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Guidelines |
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1. Due to the high volume of questions coming in almost daily, the questions go into a queuing system. Thus, there will be a delay before receiving the answer. We request patience. There is no need to send the same question twice.
2. Please send only one question per email. If you have more than one question, separate emails should be sent, unless the questions are linked to the same topic.
3. Before sending a question, please check the askmufti.co.za website for a similar question and answer already posted. If you cannot find anything similar, then only forward the question. |
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Questions of the Week |
Three Talaaqs
Q: My husband and I had an argument and he said some hurtful things which he often says when we have our arguments.The next day we were talking and he asked me if I wanted a seperation. I said yes and he immediately mumbled Talaaq,Talaaq,Talaaq and got out of the car. Please advise if this terminates the nikkah (marriage).
A. Three Talaaqs have taken place and there is no possibility of reconciliation unless you marry someone else, but such a marriage must not be planned and arranged by the husband or yourself. You will now have to undergo the Iddat period. Moulana Yusuf Laher Checked and approved by: Mufti Siraj Desai
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Calculating Subh Sadiq
Q: How do I calculate what time Subuh Sadiq (true dawn) starts?
A: Subuh Sadiq is about 1 hour 25 minutes before sunrise in Port Elizabeth. This is a basic and safe way to calculate subu sadiq or true dawn.
Mufti Siraj Desai
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The Final Analysis |
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People are often unreasonable, self-centred: Forgive them anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you, but be honest anyway. What you spend years to build, someone could destroy overnight. Build anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow. Do good anyway. You see, in the final analysis it is between you and Allah, it never was between you and them anyway. |
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Da'wah
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Written by Mufti Siraj Desai
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Tuesday, 01 June 2010 |
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Q: 1. A Christian said that there are many versions of the Quran, that there may be one literal version of the Quran, but many de facto versions? Put another way, how does a good Muslim know which verses are more important? 2. The Christian also posed this objection: The first Caliphs were both spiritual and temporal leaders of Islam, but as intrigue and assassination hewed through the ranks of believers and Islam shattered into warring factions each intent on putting their man into the Caliphate, it subsequently became a purely political office. By the 1600's, it was just an empty figurehead office, by the beginning of the twentieth century, there was no one to fill it at all. The Caliphate has been empty for over a century and it will remain so — it would be impossible for the various Islamic sects to agree on a successor. The Christian claims that there are now as many versions of the Quran as there are imams to interpret it. If one imam or group of imams says this Sura is more important than that one, and another group says something else, what are we to do? There is no one to adjudicate between the two groups, no one who can exert authority and say with authority that one group is wrong while the other is right. Thus, when modern commentators claim to oppose Islamic fundamentalism, it simply isn't clear what they mean. Are the fundamentalists the ones who insist on the primacy of the Meccan verses or are they the ones who insist on the primacy of the Medinian verses? A: 1. There are no literal or de facto versions of the Qur'aan. There is only one version, and that was the version revealed to The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and that is still read and studied around the Muslim world today. In fact it is logically and linguistically incorrect to make a division such as literal and de facto with regards to the Qur'aan. It must be understood that The Holy Qur'aan in its literal and original form was compiled in the time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad and his Disciples after him. The Holy Qur'aan does not need legal, official, or sovereign recognition or endorsement in order to maintain its authenticity. The purity of Qur'anic words and its authenticity has been and still is accepted among all strata of the Muslim world and, unlike the Bible, is not ratified or approved by a particular group of clergy or religious panel. The veracity and originality of the Holy Qur'aan is axiomatic and natural in Islam. The reason for this is that the Holy Qur'aan in its originality is preserved in the hearts of millions of Muslims, called Huffaaz, so it has become a household fixture. No one dare tamper with the text, for such an endeavour is easily exposed through the thousands of people who can recite The Qur'aan from memory without s single mistake! In light of this it is easy to understand why the authenticity of the Qur'aan is embedded in the Islamic Nation and needs no official or state approval.
The questioner, being a Christian will be forgiven for asking a question of this nature, as well as the question of how a good Muslim will know which verses are more important, because this is how Christians approach their Bible. The Bible had to be sanctioned by the Church, which had to officially declare which books are authentic and which are not, and which are “more important” and which are not; consequently they had to expunge some books and even verses from the Bible on the basis that these books were of doubtful origin and source, thus giving rise to the Apocrypha.
As for the Qu'aan, every chapter and section are equally important and enjoy the same sanctity among the whole Muslim nation. The entire Qur'aan was revealed in the time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad and after him all revelation ceased, meaning that there was to be no addition to or deletion from the Holy Qur'aan. Therefore, its compilation was finalized and printed in proper book form soon thereafter. At no stage did new chapters of the Qur'aan come to light after the Messenger of God, nor were any scrolls containing chapters of the Qur'aan discovered afterwards in hidden caves or under rocks. No part of the Holy Qur'aan became extinct or obsolete at any stage, nor did any chapter go missing or disappear; how could it, when thousands knew the entire Qur'aan from memory. The question of different versions, therefore, is totally inappropriate. One part of the Qur'aan is neither less doubtful nor more authentic than the other. Every single aspect of Qur'anic text enjoys equal authenticity.
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Written by Mufti Siraj Desai
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Wednesday, 12 May 2010 |
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Q: I was recently engaged in a religious discussion with a Christian colleague of mine at work and he asked me to explain to him a verse in the holy Quran which he seemed to have a problem with. The verse is Surah 4, Verses 89-90, wherein Allah commands Muslims to kill disbeleivers on two different occassions. I told him that I am no expert in the meaning of the Quran but that I will consult with my respected Scholars and get back to him regarding these verses. Can Mufti Saheb please explain to me and give me a detailed tafseer of these verses so that I can respond to my non-Muslim colleague in the correct manner? Please can you also give me other verses in the Quran wherein Allah commands good treatment towards non-believers?
A: EXPLANATION ON VERSES 89 AND 90 OF SURAH 4 (AN-NISAA)
We begin with a literal translation of these verses:
4: 89: And they wish that you should disbelieve like they have, then you will be equal; so take them not as your friends until they migrate in the Path of Allah. And if they turn away, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them, and take not from among them a friend or helper.
4: 90: Excluding those who join a people with whom you have a peace treaty or those who approach you whilst their hearts are restrained from fighting you or fighting their people. And if Allah willed He could have imposed them over you then indeed they would fight against you. So if they withdraw from you and fight you not but instead send you peace (offers) then Allah has not given you any right to fight them.
From this literal translation and a thoughtful reading of the above verses it is clear that the command to kill is constrained and conditioned with certain special circumstances. Normally the verses of the Holy Quran need to be understood within a certain context. If read out of context, the meaning is distorted. Christians and other antagonists of Islam are guilty of such misreading and distortion of Quranic meanings because they ignore the context of the verses, either through sheer negligence or deliberate suppression. By context we mean the collective meaning derived from a group of verses. Instead of taking one verse and citing it out of context, the correct procedure is to look at the verses before and after in order to acquire a proper meaning of what The Quran is saying. Secondly, to understand certain intricate verses, the reader needs to resort to official and authentic commentaries of The Quran.
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Written by Mufti Siraj Desai
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Thursday, 25 March 2010 |
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Q: My Muslim friend told me that it is haram to touch the Holy Quran if one does not have wudhu. What about if one is not a Muslim but is interested in learning about Islam and reading a copy of the Quran? A non-Muslim friend asked me for a copy of the Quran and I gave one to her, but advised her to please respect it and to not touch it when she is not cleaned and to not read it in the toilet etc. But since this Muslim friend told me about the wudhu thing I am concerned because my non- Muslim friend will not have wudhu when she reads the Quran.
A: If you told your non-Muslim friend not to touch the Quran when she is not clean or when she is in her menses, and you believe that she will respect that and follow your instructions, then you may allow her to keep a translation of the Quran and read it. Another condition for this permissibility is that you should have strong hope of her being attracted to Islam. If she is merely reading the Quran for interest sake or she is a student doing some research and there is no hope that she will embrace Islam, then it will not be permissible to give this non Muslim a copy of the Quran. (Al-Fataawal Hindiyyah)
You should also advise her to keep the quran wrapped in a clean cloth and on a raised place, and not to keep it in a room where alcohol is consumed, or where any un-Islamic activity takes place, and not to touch the Arabic text.
Under these circumstances it will be permissible to leave the Quran with her even though she will not have wudhu when holding the translation. Fataawa mahmoodiya vol.12, p.26
Mufti Siraj Desai
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Written by Moulana Yusuf Laher
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Tuesday, 04 August 2009 |
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Q: I wish to purchase the torah zaboor and injeel. Can I do this? A: Before purchasing them, consider the following points: a) The original books revealed by Allah Ta'aala to the respective messengers cannot be found anymore. The current books available are not in their original form, but have been changed and altered by man. b) The final book which is the Qur'aan is our guidance. The Qur'aan has abrogated these previous books. Thus, there is absolutely no need to purchase and read the previous books, which, as previously mentioned, include many falsehoods. c) Once Sayyidina Umar (Radhiyallaahu Anhu) came in the august presence of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) with a copy of the Taurah and said: O Rasool of Allah! This is a copy of the Taurah. Sayyidina Umar started reading the Taurah and the face of Rasulullah started changing (he was becoming annoyed and angry). Sayyidina Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaahu Anhu) noticed this and reproached Sayyidina Umar. When Sayyidina Umar saw the face of Rasulullah (filled with anger) he immediately said: "I seek refuge in Allah from the wrath of Allah and the wrath of His Rasool. We are pleased with Allah as our Rabb, with Islam as our Deen and with Mohammed as a Nabi". Thereafter, admonishing the Sahaabah, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said: I take an oath on that being in whose hands my life lies; if (Nabi) Moosa appears among you and you follow him and stop following me, you would deviate from the straight path. If he (Nabi Moosa) has to be alive and live during my prophet hood, (he would have no choice) but to follow me". (Sunan Ad Daarimi V1 P126). We learn from this narration that; there is no need to read the previous books, reading the previous books is a means of displeasure to Allah and His Rasool, If Nabi Moosa (Alayhis salaam) lived during the era of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi wa Sallam), he would have had no choice but to discard his Shari'ah and follow the Shari'ah and Sunnah of our beloved Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi wa Sallam). d) There is no goodness in the previous books which cannot be found in the Qur'aan and Sunnah. The Qur'aan and Sunnah encompass all goodness of all previous Shari'ahs. Study the Qur'aan and Sunnah under expert guidance. By doing this, you will benefit greatly in this world and the hereafter, Inshaa Allah Ta'aala. Aameen.
Moulana Yusuf Laher
Checked and approved by: Mufti Siraj Desai |
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Written by Moulana Yusuf Laher
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Monday, 15 June 2009 |
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Q: What is your opinion on ladies jamaats as well as the whole issue of tabligh in general?
A: The Tableegh movement had been initiated by pious Ulama and the Ulama have always been a part of this. For the purpose of the reformation of women, they have sanctioned the participation of women. If the women participate and confine themselves to the principles laid down by the elders of Tableegh and also do not flout the laws of Hijaab, they will benefit from this participation. The Tableegh Jamaa'at is a movement of Haq, beneficial to oneself and to others.
Prepared by: Moulana Yusuf Laher
Checked and approved by: Mufti Siraj Desai |
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Written by Mufti Siraj Desai
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Thursday, 21 May 2009 |
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Q: A Christian lady wants to read a Quraan with the English translation. Is it permissible for me to lend it to her?
A: You may give the Christian a copy of the English translation, but tell her not to touch the Arabic when reading it. Also tell her that she should keep it with respect, on a raised or enclosed place, and not in a room where liquor etc will be consumed or music played. |
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