Author Archives: Ikram Hawramani

Ikram Hawramani

About Ikram Hawramani

The creator of IslamicArtDB.

IslamQA: Is the hadith mentioning women as deficient in intelligence and faith authentic?

Assalamualaikum Are the Hadith mentioning women as deficient in intelligence authentic?

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

The following hadith which mentions that women are deficient in religiosity and intelligence is extremely strong. It is one of the most authentic hadiths I have found in my studies and reaches the rank of ṣaḥīḥ al-ṣaḥīḥ, meaning that it is an order of magnitude more authentic than the average authentic hadith.

The Prophet PBUH said: I did not see more defective in respect of intelligence and religion than the wise of you (women). A woman asked: What is the defect of reason and religion ? He replied: The defect of reason is the testimony of two women for one man, and the defect of faith is that one of you does not fast during Ramadan (when one is menstruating), and keep away from prayer for some days.

Sunan Abi Dawud 4679 (Sahih)

But keep in mind that that is the Prophet PBUH himself speaking. He was simply expressing his observation about the women of Arabia at the time. So the women around him at the time were highly deficient in religiosity and intelligence according to him, but that does not mean all women will be like that for all time. The culture of that time kept women away from education and responsibilities, so that they grew up to be highly ignorant and catty as some women are today.

It is likely that any intelligent and well-educated woman would make the exact same observation about the women of that time and culture if she were to travel back in time and meet them.

As for the Prophet PBUH saying that it is a defect in women’s intelligence that their testimony is equal to half a man’s, and that it is a defect in their religiosity that they cannot fast or pray when menstruating, I admit that it sounds highly sexist by today’s standards. But keep in mind that the Prophet PBUH was simply expressing his own personal opinions about the women of his time, as a man living at that time. It made sense to him that women were deficient in these things because of the women he saw around him, and he used the issues of testimony and menstruation to justify why they were inferior. In my view this was his personal reasoning. This wasn’t a revelation from God telling us that women are inferior. This was an Arabian man thinking for himself. We know that the Prophet PBUH made a number of serious mistakes when he was acting on his own, and the Quran mentions many of them. There is a chapter of the Quran titled “He frowned”, which strongly reprimands the Prophet PBUH for his behavior:

He frowned and turned away. When the blind man approached him. But how do you know? Perhaps he was seeking to purify himself. Or be reminded, and the message would benefit him. But as for him who was indifferent. You gave him your attention. Though you are not liable if he does not purify himself. But as for him who came to you seeking. In awe. To him you were inattentive. Do not. This is a Lesson. (The Quran, verses 80:1-11)

Another mistake is mentioned in the following verse:

May God pardon you! Why did you give them permission before it became clear to you who are the truthful ones, and who are the liars? (The Quran, verse 9:43)

This was on the issue of letting some people in Medina stay behind when they should have accompanied him on a war campaign.

Another mistake is mentioned below:

It is not for a prophet to take prisoners before he has subdued the land. You desire the materials of this world, but God desires the Hereafter. God is Strong and Wise. Were it not for a predetermined decree from God, an awful punishment would have afflicted you for what you have taken. (The Quran, verses 8:67-68)

Yet another time when the Prophet PBUH was about to make a mistake and God had to intervene is mentioned below:

Had We not held you steady, you were about to incline towards them a little. Then We would have made you taste double (torment) in life, and double at death; then you would have found for yourself no helper against Us. (The Quran, verses 17:74-75)

So the picture that the Quran paints for us is that the Prophet PBUH was just a fallible man, a normal human, trying to carry out the mission God had given him, a man who occasionally made mistakes. The Quran tells us:

Muhammad is no more than a messenger. Messengers have passed on before him. If he dies or gets killed, will you turn on your heels? He who turns on his heels will not harm God in any way. And God will reward the appreciative. (The Quran, verse 3:144)

We never sent any messengers before you, but they ate food and walked in the marketplaces. And We made some of you tempters for one another—will you be patient? Your Lord is always Observing. (The Quran, verse 25:20)

The Quran reminds us that the Prophet PBUH is not an angel or perfect being. He was just a man, just like the prophets before him. I know that it is common for Muslims to think of the Prophet PBUH as a perfect being, and I’m sure if the Quran had not so constantly reminded Muslims that the Prophet PBUH is just a man, people would have started to worship him as God’s son just as Jesus was turned into a son of God.

So what we can conclude about this hadith is that it was the Prophet PBUH expressing his own opinion and using his own reasoning to justify it. I wish the Prophet PBUH hadn’t said that, but we can accept it and forgive him, knowing that he wasn’t an angel or a son of God, but just a man trying to carry a message.

The Prophet’s traditions (hadith) are there to help us apply the Quran better in our lives. When it comes to tangential things like these that do not have a basis in the Quran (the Quran never tells us women are inferior), we do not have to consider his opinions revelations from God. He may have been simply expressing his personal opinion. If there had been numerous other hadiths that constantly told us that women are inferior, then we would have been forced to accept them as true religious teachings. But since it is just one isolated hadith and there is no hint that the Prophet PBUH is transmitting God’s words or opinions, we can consider it simply his own opinion.

I know this is an extremely sensitive matter because it may seem like it can lead us to doubt everything the Prophet PBUH says since we cannot be sure if it is merely his own opinion or if he is acting according to God’s own words and teachings. But in reality the issue is quite simple. We judge things based on how much support they have in the Quran and in authentic hadiths. This particular hadith is isolated from the rest and has no basis in the Quran, so we can be reasonably sure that here the Prophet PBUH was acting as a man expressing his own opinions. We should keep in mind that he was sometimes merely a man speaking his own mind. We should always be eager to follow his teachings when the evidence suggests he is acting as a prophet, and this is something that is usually very clear. But we should not rule out the possibility that at times his sayings are merely his own opinions. When he says something that does not sound perfectly reasonable and justified, that is not supported by Quranic teachings, and that is not repeated in other hadiths, then that is a clear hint that he is acting on his own as a human expressing his own opinions.

IslamQA: Dealing with daily work during fatigue and depression

How do you go about with your daily work when depression and fatigue comes. Meanwhile waiting to get treatment, the two affects me so badly that I would usually feel bad about myself if I am unable to do my work.

I’m sorry to read that you are going through those things. When I suffer them, I usually cannot do any creative work (programming or writing, which are the two things I do when I work). Instead I read. There used to be a time when I couldn’t even read, but alhamdulillah through the right treatments I am now able to read consistently. Email me at contact@hawramani.com and inshaAllah I can recommend many potential treatments for you. There are many supplements and non-prescription drugs that can help immensely.

IslamQA: Can jinns possess human beings?

Assalamualaikum I'd like to know what we know about Jinns from the Quraan and the authentic hadiths. Can they possess human beings?

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

The Quran refers to jinn possession in a few places, for example:

Those who swallow usury will not rise, except as someone driven mad by Satan's touch. That is because they say, “Commerce is like usury.” But God has permitted commerce, and has forbidden usury. Whoever, on receiving advice from his Lord, refrains, may keep his past earnings, and his case rests with God. But whoever resumes—these are the dwellers of the Fire, wherein they will abide forever. (The Quran, verse 2:275)

And also:

Do they not think? There is no madness in their friend. He is but a plain warner. (Verse 7:184)

The above verse uses the sentence mā bi-hi min jinna (literally: “there are no jinns with him / possessing him”). Whether this literally refers to jinn possession or it is just using a common idiom for “madness” we cannot tell.

The Quran tells us that Satan has no power over humans:

And Satan will say, when the issue is settled, “God has promised you the promise of truth, and I promised you, but I failed you. I had no power/authority over you, except that I called you, and you answered me. So do not blame me, but blame yourselves. I cannot come to your aid, nor can you come to my aid. I reject your associating with me in the past. The wrongdoers will have a torment most painful.” (Verse 14:22)

And also:

[God speaking to Satan] “Over My servants you have no power/authority, except for the sinners who follow you.”

So it appears that jinns have only power when a person opens themselves to them by abandoning God’s obedience and remembrance.

The idea that jinn can simply possess a good person and turn them mad has no support in the Quran or authentic hadith. They only have power over those who open their hearts to them by completely turning away from God.

Some hadiths mention jinns interacting with the physical world, as in a hadith of Abu Huraira that mentions a “devil” being seen at the mosque. But I’m highly skeptical of those hadiths because they are not widely transmitted. The Quran also mentions jinns doing physical work for Prophet Sulayman [as], but that appears to have been an exception made especially for him. The Quran never mentions anywhere else that jinns can interact with the physical world, and there is no widely transmitted hadith that supports such a notion.

Also note that there is very little support for the Islamic practice of ruqya (a kind of exorcism) when done for jinn possession, as discussed in the following article. The most authentic hadith on ruqya says Muslims will not use it: Is ruqya part of Islam? A study of the hadiths on ruqya using probability theory

IslamQA: Number of hadiths in the six major collections

As-salaamu 'alaykum, wa rahmatu-llaahi wa barakaatuh. Which of the six well-known Hadith collections contain the largest number of Hadith? Jazak-Allahu khayran.

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh,

The number of hadiths that are mentioned in both Bukhari and Muslim are 2514 (excluding repetitions).

Below are the hadith counts from the major collections according to Wikipedia:

  • Sahih Bukhari, collected by Imam Bukhari (d. 256 AH, 870 CE), includes 7,275 ahadith (2,230 without repetitions)
  • Sahih Muslim, collected by Muslim b. al-Hajjaj (d. 261 AH, 875 CE), includes 9,200 ahadith (2,200 without repetitions)
  • Sunan Abu Dawood, collected by Abu Dawood (d. 275 AH, 888 CE), includes 4,800 ahadith
  • Jami al-Tirmidhi, collected by al-Tirmidhi (d. 279 AH, 892 CE), includes 3,956 ahadith
  • Sunan al-Sughra, collected by al-Nasa’i (d. 303 AH, 915 CE), includes 5,270 ahadith
  • Either:
    • Sunan ibn Majah, collected by Ibn Majah (d. 273 AH, 887 CE), over 4,000 ahadith
    • Muwatta Malik, collected by Imam Malik (d. 179 AH, 795 CE), 1,720 ahadith

IslamQA: Avoiding negative assumptions about people

Assalamualaikum. I hope you're doing well. I want to ask something about making assumptions especially negative ones. How can I avoid from making this assumption and why exactly I am making all of these negative assumptions. I can't seem to understand and can't figure it out. If you can help me with this problem I would appreciate it. Jazakallahu kheir.

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

It may have to do with brain chemicals. For example, people with schizophrenia have very high dopamine levels which makes them make negative assumptions about people and build up whole imaginary stories about how those people are trying to persecute them and they actually believe it all.

As far as I know the best solution is to read the Quran daily. It will help you stop caring about what other people think of you and what they do toward you. It has helped me deal with every person in my life with a clean slate. Regardless of what they have done in the past, to me every day is a new day where I’m ready to treat them as if I have never experienced anything but good from them. If you try to force yourself to be this way, it never works because your emotions and attachments will get in the way. But once you are attached to God and not to the worldly life, then it becomes second nature to be this way.

Best wishes.

IslamQA: On writers similar to C. S. Lewis

Could you recommend authors who are/were similar to C.S. Lewis or maybe some Muslim poets whose poems are pretty decent and not too engaged in worldly love affairs. Thank You.

Why not C. S. Lewis himself? His 4000-page Collected Letters is wonderful. He also has about 20 books, all of which are worth reading. The only other authors I know who would be like him are Tolkien (they were actually good friends) and George MacDonald (a writer whom Lewis admired greatly). If you read Lewis’s Collected Letters, you will see hundreds of other books and writers mentioned in it that may be worth checking out.

I don’t know any Muslim writers who reach their level of sophistication and understanding, except for possibly Said Nursi.

As for poetry, you can check out this page on Amazon.com which has translations of many Persian mystical poets. Note that all the great classical Persian poets were Sunni (if you are worried about theological differences).

IslamQA: On today’s capitalist and materialistic making life as a Muslim more difficult

Assalamualaikum, what do you think about the fact that the world is becoming increasingly harder for Muslims to navigate. For example how capitalist society has designed peoples lives to be all work and any spare time they have is now to consume media and this kind of society is causing increase in mental illness which makes every day life even harder to handle and the consumerist life even more appealing. I just feel like the odds are against people

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

What we see around us is simply the aftermath of the decline of Christianity. Things will not last this way forever. When a civilization’s motivating force runs out, it is inevitably replaced by a new civilization. Japan’s population is imploding because once it embraced the Western way of life, fertility rates plummeted.

Cultures can be divided into two kinds. Sustainable cultures that enable the population to remain stable over time or grow, and unsustainable cultures that cause the population to decline over time. Japan’s major culture is unsustainable, but it also has 100,000 or more Muslims and perhaps other religious groups who do have sustainable cultures. What this means is that over time the unsustainable culture disappears and is replaced by the sustainable ones.

Egypt is a great example of a sustainable culture. Despite modernizing, fertility rates remain high, because most of the population is made up of practicing Muslims.

So if you think in terms of generations and centuries, then the current materialistic Western culture is just a small blip, a temporary aberration from the norm that is not going to last for long. Faithful Christians (such as the Amish), Muslims and Orthodox Jews continue to grow while the secular population declines. So far the US population has managed to grow due to the high rate of immigration. But that’s not going to be forever. Mexico will soon have a below-replacement fertility rate, meaning its own population will start declining soon, so that it will have fewer and fewer people to send to the US. The same applies to India and many other countries. All unsustainable cultures will decline and disappear over time. We will continue to have more and more faithful people working in business, so that they will change the nature of capitalism for the better. Wall Street used to have many extremely good and principled businessmen in 1900, and that state of things will come back again sooner or later.

IslamQA: What made me decide to be a scholar? Can women be Islamic scholars?

As salamu alaykum brother. What made you decide to pursue a path to become a scholar? Where do one start on such path? Is it appropriate for a girl to do it? Wont it make it difficult for me to find a husband?

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

Alhamdulillah it has always been easy for me to master any topic and get really good at it. I kept wondering what I should use my abilities for because I was interested in so many topics. I would love to have nothing to do but read endless books on economics, or philosophy, or history, or mathematics, or English literature, or the study of human behavior (ethology, genetics, and evolutionary psychology).

I realized that great discoveries in most fields would be made with or without me due to so many people being involved with them. If you don’t find the answer to an important question in mathematics, chances are another mathematician will find it sooner or later. But when it came to Islamic studies, I realized that the field didn’t have enough capable individuals working in it to revolutionize it. I had been studying Islam casually since my childhood, but at the end of 2017 I made my decision to fully dedicate myself to Islamic studies. 

It would be great for more women to get into Islamic studies. Any man who considers it a negative thing for you to be a scholar is not worth marrying anyway. 

As for where to start, you can check out this page on my site: The Modern Islamic Studies Curriculum. You can read anything that interests you and that will usually lead you to more interesting books. Regardless of what topic you want to study, the only important thing is to read what interests you. As long as a book or paper is interesting it means it has things to teach you.

IslamQA: Is alcohol in beauty products and make up haram?

I recently found out a make up product I use derives a fatty acid ETHYLHEXYL from an ethanol compound called 2-ethylhexanol, would that make my product haram?

Even if it was ethanol it would be permitted. Alcohol is only forbidden to use when it is consumed for its own sake and it has a chance of causing intoxication, so, for example, the alcohol in vanilla extract is halal because the point in using it is not to get the alcohol but the vanilla, and there is no chance of intoxication. Please see: Is alcohol in tinctures and drugs halal?

IslamQA: Building mental toughness and will power

Salam, do you have any advice on how to build mental toughness? I feel like reaching many of my goals lies on the other side of me being too easy on myself 🙁 I don't know how to accomplish my goals anymore, but I also got burnt out in the past and am afraid of repeating patterns that may lead me to be too hard on myself. I dont know if fasting is the solution? Any islamic advice on building mental strength to follow through with your goals?

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

There are tons of articles online on this topic, and personally I am highly skeptical of them all. A person who supposedly has no mental toughness will get all the strength and focus they need if they take 20 mg of methylphenidate. Usually when a person is unable to focus on their goals it is because of an underlying problem, such as depression, anxiety and hyperarousal from trauma, or conditions like ADHD (there is adult ADHD, it’s not just limited to children).

So you could try finding articles online on these issues. But if you have something like depression, then no amount of productivity-enhancing practices may be able to help. Depression can be genetic and run in families, it causes extreme fatigue, demotivation and inability to focus, so unfortunately without getting treatment a person is not going to get far regardless of how hard they try.

Best wishes.

IslamQA: Is it permissible to gather to eat and pray for a dead person?

Is it permissible for people to gather to eat and pray and make dua for someone who has passed away? Or is this wrong

That to me almost sounded like asking if breathing is permitted in Islam. And then I realized that you are probably asking because of all those people who go around saying this or that is a bid`a (false innovation).

My attitude toward all religious practices that were not practiced by the Companions and Successors is that they are permissible as long as they do not include making changes to the basics of Islamic practice. So we cannot start performing the obligatory prayers differently than how the Prophet PBUH and his Companions prayed. But we know that it is permitted to perform extra prayers at any time of day or night except for the few minutes when the sun is rising or setting. So we are free to start performing 8 rakats (in units of two) every day at 2 PM even if none of the early Muslims did that.

The root of the disagreement is that Salafis (except those rare ones who really take the time to understand Ibn Taymiyyah) often believe that Islam is a replacement for our humanity. It becomes a tribalist ideology where you have to act exactly according to their system to prove that you belong to their “tribe”. I discuss this more in my article on why I don’t recommend that IslamQA.info website.

While to mainstream Islamic scholars, once you get the basics of Islam right then you have endless freedom to practice Islam as you like as long as you stick to the permitted things. So there is nothing wrong with gathering to pray for someone even if there is no record of early Muslims doing that. And Ibn Taymiyyah himself says those who gather to celebrate the Prophet’s birthday (peace be upon him) will have a “great reward” if they do it with sincerity and good intentions, despite this kind of celebration being non-existent among the early Muslims.

IslamQA: Struggling with materialism as a Muslim

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah, ive recently been struggling with materialism and its making me miserable. at school everyone i see seems to be either smarter, prettier, richer, or more pious than me and thats been distracting me a lot. i havent read salah or quran as often recently and i keep thinking about changing myself or buying more things even though i know that wont fill the inner void. do you have any advice on how to stop feeling this way? thank you, Jazakallah

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh,

It is natural to feel tempted to become materialistic when you are surrounded by such things. If you want to avoid it, you will need to do constant, daily work designed to help you maintain your balance. The best way is to spend half an hour to an hour of every day reading the Quran. This is the best way I have found for avoiding all kinds of character flaws. Performing tahajjud and sitting for a while after every prayer to do supplication are also helpful.

Also see my essay: God has not abandoned you: Regaining your sense of purpose when life feels spiritually empty, lonely and meaningless

IslamQA: Will God have no mercy or rewards for a woman who does not wear the hijab?

Alslam alikum I’ve been wondering for a while ,Allah forbid his mercy and rewards from a Muslim girl who doesn’t wear hijab?

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

It’s like any other sin. It’s not an ideal situation to be in since we get the most mercy from God when we are most obedient. But it doesn’t mean that you won’t have any rewards or mercy. Please see: Can you be a good Muslim woman without wearing the hijab?

IslamQA: Is it haram to not speak with your father for the rest of your life?

Is it forbidden to not talk to my father for the rest of my life? I haven't seen or talked to him in 7 years and me and family are better off without him. He's unreliable and has shown no interest in any of ours life even when he was here. The first only reason him and my mother were even married was because it was arranged.

Sorry about your situation. Unfortunately that is forbidden. We are not allowed to cut ties with blood relatives, it is one of the major sins the Quran warns us against many times. You can try to be polite and dutiful even if you don’t have any good feelings toward him. You may be interested in this previous answer: Is it sinful in Islam to not love your parent?

IslamQA: Benefiting from a parent’s haram income

Salam, My parents are seperated, when I see my dad and he takes us places or buys us food I'm pretty sure his income isn't halal so I feel awkward about letting him take me and my siblings places and paying for us, is it wrong if I let him (I've tried to raise it with him he just says Allah will understands and dismisses it… :/) jzk

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

It is permitted for a child to benefit from a parent’s income that is a mix of halal and haram, as discussed in this previous answer: The income of a father who works in a usurious bank

IslamQA: Repenting from not speaking with a fellow Muslim for more than three days

what do you mean it is forbidden to not speak to a fellow Muslim for more than three days?? is it sunnah or is it written in quran?? how can i seek forgiveness?

It is an authentic hadith that says Muslims shouldn’t stop talking to other Muslims for more than three days. All you need to do is repent and try to reconcile with the person. If they refuse to reconcile, you don’t have to worry about since you have done your duty.

IslamQA: The Islamic view of cutting ties with a stepfather

Is it sinful for me to refuse to see my stepfather after he cheated on my mentally ill mother?

The Islamic prohibition on cutting relations with relatives only applies to blood relatives, not in-laws, stepparents and children, so you are free how you decide to treat him. It is of course best to forgive him if they are still together. Islam also forbids not speaking to a fellow Muslim for more than three days, if you are both Muslims you can try to maintain a polite relationship using your phone and social media while avoiding him in person.

IslamQA: What is the wisdom in mahr (dower) and how much should a woman ask?

What is mahar and what is the requirement for me to decide how much mahar should I ask from the groom?

Mahr is a payment that the groom promises to give to the bride at the time of signing the marriage contract. The payment can be immediately or it can be in installments. Scholars say the wisdom in it is to impress upon the groom the seriousness of the marriage contract. It also makes divorce more difficult for him because it means he would lose that wealth if he were to divorce her. This makes it less likely for him to divorce her for frivolous reasons.

I would say another benefit is to give the woman a safety net in case of divorce, so that she is not left destitute. A woman with a mahr of $50,000 will be able to live comfortably on her own for a year after the divorce. This will give her the time she needs to prepare for the next stage of her life. It also helps make divorce easier for her, so that she is not forced to remain with an abusive man, for example, just because she’s financially dependent on him. The mahr will allow her to enjoy some financial independence.

How much you ask in mahr is entirely a personal choice. A man who is eager to be with you will likely be willing to agree to a year’s median salary (maybe $35,000 USD in the US). This is something that can be negotiated between the two of you (or between your families). If the man is rich you can ask to be given the payment immediately, while if he isn’t, if you trust him, you can agree to delay the payment, so that it becomes like a debt on him.

Followup question

Sorry brother but I strongly disagree with your mahr question response. I think it should be answered in full, establishing the problems with expectancy and unrealistic proposals of mahrs in today's islamic society. If a wedding/mahr is judged or depended on by how much a man can give his possible future wife with underlying tones of materialism.. then it should be approached with caution… to be continued

Continued…. There’s brothers out there going broke trying to impress a muslimah and her high demands and also falling into sin, by dealing in usury and Riba JUST to give her a large sum. This current Ummah has many many issues with this particular subject.

I’m quite aware of that, but I believe that each society and couple can find their own balance. If a woman demands a mahr that’s too high, a man can always find another woman. Of course in gender-unbalanced societies like India things can be very difficult due to the scarcity of women. But I believe things will get easier as Muslim cultures start to take in the Western culture of romantic love.

IslamQA: Why did God create depression and anxiety?

Why do you think Allah created things like depression and anxiety? I want a refund on my current life.

For the same reason He created things like poverty and loss. God wants this universe to be a testing hall for humanity. The best humans prove their love and loyalty toward God by maintaining a close relationship with Him despite all their sufferings. While the worst ones start to hate God until their grudges against Him lead them to the point where they deny His existence.

Why did God allow Prophet Muhammad PBUH to suffer horrible injustices, failures and persecutions in Mecca for 13 years when He could have given him instant success? Because that’s how God has designed the universe. We need to suffer through time patiently to prove our characters to Him. You cannot prove your love and loyalty to a king by being obedient and dutiful for one day or one month. You prove it when you go through immense suffering for him, get all kinds of temptations to be disloyal toward him or to hate him, and yet maintain your love and loyalty. That’s the kind of friend that any king would love.

Please also see my essay: Islam and Depression: A Survival Guide

Best wishes.

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