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

Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

373 Questions

Why do the Shia seek help from Hazrat Ali instead of from Allah? What is the evidence for it from the Quran?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

Shia Muslims and most of Sunni Muslims seek help from the Prophet and his Holy Progeny because of the order of Allah to all the believers to seek Waseela to Allah. Waseela ( means to Allah)(5:35). The Prophet and his Holy Progeny are the best Waseela (means to Allah).

Shia and most Sunni Muslims say : O Muhammad, O Ali help me. This does not mean that they are not seeking help from Allah, on the contrary,they are seeking help from Allah, with Waseela of Allah's most humble servants. We never claim that one can give us anything away from Allah. It is only Allah Who Grants us our wishes when seek. Seeking from Allah can be directly from Him, and better to seek through the Waseela which was ordered by Allah to seek through.

Prophets were mentioned in Quran seeking help from Allah through pious servants of Allah e,g, Prophet Sulaiman seeking help from Aasif ibn Barkhis to bring the throne of Bilqis immediately (Sura Naml, verses 38, 39 and  40).

Wassalam.
Can you provide authentic references from Quran and Hadith books and a logical explanation for the belief that Allah spoke to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) through the voice of Mola Ali (AS)?
Zaid Alsalami

Bismihi ta'ala

There are references that when the holy Prophet (s.a.w.) went in his Mi'raj journey, Allah ta'ala communicated with the Prophet (s.a.w.), in the voice of Imam Ali (a.s.).  This is among the merits of Imam Ali (a.s.). 

Of course, in Sunni sources, like al-Durr al-Manthur, v. 4, p. 154-5, it says the Prophet (s.a.w.) heard the voice of Abu Bakr. 

But Sunni sources also narrate it being Imam Ali (a.s.). 

We have absolute belief that Allah ta'ala does not have a body, or anything material, and even in this case of "communicating", it was casting the sound. 

So, the voice was not Imam Ali (a.s.), but the casting of a sound to an angel that resembled the voice of Imam Ali (a.s.), because it was the most loved of sounds for the Prophet (s.a.w.). 

Some Sunni references for this narration:

al-Manaqib, by al-Khwarazmi, p. 78, p. 6, h. 61.

Yanabi' al-Mawaddah, v. 1, p. 246, h. 28. 

With prayers for your success
In the context of a marriage decision, a 'Faal' from the Quran was positive, but an Istikhara done later later yielded a negative result. What should one do?
Zaid Alsalami

Bismihi ta'ala

In the context of marriage, istikharah should only occur if someone is two-minded about two different proposals at once, both being equal. 

For marriage, you should do a background check on the person, research about them, look at compatibility, try to understand who they are, their family especially, and then consult with well-informed or experienced people. 

How actually religious are they? How is their akhlaq and what are their moral standards? These are the two primary questions you must have an answer to as well.

It's only after this that you evaluate the situation, and see whether or not you are still confused and two-minded, in which case you can do istikharah. 

Faal is different to istikharah. Faal is trying to find out what will happen, whereas istikhara is is about whether you should go ahead or not. 

In any case, these stages should be pursued, and if you are convinced, and done all your required work, you do not need to resort to istikharah.

And Allah knows best
Is there any Quranic verse or Hadith that tells us about the DNA theory?
Amina Inloes

No, at least not directly in any way that it can be understood directly from the text. What can be said most accurately is that the Qur'an does not conflict with DNA theory and therefore is in harmony with it.

However, some people read this idea into the story of Imam 'Ali (A) marrying the mother of al-'Abbas (A). Some people also read this into a narration about examining a woman's family before you marry her.

However there is no evidence that either of these things relate to DNA theory as we know it, and there is a tendency for some Muslims to try to find current ideas in texts when they aren't obviously there.

The idea that traits are inherited has been known to people since ancient times, especially since people have done farming and animal breeding and know well that the offspring resemble their parents in many ways, while at the same time, some traits skip a generation or are not always inherited.

Still, there are some Muslims who will argue that the Qur'an does discuss DNA, so you can read their arguments and the Qur'an and come to your own conclusion.