Zakat, which Islam has enjoined upon Muslims, marks the lowest limit of the expression of human sympathy, kindness and compassion. It is a duty, the disregard or violation of which is not in any circumstances tolerable to God. The Shariah is emphatic in its insistence upon its observance. It has prescribed it as an essential requirement of Faith for Muslims.
But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then they are your brethren (Al-Tawba:11)
Q. A non-Muslim studying Islamics at a university is writing a project on the Tablighi Jamaat. Since I got to know him because of this, he frequently asks a thing or two concerning his project. One question is this :
“As far as I know “Dhikr” is not used in the Tablighi Jamaat in the same sense as Sufis use it, who use it often for mystical and spiritual exercises to attain a state of ecstasy. What is meant by “Dhikr” in Tablighi Jamaat and what is the difference between “Dhikr” and the Prayer (Salah)?”
Q. 1. Dear Maulana, your lecture on June 6, 1997 at MCA, increased our knowledge and Iman. May Allah give you great reward Ameen! I would like to thank you for visiting MCA Santa Clara. Dear Maulana, we need your Fatwa on the following three Fiqhi issues :
1) The time of Salah al-Zuhr (what is the beginning, the end of the Zuhr time and what is the definition of Zawal?)
2) The Qiblah’s direction (Should the Qiblah be identified by the strict directions West, East, North and South only? Are otherdirections such as north-east and south-west also considered? should the shortest direction to Makkah be considered as a reference to define Qiblah?)
Q. (a) “Why is du’a of qunoot prayed during the ‘Isha’ Prayers (specially in the Witr). There must be a reason behind it.”
(b) “Since du’a qunoot is a du’a, can we use it to pay it in other prayers i.e. after finishing Fajr prayer?”
Q. “It frequently happens during Namaz (Salah) that I forget the correct number of Rak’at I have performed. For example, I get confused during the Salah whether I have performed two Rak’ats or three Rak’ats. Normally in such a situation I repeat my Prayer all over again. Is this what we are supposed to do or is here any other solution to this problem? Please enlighten me in this respect.”
(Maleeha Siddiqi, Karachi)
There are more than 70 branches of Imaan in the Revered Ahaadeeth of Allah’s Last Rasool SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam. They were collected and compiled by Imam Baihaqi (RahimahulLahu) in his book of the Revered Ahadeeth Sh’ubul Imaan in detail.
We present to the Mujahideen a list of these Seventy Branches of Imaan in brief. So they could start acting upon each of them, which will enhance and strengthen their Imaan. Some of the 70 branches are those without which one cannot become a Muslim, while other branches relate to the completion of Imaan and the enhancement of Imaan.
Q. “Is it necessary that the khutbah of Jum’ah is given in Arabic language or can it be given in some other language also. Some people say that if it is given in a local language it may be more useful to the audience.”.
(Shabbir Ali, Toronto)
A. The Khutbah of Jum’ah is not essentially a lecture meant for the people. Rather, it is a part of the prayer of Jum’ah. It is evident that the numbers of Rak’at in a Zuhr Prayer is four. On the Day of Jum’ah, the number of Rak’at has been reduced to two only, and the remaining two Rak’ats have been substituted by a Khutbah, which is basically a form of dhikr (ritual recitation of Allah’s name), and by this name it has been referred to in the Holy Qur’an (Surah al’Jum’ah).
In the Holy Quraan the commandments of the Jihad are given to those who possess the Imaan, because the foundation of the Jihad depends solely on Imaan and such a great deed can only be accomplished properly by the true believers only. The Jihad itself is a significant mean of enhancement and completion of one’s Imaan and it is an incontrovertible proof of the firm beliefs of the Mu’min. The Imaan means that solid & strong faith which is embedded in the deepest recess of the believer’s heart. This rock solid faith manifests fully in every deed of its beholder, may it be the ‘Ibadaat, the Mu’aamilaat, or the Mu’aashirat, not the weak and feeble Imaan, that appears intermittently and partially in one’s heart. Not the Imaan, that intermingles with doubts. Not the Imaan that does not reform its beholder’s moral, ethical, social and religious behaviour.
Hadrat Abu Haurairah (Radi Allaahu Ta’ala Anhu) narrated that the Messenger of ALLAH said: O Abu Hurairah! When you perform ablution, say Bismillah -Wal- Hamdo Lillah (The result would be that) so long as this ablution would continue (i.e. one would remain in a state of purity), the Kiramun Katibeen (recording angles) would continue to write good deeds in his name. [Mu’jim Sagir - Tabarani, Ma’rif -ul- Hadis]
Compiled and written By M.S Omar based on the Arabic Lecture Notes
of Justice Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani attended by the Writer
The Meaning Of Fatwa
In its original linguistic sense, the Word Fatwa means an answer to a question irrespective of whether such question relates to an issue of Shariah or not. Thereafter, the word acquired a technical meaning in the sense that it was confined to an answer given in response to a question relating to an issue of Shariah or the Deen.
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