The istikhara prayer is not a well-established part of Islam

A famous hadith of the Prophet PBUH teaches us about the istikhāra prayer, which is a prayer performed to request for God’s guidance in an important matter that a person is uncertain about. What is surprising is that this hadith comes to us from a rather low-quality chain of transmitters: Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah: Jabir […]

IslamQA: Dealing with life’s stress and fast pace as a Muslim

Assalamualaykum. How to slow down in this fast pace life? I mean, I rush with almost everything. I lost my consciousness and awareness about myself, what I’m doing, my surroundings, even with my prayer and my relation to Allah. I’ve realized time just passed by without barokah in it. I’m afraid I’ll die with such […]

IslamQA: Can we ask God for small things as well as great?

Alslam alikum Sometimes I want to ask ALLAH for something to help me with my studying life or love life but then I remember the people who has more serious issues than mine ,like those who have cancer or those who have lost a child and I feel bad about myself so I don’t ask […]

IslamQA: Can Muslim women be airline pilots?

Can a woman be a pilot who travels around? She is travelling but for work and is with other staff (flight attendants, cabin crew, other pilots)? If her faith and dignity are preserved then there is no issue with it, since we do not have any clear statements from the Quran and hadith on such […]

IslamQA: Curing jealousy in Islam

Salam alaykum. For a long time I’ve been tested with jealousy. I am deeply insecure with myself physically and spiritually, and jealousy makes me feel uglier. My spouse in the past use to look at other women and that really made me more insecure and jealous. He has changed now. But jealousy is still something […]

IslamQA: Can you pray nightly prayers (tahajjud) if you do not pray other sunnah prayers?

Can you pray nightly prayer even if my usual prayers aren’t up to the mark? I usually stay awake at night and I end up thinking maybe I should pray but since I mostly only pray obligatory prayers and not sunnah out of laziness I feel like I can’t pray at night? I want to […]

IslamQA: Islam and GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms)

Hello, I’m the anon who asked about the homunculus. Thank you for answering my question. I have another question to ask of you. Is GMO, or genetically modified organism, generally a good thing or a bad thing? Hello, The Quran speaks against “changing God’s creation”, but as I discuss in my answer on cosmetic surgery, this refers […]

IslamQA: Why does Allah let some people suffer so much?

When will my suffering end? it’s been long enough since I’m in emotional pain. I think suffering never ends for some people. My mother is a nicest human being anyone would ever meet on the Earth and Allah has tested her through out her life. First she got an abusive husband and because of him […]

What is Irony? A Unifying Psychological Definition

It is a testament to the sophistication of Western languages that they have a word for irony. None of the Middle Eastern languages I know (Hawrami, Kurdish, Farsi, Arabic) have a word for it. Farsi has wārūneh gūyī (literally “saying the opposite of what is meant”), but this refers to sarcasm and unintended ironical statements. […]

IslamQA: How to begin practicing Islam

Hello. I write to you because I don’t know what else to do. I come from a Christian family, in a very much Christian country where Islam is never regarded, not even discussed or insulted. Just ignored. Yes, people know about it but when I speak about my love for the Quran or my wishes […]

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: The meaning of not taking Christians and Jews as allies in the Quran

Salam, you articulate your explanations very nicely MashAllah. My question is in Surah Ma’idah how can Verse 52 apply to modern day Muslims? A lot of the time I read a verse and get apprehensive about how it relates to me, then I read the tasfir and it makes sense in its context. But then […]

IslamQA: Are Muslims allowed to never marry?

Aslamu Alaikum! Brother I’m suffering from social anxiety (or with some other phychological disease). As I can’t afford therapy because I’m not financially well. So i don’t wAnt to get married because I don’t want to intentionally ruin someone’s life. So, is this a valid reason for not getting married ? What Islam guides us […]

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 […]

Baraa (Name)

Baraa (transliteration: Barāʾ, Arabic: براء) is an Arabic name for boys and girls that means “innocent”, “free (from a fault)”, “cured (from an illness)”, literally meaning “to be free, pure or dissociated (from a fault, sin or illness)”. It also refers to the first night of the lunar month, although some say it refers to […]

IslamQA: On responding to criticisms of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad

What do I say to people who claim Muhammad commanded us in the Quran to kill? I suppose you refer to claims about Islam being a violent religion. It depends on the type of person. There are two kinds of people who might say negative things about Islam or the Prophet PBUH. A small number […]

IslamQA: Getting engaged Islamically without marriage

I have met this non-muslim guy who is willing to change his religion for me and always puts my happiness over his own. Now we both love each other but want to accomplish our personal goals such as uni first before we can marry and live together which would be in almost 8 years. My […]

Asim (Name)

Asim (transliteration: ʿĀṣim) is an Arabic name for boys that means “protector”, “defender from harm”. The name Asim is also spelled Aasim, Asem, Assim, Assem and Aasem. There are 23 Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who have the name Asim: Asim al-Ahwal bin Sulaiman عاصم الأحول بن سليمان Asim bin Thabit bin […]

Ateek (Name)

Ateek (transliteration: ʿAtīk, Arabic: عتيك) is an Arabic name for boys that means “very hot” (when describing a day). There are four Companions of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH named Ateek: Ateek bin Bilal al-Ansari عتيك بن بلال الأنصاري Ateek bin al-Taihan عتيك بن التيهان Ateek bin al-Harith bin Ateek عتيك بن الحارث بن عتيك Ateek […]

Ashhab (Name)

Ashhab (transliteration: Ashhab, Arabic: أشهب) (pronounced Ash-hab) is an Arabic name for boys that means “light gray”, used especially to describe the color of a horse. When used to describe a day it means “cold and windy”. Ashhab also means “lion”. There are three Companions of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH named Ashhab: al-Ashhab bin al-Harith الأشهب […]

IslamQA: How to be kinder and more polite to family members

I keep being rude to my mother. How do I stop this habit? She always says things that make me angry even though I know she’s right. I’ve apologised to her so many times and I ask God for help but nothing is changing. It is natural to be rude and impatient with people close […]

IslamQA: Getting over an impossible love

I don’t know if this is gonna sound ridiculous/stupid… but I’ve been having feelings for someone for the past 3 years and I can’t seem to get over it, I make dua Everyday asking Allah to strengthen my heart and remove these feelings, I try to keep myself busy with work and worship but at […]

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: Learning to love God again

I want to know how to heal from the religious abuse I’ve been through in my life. I can’t find any resources online for Muslims. Most people I have read had issue with religious abuse have left. I don’t know how to heal that part. Maybe if I seek a professional they might tell me […]

IslamQA: Daughter wants to distance herself from her abusive parents

What has made my emaan weaker is that I became traumatisied from a bad childhood. My parents played part in this. Sometimes they used islam against me to manipullate me. Also I wasn’t allowed to get help, and my mom labelled my depression as kufr, which made me feel bad and try to suppress the […]

IslamQA: Can prayer change your fate and destiny in Islam?

Is that true that dua has so much power that it can also change what’s written in your destiny (I read it somewhere). The Quran says that if Prophet Yunus [as], had not been among the musabbiḥīn (those who make it a habit to perform God’s remembrance), God would have not have saved him from the belly […]

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 unanswered prayers, and is it normal for a Muslim to doubt God’s existence?

As a Muslim is it normal to ever doubt Allah’s existence? I pray 5x daily and have completed Umrah, but i feel like my prayers have never been answered. That’s normal, and that is why faith is rewarded. We are supposed to believe in God without having physical proof of His existence. Believing in God […]

IslamQA: “He made me fall in love with his words, I crossed my line for him…”

He made me fall in love with his words, I crossed my line for him. I was a good girl, i prayed 5 times a day and i sinned. When I couldn’t do more he left. I feel so heavy, my heart aches so much and i see no forgiveness for me. I left my […]

How and From Where Do We Begin? By Ahmad Moftizadeh

Chon u La Kwewa Dast Pe Bkain (“How and From Where Do We Begin?”) is a 170-page Kurdish book based on interviews with Ahmad Moftizadeh done after he was released from prison (and soon before his death) and perhaps some of his writings. It provides an overview of his thinking processes regarding various matters, especially the proper […]

IslamQA: How is it fair that unattractive women have difficulty getting married? Why does God allow this?

I was reading your blog post and I keep wondering isn’t the system unfair? That the most attractive woman will get men and the unattractive not . As an unattractive female I can’t get married although I wish First I will explain why the world is the way it is, then I will explain the […]

IslamQA: Why did God let His scriptures (the Torah and the Gospels) become corrupted?

Why did Allah allow other books beside Quran to be changed by man like the Torah, gospel and bible? It was his own sacred word too when they were revealed and they were still his words so why did he allow that to happen? Why they became secondary when at one point they were the […]

IslamQA: Islam and dealing with PTSD from sexual abuse

Salaam, greetings from Malaysia. I am 21yrs old. I need help. I just feel like i need to let this out before i go crazy and do something i might regret. Not many people know of this but im dealing with PTSD. I was assaulted by my uncles at the age of 5,13 and 16. […]

IslamQA: Did the Prophet marry a 9-year-old girl? (She may have actually been close to 18)

So, I am someone who likes using logic and I have defended Islam and my Muslim-ness many times from criticisms, some well-founded, others not so much. How can I defend Mohammad’s marriage to a young girl? He was old at the time. I can’t imagine being a child and being given away to an older […]

IslamQA: The Islamic way to getting over a breakup

I have issues regarding relationship. Well I broke up with my boyfriend few months ago. Usually when this happened lovers will not contact each other. Unfortunately, we have the same group of friends. I am trying so hard not to feel mad or sad every time I see him yet I still cant control my […]

The Last Mufti of Iranian Kurdistan (And a Critique of Political Islam)

This book is a beautiful tribute to the memory of Ahmad Moftizadeh, may God have mercy on him, containing a detailed and well-supported biography of the man and detailing his works and beliefs. As someone whose (Sunni) family spent the late 80’s and most of the 90’s in Iranian Kurdistan, Ahmad Moftizadeh and Nasir Subhani, […]

IslamQA: Can Muslims keep dogs as pets? (Yes, according to some scholars)

Is it okay for a Muslim to have a dog as a pet? Not just as a guard dog, but as a companion. Bring them inside the house, play with them, take a walk, etc. I’ve read somewhere that if there’s a dog in the house, angels will not come inside our house. Is it […]

IslamQA: Book recommendations for a beginner to Islam

I was wondering if you could please recommend some Islamic books? I have done most of my Islam-related reading in Arabic and Farsi, so I don’t have many English-language books to recommend (which I’m assuming is what you were asking about). Imam al-Ghazali’s short book The Beginning of Guidance is a good guide for someone who wants […]

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 […]

“The Footsteps of Water” by Sohrab Sepehri (1964)

I am a native of Kashan My days are not so bad. I own a loaf of bread, a bit of intelligence, a tiny bit of taste. I possess a mother better than the leaves of trees. Friends, better than the water of a running brook. And a God who is this near: Within these […]

Fixing jagged/aliased text on KDP/createSpace paperback covers

Upon publishing my new book, Object-Oriented PHP Best Practices, as an Amazon paperback, I was dismayed to see how ugly the cover looked on their site: I had provided the book’s cover as a PDF saved from Photoshop. I realized that the issue was that Amazon’s software had trouble properly rasterizing the text in the […]

IslamQA: A Muslim who cannot escape the guilt of a sinful life

I’m a revert, I lost my path again. I don’t really pray much now but still on deen. I have some confessions to be made cause these are eating me away. I tried to tell it all in a prayer (while making dua) but these things they still haunt me and I’m still in touch […]

Buraida (Name)

Buraida (transliteration: Burayda, Arabic: بريدة) is an Arabic name for boys and girls that means “little burda“. The burda is a type of Arabian garment famous for being worn by Prophet Muhammad PBUH. The British scholar W. E. Lane describes the burda as follows: …the modern بردة, in every case in which I have seen it, I have […]

IslamQA: How to make sure wealth does not make you distant from God

Assalamualaikum, Allah swt tests one with what he has given him, Allah swt has given me a lot. How can I make sure I’m not failing my tests? Despite doing whats Obligatory I always feel like I’m failing. Perhaps because of my frivolous worldly interests outside of Islam. Any advice? Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, My recommendation […]

IslamQA: The appropriate way to approach and propose to a Muslim woman

Salam, A man with good intentions and a clean heart, finds a young lady attractive and has heard very pleasant things about her. Mashallah, she is gorgeous and after getting to know her, he is very sure about the decision of inshallah making her his wife. Pure intentions, clean heart, no ill means wallah. However, […]

IslamQA: Is forgetting the Quran a curse from God?

Assalamo Alaikum..So I have been worrying about some thing for quite some time now and I am really afraid.. I was talking with a friend the other day and told him that as child I used to remember lot of verses from the Qur’an but now in my early 20s I have forgotten most of […]

IslamQA: Can jinns possess objects or show themselves?

assalamu alaykum, can jinns posess inanimate objects like dolls? Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, As I explain in my answer The Islamic Case for Scientific Empiricism and Skepticism toward Supernatural Phenomena, the Quran’s theology strongly supports having a skeptical view toward supposedly supernatural phenomena, because the Quran often suggests that we will never see evidence for the Unseen […]

IslamQA: The Islamic ruling on building new churches in Muslim lands

Ideally, Muslims should treat Christians in Muslim-majority lands the way they want Muslims to be treated in Christian-majority lands. The following fatwa by the widely respected Islamic scholar Shaykh Yusuf al-Qaradawi finds it unproblematic for Christians to build churches in Christian-majority villages and cities where they have a need for it. He also supports the […]

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: How to have a halal marriage when there are so many haram outlets?

Asalam Aleikum WaRahmatullah Almost everyone I know, who is married and Muslim, began their relationship in a haram manner (dating, calling, texting ect.) for years before marrying. I am afraid that it will be really hard for me and a lot of people in today’s society to get to know a possible future spouse in […]

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: Do the consequences of other people’s sins affect us?

Aselam Alaikum, hope your well in shaa Allah. In Islam does the consequences of another persons sin, affect oneself? My aunt, who has been very absent, rude and hating towards my family and I, and disowned us for years, has now fallen ill. And out of all, I have ended up being the one taking […]

IslamQA: Making wudu with nail polish: Is it the same as masḥ (wiping over socks)?

With regards to the impermissibility of nail polish due to wudu, can’t the concept of masah be applicable to wearing nail polish as well? Doesn’t it have the same logic? Legally ablution by wiping over socks (al-masḥ ʿala l-khuffayn) is a highly specific exception designed to help travelers avoid having to take off their socks. […]

IslamQA: What is the best way to avoid habitual sins?

Assalamu’alaykum, I wanna ask how to find myself and get back on the right path back? Im lost. Like so lost. Ive been feeling so tired with life and everything but i still keep on sinning. Like why is it so hard for me to understand that this life is temporary. Im sorry im emotional. […]

The two salvations: How erotic beauty is a false category of beauty

In his 2009 book Beauty, the wonderful British philosopher Roger Scruton says many insightful things about beauty. His book inspired me to create my own Islamic theory of aesthetics in which I assert that a beautiful thing is nothing other than that which brings us face-to-face with God. The reason that the most beautiful and picturesque […]

IslamQA: On the hadiths of the punishment of image-makers (al-muṣawwirūn)

Salam, Im so glad youre answering questions again. I just wanted to ask how can I reconcile the hadith “The most severely punished people o‎n the Day of Resurrection would be the image-makers (al-musawwiroon).” [Al-Bukhaaree 7/540, no.834; Muslim 3/1161, no.5272, 5270] with the scholarly view point that drawing living things is permissible? Due to the […]

IslamQA: Can you remain in contact with a relative who left Islam?

Salaam. my aunt left Islam. She says bad things about Islam and sometimes wants to challenge me academically but I don’t have adequate knowledge so I ended up more doubtful. As my aunt she cares about me and she’s nice to me. I had a lot of issues with my computer back then went I […]

IslamQA: She is engaged to someone but wishes to marry someone else

1 Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatu. I am facing a very difficult dilemma at the moment. A few months ago, a cousin of mine asked for my hand in marriage. I was extremely shocked because I never thought of him in that way and I didn’t know he felt anything for me either but apparently he’s liked […]

IslamQA: Her friend is too involved with her male colleagues

Assalamualaikum, please I need your help! My best friend has too many male friends from her college, she talks to them and sometimes goes out with them. She knows it’s wrong, but whenever I speak to her regard this she tells me “we work on the same college projects together”, but she talks to them […]

IslamQA: She keeps dreaming of a particular man she likes

Salam. I’m in a difficulty. I dreamt about him for about 6 times and he’s the one that I dreamt the most compared to anyone that I know. We’re friends but we’re not close anymore. We don’t even talk anymore. But he still appears in my dream. Even when I don’t think about him on […]

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: What to do when feeling far away from God

I’m far away from Allah, I don’t pray anymore and I say everyday I will start tomorrow, I don’t read quraan or even islamic post or videos and I feel nothing spiritual.. and every time I try to get closer i fell like I’m pushed away. What should I do? I would say speak sincerely […]

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: 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: On becoming an Islamic scholar

I’m just wondering since you possess a lot of knowledge on Islam why can’t you become an Islamic scholar? There is no official authority determining who is a scholar (ʿālim) and who is not. You are a scholar when others, especially other scholars, think you are. For now I am a student of Islamic studies, and […]

IslamQA: Wiping over socks to avoid frostbite from ablution

Brother, I get frost bite on my toes in winters so I have not been washing my feet while performing ablution since grade 9 (Only In winters). Is my act right or wrong? Also I miss prayers cux of cold weather nowadays so tell me how can I get motivation to offer prayer regularly in […]

IslamQA: Why does Islam allow a man to marry his adopted daughter?

Question: I’m just deeply disturbed by the fact that in Islam a man can marry his adopted daughters as stated in Surat nisa. While I understand that they aren’t biologically related,, but what if they were adopted when they were babies? Similar question by another reader: I have difficulty accepting that adopted children can marry […]

IslamQA: On not feeling close to God

Salam I pray 5 times a day alhamdulilah but only the fard salah. The problem that I’m having is I feel no real connection which makes me so guilty. I want to be able to feel close to Allah but I fear my imaan is low and there are days when I don’t even feel […]

China’s scientific output per capita compared to Malaysia’s

As part of my series of posts comparing the scientific output per capita of different countries, in this post I will compare Malaysia and China. Malaysia is interesting for being the most industrialized Muslim-majority country in the world. It took China until 2001 to reach Malaysia’s scientific output per capita levels for 1996, meaning that […]

IslamQA: Muslims may write fantasy and romance novels (except for erotic ones)

Salam, I am an English literature major and I really want to write fictional novels one day. With any novels you would hope to speak about an important message, with fiction these ideas are offered like a reflection of reality and in a way that it will connect to a reader. Is it wrong to […]

IslamQA: On being in Paradise and not feeling negative emotions

Hi, i don’t remember where i learned this from but as far as i know, when a believer enters jannah, all the bad and unpleasant wishes will be removed from them. Isn’t that means we are not gonna be fully ourselves? Why we can’t fulfill our wishes as who we are there? Why can’t we […]

IslamQA: On the Evil Eye, Hadith Authenticity and Confirmation Bias

I’ve always read protection from evil eye, al fatiha and 4kuls over my daughter before she sleeps every night. But every time I post her picture on Instagram and it’s only in stories so it’s not up very long, she soon starts vomiting and more difficult than usual. I don’t understand tho, I’ve read protection […]

IslamQA: How do I find the one who is right for me?

I decided to do a lot of istighfar for loving someone before marriage and not lowering my gaze and I’ve lost attachment to that person Alhamdulillah. how do I find the one who is right for me? That is similar to asking, “How do I become successful in life?” Each person’s life is different. Successfully […]

IslamQA: Islam and nationalism

Asalam Alaikum❗️ Do you have any advice on how to not be a nationalist? Sometimes I feel too proud and have too much love for my country and culture. I feel it is wrong, since I should only be that proud of islam and being Muslim, alhamdulillah 🤲 But sometimes I just forget, and idolize […]

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