Question: What is considered loud recitation or quiet recitation? Should I take the opinion that merely moving the lips is sufficient as recitation, if I fear reading too loud in the silent prayer? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate, Quiet recitation is loud enough that one can hear themselves. However, […]

Question: How do I perform the prostration of the prayer if it causes me great pain to do so? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate, If prostrating causes you unbearable pain (as you mentioned) you will pray in the following manner: (1) Sit down, facing the Qibla, in any way […]

Question: Is it permissible to pray a congregational prayer with a non-mahram woman present? Does this same ruling apply if my aunt was present? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate, It is prohibitively disliked to perform prayer in a congregation consisting of a man and a non-mahram woman in a […]

Question: Is it permissible to do a voluntary fast with the intention of getting a supplication answered? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate, It is permissible to do a voluntary fast with the intention to get a supplication answered. [‘Ayni, ‘Umda al-Qari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari] This issue returns to the […]

Question: Are the splashes that land on the seat or the floor when flushing the toilet impure? If so, how do I purify it? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate, The splashes that come forth onto the toilet seat or the floor when flushing are impure. [Tahtawi/Shurunbulali, Hashiyat Maraqi al-Falah] […]

Question: What do I do if I doubt that I recited the Salat Ibrahimiyya (Durud Ibrahim), omitted it entirely, or recited it incorrectly? How does this ruling apply, if one is praying behind an Imam? What is the appropriate method of the prostration of forgetfulness (Sajda al-Sahw)? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most […]

Question: What does the Prophetic narration “backbiting is worse than fornication” mean? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate, The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Backbiting is worse than fornication.” [Tabrizi, Miskat al-Masabih] In some of the narrations, the Companions then asked, “How is backbiting worse than […]

Question: When does Hajj become obligatory on a person? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate, Allah Most High says, “Pilgrimage to this House is an obligation by Allah upon whoever is able among the people…” [Qur’an; 3:97] Hajj is obligatory on every person that fulfills the following conditions: (1) Muslim […]

Question: Does writing abusive or sexual words on the keyboard of a computer or smartphone, make the keyboard or screen impure? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate, No, the screen and/or keyboard are not impure due to writing foul language with or on them. [Tahtawi/Shurunbulali, Hashiyat Maraqi al-Falah]   What […]

Question: How do I redress theft committed when I was younger? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate, It is good to hear that you have taken the initiative to make up for your past mistakes. If you are able to, you must return the value of what you stole to the […]

Question: How do I treat myself for envy? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate, Envy/jealousy are destructive traits that one should strive to remove. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Verily, envy consumes good deeds just as fire consumes firewood.” [Abu Dawud]   How […]

Question: Is it permissible to receive a financial gift for teaching the Qur’an? If one does receive such a gift, must they give it away in charity? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate, It is permissible to take compensation for teaching the Qur’an, whether it be in the form of […]

Question: Is it incumbent on women in their post-marriage waiting period to cover her face from non-mahrams? Can she speak to her non-mahram? Are there cultural factors that cause women to only wear niqab during the idda period, or to abstain from talking to their family members? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most […]

Question: Is it permissible for a male to act as a personal trainer for a woman or to be a makeup artist for a woman? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate, It is not permissible for a male to be a personal trainer for a woman if doing so entails […]

Question: Is it permissible to purchase a home with a mortgage? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate, It is not permissible to take a mortgage for the sake of buying a home. However, many organizations have come forth with a permissible alternative to the conventional mortgage. Unfortunately, there are some […]

Question: I have been fearing becoming a disbeliever. I try to repress such thoughts, and I fear that these thoughts are distancing me from Allah Most High. Are these thoughts merely misgivings for Shaytan? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate, May Allah reward you for coming sincerely with your question. […]

Question: If one misses the Witr prayer and wakes up and prays the Fajr prayer, must they repeat the Witr prayer and the Fajr prayer or just the Witr prayer? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate, The Witr and Fajr prayers must be repeated, only if you recalled the missed Witr […]

Question:  Is it considered usury or gambling to use a membership or discount card from which one gets points and discounts? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate, It is not impermissible to use rewards cards or discount cards. They do not entail usury as there is no exchange of money […]

Question: I was born to Muslim parents. As of 4 months ago, I have begun to perform the prayer. I did not declare the testification of faith (shahada) before doing so, do my prayers count? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate, Yes. Your prayers are valid. If you were born […]

Question:  Is it necessary to act upon the consensus of the Sahaba? Does not acting upon it take one out of the fold of Islam? Does one leave the fold of Islam by rejecting that which the scholars agree upon? If someone chooses not to follow ijma or Ijma (Qat’i) and just follows Quran and […]

Question: Is willful ignorance of the Sacred law sinful for a Muslim? If one is well-read in Islam, do they have a right to come to their own conclusions regarding the halal and the haram and/or beliefs? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate, The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him […]

Question: Is the wudu valid if one splashes water on their undergarments, washes themselves to remove filth, and then makes wudu? If one has incontinence of urine during the prayer, how does one determine whether the amount is within the excusable range if their undergarments already have water on them? Answer: In the Name of Allah, […]

Question: Can I achieve higher degrees of spiritual purification if I work in a worldly sector, such as engineering? Must I abandon my secular studies and embrace religious studies to reach my spiritual aspirations? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate, Purification Purification or Tazkiya is a process of spiritual refinement. It […]

Question: How do I determine whether the blood under my toenail is flowing? If it is flowing and moving makes it come out more, how do I perform wudu? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate,   Blood Invalidates Wudu If the blood underneath your toenail does not come forth to […]