Colours of Islam

Q: What colours are associated with Islam?

A. If you are referring to clothing, white, green and black have been mentioned. All colours are permitted in Islam. A man is not allowed to wear bright colours such as bright red, maroon, orange and bright yellow (Hadeeth in Bukhaari), but permissible for women. There is no colour that is associated with Islam as a salient feature or trait.

Moulana Yusuf Laher
Checked and approved by: Mufti Siraj Desai

Dog for Security

Q: What is the ruling pertaining to having a watch dog? I live on an average size urban plot.

A. It is permissible to keep a dog for security purposes and protection. Do not allow the dog inside the house unless there is a dire need, e.g. the robber is in the house, etc. (Raddul Muhtaar V20 P296)

Moulana Yusuf Laher
Checked and approved by: Mufti Siraj Desai

Fiqh of Makkah Imams

Q: Which Fiqh e Mazhab (of the Four Imams) do the Imams of Masjidul Haram (Makkah) follow in Namaz (Salaat)?

A. The Imams of Makkah are inclined to the Hambali Madhab.

Moulana Yusuf Laher
Checked and approved by: Mufti Siraj Desai

Reciting Naats

Q: Ye naat parhna kaisa amal hey?

Translation: What is the status of reciting Naats (praise of the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)?

A: Na't Shareef parhna aur sunna donon bahaut acha amal hai aur sawaab ka kaam hai. Bas itna yaad rakhe ke Na't main alfaaz saheeh haun aur ghalat aqeedah yaa ghuloo us mein na hau.

Translation: To recite and listen to Naats are both good actions and a means of reward. Keep this in mind that the words of the Naats should be Islamically correct and there should not be any incorrect beliefs or transgressing of the limits of Islam in them.

Moulana Yusuf Laher

Checked and approved by: Mufti Siraj Desai

Men Wearing Wedding Rings

Q: I would like to know if men are allowed to wear a wedding ring.

A: Men are allowed to wear a ring made of silver only. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) wore a ring which was used as a seal on correspondence, etc. The Khulafaae Raashideen (Radhiyallaahu Anhum) also wore rings for a similar purpose. This need does not apply today. We do not use rings for this purpose (of applying seals to correspondence, etc) anymore. Although permissible, some jurists are of the opinion that if a ring is not worn for this purpose, then it should not be worn at all.

Also, the tradition of a wedding ring is from other cultures and not from Islam and Muslims. Thus, in our humble opinion, it is best to abstain from wearing a ring.
And Allah Ta'aala knows best. (Raddul Muhtaar)

Prepared by: Moulana Yusuf Laher
Checked and approved by: Mufti Siraj Desai

Adding a Floor to Musjid

Q: Can we build another floor for the Musjid because we are experiencing great difficulty with the heat on the ground floor?

A: It is permissible to build another floor above the musjid and make an intention that that floor will be part of the musjid. Jamaat salaah will be valid on that floor and all the law of a musjid will apply to that floor.

Islamic Radio Stations

Q : Nowadays there are a number of Islamic radio stations and satellite channels. What is the ruling in Islam of listening to these broadcasts?

A: Radio has to be understood on the following principle: ‘Its good is good and its bad is bad’. In other words, it has good and it has bad. The good comprises Deeni programs from qualified Ulema, news on Muslims around the world, investigative journalism on issues affecting the Muslim World, announcements that are important to the general public, etc. The evil side of radio is in the form of programs that are un-Islamic or that have un-Islamic content, promotion of views or beliefs that are contrary to Quran and Sunnah, violation of hijaab, etc. The ruling for all this is that the good may be listened to, but the evil must be shunned. Such a choice is up to the user or listener of the Radio.

Wife Changing Math-hab

Q: Is it permissible for a woman to change to the math-hab of her husband?

A: Changing the mazh-hab for the reason stated in the question is not permissible, since a couple may live harmoniously in spite of difference in mazh-hab. There are only a few areas which demand some caution between Shafi’ee and Hanafi, such as touching each other, for this breaks wudhu, and laws pertaining to iddat and talaaq. If and when the latter situation arises (Allah forbid), consult your local Ulema for guidance. If one is living in a place where only one mazh-hab is prevalent and there is no one to teach the other mazh-hab, then common sense demands that it is necessary to change to the prevalent mazh-hab in order to make amal on the Laws of Shariah. Otherwise, each one should adhere to his or her mazh-hab.
As for the children, the parents should decide before hand which mazh-hab they shall follow. In making this decision, consider convenience of madresa and Deeni tuition, as alluded to in the previous paragraph.

Why is Music Haraam?

Q: Why is music haraam? Why is percussion acceptable? What about other instruments? What make them unacceptable?

A: Music is haraam for the following reasons: Allah Ta’ala says in The Holy Quran:
"And among mankind there are those who purchase idle talk (i.e. music and singing) to mislead (men) from the Path of Allah without knowledge, and make it (the path of Allah or the verses of the Quran) a mockery; for such people there will be a humiliating punishment (in the fire of hell).” (Surah Luqman, verse 6) Imaam Ibni Katheer (rahmatullahi alayhi) states in the Tafseer (commentary) of this verse: “Hazrat Abdullah Bin Masood (radhiyallahu anhu) said on oath that lahwal-hadeeth or ‘idle talk’ means music. He repeated this thrice. Hazrat Ibni Abbaas, Jaabir, Ikramah, Saeed Bin Jubair, Mujaahid, Makhool, Amr Bin Shuaib and Ali Bin Bazheema (radhiyallahu anhum) have all given the same commentary on this verse as Hazrat Abdullah Bin Masood (radhiyallahu anhu). Hazrat Hasan Basri (rahmatullahi alayhi) states that this (verse) was revealed for the condemnation of musical instruments. Qurtubi, Bagawi, Khaazin, Mudaarak, Mazhari and many other works on tafseer have mentioned the same. Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "Allah sent me as a Mercy and Guidance to the world. And My Lord has commanded me to eradicate musical instruments and singing….” (Ahmed and Tabarani) From this we learn that instruments that are designed to created musical sounds and melodies are not permissible in the Shariah of Islam, regardless of what those instruments are and how they work. Percussion is the striking together of two objects to produce sound or noise. In this regard, if the sound resembles a musical melody and the purpose of the exercise is to produce musical sounds then that too, is unacceptable and abominable (makrooh), though the sin will not be as severe as using actual musical instruments

Solar Heated Pool

Q: We are buying a house with a solar heated pool. Please inform me if it is haraam to swim in a solar heated pool.

A: It is not haraam to use solar-heated water, but avoiding this is better. The mention of this in the hadith was purely for medical reasons. The prohibition in the hadith does not mean haraam; it is instead a discouragement. Some Ulema applied this hadith to countries around the equator where there is excessive heat, Arabia being one of them. Today the scientists have discovered the harm of too much exposure to ultra violet rays of the sun. This harm was referred to by Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) when he discouraged the Ummat from using water heated by the rays of the sun.

Killing a Lame Horse

Q: One owns a horse which is lame and weak. Vet suggests we put the horse down. Is it allowed?

A: If the horse is not going through any visible pain or torture then you are not allowed to kill it. Care for it to the best of your ability and let it die its natural death.

Viewing DVDs

Q: Is it permissible to view a CD or DVD on the Chechen struggle?

A: CD’s or DVD’s of this nature display pictures and images of human beings, which are not permissible to view. We are of the view that pictures appearing on computer or TV screens fall under the Shar’ee definition of photography. When Rasollullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) conquered Makka, he ordered the Sahaaba to wash off pictures that were painted on the walls inside the Holy Ka’ba. This is proof that pictures on flat surfaces are also not allowed, contrary to the belief that only three-dimensional images have been prohibited in the hadith. While we fully understand that Muslims would love to view the losses inflicted on the enemy by the Mujaahideen, let us in the interests of our Islamic principles, confine ourselves to the printed stories.

Following Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah

Q: Some Salafis ask: ‘Did The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam say you must follow Abu Hanifah? So why do you Hanafis follow him?’ What answer do we give such people?

A: There are several responses to these childish and hollow claims.
1) Indeed the Prophet of Allah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam did not say "follow Abu Hanifa", but likewise he never said "follow Imam Bukhari, or Imam Muslim or Imam Abu Dawood or Imam Ibni Taymiyyah", etc. Yet the people who make these claims follow all these Imams and even more. In fact, we follow only one Imam, but they follow several. So it shows their claims are based on some personal, nafasani preference. If they say they don't follow these Imams, then we would like to know why they accept without proof the statements of these Imams regarding validity and authenticity of hadith. By way of example, when Imam Bukhari writes in his book that Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) raised his hands in takbeer after ruku', they all accept it. That acceptance means they follow Imam Bukhari in establishing a sunnah. So if we follow Imam Abu Hanifa when he says that Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) did not raise his hands in takbeer after ruku', what sin did we commit? If the Rasool sallallahu alaihi wa sallam never said: "Follow Abu Hanifa" then he also never said "Follow Bukhari". If you can follow Bukhari, why can't we follow Abu Hanifa or Shaafi'ee? If they argue that Abu Hanifa had no proof, we can provide them with proof that will leave them bewildered. They must approach the Hanafi Ulema if they need proof.
2) All the great Imams extracted the Sunnah from the Life of Rasool sallallahu alaihi wa sallam and his Sahaaba. They practiced that Sunnah and taught it to people. This was what the Sahaaba also did, as well as the Imams after them. Hence, if one follows the Imams, he or she is following the Sunnah which these Imams derived from Hadith. This has been happening for centuries and is one hundred percent correct.
3) How will we know the Sunnah? We never saw the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) do any of these sunnah practices? We are forced to rely on people who narrated and taught this Sunnah from one generation to another. Every man has an Ustaad whom he follows. He has to do this in order to learn his Deen. Otherwise, there is no way people can learn Deen if they don=t follow some Alim or Shaikh. The Quran says: "Follow the person who has turned unto Me." (Surah Luqman) "Ask the People of the Reminder if you don't know." (Surah Ambiyaa) "O Believers! Obey Allah, obey His Messenger, and obey those in charge of your affairs (The Ulema)." These verses prove that you are allowed, in fact commanded to follow an Imam, Alim, Shaikh, etc.
4) These people want to lay claim to following the Sunnah of Nabi-e-Kareem (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam), but when we say that Imam Abu Hanifa or Imam Shaafi'ee follows the Sunnah, they reject it! They want us to believe that they are the only ones following the Sunnah, but they reject the notion that Imam Abu Hanifa or Imam Malik etc. is also following the Sunnah. This is irrational and a sign of obstinacy. Are they the only people in the world that follow the true Sunnah of Our Beloved Nabi sallallahu alaihi wa sallam? They are no comparison to these great Imams, but they have the audacity to claim that their "Sunnah" is the only sunnah and that the great Imams do not follow the Sunnah! This smacks of pride and arrogance. Allah save us from such ignorance that borders on disbelief.

Covering the Head and Reading Qur'aan

Q: Can a person read Quran without a cap? What is the ruling 4 men and women?

A: The Ulema have mentioned that among the aadaab or ettiquette of Quran recitation one is to cover the head. So though it is permissible to read Quran with the head open, it is makrooh (disapproved) because this is contrary to respect.
For a woman it is not permissible to recite Quran with the head and hair uncovered. This law will be stricter in the case of woman, as is the case in salah. A man's salaah is makrooh but valid if he does not wear a cap (topi). However, the woman's salaah is not valid at all if she performs salaah without head and hair covered. The same principle will apply to Quran reading.

Masah on Nylon Socks

Q: Is it permissible for a person to make masah on nylon socks?

A: Masah on nylon socks is not permissible. The socks which the Sahaaba made masah on were so strong that they were able to walk in those socks without wearing shoes and it never tore until after some time. Today’s ordinary socks do not fall under this category.

Saying Aameen in Dua

Q: Must the person making dua say aameen as well?

A: Yes, the person making dua should also say aameen to his own duas, for the following reasons: The hadith shareef states: “If the one making dua ends with aameen, he has confirmed the acceptance of his dua.” (Mentioned in Fathul Baari and Tuhfatul Ahwazhi). This proves that the reciter of the dua should also say aameen. Aameen is like a seal on dua, as mentioned by many Ulema of the past, and it is only correct that one should place a seal on one’s own dua. This is also supported by the practice of saying aameen after reciting Surah Faatiha. The last three verses of Surah Fatiha are duas, and the reciter of Surah fatiha is taught to say aameen upon the completion of this surah.

Reading Qur'aan without a Cap (Topi)

Q: Is it permissible to read a qiraat at a wedding function without a topi?

A: This is not permissible because it is open disrespect to the Holy Quran.

Men Wearing Rings

Q: Are men allowed to wear rings? If so, from which metal must the rings be made of?

A: The rings that Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and the Sahaba wore were used as a seal for letters. Today we have the rubber stamp which is placed on letters and documents to prove authenticity. In those days they used their rings. The inscription on the ring of Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) was “Muhammadur Rasoolullah”. The rings they wore for this purpose was from silver, and Allah’s Messenger prohibited all other metals in rings, such as gold, brass, copper, etc. In our times we do not use the rings for this purpose. The only reason why men wear rings today is for ornamentation and fancy display. So whether the rings are of silver, platinum, titanium, men of today will not be allowed to wear any type of rings.

Dua after Athaan

Q: Is it sunnat to raise the hands and make dua after athaan?

A: Despite researching many books on hadith, we have failed to come up with even a weak hadith that mentioned raising of hands in dua after athaan. It is established that Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) read the dua after athaan and taught it to the Sahaaba, but nothing indicates that lifted his hands when reading it, or that he ordered the Sahaaba to do so. This practice is, therefore, not a sunnah. For a practice to be designated as sunnah, it must be found in the famous books of hadith