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

Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

75 Questions

I am a follower of Ayatollah Syed Ali Sistani, living in Japan. If packaged food has ingredients like emulsifier, shortening, gelatin, etc., and their source is not mentioned, is it halal or should I avoid it?
Zaid Alsalami

Bismihi ta'āla

Wherever you are, and whichever country you may be in, if its non-Muslim country, or even in some cases Muslim country, it is important to check and verify the ingredients of it is not made by Muslim manufacturer. 

1. If it does not have anything haram, and you have assurance that there is no shar'i issue with it, you can consider it halal.

2. Ihtiyat is always good. If you are uncomfortable about a certain product, being halal or haram, best to avoid. 

3. It is not you absolute duty to investigate, and pry into everything, but you cannot easily turn away from it as well. 

Try to stick with things you know are made in Muslim country. Try to find alternatives, and remember that with the difficulty you endure, you will be rewarded more.

And Allah knows best
If a Sayyeda girl commits Zina with a non-Syed boy and repents, can they marry later? Are Sayyeds considered superior in Islam or do they have different Sharia laws?
Zaid Alsalami

Bismihi ta'āla

Yes, she can marry. Why should she not be able to marry. She did haram, and repented. None of this has anything to do with her being a Seyyidah, and we all know that Islam does not give superiority to any race or group of people or person. The only person that is better than others is he/she with better piety.

And Allah knows best
Could you share credible narrations from the lives of Ahl al-Bayt (A) concerning the marriage of a Syeda to a non-Syed, as there is skepticism from some quarters regarding rulings from the Maraji'?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

'All our most knowledgeable Ulama (Maraaje' of Taqleed) say that marriage between Sayyeda believer and Nin Sayyed believer is allowed as we don't have in the authentic narrations from the Prophet (SAWA) and his Ahlul Bayt (AS) any evidence against it. They have long list if authentic narrations e.g. in Al-Kaafi , an authentic Hadeeths from Al-Hadhrami from imam Ja'far Al-Sadiq (AS) : The Prophet (SAWA) arranged the marriage between his first cousin sister Dhubaa'ah Bint Al-Zubair ibn Abdul Muttalib and Al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad. This is a clear evidence that Miqdad ibn al-Aswad who was a Mo'min but non Sayyed was been helped by the Prophet himself (SAWA) to marry a Sayyeda Mo'mina who was the first cousin sister of the Prophet (SAWA).

We also have a Hadeeth in Al-Tahtheeb (number 1581) stating the same marriage between the Prophet;s real cousin sister and Miqdad ibn al-Aswad arranged by the Prophetvhimself (SAWA).

Wassalam.
I converted from Sunni to Shia and want to marry a Shia Sayyeda. As a practicing Shia convert, is this marriage fully permissible according to scholars, or are there any concerns or discouragements regarding it?
Zaid Alsalami

Bismihi ta'āla

A Seyyid/Seyyidah can marry a non-Seyyid/Seyyidah. These are only cultural norms, and as long as both sides are Muslim and wajib requirements for marriage are met, the marriage will be valid.

And Allah knows best