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:

Question # 1, 2, 4 is yet to be replied. Could you please expedite.

Dear Mr. Burhan, Assalamualaikum;

1) In the process of divorce when a woman is in iddath and in case during the iddath time the husband dies, should a woman restart the iddath again or completing the remaining period of previous iddath will be enough.

2) While praying, Bohras keep stone during sajdah. What is the reason for this?

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Answer:

What to do if Woman is during iddah period of divorce and husband dies?

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.

Your statement: In the process of divorce when a woman is in iddath and in case during the iddath time the husband dies, should a woman restart the iddath again or completing the remaining period of previous iddath will be enough.

If during the divorce period of the iddah of the wife, her husband dies; she will have to forfeit the iddah of divorce immediately, and start the iddah of a widow which is four months and ten days from the day of her husband’s death.

Your statement: While praying, Bohras keep stone during sajdah. What is the reason for this?

To the best of my knowledge, the Bohras do not keep a stone during sajdah; but there are some sects in the Shia School of Thought who do keep a small flat stone on their place of sajdah in a prayer, and make sure that in sajdah they rest their foreheads on this stone. The stone apparently must originate from a place called Karbala in Iraq, where Hadrat Hussain ibn Ali (r.a.), the noble grandson of the Prophet (saws) was martyred, and their belief is that one may only rest one’s forehead in sajdah in this land, or on a piece of this land!

Needless to say, this belief or this system of placing a stone from the land of Karbala at the place of sajdah has absolutely no evidence or proof from the Holy Quran or the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws); and thus at best this practice of putting a stone from a particular place at the place of sajdah in prayer is a ‘bida’ (innovation) in the deen of Islam!

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4515 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said: “If anyone introduces an innovation (in religion), he will be responsible for it. If anyone introduces an innovation or gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (in religion), he is cursed by Allah, by His angels, and by all the people.”

Sahih Muslim Hadith 1885 Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said in a sermon: “The best speech is that which is embodied in the Book of Allah, the Al Quran; and the best guidance is the guidance given by me, Mohamed (saws). The most evil affairs are the innovations, and every innovation is an error.”

The guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws) regarding the place of prayer is very clear:

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 20 Surah Taha verse 6: To Him (Allah) belongs what is in the heavens and on earth, and all between them, and all beneath the soil!

Sahih Muslim Hadith 1060 Narrated by Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “We have been made to excel (other) people in three (things): 1. Our rows have been made like the rows of the angels; 2. the whole earth has been made a mosque for us; and 3. its dust has been made a purifier for us in case water is not available.”

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 in Islam,

Burhan