Q1. By the grace of God, my parents converted to Islam and I was born in a Muslim family in a country where the majority are non-Muslims. Many of our relatives are non-Muslims, but they maintain good relations with us. Is it permissible to give them a portion of our zakah after distributing the larger share to poor Muslims?

Q2. We have a relative who is looking after her own children. Although she has a small house and jewelry, she has no regular income, and she is poor. Can she be helped with zakah money?

P. Shaikh, Hafr Al-Batin

A1. The general rule is that when there are needy Muslims who qualify as beneficiaries of zakah, it may not be paid to non-Muslims. But that does not mean that a Muslim state should not look after the poor among its non-Muslim citizens. They should be helped, but from sources other than zakah. Zakah is a religious duty, and an act of worship. Hence, it should be used for the benefit of the Muslim community. When we reach a stage where the Muslim community is well looked after that there remain no one in need of zakah money, zakah may be paid to the poor who follow other religions.

Having said that, I would like to encourage you and your family to maintain good relations with your relatives who are not Muslims. You may help the poor among them and show them every kindness. But such help should not come from zakah if there are other Muslims who need it.

Q2. If this woman looks after her children, she is not required to sell her jewelry. She may be helped with zakah if she is poor. You say that she does not have a regular income. It may be that her income, though irregular, is sufficient for her needs. In this case, she does not need help. If she is really poor, but sometimes she receives good income which may provide for her needs for a few months, then she is back to poverty, she may be helped during her periods of need. In fact, she must be helped, if not from zakah then from other charity, or sadaqah.

Early Suhoor

Q. Could you please explain whether it is permissible to take the suhoor meal on a fasting day between midnight and 3 a.m. instead of the prescribed time, as many people do. They feel that this is easier for them since they have to go to work in the morning.

Shaheen

A. There is no prescribed time for the meal one should take in preparation for a day of fasting. However, the Prophet has recommended us to take this meal as late as possible, shortly before the start of fasting. Needless to say, this reduces the hardship that is inevitably involved in fasting. Moreover, it helps to have the perfect start of the day, with the dawn prayer following shortly after having this meal. Thus, one attends to both acts of worship in the best possible way.

Unfortunately many people prefer to stay up late at night in Ramadan, and when they want to go to sleep, they take a meal to help them with their fasting. They finish a couple of hours before dawn prayer and they go to bed. In the majority of cases they fail to wake up for dawn or Fajr prayer. This is definitely wrong, and they should adopt the other way, which is the one recommended by the Prophet.

Reading the Qur’an

Q. If one reads a Qur’anic translation, does he receive reward for such reading?

A. Rahim

A. Reading a translation of the Qur’an does not earn the same reward as reading the Qur’an itself, for the simple reason that the Qur’an is the word of God, while a translation is the translator’s rendering of its meaning in his or her own language. However, reading a translation of the Qur’an in order to understand its meaning and comply with its orders is highly commendable and will, God willing, earn reward from God.

The Legal Profession

Q1. I want to be a lawyer, but I have been told that there is much lying in this profession which makes it unlawful for a Muslim to take up. Please comment.

N.B. Cali, Manila

A1. This is a very naïve view. It is true that some lawyers may resort to devious methods in order to get their clients out of some messy situations, but this is the choice of those lawyers. It is not something imposed on them by their profession. A lawyer may decide not to take up a case if he is convinced that the client is guilty. Or he may take it up, using his professional skill and expertise to get the court to understand the true case, with all its extenuating circumstances, so that he gets a fair trial and a favorable sentence for his client.

There is certainly nothing wrong with being a lawyer, provided that you do not compromise on your Islamic values and principles.

There are some prominent lawyers who are very good Muslims. It is the approach of the person to his profession and his religion that determines whether he abides by Islamic teachings or not.

This applies to all professions, not merely the legal profession.