Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

I pray this finds you in the best of health and states.

This is an excellent question, and it’s answer is based on a few considerations:

Contingent Everlastingness of Paradise and Hell

According to Sunni orthodoxy and consensus, both Paradise (janna) and the Inferno (jahannam), as well as their respective inhabitants, shall never cease to exist and are hence everlasting. There are many verses of the Qur’an that explicitly state this, and it is a point of consensus.

However, their existence, just like the existence of all of creation, is contingent and hence bound by limits such as time and space, all of which is decreed by the will of Allah Most High.

So the “everlastingness” of Paradise, the Inferno and their respective inhabitants is one that is within the realm of time — Allah Most High will continue to maintain them in existence, constantly re-creating them as such, forever.

Moreover, this is His will, and He Most High could have willed otherwise. His existence and eternality, on the other hand, is necessary and absolute.

Absolute Eternality of Allah Most High

As for Allah Most High, He is absolute and not bound by anything or any limit whatsoever. This applies to both His entity and His attributes, including His existence. So He Most High is infinite, eternal and limitless, and His perfections have no number, limit or end.

He is not bound by time or space, since both time and space are His creation, and the Creator cannot conceivably be bound by what He creates. Indeed, He is the First, the Last, the Outwardly Manifest, and the Inwardly Hidden.

He is the First, meaning He has no beginning, and He is the Last, meaning He has no end. So He is both preeternal and eternal. Yet these two attributes are in reality one and the same with respect to Him Most High, namely, He is timeless.

Indeed, Allah exists independently and necessarily, “in and of Himself”, while anything in creation that exists does so only by the will and decree of Allah. Therefore, any created thing that exists, including Paradise and Hell, is always on the “verge” of winking back into nonexistence, as it were… yet kept in existence by Allah alone.

Limitations of the Intellect

Finally, it is important to note that our intellects cannot grasp or even fathom the timelessness of the Divine, so we should not waste precious time trying to do so.

Our minds are only endowed with enough capacity to appreciate some of His attributes, or rather their associations as manifest in creation, so as to recognize the Divine and respond to His call to apply the Sacred Law, both its outward and inward, in our lives… so as to draw near to Him.

[Sources: section on theology from Ala'uddin Abidin, Hadiyya Ala'iyya; Nahlawi, Hazr wal Ibaha; and various tafsirs including Abu Suud, Irshad al-Aql al-Salim]

I hope that clarifies the issue to some extent, and Allah knows best.
wassalam
Faraz

Question: If a Muslim is, for whatever reason, not buried according to proper Islamic rituals, does he or she face repercussions because of this in the grave, even if it was not his or her fault?

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

I pray this finds you in the best of health and states.

No, the deceased is not punished for the sinful actions of others after his/her death, such as improper burial, wailing or the like.

Allah Most High states, “No bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another.” (6:164)

Those hadiths that would seem to indicate otherwise — such as “The deceased is punished in his grave due to the wailing done over him,” [Bukhari] — are understood by most scholars to refer to someone who gave a bequest before death for his relatives to do so on his behalf after death. Therefore, he is punished for commanding others to sin. [Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim]

And Allah knows best.
wassalam
Faraz

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani

Question: (1) I wanted to ask what if someone wakes up in the morning with a small dried white spot [no more then this => ( )] on groin. Don’t really know what it is and I am not certain if its a wet dream or not. There are no spots on my underwear too… So does it makes ghusl obligatory?..

(2) I’m confused and can’t even do ghusl again cause i swore to God [qasam in urdu] i wont make ghusl due to this reason cause i am not sure.

(3) I have so much waswasa about my prayers not being valid..

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

I pray this finds you in the best of health and states.

(1) You would not need to perform the ritual bath (ghusl) in that situation, since you don’t recall a wet dream. You could simply wash your organ and then make ablution (wudu) and then pray.

(2) With regards to the oath, you should break it so that you may perform ghusl when needed. You would need to do the requisite expiation for breaking the oath.

Expiation is to to feed ten poor persons (2 meals each), or to clothe them (1 garment each), or to give them the equivalent monetary value. If you are unable to do that, you must fast three consecutive days. [Maydani/Quduri, Lubab fi Sharh al-Kitab]

(3) With respect to obsessive misgivings (waswasa), keep in mind that the default assumption of all acts of worship is soundness and validity, and this default is at the level of certainty. Certainty is not lifted by doubts or misgivings, but rather only by another certainty or very high likelihood.

Learn sacred knowledge under qualified instructors, as that is one of the most potent weapons to combat such misgivings. I would suggest the following course, for example:

Absolute Essentials of Islam: Beliefs & Worship

Lastly, please see the following link for more information regarding dealing with waswasa:

A Reader on Waswasa (Baseless Misgivings)

And Allah knows best.
wassalam
Faraz

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani

Question: Is it permissible to breastfeed whilst pregnant? I have been told this is sinful and harmful to the baby and ones own health?

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

I pray this finds you in the best of health and states.

The Related Hadith

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “I had intended on prohibiting al-ghila, but then I reflected upon the Romans and Persians: surely, they do this and it does not harm their children.” [Sahih Muslim]

Scholars differed as to what is meant by al-ghila in the hadith: some maintained it refers to a man having intercourse with his wife who is nursing, while others said that it means for a woman to nurse while pregnant. [Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim]

Imam Baji comments that although the Prophet did not prohibit this, he did allude by stating “I had intended on prohibiting” that harm is possible from it. Yet he still refrained from prohibiting it altogether since it does not necessarily and generally result in harm. [Baji, Muntaqa Sharh al-Muwatta]

The Legal Perspective

Based on this hadith, jurists mention that for a woman to breastfeed while pregnant is generally permissible as long as there is no fear of harm to the nursing baby, fetus or mother, although some say avoiding it is still more preferable. If however it is established in a particular case that doing so would indeed be harmful, then it would be impermissible. [Kuwaiti Fiqh Encyclopedia]

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “There is no harm nor reciprocating harm (la darar wa la dirar)” [Ibn Maja, Daraqutni], a universal principle based on which our jurists have laid down key legal maxims such as “Harm is to be avoided (al-darar yuzal).” [Majalla]

In terms of modern medical opinion, the Mayo clinic and other reliable sources say that it is generally fine, as long as the woman eats well and takes plenty of fluids:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/breast-feeding-while-pregnant/AN01840

The woman in question should consult a reliable physician to ensure there is no concern of harm in her particular case.

And Allah knows best.

wassalam
Faraz

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani

Question: What is a halal form of offering incentive to a loaner when requesting a loan. I am a small business owner seeking to purchase a building/shop and I am in need of start up money. Everyone is interested in investing in exchange for a continuous percentage of profit. I am more interested in one-time loans, but I do not know the best way to present it to them in a way they feel benefits them.

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

I pray this finds you in the best of health and states.

In Islam, a loan is considered a type of charity, that is to say, no benefit can be attached to it. One simply lends a particular amount of money, and then takes back that same amount of money upon the due date.

There can be no worldly incentive associated with the contract; the only incentive that can be offered is otherworldly, i.e., reward in the next life. Many Companions are reported to have said, “Any loan that comes with a benefit is a form of usury.” [Bayhaqi, Sunan Saghir]

Having said that, the otherworldly incentive is huge. A person who seeks a loan is often in grief or difficulty, and our Beloved Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever relieves a believer from a worldly grief, Allah will relieve for him one of the griefs of the Day of Judgment. Whoever provides ease to a person in difficulty, Allah will provide him ease in this world and the next… Allah continues to aid the servant so long as the servant aids his brother.” [Muslim]

Please also see this related answer, specifically dealing with the reward of giving a loan:

Loans Entailing More Reward than Charity and the Validity of an Estate’s Executor Being a Beneficiary in the Will

Finally, one could consider using Islamic alternatives such as financing mechanisms predicated upon profit and loss sharing, such as joint partnership (sharika/musharaka) and silent partnership [of capital and labor] (mudaraba). For more detail, please see An Introduction to Islamic Finance by Mufti Taqi Usmani.

And Allah knows best.
wassalam
Faraz

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani

Question: I currently live and work in the US but my wife and 1 year-old daughter are overseas. My wife is unable to come here due to the lengthy process of obtaining a visa. I am also unable to travel overseas at the moment but I’ve been visiting once a year for 3 months since we got married. I am in constant communication with my wife and I do provide for her and my daughter.

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

I pray this finds you in the best of health and states.

There is nothing unlawful with your lifestyle. You are doing your utmost to best deal with it, as matters are outside of your hand. Prolonged separation would be sinful if done willingly so as to harm the spouse, which is not the case in your situation.

Your marriage remains valid and sound, despite the prolonged periods of separation. I pray things are facilitated and that your family is able to join you in the near future.

Allah Most High states, “Perhaps you may hate something, yet it proves better for you.” (2:216)

And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “How amazing is the believer’s affair! Allah decrees nothing for the servant except that it is good for him.” [Musnad Ahmed]

He (peace and blessings be upon him) also said, “Patience is a glowing illumination” [Muslim], and “Whoever forces himself to be patient will be granted patience by Allah. No one was given a better and more expansive gift than patience.” [Bukhari, Muslim]

And Allah knows best.
wassalam
Faraz

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani

Question: (1) Is it from the sunna for guys to use kohl/antimony (in urdu “kajul”)? Is it true it makes the eyes clean or something?

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

I pray this finds you in the best of health and states.

(1) Yes it is from the sunna to use kohl/antimony (in Arabic, ithmid), and it does help with vision according to the hadith.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The best type of antimony for you is ithmid, for it makes vision clear and causes hair to grow.” [Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud]

(2) As you mention, there are two types of sunna:

(a) Emphasized sunnas of guidance (sunan al-huda), the leaving of which entails wrongdoing and is disliked [unless one has a valid excuse].

Such sunnas are considered to be among the symbols (sha’air) of the religion itself. If a person/community habitually abandons such a sunna, they are deemed to be astray, as abandoning these entails not taking the religion seriously. Examples are praying in congregation, and making the call to prayer (adhan) and the commencement of prayer (iqama).

(b) Non-emphasized sunnas that are of additional blessing (sunan al-zawa’id), the leaving of which does not entail wrongdoing and is not disliked.

These sunnas are things that the Prophet regularly did, yet they are not symbolic of the religion itself and hence are “of additional blessing” (zawa’id). Examples are the way the Beloved Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) dressed, stood and sat.

[Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

Applying kohl/antimony would fall under the second category.

And Allah knows best.
wassalam
Faraz

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani

Question: Some people object to saying ‘Salam’ and say we should say ‘Assalamu alaikum’ and not ‘Salam’ as it is against the sunna, but can you inform me whether there is a Quranic basis for saying the short form ‘Salam’?

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

I pray this finds you in the best of health and states.

The well-known sunna is to say ‘Assalamu alalikum’, with the definite particle ‘al-’ at the beginning (which transforms to as-).

It would suffice to use the indefinite form ‘Salam alaikum’, but using the definite particle ‘al-’ is superior. Some scholars mention that this is because ‘Assalamu alaikum’ (with the definite particle) is the appropriate greeting for this life, while the indefinite ‘Salam[un] alaikum’ (as found in many Qur’anic verses) will be the greetings in Paradise, such as in the verse, “Perpetual peace be upon you (Salam[un] alaikum) for your having been patient — so what a great final abode!” (13:24) [Kuwaiti Fiqh Encyclopedia]

As for verses in which the indefinite ‘Salam[un]‘ is used in this life, such as in the conversation of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) with his guests who were angels, there are rhetorical reasons why that form is most appropriate in those particular verses, which therefore do not serve as a basis of the ideal way of our greeting one another.

And Allah knows best.

wassalam
Faraz

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani

Question: (1) I read that fasting can be used to cure any disease, and I was wondering, if that is true?

(2) If I already fast Mondays and Thursdays, and the three white days, should I fast more days of the week if using it for the intention for a cure, or is that exceeding the sunnah?

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

I pray this finds you in the best of health and states.

Health Benefits of Fasting

I have not come across a Qur’anic verse or prophetic hadith that mentions fasting as a cure for any disease, but scholars such as Ibn Qayyim have discussed the numerous health benefits of fasting, which incidentally are confirmed today by many physicians and scientists, Muslim and non-Muslim alike.

Ibn Qayyim states in “Medicine of the Prophet”:

“Fasting is a protection (junna) from illnesses of the spirit, heart and body; its benefits are numberless. It has a wonderful effect in preserving health, melting the superfluities, restraining one from consuming things which could be harmful; this is especially so when it is moderate and practiced at the best times according to the revealed Law and the body’s natural need for it. Then indeed it contains such rest for the faculties and the organs as to preserve their powers.

And it has a special property which causes its preference, which is its ability to make the heart rejoice, here and hereafter. It is the most beneficial thing for those of cold and moist temperaments, and it has a great influence on the preservation of their health.

It is included in spiritual and natural drugs. When the one fasting observes closely both the natural and legal conditions of fasting its benefit is great for heart and body, averting the foreign corrupting substances to which it is susceptible, and removes the evil substances acquired according to how closely these conditions are observed.

It guards the one fasting from that from which he should be guarded, and helps him to achieve the aim, the secret, the final reason of the fast. For the aim of fasting is another matter beyond the abstention from food and drink. In regards to that matter fasting is specially set aside among all good deeds as the one dedicated to God, praised be He. For it is a defence and protection for the servant against what harms his heart and body, here and hereafter. God Most High said: O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that perchance you may be God-fearing (2:183).”

[Taken from Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, Al-Tibb al-Nabawi, "Medicine of the Prophet", trans. Penelope Johnstone, pp. 238-39]

The Maximum Recommended Fast

It would not be exceeding the sunna to fast more than Mondays, Thursdays and the three white days (13th, 14th and 15th of each lunar month).

According to the Hanafi school, the maximum recommended fast that does not exceed the sunna is to fast every other day, as that was the fast of the Prophet Dawud (peace and blessings be upon him) [Bukhari, Muslim], while to fast more than that is generally deemed excessive. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi Falah; Zada, Majma` al-Anhur]

And Allah knows best.
wassalam
Faraz

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani

Question: Alhamdulillah I was honoured by Allah to attend Hajj this year. After completing the Hajj and doing some research, I realised we made some mistakes during the Hajj. Firstly, after stoning, sacrificing and cutting our hair but before Tawaf az-Ziyarah my wife and I forgot we were not completely out of ihram and we hugged once and kissed on the lips before realising what we had done. Then the next day, on the 11th of Dhul-Hijjah we had gone to make Tawaf az-Ziyarah in the night and when we came back it was after sunrise, so we decided to pelt the jamarat as we were passing by Mina but it was before zawwal time. I later found out this is impermissible and does not count as pelting for that day.

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

I pray this finds you in the best of health and states.

Yes, this is correct: you owe two, your wife owes two and your mother owes one. Each sacrifice is of one sheep.

[Shurunbulali, Ascent to Felicity; Itr, Hajj wal Umra fil Fiqh al-Islami]

And Allah knows best.

wassalam
Faraz

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani