Fatwas Part Seventy-Two

Issued by: Dr. Ahmed Subhy Mansour, translated by: Ahmed Fathy

Purifying One's Clothes

Published in January 26, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … God says in the Quran: "And purify your clothes." (74:4) … What about those who perform prayers and discover later that their underwear is not clean because of remnants of urine or feces? … Thank you …    

Answer:

 One is to make sure as much as possible that one's clothes are clean before performing prayers, but without being obsessed with it; to have an obsession that one's urine has tainted one's clothes or not will waste the more important elements of concentration and attainment of piety during prayers.  

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Yathreb versus Medina

Published in January 26, 2018

Question: …  Dear Sir, …  The Quran mentions the city of Yathreb, but when and why have Arabs changed its name into Medina Munawarra (city of light)? Why the original Quranic name is not used by the Muhammadans now? … Thank you …  

Answer:

 The Arabic term Medina means ''city''; this term is used to describe several cities in the Quranic stories. The Muhammadans have disregarded the name Yathreb and invented the silly name of Medina Munawarra (city of light) to show how 'holy' it is for them as they sanctify and worship the mausoleum there ascribed to Muhammad, which is a polytheistic abomination, and they perform pilgrimage to it after visiting Mecca to perform pilgrimage at the Kaaba. 

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Repentance of Thieves

Published in January 26, 2018

Question: …  Dear Sir, … You have written that repentant thieves will not be penalized as per the Quranic punishment of having one hand cut off; how is that? In which cases?… Thank you …

Answer:

 Any thief after declaring repentance openly is no longer described as a thief and, consequently, will not be punished. Repentance here means to declare in public one's intention never to commit this sin again, after returning the stolen goods/items/money to the rightful owner(s). By the way, the penalty of cutting off one hand of a thief is not mentioned in the Quran for the sake of retribution or revenge; rather, it is there in order to deter potential thieves against committing this sin and to intimidate them by reminding them of the enormity of this crime and its penalty.     

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Prophet and Messenger

Published in January 27, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … Some Sunnite authoritative books assert that Muhammad was a prophet in Mecca and a messenger only in Yathreb; is this view of Sunnites true or not? What do you think? … Thank you …    

Answer:

 This is mere balderdash that reflects the ignorance of the Muhammadans imams and authors. We have explained the difference and similarity between the terms (prophet) & (messenger) in our books titled "The Quran: Sufficient as a Source of Islamic Legislation" and "How to Understand the Holy Quran". In brief, we assert here that every prophet was a messenger and every messenger was a prophet; the difference is that the term (messenger) refers to the prophet when he uttered God's Book/Message, whereas the term (prophet) refers to the mortal person himself. The term (messenger) in the Quran refers sometimes to the Quran itself. Of course, all prophets/messengers had a divine message/revelation to convey. Muhammad was a prophet/messenger of the Lord and the seal of all prophets (i.e., the last one of them all). This means that there is no divine revelation in Islam after the Quran; this is the difference between Quranists and the Muhammadans who assume that their books, hadiths, fiqh, Sunna, dreams/visions ascribed to Muhammad and to God as part of their 'divine' (or rather devilish) revelations and sources of their religions. Thus, their religions are based merely  on myths. 

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Not True

Published in January 27, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … Is it OK to repeat the Sunnite phrase that Muhammad embodied the Quranic teachings and their application? i.e., was he a walking Quran on earth? Your writings seem to be against this phrase, right? … Thank you …      

Answer:

 This phrase is NOT true; this phrase aims to deify Muhammad and to make him appear as if he were an infallible, immortal figure, the embodiment/personification of religion, or the epitome of perfection, unlike the Quranic verses that reproach him sometimes for some mistakes he made and assert that he was a mortal human being.

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The Myth of Unanimity, Again

Published in January 27, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … Sunnites use this verse to provide proof to their strange idea of unanimity of scholars regarding all issues/topics, especially hadiths ascribed to Muhammad: "Whoever makes a breach with the Messenger, after the guidance has become clear to him, and follows other than the path of the believers, We will direct him in the direction he has chosen, and commit him to Hell-what a terrible destination!" (4:115)? Is this a sufficient proof? What do you think? … Thank you …      

Answer:

 The verse 4:115 does not refer to Muhammad; the term (Messenger) in 4:115 refers to the Quran itself. The Sunnite myth of unanimity is refuted by the Quranic verses that assert that (1) most people, in all eras, are disbelievers who reject the Word of God and the Hereafter, (2) most of those who assume themselves to be ''believers'' are in fact polytheists who never understand or know about monotheism, and (3) if Muhammad would have obeyed most people on earth, they would have misguided and misled him away from God's Path.  

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To Imprison Female Singers!

Published in January 28, 2018

Question:  … Dear Sir, … Some Salafists/Wahabis have issued fatwas in Egypt to allow imprisonment of female singers who produce obscene video clips and wear revealing clothes in concerts! Is this OK as per Quranism? What do you think? … Thank you …         

Answer:

 Imprisonment as a penalty is never mentioned in the Quranic sharia legislations. Besides, lewd or obscene singing/dancing is a small mistake or mishap with no penalties at all applied by mortals on other mortals, and NEVER a grave, major sin like fornication. Thus, those female singers must not be punished by anyone at all, even if their video clips or concerts contain provocative obscenity of any type.

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About the Verse 17:85

Published in January 28, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … What does this verse mean: "...and you were given only little knowledge." (17:85)? … Thank you …   

Answer:

 This verse indicates the fact that human beings can study the physical world/realm but will never be able to study the metaphysical realm: angels, Jinn, devils, etc. nor reach the metaphysical realm of the future and the past. This is explained further in these verses: "...but most people do not know. They know an outer aspect of the worldly life, but they are heedless of the Hereafter." (30:6-7).

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Investing Stolen Money!

Published in January 28, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … Is it OK that a thief, after he repents, would invest the stolen money? … Thank you …   

Answer:

 Of course not; this is not his money; why would he invest it instead of returning it to its rightful owner(s)?! Of course, repentance includes purifying oneself of ill-gotten money as soon as possible, and NOT to invest such money. The real, pious repentant ones atone for their sins as soon as possible to avoid remorse when it is too late when they die: "And race towards forgiveness from your Lord, and a Garden as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for the righteous. Those who give in prosperity and adversity, and those who restrain anger, and those who forgive people. God loves the doers of good. And those who, when they commit an indecency or wrong themselves, remember God and ask forgiveness for their sins-and who forgives sins except God? And they do not persist in their wrongdoing while they know. Those - their reward is forgiveness from their Lord, and gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein forever. How excellent is the reward of the workers." (3:133-136).

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Bribes Are OK in that Case

Published in January 29, 2018

Question: …  Dear Sir, …  I live in Iraq … People in authority are trying to impose on me to pay them large sums as bribes to make me get my right, as a graduate with highest honors and after receiving my MA degree with honors, and be appointed in the university staff … Is it OK to pay bribes in that case? I fear I might lose the job I deserve! Would my salary be legal within Islam in case of my bribing them or not?! What do you think? … Thank you …      

Answer:

 You live, our daughter, in a corrupt country; though bribing someone is prohibited in Islam, you have to pay it because they have forced you to do this so as not to lose your right. God will pardon you because you are forced and will not do this willingly. The sinful parties here are those who impose this on you. Your salary is legal as long as you do your job in the best possible way.

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Exchanged marriages?

Published in January 29, 2018

Question: …  Dear Sir, … Is it legal within Islam that I and my male friend would marry each other's sisters in return for low marriage costs and while paying dowries to the respective brides? This is called exchanged marriages, right?… Thank you …        

Answer:

  We should not care about types or names of marriages; rather, we must focus on the legality/lawfulness of marriages as per the Quran: mutual consent of the woman and the man; at least two witnesses must sign the marriage contracts along with the bride and the bridegroom; the marriage must be made public; brides must receive their dowries; and widows/divorcees must wait for the three-month period before their remarriage. The strange term "exchanged marriages" is most likely derived from the misunderstanding of this verse: "If you wish to replace one wife with another, and you have given one of them a fortune, take nothing back from it. Would you take it back fraudulently and sinfully?" (4:20). This verse refers only to the fact that two men divorcing their wives and they must not claim the paid dowries to them since they agreed that after the three-month waiting period, each man will marry the ex-wife of the other: this occurred when polytheistic (wo)men were left behind in Mecca by their believing spouses who immigrated to Yathreb; a believing man and a polytheistic man would agree to divorce their wives (i.e., the polytheistic wife in Mecca and the believing wife in Yathreb, respectively) so that each believing man would be united with a believing woman in matrimony and each polytheistic woman would find another husband. This is part of women's rights. This special case in Yathreb entailed mutual consent of all parties concerned (i.e., the two men and the two women) and that no dowries would be returned by the ex-wives to their ex-husbands.

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Charity Donations and Vows

Published in January 30, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … I'm now preparing my papers to get a job outside my homeland; I've made a vow if I would get my job, I will donate charity money for the grand mosque located within my neighborhood … A friend of mine who is an avid reader of your Quranism website told me it is sinful to donate for harmful mosques that spread lies/hadiths and advised me to donate the sum of money for some poor people instead; I myself do not believe in hadiths … What do you think? How can I fulfill my vow? Any advice? … Thank you …

Answer:

 You do not know where goodness or benefit is; i.e., you cannot decide of such job abroad is a good chance or not; you should implore the Almighty Lord God to bring you goodness and drive harm away from you. There are vows made linked to certain conditions (e.g., to donate charity money or to perform an act of worship in case one passes an exam, get cured from an illness, surmount a hardship, etc.), and it is sinful not to fulfill this type of vows when the desired thing is accomplished by God's help. The same applies to vows that are NOT linked to any events; e.g., to vow to donate charity money at a certain time. It is prohibited to donate money for harmful mosques as they spread polytheism, disbelief, and corruption within society and help people to commit more sins. To directly donate charity money ([1] for the sake of the poor and the needy, and [2] for the sake of the peaceful, intellectual jihad of clearing the name of Islam from the abominations of earthly religions of the Muhammadans) is, of course, better than making/uttering vows; this applies to your case. God, Who never breaks His promises, will reward you generously in return for your money donated for charity: "Who is he who will lend God a loan of goodness, that He may double it for him, and will have a generous reward?" (57:11).

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The Tree of the Extremity

Published in January 30, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … I've read your excellent book titled "The Falsehood of Al-Aqsa Mosque of Jerusalem" (found in English on this link: http://www.ahl-alquran.com/arabic/book_main.php?main_id=115) and I'm convinced that Muhammad never ascended to heaven and never entered Jerusalem … But I have one question in relation of Muhammad's seeing Gabriel at Mount Al-Tur of Sinai; what does this verse mean: "At the Tree of the Extremity." (53:14)? … Thank you …    

Answer:

  Please read our book titled "The Night-Journey Is The Night of Decree", found in English on this link: (http://www.ahl-alquran.com/arabic/book_main.php?main_id=112). This vision is of Muhammad's soul seeing the archangel Gabriel as Gabriel descended to him at the Barsakh Paradise; Gabriel was near a thicket of trees of this Barsakh Paradise before he descended on earth to meet Muhammad to inscribe the Quran into his heart/soul. This Barsakh Paradise may be the one where Adam and his wife lived before their descent to earth, and it may be the one where souls of those killed for God's sake/cause are located to enjoy bliss until the Last Day. Please read our articles, and watch our videos, about Barsakh.

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A Question of Inheritance

Published in January 30, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … My brother recently died and he is survived by his wife and his daughter, as well as his (and my) father; my brother has three brothers (including myself) and four sisters; how his money is to be shared as per Quranic laws of inheritance? … Thank you …

Answer:

 The daughter receives half of the money; the wife receives one eighth; the father receives one sixth, and the rest of the money is distributed to the siblings as per the Quranic rule in the verse 4:11 as the male receives the equivalent of the share of two females. In other words, the inheritance money is to be divided into 24 equal shares: the father receives 4 shares, the wife 3 shares, the daughter 12 shares, the five remaining shares are to be divided into seven equal shares to be distributed among the siblings as per 4:11. In this case of the seven shares, each sister will have one share and each brother two shares.    

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About the Verse 79:30

Published in January 31, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … What does this verse mean "And the earth after that He spread." (79:30)? … Thank you …      

Answer:

  This means that the earth is not a fully round-shaped planet; it is rather shaped approximately like an egg.

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Muhammad & Moses' Pharaoh

Published in January 31, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … Why do we find that Moses' Pharaoh is mentioned in the Quranic text more than the name of Muhammad? Why do we find that the names of the prophets Abraham, Jesus, Moses, Lot, Saleh, and Hud are also mentioned more than the name of Muhammad? What do you think? … Thank you … 

Answer:

  History books written by men register and record the past and contemporary events; in contrast, the Quranic stories register and record select events from the past from Adam to Jesus and stories of some ancient nations. Besides, the Quranic stories register and record certain scenes of Muhammad's lifetime when the Quran was being revealed gradually and its verses comment on certain topics and events. Another special feature of the Quranic stories is that they tackle some future events of this world and the next one about the Hour and the Day of Resurrection. Of course, the verses that contain Quranic stories (and some of them are repeated with different details each time) about the previous prophets and ancient nations occupy larger part of the Meccan Quranic revelation for the sake of making people reflect and ponder and draw moral lessons. There verses about Muhammad's lifetime occupy a smaller place in the Quranic text, without much repetitions; this is why the name of Muhammad per se is mentioned only four times, apart from his other name, Ahmed, mentioned in the verse 61:6. Muhammad as a person is referred to, without his name, within many verses using the terms (prophet) & (messenger).   

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After Cutting It Off

Published in February 1, 2018

Question: …  Dear Sir, … Let's suppose that a thief was condemned and his hand was cut off; could the money he stole earlier be kept by him legally? … Thank you …

Answer:

 There are very hard, complicated conditions to apply this penalty, including that the thief adamantly refuses to repent and insists on going on with his evil ways of stealing and refuses to restore stolen money/goods. In any case, any stolen items are ill-gotten money and cannot be made legal at all to those who stole them. When the thief declares his repentance in public, the penalty will not be exacted on him. Of course, repentance includes restoring stolen items or money to their rightful owner(s). Of course, all thieves will choose to repent and to return stolen items instead of having their hands cut off.    

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The Falsehood of the Levantine Al-Aqsa

Published in February 1, 2018

Question: …  Dear Sir, … I admire very much your book titled "The Falsehood of Al-Aqsa Mosque of Jerusalem" and I agree with all what is mentioned in it … I'd like to write this comment: The Arab mentality will not grasp your ideas expressed in this great book, because most Arabs/Muhammadans are indoctrinated and brainwashed to follow blindly the clergymen who, in their turn, serve enthroned tyrants in power in their countries … Palestinians suffer in Gaza Strip by the terrorist Hamas group and in the West Bank by the Palestinian authority more than the suffering inflicted on them by Israelis at checkpoints … The falsehood/abomination called Al-Aqsa of Jerusalem is one lie among the bottomless and shoreless ocean of lies invented and woven within the Sunnite religion for centuries. and the Muhammadans have abandoned the Quran to follow Middle-Ages man-made books that cause backwardness and obscurantism that plague our Arab countries and will lead to their collapse if Arabs will not wake up by Quranism  … Thank you …    

Answer:

 We thank you for your comment, but you should have posted it within our website instead of sending it to us via email.

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To Pray in a Clean Bathroom

Published in February 1, 2018

Question: … Dear Sir, … I'm currently living and studying in France, and I spend most of my time at the university campus … I'd like to perform the five daily prayers on time, but there are no mosques at the university nor near where I live … I cannot pray in public and be seen by others so as to avoid troubles and suspicions within the social and legal levels … Can I perform prayers in the bathroom of the campus? It is very clean, by the way, and I can close the door and pray in peace and privacy. Is this OK or not? … Thank you …  

Answer:

 You can do this as long as the location you mention is clean enough. God says in the Quran: "...The prayer is obligatory for believers at specific times." (4:103); this means one must pray regularly on time. Within your case, you have to take measures to ensure your safety and security; Islamic acts of worship are based on ease and facilitation (e.g., people can pray anywhere, anyhow, in any direction(s) when in cars/planes, while in beds or chairs when ill, etc.). You should focus on piety and concentration during prayers and in the times between prayers all day long. You will be better than those hypocrites who pray in public to draw attention of others to them and those who frequent harmful mosques of polytheism, which are places of abominations and falsehoods. When the hearts are impure with the polytheistic abominations of hadiths and worship of mortals, mausoleums, and relics/items, this is worse than praying inside a slightly impure bathroom or other locations that can be cleaned easily.      

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Women in Islam

Published in March 11, 2013

Question: … Dear Sir, … Some people accuse Arab women of blindly following the model of Western women in demanding their rights and their equality with men … Some people assume that such demands are against sharia laws; what do you think? Are Islamic/Quranic sharia laws against women or not? Why the so-called ''Islamists'' deny Muslim women any rights?! There is such a wide gap between your views as a Quranist thinker and the views applied and adopted by Muslim countries, as you know … How such a gap would be bridged?! … Thank you …        

Answer:

  There is nothing in Islam called (Islamists) or (Islamism), and such faulty terms are used by Wahabis (and, regrettably, by mainstream media worldwide) to describe those polytheists who desire to rule and dominate over Arab countries to establish their horrid and terrible theocracies/caliphates. Women's rights constitute an integral part of the Quranic sharia legislations, as we have detailed on our writings (e.g., our book titled "Women's Right to Aspire to the Presidency of Any Islamic State", found in English on this link: http://www.ahl-alquran.com/arabic/book_main.php?main_id=79) and our YouTube videos of the episodes of our show titled "Exposing Salafism". This is a lengthy topic, but we briefly assert here that women's rights are asserted in the Quranic sharia laws that balance between justice and equality: both men and women are equal in acts of worship: prayers, fasting, zakat, charity, pilgrimage, self-defense jihad, immigration, etc. and excuses are for both men and women. Both women and men can get a divorce/self-repudiation, get a job, get educated, get promoted, etc.. The Sunnite religion (and NOT Islam) prohibits women from traveling without men and turns women into sex objects owned by men. Quranic words indicate equality between men and women: spouses, parents, etc. As for inheritance laws, each of the male siblings receive the share of two female siblings combined together because men have to sustain, to feed, and to house their progeny and their wives and offer the wives dowry upon marriage, etc. The written will and testament is obligatory to be written by people on the verge of death, and one is free within it to distribute more money shares to those who deserve and shares to those who deserve and are not mentioned in inheritance laws, as such Quranic inheritance laws apply only after one's death. It is an Islamic obligation for women to strive for their rights within patriarchal, masculine, misogynist societies; women's rights in the Quran predates the European feminist movements. The real challenge before women is to fight Sunnite fiqh patriarchal, masculine, misogynist laws that oppress women, and such laws violate the Quranic sharia laws. We, as Quranists, are the ones who clear the name of Islam from the accusations levels against it instead of being leveled against Sunnite Wahabism: obscurantism, backwardness, extremism, fanaticism, bigotry, terrorism, tyranny, and oppression as well as undermining women's rights and all human rights. Islam (i.e., the Quran) is innocent of the political ambitions of evil theocracy-seeking terrorist Wahabis.