Q. A person living in the US visits his ailing, very old father in Bangladesh as frequently as he can. How often should he make such visits? In case the father dies shortly after one of these visits, can the son pray for his deceased father without having to travel to Bangladesh, particularly because he cannot leave his wife on her own?
B. Nazeer, Dhahran
A. The Islamic rule with regard to any duty is that expressed in the last verse of Surah 2: “God does not charge a soul with more than it can undertake.” This person can judge for himself the reasonable frequency of visiting his ailing father. Indeed, he should consider whether visiting his father is the best way of showing his dutifulness. It may be that rather than spending his money on costly air tickets, he can make his father’s life much more comfortable by sending him the money to improve his living conditions, or to buy medicines, or to provide him with good care. It may be that for the price of one ticket he can hire him a nurse for one year. That would be a better way of using the money and demonstrating dutifulness. Should the father die, his burial must not be delayed to wait for his son to attend. In fact, his son need not attend. He can pray the janazah prayer for his father wherever he happens to be, and frequently pray to God to have mercy on him. He may also offer the pilgrimage on his behalf if the father did not offer it in his lifetime, or spend whatever he can in charity on behalf of his father. All these are better acts of dutifulness than attending his father’s funeral.
Prayer in the mosque or the office
Q. Some of our colleagues insist on praying in the office despite the fact that there is a mosque close by. Please comment.
K.H. Rafiqul-Islam, Jeddah
A. Present-day working conditions are so different from what used to be the case in old days. Therefore, scholars of past generations may have said certain things about prayer which may not be easily applicable today. If people in an office arrange their own congregational prayer, when prayer falls during working hours, that is perfectly appropriate, even though a mosque is close by. No matter how close the mosque is, going there takes more time. If this can be accommodated with the needs of the work, then it is fine for the employees to go there. But if prayer in the office is more convenient, or even more suited to the requirements of the work, it is better to pray there.
Children’s inheritance, etc.
Q.1. If a father wishes to distribute his property among his children and heirs before he dies, how should he do it?
Q.2. When the moon is sighted in a particular place, to what area is the sighting applicable?
Q.3. Some people pray in the mosque while wearing their shoes which they have used in the street. Please comment.
Q.4. Some people use their miswak before and after prayer. Should this not be at the time of performing ablutions?
C.A.K. Koya, Alkhobar
A.1. It is wrong for a parent to distribute his property to his heirs and children before he dies. To do so is to precipitate God’s actions, which is not what a Muslim may do. Besides, justice cannot be maintained in such a distribution, because the person concerned cannot be sure who of his heirs will survive him and who will have died by the time he himself dies. It is infinitely better to leave matters to take their course and those who are entitled to inherit from him will do so at the time when such inheritance becomes operative.
A.2. The moon sighting is applicable to the area where it is sighted. In the old days, when fast means of communications were not yet invented, people tried to cite the moon in every locality. Thus, the moon may be sighted in one place, while some 30 or 50 kilometers away it may not be sighted because the sky is overcast. Nowadays with our means of communications we are able to extend the validity within each single country. That is appropriate. It is also possible to extend it to other countries. But the proper way is to make use of scientific information to ensure the correctness of our sighting and the area to which it is applicable.
A.3. Wearing shoes while praying is acceptable, provided one is certain that no impurity has attached to them. To wear shoes inside the mosque is all right if we can be sure that we do not dirty the place.
A.4. The proper time for using the miswak to brush one’s teeth is during the performance of ablutions, or wudhu, when one rinses one’s mouth. People use it before prayers because they misunderstand a Hadith which says: “Had it not been for the fear of making things difficult for my community, I would have ordered that they brush their teeth for every prayer.” Another version of this Hadith replaces the word “prayer” with the word “ablution”, which explains the Prophet’s purpose, because it is the logical, cleaner and more hygienic way is to rinse one’s mouth after brushing one’s teeth. This can be done only when one is performing ablutions. To use the miswak as one stands to pray does not avail one of the chance to rinse one’s mouth or wash his miswak.
Supplication in one’s language
Q. Is it permissible to pray to God in our own language during obligatory prayers, particularly when we prostrate ourselves?
H. Kushnoor, Jeddah
A. Many scholars are of the view that during prayer, particularly obligatory prayers, we should confine ourselves to the supplication the Prophet used to say. This is understandable because the Prophet’s supplication is concise and encompasses every good thing, both in this life and in the life to come. Of course, all this supplication is in Arabic and if one learns a few of these and repeats them, that would ensure great blessings for him in his life. Supplication for ordinary matters are preferable at the end of the prayer, just before one finishes it with salam. Again there are forms of supplication for this position. After the prayer, one may make any supplication in any language. This is perfectly appropriate, because supplication preceded by an act of worship is sure to be answered. Formal prayers should be in Arabic because this is the way the Prophet prayed. Besides, in formal prayers we read from the Qur’an, and the Qur’an is in Arabic.