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

Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

81 Questions

Is it permissible to have dog as a pet? Why are there different opinions on this matter from various scholars?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

Yes it is permissible to have a dog as a pet but you must be careful as it is an impure animal (Najis) like pig and you should not let it make your clothes or plates or home items impure (Najis).

If you want to keep a dog as a pet, keeping a dog in your garden to guard your house or garden is allowed as well, and it has no risk of making your home items as impure.

Wassalam.
Is being scholar more virtuous than a doctor? Am I sinful for choosing to be a doctor even though Allah provoked this thought of being scholar in me that I ignored?
Amina Inloes

It is good to be a scholar, and it is good to be a doctor. Society needs people do to all the different jobs, or else it wouldn't function. Ideally, it is good for you to do the job that you are most talented at and most committed to.

It is narrated that the Prophet (S) said: ‘Knowledge is of two categories:
knowledge of religions and knowledge of the physical body.’ So this narration celebrates and values both kinds of knowledge (religious and medical).

(Of course there are other important jobs and fields of study as well!)

As you know, there are many narrations from the Prophet (S) and Ahl al-Bayt (A) about various medical ailments, so it was clearly a subject that was important to them. So inshallah you are also following in their footsteps by being a doctor. 
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.
I was told that some early Shia scholars believed that the Quran was distorted which I now know not to be true. However, is it Kufr to believe in Tahrif of the Quran?
Amina Inloes

Although belief in tahrif of the Qur'an is non-standard, it is better to reserve the word kufr for the things that Allah directly uses it for.

The Qur'an does not directly say that belief in tahrif is kufr. (Rather, some people assert this based on a deduction/interpretation of a verse, not a direct statement.)

The word kufr tends to be thrown around quite casually these days. There is rarely any benefit to accusing people of kufr or labelling Muslims as kafir just because one thinks they are incorrect in their belief. It is quite sad that this intolerance has developed today. The classical Islamic era seems to have been much more tolerant and open to discussing differences of opinion regarding theology. This is not to say that every view was always right, but it is better to be able to discuss things rationally rather than to shut down dissenting views by just labelling and attacking (verbally or sometimes physically).