Q. A person might have started a four-rakah voluntary prayer when the congregational obligatory prayer is called. Is it permissible for him to shorten his prayer to two rakahs in order to join the congregation?
M. Kaifi
A. If such a person is still in the early stages of his four-rakah voluntary prayer, or indeed in any part of the first two rakahs, he should shorten his prayer to two rakahs only and join the congregation. Islam lays much emphasis on the unity of the Muslim community, and such unity is best apparent in their congregational prayer, when the congregation might be in millions, but led by one imam. All stand in equal ranks, regardless of their positions or social status. To be in the mosque, praying individually, when the congregation has started detracts from that unity, although those individuals are engaged in worship. Nevertheless, Islam prefers that they should join the congregation as soon as possible. Therefore, once the call for the congregational prayer starts, anyone praying a voluntary prayer should finish it quickly and join the congregation. If this means shortening his prayer, then he should do so.
Evil Spirits and Countering Their Spells
Q. Some people seem to have continuous troubles, such as sickness and other adversities. When they try to determine the reasons, they are told that some evil spirit has cast a spell on them. They are also told that some religious person or imam can counter such a spell through some procedures involving certain readings and prayers he does. Is this true?
Akhtar
A. No, this is not true. God has told us that He has created the Jinn, and that like us, they can follow His guidance or disobey Him and that they will be brought before Him on the Day of Resurrection for judgment. However, they have their own world and we have ours; the two are separate.
Having said that, I should add that there are certain things that can cause problems to human beings. One of these is envy. Therefore, God instructs us to seek shelter with him from the evil of envy, as well as the evil perpetrated by other people. This is done through our own prayers, and the reading of the last two surahs of the Qur’an, which include prayers to Him for our protection. To go to a person who claims to have certain powers or contacts with some other world is forbidden. The Prophet says: “Whoever goes to a fortune-teller or a soothsayer disbelieves in what has been revealed to Muhammad.” Such people are indeed liars, because they do not know whether what they say about the future will be true or not. They rely on no true information. They are out to deprive people of their money, giving them hope that has no basis. Moreover, they know this but they deliberately try to deceive people.
The proper way is to steer away from such people and never seek their help in any way. We should understand that they can render no help whatsoever. We should seek only God’s help, through supplication and prayer. The Prophet has taught us a number of supplications which we can say in order to ensure the removal of harm from our way. This is what we should concentrate on.
How Divorce Is Effected
Q. I have heard that a Muslim husband can divorce his wife simply by saying the word Talaq three times. Is this true? If so, is it fair for the woman? Please comment.
(Name and address withheld)
A. According to Islamic legislation, divorce is a long process that takes at least two months to complete, and it may last in some cases as long as nine months. The process is started with the words ‘I divorce you,’ when they are said by the husband once only, not three times as most people, including many Muslims in certain parts of the world, think. There are conditions of intention, which means that when a husband says these words, he is conscious of their effect and intends it to take place. Conditions of timing also apply, which means that these words can be said only at certain times. To violate these conditions may have serious adverse results. For example, starting the process of divorce at a time when it cannot be started may mean that it has no effect, while the couple think that it has taken place. In other words, they consider themselves divorced while they are still married. To say the words three times together, intending to make the divorce final, is forbidden.
When the divorce process is thus started, a waiting period begins, lasting until the woman has had three menstrual cycles. During this period, the woman remains in her family home, i.e. in her husband’s home, but the two use separate bedrooms if they want to continue with the divorce. If they want to go back on it, they can do so and resume their full marital relationship. The woman must be fully looked after during this period in the same way as before the divorce process.
Is this fair? Yes, it is, because in a truly Islamic society and according to the commitments of both man and wife, it is the husband who stands to lose more as a result of divorce. Marriage is a contract and its termination by one side is given to the party, which stands to lose more in consequence. This party will be more careful not to resort to this process except when things are so bad that reconciliation seems impossible. A wife is also given the right to terminate the marriage for no reason other than that she does not want to continue with it. However, the process in this case is different and requires an application to an Islamic court.