Author: baseerahforum21

Sheikh Abdel-Nasser Saleh

Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh

All praise and gratitude are due to Allah SWT. May the blessings and peace of Allah SWT be upon His Messenger PBUH.

With regard to this question, we should first understand that Allah SWT created people with different skills. What is easy for some is difficult for others. It may be that the wisdom behind this is that within every field, there would be those who are skilled in it. One of these fields in Qur’an memorisation. Allah SWT has blessed some people with excellent memory which can grasp text and memorise it quickly. Amongst those, some memorise quickly and forget quickly, while others memorise slowly and also forget slowly. However, here are some tips for those who would like to improve their memory of Qur’an.

1. Maintain Ikhlas and Taqwa (sincerity and God-consciousness). Allah has promised to make learning easy for those who maintain Ikhlas and Taqwa. In the longest ayah of the Qur’an, in Surah Al-Baqara, verse 282, Allah SWT says, “And fear Allah, and Allah teaches you”, which signifies that the secret to learning knowledge is Taqwa. Allah further states in Surah Fatir, “Indeed, only the knowledgeable are the ones who fear Allah”. It is clear in this ayah the relationship between knowledge and Taqwa.

2. Maintain a good relationship with the Qur’an based on love. In other words, when you memorise, do it with love and not only because you have to. We can understand this from the ayah in Surah Fussilat, “Indeed it is a mighty, dignified Book.” The nature of the Qur’an is that it will give you as much as you are willing to embrace it and be close to it. This is one of literal meanings of the word ‘azeez’ found in this ayah. Allah SWT also says in Surah Al-Qamar, in an ayah repeated many times, “Indeed we have made the Qur’an easy to remember, so is there anyone who will be mindful?” This alludes to the nature of the Qur’an being easy for us, so long as we are keen and mindful in contemplating its verses. Part of being mindful is to also understand the meaning of the verses you are memorising. Not only will this help you implement the teachings of what you are learning, but it will also strengthen your relationship with the Qur’an and increase your knowledge regarding it. In turn, this will help you memorise.

3. Avoid sinful acts as much as you can, especially the shameful ones, as these deeds makes the memory weak according the words of Abdullah Ibn Omar, as well as the famous story of Imam Shafi’i, who once complained to his teacher of his deteriorating ability to memorise. In that story, his teacher advised him to ensure that he is not doing haram or shameful deeds.

4. Recite what you have memorised in prayer. This is the best method to revise and reinforce what you have memorised.

5. Try to find a learning companion to motivate and practice with you. You would both encourage each other and improve each other’s quality of memorisation. If possible, a Qur’an teacher would be best.

6. Finally, choose the right time to memorise. The best time is when you are still mentally fresh, normally after Fajr prayer for the majority of people. If you find any other time which is suitable for you, you may memorise at that time.

Generally speaking, those who have a clear mind memorise quicker than those who do not, and perhaps this is why those are young are excellent at memorisation. Regardless, we can all try to improve and work on our ability.

May Allah SWT open our hearts to the Qur’an and make us from amongst the people of the Qur’an, the special people of Allah. Ameen.

And Allah knows best.

Sheikh Abdel-Nasser Saleh

Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh

All praise and gratitude are due to Allah SWT. May the blessings and peace of Allah SWT be upon His Messenger PBUH.

This question is an important and relevant one. It is directly related to our current situation living as Muslims in Australia, and the West more broadly. This question has been answered in many ways on many platforms, and one of the best answers I have come across while preparing this response is that which was published by the European Council for Fatwa and Research. Below is the summarised translation of the fatwa prepared by the Council.

When reading the fatwa, please bear in mind that the Islamic Shari’ah is not the law by which financial institutions are generally regulated. These institutions, such as banks, are governed by man-made laws. Usually, fatawa of this nature are trying to find the Islamic way of buying houses, and dealing with banks in general, within non-Islamic frameworks. In so doing, they are exercising ijtihad in an attempt to find a path for Muslims within a financial world that does not apply Islamic law. Thus, this fatwa is not guaranteed to be 100% correct, though it is the best according to the Shari’ah scholars’ knowledge.
“The issue of taking out home loans from traditional banks has been looked into by the European Council for Fatwa and Research due to its high relevance to residents in European and Western countries.
Various research has been presented regarding this topic, some supporting home loans and others opposing them.

The Council looked into both sides, discussed it extensively among its members, and the meeting ended with a majority agreeing on the following:
1. The Council emphasises the unanimous stance of the Ummah regarding the prohibition, or “tahreem”, of riba, and its classification among the seven major destructive sins through which one declares a war upon Allah SWT and the Prophet PBUH. It also emphasised that interest from banks (riba) is haram as agreed upon by the Councils of Islamic Jurisprudence.
2. The Council calls upon Muslims in Europe to strive to seek out halal alternatives that contain no form of impermissibility, as long as it falls within their capacity. These alternatives could be in the form of profitable selling, known as “bay’ul murabahāh” which is used by Islamic banks.
3. If the above are not possible at the current time, then – in light of the evidence, rules and Islamic Shari’ah considerations – the Council sees no harm in seeking the compound interest home loan in order to buy a house needed for a Muslim and their family’s accommodation. This is under the condition that one does not have another residential property, the house they are purchasing is their primary accommodation, and that he does not have a surplus of money that enables him to purchase the house through other means. The primary focus of the Council’s deliberation in coming up with the fatwa was on the principle of “Necessity permits the impermissible”, which is a settled principle extracted from five different Qur’anic excerpts. One example is Surah Al-Anaam, verse 119 which states, “He has already explained and specified to you what He has forbidden to you—except when compelled by necessity”, and from the same Surah after mentioning the impermissibility of certain foods, “But if someone is compelled by necessity—neither driven by desire nor exceeding immediate need—then surely your Lord is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful”. From this verse, the jurists agreed that a need could come down to a necessity, whether a private or public matter. It is useful to bear in mind that a need is defined as something that, if not met, the Muslim would be in a hard but liveable situation, whereas a necessity is something that needs to be met for one to continue living. Allah SWT has lifted hardship off the Ummah, as mentioned in Surah Al Hajj, verse 78: “He Who has chosen you, and laid upon you no hardship in the religion”, and in Surah Al Ma’idah, verse 6: “It is not Allah’s Will to burden you”.

The home (or dwelling) that drives away hardship for the Muslim is one that is suitable for him in terms of location, spaciousness and amenities. Despite the Council adopting the principle of necessity, it does not overlook the other regulating rule, which stipulates that the allowance cannot exceed the immediate need. Therefore, you cannot take out a mortgage with interest repayments in circumstances beyond immediate need, such as for investment properties.
It ought to be pointed out that rental dwellings do not fulfil all of the needs of a Muslim, nor does it make them feel secure. Despite fulfilling the financial obligation of rent, a tenant is susceptible to being vacated with little notice. They also cannot accommodate an increase in family members or large numbers of guests. Finally, when the tenant grows older, earning less or no income, they may be deprived of the means to pay rent.

This fatwa is further reinforced by the idea that a Muslim seeking out a home loan does not ‘consume’ riba (gain interest or benefit from usury) but rather, riba is taken from him (by paying interest). What was made haram in the Qur’an was ‘consuming riba’ (Akl- ur-riba) and this is haram under all circumstances. However, in the sunnah, this is extended to all conduct which engages in or permits usury, be it paying interest or witnessing a transaction that involves it. This falls under the rule of ‘forbidding the means and not the ends’. Another famous regulatory principle is: “What was made haram is haram in and of itself except if there is a necessity, and what was made haram to prevent the pretext of impermissible acts is not halal except if there is a need”. Thus, the scholars have agreed that, if necessary and if all halal alternatives are inaccessible, taking a home loan via riba is permissible.”

In conclusion, please note that before one buys a home with traditional mortgages, they must ensure that this fatwa applies to their situation so that it is valid upon them. These people must correctly judge themselves to determine whether their circumstances justify taking out a mortgage with a bank. We should not pick and choose elements of the fatwa, rather, we must ensure that we apply the fatwa after meeting all the requirements it provides. Otherwise, it would be similar to the one who says, “O You who believe, do not engage in prayer”, neglecting the subsequent words, “except when you are intoxicated”, thereby negating the meaning of the verse.

And Allah knows best.

Sheikhah Umm Jamaal ud-Din

Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh

All praise and gratitude are due to Allah SWT. May the blessings and peace of Allah SWT be upon His Messenger PBUH.

Dear brother/sister,
As HECS debt is a type of debt that may be deferred and paid periodically, it is permissible to give priority to marriage over paying it off, and this is especially in the case where you fear falling into fitnah (temptation) due to remaining unmarried.

Even in cases where the payment of the debt was due immediately, you feared falling into fitnah, and you weren’t able to pay it off, nor were you able to afford the costs of marriage, scholars recommend negotiating with the creditor to extend the time available to you to pay off the debt, in order to enable you to get married. However, if the debt was immediately due and you didn’t fear falling into fitnah, this is generally where paying off the debt would take precedence, due to the words of the Prophet PBUH narrated in Al-Bukhari and Muslim: “ مطل الغني ظلم”, which translates to “Delay in payment by one with wealth) is a transgression.”

And Allah knows best.

Sheikh Abdur-Rahman Zyka

Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh

All praise and gratitude are due to Allah SWT. May the blessings and peace of Allah SWT be upon His Messenger PBUH.

Dear brother/sister,
This is a very important question that is relevant to nearly all Muslims; either directly, or indirectly through family or social circles.
Most people follow fatawa which specifically address this matter and hold onto them as clearly “Islamic” when they are, in actuality, against the opinion of the majority of the traditional schools of thought, such as the four Mathahib.

Many people believe that any drawing of the face is forbidden, while others believe that the only issue is drawing of the eyes. Therefore, those who believe the latter draw complete pictures of people with their eyes closed. As such, I would like to make this issue a little clearer.

The reason entire bodies of living beings are not supposed to be “imaged” (I believe this is the closest translation of the Arabic word, “Tasweer”) is that the Prophet PBUH mentioned that Allah SWT revealed that “imaging” is only for the Creator SWT, and He has forbidden others to even try mimicking His creation.

Despite the scholars of Islam having differences amongst them when understanding these Ahadith, the opinion of the majority is as follows: if the part of the creature that is drawn cannot live on its own—for example, a head without the rest of the body or vice versa—it is permissible to do so. Still, some scholars do not prefer this. Note that all schools of thought believe that it is fine to draw anything that is not an alive being.

There is also another opinion. Imam Malik outlines that drawing itself is not haram as long as one does not create a body that has its own shade.

Finally, some scholars believe that one should not draw parts of an alive animal.
All of these opinions are authentic and are mentioned in our Islamic tradition, with the majority of scholars espousing the first opinion, Alhamdulillah.

And Allah knows best.

Sheikh Belal Assaad

Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh

All praise and gratitude are due to Allah SWT. May the blessings and peace of Allah SWT be upon His Messenger PBUH.

Dear brother/sister,

Two quick and effective strategies in dealing with intentions and sincerity in good deeds are as follows:
1. Practice doing voluntary goods deeds in secret and promise yourself never to tell anyone about them. For example: Go online and donate a few dollars and stay anonymous, pray some voluntary prayers in private, help someone etc. But before you do them, prepare yourself by promising yourself that these are special acts which you will only keep between you and Allah SWT. The more you do this, the more you will feel it easy to not show off your good deeds in other areas.

2. After you do a good deed, and you slip by mentioning it with intention of showing off, privately say to Allah SWT the following words: “O Allah, please do not hold me accountable for the praise I have received from this. Forgive the secret sins I have committed which they do not know about, that had they known about I would be humiliated. And make me better than the compliments they assume of me.”

Both the above have proven very effective in the long run, and will save your good deeds, by Allah’s Will and Mercy.

And Allah knows best.

Sheikh Belal Assaad

Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh

All praise and gratitude are due to Allah SWT. May the blessings and peace of Allah SWT be upon His Messenger PBUH.

Dear brother/sister,
Thank you for your question regarding apostacy in Islam.
Regarding the interpretation and literal context of the rule, let us answer this by first putting things into perspective.

Apostacy is defined in the modern English dictionaries as “an act of refusing to continue to follow, obey, or recognise a religious faith” (Merriam-Webster), among similar others.However, these definitions are given based on a secular framework and make absolute sense in a secular liberal world, which most countries operate by nowadays.

When thinking in a secular liberal context, apostacy becomes nothing more than a personal and private choice of changing one’s belief. There is no crime of breaking any binding contract with the state or a pledge of allegiance to them. The term used for this in liberalism is breaking the “social contract” (John Locke, Letter Concerning Toleration, 1689). Nor would there be a reason for it to mean a threat or treason against a state/country or its people. In a secular liberal framework, it makes sense to say that punishment of an apostate opposes human rights. In shari’ah law, it would also be considered against human rights because the conditions are absent. Just two of those absent conditions are: a ‘social contract’ with a legitimate Caliphate state and an appointed caliph, governor or judge in a court of law who is the only one whom can issue a sentence. In this case, Islam does not refuse a person if they decide to repent and return to Islam after leaving Islam, allowing self-redemption, because it would just be a matter of belief and not allied to that state in a particular way. No terms, no ramifications.

Yet even under the rules of liberalism, human rights are based on the social contract. So long as something is justified through a social contract it does not go against human rights, apostacy in that case is considered no less than high treason and punishment by the death penalty is conceivable (can be understood). These are the words of John Locke, known as the ‘Father of liberalism’, in his letter concerning ‘social contract and apostacy law’ when referring to an example of a Jewish state (Joh Locke, Letter Concerning Toleration, 1689).

Apostacy in Islam, however, has to do with publicly breaking the ‘pledge of allegiance (Bay’ah بيعة)’, which a Muslim made with the Caliphate state and its people, like the ones that existed in the known Islamic history. A Caliphate state is a political-religious state comprising the Muslim community like a body attached to it, its lands and peoples under its dominion. Anything that threatens the state, directly threatens the community, unlike any other state. By accepting Islam, it meant that a citizen had entered a ‘social contract’ with the state and its people along with its terms and conditions, knowing the legal consequence of consciously and deliberately turning away from Islam and returning to disbelief. They would automatically become ‘brothers and sisters in faith’ to all other Muslims, which is the closest bond of trust and reliance one can have with someone else, making many Muslims vulnerable from within. Converting to Islam and entering this pledge is a complete freedom of choice, with no compulsion or coercion upon the person. So, it has nothing to do with just ‘belief’.

Publicly entering Islam and then publicly apostatising, means an open rebellion against the state and its people. When a person apostatises, they become a serious threat to the state and the community, often returning to the ranks of the enemy and assisting them with inside information not afforded to other non-Muslim citizens living under the Caliphate state. The closest legal terminology to it is ‘treason’, or ‘highest treason’. Apostatising meant they became a military combatant. If such an act was left without serious penalty, the number of people entering and exiting Islam under an Islamic state would be catastrophic. Huge numbers from enemy ranks would cease such an opportunity, enter the Muslim community knowing their vulnerability due to the brotherhood/sisterhood system, then exist to aid the enemy more and more. Therefore, the shari’ah places a serious punishment upon apostates in order to ensure the safety and protection of both its Muslim community and the Islamic state.

The Ahadith regarding the death penalty for the apostate are numerous and authentic in both Bukhari, Muslim and others. It is also a unanimous consensus among all classical scholars and schools of thought. The only differences of opinion are on the application, such as how much time an apostate can be given to repent once charged.

Having said all of the above, regarding the second half of your question that “killing the apostate would take away any chance of self-redemption and in doing so condemn them to hell”:
While repentance and self-redemption are among the core teachings of Islam around which our religion is built, in rare cases, like apostacy under a Caliphate state (as explained above), the harm of the community outweighs the harm of the individual. The community and the state are given priority over the individual’s possible and unknown future redemption/repentance. Most of those who apostatised in the Prophet’s PBUH time never returned and became active participants in the ranks of enemy lines against the Muslim community. Only a small handful of them repented and the Prophet PBUH accepted their repentance without killing them. That was because they ran away and the Prophet PBUH could not capture them, but when they returned, they sought refuge with members of the Muslims, to which the Prophet PBUH gave them refuge under Islamic law and they had repented and renewed their pledge with the Prophet PBUH. Their escaping and returning was a blessing from Allah SWT upon them, and it was Allah SWT who gave them the chance. Otherwise, the interests of the community’s safety and protection of the state is prioritised.

Now, there is leeway for apostates under an Islamic state court of law. According to the majority of scholars of jurisprudence (i.e., schools of thought such as Maliki, Shafi’i, Hanbali, etc.), it is a must for the judge to give the apostate time to rethink and repent. If he/she repents, they are pardoned. If they publicly choose not to, they are executed. The Hanafi school of thought says it is not a must to give them time, but it is recommended. The reason for this is if the apostate had doubts about the religion or did not have someone to teach them properly from the beginning, among other possibilities. If he/she is lying and fakes their repentance, they are also pardoned because the shari’ah does not allow judging a person based on their inner hidden intentions until it is manifested and exposed.

Lastly, it is worth mentioning that the death penalty does not apply on the child, mentally insane person, a person forced to apostatise, a person whose life was threatened into entering Islam in the first place, and in the opinion of schools of thought (like the Hanafi school), a female apostate is not killed but imprisoned instead. Why? Because in their view she is not likely to become a military combatant, whereas it is likely for a man.

And Allah knows best.

Sheikhah Umm Jamaal ud-Din

Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh

This issue has thankfully become a lot easier to navigate in the current Covid era; however, if you still find people wanting to shake your hand, then there are two ways around it.

In the case of someone like a non-mahram cousin, simply be upfront about it and inform them prior to any expected interaction taking place that, as much as you care for them, you just want to let them know that in Islam we are not allowed to touch or shake hands with the opposite gender if they are not a close blood relative like a father, brother, uncle or son. This is made clear in the authentic hadith of the Prophet PBUH: “If one of you were to be stabbed in the head with an iron needle, it would be better for him than touching a woman whom he is not permitted to touch.” [al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer, 486]

As for those you meet in everyday life, I have found the best way is to politely place my hand on my chest and nod my head respectfully. If you happen to be female and wear the hijab, then I have found this helps the majority of people understand that you simply have religious boundaries you would like them to respect.

And Allah knows best.

Sheikh Abdur-Rahman Zyka

Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh

All praise and gratitude are due to Allah SWT. May the blessings and peace of Allah SWT be upon His Messenger PBUH. Donations or general Sadaqah does not count as Zakat, as mentioned in many traditional books of Fiqh. One of the main reasons behind this is that a very important condition of Zakat is An-Niyyah, or the intention.

Imam An Nawawi says in his book Al Minhaj, “If someone was to give five dirhams and intended that they are for both the compulsory Zakat, and also a general Sadaqah, it does not count as Zakat and it is just general charity because the intention in Zakat must be only for Zakat”. This is regardless of whether it is charity given on one’s own behalf, or on behalf of another person (e.g. someone who has passed away).As for calculating Zakat al-Maal, there are multiple way people use. One of the easiest ways to calculate Zakat, is to divide the money that Zakat needs to be paid on by 40 and the result (which would amount to 2.5%) is the amount of Zakat or a little bit more.

For example, if Muhammad has had 6000 dollars for an entire Hijri Year and Zakat is due on these $6000, he does the following: 6000 ÷ 40 = 150, So he pays 150 dollars in Zakat. As for which nisaab to use, this is a matter that the scholars differ upon, and it is generally advised to adopt whichever is lower of either silver or gold nisaab. This is in the interests of caution.

If you do not remember when you reached the nisaab threshold, i.e. when your Zakat then becomes payable, then it is best to backdate your Zakat for a year, as if you had reached the nisaab one year ago, even if for part of the year you might not have. This is fine as long as you have reached the nisaab value at present.One is also permitted to pay Zakat in advance if it is not yet due. The opinion of Al-Shafi’i is that once the nisaab is reached, Zakat can be paid before the end of the year, but it cannot be paid before the nisaab has been reached, nor can it be paid more than one year in advance.

The opinion of Imam Ahmad is that Zakat can be paid two years in advance, the opinion of Imam Abu Hanifa is that Zakat can be paid even more than two years in advance, and finally, Imam Malik holds the opinion that Zakat cannot be paid in advance unless it is a very short period in advance.

And Allah knows best.

Sheikh Belal Assaad

Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh

All praise and gratitude are due to Allah SWT. May the blessings and peace of Allah SWT be upon His Messenger PBUH.
It is unanimously agreed among classical scholars that one is not obligated to expose their past sin to anyone, and is encouraged to keep it between them and Allah SWT. This is based on the Ahadith in Sahih Al- Bukhari no.6069 and Sahih Muslim no.2990, which jointly recommend that a person not expose their sins to others.
However, if there is a need to expose it such as for a fatwa, or in preventing harm that may come from it if not exposed, then the ruling depends on the situation at hand. This is based on two principles of Shari’ah which say, “Necessities are judged by their specific circumstances” and “Benefits are to be weighed with harm”.
So, when it comes to exposing past sins to a genuine prospective spouse, neither party is obligated to say anything about it. This is in unanimous agreement of classical scholars. However, it is only an option and choice of the individual if they choose to or not to. They need to weigh out the benefits verse the harm. One needs to ask themselves: “What is the likelihood of my past sins becoming exposed during my marriage if I go ahead with it but without saying anything? If it does come up in my marriage, how detrimental will it be to my marriage and relationship with my prospective husband/wife? If the answer is “likely” for both, it is in my humble opinion that it would be wiser and healthier to discuss it with that prospective spouse before deciding to go ahead with the marriage. This is based on personal experience in listening to many marital issues among couples in our years.
Discussing that sin does not need to be in detail, especially if it is something major, which could incriminate one’s self, depending on which country they live in, or destroy their reputation, or cause some other irreversible harm upon themselves. One can hint to it in a way the other understands what the meaning of it is. Such as saying, “You know that condition of marriage/concern you mentioned? It is true, and I do not want to go into details about it.” Or saying, “I’ve had a sinful past, in minor or major relationships, and repented since then.” One can ask a trusted family member, friend or Imam to speak to them on their behalf, if they are uncomfortable talking about it themselves.
In the end, it is completely up to the individual what they want to say and how much information they feel comfortable to expose.
Whether one chooses to expose their past sin to the prospective spouse or not, it is the prospective spouse’s equal right to choose to go ahead with the marriage or not. But if information is exposed in confidence, it is a major sin, possibly a crime in Shari’ah in certain cases, on any person who hears it to pass it on to anyone else without their permission and consent. We are ordered to fear Allah in guarding the secrets others expose about themselves to us in confidence.
What if there was an agreement beforehand to disclose any acts? In this case, each party must stick to this agreement, and tell a prospective spouse about any relevant past, because the Prophet Muhammed PBUH said, “Muslims must stick to their agreements.” [Abu Dawud, 3594, authenticated by Al-Albani] If either party did not honour that agreement, then the marriage went ahead whilst one was hiding the information they both agreed to expose beforehand, the other party has the right to nullify the marriage without losing any of their rights out of the marriage, such as the mahar. But forgiveness and mercy are better for a believer in this case, especially if they have children together and the other spouse has repented, being a thing of the past.
Additionally, in the event this happens, we advise couples to not be hasty in decisions about their marriage, and to seek religious advice from local qualified religious bodies and marriage counselling from qualified bodies.

And Allah knows best.