I Killed My Dad!

Was published in Arabic in November 19, 2015

Translated by Ahmed Fathy

 We have received this email message from a young woman:

 (… I do believe that I have accidentally killed my Dad! I have given him overdoses of the medicament prescribed by his doctor; I thought that in that way, he might recover very soon! I wanted to relieve his suffering and pain by giving him more doses; I did not intend to kill him! I never thought this would happen! His doctor came and screamed at my face that overdoses caused my Dad's death! He asserted that I am to blame! I cannot describe my grief for being the cause of the loss of the dearest, most kind person to me! I thought I am about to die of grief! I feel so guilty! Will God punish me in the Day of Judgment for such an accident?! I have decided to consult a sheikh with some alterations of details, because this sheikh knows me and used to know my Dad. I told him that I ask about the atonement of someone who accidentally ran over somebody with his car, causing the victim's death. The sheikh told me that the owner of the car had to fast for 60 consecutive days or to feed 60 impoverished persons. Later on, I thought I might just do both things. I have given away sums of money to the poor to atone for my sin; about LE 6000. I thought this would relieve Dad's soul. I have decided to fast the assigned 60 days as well, because my late Dad used not to fast during Ramadan, as he used to be a heavy smoker. Within one week of fasting, my period came and I had to interrupt my fasting. I have begun to wonder: how come I am going to fast for consecutive 60 days? Surely my period would come twice. Once I consulted my female friends who were talking about so many religious edicts "i.e., fatwas'' and other issues and matters. I repeated to them the same question of a woman killing someone by accident by a car. How come she would fast for non-stop 60 days? We agreed to call an Azharite sheikh via the cellular, while turning on the speaker for us all to hear him. He told us that such a female person had to feed 60 impoverished persons instead of fasting. When I told him that the supposed female is poor and can do nothing but fasting, and that how she might fast non-stop due to her period, he shouted at me that this female person might as well go to Hell! He hung up suddenly in a rude manner! One of my friends talked to me about you and the Quranists website. My other friends insulted you as an infidel! Eventually, alone, I logged in and read some of your articles. To my surprise, I read so many things totally new to me. I felt at mental loss on your website. I have decided to tell you via email about my problem. What shall I do? I insist upon fasting the 60 days for the sake of my Dad's soul, but what about my period? How come that God would never accept a female's fasting during her period, while ordering the non-stop fasting of 60 days to atone for the sin of manslaughter? Is not that a contradiction?)

 Here's our reply to this message:

 Firstly:

 Your late Dad never died due to overdose. No overdose of any prescribed medicament can cause a person's death, in my opinion. Make sure of such piece of information via any other respectable medical doctor away from the family doctor. Your Dad died because his time has come, whether he took any medicaments or not. Accordingly, relieve your conscience, my dear daughter; you have not caused the death of your father.

 Secondly:

 You have not sinned to atone for any sin in such a case. You have not accidentally killed anyone to apply the Quranic verse: "Never should a believer kill another believer, unless by error. Anyone who kills a believer by error must set free a believing slave, and pay compensation to the victim's family, unless they remit it as charity. If the victim belonged to a people who are hostile to you, but is a believer, then the compensation is to free a believing slave. If he belonged to a people with whom you have a treaty, then compensation should be handed over to his family, and a believing slave set free. Anyone who lacks the means must fast for two consecutive months, by way of repentance to God. God is All-Knowing, Most Wise. "(4:92).

 Thirdly: Atonement for manslaughter in our times is paying blood money to the family of the killed person if they reside inside or outside the country. If the sinner cannot pay for lack of money, he/she is to fast for two consecutive months non-stop as per 4:92.

Fourthly:

  Fasting for two consecutive months non-stop occurs twice in the Quran; once for the atonement for manslaughter and in another case of marriage annulment deemed unacceptable by God: "Those of you who estrange their wives by equating them with their mothers-they are not their mothers. Their mothers are none else but those who gave birth to them. What they say is evil, and a blatant lie. But God is Pardoning and Forgiving. Those who estrange their wives by equating them with their mothers, then go back on what they said, must set free a slave before they may touch one another. To this you are exhorted, and God is well aware of what you do. But whoever cannot find the means must fast for two consecutive months before they may touch one another. And if he is unable, then the feeding of sixty needy people. This, in order that you affirm your faith in God and His Messenger. These are the ordinances of God. The unbelievers will have a painful punishment." (58:2-4).

Fifthly:

1- The period prevents having sex between a wife and her husband. The period never prevents fasting, prayers, reading the Quran, performing pilgrimage, and any other rituals and acts of worship. We find in the Quran, to assert this view: "And they ask you about menstruation: say, "It is harmful, so keep away from women during menstruation. And do not approach them until they have become pure. Once they have become pure, approach them in the way God has directed you." God loves the repentant, and He loves those who keep clean." Your women are cultivation for you; so approach your cultivation whenever you like, and send ahead for yourselves. And fear God, and know that you will meet Him. And give good news to the believers." (2:222-223). Accordingly, performing ablution before prayers and even complete ablution (washing up, e.g., in a shower) are never prevented by the period; a believer has to perform ablution before prayers in cases that do not include having the period: "O you who believe! Do not approach the prayer while you are drunk, so that you know what you say; nor after sexual orgasm-unless you are travelling-until you have bathed. If you are sick, or traveling, or one of you comes from the toilet, or you have had intercourse with women, and cannot find water, find clean sand and wipe your faces and your hands with it. God is Pardoning and Forgiving." (4:43). We find as well the following verse: "O you who believe! When you rise to pray, wash your faces and your hands and arms to the elbows, and wipe your heads, and your feet to the ankles. If you had intercourse, then purify yourselves. If you are ill, or travelling, or one of you returns from the toilet, or you had contact with women, and could not find water, then use some clean sand and wipe your faces and hands with it. God does not intend to burden you, but He intends to purify you, and to complete His blessing upon you, that you may be thankful." (5:6). Hence, we conclude that the period is never mentioned as a cause to stop prayers or any acts of worship at all. The period is mentioned in the Quran in certain cases: never to indulge in sex with one' husband and in cases of the time to wait for possible pregnancy for the widows and the divorced women. Hence, a woman who has her period can pray, perform ablution before prayers, and can fast, read the Quran, and do all rituals, provided that she would take every precaution to stop blood flowing only during performing prayers, not during any fast.  

2- The period does not prevent fasting at all any time, whether in Ramadan or other months. Excuses for not performing the fast during Ramadan include men and women, as we know, and such excuses do not include the period, as per the Quranic text; see (2:184-185). The period does not prevent performing pilgrimage and all its rituals that are the same for men and women. The period does not prevent a woman from reading the Quran. As for the verse: "None can grasp it except the purified." (56:79), this does not indicate women in period; periods are not something filthy: this is a false non-Islamic Jewish notion. This verse means that the Quran does not infiltrate except the hearts/minds/souls of the ones purified by true faith; for us, this means the pure hearts who never believe in any discourse in religion except the Quran. Thus, all women during periods can carry and read the Quran anytime, pay alms, and praise and glorify God as well. See 2:274, 13:22, 14:31, and 35:29. 

Sixthly:

 1- In Islam, there is no such a notion that anyone can pray, fast, perform pilgrimage, etc. instead of someone else, dead or alive. Likewise, no one can pay alms or charity or read the Quran for the sake/relief of anyone dead or alive. No one can be deputized to perform any act of worship in lieu of anyone. Even praying and supplicating God for the sake of the dead does not benefit the dead; rather, this is for the benefit of the living person who does that. Supplication and glorifying God are good deeds often forgotten by most of us nowadays. All acts of worship aim to recommend only oneself to God not to recommend others. Likewise, no one can bear the sins of any other person related to oneself. Bad deeds turn into Hell fire to torture the unrepentant sinners after the Day of Judgment forever. Likewise, good deeds acceptable to God turn into sheer bliss in Paradise for eternity.

2- Instead of performing acts of worship instead of others – unacceptable in Islam at all – let all of us perform them to please the Almighty. In the Day of Resurrection, one will flee all relations: brothers, sisters, parents, children, etc. see 80:34-37.

Lastly:

 You are very welcome, my dear daughter, on our website of the Quranists. I sincerely advise you to real all our articles and fatwas first. Read for an hour per day at least; this is better that spending time in gossiping and talking in sheer ignorance of faith and real Islam. This is extremely wrong, in our opinion. May God guide you and us to His righteous path.