Ikram Hawramani's Blog, page 26

How to have the motivation to finish things

How do we finish things? Like I usually have a problem of finishing reading a book,after some time I get bored and just stop reading and completely abandoning the book. This also goes for everything else like trying to learn something.

Unfortunately your motivation to finish things is strongly influenced by the neurochemical balance in your brain. Some people suffer from conditions like ADHD or bipolar disorder which makes it extremely difficult for them to work on projects and have the motivation to go through with them. The only solution for such people is getting the right medication.

Stimulants like caffeine can help increase motivation, so you can try drinking coffee. But caffeine should be avoided after 2 PM because having it later than that will affect your sleep and decrease your motivation the next day.

You will also find many articles online on how to increase motivation and avoid procrastination, although personally I am highly skeptical of the solutions they offer. One thing that can help however is exercise; spending 30 minutes doing cardio exercise (such as on an exercise bike) and this can enhance your desire to read and get things done.

How to have barakah (blessings) in all aspects of our life?

How to have barakah in all aspects of our life?

I believe the way to do that is to avoid sins and to dedicate a certain amount of time everyday to extra worship, such as reading the Quran for an hour everyday. Reading the Quran helps you avoid sins, correct character defects, and recognize the best way to worship God and speak to Him. By dedicating an hour to the Quran everyday you can actualize the true Quranic spirit in yourself, realizing that you are meant to act like one of the Prophets mentioned in the Quran; working for God and making pleasing Him your first priority in life. Once you are fully dedicated to God then God will take care of all of your needs and will place His blessings into every hour of your day inshaAllah.

On technocracy

Do you support a government based on technocracy? Is there a type of government that is compatible with all types of cultures? Is there anything that could displace democracy?

Technocracy can be democratic or otherwise. If a group of scientists seize power and force their views on the population, that would be technocracy. I do not support such a government since technological solutions are only one of the essential needs of the population. A government that is only focused on technology is going to lack other essential things in its worldview, such as moral values.

I believe that allowing people to have a say in how their government works is an essential right, so the governments would have some element of democracy. But democratic systems can be very different depending on the way they governance system works. A democracy in which the president has all of the power is going to be very different from a democracy where the parliament has equal power to the president.

It is extremely difficult to come up with ways to improve reasonably functioning democracies like those of Britain and the US because whatever change we suggest will likely have many unforeseen consequences. Humans are extremely complex as anyone who has run a business knows, there are all kinds of clashes of interest and belief.

On the saying that Satan is the teacher of Muslims without shaykhs

Have you ever heard a saying attributed to Islam that goes(i'm paraphrasing):"Whoever that does not have a teacher, satan is his teacher". What are your thoughts on that?

I have heard that saying, it is usually used to justify having students submit to the authority of a shaykh in Sufi circles. It is meant to reinforce the Sufi idea that the shaykh/teacher is central to the spiritual growth of the student and that spiritual growth cannot be sought independently without submitting to the authority of the Sufi organizational system.

My view is that the saying is ridiculous and has no basis in Islam. It is great to have good teachers. But there is nothing in Islam that requires us to submit to the authority of a shaykh/teacher as if there can be no learning or growth outside of them. I support egalitarianism (equality) between students and teachers. Teachers are simply students who have learned more.

Islam and pre-wedding photography

Salam alaikum. Does Islam permit pre-wedding photography?

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

There is no issue with such photography as long as the couple are not alone together and as long as there is no touching between them. However, a couple can perform their Islamic engagement ceremony (nikāḥ) before the wedding. If they do that, then they can do anything that a married couple do in photos without issue.

On the “Law of Attraction”

Have you heard of the 'Law of Attraction'? What are your thoughts on it?

I watched the documentary The Secret which speaks of that. It was little more than pseudo-scientific theorizing with no firm basis. So if there is a Law of Attraction, I would only believe in it once there are empirical studies confirming it.

Making up fasts after repentance, missed due to lack of knowledge

AO, what is the verdict for covering missed fasts? I grew up a Muslim but was never taught to pray & when I was young my parents discouraged me to fast bc they thought I couldn't handle it. Also they use to think swallowing saliva broke the fast so it felt impossible for me. For these reasons I missed a few years of fasting. Do I have to count and make them all up. Also I fasted before I started praying regularly. Idk if those technically counted. I feel it may be hundreds at this point. JZK

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

If your missed years of fasting happened after reaching puberty, then those fasts have to be made up according to the majority view. But if they happened before puberty, they do not need to be made up.

As for whether the fast is accepted of a person who does not pray, the general view is that it is not accepted. But I cannot find opinions on how this applies to someone who did not pray due to a lack of knowledge.

However, Ibn Taymiyya’s view is that a person who abandons the prayer or fasting and then makes repentance and starts doing them again, such a person does not need to make up any missed prayers or fasts. His view is that since becoming Muslim causes a non-Muslim to have all their sins erased and does not require them to make up any missed duties before Islam, a Muslim should also enjoy the same privilege when they repent, otherwise repenting becomes torture for them. I believe that Ibn Taymiyya’s view is at least as valid as the other views, and since it makes life easier, it may be the best one to follow. So if you follow Ibn Taymiyyah’s view, you do not need to make up any fasts or prayers that you missed before you started practicing Islam correctly.

I am not a mufti so I cannot tell you which view to follow. Just to be extra safe you could start fasting Mondays and Thursdays until you make up all the fasts you may have missed after puberty, but my own view would be that those fasts do not need to be made up (following Ibn Taymiyya’s view).

References

Fatwa from the Qatari Fatwa Authority (Arabic PDF)Majmūʿ fatāwa Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymīya, vol. 22, Medina: Mujammaʿ Malik Fahd li-Ṭibāʿat al-Muṣḥaf al-Sharīf, 2004.

Is it permissible for Muslims to celebrate secular festivals?

Assalumalaikum Is it permissible to celebrate secular festivals (like independence day, republic day etc.) and other secular days like mothers' day, fathers' day etc. ?I read on a website that all this is haraam because it involves imitating the disbelievers, something which is prohibited in a Hadith. I would also like to know to what extent does this Hadith apply in our daily life. Does this Hadith forbid imitating them in religious matters only or even in the celebration of non religious days(like mothers'day, birthdays etc.)

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

As discussed in this previous answer, celebrating secular festivals and holidays is permissible.

How to change corrupt cultures

How do we change something bad that is deeply practised in a culture? Like a culture that encourages corruption,graft,bribery and etc. Besides that,is it possible that countries that rarely get struck by natural disasters make its citizens lazy and indolent?

According to social scientists, individualism is highly correlated with non-corruption. Almost all of the world’s populations are becoming more individualistic, so this process is likely to help reduce corruption. Individualist citizens demand respect from their governments and public servants, and this is going to increase their opposition to corruption.

Speaking of Muslims specifically, besides the increase in individualism, the increase in literacy and education is also likely to help reduce corruption. Educated Muslims are going to appreciate Islam’s ideals more and will likely try harder to implement these ideals in their lives. Educating Muslims about Islam is therefore likely to greatly help in spreading its ideals.

As for natural disasters, that is entirely wrong. Western Europe might be the safest place in the world when it comes to natural disasters. Whether it is earthquakes, floods, or hurricanes, Western Europe rarely suffers any of these.

How to start studying philosophy

How do I start with philosophy? What is suitable for beginners?

There are many beginners’ books that you can start with, such as:

Philosophy: A Very Short IntroductionAn Intelligent Person’s Guide to PhilosophyA Short History of Modern Philosophy: From Descartes to Wittgenstein