IslamQA

IslamQA: Is it permitted in Islam to jokingly call others insulting names?

Is it haraam to call each other insulting names even as a joke say like between friends?

The Quran forbids using insulting names:

Nor shall you slander one another, nor shall you insult one another with names. (From verse 49:11)

The above appears to refer to instances of using insulting names with the aim of hurting others. But even if it is done jokingly, the above verse may still apply to it because the way it is worded keeps things vague. For this reason it is best to avoid using insulting names even if it is not done with malicious intent.

IslamQA: On God’s collective punishment for Thamud

(Part 1) In the Quran verse 7:77, Allah swt blames the people collectively for killing the camel and disobeying His command, when it was one man who killed the camel. So this verse is saying the People agreed with his actions and so were accountable despite not physically doing anything. My question is how can this manifest in modern ways? For example if we were to like or reblog a picture that wasn't Islamic would that count as agreeing with it [CONT. ]

(Part 2) (E. G: if I liked a picture of a model on Instagram would I be accountable for her Sin? ) It might not seem related but I'm trying to reflect the verse to myself and am thinking of ways we might enact it today. But I also have a tendency to overthink things so require more opinions.

The people of Thamud had already rejected their prophet’s message for years before that happened. This “collective” judgment was not for a single sin. God had already decided that they deserved destruction prior to sending them the camel. The camel was the final “sign” for them. They were promised that if they killed it, the final destruction would come upon them. Since the people all rejected the prophet’s message, they had no trouble with killing the camel. So when they did that the destruction came to them.

The example you gave is not really related unless you thoroughly take part in something that is reprehensible to God and involves a rejection of the Prophet’s message PBUH, for example constantly reblogging posts that make fun of the Quran.

Liking or reblogging a model’s picture is a different and much less serious issue, although it might still be sinful depending on the particular photo and its context.

IslamQA: Why is Jerusalem important to Muslims?

What Quran says about Kudüs(Jerusalem) is it holy place for Muslims or for Jews or for Christians? Why Jerusalem is so important to everyone? I never found a good answer,what do you think,they say "IThere are three gates to hell in the world,one is in the ocean,second one is in desert,third one is in Jerusalem" is that true?

The importance of al-Quds (Jerusalem) comes from the fact that it was the first qibla (direction of prayer) to the Muslims and that it is the site of the Prophet’s ascension to heaven in his Night Journey. The Quran says:

Glory to Him who journeyed His servant by night, from the Sacred Mosque, to the Farthest Mosque, whose precincts We have blessed, in order to show him of Our wonders. He is the Listener, the Beholder. (The Quran, verse 17:1)

Above the Farthest Mosque refers to al-Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is also home to the Dome of the Rock, which is a shrine built in 691 CE on the rock from where the Prophet’s journey started. It is built on the site of Solomon’s ancient Temple. Its significance comes from its ancient history and the fact that it is one of the most recognizable monuments of Islam.

I have heard no authentic narration on there being a gate of Hell in Jerusalem.

IslamQA: Why did God not create humans to be perfect?

Recently,when I read Quran,instead of fixing my belief in God, there started to occur tricky questions. Right now I am stuck with this one: "Allah is El-Kuddûs.The One who is beyond all human understanding of purity, perfection and holiness.But shouldn't all of His creations be as much perfect? Why did devil become devil? Isn't it like an error in the most perfect system?hafazanAllah, I'm trying to be careful, but at the same time it's humanly to want to satisfy the mind, right?Assallamuelykum.

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

God already had perfectly obedient creatures (the angels) before the creation of Adam. The point of Adam is not to be perfect, but to have free choice to be good or evil. By freely choosing to be good, he is made greater than the angels, since angels have no choice. So this world of imperfection enables the existence of a greater perfection than would be possible otherwise.

For a longer discussion of these issues, please see my essay: Why God Allows Evil to Exist, and Why Bad Things Happen to Good People

IslamQA: Do you have to make up your missed fasts before Ramadan?

Do you have to make up your missed fasts before Ramadan? Or can you still do them after. Will your Ramadan still be valid if you have some/a lot still left over?

It is considered sinful to fail to make up all the fasts that you have to make up until the next Ramadan comes. But if that happens, you can fast Ramadan like normal then make up the missed fasts from the previous period after Ramadan without issue.

Sources:

IslamQA: Her secret romantic relationship cured her depression

AOA! I had severe depression for more than 2 years that I could neither focux on my studies nor on my daily routine tasks. My family wasn't supportive and I had no friend to talk to, as my father doesn't let me leave home much.I was a mere dead soul. So one day I started talking to a very nice guy online and we got into a relationship.After that I became much better.I know it's haram to keep a relationship but I know if I were not talking to him I could never get out of my depression.

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

Sorry to read about your situation. Such relationships are not clearly defined as haram in Islam as I discuss here. But they are disliked even if they have a great psychological benefit because while they can rescue you from one difficulty they can cause you fall into an equal or greater one.

Whether you should continue in that relationship or end it depends on the strength of your faith. God does not ask you to bear more than you are able. But the admirable and pious thing is to accept your situation as it is rather than working secretly to bypass it. It is your family’s fault, judging from what you said, that you have such a strong need for that relationship, so they cannot justly blame you (although they will do so if they found out). Ideally you should get medical help for your depression and avoid secret romances until you are ready to marry.

For now, try to dedicate yourself to God and get close to Him through Quran-reading and tahajjud. Ask Him constantly to help you and change your situation for a better one.

Best wishes.

IslamQA: Has the Quran been changed?

Salaam,I'm curious about something,we are all know that Bible and Zebur changed by people,that's why God sends us to a new Holy Book,I read the Bible and it has very bad parts and it makes me disgusted,but I don't like some part of Quran tho,I think it's because I read Turkish Quran? The translate must be bad.My question is do you think Quran changed by people too? Is something like can be happen or no?

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

I do not believe the Quran changed because of its highly oral nature (hundreds of people memorized it early on) and because of its early collection in books by Uthman b. Affan (may God be pleased with him). To me another proof of its authenticity is its beauty and coherence. The book proves its authenticity on its own. Even if we knew nothing about its history, for example if someone unearthed a Quran today, a person who reads it cannot help but be extremely overpowered by its speech. The Quran proves itself, and since it says that God is protecting it from being corrupted, this increases our faith in its authenticity.

I too had difficulty with some parts of the Quran, for example the famous wife-beating verse (4:34). But through my study and reflection I have always been able to come to an understanding that settles my heart (see my essay on verse 4:34 here).

Translations of the Quran do not capture its beauty and coherence, so they can lead to doubt about its divine origin. The only solution for this is to learn good Arabic and read it in the original, or to take other people’s word for it when they say the Arabic Quran is miraculously beautiful, inemitable and matchless.

IslamQA: The Islamic view of listening to Rihanna, Beyoncé and Adele

SalamunAlekium,I'm from Germany and I'm listening USA and UK artist like Rihanna,Beyoncé,Adele... And some members of family says "They're nude all the time and they sing dirty songs,you shouldn't listen them,it's a sin,if you listen or love you are gonna be like them" is that true? I just love all the types of music and I like their personalities,does Islam or Quran says anything like that?

Listening to music in general is permitted in Islam as discussed here. Regarding listening to songs by those singers, it is not a clear-cut issue between it being forbidden or permitted. While one song might not contain anything morally harmful, another might contain much that is disliked in Islam. The following hadith sheds some light on this:

I went to Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he asked me, "Have you come to inquire about piety?" I replied in the affirmative. Then he said, "Ask your heart regarding it. Piety is that which contents the soul and comforts the heart, and sin is that which causes doubts and perturbs the heart, even if people pronounce it lawful and give you verdicts on such matters again and again." (Riyad al-Salihin Book 1, Hadith 591)

It is your obligation to develop a close relationship with God (such as through Quran-reading and tahajjud). Once you have a close relationship with God, you can tell for yourself whether something is harmful or not. You will feel it in your heart when something conflicts with your piety and decreases God’s respect for you. So focus on God and start judging things from that perspective.

Personally I strongly dislike all songs that celebrate casual sexual relationships, drinking and drugs, and I consider them harmful to a Muslim’s soul to engage in listening to them.

As your character develops through study and worship, you will start to feel too much respect for yourself to allow yourself to be subject to such questionable pleasures. These singers are often rather pitiable humans with broken lives and little to no wisdom and high character. A person who recognizes these facts will naturally feel repulsed by their songs since they come from a lowly place that is beneath him. I do not say that this applies to all songs and singers. But personally I naturally feel repulsed by most pop songs and could never sit to enjoy them, while I generally have no trouble with classical Western and Persian music.

IslamQA: How does Islam view nationalism and patriotism?

Salaam. How does Islam view Nationalism and Patriotism?

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

There is no issue with loving one’s own nation and working for its good. But there is a problem when this becomes an ideology that promotes arrogance and pride toward one’s own nation so that a person views other nations as inferior, disliked or hated, as is common among many nationalists. Muslims should instead recognize the equality of all humans before God and should take to heart the Quran’s statement that:

The most honorable among you are the most God-fearing. (From verse 49:13)

According to the above verse, we should view people of other nations as superior to some people of our own when they are more God-fearing.

Source:

IslamQA: Repeating prayers due to uncertainty about having performed them correctly

Assalamu alaikum I keep forgetting things in my prayer or more likely doubt it. Like I would say the Basmalah before reciting and I would start doubting or say the dua in rukoo and maybe when am in sajdah I will start feeling like I didn't say it. sometimes I tried to continue praying but I my heart will be tight and I feel scare like am doing something wrong. If I say I'll pray sujood sahw then I'll be praying it my every salah. I feel like I have a mental problem because sometimes I found myself praying a particular prayer more than five times like I would be starting over and over please help.

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

Sorry to read about your condition. It sounds like OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) and there are drugs that help with it, so I recommend seeing a doctor. The Prophet PBUH says:

When any one of you is in doubt about his prayer and he does Dot know how much he has prayed, three or four (rak'ahs). he should cast aside his doubt and base his prayer on what he is sure of. then perform two prostrations before giving salutations. If he has prayed five rak'ahs, they will make his prayer an even number for him, and if he has prayed exactly four, they will be humiliation for the devil. (Sahih Muslim 571 a)

If you are not sure whether you made a mistake or not, then try to continue the prayer and cast away your doubts. At the end perform the sujud al-sahu just to be sure. You can do this with every prayer if you have to, there is no issue with doing it every time.

Best wishes.

IslamQA: The Islamic cure for nihilism

What to do when you see the world in a nihilistic view?

The cure for me was to truly take the Quran to heart. According to the Quran God is in charge of history. Everything that happens happens with God’s knowledge and approval. Nothing escapes His dominion. When you see evil in this world, you can know that it is God who allows it to happen and that He is not neglecting it, and that He will change things for the better when the time is right.

Once you truly submit to God, you realize that this world is like a video game that runs on a computer controlled by God. There is absolutely no reason to worry about the future of the world and humanity when you know that God is utterly in charge. History is like a film directed by God. We are the actors and we have some freedom in what we do, but we can never change the direction of the film because God is in charge of it and has His own thousand-year plans that play out in the world.

Rather than thinking of the world in terms of days and years, think of it in terms of generations and centuries the way God thinks of it. We are part of a much larger story and only God knows what amazing things may be in the future. So leave the management of the world and its history to God. It is not your business to worry about how things are in the world or how they may turn out. God is totally in charge of these things. Your part is to do good with what God has given you, being a minor actor in God’s film.

I know it can be difficult to keep such a mindset when the world constantly reminds you of its shortcomings and flaws. The cure is to read the Quran daily. It will constantly remind you of the fact that God is in charge and that nothing escapes Him, and in this way you will be consoled and comforted on a daily basis and your worries will be taken away.

IslamQA: Is Iran a truly Islamic government?

What you think about Iran? I mean about the Iranian Islamic government,do you think is that real Islam? Forcing woman's to wearing hijab and forcing people to worship?

The Shias have their own “contract” with God and are responsible for the truth as they know it. I believe all humans have a conscience (what some call a fitra) that motivates them to goodness and against evil, and all humans are responsible for whether they answer the call of their conscience or reject it even before any religious belief or knowledge.

The Iranian government is very complex and there are all kinds of people in it, some of whom are sincere and try to do the best for their people. There are also radicals and extremists who like to use the government as a tool for forcing their views on others.

As for forcing women to wear the hijab, I consider it a useless policy that has no strong basis in Islam. I do not know if they force people to worship, but it is true that they place restrictions on Sunni worship. For example they do not allow Sunni mosques to hold Friday prayers in cities like Tehran if my information is correct. This is of course unjust and harmful to the government itself since it leads to discontent and dislike for the rulers.

Ideally the government should become a truly pluralist government as Ayatollah Khomeini promised before he was in power. I believe there will be significant change (I hope for the better) within the next few decades since the new generation is largely university-educated unlike their parents and are less concerned with religious zealotry. There are also Shia intellectuals like Abdolkarim Soroush who are extremely pluralist and humanist in their outlook, love Sunni scholars like al-Ghazali and Rumi, and who are loved and respected by many Iranians. So there is reason to be hopeful.

IslamQA: Dealing with Sufism making you feel arrogant and superior

Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh. Thank you in advance for answering the questions. Last year I learned about tasawwuf & was immediately hooked. The problem now is lately I've been feeling rather self-righteous & troubled that other doesn't have the same 'in-tasawwuf' way of thinking. I feel this is a sign of arrogance and try to fix it, but somehow I always automatically compare others' view with mine & dismiss them. Do you have any advice? Thank you very much again for answering.

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh

I would say that is a natural stage on the way of a person who seeks spirituality. It is a strong sign that you still have much further to go until you acquire spiritual maturity and start to appreciate the divinely-given transcendence of each human soul and love them and appreciate them as your equal before God. I recommend reading the Quran daily, an hour a day seems sufficient to wipe out feelings of self-satisfaction and arrogance.

Whenever you see a negative characteristic develop in yourself, it is a sign that your connection with God is not close enough or is on the wrong grounds. The Quran is the best foundation for building and maintaining a relationship with God because it constantly points out our errors, failings and smallness in the sight of God, helping us never fall into the trap of self-satisfaction. Merely focusing on other acts of worship such as dhikr is not good enough and is bound to allow bad characteristics to grow in you. You need the Quran to constantly nudge you back onto the right track so that you remain guided. There is no alternative to the Quran for building and reforming your character.

Best wishes inshaAllah.

IslamQA: If God loves us, why does He allow us to suffer?

Lately this hasn’t been making sense to me - I am at a low place in my life where I have no emotional relationships at all and I don’t feel needed/wanted. So when I turn to Islamic advice, I keep reading things along the lines of “You need to pray more because you need God, God doesn’t need you” and I find that even more depressing? How can God not need me at all yet love me more than my own mother? I don’t understand how I’m suppose to increase my worship knowing that I am insignificant to Him

Sorry to read about your situation. When it is said that God does not need you, it is to impress upon you your utter dependence on Him. All goodness and happiness comes from God and we as insignificant servants of Him have to utterly submit to Him and rely on Him to take away our hardships. God does not need us and can destroy all of humanity in an instant if He wished. When you take this fact to heart, you recognize that God is not like a parent who will love you regardless of what you do. Instead, God is like a mentor who is forgiving toward those who repent to Him, so the proper way to relate to Him is through obedience.

We are social creatures. It is very depressing to be isolated and feel like you are not wanted. Your Islamic belief cannot magically cure this–there is no way to make God replace the importance of your relationships with humans except for a very small minority of people who attain a high spiritual status and are able to make God the center of their lives. For most people, for their own mental health it is essential that they are surrounded by good and loving people. Since you do not have this in your life, the correct path is to acknowledge your depression and recognize that for it to be taken away there is a need for your situation to change. Your solution is patience while the difficulty lasts, while relying on God to change your situation.

Narrated `Abdullah: I visited Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) while he was suffering from a high fever. I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! You have a high fever." He said, "Yes, I have as much fever as two men of you." I said, "Is it because you will have a double reward?" He said, "Yes, it is so. No Muslim is afflicted with any harm, even if it were the prick of a thorn, but that Allah expiates his sins because of that, as a tree sheds its leaves." (Sahih al-Bukhari 5648)

The above also applies to psychological suffering. It is a chance for your sins to be forgiven and for you to earn the rewards of patience. There is no fun, joy or glory in psychological suffering. We seem to suffer needlessly while God watches on, doing nothing to help us. But remember that the Prophet PBUH suffered years of hardship, loss and failure at the beginning of his prophethood. Why did God allow this? God could have given him instant success and relief if He had wished. The answer is that suffering helps prove our character. How can we claim to be truly submissive toward God and truly patient if God always solves our problems for us? The best people you meet in your life are people who suffered greatly but who found a way to hold onto God until God took the suffering away.

Please see my following essay where I expand more on the purpose of suffering: Islam and Depression: A Survival Guide

IslamQA: Is it permitted to sing in the shower/bathroom?

Also, why is singing in shower/bathroom not permitted? I know the reason and it's because the shower/bathroom is a place where jinns and shaytaan live in, but I seek a more logical reason behind it. Thank you.

A fatwa by Dr. Ahmad al-Kurdi mentions that it is permitted to sing in the shower or outside of it as long as the words of the song are not un-Islamic and immoral.

Sources:

IslamQA: Can you make wudu when your awra is visible?

Salaam. I have couple things to ask. Is it okay if we take wudlu while our awrah is visible, e.g. our chests (for women), navel or knees revealed?

Hiding the awra is not necessary for the correctness of wudu. A person can perform wudu naked during the performance of ghusl (i.e. during showering).

Sources:

IslamQA: How do I balance between being a programmer and a writer?

Hi,this maybe not an question asking about islam,but i am quite interested about how you manage your time between becoming a programmer and writer. I am deeply inspired and amazed by your writings as it shows your erudition. I would also like to know how you learned programming. Thank you

I do not have a 9 to 5 job. I do contract software engineering on a project basis while my main income relies on an online business I built years ago that requires little day-to-day work. This alhamdulillah gives me a lot of free time to read and study. My writing ability comes from reading a great deal of books since my teenage years. Most of the books are listed on my about page. If you want to be a good writer, my advice is to read a great deal, especially Victorian classics and scholarly works on Islam and other topics as listed on my about page.

I learned programming at the beginning from a course I took in college which taught JavaScript. That gave me a foundation for continuing my learning on my own. Since then I have read many books on JavaScript, SQL and other languages. But the most important part of my learning came from practice. I was put in charge of my college newspaper’s WordPress website which forced me to learn some PHP in order to perform programming tasks. That in turn led me to create my own WordPress sites like IslamicArtDB which required a great deal of learning.

If you to learn programming, after learning the basics the most important thing is practice. You need projects to work on. My projects were all Islamic websites and others like Lisaan.net.

IslamQA: Was Abu Talib a Muslim?

Wa Alaikum salaam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. I like to know about what is Abu talib's real in hadith sources and was he a muslim or no ?

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh,

Authentic narrations mention that Abu Talib was not a Muslim and that he did not convert to Islam even at his death bed. Here is a relevant hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari:

When the time of the death of Abu Talib approached, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went to him and found Abu Jahl bin Hisham and `Abdullah bin Abi Umaiya bin Al-Mughira by his side. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to Abu Talib, "O uncle! Say: None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, a sentence with which I shall be a witness (i.e. argue) for you before Allah. Abu Jahl and `Abdullah bin Abi Umaiya said, "O Abu Talib! Are you going to denounce the religion of `Abdul Muttalib?" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) kept on inviting Abu Talib to say it (i.e. 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah') while they (Abu Jahl and `Abdullah) kept on repeating their statement till Abu Talib said as his last statement that he was on the religion of `Abdul Muttalib and refused to say, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah.' (Then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "I will keep on asking Allah's forgiveness for you unless I am forbidden (by Allah) to do so." So Allah revealed (the verse) concerning him (i.e. It is not fitting for the Prophet (ﷺ) and those who believe that they should invoke (Allah) for forgiveness for pagans even though they be of kin, after it has become clear to them that they are companions of the fire (9.113). (Sahih al-Bukhari 1360)

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