Can I Feed My Pets Bacon, and What About Handling or Distributing Pork in Other Contexts? QuestionSalam Imam Mahmoud. I was at a hotel with my two cats. During breakfast I noticed they were serving bacon. I considered taking some bacon slices to my room to feed my cats. Is it permissible to handle, obtain, … Read more
How Should a Person Deal with Constant Doubts (Waswas) About Wudu and Salah After Completing Them? QuestionSalaam alaikum warahmatuLlah wabarakaatu, I frequently forget and doubt myself after completing acts of worship. This happens only in worship, not daily life. For example, after finishing wudu and wearing socks, I later doubt whether I wiped over them … Read more
Is the Nisab for Zakah in Canada Based on Gold Only, and Why Is 21K Gold Used? QuestionSalam Imam, is the nisab for zakah based on gold and not silver today, since cash is no longer backed by silver? And is the correct gold standard 21K gold rather than 24K or 14K? How is this … Read more
Is Subway BBQ Sauce Halal If It Contains Bourbon Whiskey as a Flavor That Is Cooked Off? QuestionSubway changed their BBQ sauce ingredients and it lists “bourbon whisky.” Is it halal, given that it is added for flavor and is usually cooked away and evaporated, so that nothing remains? AnswerAlhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah, wa … Read more
Is Fasting and Increasing Supplication on the 15th of Sha‘ban Sunnah or Bid‘ah? QuestionAssalamu alaikum warahmatallahi wabarakatuhu shaykh, Is it a sunnah or bid‘ah to fast and increase in supplication on the 15th of Sha‘ban? I have seen different opinions online. I have also heard that the hadith about the night of mid-Sha‘ban is weak, … Read more
Is It Permissible to Continue Wearing a Retainer After Cosmetic Orthodontic Treatment? QuestionAssalamu alaykoum, I had a gap between my two front teeth and some crooked lower teeth. Dentists told me braces or Invisalign were not medically necessary but optional. I chose to proceed to correct the gap and crookedness. Later, I learned that changing … Read more
Can Tayammum Replace Wudu for Someone with Severe Sensory Distress, and What Parts of Wudu Are Obligatory? QuestionAssalamu alaikum, I live with sometimes severe sensory issues due to autism. These issues can make washing extremely distressing, even something as simple as washing my face. This has affected my ability to perform wudu in particular. Can … Read more
Is a Medically Induced Coma Permissible as an Alternative to Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID)? QuestionAs-salamu alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh, Medical assistance in dying (MAID) is haram in Islam, whether receiving it or aiding in it as doctors, nurses, or pharmacists. Is it permissible for someone to be placed into a medically induced coma instead of … Read more
Am I Allowed to Cremate My Non-Muslim Mother if She Requested It? QuestionI am a Muslim and my mother, who is Christian, wants me to cremate her when she passes away. In Islam we are buried. I want to respect her wishes, but I do not want to commit a sin or displease Allah. Am … Read more
Is It Permissible to Pray on Decorated Prayer Mats, and Are Certain Designs Discouraged? QuestionAsalaamualaykum, Is it permissible to have decorated prayer mats?If it is permissible, can the decorations be more than simple symmetrical shapes, such as plants or objects?If objects or plants are allowed, do they have to be Islamic, such as items mentioned … Read more
Is Fidyah Calculated the Same as Zakat al Fitr if Zakat al Fitr Is 15 Dollars? QuestionAssalamu alaikum shikhna, if zakat al fitr is 15 dollars this Ramadan, can we measure the fidyah based on it as well? AnswerAlhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah, wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajmain. This issue must be answered with … Read more
Did I Commit Shirk by Praying While Experiencing a Visual Hallucination, and Can I Pray in the Same Place Again? QuestionI suffer from medically diagnosed visual hallucinations and am under a doctor’s care and medication. One evening, while standing for prayer, I experienced a persistent visual hallucination of a “shirk object” at the top of … Read more
How Should a Person With Permanent Health Conditions Fulfill Their Fasting Obligation, and Is There Flexibility With Fidyah? QuestionWith Ramadan coming up, I have a question about fasting. Due to physical and mental health conditions that I will live with the rest of my life, fasting is inadvisable because I must take medication throughout the … Read more
Is Zakat Due on a Government Pension Fund That Cannot Be Accessed Until Retirement? QuestionAssalamu alaikum shaikh, I work for the government. A portion is deducted from my monthly salary and contributed to my pension fund, and my employer contributes an equal amount. The total is invested and grows over time. There are three components: … Read more
Is It Permissible to Turn Off Life Support When a Person Is Considered Medically Dead? QuestionAs-salamu alaykum, Is it permissible to turn off the life support system of a person who is thought to be dead, although some organs may still be functioning? AnswerAlhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah, wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajmain. This … Read more
Is It Permissible to Change One’s Zakat Payment Date, and Is Early Payment Valid? QuestionSalaam alaikum warahmatuLlah wabarakaatu, I would like to know if it is permissible to change my zakat payment date. I am not sure exactly when my original zakat date was, and although I tried to keep the initial date, there is … Read more
Must I Leave a School After Repenting From Shirk Because a Cross Is Present There? QuestionAssalamu alaykum. I am a Muslim in high school. Out of ignorance, I chose a Christianity class instead of ethics, and in that class I committed shirk. The classroom also had a large cross. I regretted it, made sincere tawbah, … Read more
How Should Zakat al Mal Be Calculated When Wealth Fluctuates and the Hawl Is Difficult to Track? QuestionAs-salamu alaykum Shaykh, I find it difficult to track which specific funds in my account have completed a full lunar year, since money comes in and out regularly. I have heard that some scholars recommend choosing a fixed … Read more
Does Donating to a Water Well Count Toward Zakat al Mal? QuestionI am donating to a water well. Does it count toward zakat al mal? AnswerAlhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah, wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajmain. The ruling depends on two matters: whether the project is genuinely directed to zakat eligible recipients, and whether zakat, … Read more
Is Salah Valid When a Person Sees Uncontrollable Intrusive Images of Shirk, and What Should She Do? QuestionA person is seeing intrusive images related to shirk (churches, statues, symbols). Doctors say these are hallucinations and she cannot control them. She is taking medication, but it is not working well. It is very hard for her … Read more
How Should I Navigate Fasting with a Chronic Condition That Requires Medication and a Liquid Diet, and What About Missed Fasts from Menstruation? QuestionSalam alaikum. I grind my teeth while sleeping, which causes severe headaches and jaw pain throughout the day. This requires me to be on a liquid diet and to take medication for … Read more
Does Taking Advil for a Migraine During Ramadan Break the Fast? QuestionSalam alaikum. I get migraines. If I were to get one during Ramadan, can I take an Advil and continue my fast for the day? AnswerAlhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah, wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajmain. This question relates to what invalidates the fast, … Read more
Is Abortion Permissible in Early Pregnancy Due to Severe Marital Hardship and Emotional Harm? QuestionSalam, I am currently 5 weeks pregnant. I am in a very difficult marriage. Am I allowed to get an abortion? I have only been married for 3.5 months. My husband has changed drastically and has shown possible signs of cheating. … Read more
Is Salah Valid If a Strand of Hair or Part of the Neck Was Accidentally Showing During Prayer? QuestionIf I finished my prayer and then noticed that a strand of my hair was out the whole time, or my neck was accidentally showing, do I have to redo my salah? Was my salah accepted? AnswerAlhamdulillah, … Read more
Is Hajj Permissible and Accepted for Someone Who Has a Mortgage? Questionالسلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته If someone has a mortgage for his or her house, are they still allowed to perform Hajj? Is their Hajj accepted? AnswerAlhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah, wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajmain. This question requires distinguishing between the obligation … Read more
Is the Adhan Required Every Time One Prays, and Is an Adhan Clock Sufficient? Questionالسلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته Do you need to call adhan every time you make prayer even if you are praying it after 30–40 minutes? For example, dhuhr adhan is at 12:00 and you do not pray until 12:30. Do I … Read more
Is It Permissible During Salah to Internally Say the Meaning of an Ayah After Reciting It in Arabic? QuestionAsalaamualaykum, Is it permissible in salah to say the meaning of an ayah after reciting it in Arabic internally for the sake of memorising the meaning? AnswerAlhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah, wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajmain. … Read more