Simplified Islamic Laws for Young Adults

Various Issues

Issue 478: If a person slaps someone on the face or hits him with something else, then if the skin turns red, one must give 1.5 Mithqal of gold; if it turns blackish-blue, then he must give 3 Mithqal of gold, and if it turns black, then one must give 6 Mithqal of gold. Each Mithqal is equal to 18 “chick peas”.[^1]

Issue 479: If any other place of the body – other than the face, is hit, and it turns red or blackish-blue, then one must give half of the amounts that were listed in the previous rule.

Issue 480: Killing those animals that are dangerous to people, and are not the property of anyone, like the snake and scorpion is permissable.

Issue 481: If a person gives something to a repairman to repair, and that person does not come back to collect it, then as long as the repairman has tried to find its owner, and can not find him, according to Ihtiyat Wajib, with the permission of the Hakim Shar’, with the intention of its owner, it must give as Sadaqa to a poor person who is not a Sayyid.

Issue 482: Either person without the permission of the other can not build a wall that is the property of two people, like the wall shared between two houses. Likewise, one is not allowed to place anything, like iron arrows on top of the wall, or even cut into the wall (without the permission of the other person). As for certain actions which one knows that the other person would permit, such as leaning against the wall, or hanging the clothes to dry on the wall is not a problem. However, if a person tells his neighbor that he is not pleased with (those) actions, then it is not permissable to perform them.

Issue 483: If the roots of a tree of someone enter into another person’s property (Land, Garden, House, etc.), then the owner of that property has the right to ask his neighbor to remove the roots, or to cut them. In the event that the owner of the tree does not do this, the person (neighbor) can himself prevent the tree from growing onto his area, and if any harm comes to the neighbor from the roots of the tree, he is allowed to take the tree from its owner.

Issue 484: If the brances of a fruit tree grow over a wall of the garden, and if one does not know whether or not the owner of the tree is content or not that if the fruit from the tree be picked, then one is not allowed to take that fruit. Even if the fruit from the tree falls to the ground, one can not take the fruit. The only exception is if the garden is on the side of the street, then those who pass by the garden (with the conditions that have been given in the detailed books of Fiqh) are allowed to take the fruit.

Issue 485: The gifts that banks give to people who keep their money in their bank is Halal as long as: (1) The people do not make a condition with the bank that they want something in return, (2) (the giving of the gift) is not harming anybody, and (3) The banks itself gives the gift to the people in order to encourage them (to keep money in their bank).

Issue 486: Shaving the beard with a blade is Haram, and the same rule applies to shaving it with an electric razor. In this ruling, all men are equal, and the rules of Allah (SWT) do not change because of one being made fun of for keeping a beard). Therefore, it is Haram, if the person who is just turning Baligh, or the person who if he does not shave his beard, will be made fun on, shaves his beard or trims it in such a way that it looks like it has been shaved.

Issue 487: Masturbation is haram. Masturbation means that a person comits an action by himself in order to release semen from himself.

Issue 488: Sounds that are reserved for vain gatherings and pleasure (Parities, Dances, etc..) are considered as Ghina and are Haram. Also, if a Nauha (poems that are composed in tribute to the Prophet (S) and his Ahlul Bayt ('a)) or Masaib (Poems composed in tribute to the Shahahdat of al-Imam al-Husain ('a)), or the Qur’an are read in the way of Ghina (Singing), then it too will be haram. However, if these are read in a pleasing way, it will not be considered as Ghina, and thus, is no problem.

Issue 489: Playing chess or cards, with or without betting involved is Haram.

Issue 490: Clapping ones hands in happy occasions and in speeches in order to encourage the person is permissable, as long as it is not accompanied by anything Haram, and it is not anything vain. (Although) it is better that for encouragement, one should (instead) recite Takbir “ اَللهُ اَكْبَرُ” or a Salawat (on the Prophet and his Family)

“ اَللَّهُمَّ صَلَّى عَلى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ”

Issue 491: It is Haram for women to dance in gatherings for women, and it is also Haram for men to dance in gatherings for men. However, it is permissable for a woman to dance for her husband.

Issue 492: Beating the chest in the streets and avenues (For example, in the month of Muharram) where there are women watching is permissable as long as the men who are beating their chests are wearing shirts.

[^1]: One Mithqal is equal to 45.36 grams.