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

Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

122 Questions

I was once asked this question and didn't know how to respond to it. How do we Muslims know for sure if Allah is real and how do we know if we are going on the straight path or not?
Zoheir Ali Esmail

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. Once somebody asked Imam Ali (as) if he had seen God. He said "Why would I worship a Lord who I haven't seen." on the further probing of the questioner as to how that was possible the Imam said: "I did not see Him with my eyes, but I saw Him with the realities of faith." The modern world is deeply affected by logical positivism, which considers only that which can be sensed by the five senses as real. With such an outlook one can never be sure about anything metaphysical, as, by definition, the metaphysical is outside of the realm of the five senses. But so too are other phenomena that we all accept to be true, such as consciousness, and this is why logical positivism is not a tenable set of presuppositions with which to understand the world.

Rather, the metaphysical is sensed by other senses within a person and in the Islamic tradition, those senses are usually called the heart. It is the heart that senses God and this is sometimes referred to as religious experience. Through the journey of faith a person becomes more and more certain about God, through a process of incremental interactions, prayer, and appreciation of His Hand in their lives. The wisdom that is contained in His religion and the inimitability of the Qur'an. In a more advanced understanding of belief, the presuppositions that a Muslim chooses to accept mean that there is no alternative other than the existence of God and through the spiritual journey they witness the truth of their progression. God Himself guides them to the paths of certainty after which there is no doubt.

May you always be successful
Is it an authentic saying that Muslims should not go out after Maghrib?
Amina Inloes

In the Sunni hadith books, especiallly Bukhari and Muslim, it is mentioned that children should not go out at/after maghrib for fear of shayateen. Among some Sunnis, it is customary to discourage women or children in particular from going out then or at night. 

Perhaps this developed in part also due to a practical safety concern (that generally it is less safe outside at night, and in many places, women and children are cautious about going out alone at night). Also in those days they had less lighting. 

This idea is not commonly found in the Shi'i tradition, and Shi'is generally do not accept the contents of Bukhari and Muslim as authentic without further investigation. I am not saying that this narration doesn't possibly exist anywhere in Shi'i books, since there are thousands and thousands of Shi'i narrations, but it isn't generally given consideration a religious basis. (Of course, culturally, some Shi'is may discourage some people from going outside for social or safety reasons, but that is different.)

Anyway, the Prophet and Imams went outside at night when it was appropriate to do so. 
Will Muslims of other schools of thought, such as the Sunni and Sufi brothers, be able to go to heaven or will they be punished for not believing in the Shia Imams?
Amina Inloes

Allah says in the Qur'an that the only thing that will not be forgiven is that partners be associated with Allah, and that Allah forgives whatever else Allah wills.

Allah also says in the Qur'an that whoever believes and works righteous deeds, including Jews, Christians, and Sabeans, will have a good afterlife.

With that in mind, how can someone exclude some people from heaven just because they are not Shi'i (or Shi'i Ithna Ashari)? 

Only Allah has the authority and power to send people to heaven or hell. 

Nowadays, also, people often follow religions or sects due to inherited understandings and doctrines. A Sunni who loves certain individuals (who do not have the same status among Shi'is) does so because they have heard very good things about them, or because they believe the Prophet (S) loves them, not because they are trying to fight against the Imams or support wrong.

It is a different situation for someone who actually was alive during the time of Imam 'Ali (A) and saw him and rejected him or physically fought against him. Anyway most Sunnis, and most or all Sufis, respect Imam 'Ali and other Imams, they just have a different understanding of their role. 

However, following the teachings of Ahl al-Bayt (A) through the Imams can help develop one's ethics, actions, and spirituality in such a way that can, insha'allah, help with going to heaven. Also one can hope for the intercession of the Imams (A) if one has a close relationship to them and is dedicated to them, and this is also an invaluable gift. 
If Prophets Abraham and Musa were Muslim then why was there no Muslim population before Prophet Mohammad?
Zoheir Ali Esmail

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. While the previous prophets (as) all followed the essence of Islam, which is submission to Allah, they had their own divine laws and were not called Muslims. A Muslim is a term given to those people who follow the divine law as transmitted by the final prophet Muhammad (saw). For this reason, the believers who followed the previous prophets are not outwardly called Muslims, even if the essence of their religion is submission (islam) and the reality of the practice of that essence makes them one who has submitted (muslim).

May you always be successful