Q.1. In my home country, young people greet their parents on Eid Day by bowing and kissing their own hands after touching their parents’ feet. Is this acceptable?
Some people say that wedding celebration need not be segregated, with men and women having separate functions. They argue that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not order separate functions. Please comment.
Q.2. Some people stay silent for a while when leading congregational prayers before resuming reading aloud. Could you please explain why?
T.H. Samath
A.1. This act is based in tradition in some areas of the Indian Subcontinent. It looks similar to an act of worship, because it involves lowering one’s head, touching someone’s feet with one’s hands and kissing them. As such it is totally unacceptable from the Islamic point of view. While parents expect it, it is the duty of sons and daughters to explain to their parents that it is against Islam, and that they continue to respect them and value their position. They should assure them that they would do everything in their power to remain kind and dutiful, as God wants them to be.
As for the other question, there is no specific guidance on whether a wedding should be a women-only function. However, this is subject to observing the proper Islamic values not only in dress code, but also in what takes place in a wedding. Because it is a joyous occasion, it is better and more comfortable that men and women should have their separate functions, as it is the case in most Muslim countries.
As for your other questions, I have recently answered them. But I will mention very briefly that offering the pilgrimage or the Umrah on behalf of someone who cannot afford the journey financially is not appropriate, because such a person is not required to do these duties. He or she is exempt. So, why do it on their behalf? As for deceased people, we can offer these duties on their behalf, provided that the person concerned should have already done his or her own pilgrimage. Other deeds that can be offered on behalf of dead people include charity, or sadaqah, and reading the Qur’an requesting God to grant the reward to the deceased.
A.2. An imam who follows the Shafie School of Fiqh will read the Fatihah aloud in Fajr prayer and in the first two rak’ahs of Maghrib and Isha, then stay silent for a short while before resuming reading aloud. His silence is to allow the congregation to read the Fatihah privately, because according to this school, every one must read the Fatihah in every rak’ah. If the imam is reading aloud, we must listen attentively, according to them. So, in order to reconcile the two requirements, the short silence is observed.