Issues and Questions

Q1. My wife and I celebrate a day in which she started to wear Hijab. By celebration I mean I get her a gift, is this Halal?

A1. May Allah bless you and your wife for observing the rules of Allah. May Allah keep both of you on the right path. It is good to encourage your wife to observe her Hijab and it is very good that both of you enjoy this blessing of Allah. There is nothing wrong in this celebration, as long as you do not consider this ‘Ibadah or obligatory. In every culture and society people have customs and traditions. The general principle of the Shari’ah is that in the matter of customs (‘adat) everything is permissible except for that which forbidden by Allah and His Messenger.

Q2. I have been told that it is strictly forbidden for a woman to wear trousers, especially “Jeans”, even in the privacy of her home with her husband. Is this true? How about wearing trousers where only women will see me?

A2. In the privacy of your home where no one is around except your husband, you may wear whatever pleases you and your husband. However, outside, or in the presence of other people, especially those who are not Mahram to you, you should wear the clothes that cover your whole body and they are not too tight-fitting so much that to expose the shape of the body. If your Jeans or trousers are loose enough, then they are permissible. Also, you should wear over the Jean or trousers a longer shirt or a shirt that covers the hips.

The problem is not with Jeans, the problem is in their style and the way they cover or actually expose the body. Some Shalwars and Jampars could be as bad as the most Jeans sold in the market. Muslim should be conscious to wear the clothes that cover the body properly. It does not make any difference whether these clothes are eastern or western.

Q3. Unfortunately, my father drinks alcohol (May Allah guide him). After he drinks I collect the glasses to clean them. Is there any Haram in doing that?

A3. We also pray to Allah to guide your father and help him to get out of this Haram habit. You should talk to your father about this and tell him that drinking alcohol is Haram. The Prophet -peace be upon him- said that Allah’s curse comes on the person who drinks it and the one who serves it to others. You should tell him that it is not out of any disrespect to him but out of the respect of Allah and His command, you will not be able to serve him in his drinking alcohol. You should excuse yourself from serving alcohol to him. Neither giving him the drink nor taking the glass from him after he finishes the drink. In both ways, you should not participate or help him in his addiction.

Q4. Is it allowed to pray in a clean space inside a najis place (they are separated by a door) if it is the must and the only suitable place for a Muslim workingwoman. This place is so narrow that it is just enough to do ruku’ and sujud. Even for sujud I can’t put my nose in the ground and I cannot face the Qiblah properly. What about the prayers performed in such condition?

A4. The prayer should be performed in a clean and dignified place. The places of dirt and filth such as garbage dumps, or the places that are associated with dirt and filth even if they are clean such as toilets etc. should not be used for prayers. However, if you have no other choice and you are in a situation either to pray in such place or miss your prayer, then just pray your Fard (obligatory) prayer. Allah says in the Qur’an, “So keep your duties to Allah as best as you canâ¤_” (al-Taghabun 64:16) You should seek the cleanest spot available in that area for the prayer.

Q5. Is the prayer invalidated if a woman prays in a public place and prostrates while some men may see her in such a position?

A5. The best place for prayer for a woman is inside her home. Even in her home the better place for her is her own private room. However, it is not forbidden for women to pray in public places. Women are allowed to pray in the Masajid where men and women both are present. When women pray in public places then they are required to cover themselves more carefully. They should have a longer garment to cover themselves.

Q6. What should someone do if they suffer from constant wind (i.e. they are always passing gas) even during the Salat? What if they cannot withhold the gas for the time it takes to pray 4 rakaats?

A6. Allah says in the Qur’an, “Allah does not place a burden upon a soul beyond its capacityâ¤_” (Al-Baqarah 2:286) If a person is not capable to keep his/her Wudu due to such sickness, then he/she should make Wudu for every prayer. After the Wudu, one should perform the Fard prayer as well as other Sunnahs. Ignore the gas problem. One should try to hold the gas as much as possible, but if is a constant problem and one cannot avoid it then let is pass. It will not break that person’s prayer because of sickness. The same is the rule for a person who has a continuous urination problem. If some drops of urine continuously pass, then they can do the same as mentioned above.

Of course, the healthy people must be very careful about these matters. If a healthy person passes the gas or a drop of urine then his/her Wudu is invalid. They have to redo their Wudu. If this happens during the prayer, then they have to leave the prayer and should make another Wudu and then resume the prayer from where they left it. But the condition is that they should not talk to anyone during this time, otherwise they have to pray the whole prayer all over again.

Q7. Is it Haram for a woman to work in a hotel? My sister works in the sales department of a hotel in Dubai. I think it is Haram. What do you say? Also, is it Haram to listen to Music?

A7. One should very careful in using the word Haram for any thing or action. Haram is only that which Allah and His Messenger have made Haram. Allah says in the Qur’an, “And speak not by your tongues falsely attributing to things, ‘This is Halal and this Haram,’ so that you invent a lie against Allah. Indeed those who invent a lie against Allah will not succeed.” (Al-Nahl 16:116) It is as much forbidden to call Halal thing Haram as it is to call a Haram thing Halal.

According to Islam, it is preferable for a woman to stay home and take care of the family. However, she is allowed to work outside her home as long as the place where she is working provides her a safe and modest environment. She should be able to wear Islamic dress, observes her Hijab and should not mingle with men or meet with them alone (khalwah). She must not have to do anything that is Haram or improper. If these conditions are met then she can work in a hotel, a restaurant, an airline, or any other place of work in order to have Halal income.

As far as your question about music, some jurists are of the opinion that all music is Haram, but they really do not have any strong evidence for this categorical prohibition in the Qur’an and Sunnah. Imam Ibn Hazm says that there is no authentic Hadith prohibiting music. Imam Shaukani says that there is no consensus of the Sahabah or other scholars on this subject. However, one should be very careful about music. It is true that not all music is Haram. But there is a lot of music or one may most of the music today that is seductive, profane, or that which incites to improper actions. All such music is Haram. But the music that is comforting, harmonious or that which helps to do good things is permissible. Also one should not indulge in music or in any habit so much as to ignore one’s obligations. If listening to music keeps you away from the remembrance of Allah, praying on time or from observing your social and family duties, then it is Haram for you.