Q. I read a Hadith in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) is quoted to have said that two groups will be saved from the fire: the group that will liberate India and the one that will support Jesus, son of Mary, in his second coming. Which group will liberate India?
Zainab Anwar
A. I do not know which group is that. Nor are we encouraged or required to know. If this Hadith is authentic, then the Prophet is referring to a future event with no indication as to when it will be taking place. All that this Hadith tells us is that at a certain time, India will be liberated by a group of people who are good believers. It means that conditions in that place would be so bad that the area would need to be liberated and injustice lifted. Whether this happens next year, century or millennium, or after ten thousand years, we have no way of knowing. Besides, the Hadith does not refer to the country we now know as India. The Hadith mentions ‘Hind’ which constitutes some provinces of today’s India. When we read a Hadith talking of future events, we simply take them at face value, without trying to assign any particular interpretation to them, because we cannot be sure how accurate our interpretation is. Should such an event take place during our lifetime, we adopt toward it the attitude recommended by the Prophet.
Following a School of Thought
Q.1. Is it necessary to follow one type of fiqh, such as the Hanafi or Shafie schools? Or is it permissible to choose from any fiqh, on the basis that it is easier for us?
Q.2. Can a woman read the Qur’an when she is in her monthly period, and can she hold the Qur’an, or teach it to students?
S. A. Siddiqui
A.1. No, it is not. In fact, it does not happen in practice except by a small minority of people. All people follow what they have learnt at various stages of their lives. When they learn that a particular practice is obligatory or forbidden, they do not inquire which school of thought gives that ruling. When an ordinary person faces a problem and he wants to know what verdict Islam gives on it, he asks a scholar. The scholar is required to look into the case and give the view that is most suitable to that person within the limits of what is permissible in Islamic law. The person concerned does not ask the scholar about the school of thought he relied upon. Even if such a question is asked, it should not be answered. The scholar is like an expert in a particular field. When we go to an expert in any field for advice, we do not ask him for his sources and authoritative references on which he based his advice. We take it as we take a medicine prescribed by a doctor.
We said that only a minority of people adhere to a particular school. This is a reference to the type of scholar who studies a particular school of thought and refers to it only all the time. Most scholars do not do that. They look into different schools, consider the evidence supporting each view, and choosing what is properly supported with Qur’anic injunctions or authentic Sunnah. They should also consider what does not afflict people or cause them hardship.
A.2. According to Imam Ibn Hazm, a woman who is in the period may read the Qur’an and hold it normally. He finds no evidence in the Qur’an or the Sunnah to prohibit either action. On the contrary, he cites in support of his view the fact that the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent a letter to Heraculas, the Byzantine Emperor, in which he quoted a verse of the Qur’an, knowing that the Emperor, his translator and some others in his court will hold the letter. To Ibn Hazm, and scholars sharing his view, what applies to one verse of the Qur’an applies to it all. This is a valid view.
However, all four schools of thought maintain that it is forbidden. They cite in evidence some Hadiths which are reasonably authentic. Al-Bukhari, however, declares that nothing supporting such prohibition has been authentically reported.
Thus, the difference between them is based on the evidence they have and its degree of authenticity. However, most scholars agree that in this condition, a woman can hold and read a book of commentary on the Qur’an, even though it contains Qur’anic texts and what she reads includes Qur’anic verses. They say that such books are different from the Qur’an itself. Many scholars are of the view that such a woman may read a verse or two of the Qur’an.
The question seems to be referring to the case of teachers who need to read some verses of the Qur’an during their lessons, and perhaps read these and correct children’s reading. This is perfectly acceptable, as it constitutes essential needs. If we were to tell such women that they cannot read from the Qur’an in their lessons, this could cause much disruption in the education of young children. Besides, what they will read of the Qur’an constitutes a small portion of what they teach.
