Ablution: In the bathroom Q10 :Is it appropriate to start ablution with the name of Allah if one is doing it in the bathroom where there is a toilet? A10 : No, that is not appropriate. Mentioning the name of Allah in the bathroom is wrong. People obviously need to do the ablution in the…

Ablution and the wiping of socks Q9 :I read in an Islamic monthly magazine that when a Muslim does his ablution, i.e. ‘wudhu’, he may pass his wet hand over his footwear, only if it is made of leather. Wiping of socks made of cloth is not permissible. The writer supports his opinion by saying…

Ablution and the use of oil on skin Q8 :If I use some oils to protect my skin from drying. Should these oils be removed before ablution? A8 : If the oil you apply is of the type which prevents water from reaching your skin, then you have to remove it for ablution. However, most…

Ablution and physical contact Q7 :If a man touches or comes into physical contact with his wife or another woman, does this invalidate his ablution? A7 : According to the Shaf’ie school of thought, any touch or physical contact between a man and a woman he is eligible to marry, including his wife, invalidates ablution…

Ablution and nail polish Q6 :It is said that ablution is not valid if a woman wears nail-polish. At the same time, it is said that ablution is valid if one wipes over one’s stockings, instead of washing one’s feet. If I apply my nail-polish after I take my grand ablution at the end of…

Ablution & what invalidates it: Certain misgivings. Q5 :By how many ways is ablution invalidated? Does touching a non-Muslim or touching a woman intentionally invalidate ablution? A5 : Everything that is discharged through one’s private parts, whether wind, fluid or solid, invalidates ablution. It is well known that a discharge of semen requires a full…

Ablution & contact with the opposite sex Q4 :Schools of thought differ on the point of whether ablution is invalidated as a result of coming in contact with a member of the opposite sex. Therefore, if a person has to walk in a crowd, particularly in tawaf, where there is always the possibility of such…

Abdul Qadir Al-Jilani Q3 :Would you please give us a short biography of Abdul Qadir Al-Jilani and his contribution to Islam. In our country, people believe that he memorized the Qur’an when he was still a fetus. Is this true? A3 : Much is said about Abdul Qadir Al-Jilani who is still revered by millions…

A reformer for each century Q2 :Some people quote a Hadith which suggests that every 100 years Allah sends someone to renew Islam for the Muslim nation. They support this claim with a list of such reformers including Umar ibn Abdelaziz for the first century and Imam Al-Shafie for the second, etc. May I ask…

A Muslim only part of the time.

Q1 :I often draw examples from the Qur’an and Hadith to stress my point of view when I discuss topics with my friends. I feel that an Islamic argument is always stronger. A Muslim friend of mine, however, says that religious teachings should be left out of such…