I have been reading your emails with great interest and thanks for educating us in the great religion of Islam. With all due respect I do not agree with everything you say but at the same time many of your topics are right on the money. I believe that Bohora-ism is very strong from religion point of view but very corrupt from political point of view. I also believe the root cause of our curruption is doing SALAAMS with money to those appointed by our Sayedna in power positions. Q1: Why are we not allowed to conduct an imamat namaaz in my own house with my own family ? All the sects do allow the head of the family to conduct imamat namaz. I understand and fully accept the premise that in masjid we should have pious leader to lead the community in a namaz but in my own house I am the head and therefore, logically I should be allowed. Q2: In Islam, what is the criteria by which a divorce can occur? Recently, A muminaat initiated a divorcce and his alcoholic, abusive husband refused to grant her divorce until her family paid a large sum of money. I thought it was very unfair that Islam binds us to such limitations (only husband can grant divorce).
Imamat Namaaz and Divorce
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and who-ever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
May Allah reward you and increase your quest for Islamic knowledge from the Glorious Quran. My beloved brother, Allah is our witness, we always use the Holy Quran and the authentic traditions of the Messenger of Allah (saws) as our sources of knowledge. You have a right to disagree with any and all our opinions, but we urge you to read and understand properly the aayahs that we regularly quote from the Glorious Quran. The Holy Quran is the absolute Truth, and they are the very words of Allah Subhanah. There is not an iota of falsehood in the Glorious Quran, and we assure you that our opinions are almost always based in context with the clear guidance and teachings of the Holy Quran.
Your Comment: I believe that Bohrism is very strong from religion point of view but very corrupt from political point of view. I also believe the root cause of our corruption is doing SALAAMS with money to those appointed by our Sayedna in power positions.
Yes, I do agree with you here, that the greed for more money and more power has absolutely corrupted the leadership. But in my humble opinion, that is not the root cause. The root cause of the allowance of all these curruptions is that the common man is kept out of the understanding of the Holy Quran! That is the absolute root cause. If any person makes up his mind to understand the Message sent for him by His Creator, then he will understand what is the Truth and what is Islam. He will understand who is His Lord and Creator, and what are His rights on His slaves. He will understand from the Quran, what does one have to do to receive Allah’s promised Mercy and Forgiveness, and who are those on whom will be the Wrath and Anger of Allah. All these can only be understood if one reads the Holy Quran with understanding, and this understanding of the Quran has been systematically taken out of the sect! So now, instead of following Allah and His Messenger (saws), they follow their own self-appointed holy men and their ancestors in their graves… They follow every other book written by man, but leave the Holy Quran high on their shelves and use it only to grace occasions and recite it without understanding for ‘shifaa’ and ‘barakah’! The Holy Quran was specifically revealed for the guidance of mankind, but these unscrupulous leaders have been successful in creating a thousand doubts in the minds of the common man, so much so, that he is now convinced that he can never understand the clear and direct Message, which Allah Himself, in His Sublime Mercy, has revealed for his guidance!
Allah says in Chapter 2, Surah Baqarah aayat 185:"Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was sent down: this Book is a perfect guidance for mankind and consists of CLEAR teachings which show the right way and are a Criterion of the Truth and falsehood."
May Allah make us understand and appreciate the honor he has bestowed upon us, and give us the courage and wisdom to come to the understanding of the Message He has revealed for us.
Your comment: Why are we not allowed to conduct an imamat namaaz in my own house with my own family ? All the sects do allow the head of the family to conduct imamat namaz. I understand and fully accept the premise that in masjid we should have pious leader to lead the community in a namaz but in my own house I am the head and therefore, logically I should be allowed.
The Messenger of Allah (saws) stressed that all the ‘fard’ or obligatory prayers must be prayed in congregations in the mosques by the males of the community. The women are allowed to pray at home, and the Prophet (saws) said, that it is in fact more preferable for the women to pray their ‘salaat’ at home.
But if for any reason, the mosque if far from your place of residence, or perchance you missed the congregation time of prayer in the mosque, you are absolutely allowed in Islam to make ‘imamat’ salaat at home. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said in an authentic narration that the reward or ‘thawaab’ for praying in a congregation is 27 times more than praying it alone. The man, being the leader of the house, should lead the prayers at home.
Your comment: In Islam, what is the criteria by which a divorce can occur? Recently, A muminaat initiated a divorcce and his alcoholic, abusive husband refused to grant her divorce until her family paid a large sum of money. I thought it was very unfair that Islam binds us to such limitations (only husband can grant divorce).
Divorce in Islam can occur for a number of reasons, the simplest of them being that a husband and wife are just not compatible and cannot live their lives in harmony together. This divorce is an allowance, whereby two people, who cannot live in harmony together, are allowed in Islam to initiate a divorce. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said in an authentic narration, that of all the legal things which are allowed in Islam, divorce is one thing which is the least loved by Allah.
In Islam, both men and women are allowed to initiate a divorce, the only difference being that a woman has to go to a court, if she wants to initiate the divorce, and this is called ‘khula’ in Islam. She has to convince the judge that for whatever reason, she is not happy with her husband and cannot continue to live with him in harmony. The judge can then grant her a divorce, on the condition that the woman will have to pay back the ‘mahr’ which the husband gave her at the time of marriage. But for the husband to demand an enormous amount of money is absolutely illegal and he will be severely accountable in the Court of Allah.
Divorce is an exit option for both man and wife, if they are unable to live in harmony and peace together. If both of the parties fear Allah and His Accounting on an Inevitable Day, this painful relationship can be ended in an amicable and peaceful manner. Whoever of the two parties tries intentionally to hurt or slander the other party, he should realize that Allah is All Hearing, All Mighty and is Able and Capable to Avenge the rights of the weak.
The Holy Quran mentions divorce and its proceedings and its laws several times, and we will relate a couple of them.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 229: Divorce may be pronounced twice; then either keep the wife with honor, or let her leave gracefully. And it is not lawful for you to take back anything out of what you have given them. There is however, an exception to this; if you fear that they might not be able to keep within the limits imposed by Allah, there is no harm if both agree mutually that the wife should obtain divorce by giving something as compensation to the husband (only when she initiates the divorce). These are the bounds set by Allah; therefore, do not violate them, for those who violate the bounds of Allah are indeed the ‘dhalims’ (transgressors)!
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 231: And when you have divorced your wives and they are about to complete their prescribed terms, then either retain them gracefully or release them generously. It is transgression to retain them merely for harassment. And whoever does that indeed wrongs his own self! Do not play with Allah’s Commandments, and remember that Allah has blessed you with a great favor. He admonishes you to show due respect to the Book and the Wisdom He has sent you. Fear Allah and know that He is fully aware of everything.
Two words that both parties must always keep in mind in a divorce, in light of the Holy Quran, is Grace and Generosity! No one is allowed to hurt the other party intentionally! Either live in peace and harmony together, or separate gracefully; but at all times, fear Allah and His Accounting on a very Severe Day for the one who transgresses the limits set by Allah.
Your Comment: I thought it was very unfair that Islam binds us to such limitations (only husband can grant divorce).
My beloved brother in Islam, if the person is an alcoholic and abuser, please do not put the blame on Islam. Allah has been very Merciful to His creation, and He has revealed, in His Sublime and Infinite Grace and Mercy, the Holy Quran for our guidance. And if one does not follow the commands and laws of Allah, drinks and abuses his wife, the problem is with the person, not his religion! Every law, every command, every advice, every word, every sentence and every aayah of Quran is filled to the brim with wisdom; simply, because they are the very words of Allah, the All Wise, All Knowing. If we do not follow any commandment of the Holy Quran, there will be consequences which follow… in this world, and in the Hereafter; then we cannot blame the wisdom of Allah, but rather we must take the blame ourselves for not following the Commandments, which Allah has revealed for our guidance. He Alone is free from any defects whatsoever, and is High and Very Exalted.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzaab verse 36: It does not behove a believing man and a believing woman that when Allah and His Messenger have given their decision in a matter, they should exercise an option in that matter of theirs. For whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, has indeed strayed into manifest error.
This topic of why only a husband is unilaterally allowed to divorce in Islam is a topic by itself, and if you need to know the full details and the wisdom, please ask the question on the forum, and if Allah Wills, our scholars will be more than happy to address it for you.
May Allah guide you and us all to the Siraat al-Mustaqeem
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.
Your brother and well wisher in Islam,
Burhan
Wister