New Answers
Man has free will and choice, and Allah knows whether he is doomed or blessed
I have been confused about this issue for some time. I asked some people, but I am still not convinced. I understand that Allah has granted us and the jinn free will, and I actually feel that. But there are many hadiths in Bukhari which say that in reality, Allah has decreed whether a person will be pious or an evildoer, rich or poor, and so on. So everything is basically already decreed. Anas ibn Malik narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah appoints an angel in the womb, who says, ‘O Lord, a nutfah (sperm-drop)? O Lord, an ‘alaqah (a clinging clot)? O Lord, a mudghah (lump of flesh)?’ When Allah decrees that it is to be created, (the angel) says, ‘O Lord, male or female? Doomed or blessed? What is his provision? What is his lifespan?’ And that is written in his mother’s womb.” Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith no. 6595. And in Surat an-Nahl, verse 93, Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): {And if Allah had willed, He could have made you [of] one religion, but He causes to stray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And you will surely be questioned about what you used to do}. The verses and hadiths mentioned above, and others, indicate that our deeds, both righteous and bad, are already decreed. I also know that we are constantly being tested, as Allah says in the opening verses of Surat al-‘Ankabut and elsewhere, whilst also having the freedom to choose to do righteous or evil deeds. But many verses and hadiths state that the Shaytan is responsible for misguiding us through his schemes and power, because he knows us inside out, but we do not know him at all.28-05-2023The basic principle regarding animals is that they are permissible, but in the case of slaughtered animals and their meat, the basic principle is that they are prohibited
There is a juristic principle that was mentioned by the great scholar as-Sa‘di in his Manzumah, which states that the basic principle regarding meat is that it is prohibited. His student Ibn ‘Uthaymin commented on that by noting that this does not refer to live animals; rather the basic principle concerning live animals is that they are permissible. Rather this basic principle refers to meat, such as a game animal that fell into water or any slaughtered animal when the one who slaughtered it is unknown. The great scholar al-‘Alwan said something similar when he was refuting this principle, which was mentioned by the great scholar Ibn al-Qayyim, and he rejected it, but he affirmed something similar to the view of Ibn ‘Uthaymin, namely that if there is one reason to regard something as prohibited and another reason to regard it as permissible, then it is to be deemed prohibited. He mentioned the issue of a game animal if it falls into water, and he quoted as evidence to refute this principle the fact that the Sahabah ate the meat of tame donkeys before it was prohibited, when there was no specific evidence to suggest that it was permissible. He stated that there was no dispute among the Sahabah regarding the principle that the flesh of animals is permissible in general. As for the dispute, it arose among those who came after them. The jurists mentioned this principle. Could what is mentioned in their books be understood as meaning that it is general in application, in the sense that the basic principle regarding meat and animals is that they are prohibited? Some of the earlier jurists followed this principle and regarded it as general in application, and some of them put restrictions, as Ibn ‘Uthaymin mentioned that this is applicable to meat but not to the animals themselves.27-05-2023Intangible purity (taharah) and impurity (najasah)
I was reading a book of jurisprudence and I came across the idea of major intangible impurity. It said that this includes shirk, disbelief and major sins… Then it mentioned minor impurity, and said that it includes invalidating wudu’ and minor sins, et cetera. How sound is this categorisation? Did any of the early generations say this? I hope that you can explain in detail.26-05-2023He has several questions about the transfer of impurity (najasah) from things that are dry or wet
I am confused about the issue of purity (taharah) and how a person can remain in a state of purity. I read on your website that impurity (najasah) can be transferred through things that are wet, but not through things or surfaces that are damp. What about other semi-liquids such as honey or creams – can impurity be transferred through them? I take care of a sick person who is not able to walk, and as part of my duties towards him, I clean him after he defecates. What is the ruling in this case? Can the impurity be transferred from a wet surface to something else? Does that also apply to impure substances of all types, whether they are visible or not visible? Can impurity be transferred to a sweaty hand? What if I step into impure water (sewer water, for example), then bring my feet out and leave them without washing until they dry, then put on socks, then my feet and the socks get wet because of sweating – do the socks become impure (najis)? I am confused about all these details, and I hope that you can explain.24-05-2023Is dryness the agreed-upon sign of the end of menses?
I would like to ask about Ibn ‘Uthaymin’s final opinion regarding the yellowish and brownish discharge, as he said that they are not part of menses at all. My question is: what did he (may Allah have mercy on him) say about the hadith which speaks of the women sending vessels containing pieces of cloth on which there was yellowish discharge to ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), and her telling them not to be hasty until they saw the white discharge? Does this mean that she (may Allah be pleased with her) thought that it was part of menses? Did he (may Allah have mercy on him) think that this hadith was da‘if (weak), because he did not regard the yellowish and brownish discharge as menses, or did he have other reasons? Is the addition of the words “after the end of menses” in the hadith “we did not regard the yellowish and brownish discharge as being of any significance” a da‘if (weak) addition, indicating that the hadith is general in meaning, in which case we should not regard the yellowish and brownish discharge as being part of menses? Please note that I follow the view of those who regard it as menses if it is connected to menses, but I want to put my mind at rest. Are the scholars unanimously agreed that the end of menses can only be confirmed if there is complete dryness?23-05-2023Ruling on hunting with air rifle pellets
Our residental scholar in southern california couldn’t answer my question so Im writing to you. My question being I live in an area in the country which is extremely rural and there is no halal meat so I have decided to take up hunting. I don’t want to bother the neighbors with a loud firearm so have thus decided to go the route of a powerful BB-gun or air rifle as some call it. Anyways I wonder if a bb-gun is permissible to hunt with for the reason that the BBs or ammo typically used are round or blunted, not sharp or pointed, for the most part (though some do exist there still not all that sharp)? I ask all this because I want to know if I will have killed my game by “violet blow” if I use rounded blunted BBs? With BB guns since there much less powerful then real firearms the name of the game is head shots and taking shots no further then 30 yards from target. The bb gun Im getting is a .22 caliber, Im told its able to take down a fox by the airgun specialist, though I don’t know how humane a kill that would be regardless Typically with airguns you want to hunt small game like quail, squirrels, doves, and rabbits which is what Im hunting. All game thats permissible to hunt with a BB gun correct insh Allah?22-05-2023What is meant by men meant being in charge of women (qawamah) and the reason for that
I have a question regarding the Historical context of Surah Nisa, Ayat 34. I have gone through Tafsir Ibn Kathir and the Shades of the Quran by Sayid Qutubuddin but did not get any information regarding the historical context. Could you, therefore, kindly provide me the information When was Surah Nisa Ayat 34 revealed? Why was it revealed? In response to whose action was it revealed? I extemely grateful if you can help me in this regards.21-05-2023The bank loaned him a certain amount on condition that he pay it back with interest. What is the ruling on that loan?
Is it permissible to take a loan from one of the banks in Saudi which has a scholarly committee that allows a specific increase, and to take the money to make a down payment for purchasing a piece of land in my city in Egypt by instalments, then take possession of it after a year for the purpose of building on it or selling it?20-05-2023Questions about impurity (najasah) and how to cleanse things of it
How can I wash off impurity (najasah) in a correct manner? I hope you can explain the following scenarios: 1. Cleansing impurity from a smooth, impermeable surface, as opposed to a permeable surface (I have heard that you do not need to use water on a smooth, impermeable surface). Also, how many times does it have to be washed with water? 2. How can we make cushions and pillows, and all thick items, pure? 3. How many times must urine/non-visible impurities be washed from clothing? Also, do we have to wring them out or is it sufficient to wash them under running water, using the same amount of water as we would use to wash them and wring them out? 4. I have heard that we can submerge the clothing in a vessel filled with water that is three times the amount of urine (so let’s say that the urine is 100 ml; we can submerge that part of the garment in 300 ml of water without needing to wring it out). Or if we put the clothes in the bathtub, the impurity will not affect the water. Is that correct? If it is correct, what about non-visible impurity that we cannot see? 5. Are washing machines good to get rid of impurity, if the cycle is not 3 times? The clothes come out with no trace of impurity. 6. The following question is somewhat related: can I use detergents if I do not know whether any ingredients in them of animal origin are haram or not? Will this make all the clothes impure (especially if the detergents use ingredients of animal origin)? Or are all detergents halal because they do not have the physical characteristics of the animal? I’m sorry for asking so many questions, but I have looked everywhere and have not been able to find answers. May Allah reward you with good.19-05-2023Are there conditions for the prostration of gratitude?
Are there conditions stipulated for the prostration of gratitude, such as wearing hijab or doing wudu’?18-05-2023