Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick Question A brother does not curse or insult, but when things go wrong, he complains out of distress. He says things like “What is wrong with this thing?” or “What is wrong with these phones?” He also says, “To Allah we belong, and to Him we return” (inna lillahi wa […]

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick Question In certain countries, the days are very short. Is it permissible to delay a prayer, other than praying it at the very beginning of its time, as long as it is still prayed within its time? For example, Isha enters at 6 pm, but due to work or training, […]

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick Question I made oaths saying, “By Allah, if I marry while this house exists, I will become a kafir” and “I make a vow for Allah that in this matter I am Hanafi.” Can oaths and vows bind me to the Hanafi position and prevent me from following the Shafi’i […]

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick Question For a year, a man has told me he wants to marry me, but he has set and canceled the nikah more than six times without any explanation. Now he says he will marry me tomorrow if I can show him proof from the Quran or Sunna that a […]

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick Question I eased a lonely youth by imagining friendship with fictional characters, among them two cartoon robots who love each other, and I hope to meet them in Paradise. For eleven months, I have had intrusive thoughts telling me that imagining them is sinful and that Allah will never make […]

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick Question Why are parents and siblings held more directly responsible for a child’s daily well-being than relatives, friends, coworkers, or teachers? Does Islam limit how much responsibility others may take on, or may they become as involved as they are willing and able to be? Answer In the name of […]

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick Question My university requires students to take out a government student loan to be eligible for a bursary. The loans are interest-free, carry no early-closure penalty, and are waived on death. I do not intend to use the money and will close the loan once the bursary application is processed. […]

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick Question I bled on days one to three, was dry on day three, saw blood on days four and five, then took my ghusl, believing my period had ended, and prayed for the following week. I later learned about the white discharge as a sign of purity, and now I […]

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick Question Most gyms in my city are mixed. Some people say men should not go because of this. Others argue that if there is only one or two women, lowering your gaze is enough, and they point out that mixed universities have even more mixing but are still accepted. How […]

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick Question Is it allowed for a Muslim ruler to conquer a non-Muslim land? Someone heard that a true caliph might do this, and history shows that many lands were taken, including Constantinople, Sicily, Spain, southern France, Egypt, and Persia. Why were these places conquered? Were they considered threats? Do some […]

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick Question Suppose a man utters a conditional formula about marriage and unbelief. He then adds a second undertaking: he swears by Allah, or vows, that in this very question, whichever of the two positions, that of Imam Abu Hanifa or that of Imam Shafiʿi, is stronger in evidence shall be […]

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick Question I am trying to estimate the number of missed obligatory prayers from 2 October 2014 to 27 June 2026, which comes to about 21,435 prayers if I missed every one. I believe I prayed regularly for about 150 days in that time, but I am not certain of every […]

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick Question When I was younger, I entered into a secret nikah online. A Hanafi shaykh acted as my wali, even though my father was alive and unaware. Later, my parents refused the marriage. I eventually accepted the majority view that a wali is required, but since the man followed the […]

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick Question My husband told me that if I kept up my attitude, I should stay in my country and send our child back. I asked if he meant divorce or if he was threatening divorce. He replied, “Yes,” but then clarified, “No. It was a threat. I said it was […]

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick Question Must a man disclose an existing marriage to a woman he is proposing to as a second wife? If she never asked and assumed he was unmarried, may she seek release from the marriage? What if he also concealed that he has children from the first marriage? Answer In […]

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick Question What is the Shafiʿi position on feeding an infant expressed breastmilk found to have blood in it? Answer In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate. If you see blood in the expressed milk, do not feed it to the infant as long as there is a […]

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick Question May I attend a free online sales training event where the instructor is a woman, and I may have to role-play a sales scenario with a woman? Answer In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate. Yes, you may attend. It is allowed to learn from a woman […]

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick Question I am working on a 2D animation that does not depict real people, and I want to ensure my depictions are accurate. Does an adult woman need to have all her hair covered in front of non-mahrams, or is it acceptable if a few strands show? When should girls […]

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick Question Soon after our wedding, my wife planned to stay at her parents’ house, and I said in jest, “Why are you sleeping alone at your parents’ house? That’s divorcee behavior.” I did not call her a divorcee, and I had no intention of divorce. Is this a divorce, or […]

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick Question I made three conditional divorce oaths. The first was if I fulfilled my desires in a haram way, the second was if I did so through pornography, and the third was if I looked at a woman on my phone with a lustful gaze. After masturbating, I then fulfilled […]

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick Question I learned that marriage witnesses must be of good moral character. My two witnesses listened to music and took part in celebrations like Christmas and birthdays. I suffer from OCD. Should I renew my marriage contract? Answer In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Especially Merciful. No. Your […]

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick Question Reddit calls its reputation points “karma,” though the religious concept of karma is not recognized in Islam. Is using the app disliked (makruh) or forbidden (haram) because of the name? Answer In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Especially Merciful. There is no issue. Using Reddit is permissible, […]

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick Question With the violence and suffering faced by Muslims in Palestine and Lebanon, should a Muslim hate Jewish people or feel glad when hatred toward Jews grows in their community? Answer In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Especially Merciful. Wa alaykum al-salam. No, a Muslim should hate oppression […]

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick Question My mother left Islam and said it was because of my practices, like wearing trousers above the ankle, praying for a long time, lowering my gaze, and giving up music. I feel responsible because I did not always treat her well. I feel sad and lost. Have I sinned, […]