Fatwas: Part Twenty-Four

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

Husbandless Wife

Published in February 12, 2017

Question: … Dear Sir, … Allow me to tell you my life-story, followed by my question … I'm an Algerian multilingual woman who has been successful in my job and love living in Algeria, and I travelled to European countries a lot in my job, but the only problem was that I reached the age of 39 and was still single, because I used to reject many suitors for different reasons  … An attractive Algerian man who has the French nationality and lives in France proposed to me … I agreed because he told me about his wealth, education, and high position, and he insisted that we should live in France once we are married and I agreed  … My family thought that I must get married and have a child before it is too late … Readily, I got married to him and traveled to his residence in France to spend the wedding night … Sadly, he could not have an erection however many times he tried, and we could not consummate the marriage for days … during the honeymoon, he slept with me only twice, and I felt disappointed … before the honeymoon is over, I discovered that he lied to me: he is impotent, jobless, uneducated, and broke and lured me into marriage by manipulating my desire to get the French nationality … I left him at once and returned to Algeria, insisting on getting a divorce … Yet, I discovered I'm pregnant … He refused to come back to Algeria to begin the divorce measures in court and we remained separated for months … He said he wanted to live again with me and our daughter, to which I gave birth but I adamantly refused to return to him, because he is an inveterate liar who is irresponsible and never a trustworthy man, and he refuses to admit to the fact that he suffers impotency  … We agreed upon divorce mutually at last, and now, people are accusing me of dealing unjustly with my newly-born daughter and that I should be patient with her father to get the French nationality, but I do not care … courts in Algeria insist that I should wait the three-month period required in the Quran before making the divorce official in papers, but I told the judge, and proved to him, that he never had sex with me for over a year … Is it necessary to wait for three months to make the divorce official in my case? … What do you think? … Thank you …  

Answer:

  If you cannot reconcile with him for your daughter's sake and convince him to receive treatment, it is your right to get divorced. The three-month waiting period is a must to make the divorce final, and it cannot be avoided, even if no sexual relations have been performed between you and him.  

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Why Cursing with Names?!

Published in June 10, 2015

Question: … Dear Sir, … Why God has cursing a man named Abou Lahab in the Quranic Chapter 111, while this contradict the command in 49:11 about people not insulting one another with names? … Thank you …      

Answer:

  Firstly, our question is utterly wrong; God makes legislative rules for believers, not for Himself. You cannot possibly question God about what He says or does: "He will not be questioned about what He does..." (21:23). Human creatures will be questioned about their deeds on the Day of Judgment. Secondly, About Lahab might be a surname of someone or might be a symbolic figure denoting male dwellers of Hell in general. In any case, this is not cursing someone with names; in 49:11, God commands us not to call each other bad names to desire to vilify and insult one another and spread hatred and animosity.   

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God Loves the Repentant Ones

Published in April 7, 2007

Question: … Dear Sir, … I am a religious woman whom people respect because of my righteousness and high moralistic level … But I feel so guilty; since I'm single, I decided to learn how to use the PC and internet and so on  … I was curious to explore chat-rooms, and I found out that all Arab men wanna talk about one topic with me: sex … Sex chat in writing became my new addiction, and I felt it is OK because I'm committing no sin (as no one saw my face or even heard my voice) and I may never be married at all … I feel guilty and I repented this sin later on, after spending months in it … But I cannot forgive myself yet; I feel I have humiliated myself by this sin … Will God accept my repentance?! … What do you think? … Thank you …     

Answer:

  You are a very good woman; God loves the repentant believers. We sincerely hope that God will accept your sincere repentance. Your feelings of remorse are natural and will take a while; remember that all people commit small sins similar to yours, and the best of them are the ones who repent soon enough. "Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves: do not despair of God's mercy, for God forgives all sins. He is indeed the Forgiver, the Clement." And turn to your Lord, and submit to Him, before the retribution comes upon you. Then you will not be helped." (39:53-54). Indeed, the technology and internet are good tools and bounties given to humanity from the Lord Who allowed them to make technological advancements, but such tools that may be used wrongly or in the right manner; the problem is never in the tool but in the users. Woe to youths who turn the bounty into a source of curse: "Have you not seen those who exchanged the blessing of God with blasphemy, and landed their people into the house of perdition? Hell-they will roast in it. What a miserable settlement." (14:28-29).   

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We Are Sorry for Not Being Able to Help You

Published in March 18, 2015

Question: … Dear Sir, … I'm from Kurdistan of Iraq, and I teach religious fiqh and legislation at the university of…and I have my special Quranist views that I have written in many unpublished books … I've read your entire archive and I have some remarks to put to you, but I need you to read my books and to give me your remarks on them first … If you like my ideas, can I write on your website? Can I contact you via Facebook or Skype? … I've attached two books of mine to this email message … Thank you for your time …      

Answer:

  We are awfully sorry for not being able to help you; we have not time for Facebook or Skype chat nor for reading your writings. God bless you and guide you to Quranism. Please accept our best regards.

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Erdoğan

Published in May 25, 2015

Question: … Dear Sir, … My question to you this time is about politics … I like your political analyses in your articles … What do you think of Erdoğan? Is he a hero or a traitor to his people and to Islam? … Thank you …    

Answer:

 Politically and economically, he seems to be one of the best presidents of turkey, but his relations with most Arab countries are not so good, but he is better than Arab tyrants because he apologized for Kurds about a certain massacre committed by Turks at one point in history. Yet, we see that he is on the verge of being a dictator; some people see that he is corrupt and encourages corruption and he quells demonstrations so cruelly and severely inside Turkey. We like to see him showing more respect democracy and human rights by undertaking legislative and constitutional reforms. We hope he will not present his candidature for another presidential term, so as not to be a full-fledged dictator like Putin of Russia.      

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Except a Messenger of His Choosing

Published in August 14, 2008

Question: … Dear Dr. Mansour, … I've read an article attacking you written in the late 1990s by an Azharite scholar named…as he resents the fact that you deny Muhammad's assumed knowledge of the future, the invisible, and the unseen, and he quotes 72:26-27 to refute your view …  What do you think? …Thank you …      

Answer:

 God says in the Quran: "The Knower of the Invisible; He does not disclose His Invisible to anyone. Except to a messenger of His choosing. He then dispatches guards before him and behind him." (72:26-27). The word 'messenger' does not refer to Muhammad in particular; rather, it refers to any messengers and prophets to whom God revealed the divine messages, which has contained some facts of the unseen or the invisible realm that God chose to reveal. As for Muhammad, other verses show that he never knew the invisible, the unseen, and the future, except elements of them revealed in the Quran, just like any readers of the Quran past and present. "Say, "I do not know whether what you are promised is near, or whether my Lord will extend it for a period."" (72:25). This means that god commanded Muhammad to say to people that he never knew the future, and 72:26-27 assert this fact. Muhammad never knew anything related to future or the invisible realm except things mentioned in the Quran; Quranic stories show that God reveals the future for some prophets, and Muhammad in the Quran is not one of them. This is asserted again in this verse: "...Nor will God inform you of the future, but God elects from among His messengers whom He wills..." (3:179). There are other verses asserting the fact that Muhammad never knew the future, the unseen, and the unknown: "Say, "I do not say to you that I possess the treasuries of God, nor do I know the future, nor do I say to you that I am an angel. I only follow what is inspired to me."..." (6:50); "They ask you about the Hour, "When will it come?" Say, "Knowledge of it rests with my Lord. None can reveal its coming except He...." (7:187); "Say, "I have no control over any benefit or harm to myself, except as God wills. Had I known the future, I would have acquired much good, and no harm would have touched me..." (7:188); "Say, "I have no power to harm or benefit myself, except as God wills..." (10:49); "Say, "I am not different from the other messengers; and I do not know what will be done with me, or with you. I only follow what is inspired in me, and I am only a clear warner."" (46:9); "They ask you about the Hour, "When will it take place?" You have no knowledge of it. To your Lord is its finality." (79:42-44). For more details, we refer you to our book titled "Quran Alone Is More Than Enough", found on this link:

http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=6001    

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Repeated Questions

Published in July 5, 2015

NOTE: We have told new comers who visit our website for the first time to read the entire archive of our writings first before they pose any questions, to avoid FAQs and save our time. Here are some repeated questions that we have received via email recently.

Q: Why God swears by different things and in different styles in the Quran?

A: Please read our book about oaths and swearing in the Quran.

Q: Please help me in my thesis ... could you revise the attachment I have sent you?

A: We have apologized many times that we have no time at all to revise or edit any writings of any type authored by others.

Q: How can we from the Quran know the timings of daily prayers and how they are performed? What about other rituals like pilgrimage and zakat? Why I cannot celebrate Eid/Feast after Ramadan if I wanna be a Quranist?! Why are you rejecting any history of Muhammad the Prophet outside the Quran?!

A: We have answered all these questions many times in our articles, books, and fatwas. Please read our archive before posing repeated questions.

Q: The Quranic word ''Kufr'' (disbelief) and its derivatives seem to have differ levels of meanings, right? What are they? Does disbelief today differ than the one during the lifetime of Muhammad?

A:  We have repeatedly written many articles on that topic.

Q: Did the so-called companions of Muhammad write the Quran? Why could not I open an account at your website now?

A: No, Muhammad wrote the Quran in that order, divinely aspired, before he died, as we have proven in many articles. Creating accounts is suspended temporarily.

Q: Why are you focusing on refuting Al-Bokhary? Why are you not refuting hadiths of other Middle-Age authors as well, since you deny all hadiths in general?

A: Others among our fellow Quranists have debunked, refuted, and criticized the hadiths by other authors. We focus on Al-Bokhary because it is the supreme deity for Sunnites and hadiths fabricated by him provide theoretical basis for modern religious Wahabi terrorism.

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Iraqi Constitution

Published in February 9, 2013

Question: … Dear Sir, … What is your view of Iraqi Constitution articles now? … Thank you …    

Answer:

 We have noticed that there are so many useless details about ordinary things that do not need to be mentioned, while many articles ignore to show important issues; such as the relation between the military and the political bodies and overlook the overlapping of the legislative, judiciary, and executive authorities in Iraq. There are no articles about freedom of speech and expression, nor religious freedom. There are no articles about separating governmental entities from religion and to prevent religious institutions from ever intervening in political life in Iraq. There is no articles about educational reform and religious reform, nor about transparency measures in elections, nor about rights of religious minorities.  

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  Why There Are No Prophetesses 

Published in April 24, 2007

Question: …  Dear Dr. Mansour, … I was wondering why God did not sent female prophets or prophetesses … Why all prophets are male? … What do you think? … Thank you …     

Answer:

     We are never allowed in Islam to question God: "He will not be questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned." (21:23). "...God knows best where to place His message..." (6:124). Of course, it is OK to ponder on Quranic verses, and in our answer here, we do not attempt to offer justification of any type. God created human males and females, and He knows His creatures: "Would He not know, He Who created? He is the Refined, the Expert." (67:14). God tells us that males are not like females: "...and the male is not like the female..." (3:36). Each gender has its specialties and missions in life, and both are maintaining human existence and development on earth. This does not mean that male humans are better than females or the vice versa. Both genders need each other and cannot ignore the existence of each other. Both genders are equal in responsibilities, in being created by God, in being tested in life, and in being judged on the Last Day. "Whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, while being a believer, We will grant him a good life-and We will reward them according to the best of what they used to do." (16:97). The divine message has nothing to do with the gender of the prophet/messenger; the focus of true believers must be on the Scripture (i.e., the Quran). Most people are misguided and focus on worshipping power and money, and those persons reject God's religion to maintain their status and stature unjustly acquired, and facing them needs courage, struggle, and steadiness of male prophets especially in the Middle Ages of patriarchal societies that deemed women as objects or commodities at the time. Besides, you can never tell if matriarchal societies, millennia ago, had prophetesses or not.                 

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Omar in World History

Published in September 26, 2012

Question: …  Dear Sir, … Do world history non-Arabic books mention caliph Omar Ibn Al-Khattab as he was the one to conquer Persia and other countries at one time to establish an Arab empire? … Thank you in advance for your time …        

Answer:

  World history textbooks worldwide in all universities mention Arab conquests as a very important part of making history of the Ancient World and as a turning point in the Middle Ages, and few lines are mentioned about Omar Ibn Al-Khattab in non-Arabic books such as A. J. Butler's "The Arab Conquest of Egypt", Will Durant's ''The Story of Civilization'', H. G. Well's "A Short History of the World", and Arnold Toynbee's "A Study of History".   

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Quranic Guidance

Published in January 9, 2014

Question: … Dear Sir, … I'm a Tunisian man brought up to be a Muhammadan, but I rejected the Sunnite faith because of its contradictions, while I was an adolescent, and I spent years in atheism, promiscuity, and wine-drinking, but I did not commit any other major sins … Reaching the age of 40, after getting married and having children, I've discovered that I long for repentance and returning to God, and I wondered if there is still time for acceptable repentance so that God will pardon my past sins and dissipation … I hate Salafist TV channels; I hated Wahabi people at mosques … The more I read in Salafist books, the more I reject Wahabism … I never liked Shiite books full of myths …  Surfing the web, after long journey of searching for real Islam, I found your Quranism website … After reading your archive, I knew I have found real faith indeed, and I am now a Quranist … I read the Quran now with a different mind and eye and I reject all of the so-called hadiths and fiqh and doctrines etc. … Thank you for being what you are to me and to all Quranists and God bless you …      

Answer:

 God bless you too, brother, and may He accepts your sincere repentance.

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Pleasure Marriage

Published in April 11, 2015

Question: … Dear Sir, … I'm a 40-year-old British man of Egyptian origin, and I'm married to an English woman … Three years ago, my wife has changed psychologically and refuses until now to have sex with me, and she loves to sleep in a separate room now, though she says she still loves me and there are no problems between us … This is why I've decided to marry another woman (as a second wife) that I know, but without telling my wife; is it OK? … Can I marry a second wife for my pleasure in secret for a temporary period? Are witnesses necessary in such contracts in the West? The second woman (who is a British 37-year-old Muslim woman of Arab origin) agrees to marry me for a certain agreed period and she is barren, and she does not need any money from me … After I divorce the second wife, as agreed, is she to have a three-month waiting period in the house of our marriage as per Quranic legislations? … Thank you …     

Answer:

  It is OK to marry her as per Islamic way of marriage: paying her a dowry and the marriage contract must be signed by at least two witnesses, and the legal marriage contract must contain all conditions proposed by her and by you, even if the marriage is intended to be temporary, and both of you and her must agree on all points/conditions stipulated in the marriage contract (especially about where to live, who will spend, the divorce money, etc.). when divorce is mutually agreed upon, the same witnesses must sign the divorce papers. You do not have to inform your first wife, unless her marriage contract contain a condition that stipulates her being informed in advance.    

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Noah's Age

Published in December 17, 2011

Question: …  Dear Sir, … I'm a Moroccan man and a father with question … Is it possible that Noah could have lived for more than 1000 years? Reading ancient books of Sunnite religion, I could not find any answers … Science tells us that age-groups of people in certain millennia never exceeded a certain limit … This issue is not trivial; my children are beginning to cast doubt on the Quran, because of the story of Noah! … What do you think? … Thank you …   

Answer:

  Of course, we must believe that the Quranic stories of prophets contain the Absolute Truth. Noah's ministry was 950 years, and this means he lived more than 1000 years before and after the deluge/flood. In the early stages of human life on earth, people used to live longer lifespans than our generations and they used to see their great-great-great-grandchildren, and people were not so many on the face of the earth, but they roamed it and lived on it. Noah was like a second father to humanity after Adam; because the Quran mentions that his progeny are the ones who remained. This means that he and his sons begot more children after the deluge. Science is yet to prove many Quranic facts. Meanwhile, we as Quranists are to believe that every single word in the Quran is part of the Truth, as the Quranic text is the last divine message from God to human beings. The Quran is God's Word, and Muhammad could never have invented it; things we could not understand fully inside Quranic verses may be shown in later eras.  

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A Piece of Advice from A Good Daughter

Published in September 12, 2013

Question: … Dear Sir, … I like and admire your ideas and website very much, and I take pride in being a Quranist: indeed, you have changed my life to the better … Yet, I feel bound to say that it pains me to see you harshly mocking and ridiculing others (dead or alive) sometimes in your comments and articles, with your sarcastic tone … Not all people are wholly bad, and the same applies rulers in the Arab world who are influenced by certain circumstances and conditions and some dangers hovering over their countries … No one claims to have the absolute truth about anything, right? … Thank you …     

Answer:

 We appreciate your email message our dear daughter, but we remind you here that reformers and reformist thinkers focus on the negative aspects that need to be dealt with (in religious thought and political thought), and we mean acts, descriptions, and traits not persons themselves. We intentionally aim to shock readers sometimes to make them stop deifying, glorifying, and adoring mortals and to urge readers to repent before dying from any polytheistic belief. Of course, to err is human; all of us need to reform and rectify ourselves, and addressing pieces of advice to one another is essential part of Muslim behavior, but without anyone claiming to confiscate the absolute truth or making one's opinion as such. Indeed, people are free to choose almost in all aspects: (dis)obedience, (dis)belief, etc., except fates like one's birth, death, earnings, and calamities. One's freedom of choice is accompanied with responsibility and results of one's choice. If no reformers raise the alarm bells, societies will suffer by lack of immediate reform, as we see in the countries of the Muhammadans.    

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You Are Welcome in Our Website

Published in May 30, 2016

Question: … Dear Sir, … I'm from Sudan and I live in it, but I am not knowledgeable enough to write articles on your website … I am convinced with all your ideas and I love being a Quranist … Along with reading your archive and watching your videos, I read and watched those of other reformist thinkers like (...,...,...,...,..., etc.)  … It feels good to rid my mind from myths of the Sunnite Wahabism and the Shiite religion as well … Quranists cannot reveal their religious views in public in Sudan so as not to face death sentences as you know … Sudan is ruled by an unjust, oppressive, and tyrannical  Wahabi regime as you know … I'd never like to reveal my real name if you want me to write comments within an account in your website … Please accept my best regards and God bless you … Thank you …    

Answer:

   Of course, you can either continue reading a lot on our website within our archive and other articles written by our fellow Quranists. You can have an account on our website using a pseudonym to be able to write comments, but you must never use the so-called hadiths unless you refute them, and you will give us your data which will not be shown online. Later on, you might get promoted to be a writer on our website. Thank you for your message and God bless and protect you. 

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Legislations that Can No Longer Be Applied

Published in October 2, 2012

Question: …  Dear Dr. Mansour, … Can the Quranic verse 33:53 be applied now? How? … Salafists use this verse to cover their women in the niqab, but this is very wrong … What do you think? … Thank you …    

Answer:

  God says in the Quran: "O you who believe! Do not enter the homes of the Prophet, unless you are given permission to come for a meal; and do not wait for its preparation. And when you are invited, go in. And when you have eaten, disperse, without lingering for conversation. This irritates the Prophet, and he shies away from you, but God does not shy away from the truth. And when you ask his wives for something, ask them from behind a screen; that is purer for your hearts and their hearts. You must never offend the Messenger of God, nor must you ever marry his wives after him, for that would be an enormity with God." (33:53). This means that this was a special case for wives of Muhammad and this is a special legislation and it cannot be applied now. This verse has nothing to do with the cursed niqab, or indeed any other dress codes.

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Self-Deceit

Published in July 17, 2016

Question: …  Dear Sir, … Could you please shed light on the verse 2:187, in relation to betrayal? … Thank you …    

Answer:

 God says in the Quran: "Permitted for you is intercourse with your wives on the night of the fast. They are a garment for you, and you are a garment for them. God knows that you used to betray yourselves, but He turned to you and pardoned you. So approach them now, and seek what God has ordained for you..." (2:187). This means that the worst type of self-deceit is to betray oneself and be among the losers in the Hereafter. "And do not argue on behalf of those who deceive themselves. God does not love the deceitful sinner. They hide from the people, but they cannot hide from God. He is with them, as they plot by night with words He does not approve. God comprehends what they do." (4:107-108).

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Quran and History

Published in June 6, 2010

Question: …  Dear Sir, … Some people believe we should understand Quranic commands as per historicity; i.e., the historical context of the 7^th century Arabia … Those people believe that the Quranic sharia laws do not fit the modern age … How would you refute this view?  … Thank you for your time …   

Answer:

  We have mentioned before that Quranic stories have a unique methodology that is never like the one adopted by historical accounts and historians. The one of the Quran focuses on the moral and lessons drawn from events for spiritual guidance, while historians focus on events, names, details, locations, time, etc. Another difference is that history contains relative 'facts', while the Quran contains the Absolute Truth. Any ponderings on Quranic verses remain personal views ascribed to their authors. Wait please for our next book about Quranic legislations and their purposes and how to apply Quranic sharia, and you can return to our previous articles on that topic. You can also read our book titled "The Judicial Authority between Islam and the Muhammadans". We briefly assure you that all Quranic sharia legislative laws can be applied anywhere in any era, except special ones (in the Quranic Chapter 33) related to Prophet Muhammad and his wives in their chambers, and we read them for knowing about the personal history of Muhammad.       

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Laughter-Inducing Cattle

Published in February 13, 2017

Question: … Dear Dr. Mansour, … A journalist named...who writes in an online newspaper has accused you of being an apostate and a heretic because of your book about an imaginary dialogue within the CNN channel hosting Prophet Muhammad as its guest … This extremist fanatic person says you cannot debate with any Sunnite scholar online or face to face because you have blasphemed against Muhammad and deny Sunna and hadiths … I'm furious; cannot you refute his ideas that he wrote to tarnish your reputation? Please do in a separate article as soon as possible …Thank you …    

Answer:

         We thank you a lot for your care and love toward us; may God bless you. Indeed, we do not care much for such laughter-inducing cattle who can never be able to undermine Quranism and they verbally abuse us instead. We enjoy infuriating such Sunnite ignoramuses and we have no time to read their balderdash, let alone refuting it. 

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Fit for Reforming

Published in February 13, 2017

Question: …  Dear Sir, … You say that Islam (Quranism) is applicable within any era and location on earth, and I agree with you. But, is it not much better to say that it is fit to reform people anytime anywhere? … Thank you for your time …   

Answer:

  We mean by our statement that Quranic sharia can be applied in all eras and in any country in the world, and not just in the 7^th century Arabia during Muhammad's life time. As for your statement, it means that Quranic guidance is available for any persons anytime and anywhere who seek to reform and rectify themselves. Thank you.