Q. You have mentioned in one of your answers that it is permissible to have a mortgage to buy a house. May I ask whether this means that it is also permissible to deposit money with mortgage institutions, such as building societies? Such institutions need people to invest their savings with them. How else would they get the funds to lend to house buyers?
Roger Othman
A. While your question is perfectly logical, we have to look at each transaction separately. When we say that borrowing money on a mortgage arrangement is permissible, we look at all aspects and where the benefits of the transaction lie. We find that the borrower stands to gain much more than the lender, and we identify a clear need for the borrower to ensure having a home for himself and his family. But we cannot make these considerations the basis of looking at the opposite transaction of investing money with such institutions. We need to look at the transaction itself. If the transaction meets Islamic criteria, then it is permissible. If it is in conflict with such criteria, then it must be pronounced forbidden.
Games Played With Dice
Q. Sometime back you mentioned that the game known as backgammon is forbidden to play or watch. Could you please clarify whether this prohibition also applies to the modern game Ludo, which is played with dice and movement of pieces?
Abdul-Khaliq
A. I do not know the game the reader mentions and how it is played. However, based on the Hadiths that prohibit backgammon and similar games, most scholars agree that all games that purely depend on chance, such as the throw of dice, the drawing of a card or a number, etc. are forbidden. Those who do not give a ruling of outright prohibition say that such games are strongly reprehensible, or makrooh. The reason for prohibition is indicated, namely, that playing such games often leads to ill feelings between friends and relatives. When they are coupled with betting, this becomes even more acute. Needless to say, when they involve betting, the prohibition is much stronger and agreed by all scholars. If Ludo depends, as you say, on the throw of dice, then it falls within the same category of games of chance, and these are forbidden.
Prayers During Solar Eclipse
Q. Could you please explain why we have a special prayer during solar or moon eclipse, or similar celestial events. May I draw your attention to that in our part of the world people hold to some beliefs which, most probably, have been borrowed from Hinduism and other religions. Women in particular, especially when pregnant, have to observe numerous restrictions. They refuse to accept that these are un-Islamic, saying that since there is a special prayer during the eclipse, then it must be harmful and they do not wish to take a chance. Could you please confirm whether such beliefs have any basis in Islamic teachings?
M. Ashraf
A. During the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) there was an eclipse shortly after the death of his third son, Ibraheem. People started to say that the eclipse was in mourning for Ibraheem. The Prophet corrected them saying: “The sun and the moon are two of God’s signs and creatures. They are never eclipsed because of the death or the life of anyone.” Thus he made it clear that there is absolutely no connection between these natural phenomena and events that may happen to people. Unfortunately, people in some parts of the world come up with ideas that have no sound basis. In some parts of the world, pregnant women are told to lie in bed, on their backs, throughout the period of the eclipse. If they lie on one side, they are told that the baby will be born with a folded ear. They could not use a knife for anything, and are not allowed to eat. The list of restrictions is endless, and each restriction is explained in a similar fashion. Thus if a pregnant woman scratches her body, the baby will be born with a permanent scar.
All these ideas are superstitions that have absolutely no basis. When told of them, a good believing woman will be wise to deliberately do the opposite, i.e. use a knife, eat fruit, lie on her side deliberately folding her ears, and she should declare that she is doing so because she does not believe in superstitions. She believes in God alone and trusts in His protection. She is also well advised to offer the special prayer recommended by the Prophet.
Yes, the Prophet recommended a special prayer which is preferably offered in congregation. It is a long prayer, consisting of two rakahs, with two rukus each and two prostrations. When the Prophet led this prayer, he read a very long passage of the Qur’an in each rakah and made each ruku and each prostration almost as long. Needless to say, during ruku and prostration, he praised and glorified God. Thus, engaging in such a long prayer during a celestial event confirms our belief that God is in absolute control of the universe, including any event that is unusual or unfamiliar. We attribute the event to God and His power, not to anything else. When we do so, the thought of any harm caused by it is driven away from our minds, as we know that everything operates by God’s will.
It is true that looking at the sun during the eclipse is harmful to our eyes, and if we want to view it, we should wear special protective spectacles. But this is not due to the eclipse. Looking directly at the sun is harmful at all times. We simply cannot do it in normal days because its light is too powerful for our eyes. During the eclipse, its light is significantly reduced, but its rays remain the same. Therefore, if we look directly at the sun with our naked eyes, we take a clear risk that our eyesight might be affected by its ultra-violet and infra-red rays. There are no evil powers associated with the eclipse. It is all under God’s control.