Ikram Hawramani's Blog, page 31

Wanting to be good but having bad instincts

I have a sort of personal question i feel like by nature im a very bitter and harsh person i cant help but hv cruel thoughts while im never willfully malicious to ppl i always have the urge to very mean and antisocial it makes me feel very bad and i try to be nice but i feel so fake knowing that im not a genuinely big hearted person i hate feelng jealous i know its a sin but i cant help it i want to know how can i work on these negative feelings so i dont hv them anymore

You are not your instincts. If your instinct is to be harsh and cruel, then with a good soul you can override these instincts and be good and kind regardless of how you feel. That is what God rewards us for; to struggle against our instincts and have a high character regardless of our feelings.

You are a good person with bad instincts. We are all like that, it is just different people have different bad instincts. The goodness of your soul is what matters; live in your soul, connect with God and control the animal part that all of us humans have. This is the greatest and most important struggle in life; to be better than your instincts.

I recommend reading the Quran daily (an hour a day if you can), it is the most helpful thing I have found for developing a high character and correcting character flaws. The Quran shows us all of our weakness and sees through all of our illusions and excuses and forces us to face the reality of our shortcomings so that we can improve them. The Quran is exact opposite of a safe space or comfort zone, it is an arena where your character will be tested and will be made to grow and mature.

Best wishes.

Science in the Islamic world grew at the fastest rate in 2018

The Scimago Journal & Country Rank numbers for 2018 are in and they show tremendous growth among some of the the 11 top scientific publishers among the Muslim-majority countries. The number of new scientific papers published in 2018 was 44,616, which is almost twice the highest growth recorded over the past 22 years.

Iran continues to be the top scientific publisher in the Islamic world, followed by Turkey and Indonesia. The numbers do not include the scientific output of India’s 200 million Muslims.

The greatest growth came from Indonesia, which went from 18683 papers in 2017 to 31708 papers in 2018 (an increase of 13025 papers). The second highest growth came from Egypt (+5016 papers), and the third highest from Iraq (+4087).

The Islamic world is now publishing more science than either Germany, France or the United Kingdom. If the rate of growth over the past 10 years is maintained, the Islamic world will surpass the United States by 2036 assuming there is no significant growth among these Western countries (which is a reasonable assumption).

Of course, the quality of the papers published by Muslim countries is not as high as those published in more advanced countries, but that too should be expected to improve over time.

Source for the data: The Scimago Journal & Country Rank

How to make up a Ramadan fast broken due to masturbation

during ramadan i have masturbated in the middle of the day i really regret doing that and i know it's a big sin but i want to know should i fast 120 days or just one day and what else should i do ? i hope you can help me

It is sufficient to make up just one day of fasting if the fast is broken due to masturbation. Nothing else is necessary.

Fatwa from the Qatari Fatwa Authority (Arabic PDF)

Can you donate cash you find on the street?

Assalamualaikum, my mother tends to find cash on the street floor randomly every once in a while, she gives it to charity after picking it up but my friends say it is wrongful to pick it up and do anything with it, even if it's to give to charity? Is this valid?

If the amount is small, it is permitted to pick it up and use it for one’s own benefit, or to donate it in charity. The definition of a small amount is different among the scholars. Imam Ahmad and some others say that the amount is not specified and depends on the custom of the people, while Imam Malik and Imam Abu Hanifa say the amount should be less than the price of 0.875 grams of gold (which amounts to $37.18 USD in current prices).

But if you pick it up and then the owner comes looking for it, it is obligatory to give it back to them.

If the amount is more than that, then the ruling is to keep the money for one year and to make it public that you have found money without telling people the amount. If the owner does not appear after one year, it is permitted to spend the money. But if the owner appears and can convincingly argue that it is their money, then it is obligatory to give it back to them, whether during that year or afterwards.

As for whether it is better to pick up found money or to leave it where it is, the scholars differ on this. Imam Ahmad believes it is better to leave the money, while the Imams al-Shafii, Abu Hanifa and Malik believe that picking it up is better.

References

Fatwa from the Qatari Fatwa Authority (Arabic PDF)

When lying is justified in Islam

As-salamu alaykum Regarding one of the previous asks about lying to turn someone down: are there not circumstances where it is forgivable? I am unsure what kind of invitation the previous asker was wondering about, but in my own life there are circumstances where strange men may ask me personal information and whether I'm available and I feel I have to lie - even about my name - for my own safety. Of course I try to limit my encounters, but I can't avoid going to work or class or using the metro

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

Honesty is one of the most important values in Islam. If you fear for your safety, then in such a situation lying may be justified. According to a saying of the Prophet PBUH, lying is justified in three cases: 1. in times of active war 2. in order to mend relationships between people and 3. white lies between a husband and wife when telling the truth may be damaging to the relationship (thus a man is allowed to tell his wife she is beautiful even if at that moment he does not find her beautiful).

According to a quotation provided by Imam al-Ghazali, lying is also justified in order to save someone’s life (the example he gives is this: if you meet someone who wants to kill an innocent person, it is obligatory to lie to them for example by telling them the person is not where they are so that the killer will not find them). Since in your case it is a matter of safety and possibly life and death, it seems to me that lying may be justified.

References

Fatwa from the Qatari Fatwa Authority (Arabic PDF)Fatwa from IslamOnline (Arabic PDF)

She is hesitant to convert to Islam

I feel an incredible sense of comfort in Islam. I read the quotes and I'm in the process of learning Arabic and understanding the Quran, and it's safety.I've been getting waves of depression and anxiety so having something feels very nice. But I'm not Muslim. I grew up not having a religion and I'm already 16, it's difficult to really fall into something like that. I'm not sure if converting to Islam is right for me or if I'm just fascinated by the religion. May I ask your advice regarding this?

Converting to Islam can be a multi-year process, so there is no need to hurry. But once you believe in your heart that the Quran is truly from God and that Muhammad is His final messenger, then you are Muslim whether you officially convert or not. At that point you can start practicing Islam little by little, the most important part being performing the five daily prayers. I recommend reading a beginners’ book on practicing Islam, such as Being Muslim in order to know how to start.

Think of Islam as just a tool that helps you know God and worship Him in the best way possible. The point is not Islam, the point is knowing God. So your focus should be on God before anything else, and reading and understanding the Quran is a great step toward that, so it is great that you are trying to learn Arabic and understand the Quran.

But keep in mind that Islam is not a miraculous cure for depression and anxiety. Islam helps you achieve your purpose in life, which is to be an ideal servant of God. There will be good times and bad times, and there will be tests and hardships. Islam helps you deal with these difficulties and will help you find meaning and consolation, but it will not take the difficulties away.

Best wishes.

How to know when it is time to convert to Islam

As-salaamu alaykum! I am from a non-Muslim family but I have been thinking of converting. How will I know when it is right to do so, and how do I start when I do? I live in east London so there are many mosques near me, but I wouldn’t know which one is best to go to and I am nervous of rejection because I am gay. I know this is silly, because god teaches love for all his creations and Islam is not homophobic, but it’s scary coming out to new people. Thank you for your time Ramadan Mubarak

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

Once you believe Islam is truly God’s religion and admit in your heart that there is no deity besides God and that Muhammad is His messenger, then you are Muslim whether you are practicing or not and whether you “officially” convert or not. At this point it is time to start practicing Islam as much as you can. I recommend reading a beginners’ book on practicing Islam, such as Being Muslim.

Going to a mosque is similar to going to a library. There is no need to worry about being accepted or rejected; you can simply attend the prayers whenever you feel like it, and if you are male, it is obligatory to attend the Friday noon sermon and prayer. Unless you go to a very small mosque, you will likely be completely ignored and accepted as any of the rest of the attendants at the prayers.

Regarding Islam and homosexuality, please see: Islam and LGBTQ+

Good deeds that benefit a dead person

As-salamu alaykum What could we do for family members who passed away? What we can do, so that they have benefit of it? Thank you.

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

According to a fatwa by the Qatari Fatwa Authority, the following deeds can benefit a dead person:

Praying for them.Making charitable donations for their sake (i.e. making a donation with the intent that the rewards should go to a dead person).Fasting for their sake.Performing pilgrimage for their sake.

Source (Arabic PDF)

Does dua change qadar?

How do we know whether something was in our Qadr, predestined by Allah azzawajal, or whether our actions lead to a certain event? What things are definitely determined by Qadr that are unchangeable? And what predestined things can be changed by dua?

That is a complex question and there are many possible answers depending on what theory of qadar you believe in. Personally I like the views of al-Māturīdī and Ibn Taymiyya on qadar (as I discuss in this essay). According to that view, qadar is dynamic and changeable. God is always in charge of what happens to us, but God responds to our choices by changing our qadar. So if you do good deeds, God places good things and guidance in your path, and if you do bad deeds, God can place harmful things in your path. So it is all from God, but your choices affect what God decrees for you. According to this theory dua/supplication can change qadar.

The difference between devils and jinns

assalamu alaykum, what is the difference between devils and jinns?

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

Being a “devil” is a moral quality. The Quran suggests that both humans and jinns can be “devils”:

Likewise, We have assigned for every prophet an enemy—human and jinn devils—inspiring one another with fancy words in order to deceive. But had your Lord willed, they would not have done it. So leave them to their fabrications. (The Quran, verse 6:112)

So perhaps we can say that a devil is any person, human or jinn, who is intent on knowingly spreading evil and falsehood and opposing God’s wishes.

As for jinns, they are creatures that we cannot see but who can see us. We know very little about them, and most of what you hear from Islamic sources is questionable unless it is found in the Quran or sound hadith. The Quran tells us that there are good and bad people among them:

[Jinns speaking:] “Some of us are righteous, but some of us are less than that; we follow divergent paths.” (The Quran, verse 72:11)