Q. It is said that combining two prayers when one is resident and not travelling is permissible. May I ask whether this is true? Is it applicable to a newly wed couple that may need to take a shower more than once if they are to attend to their five obligatory prayers at their regular times?
Razia
A. The Prophet once combined two prayers when he was neither ill nor traveling. His companions explained his aim was to make things easier for his followers. Scholars explain that this is a concession that is permissible to use when needed, provided that it does not become a habit. Today, we find that this concession is extremely useful for people who live in northern areas when the day is very short and the time range for each prayer is too short. If you are living in a non-Muslim country, where are only a few mosques, and you need to go out for some business, you may be unable to attend to all your prayers on time. Using this concession becomes very useful. But you must be careful that you do not develop a habit of combining prayers. The prayers which may be thus combined are Dhuhr and Asr, or Maghrib and Isha. You can combine each two at the time of either one of them.
As for the situation you have mentioned, I think if the couple is reasonable in their approach, they will not need this concession. They only need to manage their time properly.
Bad Omen
Q. I read in the Arab News an article about bad omen and that it should be shunned and paid no attention. It mentions that in pre-Islamic days, the Arabs used to let a bird fly in order to determine their course of action. If the bird flies to the right, they considered it a good omen, but if it flies to the left, that signalled a bad omen and they would not go ahead with whatever they wanted to do.
But I also read about a person who wanted to travel. When he went to the travel agent, he found him closed at a time when he should not be. He took it as an indication and did not travel. Yet the first action is criticized while the second is praised. Are they not the same? Please explain.
Riyaz
A. The two actions are greatly different and could not be treated at the same level. Those Arabs in their ignorant days held the bird and then allowed it to fly believing that the direction would give them an indication whether their action will be profitable or not. Thus, they allowed the bird, or the direction it would fly, to determine their action. They also did this habitually believing that it was an infallible method of determining the result of their action. This is determining an omen and attributing to the bird knowledge of the future. Hence, it is totally unacceptable.
The second case is known to me personally. The man was embarking on a very serious change of his life course, and he felt that he must do the istikharah in order to seek God’s help in choosing whether to travel or not. The Prophet has taught us to do the istikharah before any decision of importance. When you do the istikharah you make your choice with God’s help. How do you know which course to follow? It is by letting things go their way, and finding out what is easy and does not require much effort on your part. When this man did the istikharah, he wanted to see which course was facilitated for him. Had he managed to book a suitable flight easily, and get a good fair, he would have traveled. On the other hand, if he found that getting a flight booked within the time range he needed was too difficult, that would have indicated something for him. The difficulty suggests that it is better not to travel. Hence, when he found the travel agent closed at a time when he is not normally closed, and this meant that he would miss the next flight, he felt that this was in answer to his istikharah. Hence, he did not travel. His is the right attitude because he made his decision with God’s help.
Master of All Things
Q. What is God’s religion? Is He in need of one?
(Name and address withheld)
A. I am afraid we, Muslims, cannot answer this question. To have a religion is something needed by man, because he is in need to answer questions like: Who am I? Where did I come from? What will happen after death? Will there be another life, and will it be related in any way to this present life? Nothing of this applies to God Almighty. He does not have a present and future life, as He is ever present, eternal and master of all things. He is in control of the universe at all times, and everything submits to His will.
So, how can He have a religion of His own? This question arises with people who tend to represent God in human terms, thinking of Him as they think of themselves and within the parameters of human life. The Islamic concept of God is entirely different. Besides, the very word, Deen, which is the Arabic equivalent of “religion” connotes “submission to a higher authority”, but there is no authority higher than God’s. He will not submit to a higher authority because He is the highest. Therefore, the phenomenon of having a religion and submitting to someone else does not apply to God Almighty.
