Q:
1. If I sneeze during the Jummuah Khutbah, must I say 'Alhamdulillah'?
2. If someone else says 'Alhamdulillah' during the Jummuah Khutbah, must I reply to it?
Q: Would attending a mixed university be permissible? How are we to decide which mixed gatherings are permissible and which aren't? Like restaurants, shops, family gatherings are all mixed. Public places are mixed too. I don't think its a part of our religion to cut ourself from the world?
Q: Is prayer in musjid obligatory? There is a hadeeth which says something like prayer not being accepted if you hear the azaan and don't go to the musjid. Also there is a hadeeth of a blind man and he wasn't given concession to pray at home if he heard the azaan. Also there is another hadeeth about the prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) wanting to burn the houses of those who don't pray in the musjid. Yet I heard zakir naik say most scholars say it is sunnah muakkada (maybe he meant if we don't hear azaan). Also if prayer is obligatory in the musjid if you hear the azaan, how should this be understood in modern times? Like literally if we hear it? What if someone lives right next to the musjid in a western country but they don't give the azaan through the external speakers of the musjid so the sound of the azaan can just be heard inside, where as in some muslim countries the azaan can be heard from a distance of even 500 meters because of the speakers. Or should we consider how far the sound would travel if done in an open area (desert) and give the azaan without speakers and see how many meters it would travel? Another thing to keep in mind would be thick infrastructure and noise also plays a role on how far the azaan would travel these days. Jazak Allah Khair. Please explain if there has been some ignorance present in my question pertaining to context of Ahadeeth. This is so important as not praying woukd be kufr and if our prayers aren't being in the masjid they might not be accepted. Also what about congregation prayer. Does that suffice? If he hears the azaan but prays in congregation somewhere else? Please provide evidence from Quran and Sunnah.
Q: Growing a beard is fard and it is sinful to shave it. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) commanded us to grow them. If the hadith of the beard was to be looked at technically, the wording in the hadeeth is to be understood to let the beard grow. As in just leave it completely. But we have narrations of sahaba trimming their beards a fist length. So scholars have concluded this is the exception to the case and have set a minimal length of the beard to be a fistful. Who ever trims it so its smaller than a fist length is a sinner. Is this correct? I do see many people of knowledge who trim it so its less than a fist length. Please elaborate.
Q: Some principles that should be agreed on. (If they are wrong pleases tell me). Halaal food is extremely important. A body nourished with haram will not enter jannah. Hadeeth: Even the slightest doubt of halalness of food will render it haraam for you. We should strive to follow our religion even if its hard on us. A person who doesn't pray is a kafir. Most of the ummah think if they don't pray they are still muslim. Most muslims dont pray (Stats). Being a muslim is a requirement besides saying bismillah allahuakbar. Due to these points, I am in doubt of the food that is sold and they claim it is halaal. There is a great chance the food I eat is being slaughtered by a "muslim" who doesn't pray which puts me in doubt of its halaal status therefore it's haram for me. Does this seem extreme? Is this against the Sunnah? Please provide evidence and suggest what I should do?
P.S. I live in a Muslim country and I went to a chicken shop who slaughters the chicken on the spot. I came to know the man is known to not pray at all. Therefore I cannot trust the government which is appointed to make sure the meat is halaal. Also is it enough if the food I am eating has a halaal label on it?
Q: My wife's family is non-muslim. There is a engagement function we have been invited to. We have not attended any such functions in the past but are concerned that we may be breaking family ties, especially since other Muslim family members that attend these functions. Our concerns about these functions are that there is no purdah, there may be music and alcohol, etc. My wife and I stand firm that we should continue to stay away from these functions. Please advise whether we are doing the right thing.
Q:
1) Whilst on Safar, are the four sunnats also reduced to two rakaats or does that rule only apply to the four fardh?
2) Whilst on Safar, is the 2 sunnah of Fajr compulsory and will one be considered sinful if they omit it?
3) If a person joins the Jamaat late and misses 3 rakaats in 4 rakaat fardh, they will stand up after the Imam makes Salaam, read 1 rakaat and sit for Tashahud again before performing the other 2 rakaats. Kindly explain which rakaats the Surah should be recited and which rakaats it should be omitted?
Q: Recently I underwent many tough circumstances. At one point I lost the will to face the world, but Allah Ta'ala made my friends mother a way to my easiness. She gave me correct guidance and is giving me knowledge of Islam. I just wanted to know if she is a mahram or a na mahram to me?
Q: A mother who has a son and a daughter has made her jewellery into two parcels and put the name of the daughter on one parcel and the name of the son on one parcel. Without the knowledge of the son, she gave the daughter to keep both parcels in her safe and said when she passes away she doesn't want fighting, therefore she has done this. What is the law regarding this jewellery presently and what are the repercussions at the time of the mother's death. The father is alive presently.
Q: I am really very frustrated with everything. It looks like I have nothing to do with life. First I was not obedient to Allah but I prayed namaaz. Then from the past two years I started to go to Dars and attending lectures on Islam and I got so near to Allah. I told each and every problem to Allah and I felt so happy with that. It was just like Allah is in front of me, listening to me, understanding me. Sometimes I just cry and I feel like Allah is listening to my cry and I don't have to say a word. I am so alone from the past two years. I left every sin that I did but there is no sukoon in my life from the past few months. I am going far from Allah and I don't know what is the reason because I left every sin. Now I am again getting into some sort of them because fear surrounds me everywhere. I never made Allah Happy neither human being. I do a work with good intentions, for helping others, but that thing goes wrong and people start thinking that I am not a good person. Now I am just barehanded. Nothing is with me neither Allah, nor my family, nor anyone else. I have lost my way. I just want to die and meet Allah. Bas, I need nothing more. Zindagi ka maqsad khatam ho chuka hai. Kindly help me. I have no friend to tell my problems. I can't trust human beings.