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

Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

114 Questions

In Ja'fari fiqh, can Jizya only be taken from Kitabis? If so, is the only option for other groups under an Islamic Government is to convert or be killed? What would be the situation of groups like the Hindus and Buddhists under a Shi'i Islamic government?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

1. No human being will be forced to believe in the True Faith of Islam as it is clearly stated in Quran: No compulsion in religion. 2:256.

2. There is no question at all of killing a non Muslim for not converting to Islam. 
3. Jizyah is a tax paid by Kitabi non Muslims for the services they get from the Muslims government as they don't pay Zakat nor Khums unlike Muslim citizens. Non Kitabi non Muslims enjoy all services from the Muslim government and pay a tax to the government which is not Jizyah but an amount determined by the Muslim ruler if the government needs, and if the government does not need funds, can enjoy all the services free of charge.

4. Shia rulers in many parts of India never forced any Hindu or Buddhist or any non Muslim to convert to Islam, nor did they harmed them over centuries of their governments in Hyderabad, Bijapur, Awadh etc.

Wassalam.
If a non-Muslim man marries a Muslim woman and then sincerely converts to Islam after the marriage, does the marriage remain valid?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

There is no marriage at all between Muslim female and non Muslim man according to basic Islamic rules, even if go for a civil marriage. Such marriage can be valid in court of law but it has no validity at all in Islam. If the man became a Muslim then you can both initiate an Islamic marriage Nikah with Mahr. Before such Nikah, you and him are never married.

Wassalam.
If a non-Muslim man marries a Muslim woman and then sincerely converts to Islam after the marriage, does the marriage remain valid?
Zaid Alsalami

Bismihi ta'āla

According to our esteemed scholars, a Muslim woman cannot marry a non-Muslim man, so if they did a marriage, it would be invalid. If he converts to Islam, they can perform a nikah ceremony.

And Allah knows best
As a Western revert, am I allowed to adopt an Islamic name, and can I use names of the Imams, such as Ali or Hussain, as my first name?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

Yes, you and every Muslim is allowed to adopt any Islamic name including names of the Infallible Imams like Ali, Hussain.

Wassalam.