All praise and gratitude are due to Allah SWT. May the blessings and peace of Allah SWT be upon His Messenger PBUH.
At the outset, Islam has 5 different rulings surrounding marriage, and each ruling deals with different circumstances than the other. These rulings, based on certain conditions, make marriage fardh, haram, mustahhab (preferred) or makrooh (disliked), or otherwise mubah (neither liked nor disliked). Thus, there is no standard rule for marriage in Islam. Every circumstance is different.
It is useful to begin first with the Prophet’s saying: “When someone with whose religion and character you are satisfied asks your daughter in marriage, accede to his request. If you do not do so there will be temptation in the earth and extensive corruption.” The literal meaning of this Hadith is that it is waajib (obligatory) to accept the proposal of a man with good character. However, the different rulings of marriage must be superimposed on the literal meaning of the Hadith. For example, if there is a fear that either partner cannot fulfill the duties which arise from marriage, then that marriage is haram for them, as it is impermissible in Islam to do an injustice to another person.
Nevertheless, it is vital that the selection of a partner for a man or woman is based on character, as opposed to other reasons such as wealth or position. Generally speaking, if we are entirely sure that the person who is proposing has good character, we encourage strongly that the family of the bride accept the proposal as it is very hard to find such a man nowadays. We should also consider the interests of the couple and help build their joint future. The best example of this is when Prophet Shuayb AS offered his daughter to Prophet Musa AS in marriage when he realised the extent of Prophet Musa’s good character. This is related in Surat Al Qasas, Ayah 28.
We ask Allah SWT to help every single person find their partner on good character and Deen and to build our community on good character and Deen. Ameen.
All praise and gratitude are due to Allah SWT. May the blessings and peace of Allah SWT be upon His Messenger PBUH.
Testimony is Islam is a big responsibility, for which there are many conditions for it to be valid. Of them are that the person giving the testimony is fair and just, regardless of their gender. Another condition is that the person is of sound mind and understands what they are saying. The person who is giving the testimony should understand that he or she will be questioned by Allah SWT about it in the hereafter, as their testimony plays an important role in putting rights in their true place. Therefore, Islam has considered the circumstances of the person who is to bear the responsibility of a testimony, and tried to make it as easy as possible for them. This is why Allah SWT says in Surat Al Nisaa,: O believers! Stand firm for justice as witnesses for Allah even if it is against yourselves, your parents, or close relatives.” (Al Nisaa: 135). The Prophet PBUH also once said to his companions, “Shall I not inform you of the biggest of the great sins?” We said, “Yes, O Allah’s Messenger ” He said, “To join partners in worship with Allah: to be undutiful to one’s parents.” The Prophet sat up after he had been reclining and added, “And I warn you against giving forged statement and a false witness; I warn you against giving a forged statement and a false witness.” The Prophet kept on saying that warning till we thought that he would not stop.” (Saheeh Bukhari: 5976)
At the outset, what must be understood is that a man’s testimony is not worth two women’s. Rather, specifically in matters of commerce and trade, the evidentiary burden for a valid testimony is that of one man or two women. However, in many other circumstances, men and women have equal status in the giving of their testimony, while in other circumstances, the testimony of a woman is accepted while that of a man is rejected (in matters concerning women’s affairs, such as childbirth and menstruation). As such, we should not be concluding that a woman’s testimony is simply worth less than that of the man. Rather, the main purpose of this ruling is to maintain the integrity of the witness process.
From the above we can understand how important testimony is in Islam. For this reason, Allah has made it easier on women, in that two women can share this grave responsibility. Far from being a reflection of a deficiency in women, it is to make women more comfortable and make things easier for them. In this way, they can support one another in testifying. Allah says in Surat al Baqarah, “if one of the [women] errs, then the other can remind her” (Al Baqarah: 282).
For example, it should be reflected that, amongst other things, women who menstruate go through cyclical hormonal changes which may affect emotional memory consolidation and recall, amongst other cognitive functions. Further, in Islam, men have financial and caretaking responsibilities, and were more involved in trade contexts, which made commercial testimonies easier and more readily accessible to men. As for other matters, the Islamic tradition is full of instances where a woman’s testimony was accepted without contention, a prime example being the vast hadith narration of Aisha RA.
In conclusion, in any matters concerning gender in Islam, our merciful religion concerns itself with the broad wellbeing of the community at large, and endeavors to ensure that no responsibility is placed except on someone who can bear it easily with no overburdening. We remind ourselves of the famous verse, “Allah does not lay a responsibility on anyone beyond his capacity” (Al Baqarah: 286).
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. In Islam, it is generally haram to change the creation of Allah. This is something that Iblees swore by Allah SWT that he will make human beings do. This is clearly mentioned in Surat Al-Nisaa: “…and I will command them so they will change the creation of Allah.” [Qu’ran 4:119]. Removing eyebrow hairs is one such example. This is further supported by a Hadith of the Prophet PBUH: “cursed…is the woman who pulls out hair for other people and the woman who depilates (her brows).” [ Abu-Dawood]. Here, ‘depilation’ refers to removing hair on the body. There is an Islamic principle that, in some cases, what is impermissible for women is also impermissible for men. In this case, it is impermissible for men and women alike. On the other hand, some scholars have allowed some cleaning around the brows in order to revert the brows to how they would normally look, with a strict condition not to go beyond making it appear normal. For example, styling brows is haram. Returning eyebrows (such as brows which are bushy) to how they would normally look is an example of something which is usually haram becoming halal in certain circumstances where it is considered a necessity. And Allah knows best.
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. As Christmas is considered a festival day for Christians, it is not advised for a Muslim to participate in a Christmas lunch/dinner on this day, even if it is done for the sake of maintaining ties with their non-Muslim family. Allah SWT says in Surah Al Furqan: “And those who do not bear witness to falsehood, and if they pass by some evil play or evil talk, they pass by it with dignity”. Many scholars of Qur’an such as Ibn Seereen and Mujahid interpreted the “falsehood” mentioned in this ayah as including the festivals of disbelievers, meaning that the believers should avoid partaking in these days. It is therefore advised to try one’s best to organise a family gathering on a day other than Christmas in order to help maintain family ties. The other issue to consider is that alcohol is usually consumed on Christmas Day, and it is not permissible for a Muslim to remain in such an environment. And Allah knows best.
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. Tawbah literally means “to return”. In the Islamic context, it means to reconcile and make better our relationship with Allah SWT. It is way to recognise and acknowledge Allah’s status as the Creator, and your status as the servant of the Creator. It was therefore practiced by the best of Allah’s creation. It was practiced by the angels in the story of Harut and Marut, as mentioned by Allah in Surah Al Baqarah, ayah 102. It was practiced by the Prophets of Allah, such as Prophet Adam (See Al-Baqarah 37; Al-Araf 23), Nuh (See Hud 47), Musa, (See Al-Qasas 16-17; Al-Araf 143), as well as Prophet Sulayman, Dawood and Muhammad PBUH. Abu Huraira once narrated, “I heard Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) saying: “By Allah! I ask for forgiveness from Allah and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day”(Al-Bukhari: 6307). The principle of Tawbah is best exemplified in the comparison of Prophet Adam AS and Iblees. While Adam AS acknowledged his mistake and asked for forgiveness from Allah, and so Allah favoured him, Iblees neglected his Tawbah whilst insisting upon his arrogance, and so Allah removed him from His mercy altogether. Allah SWT says in Surah Al-Nur, ayah 31: “…Turn to Allah in repentance all together, O believers, so that you may be successful.” Tawbah is also the best criteria by which we judge the best of human beings who sin. The Prophet PBUH said, “All the sons of Adam are sinners, but the best of sinners are those who repent often” (Related by At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah). Before answering this question, we need to remind ourselves of why we make mistakes and sin:
Freedom of Choice. See Al-Kahf 29.
Desires and Temptation. See Al-Nisaa 27-28 and Nawawi’s 40 Hadeeth: Hadeeth 41.
Arrogance and Stubbornness. See Nuh 7; Sad 75-76.
Ignorance and Backward Thinking. See Al-Araf 138, 140.
Carelessness and Play. See Al Tawbah 65-66.
Tawbah is an invitation from Allah SWT for the sinners to come back to Allah and return to the right path, especially the believing sinners. To practice Tawbah for a specific sin there are a few obligations which must be fulfilled:
To cease committing the sin, so as to show your seriousness in repentance. It does not make sense to repent while continuing a sin.
To regret the sin, so as to show that you did not sin for the sake of sinning, but for some other reason such as lack of Iman or some carelessness. This is why your regret should be based on hating the sin, and not because of some adverse consequence of sinning (say, the embarrassment of being caught). This shows your sincerity in repentance. One should regret the sin because it is a sin, and not because some bad result came out of it
To promise to never return to the sin in future. This shows commitment and determination to your repentance.
To amend the harm caused by the sin. If you stole money, you repent and return the money wrongfully taken. If you backbite someone, you ask their forgiveness. This is how you ‘fix’ your sin. However, if the sin ought not to be revealed since it would make the situation worse, you should make dua’ for the target of your sin to forgive you on the Day of Judgement. Note that the sin will never be completely forgiven so long as the rights of another person are infringed. The stems from the principle. “He who causes harm to something is duty-bound to mend it”.
The Tawbah should be done before the phase of ‘ghargharah’, which is where the soul reaches the throat during the moments before death. This is the expiration of the period in which repentance is accepted. The door of Tawbah is also closed when the Sun rises from the West, as this is when belief will not be accepted from those who declare it. See Al-Anaam 158.
Finally, the person must be entirely sincere and aiming for the pleasure of Allah. One cannot truly repent if it is for the sake of another person.
These conditions should be applied in the repentance of specific, known sins. As for repentance for the general sins, it will be forgiven by Wudhu and the five daily prayers, if they are minor sins. The Messenger of Allah PBUH said, “The five (daily) prayers and the Friday (prayer) to the Friday (prayer) expiate whatever (minor sins) may be committed in between, so long as major sins are avoided” (Riyad as-Salihin 1045). However if it is a major sin we must ask Allah SWT forgiveness for all the major sins we have done, whether known or unknown. The Prophet PBUH used to say, “O Allah, I seek refuge in You lest I associate anything with You knowingly, and I seek Your forgiveness for what I know not.” (Ahmad 4/403). To conclude, there is a beautiful advice worth narrating, based off the book of Al Tawwabeen for Ibn Qudama, who was a scholar. He narrated the story of a man who went to a scholar, Ibrahim Ibn Adham, and asked him for advice to help him stop sinning, especially with repetitious sins. Ibn Adham advised him saying, “If you are able to fulfill one of the following five conditions, then do the sin as much as you want, and it will never harm you.”The man said, “What is the first?”Ibn Adham said, “If you would like to disobey Allah, do it but do not eat from his sustenance, as it does not make sense to disobey Him and eat from his sustenance.” The man said, “From what shall I eat, then, when everything on Earth is from Allah’s sustenance? What is the second?”Ibn Adham replied, “If you wish to disobey Allah, disobey as you wish but do not do it on His lands”.The man said, “How could it be when all land belongs to Allah? What is the third?”Ibn Adham replied, “Do the sin in a hidden place, where Allah cannot see you.”The man said, “How can I find such a place, when Allah sees all? What is the fourth?”Ibn Adham replied, “Disobey as you wish, and when the Angel of Death arrives to take your soul, do not give it to him, or at least ask him to delay you until you repent.”The man said, “How can I ask him that while I know that he does not delay people for even an hour? He is fulfilling Allah’s command with no say in the matter, and it has never been where a person has fled from the Angel of Death. Please give me the last.”Ibn Adham replied, “Disobey Allah as you wish while eating from his sustenance, doing the sin on His land, while He can see you, dying on time, but, when you meet Allah, and He orders the Angels of Jahannam to take you therein, do not go with them.”The man said, “But they will never listen to me nor accept that!”And so the man said, “How, then, can you seek salvation in the Hereafter?”The man said, “Enough, enough. I ask forgiveness of Allah.” The man continued to worship Allah until death. We thank Allah SWT for His kindness. He never closes the door of Tawbah until it is truly too late. We should seize this opportunity by making our repentance daily, as Allah is the Most Forgiving, Most Kind, even in how he punishes. He punishes for the sin with one sin’s value, but rewards the good deed by at least 10 times its worth. Imam Al Hassan Al Basri said, “I am amazed by the person who’s one [good deed] defeated his ten [bad deeds]”. Oh Allah, please help us to repent, and accept it from us when we do repent, as you love those who repent. Ameen.
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. Let’s talk about the bedroom, the halal way… Sex is often misunderstood to only mean ‘intercourse (or penetrative sex)’. While this is the major part of it, all forms of non-penetrative acts during intimacy between spouses are also sex. Before spouses have their first sexual intercourse together, the absolute first things to remember and be prepared to practice are taking it slow, gentleness, care, and communication. This is especially true for brides whose experience is her first time. The second, is for both spouses to gain at least the basic knowledge about how the male and female sexual organs and body work. The more knowledge you have the better you will both know what to expect, and it will give you a good head start to have a more pleasurable and enjoyable experience, InshaAllah. Regarding sexual pleasure, Allah said: “You husbands are like garments for your wives, and they are like garments for you” [Qur’an 2:187], meaning that spouses protect each other from indecency and sinful behaviour by fulfilling each other’s sexual pleasures around their entire body like the way clothing touches and covers one’s entire body. Regarding gentleness and care, the Prophet PBUH said, “Gentleness and kindness beautifies anything it is applied to, and where it is not applied it makes it ugly and undesirable.” [Sahih Muslim 45:100]. Here are the recommended Islamic etiquettes for spouses on the first night of marriage, “in the bedroom”: 1. Relax and do not be afraid or anxious, by reminding yourself that sex is a very natural thing, and everything will fall into place naturally. The male and female sexual body and organs are built by Allah to adapt and guide you in the process, mentally, emotionally, and physically all the way. Especially for the bride, there is nothing to fear, and I advise our sisters to not listen to the exaggerations of others who claim that ‘losing her virginity’ in first time sex is going to be very painful, exhausting, or other frightening encounters. For sisters who are experiencing fears about this topic, hereis a good article to put your minds at ease. What has been natural in humans for millions of years cannot be harmful, but healthy and good for you. Most doctors and health experts confirm this and say that 90% of first timers fail to get the pleasurable experience, not because sex itself is displeasurable or that there is a physical problem in you, but rather due to falsely perceived fears and anxieties about sex or because they are exhausted and tired from the long day. 2. Do not make it a priority to have sexual intercourse (or penetrative sex) or the expectation of penetrating the hymenin the first night, especially if the bride has never had sex before (we will explain more on the ‘hymen’ topic further down in this response). There is nothing wrong with resting that night, or just ‘experimenting together’ and delaying intercourse attempts together till the next day or next night. In fact, it is okay to take it slow with penetration even up to a week or more. 3. Before commencing, it is a sunnah to make wudhu and pray a 2 rak’a voluntary prayer together. This is discussed by Ibn Abi Shaybah in al-Musannaf [3/402] & at-Tabarni in al-Mu’jam al-Kabeer [9/204]. 4. It is a sunnah to have something enjoyable to drink together. 5. It is a sunnah for the groom to place his right hand gently over his bride’s forehead and recite the following du’a: “O Allah, I ask You for her good and the good of what You have created in her, and I seek refuge with You from any evil.” [Abu Dawood 2160]. 6. Just before intercourse, it is a sunnah to say: “O Allah, keep the Shaytan away from us and keep the Shaytan away from (any child) you grant us.” [Bukhari, hadeeth no. 141 & Muslim, hadeeth no. 1434]. It is best to say this du’a before spouses are completely unclothed, and if they forget, it is still ok to say it when completely unclothed, according to the elected opinion among some scholars. 7. Do not eat too much before intercourse, but maintaining a healthy diet and exercise plays a significant role in your sex life as time goes on, inshaAllah. 8. It is advisable that both spouses take a shower, smell pleasant and look pleasant for the other spouse. Removal of pubic hairs in the private area and armpits is a sunnah, cleaner, and should not go beyond 40 days of growth. Also, cutting nails and trimming the moustache. 9. Next, talk. Use compliments, hold hands, hug, and kiss. Focus on each other and clear your minds from everything else. Communicate with your partner what makes them comfortable and work together. It will naturally develop and become more exciting as you go, inshaAllah. 10. Next, ‘Foreplay’. Do not jump straight into intercourse (penetrative sex). The longer the foreplay the more ready the wife will be, the less the irritation will be for her and more enjoyable it will eventually become. Although the Ahadeeth which talk about foreplay, are all graded weak in their transmission, the scholars unanimously agree that foreplay is at least ‘mustahabb (recommended act)’, due to the number of hadeeth with this meaning. This is something which is considered common sense and part of the ‘fitra’ (pure nature) of every human. 11. Be creative with foreplay. Communicate with your spouse on what makes them feel comfortable. Start with light acts such as complimenting, holding hands, kissing, light touches, hugging and caressing, massaging, and make your way slowly to becoming more sensual in talk and acts. You will both get hints on when is the best moment to start penetrative intercourse. – Sensual and ‘dirty’ talk: it is permissible to use such language for the purpose of arousing and exciting each other. The only note scholars have added is that it is not demeaning, abusive or denigrating to the spouse, which is forbidden and can lead to the break-up of one’s marriage, let alone destroy the pleasure of sex. Other sensual/dirty talk can be worked out by communicating to each other on what they feel comfortable with or not. Respect and consideration to the feelings of each other goes without saying. The evidence for permissibility in sensual/dirty talk during sexual intimacy between spouses is in the word ‘rafath (sensual/dirty talk)’ in the Quran [2:187]. These are words considered indecent to say in public or to others but permitted in privacy between a married couple during sex. – Oral sex: whether by the husband or by the wife. There is no clear text in the Quran or Sunnah which explicitly forbids oral sex between a married couple. It is considered by majority of scholars as permissible ‘mubah’. However, some noted that it is better to avoid it due to the possibility of impurities secreted by the female or male genitals and entering one’s throat and possible STIs. I would advise that couples communicate with each other on this because some may feel comfortable with it and others may feel anxiety or negative feelings. I advise couples to discuss these matters with their spouse before introducing oral sex into their relationship, and to read about it in medical articles to see what best suits them. 12. Islam has allowed everything in sex. Whatever is pleasurable to both husband and wife is permitted. The entire body is permitted. Every position is permitted and trying different positions in encouraged in Islam. The Sahabah did it and so did our Islamic predecessors. The only two acts which are explicitly forbidden and considered major sins are: – Intercourse through the anus, including orally [Quran 2:223].- Intercourse during the wife’s menstrual period [Quran 2:222]. 13. Intercourse/Penetrative Sex(especially for a virgin wife): Take it slowly and communicate all the way. Penetrating too early or too quickly will cause pain to your wife, especially for a virgin. Virgins may be extra anxious and can feel a bit of pain at first, and for the first few days/weeks. Each woman is different.In order to minimize the pain and achieve greater pleasure, experts advise the following, which agrees with the Islamic teachings:- Use a good quality lubricant (over the counter in pharmacies)– Take time in foreplay. Discover which parts of your wife’s body arouse her more.– Try different positions.– Place a pillow under the wife’s lower back or rear– Penetration can be done over a period of a few days/nights, not necessarily first night and does not need to be a full penetration immediately.– For a virgin bride, place a warm heat pack or cold pack on the private organ if she feels a little pain. Any pain resides completely within an hour to a couples of hours.– For a virgin bride, give her a rest from intercourse till the next day or when she feels better and ready to try again.– While having intercourse, continue with other foreplay actions simultaneously.– Stop if your spouse is in pain.– Even if intercourse is not achieved at first, the husband and wife may continue in other ways to satisfy their sexual urges and pleasures. The matter is open-ended and flexible. – For the husband, stay beside her after intercourse and continue to comfort her in the way she feels comforts her. 14. It is important to know that the woman take anywhere between 11 minutes to 20 minutes on average to reach climax/orgasm, according to majority of studies. According to many studies, for men, it can vary from 2 minutes to 7 minutes on average to climax/ejaculate. However, the overall range is wide and could get to over half an hour for some men and women. There are several known techniques to prolong the experience, including other factors which help partners repeat intercourse shortly after climax/ejaculation. A recommended ‘classical’ book on this topic is: ‘Tuhfatul-‘arous – The Bride’s Gift/Boon’ by Mahmoud Al-Istanbuli. 15. The issue of the ‘hymen’ in virgins: Many Muslims, and cultural pressures, hold the belief that a virgin girl is determined by her hymen being intact or the presence of blood at intercourse. Islam does not stipulate this determination. A virgin girl is determined by whether she has had sexual intercourse or not. Some virgin women do not necessarily bleed during their first intercourse, others may have had their hymen stretched or perforated during their lives for many natural factors such as strenuous exercise, heavy sports, riding a horse for long periods of time or other normal day to day activities. Many women cannot feel whether their hymen has stretched or perforated during their lifetime. Some women’s hymen may never ‘break’ until they give birth. Intercourse by itself may not break the hymen but instead, may stretch it. For this reason, it is important to understand that in some cases, couples may fear that either there is a physical problem in the wife or assume that she has had haram relationships before. I advise couples to talk about their lifestyles beforehand (preferably during the engagement period), and research about this topic. And Allah Knows Best.
Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh I would like to begin by mentioning that Islam always encourages its followers to follow good habits and to maintain them and not fall out of them. A part of this is what many scholars mention in their books of Fiqh about making up acts of worship that have been missed. This is not only for compulsory acts of worship, like the five daily prayers and fasting of Ramadan, but also for many non-compulsory Sunnah/Mustahab acts of worship, like the daily Adhkar in the morning and evening, as long as it is your habit to do it on time. There is, however, no sin on the person if they are missed. For example, if you have been doing morning thikr for more than three days consecutively, then you woke up late one day and the time of Fajr has finished (i.e. the sun has risen) before you could read the morning thikr, you should make it up even after the original time of it has ended. Another example is the sunnah prayers before and after the five prayers, which are known as ‘rawatib’. If they are a habit, they should be made up for, if missed. Also, the ghusul (baths) that are Sunnah, such as ghusul of Eid and Jummah – according to the majority of scholars – should be made up for, if missed. Imam Abu Bakr Shataa says in his book ‘Laanat at-Talibin’:
يسن قضاء غسل الجمعة – كسائر الأغسال المسنونة
In English, “It is Sunnah to make up the ghusul of Jummah as well as the other non-compulsory ghusuls”. And Allah knows best.
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. If your parents pass away while still owing a debt, then that amount needs to be taken out of the inheritance and repaid before the inheritors take their shares. However, if the inheritance isn’t enough to cover the debts then the inheritors aren’t in fact responsible to pay the shortfall from their own money. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله said: “The heirs are not obliged to pay off the debts of the deceased, rather it should be paid from his estate.” – Minhaaj al-Sunnah, 5/232 Paying off your deceased parents’ debt in such a case will, however, be highly rewarded and considered as an act of birr (obedience) towards them. Alternatively, one could also try approaching the creditor and ask them to forgive the debt of the deceased. And Allah Knows Best.
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.
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.
May Allah SWT make the path to the halal easy for us, make identifying the halal easy, and may He protect us from that which is haram. Ameen.
