Maulana Sayed Mohammad Baqer Qazwini
Public QnA
I have a question about drawing. So I do art as a hobby and as business and I know that according to Ayatollah Sistani it is permissible to draw human faces on paper or 2D. However there is a form of printing called Lino/relief and you basically carve out your design on a sheet of rubber like material and ink it and then press it onto a surface like paper, fabric, etc. So is it allowed to carve human faces or anything like that into it to make a design and print onto something?
If that figure is a 3-D figure and looks like a sculpture, then it would not be permissible. Otherwise it would ok.
I was wondering if there are any contemporary books you could recommend on the topics of economics and business and also politics and governance as envisioned in Islam for society. I haven’t read them yet but I came across some titles from Ayatullah Murtadha Mutahhari and Muhammad Baqr Al-Sadr that may be relevant and interesting.
Could it be that Islam does not give explicit/clear guidelines or impose restrictions on the form/system of governance and economics (e.g. democracy/autocracy/theocracy, capitalism/socialism/a mix, voting rights, duration of terms, welfare, taxes etc etc), especially now where our Imam (as) is in occultation? I really haven’t read much on the topic. But my impression is that we don’t follow a clearly defined system or standard when looking at the Muslim countries today. We have mainly adopted what is prevalent today or have some form of autocratic governance. As potential models we maybe can only try to orientate ourselves on the lives of our Prophet (pbuh) and our Imams (as). But only Imam Ali (as) really had the chance to be head of a state after our Prophet (pbuh) as far as I know (as legitimate rulers). My question is, what is the ideal system in governance and economics while our Imam (as) is in occultation?
Yes I would recommend those two books because they have been translated into English.
Islam does not prescribe a specific type of economic system. Islam gives guidelines such as:
-No interest
-No hoarding of essential property
-No cheating and fraud
-The right to private property
-The right to natural resources
And so on. So there are elements of capitalism in Islamic economics and elements of socialism.
I recommend reading this brief book on some economic strategies of Imam Ali (a):
https://www.amazon.com/Economic-Success-Practical-Strategies-Producing/dp/0991025024
I have heard/read that generally, conducting trade or business in Islam is highly encouraged, obviously taking religious laws/boundaries (theft/deception/interest etc.) into consideration. I would like to start my own business in the field of textiles and merchandise, but I am in a bit of a dilemma.
Capitalism/Consumerism/Materialism in its current form is one of the major problems in our world today, adversely affecting the environment, general society, individual mental/physical-, religious/spiritual- wellbeing and therefore hindering human focus, potential and progress at large.
Leading scholars have also criticised western materialism that has crept into all societies globally.
I’d like to understand how we can interpret Islamic rulings in today’s age from various angles with regards to the environment, economy and business. Does Islam give any clear answers as to which form of economic system and business conduct is ethical/acceptable and the limitations, given the circumstances that exist today (apart from the obvious rulings)?
Before and during the time of our Prophet (PBUH and his Family) up until the post industrial revolution and world trade (globalisation), one could argue that scarcity existed to an extent (even if people could sustain themselves). Major progress was made, and the quality of life could substantially be improved without major adverse effects to the environment and people. Today however, many products are completely unnecessary, and we really have to deal with material and immaterial damage to all living things as a result of our activities, except maybe in regions where scarcity/poverty still exist.
Most necessary items (food, clothing, furniture, other domestics items, etc.) are already catered for and come in seemingly infinite tastes and designs. Rarely do new/innovative beneficial “necessities” come into being, only variations thereof. Knowing that we have excess and not moderation in most areas, is it ethical to start a business in these fields?
In Islam, we are encouraged, even when performing daily obligations such as Wudhu and Ghusl to be extremely careful about unnecessary/wasteful use of water. I believe to remember that one Hadith stated the use of 3 Litres for Ghusl (I am dead meat!!!) and we are generally encouraged to turn off the tap when performing Wudhu. Even in war, we are told not to cause unnecessary damage to assets and resources, such as cutting down trees or spoiling crops. Are the above not principles that should be adopted or translated into every other area of our lives then?
Yet, for our economies, business and profits, we are destroying everything around us to the extent that many species are facing extinction. Even so-called green technologies, like mining lithium for batteries, causes substantial damage to the environment and human health (cancer). We also still have no way of recycling these batteries in an environmentally friendly way once they reach the end of their life cycles. Another example: I read that manufacturing ONE pair of jeans requires between 7000 and 10000 litres of water! Then there are obviously the adverse effects of dyes and other chemicals on the environment on top of that. These adverse effects can be translated to almost all other resources and production methods.
I understand that almost every action will come with the dilemma of choice and loss/damage of some form or the other and that progress can only be made by being active. The hope is obviously that we reach a point where things become more sustainable.
There is also no doubt that our behaviours and various cultures have contributed towards progress, beauty and diversity in our surroundings. As I understand, Islam does not prohibit luxury and beautification. Briefly speaking, asceticism in Islam means you can own things, but they shouldn’t own you. Therefore, wealth and comfort are not discouraged.
My problem is the current sheer unnecessary scale of it all which is mainly driven by profits.
I also understand that we as Muslims can’t just sit back and relax, especially since most business and economic affairs globally are handled by, let’s say, people with little concern and sincere intentions towards others/communities.
Employment also often entails working for someone else, marketing just as useless/harmful products and being in an environment that is not conducive to Islam. So it’s not a great alternative.
The problem is, unless one is highly specialised in a field (or knows a group that is) and independently comes up with and develops something completely new and innovative that solves a “real” problem (for example treatment of a disease, solving an environmental crisis, improving upon existing necessaries, contributing to the progress of society) then basically, there’s no reason to get involved in business from a purely moral or ethical perspective.
But the reality is, most of us get involved in some existing and saturated business idea (fashion, food, restaurants and other basic commodities). If the only thing one is doing, is to compete on existing variations of unnecessary items for sale and putting further strain on the environment, flashing out additional ads to get people brainwashed and hooked to your product, then how is that really doing something good? Wouldn’t it be considered as wastage and extravagance in our religion?
It is a bit like the problem of interest being an inescapable necessary evil in the world we live in.
We accept that materialism is a bad thing yet contribute towards it and say the responsibility of moderation or dealing righteously lies with the individual consumer.
Yes, one can argue if the business is successful and generates profit, we will serve our Imam (AS) and help our communities. We can pledge to use more environmentally friendly methods in materials and production etc. But does working for the “greater good” justify the damage in the process.
Isn’t that a bit like someone willing to break their principles of goodness and religion, even if for only a brief moment, for example saying they’ll play the lottery or do a dare, even though they know it is forbidden, but trying to justify it by pledging a portion of the winnings towards good. That would not be allowed in our religion, as I understand.
Basically, as I mentioned in the beginning, I’d like to get into textiles and other merchandise. But I know that the world does not need me to use its resources and give people more t-shirts and cups in the current situation we find ourselves in. My question is, how do we justify and behave from an Islamic perspective if we wish to start a business, taking into consideration the things mentioned above?
I’m sorry, this has become quite long but to conclude I have a few more specific questions regarding business practices.
Alternatives to luxury products:
This relates to the issue discussed above. There is a luxury vehicle which costs say ten times more and consumes twice as much fuel compared to an ordinary vehicle which is just as capable of taking someone from A to B. Assuming one has enough money, is it acceptable to buy the luxury vehicle, knowing that the money could be put to much better use elsewhere and the additional wastage of fuel and pollution avoided?
Profit Margins on Products:
Is it correct that we are free to set the profit margins on the items that we sell or is it considered a form of deception if they are very high, even if the buyer knows exactly what they are getting for the price and is still prepared to pay for it? (the discussion is not about hoarding and creating scarcity of a commodity or necessary item). Often popular or luxury brands operate on large profit margins.
But some products are considered “price blind” due to them being new or innovative in the market. Price blind means a consumer doesn’t know what an item should potentially cost, as there are no or only few comparable items in the market. Sellers then take advantage of this fact and they charge a high price. Still, the customer knows what they are getting and is prepared to pay the price.
What does Islam recommend for profit margins or does one usually follow industry standards?
Quotes and names of Imams (AS) on merchandise:
Is it permissible to sell merchandise with quotes and names of our Imams (AS) and to make a profit? If yes, on what type of items. Cups get dirty, so do clothes. If quotes do not contain any holy references but are simply advice or information, could one print those without the names on items like cups and t-shirts?
Selling knowledge:
I have read Hadith where it more or less stated that selling knowledge for profit is a wretched act (and it did not specify whether general/worldly or religious knowledge). Unfortunately, I don’t have the relevant hadith or reference at hand. What type of knowledge does this refer to? We see scholars and worldly people sell knowledge in form of books and courses all the time and teachers earning wages. Let’s say a worldly person wrote a book to sell for profit about their journey from atheism to belief with strategies, passages from the Quran and quotes from the Imams (AS) etc. Would this constitute as selling knowledge, or is this permissible?
Women’s Fashion: is it permissible to sell women’s fashion that is considered immodest to wear in public by Islamic standards (e.g. tight, colourful, short sleaved clothing) or are there no limitations on selling these types of items? Theoretically this type of fashion would be permissible for a wife to wear in front of her husband (such as lingerie). But assuming the seller knows that people are also likely to misuse wearing such clothes, is it still acceptable? Is the argument similar to; just as a knife has practical applications, it can also be used for harm, yet we sell knives. Or is that a weak argument?
If the answer is no, we cannot sell such items, are textile mills in Muslim countries that also manufacture for foreign buyers required to refuse the production of such goods? Is there a difference if I sell such items in Muslim or non-Muslim countries?
1- Indeed our society and our economy have become very materialistic. While it is permissible to start a business in the areas you mentioned, if you want true Barakah in your life, see if you can start a business in more beneficial areas—such as basic necessities or areas human beings can benefit from for their self-development. But as long as the products are halal, from a Fiqhi perspective it will be halal to sell them, even if some people misuse them or become excessive with them. My recommendation is for you to study what people reasonably need and then create a business to address those needs. This would be better than inventing “new needs” which “create new desires” for people.
Furthermore, try to ensure that your business does not cause significant harm to the environment and does not lead to the unnecessary wasting of resources. So yes, we must try as best as we can to save resources and not be involved in wasting them.
One recommendation is to come up with creative methods to raise awareness. For example, you can print a label on your products and remind the consumers “that resources are precious and limited, so please don’t waste this product. Use it wisely, as millions around the world do not have the luxury to afford such a product.” It really does make a difference when people are reminded.
Yet another recommendation is to be creative and find new, environmentally-friendly ways to generate clean resources. For example, since making a pair of jeans requires so much water, have your business come up with a way to recycle water, or use properly recycled water to make the jeans. This will require more effort and possibly decrease your profits, but Allah will reward you for that. Also, today there are people who want to support environmentally-friendly businesses, so be creative with your marketing and you can be successful. So any way to offset the damage causes to the environment will make your business more and more ethical.
2- Wealth and comfort are not discouraged as long as one guarantees that materialism will not negatively affect him and weaken his faith. However, one must also not be extravagant and wasteful.
3- Initially you might have to partner with existing businesses out there (that may not be so ethical), but as long as your intention is to establish a fully ethical business, then your pursuit is justified (just make sure no haram is committed). So just have the goal of: trying to be creative and save resources, try to decrease the impact on the environment, and your pursuit of a business in the textile industry will be justified.
4- Honestly, buying a very expensive and luxurious car is not recommended and not called for. Even if one is rich and paying his religious dues, it’s unnecessary to spend so much on a car. Instead of driving a $300,000 car, the rich person can drive a $50,000 car and do something useful with the $250k. True believers avoid extravagant spending.
5- You are free to set the profit margin as long as you are not engaging in any deception of the buyer. Yes, Islam recommends one not to make too much profit from customers. Doing so usually leads to greed and exploitation of people. So the profit margin should be kept reasonable and Allah will put more Barakah in the business. You are not obligated to inform the customer of your actual costs. As long as you are not deceiving or lying to them, you can set whatever price you want.
6- It’s permissible to sell items with quotes and names of our Imams. Just make sure they items are not the type that would usually be thrown in the trash. So for example if you want to sell a cup, you can have a hadith written on it about remembering Imam Hussain’s thirst, or about thanking Allah for blessings. That’s fine. If you suspect that usually such items become najes, you can write something like “The First Imam states….”
7- Those hadiths about selling knowledge basically refer to those who misuse the knowledge and do not follow the instructions of Ahlulbayt (a). Let’s say I use the knowledge of the Imams and sell my book, and I use the money in haram or not in God’s obedience. This is condemned. But let’s say I use the profits to support my family, to support charities, and so on—then it would be ok.
8- If you know that the majority of people will use the fashion items for haram (wear them publicly), then do not be a part of such business. For example, let’s say you know that 90% of your customers will wear those leggins publicly—in this case avoid selling them. As for the knife example, usually people use it for halal. It’s rare for people to use to kill others. Let’s say you lived in a society where 90% of people used knives to kill unjustly—in that case you should avoid selling them.
9- What you can do is narrow down your market areas. Try to sell your items in areas that you know they will be misused less.
10- You can get the opinion of other scholars on these questions. No problem in that. And you can post my answers on other platforms. That’s ok.
May Allah bless you.
I have heard from some Sunni Muslims that we have a Hadith about a bearded woman killing Imam al Mahdi. Is this true? If not do we have enough ahadith that tell us how the imam dies?
The chain of the hadith is weak, so we cannot verify it. We don’t know how the Imam (a) will die.
Do I need to keep track of the price of every loaf of bread and box of raisins I buy at the store, and pay 2.5% of how much they cost me in all at the end of the year?
No. Zakat applies to large amounts of them—so basically farmers who grow them.
So this does not apply to you.
Allah’s essence is infinite. Yes his knowledge and power are present everywhere. He has full knowledge of everything and full power over everything.
I watched your video about Gods existence and how it can rationally and logically be proven without the Quran. I have one question even though I agree with everything you said in that video. With the proofs you gave you’ve established there is a all powerful,intelligent and wise creator but how can we logically establish that it’s one creator and not many(astaghfurallah). I’m not doubting Allah(swt)’s existence i just want my heart to be reassured.
You may see this class video. We address your question:
https://youtu.be/_ZXrIEqV_DM
Ive been wanting to go for hajj for some time and i think this year it’ll be wajib on me as i’ll have enough money to go, but my sisters wedding is on Eid al Ghadir.
(When my sister went for hajj she returned on eid al ghadir). If that happens i won’t be able to attend the wedding.
So what should I do?
Since Hajj is wajeb on you to go, you must go. Do not delay it, as doing so is sinful. Also, know that many groups return by Eid al-Ghadeer. All the six times I went to the Hajj I was back home by Eid al-Ghadeer. So go with a group that will have you back in time for the wedding.
I have read that befriending non-Muslims is permissible, granted that they do not mock Islam or work against the Muslims. I would like to ask whether it is permissible or haram to be close friends, intimate friends, and/or best friends with non-Muslims, with the conditions listed previously in addition to the Muslim still practicing Islam and not letting the friendship affect their faith.
If you are certain that your faith and spirituality won’t be affected in any way, then yes it’s permissible.
Yes as a precaution redo those prayers from day 3 if you were praying Qasr.
If you are frequent traveler, you pray full and you fast. Scholars have different understandings of what constitutes frequent traveling. For example, some have said that if the duration between two trips is less than 10 days, and you plan to continue like this for a while (at least two months), then starting from the the third trip you pray full and fast.
I was wondering whether doing Temporary Marriage is in itself a mustahabb act, seeing I’ve heard it is, but couldn’t find anything conclusive like there is for marriage in general.
We don’t have evidence that it’s mustahab in and of itself. Yes it can becomes mustahab if:
1- It protects one’s piety and guards from falling into sins.
2- If one does it once at least to reject Omar’s ban of of it and to keep the Sunnah alive if it’s being completely abandoned in society.
Is there any duas I can recite or steps I can take to stop thinking about her past?
1- If it seems that she really did repent, she is genuinely regretful, and she seems to be an amazing person, then remember that Allah is merciful and He forgives. We all make mistakes. What’s important is that we learn from our mistakes and truly repent.
2- Reflect on Sura Furqaan verses 68-70. See how Allah describes their repentance, and how their past bad sins get converted into good deeds.
3- I recommend reading this Du’a daily:
https://www.duas.org/Amn.htm
I’d like to become a firefighter but recently signing up for my college classes I realized to become a firefighter in United States you need to be ‘Clean Shaven’ at all times. The only thing allowed is a short mustach that is because the mask seal can’t stick to a beard and mask seal is required to avoid the toxic chemicals entering your system. Is it permissible to shave my beard?
It still would not be permissible. Try to get a religious exemption, if possible.
Having said that, if the toxic chemicals will harm you, and there is a shortage of firefighters, then yes you can shave your beard to protect yourself.
Secondly, how could I trust a marja’s fatwa on something when he says it’s halal or haram without ahadith as proof? Or going against ahadith for example like Ayatollah Khamenai allowing chess when there are ahadith condemning it?
Thirdly, why is Usuli right when the oldest scholars such as Kulayni, Ali bin Ibrahim and Saduq were originally Akhbari and that Usuli came after it?
Fourthly, in Al Kafi there is a hadith on Al Sadiq AS mentioning that whatever the Holy Prophet SAWA has made halal then it is halal till the end of times and whatever has been made haram then it is haram till the end of times. Such hadith is graded sahih by Al Majlisi. So how can a marja’ make fatwas that go against the hadiths like the Khamenai and chess permissibility fatwa?
1- We do Taqlid because we need to refer an expert in Islamic Law. Either you are an expert yourself, and you have the expertise to analyze thousands of verses and hadiths (remember the book of al-Kafi alone has over 16,000 hadiths), or if you are not an expert you must refer to one.
2- We follow one Marja’ because many scholars have stated it’s obligatory to follow the most learned. So if you believe one Marja’ to be the most learned (the best expert), you must follow him only. Yes, if you a believe a group of Maraje’ are equally knowledgeable, you can follow them. You don’t have to stick to one. Or if you believe one scholar is more knowledgeable in one field of law and another is more knowledgeable in another field, then you can follow them.
3- Over time, religious sciences developed and advanced. Those early scholars, even though they are not called Usulis, did use some Usuli principles to issue rulings. Over time, the science of usul became more advanced. Also, those early scholars had more clues to determine the authenticity of hadiths. They were much closer to the narrators and the Imams. In our era, due to the big historical gap between us and the Imams, we need more tools and Usuli principles to extract Islamic laws.
4- Yes that which is haram stays haram till the Day of Judgment. Scholars accept that. However, they might have different understandings of the conditions of a particular ruling. For example, if a scholar believes that a particular game was haram only because it was gambling game, then if one day it’s not a gambling game it becomes halal.
Of course most scholars have not accepted this understanding of chess. They have said we don’t know why chess is haram—maybe it’s because it was a gambling game and because of other reasons. Hence they have maintained it’s haram.
I am travelling to Iraq for 10 days during the month of Rajab,
I will be staying in Najaf for 4-5 days and same for Karbala. Is it okay for me to fast the day I am in one city or am I not allowed to?
Also is it okay if we want to offer our prayer with the jamaat or offering qasr prayer is obligatory?
1- You cannot fast. It would not be valid to fast.
2- Yes you can pray Jama’a even if you are praying Qasr.
No you don’t pray Qadha. You pray as usual. You must do wudhu before each salat, and you must do 1 ghusl per day if it’s medium and 3 ghusls if it’s heavy istehadha.
In this case you pray.
I have a business where I sell hijabs and abayas. I don’t have a shop, so I have to post my products on social media. Recently I have started doing hujab tutorials- to show people how to wear the certain styles of hijabs. I don’t wear make up in these tutorials and make sure I am covered every where apart from my face. My intention is solely to show custmomers the hijab products. Is this allowed?
As long as you are in full hijab (no hair is showing) and you are not wearing make up, that would be ok.
It’s wajeb for water to reach all parts of the hands, so if the only way to achieve that is by wiping between the fingers, then yes it would be wajeb to do so.
But in verse 34:3 he says “But those who disbelieve say, "The Hour will not come to us." Say, "Yes, by my Lord, it will surely come to you. [Allāh is] the Knower of the unseen." Not absent from Him is an atom’s weight within the heavens or within the earth or [what is] smaller than that or greater, except that it is in a clear register -“
Yhe key distinction in the first verse he says an atoms weight and the next he says an atoms weight and anything smaller or larger. As we know today atoms have smaller contents inside known as electrons and protons. How do you reconcile both these verses. A thought crossed my mind that in the first verse Allah(swt) could wrong someone by something smaller than an atoms weight. Astaghfurallah for saying it but that’s what I’m understanding from the first verse
No the first verse is not indicating that Allah will oppress but less than the size of the atom. At the time of revelation, Arabs considered the “dharra” to be the smallest thing or particle in existence. So the first verse is saying Allah won’t oppress anyone, even to this small extent.
As for the other verse, it’s saying nothing escapes the knowledge of Allah—even if something is smaller than a dharra He knows of it. So it’s just making it clear that He knows of the smallest things in existence.
If a man performs the optional umrah mufradah and when he returns to his home country, he attains absolute certainty that he forgot to perform wudhu before completing the some of the rites of umrah and thus he did NOT have wudhu when he performed tawaf of umrah, the 2 rakat of tawaf of umra, saiy(safa amd marwa) and taqseer but the man has absolute certainty that he DID perform wudu before he performed tawafun nisa of umrah and the 2 rakat of tawafun nisa of umrah so he is certain that his tawafun nisa is correct. As he did not have wudu for tawaf of umrah is he to be considered still in the state of ihram and his wife is haram for him until he either returns to makkah or appoints an agent to perform the umrah for him?
In summary he did not have wudhu in the following acts:
1. Tawaf of umrah mufradah
2. 2 rakaf salat of tawaf of umrah mufradah
3. Saiy
4. Taqseer
He did have wudhu for:
1. Tawafun nisa of umrah mufradah
2. 2 rakat Salat of tawafun nisa of umrah mufradah
You have to go back to Mecca and redo the Tawaf and the a’mal. If you are unable to go, you must send someone or ask someone there to do it on your behalf. And you are considered in ihram until it is performed. Do your best to go soon and Allah will compensate you.
https://www.reddit.com/r/shia/comments/10i0fxu/placing_ones_hand_on_their_head_when_imam_almahdi/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
Yes we don’t have a hadith with a sahih chain that states it’s recommended to do that. The hadith about Imam Redha (a) observing that does not have a sahih chain, so cannot verify it. It doesn’t mean it’s false—it just means we cannot verify it.
However, there is nothing wrong in observing that if it indicates respect and readiness to serve the Imam (a). We are commanded to respect the Imam and obey him, so if this act indicates respect and obedience, there is nothing wrong with it.
It depends. If your ignorance is excused your prayers are valid. If not then they are invalid and must be repeated.
Basically your ignorance is excused if you really tried your best to know all the laws of Salat, and you were misinformed about this particular point. Or you really did your best to learn it and you though you knew what that you were 100% pure. The idea is that you were not negligent in any way. You really did your best to learn.
For urine, only water purifies it. So you can either take a small cup or bottle and purify it, or dry it then later at home purify it.
‘Yellow faces through staying awake at night’, he replied, ;bleary eyes through weeping, hunched backs through standing (in prayer), hollow stomachs through fasting, dry lips through prayer, and there is the dust of those who show humility on them.’
I’m trying to conceptualize my physical fitness and dieting practices with such messages. Is being physically strong and able important in Islam? Would training the body through exercise be a waste of time?
There are two ways to understand such hadiths:
1- The hadith is metaphorical, not literal. True believers are those who:
-spend a good portion of the night worshipping Allah
-they cry out of their love and fear of Allah
-They don’t overeat
-They are extremely humble
So this is the message of the hadith.
2- Some scholars take it literally, but they say the hadith is contextual. In those times when poverty was so widespread, the true believers would not eat much because there those who were starving around them.
Now: it’s good to be healthy and strong, but one must not be obsessed with his body image and with his physical strength. Imam Ali (a) would barely eat but he was physically strong. Allah grants believers spiritual strength. So one must be moderate and balanced. Some people eat a lot and spend hours in the gym to burn that and be fit. That’s excessive. One should be moderate.
I recommend the following:
1- About an hour before sunrise, smell fresh air from outside and take deep breaths. As you take deep breaths, say “La ilaha illa Allah.”
2- First thing in the morning eat some honey or 7 raisins.
3- When you feel anger do wudhu.
4- Do sujud for 2-3 minutes whenever you are able to and with a deep breath say “subhana rabbial a’la wa behamdeh” several times.
5- Read this Dua daily:
آمنت بالله وبرسوله مخلصا له الدين
May Allah help you and bless you.
I am a divorced mother of two young children and I have extreme physical needs such that it gives me lower abdominal pain and also agitation which results in me not being the best mother I would like to be (ex. yelling at times when I can be more patient). I do understand that giving self pleasure is haram and seek Allah’s help. I have considered mut’ah but the risks outweigh the benefits as I am an emotional person and get attached and it will hurt me if it doesn’t work out for long term marriage. I have tried fasting but the urge is still there. What do you suggest to get rid of the physical urge since it’s so difficult to find the right person to marry.
Some recommendations:
1- Whenever you struggle with the desire or feel the urge, do wudhu, even if you do wudhu several times a day. It helps.
2- Change your diet. Eat less in general and try to reduce foods that are high in calories and in sugar or high in energy. Also, foods such as yogurt and sour foods like lemon help too.
3- Avoid anything that triggers the desire.
4- Try to exercise more.
5- Smell camphor. Occasionally go to the cemetery if you can.
I understand your concern about marrying someone temporarily, but it could still be a viable solution. If you come across a man who is kind, has a good nature, is understanding, then hopefully most problems and misunderstandings can be avoided, and you can have a stable relationship.
May Allah facilitate it for you.
Every time I’m in prayer and Praise God in the last rakats or when I’m in sujood and rukuh I can never understand the benefits nor do I really feel spiritually sound if that makes sense. I can give you and example with how I feel. Every time I say Bismallah Al raham al Raheem, I feel noor in my heart because I know those terms mean that God is always Merciful and especially Merciful to the believers so it makes me want to pray to Him even more. How should I not pray to the one who continually gives and forgives our sins and created me to benefit. This is how Rahman and Raheem puts noor in my heart but I don’t feel the same when I’m praying and say Allahu akbar or Subhanallah or Allahmudallah. Especially when I’m sujood I feel void of that noor. I’m just praising God I don’t feel anything else. I know he created me but I just don’t feel noor when I recite these praises in salat. I think something is severely wrong with my understanding of Allah(swt) and my purpose. This is affecting my worship and I don’t know what to do.
By better understanding what those dhikrs mean, you can interact with them more:
1- When you say Allahu Akbar, you are basically saying Allah is greater than anything around me. He is greater than money, because he can help me much more than money can. He is greater than power, politics, people, and so on. Why should I distract myself with these petty issues when I have Allah as the infinite source of goodness?
2- When you say Alhamdulillah, you are thanking Allah. You are saying: O Allah you gave me my blessings, and I will thank you by using them properly, not misusing them.
When you think about the meaning of these praises, you will find that Noor Insha’Allah.
I also recommend you see lecture to better benefit from salat in general:
https://youtu.be/kPZNe_EG9nE
I was wondering if it is okay to do tawassul to the same person every time if I feel more connected to that person. For example if I feel more connceted to Imam Ali (as) or Imam Hassan (as) is it okay for me to do tawassul to him everytime, or should I then also times do tawassul to others for example the Prophet, or Imam Mehdi even if I feel more connected to another one?
It is ok, but it it’s recommended to seek the Shafa’a and Tawassul of other members of Ahlulbayt (a).
I have a question regarding the financial obligations of the man within a marriage and household.
I currently work a full time job. Despite having this job, I usually can’t fully cover all of the expenses we have in the house. Because I can’t cover for all the expenses with the current job that I have, I ask my wife to contribute anywhere from 100 up to 400 dollars so that everything can be covered.
I have suggested picking up a second fulltime job but since I have an obligation to spend time with my family my wife tells me it could have negative effects on the family and that I perhaps shouldn’t do it.
In our situation where I do work full time but I fail to make ends fully meet,
1) Is it haram for me to ask my wife to contribute until I find a more stable job?
2) Do I owe her the money that she contributes?
1) It’s not haram to ask her to contribute. What is haram is to pressure her or force her. If she willingly contributes that’s completely ok, and Allah will reward her for that
2) If she willingly gives it no. If she was forced to give it yes.
You mentioned a morning dua narrated by Juwairiyah:
سُبْحَانَ اللهِ عَدَدَ خَلْقِهِ سُبْحَانَ اللهِ زِنَةَ عَرْشِهِ سُبْحَانَ اللهِ رِضَا نَفْسِهِ سُبْحَانَ اللهِ مِدَادَ كَلِمَاتِهِ
Can I find this in Shia sources or do we rely on the dua from Sahih Muslim?
Yes you can read this. It is found in our sources, such as this:
http://shiaonlinelibrary.com/الكتب/1522_بحار-الأنوار-العلامة-المجلسي-ج-٩١/الصفحة_209
It’s the tasbih of Imam Zaman (a) according to Behar al-Anwar.
I have an extremely difficult relationship with my mother. I always have. No matter what I do she is not satisfied. In fact, whatever I do, she turns it into something negative, as if I’m a bad person, even if it is something good.
She wants to be served all the time and I’m not allowed to have my own opinion or deviate from her way on thinking and doing things….She works against me even if I’m helping her. She also makes false accusations about my character, and makes things up that I have not said, to suit her narrative…I don’t know how to handle her and she’s worn me out over the years. I feel like a bad daughter and I worry about my afterlife, but at the same time I feel oppressed by her, so I also worry about her afterlife….
Some recommendations:
1- If you are being dutiful and not wronging your mother, then don’t worry. You will not go to Jahannam. If she is not satisfied with you, it won’t affect you. A mother’s dissatisfaction affects the child if they child is being undutiful, disrespectful, or neglectful. If you are not, then please don’t worry.
2- Realize that Allah will grant you a very high reward for being patient with her. You are getting infinite hasanaat when you deal with her and stay patient.
3- Try not to take it personally. Maybe your mother was a victim of emotional abuse when she was a child and now she’s projecting it on you. Maybe it’s life stress that’s making her behave this way—even though it’s unacceptable for her to behave this way. Just imagine you are acting in a play and your role is to deal with a difficult parent. And Allah is the producer and he is evaluating your performance.
4- Don’t let her effect your self esteem. Every time she wrongs you, be patient and say to yourself: I just received a massive reward from Allah, and Allah loves me, so I’m ok.
5- Avoid anything that triggers her.
6- Read this Du’a occasionally. It will help with your situation inshallah:
https://www.duas.org/mobile/sahifasajjadia-dua24-prayer-for-parents.html
7- Try to come up with creative ways to change her negativity into positivity. For example, when she insults you or yells at you, suddenly hug her and kiss her. Over time, this will encourage her to change inshallah.