It is permissible to give zakat to someone who is in debt with interest – they are considered among the debtors entitled to receive zakat, provided that they are sincere in their intention to repay and have repented from dealing in riba.
Many people experience passing doubts in worship. A person may wonder whether their wudu is still valid, whether they pronounced a letter correctly in al-Fatihah, whether they made a mistake in salah, or whether they chose the correct scholarly opinion. For most people, the doubt comes and goes. They continue and move on. For some…
Facing the qiblah is an essential condition of a valid salah. It is a requirement mentioned clearly in the Quran. Allah says: فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ ۚ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ “So turn your face towards al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you are, turn your faces towards it.” (Surat al-Baqarah 2:144) This command…
When a person has been missing for a long time, it is natural for people to begin wondering whether they have passed away. Yet, in Islamic law, Salatul Janazah can only be performed if there is certainty. Therefore, as long as the death of the missing person has not been established, Janazah prayer cannot be…
Performing wudu with a bandage or cast If you have an injury on a body part that must normally be washed in wudu, then the ruling depends on what will cause harm. Washing, wiping with wet hands or tayammum over the body part The first option is washing the area if the cast or bandage…
Burying a foetus in Islam The loss of a foetus is one of the most painful experiences a family can go through. The rulings on how to bury the foetus differ according to the stage of pregnancy and whether the baby showed signs of life after delivery. The basis for the 120-day distinction A key…
Raising the hands in supplication is firmly established in the Sunnah. There are many hadith which mention this. The Prophet ﷺ said: عَنْ سَلْمَانَ الْفَارِسِيِّ رضي الله عنه قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى حَيِيٌّ كَرِيمٌ يَسْتَحْيِي مِنْ عَبْدِهِ إِذَا رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ إِلَيْهِ أَنْ يَرُدَّهُمَا صِفْرًا “Your Lord is Ever-Living, Most Generous….
Eid salah is performed twice a year at Eid al-Fitr (after completing the month of Ramadan) and at Eid al-Adha (after Hajj) as a way of expressing gratitude to Allah for enabling us to worship Him. The majority of scholars consider Eid salah to be highly emphasised (Sunnah Mu’akkadah), while others (such as the Hanafi…
It is permissible to put Islamic calligraphy on walls as decoration, as long as it is treated with respect. Many scholars have said that there is nothing wrong with hanging Qur’anic verses, hadiths, or Islamic reminders in the home, office, or other suitable places if the aim is to remember Allah and benefit from the…
Many people worry about visiting the dentist during Ramadan. With water sprays, rinsing, and possible bleeding, it is natural to ask: Will this break my fast? The simple answer is: yes, you can have dental treatment while fasting, as long as you do not swallow anything. Does dental treatment break the fast? Dental procedures such…
The character of the Prophet ﷺ was reflected in his behaviour every day – in the home, in the street, in the masjid, and with people of all types. His character was evident in how he spoke, how he listened, how he dealt with difficulty, how he showed kindness, and how he corrected without humiliating….
If you are licked by a dog, what are the rulings regarding cleaning the saliva? The Prophet ﷺ said: طَهُورُ إِنَاءِ أَحَدِكُمْ إِذَا وَلَغَ فِيهِ الْكَلْبُ أَنْ يُغْسَلَ سَبْعَ مَرَّاتٍ أُولَاهُنَّ بِالتُّرَابِ “The purification of the vessel of one of you when a dog licks it is to wash it seven times, the first of…
The fiqh of dual residents Imagine you live part of the year in London and part of the year in Karachi, or you split your life between your parents’ house in one city and your own flat in another. When you go from one to the other, are you a traveller (musafir) in the shariʿah…
Surrogacy in Islam The issue of surrogacy has been considered by Islamic scholars. Within Shiʿa thought, some jurists view surrogacy as a form of assisted reproduction that can help couples struggling to conceive naturally. In contrast, the vast majority of Sunni scholars have ruled that surrogacy is entirely prohibited (haram) in Islam, and thus not…
Snakes in Islam Snakes are generally considered ḥarām (forbidden) to eat because they are predatory and harmful. However, clothing and leather rulings are not always the same as food rulings. Leather and tanning The Prophet ﷺ said: “Any hide that is tanned becomes pure.” (Sahih Muslim) Many scholars (especially in the Hanafi, Maliki, and Shafi’i…