Fatwas: Part Thirteen

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

Polite Criticism

Published in December 17, 2014

Question: … Reading your book titled "The Unspoken-of History of the Pre-Umayyad 'Righteous' Caliphs", I was shocked to see you accusing those dead people of being disbelievers and hypocrites who rejected the Quran for transient wealth and possessions and worldly glory … You have declared them ''infidels'' while you denounce Wahabi Salafists who declare others, especially Quranists, as infidels! Is this contradictory?! Would you care about my question or ignore it?!      

Answer:

  Thank you for your polite criticism, at least you have not verbally abuse us. We assure you, our son, that you will find answers to your question(s) if you read the entire archive of our writings; we are keen to keep your interest aroused, and the more you read, the more questions of yours will be answered. We hopefully require you to keep on reading our writings critically, whether you agree with us or not; you will benefit a great deal, we assure you. Thank you again, and may God guide you and us to the Truth.  

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Vile Sinning Slanderer

Published in January 16, 2012

Question: … What shall I do with this vile slanderer?! He is spreading rumors that my chaste wife is cheating on me! This sinner tries to avenge himself on me by destroying my reputation and my wife's, and he is using the internet for spreading such rumors! Shall I hire some bullies to beat him severely?! Shall I kidnap him and flog him 80 times as per the Quranic penalty required for such cases as these?! Or shall I bear up with such harm?! Any advice? …  Thank you …

Answer:

  Of course, in a country that should apply Quranist Islam, this vile slanderer deserve 80 times of flog strikes as long as he does not provide four eye-witnesses, but this is not the case, as there is no real Quranist government in any country. It is not acceptable at all in Islam that you apply the penalty yourself; judges should sentence this man if we were in a Quranism-based country. In your case, we advise you to put up with it patiently, and you will see how God will punish him later on and you will hear of it, we assure you, and God will reward you and your wife for your patience because both of you are innocent people.  

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I Cannot Concentrate during Prayers

Published in October 27, 2013

Question: …I am a researcher working on my PhD thesis, and my mind is thinking all the time about it; 24/7 … I cannot concentrate while performing daily prayers … I sometimes forget if I uttered certain verses or not! I sometimes repeat them several times to make sure I uttered them … I prostrate several times for the same reason … Is this right? What do you think? … Thank you …

Answer:

 God bless you and guide you and us to piety; you are perfectly right in doing so. Prayers are real believer's discourse addressed to Almighty God, in piety and fear, as one supplicates and implores God while glorifying Him reverently and in hope of being forgiven. Rewards of prayers are as per one's piety; it is OK to repeat acts and utterings as long as one cares to satisfy and please God, Who never wastes away the deeds done in the best possible way. It is important that in between the five daily prayers, one does not commit sins or acts of disobedience.       

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Miraculous Aspects in Sunna

Published in September 28, 2012

Question: … Dear Sir,  … I wonder about the Sunnites who claim that there is miraculous aspects in the so-called Sunna or hadiths … They claim that  some advanced scientific discoveries agree with some hadiths … What do you think? … Thank you …         

Answer:

  We think that this is utter nonsense; all hadiths are balderdash, and most of them about scientific or medicinal 'facts' contradict modern science. Even if some narratives/hadiths purportedly ascribed to Muhammad coincidentally agree with true Middle-Ages medicinal traditions or wisdom words, this reflects the culture of the age, and this has nothing to do Prophet Muhammad; do not forget that that all hadiths are ascribed falsely to him more than 200 years after his death. Muhammad did not convey to us but one complete message: the Quran: the Word of God. We refer you to our episodes on YouTube titled "Salafism Exposed'' about balderdash of Al-Bokhary hadiths.     

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Altogether

Published in September 24, 2013

Question: …Could you please shed more light on 32:13? …Thank you …

Answer:

  God says in the Quran: "Had We willed, We could have given every soul its guidance, but the declaration from Me will come true: "I will fill Hell with jinn and humans, altogether."" (32:13). This means that God does not force people to believe in Him nor does He deprive them of the freedom of choice. God created human beings with free will to choose to be guided or misguided. Those who seek guidance utter "Guide us to the straight path." (1:6) in their daily five prayers in piety and in the fear of God, seeking to be guided faithfully, and God guides them more. Those who have chosen misguidance do it on their own free will and God increases their misguidance. Typically, the vast majority of jinn and human beings chooses misguidance; this is the meaning of 32:13. Hence, the word ''altogether'' does not refer to all humanity and all jinn but all the ones who chose misguidance during their lifetime on earth and who will fill Hell. Please notice that the emphasis style in 32:13 in Arabic/Quranic tongue refers to the absolute fact that this will occur in the Afterlife.    

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Good Suggestion

Published in August 20, 2013

Question: … I admire and respect Quranists and I am one of them … I respect you so much, Dr. Mansour … But allow me to criticize you for focusing too much on Egypt all the time as far as news and events are concerned … Even your books focus too much on Egypt, as if Quranism is exclusively for Egyptians! There are so many Arab Quranists, you know … Could you please focus on Islam per se without linking your theories and views specifically to Egypt all the time? … Thank you …

Answer:

   Of course, you are absolutely right about the news provided on our website; but let us not forget that international news focus on Egypt as the most important Middle-East country. We will try to focus on a variety of news items published on our website, but as for our books and articles, do not forget that we are originally Egyptian; we cannot help provide examples inside our religious articles from our experience there and within actual affairs and news of Egypt. This is beneficial to explain the contradiction between Islam (Quranism) and Wahabism that dominates Egypt and the Arab world. This is beneficial to reform the Muhammadans inside and outside Egypt to make them convert to real Islam: Quranism. Please do not forget that Egypt contains more than half of the Arab world population and applying reform inside it (religious reform and on other levels) and inside Al-Azhar University influences the whole Arabs world and the Middle East countries. We implore the Almighty to guide you and us to the righteous path.     

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I'm Very Sad

Published in July 17, 2010

Question: … Dear Dr. Mansour, … I am very sad when I read in your articles how you reply to your foes and haters of Quranism among the Muhammadans who feel glad when you insult and ridicule them so that they copy and paste your remarks in their Wahabi media to slander you and attack your person … Please do not respond to their verbal abuse by more attacks … Leave them in peace even if they commit injustice against your name and school of thought … God will punish them and reward you … Thank you.

Answer:

     Thank you very much, our dear son, for you interests and excellent advice; we hope to be able to apply it all the time, but we are a human being. Sometimes, we get so furious as we receive daily hate email messages, empty threats, slander, verbal abuse, etc. In most cases, we hardly respond, but sometimes we feel we had had enough. Anyway, we have three options from the Quran that we apply as per occasions that arise. 1) Our being wronged and unjustly harmed and hurt give us the right to declare and decry our grievance: "God does not like the public uttering of bad language, unless someone was wronged…" (4:148). 2) Our being verbally abused give us the right to reply with similar verbal abuse. 3) Our being so calm that we pardon and forgive the offender. "The repayment of a bad action is one equivalent to it. But whoever pardons and makes reconciliation, his reward lies with God." (42:40).

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Multiple Questions

Published in December 29, 2007

Question: … Is it obligatory to read the Quranic Chapter One in the five daily prayers, or can I replace it with any other verses/chapters? … Why a woman having her period can pray (and without wearing veils all the time), while a man who ejaculated his semen must perform complete ablution or take a bath before  he can pray? … Are God's holy epithets to be understood in the literal or figurative sense?  

Answer:

  One must read the Quranic Chapter One in the five daily prayers; this is obligatory. We refer you to our articles about denying veil/Hijab, as the Quranic term refers to barriers of various types and NEVER to dress codes. Women are required to cover their chests (and NOT their hair) during prayers and when going out as per the Quranic Chapter 24. As far as period is concerned, it prevents women from having sex with their husbands; nothing is mentioned in the Quran about menstruating women not performing prayers or not fasting. As for God's epithets and holy names, we refer you to our book titled "Interpretation of the Quran".

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Tithes

Published in June 12, 2007

Question: … What is meant by tithes? Are they type of zakat money? Thank you …   

Answer:

  A tithe is one-tenth part of something paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax imposed on tradesmen in ancient times and in modern times. When caliph Omar Ibn Al-Khattab knew that the Byzantines impose this tax in the Levant on Arab tradesmen, he adopted the same amount or tithes to be imposed on Byzantine tradesmen when he conquered the Levant and imposed half the tithe from dhimmis and a quarter of a tithe (i.e., 2.5%) from Arab-Muslim tradesmen, and tax-collectors appointed by Omar and those appointed by other caliphs did just the same for decades.  

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Seeking Money

Published in July 17, 2010

Question: … Dear Sir, … There are many Arab Muslim rich men who can donate to the IQC and who would not refrain from doing so, but you have to contact them first … This is better than having to seek financial aid from Americans, right? Thank you …   

Answer:

 1- We personally apply these verses in our life: "Say, "My prayer and my worship, and my life and my death, are devoted to God, the Lord of the Worlds. No associate has He. Thus I am commanded, and I am the first of those who submit." (6:162-163); thus, we have chosen to dedicate our life to God willingly. Hence, we work with God, seeking no reward from anyone; God sends to us those who provide for us. We try to follow the manners of prophets and callers of Truth: "Follow those who ask you of no wage, and are themselves guided." (36:21). Since we left Al-Azhar in the 1980s, we have adhered to the principle of never asking money from anyone, thus we can deal with all people equally and we make sure that we worship only God alone. We have experienced the vicissitudes of life with the passage of time as we struggled peacefully and intellectually against the Wahabi/Saudi influence in Egypt under the Mubarak regime and the intrigues and plots of terrorist Salafists and terrorist MB members against our person, and we suffered impecuniousness most times. We never compromised and remained relentless in our intellectual jihad for the sake of Islam, and God has provided for us with His mercy.

2- As per the Quranic rule "God does not burden any soul beyond its capacity…" (2:286), we propagate our peaceful call for Quranism as much as we can; God has provided with reasoning mind and knowledge, but we are very poor; He tests us and will judge us only as per what in in our capacity: mind and knowledge, and He provides us with money that makes ends meet.  Others are very rich, but their life-test is in their riches. Each human being is heading toward death/end of lifetime with the speed of 24 hr. a day and 60 sec. per hour, and when people die, they leave life and everything in it, except their deeds (good and bad) that will remain to them. We remain thankful to the Lord for what He has given us and what He has not. It is far more important to work hard as much as we can for earning Paradise in the Hereafter among the winners on the Day of Judgment.

3- We never care if people guide or misguide themselves, how many people accept or reject Quranism, or even about the number of those who reject the Quran to follow the Devil or reject the Devil to follow the Quran. This has nothing to do personally with us; the reason: guiding oneself is a personal, individual responsibility with inevitable consequences in the Hereafter. Our responsibility is confined to preaching what we deem as the true Islam, and we do not covet worldly possessions, money, fame, or political ambition at all. We never had any financial or political interests at all during our youth, and the same applies to us no as we draw nearer to the grave.       

4- We never managed until now to propose any project (with mutual benefits to all parties involved) to anyone to finance the IQC, and if we manage to do this, no one can blame us, as this will be within capacity allowed to us by God, and we must assume full responsibility, to succeed in using such financial aid to achieve objectives of the IQC, before God in the first place and before people in the second place.         

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Seeking Refuge in God during Prayers

Published in August 23, 2015

Question:  … You have asserted that one must seek refuge in God against Satan during prayers … Does this contradict with 20:14 that entails one to remember God only during prayers?  Would we remember Satan as we pray?! …

Answer:

   To remember God means to sanctify and glorify Him by many ways, including performance of prayers as per the verse you quote: "… So serve Me, and practice the prayer for My remembrance." (20:14). Hence, one is to dedicate prayers only to remember and glorify God in piety. Satan and devils never stop trying to distract one during prayers, and this is why one must seek refuge in God against Satan during prayers by cursing Satan the outcast to despise Satan and to ask God's aid against him, and this is not to remember or glorify Satan.    

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Ibadi and Ibadism

Published in April 7, 2016

Question: … I am a Shiite Ibadi, following the Ibadiyya faith … I follow your articles with enthusiasm and I agree to most of what you are writing on faith tenets, and I do believe in freedom of opinion and expression … Yet, at one time, you have described Ibadis as part of the murders and killers of Al-Khawarij group who waged wars in the Middle Ages for loot and authority … Why do not you notice that followers of Ibadism are peaceful ones in Algeria and Oman? Ibadi history should be taken from Ibadis alone, not Sunnite historians who hated them … … …    

Answer:

  As a historian, we quote what is written about the Umayyad Era within history books authored by ancient historians such as Ibn Saad, Ibn Al-Atheer, Al-Tabari, etc., and we analyze what they had written. We never tackled Ibadis of modern times; we have tackled Al-Khawarij, who were also Shiites, and most of them died out now, and their remnants among Shiites of today carry different names (without similar ideologies) such as Ibadis now. Al-Khawarij as a group remained active and belligerent throughout the Umayyad Era well into the early decades of the Abbasid Era, and many groups and branches of them, like other Shiites, spread in different locations, as per what Sunnite historians tell us. The Shiite sub-sects used to change their stances regarding the Abbasids as per changing circumstances, and they fluctuated between peace and waging wars or starting revolts. This applies to Ibadis and Zaidis of the Zaidism/Zaidiyya Shiite sect. Of course, Ibadis now are tolerant, peaceful, and moderate people. We personally respect each person's choice of religion and the right to preach it, and we refuse compulsion in religion and all sorts of injustices.      

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Troublemakers' News

Published in March 11, 2015

Question: … How can we get to identify troublemakers as per 49:6? … Thank you …   

Answer:

       God says in the Quran: "O you who believe! If a troublemaker brings you any news, investigate, lest you harm people out of ignorance, and you become regretful for what you have done." (49:6). We identify evil ones and troublemakers as per their previous behavior: their violence, injustices, disbelief, lies, fabricated news, their slandering words, etc. People of course has the right to judge overt ostensible demeanor, and not persons' faith or intentions judged by God alone. We are thus to verify news reaching us about anything, past and present, and anyone, living or dead. Indeed, it is strange that the Muhammadans believe falsehoods and fabricated narratives and hadiths ascribed to Muhammad two centuries after his death, and they deny the Quran because of such narratives that fill countless books. They never verify authenticity of such narratives, thinking their narrators/fabricators were infallible. By the way, we tend to think that 49:6 applies also to the media subservient to Middle-East tyrannical rulers.     

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Maillots and Bikinis

Published in April 17, 2013

Question: …  Can women wear bathing suits, bikinis, and other types of maillots to go swimming? Is this permissible in Islam, in your opinion? If not, is it punishable by God? Is the penalty of severe rebuke applicable here? … 

Answer:

  We tend to think that it is not permissible for Muslim women to wear them. But there is no penalty mentioned in Islamic/Quranic sharia about wearing revealing clothes that do not cover legs and chests of women. A given country that would apply Quranism/real Islam may issue laws against it. Without this, one cannot force women not to wear the bathing suits; it is up to women to apply or to disregard covering their chests and legs as per Quranic guidance. The severe rebuke/reproach is not necessary for those women wearing bikinis and maillots; they know they are wrong and have ignored Quranic teachings in that respect. They should stop this minor sin and atone for it by doing lots of good deeds.         

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Paradise Immortal Youths

Published in August 31, 2014

Question: … Could you explain to me what is meant by ''youths'' in 52:24 describing Paradise? … Thank you …

Answer:

   Away from Sunnite and Sufi myths about the subject, we assert here that the bliss and pleasures of Paradise cannot be imagined with our limited minds, all views/ponderings/reflections on that topic are mere views ascribed to their authors, past and present. We can say here only that immortal youths and immortal houris serving Paradise dwellers (i.e., believers of both genders) are part of rewards to them based on their good deeds and faith during their lifetimes on earth. "Serving them will be youths like hidden pearls." (52:24). Please read and ponder carefully upon the verses 55:52-76 together.       

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Names of Disbelief

Published in August 18, 2016

Question: … I am a Quranist and was formerly a Salafist Wahabi who was brought up to hate Shiites and to declare them as infidels and disbelievers, and we used to mock their names of polytheism like Abdul-Hussein and Abdul-Zahraa … What do you think of those names? What about names indicating servitude to dead people within the Sunnite and Sufi communities? 

Answer:

  The names containing the pre-fixes ''Abdul-'', "Abd-", or ''Abdel-'' in Arabic literally mean (the servant/slave of so and so). Before the revelation of the Quran, there were Arab names like this that contain pagan meanings of being slaves of idols/deities, such as: Abd-Manaf, Abdul-Mutalib (names of paternal ancestors of Prophet Muhammad), and Abdul-Uzza (name of one paternal uncle of Prophet Muhammad). There are also Arab pagan Shiite names indicating servitude and being the slave of Shiite gods/deities, such as: Abdel-Ali (son-in-law of Muhammad and son of his paternal uncle), Abdul-Hussein (grandson of Muhammad from his daughter, Fatima), and Abdul-Zahraa (a title referring to planet Venus in Arabic, given to Fatima decades after her death). These names indicate how Shiites deify those mortals among historical figures. The Sufi pagan names of the same vein (referring to Sufi saints/deities) include Abdel-Maqsood, Abdel-Mawjood, and Abdul-Saliheen. The Sunnite pagan names of the same vein include Abdel-Nabbi, Abdel-Rasool, Abdul-Shafei, Abdul-Amir, Abdul-Sadiq (five names referring to Muhammad as deity/saints), and Abdul-Sattar (distorted name ascribed to God). The Christian pagan names of the same vein include Abdul-Maseeh (literally: slave or adorer of the Messiah). Hence, names that refer to polytheism persist after the advent of Islam/the Quran. No real believer should name their male sons after people carrying such names. Those who carry these first names or surnames and have converted to Islam  (Quranism) are not guilty because of it, and they do not have to change their names.          

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Fighting in Islam

Published in October 24, 2015

Question: … Dear Dr. Mansour, … Why God mentions the command to fight in 2:244 without referring to self-defense? … You have taught us that all fighting in Quranism is for the purpose of self-defense only … Thank you …

Answer:

 We refer you to our article (in English) titled "Islam: Religion Of Peace" for more details, on the following link:

http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=6674

   In brief, we assert here the fact that all Quranic verses, all commands to fight for the cause of God refer to self-defense fighting only and the verse 2:244 is to be read in light of 2:190.  "Fight in the cause of God, and know that God is Hearing and Knowing." (2:244); "And fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not commit aggression; God does not love the aggressors. " (2:190).  Let us bear in mind that Quranic verses explain one another; hence, 2:190 explains also the following similar verses: "…You are our Lord and Master, so help us against the disbelieving people." (2:286); "O you who believe! Take your precautions, and mobilize in groups, or mobilize altogether." (4:71); "Fight those who do not believe in God, nor in the Last Day, nor forbid what God and His Messenger have forbidden, nor abide by the religion of truth-from among those who received the Scripture-until they pay the due tax, willingly or unwillingly." (9:29);  "O you who believe! What is the matter with you, when it is said to you, "Mobilize in the cause of God," you cling heavily to the earth? Do you prefer the present life to the Hereafter? The enjoyment of the present life, compared to the Hereafter, is only a little." (9:38);  "Mobilize, light or heavy, and strive with your possessions and your lives in the cause of God. That is better for you, if you only knew." (9:41); "O you who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who attack you, and let them find severity in you, and know that God is with the righteous." (9:123).    

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Yoga and Yogis' Meditation

Published in January 1, 2015

Question: … Dear Dr. Mansour, … Can I practice Yoga and meditation without intending this as a religious practice … I think this is Ok within Islam, right? … Thank you …

Answer:

  Of course, yoga or any sort of sports, training, or meditation is permitted; the prohibited items in the Quran are clearly defined and no one can add to them; items not mentioned in the Quran are permitted and permissible. No one is to prohibit anything unless it is deemed as such by God in the Quran. By the way, we remind you that all permissible things can also be regulated via human man-made laws.

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Rituals of Ablution

Published in November 28, 2006

Question: …  Can anyone pronounce the utterings of Sunnites that are said ritualistically usually during performing ablution before prayers? Can I wash up my ears and nose and mouth while I perform ablution? Or should I stop this as things and practices and utterings never mentioned in the Quran? … Thank you for your time …

Answer:

  What you say is never mentioned in the Quran; you are free to do and utter whatever you like during performance of ablution or to stop that; there is no room here for right-or-wrong formula of questions or doubts; but do not expect rewards/penalty for them by God, as such things are not required nor prohibited as far as the Quran is concerned. Please do not imitate Sunnite ignoramuses (past and present) who dispute and quarrel over petty things and meaningless items. 

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Assumed Incarnation of God

Published in June 1, 2008

Question: … I am a new Quranist … An Arabophone Christian TV channel that I have watched recently has mocked (in an episode within a daily show) Muslims in their Quranic claim that God never incarnates in any form on earth, as the Bible asserts in the Old Testament that God talked to Abraham and/or Moses from within a tree and they say in the New Testament that Jesus is God incarnated in human form. … How God talked to prophets then as far as your Quranist views are concerned? … Thank you …   

Answer:

  We know from the Quran that God talked directly to Moses at a certain tree at the Tur mount in Sinai. Such direct revelation is never used with any other prophet. We know from the Quran that other prophets received revelation via the arch-angel of the Lord, Gabriel, and via angels who took human form as within the stories of Lot and Abraham. God cannot be seen by humans at all. When the Israelites demanded from Moses to see God directly, they were struck as a punishment; see 4:153. Moses received the same punishment when he asked God to manifest Himself to him; see 7:143. Hence, no mortals or creatures dare to claim they have seen God. "No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision…" (6:103). It is funny that some Christians would claim that Abraham or Moses saw God or that God talked to them by being incarnated in the form of a tree; in our view, these are pagan notions of animalistic cults by which some ancient Jews were influenced.