Fatwas Part Ninety-Nine

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

Breastfeeding, Again!

Published in October 29, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … A widow who has children married a man who has children (some of them were breastfed by her as well); both man and wife had many children later on; at one time, she breastfed a male baby who was orphaned; now, this male baby is a man who desires to marry one of the daughters of the woman who breastfed him! Is this OK or not within Islam? Within Sunnite fiqh rules, this marriage is deemed prohibited; but I tend to think this is illogical and there should be a clear, straightforward rule about it … What is your own view? … Thank you …    

Answer:

 Please do not pay attention at all to myths of Sunnite fiqh; the breastfeeding that leads to prohibition of such a marriage is when this male baby was breastfeed for two years and such milk nourished his body and made it grow; in that case, he should feel as if the woman were his own mother. In that case, he cannot marry any of her daughters who are like sisters to him; yet, if the woman breastfed him only a few times for a very short duration, he can marry any of her daughters who are not like sisters to him in that case. 

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Being Together on our Own!

Published in October 29, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … Is it OK to be in one chamber along with my fiancée with no people around both us? We've already drawn the marriage contract and we wait for the appointed time for our wedding ceremony; we cuddle, touch, and snog each other, but we never had coitus or sexual intercourse when we are alone; is this OK or not within Islam? What is your own opinion? … Thank you …  

Answer:

 This is OK (and even sexual intercourse is OK) as long as the marriage contract is drawn, because in that case, she is your legal wife and not your fiancée. On the other hand, if she is your fiancée and no marriage contract has been drawn yet, she is NOT your wife and you should stop these sins prohibited in the Quran; God commands us to never get near to fornication; this means to avoid things leading to it: lustful stares, kissing, touching, etc.

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Horoscope and the Unknown, Unseen Future

Published in October 29, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … My husband (a PhD-degree holder) is infatuated with reading the horoscope columns in magazines and newspapers; I'm a Gemini and he is a Scorpio! I never believe in the myths of the horoscope, but he is passionate about such myths and believes in them very much; this makes life with him very hard for me; he's already caused much trouble to me; I can no longer stand it … I told him that the future events are known only to the Lord God; I proved to him that horoscope columns are nothing but meaningless words for the gullible, uneducated people, but he never listens to me! What shall I do? Any advice? Would you please give pieces of advice to my husband? … Thank you …

Answer:

 Of course, any person can write empty, meaningless phrases in the horoscope columns and the naïve people would believe such myths as if they were 'facts' or 'truths'. Your husband is a smart person but he lacks reason; likewise, swindlers are very smart and intelligent but they lack reason as they would never take heed of the Hereafter. There are very intelligent PhD-degree holders and scientists who lack reason as they prostrate and worship icons, statues, or animals. Since your husband believes very much in the horoscope nonsense (and he seems to be obsessed by it!), he has turned it into a form of a religion; it is useless to try to persuade him to give this up; please, our daughter, bear patiently with him as a dutiful wife. This is our only advice to you.  

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Zakat for Goods?

Published in October 30, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … In my shop of spare parts of cars, I have many unsold, expensive goods and merchandise and more than a year passed; should zakat  or annual charity be paid for having and owning such goods? … Thank you …    

Answer:

 Of course not; the Sunnite fiqh notion of the so-called 'annual' zakat is wrong and has nothing to do with Islam; you have to pay zakat anytime when you make profits (apart from expenses of trade and from taxes) only through selling your goods; you can donate about 10% of your profits/income as zakat.

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Displaying Goods on the Pavement!

Published in October 30, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … Is it OK and just (or not) that goods/merchandise of some shops are being displayed on pavements? Passers-by cannot use the pavement for walking! Could shopkeepers and merchants do this in a way that will not annoy others? What about laws regarding authorizing/prohibiting this display in pavement in any given country? What do you think? … Thank you …      

Answer:

 Pavements are owned by the State and all citizens should use them for walking; it is very wrong to compromise rights of citizens by using pavements to display goods; this violation is prohibited in Islam, of course. For sure, laws of any given country must be followed, respected, and imposed in case shopkeepers are authorized within prior, written permission to use a section of the pavement (e.g., kiosks with newsstands) or never to display anything on pavements at all when this is prohibited by the laws in a given country.

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Believers among the People of the Book

Published in October 30, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … I've watched on YouTube a lecture/discussion which includes a rabbi and a Salafist sheikh … Strangely, this rabbi acknowledged the fact that Muhammad was a prophet of God; he said that his Jewish sect know about Muhammad and the Quran, but they keep their rituals and their usage of the Hebrew tongue and he said they are monotheists … The Salafist sheikh protested and he told the rabbi to use the Arabic tongue in prayers, etc. if he and his sect followers are real monotheists/Muslims who know about the Quran and Muhammad. What do you think about this view of the Salafist sheikh? … Thank you …      

Answer:

This view is wrong; monotheists do not have to learn/use the Arabic tongue. God tells us in the Quran that there are some groups among the People of the Book who are monotheists who believe in all Scriptures/Books of the Lord God. Monotheists have different tongues; the universal language of sinning, hypocrisy, piety, good/bad deeds, monotheism, polytheism, etc. is the basis of Judgment by God on the Last Day. God will judge all humanity based on their deeds and faiths and not a per their languages.

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Putting a Madman to Death!

Published in October 31, 2018

Question:  … Dear Sir, … Is it OK to kill a madman who roams the streets and pose a veritable danger to children and passers-by as he attacks them? The governments and the affluent, upper classes in the Arab world never care about locking up such crazy persons, as you know; people at our district feel threatened by this madman! What is your own view of this idea to get rid of him? … Thank you …        

Answer:

 What you propose here is sheer madness! It is absolutely prohibited to put anyone to death except within retribution against murderers. This madman is an innocent person who deserves to be taken care of in a hospital to be treated and/or locked up in a madhouse; to kill him means that his killer will enter into Hell; murder is a grave sin prohibited in the Quran. How come that you ever thought about this evil scheme?! What happened to people?! You must fear the Lord God within piety! 

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Making Children Memorize the Quran

Published in October 31, 2018

Question:  … Dear Sir, … Is it required or not to make small children memorize the entire Quranic text by heart? In what age this might be suitable? … What do you think? … Thank you …      

Answer:

 This is not required or necessary; what is more important is to make children learn the meaning of the monotheism of (There is no God but Allah) and to make them memorize short Quranic Chapters to use them in prayers, especially the Quranic Chapter One. You should teach children the higher Quranic values and moralistic values mentioned in the Quranic Chapters 6, 17, and 25. To reform faith within monotheism is directly linked to a high moralistic level, as we have mentioned in many of our articles and books.

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The Nationality Laws

Published in October 31, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … Some Arab countries (e.g., the KSA) never grant the nationality to children born there to parents who are not citizens; the USA grants its nationality to any child born inside the USA regardless of the nationality of the parents; many pregnant women pay money to give birth inside the USA, and the child is never raised there, as you know … What is the Quranist view of the issue of nationality and its laws  … Thank you …   

Answer:

 Ishmael was not born inside Arabia; he went there as a child when Abraham left him inside Mecca, near the location of the Kaaba, along with his mother; Ishmael married and fathered an Arabian tribe: Jurhum; he became an Arab; as per the Quran, he advised his people and folks to adhere to prayers and zakat; his people were Arabs. Another example is Lot; he left Iraq and went to the Levant along with Abraham; this means that his people were the tribes of Sodom and Gomorrah where he lived. The Quran considered the Israelite tribes in Egypt, during the lifetime of Moses, as Egyptians and part of the Egyptian society, despite their non-Egyptian origin as their ancestors came into Egypt along with Jacob/Israel when Joseph was the Potiphar of Egypt. Hence, to live for years in any country makes one a native and a citizen of this country, even if one is not born there; and the people of such country become one's people and folks; one belongs to them and the country where all of them live. this means that Islam endorses the idea of nationality by one's birth and also by one's location of living/residence.         

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Arts Are Not Prohibited

Published in November 1, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … I study at the cinema institute in Cairo, Egypt, in the section of writing scenarios/screenplays; I never believe that acting and arts in general might be prohibited in Islam, as per the views of Salafists in Egypt; I will never write scenes of nudity and sexual scenes; when I act and have my own roles in the cinema and TV series/movies, I will never perform any scenes that involve obscenity or war revealing clothes; performing and enjoying arts are not prohibited, right? One feels elevated and refined when one hears a song, watch a movie, etc., right? What is your own view about arts as far as Quranism is concerned?  … Thank you …     

Answer:

 Of course, arts (dancing, sculpture, drawing, acting, singing, etc.) are not prohibited. For sure, Salafist views have nothing to do with Islam. Even if there are sexual content or obscenity in the movies you watch, watching them is a small sin or mistake and not a full-fledged grave sin. Small sins are forgiven by God when one avoids grave sins; e.g., adultery and fornication. 

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Writing Style in the Copies of the Quran

Published in November 1, 2018

Question: …  Dear Sir, … Within the cyberspace, different electronic copies of the Quran use different writing styles; some of them add/omit certain letters within Quranic words! For instance.................  … I think that this is sinful; the Quran has its unique orthography/spelling and writing style that must never be changed; what do you think of that? …  Thank you …        

Answer:

 Of course, as per a previous article of ours, Muhammad (and may be  some of his companions did the same) wrote the Quran that way as per the divine revelation; God preserves the Quranic text; those who omit/add letters within Quranic words as if to 'modernize' style of writing the Quran are sinful people who undermine the Quranic text to make people cast doubt on it and to disbelieve in it. As per history, many caliphs burned copies of the Quran which were distorted in their style of writing; within all eras, any distortions are exposed and denounced at once; this is part of how God preserves and protects the Quranic text; even the Muhammadans who reject the Quran take great care to make copies in the exact same unique Quranic writing style. We refer you to articles of some of our fellow Quranists about numerical miraculous indications and signs related to the unique Quranic writing style in its words and phrases. Of course, some websites cannot imitate the unique Quranic writing style of spelling/orthography for technical reasons; one must avoid using/reading such distorted online copies that omits/adds Arabic letters within Quranic words; when we write articles and books, we use an online copy of the Quran that contain no misspelt words. When we previously used a badly spelled online copy, some of our fellow Quranists indicated to us the so many spelling mistakes; God bless them for helping our person. We now make sure that the online copy on which we rely to copy and paste Quranic verses within our books and articles contain no spelling mistakes.       

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'Wise' Caliphs?!

Published in November 1, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir,  … Who were the first people to adopt the silly appellation "wise caliphs" to refer to the four pre-Umayyad caliphs? I do not think this occurred during the lifetime of such sinful pre-Umayyad caliphs; their contemporaries did not deify them; what do you think of that as a historian? … Thank you …

Answer:

 This appellation was first used during the Second Abbasid Era by historians; this appellation implies the wrong notion of the 'infallibility' of the four pre-Umayyad caliphs deified by Sunnites during the Abbasid Era and beyond it; this appellation shows how abhorrent the idea of dynasties that inherit rule and thrones is for most historians; they preferred electing/choosing caliphs by Shura consultation, even though most caliphs anyway (the four pre-Umayyad ones and others: Umayyads, Abbasids, Fatimids, Mamelukes, and Ottomans) were sinful and immoral people who consumed ill-gotten money.   

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Provisions

Published in November 2, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … When provisions (money, food, etc.) allotted to people, which are part of Fate, would be distributed, would this entail some people who receive so many and others who receive so little or nothing? … My employer says that I'm jinxed as I suffer bad luck for months regarding my income! I cannot believe in such superstitions! Why my income is so little despite the fact that I work very hard and honestly? …  Thank you …    

Answer:

 Of course, provisions are part of the four inevitable fates preordained by the Lord God: births, deaths, provisions, and calamities/tests. God tests humanity within both prosperity and adversity. There is nothing called jinx or perpetual bad luck. Please watch our YouTube show titled "Quranic Moments", especially the episodes about fates and provisions. 

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Female Witnesses

Published in November 2, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … Can a woman sign a marriage contract (of any bride and bridegroom) as a witness? In my country, witnesses who sign marriage contracts are supposed to be (at least two) men! This is most unfair; as if women are 'sub-human' and men are full human beings! What is your own view of this? … Thank you …

Answer:

 The Quran never mentions that witnesses are to be exclusively of the male sex; this exclusivity is found only in patriarchal, earthly/terrestrial, man-made religions (e.g., in the Talmud and in the Sunnite religion). Women can be witnesses in marriage contracts and in all other types of contracts and occasions. The idea of witnessing is when someone (male or female) is present to see and hear a certain event. 

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Natural Instinct

Published in November 2, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir,  … What is the Quranist view or notion about the innate, natural instinct within children? … Thank you …     

Answer:

 We have answered this question before in previous fatwas and within our YouTube videos; in brief, we mention here that the innate, natural extinct mentioned in the Quran is monotheism: "So devote yourself to the religion of monotheism - the natural instinct God has instilled in the humankind. There is no altering God's creation. This is the true religion, but most people do not know." (30:30). Social factors, as children grow up, may influence people and make them polytheists by deifying and worshiping mortals (e.g., prophets and 'saints'), mausoleums, and relics/things/idols; this way, the polytheists cover the innate natural instinct of monotheism and ramming it deep into their subconscious; once these polytheists face life-threatening situations, they forget about their polytheism and adhere to the refreshed sense of monotheism; some of them return to polytheism once they reach safety; some of them sincerely repent and adhere to monotheism for the rest of their lives; even Moses' Pharaoh knew about monotheism and it resurfaced to his consciousness moments before his death by drowning: "When some adversity touches the human being, he prays to his Lord, repenting to Him. But then, when He confers on him a grace of His, he forgets what he was praying for before, and he attributes rivals to God, in order to lead astray from His way. Say, "Enjoy your disbelief for a little while; you will be among the inmates of the Fire."" (39:8); "And We delivered the Israelites across the sea. Pharaoh and his troops pursued them, defiantly and aggressively. Until, when he was about to drown, he said, "I believe that there is no god except the One the Israelites believe in, and I am of those who submit."" (10:90). 

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Female Witnesses, Again!

Published in November 3, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir,  … Years ago, I married a Christian woman when I was in Europe; I've settled in Egypt now with her, along with our children; one of the witnesses of my marriage contract was the handicapped mother of my wife … My extended family members insist on telling me that my marriage contract is 'invalid' and 'illegal' within their 'Islam' and rendered 'null and void' as they assume that marriage-contract witnesses must be (at least) two men (as per Sunnite corrupt notions); they assume that women are never to sign any marriage contracts! Is this true?! Are there Quranic proofs to assure them that my marriage contract is OK and legal? … Thank you … 

Answer:

 God never mentions in the Quran that witnesses of marriage contracts should be exclusively among the male sex; this means that women can be witnesses who sign marriage contracts. Before the revelation of the Quran, witnesses of marriage contracts existed when Muhammad married his first wife and when his parents got married. This is legal marriage at the time within the presence of many witnesses: men and women. The Quranic legislations about marriage/divorce are intended to reform certain things (never to allow secret 'marriages' without witnesses, never to allow marrying off two living sisters to one man, etc.); this does not mean that marriage contracts were 'invalid' before Islam; things never mentioned in the Quran as prohibited are NOT to be prohibited by anyone. Thus, women can be witnesses who sign any marriage contracts. Hence, your marriage contract drawn in Europe and signed by a female witness is legal within Islam, even if your family members dislike this fact that contradicts their silly Sunnite fiqh notions of patriarchy.

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Possessed by Devils!

Published in November 3, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, …  I do believe that my body is possessed by devils and/or evil spirits! No Sufi sheikhs (to which I resorted to seek their help) managed to cure me! I feel I'm on the verge of madness! Any pieces of advice?!… Thank you …

Answer:

 You do not need any help from anyone; there are no intercessors or mediators between you and God; in Islam, there is nothing called being 'possessed' by devils or evil spirits or jinn. Stop believing in mythology; God commands us in the Quran to seek His help within times of hardships by adhering to prayers and patience within piety; real piety results in avoiding evil, injustices, and sins. This results in serenity and peace of mind promised by God to pious monotheists; stop resorting to Sufi and non-Sufi charlatans who steal your money while claiming they can 'cure' and 'heal' your psychological or mental illness. Your problem will not be solved by Sufi dancing and sticking to polytheistic Sufi myths. You are to spend hours performing acts of worship: reading the Quran while pondering it deeply (and NOT singing/reciting it), long prayers by night, remembering and glorifying God's Holy Name, fasting, etc. in order to get nearer to the Lord God. You should convert to Quranism as the Only True Islam; stop believing in Sufi-Sunnite hadiths/narratives of nonsense. Avoid the company of Satan-controlled polytheistic Sunnites and Sufis. 

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'Liberating' Al-Aqsa of Jerusalem?!

Published in November 3, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … I am a Quranist man and I admire your online writings and videos very much; I learn a lot from them; yet, the only book of yours which I dislike very much is the one about assuming that Al-Aqsa Mosque is Mount Al-Tur in Sinai and not in Jerusalem … How come that you say that Jerusalem has nothing to do with Islam? Why did God command believers to liberate Al-Aqsa Mosque, then? I fear many Arabs will not convert to Quranism as they may accuse you of trying to please Zionists; I know you are an honest, fair person who seek to gratify the Lord God; yet, I wish you would stop asserting the weird idea that Al-Aqsa is in Egypt's Sinai peninsula and not in the Holy City of Jerusalem! Please say/write that you have made a mistake regarding this point. This will certainly increase the number of Quranists among the Arabs. Sadly, politics and religions are still mixed in the Arab world, as you know; I implore the Almighty Lord God to grant you a long lifetime to serve Islam and to preach Quranism to guide others; in my opinion, indeed you are the greatest Arab thinker … Thank you …    

Answer:

 We thank you for praising our person; yet, we assert to you that God in the Quran (the Only Source of Islam) never mentions anything about 'liberating' Al-Aqsa Mosque. Reformist thinkers, like our person, typically shock people with unusual ideas disliked by most of them; Quranic truths and facts are mainly disliked by the polytheistic Sunnites who have rejected and abandoned the Quran; we never seek to gratify people and to match their political and religious views; we never seek to comply to inherited notions of heritage books of traditions. We never seek to (dis)please the Israelis and the Palestinians. We insist that our Quranist research findings are correct: Jerusalem is not a 'holy' city and it is never mentioned in the Quran; it has nothing to do with Islam; Al-Aqsa Mosque where Muhammad received the Quranic text into his soul from Gabriel is where Moses received the Tablets of the Scriptures; i.e., Mount Al-Tur in Sinai, Egypt. Many historical narratives assert that the harmful mosque/abomination of Jerusalem is based on myths forged by the Umayyads for political reasons, with the help of their well-paid fabricators of hadiths. The Sunnites who hate Quranism attack our person because they cannot refute our Quranist views; this is why they accuse us of being pro-Zionism in order to tarnish our reputation within the Arab world to make others cast doubt on Qurnaism. We never care if the number of monotheists/Quranists would decease or increase; each individual is responsible for one's actions, words, belief/faith, and the choices made regarding religion while bearing the consequences in the Hereafter. Our Quranist views are intended for the sake of reforming people on both the political and religious levels so that they may reject myths and polytheism and adhere to monotheism. God will settle our religious disputes and differences on the Last Day. May the Lord God guide you and our person to the Straight Path of Righteousness.         

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The Aim of Marriage

Published in November 3, 2006

Question: … Dear Sir, … In your articles, you have mentioned that the Quranic word for marriage (i.e., Nikah) means drawing the marriage contract and not coitus or sexual intercourse itself, and I agree with you … Yet, what about the aim of the marriage itself as an institution or state ordained by the Lord God?! Is it merely to have legal sex or to beget children? Why money is involved in marriages and divorces if marriage should be a holy matrimony based on mutual love, compassion, and respect? What about the notion of Mohallal? I mean a man rented by money to marry a thrice-divorced woman and then to divorce her days later (with or without consummation) to allow her to return to her husband within a new marriage contract … What do you think? …  Thank you …  

Answer:

 The aims of marriage vary: they involve pleasure, having children, love/lust, and a remedy against the sin of fornication; it is OK that the aims of marriage include financial interests and having high connections through one's in-laws and acquaintances leading to social mobility and stature. Such aims are OK since one intends to get legally married; we also do believe that temporary marriages are OK within prior, mutual consent of both the man and the woman involved. The emotional side of marriage is important, as we infer from this verse: "And of His signs is that He created for you mates from among yourselves, so that you may find tranquility in them; and He planted love and compassion between you. In this are signs for people who reflect." (30:21). Of course, the Quran tackles problems of conjugal life and offers solutions within certain legislations; this does not mean to prohibit Mohallal and temporary marriage aiming merely at pleasure. Wait for more articles of ours about marriage/divorce legislations in Islam (i.e., Quranism).   

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Platonic Love of a Married Woman?!

Published in May 23, 2007

Question: … Dear Sir, … Is it OK or not within Islam (i.e., Quranism) that a wife, whose tedious married life lacks love and she suffers emotional void, would love another man who is not her husband? I mean non-sexual, platonic love, of course … What do you think? … Thank you …        

Answer:

 There is nothing called non-sexual platonic love between a married woman and another man who is not her husband; your husband might be too busy to care for the emotional side of the marriage; yet, this is hardly an excuse to love another man, as this may be a step leading to fornication; God prohibits all actions that make one get near to fornication: "And do not come near fornication..." (17:32). To love another man who is not your husband while you are sex-starved or never feel love towards your husband may lead to fornication; it is silly and illogical to imagine love between a man and a woman without sexual gratification that directly follows emotional satisfaction.