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

Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

50 Questions

I relocated to a region that whose mosque does not condone the practice of the Shia. I have also heard reports of violence occurring at this location. In light of this situation, is it permissible to observe Jumuah prayer remotely?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

Jum'a Prayer has many conditions including that it should not be performed if another valid Jum'a Prayer is been performed in radius of 3 miles. If the Jum'a Prayer near your area is not valid according to Ahlul Bayt (AS), then you are allowed to perform a valid Jum'a Prayer with minimum of five participants including the leading person who must be having all the conditions including being 'Aadil ( pious) with perfect recitation of the Prayers.

Wassalam.
Can we give a mosque the additional status of an Imambargah? Or is it allowed to convert a mosque into an Imambargah?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

Masjid remains Masjid till the Day of Judgement and no way to change it to any other use. We can not change a Masjid to imambargah or to an orphanage or to a school even a religious school. All activities of Imambargah, religious school and helping orphans etc can be done in the Masjid but it remains a Masjid only.

'In some places, Masjid and Imambargah are built together on the same building by making the Qibla side of the building as a Masjid, and the other side as an Imambargah.

'Wassalam.
I itch a lot when I am praying in the mosque when other people are present behind me. However, when I pray alone, I don't itch at all. What may be the reason behind the itching?
Amina Inloes

Do you think you might have an allergy to some things on other people (such as cologne, pet dust, laundry detergents, foods, etc) which become magnified when you are in a crowd close together, or some things at the mosque (carpet, dust,  mold/mildew, etc)? 

And could there be a psychological reason too, such as social anxiety? 

Anyway I hope you are able to find a cure for your itching, inshallah. 
 
Inside some mosques and centres one can see placed pictures of respected Shi'a scholars. What is the reason behind this and is there scholarly consensus on its permissibility?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

Majority of our Shia Masjids all over the world do not place pictures of scholars or founders of the mosque, but in some places there are pictures of respected scholars where the culture of that area allows placing pictures. Those who place picture for respected Scholars do so to express gratitude to the great services rendered by them to the community. We don't have any authentic evidence against placing pictures in Masjid as far as it is not for worshiping it and it is just a picture and not a statue. The pictures should not be in the direction of Qibla, means should not be faced by people while performing Namaz because it Is Makrouh (disliked) to face a picture while performing Namaz.

Wassalam.