… to smile after we cry, MashAllah. Editors Note: Although it is important to fully educate yourself about all of your treatment options and make an informed decision about the medications you are being prescribed, psychotropic medications should never be adjusted without the help of a trained medical professional. Stopping medication on your own can have severe consequences. With many thanks to mentalHealth4Muslims.com for permission to reproduce the article

Your death clock is ticking One night, when I was about 15 years old, I thought I was going to die. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, I just went to bed and was overcome with an overwhelming feeling that I was going to die. I tossed and turned, afraid that it was going to happen at any second. It was an unexplainable, perhaps irrational, kind of fear. But the fear kept me up praying that it not happen that night, too scared to shout out to anyone and tell them what I was thinking, or ask them to stay with me during my last moments, I can amusingly admit. As if death only visits after hours, I gave in to sleep when light broke. There’s no fear – or less fear – when you are surrounded by light. Everything that has life comes with an expiry date. Your death clock is ticking. The very moment Allah Ta'ala commanded an angel to blow your soul into your body – just a developing foetus housed inside your mother’s womb, the countdown to your body’s last breath began. Death’s inevitability is probably the only subject of life’s reality that humanity agrees on. As Muslims we are aware of what happens after death, despite some denying that there is a definite state of Barzakh, an interval between death and resurrection. In a Hadith relayed upon the authority of al-Bara’ ibn `Aazib, the Sahaabah RA went with Nabi Muhammad (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasalaam) to a burial of a man from the Ansaar until they arrived at the grave and the man had still not been placed inside it. The Messenger of Allah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasalaam) sat down and the Sahaabah sat around him. “You would have thought that birds were upon our heads from our silence and in the hand of the Messenger of Allah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasalaam) was a stick which he was poking the ground with. Then he started looking at the sky and looking at the earth and looking up down three times. Then he said to us, ‘Ask Allah for refuge from the torment of the grave’, he repeated this command two or three times. Then he said O Allah I seek refuge in you from the torment of the grave (three times).”(Bukhari) Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasalaam) warned us to prepare for death and seek refuge in Allah Ta'ala from the torment of the grave. Yet it has become something we take lightly. Nowadays we chat about death casually, even flippantly. Like many other of life’s aspects, we speak about it knowledgeably but our actions demonstrate incompetency. Just like the Ihram places everyone on equal terms, so does the grave. From lofty mansions, luxury apartments or mud huts, our eventual place of residence is the same – a rectangular hole, six feet in the ground. In that confined space, either a garden from heaven or a hole from hell, we’ll lay draped in a sheet of white inexpensive cloth, the only thing to separate us from a blanket of sand. You could say we’re living by the YOLO (You Only Live Once) slogan. But then again you only die once also. Many think death is a bridge they’ll cross when they get there. The bridge comes after, and it’s as thin as a strand of hair, as sharp as a sword and its length spans over Hell fire. “Every soul shall taste death,” Allah Ta'ala repeats this aayah in different chapters in the Quraan. The word taste is used to express that death is just the beginning of something. It isn’t the complete experience or the end of life. It is merely the movement from one reality to another, the start to a new beginning. The dead are buried among us, living in their own realm. Driving pass cemeteries still doesn’t make it easy to envisage. Knowing the scary reality of the Hereafter we spend the present lost in life’s luxuries. We openly justify wrongs and delude ourselves into a false sense of intellect and understanding. We scold anyone who speaks or writes truth only because we choose to idle away in disobedience. And sadly disobedience is taken for granted. Obedience is brushed away as being conservative, disobedience regarded as open minded. And the new rule propagated through shaytaan’s social media is that life’s pleasures can and must be enjoyed. Instead of asking ourselves if we are ready to taste death were it to visit us in the next five minutes or whether death in disobedience bodes well for us, we scold anyone who exposes our collective flaws. We cloak ourselves in labels of intellect and knowledge yet our actions don’t separate us from the disbelievers, only our names do. In the hereafter every soul shall experience its own reality and come to intimately understand its true condition and where it stands in relation to the nature, purpose, and greater realities of existence. There are two resurrections that take place after death, the first is in the Barzakh and the second is at the final judgment. A person’s life is likened to a book – with each thought, word, and action, they are writing on the pages of their soul, the state of their nafs is impacted by what they occupy themselves with in this world. Some might incorrectly perceive me to be writing this self righteously. What Taqwa does an article like this inspire, others will question. Accusations of this being an “uneducated opinion” or a misunderstood acceptance of the truth as though it is based on fabrication will be thrown around. It’s written in the hope that it serves as a reminder – to myself first. There are many verses in the noble Quraan and Ahadith that speak of life after death. Rasulullah’s (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasalaam) advice to us, mentioned above, and his own urgent seeking of refuge in Allah Ta'ala, is that not enough evidence? Reminding ourselves of death is a painful necessity. Especially since there is much we condone as acceptable in our daily lives. Life is a beautiful scene. But it is temporary. If we get too engrossed in the comforts it offers, we lose focus of the final destination because we can’t see it or feel it or comprehend it. Islam does not teach us to live life according to the immoral system of YOLO but to worship Allah Ta'ala and devote our thoughts, actions, words and life to seeking His Pleasure, and only so we may be rewarded with the ultimate prize. We can never go back and make a new beginning or change things, but we can struggle to make a better ending. We can do our best to add up our good deeds. We can strive for piety and the pleasure of Allah Ta'ala because to Allah do we belong and to Him is our return. Death is scary. It is inescapable. It is real. But there is no fear when you are shrouded in light. Sakeena Suliman Islaaminfo.com

Question: Is having a Slave (girl) for sex nowadays allowed? Rules and regulations of Slavery in Islam Mufti Ebrahim Desai Question What is the Islamic law with regard to slave-women? Was It permissible to have relations with these slave-women without a formal marriage ceremony? Answer In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh. Firstly, it should be borne in mind that slavery was not something that was introduced by Islam; on the contrary, it was something that had its roots planted long before the advent of Islam. It would not be an exaggeration to state that slavery is probably as old as war itself, because it is one of the consequences of war. Thus, slavery apparently first reared its head with the first wars that took place an the face of earth. War is a factor that makes soft men stern, kind men harsh and delicate men rugged. A man who cannot bear to see the sight of blood under normal circumstances becomes capable of shedding the blood of hundreds under the pressure of war. Those who were not killed in warfare, used to be taken as prisoners of war. The pages of history will show that many alternative, expedient methods were used through the ages to deal with prisoners of war. Some used to be executed while others would be set free, with or without a ransom. Then, there were others who were neither executed nor set free. These were enslaved. When Islam came and prospered, its power was challenged by the enemies of Islam and the need to go to war arose. By that time, slavery had virtually become an international custom. It was also rife among the Arabs from the days of darkness and ignorance. Thus, abolishing it instantaneously would have caused chaos and pandemonium among the Arab people. Hence, a process of gradual extirpation had to be implemented. Moreover, if the Muslims would set all their enemy-prisoners free and tolerate their fellow Muslims being captured and enslaved by the enemies, it would have lead to a sharp decrease in the Muslim military force and given a great advantage to the enemy forces which was something that the Muslims could not afford. Furthermore, it is a well known fact that warfare tactics used by one side are often countered by the opposing side in order to maintain a balance of power. Hence, wartime diplomacy necessitated the enslaving of prisoners. In the "Jihaads" (Islamic wars) that took place, women were also, at times, taken as prisoners of war by the Muslim warriors. These women captives used to be distributed as part of the booty among the soldiers, after their return to Islamic territory. Each soldier was then entitled to have relations ONLY with the slave girl over which he was given the RIGHT OF OWNERSHIP and NOT with those slave girls that were not in his possession. This RIGHT OF OWNERSHIP was given to him by the "Ameerul-Mu'mineen" (Head of the Islamic state.) Due to this right of ownership, It became lawful for the owner of a slave girl to have intercourse with her. It may, superficially, appear distasteful to copulate with a woman who is not a man's legal wife, but once Shariat makes something lawful, we have to accept it as lawful, whether it appeals to our taste, or not; and whether we know its underlying wisdom or not. It is necessary for a Muslim to be acquainted with the laws of Shariat, but it is not necessary for him to delve into each law in order to find the underlying wisdom of these laws because knowledge of the wisdom of some of the laws may be beyond his puny comprehension. Allah Ta'ala has said in the Holy Quran: "Wa maa ooteetum min al-ilm illaa qaleelan" which means, more or less, that, "You have been given a very small portion of knowledge". Hence, if a person fails to comprehend the underlying wisdom of any law of Shariat, he cannot regard it as a fault of Shariat (Allah forbid), on the contrary, it is the fault of his own perception and lack of understanding, because no law of Shariat is contradictory to wisdom. Nevertheless, the wisdom underlying the permission granted by Shariat to copulate with a slave woman is as follows: The LEGAL possession that a Muslim receives over a slave woman from the "Ameerul-Mu'mineen" (the Islamic Head of State) gives him legal credence to have coition with the slave woman in his possession, just as the marriage ceremony gives him legal credence to have coition with his wife. In other words, this LEGAL POSSESSION is, in effect, a SUBSTITUTE of the MARRIAGE CEREMONY. A free woman cannot be 'possessed', bought or sold like other possessions; therefore Shariat instituted a 'marriage ceremony' in which affirmation and consent takes place, which gives a man the right to copulate with her. On the other hand, a slave girl can be possessed and even bought and sold, thus, this right of possession, substituting as a marriage ceremony, entitles the owner to copulate with her. A similar example can be found in the slaughtering of animals; that after a formal slaughtering process, in which the words, "Bismillahi Allahu Akbar" are recited, goats, cows, etc.; become "Halaal" and lawful for consumption, whereas fish becomes "Halaal" merely through 'possession' which substitutes for the slaughtering. In other words, just as legal possession of a fish that has been fished out of the water, makes it Halaal for human consumption without the initiation of a formal slaughtering process; similarly legal possession of a slave woman made her Halaal for the purpose of coition with her owner without the initiation of a formal marriage ceremony. In short, permission to have intercourse with a slave woman was not something barbaric or uncivilised; on the contrary, it was almost as good as a marriage ceremony. In fact, possession of a slave woman resembles a marriage ceremony in many ways and both have a lot in common with each other. One similarity is this that just as a free woman cannot have two husbands simultaneously, a slave woman cannot be used for intercourse by two owners. Another similarity is that a free woman whose marriage is on the rocks, cannot marry another man until her previous marriage is nullified through divorce, etc. Due to the discrepancies between husband and wife, the marriage sometimes reaches a stage where it becomes virtually impossible for the couple to live as man and wife with the result that divorce is brought into force to nullify marriage ties. Similarly, if a slave woman was married previously in enemy territory to a non-Muslim, and is then captured alone, i.e. without her husband, it is not permissible for any Muslim to have relations with her until her previous marriage is nullified, and that is done by bringing her to an Islamic country and making her the legal possession of a Muslim. Bringing her into Islamic territory necessitates the rendering of her previous marriage as null and void by Islamic law because with her husband in enemy territory and she in Islamic territory, it becomes virtually impossible for them to meet and live as man and wife. That is why it is not permissible to have intercourse with a woman whose husband is also taken into captivity and put into slavery with her. Another resemblance between the two is that, just as a divorcee has to spend a period called "Iddat" before another man is allowed to marry her, similarly, a slave woman has to spend a period called "Istibraa" before her owner can have coition with her. Another similarity between marriage and possession of a slave woman is that just as the wife becomes a dependant of the husband and he has to provide a home, food and clothing for her, a slave woman also becomes a dependant of her owner and he has to provide a home, food and clothing for her. Yet another similarity is this that just as marriage makes the close relatives of the wife Haraam upon the husband; i.e. he cannot get married to his wife's mother, grandmother, sister, etc., similarly if a man has copulated with a slave woman the slave woman's close relatives also become Haraam upon the owner. With all these similarities it does not make sense to regard copulation with a slave woman distasteful whilst copulation with one's wife is not regarded as distasteful. A question that may still arise is that why does the owner of a slave woman not marry her before having relations with her? Well, this is impracticable because of a few intricate technicalities. Firstly, we know that a man has to give "Mahr" (dower-money) to his bride. The Holy Quran says:- "And allowed unto you is whatsoever is beyond that, so that ye may seek them with your substance (i.e. with your dower-money). " - (4:24). Thus, "Mahr" is a conditional prerequisite of Nikah. If a man has to marry his slave woman, it would not be possible for him to abide by this condition of 'Mahr' because by Islamic law, a slave does not have rights over any property, i.e. she cannot own anything. In fact, whatever she has with her too, i.e. her clothing, etc., is all regarded as the property of her owner. Therefore, If he gets married to his slave girl and gives her the 'Mahr' she cannot become the owner of it because she has no right of ownership. The 'Mahr' would bounce back to the owner of the slave girl and it would tantamount to giving the 'mahr' to himself. Hence, the owner would become the payer as well as the PAYEE of the 'mahr' which would only result in the mockery of the whole system of 'mahr'. It would be absolutely superflous to have such a marriage ceremony performed that makes a mockery of the 'mahr' system. Hence, the owner cannot get married to her while she remains a slave girl. However, if he sets her free, then he can get married to her on the basis of her having become a liberated woman. Although the owner himself cannot get married to his slave woman, without giving her freedom, he can get her married to someone else. If he gets her married to someone else, then only her husband can now have intercourse with her and the owner's right of having intercourse with her comes to an end. All these facts prove that the slave girl does not become an instrument of sex; on the contrary, her honour is upheld, in that only one man is allowed to have intercourse with her JUST AS only one man (the husband) is allowed to have intercourse with his lawfully wedded wife. Islam ensured that the slave girl's duties were not restricted merely to domestic chores but also gave her master permission to copulate with her. This concession created an atmosphere of love and harmony between the slave girl and her master. Islam thereby raised the status of the war captive-maidens close to that of wives. It was a psychological cure to her grief-stricken heart, being deprived of her family and thrown into the hands of a strange society. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) enjoined his followers to treat the slaves kindly, gently, and, above all, to regard them as members of the family. In this way, they were made to feel wanted; which was far better than treating them as outcasts and leaving them to wander the streets of a strange society in a peniless, destitute condition. Such treatment would have ultimately forced them to take up evil occupations such as prostitution in the case of slave woman in order to fill their hungry stomachs. The First World War in 1914 was a clear reflection of the evils involved in setting captive women free to roars about in a strange society with strange surroundings. During that war, German and English women prisoners on either side were set free to roam the streets with no-one to feed them. The result was obvious that they resorted to other unrefined and uncivilised methods of income on the streets. Thus, it is evident that the Islamic treatment of women prisoners of war was conducive towards better social relations and led to the refinement of their overall social lives. Over and above all this, History will show that Islam did not encourage slavery but rather encouraged moves towards the extirpation of slavery. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam has said something to this effect in a Hadith, that: "Whosoever freed a Muslim slave, the Lord would redeem all his limbs - in compensation for each limb of the slave, so much so that the private parts for the private parts - from the Fire of Hell. "If a slave woman becomes pregnant from her owner, and delivers his child, she automatically gets her freedom after the death of her master whose child she gave birth to. Moreover, there are many wrongs and sins for which the liberation of a slave serves as a compensation and atonement. This was a further incentive for the extirpation of slavery. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam also taught that whosoever teaches good manners to his slave girl, adorns her with politeness and good education, then frees her and gets married to her, for him there is double recompense and reward. These encouraging teachings served as incentives towards the emancipation of slaves and slaves were liberated by the thousands. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam himself freed 63 slaves, Hazrat Abu Bakr Radhiallahu Anhu freed 63, Hazrat Abdur-Rahman bin Auf Radhiallahu Anhu 30,000; Hazrat Hakim bin Huzam Radhiallahu Anhu 100; Hazrat Abbas Radhiallahu Anhu 70; Hazrat Ayesha Radhiallahu Anha 69; Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar Radhiallahu Anhu 100; Hazrat Uthman Radhiallahu Anhu used to free one slave every Friday and he would say that he would tree any slave who performed his prayers with humility. Hazrat Zul-Kilah Radhiallahu Anhu freed 8,000 slaves in a single day. Hazrat Umar Radhiallahu Anhu passed certain laws during his Khilafat which led to the emancipation of thousands of slaves, and to the prevention of certain specific forms of slavery. Some of the edicts that he issued: 1 All the apostate tribes that were enslaved during the Khilaafat of Hazrat Abu Bakr Radhiallahu Anhu were to be freed. 2 A Zimmi (protected non-Muslim subject of an Islamic state) should not be enslaved. 3 Arabs will not be enslaved. 4 Those who had been enslaved during the days of ignorance (prior to the advent of Islam) and had lived to witness the Islamic era, should redeem themselves from slavery by paying their costs (their value) to their owners whether they were willing or not. As a result of all these laws, there came a time when slavery was totally extirpated. But of course, this extirpation came about after a gradual process because that was the only safe and expedient way of tackling the problem. Because of the prevalence of slavery in the initial stages of Islam the necessity of educating the people about the treatment of slaves also arose. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam taught his followers how the slaves should be treated with kindness, etc. In fact, Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam himself possessed slave girls. In this way, he was able to demonstrate practically how kindly and politely the slave should be treated. Because it is relevant to the topic, it would be appropriate to mention here that Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam also had four slave girls. One was Hazrat Maria Qibtiyya Radhiallahu Anha who was the mother of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam's son, Ibrahim Alayhis Salaam who passed away in infanthood. The others were, Hazrat Rayhaan binte Samoon; Hazrat Nafisa and a fourth, whose name has not been recorded in History. One question that still remains is whether slavery still legally prevails anywhere in the Islamic world and whether it can be successfully implemented in this age. Well, there is no prevalence of lawful slavery in the Islamic world today and it would be difficult to implement it because of the stringent conditions attached to it. Firstly, the prisoners have to be captured in 'Jihaad' in the true sense of the word. Then again, If true 'Jihaad' did break out somewhere, there are still a number of other laws and conditions to abide by which are far too stringent for any Islamic country in the world to abide by in this time and age when people's personal gains and whims and desire are being given preference to over Islamic Law. According to Islamic Law, captive female prisoners are also part and parcel of the booty. One fifth of the booty has to be first distributed to the needy, orphans, etc. The remaining four-fifths should then be distributed among the soldiers who participated in the war. The distribution can only take effect after the booty is brought into Islamic territory. The Ameerul-Mu'mineen (Head of the Islamic State) remains the guardian of the female prisoners until he allocates them to the soldiers. Only after a soldier has been allotted a slave girl, and made the owner of her, will she become his lawful possession. After she spends a period called 'Istibraa', which is the elapse of one menstrual period, It becomes permissible for her owner to have relations with her. After possession of the slave too there are a number of other laws that affect the master and slave. There is hardly any Islamic country today that can abide to all these conditions, with the result that it is quite difficult to implement slavery in this time and age. The subject of slavery in Islam is quite comprehensive and there are many laws that pertain to slaves which the Jurisprudents of Islam have outlined. It is, however, hoped that the above mentioned facts will be adequate enough to answer your question. And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best Mufti Ebrahim Desai. Askimam

Rules and regulations of Slavery in Islam Shaykh (Mufti) Ebrahim Desai (HA) Question Is slavery still allowed in Islam in this day and age? In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, Answer As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh. Before answering your query, we shall reproduce an excerpt regarding slavery in Islam from Ma'ārif al-Qur`ān by Mufti Muhammad Shafi Uthmani below: Let us now address the objection that Islam is the great upholder of human rights. Then how is it that it allows the enslaving of human beings? This objection is a fallacy based on the false analogy drawn between Islamic concept of slavery and its practice in other religions and communities; whereas in Islam after the rights given to the slaves and the social status granted to them, they can hardly be called slaves in the generally accepted sense of the word. They in fact constitute a brotherhood. A famous orientalist in his book Arab Civilization writes: When the word 'slave' is uttered in the presence of a European who is used to reading American writings, he conceives in his mind those helpless people who are shackled with chains, around whose necks are iron collars, who are lashed with whips and driven forth, whose food is barely enough to subsist, and for whom nothing more than dark dungeons are available to live in...there is absolutely no doubt about the fact that Islam's concept of slavery is completely different from the Christian concept of slavery. The Islamic viewpoint regarding slaves has been made plain in a famous Hadith of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) as follows: Your slaves are your brothers, and Allah has put them under your control. So whoever has a brother under his command should feed him of what he eats, and dress him of what he wears. Do not overburden them [slaves] to do things beyond their capacity, and if you do so, then help them.[sahih al-Bukhari, 2545, The Book on Manumission of Slaves] The social and civil rights that Islam has accorded to the slaves are almost equal to free individuals. Thus, as opposed to other nations, Islam has not only permitted the slaves to marry but also emphasized that the masters should marry off those of their slaves and slavegirls who are righteous [Al-Quran, 24:32] so much so that he can even marry a free woman. A slave's share from the spoils of war is equal to that of a free person. If he gives refuge to an enemy, it would be respected in the same way as given by a free individual. There are so many injunctions in Qur`ān and Hadīth regarding good treatment of slaves that if they are collected together, they can be compiled into a voluminous book. Sayyidunā 'Alī (radiyallahu 'anh) says that the last words of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) before his departure from this earthly life were: "Take care of prayer; take care of prayer and keep your duty to Allah regarding slaves under your command."[sunan Ibn Majah, 2698, The Book of Wills] Islam organized education and training programmes for slaves. Its effect was seen during the reign of 'Abd-ul-Malik Ibn Marwan in almost all the provinces of the Islamic State. Some of the best and greatest authorities on education and intellectual development were slaves whose chronicles are narrated in several history books. Furthermore, this nominal slavery was gradually abolished or reduced. There is a huge number of Qur'anic verses and Holy Prophetic Traditions which set out the virtues and merits of setting the slaves free. There is no act better than emancipation of slaves. In juristic injunctions, pretexts have been looked for to emancipate slaves: expiation for violating fast, for murder, for zihār, for violating oaths and vows - in all these cases the first compulsory command is to emancipate a slave. A Hadīth tells us that if a person has slapped a slave, its expiation is to set him free. Thus, the Companions used to emancipate slaves in large numbers. To sum up: anyone who looks impartially at the comprehensive reforms Islam introduced in the system of slavery, he cannot escape the conclusion that drawing analogy between Islamic concept of slavery and its practice among other nations is absolutely false. Furthermore, holding prisoners of war in bondage is only up to the point of permissibility which means that if an Islamic State deems it appropriate, it may hold them in bondage, but it has not been taken as an obligatory or as a commendable act. As a matter of fact, the collective teachings of Qur'an and Hadīth lead us to believe that emancipating them is more meritorious. [uthmani, M. Shafi, "An Objection and its Rebuttal", Ma'ārif al-Qur`ān] Now that the general concept of slavery in Islam has been understood, we will move on to the question of slavery and its permissibility in this day and age. Simply put, if Muslim nations enter into a compact with non-Muslim nations regarding a certain issue, as long as it does not contravene the general principles of Sharī'ah, then such a pact will be binding upon those Muslim nations and it will be there duty to hold up such a covenant.[uthmani, M. Shafi, "An Objection and its Rebuttal", Ma'ārif al-Qur`ān], Arabic as follows: وإذا رأي الإمام موادعة أهل الهرب، ولم يأخذ علي ذلك مالا، فلا بأس به، والكلام ههنا في فصول: أحدها: ؟إذا طلبوا من الإمام الموادعة سنين معلومة بغير شيء، والحكم فيه أن الإمام ينظر في ذلك، إن رأي الموادعة خيرا للمسلمين لشدة شوكة أهل الحرب وما أشبه ذلك فعل ذلك، فقد صح أن رسول الله صلي الله عليه وسلم صالح أهل مكة عام الحديبية علي أن وضع الحرب نينه وبينهم عشر سنين...ومن النظر حفظه قوة المسلمين أولا، وربما يكون ذلك في الموادعة إذا كان للمشركين شوكة، أو يحتاج الإمام إلي أن يور في دار الحرب؛ ليتوصل الإمام إلي قوم لهم بأس شديد، فلا نجد بدا من أن نوادع من علي طريقه لنأمن منهم. (المحيط البرهاني، ج ٧، ص ٢٩٠، إدارة القرآن والعلوم الإسلامية) [قال صاحب الهداية] (وَإِذَا رَأَى الْإِمَامُ أَنْ يُصَالِحَ أَهْلَ الْحَرْبِ أَوْ فَرِيقًا مِنْهُمْ وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ مَصْلَحَةً لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ فَلَا بَأْسَ بِهِ) لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى {وَإِنْ جَنَحُوا لِلسَّلْمِ فَاجْنَحْ لَهَا وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ} [الأنفال: 61] «وَوَادَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَهْلَ مَكَّةَ عَامَ الْحُدَيْبِيَةِ عَلَى أَنْ يَضَعَ الْحَرْبَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهُمْ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ» ، وَلِأَنَّ الْمُوَادَعَةَ جِهَادٌ مَعْنًى إذَا كَانَ خَيْرًا لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ لِأَنَّ الْمَقْصُودَ وَهُوَ دَفْعُ الشَّرِّ حَاصِلٌ بِهِ، وَلَا يُقْتَصَرُ الْحُكْمُ عَلَى الْمُدَّةِ الْمَرْوِيَّةِ لِتَعَدِّي الْمَعْنَى إلَى مَا زَادَ عَلَيْهَا، بِخِلَافِ مَا إذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ خَيْرًا؛ لِأَنَّهُ تَرَكَ الْجِهَادَ صُورَةً وَمَعْنًى [قال البابرتي] وَقَوْلُهُ (لِتَعَدِّي الْمَعْنَى) وَهُوَ دَفْعُ الشَّرِّ. (العناية شرح الهداية، ج ٣، ص ٢٦٣، دار الكتب العلمية) In our times, there are international treaties upheld by many countries between many nations that state that "no person shall be held in slavery." This clause can be found under article 4 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Many countries signed this pact and agreed to uphold such a covenant. For a broad list of such treaties and the general agreement between such nations, you may refer to the following two links: Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights These laws further extended to abolishing all forms of human trafficking as a result of the ongoing sexual abuse, human bondage, and complete disregard to human rights resulting from today's form of human slavery. Examples of such laws include the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) and the Palermo Protocol regarding children and women. All in all, as stated before, the Islamic form of slavery cannot be compared to the atrocities committed by the slavery we have come to know today. In order to combat such oppression and violation of human rights, international laws were created and many Muslim nations also agreed to abide by these laws for the greater good and to combat the oppression resulting from modern slavery. And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best Bilal Mohammad Student Darul Iftaa New Jersey, USA Checked and Approved by, Mufti Ebrahim Desai. Askimam

Slaves in Islam – The Concept & Their Rights By Ebrahim Saifuddin Slavery is a concept that existed since pre-recorded history. However the way it was practiced in the Islamic world differs greatly than how it was practiced in the rest of the world. Even in the more recent times, centuries after the introduction of Islam, the non-Muslims have practiced slavery in the most barbaric manner. The whole Trans-Atlantic nonsense that was practiced by the Americans is one of the worst forms of slavery man has witnessed. The slaves were not treated as humans and did not have any rights. This way was much similar to the form practiced before the advent of Islam in the Times of Ignorance (Ja’hilah). Islam indeed came as a blessing to all Mankind and it was seen that slaves were given rights, something which the rest of the world never gave them. Treatment of Slaves Apart from giving the slaves their rights, Islam also took it a step ahead and discouraged slavery from being practiced. It is seen in history that slaves were mistreated in the non-Islamic world. Not only were they verbally abused, they were physically abused as well. The master would overburden the slave and make them work all day. Slaves would wear torn and tattered clothes while the masters would dress with the finest threads available. When it would come to food, the slaves would get leftovers or if not, very little food which would certainly not include good quality food. Some would not even get meat or fruits which their masters ate. Prophet Muhammad(saw) with Divine Inspiration from Allah(swt) forbade such acts. Masters could not abuse their slaves and had to give them the same that they ate and wore. Narated by Al-Ma’rur: At Ar-Rabadha I met Abu Dhar who was wearing a cloak, and his slave, too, was wearing a similar one. I asked about the reason for it. He replied, “I abused a person by calling his mother with bad names.” The Prophet said to me, ‘O Abu Dhar! Did you abuse him by calling his mother with bad names you still have some characteristics of ignorance. Your slaves are your brothers and Allah has put them under your command. So whoever has a brother under his command should feed him of what he eats and dress him of what he wears. Do not ask them (slaves) to do things beyond their capacity (power) and if you do so, then help them.’” – [bukhari, Vol.1, Book 2, #29] The introduction of Islam and with the application of Islam by Muslims, slavery had a new meaning altogether. It no longer meant that you have a beast under your control and hence you could abuse it, make it work like a donkey all day and at the end of the day give it crumbs to eat so that it stays alive. Islam made it clear to every follower that a human being who is a slave is yet the brother of a Muslim and the slave had their rights which is compulsory for a Muslim to fulfill. It taught that slaves and masters are equal in the sights of Allah(swt) and if a Muslim was given a brother under his command then he had to make sure that the brother was given the rights which Islam prescribed. In another narration the importance of giving slaves education and teaching them good manners is stressed by Prophet Muhammad(saw): Narrated Abu Burda’s father: Allah’s Apostle said “Three persons will have a double reward: 1. A Person from the people of the scriptures who believed in his prophet (Jesus or Moses) and then believed in the Prophet Muhammad (i .e. has embraced Islam). 2. A slave who discharges his duties to Allah and his master. 3. A master of a woman-slave who teaches her good manners and educates her in the best possible way (the religion) and manumits her and then marries her.” – [bukhari Vol.1, Book 3, #97A] Here it is seen that not only education has been given importance but slavery is also discouraged. It is well known that a person belonging to the People of the Book would receive a double reward for accepting Islam. Similarly the same double reward is offered to a person who would free his woman-slave and marry her after giving her education and teaching her good manners. This way slavery is discouraged in the Islamic world. The Muslims were also forbidden from forcing their slave-girls into prostitution so that they would earn money out of it. There was an incident when the slave-girl of an Ansari was forced after which a verse relating to the act was revealed by Allah(swt). Narated by Jabir ibn Abdullah: Musaykah, a slave-girl of some Ansari, came and said: My master forces me to commit fornication. Thereupon the following verse was revealed: “But force not your maids to prostitution (when they desire chastity).” – [Abu Dawud, Book 6, #2304] The Lessons of Equality There can be found numerous evidences in the Islamic traditions which teach us that slaves are to be treated like any other human being. Prophet Muhammad(saw) has taught us that slaves are equal to everyone else. People belonging to the days of ignorance would not stand next to a slave while Muslims stand next to them in prayers showing a sign of unity and uniformity in their status in front of Allah(swt). Hazrat Bilal was one of the first slaves to accept Islam. He was tortured by the pagans so that he would renounce Islam and come back to the pagan ways. However he did not reject Islam and adhered to the teachings of Prophet Muhammad(saw). He was also the first person to stand on top of the Ka’aba and give the Adhan (the Muslim call for prayer). It is also important to note that further evidence for the equality and recognition of slaves as normal human beings is seen in the numerous ahadith narrated by the slaves and freed slaves that are considered as true and followed by millions of Muslims in the world today. This means that their testimony is also recognized and accepted. We can also see from the traditions that slaves would not only stand shoulder to shoulder with others Muslims during prayer but would also lead the prayers. Narrated Ibn ‘Umar: When the earliest emigrants came to Al-’Usba a place in Quba’, before the arrival of the Prophet- Salim, the slave of Abu Hudhaifa, who knew the Qur’an more than the others used to lead them in prayer. – [bukhari, Vol.1, Book 11, #661] In the Quran one can see clearly that the woman-slaves and man-slaves who have accepted Islam are better than the free women and men from the disbelievers. Muslims are advised to get the son or daughter married to a woman-slave or man-slave rather than a free woman or man from among the idolaters. Do not marry unbelieving women (idolaters), until they believe: A slave woman who believes is better than an unbelieving woman, even though she allures you. Nor marry (your girls) to unbelievers until they believe: A man slave who believes is better than an unbeliever, even though he allures you. Unbelievers do (but) beckon you to the Fire. But Allah beckons by His Grace to the Garden (of bliss) and forgiveness, and makes His Signs clear to mankind: That they may celebrate His praise. – [Quran 2:221] Islam goes a step ahead in giving respect to the slaves and it is narrated that Prophet Muhammad(saw) asked people not to refer to a slave saying “this is my slave” but rather to say “this is my man” or “this is my woman”. Islam Stresses on Freeing Slaves Importance was stressed upon manumitting slaves a lot by Allah(swt) through his last and final prophet(saw). Even if a disbeliever practiced slave-manumitting before accepting Islam, it is told that he would yet be rewarded for this good deed after accepting Islam. In Islam there is a concept that all good done for the sake of Allah(swt) will be rewarded and all those done for other causes e.g. fame, fortune etc will not be rewarded in the Hereafter. Manumitting slaves is among those good deeds which are rewarded even if done before accepting Islam. Narrated Hakim bin Hizam: I said to Allah’s Apostle, “Before embracing Islam I used to do good deeds like giving in charity, slave-manumitting, and the keeping of good relations with Kith and kin. Shall I be rewarded for those deeds?” The Prophet replied, “You became Muslim with all those good deeds (Without losing their reward).” – [bukhari, Vol.2, Book 24, #517] Allah(swt) through his prophet(saw) stressed the good in freeing a slave. A person once came to Prophet Muhammad(saw) saying that he had sexual intercourse with his wife while he was fasting and thus wished to seek guidance in that matter. The first form of compensation which Prophet Muhammad(saw) informed him of was the freeing of a slave. Narrated by Abu Huraira: While we were sitting with the Prophet a man came and said, “O Allah’s Apostle! I have been ruined.” Allah’s Apostle asked what was the matter with him. He replied “I had sexual intercourse with my wife while I was fasting.” Allah’s Apostle asked him, “Can you afford to manumit a slave?” He replied in the negative. Allah’s Apostle asked him, “Can you fast for two successive months?” He replied in the negative. The Prophet asked him, “Can you afford to feed sixty poor persons?” He replied in the negative. The Prophet kept silent and while we were in that state, a big basket full of dates was brought to the Prophet. He asked, “Where is the questioner?” He replied, “I (am here).” The Prophet said (to him), “Take this (basket of dates) and give it in charity.” The man said, “Should I give it to a person poorer than I? By Allah; there is no family between its (i.e. Medina‘s) two mountains who are poorer than I.” The Prophet smiled till his pre-molar teeth became visible and then said, ‘Feed your family with it.” – [bukhari, Vol.3, Book 31, #157] There were times when a slave was jointly owned by two people. In such cases there were times when one owner, for the sake of Allah(swt) would want to manumit his share in the joint ownership. Under such circumstances it was told that the person manumitting his share of the ownership should also pay for the remaining share to ensure that the slave is freed completely. However if he could not do so, the remaining price would then be estimated and the slave had the right to work and pay the amount required for his freedom to the other owner. Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, “Whoever manumits his share of a jointly possessed slave, it is imperative for him to get that slave manumitted completely by paying the remaining price, and if he does not have sufficient money to manumit him, then the price of the slave should be estimated justly, and he is to be allowed to work and earn the amount that will manumit him (without overburdening him)”. – [bukhari, Vol.3, Book 44, #672] Further in the Quran it is seen that people are encouraged to marry the slaves. If a person cannot marry a free woman for whatever reason, to prevent him from committing sin, the Quran asks them to marry from among the slave women. If any of you have not the means wherewith to wed free believing women, they may wed believing girls from among those whom your right hands possess: And Allah hath full knowledge about your faith. Ye are one from another: Wed them with the leave of their owners, and give them their dowers, according to what is reasonable. – [Quran 4:25] They can take the permission of the master and marry the slave. This was yet another example of Allah(swt) ensuring that slaves would be freed as marriage with the slave of another would make the slave a free person. Why Gradual Elimination? There is no doubt that Islam encouraged the freeing of slaves. However one would ask that as slavery is a social disease, why Islam did not make it forbidden. Firstly slavery as seen in Islam is poles apart than the one practiced by those who do not follow the guidelines presented by Islam. Secondly slavery could not have been forbidden in those days. Islam did not allow the selling of free people as slaves. Majority of the slaves were the people captured in the wars fought by the Muslims against the non-Muslims. Due to the lack of prison systems in those days, it was important to keep the captured people as slaves. If these people would be allowed to live freely within the Muslims, they would have regrouped and not only attacked the Muslims but probably would have also tried to assassinate the Sahabah or even Prophet Muhammad(saw). By giving these people as slaves, they were distributed and thus could not regroup and attack the Muslims. Islam never started slavery and it is well known that slavery was practiced much before the introduction of Islam. Islam actually laid down all the rules so that eventually slavery would be eliminated completely. There are many great rewards for freeing a slave. Allah(swt) has given man all the incentive to free slaves which would in return eventually eradicate slavery completely. Another narration goes as follows: Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, “Whoever frees a Muslim slave, Allah will save all the parts of his body from the (Hell) Fire as he has freed the body-parts of the slave.” Said bin Marjana said that he narrated that Hadith to ‘Ali bin Al-Husain and he freed his slave for whom ‘Abdullah bin Ja’far had offered him ten thousand Dirhams or one-thousand Dinars. – [bukhari, Vol.3, Book 46, #693] Islam’s Stand on Slavery Islam teaches its followers to respect all Mankind regardless of their color, race or their bank balance. Slaves were given rights which were not heard of in other societies. Islam gave them protection and asked people to treat them as brothers and give them to eat of what they ate and to wear what they wore. The Bible too speaks about slaves and lays down laws regarding the treatment of slaves. “If a man beats his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies as a direct result, he must be punished, but he is not to be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two, since the slave is his property.” – [Exodus 21:20-21] As it can be seen, the Bible allows a person to beat their slave and the master will not be punished unless the slave dies. The slave is treated as a personal property of the master. Islam came to correct such manmade rules regarding not only slavery but a lot of concepts. Islam has been the original advocate for humanity and has always taught men the importance of humanity. With the introduction of Islam slaves were treated as human beings rather than personal property. Moreover Islam made sure that gradually people will not perform this act and encouraged the freeing of slaves. Manumitting a slave was encouraged for the smallest of reasons. If there was a solar eclipse, people were recommended to free a slave – If there was a lunar eclipse, people were recommended to free a slave. It can be seen that Muslims were encouraged to free slaves for any and every reason. Islam gave security to the slaves and laid down directions so that slavery would eventually be eliminated completely.

SLAVERY IN ISLAM A famous orientalist in his book Arab Civilization writes: "When the word 'slave' is uttered in the presence of a European who is used to reading American writings, he conceives in his mind those helpless people who are shackled with chains, around whose necks are iron collars, who are lashed with whips and driven forth, whose food is barely enough to subsist, and for whom nothing more than dark dungeons are available to live in...there is absolutely no doubt about the fact that Islam's concept of slavery is completely different from the Christian concept of slavery." Misconceptions abound regarding slavery in Islam. InshaAllah in this topic we will compile answers to the many questions raised regarding it. The following are excerpts taken from the articles which follow to highlight the important points... Slavery: practiced long before the advent of Islam Slaves according to Islam The status of slaves in Islam Freeing slaves was encouraged Slavery Today

Can a woman in the state of haidh go in sajda and make dua? Q: I would like to know if a woman can make duaa whilst in sajdah when she is in the state of haidh? A: In the state of haidh, she cannot perform Salaah nor can she make a sajdah. However she can make dua. And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best. ( فيها حيض ) لأن العبرة لأوله وآخره وعليه المتون فليحفظ ثم ذكر أحكامه بقوله ( يمنع صلاة ) مطلقا ولو سجدة شكر ( وصوما ) وجماعا قال الشامي : قوله ( يمنع ) أي الحيض وكذا النفاس خزائن قوله ( صلاة ) أي يمنع صحتها ويحرمها وهل يمنع وجوبها لعدم فائدته وهي الأداء أو القضاء أم لا وتسقط للحرج خلافا وعامتهم على الأول وبسطنا الكلام على ذلك فيما علقناه على البحر قوله ( مطلقا ) أي كلا أو بعضا لأن منع الشيء منع لأبعاضه نهر قوله ( ولو سجدة شكر ) أي أو تلاوة فيمنع صحتهما ويحرمهما بحر (رد المحتار 1/290) Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

Men wearing a tie Q. What is the law concerning wearing the tie that men wear? A. Each religious group has its own attire and way of dress. Wearing the tie has never been a part of the dress of the Muslims from the early times until today. Instead, from its very inception and onwards, it has been viewed and understood as the culture and fashion of those who were not Muslims (whether they were from among religious groups or non-religious ones). Understanding it to be a fashion/ style, and a part of the dress of those who are not Muslims, we (as Muslims) have been discouraged from adopting such fashions. Hence, many scholars have stated that wearing the tie is not free from reprehensibleness (karahiya), (that is, it will be Makrooh to wear it since it is adopting the ‘way’ of others – (non Muslims). (Fatawa Mahmoodiya Vol. 12 Pg. 407, Kitabul Fatawa Vol. 6 Pg. 96). Some scholars have further elaborated on this by saying that it will not be haram and impermissible to wear the tie, if one is in a situation where he must wear it. Silk ties are however totally haram. And Allah knows best. Mufti Waseem Khan Source

Wearing tie with suit is haram or halal in Islam? Answer (Fatwa: 210/114/H=1433) Some people of fatwa have the view that tie is the religious sign of Christians, as per them it is haram. And as per those who have a different view it is makrooh. However, it is better to avoid. Allah (Subhana Wa Ta’ala) knows Best Darul Ifta, Darul Uloom Deoband Source

THE NECKTIE Question Is it permissible for a Muslim to wear a tie? Answer The answer to this question lies in understanding the origin of the tie. We know that previously there was a concept of the tie being a symbol of the cross, and that it originated from the cross of the Christians. However, as much research as can be done on this subject, there is no trace of this concept at all; there is no reference in historical works suggesting that the tie originated from the sign of the cross. Instead, all available sources indicate that the necktie originated from the Croation soldiers in the sixteenth century. These men wore a piece cloth tied loosely around their necks as part of their traditional dress. When these soldiers came to France, the French were so impressed by this innovative form of dress and that this idea of a ‘neck-cloth’ was immediately taken up by the French. Gradually, over the centuries, the English adopted the practice of wearing a cloth around the neck. With the passing of time this cloth or bandana was modified into different shapes and sizes, and even colours to represent one’s country or nation. In certain sectors it became associated with individuality and self-expression. Men would also wear neckties to keep their necks warm, or to cover their mouths from the dust, especially soldiers in battle. Soon the practice of a tie spread from Europe to the Americas. in 1864 Germany and America began manufacturing the modern version of ties and even patented the product. There is consensus of opinion that the tie had developed into a traditional or cultural dress among the west, as has the shirt and trouser. It is for this reason that today participants in formal gatherings, office workers and officials, all are required to sport a tie when attending functions or work. Wearing of the tie is not confined to any religious group THE ISLAMIC POSITION ON THE TIE Based on the above, we can safely say that the tie does not represent the cross, is not a symbol of the cross, and does not resemble the cross in any way. The tie has absolutely no religious representation. It will, therefore, be permissible for Muslims to wear the tie under certain conditions. Since the tie has become a formal and traditional dress of the West, and because Shariah discourages Muslims from wearing clothing that serve no purpose and are merely donned for fashion, it will be Makrooh to wear the tie. In other words, it would be preferable and rewarding NOT to wear it where possible. If work policy demands that a Muslim should wear a tie to work, it will be permissible to do so. However, those Muslims who are not required by any formal policy to wear the tie but still do so purely out of imitation of the West and believing the tie to be a symbol of respectability and stature, then this will be sinful and impermissible. For example, a Muslim attending a Nikah dons the suit and tie for this function; this will not be permissible for there is no need to wear the tie to a nikah. Wearing the tie under such circumstances shows that the Muslim has added to his ensemble a culture of the kuffar and believes such a mode of dress to be a form of status and respect. Allah Ta’ala states in the Holy Quran: What, do they seek respect by them (the disbelievers)? Undoubtedly, all respect belongs to Allah! (Surah Nisaa (4) verse, 139) This means that dignity comes from adopting the rules and regulations of Allah. Islam allows wearing non-Muslim attire out of necessity, such as the shirt and the trouser, but does not permit its followers to adopt the culture of the kuffar and believe in their values and traditions. When this happens, the whole concept becomes haraam. The Messenge of Allah said: “That person does not belong to us who practices on the ways of others (besides Muslims)” (Tabarani) Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu anhu) used to warn people: Abstain from the customs of foreigners (that is non-Muslims). To summarize: It is permissible to wear a tie if this is demanded by work policy, school regulations, or other formal situations. Beside the above situations, one is not allowed to wear the tie, not because it has any association with the cross, but because adopting this unnecessary piece of attire as part of one’s dress code displays an inclination towards Western culture and tradition. And this is something we Muslims are instructed to avoid. And Allah knows best Mufti Siraj Desai Source

Question I just had a quick question for you and I hope that you can shine some light on the situation. It is regarding a tie. Currently at work they are now requiring for me to dress up smart and indicating the clothing in a suit and shirt etc. I was wondering what is the ruling regarding the tie. I am fully aware that the silk ties are not permissible, but how about normal ones? ANSWER In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, It is normally believed that the origins of ties are the Christian cross and thus it is totally unlawful (haram) to wear them. However, one of the great contemporary Jurists, my respected teacher, Shaykh Mufti Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) researched the origins of ties by looking into the various books compiled on the history of each clothing, but was not able to find that it originates from the cross. It is also not considered imitation of the non-believers (Kuffar) because it is not something that is uniquely characteristic of them, unless one wears a tie because one WANTS to be like the Kuffar. Therefore, it would be permissible to wear ties, though better not to whenever reasonably possible, as it is superior to avoid the dress of the unbelievers even if there is no imitation of them. One should avoid wearing it in prayer and other times and should only confine it to work, as many scholars have declared it to be impermissible. And Allah Knows Best [Mufti] Muhammad ibn Adam Darul Iftaa Leicester , UK Source

Sunnats and Aadaab of Sleeping – Part 6 1. One should not sleep naked, instead one should sleep wearing such clothing that conceals one’s satr. عن بهز بن حكيم حدثني أبي عن جدي قال : قلت يا رسول الله عوراتنا ما نأتي منها و ما نذر قال : احفظ عورتك إلا من زوجتك و ما ملكت يمينك قلت : يا رسول الله إذا كان القوم بعضهم في بعض قال : إن استطعت أن لا يرينها أحد فلا يرينها قال : قلت يا رسول الله إذا كان أحدنا خاليا ؟ قال : فالله أحق أن يستحى منه من الناس (ابو داود رقم 4019) Hadhrat Bahz bin Hakeem relates from his father, who relates from his grandfather, that he asked Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), “O Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), inform us regarding the masaail relating to our satr. In which cases we are allowed to expose our satr and in which cases we have to conceal it?” Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “Safeguard your satr, except before your wife and your slave-girl.” I then asked: “O Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), what about in the situation when many people are living together (e.g.in the case where people are living together in a small room and one would need to change one’s clothes etc.)?” Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) replied: “Ensure that no one ever sees your satr.” I then asked: “O Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), what about the situation when one is in seclusion (i.e. can his satr be exposed e.g. while changing)?” Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) replied: “Allah Ta’ala is more worthy that hayaa and modesty be shown before Him than the modesty one exercises before people. ” (i.e. One should have the presence of Allah Ta’ala all the time in one’s heart and mind and thus feel more ashamed to expose his satr before Allah Ta’ala (even in seclusion), than the shame one has for people). عن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه قال كان أبو موسى الأشعري رضي الله عنه إذا نام لبس ثيابا عند النوم مخافة أن تنكشف عورته (الطبقات الكبرى) Hadhrat Anas (Radhiallahu Anhu) reports that Hadhrat Abu Moosa Ash’ari (Radhiallahu Anhu) used to cover his body (properly) at the time of sleeping to ensure that his private parts do not become exposed. 2. One should sleep early with the intention of waking up for Tahajjud. عن أبي الدرداء يبلغ به النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم قال من أتى فراشه وهو ينوي أن يقوم يصلي من الليل فغلبته عيناه حتى أصبح كتب له ما نوى وكان نومه صدقة عليه من ربه رواه النسائي وابن ماجه بإسناد جيد ورواه ابن حبان في صحيحه من حديث أبي ذر أو أبي الدرداء على الشك (الترغيب و الترهيب 1/69) Hadhrat Abu Dardaa (Radhiallahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “Whoever goes to sleep at night with the intention of standing up to perform tahajjud salaah, and his eyes overpower him till the time of Fajr, he will receive the reward of tahajjud based on his intention and his sleep will be regarded as a sadaqah (blessing) he received from His Rabb.

Beneficial Knowledge As a new academic year has just gotten underway, Muslim parents have the responsibility of ensuring that their children do not only go to school but also attend madrasah for their Islâmic education. Seeking of knowledge is an obligation of each and every Muslim, male and female. A believer has to acquire knowledge that is useful. Allâh Subhânahû wa Ta’âlâ in His Majesty guarantees seekers of useful knowledge guidance and protection. Knowledge is therefore sacred. Seeking it is an act of worship and the virtues of it are well-documented from the teachings of the Messenger of Allâh Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam. The preservation of the Dîn hinges on the imparting of knowledge to succeeding generations. Its importance is central to Islâm as a way of life and its rewards accrue to all those involved in its imparting. Mu’âdh Ibn Jabal (RA) said: “Seek knowledge! As to do so for the pleasure of Allâh is the fear of Allâh; acquiring it is an act of worship; studying it is remembrance of Allâh; going out in search of it is equivalent to Jihâd; teaching it is an act of charity and spending on its related activities is a virtuous deed.” There are prerequisites to the acquiring of knowledge. Mu'ammar bin Râshid Rahmatullâhi ‘alaihi said, “Verily a man seeks knowledge, but knowledge is denied to him until it is for Allâh's Pleasure.” Knowledge is therefore for those who pursue it with the correct and singular intention: “For the Pleasure of Allâh.” Good manners are another prerequisite of a student of knowledge. Knowledge that is devoid of manners is detrimental. ‘Abdullâh bin Al-Mubârak Rahmatullâhi ‘alaihi is reported to have said: “I spent thirty years learning manners, and I spent twenty years learning knowledge.” It is lamentable however that the experience of our teachers in our madâris is an unpleasant one. Children are often disruptive and disrespectful. Parents have to facilitate children's learning by cooperating with teachers in instilling discipline and good manners in their children. Teachers deserve great respect from learners. Imâm Ash-Shâfi’î Rahmatullâhi ‘alaihi would show great reverence for his teachers and he said of himself, “I would turn the pages very gently in front of Imâm Mâlik Rahmatullâhi ‘alaihi, out of respect for him, so that he would not hear it.” The Messenger of Allâh Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam, said, “He is not of us, who does not respect our elderly, (is not) merciful to our youth, and knows (not) the rights of those who teach us.” (Tirmidhî) As the Moroccan saying goes: “Instruction in youth is like engraving in stone.” Habits tend to persist and the bad ones should be nipped in the bud before they define a child’s character. May Allâh Almighty protect and reward our children and their teachers in the noble efforts of seeking and imparting knowledge. May He guide the Ummah to that which is good. Âmîn Source

The love of Allah Give yourself a moment; think about the person who you love the most, the person that you are most attached and close to. Think about it for a moment. Now think about that person giving you something, some sort of a gift. Now think about another person; maybe a stranger, someone you do not know that well. Now I want you to imagine that person giving you a gift, maybe a bouquet of roses, something which is very special. Now imagine that the person you love the most gives you just a simple gift, like a pen. But this is someone who you love dearly so even though it is something very small it still appears very precious to you because the person who gave it is very dear to you. Whereas the bouquet of roses looks more fancy and beautiful from the outside but because the giver is not much special to you the gift itself is not special. When the giver is special to you and the giver is more beloved then whatever he gives, than the gift is loved and cherished no matter what it is. Now how does that apply to Allah? When Allah is beloved to us, than anything that comes from Him is loved. Whatever Allah gives and whatever He takes we accept because it’s from Him. That should be the conscience even if it’s something that does not appear good on the outside. It is because I love the giver which is why I accept the gift no matter what it is. So you see how this is an example of the true love of Allah. The most exalted, the most beneficial kind of love is most certainly the love of the One who created the love. Allah created the heart and the heart was created solely for one reason, and that is to love Allah with all our hearts. Our main purpose of existence is to worship our lord with love and obedience. It is when we accept the gift of our beloved, a simple prostration of His command becomes the center of our life. We are reminded of Him every time we make Sujood. And the gift is forever precious and rewarding even though we may not see it as such. idealwoman

Financial and Moral Responsibilities of the Household Allah, the Exalted, stated in the Glorious Qur'an: (Men are protectors and maintainers of women because Allah has made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend to support them from their means.) [4:34] This verse emphasizes that the financial and moral responsibilities of a household is the husband's responsibility. The natural, physical and social qualities of men demand that they take charge of these responsibilities since they are of the stronger gender and physically fit to work being free from the burden of menses, pregnancy, nursing and early childrearing. The man is the "guardian" of his own household - a shepherd of his flock in the idiom mentioned earlier - and he will be asked and accounted about all his responsibilities. Women by their natural constituency are the weaker sex, built biologically, emotionally and socially for their role as child bearer and homemaker. They are more endowed with intuition and emotional intelligence. This is their natural feminine role that is fully honored and protected. Due to the pains and burdens of menses, pregnancy, delivery, nursing, and continual child-care, women often require various periods of confinement for rest, and they are not required to take on additional financial and vocational responsibilities for the sustenance and maintenance of the household. All these concerns affect the mental state of a woman and will be reflected in her life, attitude and behavior. This is a natural state prescribed in many civilizations, but often with many injustices, as mentioned earlier. 'Abbas Mahmoud al-'Akkad, the well-known Egyptian writer, notes: "Women have a very special emotional make-up that does not resemble the emotional make-up of man. The companionship of a little infant or child requires a lot of similarity and resemblance between the child's mentality and his companion, the mother. She has to understand what he wants, what he needs and how he thinks and feels. Therefore, to fulfill this requirement, a woman is much more responsive to emotions. This makes it difficult for a woman, when compared with man, to be firm, fierce and determined when needed." Dr. Alex Liberelle, a Nobel Prize winner, says while illustrating the natural organic differences between man and woman: "Matters that differentiate between man and woman are not limited to sexual organs, the presence of the womb and pregnancy. These matters are also not limited to the difference of teaching methods of man and woman. In fact, these differences are of basic nature. The tissues of the body in both male and female are different. The chemistry of the bodies is also different in both. Certain glands excrete certain secretions that are only suitable for a specific gender. The woman is completely different from man in terms of the chemical material secreted from the ovary inside the woman's body." Those who call for complete equality between men and women disregard basic facts and essential differences. Advocates of women's equal rights demand the same type of education to be given to both male and female, and same type of jobs, tasks, responsibilities, positions to be offered, etc. This absurdity neglects woman's nature and essential physical, mental, emotional, and social traits. Every cell of the body of a woman has a feminine quality, nursed by female hormones, just as a man has his distinct qualities and hormones. Are they blind when they wish to be equal? They don't see that each organ of every man and woman are unique in and of themselves, and different from each other. The male and female central nervous systems function in exact precision to help their respective roles in human life. We must accept natural laws and movements as they are, without attempting to change them to seek unnatural obstruction or interference with them. For their own benefit, both men and women should build upon their natural talents and gifts, and never deviate into imitating those of the other sex, which only leads to abuse of themselves and others. Another factor is that it is a well-established fact that the bone structure and muscles of men are naturally heavier and more powerful than those of women. Men can perform more laborious and manual jobs, while women are not physically able to show comparable physical endurance. This is another proof that men are naturally equipped and qualified to assume the role of leadership over financial and vocational responsibilities of the household in consultation with their best second-halves (their wives), which is also a general rule in Islam, as mentioned previously. WOMAN IN THE SHADE OF ISLAM

The Three People of the Cave عن عبد الله بن عمر رضي الله عنهما قال سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول انطلق ثلاثة نفر ممن كان قبلكم حتى آواهم المبيت إلى غار فدخلوه فانحدرت صخرة من الجبل فسدت عليهم الغار فقالوا إنه لا ينجيكم من هذه الصخرة إلا أن تدعوا الله بصالح أعمالكم فقال رجل منهم اللهم كان لي أبوان شيخان كبيران وكنت لا أغبق قبلهما أهلا ولا مالا فنأى بي في طلب شجر يوما فلم أرح عليهما حتى ناما فحلبت لهما غبوقهما فوجدتهما نائمين وكرهت أن أغبق قبلهما أهلا أو مالا فلبثت والقدح على يدي أنتظر استيقاظهما حتى برق الفجر- زاد بعض الرواة (والصبية يتضاغون عند قدميّ) فاستيقظا فشربا غبوقهما اللهم إن كنت فعلت ذلك ابتغاء وجهك ففرج عنا ما نحن فيه من هذه الصخرة فانفرجت شيئا لا يستطيعون الخروج قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وقال الآخر اللهم كانت لي ابنة عم كانت أحب الناس إلي فأردتها عن نفسها فامتنعت مني حتى ألمت بها سنة من السنين فجاءتني فأعطيتها عشرين ومائة دينار على أن تخلي بيني وبين نفسها ففعلت حتى إذا قدرت عليها قالت لا أحل لك أن تفض الخاتم إلا بحقه فتحرجت من الوقوع عليها فانصرفت عنها وهي أحب الناس إلي وتركت الذهب الذي أعطيتها اللهم إن كنت فعلت ابتغاء وجهك فافرج عنا ما نحن فيه فانفرجت الصخرة غير أنهم لا يستطيعون الخروج منها قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وقال الثالث اللهم (إني) استأجرت أجراء و أعطيتهم أجرهم غير رجل واحد ترك الذي له وذهب فثمرت أجره حتى كثرت منه الأموال فجاءني بعد حين فقال يا عبد الله أد إلي أجري فقلت له كل ما ترى من أجرك من الإبل والبقر والغنم والرقيق فقال يا عبد الله لا تستهزئ بي فقلت إني لا أستهزئ بك فأخذه كله فاستاقه فلم يترك منه شيئا اللهم فإن كنت فعلت ذلك ابتغاء وجهك فافرج عنا ما نحن فيه فانفرجت الصخرة فخرجوا يمشون (الترغيب و الترهيب 1/55) Hadhrat ibn Umar (Radhiyallahu Anhuma) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: There were three people from the nations before you, who were once travelling on a journey when they had taken shelter in a cave (due to being overtaken by a storm). Suddenly, a rock fell from the mountain and blocked the exit of the cave. One of them said: “The only way to gain freedom from this predicament is to beseech Allah Ta’ala via some virtuous deed that was committed.” Thereupon one of them supplicated, “O Allah, my parents were very old. I used to offer them milk at night before my children and the other members of the family. One day I travelled far in search of (grass for the animals) and only returned after my parent had gone to sleep. When I had milked the animals and brought the milk to them, they were already fast asleep. I did not wish to disturb them, nor did I wish to give any part of the milk to my children and other members of the family before I served my parents. Thus, with the vessel in my hand, I awaited their awakening till the time of dawn set in, while the children cried out of hunger at my feet. When my parents awoke, I first served them the milk (and then served my family and children). O Allah, if I carried out this action solely for Your pleasure, then do relieve us of this distress.” Thereupon, the rock moved a little but not enough to allow them to come out. Then the second man supplicated: “O Allah, I had a cousin whom I loved the most. I tried to seduce her but she always refused, until a time came when she was in great difficulty and was going through poverty. She approached me (for financial assistance and help) and I gave her one hundred and twenty dinars on condition that she would allow me to have relations with her. She (initially) agreed, and when we were together and I was in privacy with her, she pleaded: ‘I don’t allow you to open the seal (i.e. to have relations with me) except in the lawful manner (i.e. it is only permissible for my husband)’. I thus moved away from her, despite the fact that I desired her most passionately; and I let her keep the money I had given her. O Allah, if I carried out this action solely for Your pleasure, then do relieve us of this distress.” Thereupon, the rock again moved a little but not enough to allow them to come out. Then the third person supplicated: “O Allah, I hired some laborers and paid them their dues, but one of them left without taking what was due to him. I invested it and it prospered greatly. After a while the labourer returned and said: ‘O servant of Allah, hand over to me my wages.’ I said to him: ‘All that you see is yours – camels, cattle, goats and slaves.’ He said: ‘O servant of Allah, do not joke with me.’ I assured him that I was not joking with him. So he took all of it leaving nothing behind. O Allah, if I carried out this action solely for Your pleasure, then do relieve us of our distress.” Ihyaaudden

Time for duas being acceptedQ: 1. What is the best authentic time for duas being accepted? 2. If fajar jamat is 5:35am then what is the last part of the night? A: 1. The Hadith explains that duas are accepted after the five daily fardh Salaah and at the latter portion of the night (i.e. the time of tahajjud). 2. The time before subah-saadiq enters. The word that appears in the Hadith for the last part of the night is Sahar i.e. the last sixth of the night. The Ulama explain that the night commences from after sunset till Subah Saadiq. If the entire time from sunset till subah saadiq is divided into six parts, then the last part is regarded as sahar. And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best. عن أبي أمامة قال : قيل لرسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم أي الدعاء أسمع ؟ قال جوف الليل الآخر ودبر الصلوات المكتوبات (جامع الترمذي #3499) عن عائشة قالت كل الليل أوتر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وانتهى وتره إلى السحر (صحيح البخاري ‎996) والسحر قبيل الصبح وحكى الماوردي أنه السدس الأخير (فتح الباري 2/565) Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

Wife cutting her hair for her husband Q: My wife is in purdah and she wants to cut her hair in "layers". Is it permissible because I will be the only person seeing it? Will this be regarded as tashabuh bil kuffaar (emulating the kuffaar), because it is not for any fashion reason, rather only for me? A: It is not permissible for your wife to cut her hair nor is it permissible for you to command her to do so. If you command her to cut her hair, she must not obey you. It is impermissible for a wife to obey her husband in things that are prohibited in Shariat. If she obeys, both of you will be sinful in the court of Allah Ta'aala. وفيه قطعت شعر رأسها أثمت ولعنت زاد في البزازية وإن بإذن الزوج لا طاعة لمخلوق في معصية الخالق ولذا يحرم على الرجل قطع لحيته والمعنى المؤثر التشبه بالرجال اه (الدر المختار 6/407) Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

Welcome to the forum. May Allah ta'ala reward you for asking. It gave us an opportunity to compile some information InshaAllah you will find answers here. We shall continue to search for more information on the subject. If you have further questions please do not hesitate to ask. We will try our best to provide answers from Scholars. If unsure please also contact Ulama of the ahlus sunnah at any of the contacts listed HERE

Marriage to an Agh Khani woman Question 1. Is it permissible for a sunni man to marry an aga khani (ismaili) woman? 2. And if not, then in what conditions one could marry her? I am in love with a ismaili girl for a long time and she is also agreed to believe in sunni practices but not agreed to accept it as her madhab. She needs to continue her practices after the marriage, but she promises that our children will not know anything abt ismailisim. Answer If the Agha Khani girl does not revert in belief and practise to the Ahlus sunnah Wal Jamaa, then it is not permissible to marry her. The agreement, ‘to believe in Sunni practices and not to accept it as her Madhab’. Furthermore, her need to continue Agha Khani practices does not constitute complete belief which is a requirement for the validity of the Nikah. and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best Mufti Ebrahim Desai Source

From an Islamili (Aga Khani) to a Muslim Dear Brothers-Sisters As-Salaamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu May I for the sake of Allah (swt), His Deen and the Muslim Ummaah, request you to please consider the following facts very carefully and decide on your responsibility before Allah (swt) in this matter. I am a revert to Islam. I was an Ismaili before - a follower of the Aga Khan. And I perceive an important Da'wah responsibility which the majority of Muslims are for some reason or other are ignoring. I am not getting you into petty sectarian issues, but a very important matter - please judge for yourself: 1. The Ismailis (followers of the Aga Khan) all professedly believe that the Qur'an was time bound and was not meant to be a Universal message for all times. They believe that their spiritual leader, Karim Aga Khan, is the "walking - talking Qur'an" and his "religious pronouncements", whatever they may be, are the "guidance" for the present times. The fundamental article of faith that there will not be any NEW revelations or "wahy" after the Qur'an, is being completely violated by the Ismailis. 2. The Aga Khan has officially Declared himself, before his followers, as the "Mazhar of Allah on earth". The word "mazhar" means "copy" or "manifest". Consequently, these Ismailis who call themselves Muslims do "sujood" before him. So even the primary axiomatic principle of Tawheed is being fundamentally and formally violated by them. 3. The Ismailis are not instructed to offer the Islamic Salaah, observe Saum or perform Hajj. They have replaced Salaah with certain shirk-infested Dua'as (thrice a day). They are told that their Hajj is a personal "Glimpse" (Deedaar) of Karim Aga Khan. 4. The Aga Khan and his appointees 'forgive the sins' of the followers on regular basis. Ismailis are misled into believing that they will not be questioned on the Day of Judgment for the sins that are already forgiven in their Jamatkhanas (community centers). Forgiving of sins is the exclusive prerogative and privilege of Allah (swt) alone. Qur'an 3:135. 5. Against this backdrop, most of the poor (spiritually poor) Ismailis who are not introduced to al-Furqan are confused and misguided. Hence, Ismailis are very easy prey to missionary efforts by various Christian groups and Baha'is. I have known a couple of young ex-Ismailis who are today preaching "Pauline Christianity" to Ismailis as evangelical missionaries. 6. Karim Aga Khan's own daughter Zahra having married a practising Christian has opened the gates for young Ismailis girls to follow the footsteps of a family member of their beloved Imam-e-Zaman. The parents of the Ismaili girls who wish to marry outside of Islam have no recourse but to let them go. 7. The Aga Khan has made Halaal for the Ismailis that which Allah has made Haraam for the humans. Taking of interest (usury) is not forbidden by the religious instruction classes run by the "Tariqaah" board of the Ismailis. As a matter of fact, the much publicized "Venture Capital" program (details on the website of FORBES Magazine - search under "Aga Khan"), of loaning funds on interest by the AKFED (Aga Khan Fund & Economic Development), has been a great success. Similar entrepreneurial projects are now being actively promoted and introduced to poor Muslims of Tajikistan and neighboring areas. 8. The Muslim Ummaah and the various Muslim leaders are not fully aware of these Un-Islamic acts and beliefs of this community of less than two million members, who claim to be the Ismaili Muslims. Surprisingly, their leader Aga Khan claims himself to be a spiritual leader of 15 million Muslims and a Direct Descendant of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam). 9. Earlier, one did not have authentic books on Ismailism, but it is not so anymore. There are two authentic books as well as one comprehensive web site exposing the inner practices of the Ismailis and the Proclamations (Farmans) of the Aga Khans. Hence, now you have no "hujjah" argument or excuse left before Allah (swt) for not taking up the task of inviting the misguided "Ismaili Muslims" towards the Deen of Allah (swt) and not safeguarding them from committing unpardonable sin of Shirk. 10. The Aga Khan in collaboration with so many Western powers and aid, has set up the world-wide Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) which runs several institutions and service companies both in the profit and not for profit sectors. This network is very actively operating in Pakistan, India, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Bangladesh, and has now started concentrating its efforts in Tajikistan and the neighbouring areas where there is a concentration of Muslims who have not known or openly practised Islam for the decades. By taking up economical, social, educational and rural development efforts through NGOs (Non-Govt. Organizations) within the AKDN, the Ismailis and the Aga Khan have gained wide acceptance amongst these countries and masses. Hence this urgent appeal. 11. Now all these beneficiaries are "obliged and grateful" to the Aga Khan and his followers and his organizations for the much-needed schools, medical centers, hospitals, various projects and programmes. In this manner they are penetrating and infiltrating the support system - and one fine day, the Muslim Ummaah will wake up to the unexpected realization that they have a community of so called Muslims, practicing the Un-Islamic Tariqaah, in charge of all core and support activities. Each of these much-needed projects will have the photos of Aga Khan decorating the walls. In the name of Allah (swt) and Islam, kindly urge our Brothers and Sisters to do Da'wah to the Ismailis, who otherwise will, on the day of judgement, hold us responsible for not conveying the Revealed Truth to them. Dear Brother/Sister, you know much more on the subject than what little I have learnt since reverting to the Deen of Allah (swt). It hurts to see the misguided simple minded people die on SHIRK because we did not amply warn them before their deaths. I am aware of your stature as a religious leader of repute, respectability and acceptance among Muslim Masses, and hence have sought to put this appeal to you. I request you to seriously consider this request and initiate all steps that you consider Wajib and appropriate. To spread the "Truth" and eradicate "Tagoot" is a significant, major Sunnah of the prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam). May I also request you to please forward this e-mail to at least five (if not all) of your Muslim friends and activists so that greater awareness of this issue is created, and this request reaches a wider audience. Please do so. JazakAllah." In case you wish to seek any further clarification please feel free to e-mail a message. I will Insh'allah respond. I apologize in advance, if this happens to be a repeat message. May Allah (swt) shower His Choicest Blessings on the entire Muslim Ummah. May Almighty Allah bless you and keep you in the service of Islam and Muslims. Aameen. Jazak'Allah and Was salaam, Yours in the Service of Islam, Akbarally Meherally central-mosque askimam.org

Question Are Agha Khani Ismaili Muslim? Answer (Fatwa: 1671/1671/M=1432) Agha Khani Ismaelis are out of the fold of Islam due to their kufriyah beliefs. In reply to a question regarding Agha Khani group Hadhrat Maulana Thanvi (رحمة الله عليه) has written a detailed fatwa, which is published in Jawahir al-Fiqh Vol. 1, under the title “Al Hukmul Haqqani Fil Hizbil Agha Khani”. [Jawahirul Fiqh 1/64] Allah (Subhana Wa Ta’ala) knows Best Darul Ifta, Darul Uloom Deoband

Nikah – An extremely Easy Ibaadat in Deen Hazrat Shaikh Moulana Muhammad Zakariyya (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) mentioned: “I got two of my daughters and about seventeen of my children and grand children married. In every marriage Allah Ta‘ala blessed me with His grace to such an extent that one could not tell (on account of the simplicity) whether it was a nikaah or 2 rakaats of nafl salaah. Nikaah is an ‘ibaadat which unfortunately people have converted into a calamity. (Malfoozaate Hazrat Shaikh 1/93)

Statements of some Western thinkers on Polyginy The following are statements of some Western thinkers who demanded Polygyny and considered it the only solution for the problems they were confronted with in their societies. Gustav Le Bon, the well-known French thinker, says in his book Arabic Civilization: "Polygyny enables the society to reduce social crisis, prevents the mistress problem and cures the society from illegitimate children." Annie Besant, in her book on Indian Religions says: "I read in the Old Testament that the closest friend to Allah, whose heart acts upon the Will of Allah, was polygynous. Moreover, the New Testament did not forbid Polygyny except for priests or ministers of the church, who were required to keep and maintain one wife only. Old Indian religious books also permitted Polygyny. It is easy, however, to criticize others in their religious practices. And that is what made people accuse Islam and attack it for its permission of Polygyny. However, it is strange that Westerners are against the restricted and limited Polygyny of the Muslims, while they suffer from wide scale prostitution and promiscuity in their own societies. A close examining look at the Western society illustrates that only a few pure, chaste and honest men respect their clean marital relationships and honor their marriage to one single wife and have no other sexual relationship outside marriage. It is an incorrect and inaccurate statement, therefore, to describe a community as monogamous, in which the men maintain a single marriage, while they are indeed having mistresses, girl friends and other means of sexual relationship outside the marriage to their legal and lawful wife. If we were to be fair and just, we could see that Polygyny in Islam protects, honors, maintains and respects women in society. Polygyny is better than the Western prostitution that permits a man to have a mistress or a girl friend to fulfill his sexual desires with no respect to the feelings, emotions, needs and honor of the women. The man will disown that woman as soon as he gets his satisfaction. The man has no social commitment or obligation towards the mistress or the girl friend. She is only meant to fulfill his sexual needs of the moment and give him the company he needs temporarily. Even though some people declare both Polygyny and fornication or prostitution as bad and unacceptable, yet it is unfair for the non-Muslims to blame a Muslim for doing the same thing that he does while his society accepts and condones it." Jawad, a well-known English scholar, says: "The stiff British system which prevents Polygyny is an unfair and unacceptable system. It severely hurts approximately two million women who have become old maids. These women have lost their youth and were deprived of having children. Thus, these women were forced to throw away the moral values as one throws away the pit of a date." Mobenar, a member of the previous French Parliament noted: "There are two and a half million French girls now who cannot find a husband, if we assume that every French young man will marry only one woman. I frankly declare what I truly believe is that a woman will not enjoy a healthy life unless she becomes a mother. I believe that any law which passes a judgment that such a big number of the members of a society should live opposing, contradicting and neglecting to fulfill the natural laws of man on the Earth is but a cruel and savage law that contradicts the simplest meaning of justice and fairness." In 1959, the United Nations published a special publication stating: "This publication has proven, by numbers and statistics, that the entire world is now facing a growing problem of illegitimate children, as opposed to legitimate children. The number of illegitimate children has increased 60% in some countries. In Panama, for instance, the percentage of illegitimate births soared to 75% of the total number of births in the country. This means that three out of every four children are illegitimate, born outside of wedlock. The highest percentage of illegitimate births is stated to be in Latin America." At the same time, the publication proves and indicates that the number of illegitimate births in the Islamic world is almost nil (in comparison with other countries). The editor of the publication goes on to say that Islamic countries are protected against such social problems and disease due to the fact that the people practice Polygyny. WOMAN IN THE SHADE OF ISLAM,