Ittaqo Allah: Correct definition of Q306 :What does ‘Ittaqo Allah’ mean? The term is often translated as “fear God”. Do people worship God and do good deeds out of their love to Him or because they fear Him? A306 : The Arabic term “taqwa”, the root from which the verb you have mentioned is derived,…
Islamic state Q305 :Some of my non-Muslim friends question me about the nature of Islamic government and whether democracy can be accommodated in an Islamic system. Please clarify. A305 : We can describe Islamic government as consultative by nature. There is no absolute authority vested in a person or an institution or even in a…
Islamic names Q304 :Is there anything such as Mulsim or non-Muslim names? Names are taken on regional or language basis. Names used by Muslims today were used by people before Islam, such as David, Jacob, Abraham, etc. albeit they are used in their Arabic forms Dawood, Yaqoob and Ibraheem. These names are also used by…
Islamic literature for the non-Muslims Q303 :I, a Christian, would like to know more about Islam. Is it forbidden for me to read the Qur’an? Are there books written in English about Islam? How to get them? A303 : There are plenty of books and booklets written on Islam in English. Perhaps the best place…
Islamic law, constitution Q302 :Some people say that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not complete the rules and regulations of Islam, so the four caliphs and five Imams completed the task. Even then many matters remained unresolved. Nevertheless, because of the last nine persons and their thoughts, we are divided into many…
Islamic duty: Responsibility for Q301 :People in my home country, India, say that a wife may not perform pilgrimage, pay zakah or offer the sacrifice on Eid Al-Adha using her husband’s money. She must have her own resources to perform these duties. They say that if she utilizes her husband’s money to do the pilgrimage,…
Islam: Preaches tolerance Q300 :In my village, back home, I own a plot of land in the middle of which there is a Hindu temple. Three years ago, when I went home on vacation, a number of Hindu notables visited me to solicit my approval for a road and other services to pass through my…
Islam: Relevance of Islam in our time Q299 :Would you please explain the relevance of Islam in our time? Or may I phrase my question differently and ask whether Muslims would have been worse off had they not been practicing Muslims? May I also ask why Allah had deemed it fit to declare that Prophet…
Islam: A term which covers various religions Q298 :May I refer to verse 85 of the third surah, which states that anyone who wishes to follow any religion other than Islam will not have it accepted and that he will be a loser in the hereafter. Nevertheless, it is stated in several surahs that those…
Iqamah: Is it obligatory before a congregation? Q297 :We were about to offer prayers in congregation at the office, when the telephone rang. The imam answered it while iqamah was being said. When he had finished, he asked for the iqamah to be said again. Should he have done that, considering that we were only…
