Religion: Conflict and fanaticism Q563 :We see that all over the Islamic world two rival groups are always in conflict: One attracts highly educated people who believe in reason and logic, but care little for religion, while the other consists of largely uneducated people who hold fanatically to certain beliefs and try to impose them…
Religion: As a cause of conflict, war Q562 :A new thinking is gradually developing which suggests that hatred and fighting between different types of believers are due to religion and sects. Without religion, people will have less to fight for on religious grounds. It is suggested that if people throughout the world implement a system…
Relations with former spouses Q561 :Relations with former spouses A561 : A woman is required to cover her body with the exception of her face and her palms in front of all men with the exception of her husband and close relative to whom she may not be married. She may appear in a more…
Rape victims, society’s attitude Q560 :You have mentioned recently that a woman who faces rape is not required to sacrifice her life to escape the advances of the rapist. Your answer is well appreciated. May I ask for further clarification, what if the woman conceives as a result of this barbaric act? Who has claim…
Raffles & lotteries for raising funds Q559 :Is it allowed to conduct raffles or lotteries in order to raise funds for a noble cause? A559 : Even when there is a noble cause, raising funds for it must conform to Islamic principles. The principles that “the end justifies the means” is simply unacceptable. If we…
Qur’anic translations Q558 :Which translation of the Qur’an do you recommend? A558 : This is a very difficult question to answer. There are numerous translations of the Qur’an into English. None of them can be recommended without reservations. The one which has been widely used is that of Mr. Yousuf Ali. Its numerous footnotes are…
Qur’anic reference to Arabs and Jews only Q557 :May I ask why Allah has sent down four different religious books and did not choose to send down only one book right at the beginning. That might have avoided all present conflict. May I also ask why there is much discussion about the Arabs and the…
Qur’anic recitation: Wages for Q556 :For generations, my clan has held the position of mullah in our community. This title signifies “religious leaders.” Our function is to lead prayers in mosques, and religious functions and advise people on religious matters, etc. We do not receive any payment in cash or kind for these services. Sometime,…
Qur’anic recitation in translation Q555 :If a man does not know how to read the Qur’an in Arabic, can it be read in English or Urdu or any other language? A555 : To read a translation of the meaning or the Qur’an is perfectly permissible. A Muslim who does not know Arabic should try to…
Qur’anic orders: Compliance of Q554 :Are all words of the Qur’an obligatory? Are we committing a sin if we fail to act upon any single word in the Qur’an? A554 : We cannot speak of words as being obligatory or otherwise. [I suppose] what you mean is whether every order included in the Qur’an signifies…
