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. […]

Affan (Name)

Affan (transliteration: ʿAffān, Arabic: عفّان) is an Arabic name for boys that means “virtuous”, “chaste”, “one who avoids sin”.. It is a more emphatic form of the name Afif. Affan may also be spelled as Affaan, Afaan and Afan. The name Affan is best known as the name of the father of the third Rashidun Caliph […]

IslamQA: Dealing with an addiction to pornography

Assalamu’alaikum. I’m a girl and I’m struggling with my porn addiction. Most of my friends assume that I’m such a religious person just bc i graduated from Islamic boarding school. They just don’t know the fact that I’m addicted to porn:( I feel guilty for everytime i watched it, ask for His forgiveness then stupidly […]

IslamQA: Her parents fight constantly and stress her out

Assalamualaikum, I live in a family that is not harmonious and makes me stressful, I have been tried to be patient but I think to get married so that I can get far away from my parent. Is it a good idea ? Please advise me. My parents are constantly fighting. If they’re not done […]

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: 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, […]

IslamQA: Is democracy permitted in Islam?

Is the democracy system considered haram in Islam? Managing a country is similar to managing a business or a village. People should do whatever works best in their circumstances. There is a hadith that says the Muslims will eventually establish a caliphate, but as I discuss here, that hadith is unauthentic. The reality is that Islam […]

IslamQA: In Islam how are we meant to deal with death of a loved one?

In Islam how are we meant to deal with death of a loved one? The death of a loved one is one of life’s “unsolvable” problems and can either lead to spiritual maturity or immaturity depending on how we deal with it. I have an essay on dealing with such situations: The Road to Maturity: On Dealing […]

IslamQA: How to be compassionate, and on acting compassionate without feeling it

Assallamualeykum! Could you please explain how the human compassion works? How does a person gain it and how he loses it? What could be the factors? How to recognize it? Thanx in advance! I trust your point of view which is always interesting and wise. Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, Part of human compassion is built-in genetically. […]

IslamQA: Her intended is being forced by his family to marry someone else

Assalamu Alaikum. The brother who wanted to marry me had issues with his parents accepting me as they wanted him to marry his cousin. We remained patient and kept making dua asking Allah for help. Those parents have now forced him into a marriage with his cousin. Although there is no Nikah they are now […]

IslamQA: He had sex with another man’s wife, the husband wants to kill him now

Asalam aliekum,I had a sexual relation with a married woman and now her husband wants to kill me or asks for huge amount of money which i can’t never get to pay him for the crime i did. Please tell me what should i do. Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, I doubt you can fix that situation […]

IslamQA: Does being a Muslim make us better humans than non-Muslims?

Does being a Muslim make us better humans than disbelievers? First, note that the word “disbeliever” as it is used in Quran translations does not refer to all non-Muslims as explained here. It only refers to someone who believes in God but knowingly disobeys Him and denies His blessings and scriptures. The attributes that make some […]

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: Having friends who make fun of Islam

I have friends who are not muslims. Sometimes they make fun of islam and we go into discussions but i feel like sometimes they just want to insult muslims. 2 of them are atheists and another one is a christian. They ask the same questions/claims repeatedly but always jump from one question to another before […]

IslamQA: The ruling on watching uncovered women on television

In answer to questions regarding whether it is permissible to watch people on television or in public not dressed according to the Islamic dress code, for example watching a female television presenter who does not wear the hijab While the Quran prescribes what Muslims should wear on public, there are no Quranic verses or hadith […]

IslamQA: Can a Muslim woman show her hair and body before a non-Muslim woman?

Salam. Brother, what do you think of some scholars having an opinion which says that muslim women’s awrah cannot be seen by those of non-muslim women, and that when they visit us home and if we’re having a night over with them, we should cover ourselves like when we go outside? Jazakallah. Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, […]

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 […]

IslamQA: Can one take medications when fasting?

hello, i know ramadan is months away but i wanted to ask this before i forget, can we take medication while fasting? without water of course, because i get really bad migraines and i need pills to calm them Taking medications by mouth is not permitted when fasting. You could try taking the medication before […]

Islam’s Quantum Question: Reconciling Muslim Tradition and Modern Science

Nidhal Guessoum’s Islam’s Quantum Question (originally published in French in 2009, published in English in 2011) is well worth reading, mainly for its detailed refutation of various pseudo-scientific defenses of Islam and the Quran that have been offered by others. His detailed critique of Iʿjāz literature and its supporters (such as Zaghloul El-Naggar), who purport to show scientific […]

IslamQA: Do eye drops break the fast?

Hello, does using eye drops break the fasting? There are different opinions on whether eye drops break the fast or not. The Mālikī and Ḥanbalī opinion is that it breaks the fast. The major Ḥanafī scholars believe it does not break the fast. According to Dr. Ali Gomaa (Egypt’s Grand Mufti from 2003 to 2013) says […]

IslamQA: Why is there little mention of mental illness in Islam?

Assalamualaikum, why is there so little mention of mental illness in Islam? Even though I know the science for it, since Islam hardly mentions it whenever I feel depressed or anxiety unexplainably I feel it is somehow invalid because Allah swt didnt comment on it much? I think especially depression and anxiety is becoming increasingly […]

IslamQA: Should one support one’s mother or grandmother in a conflict?

Asalam aliekum my mom is not nice to my grandma, should i support my mom or my grandma.what does islam say on this, please reply as family is going through lot of stress Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, Sorry to read about your difficult situation. The Quran says: As for those who believed afterwards, and emigrated and […]

IslamQA: Why do Muslims use Jewish names?

Salaam,my mom said after she gave birth to me she named me “Yakup” after that she said she fall asleep and she saw a dream,she said “I was in water and there was a lot of people in the water with her too,water was so clean and then everybody told me” Look that’s prophet Yakup” […]

IslamQA: A Muslim’s view of climate change

What are your thoughts on climate change? I feel like a lot of the warnings of how climate change will affect the world is similar to the way the End is predicted in Islam. The drying up of the river, earthquakes, a large wildfire driving away people. This question was prompted after reading your optimistic […]

IslamQA: Her mother is abusive toward her little sisters

assalamu aleikum, since my mother gave birth to her first son she won’t stop demonizing my little sisters, she always shouts at them for the most meaningless things and constantly takes things away from them if my brother wants them. i always defend my sisters, and always remind her her attitude is unworthy of a […]

IslamQA: The Islamic view of following celebrity gossip

Is it sinful to read articles about celebrities or talk about them? Is that like backbiting? I know this question is a little strange but it just struck me. It is only backbiting if you mention a negative fact about someone that would upset them if they heard it. So some types of celebrity gossip […]

IslamQA: Advice for Muslims who suffer from mental disorders

I have a form of dissociation, what is the advice for Muslims who suffer from psychological disorders? I don’t know why I have it and from what I’ve searched there isn’t really a treatment for it right now. I pray all my prayers but I still know that my condition effects the use of time […]

The Philosophical Reason why Homosexual Relationships are “Wrong”

Some preliminary thoughts on homosexuality that uses the Western philosophy of personhood to argue that homosexual relationships are morally wrong. Although homosexual desires can be natural and blameless, acting on them is harmful. In this essay, I will argue that among the elite and highly-educated, we can have “proper” male homosexual relationships between two men […]

IslamQA: Feeling guilty about sexual fantasies

SelamunAleykum! I’m 19 years old boy,sometimes I’m thinking of very very bad things,that things mostly are sexual fantasies,I’m thinking that things about anyone but I don’t wanna think things about like that,Sometimes I feel like these thoughts take me over and move me, I think too much bad, but I don’t hurt anyone, I don’t […]

IslamQA: If God is responsible for guidance, why are humans punished for being misguided?

Assallamualeykum! I was wondering if there is any proper answer for this question I was asked the other day: “If it is God who decides whether the person believes in Him or not, why would He still send people who don’t believe in him to hell, isn’t that decision made by Himself already?” And then […]

IslamQA: Islam’s solution for a woman who lost her virginity due to rape

If a girl is raped as a child and thereby loses her virginity, then that would make marriage difficult for her later if her future husband values virginity as very important. What is Islams view/solution for this? I know of no technical Islamic solution for such a situation. There is, however, a spiritual or common […]

IslamQA: Dealing with a mother who likes horoscopes

Assalamualaikum, my mother really likes horoscopes. It’s actually a cultural thing from her home country. When she was young she and other Muslims she knew would read and talk about it. Now that I know its wrong to believe in that stuff I don’t know what to do. She really likes palm reading etc too. […]

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: Can faith in God help you succeed in your studies even if you do not study enough?

Assalamualaikum,is it possible if someone has studied hard but probably not enough,but has full faith towards Allah to be a successful person? Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, Even if you do all the right things to be successful, “chance” or God’s decree (qadar) can make you unsuccessful. And even if you get everything wrong, God can still give […]

IslamQA: The real meaning of kāfir and the difference between small kufr and big kufr

Is not wearing hijab kufr if the person knows and accepts that it’s God’s command but has a hard time fighting his nafs [ego]? Kufr has two meanings when used in the Quran: To deny a truth To deny a blessing The best translation of kufr might therefore be “denial”, a denial that includes both the […]

IslamQA: How can we know if our dua is delayed or rejected?

How can we know if our dua is delayed or rejected? Every prayer you make is an act of worship, and in response to it God arranges things more favorably for you. There are no wasted prayers. But God’s response to our prayers is a matter of the Unseen world that is hidden away from […]

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: On not inviting abusive parents to one’s nikah

My dad has abused me and my mum for years. Is it wrong if I don’t invite him to my nikah In conflicts with your parents, it is always to try to be the “bigger person”, even if they do not deserve something or are acting unreasonable, it is best to treat them as if they […]

IslamQA: What a man should do if he does not have the money to marry

I wanna wife her right now but I don’t have money to take care of her what should I do? her family wont let her marry a man with no money The only thing you can do is be patient. And to increase your chances of God making things easy for you, I recommend always […]

IslamQA: What to do if you have lost hope in everything

Assalam alaykom, what would you say to someone who lost hope in everything and starts to think that Allah doesn’t want them to be happy in life ? Is it possible to restore one’s faith in Allah? Thank you Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, Please see my new essay Islam and Depression: A Survival Guide. In this essay […]

IslamQA: Will God’s forgiveness allow someone to get away with their crimes?

(1/2) Narcissist they harm ppl and are ignorant how can they just go to heaven ? I know it’s a disorder so Allah forgives them. But bc I’m a victim of verbal abuse It led me to have severe depression & psychosis, almost killed myself twice despite months being broken up this year. He was […]

Jordan Peterson eclipsed Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris in 2018 when it comes to search interest

Jordan Peterson doesn’t really have too many insights to offer, he tries to teach what the best religious mysticism teaches but without the religious ingredient. He may change a few lives, and he may have a good influence on changing many people’s notions about leftism. But I do not expect him to have a lasting […]

Ijmāʿ as Scientific Consensus: Defining Consensus in Islam and Ending Its Abuse

Ijmāʿ  (“consensus”) is one of the most abused concepts in Islam, used as a weapon by many in order to claim that no one has the right to disagree with them. It helps shut down free discussion and intimidate independent Muslim thinkers into keeping silent about their views. Ijmāʾ, as it is used in scholarly rhetoric […]

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: It is permissible for menstruating women to enter mosques and to stay there for lectures

A fatwa from the Palestinian scholar Dr. Husam al-Din Afana, professor at Jerusalem University [view Arabic original] Question: Is it permissible for a menstruating woman to enter a mosque to attend a lecture? According to most jurists it is impermissible for a menstruating woman to enter mosques and their main evidence against it is the […]

IslamQA: On the unreliability of the hadith on Muslims being fated to establish a Prophetic caliphate

Salam. A post in your website titled “The Muslim Plan for Western Civilization” talks about how Muslims should not seek power, and I do found that there is no explicit verse in The Quran that says for Muslim to establish an Islamic State. Back in my times being in a halaqa, there is a hadith […]

IslamQA: The Islamic ruling on dyeing hair (for men and women)

Summary: Dyeing the hair is permitted in Islam as long as pure black is avoided. Dark shades are permitted. Beginning of translated fatwa from IslamOnline Question: Is it permissible for a man to dye his hair when it becomes gray? What about a woman? It mentioned in a hadith of the Prophet PBUH [that he […]

IslamQA: Cosmetic surgery is permissible in Islam (with conditions)

What is the Islamic verdict on cosmetic surgery? There are many differing opinions on cosmetic surgery. Many jurists permit reconstructive surgery (for example cosmetic surgery that removes a blemish caused by injury) but forbid surgery done for enhancement. The reason for the generally negative view of Islamic jurists on cosmetic surgery is a saying of […]

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: 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 God not helping me?

im going thru something hard in life and hope you will make dua for me. I understand everything happenes by the decree of Allah swt, but I don’t understand why this is happening to me, astagfiruallah, but it doesn’t seem “fair”, I have very hard time understanding and accepting why. I first become closer to […]

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: 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: Does God reward good deeds in the worldly life too?

I’ve searched the web for tafseer on Surah 16, Ayah 97. Does Allah promises us good life here if we are believers? Can you explain, please? Yes, it says that believers who do good deeds will have a good life. The Quran mentions worldly rewards in other places. For example when it comes to Prophet […]

IslamQA: How to convince parents to agree to marrying that person?

Asalaamualaykum, how do I convince my parents to accept the woman I want to marry? The basis of their rejection is bc she has a different cultural background. She is a practising muslimah, and her family approve, but mine are being difficult? Any advice? Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, Parents can have good reasons for not liking […]

IslamQA: Is placing patients on life support (and taking them off when brain dead) permissible in Islam?

Is it haram to have someone on life support? Since their bodies only are living of a machine The sources I have looked at all approve of it. The sources do not consider that a matter of debate, what they debate is whether taking a brain dead or almost brain dead patient off life support […]

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: The stance of mainstream Sunni Islam on Sufism: Can you be Sunni and Sufi at the same time?

Salaam alaykum I’m a Sunni sister, and I’ve recently come across Sufism and Islamic mysticism. I’m very much interested in learning about Sufism but there are debates on this whole ‘Sunni-Sufi’ thing, I’m confused and I’m trying to ask everyone of their opinion and know if what I’m doing is right or wrong. Could you […]

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