Curse of precious stones Q128 :Is it true that diamonds and other precious stones should be bought only for personal use and this be determined on the basis of knowing one’s exact date of birth. Some people suggest that if this is not taken into consideration, these precious stones may have a curse and bring…
Crossing the path of a praying person Q127 :It is suggested that it is better to stand for forty years than cross the path of a person engaged in prayer. May I ask whether this applies to people offering prayers in the mosques in Makkah and Madinah? A127 : It is strongly recommended that when…
Crescent: Significance of the crescent Q126 :What significance, if any, does the crescent moon have in Islam? A126 : There is a verse in the Qur’an which answers your question. It is Verse 189 in Surah 2, which may be rendered in translation as follows: “They ask you about the new moon. Say: They indicate…
Counting glorification Q125 :A friend of mine told me that we should not use our fingers to count the number of phrases of glorification of God we do, because the Jews do that. He claims that it is not permitted in our religion. Please comment. A125 : There is no such truth in what your…
Cosmetic surgery: Is it permissible? Q124 :I would like to know your comments on cosmetic surgery? A124 : We cannot issue a rigid ruling that all cosmetic surgery is forbidden. When cosmetic surgery has a beneficial and legitimate purpose, then it may be considered permissible, encouraged, or even obligatory. Like many other things, all five…
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.…
