Copyrights and wrongs Q123 :How far is it permissible to obtain unauthorized copies of written material on Islam including books, tapes, videos and computer programs? Should not the propaganda of Islam be made easy by the distribution of such material. For example, I have a set of cassette tapes of the Qur’an in Arabic, with…

Contraception & sterilization Q122 :I have four children and I am considering resorting to a sterilization operation to be done for my wife. She is thin and weak and can hardly cope with the demands of the family, especially during my prolonged absence, away from home to work here in Saudi Arabia. May I also…

Congregation: Women leading Q121 :On what conditions can a woman lead a congregational prayer? A121 : A woman may lead a group of women in a congregational prayer in the same way as a man does. When she does, she simply stands in the middle of the line, not ahead of it. She recites loudly…

Congregation: Who should lead the prayer? Q120 :What are the criteria to choose someone to lead a congregational prayer? If you enter a mosque and find that in the absence of the regular imam, someone is leading the prayer whom you know to be unsuitable, should you join them or not? A120 : If a…

Congregation: When imam missed ablution Q119 :After completing the congregational prayer one evening, the imam stood up and announced that he had just remembered that he did not do his ablution. He told the congregation to repeat their prayers. This led to much confusion with some people arguing that their prayer was correct and valid.…

Congregation: Late joining Q118 :I went late into the mosque for Friday prayer. The congregation had started. I joined them, but I soon realized they had already finished the major part of the prayer. When I stand up for completing my prayer, how many rak’ahs should I offer? A118 : When you join a congregation…

Congregation: Joining it from neighboring house Q117 :We live very close to a mosque and we can hear the Imam reciting the Qur’an and announcing every new action in the prayer. Is it acceptable that my wife joins the congregation staying at home? A117 : What scholars say about such questions as joining the congregation…

Congregation: Its obligatory status Q116 :What are the rules for holding a congregational prayer? How do worshipers stand? What is the advantage of praying in a congregation? Is it compulsory to form a congregation? A116 : To pray in a congregation i.e. with jama’ah is a distinctive aspect of Islamic worship. Many scholars consider that…

Congregation: Friday sermon in Arabic Q115 :It is a common belief among Muslims in a non-Arabic speaking country that the sermon given before Friday prayers must be in Arabic, saying that it is not permissible for any language other than Arabic to be used on the pulpit. What imams do, therefore, is to give a…

Congregation: Friday sermon & the voluntary prayers Q114 :I have always understood that the reason that Friday prayer is only two rak’ahs is that the khutbah compensates for the other two which we normally offer in Dhuhr prayer. Some people suggest that it is strongly discouraged to offer voluntary prayer when the speech is being…