Salaah in front of a Mirror

Q: Is it permissible to perform salaah in front of a mirror?

A: Yes, this does not affect the salaah in any way. However, if a person is distracted by the reflection of one’s image in the mirror, then it is preferable not to offer salaah in front of a mirror.

Eating Horse Meat

Q: I have heard that the majority of Scholars have permitted the consumption of horse meat and it is only Imam Abu Hanifa who prohibits it. It is claimed that the hadith cited by Imam Abu Hanifa in support of his view has been abrogated. If that is so, why did the Imam still cling to this view?

A: This mas’ala has been dealt with quite extensively in the magnum opus of Hazrat Shaikh Thafar Ahmad Thanwi, I’laa-us Sunan which is a remarkable work on hadith in support of the Hanafi Math-hab. I summarize his exposition on the non-permissibility of horse meat:

1) According to Imam Abu Hanifa horse meat is not haraam but makrooh tahreemi.

2) A hadith of Jaabir (radhiyallahu anhu permits it, while a hadith of Khalid bin Walid (radhiyallahu anhu) prohibits it.
Thus, two hadith of equal strength contradict each other. Imam Abu Hanifa then made recourse to the Holy Quran for finality in the matter. There he found the following verses: And Allah created animals for you; in it is warmth (for you) and other benefits and you eat therefrom. The animals referred to here are camels, cows, sheep, and goats. Then a few verses later Allah Ta’ala says: And (He created for you) horses, mules, and asses so that you may mount them, and for fashionable display. In this verse Allah Ta’ala does not mention eating as the purpose of creating horses and donkeys, as Almighty Allah did when he mentioned camels and sheep. Instead, Allah Ta’ala states that the purpose of horses is to mount them and to display their beauty. Imam Abu Hanifa deduced from these verses that Allah Ta’ala allowed the consumption of camels, oxen, goats, and sheep, but not horses and donkeys. The hadith that prohibits horse meat has, therefore, got support from the Quran Shareef.

3) Furthermore, he reasoned that horses were a means of jihad, so allowing its consumption would lead to a reduction in this important mode of jihad.

4) When one hadith prohibits and another hadith permits, and both are equal in strength then the rule is that prohibition takes precedence over permission Imam Abu Hanifa followed this rule.

5) The Imam did not say horse meat is haraam, but termed it makrooh, out of consideration for the fact that one hadith does permit it. May Allah reward this great Imam for his farsightedness in matters of fiqah, as well as his extreme respect for the hadith of Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) For the record, the view of Imam Abu Hanifa is also the view of Abdullah bin Abbas (radhiyallahu anhu) one the greatest Alims among the Sahaaba, and the view of Imam Malik (rahmatullahi alayh).

Taraweeh in Jamaat

Q: Is it also sunnat to perform the taraweeh in Jamaat?

A: Taraweeh is also sunnat in jamaat. Therefore, a person who performs his taraweeh alone, will not attain the sunnat reward of jamaat, although he would have fulfilled the basic sunnat of taraweeh only.

Position of Taraweeh in Shariah

Q: What is the position of Taraweeh in Shariah? Is it sunnat or nafl?

A: Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Allah has made the fast of Ramadaan faradh upon you, and I have made its Qiyaam sunnat". (Tafseer Durre-Manthoor) The word Qiyaam, which means to offer salah, refers to the Taraweeh salah. (Mirqaat of Mulla Ali Qaari) From this hadith it is established that taraweeh is a sunnat of Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), and this is the view of all four Schools of Thought. However, excluding the Maliki math-hab, the other three state that it is a Sunnat Muakkada (a strong sunnah). (Fiqh alal mathaahib-e-arba’)

The Saabieen

Q: Some people believe that the followers of the Zaboor were the Sabieen. Is this correct?

A: The Saabieen are mentioned twice in the Quran: in Surah Baqarah and in Surah Hajj. There are different views among the Ulema as regards to the exact nature and religion of these people. One view shared by Imams of Tafseer Dhahhaak, Ishaaq bin Rahaway, and Suddi is that they were the followers of Zaboor. However, the more preferred view is that they believed in the Oneness of Allah but did not follow any Divine Scripture or Prophet. Allah Knows Best.

Where can I find the Zaboor

Q: I would like to find out about the four holy books. The Torah was used by the Jews, Injeel by Christians and the Quran by Muslims. Who uses the Zaboor and where can a copy be found?

A: The Zaboor is today known as The Psalms of David and forms part of the Old Testament which is the Bible of the Jews. However, Christians also use and follow the Old Testament and the Book of Psalms is an integral part of their religious belief and prayers. The Zaboor, which was revealed to Nabi Dawood alayhis salaam, contained 150 Surahs and comprised Praises of Almighty Allah and general advice. There were no laws, rules and regulations in the Zaboor. Today too, the Psalms of the Bible contain 150 Chapters. While we are certain that the Taurah and Injeel had undergone interpolations at the hands of early Jews and Christians, no evidence of this has been found in relation to the Zaboor, though the possibility does exist.

Janaazah Salaah in the Musjid

Q: Can one make Janaazah Salaah in the Musjid?

A: If janaaza is outside and Imam and people are inside, or Imam and a few are outside then according to some this is permissible. However, there is ikhtilaaf among ahnaaf on this issue hence better to abstain unless necessitated by a pressing need. (Imdaadul-Ahkaam 1/368)

Canopy over the Eidgah

Q: Is it permissible to put a cover or canopy over the Eidgaah?

A: In places where it rains abundantly (such as Bangladesh) this will be allowed since excessive rain will result in the continuous or perpetual abandonment of an important Sunnat. (Imdaadul-Ahkaam 1/364)
Also permissible under all circumstances to build walls around the Eidgah.

Taking Musjid Mimbar to Eidgah

Q: Can one take the Musjid Mimbar to the Eidgaah?

A: According to one view it is makrooh tanzeehi to take out the mimbar of the Musjid to the Eidgah. Some have said not makrooh. It is, therefore, better not to take out the mimbar. It is permissible to build a mimbar at the Eidgah.
(Imdaadul-Ahkaam vol.1, page 370, quoting Shaami)

Zakaat on Jewellery

Q: Does one have to pay Zakaat on jewellery that is worn everyday, e.g. rings, etc?

A: According to the Shafi Math-hab, Zakaat is not faradh on jewellery that is for daily use.

Leaving Muzdalifah

Q: A woman is a Shafi and her husband as Hanafi. Shafis leave Muzdalifah after Maghrib and Hanafis after Fajr. The Shafi wife doesn’t have a Mahram to accompany her. What must she do?

A: A Shafi cannot leave Muzdalifah after Maghrib. Wuqoof at Muzdalifah begins in the second part of the night. The Shafi has to spend at least a short while at Muzdalifah during the second part of the night, and thereafter may depart. If the Shafi left before the second part of the night commenced, he has to return to fulfill the Wuqoof. If he did not do so before Fajr commenced, ‘Dumm’ will be compulsory. The Shafi wife must remain with her husband and leave Muzdalifah with him after Fajr. (Kitaabul Haj, Sheikh Muhammad Khateeb Al-Sharbeeni)

Zikr and Mixed Gatherings

Q: There is a group who hold gatherings of zikr where men and women are together. Sometimes they beat a drum whilst making this zhikr. Is this allowed in Shariah?

A: One does not need to be very learned to understand that a mixed gathering is not allowed in Islam. If the gathering is for a Deeni purpose such as zhikr, then it is far more serious to have men and women together. Use of the drum is haraam. The duff that was spoken off in the hadith was used only at the time of nikah, and was beaten by little children, and was used purely as a means of announcing and publicizing the nikah. Today the duff is used to accompany the singing of songs or reciting words of zhikr. This cannot be established from any hadith, not even a weak or fabricated one. How can one gain nearness to Allah, when the means adopted are contrary to His Commands?

Bismillah before Tashahhud

Q: If one reads Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem before At-tahiyyaat, is the salaah valid?

A: It is makrooh and contrary to the sunnat to read Bismillah before Tashahhud. However if one does so, the salah will be valid and there is no need for sujood-e-sahw.

Child Inheriting from Father

Q: Nikha was performed on 9th April and child born on 25th Oct same year. Does child inherit in will of dad?

A: The period from time of nikah to the birth of the child is more than six months, so yes, the child is legitimate and will inherit from both parents. Shariah rules that any child born within six months or more from the date of nikah is legitimate. (Raddul Muhtaar etc.)