Ikram Hawramani's Blog, page 8

Mindfulness in Islam

What is “mindfulness” in Islam?

That refers to being in the moment and clearing one’s mind from thinking about the past or the future. In Islam the best way to pray (perform salah) is to practice mindfulness while doing it. I like to focus on my soul while I pray, which immediately makes me focus on God’s much greater presence, and in that way I can focus on the prayer and enjoy it without getting distracted. I guess you can call that mindfulness.

Is seeking scientific and empirical knowledge obligatory on Muslims?

assalamu aleykom, i truly hope my questions is going to be clear and reach u in good health. i would like to know what's the position of reading (the act of reading but also the act of seeking all sorts of knowledge) in islam. is it truthful to say that islam in itself is the love and the will to seek knowledge and (the ability) to read is fundamental? I believe Allah (swt) told our Prophet (pbuh) to read 3 times, is that accurate? jazakAllahu khayran

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

The Quran constantly tells us to look into the world, the heavens, and the history of the nations before us. So seeking empirical knowledge is one of the fundamental commands of the Quran:

Many societies have passed away before you. So travel the earth and note the fate of the deniers. (Verse 3:137)

Say, “Travel the earth and observe the final fate of the deniers.” (Verse 6:11)

And it is He who sends down water from the sky. With it We produce vegetation of all kinds, from which We bring greenery, from which We produce grains in clusters. And palm-trees with hanging clusters, and vineyards, and olives, and pomegranates—similar and dissimilar. Watch their fruits as they grow and ripen. Surely in this are signs for people who believe. (Verse 6:99)

Have they not observed the government of the heavens and the earth, and all the things that God created, and that their time may have drawn near? Which message, besides this, will they believe in? (Verse 7:185)

Say, “Look at what is in the heavens and the earth.” But signs and warnings are of no avail for people who do not believe. (Verse 10:101)

Do they not see how We deal with the earth, diminishing it at its edges? God judges; and nothing can hold back His judgment. And He is quick to settle accounts. (Verse 13:41)

To every community We sent a messenger: “Worship God, and avoid idolatry.” Some of them God guided, while others deserved misguidance. So travel through the earth, and see what the fate of the deniers was. (Verse 16:36)

Have they not observed what God has created? Their shadows revolve from the right and the left, bowing to God as they shrink away. (Verse 16:48)

Have they not seen the earth, and how many beautiful pairs We produced therein? (Verse 26:7)

Do they not see that We made the night for them to rest therein, and the day for visibility? Surely in that are signs for people who believe. (Verse 27:86)

Have they not seen how God originates the creation, and then reproduces it? This is easy for God. Say, “Roam the earth, and observe how He originated the creation.” Then God will bring about the next existence. God has power over all things.” (Verses 29:19-20)

Do they not see how We conduct the water to a dry land, and with it We produce vegetation, from which their livestock eat, and themselves? Do they not see? (Verse 32:27)

Do they not reflect upon what lies before them and behind them, of the heaven and the earth? If We will, We can make the earth cave in beneath them, or make pieces of the sky fall down on them. In that is a sign for every devout servant. (Verse 34:9)

Seeking religious knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim, and seeking empirical/scientific/historical knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim community. This is known as a farḍ kifāya, which means that it is sufficient if only some members of the community carry it out. So not every person has to be a scientist or historian, but some members of the global Muslim community are required to be involved in every field of knowledge. So whatever field of knowledge you study, you are carrying out God’s command. Not every Muslim is required to be a scientist or historian, but it is an obligation on the global Muslim community to be involved in every field of knowledge, having some individuals who are scientists, others who are medical researchers, or historians, or astronomers, and so on.

As for the Prophet PBUH being told to read three times, the word used was iqraʾ, which means both “Read!” and “Recite!”. So this is not necessarily related to general reading, it seems more likely that the command was to the Prophet PBUH to start reciting the Quran as Gabriel started teaching him.

Are atheists or mushriks (idolators) worse?

Salam! Which is worse according to Islam: an atheist, or a mushrik?

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

They are the same thing actually. An atheist is someone who thinks there is another power other than God that is in charge of the universe, it’s just like believing in any other false god.

And I believe it is an axiom that active rejection of God = passive acceptance of Satan. Whenever someone rejects God, Satan becomes their guide, because they will no longer enjoy God’s protection from the thoughts that Satan inspires in them. This perhaps explains why so many atheists are so extremely bitter. Maybe they unknowingly reflect Satan’s bitterness.

I have of course met extremely moral and principled atheists. One of my favorite authors is Terry Pratchett, an atheist.

On the authenticity of the hadith “if anything could overcome qadar/God’s decree”

Salam o alaikum. This hadith: "If anything could overcome The Decree then the evil eye would overcome it." Is this an authentic hadith? Thank you

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

The hadith you mentioned comes through two chains, neither of which is very strong. Therefore from my perspective it is not proven that the Prophet PBUH said that.

Ibn 'Abbas reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

The influence of an evil eye is a fact; if anything would precede the destiny it would be the influence of an evil eye, and when you are asked to take bath (as a cure) from the influence of an evil eye, you should take bath.

Sahih Muslim 2188

Below is a diagram of the chains of the two hadiths that contain that statement:

Their combined authenticity is 16.5% according to the probabilistic verification method, which is far below the 30% needed for authentic hadiths. The hadith is not strong enough to be considered authentic, and not weak enough to be considered clearly fabricated. In everyday terms, the hadith is not strong enough to take into consideration.

Triple talaq (divorce) counts as only one talaq

Assalamualaikum I want to know what is the Islamic stand on triple talaaq. Also,can a woman include a condition which forbids her husband from taking another wife while he's married to her in the marriage contract?

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

On the issue of the “triple talaq” where a man says or writes “you’re divorced” three times to his wife, then I prefer Ibn Taymiyya’s opinion that this counts as only one divorce. Regardless of how the talaq is worded, a man can only divorce his wife once.

Also note that talaq is not valid if the woman is menstruating, or if she is not menstruating but her husband has had sexual intimacy with her after her menstruation. The only way to make a valid talaq that counts in Islamic law is to say it during a period of “purity”, meaning:

The woman should not be menstruatingThey shouldn’t have had sexual intimacy since her last menstruation

So if a man utters a triple talaq, or one talaq, at a time that does not satisfy the above two conditions, then no talaq has taken place.

As for the question of adding to the marriage contract the condition that the husband should not get another wife while married to her, then this is permitted. If he gets another wife, this does not nullify the marriage, but it means the wife has the full right to demand divorce and get her full dowry.

References:

Fatwa from IslamOnline (Arabic PDF)Fatwa from Shaykh Muhammad b. Amin (Arabic PDF)Fatwa from the Qatari Fatwa Authority (Arabic PDF)

On being unable to read

Brother Ikram, I was reading your IslamQA page and I came across that you were unable to read. I also could not read for some time. What did you do to recover from that? I am now able to read but it’s still overwhelming for me. Can you share what you did?

Sorry about your situation. I couldn’t read due to a number of conditions I suffer from. I found the right treatment after experimenting with hundreds of supplements and going to multiple medical professionals. If you email me at contact@hawramani.com then inshaAllah I can suggest various things you could try.

Similarities between Islam and Buddhism

As-salaamu 'alaykum, wa rahmatu-llaah. Would you be so kind as to talk about similarities between Buddhism and Islam? Jazak-Allahu khayran.

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh,

I haven’t studied Buddhism in any detail, so I cannot properly answer your question. But if you search online then there are many articles that deal with your question.

Is ghusl necessary every time one masturbates?

I have a really bad masturbation problem that causes me to do it mutinies times a day, do I still have to make ghusl every time?

Sorry about your condition. Ghusl is necessary if you want to pray after masturbating (if you are a man). You cannot pray until you make ghusl.

For help on avoiding masturbation, please see the articles on this page: Islam and Masturbation

Can a Muslim woman be a pilot?

Can a muslim woman be a pilot ? As she will be travelling with non mehram men

Yes, please see these two answers:

It is permitted for Muslim women to work in the police force and the armyCan Muslim women be airline pilots?

Is the hadith mentioning women as deficient in intelligence and faith authentic?

Assalamualaikum Are the Hadith mentioning women as deficient in intelligence authentic?

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

The following hadith which mentions that women are deficient in religiosity and intelligence is extremely strong. It is one of the most authentic hadiths I have found in my studies and reaches the rank of ṣaḥīḥ al-ṣaḥīḥ, meaning that it is an order of magnitude more authentic than the average authentic hadith.

The Prophet PBUH said: I did not see more defective in respect of intelligence and religion than the wise of you (women). A woman asked: What is the defect of reason and religion ? He replied: The defect of reason is the testimony of two women for one man, and the defect of faith is that one of you does not fast during Ramadan (when one is menstruating), and keep away from prayer for some days.

Sunan Abi Dawud 4679 (Sahih)

But keep in mind that that is the Prophet PBUH himself speaking. He was simply expressing his observation about the women of Arabia at the time. So the women around him at the time were highly deficient in religiosity and intelligence according to him, but that does not mean all women will be like that for all time. The culture of that time kept women away from education and responsibilities, so that they grew up to be highly ignorant and catty as some women are today.

It is likely that any intelligent and well-educated woman would make the exact same observation about the women of that time and culture if she were to travel back in time and meet them.

As for the Prophet PBUH saying that it is a defect in women’s intelligence that their testimony is equal to half a man’s, and that it is a defect in their religiosity that they cannot fast or pray when menstruating, I admit that it sounds highly sexist. But keep in mind that the Prophet PBUH was simply expressing his own personal opinions, as a man living at that time. It made sense to him that women were deficient in these things because of the women he saw around him, and he used the issues of testimony and menstruation to justify why they were inferior. This was his personal reasoning. This wasn’t a revelation from God telling us that women are inferior. This was an Arabian man thinking for himself. We know that the Prophet PBUH made a number of serious mistakes when he was acting on his own, and the Quran mentions many of them. There is a chapter of the Quran titled “He frowned”, which strongly reprimands the Prophet PBUH for his behavior:

He frowned and turned away. When the blind man approached him. But how do you know? Perhaps he was seeking to purify himself. Or be reminded, and the message would benefit him. But as for him who was indifferent. You gave him your attention. Though you are not liable if he does not purify himself. But as for him who came to you seeking. In awe. To him you were inattentive. Do not. This is a Lesson. (The Quran, verses 80:1-11)

Another mistake is mentioned in the following verse:

May God pardon you! Why did you give them permission before it became clear to you who are the truthful ones, and who are the liars? (The Quran, verse 9:43)

This was on the issue of letting some people in Medina stay behind when they should have accompanied him on a war campaign.

Another mistake is mentioned below:

It is not for a prophet to take prisoners before he has subdued the land. You desire the materials of this world, but God desires the Hereafter. God is Strong and Wise. Were it not for a predetermined decree from God, an awful punishment would have afflicted you for what you have taken. (The Quran, verses 8:67-68)

Yet another time when the Prophet PBUH was about to make a mistake and God has to intervene is mentioned below:

Had We not held you steady, you were about to incline towards them a little. Then We would have made you taste double (torment) in life, and double at death; then you would have found for yourself no helper against Us. (The Quran, verses 17:74-75)

So the picture that the Quran paints for us is that the Prophet PBUH was just a fallible man, a normal human, trying to carry out the mission God had given him, a man who occasionally made mistakes. The Quran tells us:

Muhammad is no more than a messenger. Messengers have passed on before him. If he dies or gets killed, will you turn on your heels? He who turns on his heels will not harm God in any way. And God will reward the appreciative. (The Quran, verse 3:144)

We never sent any messengers before you, but they ate food and walked in the marketplaces. And We made some of you tempters for one another—will you be patient? Your Lord is always Observing. (The Quran, verse 25:20)

The Quran reminds us that the Prophet PBUH is not an angel or perfect being. He was just a man, just like the prophets before him. I know that it is common for Muslims to think of the Prophet PBUH as a perfect being, and I’m sure if the Quran had not so constantly reminded Muslims that the Prophet PBUH is just a man, people would have started to worship him as God’s son just as Jesus was turned into a son of God.

So what we can conclude about this hadith is that it was the Prophet PBUH expressing his own opinion and using his own reasoning to justify it. I wish the Prophet PBUH hadn’t said that, but we can accept it and forgive him, knowing that he wasn’t an angel or a son of God, but just a man trying to carry a message.

The Prophet’s traditions (hadith) are there to help us apply the Quran better in our lives. When it comes to tangential things like these that do not have a basis in the Quran (the Quran never tells us women are inferior), we do not have to consider his opinions revelations from God. He may have been simply expressing his personal opinion. If there had been numerous other hadiths that constantly told us that women are inferior, then we would have been forced to accept them as true religious teachings. But since it is just one isolated hadith and there is no hint that the Prophet PBUH is transmitting God’s words or opinions, we can consider it simply his own opinion.

I know this is an extremely sensitive matter because it may seem like it can lead us to doubt everything the Prophet PBUH says since we cannot be sure if it is merely his own opinion or if he is acting according to God’s own words and teachings. But in reality the issue is quite simple. We judge things based on how much support they have in the Quran and in authentic hadiths. This particular hadith is isolated from the rest and has no basis in the Quran, so we can be reasonably sure that here the Prophet PBUH was acting as a man expressing his own opinions. We should keep in mind that he was sometimes merely a man speaking his own mind. We should always be eager to follow his teachings when the evidence suggests he is acting as a prophet, and this is something that is usually very clear. But we should not rule out the possibility that at times his sayings are merely his own opinions. When he says something that does not sound perfectly reasonable and justified, that is not supported by Quranic teachings, and that is not repeated in other hadiths, then that is a clear hint that he is acting on his own as a human expressing his own opinions.