Question Some close Muslim friends of mine recently got married at a civil registrar, with my wife and I as their witnesses. They are both God-fearing Muslims, but because they were in a non-Muslim country, they decided that a civil marriage was simpler for them and easier. The actual marriage oath they took says that […]
Dissecting Human Bodies for Education
Question Is it allowed to dissect human bodies for the purpose of training in surgery and medicine etc.? Answer Some people hold that using human corpses for training in surgery and medicine is synonymous with deforming the human corpse. Seen from this standpoint, the action obviously appears to be a most abominable one and thus […]
About Distractions and Wrong Ideas
Question I would like to give you my brief introduction before I put my query to you: Currently I am working as an executive in a company, I hold a masters degree. I started working with a female colleague, who is also at the same level as I am, almost 10 months ago. Our tables […]
If a Child Gets His Name From His Father, Then What is a Seyed?
Question It is believed and practiced that a child gets his name from his father’s side. Generations are carried on by male children of the family. The question is that the prophet (pbuh) didn’t have a son. He (pbuh) only had a daughter then on what basis can any one claim to be a “Syed“? […]
Must a Child Be Its Father’s Name?
Question Is there any ayah or any hadith saying that in this world children will be called by their father’s names? Answer To give the child the name of his/her father is a social and not a religious tradition. The directive of the Qur’an, given in a somewhat related issue is that a child should […]
Can a Woman Hold a Position of Convicting Males?
Question I am a very new American convert. I am also a woman. I chose to convert to Islam after much research and soul searching. I am a graduate student studying Forensic Pathology/Psych. I also work as a criminalist for our State Police Jurisdiction. As a new convert, I am trying to follow the teachings […]
Relations With Non-Muslims
Question I am residing in Dubai in an apartment complex where all my neighbors are either Hindus or Christians. Islam emphasizes a lot on the rights of neighbors but due to our deep-rooted hatred especially against Hindus, we do not understand how to keep any type of a contact with them. If we totally cut […]
About Euthanasia or Mercy Killings
Question I was wondering brother if you could tell me your thoughts on the issue of euthanasia and mercy killing and how a Muslim should address these issues. Answer The Muslim faith holds God to be ever active in running the affairs of the world as well as each individual life. We believe that God […]
Does Polygamy Degrade Womanhood?
Question Islam allows a man to have more than one wife, what is the significance of this? Do you think this degrades womanhood? I have wondered about this aspect of Islam but on asking various people.. I have never got a consistent reply. I was wondering if you could clear this for me. Answer It […]
The Status of Women in Islam
Question I would like to inquire about the status of women in Islam. Answer Before answering your question, I would ask you to consider two distinctly separate views regarding the humankind: According to one, all men (including women) are equal, and therefore a sound social system is one that is based on the principle of […]