Fatwas Part Ninety-Six

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

Your Mother Is to Blame

Published in September 30, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … When my father was bedridden, he was visited by some of his brothers and sisters (my paternal uncles and aunts) whom I saw for the first time in my life; I liked them and admired their sons and daughters; the likeness of their faces and mine and my father's is amazing; my father died and they attended the funeral; when I decided to get to know my paternal relatives, my mother was furious; within all the previous years of my life since my childhood, I know no relatives except the maternal ones (my mother is very generous with them, of course); I never know why my mother hates my paternal relatives and why she has made my father never seek to invite them at our house … I looked for the addresses of my paternal uncles and aunts (who live in a distant rural village away from the one where I live) and began to visit them; they like me so much and wept as they see me looking forward to be acquainted with them and their daughters and sons. They have celebrated my presence (despite their being poorer than I am) and told me that I'm more than welcome to visit them anytime I like; they are very kind and respectable people; no one of them spoke any negative words about my mother; they told me to ask her about the reason why I never knew before of the existence of my paternal relatives; they refused to tell me any reasons for such severed relations and why my father agreed with my mother about not letting me get to know my paternal uncles and aunts; yet, when she knew that I visited them without asking for her permission, she got very mad and screamed at my face; she made me swear on a copy of the Quran never to visit or see them again! She adamantly refused to tell me the reason for her stance against them! I feel puzzled and I do not know whether I should obey her or not; I'd love to visit my paternal relatives and to get to know them, but what about the solemn oath I made because of my mother?! Any advice? … Thank you …    

Answer:

 Your mother is to blame; apparently, she controlled your late father and made him (for some reason) never to contact his family members. She is to blame for this sin; God commands believers in the Quran to be kind and charitable to their kin and relatives. Do not obey your mother; keep in touch with your father's relatives; God will forgive your breaking the oath you made while being forced by your mother. No one should make solemn oaths by force or regarding committing a sin; you are to obey God and not any mortals who urge you to disobey the Quranic commands. Of course, you should continue being kind towards your mother and to serve her; this is your duty; yet, she has not right whatsoever to prevent you from fulfilling your duty towards your relatives. 

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About Translating the Verse 85:20

Published in September 30, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … In my translation class, I had to translate the Quranic verse 85:20 literally as follows: "And God encloses them from behind." (85:20), but I feel that the word "behind" is not correct or precise; I think that 85:20 refers to the fact that Hell-dwellers will be tormented without seeing God as the source of their torment and punishment; what do you think? … Thank you …  

Answer:

 Of course, the Quran uses figurative, metaphorical language when talking about the elements of the future, the invisible, the Afterlife (Hell and Paradise), as well as God's qualities and descriptions. The direct, factual style of language (within literal meanings of words) is employed in verses about legislations. The verse 85:20 is all about God's Omniscience and Omnipotence; i.e., He knows about all their sins and will punish them and they will never escape or get out of Hell. Please wait for our article about that topic. Thank you for your good question.

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Their Differences Indicate Disbelief

Published in October 1, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … Do the differences among Middle-Ages scholars/clergymen/authors indicate a blessing or a curse? … Thank you …

Answer:

 They indicate the curse of disbelief and polytheism; within their earthly/terrestrial religions, they differ and dispute over almost all topics and issues. Shiites, Sunnites, and Sufis ascribe their notions forcibly to Islam; their 'holy' books contain countless contradictions and discrepancies, even within a given book or one page by one author! Their hundreds of revered or 'holy' books are dearer to them than the Quran which they reject and discard; tens of sub-sects have branched from the Shiite, Sunnite, and Sufi religions; there are thousands of Sufi orders. Each sect/order has its 'holy' deified books and imams/authors/saints. Such polytheism has nothing to do with Islam which has but One Book: the Quran. Quranists are monotheists who believe that the Quran is the Only Source of Islam; yet, they differ sometimes over few details/topics and they never make their views as part of religious dogma; they ascribe their views and Quranic ponderings to themselves and NOT to God; they seek to reform and correct their ijtihad notions/ideas if proven wrong; to be human is to err; they accept human error as part of the nature of humanity; their only reference to correct their ideas/faith is the Quran itself.

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Do Not Bother our Person Anymore!

Published in October 1, 2018

Question: … I sent you several messages asking about how to donate money to your website; you never responded to any of my messages! … Someone else posed the same question for once and you responded to him! Why have you ignored my messages, then?! …    

Answer:

 Do not bother our person anymore! You are wasting your time and ours; we have responded one time to your first email message; you kept sending the same message over and over again! We assume that you mock our person within tantalization! We never beg anyone to donate to our website or our VA-based IQC. We are not like Wahabi/Sunnite centers and mosques in the West and the USA that beg for donations and receive millions of US$ as ill-gotten money. With our pen and bare hands, we strive within our intellectual, peaceful jihad against enemies of Islam (i.e., Wahabis) and we voluntarily dedicate our time, effort, and money to maintain our website and the IQC. Very few Quranists donate money within his peaceful jihad for God's sake; may God bless them. We never ask anyone to donate any money; at the same time, we never refuse any donations offered by anyone. Some people like you tantalize and mock our person; our painful experience with the likes of you tells us to ignore you; this is best policy/remedy. In fact, many people attempted to deceive our person with certain imaginary projects and we refused the ideas they have proposed. Life is short, temporary, and transient; what remains to one's soul is one's (good and bad) deeds; those who strive for God's sake do that to save themselves on the Last Day; those who donate money to the IQC are not doing so for the sake of our person but to gratify their Lord God by serving Islam (i.e., Quranism) as this peaceful jihad is very effective. God says in the Quran: "Whoever strives, strives only for himself. God is Independent of the beings." (29:6); "Who is he who will offer God a generous loan, so He will multiply it for him manifold?..." (2:245); "Whoever acts righteously does so for himself; and whoever works evil does so against himself. Your Lord is not unjust to the servants." (41:46).

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Al-Kulayni Is a Liar

Published in October 2, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … I came from a Shiite background … I desire to ask you about these two narratives/hadiths in the book of Al-Kulayni the Grand Imam of Islam: .........Jaffer Al-Sadiq..........M. Al-Baqir............. What is your own opinion? … Thank you …      

Answer:

 Who did say that Al-Kulayni is the 'grand' imam of Islam?! Did Gabriel told this to Muhammad?! The only imam within Islam is the Quran itself; Sufis, Shiites, and Sunnites within their earthly/terrestrial religions deify, sanctify, and revere their clergymen and authors by such empty, meaningless honorifics which have nothing to do with Islam; likewise, it is very wrong to assume that Al-Azhar (as well as its heads and clergymen in all eras) is linked to Islam.Al-Kulayni is a liar and so are the gods/authors like Al-Ghazaly and Al-Bokhary of the Sufi religion and the Sunnite one, respectively. All such liars fabricated myths and falsehoods and attributed them to Muhammad centuries after his death; by the way, Jaffer Al-Sadiq died in 148 A.H.; he never met with M. Al-Baqir who died in 114 A.H.; both never met Al-Kulayni who died in 329 A.H. Thus, he cannot narrate anything assumed to be uttered by both men; he never met with both of them to be able to listen to their hadiths/narratives! Hence, those deified imams/authors of the Shiite, Sunnite, and Sufi religions wrote nothing but lies and mythology which have nothing to do with Islam and Muhammad.      

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This Is Utter Nonsense

Published in October 2, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … People at my village assume that when someone dies inside a bathroom, this indicates his/her bad deeds led them to Hell; is this true?! What is your own opinion? … Thank you …      

Answer:

 This is utter nonsense; this is part of superstitions (orirrational notions) which have nothing to do with Islam, of course.

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All of Them Are Nothing but Lies

Published in October 3, 2018

Question:  … Dear Sir, … I wanna ask you about these hadiths about the earth and the universe............... … Thank you …        

Answer:

 We never believe in any hadiths at all and so are all our dear fellow Quranists; all hadiths are nothing but lies, myths, and falsehoods that have nothing to do with Islam; Muhammad never uttered any hadiths at all, of course. Planet Earth is the center of the physical universe as per our own understanding of the Quran; for more information, please read our book, in English, about the Barsakh metaphysical realm, found on this link:

        http://www.ahl-alquran.com/arabic/book_main.php?main_id=138  

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What Matters here Is the High Moralistic Level

Published in October 3, 2018

Question:  … Dear Sir, … I'm a Muslim woman and my fiancé is a Christian man; we love each other very much and we will get married; I told him about the right of Muslim women to marry non-Muslim men a per Quranism; yet, the only problem he sees is when we have children; he feels they will find it very hard to choose to be Muslims or Christians! … I told him we shall teach them morals and values and the love of God; when our children come of age, they will choose for themselves; am I right? My fiancé says this issue is very complicated; I cannot see that! What do you think?! … Thank you …      

Answer:

 You are perfectly right;what matters here most is teaching one's children the higher values and the high moralistic level (tolerance, mercy, peace, freedom, respect, etc.); when they will grow up they will choose their religion: atheism, Quranism, Christianity, Judaism, Sufism, Shiite/Sunnite religion, etc. regardless of the religious affiliations of their parents.

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Illegal Avoidance of Paying Taxes

Published in October 4, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … Is it permissible or not in Islam (i.e., Quranism) to avoid paying taxes in a country like mine (i.e., Egypt)? Is never paying taxes illegal or legal within Islam? What do you think? … Thank you …   

Answer:

 It is a prohibited sin to avoid paying taxes – in any country. This is because any given State/country uses such money of taxpayers to spend on education, healthcare, social solidarity, and protecting citizens. Thus, real believers know that taxes are debts paid to the State where they live; as for corrupt people, they carry the burdens of their sins if they avoid paying taxes; real believers take great care to adhere to justice and never to commit any types of injustices so that they die as pious people; they care for their rights and the rights of others, which include paying taxes where they live. 

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Childcare in Islam

Published in October 4, 2018

Question: …  Dear Sir, … What does the Quran tell people about childcare? Why do not you write a book or a lengthy article about this topic? … Thank you …     

Answer:

 We have already published on our website our book which covers this topic. Please read and check our archive of books and articles before posing repeated questions so as to save our time and efforts.

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A Question of Inheritance

Published in October 5, 2018

Question: …  Dear Sir, … My paternal uncle died and he had a son (who died before my uncle) and 6 daughters, plus 3 brothers and his mother; how should his wealth be distributed in the form of inheritance shares? …  Thank you …        

Answer:

 The dead son (and his children) receive no inheritance shares. The mother should receive one-sixth of the money; the daughters receive the 2/3 of the money within equal shares, and the rest is distributed in equal shares among the brothers of the deceased man.

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About the Verse 33:50

Published in October 5, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir,  … What are your reflections about the verse 33:50? When I was chatting online with some atheists within the social media websites, trying to convince them that Quranism is God's Religion of Islam, they ridiculed Prophet Muhammad based on the erroneous interpretations of 33:50! Any ideas to help me refute these atheists who ridicule polygamy and assume that men are told to rape their female slaves?! … Thank you …

Answer:

 God says in the Quran: "O Prophet! We have permitted to you your wives to whom you have given their dowries, and those you already have, as granted to you by God, and the daughters of your paternal uncle, and the daughters of your paternal aunts, and the daughters of your maternal uncle, and the daughters of your maternal aunts who emigrated with you, and a believing woman who has offered herself to the Prophet, if the Prophet desires to marry her, exclusively for you, and not for the believers. We know what We have ordained for them regarding their wives and those their right-hands possess. This is to spare you any difficulty. God is Forgiving and Merciful. You may defer any of them you wish, and receive any of them you wish. Should you desire any of those you had deferred, there is no blame on you. This is more proper, so that they will be comforted, and not be grieved, and be content with what you have given each one of them. God knows what is within your hearts. God is Omniscient and Clement. Beyond that, no other women are permissible for you, nor can you exchange them for other wives, even if you admire their beauty, except those you already have. God is Watchful over all things." (33:50-52).

 The three verses tackle temporary legislations which were confined to Muhammad; i.e., they are non-applicable now; they are part of the Quranic story of Muhammad. We detail this topic in the following points: (1) God specifies the women whom Muhammad could marry; the phrase (and those their right-hands possess) means to marry and free one's female slave(s) and NOT to have sex with them outside wedlock; of course, slavery is a type of injustice which is prohibited in Islam; the Quran urges people to free and marry their slaves; see 4:25; see our book, in English, titled "Slavery: A Fundamental Historical Overview", found on the following link:  (http://www.ahl-alquran.com/arabic/book_main.php?main_id=87), (2) God has allowed Muhammad temporarily to marry believing women who offered themselves to be his wives without being given a dowry, (3), the verse 33:52 indicates clearly that these temporary legislations linked to Muhammad ended during his lifetime, and (4) as per our understanding of the verse 4:3, polygamy is NOT confined to the limit of 4 wives to one man; marriage is based on the freedom of choice; it is prohibited to force women to marry men whom they dislike or to prevent them from marrying the men they love; mutual consent is the basis of marriage contracts in Islam.

 Lastly, we sincerely advise you never to argue with those who do not believe in the Quran as the Only Discourse within Islam and its Only Source. As per the Quran, it is prohibited to argue about God's Quranic Verses; see our two articles, in English, found on these links:      

http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=18508

http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=18847  

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About Meanings of Two Quranic Words

Published in October 7, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … What are the meanings of the words that I have underlined in these verses: "...they do not possess a speck." (35:13); "...Had God made the night perpetual over you until the Day of Resurrection, which god other than Allah will bring you illumination?..." (28:71)… Thank you …    

Answer:

 The term ''speck'' means a very tiny piece of something; this means that the false gods fashioned by the polytheists never own or control anything, tiny or big, in this world: "...As for those you call upon besides Him, they do not possess a speck." (35:13). The term (perpetual) indicates permanence forever; God's mercy entails the succession of days and nights: "Say, "Have you considered? Had God made the night perpetual over you until the Day of Resurrection, which god other than Allah will bring you illumination? Do you not hear?" Say, "Have you considered? Had God made the day perpetual over you until the Day of Resurrection, which god other than Allah will bring you night to rest in? Do you not see?" It is out of His mercy that He made for you the night and the day, that you may rest in it, and seek some of His bounty; and that you may give thanks." (28:71-73).

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Shiite Balderdash

Published in October 7, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … Some Shiite clergymen assume that the Quranic verse 2:124 'prove' that there are 'holy' imams who differ from God's prophets/messengers; they assume that there are 'holy' imams chosen by God and that their 'Imamism' is inherited by their progeny! How can this view be refuted? What do you think? … Thank you …

Answer:

  Abraham passed several tests and ordeals, and he never disobeyed his Lord God; he never fell into the trap, or grave sin, of polytheism; God has commanded him to rebuild the Kaaba and to purify its locations from the abominations (i.e., pagan statues); the religion of Abraham is monotheism, and Muhammad and all believers in all eras are told in the Quran to follow the religion of Abraham; this is why Abraham is a role-model/example/leader/imam to them. The Shiite notion of Imamism is part of their polytheistic ways of deifying clergymen; this has nothing to do with the Quranic story of Abraham; Shiites (like Sunnites and Sufis) distort, twist, and warp meanings of Quranic verses to make them accommodate their faulty notions and erroneous views. Some of the descendants of Abraham are sinners who will enter into Hell because they were not monotheists. There are imams/leaders of guidance (i.e., God's prophets and messengers), and in contrast, there are of imams/leaders of misguidance, such as the polytheistic imams of the Shiite, Sunnite, and Sufi Muhammadans who deify/sanctify things, mausoleums, relics, and mortals. Please ponder deeply on these verses: "And of Abraham, who fulfilled." (53:37); "And when his Lord tested Abraham with certain words, and he fulfilled them. He said, "I am making you a leader of humanity." He said, "And my descendants?" He said, "My pledge does not include the unjust ones." (2:124); "And We made them leaders/imams calling to the Fire. And on Resurrection Day, they will not be saved." (28:41).

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Arabs and the West Powers

Published in October 9, 2018

Question: … Dear Dr. Mansour, my name is Dr. Kamel … I have been lately listening to your sermons on YouTube, and I find them very inspiring and it is a good step forward within the endeavors of reforming Islamic culture and ideology. I also read your page on the Wikipedia website (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Subhy_Mansour) and I came across this article in English: ( http://intelligence.house.gov/sites/intelligence.house.gov/files/documents/SFR20110413Mansour.pdf); I see that you have given a good historical account about the development of 'Islamic' extremism in the Middle East, especially with regards to Saudi-Egyptian relations. However, you have completely overlooked the role of the British-American-Israeli lobby in promoting such tendencies to gain control of politics and resources in the region. Is there any reason as to why this is? … Thank you …     

Answer:

 You are more than welcome, Dr. Kamel, to our website and our YouTube channel. We say that as per our vision of history, it is a struggle between Arab rulers of the Middle East and the West powers. Of course, at first caliphs of Arabs began their aggression/conquests that included Anatolia and Iberia; the West (or Europe) reacted centuries later within the so-called Crusades. Later on, the Europeans discovered the New World or New Found Land; geographical discoveries made trade flourish; the Europeans got rid of the crippling dominance of the clergymen of the Church and the tyranny of monarchies; colonialism began later on; Arabs have remained (until now) enslaved to tyranny and clergymen of the Muhammadans. Modernization movements that began in Egypt and Tunisia failed because of tyranny; besides, the West powers aborted these movements easily. The major West powers in general (we mean Britain, France, and then the USA later no) have realized that since their god/deity/aim is money/Mammon, they can obtain it without colonization and invasion; they left the countries they have occupied and appointed tyrants/rulers who are loyal and submissive to the West. The West powers seek only their financial and political interests; their agents are the tyrannical rulers in the Arab countries now. Tyrants feel that their power is derived from the West; they cannot trust their Arab nations; this status quo will not change unless the Sunnite, Shiite, and Sufi clergymen of the Muhammadans would be stopped from getting involved in politics; absolute religious freedom (which is a Quranic higher value) must be imposed by the Law for all Arab citizens within an established culture of democracy. Otherwise, 'democracy' is a mere décor or a façade employed by affluent corrupt ones in the deep-state of tyrannical rulers (e.g., in Iraq and Afghanistan). This is why Quranism is a reformist trend that raises political and religious awareness of people so that people may uphold justice as per the Quranic verse 57:25. Of course, Quranists never seek power or political/financial gains at all; they seek only to gratify the Lord God and to convince the Muhammadans to embrace the True Islam (i.e., Qurnaism) which includes seeking reform on all levels, political and otherwise. Of course, this is a general Quranic rule: "...God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves...." (13:11). This means the Dominant Lord God will support this positive change of any given nation; people must stop their submissiveness, passivity, and docility and to adhere to dignity so that they would be ready to pay the heavy price for freedom while struggling for it, within the endeavors to apply human rights.

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Birds Hit by Vehicles

Published in October 9, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir,  … I work in a rural area and when I get to my workplace (in my car), I notice that many birds (and game) are being hit by speedy vehicles; at one time, I accidentally hit a bird the day before; is it OK to consume such birds as legal food items within Islam? Or are they dead birds and therefore cannot be consumed as food? Of course, I never intended to hit any birds with my car, but I feel guilty … What do you think?  … Thank you … 

Answer:

 The Lord God says the following in the Quran: "Prohibited for you are carrion, blood, the flesh of swine, and animals dedicated to other than God; also the flesh of animals strangled, killed violently, killed by a fall, gored to death, mangled by wild animals - except what you rescue, and animals sacrificed on altars...But whoever is compelled by hunger, with no intent of sinning - God is Forgiving and Merciful." (5:3). Hence, birds hit by vehicles can be consumed after you rescue them and slaughter them (i.e., when they show signs of life when you catch them). If you find them dead, do not consume them. Of course, do not consume food offered or animals slaughtered at mausoleums/altars of polytheists; e.g., in Sufi celebrations/festivals (i.e., moulids) of the so-called 'saints'. Yet, as per 5:3, it is OK when one who might die of hunger consumes such prohibited food items and God will forgive this person. Of course, you are not responsible for such birds hit by vehicles; if you catch them to be consumed as food, it is a legal and permissible food item, of course.

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 (Fe)male Thieves and (Fe)male Fornicators

Published in October 11, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … God mentions male and female fornicators or adulterers and adulteresses in the verse 24:2 because their sin entails two persons (i.e., a male and a female), but why does God mention male and female thieves in the verse 5:38, despite the fact that each (fe)male thief may commit this sin alone without the help of anyone of the opposite sex? Any ideas? … Thank you for taking minutes from your precious time to answer my question …

Answer:

 Of course, males and females may commit the sin of theft together; it often happens that many males and females cooperate within evil schemes, sins, and aggression; see the Quranic Chapter 111. By the way, there are many female and male thieves/swindlers who work within big companies worldwide. 

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There Is Nothing Like Him

Published in October 11, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … God says in the Quran: "Originator of the heavens and the earth. He made for you mates from among yourselves, and pairs of animals, by means of which He multiplies you. There is nothing like Him. He is the Hearing, the Seeing." (42:11) … I cannot understand the reason of mentioning the phrase (He is the Hearing, the Seeing) after this one: (There is nothing like Him), since most of God's human and non-human creatures can see and hear … Any ideas? … Thank you …    

Answer:

 One does not have the right to question God about anything, let alone about how He describes Himself in His Word: the Quran. Within our Quranist viewpoint, the verse 42:11 is about God's qualities, epithets, and descriptions; He is the Originator of the universe and everything in it; He has created all creatures in pairs (male and female), whereas there is nothing like Him; no one is to described as Originator except the Lord God Who created things in the universe out of nothing. God says in the Quran: "Say, "He is God, the One. God, the Absolute. He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none comparable to Him."" (112:1-4). As for Quranic epithets/qualities and descriptions of the Lord God that resemble those of human beings, they are mentioned within a figurative, metaphorical style to make readers understand and grasp meanings within the limited capacity of their human minds; no human language, of course, can fully describe God's Omnipotence, Omniscience, and Omnipresence. 

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The Mages

Published in October 12, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … Why are the Mages mentioned in the verse 22:17 and not in the verses 2:62 and 5:69 that have almost the same meaning which one finds in the verse 22:17? … Any ideas? What do you think? …  Thank you …  

Answer:

 God says in the Quran: "Those who believe, and those who are Jewish, and the Sabians, and the Christians, and the Mages, and the Polytheists - God will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection. God is witness to all things." (22:17); the word (Mages) is mentioned once in the Quranic text in this context about judging all human beings on the Last Day, whether they are Quran-believing people or not. There is a different context in these two verses: "Those who believe, and those who are Jewish, and the Christians, and the Sabians - any who believe in God and the Last Day, and act righteously - will have their reward with their Lord; they have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve." (2:62); "Those who believe, and the Jews, and the Sabians, and the Christians - whoever believes in God and the Last Day, and does what is right-they have nothing to fear, nor shall they grieve." (5:69); this context is about Paradise dwellers among monotheists who believe in God and in the Last Day and performed good deeds; these monotheists exist in all denominations and in all eras, of course.

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Childhood in the Quran

Published in October 12, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … Does the Quran talk about the stage of childhood? … Thank you …        

Answer:

 We refer you to our book about caring for children as per the Quranic teachings and the manifestation of this in history of the 'Muslims'. The Lord God in the Quran talks about stages of human life in the verses 22:5 and 40:67, including childhood. The stage of childhood ends when a child attains puberty, as we infer from the verses 24:31 and 24:58-59. We refer you to our episodes of our YouTube show titled "Exposing Salafism" about women's dress code; we mention in one of them how this topic is related to children regarding our understanding of the verses 24:31 and 24:58-59.