Q 1. I was just wondering what the Islamic point of view is on adopting a child. We have a child of our own, Mashallah....however we would like to provide a good life for an orphan child. Inshallah we will have more children of our own but we feel deeply about adoption. Could you provide a Shi'a and Sunni point of view. Also since I am writing to you....could you provide information on Edhi Foundation orphanages in Pakistan. Your assistance is greatly appreciated. (Shujat Ali Shah)
A 1. May Allah bless you for your thoughtfulness about taking care of an orphan child. There are thousands of Muslims orphans who need help and support. There is a great blessing and reward in taking care of an orphan. The prophet -peace be upon him- said, "On the day of Judgement, I and the guardian of an orphan will be like these two fingers and he joined his two fingers." In another Hadith he mentioned that when a person put his hand of compassion on the head of an orphan, for every hair of that orphan he will receive a blessing from Allah.
I strongly recommend that you take care of the orphans. As far adoption is concerned, according to the Shari'ah it is not allowed to deprive a child of his/her biological parents name. You can keep the child, provide him/her good home and take good care, but do not give him/her with your last name. Allah says in the Qur'an, "... He (Allah) has not made your adopted sons as your sons. Such is only your speech by your mouths. But Allah tells you the truth and He shows you the right way. Call them by the names of their fathers, that is more just in the sight of Allah. But if you do not know their fathers' names, call them your brothers in faith or your friends. There is no blame on you in whatever mistakes you made in this matter, but what counts is the intention of your hearts. Allah is oft-Forgiving and most Merciful." (al-Ahzab 33:4-5) In America for the purpose of tax-exemptions, health insurance, school admissions etc. you may need to give then your last names. Such names can be provided with a clear understanding that you are only the guardians. The orphans children should be told about the names of their real parents. In your own home you and your children should be aware of this fact that these children are not your biological children. When these orphans grow up then they will not be mahram to you, to your spouse and to your own sons and daughters. They will also not inherit anything from your property unless you give them something as a special gift through the provision of will. To my knowledge there is no difference in this matter between the Sunni and Shi'a jurisprudence. For information about Edhi Foundation and their orphanage program you may contact 213 382-4484 or fax 213 382-0454. Q 2. We receive a number of letters that contain pictures of the Ka'ba and the names of Allah. Over time, we have been collecting them in order to avoid throwing them away because of their contents. It is becoming a hassle to store these letters. How should we discard these letters? (Anonymous)
A 2. The Ka'ba is the sacred house of Allah and Allah's name is the most sacred name. Similarly the verses of the Qur'an and names of Allah's prophets and messengers are sacred. We should certainly honor and respect all as much as we can. Allah says in the Qur'an, "...Whosoever honors that sacred things of Allah, for him it is good in the sight of his Lord..." "And whoever holds in honor the symbols of Allah, such honor comes truly from the piety of the hearts. (al-Hajj 22: 30, 32).
The basic spirit of this rule is that you honor these things in your heart and do not disrespect them in any way. However, now a days millions of papers are printed every day with Allah's name and other sacred names and symbols. We should neither stop printing such papers nor should we try to gather and store everything on which such sacred names are written. The only thing that we should do is that we dispose them carefully so that they do not fly around and go under the feet of people. If it is possible to shred them, try to shred them before disposing or put them in a bag and place them in a garbage can. They will be collected from there and either burned in incinerators or buried in the dumping grounds. That is all you should do. No need to keep these papers in you home or office all the time. No need to take them to some river or ocean to dump there and no need to start a fire in your own backyard. Q 3. I am an American Christian woman and I am married to a Muslim (Pakistani) man. I am very interested in Islam and one of my main concerns is while I am still a Christian am I obligated to do the ablution and cover my head as I read the Qur'an? I would also like to know the reasoning for covering my head because I see this as degrading women. I would appreciate your opinion and law of the Qur'an and Sunnah on this matter. (Tanya M. Zahid, Clute,Texas)
A 3. May God bless you. I am very pleased to know about your interest in Islam and your reading of the Qur'an. It is not obligatory to make ablution or to cover your head before reading the Qur'an. Even Muslim women can read the Qur'an without wudu and without covering their heads. However, it is recommended to make ablution and to cover oneself properly when reading the Qur'an. This is a special respect for the Word of Allah and in this way one can also appreciate Allah's word much more.
It is necessary for a woman to cover her hair for Salah and also when she is outside in public in front of non-mahram people, i.e. males who are not related to her by blood or through marriage. There is nothing degrading about the covering of head. On the contrary, covering the head enhances a woman's honor and respect. In all religions and cultures, head covering for a woman is considered an honor. In Christian religion too religious women such as nuns always cover their heads to increase their honor and respect and to show their dedication to their faith. Q 4. After death is it allowed for the husband or wife to touch or see their dead spouse? I have heard some people say that at death the Nikah is broken and now it is forbidden for a husband to see his wife and for a wife to see her husband. Please clarify in the light of the Qur'an and Sunnah. (M. Khan, Los Angeles, Ca)
A 4. There is nothing in the Qur'an and Sunnah that forbids a husband to see or touch his dead wife or vice versa. It is even allowed for a husband to wash the body of his wife and for a wife to wash the body of her husband. It is reported that Ummul Mu'mineen 'Aisha -may Allah be pleased with her- said, "If I was in control of myself, I would not have allowed anyone else to wash Prophet Muhammad's body. I would have done it myself." When the first Caliph Abu Bakr al-Siddiq -may Allah be pleased with him- died, his wife Asma' bint 'Umais washed his body. The fourth Caliph 'Ali ibn Abi Talib -may Allah be pleased with him- washed the body of his wife Fatimah -may Allah be pleased with her.
Q 5. The place where we live has very few Muslims. When we do the sacrifice on Idul Adha, can we give the meat of the sacrifice to non-Muslims friends. I understand that we have to divide the meat in three portions, one for ourselves, one for the friends and one for the poor and needy. If we do not find any poor people what should we do with that portion? (A. Husain, Oregon)
A 5. According to the Shari'ah it is allowed to give the sacrificial meat to non-Muslim poor people or to non-Muslim friends. It is recommended to give one third to the poor people, but one can give more also. If there are no poor people available then one can use it for oneself and for one's family and friends.
There are many places where there are poor people who need meat. Now a days we have some Muslim relief organizations who make arrangements for sacrifice on other people's behalf in poor countries. If you find that you cannot give the meat in your own area to any poor people, you can make arrangements through these organizations to make sacrifice on your behalf.