Ikram Hawramani's Blog, page 4

Is talaq (divorce) valid if the husband hasn’t paid the full mahr?

Akhi Does saying talaaq 3 times together make it valid even if the husband hasnt paid the full mehr?

The triple talaq counts as only one talaq according to the opinion I prefer, and it may not even count at all if it is not done at the correct time. Please see my answer: Triple talaq (divorce) counts as only one talaq

I cannot find anything on whether having paid mahr or not affects divorce. As far as I can find that has no relevance, but the husband must pay the full mahr whether they divorce or not if the couple have been sexually intimate.

How to calculate the last third of the night for performing tahajjud

When is the correct time to pray tahajjud? Where I live fajr is at 6 so I pray it an hour before. How exactly do we work out last 3rd of the night?

From what I understand, the last third of the night is calculated this way: If the time between the isha prayer and the fajr prayer is nine hours, the last three hours of these nine hours would be the last third of the night.

Note that if it is more convenient, you can perform tahajjud (more commonly called qiyam) before going to bed. You can even perform the same kind of worship during the daytime, though it would not exactly be tahajjud, but inshaAllah God will still reward you amply for it. See my essay: Mysticism without Sufism: A Guide to Tahajjud, Islam’s Meditation Practice

What does it mean that everything is from Allah? Does it include evil?

وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ حَسَنَةٌ يَقُولُوا۟ هَٰذِهِۦ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِۖ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَقُولُوا۟ هَٰذِهِۦ مِنْ عِندِكَۚ قُلْ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِۖ According to this verse from surah an nisa everything is from Allah. Then why is it said that good dreams are from Allah n bad ones from satan? Not just for dreams, for other things too its said. Thanks dear brother

Everything is from Allah in the sense that this universe is like a video game maintained by God. Nothing can ever happen inside this game without God making it happen. This universe would be like a lifeless ball of steel, with nothing ever moving or changing, if it wasn’t for God changing it moment by moment and in this way creating what we call “time”.

But God is not the only actor in this game. God and all beings with free will are actors. So while nothing can ever happen unless God makes it happen, the reason something happens can be either God or another agent. So when a murderer shoots someone, it is God who changes the positions of the atoms so that the murder can take place. But the reason the murder happened was the murderer’s choice. So God changed the universe from a state in which the murder had not happened to a state where the murder had happened. But the murder only happened because of the murderer’s choice.

Think of it like playing a video game that’s controlled by a higher power. You can issue commands for your character in the game to do certain things. But none of your commands will have any effect unless that higher power puts your commands into practice. So you can command your character to do something, but it will only happen if that higher power takes your command seriously and allows it to happen.

So Satan can inspire certain thoughts in us, but Satan has no power over the universe. Satan can only wish, and God either allows those wishes to have an effect or not. Satan is the reason for the bad inspirations, but they would never happen unless God actually allows it to happen and changes the universe to a state where it happens.

For more on why things are this way see my essay: Why God Allows Evil to Exist, and Why Bad Things Happen to Good People

Did God forgive Adam for disobeying Him?

bro prophet Adam (as) was forgiven or punished?I know that Adam AS was created to b sent as khalifa on earth but this verse of Quran: get down [from the Garden to the earth] some of you being the enemies of the other, and there is on the earth your abode and the necessities [of life] for a time”The tone indicates displeasure On other hand Quran says Adam asked for forgiveness.We know Allah accepts repentance. So were they punished or forgiven?do v hv to bear consequences even after forgiveness

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله I’m the same anon who asked the question about Aadam (as). One reason i wanna know if we have to face consequences of our mistakes n sins even after acceptance of tauba. Pls add this to my prior post / qs. Id be very thankful if u replied. Thankyou for ur consideration.

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

Adam (as) was forgiven by God, but God had planned to put him on earth if he disobeyed. So Adam’s forgiveness had no effect on the plan that God had for him. And yes, I believe our sins can have consequences even if we repent and are forgiven. But we must always think the best of God, knowing that in His wisdom, knowledge and mercy He can always turn the seemingly bad consequences into a great blessing. Adam went from an innocent and unburdened human to a true saint who was able to worship God in difficult circumstances rather than in Paradise, so it can be considered a great blessing, especially since his mistake made it possible for millions of similar saints to exist after him.

I fully agree with Imam Ibn al-Qayyim when he says:

Satan rejoiced when Adam (peace be upon him) came out of Paradise, but he did not know that when a diver sinks into the sea, he collects pearls and then rises again.

What kind of jewelry material is halal for men?

Salamu alaikum, brother. I want to ask what kind of jewelry material is permissible for a man to wear? For example, are palladium and rhodium permissible to be used for a wedding ring and for a man to wear it on his finger? Thank you.

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

It is only gold that is forbidden to men. All other elements are permitted as long as they are not mixed with gold.

References:

Fatwa from IslamOnline (Arabic PDF)

Followup Question:

Thank you for the answer, brother. Also, this is a follow-up question for the jewelry material. Does forbidding gold applies for the white gold, as well?

Yes, it applies to everything that has the chemical element gold (Au) in it. White gold is just gold mixed with nickel, silver, or palladium usually.

Islam and nationalism

Asalam Alaikum❗️ Do you have any advice on how to not be a nationalist? Sometimes I feel too proud and have too much love for my country and culture. I feel it is wrong, since I should only be that proud of islam and being Muslim, alhamdulillah

How to overcome guilt over major sins such as committing zina (sexual activity outside of marriage)

Assalamualaikum. I have a question. I committed zina once but I am really ashamed of it, regretted it and have made taubah prayer. I know that Allah will forgive sinners if they really mean it but how do I live with knowing that I have committed this sin?? I just can’t take this out of my head and I feel like I am always a useless being for having done so. And I feel embarrassed because of that to even do good deeds. Does a sinner like me even have a place to see Allah?

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

The Prophet PBUH says: “A person who repents from a sin is like one who has not committed the sin.” I understand your guilt and I believe the best way to overcome it is to try to be an extraordinary Muslim from now on, such as by reading the Quran for an hour every day for the rest of your life. You can also promise God to do a significant extra act of worship for Him, such as giving away $10,000 in charity in small amounts, or performing 1000 rakats of extra prayers (in units of two), doing as many as easy to do every day whether during the day or night. You could also start fasting every Monday and Thursday until you have performed a certain number of fasts, such as 100. You can also commit to seeking religious knowledge, such as by reading all of Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim. InshaAllah these things will help ease your guilt. 

Best wishes inshaAllah.

Are nose septum piercings allowed in Islam?

salaam, is a nose septum piercing allowed in islam?

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

Piercings are allowed in Islam as long as they do not endanger your health. Please see my article: Islamic rulings on ear, nose and tongue piercings

Is it permissible to eat meat cooked alongside pork?

As salamu alaykum brother. I am spending Christmas eve with the family, and the typical Danish Christmas dinner is pork roast and sometimes duck; we have both. Because of it being time and space consuming my mum will only be making one gravy - mixed, which I can live with, I just wont have any. But is it a problem the duck and pork is roasted in the oven right next to each other ?

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

That’s not a problem as long as the oil from the pork does not spatter on the duck, so it depends on how your mother is roasting them. If one or both are in covered containers or aluminum foil then inshaAllah there will be no issue.

Also you can buy vegetarian gravy from sites like Amazon.

Keeping up the motivation to pray during cold weather

It's really hard to pray in this cold weather. Any advice how can I keep up the motivation to offer prayer?

Reading Quran daily will probably help keep up your motivation. Performing the prayer is one of God’s rights on you. You cannot ignore it without risking losing God’s blessings and protection. If you wish for His making your life easy and granting you success, then performing the prayer is essential to having such things.