Your Questions Answered (volume 3)

Q90: Is Marungi Haram?

Is Kat or Marungi Najis or Haram to eat or to sell? And what if someone eats Marungi for the purpose of making Ibadat whole night? Or if someone is in a journey and eats it to remain awake to protect himself from the robbers?

A. I have been told that Marungi, which is also called Miraa, creates intoxication. If it is so, then it is Haram to use. But as it is originally non-liquid, it will not be Najis. Selling a Haram thing (for a purpose which is Haram) is also Haram.

A Haram thing cannot be used on the pre-text that it would help in Ibadat. Remaining awake whole night for Ibadat is not Wajib. How can you commit a sin for the sake of a Sunnat Ibadat?

Q91: NARCOTIC DRUGS

When Islam forbade the use of narcotics (i.e. morphine, hashish), the Holy Qur'an used the word Khamr'. "Some say this means any intoxicant; others say it means only alcohol, I need historical reference (i.e. if there was a law as such which forbade the use of narcotics as there is for alcohol); also; please, find out for me if any of the ahadith' mention narcotics.

A. Opium, Hashish and other such narcotics are not included in "Khamr". The word "Khamr" is used for liquid intoxicant.

But there is no doubt whatsover that all narcotic drugs are Haram and unlawful. There are many Ahadith which clearly say that "Every intoxicant is Haram". These Ahadith are fomous and there is no need to give the references. You will find them in Wasael-us-Shia. Bihar-ul-Anwar and other books of Ahadith.

The second reason of their being Haram is that they harm the health of the user, and in Islam all such food and drink which are injurious to health are Haram.

Q92: IS YEAST HALAL?

I would really like to know if we Shias are allowed to eat yeast, because everything that is baked over here contains yeast; and I really don't know what that is. They use it in bread to make it rise.

A. There is no harm in using yeast.

Q93: PICKLES MADE BY NON-MUSLIMS

(a) Is it true that we cannot take a cup of tea prepared by a Sikh, but we can take or eat pickles (Achar) prepared by Hindus?

(b) We get some pickles over here which is made by James Smith who I believe is a Christian, and is imported from India. Do you think it would be O.K. to eat these pickles?

A.

(a) No. Both are Najis.

(b) So long as you do not know that the contents of that particular bottle have been touched by a non-Muslim, you may use it

Q94: IS CHEESE HARAM?

Is cheese halal or haram? Because cheese is made from bacon. On the paper or box they don't write whose fats they have used. It can be a haram or halal, we don't know. A. Cheese is made from milk and is halal. It is not made of bacon or fat

Q95: DONATING BLOOD

Is it lawful to donate blood? Can blood be given to anybody?

A. According to the Fatwa of our Mujtahids, it is allowed to donate blood, provided there is no danger to the donor himself. But it must be with his own free consent. It is not allowed to take blood from the body of a dead Muslim. If the life of a Muslim depends on the donation of the blood, and if the donor has no danger to his own health, then as a matter of 'Ihtiyat' he must donate his blood.

Q96: HOW TO SECURE HAPPINESS?

How do we secure happiness of mind in Islamic concept?

A. Well, first you have to understand that material well-being does not bring happiness. If you have materialistic out-look, the more money or power you get the more your greed increases. So the materialistic outlook can never help you.

On the other hand, if you have faith in Allah, and believe that there is a Day of Reckoning, then you will strive hard, not for this transitory life, but for the life-hereafter, which is everlasting. Your actions, behaviour, character and dealings with the people will all be governed by this thought and belief.

In this way, even if you are put to some troubles in this life, you will not be depressed by it. Because your eyes are onto a better and lasting reward in the life-hereafter.

Thus, when your out-look and character is conditioned by Islamic spirit, you will feel the Love of Allah in your every breath. And that is the Source of True Happiness.

Q97: "QITMEER"

Some times I see that on the letters (after the sender's name and address) the word "Qitmeer" is written. It is an Arabic word, and I don't know what it means. I asked someone and he said that it is the name of the dog of As-habul-Kahf. So, please, will you explain to me whether it is true or not and why they are writing, and also who are the people of As- habul-Kahf?

A. According to a hadith of Ameerul-Mumeneen (as.) it was the name of the dog of As-hab- ul-Kahf. You may read their story in the translation of the Qur'an (Sura Al-Kahf.) I have heard people saying that they write this name on a letter to ensure its safety; but I have not seen any hadith which mentions this.

Q98: MOURNING FOR THE MARTYRS OF KARBALA

On Ashura day (12/5/1965) an article of mine was published in the Standard Tanzania, D'Salaam, on the tragedy of Karbala. Mr. A. Robley of Arusha (a Qadiani) in a letter to editor protested that mourning for the dead was against the teaching of Islam. I sent a short reply and invited him to seek enlightenment by private correspondence.

When he wrote a letter to me, I advised him to see Haji Ali Mohammad Jaffer Sheriff (Arusha) for detailed reply. After being shown the references etc. on this subject, he asked Haji Ali that the references should be given to him in writing. Hence the following letter, to which no reply was ever received. This letter is published now because it answers many questions often put before us:

A. Please refer to your conversation with Haji Ali about mourning of Martyrs of Karbala and your request that it should be recorded in writing.

First of all, let me emphasize that your whole approach to this matter is wrong. You are labouring under the presumption that everything to be lawful should be expressly allowed in Sheriat, while the dictum accepted in all the sects of Islam is that everything is lawful unless it is expressly forbidden.

We cannot declare an act unlawful just on the ground that it was invented after the Prophet. Otherwise we shall have to bum all the books of traditions, commentaries of Qur'an, Fiqah of Imams Abu Hanifa, Shafii, Malik and Ibn Hanbal.

Not only this, but we shall have to think whether it is not haram to have the Qur'an in our houses which has been divided in thirty parts and its alphabets marked by dots, and pronunciations made clear by adding fat'ha, kasra, and Dhamma etc. Again, we shall have to ponder whether it was lawful for the First Caliph and Third Caliph to unify the different qira'ats of Qur'an which were prevalent among the Companions of the Prophet.

Then we note that the Prophet never used paper notes in place of coins. Is it not haram to use currency notes for charity, building Mosques and other good deeds? It is alleged, though we say it is wrong, that the Prophet did not appoint anybody as his successor, and it is known that he never entrusted this duty to anybody else.

What will be the legal status of those Khulafa who were elected by people to carry on the work of Prophet after the death of the Prophet?

I may here quote the universally accepted traditions of the Prophet that "Everything is allowed until it is forbidden" and "all things are allowed so long as you do not get any law for or against it" These traditions are accepted by Sunnis and Shias alike.

But, of course, you are neither Sunni nor Shia; and you are not bound to accept anything recorded in their books. But, then, you have also no right to interfere in the internal matters of these Muslim sects.

Sheikh Islam, Allama Ibn Hajarul Asqalani, in his Sharh of Sahih Bukhari (Babul Iqtadae-bi- sunanirrasul) says: "Almost all Muslims divide Bid'at in five kinds (1) Wajib Bid'at, viz arranging Qur'an and preparing of Ilmul-Kalam against atheists and wrong religions and sects; (2) Sunnat Bid'at, e.g. writing books of religion, establishing Madressas and Musafirkhanas (3) Mubah Bid'at, e.g.

different kinds of dishes of food (4) Makruh Bid'at, e.g. using good clothes and food so long as it does not reach the boundary of 'Israf' (extravagance); and (5) Haram Bid'at, e.g. revolt against Imam and everything which is against the Sheriat and about which there is established proof of its being haram."

Imam Shafii also has said, which has been recorded by Allama Asqalani in the same book 'Sharhe Sahih Bukhari', that 'Bid'at is of two kinds (a) Mahmudah (praiseworthy) and (b) Mudhmumah (Condemned); what is in accordance with Sunnat is Mahmudah and whatever is against Sunnat is Madhmumah".

You see that it is not enough to say that such and such thing was not in the days of the Prophet and then declare that it is unlawful, because there are some innovations which are Wajib, Sunnat, Mubah and Makruhand all these are lawful and Halal.

And, of course, there are some haram Bid'ats and we have to guard against every Bid'at of this type. One example of such Bid'at may be found in the traditions: "Whosoever innovates something and calls others to it or establishes a religion, certainly he goes out of Islam." I wonder what will be your reaction to this tradition and for such a Bid'at, because you have chosen to follow a religion which was invented 1300 years after the Prophet of Islam!

Still it is not my intention to leave you in darkness, and, therefore, I want to make it clear that actually mourning for Martyrs is not 'Bid'at (innovation) at all. Every history of Islam records that when the Prophet came to the corpse of his uncle, Hamza, he cried loudly and fainted. When he recovered from the faint, he again began crying and calling 'Hamza, O Hamza; O Uncle of the Prophet of God, O Defender of the Prophet; O Hamza, Lion of Allah and the Prophet'.

It is called 'Nauha' in Arabic language. Not only this, but when the Prophet came back to Medina, he heard crying voices from every house of Medina for the Martyrs. Prophet did not forbid it. On the contrary, he sadly said, "But there are no women to weep for Hamza." People of Medina hurried back to their houses and asked their womenfolk to go to the house of Hamza and weep and cry for him.

When the Prophet heard their crying voices and was told that they were weeping for Hamza, the Prophet was so happy that he said, "May Allah be pleased with you, with your children, and with the children of your children." Waqidi, in his history, records that after his incident, it became an established practice at Medina that whenever there was a death, the women cried first for Hamza and then for their dead relative.

I think you will now be satisfied that the practice of mourning for martyrs was established by Prophet himself, and the practice for mourning over Hamza was started in 3rd year of Hijra and the Prophet died in 11 A.H. and there is no record that he ever expressed his dislike against this practice. This is the answer to your query about mourning year after year.

So far as the particular case of imam Husain is concerned, I would like to quote some traditions and ayats to enlighten you:-

1. God says in Qur'an about Pharaoh and his army "neither the sky nor the earth wept for them and they were not given chance " (Ad-Dukhan).

Imam Muslim records in Tafsir of this Ayat, "When Husain was martyred, the Sky as well as the Earth wept on him and weepinq of the sky is its being red." (Sahih Muslim).

2. Some 50 years before the event of Karbala, the Prophet wept when he was told by the Angel that Husain would be killed by the army of Yezid in Karbala. Then Gabriel asked, "O Prophet of God, do you want me to give you some earth from his place of martyrdom?" The Prophet said,"Yes". Gabriel gave a handful of earth of Karbala and the Prophet began weeping uncontrollably.

This tradition is recorded in Mishkat, Musnad Ahmed bin Hanbal, As-Sawaiqul-Muhriqa of Allama Ibn Hajar Makki and Sirrul Alamin of Imam Ghazali; and has been narrated by Imam Sha'abi, Imam Baihaqi, Imam Hakim and scroes of other traditionalists.

The Prophet gave that earth to his wife, Ummul Mu'mineen, Umme Salma, and told her, "When you see this earth turned into blood, know that Husain has been martyred."

3. On the 10th Muharram, 61 A.H., Umme Salma was asleep in the afternoon when she saw the Prophet in her dream: He stood in tragic condition and his hair was dusty and disarranged and in his hand was a bottle full of blood. Umme Salma asked what it was.

The Prophet said, "This is the blood of Husain and his companions. I was collecting it since this morning." Umme Salma woke up and ran towards the bottle which contained the earth of Karbala and saw red blood flowing from it. Then she cried and called her relatives and started mourning for Husain. This tradition is in Musnad of Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal, As-Sawaiqul-Muhriqa, Mishkatul Masabih, Tirmidhi and other books.

4. Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani writes in his book "Ghunyatut-Talebeen", Vol. II page 62; "70,000 angels came on the grave of Husain bin Ali after his martyrdom and they are weeping on him and will remain weeping upto the Day of Judgment."

5. Matam (Beating of chests and Face): It is recorded in Madarij-un-Nubuwwat (Vol. II, page 163) that when Shaitan announced a lie that the Prophet was killed (in the Battle of Uhud), the Hashimite women, including the Lady of Paradise - Fatima Zahra (a.s.) - came out weeping, beating their chests and faces.

The same book also records that after the death of Prophet, some of the companions wept and cried so much that they lost their eyesight. This is also recorded in "Kitab Mathabata-Bis-Sunnah". (Page 119).

6. When the Second Caliph was informed of the death of ibne Muqrim, he put his hand to his head and cried. (Iqdul-Farid, Vol. II, page 4).

7. When Imam Zainul Abedeen came back from Damascus, and people of Madina were informed that the family of the Prophet was outside Medina, the Madinites rushed to meet them and they were weeping, beating their heads, chests and faces. It should be mentioned that the practice of Madinites is one of basic laws in some sects of Ahlus-Sunna.

Actually, the notion that mourning on Husain and his companions or weeping, crying, beating of chests, etc. is unlawful, is based on misinformation. People are misled by a tradition of Abdullah bin Umar, in which he alleges that the Prophet said that "dead man is punished if people weep for him."

But wherever this tradition is recorded its correction and contradition by Ummul Mu'mineen, Ayesha is also recorded. When she was told of this alleged reporting of Abdullah bin Umar, she said that "May God forgive him, he did not tell wrong (intentionally) but he has forgotten or is mistaken. The fact is that the Prophet passed by a cropse of a Jewess and people were crying for her. The Prophet said that they are weeping over her while she is punished."

You see the difference. The Prophet did not say that dead man is junished because of the action of weeping of people, and he could not have said it because Qur'an says, "Nobody will carry weight of others", and it would be a gross injustice to punish the dead man for the action of he living relatives.

What the Prophet meant was that a kafir cannot gain anything through the weeping of his relatives. Unfortunatley, misunderstanding of Abdullah bin Umar gave a chance to mischief mongers to make a stand against the family of the Prophet, and against the natural human feelings.

What makes me wonder is the fact that they do not pay any heed to he correction by Ummul Mu'meneen Ayesha which is recorded side by side in every book of tradition. Does it not show that these people who raise objection against the mourning of Imam Husain, do not want to seek the truth.

They just want to further their own interest at the cost of Islamic truth. Of course, there may be some excesses in some places in the customs of mourning but it does not justify an all-out attack upon the basic principles of Islamic mourning. These are only a few of the traditions of the Prophet regarding propriety of mourning on Husain.

As you have asked to know custom and rulings of our Imams, I would like to quote here a few of the traditions of our Imams. Even now it is not necessary to quote from our own books because so many Sunni scholars believe in this cause and they have given those narrations in their own books.

(a) Mulla Ali Qari writes in his book "Sharhul Mishkat" Vol. V,page 604, that Imam Hasan (our second Imam and fifth Caliph of Sunnis) said, "Whosoever sheds one drop of tear from his eyes concerning us,Allah ta'ala will give him Jannat." Same tradition is recorded in "Yanabiul Mawaddah" (page 153).

(b) Majlises (gatherings to hear about events of Karbala) were established just after Karbala by our fourth Imam, Ali Ibn Husain ZainulAbedeen (as.) and was developed by our Sixth Imam Ja'far Sadiq (a.s.) and our eighth Imam, Ali bin Musa Ridha (a.s.).

Q99. BEATING THE CHEST

Could you please put more light on the question of 'Matam' (i.e. beating of chest and taking out the blood) in Muharram?

A. According to the Fatwa of Agha-e-Khoui, it is allowed if it does not do harm to the health of a person and is done within the limits of sheriat, i.e. Namaz and other Wajib things are not sacrificed for Matam.