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

Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

15 Questions

If I know that keeping relations with certain relatives will cause pain to my parents is it ok to stay away from such relatives for their sake?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

No. Don't hurt your parents in any way but don't cut off with any of your relatives, because it is a major sin to cut off with any relative. Try to do it tactfully to perform your duties towards your parents as well as towards your relatives. Obeying your parents can not allow disobeying Allah Who orders having good relation with all your relatives.

Wassalam.
Is a person who commits suicide sent to eternal torture in hell? If so, why would Allah give them so much pain in this world that they become suicidal and then torture them in the next world for it?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

Allah (SWT) never gives pain to any one to make him suicidal, but He grants continuous bounties and orders Justice and fairness. Remembering Allah (SWT) is the origin and the source of peace of mind.  People suffer when they go away from the justice, fairness and neglect remembering Allah. Sufferings of people is the result of their own bad deeds.
Suicide is a major sin because it come as a result losing hope in Allah's mercy as well as sinful killing. Mercy of Allah is greater than any problem, and no problems whatsoever gig or complicated can be bigger than Mercy of Allah.

Wassalam.
I have read a tradition that Imam e Zaman (a) is aware of all our affairs. Isn't it better to not know anything about our pain and suffering rather than to know but not be able to do anything about it during the period of Ghayba?
Amina Inloes

Part of the responsibility of a leader is to know what is happening to his people. This is especially true for a divine leader (prophet, Imam). 

Not all human beings have the qualities necessary to be good leaders. Some people have the social, intellectual, and emotional capacity, foresight, initiative, wisdom, and planning and communication skills to be great leaders. Most people do not. But that is ok, because we only need a handful of great leaders. 

So, bearing this burden might be very difficult for the average person. However, the Imam is not an average person. Allah would not give the Imam this responsibility if he did not have the ability to bear it, as Allah says in the Qur'an that He does not burden with something beyond their capability. Because the Imam is at the highest level of spiritual perfection (as well as intellectual and emotional perfection), he has the capacity to handle many things that regular people cannot. Also, when people are truly at a high level of faith and have a deep and sincere connection with God, this enables them to bear things that other people cannot.

Still, of course, we should try our best to give the Imam a good report about our deeds and circumstances, and try to work as hard as we can to improve things around us!
Is animal drug testing permissible even though it causes pain and death to many animals? Would it be considered Makrooh or against Islamic ethics?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

Torturing or harming animals is not allowed in Islam as we have Hadeeth that a Muslim woman will be punished because she tortured a cat and kept it hungry. 

Drug testing can be to save life of human beings but some times it is not for saving life.

It is allowed to use animals in drug testing if it was related to saving human life, but every effort must be done to minimize the suffering of the animals.

Wassalam.