Fatwas: Part Three

Issued by:

Dr. Ahmed Subhy Mansour

Translated by: Ahmed Fathy

Quranists' Conference

Published in November 28, 2016

Question: …  I hope that Quranists would meet within an annual conference, with media shedding light on it, to greatly influence the Arab mind intellectually and to urge them to get rid of myths and tyranny of clergymen, and most Arab problems will be solved then …       

Answer:

  We sincerely hope to be able to achieve this one day. May God come to our aid.

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Should I Believe Few Hadiths?

Published in June 6, 2014

Question: … I am just wondering, dear Dr. Mansour, if I should believe (or not) in the few hadiths that apparently do not contradict the Quran? What about those who believe in them and at the same time criticize those false hadiths of Al-Bokhary and his likes that contradict the Quran? … Thank you …

Answer:

   We assert here that anyone who religiously believes in any other discourses, narratives, or hadiths alongside with the Quran is disbelieving in the entirety of the Quran. The reason: the Quran tells us that we are to exclusively believe in one and only discourse in Islam: the Quran itself as God's Word. God says the following in the Quran: "In what message, beyond this, will they believe?" (77:50); "…Which message, besides this, will they believe in?" (7:185); "These are God's Verses which We recite to you in truth. In which message, after God and His revelations, will they believe?" (45:6).

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Donating Organs after One's Death

Published in August 7, 2007

Question: … I am seriously thinking about writing my will … I want it to include donating my body organs, such as my eyes, my heart, etc. upon my death, for the sake of those needing transplantation surgeries …  What do you think?

Answer:

  We do believe that this is an act of charity and a good deed that will be rewarded by God; God bless you.

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Public Debate between Quranists and Sunnites

Published in January 30, 2008

Question: … I propose to you, Dr. Mansour, that you should engage into a televised academic debate with a representative of your intellectual adversaries the Sunnite Wahabis … a neutral gathering of people should attend such a debate, and each interlocutor should have 30 min. to speak uninterruptedly in his turn at a time, and each of you try to refute the other's views. Such debate will certainly influence millions of Arabs who do not read your website of know of it. This will expose the Wahabi Sunnite mythology … This debate should take place in Washington, I think, or in any university in the West … What do you think?

Answer:

   We, ourselves, are ready for any type of debates with whoever is willing to engage into beneficial and fruitful discussion like this in quest for the Truth; but in fact, most of the Sunnites and Wahabis adamantly refuse and run away from this challenge, fearing they cannot refute us as we them. Such Sunnites' fear of being unable to refute Quranism was witnessed by us several times in Cairo, Egypt, in the late 1970s, when we were Assistant Professor at Al-Azhar University, long years before influential televised debates of others were aired and admired by many people.    

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Lard and Pork

Published in January 12, 2015

Question: … I live in a European country, and I am about to open  project to earn my living and to spend on my family … I will open a bakery, but my question is as follows: some of the baked items what I am going to make and sell might contain lard, hog's meat, and the like. Of course, I do not eat it, but is it permissible within Islam to make such baked items and sell them to others? Thank you.

Answer:

    It is OK; you can sell and bake them; it is NOT prohibited in the Quran that one would buy, sell, train, rear and keep, cook, or use as a pet any hogs and pigs. What is a prohibited food for Muslims is the flesh of pigs, hogs, boars, and swines, cooked or prepared in whatever way (pork, bacon, salami, etc.). Muslims may eat lard because it is not a prohibited food item in the Quran. Not to eat flesh of these animals is the type of ordinary prohibition in the Quran; it is not as strict as Quranic avoidance commands related to wine, for instance. God never says that one should avoid pigs or their flesh and cooked food items made of it. You are not to consume this flesh, but you can get near it, cook it for others, sell it, etc. In contrast, Quranic commands of avoidance related to wine means literally not to sell, buy, consume, make, cook with, or get nearer to all wines at all. This is strict prohibition; this is not the case applied to flesh of pigs.     

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Minor Sins

Published in December 26, 2013

Question: … I sometimes kiss my fiancée and remain with her alone, away from people, and we are holding our hands in public when walking … I am still a virgin and so is she, but within many time, we snogged for a long time, with both of us wearing only underwear … we are getting married soon anyway … But I feel guilty; will God punish us for such necking and petting? We never had full sex or coitus? What do you think?  

Answer:

   Of course, what both of you have committed is a sin that entails sincere repentance; but it is among the minor sins, not major, grave ones. God says in the Quran about real believers: "Those who avoid gross sins and indecencies-except for minor lapses-your Lord is of Vast Forgiveness…" (53:32); "If you avoid the worst of what you are forbidden, We will remit your sins, and admit you by a Gate of Honor." (31:4). This means that avoiding fornication and other major, grave sins all one's lifetime will make God forgive one's small mistakes and minor sins.

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When Dying

Published in June 1, 2016

Question: … I have witnessed the moment of death of some relatives of mine … One male relative, while dying, called the name of his dead mother minutes before he died … One female relative seemed to be talking to her dead husband minutes before she died. The preacher at our local mosque told me that the dying person is talking to the dead as he/she is going to meet them in Barsakh. Yet, when I read your book, Dr. Mansour, which is titled "The Book of Death", you have mentioned that there is no contact among souls of the dead in Barsakh, and not even between them and the living ones on earth … I am not objecting to that, but I would like you to explain to me why some dying persons did what I have told you above… Thank you.    

Answer:

   Death means two things in the Quran; the temporary one during sleep and the one when the soul leaves its body forever to return to Barsakh and the body turns to dust. During the temporary death called sleep, the sleeper might talk unconsciously and might address others. Likewise, upon dying, the soul talks to the angels of death, while leaving its body. Sure enough, the dying body may utter through the mouth meaningless words and let out strange sounds, while the whole body may shake convulsively or uncontrollably, before it lies still forever.     

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Ask God's Pardon for my Sake

Published in November 12, 2016

Question: … I beg you, Dr. Mansour, to pray for me and implore Almighty God to grant me forgiveness and pardon, for I am a sinner and you are such a good man …   

Answer:

   We are no clergyman; there should be no mediators or clergy of any kind between people and God, let alone asking God's pardon on behalf of anyone. It is impertinent and insulting to think of us as nearer to God than the rest of humanity and to deem us as a 'saint' or a mediator! We believe in the Quran, and consequently, we know that God is nearer to human beings than their jugular veins; see 50:16. God is watching over everything, and He is Near to those invoking Him; see 2:186. All of us should never despair of God's mercy as long as we repent from our sins; see 39:53. You should ask god's pardon and forgiveness yourself, while atoning and repenting sincerely, with all your heart, might, soul, and mind. You should address God directly with your own tongue and words in piety and in the fear of Him, especially while reciting the Quran. Read the Quranic Chapter One now, slowly and reverently, and address God with it in piety and devoutly, and you will feel relieved if your repentance is sincere. Read it now; this very moment not later. 

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What to Say during Circumambulation

Published in April 14, 2016

Question: … What are prayers and phrases offered in praise of God that should be uttered during circumambulating the Kaaba?  

Answer:

  Without ready-made, hackneyed phrases of Sunnites and other Muhammadans, you should praise the Lord and glorify His name with your own words, tongue, way, and language, while preserving the state of piety all the time. 

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Male Hairdressers

Published in May 22, 2015

Question: … I am not a Quranist, but I do believe you are a great scholar and thinker, Dr. Mansour, and a free liberal-minded person … My questions relates to the job of male hairdressers within beauty salons for female customers? Is it OK that those hairdressers touch the hair and heads of women? This is not related to any sexual arousal, right? What do you think? … Have you some lines of evidence from a Quranist point of view to support the view that such a job is OK as far as Islam is concerned?  

Answer:

   Many jobs require intermingling of people of both genders, such as within the medical field and beauty salons and so on and so forth. This is permissible and OK as long as the sin of fornication does not take place and getting nearer to this sin (by certain words or deeds) does not occur. Immorality regarding sex is of two types: fornication itself and things, acts, and words leading to it. The former is a grave sin and the latter are small sins. A professional male hairdresser doing the hair of a woman (or anything else related to beauty salons) does not commit any sin at all. If such a male hairdresser is desiring his female customer sexually, this is a small or a minor sin that requires repentance and doing good deeds to atone or it and ask God's pardon. God accepts such repentance from minor sins and making amends or atonement as long as one does not commit fornication. "If you avoid the worst of what you are forbidden, We will remit your sins, and admit you by a Gate of Honor." (4:31)       

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No Hell Dwellers Will Ever Get Out of It

Published in February 14, 2015

Question: … In your book titled "Sinning Muslim" that those whose sins are more than their good deeds will dwell in Hell forever … but does the Quran mention anything about Hell as temporary purgatory for those who believed in Him alone but their sins are greater in number than their good deed? Thank you in advance for your time …     

Answer:

   The Quran says that Paradise dwellers are immortal and will never get out of it and that Hell dwellers will remain immortal in torment and will never get out of it. there is no such a thing as purgatory in the Afterlife; this is a myth. The Quranic verses explain one another; if you collect and read all verses about Hell, you will see clearly that no one whose faith was corrupt and/or whose deeds were so little during lifetime on earth will ever get out of Hell.

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Nude Sculpture and Painting and Nudity in Arts

Published in October 7, 2011

Question: … Is it against Islam to paint, draw, or sculpt nude scenes? What about requiring this from those studying and pursuing degrees of fine arts? What about educational tapes and videos about sex? What about those who own nude paintings and statues and the like? Thank you …

Answer:

  We assert here that prohibition in Islam (i.e., the Quran alone as the source of Islam) is of two degrees: small, minor sins and major, grave sins. If believers avoid major, grave ones all their lives, God will pardon small, minor ones; see 4:31. Sexual immorality or sins are of the same two types as well. It is noteworthy that God strictly prohibits even getting nearer to things leading to fornication or adultery, as we deduce from this verse: "And do not come near fornication. It is immoral, and an evil way." (17:32). Hence, not only extramarital sex is a grave sin, but also all things, acts, deeds, and thoughts leading to this sin (thinking of it, leering, talking about it, touching someone, and being aroused by movies, readings, and works of art…etc.). of course, fornication itself is a grave sin worse than things leading to it. In short, any objects that cause sexual arousal are small, minor sins. No one can entirely escape such minor sins and mistakes, and God forgives people and pardons them if they avoid grave, major sins, such as fornication: "Those who avoid gross sins and indecencies-except for minor lapses-your Lord is of Vast Forgiveness…" (53:32). Thus, making or owning nude arts is a minor sin or small mistake if one gets sexually aroused because of it. Nude arts can be no sin at all in cases when their owners or makers are elevated, cultured persons who look for aesthetic pleasure without being sexually aroused  by beauty. But we cannot say the same thing about drawing nude models who stand before artists to be drawn. We tend to think it immoral for a girl or a woman to be naked before a male or female artist who draws her. 

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Impalement Pole

Published in October 28, 2015

Question: … I have been looking for real, authentic Islam for years, until I found your Quranism website by coincidence … I am a Quranist now thanks to you; may God bless you and reward you for your intellectual endeavors … my question is about the Muhammadans; most of them indeed love God and do not realize that they are polytheists within Quranist point of view, and most of them are ignoramuses who seldom read. Most of them receive their religious knowledge from only one source: oral narratives of sheikhs in mosques and of televangelists. I live in a rural village in Egypt, where most people are illiterate. When I have tried gently and cautiously to teach them (and to teach my relatives) about Quranism as true Islam, they have rejected me and felt angry when I have refuted the so-called hadiths, intercession, saints, etc. Some of them have verbally abused me, and some have threatened to physically attack me! They now call me an apostate and an infidel! My folks, relatives, and friends hate me and most of avoid me as if I were  leper! My fellow villagers shun me as an anathema to them! I feel so sad; will they go to Hell despite their ignorance? I know you are too busy, Dr. Mansour, but I need a moment from your precious time to write to me your view on that subject …

Answer:

   Those villagers insist on disbelief in the Quran, and they combine with it disbelief in terms of aggressive behavior toward you, though you have preached and talked gently to them. Good intentions are not acceptable excuses at all. Please read our article on the subject, in English, on the following link:

http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=14019

Please read our previous articles and books to get to know more about Quranism and to find answers to all your questions. Thank you for caring about saving our precious time. God bless you. 

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I Cannot Repent but I Need It!

Published in September 7, 2014

Question: … I am 20-year-old man, the last one among a group of brothers. Those elder brothers have helped a lot since my childhood, since I never saw my parents who died before I was a year old. My brothers are very successful men with great careers. They treat me kindly and gently. My problem is that I dropped out of school because I have been a slow learner who flunked exams many times. I have spent many months now within smoking hash and doing drugs for successive nights along with a group of addicts of similar age as I am … I've been in many troubles, and when my brothers would give me pieces of advice, I'd cry and weep. When I decide to repent, I fail once my friends call me to join them in smoking hash all night! I can no longer resist such ecstasy! My brothers are married with kids and I feel I am a complete loser with no future ahead of me! I fear growing old as a failure! What shall I do, Dr. Mansour? I try to be religious, but I cannot resist hash and drugs! Any advice?  

Answer:

  1- You must avoid such bad, corrupt friends once and for all, our dear son. They are a bunch of losers who will destroy you. Get closer to your elder brothers instead. Create a goal for your life to seek an stick to it. You must take a serious decision to change your life to the better; you are still very young and your ardent desire to be better and to repent will drive you ahead to create a new life. Take your brothers as role-models as you love them and they you.

  2- In order to succeed in life, you have to learn three things: A) to exercise some self-control and self-restraint, B) to learn the ability to do without needless and unnecessary things as well as harmful things like smoking; you should also temporarily do without permitted items to teach yourself how to restrain and control your lusts, appetites, whims, and desires, and C) to acquire good features and traits from your brothers, especially giving to others more than to take from them.

  Lastly:

   Our dear son, there is nothing impossible before you; the solution of your problem lies in your own hands. Work on yourself to repent sincerely and reform yourself so that your brothers take pride in you one day as you take pride in them. God bless you and may He come to your aid.

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No One Is to Demolish Mausoleums

Published in December 3, 2014

Question: … I have read your view about prayers unacceptable by God if performed in mosques that contain tombs or mausoleums, and I agree with that. My question is about Salafists who desire to demolish such mosques; is that permissible? What about ancient mosques that are part of history and cultural heritage of a certain country? Do Quranists agree to demolish them? … Thank you.

Answer:

  These mosques are harmful ones and should be avoided and no real believer should enter them. Avoiding them is a Quranic command; yet, avoidance does NOT entail demolishing anything. Hence, such  pagan mosques should remain and be protected against violent terrorist Salafists if necessary, as per absolute religious freedom as a higher Quranic value in Islam, with individual choices in religion and bearing responsibility of these choices. One will bear the consequences of being guided or misguided within the Last Day when all human beings will be judged by God. Hence, no one is to demolish any buildings (mausoleums, harmful mosques, temples of any other creed or denomination, holy sites of other creeds, etc.). Quranists are merely required to avoid them and never get near them. That is all.    

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What about the KSA?

Published in May 10, 2013

Question: … What is your stance vis-à-vis the KSA? Do you hate it? why is that? …

Answer:

   The Saudi regime and the royal family constitute together the axis of evil and terrorism worldwide. The Arabian nation within the KSA are not to be called 'Saudis'; such appellation makes them ''owned'' by the Saudi royal family. As for citizens of Arabia there, they are like any other nation: some are good, upright persons and some are the exact opposite, but the majority of them suffer injustices and oppression, especially the Shiites. May God come to the aid of oppressed citizens everywhere in Arabia. We personally do not hate people; we despise and denounce bad deeds, evil acts, injustices, aggressions, violence, persecution, and corruption. We have to defend the wrong parties and groups regardless of their religious backgrounds, ethnicity, gender, race, cultures, nationalities, etc.

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Those Who Are Doubting the Quran

Published in February 11, 2013

Question: … Christian proselytizing websites in Arabic cast doubts on the authenticity of the Quran … Any ideas to help me refute their assumptions and assertions by Quranism as an intellectual trend? Could you please help me? Thank you…  

Answer:

      Doubting the Quran is actually being practiced commonly by the Sunnites by propagating the so-called ''Quranic sciences'' and its fields of studies at Al-Azhar and elsewhere. They are teaching myths that we have refuted in many of our articles and books. Likewise, Shiites distort meanings of Quranic verses to fit in their false and erroneous interpretations. Likewise, Sufis claim that the Quran is to be understood exclusively by visions of their saints/deities. Hence, such endless myths supplant and replace the Quranic verses as per books of the three types of the Muhammadans: Sufis, Shiites, and Sunnites. Hence, we as Quranists are mainly concerned with preaching the Quran to the Muhammadans to reform them using Quranism. We are not interested in debating with any non-believers in the Quran like Jews, Christians, etc. Therefore, we are talking mainly to the Muhammadans who claim, overtly at least, that they believe that the Quran is God's Word, but they have discarded and abandoned it in order to favor instead their countless books of fiqh and hadiths: the devilish narratives. We hope to reform their religious life by urging them to return to the Quran alone as the only source of Islam to judge and refute views, books, myths, and narratives of the Muhammadans.     

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Constitutions

Published in September 27, 2013

Question: … Does a real Islamic country (i.e., that will adopt Quranism) need a constitution if such a country might emerge one day? Are Quranic legislations enough so that no constitution is necessary? …  

Answer:

    A real Islamic country is the one that applies democracy, especially direct democracy. Such a country has the right to issue any needed laws within the framework of higher values in the Quran that we have detailed in our book titled "The Seven Principles of the Real Islamic Sharia and How to Apply Them". The English version of this book is found in the following link:

http://www.ahl-alquran.com/arabic/book_main.php?main_id=80

  We assert here that human legislations are of two: the constitution that contains general legislative principles, and detailed laws of many kinds that apply the constitution, like civil laws, criminal laws, etc.

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Timing of Zakat

Published in October 31, 2010

Question: … When should I pay zakat?

Answer:

     Believers should pay zakat once they receive any earned money, income, or revenue, at any time day or night, without minimum or maximum limits. By the way, there is no certain percentage specified; this is decided as per one's piety and one's needs and spending in daily life to decide how much one can pay as per one's capacity. Please ponder deeply upon these verses: "Those who spend their wealth by night and day, privately and publicly, will receive their reward from their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor shall they grieve." (2:274); "Tell My servants who have believed to perform the prayers, and to give from what We have given them, secretly and publicly, before a Day comes in which there is neither trading nor friendship." (14:31); "…and give its due on the day of its harvest…" (6:141); "This is the Book in which there is no doubt, a guide for the righteous. Those who believe in the unseen, and perform the prayers, and give from what We have provided for them." (2:2-3).  

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Useful Summaries

Published in September 26, 2012

Question: Dear Dr. Mansour … I have noticed that many questions posed to you are repeated ones and that many people cannot bear to read all your books and articles; as such process will take several months of ongoing reading and reflection … I propose this idea to you; some of trusted Quranists should summarize some of your books within brief articles and thus answer briefly FAQs of people who are too lazy or too busy to read or cannot understand jargon of your academic writings within your Quranist school of thought … What do you think? Thank you …

Answer:

  One of the projects we try to achieve and complete is to breezily summarize all Quranists' tenets and major views commonly shared by all of them within short points to be published on our website. We need a slot in our busy schedule to do this one day. Yet, this does not mean that one should not read the entire archive of our articles and books. Remember, our dear son, that the very first word revealed in the Quran is the command ''Read!'' in this very first verse revealed to Muhammad: "Read: In the Name of your Lord who created." (96:1). Sadly, most Muhammadans do not read, whereas Quranists should read a lot; this is indeed a must for real believers in God.