Fatwas: Part Eighteen

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

The Return of Self-Repudiating Wife

Published in June 2, 2011

Question: … In Tunisia, a woman has self-repudiated to leave her husband and then returned to him with new marriage contract, three times …  This is permitted as per laws in Tunisia, but is it OK in Islam? … Thank you …  

Answer:

   Self-repudiation for women (or Khule' laws) is permissible in the Quran but it is not like divorce sharia laws. It is mentioned in the Quran using another term: to ''ransom'' herself. This means that a wife who wishes for separation gives back to her ex-husband all things and money he gave her and even the dowry, in order that the judge would pronounce her as a separated, husbandless woman, even if the husband does not approve or willing to leave her. This is different from divorce, which is mostly in the hands of husbands. As per Quranic sharia, husbands can never remarry wives who were divorced by them three times unless such wives marry someone else and get divorced; then marriage has to take place using a new marriage contract. This does not apply to self-repudiation when it is mentioned in the Quran as wives ''ransoming'' themselves; hence, in the case you mention, this Tunisian wife can return, if she likes, to her ex-husband even after leaving him three times (or even more) using self-repudiation. What is prohibited in the Quran is when ex-husbands (or fathers) prevent women marrying the men they desire to marry with mutual consent to form a new family.      

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Political Party for Quranists

Published in April 2, 2007

Question: …  May God reward all Quranists for their innovative school of thought that represents an intellectual revolution indeed and a breakthrough that enlightens people in the Arab world through Quran-based reform, after centuries of fossilized thought of imitation … God bless you … I tend to think that to apply Quranist ideas in a given society, you should establish a political party, especially to oppose and expose the Salafist and MB parties that manipulate and abuse the name of Islam … I tend to think that secularism is against the Quran, what do you think? … Can a Quranist theocracy be possible anywhere? … Thank you …      

Answer:

   Our dear brother, thank you for your kind words of encouragement and trust, but we beg to differ. Real Quranists seek no political ambitions at all; they seek only Paradise in the Hereafter and hope faithfully to be among witnesses of our era, who seek reform and preach it during their lifetimes. We seek only to please and gratify God and not any human beings. Reform is not easy; it takes a lot of time and efforts to face corruption in Muslim thought that remained for centuries. Hence, we tend to think that the Quranic peaceful intellectual endeavor will take three generations or even one century to bear fruit and gain ground in the Arab world within the majority of people. Yet, no Quranist would seek to establish a political party at all; rather, we need politicians who agree with Quranists in the need of immediate reform on all levels, based on human rights, citizenship rights, democracy, absolute freedom of speech and expression, religious freedom, etc. which are higher values stemming and derived from the Quranic text as well. As for secularism, it copes perfectly with Islam (Quranism), as Islam is essentially a secular religion with no clergymen at all, thus making it a religion opposing to tyranny and including values of rights, justice, freedom, etc. as applying them is part of its sharia laws. Read on within our archive of writings for further details on that topic.       

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Rights of my Ex-Wife

Published in July 15, 2010

Question: …  I've divorced my wife years ago, who was carrying my son inside her womb, after we agreed on the divorce after mutual consent in the conjugal life became impossible between us  … She left the house and at the time, I was not yet a Quranist and never knew that she was to stay in it till she delivers her baby … She took no money or anything from me until now … I am now a Quranist thanks to you … I feel guilty and want to make her every possible amends … I'm now married to another woman and we have children … I do not wanna feel that I've done my ex any injustices … Reading, 4:110, 3:135, and 65:1-4 in the Quran, I begin to reconsider and I'm not sure if I dealt with my ex unjustly … Any advice? … Thank you …      

Answer:

  God bless you and all people whose conscience is as alive and active as yours. May God forgive and pardon you. Of course, you can calculate the sum of money you owe her since she left you without getting her lawful rights as per the Quran. You must spend money due to your son, for raising and educating him etc., and you must get to know him, if you have not already. Your ex must be paid for delivery of the son and breastfeeding etc. be generous to her in terms of money to make amends in order to gratify God, in all piety of course. Try to make her forgive you and remain in contact with her for the sake of your son, and try make him get to know you and love you as a good father. Assure your ex that you are in charge of her and her financial needs and so on, making her rely on you in times of need and urgent cases, knowing that you are available to her as a helper anytime she needs you. This way, your conscience will be clear and you will be rest assured that you have performed your duty and made her every possible amends. Only then, you are no longer an unjust man. God bless you and please accept our best wishes and regards.

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Soldiers of Pharaoh

Published in January 16, 2012

Question: … Dear Sir, … I'm very unhappy that I used to work in Egyptian police force … I feel guilty for participating in framing people and performing many injustices and torturing people … When I could no longer bear it, after feeling a cog in the infernal machine of injustice, I decided not to go on, but I was punished by being transferred to work in Cairo airport … I retired early at the age of 50 before the ouster of Mubarak … I want to repent sincerely, and the more I pray and read the Quran, as a new Quranist, the more I cry and weep, as I remember my crimes when I used to be a policeman … Can God accept my repentance now? What about policemen who used to be my colleagues who died young while participating in committing injustices and never repented? … Any advice? … Thank you …      

Answer:

  States of tyranny has its pillars and agents; Pharaoh's soldiers or retinue, as per the Quranic terminology. All of them drowned after being warned many times by Moses and Aaron and plagues inflicted by God on them, but they went on within their path of injustices, until they chased Moses and the Israelites and were drowned in the Red Sea. Hence, Mubarak as a pharaoh had his men and cronies and corrupt policemen who helped in committing many crimes; if it had not been for them, the corrupt Mubarak would not have been able to be a tyrant and a criminal. Hence, his men (including police force) are criminals like him who tortured and framed many people, and their money earned that way is ill-gotten. You are a good man to have escaped being  a cog in the infernal machine of tyranny while being a young man, and you are lucky to repent before it is too late. You have time to perform good deeds to wipe out the bad ones, and perform many acts of worship to atone for them and ask God's pardon. You can try to make amends to wronged parties or to their folks and make them forgive you. Remember to deify, glorify, and sanctify God alone, without doing the same with mortals (prophets and others). Hence, spend the rest of your life in doing good deeds and this will make your repentance sincere and God the Omniscient knows how sincere you are. Spend all your time, money, and effort in atonement so as to make God spare you Hell and to make you enter Paradise. Remember this every day as you perform acts of charity. God bless and guide you more to His Path.          

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14-Century-Old Myth of Fadak

Published in October 30, 2015

Question: …  Dear Sir, … What is the real story, in your opinion as a historian, about the Shiite issue of Fadak oasis, purportedly the ownership of Fatima, daughter of Prophet Muhammad? … what about eh Sunnite vireo of the same topic? Thank you …    

Answer:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fadak

  It is very silly to debate an issue whose people are long dead. This is not part of Islam, whether the Shiite story or the Sunnite one be true or myth. It is madness to be preoccupied by such an issue about who inherits this oasis (Fatima or Abou Bakr or anyone else), while the rest of the people worldwide are making scientific advancement and explore the outer space. Only animals do not learn from the past and live the present moment; yet the Muhammadans live and revive the past and never think about the present and the future. Such myths remain alive after 14 centuries; how absurd. It is far more important to stop bloodshed, tyranny, oppression, and injustices in the countries of the Muhammadans, as they are cursed with backward earthly religions causing struggles everywhere. What a curse!

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Egyptians and Quranists

Published in January 20, 2013

Question: …  What are the view of Quranists worldwide regarding Egyptians now? …      

Answer:

  As for creeds and tenets of peoples, Quranists never judge nations or peoples or even those alive in our era or dead in past eras; rather, Quranists judge features, traits, behaviors, descriptions, ideas, notions, etc. Hence, Quranists assert, based on the Quran, that those who believe in any other discourses apart from or along with the Quran are denying the Quran and disbelieving in it and that polytheists are those who deify and sanctify mortals (including prophets) and mausoleums and other items alongside with God. we quote the Quran to prove our points of view, hoping to introduce reform, never imposing our views on anyone. We use the Quran as criterion to judge all notions pertaining to religion, and this is a religious duty to ponder it to get to know real religion and in order to reform the Muhammadans from within the Quran, as they claim to believe in it as God's Word. As for those who commit tyranny, corruption, injustices, massacres, etc. in the name of Islam, they are sinning criminals and aggressive disbelievers as far as Islam (Quranism) is concerned, and this is the view of all Quranists worldwide. All acts of aggression and transgression are against God and the Quran, His Word. We preach others so as to urge them to repent before it is too late; we desire that they repent while they have time to perform good deeds, correct their faith, atone for their sins, and make amends. Sinners must perform many good deeds of charity and acts of worship to observe piety if they want their repentance to be accepted by God. as for those who died after leaving tomes, volumes, and books of traditions that contradict the Quran and drive people away from it, they have ascribed falsehoods to God, Islam, and Muhammad, and we do not judge or talk about the fate of such dead authors of the Muhammadans' religions (deified, revered, and worshipped as 'saints' by the Muhammadans), but we do care about refuting their books and notions that have misguided people for centuries. For instance, we do not care to judge the person of Al-Bokhary (who is relatively unknown, anyway); we judge, debunk, and refute his many-volume book and its notions and views that insult Islam (i.e., the Quran) and Muhammad. We discuss and undermine such notions using the Quranic verses in order to introduce religious reform among Muhammadans in the Arab world and in the West. In our peaceful intellectual jihad, we never impose our views or ourselves on anyone, seeking no reward or money from mortals, while bearing harm of verbal abuse and character assassination as much as we can, and we pardon and forgive slanderers. Quranists use their ample time, little money, little effort, ample intellectual faculties, critical thinking, and excellent reasoning minds to write articles to elucidate Islamic facts (i.e., Quranic principles and tenets) to show them to all people worldwide on our website. We aim to clear the name of the great Islam (i.e., Quranism), our religion, from accusations leveled at it because of the crimes committed by some Muhammadans. We seek only to please God and wait for His reward to us on the Day of Judgment.                  

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Egyptian Female Servants in the KSA

Published in February 10, 2009

Question: …  An online news gate published the fact that there are about 120 thousand female servants in Saudi households and that the Mubarak regime has been subservient to the KSA since 1982 and condones the existence of the terrorist MB and Salafists in Egypt as a result … All experts predict the total ruin and collapse of Egypt if the status quo is maintained and if Mubarak tyranny goes on … Those female servants are being imbibed with the Wahabi backward culture and they will spread it in Egypt more and more upon their return … Human rights are endangered … Those servants suffer mistreatment and abuse in many cases as well … What is to be done?  What do you think? … Thank you  …

Answer:

   Our dear brother, we do not want you to worry too much; temporary immigration of Egyptian workers to the KSA does not entail more spread of Wahabism in Egypt; on the contrary, humiliated enslaved servants/workers return to Egypt while hating anything related to Wahabism. This evil religion if Sunnite Wahabism spread in Egypt by Al-Azhar, mosques, education, schools, universities, media, TV satellite channels, newspapers, radio programs, etc. and the Saudi Riyal (SR) play a major role here in financing such agents inside Egypt. Of course, the terrorist MB are spreading the Wahabi culture in Egypt actively since 1928, and so are the Salafists in many groups under different names and societies all over Cairo and Egyptian cities and villages. More details are found on our articles (in English) on the following links:

( http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=11035)

( http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=15322).

   The antidote against Wahabism is Quranism, spread by us within our modest means throughout the past three decades, but we are very poor and cannot appear in media; Egyptian media figures hate us. We have nothing but our website and our minds, and the only way to peacefully face and refute Wahabism is through Quranism; Wahabis cannot refute us and they resort to persecuting and imprisoning Quranists in the Arab world. Mubarak persecutes Quranists in Egypt to appease and gratify the KSA regime that grants him money.       

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The Lawyer of Homosexuals

Published in September 7, 2014

Question: … In an article written on Arab Times website, the late lawyer named …, who died days ago, was slandered an verbally abused … the journalist said that this heterosexual lawyer defended the homosexual young men arrested within the (Queen Boat case) in 2001 in Cairo, casting doubts on the character of this late lawyer … What do you think?

Answer:

     We have read this article and felt sad and displeased; the writer of this article blames media in Egypt for ignoring to mention the death of one prominent military leader/hero of the armed forces in Egypt because he died on the same day as the human-rights lawyer. Indeed, this lawyer is hated because his son, imprisoned now, was one of the leading youths of 2011 revolt. It is not bad or shameful for a human-rights activist and lawyer to defend the arrested homosexual men; for there is no Egyptian law against their sexual practices; they are sinners who need to repent, not to be imprisoned at all. He was a noble lawyer in our opinion, and it is honorable that he defended those men. Indeed, the Mubarak regime framed those men and accused them of 'apostasy' and 'debauchery' and forming illegal organization in order to distract citizens and make them not to focus much on his corruption. Those poor men were humiliated and arrested and doctors examined them. After media attention and roar, they were released quietly with no media coverage to clear their names. We were in Cairo at the time; rumors spread that most of the men were caught randomly from streets, and they were not homosexuals at all. They were framed, defamed, and humiliated, and they were released, they faced disgrace and ridicule within the Cairene society. Imagine walking in streets peacefully and then one gets arrested for no reason. This used to occur during the Mubarak era. May God curse him and all the unjust ones among his cronies.    

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 No Prohibition by Deducing 

Published in February 25, 2007

Question: … Can we deduce prohibited items based on prohibitions mentioned in the Quran? For instance, can we say that illegal drugs and narcotics are prohibited in Islam because they are harmful to the human body like wine? …  What do you think? … Thank you …     

Answer:

  We absolutely disagree to that notion; prohibition of items not mentioned in the Quran as such is a crime against God as the Only Legislator in Islam (Quranism). Prohibited things and items in the Quran are exceptions; one cannot possibly add to the list of prohibited items in the Quran, and thus, it is a grave, major sin to prohibit the lawful an legal items; what is not prohibited in the Quran can be consumed. By the way, God prohibited certain items and banned them from being consumed NOT because they are harmful or not; rather, it is a test of obedience. Wine is not harmful when consumed in moderation; yet it is prohibited in the Quran. Likewise, pork and salami and all products of the flesh of pigs are prohibited in Islam, and they are consumed by non-Muslims and cause no harm to them at all. We, as Quran-believing people, are to obey God's commands in the Quran. as for the factor of something as being harmful, it is never a Quranic rule to prohibit items anyway one pleases. Even medical pills and syrups and so on had side effects; you cannot prohibit them of course. If being harmful a reason for prohibition, we would not eat anything at all from permissible items. Read more about prohibited food in Islam in this article of ours (in English) on this link:

 ( http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=13976)     

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 Real Separation  

Published in May 10, 2012

Question: …  Dear Sir, … I live in a European country, and my husband and I separated a year ago, but he did not divorce me verbally until now. We got married 11 years ago in our Arab country of origin, before we immigrate. All Arab and non-Arab people we know in this European country know we are separated. He wants me back but I insist on leaving him. He still insists that we are still legally married, but I think not … What do you think? What shall I do? … Thank you …    

Answer:

  Since the waiting period of three months has passed, making sure that you are not pregnant and never had sex with him, you and him are divorced before the eyes of the Lord; yet, you and he must sign divorce papers in the presence of at least two witnesses, who will sign as well. Otherwise, you cannot remarry legally. The divorce papers must be endorse and documented officially as per laws in your European country. God be with you.    

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 Poor, Poor Eskimos!  

Published in July 23, 2015

Question: … Dear Sir, … I am a seventy-year-old Arab man … What is the stance of Islam regarding six billon persons on the planet that are not Muslims and never heard of Islam? How come that God will judge them while they are not Arabophone and never read the Quran like us?! What about media that show the Muhammadans (Shiites and Sunnites, especially the terrorist MB, ISIS, and all Wahabis) as regressive, uncivilized, aggressive ones engaging into bloodshed and civil strife? How come that one expects Quranism to spread, then? Would late great scientists, who served humanity, enter Hell in the Hereafter because they never read or believed in the Quran?! … What about peaceful Eskimos, for instance? … Can you answer me?! … Thank you for your time …      

Answer:

 Pardon us, but we beg to differ; you are not talking about Islam. We are sorry to tell you that you are talking about eh earthly, man-made fabricated Sunnite religion, which is assumed to be 'Islam' but the Quran is innocent of it. Islam (literally, total submission only to God) is a universal religion for all human beings in all eras from the dawn of humanity until the end of the world, and its Arabic version, the last one, in the Quran shows to us that it was the divine message sent by God via all prophets since Adam. Islam simply means (There is no God but Allah) in terms of faith, and in terms of behavior, it means peaceful demeanor and fair dealing with all people. Both levels of meaning, in terms of faith and behavior, are summarized in one word: piety. Righteous deeds and behavior are preached by reformers and preachers in all human societies (no just by prophets) until the end of days. God is Merciful and Just, and deals with humanity kindly and justly, and He ordered Muhammad to declare the Path to Him as follows: "Say, "I am only a human being like you, being inspired that your God is One. Whoever hopes to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and never associate anyone in the worship of his Lord."" (18:110). Therefore, Islam, as the celestial divine religion of God from which all humanity learned higher values and all virtues, is not the source of problem; rather the problem lies in the earthly man-made religions and their clergymen that fabricate creeds as per regional and local culture of a certain given people. for example, Sufism and Coptic orthodox Christianity in Egypt reflect peaceful nature, non-violent behavior, and dependence all the time. Catholicism in Europe in the Middle Ages reflected the European supremacy and belligerence. Likewise, Sunnite Wahabism reflect hard desert environment of Najd area in Arabia, with its cruelty and savagery. Shiite creeds reflect the Persian Iranian culture of duality of godheads (deity of goodness and deity of evil) and the love of melodrama in life. The problem exacerbate when such earthly creeds claim to be 'Islam', but indeed, they have nothing to do with the Quran at all. You are an Egyptian, and we discern from your words that you are from Upper Egypt; let us assure you that historically, Amr Ibn Al-As, the Arab military leader who conquered Egypt, reached with his troops until Al-Minya (inside the middle of Upper Egypt), this means that he never stepped into the south of Egyptian governorates and regions: Asyut, Luxor, Aswan, and Nubia. And we as a Quranist thinker assert that this leader never spread Islam at all in Egypt; rather, he was carrying the hatred of Islam, injustices, and aggression that contradict the Quran: "And fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not commit aggression; God does not love the aggressors." (2:190). Arabs conquered Egypt (and other countries) without any reason and had to cover up their aggression by the pretext of spreading 'Islam', but indeed, those conquerors never knew real Islam. God bless you and guide you.                 

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Mr. Abdel-Fattah Asaker

Published in August 22, 2015

Question: …  I am a Muslim thinker and writer … Thank you for guiding me to true Islam: Quranism … I ask you about the punishment of those who disobey God and His message: the Quran … How such disobedience be defined as far as Quranism is concerned? … What about the verses 30:31-32, 4:14, 72:23, and 33:36? Thank you again, my brother …    

Answer:

  God bless you, our dear brother, and we assert that disobeying God as far as Quranism is concerned is to disregard, discard, and abandon the Quran by adopting other man-made texts as 'holy', as is the case with the Muhammadans: the Shiites, the Sufis, and the Sunnites. We, Quranists, advocate a return to real Islam, the Quran alone, but seldom people would listen. Few ones in the Arab world search for the Truth or True Islam and find it in Quranism, on our website. The rest of people have brains that do not reason, eyes that cannot see, and ears that cannot hear. We take pride in your joining us as a fellow Quranist; your writings reflect a great mind and will be an asset on our website. Thank you for joining the intellectual endeavor to wake up the deceived ones among the Muhammadans and disown their faulty notions, misdeeds, and corrupt faiths. Let God be our Witness. Our intellectual efforts will bear fruit after we die, we think. God bless you, dear brother.     

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Women's Period, for the Last Time

Published in March 17, 2014

Question: …  Dear Sir, … I'm convinced by your writings that I should pray even when I have my period … But can I perform Umrah and Hajj in Mecca during my period as well? … Should I as a female pilgrim shave my hair (as male pilgrims do) after performing rituals at the Kaaba? I'm still a new Quranist and I really care to know because I'm traveling to Mecca soon … Thank you …   

Answer:

  We have mentioned and proven many times that women's period never prevent women from performing any acts of worship (prayers, fasting, zakat, pilgrimage, etc.). the period prevents women only from having sex with their husbands. Indeed, nothing prevent performance of prayers at all. Even all physical illnesses, wars, battles, being blind or deaf, traveling, even paralysis, never prevent prayers; as one extremely ill or cannot move (or in trains or planes or hospitalized) can pray while sitting or lying down in bed, within one's heart, without even having to kneel and prostrate. We hope that all new Quranists will read all our previous fatwas to help us save our time and effort in our old age.    

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The Marriage Is Not Void

Published in August 1, 2007

Question: … Dear Sir, … A female friend of mine asked me to pose her question to you … She got divorced and her ex-husband travelled and left her alone in her house, but she left his house before the three-month period of time ended … Now, after a whole year, a  widower proposed to her; she accepted and married him and felt happy. The problem is as follows: is that marriage is annulled because the ex-husband was not in town during the three-month period and thus had no chance to return to each other or to reconsider as should be and as required by the Quran?  What do you think? … Thank you and God bless and reward you for showing to us real Islam …    

Answer:

  Thank you, our sister, for your kind words; we assure you that your friend's marriage is not null and void, and it is perfectly legal in Islam; it is not her fault that her ex-husband never stayed in their hometown during the three-month period after the divorce. Please read our lengthy article about divorce in Quranism (real Islam), published on our website, for more details on that topic. 

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Lottery Money

Published in April 7, 2012

Question: … Dear Sir, … Is money won by lottery ill-gotten? Is it like gambling, for instance? … Thank you …    

Answer:

  It is never ill-gotten money at all and it is never like gambling; because lotteries are based on mutual consent of those included in it or those who have participated in it, as regulated by laws in a given country accepted by citizens. Hence, it is perfectly legal money. Some states inside the USA use percentage  of that money paid by participants in the lottery to finance big projects, we are told, and the rest goes to the winner, after deduction of taxes of course. This is lawful and legal in Islam just like permitted trade.

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Islam and Jews

Published in May 17, 2016

Question: …  Dear Dr. Mansour, …Thank you for showing us true faith and real Islam … My question is as follows: does Islam (i.e., the Quran) urges hatred against the Jewish people, as some people claim? Can one differentiate between the Jewish faith and Zionism? … What do you think? … Thank you again and God bless you …    

Answer:

  You should bear in mind that Islam is the religion of peace, love, justice, freedom, human rights, human dignity, charity, tolerance, and mercy. Islam is against all types of aggressions, injustices, oppression, suppression, and tyranny. Hence, Islam does not oppose certain persons, groups, or nations, but against injustices and evil deeds committed by anyone anytime anywhere. Repentance is allowed to all people who have sinned, engaged in wrongdoing, and disobeyed God, if they stop their aggressions and atone and make amends with people and with God. God talks in the Quran about descriptions to be attained and those to be avoided, not about races, persons, or peoples (dis)belief, (mis)guidance, polytheism, monotheism, the (im)pious, the (non-)repentant ones, hypocrites, (dis)obedient ones, etc. This Quranic discourse is addressed to all people to reform themselves. Within Quranism, the Quranic term ''Jews'' does not refer to all Israelites; rather, it refers to some sinners and disobedient ones among them in the 7^th century Arabia when the Quran was revealed, who conspired against Muhammad and early believers in Mecca and in Yathreb. Please read more details on that topic in our articles on our website. Let us remember that the Quran talks a lot about ''People of the Book'' and their prophets more than Arabs; because the Quran descended on earth mainly to correct distortions that occurred to the religion of Abraham by some of his progeny.     

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Positive Suggestion

Published in August 26, 2014

Question: …  Dear Sir, … I'm a Quranist Egyptian man living in Europe and I'm married to a protestant European woman who attends church regularly … I felt once curious and attended church with her … I'm astonished by too much dancing and music there as a form of prayers … But my question is as follows: how come the priests would claim to heal certain ill people by touching them or their heads, while claiming that 'Christ' embodies clergymen? … I find it strange that my wife got cured from her ailment, though she stopped taking the medicine ordered by her doctor … She thinks that the priest has healed her as she believes deeply and profoundly in Christ, but I'm not convinced … Could you explain this strange coincidence to me? Thank you for your time …     

Answer:

  This is called positive suggestion and positive self-talk in psychology; and medical doctors have proven that the boosted moral can help in curing and healing processes, as the soul is influenced by positive energy. Let us remember that we are souls wearing bodies as our clothes, and the soul influences the body. Some physical illnesses need to boos one's moral in order to help the body to resist the ailment. Stress affects the soul and then the body afterwards. Psychological health and optimism affect the soul and the body afterwards, as well, as the immune system. Part of the positive energy come through suggestion, by priests in churches and by charlatans in African animist religions, who use often certain incantations/songs/words/prayers to influence people's souls, thinking that this way, the body is influenced as well. Some quack doctors among the Muhammadans use Quranic verses in the same way, and we, Quranists, disagree totally with such nonsense and such abuse of the Quran, manipulated to get money by despaired ill people. Examples of what we refer to are so many in our modern times and in history.                     

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The Non-Virgin Wife

Published in January 7, 2008

Question: …  Dear Sir, … My friend discovered on the wedding night that his wife is not a virgin … She beseeched him not to tell anyone and he can divorce her a week later or so … Two weeks later, when he wanted to divorce her, her father rejected his accusing the bride of being a non-virgin who hid the fact to deceive the groom, and she lied to her father by claiming that the groom made her lose her virginity … My friend is at loss and cannot prove his claim to anyone, and after he divorced her, he is afraid she might be impregnated by another man … What must be done, in your opinion? … Thank you …    

Answer:

  After the passing of even one night alone with her in one room, he cannot prove his words, and it would be illegal to accuse her. No one can force the bad woman to confess to the truth; laws are for her and against your gullible friend. He should have exposed her before everyone on the same very night, but she managed to dupe him. If she is discovered to be pregnant, the DNA test will assure everyone that he is not the biological father of her offspring. Otherwise, nothing is to be done. We remember a funny story that we are going to narrate here: in the late 1960s, one of Al-Azhar University professors got married to a supposedly virgin woman at Al-Azhar District, a densely populated area in Cairo. When he discovered on the wedding, bridal night that she is not a virgin, he opened the windows and shouted at all wedding party guests that she is not a virgin and that he thereby divorces her thrice in public and they are witnesses to that. People laughed because he said so in classical Arabic. As the bride was exposed that way, the marriage-registrar had annulled the marriage on the same very night, and the professor got rid of such deception sooner.     

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A Hired Husband

Published in February 19, 2015

Question: …  Is it a form of deception that a thrice divorced woman can re-marry her husband after she and he hire a man to marry her for one night (with or without sleeping with her) and then would divorce her next morning and take money/fees for it? … Thank you …    

Answer:

  You should bear in mind that divorce in Islam is a step to make amends and reunite husband and wife, especially if they have children. If a wife is divorced for the third time, she is free to re-marry another man after the three-month period. It is OK if this man would divorce her without consummating the marriage; if the first husband wants to re-marry her and she agrees, it is OK to write  new marriage contract again. Of course, they are NOT to hire anyone; we talk here about real intention of marriage to another man with real marriage contract, real dowry, real wedding party, etc.  But if they hire a man with fees to do it, we tend to think it proper and OK if they have the noble aim to be re-united as husband and wife because of their offspring. It is OK if such 'hired' man would divorce her without consummation; she can then re-marry her first husband.      

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Marrying One's Freed Slave

Published in June 24, 2010

Question: …  How come that a man is urged in the Quran to free slave-girl(s) or enslaved women and marry them, and women can free a male slave to marry him herself … Slavery is abolished now, right? How come, then, that the Quran is applicable in all eras? Could you explain this to me?! … Thank you …   

Answer:

  We urge new Quranists to read our archive of fatwas, articles, and books. We refer you to our book (in English) titled "Slavery: A Fundamental Historical Overview"

http://www.ahl-alquran.com/arabic/book_main.php?main_id=87

  briefly, we assert to you the following: the basis of Quranic sharia laws and legislations is freedom and lack of coercion or compulsion, as personal consent is required in tenets of faith and rituals and acts of worship, and also as mutual or general consent in dealing with people is required as far as trade, marriages, economy, issuing laws etc. are concerned. This does not apply to punishments and granting people their rights; these are obligations and duties. Hence, no woman or man can marry without her/his consent, and a man who wants to marry more than one woman should tell his wife beforehand an she is free to get divorced or to self-repudiate from him or to remain as his legal wife if she accepts his marring another woman or women. Mutual consent is required here, of course. We refer you to our article on divorce. As for female slaves, a man can free and marry them with proper contract and dowry etc. as is the case of getting married to free women. No man can 'enjoy' female slaves in bed without marriage; this is fornication committed in the Middle Ages especially by caliphs and wealthy men, based on misreading the Quran, to satisfy their carnal lusts and appetites. Likewise, a woman can free her male slave and marry him if she likes. This is equality, we assure you. Of course, such Quranic rules apply in case slavery is maintained, but after the are abolished, these rules have no room to be applied. This is OK; the Quranic commands are applied only in certain cases that require their application. For instance, an unmarried woman cannot possibly apply Quranic rules about marriage and divorce, and so is any unmarried man. By the way, slavery has not vanished totally in the Arab world and in the West, as it has taken other forms, including tyranny and colonialism as well as prostitution. More details about that topic can be found in our book whose link is provided above.