Issues and Questions

Women Imams, Circumcision, Non-Muslims in the Masjid

By Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi


Q 1. Are women allowed to be Imams and lead the salat? Please answer us in the light of the Qur'an and Sunnah.
A 1. A woman is allowed to be an Imam of women and she can lead the congregation of females only in Salat, but a woman is not allowed to lead the Salat for a mixed gathering of males and females. It is reported by A'isha, Umm Salamah and 'Ata' - may Allah be pleased with them - that "a woman can be an Imam of women." It is also reported by Dar Qutni that the Prophet - peace be upon him - allowed Umm Waraqah to lead the women of her house in Salat. The woman Imam should not stand in front of the line like the male Imam, but she should stand in the middle of the line of the women praying under her Imamah.
In a mixed gathering of worshippers, the Sunnah of the Prophet -peace be upon him - is that men should stand in the front rows, then children and then women. This way is most conducive to the dignity of men and women both and it helps both of them to concentrate on their prayers. If a woman were to become the Imam of a mixed gathering of worshippers then she would have to stand in front of them or women have to stand in front of men and she as their Imam would have to stand among them. This will be both a violation of the Sunnah and will disrupt the dignity and the spirituality of the worshippers as well.
In the matters of worship, Islam teaches us that we should follow the commands of Allah and His prophet only and should not do anything that would violate their rules. In our worldly matters, however, we are allowed to make our own experiments as much as possible without indulging into anything Haram. It is for this reasons that the Muslim jurists say, "The rule in the matters of worship ('Ibadat) is that everything is forbidden except whatever is allowed; and the rule in the worldly matters ('Adat) is that every thing is allowed except whatever is forbidden."
Q 2. I am an inmate in a federal prison and I have recently accepted Islam. There are many other adults like me who have accepted Islam here. My question is about circumcision. Do we have to have circumcision in order to be good Muslims?
A 2. May Allah bless you and keep you on the right path. You are very fortunate that Allah guided you to His true path and opened the gates of His grace and mercy for you.
Circumcision is a Sunnah of the Prophets Ibrahim and Prophet Muhammad -peace upon them and upon all the prophets and messengers of Allah. Its purpose is purification and cleanliness.
According to the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad - peace be upon him - it is the duty of Muslim parents, to have their male children circumcised on the seventh day of their birth. There is no harm if they want to do it few days before or after. But if a male was not circumcised early in his life or if an adult accepts Islam, then it is recommended (mustahabb) for them to have circumcision.
If it is possible for them and they feel strong enough to have it done then they should do it. In the Bible it is mentioned that Prophet Ibrahim -peace be upon him - did it to himself at the age of ninety-nine (Genesis 17:24). Arabs before Islam also had the custom of circumcision so we do not have any reports indicating that the Prophet - peace be upon him - used to ask new Muslims to have circumcision. There is a Hadith that says, "Whosoever accepts Islam, let him have circumcision," but most of the scholars of Hadith have not considered it as a strong Hadith.
Q 3. Are non-Muslims allowed to enter Masjid? Can we allow them to come to our Islamic centers as speakers in our Masajid? Please answer according to the Qur'an and Sunnah.
A 3. According to the Qur'an and Sunnah, non-Muslims are not forbidden to enter Masjid. The Prophet - peace be upon him - used to receive non-Muslims in his own Masjid. In the year 9 of Hijrah he received a delegation of sixty Christians from Najran in his Masjid. The Prophet - peace be upon him - invited them to Islam. They argued with the Prophet defending some of their Christian beliefs. The Prophet patiently listened to them, recited to them verses from the Qur'an and gave them his answers. When they refused to participate in the mubhalah, then he returned them with kindness to their land. They were not compelled to accept Islam and until the time of the Khalifah 'Umar (R) most of them remained in Najran as members of their Christian community. Thereafter they and their children accepted Islam by their own free will. (See Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, vol. 1, p. 368).
Abu Hurairah (R) has also reported that Jews used to come to the Prophet in his Masjid (Reported by Abu Da'ud). Imam Khattabi has said that non-Muslims can enter all Masajid except the Masjid al-Haram in Makkah (see Fath al-'Allam Sharh Bulugh al-Maram, vol. 1, p. 115).
In the light of the Qur'an and Sunnah and the opinion of trustworthy and pious Islamic scholars I do not see anything wrong in inviting non-Muslims to the Islamic centers as visitors. We should invite as often as possible non-Muslims, especially our non-Muslim neighbors, to our Masajid to learn more about Islam. This is our obligation and duty to give them Da'wah with wisdom and with kindness.
If it is in the best interest of Muslims to have a non-Muslim speaker to speak on some important topic of benefit to Muslims, than the non-Muslim speaker can also be invited. If there is a community hall or a conference hall in the Islamic center, then it is better to hold such meetings in those places instead of the Masjid. Although, according to the Qur'an and Sunnah it is not Haram to hold such programs inside the Masjid also, it is better to keep the Masjid away from any controversies as much as possible.

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The Month of Muharram

Muharram is the first month of the Islamic, Hijrah calendar. It is one of the four sanctified months about which Allah says, “The number of months in the sight of Allah are twelve (in a year). So ordained by Him the day He created the heavens and the earth; Of them four are sacred: That is the right religion. So wrong not yourselves therein.” (At-Tawbah: 36)
The four months, according to authentic Hadith, are the months of Dul-Qa`dah, Dhu-Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab. The sanctity of these four months was observed in the Shari’ah of all the Prophets.
Muslim scholars have stated that the actions performed in these months have an effect on what a person does in the remaining months of the year.
The Month of Muharram
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is reported to have said, “The best of fasts besides the month of Ramadan is the fast during Allah’s month of Muharram and the best of prayer besides the obligatory prayers is the Tahajjud prayer.”
The 10th Day of Muharram known as the day of `Ashura’, is a very significant day in the Islamic calendar. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, has exhorted the Ummah to fast on this day. He is reported to have said, “Fasting the day of `Ashura’, I hope that Allah will accept it as expiation for the previous year.” (Reported by Muslim)
The Fast of `Ashura’
It is reported in the Sahih of Imam Bukhari and other authentic collections of Hadith that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions used to fast on the 10th day of Muharram while they were in Makkah (before the Hijrah).
Ibn `Abbas says, ‘I did not see the Prophet anxiously awaiting the fast of any day, which he gave preference to over other days, but this day (of `Ashura’) and the month of Ramadan.’
It was a day on which people of Makkah used to change the covering (Kiswah) of the Ka`bah. Quraysh also used to fast on this day. (Reported by Al-Bukhari)
After the Hijrah when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to Madinah, he found that the Jews of Madinah also used to observe this day with fasting. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked them the reason of their fasting on this day. They said, “This is a blessed day. On this day Allah saved the Children of Israel from their enemy (in Egypt) and so Prophet Musa fasted on this day giving thanks to Allah.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “We are closer to Musa than you are.” He fasted on that day and commanded Muslims to fast on this day. (Reported by Al-Bukhari)
In another report it is mentioned that Jews of Madinah used to hold feast on this day. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told his Companions to fast instead. (Reported by Al-Bukhari)
`Ashura' fasting was obligatory (Fard) in the beginning. In the second year of Hijrah (624 CE) when Allah’s command came that Muslims should fast the whole month of Ramadan, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) then sent someone to announce to people that fasting of `Ashura' had become voluntary (Nafl). This indicates that whosoever wishes to fast, may fast and whosoever does not want to fast, there will be no blame on him/her.
Imam At-Tirmidhi mentions that Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) used to say that we should fast on two days: the 9th and 10th of Muharram to distinguish ourselves from the Jewish community. (Reported by At-Tirmidhi)
Ibn `Abbas also quotes the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as saying, “If I live next year, I shall also fast on the 9th day.” (Reported by Ahmad)
There is a great reward in fasting the `Ashura'. There are many Hadiths that mention its blessings and virtues. It is good to fast on this day, although it is not obligatory.
Courtesy islamonline

Editor: Akhtar M. Faruqui
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