Fatwas Part Sixty-Eight

Issued by: Dr. Ahmed Subhy Mansour, translated by: Ahmed Fathy

Written Will/Testament Is An Obligatory Duty

Published in January 2, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … Are we to understand from verses about inheritance in the Quranic Chapter Four that writtenwill/testament is a duty imposed by God and not something optional? What do you think?… Thank you …    

Answer:

Having a written will/testament is an obligatory duty; indeed, all divine commands are obligatory duties that must be observed and obeyed by real believers; the prominent example of this are the Quranic Ten Commandments in 6:151-153.

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Bowing in Greeting

Published in January 2, 2018

Question: …  Dear Sir, … Is it OK as per Quranism to bow down to greet someone? What about kissing one's hand or head as a form of greeting?… Thank you …  

Answer:

 This is OK to do so within greeting, provided that there is no sanctification to that person; i.e., some Sufis sanctify their sheikhs as living saints and do so, and this is prohibited in that case as a sign of polytheism.

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Azan within the Quran

Published in January 2, 2018

Question: …  Dear Sir, … Is the Azan (call for prayers) mentioned in the Quran or not? … Thank you …

Answer:

  Within our book about prayers, we mention that prayers are inherited from the religion of Abraham, but the Quran provides new legislations about ablution, Tayammum, and praying in times of fear. Of course, the Quran comments on and corrects anything that went wrong or got distorted within the Arabs' application of the religion of Abraham. As for Azan, it is implied in the Quran text that it existed before the Quran, as we infer from this context about the Friday congregational prayers when disbelievers moved away from Muhammad: "O you who believe! When the call is made for prayer on Congregation Day, hasten to the remembrance of God, and drop all business. That is better for you, if you only knew." (62:9). Besides, some of the People of the Book used to ridicule Azan: "When you call to the prayer, they take it as a joke and a jest. That is because they are people who do not reason." (5:58). This means that Azan was known before the advent of the Quran and it is endorsed by it.

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Supplicating God to Have Mercy on Dead Disbelievers

Published in January 3, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … Is it OK as per Quranism to supplicate to God to have mercy on dead disbelievers (in terms of faith or behavior)? … What do you think? … Thank you …    

Answer:

 It is OK only for peaceful disbelievers who died, but NEVER for aggressive ones who committed injustices and massacred innocent people, as God curses them as they fought against Him and against His Way (see 4:93 and 5:33-34). Thus, tyrants who massacred millions like Hitler do not deserve mercy, and the worst types of tyrants who massacred millions are those who committed bloodshed in the name of 'Islam' like the pre-Umayyad caliphs and those caliphs/rulers who followed their footsteps of crimes/sins through the centuries until now, such as Arab tyrants and those tyrants of Iran of modern times. The sin of supplicating God to have mercy on such murderers (and all disbelievers in terms of aggressive behavior) is to side with them against God Who curses them.

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The Unjust Ones Are Losers

Published in January 3, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … God says in the Quran: "...Whoever carries injustice will lose." (20:111) …Are the unjust ones deemed as losers in this world or in the next? Or both? … Thank you …      

Answer:

 They are losers in this transient world and in the Hereafter. As for the loss of the unjust ones in the Hereafter, we read: "Losers are those who deny the encounter with God. Then, when the Hour comes upon them suddenly, they will say, "Alas for us, how we have neglected it." And they will carry their burdens on their backs-evil is what they carry." (6:31). The unjust ones are losers in this transient world as well; they spend their lives in struggles and conflicts for the sake of transient possessions and hoarding money, and then die suddenly, leaving all such things behind in spite of themselves, and such possessions and money do not avail them anything.

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 Were Jesus and Idris Raised to Heaven?

Published in January 3, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … Were the bodies of Jesus and Idris Raised to Heaven? Or is this a myth resulted from the Sunnite misunderstanding of the Quran? … Thank you …      

Answer:

 Jesus died like any other mortals and was buried; his body did NOT ascend to heaven; these verses are about his high stature and that God received his soul within the context of his death: "And for their saying, "We have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of God." In fact, they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to them as if they did. Indeed, those who differ about him are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it, except the following of assumptions. Certainly, they did not kill him. Rather, God raised him up to Himself. God is Mighty and Wise." (4:157-158). As for Idris, the context here is about praising him and showing his high stature; his body NEVER ascended to heaven: "And mention in the Book Idris. He was a man of Truth, a prophet. And We raised him to a high position." (19:56-57).

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About The Verse 10:88

Published in January 4, 2018

Question:  … Dear Sir, … God says in the Quran: "Moses said, "Our Lord, you have given Pharaoh and his retinue members splendor and wealth in the worldly life. Our Lord, for them to lead away from Your Path. Our Lord, obliterate their wealth, and harden their hearts, they will not believe until they see the painful torment."" (10:88) … My question is as follows: Was it a test for Moses' Pharaoh and his people to be affluent and thus they repelled others away from monotheism and misguided them on purpose? What do you think? … Thank you …         

Answer:

Moses' Pharaoh and his people were ingrates who were never thankful to God for the River Nile, lush gardens, bounties, wealth, and might/power bestowed on them by Him, and they used these bounties to misguide other people, as the self-deified Pharaoh imposed on people to worship him. Many tyrants, past and present, have followed the footsteps of Moses' Pharaoh, while some of them claim they believe in the Quran, but in fact, they disbelieve in the bounty of the Quran and are never thankful to God for their power/authority and wealth, and they use such bounties of the transient world to repel people away from the Quran and to misguide them by spreading Sunnite, Shiite, or Sufi myths.  

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Not Prohibited

Published in January 4, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … Are plastic surgery to beautify women's bodies prohibited or not? I mean to ask about fixing a woman's nose to look smaller, removing women's body hair and face hair by laser, liposuction, etc. … Thank you …   

Answer:

 Such surgeries are not prohibited.

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It Is No Use to Advise Salafists

Published in January 4, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … He's my friend since years ago, when we were at the university; once he returned from the KSA years ago where he worked for years, he has adopted a Saudi/Salafist/Wahabi lifestyle that includes segregation of sexes inside his own house! He and his three sons eat and live in one suite of the house and his wife and wives of the three sons eat and live within another suite, wearing niqabs all the time! Thus, a brother does not know the face of his brother's wife, though they all live in one multiple-story building! They live as if they were in a military camp, and the women would flee to the other inner rooms if someone is knocking at the gate! When I advised my friend that he and his family are tormenting themselves for no reason, he got furious and accused me of apostasy and denying Sunna! I would like to advise him again later on and to talk to him about Quranism as True Islam, especially that his eldest son has been incarcerated like other Salafist troublemakers who broke the law in Egypt, while the other two sons are on probation; my friend is depressed because of the fate of his eldest son, though he says that his son is a 'hero' of jihad and the test of patience! I would like to tell my friend that his Salafism/Wahabism is merely obedience to Satan and never to God and that he torments himself and his family; shall I preach Quranism to him once again or not? Any advice? …Thank you …   

Answer:

 It is no use to advise Wahabis and Salafists who are as stubborn and extremist as your friend; do not waste your time with him, since he has rejected your earlier pieces of advice. There are veils/barriers between his mind and the Quranic Truth. God says in the Quran: "Had God recognized any good in them, He would have made them hear; and had He made them hear, they would have turned away defiantly." (8:23). Every human being should seek the Truth himself/herself and to ponder/listen to the Quranic Truth willingly. It is most unlikely that your friend would listen to your preaching Quranism; he might verbally abuse you once more, and he is a hopeless case. One day, you friend will realize these Quranic facts, after it is too late for him: "To your Lord on that Day is the settlement. On that Day man will be informed of everything he put forward, and everything he left behind. And man will be evidence against himself. Even as he presents his excuses." (75:12-15).

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Lesbianism

Published in January 5, 2018

Question: …  Dear Sir, … Lesbianism and lesbians are never mentioned in the Quran; I read what you've written about the Quranic penalty (i.e., applied by mortals against other mortals) for gay men which is severe verbal rebuke (as per 4:16). What about penalty for lesbians? I used to commit some lesbian practices but now I've repented because I fear the Lord God … Thank you …      

Answer:

  Despite the fact that lesbianism is never mentioned in the Quran, unlike the case with male homosexuality, God has forbidden and prohibited all sorts of immoral behavior in secret and in public: "Say, "My Lord has forbidden immoralities-both open and secret..." (7:33). Within the Quranic Chapter 23, God has forbidden and prohibited all sexual activities outside wedlock and describes those immoral people as unjust transgressors. Those transgressors are those adulterers, fornicators, homosexuals, and lesbians. The Quran contains no penalty (i.e., applied by mortals against other mortals) for lesbians. Those immoral, promiscuous ones (of any types) who die without sincere repentance will enter into Hell in the Hereafter. Real, sincere repentance will make God pardon you and remit your sins.

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The Quranic Chapter Nine

Published in January 5, 2018

Question: …  Dear Sir, … As for the Quranic Chapter Nine, why is not there the phrase "In the Name of Allah, the Dominant, the Compassionate" before it? … Thank you …        

Answer:

 We do not know the reason for this; personally speaking, we do not know everything about the Quran, of course, as God is the Only Omniscient Lord. "...and above every person of knowledge, there is one more learned." (12:76). Yet, there is a notion that emerged in the writings of the Egyptian-American Dr. Rashad Khalifa (who was assassinated in Arizona, the USA, in 1990) that links this phenomenon of the Quranic Chapter Nine to the number 19 and links between it and 27:30 that contains the phrase "In the Name of Allah, the Dominant, the Compassionate".

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Women's Dancing

Published in January 5, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir,  … Is it OK that women would dance in wedding parties and men look at them? I know that dancing is never mentioned in the Quran … What do you think? … Thank you …

Answer:

 We tend to think that sexual dancing is prohibited, such as the types of Egyptian belly-dancing of women and the Saudi dancing practiced by womanish males and women. You should not look at such dancing. Yet, this dancing and looking at it are part of small mistakes or mishaps, and not full-fledged grave sins. God pardons small mistakes if one avoids grave sins such as polytheism/disbelief (in terms of faith and behavior), killing, and heterosexual, lesbian, and homosexual debaucheries. God says in the Quran: "If you avoid the worst of what you are forbidden, We will remit your sins, and admit you by a Gate of Honor." (4:31). 

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Zuleikha & Bilqis

Published in January 6, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … I know that the Quranic stories rarely mention names; but traditionally, the Arabs have given the name of Zuleikha to the Potiphar's wife in the story of Joseph and the name ofBilqis to the Queen of Sheba in the story of Solomon. Are these names true or authentic as far as history is concerned? … Thank you …    

Answer:

   As for the Arabic name of the Potiphar's wife, it is invented by Middle-Ages Arab orators/narrators and authors of the nonsensical books of 'interpretation' of the Quran. Thus, it is a false name, for sure, and it never sounds Pharaonic/Egyptian at all. As for the name of the Queen of Sheba, it might be true as per history, but we actually do not know if this name is true or not, and this matter cannot be verified. 

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Killing the Boy in the Verse 18:74

Published in January 6, 2018

Question: …  Dear Sir, … Could you explain to me why God has commanded the killing of a boy in 18:74? … Thank you…

Answer:

 This has been a Divine Decree from God the Omniscient; human beings are not to command the death of someone in a similar manner and are not to question God's Will. If human beings knew the metaphysical realm of the future, they would have killed Hitler as a child to save millions of people massacred because of him. God is the Only One Who knows the metaphysical realm of the future: "As for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared he would overwhelm them with oppression and disbelief. So we wanted their Lord to replace him with someone better in purity, and closer to mercy." (18:80-81). This unnamed prophet who was with Moses have done that as per divine command, and not as per personal whims.

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Makeup and Maquillage, Again!

Published in January 6, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … Is it OK for women to wear perfumes and makeup/maquillage before going out? … Thank you …      

Answer:

 This is not forbidden at all; and it is not forbidden for others to look at these women. Please watch our episodes "Exposing Salafism" about the ornaments and dress code for women.

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Missing Letters in Quranic Words

Published in January 7, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … I wonder why some Quranic words and terms are written with some missing letters as per modern spelling of Arabic… What is the reason of that? Was the Arabic tongue of the 7^th century A.D. that different? …Thank you … 

Answer:

 The unique Quranic tongue has nothing to do with Arabic-tongue spellings, old or new. What you ask about has to do with numerical miracles of the Quran.

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About Wine, Again!

Published in January 7, 2018

Question: …  Dear Sir, … Did people ask Muhammad about wine many times in Mecca and then in Yathreb? … When has wine been forbidden by God? … Thank you …

Answer:

  They used to ask Muhammad about things explained in the Quran before; Muhammad waited until the Quranic answers were provided. For instance, this verse was revealed in Mecca: "Say, "My Lord has forbidden immoralities - both open and secret - and sin, and unjustified aggression..." (7:33); yet, Muhammad was asked in Yathreb about wine-drinking, which is a sin as per the inherited religion of Abraham, and he waited until the answer was provided in this verse: "They ask you about wine and gambling. Say, "There is gross sin in them, and some benefits for people, but their sinfulness outweighs their benefit."..." (2:219). We understand, then, that wine-drinking is prohibited as a sin in Meccan verses and more details about this prohibition are found in Yathrebian verses.The prohibition of wine is mentioned at first in the Meccan brief definitive verses (e.g., see 7:33) and then in the Yathrebian detailed similar verses (e.g., see 2:219 & 5:90). Thus, wine in prohibited in verses revealed in both Mecca and Yathreb. Before the advent of the Quran, history tells us (yet, history is never part of religion, as history might be true or false) that some men abstained from wine-drinking so as not to get drunk and lose their aura of awe and respectability. Thus, wine-drinking is known as an abomination and a sin, before and after the Quranic verses revealed in Yathreb and in Mecca. Some peaceful believers (i.e., in terms of behavior and not in terms of monotheistic faith) in the Yathreb city-state continued to consume wine and to worship mausoleums, as they enjoyed absolute religious freedom in the Quran-based Yathreb city-state. By the way, wine-drinking has no penalty (i.e., applied by mortals against other mortals) in the Quran; yet, Sunnite fiqh scholars and hadiths-fabricators invented a penalty for it.     

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Praising the Lord God during Prayers

Published in January 7, 2018

Question: …  Dear Sir, … Why should we in our daily prayers praise the Lord God's Name so often and redundantly by the phrase "Praised and exalted be the Lord"? Is it not enough to say "Praised be the Lord"? … What do you think? … Thank you …    

Answer:

 Many Quranic verses urge real believers to glorify, praise, and remember God's Name repeatedly; we should do this as often as we can, as this is a great act of worship. God says in the Quran: "So bear patiently what they say, and celebrate the praises of your Lord before the rising of the sun, and before its setting. And during the hours of the night glorify Him, and at the borders of the day, that you may be satisfied." (20:130); "So glorify and praise your Lord, and be among those who bow down." (15:98); "And put your trust in the Living, the One who never dies; and celebrate His praise..." (25:58); "They believe in Our Verses, those who, when reminded of them, fall down prostrate, and glorify their Lord with praise, and are not proud." (32:15); "So be patient. The promise of God is true. And ask forgiveness for your sin, and proclaim the praise of your Lord evening and morning." (40:55).

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The Young Woman and her Mother!

Published in May 2, 2013

Question: … Dear Sir, … During my adolescent years, 15 years ago, I used to fornicate (i.e., to have illicit sex) for a certain period of time with a married woman whose husband was always absent and she has but one daughter younger than me … When I have found love with a virtuous young woman who is a virgin and whom I intend to marry, I've found out recently that she is the daughter of the same married woman I've sinned with, 15 years ago! Is it OK for me to marry her daughter? Is this marriage forbidden in Islam? … I have repented now and atoned for my sin as much as I can, hoping that God will forgive me, but I do not know if the married woman (who is a widow now) has repented and forgot everything or not! … Shall I go on with the engagement or shall I break it off? Any advice? … Thank you …  

Answer:

 Your marrying this young woman is not forbidden in Islam. Yet, you must NOT marry this young woman; of course, she might not a sinner be like her mother, but how come you would deal with such a mother-in-law and look at her in the face! Doubts will trouble your life if this marriage takes place; you might even attribute any faults of such a wife (within conjugal troubles or disputes) to her mother as if she would imitate her behavior. You might doubt every behavior of such a wife and you might imagine her innocent deeds as signs of betraying you with other men. Your repentance might be risked if the sinful mother would insist on having you in her bed once more! What are you going to do then? We advise you to look for another young woman to marry, so as to begin a new, pure life away from the sins of the past. 

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Not Forbidden

Published in August 7, 2012

Question: … Dear Sir, … I'm a little embarrassed by my question … Is it OK or prohibited in Islam that I would receive oral sex (i.e., fellatio) by my wife and I would have anal sex with her? … What do you think? …  Thank you …        

Answer:

 No one can add anything to the Quranic list of prohibited items/practices. The only forbidden form of conjugal/marital sex is during the wife' period/menstruation. We are not a prude who is afraid to answer such questions, but we do not like to repeat such questions on our website. This is the last time we would publish such questions of such nature. Any sexual practices between a husband and his wife must be based on mutual consent of both spouses. Please ponder deeply on the verses 23:5-6 and 2:223.