1. Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims
  2. Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

452 Questions

Does Allah SWT ever stop individuals from engaging in specific sins such as Zina, drug use, or Haram business practices?
Amina Inloes

Sometimes, either for that person's sake, for the sake of someone else (such as a victim), or for reasons that we do not know about. However, not always. The line between free will and fate can be blurry. 
Is studying astrology for future predictions considered Shirk, and if so, why did Allah create this knowledge? Did our Imams (a) have an understanding of astrology?
Amina Inloes

The are a number of narrations indicating that the Imams (A) had comprehensive knowledge of astrology, and you can find them in books such as volume 55 of Bihar al-Anwar. (Whether one accepts them is a personal decision, but there are no narrations to the contrary.) One narration (the "Myrobalan Fruit") implies that astrology exists as a way to prove the existence of God and the prophets' knowledge from God. 

Whether or not astrology is considered shirk has tended to depend on worldview. If someone is an atheist and believes that there is no God but that the stars and planets control their destiny, then this is shirk. If someone believes that their fate is wholly fixed by astrology, and that God cannot change it, this is also theologically inappropriate.

If someone believes that God is in command of the entire universe, and astrology is part of the divine plan, and that our ultimate fate is in the hands of God, this is not shirk.

Some Muslims today are too eager to throw around the word "shirk" without thinking about what they are actually saying.  
Is it prohibited to touch the word "God" without being in Wudhu since it can appear in notes and magazines? If that is the case, can we discard such items, or would that be considered sinful?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

Yes, touching the name of God in any language with out Wudhu must be avoided.

Wassalam.
I believe there exists a hadith from Imam Sadegh (as) talking about the believers not eating and wearing the clothes of the enemies of God Almighty. How can we identify which practices are from the enemies and how can we identify the enemies of God?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

Identifying the enemies of Allah (SWT) is based on their conflict with the message of Allah, His Prophets and Ahlul Bayt (AS) who are the real successors of the Prophet Muhammad (SAWA).

The practices which are done by them and known by people as part of the life of the enemies of Allah (SWT) must be avoided.

Wassalam.