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

Can I convert to Shia Islam if I am not circumcised? If I am not then does that mean that if I attend Hajj it will not be accepted?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

You can be a Shia Muslim by just believing in the main faith of Islam (There no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger and Ali is the successor after the Prophet). This faith is enough for you to become a Shia Muslim.

Obligatory acts are not condition to be a Shia Muslim although you need to do whatever you know and can afford.

When you perform Hajj, you need to get yourself circumcised before performing Tawaf around the Ka'bah.

Wassalam.
Did Imam Ali perform Hajj other than the last Hajj that he performed with our beloved Prophet (s)?
Zaid Alsalami

Bismihi ta'ala

Please refer to our previous answer on this topic. 

With prayers for your success. 
Did Imam Ali (AS) perform Hajj during his life? If so, is there a Shia source for it?
Zaid Alsalami

Bismihi ta'ala

By looking at the history of Islam, and how close Imam Ali (a.s.) was to the holy Prophet (s.a.w.), and their frequent travelling, along with the victory of conquering Meccah al-Mukarramah, this leaves no doubt that Imam Ali (a.s.) performed Hajj, and visited the holy Ka'bah, which was his birthplace.

We can see the many instances of how Imam Ali (a.s.) describes Hajj, in Nahj al-Balaghah, and in other sources as well.

Furthermore, we know about the authentic mutawatir hadith of Hajjatul-Wida', where on their way back from the last Hajj, our beloved Prophet (s.a.w.) announced the succession and wilayah of Imam Ali (a.s.). 

With prayers for your success. 
It has been observed by many during Hajj that there is much contact between men and women who are literally pressed to each other in the crowded situations right in front of the Ka’ba. Why doesn’t Makkah have segregation between males and females?
Amina Inloes

The main reason is that it was not mandated by the Prophet; in fact, he prayed with his wife and daughter there.

Also, (a) because to do tawaf you have to go all the way around the Ka'bah, and that is difficult to do with segregation, similarly it might be challenging to arrange gender segregation for sa'i between Safa and Marwah, and (b) perhaps it could cause hardship for people travelling together. 

While it is true that there are some people with sick minds who misuse the arrangement there, by and large, I think most Muslims behave themselves properly there and respect the sanctity of the place, and the rules of ihraam (forbidding certain things between genders) also provide extra incentive to behave correctly, even if they may run into each other by accident.

That being said, wearing an extra outer garment can help provide more personal space without inconveniencing others.