IslamQA: On fighting back against postmodernism and “social justice warriors”

Assalaamu ‘Alaikum In the west now, postmodernist indoctrination is present not only in universities, but more alarmingly in the public school systems (kindergarten to grade 12). It seems as though their curriculums are meant to breed future sjws and postmodernists. I was curious about your thoughts on this matter and what precautions you’d take for […]

IslamQA: Distinguishing between trustworthy and untrustworthy Muslim scholars and intellectuals

How can we distinguish an honest and good scholar from a bad and misleading. I used to think before that they are all honest so I didn’t understand why Islam was telling me to be so evil. It also makes me confused because why would someone dedicate so much time for the sake of Allah […]

IslamQA: Determining start of fajr prayer in the UK

I’ve recently started to pray but I’m having difficulties with fajr and the timing. I’m from the uk and at my local mosque fajr start time is 3.05am but dawn is at 4.07am will my prayer be accepted or have I been praying too early There are multiple definitions of “dawn”. You have probably looked at […]

Misquoting Muhammad: The Challenge and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet’s Legacy [Short Book Review]

Professor Jonathan Brown’s Misquoting Muhammad: The Challenge and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet’s Legacy is one of the best English-language books about Islam written by a Muslim (he converted to Islam in 1997). While the book’s focus is on the issues surrounding the authenticity and interpretation of hadith, it provides a good general history of the development of […]

The Qur’an (Oxford World’s Classics) by M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

The Qur’an by M. A. S. Abdel Haleem is one of the best translations of the Quran available in English. With its many clarifying footnotes, the book is especially helpful to people new to the study of the Quran.

[Book Review] Lost Enlightenment: Central Asia’s Golden Age from the Arab Conquest to Tamerlane by S. Frederick Starr

Lost Enlightenment is a highly readable overview of the history of the Persian-speaking cities of Central Asia, an area that gave Islamic civilization the majority of its great philosophers and thinkers (Jabir ibn Hayyan, al-Khwarizmi, al-Farabi, Avicenna, al-Biruni, al-Ghazali)  and many of its great scholars (such as the creators of five of the six “canonical” hadith […]

IslamQA: What types of insurance can Muslims get?

Salaam. I wonder how do we muslims deal with matter of insurance? We need to be insured incase of any damage to our expensive belognings such as house etc , or any illness/accident. So its hard to reject it Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, If we are legally required to get non-halal insurance, for example in order […]

IslamQA: The Islamic stance toward Israel and its Jews

Assalamu alaikum! Brother, what do you think of Israel occupation of Palestine? Do you approve of the Israelite State standing on the land of the Palestinians? Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, Israel was established by injustice and oppression, based on a Jewish-supremacist ideology that believes all Palestinians should ideally be made to leave all the “Israeli” lands. […]

IslamQA: On betrayal from a friend

I found a girl in charity shop and I though she is really nice and kind. So we start friendship she used to text me call me all the time. We r like Best friend/sister.I was so happy. I’m a reupholster so she wanted to buy a chair and I told her the price. And […]

IslamQA: Stealing before puberty is not counted as a sin

In Islam when is a girl considered to have hit puberty? After she starts menstruating? Because as a child I was a petty thief which I feel a lot of remorse and guilt over now, I want to compensate the people I hurt along the way but I also want to know if it counted […]

Recovering from a SAXParseException error with no data loss

I was working on a book I’m writing in LibreOffice Writer. I am using the docx format for the book, as I plan to finish its formatting in Microsoft Word, not knowing that LibreOffice Writer has a tendency to corrupt docx files. After closing and opening the file again, I received the following error: I […]

IslamQA: Are virtual credit cards halal?

Salaam. I was planning to create a PayPal account, but I’m unemployed, have no credit card, and thought of creating a VCC or Virtual Credit Card to get a full access to PayPal and to make overseas online payment or transfer. Unfortunately, the VCC service asks their users to take up 1,9% to 4,5% from […]

IslamQA: The difference between sunna and nafl

Asalamalaykum, I was wondering if Tahajjud is permissible without first sleeping. As a student, who usually is busy studying during the night, can I still pray Tahajjud even if I have not slept to wake up? Also, when I make the intention of my Tahajjud namaz, are they followed as sunnat or nafl intention? Please […]

Using one category page to show multiple categories in WordPress

[Update: There is probably never a good reason to do this. Instead, create a new category to hold the posts.] Trying to show multiple categories in one loop is easily the hardest thing I’ve done in WordPress. First, create a container category where you want your multiple categories to be shown. Let’s call it the […]

IslamQA: Listening to the Quran

You mentioned that you listen to the Quran everyday, what website do you use to listen to the Quran? I don’t use a website. I have the Quran recitation on my phone and use the Listen Audiobook Player app to play it.

Speeding up grep of a 12.4 GB text file

I am working on a vocabulary-building book for SAT and GRE students. Below is a picture of the provisional cover of the book: In order to have a wide corpus of classical texts to find word usage examples, I downloaded a massive ebook collection from the Gutenberg project and merged all of the text files […]

A bash script for automatically restarting an unresponsive Apache server only when needed

One of my servers responds to about 100,000 requests per day. Apache would randomly hang a few times a day, taking all of the websites down. I tried every solution I could find online to prevent Apache from hanging, but nothing helped, so I decided to stop wasting time on it and simply develop a […]

How to search a document on Linux while ignoring diacritics (harakat/accents)

The Problem Most applications are not smart enough to ignore accents when searching through the text of a document. Here is a screenshot of LibreOffice 5.2 failing at finding the word Arabic word “bsm” because I didn’t type in every single diacritic: This is an especially serious problem when searching through Arabic text because the […]

IslamQA: Explanation of the “kill them where you find them” verse of the Quran

How do I defend the ”kill them where you find them verse” in the Quran? In that verse the Quran is laying out the laws of warfare. That verse tells us that during warfare a Muslim army is allowed to fight in cities and in the countryside, on land, sea, in the air and in […]

IslamQA: It is permitted for Muslim women to work in the police force and the army

Asalam Walikum, Are women joining the military haram? If so, why? Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, According to a fatwa issued by al-Azhar University, it is permitted for women to work in the police force and the army. There are examples of women working in the army during the time of the Prophet PBUH. They mainly worked […]

IslamQA: The Discovery of Paradise in Islam by Christian Lange

A review of Christian Lange’s inaugural lecture “The Discovery of Paradise in Islam” at the University of Utrecht. In his lecture, Lange refers to four unique aspects of the Quranic treatment of Paradise: Paradise is not created at the end of time. It already exists. Paradise is not in a separate realm or dimension; it […]

IslamQA: Spending money on expensive mosques rather than the needy

Assallamualeykum! Could you please share your opinion on spending a lot of money on building beautiful mosques instead of using that amount to help the people who are really in need? Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, When Imam Ahmad was asked about a rich and powerful man who had spent 1000 dinars (a large sum of money […]

IslamQA: Which sura must be recited after al-Fatiha? What to do in prayer if you haven’t memorized much Quran?

Is there certain surahs we must recite in salah? I usually just recite surah Al-Kafirun and surah ikhlas because I do not know any other off by heart. You can recite anything you wish after al-Fatiha; it can be a whole sura or a verse or two (such as the Throne Verse by itself). Assalaamu […]

IslamQA: Avoiding the West’s culture of usury as a Muslim

I figured you’d be the best person to ask about this. I’m a young Muslim adult who’s been wondering how to navigate through a usury based society. Unless you end up earning ample amounts of money, it feels like getting mortgages and credit cards are pre-requisites to living a comfortable (or decently comfortable) life here. […]

About

Email: contact@hawramani.com | Twitter Languages: English, Arabic, Persian / Farsi, Southern Kurdish I am a US-based Islamic studies researcher, software engineer and writer. I am currently working on completing Al-Azhar University’s curriculum for ʿālims (PhD Islamic scholars) on my own. I consider the Quran the unchanged Word of God and I derive my worldview from […]

IslamQA: What to do if strict/intolerant Muslims make you dislike Islam

I’m now making slowly process to turn to Islam (as a Muslim) after years of no Iman. However sometimes I can come across really blogs here that post Islamic posts that are really strict and even dark in someway. I feel like I can’t keep it up if Islam requires me to hate other religions […]

Did Islamic scholars impede the development of science? A questionable meme

Ali Paya (an Iranian professor of philosophy) writes in a 2016 article regarding al-Ghazali’s saying that Islamic jurisprudence is a science that is superior to the non-religious sciences: Such an attitude, which can be seen both among fuqahā’ and mystics (Ghazzali belonged to both groups) has had a continuous and seriously negative impact upon the healthy […]

IslamQA: Is the Deathly Hallows sign related to the “Illuminati”?

Is the Deathly Hallows sign illuminati or a sinful sign?? I know that the peace sign and all is signs of the devil, but is the deathly hollows simbol illuminati or the devils sign?? The Illuminati and other conspiracy theories are promoted on the internet so that people like you are distracted from the real […]

Misquoting Muhammad: The Challenge and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet’s Legacy (Book Review)

Jonathan A. C. Brown is a well-known American scholar of Islamic Studies, who is currently an associate professor at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. He has written several books, related to Islam: Slavery in Islam, Hadith: Muhammad’s Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World, Muhammad: A Very Short Introduction, The Canonization […]

IslamQA: Managing stress and loneliness

Salam alaykum how may I manage stress and focus on myself, sometimes I feel lonely-no one contacts me I’m ok with it I really need to put myself first Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, There are hundreds of books dedicated to those topics, everyone is different so no one solution that works for everyone. You say you […]

IslamQA: How to know which Islamic scholars to follow

salaam alaykoum. I’m wondering which shaykh or scholar should I listen to? Because they differ and it’s very confusing for me who’s trying to understand islam . How did you do to find reliable scholars? How should one do to avoid extremists one, or the ones who don’t have evidance for their claims etc. Jzk […]

IslamQA: What to do if you have intentionally missed many days of prayers

Asalam alaykum I have not competed two days worth of prayers how do I seek forgiveness/ good deeds and rewards I’m fearful of the punishment I felt lazy them two days that I was staying at a friends house Am I able to make up for it 🙁 May Allah reward you Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, […]

IslamQA: She fears no man will find her attractive

Salam. Lately, I just find myself spending a lot of time seeking validation from guys. Maybe it’s just this age or hormones, but I get really scared that if no one finds me admirable or attractive, then I might miss out on finding someone, and these thoughts consume my mind for longer than I’d like […]

IslamQA: Can a Muslim-majority country be run by a non-Muslim?

Assalamu’alaykum wa rahmatullah. Brother, can a Muslim majority country be run by a non-Muslim? Do the Quran have any specific verse that applies to the prohibition of the non-Muslim to lead them or do the Quran allows them to? (Be it as a President of the whole republic, or as a governor/mayor of the regional […]

IslamQA: Fixing people’s negative view of you due to your past deeds

Salam Brother, I hope you’re doing well. I was reflecting the other day and I think I am on the right path now, but I had a past life that isn’t the greatest. I noticed that people have not moved on from my past life even though I have. It’s like I have changed completely […]

IslamQA: On being constantly scared of death and being hurt as a Muslim

Assalam Alaykum Lately I’ve been thinking of all the bad stuff that can happen to one. You could die any minute or get hurt doing something or you could get hurt by someone evil, auzubillah.. This have made me very scared and sad. Do you have dua protection? And advice for me, always scared, almost […]

IslamQA: Should you tell your fiance about your hymenoplasty?

I read your answers about hymenoplasty but my case is specific, please help! I was 15 when I lost my virginity, stupid and naive- the guy was 10 years older than me so I changed my mind when it was about to happen, but he did it anyways. I was not a Muslim back then. […]

IslamQA: Should a person watch erotic videos to avoid sex outside of marriage?

Salaam,I’m 19 years old,I hope this is not sounds dirty or weird but I don’t wanna do zina and I don’t want to marry,but I have to do something so I’m watching erotic videos,is it sin? But if I don’t watch these I know I will do some bad things,so I’m rather watching erotic videos,is […]

IslamQA: Child lied to parents about finishing college

(Part 1) Assalamualaikum, I need some advice. I failed my first year of university and had to repeat it. Alhamdullilah I passed and am continuing with my education now. My degree was 3 years but now it’s 4. However I didn’t tell my parents, are rather strict and negative minded, also always complain about my […]

IslamQA: Catching a child watching pornography as a Muslim parent

What should I do if I catch my children watching pornography? I assume you were speaking of adolescents. Two things about adolescents makes it especially difficult for them to resist looking at pornography even if they know it is wrong and even if they wish to avoid it; they have poor impulse control. The brain’s […]

IslamQA: Can one unknowingly associate partners with God?

Salam, I asked about the false idols. Sorry if you already explained this in the first answer, but I was reading commentary of Surah Baqarah v22 which mentions false idols. It says “Will you still resist and go after your false gods, the creation of your own fancy? The false gods may be idols, superstistions, […]

IslamQA: A man who refuses to marry the woman he had premarital sex with

I’ve committed zina with this one guy and we promised to get married in future. Suddenly one day he told me that he wants to stop seeing me, and he wants to perform umrah. He said he wants to repent but never to be responsible for marrying me. Somehow i feel like i’m being cheated […]

IslamQA: On watching Quran videos during tahajjud

Asalamu aleikum, I just read your essay on tahajjud, which was very interesting, I didn’t know tahajjud existed. I have a question though: I’d like to watch videos of Quran recitations, so I can both hear it in Arabic and read in English. I’m wondering if this is okay, wouldn’t it be too much like […]

IslamQA: How to increase iman (piety and mindfulness of God)

How do I deal with low imaan? recently I’ve suddenly felt like not praying. At first I would never miss my prayers but now I feel like I have to force myself. I’ve abandoned the sunnah prayers which I know is a sin. Whenever you feel that you have low iman, ask yourself, “Have I […]

IslamQA: Is it permissible to write down prayer words when learning how to pray (salah)?

hey, I’m struggling with myself. I want to start praying , but i don’t know how to pronounce the things. And the other thing is if I can’t remember the sayings can I write it down and read it or is it not focusing on Allah and the praying then and when do I have […]

IslamQA: Dealing with cruelty from one’s own family

I was born Muslim into a non practising family. When I came back to the deen Alhamdulillah, my family suddenly turned on me. Suddenly everything I do is wrong, they gossip, my siblings have been jabbing me about not doing enough for my parents. I try what I can, I make doa for them but […]

IslamQA: A non-Muslim woman who was impregnated by her Muslim boyfriend

Hi. Assalamalaikum. I have a boyfriend who is a Muslim. Im not.. And now I got pregnant. He is not ready to tell his parents. So we are keeping everything in a secret. I don’t know what to do 😔 A boyfriend-girlfriend relationship is just a highly primitive form of marriage that lacks most of […]

IslamQA: Breaking up with a friend of the same sex who is sexually attracted to you

I’m a muslim girl and I’m attracted to girls. I’ve fallen in love with girls but I have never done anything (like kissing or more) because I know that would be fornication. Other than that, I pray, I fast, and I’m really religious. I know my attraction to girls is just a test Allah has […]

IslamQA: On sexism and misogyny in hadith narrations and the books of scholars

Salam. This thing has bugged me for a while and I try to not care but it’s an important topic . Basically many scholars, many ahadith, are very sexist. The work of bukhari, ibn abbas, alkatherr , it feels like I can’t escape it and no matter how much I try to think that woman […]

IslamQA: Sexual fantasies in Islam

What is your advice for young people struggling with sexual daydreams? The Prophet, peace be upon him, says: God has pardoned for my community what comes to their mind, so long as they do not act or pronounce words to that effect. (Sunan Abi Dawud 2209, various forms of this hadith are also present al-Bukhari, […]

IslamQA: What should be the Muslim attitude toward the Bible?

Salam Alaykum. By reading books and listening to informative lectures, I’ve come across quiet many bible verses. There are a few verses like the story about the tower of Babel & Noah’s Ark that are used for general research, which can be useful. There are also stories I’ve never heard of as a muslim. So, […]

IslamQA: Why Muslim women cannot marry non-Muslims

Why are Muslim men allowed to marry a non-Muslim but Muslim women are not allowed? One theory is due to genetic and psychological differences between men and women, Muslim men will be better able to  remain practicing Muslims and to bring up devout Muslim children even if their wives are Christian or Jewish, while Muslim […]

IslamQA: How should a moderate Muslim treat conservative, liberal and Islamist Muslims?

Salaam. Brother, do you have any advice on how a moderate Muslim should behave towards the conservative, the liberal, and the Islamist Muslims? I seem to see them in a negative light and I know it’s not the right attitude towards those who have different perspective in faith and life in general. Also, I hope […]

IslamQA: Being plagued with fear of displeasing God and becoming misguided

Salam brother. Jazak khair Allah for this blog. It has helped me greatly. My question is that sometimes I am plagued with terrible thoughts. I am afraid of kufr and arrogance and Allah being displeased in me. I pray 5X Salah and read the Quran daily. I have increased reading surah Nas and say istaghfirallah. […]

IslamQA: On fearing loss of faith in a non-Muslim country

Assalamualaykum. I’m a bit worried now. I’m applying for an internship in a non-muslim country. Even I already lived there for a year, but the worries still there. It’s all about how can I survive as a Muslim in a secular society who tend to think logically about everything. I used to hear a question […]

IslamQA: How to have barakah (blessings) in all aspects of our life?

How to have barakah in all aspects of our life? I believe the way to do that is to avoid sins and to dedicate a certain amount of time everyday to extra worship, such as reading the Quran for an hour everyday. Reading the Quran helps you avoid sins, correct character defects, and recognize the […]

IslamQA: On avoiding anger and dislike when arguing with people about religion

As-salaamu ‘alaykum. May Allaah bless you. I benefited greatly from two of your books: “The Sayings of Ibn al-Jawzi,” and “The Sayings of Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah.” ….. ….. One of the sayings by Imam Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy on him, stood out for me. He said that, as we increase in knowledge, we […]

IslamQA: On conspiracy theories

What are your thoughts on conspiracy theories? According to a former US government official the CIA invented the phrase “conspiracy theory” to discredit US dissidents who criticized certain actions of the US government. It is, for example, widely known that the Roosevelt government did its best to plunge the US into World War II; they […]

IslamQA: On distrusting people after bad experiences and heartbreak

Hello. Is it natural that we tend to have a distrust in people when we got our hearts broken over and over again because of their words or actions? I have bad experience by interacting closely and intimately with people in the past and until now, that I feel like I’d become a misanthrope at […]

IslamQA: Are humans just snippets of a book written by God?

Are we just snippets of paragraphs and chapters, written from the best of writers in a book so vast and deep beyond comprehension of the characters the author created? That is one way of looking at it, except that we are not just characters being written by the author. We are also co-authors. So it […]

IslamQA: Avoiding self-pity as a Muslim

Salam! Do you have advice on how to not pity oneself. I didn’t realize how much I actually do this and how it goes on to affect the way I interpret my daily life and past. Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, I believe the cure is to have a very firm belief in the fact that God […]

IslamQA: Your low iman may actually be depression

assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh brother I hope you are well in sha Allah. I have recently been experiencing very low imaan, to the point where I no longer feel like praying. I don’t know why but my salah feels empty, there’s been a couple of times where I’ve purposely missed my prayers. I don’t even make […]

IslamQA: Why did Imam Malik forbid living in non-Muslim countries?

Question in response to The Problem with the IslamQA.info Website: I’m wondering why did Imam Malik Say we can’t live in non Muslim country? SubbhanAllah I thought that imam Malik had balanced views. isn’t it the fact that westerns are converting due to the fact that we Muslims live in the West and that there are […]

IslamQA: What to do if the Quran (in English) does not touch your heart

I have an issue I feel bad about. Whenever I read the Qur’an i can’t connect to it. At worst I haven’t even had a clear feeling it’s from God. Idk why. Maybe because I don’t know Arabic. But whenever I watch a religious video explaining the religion i feel very connected. You could try […]

IslamQA: Did God destroy the People of Lot for rape instead of homosexuality?

According to science human sexuality is on a spectrum and same can be said about gender identity. As you answered someone’s question here and advised them to read the Quran . You said that we have different psychology. I wonder then why Allah said in the Qur’an that people of Lot were approaching men instead […]

IslamQA: Public interactions between the sexes in Islam

Salaam. Would you explain why in some Islamic sources that men and women should not be allowed to be together alone or mixed in some places or situations (e.g. markets, streets, or party, meetings, etc.)? I was studying Islam and they try to apply this in real life, only to be resulted as when the […]

IslamQA: Mindfulness in Islam

What is “mindfulness” in Islam? That refers to being in the moment and clearing one’s mind from thinking about the past or the future. In Islam the best way to pray (perform salah) is to practice mindfulness while doing it. I like to focus on my soul while I pray, which immediately makes me focus […]

IslamQA: How to return stolen money

I read your blog and thank you so much for the answer,there’s only one sin that I couldn’t fix it,when I was in high school,my friends were making fun of me,they were calling me “Fag,faggot” and they talk bad about behind me they made me so sad and angry,I wanted revenge so I stoled their […]

A Collection of Quotations of Ahmad Moftizadeh

I read this book as part of my reading of all available material on Ahmad Moftizadeh. It is a short book of a little over 100 pages. Below I will mention some of the ideas and quotations I found interesting. Regarding education, he says that the best way to raise Muslim children is for the parents […]

IslamQA: On an agnostic’s marriage to a Muslim

So I’ve been seeing a man for about 4 years now (I’m a agnostic woman) and he’s Muslim, however we started off dating and I thought it was ok in the beginning till later on he told me it wasn’t and our relationship is just a friend based thing. The thing is he wants me […]

IslamQA: Are the prayers and fasts of a non-hijabi accepted?

Salam brother, I’m a muslim sister, I’m having a hard time to start wearing hijab and I think I’ll wait for the next year My clothes usually consist of tight jeans and t-shirts but I’m making changes to wear large pants and clothes that are more baggy but without wearing hijab, will allah be happy […]

IslamQA: Dealing with a toxic work environment as a Muslim

(Part 1): Salaam, I am currently in a toxic work environment at my new job. My coworkers, teachers who are Muslim women, have been gossiping about me and spreading rumors. What is your advice to rise above it, Islamically? Are there any duaas I can make to relieve the worry I feel when they talk […]

IslamQA: Is it permissible to have hobbies in Islam?

Assalamu Aleikum, I always wondered if it is dangerous to have passions/hobbies? For instance I love movies, I spend a lot of time watching films and learning about cinema, it’s become part of my personnality really, but I never ever felt that it distracts me from my religion. Are passions and hobbies like music, where […]

IslamQA: Why is seeking knowledge important in Islam?

Why is seeking knowledge important in Islam and how does seeking knowledge not only religiously brings us closer to Allah swt? The Quran says: 25. If they disbelieve you, those before them also disbelieved. Their messengers came to them with the clear proofs, with the Psalms, and with the Enlightening Scripture. 26. Then I seized those […]

IslamQA: Does God burden humans with more than they can bear?

Assalamu Aalaikum! it is said that Allah SWT does not burden anyone more than he can bear. My question is why some people go into chronic psychological illnesses after getting struck by some incident. Doesn’t this means he’s been gone through the burden that he could not bear? Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, The more accurate translation […]

IslamQA: The niqab is neither obligatory nor sunna

In answer to questions about whether the niqab is obligatory for Muslim women: The respected Egyptian scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi has done a detailed study of the evidence regarding the niqab, published as al-Niqāb Bayna Farḍīyatih wa Bidʿīyatih, and his conclusion is that the niqab is neither a duty, nor is it a bidʿa (false innovation) to be condemned, […]

IslamQA: Wanting to get married as a Muslim woman but having no suitors

I’m referring to the article on your personal website about the most desirable women for marriage — well, as it happens, I am in my early twenties, a follower of Islam, fairly intelligent, and decent-looking, but I don’t have Muslim men asking for my hand in marriage.. I mean, I am interested in marriage, but […]

IslamQA: Why is sexual harassment of women common in Muslim countries? IQ and development, not religion

What I have noticed is that in Muslim countries in which there are more modest woman I get more catcalls, harassment, men following me, staring at my body parts etc. I’m not saying I’m for zina, but it feels unfair that they take out their sexual frustration on us. Maybe you’re not able to relate […]

IslamQA: “Is it bismillaah ar rahman ar raheem or bismilaa hir rahman nir raheem?”

Can you please tell me what is the correct way to recite surah fatihah? Is it bismillaah ar rahman ar raheem or bismilaa hir rahman nir raheem? The Arabic letters say “bism Allah al-rahman al-raheem”, but when you read in Arabic, you say bismillahir rahmanir raheem. The way you pronounce certain words changes based on […]

The Oxford Handbook of Islamic Theology by Sabine Schmidtke

This impressive volume brings together essays by many highly respected Western-educated scholars of Islam. Comparing it to The Cambridge Companion to Classical Islamic Theology (which I shortly reviewed here), this book is far more in-depth and analytical. In fact the Cambridge Companion feels like a preface to this more sophisticated (and much longer) book. This book […]

IslamQA: What happens if a Muslim girl gets caught with a boyfriend?

If a girl is having a relation with a boy secretly (as a bf and gf) and get caught by her family, then what should be her family’s reaction towards her and if she realized her mistake and apologizes with her true heart? Please tell me about both of these situations According to Islamic point […]

IslamQA: The Quran guarantees religious freedom, so why don’t Muslim scholars believe in it?

I would be very thankful if you could answer me on my following question. In Quran is written: “There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break […]

Ibn Taymiyya and His Times

Ibn Taymiyya and His Times is a collection of high-quality scholarly essays on Ibn Taymiyya (d. 1328 CE) edited by Yossef Rapoport and Shahab Ahmed. It is highly worth reading for anyone interested in this important and controversial character of Islamic history. Maybe I should mention that I do not consider myself a follower of Ibn Taymiyya. […]

IslamQA: Do Muslims need to make up prayers intentionally missed for years?

I have a question to ask and i don’t really know where and whom to ask about it. So, I’ve been neglecting salah for 24 years of my life, I’ve started to pray fully 5x times a day and I’ve been wondering how do i replace all the salah that I’ve been neglecting before. How […]

IslamQA: Honor killings and execution of adulterers in Islam

Salam. I grew up in Europe so I didn’t study Islam in a Muslim country so I haven’t been provided with the full version. However my cousin did in my motherland (Arab) and when we discuss islam with eachother it’s is so different, her views are more cruel in a way. For instance she said […]

IslamQA: How do Azhar-educated Muslims end up as terrorists?

I’m just wondering how come some people who graduated from Al-Azhar ended up terrorists? Many of them have founded organisations such as Islamic brotherhood. I thought terrorism breeds as result of ignorance and incorrect knowledge, but since they receive proper ilm, on a scholarly level , then why this result? I can’t find neutral books […]

Professor Abu Zahra: The Egyptian Islamic Scholar who Rejected the Punishment of Stoning

Muhammad Abu Zahra was one of the foremost authorities on Islamic law in the 20th century, whose works on the various schools of Islamic law continue to be used in academia. He was a member of Al-Azhar University’s Academy of Islamic Research and a professor of Islamic law at Cairo University. He was loved by […]

IslamQA: Ibn al-Jawzi’s quote on combining opposites

Assalamualaikum, in your book ‘Way of the spiritual muslim’, there is a quote from Ibnul Jawzi no.52. I couldn’t quite grasp what was the actual message and how to apply it,it was about the combining of opposites. I would be very grateful if there is a brief explanation about it. Ibn al-Jawzi says: I seek […]

IslamQA: Listening to Music is Permissible in Islam

Is music really haram? I’m not talking about the Rihannas “Wild Thoughts” kind of music, more of peaceful piano, flute, violin, ancient music. The kind of music that doesn’t give off sexual vibe and stuff, but the music that adheres peace, you know? [Below is a quick survey of opinions on this matter gleaned from […]

IslamQA: How to pray the witr prayer

Salam, could you please explain how witr namaz is prayed and what is meant to be recited in each rakat? Because of my lack of understanding I don’t pray it and therefore being sinful. Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, The witr prayer is not obligatory, so it is not sinful if you do not perform it. It […]

AWS Storage Historical Pricing and Future Projections

Some blogs are calling the recent price wars between cloud providers “a race to zero”. But this is the wrong way to think about it. As technology progresses, we simply need to start thinking in terms of larger units. Here is a table of historical Amazon S3 prices: Date $/GB/Month $/TB/Month 14-Mar-06 0.15 150 1-Nov-08 […]

IslamQA: Is Saudi Arabia an Islamic country?

Why do you call Islamic countries imaginary? KSA, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia (and many more) are ideal Islamic countries with Sharia court and all. There are many reasons to doubt the extent to which Islam is followed in so-called Muslim countries. For example, in the Quran, God says that He is at war with usurers […]

IslamQA: Singing and playing musical instruments is permissible in Islam

assalamu aleikum, is it haram to play instruments? like violin or the piano Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, Since there is no irrefutable evidence banning singing and playing musical instruments, the mainstream opinion is that they are permissible. There is some evidence that certain early authorities strongly disapproved of them or prohibited them, but that evidence is counterbalanced […]

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