Question: Does moving my finger during prayer invalidate it? Answer: Dear questioner, Thank you for your important question. May Allah, Most High reward you for your desire to increase in knowledge. Moving your small/pinky finger during prayer does not invalidate your prayer. That movement which invalidates your prayer is defined as: “Any movement which if […]

Question: Is it permissible to be alone with the children’s nanny? Answer: Dear questioner, Thank you for your important question. May Allah, Most High reward you for your desire to increase in knowledge. A man should never be in seclusion with a strange woman, and a woman should never be alone with a strange man. […]

Question: Is life insurance permissible? Answer: Dear questioner, May Allah, Most High reward you for your desire to increase in knowledge. Purchasing conventional life insurance is impermissible in Islam, regardless of one’s intentions. Life insurance is impermissible due to the fact that the policies contain various forms of interest, uncertainty, and gambling. All three of […]

Question: Is my forgiveness accepted? Answer: Dear questioner, May Allah, Most High bring ease in your life and clarity to your heart.   Question on Forgiveness: You should thank Allah, Most High for placing forgiveness in your heart, whether it was due to forgetfulness or not. Be certain that your forgiveness was accepted, and try […]

Question: Is my prayer valid in the presence of misgivings? Answer: Dear questioner, Thank you for your important question. May Allah, Most High bring clarity to your heart and keep you firm on the straight path. Your prayer is absolutely valid. Waswasa or base misgivings are a natural part of every Muslim’s life. The scholars […]

Question: Is constant passing wind considered a valid excuse to pray without ablution? Answer: Dear questioner, Thank you for your important question. May Allah alleviate your difficulties and reward you for every second of hardship. Passing wind would not count as a valid excuse (udhr) to pray without ablution (wudhu). You must still make ablution […]

Question: Can a Prophet give life? Answer:  Dear questioner, Thank you for your important question. May Allah, Most High reward you for your desire to increase in knowledge. Only Allah, Most High is the giver of Life and Death. He says in the Quran:  “It is He who gives life and death, and when He […]

Question: Do I begin to pray if my period surpasses 10 days? Answer: Dear questioner, May Allah, Most High reward you abundantly for your desire to increase in knowledge. If your period continues after day #10, you should make the major ablution (ghusl) and begin to pray. According to the Hanafi School, the maximum duration […]

Question: What are the etiquettes of urine leakage? Answer:  Dear questioner, May Allah, Most High reward you abundantly for your desire to increase in knowledge. Before performing ablution (wudu), you should be reasonably confident that the urine drops have stopped. Do not give into misgivings or mere thoughts that droplets of urine might have come […]

Question: Do I make up a prayer that entered before my period began? Answer: Dear questioner, May Allah, Most High reward you abundantly for your desire to increase in knowledge. 1. According to the Hanafi School, you are not obligated to make up this prayer. A woman is held accountable for prayer depending on what […]

Question: Is it permissible to receive an interest-bearing loan? Answer: Dear questioner, It would be impermissible for you to take out this interest-bearing loan to pay for your master’s degree. The pursuit of higher knowledge is always beneficial, but it should never come at the expense of displeasing our Creator. The Messenger of Allah (Allah […]

Question: Is it sinful to not forgive others? Answer: Dear questioner, Allah, Most High says: “We have not created the heavens and the earth and everything in between except for a purpose. And the Hour is certain to come, so forgive graciously.” [Quran, 15:85] The Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: […]

Question: When should a bride receive the mahr? Answer: Dear questioner, Dowry (mahr) is a necessary gift that is given to the bride. It is her wealth, and she may do with it what she pleases. Dowry may be given at the time of the marriage or delayed to a later date. A portion of […]

Question: Is a lack of forgiveness considered a sin? Answer:  Dear questioner, Allah, Most High says: “We have not created the heavens and the earth and everything in between except for a purpose. And the Hour is certain to come, so forgive graciously.” [Quran, 15:85] The Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) […]

Question: Is it always necessary to avoid doubtful meat?  Answer: Dear questioner, When discussing the issue of eating out and halal meat, I always find that returning back to the words of Allah, Most High and his Messenger Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) put things into perspective. Allah, Most High says: “O […]

Question: Where do I look during prostration? Answer: Dear questioner, Thank you for your important question. When in prostration (sujud), one should look at the tip of their nose. If they find this difficult, they may look directly at the floor. The great Hanafi scholar, Imam al-Buzdawi said: “If one desires to pray the prayer […]

Question: What are the rights of my half-siblings? Answer: Dear questioner, Thank you for your important question. May Allah, Most High reward you for thinking about the rights of others over you. When we have any issues with our parents, it is important to remember 2 core principles from the Quran and Sunna: And your […]

Question: What is an implicit divorce? Answer: Dear questioner, Thank you for your important question. If a husband says “leave me alone” with no intention of divorce, the divorce does not take place. An implicit divorce (kinaya) is: “the proclamation of a word which signifies divorce (ex. “You are single now”), coupled with the intention […]

Question: How should I remove my pubic hair? Answer: Dear questioner, Thank you for your important question. The Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “There are five acts of the Fitrah (natural human disposition): circumcision, removing the pubic hair, plucking the armpit hair, clipping the nails, and trimming the mustache.” [Bukhaari […]

Question: How can I overcome my guilt? Answer: Dear questioner, Thank you for your important question. Know that your desire to remove these thoughts is a sign of absolute faith and Allah placing mercy in your heart. What you are going through is something that many Muslims go through and with the help of Allah, […]

Question: What is the difference between ongoing charity & regular charity? Answer: Dear questioner, Thank you for your important question. Allah, Most High mentions charity (sadaqa) in the Quran multiple times.  If you do deeds of charity openly, it is well; but if you bestow it upon the needy in secret, it will be even […]

Question: Is it permissible to accept gifts from an apostate? Answer: Dear questioner, Thank you for your important question. It is permissible to accept gifts from anyone, Muslim or non-Muslim. If you know that accepting the gift of the apostate will increase them in their apostasy, then you should not accept it. [Ibn Maza’, al-Muhit […]

Question: Is the default ruling permissibility? Answer: Dear questioner, Thank you for your important question. May Allah, Most High, reward you for being a seeker of the Truth. The juristic principle you are referring to is: “The normative rule for all things is that they are permissible until a sign/proof of impermissibility appears.” [Zuhayli, Qawaid […]

Question: Can I swear by my own life? Answer:  Dear questioner, Thank you for your important question. Saying: “I swear on my life that I did or did not do…” would not constitute an oath in Islam as it is not taken “in the name of Allah”. With that being said, One should avoid swearing […]