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

Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

123 Questions

Does Qur'anic verse 4:18 imply that repentance may not be accepted from a person who is on the verge of death? If so, how can this be reconciled with the idea that God does not prevent the repentance of a person while his spirit remains within him?
Amina Inloes

According to hadith, if a person is sincere, their repentance can be accepted until the time they see the Angel of Death; or, if they were committing wrong out of ignorance, until the soul leaves the throat. (These times are given in different narrations; perhaps they are reflecting a similar time for the person about to pass on.) However, if they were intentionally doing wrong and expecting to be able to repent for it at the last minute, this option will not be there for them (nor would their repentance be sincere).

This is the idea being Qur'an 4:18 - that people cannot persist in wrongdoing and then expect to get out of it at the last minute. Rather, once they realize they are doing wrong, they should try to make a change. 
What does Islam say about donating your body to science after death with the intention of furthering medical research?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

Islam puts the respect of the human being as top priority. It is not allowed in Islam to disrespect the human being and his body even after death. Donating the organs after death is allowed only to save the sacred life of another human being.

Donating the human body for scientific research is good and can be even compulsory if there is no other human body which can suffice, but in this age, there ae thousands of non Muslims who are been taking part in such researches which meets the need. 

It is not allowed to disrespect the human dead body unless there is no way to avoid it and it becomes the only way to serve other human beings' compulsory medical needs.

Wassalam.
On 'good deeds will go to waste if there is nothing after death' I understand that an Imam has said that the real loss is if you've no good deeds and there is a day of reckoning. Does this imply that it is impossible to prove there will be such a day?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

The evidence of the Day of Judgement is more than counting. The sentence which you quoted is narrated in a debate between the Imam (AS) and a non believer who denied the Hereafter, so Imam was telling him that either there is Hereafter or not, so if there is a Hereafter, the believers will win, and non believers will lose, and if there is no Hereafter, the believers will not lose anything.

Wassalam.
My cat died a sudden death and someone suggested this may have averted some calamity for my family. Is this idea supported in the Qur'an or Hadith?
Amina Inloes

I am sorry to hear about your loss.

It is narrated that the Prophet (S) said: “Keep many domestic animals (al-dawajin) in your houses so that the shayatin (demons) are occupied with them instead of with your children.” (See Tibb al-A'immah)

I think there is some truth to this.

Of course, maybe your cat just died and there was no other reason for it. The lifespan of animals is also in the hands of Allah, and this life is transitory for all of us.

At least you got to enjoy some time together, and one thing I have always admired about animals is that they handle death with grace and acceptance.

With salaams and du'as