Letters to the Editor

Md. Abdullah, Chennai

Can you please answer these questions in your monthly?

Is surrogacy allowed in Islam?

YMD

No, surrogacy is disallowed in Islam. This is primarily to save the child from becoming a split personality who does not know where his first loyalty belongs. Our reference is to a case involving the sperm of a man and the egg of his wife and where the fertilized in-vitro egg is planted into a surrogated womb. All other cases, are obviously, all the more disallowed.

Why do Shi`as differ from mainstream Sunni Muslims?

YMD

We are sure you realize that there is no answering to many why’s in simple terms. We as serious Muslim ought to know our history, which we should learn from our historical works.

All the same, we have written several times over in these pages, that political differences during the time of `Ali – and after him – gave rise to political groups. Some of those groups did not survive but rather died out following political changes, while some survived on the strength of fresh recruits to their causes. The surviving groups became stronger, especially if they were extremists, and, gradually began to break apart from the main body of Muslim. As they got stronger and they felt that they could survive as a distinct group, they developed their own laws and thus became sects. If one of them was able to get hold of political power, it confined itself into a region preferred by it, sank its roots and hardened its attitudes. This is how Shi`aism came to be.

How did the battle of camel and Siffin occur between the Companions?

YMD

So far as the Jamal battle is concerned, it was not a battle between Companions and Companions; but rather between non-Companions in which the Companions got involved.

As regards the Siffin battle, it is not right to ask why it was fought because those who fought were regretful that they took part in the battle. Once they regretted, sought their Lord’s forgiveness, no objections can be raised against them. It is similar to a child committing a mistake and saying sorry. But you keep asking, “Why did you do such a nasty thing?” He keeps saying sorry, and you keep asking why. It will reflect ill-will on your part.

The history of what led to the two events is a long one. You might have to look into historical works for details. The life of `Ali as produced by the Dar al-Musannifeen, Azamgarh, has dealt with this issue in a thoroughgoing manner. In English “An Educational Encyclopedia of Islam” is also a good source.

Who perpetrated attacks on last three rightly guided caliphs?

YMD

Criminally-minded fanatics, who had not been, (like today’s Muslims), educated in Islam because they were new in this religion.

What is the relevance of Abu Dharr Ghifari’s (ra) life to contemporary materialism?

YMD

It is quite relevant, although his example may not be acceptable to Muslims of today who should rather make it a point to pay their zakah, and those who do not fall in that category, expend generously in charity.  That will suffice to release the slum dwellers from grinding poverty.

What is Qunoot Naazila? When and how prophet prayed?

There have remained differences in opinion between the scholars over the Qunut in the Prayers (which the Prophet sometimes offered at Fajr or Maghrib times), whether those Qunut prayers were by Allah’s command (naazilah), or by the choice of the Prophet as his supererogatory acts (raatibah).

We hope this clarifies the word-meaning.

YMD

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