Q.1. What is the basic concept of tawiz, which some sheikh gives to wear for protection against evil events? Some sheikh says that he keeps a jinni under his control. He uses such jinni to help other people, and asks for no money in return. Please comment. Could you also explain what is magic and how a jinni is said to enter one’s body.

Q.2. If one misses a prayer and offers it after its time has lapsed, what intention should he make when he offers it. Also, is it necessary for a man to cover his hair when praying? Is it necessary to perform ablutions after one has taken a bath? Is it permissible to take a bath or a shower without any covering?

Q.3. When one prays in congregation, should one read the Fatihah and a passage of the Qur’an? How to ensure that one is not distracted in prayer?

Q.4. Is it necessary for a woman to remove her pubic hair?

Q.5. In our country, it is the tradition for the man’s side not to make the first approach for marriage and to leave this to the woman’s family. Otherwise, the man’s family will lose face. Please comment.

Q.6. If one has a saving of, say, SR10,000, is he liable to pay zakah, even though he is saving in order to get married or to buy a house?

Q.7. In one of your answers, you quoted a Hadith saying that “an in-law relationship is death.” Could you please explain it, and explain whether marriage with an in-law relation is permissible when one’s wife is alive.

Q.8. If my mother calls me repeatedly while I am praying and she is unaware of that, should I interrupt my prayer to reply to her?

M.N. Alam, Jubail

A.1. Tawiz means a charm or a talisman one wears in order to protect oneself against evil spirit or wicked designs by others. The wearing of such articles is strictly forbidden in Islam. The Prophet says: “May God not grant the purpose of anyone who wears a charm or a talisman.” In another Hadith, he says: “Whoever wears a charm is guilty of associating partners with God, or shirk.” The sheikh who gives such charms to other people claiming that they protect them is a liar. Similarly, if he claims that he is in control of a jinni, his claim is false. The jinn have nothing to do with our lives. As such, the claim that a jinni possesses one’s body or one’s mind is false. The person concerned may have some mental illness, and he or she could benefit by seeing a psychiatrist.

Magic is a wicked practice by which some people seek to harm others, through influencing their minds or their faculties. It is all delusion and has no reality. It is forbidden to learn magic or practice it.

A.2. If one forgets to offer a prayer or sleeps through its time and does not realize that until it is time for the next prayer, one should offer the missed prayer immediately, and his intention should be the same as if he is praying it at the right time. The Prophet says: “If a person forgets a prayer or sleeps through its time, he should pray it once he is conscious of it, for that is its time.” If a prayer is missed deliberately or through negligence, it cannot be offered once its time has lapsed. The person concerned must repent and seek God’s forgiveness, resolving never to miss a prayer again.

It is neither obligatory nor recommended that a man should cover his head with a cap or any other covering when he prays.

If one is taking a bath or a shower for cleanliness or refreshment, he needs to perform his ablution, or wudhu, for his prayers. If the bath or shower is for a religious reason, such as to remove the state of ceremonial impurity or janabah, then the shower is deemed to include ablution, or wudhu. If one is taking a shower in a bathroom where he is seen by no one, there is no harm in being undressed. How else could he ensure to have a proper shower?

A.3. According to the Shafie school of Fiqh, every one must read the Fatihah in every rak’ah in prayer, even when the imam recites aloud. Other schools have different rulings, with the Hanafi school stating that the recitation by the imam is sufficient for the whole congregation. The view which combines both is that when the imam recites aloud, the congregation need not read anything. When the imam reads in private, others in the congregation should read the Fatihah.

If one is distracted during prayer, his prayer remains valid. However, one is able to concentrate better when one tries to think of the meaning of what he is reading.

A.4. The Prophet has clearly indicated that removing pubic hair is one of the normal practices of sound human nature. He has advised us to remove it regularly, at intervals of not more than 40 days. This applies to both men and women.

A.5. This is a question of culture, and if a community organizes its life matters in this fashion, there is no harm done. However, the normal Islamic practice is for the bridegroom to make his approach and propose marriage. This is better for the woman’s position.

A.6. When one has a saving over and above what one needs for his living and his dependents’ needs, which is equivalent to 85 grams of gold, i.e. about SR4,000, one is liable to pay zakah. Every year, he should pay 2.5% of his total saving, even if he is saving for the purposes you have mentioned, or some other real needs.

A.7. The Hadith means that if one is frivolous with one of his wife’s relatives, he puts himself in a very serious position, which the Prophet describes as death, because it leads to serious trouble. It is not permissible to marry one’s wife’s sister or paternal or maternal aunt if one’s wife is alive and remains married to him. If he divorces her or if she dies, he may marry anyone of her relatives, except her mother.

A.8. Prayer may not be interrupted in such a situation except for a real emergency. If you feel that your mother is in trouble then you can move to see what the matter is and help her while you are praying, or interrupt your prayer if necessary. If it is an ordinary call, you should try to finish your prayer quickly and answer your mother.

Present, future and the hereafter

Q. Since Arabic has only two tenses, past and present, all references to the hereafter and the Day of Judgment are made in the present tense. This means that when a person dies, he or she immediately go to either Heaven or Hell. This means that the reward or punishment they receive are immediate. It also means that the common notion about torment in the grave is inaccurate, particularly since there is no reference to it in the Qur’an. I think that when a person dies his or her spirit is no longer confined to their bodies. The spirit would be immediately facing God. Actions of the person concerned would have been immediately reviewed. Since time does not apply there, it is difficult to imagine how this happens. Hence, God describes it in the Qur’an in a way which we can understand. Please comment.

H. Khan, Karachi

A. The reader starts with a false premise. While Arabic may be said to have two tenses, past and present, it expresses the future very clearly by adding a modal to the present. There are two modals, “sa” for the immediate future and “sawfa” for the distant future. Thus, to say that the hereafter starts immediately on one’s death is a misconception. It starts with a day when all creation will be gathered together. This means that there is a time gap between one’s death and resurrection for the hereafter.

While torment in the grave is not mentioned in these words in the Qur’an, there are clear references to it. One such reference occurs in Verse 46 of Surah 40, which speaks about the people of Pharaoh and states: “They are brought by the fire morning and evening; then when the Last Hour occurs, (it shall be said:) ‘Place the people of Pharaoh in the most severe torment’.” The verse clearly provides for a sequence of actions: the bringing of those people before the fire twice a day; then their entry in Hell where the worst place is reserved for them.

Now how does all this occur and what sort of time applies there, we do not know. But we take what the Qur’an says about the hereafter at face value and believe in it without hesitation. Why should we bother ourselves with its being a mental picture drawn in a way that is possible for us to understand or it is a reality described in real terms? This affects the truth of the hereafter in no way. If we believe in God, we take His word, i.e. the Qur’an, as it is and believe in it as it is expressed.

Having said that, I should add that much of what people tend to believe concerning what happens after death is invalid. For example in certain parts of the Muslim world some people install electric fans to cool down the atmosphere so as to reduce any torment their loved ones may be suffering in the grave. This is wrong, because they do not know whether God has forgiven their deceased relatives or not. If not, then no amount of cooling will reduce God’s punishment.

Marriage with a non-Muslim

Q. If a Muslim intends to marry a Christian or a Jewish woman, how many witnesses are required to make the marriage valid? Are non-Muslims and women acceptable as witnesses? What paper work is required to confirm the marriage? Any other recommendations or suggestions from you will be highly appreciated.

M.A. Hussain, Canada

A. There is no difference in the requirements of the marriage contract if one is marrying a Muslim, Christian or Jewish woman. Islamic marriage is based on commitment by the bride’s father or guardian who acts for her and acceptance by the bridegroom. Two men witnesses are needed, or one man and two women. The presence of the witnesses is the minimum requirement of publicity. Therefore, if there are others present, that should be better. Scholars differ as to the acceptability of non-Muslims as witnesses. Perhaps the view that they are acceptable is more valid. However, to get out of such difference of opinion, one can easily ask some of his Muslim friends to attend the marriage ceremony, even though they may not have to sign any document as witnesses. Their presence makes them witnesses. Islam does not require the marriage contract to be documented in writing. It is sufficient that the contract is done verbally. However, if the regulations of the country require that it should be recorded, then this becomes a requirement of Islam.

Since you are asking for advice, I will tell you that although marriage to a Christian or a Jew is permissible, it is better for you to marry a Muslim. May God guide you to what is best for you and your family.