35 Fatwas copied from Imams
Homepage July 2005
1.
To Touch Qur'an, ‘Alam
during Menstruation
Q: Can a menstruating woman touch Qur'an,
‘alam, or a scale model for the shrine of one of the Infallibles (a.)
during muharram processions or not? Also, can she enter in a place where
mourning ceremony is being held even though the place is a mosque or imam
bārgāh?
A: During monthly
period, the woman should not touch the script of the Holy Qur’an or the
different names of Allah by any part of her body. She should not pause /
stop in a masjid, or as per obligatory caution, in the shrines of the
infallible Imams(a.). There is no objection in doing the rest of the
things mentioned in question.
2.
To Eat "Nadhr" food during Menstruation
Q: Can a woman during her period eat "nadhr"
food or prepare it?
A: There is no
objection to that.
3.
To Enter a Husainiyyah during Menstruation
Q: Can the menstruating women enter a husainiyyah,
mourning gatherings, or prayer room, etc?
A: She can enter a
husainiyyah but her staying in a masjid, putting something in it, or
going to Masjid al-harām or Masjid al-Nabī (s.a.) is not permissible.
4.
Paying Zakāt to Hāshimīs
Q: Who are regarded as sayyids for whom
zakāt is harām? Do they include the Hāshimī or only those who are the
descendants of Imam Ali (a.) and sayyidah Fātimah (a.)?
A: As far as zakāt
is concerned, all Hāshimīs are considered as sayyid. As a result, zakāt
given by non-sayyids is harām for them.
5.
Shortened Prayers
Q: When traveling we make our prayer short.
What if we can come back to our home before the expiry of the prayer time?
A: While you are in
travel, you should pray short. However, if you did not pray until you
returned to your watan, you should pray in full.
6.
‘Aqīqah
Q: Is ‘aqīqah obligatory or mustahabb? Is
it obligatory upon all Muslims to hold ‘aqīqah for all children regardless
of how rich or poor the family is?
A: ‘Aqīqah is not
obligatory, rather it is mustahabb.
7.
Abe-e-jau (Beer)
Q: In some parties `Abe-e-jau' is served
as a drink. Is `Abe-e-jau' is halāl? Can we drink it?
A: `Abe-e-jau' (beer)
is harām.
8.
Nose-piercing
Q: I have a question about piercing. Is
Muslim woman allowed to have a nose-piercing?
A: In itself, there
is no objection to it. However, if it is considered as an adornment, it
should be covered in front of non-mahrams.
9.
Paying Khums While Being in Debt
Q: I have not taken out the khums this
year yet as I owe someone. He has told me that I can pay him anytime I
want, no restriction on time, but I want to pay him as soon as possible.
Do I need to pay khums knowing I owe an amount to someone?
A: If you spent the
money you borrowed for the ma’ūnah of the khums year and now you pay it
back to the lender at the end of khums year, you can deduct it from your
saving and then pay its khums.
10.
To Sell Harām Fish
to Non-Muslim
Q: Is it permissible to work in a fish
business in foreign countries to sell halāl and non- halāl fishes mostly
to non-Muslim?
A: Engaging in harām
works like selling harām fish for eating is not permissible and one
cannot own the wages for it even though the buyer considers it halāl.
11.
To
Bet in Basketball
Q: I had a question about gambling. If one
plays a game such as basketball, and says: I'll give you money if I miss a
shot. Is that considered gambling? I have a friend who did so and
continuously went higher and higher when he missed his shots.
A: Such a condition
is not valid. The one who put the condition will not owe the other person
the money agreed upon. Also, the other person has no right to claim or
take the money.
12.
To Serve Wine to Non-Muslims
Q: If the nature of job requires serving
wine; then, is it allowed to do such a job? The income one gets in doing
such a job, is it halāl or not? Is it allowed to serve unlawful food (like
pork) to non-Muslims?
A: It is not
permissible to engage in harām works – like those mentioned above – and
the income gained out of such works is not halāl.
13.
To Make Wudū’ with Leather Shoes
Q: Can I make wudū’ with leather shoes?
A) There is no
objection to making wudū’ while wearing leather shoes. However, feet
should be taken out of them at the time of wiping. If the shoes are ruled
as najis in Islamic law as the animal was not slaughtered ritually and the
feet came in contact with them along with transmitting moisture, one
should wash his feet before making wudū’.
14.
Look at Non- mahrams on TV
Q: Is it permissible to look at the hairs
and forehands of the girls and women on the TV dramas and films?
A: Looking at hair,
face and even other body parts of girls and women on pre-recorded TV
programs and films has not the same rule of looking at a non-mahram
unless it is associated with lust or it entails vile consequences or fear
of falling victim to harām act.
15. Qad'ā’
Prayers (Order & Quantity)
Q: I have a problem related to the prayer.
I started praying regularly when I became 18 years old. Before that, I did
not offered my prayers except for a very few times. I do not know how many
my qadā’ prayers are. I want to pray all my qadā’ prayers now, how
should I do it? How many qadā’ prayers I have to pray? Further more, can
I pray my recent qadā’ prayers before earlier ones?
A: You should pray those prayers you are certain you have missed (i.e. as
much as you are sure you have missed). There is no need to maintain the
order in performing their
qadā’
i.e. you can pray the recent qadā’ prayers before those which became qadā’
many years ago. Yet, you should not say afternoon prayer before
noon one
or `isha'
prayer before
maghrib
one if you missed them on the same day.
16.
Lead a Congregation for Prayer
Q: A group of believers insist that I
lead a congregational prayer but I do not want to lead since I know I am
not just. Can I still lead (without intending congregational prayer?
A: You can lead the
prayer for congregation who consider you as just and the congregational
prayer is correct. Also, if you do not want to make the intention of
leading congregational prayer, your prayer is correct and the congregation
can pray behind you.
17. Songs
Q: I am a student in Kashmir University.
There is an annual function in our hostel. On that occasion, students
present cultural programs like songs, plays, lover poetry. I myself want
to present love poetry there. Is it permissible for me to do so? What
about participating in this kind of functions?
A: In itself, there is no objection to songs and reciting love poetry
unless they are accompanied by vocal undulation and rapture and are
suitable for sinful and lahw gatherings. Also, if the music played along
with such things is suited for merrymaking and lahw gatherings, it is
impermissible.
18.
Hijāb
Exemptions
Q: I am e-mailing you to request
information on hijāb. I have seen many women wearing hijāb in different
ways; I just want to make clear which of following ways is allowed
according to the fatwā of Ayatollah Khamenei (d.):
- women wear hijāb covering their ears,
forehead and neck,
- some wear it by covering their ears and forehead,
- some women cover their forehead, ears, and chin,
- some women cover everything except their eyes.
A: Hijāb is to
cover the entire body in front of the non-mahram except for the face (the
part which is obligatory to be washed in wudū’) and hands up to the
wrists.
19.
From Where to Calculate the Shar‘ī
Distance
Q: Almost every weekend on Sunday I take
my wife and my two daughters to a school outside of London where my wife
teaches and my daughters attend. My place of residence is inside London,
it takes 7.5 miles from my home to the boundary of London/city limits, we
travel along the boundary going round, but not passing over the boundary,
for a further 13.5 miles then we cross the boundary and travel outside of
London for 4.5 miles to reach our destination. The total miles/distance
traveled is 25.5 miles. My question is: Should I pray shortened prayers,
full prayers, or both as a caution?
A: In the given case that the distance between the boundary of London and
the destination is less than 22.5 km., you should pray
tamām
at the destination.
20.
Being Disappointed due to Committing Sins
Q: I would like to know if you mess up
your life does Allah forgive you, or should you lose hope?
A: On real repent
before Allah, He forgives the sins - even the major ones. It is sin to be
disappointed in Allah. However, one should compensate for people's rights
and missed prayers, fasts, etc. if any.
21.
To Pray with Blood of Wound
Q: I pray but I have a problem because I
was wounded and some times the blood comes out and
I do not notice it, i.e. I pray and when I finish I
notice that my T-shirt is bloody and the time of prayer is finished. So
should I repeat my prayer or not?
A: In the given case, your prayer is correct and there is no need for
repetition, because only after prayer you found out that your clothes were
bloody. Moreover, when it is usually hard for the people or it is
unbearably difficult for the person to remove the blood of injury, it is
not necessary to do so and there is no objection to offering one's prayer
with that blood.
22.
Hijāb
for Old Ladies
Q: Should an old lady wear hijāb?
A: Yes, it is
obligatory.
23.
Buying Meat in a Muslim Country
Q: In a Muslim country (i.e. where the
majority is Muslim) does one need to inquire about the meat, or may one
just eat anywhere?
A: If you obtain it
from a Muslim market, it is ruled to be halāl and there is no need to
further investigation.
24.
Wiping the Feet Only with Wudū’ Water
Q: While wiping head in wudū’, if the
water in the hand mixes with that on the face, does the wudū’ become void?
A: If reaching the
hand to the face does not prevent wiping the feet with wudū’ water
remained on the hand before wiping the face, wudū’ is still correct.
25.
To Say
Maghrib and `Isha' Prayers after Midnight
Q: After the midnight and before fajr, do
the maghrib and `isha' prayers become qadā’?
A: Maghrib and `isha'
prayers should not be delayed after midnight. In cases they are delayed,
they should be offered without the intention of adā’ or qadā’.
26.
To Pray
Separately or Together
Q: Is there a time for afternoon and `isha'
prayers in Shi‘a Islam in order to separate them, or it makes absolutely
no difference to pray them separately or together?
A: It makes no
difference. You may pray noon and afternoon or maghrib and `isha' prayers
together or separately. However, it is better that each one is prayed at
its time of merit.
27.
To Say
Mustahabb Prayers While Having Qadā’ Ones
Q: Is it permissible to say mustahabb
prayers when one has qadā’ prayers to make up?
A: When offering
mustahabb prayers it is not a condition that one should not have qadā’ of
obligatory prayers. While when keeping mustahabb fasts one must have no
missed Ramadan fasts to make up.
28.
Serving Harām
Foods
Q: As the owner of a restaurant, can I
cook delicacies which are made of squids, crabs, shells and scale-less
fish and sell them to Sunni brothers and non-Mulslims? These delicacies
are among the favorites to our brothers of the Shāfi‘ī sect which allows
for such consumption.
A: It is void to
sell harām food even to those people who consider it halāl. Also, the
money gained in this way is harām.
29.
Working in
a Restaurant
Q: Can I work - not as the owner - in a
restaurant which sells delicacies made of squids, crabs, shells and
scale-less fish and serves them to others?
A: As per shar‘, to
work in such a restaurant is impermissible in case the job involves the
mentioned harām work.
30.
Studying
in a co-educational college
Q: Is it permissible for a Muslim woman to
join a co-educational college in the West in spite of the moral breakdown,
and the laisser-faire attitude of some male and female students?
A: In itself, there
is no objection to doing so while observing religious duties (including
hijāb).
31.
An Adopted
Girl
Q: A man voluntarily takes the
responsibility of raising a girl, and then she grows up into a woman. Is
it obligatory on her to observe hijāb in his presence? Is it obligatory on
him not to look at her hair and not to touch her at all?
A: The mere raising
her has nothing to do with being mahram to each other.
32.
Harām Music
Q: Is it harām to listen to music and if
yes what type?
A: It is harām to
listen to a lahwi music which is suitable for sinful and merrymaking
gatherings.
33.
To
Dye One's Hair
Q: Is it harām to color your hair and then
change it black?
A: In itself, there
is no objection to dye one's hair or changing it black again.
34.
Friday Prayer’s Time
Q: We live in
a small township where all people work in a factory. On Friday we are
released for Friday prayer late and it starts at 14.00 o'clock. Shar‘ī
noon timing nowadays is about 12.30 o'clock. It takes us 30 minutes to
complete the prayer so it ends at about 14.30 o'clock. A religious scholar
told us that Friday prayer should start and end within one hour after
shar‘ī noon and that since we are late
we should also say noon prayer after Friday prayer. Our questions are as
follows:
A) What are
the starting time and duration of Friday prayer with relation to shar‘ī
noon timing?
B) If we offer
Friday prayer within one hour after shar‘ī
noon, are we required to offer noon prayer as well?
C) And what is
the requirement of noon prayer if we perform Friday prayer later than one
hour after shar‘ī noon.
A: A) The time of
Friday prayer begins at shar‘ī noon. There is a caution not to delay the
Friday prayer beyond the beginnings – i.e. about one/two hour(s) as per
common view - of shar‘ī noon.
B) In the case
mentioned, the Friday prayer is sufficient and there is no need to pray
noon prayer.
C) If the Friday
prayer is offered, beyond two hours after shar‘ī noon, it is caution to
pray noon prayer as well.
35.
A Debtor’s Hajj
Q: If a person is in debt, is he allowed
to do hajj or give some money to charity? Or must he payback the debt?
A: If the debt is
not due or the creditor had not claimed it yet, there would be no
objection to his going to hajj or paying to charity.
36.
To Owe to One’s Wife
Q: If a married man looses his job and his
wife has to work to provide for the family temporarily, is he indebted to
her?
A: If the wife
voluntarily spent her earned income to provide for their mutual expenses,
the husband is not indebted to her. While in case she lent him money and,
then, she spent it on family expenses on his behalf or by his request or
order, the husband is liable for its compensation.
