Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalam-aleykum

I live in Chicago and recently, I went to our Imam’s Salgairah majlis and was baffled by the idea of few selected people (with a title of Sheiks) not performing imamat nammaz under a person whose title is Mullah. In all other aspects they will follow his commands to a ‘t’ or else….

This Mullah is a son of Chicago Jamaat Bhaisaheb. Our Bhaisaheb makes about $105,000 dollars salary + free house + salaams etc but for some reason seems to be always traveling instead of doing his job. His 22 year old son (Jameat educated) has been given the authority to run the main Chicago Jamaat (I believe he get additional $400 dollar per month). Of course, we as a community have no say in these matters. The title of Sheik in our community is bestowed on to person by our Syedna when you pay/donate $52,000 dollars to Sydena. I believe we have about 30 Sheiks meaning $1.5 million dollars went out into some fund and God knows where and how the money is spent (similar to our Sabil, Wajibat, and many envelopes we have to stuff it up with money for donation).

Questions:

What does Islam say about who should do imamat namaz under whom? Is there any distinction in Islam based on your title? Also, why as a head of the family I cannot do imamat namaz with my family in my house and get more sawab?

In other communities how does a person become Imam or Sheik?

We are told mortgage is haram but credit card debt with interest is OK! Our Jamaat accepts credit card (for sabil etc) knowing that it has interest rate associated with it? What is haram ?

In Bohora custom wearing topi is mandatory when doing namaaz or eating dinner or reciting Quran or any religious activities. What does Islam recommendation?

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Bohra prayer questions

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever 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.

Dear and Beloved Brother in Islam, at the outset I would like to quote an Aayah for you from the Glorious Quran whereby Allah Subhanah warns the believers to guard themselves against those supposedly ‘holy men’ who devour the wealth of others in the name of Allah, and debar them from the Straight Path of Allah Subhanah.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verses 34-35: O you who believe! There are indeed many among the priests and the holy men who devour the wealth of others by evil means, and debar the people from the Way of Allah. Give them the good news of a painful torment, who hoard up gold and silver and do not expend these in the Way of Allah. The Day shall surely come when the same gold and silver shall be heated in the fire of Hell, and with it will be branded their foreheads, their bodies and their backs. (And it will be said): “Here is that treasure you had hoarded up for yourselves! Taste now the evil of your hoarded treasure!”

Those who have bought these religious ‘titles of honor’ in exchange for money, should know that these titles hold no weight whatsoever in the sight of Allah Subhanah! And those who have sold these religious ‘titles of honor’ to them in the name of Islam should fear Allah and the Last Day, for theirs will not be an easy accounting in the Presence of that All-Just and All-Knowing Lord.

Petty and insignificant tools like these titles, or race, or wealth, or lineage, etc. may beguile the ignorant to seek some honor in the life of this transient and short world; but Allah is our witness, these ‘tools of the ignorant’ hold absolutely no weight nor honor in the Sight and Presence of Allah Subhanah! If one sincerely seeks honor with Allah Subhanah, then the ‘formula’ for honor has been declared by the Lord All-Mighty in His Glorious Message, the Al-Quran:

Allah says in the Holy Quran: Chapter 49 Surah Hujurat verse 13: O mankind, We created you from one man and one woman, and then divided you into nations and tribes so that you may recognize one another. Indeed, the most honorable among you in the sight of Allah is he who is the most pious of you. Surely Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

Q-1A: What does Islam say about who should do imamat namaz under whom?

Abu Sa'id narrates that the Prophet (saws) said: "If you are three (or more) in number, then one of you should be the imam. And the one who has the most right to it is the one who is the most versed in the Qur'an."

Related by Ahmad, Muslim, and an-Nasa'i.

Ibn Mas'ud reports that the Prophet (saws) said: "The imam of a people should be the one who is the most versed in the Book of Allah. If they are equal in their recital, then the one who is most knowledgeable of the Sunnah. If they are equal in the Sunnah, then [it is] the one who migrated first. If they are equal in that, then [it is] the eldest. And no man should be an imam for another man if the other holds authority. And one should not occupy the place of honor in another’s house without his (the house owner’s) permission."

Related by Ahmad and Muslim.

Abu ad-Darda' reports that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "If there are three men in a village or desert and congregational prayer is not established among them, then the Shaytaan takes mastery over them. So be with the congregation since the wolf devours the remote (stray) sheep."

Related by Abu Dawud.

Q-1B: Is there any distinction in Islam based on your title?

If the Islamic State or Government, or even a body of believers in a community have by consultation given and vested the authority to an individual to be the ‘imam’ and lead the believers in prayer, then that person obviously has the biggest right to lead the prayers. The ‘imam’ may in turn appoint another to lead the prayers in his absence, and in the event of the ‘imam’ not specifically appointing anyone to lead the prayer in his absence, the one who is most versed in the Quran should lead the prayer.

Q-1C: Also, why as a head of the family I cannot do imamat namaz with my family in my house and get more sawab?

Abdullah reports that the Prophet (saws) said: "Prayer in congregation is superior to a prayer performed individually by twenty-seven degrees."

Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

It is obviously considered best and a preferred Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) for the believing males to offer their five obligatory prayers in congregation in the appointed Houses of Allah (mosques). But if one, for any genuine reason, has missed the congregation time of prayer in the mosques and wishes to offer ones prayers in one’s house; there is absolutely no restriction in Islam if the male head of the family leads his family in congregation and earns the reward of praying in congregation. Praying in congregation with one’s family would indeed earn one a bigger reward than praying individually.

But the believing males should not make it a habit to intentionally leave the praying of congregational prayers in the mosques, and start praying in one’s houses without an absolutely valid and genuine reason.

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, the noble companion of the Prophet (saws), said: "If anyone would like to meet Allah tomorrow as a Muslim, he should persevere in observing the five obligatory prayers whenever the call for them is made, for Allah has chosen for your Prophet the way of right guidance. And the [five prayers in congregation] are part of this right guidance. If you were to pray them in your houses, as this man who stays behind in his house, you would be leaving a Sunnah of your Prophet (saws). If you leave the Sunnah of your Prophet (saws), you would go astray. Verily, I have seen a time when no one stayed away from them [the congregational prayers in the mosques] except for the hypocrites who were well known for their hypocrisy. A man would be brought, supported by two people [due to his weakness] until he was placed in a row."

Related by Muslim.

Q-2: In other communities how does a person become Imam or Sheik?

In an Islamic State, the ‘Imam’ who leads the prayer is generally appointed by the governing authority; and in the non-Islamic countries, the believers or moderators of the community mosque appoint an ‘imam’ to lead the believers in prayer.

The Arabic term ‘Shaikh’ literally means ‘an old man’, and is used as a term of respect in the Arabic language for an aged person, or even a learned or wise person. No one appoints a ‘Shaikh’, nor can this title of honor for the aged amongst the believers can be bought and sold as done in some sects!

Q-3: We are told mortgage is haram but credit card debt with interest is OK! Our Jamaat accepts credit card (for sabil etc) knowing that it has interest rate associated with it? What is haram ?

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 274-276: But those who devour ‘riba’ become like the one whom Shaitaan has bewitched and maddened by his touch. They have been condemned to this condition because they say, “Trade is just like ‘riba”, whereas Allah has made trade halaal and ‘riba’ haraam. Henceforth, if one abstains from taking ‘riba’ after receiving this admonition from his Lord, no legal action shall be taken against him regarding the ‘riba’ he had devoured before: his case shall ultimately go to Allah. But if one repeats the same crime even after this, he shall go to Hell, where he shall abide for ever! Allah deprives ‘riba’ of all blessing,but will give increase for deeds of charity, and Allah does not like an ungrateful, sinful person.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale-Imraan verses 130-132:

130 O ye who believe! Devour not ‘riba’ (usury) doubled and multiplied; but fear Allah; that ye may (really) prosper.

131 Fear the fire which is prepared for those who reject faith.

132 And obey Allah and the Messenger; that ye may obtain mercy.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 161:That they took ‘riba’ (usury or interest) though they were forbidden; and that they devoured men's substance wrongfully; We have prepared for those among them who reject faith a grievous punishment.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.259 Narrated by Abu Juhaifa

The Prophet (saws) invoked the curse of Allah on those who take Riba' (usury) and those who pay it.

Beloved Brother, Allah and His Messenger (saws) have clearly declared the taking and paying of interest as absolutely haraam and forbidden. The accepting of payment through a credit card by an establishment cannot be considered haraam; for the establishment itself neither pays the interest nor receives it. It is the person who pays through the convenience of a credit card, but does not settle his bills on time and thus pays interest who will be held responsible in the Court of Allah Subhanah for dealing in ‘riba’.

Q-4: In Bohora custom wearing topi is mandatory when doing namaaz or eating dinner or reciting Quran or any religious activities. What does Islam recommendation?

Sunan of Abu-DawoodHadith 229 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib

The Messenger of Allah (saws) came out from the privy and taught us the Qur'an and took (ate) meat with us. Nothing prevented him (saws) from (reciting) the Qur'an except sexual defilement.

Wearing a covering on the head while eating, or offering ones prayers, or while reciting the Quran is not amongst the obligatory acts for a believing male in Shariah. If one covers his head, or leaves it uncovered; both ways his prayers and his worship will be considered valid.

The dressing norm at the time of the Messenger of Allah (saws) was such that the Arabs used to wear a turban over their heads. The Messenger of Allah (saws) prayed in his normal attire, and thus prayed with the turban covering his head. Thus, if the normal dress code of the person is such that he covers his head (like the Arab ‘gatra’ or head-cover); then it is fine to pray with the head cover. But if the normal dress code of the person is such that in normal circumstances he does not cover his head, there is no need to specially cover his head while eating, or praying or reciting the Quran. But if one does cover his head, there is no harm.

Ibn 'Asakir related that the Prophet would sometimes remove his head cover (turban) and place it in front of him as a ‘sutrah’ (end of prayer place mark) for prayer.

It is obligatory for a believing woman to cover her head and her full body while offering her prayers.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan