Aqaaid

Doing good deeds with the intention of receiving benefits in Jannah

Q: My question is about intention in doing good deeds. I used to ask Allah for jannah just to get the things that I dont get here. Whenever I had any wish on things thats not permissible for us or luxurious life style that we wont get here I used to think inshallah I will get it in jannah and it also motivates me to do good deeds or pray in order to get jannah. Basically my intention while doing good deeds is to get jannah and these worldly adornments there. Are those deeds accepted or is it a sin for keeping such intention. 

Reading fatwas in the toilet

Q: I used to read the Quran, fatwa webistes where Allah's Name was mentioned in the toilet. Sometimes I also cannot control myself and use the same cellphone that I learn about Islam to watch pornography. I read fatwas today that warns against both scenarios and I am afraid if I disbelieved due to those behaviours. More so, after reading that fatwa, which in fact also happened in toilet, I did not stop immediately and continued to read other fatwas to confirm if that fatwa is correct or not. I am frightened now and did I disbelieve and what should I do?

Hanafi following the Hambali mazhab to concentrate in salaah

Q: I used to act on a fatwa from the hanbali site islamqa.info which states that you can recite loud in silent prayers such as asr, dhur, third rakah of maghrib and more and you should be careful to concentrate. I am a non native speaker of Arabic and I personally find praying loud in silent prayer is helpful to concentrate and reduce mistakes. Today I read a fatwa from a hanafi website and it states that reciting loud in silent prayers is invalid. I really want to follow the easier opinion of the hanbalis because I can't afford making mistakes in prayer. Some scholars also say that Subhaana rabbiy al-‘azeem and Subhaana rabbiy al-a’laa, and the tashahhud should all be silently. What's your thoughts? 

Authenticity of a dua to be recited on Aashuraa

Q: There was a message going around on Aashurah day that read as follows: Zainul Aabideen is reported to have said that whoever reads the following duaa between sunrise and sunset on Aashurah will not die the following year, meaning this is a guarantee for his life for a year. And if a person is to die co incidentallly he will not read this duaa. And there was a long duaa mentioned after. Is there any authenticity to this?

Meaning of "Allah is above the clouds"

Q: I read this Hadith:

“O Allaah’s Messenger! Where was our Lord before He created the heavens and earth?” He (salallaahu `alaihi wasallam) responded: “He was above the [white] clouds – no air was under him, no air was above him, and He created His Throne upon the water.”

Is it correct that we don’t have to take the first part (He was above the (white) clouds) literally because attributing a direction to Allah is kufr?

Reading the Bible and other scriptures

Q: I accidentally read a few verses of the Bible, now I read that we are not allowed to read the Books of the other religions because we might disbelieve in what we must believe in and vice versa. So I was stricken with waswasa. I got really confused while reading them, so I said I neither confirm nor deny these verses and also I neither confirm nor deny if these are in the Quran. Now if those verses and whatever’s mentioned in that really in our religion, will I have committed kufr? What should I do?