Miscellaneous

Q: Respected Mufti Saheb. In regard to the soccer world cup which is presently being held, certain people make dua for their favourite teams to win. Some people perform salaah or give sadaqah with the intention that the team they support should win. There are even some people who make sajdah or perform salaah when their favourite team scores a goal or wins a match. Are all these actions permissible?

Certain people, on being corrected and told that they should not carry out such actions, retort by saying that we should keep deen separate, and sport and entertainment separate. We should not mix the two. Is it correct to make such a statement?

Q: Regarding pictures of animate objects... 

1. After buying groceries etc. we normally scratch off the eyes, is that sufficient or do you have to scratch off the entire animate object (e.g. a picture of a person with their entire body, will it be sufficient to just cover the eyes or the face, or do you have to cover the entire body) and what is the ruling of it? 

2. As is common, normally everyone deals with cash (money which has animate picture on it) and has cash (money) by the house, what would be the best way possible to cover the cash, thereby allowing the angels to enter one's home? 

Q: I have a very important question regarding a past incident, and I sincerely request guidance according to the Hanafi school of thought. 

My sister and I were involved in a road accident, and sadly my sister passed away. We filed a legal case against the person who caused the accident. 

After a few months, some people approached our family for a settlement. They offered us 17 lakh rupees. However, the settlement involved replacing the actual driver with another person who agreed to accept responsibility in exchange for money. At first, we refused, but because of financial hardship, lack of education, and believing that the money could help us fight the case, we eventually signed the settlement papers and accepted the 17 lakh rupees. 

The person who accepted the blame did so willingly after receiving money, while the actual driver was protected. We are now using those 17 lakh rupees to build our house. 

Our questions are: 

Was it Islamically wrong for us to accept this settlement under these circumstances? 

Is the 17 lakh rupees halal or not? 

If we sincerely repent to Allah, does that make the money halal? 

Since our house is being built with this money, is it permissible for us to live in that house? 

If we have made a mistake, what should we do now to sincerely repent and correct it according to Shariah? 

We deeply regret anything that may have been against the teachings of Islam and sincerely want to know the correct ruling so that we can do what pleases Allah.

Q: Is it permissible to place a plant in the bathroom as they make Zikr?

Q: I want to build a professional Instagram profile for networking, career growth, and attracting business clients. To build this image, my pictures will naturally show my lifestyle, including how I dress and the nice places I visit. I previously avoided this out of fear of Riya (showing off) and Nazar (the evil eye). If my intention is purely professional and not to boast, is it permissible to share these lifestyle photos? How do I draw the line between presenting a good image and showing off?

Q: If one has ptosis (an eye condition one is born with one small eye and one big eye due to excess skin on the eyelid) and this condition affects one's vision and sometimes causes abit of irritation, like it feels heavy and also looks abit strange, is surgery permissible?

Q: My questions concern the notion of pride in Islam. I would like to clarify that I am a man, and I apologize for the length of my questions. 

I would like to know whether pride is permissible in Islam—pride without arrogance, while being aware that it is Allah who provides. For example, is it permissible for me to tell my younger brother that I am proud of him for passing his exams? 

From what I understand, pride in one’s ancestors, origins, and ‘asabiyyah is haraam. In parallel, Allah the Most High says: “O mankind, indeed We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing and All-Aware.” (Qur’an 49:13) However, if this pride is not accompanied by arrogance or a feeling of superiority over other lineages and origins, is it permissible? I am obviously referring to Muslim ancestors of our origin, not disbelieving ancestors. Is it permissible to be proud of their history, their courage and bravery in fighting in the path of Allah, their good character, their way of dressing, their traditional craftsmanship, and to promote this pride among members of my people? 

Likewise, is it permissible to be proud of one’s culture of origin—clothing, traditional food, craftsmanship, way of life, etc.—and to promote this pride among one’s people and encourage them to preserve certain cultural elements? I am referring here only to permissible customs. I would also like to clarify that I appreciate seeing Muslims from other backgrounds being proud (without arrogance or a sense of superiority) of their cultures. For example, I appreciate seeing Arabs being proud and encouraging other Gulf Arabs to wear the shemagh/ghutra, or Afghans/Desi people wearing turbans and the salwar kameez. I mention this to show that my feeling is not limited to my own people, but applies to all Muslims without distinction. I also believe this can help counter the homogenization caused by the westernization of Muslim societies. If this is permissible, but this cultural pride is tied to the fact that we consider it the heritage of our (Muslim) ancestors, is it still permissible? 

Finally, is it permissible to feel proud (without showing off, arrogance, or a sense of superiority) that people recognize my origin based on the clothing I wear when I travel (for a few days, not long-term) or during celebrations such as Eid (I live in a multicultural place where such clothing is not considered لباس الشهرة)?

Q: If a person who was involved in the sin of sihr and black magic wants to make a sincere taubah for this wrong, then how must he get the complete forgiveness of Allah?