Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

70375

Why do the Shia pray the congregational prayers without touching the feet and shoulders of the adjacent person?

Abbas Di Palma, Shaykh Abbas Di Palma holds a BA and an MA degree in Islamic Studies, and certifications from the Language Institute of Damascus University. He has also studied traditional Islamic sciences in... Answer updated 6 years ago

as salam alaikum

there are traditions in both Shi'i and Sunni books about straighten the lines during Jama'ah and do not leave gaps. However this does not mean that believers should strictly touch feet and shoulders one another. Rather it means to keep close one another according to common understanding in a way that is not loose. Hanafi school holds the same view and their scholars have discussed how Sunni ahadith and literature should not be interpreted as implying the necessity of touching each other's feet and shoulders.

With prayers for your success.

70406

Sunni-Shi'a. Sahaba (Companions). A'ishah bt. Abi Bakr

Do the Shia feel hatred towards the companions of the Prophet (s) and his wife Hazrat Ayesha? If so, what is the justification for it?

Seyed Ali Shobayri, Seyed Ali Shobayri is of mixed Iranian and Scottish descent who found the path of the Ahlul Bayt (a) by his own research. He holds a BA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University through the... Answer updated 6 years ago

Bismillah,

Asalamu Alaykom,

The Shia put the companions into different categories just like the Quran does.

Among the companions, were the pious believers who sacrificed their wealth, lives and even fought against their own relatives in battles. These Sahaba will be those we can consider in jannah and who we want to follow.

On the other hand, we had companions of the Prophet Mohammad (sawa) who were hypocrites and had their own worldly interests.

Some of these companions also insulted the Prophet as well as oppressed his progeny after his martyrdom.

We also have some companions that we aren’t sure about or whose names didn’t reach us. Therefore it is imperative to search through history to determine which companions remained steadfast upon the correct path.

With regard to the wives of the Prophet, we also look through their biographies individually to see if they were pious or not. Allah The Exalted states in the holy Quran:

O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any of the [other] women, provided that you taqwa (consciousness of God)...

Quran 33:32.

This verse is clear in giving a condition to the wives of the holy prophet that they will be respected if they remain pious. The verse is a clear evidence in showing that the wives of the prophet are not immune from going astray and must attain their status through maintaining piety.

Whilst Shias love and respect wives of the prophet such as Lady Khadijah, Umm Salama and Māriyah, we have a negative view on other wives such as Aisha. This isn’t due to personal reasons, rather it is down to clear proofs within the Quran and sunnah of her actions. Below, I will provide some summarised points about Aisha according to the Shia opinion and you may research further inshallah.

Aisha was one of the wives severely condemned in the Quran chapter 66 of the holy Quran for her actions against the Prophet.
She led a war against the Commander of the faithful Imam Ali (peace be upon him) which resulted in the deaths of 30,000 Muslims
She fabricated thousands of Hadiths and falsely attributed them to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family. This besmirched the Prophet’s reputation, degraded his personality and “opened a door of verbal attacks” against him by non-Muslims.

There are many more reasons one can search to get a clear picture of why Aisha is viewed negatively by the Shia Muslims.

May Allah grant you success.

70281

Spouse. Marriage

Can we choose our own spouse for marriage?

Bismillah,

Asalamu Alaykom,

Yes, it is the right of a Muslim to chose their future spouse and not be forced to marry.

May Allah grant you success

70437

Hair. Perfume. Cooking Oil. Sawm (Fasting)

Can we can apply hair oil or perfume while fasting?

as salam alaikum

there is no problem applying oil or perfume while fasting, it is permissible and it does not invalidate the fast.

With prayers for your success.

70311

Basmalah. Imam Ali b. Abi Talib. Dot

Is there a hadith which says that Imam Ali (A) is the dot under the Ba (ب) of Bismillah? If so, what is the reference for it?

Amina Inloes, Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the... Answer updated 6 years ago

To my knowledge, this is not present in the classical, normative Twelver Shi'i hadith collections.

Of course, this doesn't prove whether he said this or not, or whether the statement contains truth or not; it simply means it is not in these books and doesn't have a chain of narrators.

However it is commonly accepted particularly among people who have mystical inclinations ('irfan, Sufism).

In any case, the status of Imam 'Ali is lofty whether or not he said this!

70444

Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq

Which close companion of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (as) instantly leapt into a blazing fire pit when he was commanded to do so by him?

The name is present in this text:

Sahl Ibn al-Hasan al-Khurasani who was one of the followers of Ahlul- Bayt in Khurasan (a province in Iran) came to Medina to meet Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (as). Sahl al-Khurasani said: "O son of the Messenger of Allah! You are of the Imams of Ahlul-Bayt. What prevents you from getting your right (i.e., the rule) while you find more than one hundred thousand Shi’a who are ready to fight for you?”

The Imam (as) asked him to sit down, and then ordered to turn on the oven that was in the house. After the oven became very hot and turned red, the Imam (as) said: "O Khurasani step into the oven and sit in it.”The Khurasani said: "My master, O son of the Messenger of Allah! Do not punish me by fire and make it easy for me.”

At this time, Harun al-Makki (ra) entered the room, and after the greetings exchanged, the Imam (as) told him to put down his shoes and to sit down inside the oven. He did so and the Imam (as) started talking to Sahl about Khurasan as if nothing has happened.

After some time, the Imam (as) said: "O Khurasani stand up and look inside the oven.”Sahl looked into the oven and saw Harun sitting cross-legged inside the fire. Then Imam al-Sadiq (as) asked Harun to come out of oven and he came out healthy with no burn or injury.

At this time, the Imam (as) asked Sahl: "How many individuals do you know in Khurasan like this man?”

Sahl replied: "By Allah, not even one.”The Imam (as) confirmed his saying and said, "We do not rise at this time when we do not even have five helpers (like him). We know better about the proper time.”

(Bihar, v47, p123, Hadith #172; also in Manaqib by Ibn Shahr Ashub)

[I copy and pasted that from A Shi'ite Encyclopedia because I am a little lazy]

69704

Islam. Salah (Prayers)

I am new in Islam and would like to know at what point in Salah do we pray for ourselves and others?

as salam alaikum

Salat differs from voluntary invocations and supplications. The intention during Salat is to pray for Allah only. However the recitation of Sura al-Fatihah is mandatory wherein it is said "Guide us to the Straight Path" (1:5) which in itself is a prayer for ourselves and others as well.

It is also possible to pray for others during the qunut.

With prayers for your success.

68180

Punishment. Death. Masturbation

I understand that masturbating is Haram but what is the punishment for it after death and how can one stop doing it?

Zoheir Ali Esmail, Shaykh Zoheir Ali Esmail has a Bsc in Accounting and Finance from the LSE in London, and an MA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University. He studied Arabic at Damascus University and holds a PhD... Answer updated 6 years ago

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. Masturbating is a sin related to animalistic desires and so its punishment in the hereafter would be linked to that, as all sins have consequences and punishments that are suitable for them. Masturbation is a sin punishable in this world as well, and it is narrated that Imam Ali (as) punished a man for it by hitting his hand until it became red, and then got him married, paying for the marriage out of the treasury.

As for stopping, masturbation is a habit and like any other habit, stopping is a process, which requires determination and persistence. As a starting point a person should get rid of all aids, such as photos, movies, being on the wrong social media groups etc.

It is helpful if they can get married, or if not that they take up fasting on a regular basis. There are communities of people who are giving up frapping (another word for masturbation) so seeking support from such groups may be helpful for some. The most important thing is not to get discouraged if you slip, but to make sure that slips are as irregular as possible and to know that masturbation has a number of negative consequences, especially for a person's sex life later on. With determination many people have found their way out of frapping with a positive result on their lives and spirituality.

May you always be successful.

65992

Islam. Body. Burial

Why does Islam require the body of a deceased to be buried quickly?

Zaid Alsalami, Shaykh Dr Zaid Alsalami is an Iraqi born scholar, raised in Australia. He obtained a BA from Al-Mustafa University, Qom, and an MA from the Islamic College in London. He also obtained a PhD from... Answered 6 years ago

Bismihi ta'ala

One of the primary mustahab things for a deceased body is that it is quickly washed, shrouded and buried. There are numerous ahadith from Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) that point to the hastening in the process of laying the mayyit to rest in his/her grave.

As for burying the body quickly, besides the health reasons, the family of the deceased also need to vent their emotions and have a fixed place where they are able to mourn and then regularly visit.

However, if there are valid reasons for postponing the burial, then there would be no problem in that.

And Allah knows best.

66023

Ghusl. Injury

What is the correct way to do Ghusl when one of the hands has an injury?

Bismihi ta'ala

You would have to perform the ghusl in the the form of "ghusl jabirah", in the case where you are not allowed to get the injured hand wet.

Please watch a tutorial I have on this:

And Allah knows best.

68998

Blood. Salah (Prayers)

Can we swallow any blood that may appear inside our mouth, such as from bleeding gums, while praying and while not praying?

Bismihi ta'ala

It is haram to intentionally swallow blood, and so if you know you have blood in your mouth, you should spit it out. If you are in the state of prayer, and you taste blood, or for some reason you know you have blood in your mouth, you can spit it into a tissue and continue with your prayer, or wait until you finish your prayer, and then spit it out.

And Allah knows best.

69066

Martyrdom. Coronaviruses

Are those who are dying from Corona virus to be considered martyrs? If so, what is the Islamic basis for it?

There are a number of hadith in both Shi'i and Sunni hadith collections which describe types of honorary martyrdom; that is, they describe people who die in certain ways as "martyrs". (This ranges from things as dying from drowning, to dying with love of Ahl al-Bayt (A), to dying while sleeping with wudu.)

From these narrations, it can be gleaned that there is a certain respect or acknowledgment given to people who pass away in these ways, and/or some of the acts (obviously the voluntary ones, not involuntary ones) are respectable.

However, my understanding that the formal or highest notion of martyrdom is reserved for those who give their lives in the way of Allah (and Allah is the One who knows who they are). Perhaps one could consider someone who is intentionally putting themself at risk of infection to serve the people, and then dies, as this sort of martyr.

In the Sunni hadith collection of Sahih Muslim, it is related that the Prophet (S) described five types of people as martyrs; among those are those people who die from the plague. I am not sure offhand if this narration is transmitted via Shi'i chains of narration or in Shi'i books. However, this narration (or others similar to it) is the source of the idea, being circulated today, that people who die from the plague are martyrs.

However, with respect to Shi'i texts, it is related that Imam Reza (A) told someone: "Every beliver whom God afflicts with a misfortune and who exhibits patience over it, shall surely come to possess the rank and recompense of a martyr in the eyes of God.” The person who was told this did not understand why the Imam was telling him this, as he was not going through any major difficulties at the time, but he soon developed a painful and difficult condition that lasted for a number of months, and then he died - the implication here being that his patience over his illness granted him the status of martyrdom.

God knows best.

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