Relations with non-Muslim relatives

Q.1. Does the prayer of a Muslim convert for his deceased non-Muslim parent have any value? Is it acceptable? Can he do the pilgrimage on their behalf? Can he pay his zakah to a poor relative who is not a Muslim? When such a person is in his home town, he is the only Muslim. Should he do the call to prayer? Is there a prayer for a dying person? If so, is it acceptable to say it for a dying non-Muslim relative?

Q.2. Could you tell us about Mr. Armstrong, the American astronaut who is a Muslim convert?

Q.3. Is it appropriate to offer witr prayers at home after one has prayed Isha in the mosque? If so, should one do a new ablution? If ablution is needed, is it permissible to do the tayammum instead? I am uneasy about washing or performing ablution after Isha.

J. B. Valdez, Abha

A.1. The Prophet tells us that he asked God’s permission to pray for forgiveness for his mother, but the permission was denied him. He put that in the form of information, but he did not tell us that it is forbidden to do so. However, the fact that permission was denied suggests that it is not acceptable from the Islamic point of view to ask God to forgive someone who is not a Muslim. Nevertheless, some scholars suggest that the restriction applies to the prayer for forgiveness only, but not other supplication. To offer the pilgrimage on behalf of a deceased non-Muslim parent is not appropriate, because the deceased did not believe in Islam. How can a duty of Islamic worship be offered on his behalf?

Having said that, I wish to add that there is nothing to prevent a Muslim convert to treat with kindness and dutifulness his non-Muslim parents or other relatives, so long as they do not take a hostile attitude to Islam. Such kindness includes helping them financially if they are poor. God says in the Qur’an: "As for such (of the unbelievers) as do not fight against you on account of your faith, and neither drive you forth from your homelands, God does not forbid you to show them kindness and to behave toward them with full equity. Indeed, God loves those who are equitable." (60: 8) However, paying them one’s zakah is questionable because zakah is a community tax, which the Prophet defines as being "taken from the rich among them (i.e. the Muslim community) and paid to their poor." In Islamic history, zakah was paid to followers of other religions when there was no Muslim who needed it.

If one is praying alone, he or she does not need to do the call to prayer, or Adhan.

What is recommended at the time of the death of a Muslim is to instruct him to say Laa ilaha illa Allah, which means, "There is no deity other than God." We should do that gently, when the person appears to be comfortable. If he says it once, we do not tell him to say it again unless he speaks about other things. We simply try to make it the last word he or she says. It is also recommended to recite the Surah entitled Yassin. When the person dies, it is recommended to close his eyes and to prepare him for burial as soon as possible. It is also important to pay any debt he left outstanding.

A.2. I do not know much about Mr. Armstrong or his conversion to Islam. There is a story about the reason which made him convert, but I do not think the story carries much weight. I feel it has been concocted by a vivid imagination. It is more of a superstition than a real story.

A.3. It is recommended to offer the Sunnah and other voluntary prayers at home when one has prayed the obligatory prayer in the mosque. An ablution remains valid until it is invalidated in the normal way.

So, if you have offered Isha in the mosque and went home and you have not invalidated your ablution, you do not need a fresh one for offering witr.

Praying after Fajr

Q. I normally offer 2 rakaahs after the obligatory dawn prayer. A few days ago, someone told me that I should not do that. He added that such voluntary prayers are not allowed until noon time. The reasons he gave me were not convincing. Please comment.

T.M. Hannan, Riyadh

A. There are times during the day when offering voluntary prayers is not appropriate. These are from the time one offers the obligatory dawn prayer until about half an hour after sunrise, and after one has completed the obligatory Asr prayer until sunset, and at the time when the sun is at its highest point at midday. This means that the practice of our reader, offering two rakaahs of Sunnah after Fajr is wrong. He should follow the guidance of the Prophet and offer such voluntary prayer at that time.

An exception to this rule is that, should a person arrive in the mosque for dawn prayer and find the congregation has started. He cannot then begin with the voluntary Sunnah. He has to join the congregation. In this case, he may offer the Sunnah after he has finished the obligatory part with the imam. He may also delay it until after sunrise.

What my reader was told about the extent of the restriction and its continuing until midday is wrong. It finishes about half an hour after sunrise.

One may give different reasons for the restriction. However, I am not attempting any. I only say that we learn the obligations, practices and requirements of our religion from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him). Whatever he teaches us is good, true and faultless. He made this restriction and we obey it without hesitation. After all, we have learnt every thing about prayer from him. He instructed us: "Pray as you have seen me pray." When we follow his example, we are rewarded by God for that, in addition to the reward we get for performing our duties.