Fatwas: Part Seventeen

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

Not By First Names or Surnames

Published in January 18, 2017

Question: … Dear Sir, … Some write in the press and online using a pseudonym that indicates a religious meaning, thinking that this is part of being religious; but I tend to think that this is never part of being religious at all. What do you think? …  Thank you …  

Answer:

  Of course, one's first name, surname, or even pseudonym/pen name has nothing to do with piety or righteousness, or with one's status or fate on the Day of Resurrection. To be really religious before the sight of the Lord is to adhere to piety within one's heart and one's peaceful behavior, as believers are described in the Quran as those who believe and perform good deeds. This is what matters, regardless of one's name: be it George, Ahmed, or Cohen. We must bear in mind that god will not judge people according to their names; rather, judgment will be performed according to their deeds and beliefs.  

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About Divorce

Published in February 25, 2007

Question: …  Dear Sir, … God mentions in 2:229 that divorce may take place twice, not thrice as clergymen maintain now … What do you think? … God bless you …      

Answer:

  We refer you to our lengthy articles about divorce and the contradiction between the Quran and Sunnite fiqh on that particular topic, and your will find the answer to your question if your read these articles. 

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A Dialogue with a Misguided Man

Published in September 25, 2013

Question: …  Dear Sir, … I've been engaged in a lengthy conversation with one Sunnite sheikh, talking and debating with him about Quranism … This sheikh told me that since Quranists believe only in the Quran and reject all hadiths of Al-Bokhary and his likes that have been written more than 200 years after Prophet Muhammad's death, how come that Quranists believe that the way to perform prayers have been passing from one generation to the other since the days of Abraham, thousands of years ago? … What do you think? How can we answer that question? … Thank you …      

Answer:

   The only criterion to distinguish between fact/truth or myths as far as religion of Islam is concerned is the Quran. there is nothing called Sunna or hadiths in Islam; yet, the way of how and when prayers are performed and practiced has indeed passed as a tradition through generations. Let us bear in mind that the Quran was revealed to contradict and correct only falsehoods and distortions that occurred to the religion of Abraham. This means that there were some traditions in the 7^th century Arabia from the religion of Abraham  that never contradict the Quran: within rituals such as prayers, fasting, and pilgrimage. More details on that topic is found in our book titled "The Quran Is Enough", found on English on this link: http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=6001     

 Please accept our advice: do not trouble or bother yourself by wasting your time debating with those Sunnites who disbelieve in the Quran.

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Human Rights

Published in September 28, 2013

Question: …  Dear Sir, … Wahabis assert that human rights are an invention of the West and therefore should be discarded as they are (as a terminology) not mentioned in the Quran, whereas you assert the exact opposite. How could you have managed to deduce human rights from the Quranic text?    

Answer:

  In fact, human rights of our modern age constitute the detailed narrative of the compact, brief one in the Quranic/Islamic tenets of prevention and prohibition of injustice. Human rights reflect the higher values and purposes of the Quranic sharia legislations: freedom, mercy, charity, peace, fairness, etc. We have discussed this topic in our Quranist writings so many times; please read our entire archive first before posing repeated questions so as to save us our time.

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Beating Children

Published in October 16, 2012

Question: …  Reading your views about rights of children in Islam, I see you have avoided to mention whether it is OK or not to beat children in order to punish or discipline them. Is corporal punishment allowed or not in your Quranist vision? … Thank you …    

Answer:

   Within Islam, one is to deal with people by justice and fairness as well as charity and kindness. This should be taught to children to adopt in their lives and they are to be treated as per such values as well in their being brought up.  One is to be firm and kind while raising children in their infancy; beating or corporal punishment is to be an exception and not the rule in daily life with one's children, and for the purpose of reforming them and not to take revenge or vent bent-up anger. We personally prefer other ways of punishment such as not taking the child in an outing, preventing them temporarily from certain items they enjoy, telling them not to leave their room for a certain period, and so on. If parents are to apply corporal punishment, they must make sure never to harm the child physically. On the other hand, children must be rewarded by their parents when they perform good deeds on their own free will and choice; the danger of using corporal punishment so often is forcing the children to tell lies to protect themselves. In contrast, indulging  children too much corrupts them and makes them very selfish. We tend to think that parents must combine being firm and being kind: this is applying both justice and charity as per the Quran.         

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Because They Are Unjust

Published in April 20, 2016

Question: …  This question persists inside my mind, and I seek a convincing answer from you … God says in the Quran that he does not guide the unjust ones, the criminals, the sinners, the disbelievers, the liars, etc. as per 2:285, 2:264, 5:108, 39:3, and 40:28, to name but few examples of verses that tell us so … The question is as follows: why God does not guide those in need of guidance? Are they predestined to enter Hell?! … Thank you for your time …      

Answer:

   You are under some misunderstanding; the verses you mention do NOT mean that God has chosen not to guide people; rather, they mean that those categories of people (the liars, the sinners, the disobedient, etc.) have chosen willingly and freely to be misguided and to reject God's guidance inside the Quran. God increases the guidance of those who choose to be guided and increase the misguidance of those who choose to be misguided. The human will and freedom of choice is vital here and cannot be excluded; every individual thus decides their fate in the Hereafter (Hell or Paradise) as per deeds and faith during their lifetime on earth. The test of life is inevitable and one has to choose. 

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Women and Their Dress, Ornaments, and Accessories

Published in January 16, 2017

Question: …  Dear Sir, … I wonder why God commands both genders to dress in their best manner before going to mosques, while at the same time women are not to show their ornaments except what are apparent … Is there a contradiction here? How come? … My former Wahabism is still lingering on my mind but I'm keen on being a good Quranist… Thank you for your time …

Answer:

  Dear son, please read more in our archive of articles and books to find all the answers you seek; watch our YouTube episodes of ''Exposing Salafism", especially the ones about women dress code, and the types of internal and external ornaments for women. We refer you to our article on that topic (in English) on this link:

http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=15515 

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Quranic Chapters

Published in August 24, 2011

Question: … Dear Sir, … Is there any reason behind the fact that the Quran is divided into 114 chapters? Why it was not revealed as one text entirely with one beginning and one end without such divisions or sections? … Thank you in advance …    

Answer:

  God addresses human beings in a familiar way that their minds can understand and grasp; even human books are divided into chapters, sections, parts, etc., and the same pattern of chapters and verses is adopted in the Quran for more organization and ease in reading and frequent perusal and quoting. Each chapter is like a fenced garden containing flowers/verses of its own, with numbers to them, to provide easy access for all readership as per our different intellectual capacities; some people memorize some verses/chapters, and some can memorize the entire text of the Quran. most people aim of course at simple understanding of the Quranic text, which is clear for all who seek guidance. Indeed, the Quranic text,  with its sequence of verses grouped together in each chapter, is made easy and enjoyable to read, to remember, and to contemplate, causing elevated spiritual feelings for those who believe in it.  

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One's Earning

Published in January 17, 2017

Question: … Dear Sir, … I feel grateful to you for showing me true Islam, which has been distorted and ignored by the Muhammadans for centuries … My question is as follows: upon reading your entire archive, I could not help but notice that you repeat the notion that one's earning in life is always ascribed to God; but this does not justify those swindlers, usurers, and thieves and those who demand bribes, and their likes among corrupt people, right? You have written that the root of all evil is the motto adopted by those who never believe in the Last Day: (everything for money) … I mean to say that money earned by people is not necessarily by God, as far as ill-gotten money is concerned … Or else, why sinners who earn ill-gotten money will be punished in the Hereafter? What do you think? … Thank you …     

Answer:

 Earning is not confined to money; it includes also one's daily share of the air to breathe, the food to eat, the water to drink, good health maintained, etc. as well as one's good mental health and one's possessions. We have written about one's earning within the frame of the four inevitable fates: calamities, earning, being born, and death. More writings and videos about the types of earning in detail will be published on our website and on YouTube.

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 Covering Chests of Women

Published in March 1, 2015

Question: …  Dear Sir, … Are chests of women to be covered entirely? Or necks can be shown? Does covering them entail special clothes? Or anything would do? Does this include covering women's hair? … Thank you …    

Answer:

  We have written before many times that women's heads (including hair, faces, and necks) are never required to be covered at all. We have asserted that it is OK not to cover women's arms and feet. As for new, modern fashions of baring the cleavage, legs, etc., such baring them can be deemed as minor sin or mistake, not a major, grave one. It is also a minor sin/mistake if a man and a woman, who are not married to each other, to touch or kiss etc., because people rarely can avoid the basic sexual instinct, and God will accept the repentance of those who restrain themselves as much as they can; the real, major sin is fornication. It is a crime against God to add to His sharia laws (about women required to cover chests and legs in public) the invented notion of covering their hair by the so-called veil as an obligation or to force them to wear the so-called niqab. There are no dress codes in Islam at all for both genders; those women who wear niqab is committing a major sin by thinking that they are doing a 'religious' ritual or practice, whereas those wearing bikinis are making a small mistake that may be pardoned by doing good deeds. The worst women of all are those committing fornication; yet, they are less sinning in comparison to clergymen of Wahabism and the rest of earthly, man-made creeds/doctrines/religions that ascribe falsehoods to God's religion and sharia laws.        

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 Future of Quranists in Egypt

Published in May 27, 2014

Question: …  Dear Dr. Mansour, … What are your expectations and wishes for Quranists in Egypt, in the new coming era of stability? … Thank you …     

Answer:

   We expect that the number of Quranists will increase and our Quranist trend will spread the more in Egypt, because it copes with the culture of our modern age: the one of human rights, freedom, democracy, and human dignity. Furthermore, we expect that the Salafist/Wahabi thought will recede and dwindle because it is linked to past centuries that are gone and ancestors who are dead, with their culture based on tyranny, corruption, injustices, oppression, suppression, as well as compulsion in religion. We hope that Egypt is entering now a phase of democratic transition, whose map is drawn by the Egyptian youths (the majority of the Egyptian population) who care about their future. Within two decades, the old generation of corrupt men of Mubarak will die, and the youth of today will rule Egypt tomorrow better than the Wahabis and the military leaders. The youth will know that real Islam (Quranism) in practice and application is to apply human rights of all sorts. We are very optimistic; when our predictions come true, we will be among the deceased; please remember us after our death and pray for our soul.      

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Upon the Moment of One's Death

Published in November 11, 2015

Question: …  Dear Sir, … My question is related to what angels of death say to the dying person who has mixed good deeds and bad ones … Are such persons informed of their fate in Hell or in Paradise? Could you explain this point further, please? Thank you …    

Answer:

    God says in the Quran: "Others have confessed their sins, having mixed good deeds with bad deeds. Perhaps God will redeem them. God is Forgiving and Merciful. Receive contributions from their wealth, to purify them and sanctify them with it; and pray for them. Your prayer is comfort for them. God is Hearing and Knowing." (9:102-103). This means that those who have mixed good deeds with bad ones have the chance to repent - as long as they are living. Those whose repentance is accepted will be informed by angels of death that they are going to Paradise after the Day of Judgment. Those who never repented truly and faithfully and went on in their sinning and disobedience of God until they die, angles of death will inform them of their entering Hell after the Day of Judgment. This includes this category of people mentioned in this verse: " Others are held in suspense, awaiting God's decree, as to whether He will punish them, or accept their repentance. God is Aware and Wise. " (9:106). Hence, angels of death tell the dying persons bout their fates as a final decision/decree of God, which is taken/made as per their faiths (or lack of them) and good/bad deeds.     

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Jacob and Israel

Published in November 22, 2006

Question: …  Dear Sir, … Jacob was also named Israel in the Quran and in the Old Testament … Reasons for that change of name is never mentioned in the Quran, though. Reasons for it mentioned in the Bible cannot be believed by Quranists, I know … But can you deduce the reason(s) from the Quran for that change of names? What do you think personally of that topic? … Thank you …   

Answer:

  Of course, as far as the Quran is concerned, there is no doubt that Jacob was also named Israel, and he had 12 male children and each of them headed a tribe and all these twelve tribes are called the Israelites. We are not to tackle why or when Jacob was named Israel; god does not tackle this issue in the Quran, and therefore, we are not to discuss it. this appellation ''Israel'' that refers of Jacob is found in the Quran in 3:93 and 19:58, for example.   

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The Modern State of Israel, Again

Published in January 2, 2015

Question: … Dear Sir, … You have mentioned that the Hebrew State of Israel is a legitimate entity in your own view as a Muslim thinker, and you have quoted, as proofs, the UNN and the International Law, but why you did not quote the Quran this time?! … Why are you forgetting the European Jews in 1948 have occupied the Arab legitimate country named Palestine? … Thank you …    

Answer:

   Firstly: in our fatwas, we try to be as brief as possible, while there is ample room for more details in our articles.

  Secondly: we refer you to our article about the difference between meritocracy and rights as far as Palestine and Israel are concerned.

  Thirdly: briefly, let us assert and recapitulate here the following: guidance is directly linked to the will of a person; if one is willing to be guided, God will guide one; if one wishes and chooses to be misguided, God will misguide one. The same goes for the willingness to cause change in political and moralistic aspects: "…God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves…" (13:11). Hence, if people felt content to submit to tyrants, those tyrants are deemed legitimate rulers, then. This is related to meritocracy and force; how one had fought and struggled hard to earn such post or rank, and this is not related to rights or to right-and-wrong formulae, if such ruler is an unjust tyrant. God will support the choice of such people. If people revolt against unjust tyrants to seek change, God will support the choice of such people as well. This is related to rights more than meritocracy and force. For instance, when Moses and Aaron were sent to Pharaoh, a self-deified tyrant, they dealt with him as the legitimate ruler of Egypt at the time. Likewise, the king who debated with Abraham in 2:258 was a disbeliever and self-deified tyrant, and yet, he was a king because people accepted him as such. Hence, belief and disbelief have nothing to do with one deserving or not to rule, nor with meritocracy or legitimacy, because legitimacy is derived from what ruled people accept in general in a given country. Hence, ancient Egyptians accepted Moses' Pharaoh as their king, and thus, he was legitimate, despite his being a tyrannical, self-deified disbeliever. The same applies to another modern pharaoh: Mubarak; he was a legitimate ruler as long as people accepted that, and he lost all legitimacy once people revolted against him in 2011. This meritocracy or legitimacy was stripped from him; and God choose for people what they have chosen for themselves. As for what is right, God will judge what is wrong or right on the Day of Judgment: "God judges with justice, while those whom they invoke besides Him cannot judge with anything. It is God who is the Hearing, the Seeing. " (40:20). Hence, political legitimacy of Israel is as clear and proven as the one of the KSA, as per International Law and the UN.         

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Fie!

Published in May 15, 2012

Question: …  We were taught as children not to utter certain words or expressions to our parents to express lack of patience or fury, such as "Fie!", "Ouff!", or ''Pouff!"? …  Such expression (Ouff!) is shown in the Quran in 17:23, 21:67, and 46:17 … Does this word ''Ouff!'' refer to any expression of tedium or fury or does it mean the intention of getting out of one's sight? What does it mean exactly, in your opinion? … Thank you …    

Answer:

  You are welcome, our daughter. Since you are a writer on our Quranism website, you can write an article on that topic, expressing your own point of view. You can follow the example of ponderings methodology we adopt within our articles about Quranic terminology. The general rule is to follow the meanings of the Quranic term in its local context of verses and in the entire Quranic Chapter, and in the general context of the entire Quranic text, seeing how it is used and how many times, etc. Keep up the good work, and accept our best regards and wishes.     

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You Are Welcome, Our Dear Son

Published in March 26, 2015

Question: …  Dear Dr. Mansour, … I'm sorry because my Arabic is not very good, and allow me to write to you in colloquial, vernacular Egyptian Cairene Arabic … My name is … and I live in Cairo, and I'm 18 years old … I've discovered your website five months ago, while I was a gullible Sunnite who believed 100% of hadiths in media and in mosques … I was searching for evidence to deny veil (i.e., hijab) as I felt deep down that it is never an Islamic item at all … most male Egyptians in my age and older assume that non-veiled girls are bad, corrupt ones or whores, whereas the veiled ones are deemed as 'good' and 'well-behaved' … Sexist and racist views are spread all over society … I began to notice how girls are being molested and sexually harassed and how they look unhappy at their workplaces or at universities/schools … I felt that hijab is a bad thing, and upon browsing and searching for truth, I encountered website of the Muslim thinker Dr. M. Shahrour at first, and I read books of another Muslim thinker named Gamal Al-Banna … Both thinkers made me reject hadiths altogether, and that the ugly veil/hijab is never part of Islam … I kept watching videos of both thinkers on YouTube, until I found one video of yours and logged on your website … My life has changed for the better; I feel I'm a better Muslim when I've become a Quranist and rejected hadiths and fiqh notions … my problem began when I talked to friends and relatives about Quranism, as I felt the urge to 'save' them from the Sunnite polytheistic religion …  I felt overambitious and began proselytizing Quranism, but I was met with contempt, ridicule, and some people called me an apostate Sunna-denier! Many relatives assume that I've gone mad and urged me to reject Quranism altogether so as to be a 'real' Muslim! I feel depressed because no one converted to Quranism among my acquaintances … People began to reject my company and labeled me as a nutcase … I wish I had some Quranist friends in Cairo … I am beginning to hate my patriarchal, Wahabi society … What shall I do? Any advice? … Thank you …    

Answer:

  Allow us to welcome, our dear son, to your home, our Quranism website. You should read and re-read articles and books of ours and the articles of other fellow Quranists in order to be well-versed in Quranism and be able to write as a researcher on your own page on our website one day. At the same time, we want you to focus on reading the Quran a lot on daily basis, and it is great that you have reached the Truth at your young age, while you are brimming with youth and vitality and having enough time to read and learn a lot. You must praise the Lord for such a gift of becoming a Quranist at your age; we hope this verse would apply to you: "As for those who strive for Us-We will guide them in Our ways. God is with the doers of good." (29:69). We want you to read extensively to become a Quranist researcher instead of debating fruitlessly with Sunnites or even non-believers online; we advise you to keep away from quarrelling and heated discussions, in order to save your time and efforts for something more important, plus keeping up your excellence at your faculty/university to nurture your mind and find a good career. God bless you.  

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Thank You for Your Piece of Advice

Published in June 25, 2014

Question: …  Peace be with you, Dr. Mansour … I tend to think that the Quran must be the only source of legislation and constitution in a given Arab country … Why don't Quranists establish a political party to advocate such a rule? Do not you read verses 5:44-47 well enough? … Thank you …     

Answer:

    We think you are a new reader of our website archive; thank you for your piece of advice, anyway. Yet, you have to read thousands of our articles (some have been written more than two decades ago and published in Egyptian newspapers) and fatwas, plus our tens of books, and you will know then that Quranists are not politicians and seek no glory of this world at all. Many Quranists in the Arab world cannot even declare their religious affiliation in public for fear of being persecuted. Religion and politics do not mix at all, by the way. As for 5:44-47 , these verses NEVER refer to political rule; rather, they are tackling judgment as the way judges do in courts, NOT rulers and how they rule. This is your chance to learn; keep reading, our son, on our website. 

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God Was Pleased

Published in April 6, 2007

Question: …  Dear Sir, … As for the Quranic verse 48:18, does it mean that God was pleased with some companions of Prophet Muhammad and they are entering Paradise in the Hereafter? If not, what does 48:18 mean? … Thank you …    

Answer:

  God says in the Quran: "God was pleased with the believers, when they pledged allegiance to you under the tree…" (48:18).  This means that He was pleased with a certain group in certain situation, stance, time, and place. God is Omniscient and knew what was inside their hearts at the time of that allegiance. This does NOT mean that those people in that group were infallible or will be made to enter Paradise; this is a Sunnite interpretation of which we never approve. God does not say so specifically in 48:18 at all. Do not forget that the early believers were defeated in one battle after that; this means that some of them were disobedient and some companions were hypocrites; see 3:167. Hence, 48:18  does not refer to those promised Paradise. Indeed, no one alive is promised Paradise; this promise is granted in the Quran to all real believers in all eras, whom will be decided by God on the Day of Judgment. Please stop deifying or sanctifying the so-called companions of Prophet Muhammad. God was pleased in a certain situation and other verses show how He has exposed hypocrites and was displeased with disbelievers and hypocrites during Muhammad's lifetime at certain times and situations. This is as per one's real stance regarding the Truth and what is right, a stance known only to God, and not to any mortals. The final result will be known upon the moment of dying; angels will tell the dying person when they receive his/her soul if he/she will enter Hell or Paradise after Doomsday. At such a moment, a dying person will know for certain if God is pleased or displeased with them. There is no medial or in-between position within Paradise and Hell; each human will be in the Hereafter either among allies of God or allies of the Devil.       

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Evil Scheming

Published in October 9, 2014

Question: …  Please, Dr. Mansour, could you explain to me the Quranic verse 35:43? … Thank you …    

Answer:

   God says in the Quran: "Priding themselves on earth, and scheming evil. But evil scheming overwhelms none but its authors. Do they expect anything but the precedent of the ancients? You will not find any change in God's practice, and you will not find any substitute to God's practice." (35:43).  This means that evil scheming of any plotters (believers or non-believers) will backfire on those plotters and they will heavy price for it; they will be punished by God in this world and/or the next if they cause harm to anyone. Of course, history is filled with so many examples of what we refer to here. Yet, most people do not learn this lesson at all. If people were reasonable, they would face evil schemes against them by patience, charity, and pardon and wait until God reward them and punish the evildoers. 

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Laboring Human Beings

Published in May 10, 2015

Question: …  Could you please explain to me the Quranic verse 84:6? … Thank you very much for your time …    

Answer:

 God says in the Quran: "O man! You are laboring towards your Lord, and you will meet Him. As for him who is given his book in his right hand. He will have an easy settlement. And he will return to his family delighted. But as for him who is given his book behind his back. He will call for death. And he will enter the Blaze." (84:6-12). This means that ''laboring'' in 84:6 means all deeds done by one during one's lifetime on earth; those deeds are recorded in a book and each of us will read it on the Day of Judgment. Those who have labored for God's sake and followed the path of righteousness and Truth, adhering to peace, justice, and all Quranic values will receive this record-book by their right hand and be happy to enter Paradise. As for those who have committed evil and spent their lifetimes in worldly activities and amassing possessions while forgetting doing good deeds for the sake of the Lord and to prepare and pave their way to Heaven, and those who deny the Last Day and deny God, they will receive their record-book of deeds behind their backs and see the horror they committed and how they forgot to do good deeds for their eternal life. Hence, 84:6 refers to the fact that all of us will meet with God on the Day of Judgment to see the result of our labor on earth, and we have written a lot about how the only intercession on the Last Day is one's good deeds that have pleased God, while no human being will intercede on behalf of any other human being.