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

Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

188 Questions

How can I encourage my fiancé to strengthen his connection with Ahlul Bayt (AS) and increase his religious commitment, especially when he is open to learning but not naturally inclined towards stricter practices?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

Suggest to him to read some of sayings of Ahlul Bayt (AS) from Nahjul Balagha or Al-Kaafi or other authentic books.

Wassalam.
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.  
Are fathers or brothers ever allowed to be violent towards female family members? Sunni records mention Umar and Abu Bakr using violence against women in their families. Did men of Ahlul Bayt ever react this way when disagreeing with women?
Zaid Alsalami

Bismihi ta'āla

Nobody is allowed to be violent towards anyone. Violence will not solve anything, especially within a family. A brother has no authority over his sister, so he has no right to discipline or even raise his voice, let alone be violent.

You must read the biography of the Imams (a.s.), to understand their style of raising family members, and how compassionate they were in their method of discipline.

And Allah knows best
If I keep getting blasphemous thoughts about Allah and the Masoomeen (as), especially Syeda Fatima (s.a), and sometimes even intentionally think or about to say them but stop myself out loud, does that make me a non-believer?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

Bad thoughts are from Shaitan. You try to avoid them as much as you can by seeking refuge of Allah أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم.

It is also helpful to recite لا إله إلا الله

أستغفر الله

اللهم صل على محمد وآل محمد 

Wassalam.