Our Dialogue

Q.1. May I cite the case of a Muslim who lives in the midst of a community where the majority are non-Muslims. Many of them are courteous to him. Nevertheless, he fails to speak to them about Islam or call on them to become Muslims. What will be his status?


Q.2. These days people use the Internet to chat to people whom they do not know. Suppose they talk to people of the opposite sex, and as this goes on the chat becomes too familiar. Of course I know they are unlikely ever to meet them. Still is it OK?


A.1. How do I or anyone else know what will be the status of any person, Muslim or non-Muslim, on the Day of Judgment? This is something determined by God on the basis of His knowledge of people’s actions and failings as they go through life. The very basis of the question is wrong, and the very premise that such people will go to hell is wrong. This is something God determines. It is not for human beings to try to sit in judgment on others. How does any of us know what will be his state of affairs tomorrow, let alone on the Day of Judgement? Can anyone tell that he or she will maintain his convictions and his way of life for the rest of his days on earth? Obviously no one can tell. Hence, no one should imagine that what he thinks today would happen tomorrow.


There are a variety of reasons why people cannot talk about Islam to non-Muslims. This may be because they do not have enough knowledge themselves, or they are too shy, or the other person is unreceptive, or the general conditions do not allow such things. While the Muslim community as a whole is required to make Islam known to all people and to address them properly calling on them to accept Islam, individuals should do what they can to make Islam known to people and present the proper Islamic image. The best way to do so is to live our lives as Muslims, adhering to Islamic values and principles. People will come to respect us and realize that our code of morality and our principles are of the higher type. They will start looking for the reasons that give us this distinction and they will soon realize that it is our faith.


Many communities adopted Islam in this way. Indonesia and Malaysia as well as many African communities chose Islam as a result of dealing in trade with Muslims. They admired their honesty and high sense of morality. People like a person with good conduct and proper morality. What those traders did was to live according to Islamic principles and to inform their trade partners that it was Islam that gave them those principles and values. If we do so, we will have done our duty to propagate Islam. We are not supposed to take a hostile attitude to people. On the contrary, we should remember that the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) message is described in the Qur’an as “mercy for all the worlds.” It is such love and mercy that we should stress.


A.2. We cannot give a blanket verdict that applies to all Internet chatting. It depends on what people say and what their intentions are and how they develop such talk to practical matters. A man who is chatting to a woman decently about something that helps either or both of them in their work or their lives does no wrong. By contrast, people who talk about immoral matters commit a sin.

Q. I am told that the Prophet (peace be upon him) divided the moon into two and later put it back in its original form. Is this true? Is there any evidence to support this?


A. The parting of the moon is a fact, but the Prophet (Pbuh) did not do it. How could he when he was an ordinary human being, like all of us, except for the fact that he was chosen by God to receive and deliver His last message to mankind? God who is able to accomplish any purpose of His did it. Many a Qur’anic verse ends with the comment: “God has sway over all things.”


The evidence confirming this event is in the Qur’an. Surah 54, The Moon, or Al-Qamar, starts as follows: “The Last Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been split. Yet whenever they see a sign, they turn away and say: ‘It is but sorcery extended.’” (54: 1-2) When you analyze the first verse carefully, you find that it consists of a warning about the Day of Judgement, which is indicated here as the Last Hour, and a piece of news speaking about a certain event, namely, the parting of the moon. There are also several Hadiths that mention the event. One is reported by Abdullah ibn Massood who says: “The moon was split into two parts during the lifetime of the Prophet and people looked at it. The Prophet (Pbuh) said to all people: ‘Bear witness.’” (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim).


Further evidence is that the Qur’an stated this fact very clearly, confronting with it the idolaters who denied God’s message, and none of them is reported to have denied the event. They acknowledged it, but they sought to dismiss it by saying that it was sorcery. They claimed that the Prophet put a spell over them to see the moon in two. But then some of them suggested “if Muhammad has managed to cast a spell on us, he cannot do so with all people. Let us wait until some travellers arrive and ask them.” They did and all travellers arriving in Makkah confirmed seeing the moon parted in two. Hence the unbelievers alleged, as the Qur’anic verse states, “it is but sorcery extended.”


But why should we wonder at God’s ability to split the moon in two, or into many smaller fragments, if He so wills? Do we not believe that He is able to accomplish any purpose of His? Think of the recent huge earthquake that caused the tsunami that killed around a quarter of a million people in countries thousands of miles apart. It caused the movement of one of the largest islands of Indonesia, and made some small islands disappear and others emerge. Then reflect what would be the effect of a similar earthquake lasting ten minutes instead of 20 seconds, and what if such a longer earthquake was ten times as strong. It could split the earth into several parts. Besides, the creation of the moon itself and the way it functions, the cycle it follows, and the change of its position and shape every night provide a much greater sign for us to contemplate. We must remember, however, that all this occurs by God’s will, not by any of His creatures.

Q. Could you please explain the husband’s right to his wife’s salary? If she wants to give a portion of her salary to her parents, can he stop her?


A. Islam has given women their full financial rights long before any other political or religious system. Under Islam, a woman has equal rights to earn, own, spend and otherwise dispose of her property as she wishes, without interference by any male relative, be he a father, husband or guardian. As long as she is an adult and of sound mind, she has the right to do what she likes with her money and property. These two conditions apply to males and females equally.


Unfortunately, some Muslim communities impose a subordinate status on women, but this has nothing to do with Islam, although Islam is often said to endorse such subordination. The fact is that such situations are based on local culture and tradition. Islam does not endorse them. A woman has the full rights to her earnings and property. A husband is well advised not to meddle with his wife’s property, because he does not have any claim to it. He must still support his wife and look after her, providing all she needs of food, clothes and housing. She does not have to spend anything on the family home.


Having said this, I should add that nowadays many married couples work, and the wife’s work leads to extra family expense, such as extra transport, nursery fees for young children, help with housework etc. It is right, therefore, that the woman pays a share of the family expense, which should at least offset the extra expense they incur. What is left is her own property and her husband cannot have a claim to it.


Regrettably, some husbands use the traditional status given to them by their local culture and try to impose their will on their wives and take away all, or most of their salaries. If they do it, they are committing a sin. A husband cannot take any portion of his wife’s money without her full agreement. He does not have any say as to how she uses it.


Take the example given by our reader. The woman wants to help her parents but her husband objects. How absurd! If she helps her parents, she will be dutiful, earning God’s pleasure and reward. All sons and daughters are required by God to be kind to their parents. Now her husband objects to her kindness to them. By doing so, he is not only making an absurd claim; he is committing aggression against her rights. He should fear God and leave her to do what she wants. They can make reasonable arrangements for their own family, but what is left of her salary is her own property and he has nothing to do with it.