How Do I Maintain My Connection With Allah?

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Question:
How do I maintain my connection with Allah?
Answer:
Dear questioner,
May Allah bless you and increase you in good.
We recommend a few things.
(1.) The most important thing to remember is the obligatory deeds. Focus on ensuring those are performed (a.) correctly (b.) timely manner (c.) consistent with the sunna of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)
Feeling a good connection with Allah is not always a feeling of emotional connection. It is looking at our lives to see if we are doing what we are asked to do.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “From the excellence of a person’s religion is leaving that which does not concern him.” [Tirmidhi]
What is of utmost concern then to a Muslim is to fulfill their obligations and then move on to the sunna and recommended acts and so forth.
(2.) Work every day on strengthening your faith by reflecting upon the Quran and not just reciting it. Go slow and reflect. Take even 5-10 ayahs a day, in addition to your daily other reading as well.
Consider finding a mentor/shaykh to help you with your spiritual guidance.
Stay connected to a local imam perhaps or a friend who can assist and remind you of Allah.
(3.) Be with people who are upright and sincere with Allah. Ask Allah to bless you with such company.
Finally, stay connected to Allah through learning. This last piece of advice is the most important. Knowledge is like water to a dead land.
Every righteous person you can think of in the Islamic tradition had a good grasp of knowledge. Seeking knowledge will lead to many things being unveiled for you, and you will find many avenues of growth in your faith. Having a deep understanding of Allah will result in you becoming more eager to please Him and become more righteous.
[Imam] Yama Niazi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

When Is a Child Ascribed to the Father in Islam?

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Question:

If a woman gets pregnant out of wedlock and then marries the biological father less than 6 months before the delivery of the baby, is the baby deemed the child of the father?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

No, if the child is conceived out of wedlock and then the marriage happens in less than six lunar months from the time of delivery, the child will be Islamically fatherless. It would not be permissible for the man to claim the child as his. [al-Iqna’, al-Shirbini al-Khatib]

To give an illustration, a man and a woman are in a long-standing relationship, and the woman gets pregnant. Four months into the pregnancy, she informs him, and they decide to get married. The child is born 5 months later. The child will not be considered his child.

The questioner specifically asked about certain dates. January 1st 2020, was 6th Jumada Al-Awwal, 1441. Six lunar months later was 7th Dhul Qadah, 1441, which was  June 27th, 2020. This means that the child cannot Islamically be ascribed to the husband of the child’s mother. The child is however a mahram of the husband of the child’s mother.

This would not apply if the child was initially conceived out of wedlock and then the two married, and the child was born six months after the two got Islamically married and had intercourse. This is because of the theoretical possibility of the child being the product of the marriage and the subsequent intercourse. If the child is born less than six lunar months from that time, there is no possibility that the child is Islamically his. [al-Iqna’, al-Shirbini al-Khatib]

The mother’s husband who is the biological father of the child should still support the mother and child and be a paternal figure. However, it should be clear to the child that his biological father is not the father in Allah’s eyes, and he is merely a step-father.

This is keeping with the words of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), “The child shall be ascribed to the mother (lit. the bed) and the fornicator gets the stone!” [Muslim]

Repentance and reparation are always possible. Just because the relationship starting with sin, and just because the child is fatherless, does not mean that the baraka of a new and strong Islamic trajectory cannot mend everything.

“O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” [Qur’an, 39: 53]

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid Dingle

 

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.

How Do I Deal With My Muslim Friend Who Is a Lesbian?

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Question:
How do I deal with my muslim friend who is a lesbian?
Answer:
Dear questioner,
May Allah bless you and increase you in good.
I am sorry to hear this news from your friend. As you stated correctly, the act is forbidden clearly [haram], and we must hate the act.
As far as your friend who is a Muslim and doing this, this is very dangerous.
A couple of factors to consider; if this friend considers it permissible to be lesbian, then this is wrong and haram according to the laws of the One who created us. If your friend does not believe that but is weak in her faith and wants to stop and distance herself from this act, that is praiseworthy. If she is genuine in her repentance, then it is rewarded by Allah.
He says in the Quran, “Except for those who repent and believe and do good deeds. These—God will replace their bad deeds with good deeds. God is ever Forgiving and Merciful.” [Qur’an 25:70]
Friendship Is Based on Taqwa
If she is not willing to change and does not want to repent, then you should not be her friend.
The Prophet Muhammad ( peace and blessings be upon him) said, ” “A person is on the religion of his close friend, so let him carefully examine whom he befriends. ” [ Abu Dawud ]
Allah also says in the Quran, ” On that Day, friends will be enemies of one another, except for the righteous.” [ Quran 43:67 ]
People who used to assist and invite to the disobedience of Allah will be enemies and blame one another for their sins. May Allah save us from such company.
Commanding the Good
You are in a position to help your friend, tell them to repent, and to give up this sin. Eventually, it will ruin her and lead her to the punishment of Allah.
Do not be stern necessarily, but use wisdom. You can not stay quiet and accept what she is doing; this is detrimental to your faith. If you are too shy and can not do that, then find someone who can, and perhaps, their advice may change her mind and lead to repentance. Do not give up on her, help her. If you see it is not going anywhere, then, like I said earlier, move on and keep praying for her.
Allah knows best.
[Imam] Yama Niazi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

How Do I Wash Impurities on My Skin?

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Question:
How do I wash impurities on the skin?
Answer:
Dear questioner,
Thank you for your important question.
May Allah, Most High reward you for your desire to increase in knowledge.
The impurity found on the skin would predominantly be visible, by either sight or smell.
One should wash the impurity until the signs of it are gone.
The signs would be the traces of filth—i.e., color and smell. In the absence of this, one should be certain that they are pure, and ignore satanic misgivings. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi, al-Falah]
If you are struggling with regular doubts and misgivings, please see:
Please see:
And Allah alone knows best,
[Ustadh] Omar Popal
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Is My Marriage Valid If My Husband Doubted the Truth of Islam?

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Question:
Assalamalikum. What is the ruling if a spouse in a marriage expresses doubt in faith (like not being completely sure or fully confident that the Qur’an is the book of God)? Later, he realized his mistake and repented. Is this marriage valid? If there is a difference of opinion among the scholars, what is the ruling according to Shafi Madhab?

Answer:

Wa alaykum al-salam

Thank you for writing to us.

 

Disbelief or Satanic Whispers?

It is important to distinguish between thoughts of disbelief and satanic whispers, on the one hand, and doubt, on the other. If a person doubts whether the Qur’an is the word of Allah, he is neither confirming nor rejecting this. As he has not accepted the word of Allah, he is not considered a Muslim.

A person who has thoughts of disbelief or experiences satanic whispers, while believing in his heart that the Qur’an is the word of Allah, has not left the fold of Islam. [Nawawi, Kitab al-Adhkar]

The Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Certainly, Allah has overlooked for my ummah what arises in their minds as long as they do act it out or vocalize it.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

 

Has He Left the Fold of Islam?

Accordingly, one must determine whether the spouse doubted in the above-mentioned sense, or whether he or she merely had thoughts of disbelief or experienced satanic whispers. In the former case, the spouse has left the fold of Islam. In the latter case, he or she has not.

 

The Status of the Marriage

In the case where a spouse, whether husband or wife, has left the fold of Islam, the spouses must be separated immediately, and the marriage will continue to exist pending the expiration of the woman’s iddah. If the iddah expires while one of the spouses is an apostate, the marriage is dissolved. If the apostate spouse accepts Islam at a later stage, the marriage will have to be performed afresh. However, if the apostate spouse returns to Islam during the iddah, the marriage continues to exist. [Nawawi, Minhaj al-Talibin]

And Allah knows best.

[Shaykh] Abdurragmaan Khan

 

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdurragmaan received ijazah ’ammah from various luminaries, including but not restricted to: Habib Umar ibn Hafiz—a personality who affected him greatly and who has changed his relationship with Allah, Maulana Yusuf Karaan—the former Mufti of Cape Town; Habib ‘Ali al-Mashhur—the current Mufti of Tarim; Habib ‘Umar al-Jaylani—the Shafi‘i Mufti of Makkah; Sayyid Ahmad bin Abi Bakr al-Hibshi; Habib Kadhim as-Saqqaf; Shaykh Mahmud Sa’id Mamduh; Maulana Abdul Hafiz al-Makki; Shaykh Ala ad-Din al-Afghani; Maulana Fazlur Rahman al-Azami and Shaykh Yahya al-Gawthani amongst others.

How Did the Prophet Deal with His Wives?

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Question:

How it is possible that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was intimate with Aisha, a girl that too young to have sexual relations?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) never acted upon selfish motives and never did anything to physically or psychologically damage his wives. He was a source of comfort and security for all those around him. The Qur’an describes him as a “mercy to all realms of being.” [Qur’an 21: 7]

If we fully understand this, what age Aisha (Allah be well pleased with her) was when she was first intimate with her husband, being sexual intercourse itself or anything else, is irrelevant.

 

For a detailed answer, please see:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CxuLW8wN-Q
https://yaqeeninstitute.org/faraz-malik/the-age-of-aisha-ra-rejecting-historical-revisionism-and-modernist-presumptions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gDTh-6X9vo

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid Dingle

 

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.

Should I Seek Pardon From Every Person That I Have Harmed?

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Question:

If you have accidentally hurt someone’s feelings in a very minor way, or cause them in slight convenience or slight physical harm, do you still have to ask them for forgiveness?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

May Allah forgive us all! If we harm others, we should always apologise, even if the harm seems very minor. This is because the rights of others are not forgiven by Allah. Rather, if they are not fulfilled or forgiven in this life, He gives them our good deeds in the next.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said, “‘Do you know what a bankrupt person is?’ They said, ‘Someone without money or goods is bankrupt.’ The Prophet said, ‘Verily, the bankrupt of my nation are those who come on the Day of Resurrection with lots and lots of prayers, lots and lots of fasting, and lots and lots of charity, but he comes having had insulted others, slandered others, wrongfully consumed the wealth of others, having had shed the blood of others, and having had struck others. So some [of those whom he has wronged]  will be given some of his good deeds, and others will be given others. If his good deeds run out before justice is fulfilled, then their sins will be cast upon him and he will be thrown into the Hellfire.'” [Muslim]

So other peoples’ rights are very important, and wronging others is very grave indeed.

However, if the wrongs are very slight, it has been a long time, and you genuinely believe that they have forgiven you or forgotten about it, you do not need to go and find every single person whom you have harm in any amount. You should just try to search out those who have wronged in a more significant amount and ask them for forgiveness.

 

Please also see:
https://seekersguidance.org/articles/prophetic-guidance/wronging-others-in-word-and-deed-part-six/
https://seekersguidance.org/answers/general-counsel/will-allah-forgive-someone-who-i-forgive-for-wronging-me/
https://seekersguidance.org/show/71-how-can-i-redress-a-wrong-i-committed-against-someone-islam-faq-clear-reliable-answers-to-common-questions-shaykh-faraz-rabbani/
https://seekersguidance.org/tag/forgiving-others/

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid Dingle

 

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.

Are Humans the Last Species of Living Things To Be on Earth?

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Question:

Are humans the last species of living things to be on Earth? Will Allah create anything after us?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

When we look at the Qur’an and Sunna, we do not see anything that states that Allah will not create any organisms that do not currently exist on Earth. Furthermore, it is perfectly possible that Allah creates all sorts of animate life in Paradise that do not currently exist.

It may well be that Allah does create something else. We do not know.

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid Dingle

 

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.

Do I Share in Other People’s Sins?

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Question:

If one shares premises, a vehicle, a social network account, or any other facility, is one responsible for what others do with it? What if they use it for a sinful purpose?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

One is not responsible for other people’s actions. Merely sharing a facility with someone does not mean that one is helping the other sin.

However, if one can change what they do, one should do so, especially if they are Muslims.

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “‘Help your brother whether he is wronging or is being wronged.’ It was said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, we help those being wronged, but how do we help someone doing the wrong?’ The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, ‘By stopping him [doing the wrong].'” [Bukhari and Muslim]

If one cannot change what they do with the shared facility, then it would be far superior to disassociate yourself from them, especially if there is no material need in you sharing with them.

For example, if my brother in Islam and I share a building and he rents out his half as night clubs while I rent out mine as restaurants, I am not sinful for what he is doing. However, as my brother in Islam, I have to tell him to stop doing this sin.

Similarly, if we share an account on social media and he is continually posting sinful content, I am not responsible. However, if there is no particular need in sharing the account, I should just vote with my feet and leave the account.

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid Dingle

 

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.

Does Saying Certain Words Out of Anger Entail Disbelief?

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Question:

If in a fit of anger I utter out words that entail disbelief, what is the expiation?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

Angrily expressing words of blasphemy is sinful, but not disbelief if one does not mean in one’s heart what one is saying. One should immediately repent and say the testimony of faith.

There is no specific expiation, but charity and additional worship would be a good idea. Allah Most High says, “Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds. That is a reminder for those who remember.” [Qur’an, 11: 114]

One should also look very carefully into the scenario that gave rise to this unhealthy reaction and to the sources of the words that come out on to your tongue. Who are you listening to on a regular basis? Who were you with when this happened? What lead up to this event? While it is true that we all sin and we all repent, we do still have to be responsible for our actions and try our best to change what we do in the future based on the lessons we have learned from the past. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Let no believer be stung from the same hole twice.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid Dingle

 

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.