Seyed Ali Shobayri

Seyed Ali Shobayri is of mixed Iranian and Scottish descent who found the path of the Ahlul Bayt (a) by his own research. He holds a BA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University through the Islamic College of London. He also studied at the Hawza Ilmiyya of England and continues Hawza and Islamic studies with private teachers.

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Seyed Ali Shobayri, Seyed Ali Shobayri is of mixed Iranian and Scottish descent who found the path of the Ahlul Bayt (a) by his own research. He holds a BA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University through the... Answer updated 4 years ago

Bismillah

Asalamu Alaykom, 

Yes, you will find scholars who state that this type of income will also be liable for khoms when it comes to your khoms date. To be sure, check with the office of your marja or within their Islamic laws book. 

May Allah grant you success  

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Seyed Ali Shobayri, Seyed Ali Shobayri is of mixed Iranian and Scottish descent who found the path of the Ahlul Bayt (a) by his own research. He holds a BA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University through the... Answer updated 4 years ago

Bismillah, 

Asalamu Alaykom, 

One cannot force anyone to accept the truth rather the important point is that you put the proof upon her. If she refuses to hear anymore out of stubbornness, then you’ve done your job and have no blame. Those who are stubborn should be left if one sees that there is no benefit in utilising anymore time with them. 

Furthermore it is not recommended to take an approach where they feel that you are trying to force them. Usually the ‘overly pushy’ type of approach makes people further away from religion. 

The best approach to take would be one combined of showing good ethics and respect. Know that helping one to the path of guidance can sometimes take years. Therefore, always have hope that she may take interest in future and come to you for knowledge.   

There will always be a time in someone’s life where they think about God; this may occur due to a particular incident such as a death of a loved one or near death experience. It is however upon the person to go deeper and search.

Also the below verse is something for us all to take into consideration when trying to propagate our faith. 

“Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and have disputations with them in the best manner; surely your Lord best knows those who go astray from His path, and He knows best those who follow the right way.”

Quran 16:125 

May Allah grant you success and guide your sister to Shia Islam.

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Seyed Ali Shobayri, Seyed Ali Shobayri is of mixed Iranian and Scottish descent who found the path of the Ahlul Bayt (a) by his own research. He holds a BA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University through the... Answered 4 years ago

Bismillah, 

Asalamu Alaykom, 

Not everything that comes from the ocean is halal unlike what some other sects might claim.

In our jurisprudence for example, one cannot eat fish that doesn’t have scales. Jurists also differ as to the amount of scales which must be present on the fish. For example, some fuqaha say that it is only allowed to eat a fish if MOST of the body has scales, and others say that even a tiny amount of scales is sufficient. It should be noted that prawns are also halal. 

The above ruling are based on the ahadith such as the following: 

Imam Al-Baqir (peace be upon him) said: 

“Eat any fish that has scales, and do not eat what does not have scales."

[Al-Kulayni, Al-Kafi, Vol.6, p. 219]

May Allah grant you success

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Seyed Ali Shobayri, Seyed Ali Shobayri is of mixed Iranian and Scottish descent who found the path of the Ahlul Bayt (a) by his own research. He holds a BA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University through the... Answered 4 years ago

Bismallah, 

Asalamu Alaykom, 

The following answer may help you: 

https://www.al-islam.org/ask/is-it-sinful-for-a-girl-to-marry-without-the-permission-of-her-parents 

May Allah grant you sucrsss

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Seyed Ali Shobayri, Seyed Ali Shobayri is of mixed Iranian and Scottish descent who found the path of the Ahlul Bayt (a) by his own research. He holds a BA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University through the... Answered 4 years ago

Bismillah, 

Asalamu Alaykom, 

Some scholars would say that this is a type of adornment (zeenah) and should be covered from non-mahrams.  Others would say that they should be covered if considerd as zeenah according to the common customs. 

Others such as Sayed Sistani permit it based on the following conditions: 

Question: Is it permissible for a woman who does not observe hijãb to get rid of her facial hair, to straighten her eyebrows, and to wear natural and light make up?
Answer: Getting rid of facial hair and straightening the eyebrows do not prevent her from keeping her face open [while putting on the hijãb], provided she is confident of not getting sucked into something harãm and that exposing her face is not done with the intention of inviting harãm looks.

May Allah grant you success 

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Seyed Ali Shobayri, Seyed Ali Shobayri is of mixed Iranian and Scottish descent who found the path of the Ahlul Bayt (a) by his own research. He holds a BA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University through the... Answer updated 4 years ago

Bismillah, 

Asalamu Alaykom, 

This is a belief which is held and originates from our brothers of the self proclaimed Sunni sect. Unfortunately this type of thought also found its way among some Shias. It has been answered already on different some Shia websites so I’ll transfer the narrations of our 9th Imam (as) for your benefit to this Q & A: 

Al-Saffar (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Narrated Ali bin Asba`t or [and] others who had said: "I said to Abu` Jafar (al-Jawad): 'People claim that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) could neither read nor write!' So, he, peace be upon him, denied that and said: 'They have lied, May the wrath of Allah be upon them! How would that be? When Allah, the Exalted, has said: '(It is) He who raised among the Ummīyīna (i.e. maternals) a Messenger from amongst them, reciting upon them His signs and purifying them and teaching them the Book and the wisdom; even though beforehand they were in a clear straying' How did he teach them the Book and the Wisdom while he could neither read nor write?’ 

Then Ali bin Asba`t asked the Imam: "Why was he called al-Nabi al-Ummi? To which the Imam (peace be upon him) replied: "Because he was ascribed to Mecca. That is according to the words of Allah, the Most Exalted: 'That you may warn Umm al-Qura` (i.e. the mother of villages) and those around it.' Umm al-Qura` means Mecca. So, he was called Ummi.” (Basair al-darajat, By al-Saffar, vol. 5, p. 246). 

Furthermore, al-Saduq (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Narrated Ja’far ibn Muhammad al-Sufi: “I asked Abu Ja’far Muhammad son of Ali al-Rida (peace be upon them both) saying: ‘O son of Allah’s Apostle, why was the Prophet called Ummi?’ He answered: ‘What do the people say?’ I said: ‘They claim that he was called Ummi because he was illiterate. 

“He replied: ‘They lie! May the curse of Allah be upon them, Allah has clearly said in His Book: ‘(It is) He who raised among the Ummīyīna (i.e. maternals) a Messenger from amongst them, reciting upon them His signs and purifying them and teaching them the Book and the wisdom’ How would he teach what he himself could not do? 

“By Allah, Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him and his pure family) used to read and write in 72, or he said 73, languages. He was called Ummi because he was from Mecca. Mecca is one of the mother towns, and this is why Allah the Most Exalted has said: ‘So that you (Muhammad) may warn the mother of villages (i.e. Mecca) and whoever is around it’.” (Ma’ani al-Akhbar, By al-Saduq, p. 53). 

May Allah grant you success

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Seyed Ali Shobayri, Seyed Ali Shobayri is of mixed Iranian and Scottish descent who found the path of the Ahlul Bayt (a) by his own research. He holds a BA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University through the... Answered 4 years ago

Bismillah, 

Asalamu Alaykom, 

Salah requires a woman to be in a state of ritual purity; in a state of Hayd, she cannot achieve this. Therefore any wajib qada salahs must be performed when she is not in a state of Hayd. 

May Allah give you success 

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Seyed Ali Shobayri, Seyed Ali Shobayri is of mixed Iranian and Scottish descent who found the path of the Ahlul Bayt (a) by his own research. He holds a BA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University through the... Answered 4 years ago

Bismillah, 

Asalamu alaykom, 

Firstly one should know that Allah The Exalted has promised sustenance for those who marry:

"If they be poor, Allah will enrich them of His bounty. Allah is of ample means, Aware." Quran - 24:32

This doesn't however mean that one shouldn't make an effort to seek a halal income for themselves. Realistically in a capitalistic society, one should seek an income in order for them to maintain themselves and their family. Having an income is a means to achieve marriage but it doesn't mean that these things won't come after marriage. There are many who I know that were students with nothing yet, rizq came to them from places they could never imagine after marriage.

Alternatively one can get to know a future spouse in a halal way or even have a halal engagement (doing a type of marriage contract to make each other mahram) before moving in with each other. This way, one can prepare the necessary things before living together and prepare for marriage. 

Having someone is also better for one's mental state because even if one didn't live with their spouse straight away, just knowing they have someone will make them less likely to sin as compared to someone who is single and worried about how to find a spouse. 

Regarding parents, one may respectfully acknowledge their advice but it isn't obligatory to follow this advice if it wouldn't be in the best benefit of a believer. A person knows whether marriage would be obligatory upon them and whether it would help their spiritual and physiological state. Parents cannot always determine this. 

May Allah give you success 

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Seyed Ali Shobayri, Seyed Ali Shobayri is of mixed Iranian and Scottish descent who found the path of the Ahlul Bayt (a) by his own research. He holds a BA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University through the... Answer updated 4 years ago

Bismillah, Asalamu Alaykom,

The primary or default ruling is that a virgin girl wanting to marry, MUST seek permission of her current guardian such as her father or her parental grandfather. Marrying without their permission wouldn’t be permissible. If neither were present however - which meant that it wasn’t possible for a girl to obtain their permission - then their permission wouldn’t be required. It could also be possible that both of them are deceased which would make the matter in the girl’s hands.

An important question arises though, and I believe that this matter must be addressed as I haven’t seen many scholars speak on it. The matter is as follows:

If you are enquiring about a secondary ruling on this matter, and are wanting to know if it’s possible in any circumstances for a girl to marry without the consent of her guardian, then the answer is yes.

The religion of Islam gives women rights and in extreme circumstances of hardship, the guardianship of the father can be dropped. Let us say that a family is oppressing their daughter by stopping her to marry for no legitimate Islamic reasons. Let us say that by preventing this girl to marry, she will fall into sin and start losing her religion; in such cases, a virgin girl may marry a suitable believer without permission provided that such a decision isn’t based on emotions or a haram so called ‘love marriage’. She should also be of sound mind and distinction.

We have faced many cases in our communities where due to racism or cultural reasons, parents have rejected suitable believing brothers to marry their daughters! Or even the other case where a son is stopped marrying a suitable believing woman due to non-Islamic reasons and family pressure. I have personally met brothers in their mid-thirties still unmarried due to past believing sisters never being able to satisfy their families’ cultural expectations. Such practices contradict the many ahadith from our Prophet and imams (peace be upon them) and people should reflect on the following narration:

فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص قَالَ إِذَا جَاءَكُمْ مَنْ تَرْضَوْنَ خُلُقَهُ وَ دِينَهُ فَزَوِّجُوهُ إِنَّكُمْ إِلَّا تَفْعَلُوا ذَلِكَ تَكُنْ فِتْنَةٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَ فَسَادٌ كَبِيرٌ ‘

Verily the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: “If someone comes to you and you are satisfied with his manners and religion, marry him. Verily, if you do not do that, there will be fitnah (sedition) on the earth and great fasād (corruption)”

This is why we see many fall into corruption or even leave the religion due to not being married. Therefore, this is why some scholars have conducted marriage contracts without consent of the guardian as the refusal cannot be based on non-Islamic reasons.

Please check the rulings of some Maraja below:

2440. If a guardian’s refusal to allow a virgin to marry will cause her serious harm, or contribute to social corruption, or cause her unbearable hardship, then his guardianship is nullified and she can marry immediately without his permission. But if she is not intellectually mature, then she becomes a ward of the religious authority (the marjaʿ).

- S. Taqi Al-Moddaressi, The Laws of Islam, p.439.

"Q: If a baligh and mature girl wishes to marry a devout Muslim young man but her father refuses this for material reasons, is it permissible for her to marry him without the consent of the father, if the latter continues to insist on his refusal?"

A: It is permissible, if the husband is of equal or comparable status to her.

S. Sadiq Al-Shirazi, Islamic Laws, p.486 ​​​​

2441. If a girl is not a virgin, or if she is a virgin but seeking the consent of her father or paternal grandfather is not possible, or entails a lot of hardship and she needs to get married, then the consent of her father or paternal grandfather will not be mandatory.

-  Wahid Khorasani, Islamic laws, p.518.

Q [45]                                                                                          

If the guardian of a virgin girl refuses to grant her permission to get married, is the girl allowed to get married?

A - if the guardian refuses to give his permission for her marriage for the sake of her own welfare then she is not permitted to marry without the consent. If the person that approached her for marriage was suitable for her and the refusal of the guardian was out of stubbornness, then his permission is not required." - From the official website of Sayed Sa’eed Al-Hakeem.

So to answer the question, if a girl married without permission for no valid Islamic reason, then it would be sinful. If she however had no choice due to extreme circumstances and was forced to flee her home, then no sin has been committed inshallah.

Please note that the above rulings should be taken into consideration as a very LAST resort. Even if a sister’s parents reject a suitable believer, she should do everything possible to try and convince them. She may also seek help from reputable scholars or members of her Muslim community to mediate between her and her parents.

May Allah grant you success

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Seyed Ali Shobayri, Seyed Ali Shobayri is of mixed Iranian and Scottish descent who found the path of the Ahlul Bayt (a) by his own research. He holds a BA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University through the... Answered 4 years ago

Bismillah, 

Asalamu Alaykom, 

We have narrations from the imams (peace be upon them) which praise Bilal (ra) such as the following:

Imam al-Sadiq (may peace be upon him), who said: «Bilal was a righteous slave, meanwhile Suhayb was a slave of evil who used to weep over Omar.

Bihar al-Anwar, by Al-Majlisi, volume 22, page 142, on the authority of Al-Kashi

May Allah give you sucesss 

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Seyed Ali Shobayri, Seyed Ali Shobayri is of mixed Iranian and Scottish descent who found the path of the Ahlul Bayt (a) by his own research. He holds a BA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University through the... Answer updated 4 years ago

Bismillah, 

Asalamu alaykom, 

There are a number of ways for us to determine that Islam is the true religion. After one establishes the existence of God, they should automatically think of a way in how they can thank and get to know this God. 

There are various worldviews and religions which claim to be true, but such a claim must be proven. 

In my humble opinion, one should look at the Islamic concept of Tawhīd (the pure oneness and uniqueness of Allah). The Shia Islamic concept of God far surpasses all other religions and other Muslim sects that give Allah humanistic/material attributes. To know the true religion, one should start with the very foundation which is of the creator. 

Shia Islam is the only religion which gives a pure monotheistic view of Allah being unlike His creation and completely unique. One should read the various narrations we have from the Imams (peace be upon them) about Tawhid. 

Once you have a good grasp of Shia Tawhid, you will automatically realise that Islam is the true religion when you compare it with concepts  such as the Christian  trinity. Whilst the Islamic concept Tawhid is above the intellect, concepts such as the trinity, contradict the intellect. A religion cannot be true if it gives a view of God which contradicts the intellect. 

This also applies to other religions such as Hindu’ism which focuses on worship of man-made gods that have been made into images. Images and idols are only made from the limited minds of man and the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him & his pure progeny) as well as other prophets, came to strictly emphasise on sole worship of Allah alone. 

One should also take notice of how any current world view fails to provide a compete and perfect way of life which Islam can offer. 

A final point would be to research into the linguistic miracle of the Quran 

May Allah grant you success

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Seyed Ali Shobayri, Seyed Ali Shobayri is of mixed Iranian and Scottish descent who found the path of the Ahlul Bayt (a) by his own research. He holds a BA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University through the... Answered 4 years ago

Bismillah, 

Asalamu alaykom,

It is the responsibility upon the husband to provide for his wife and his family. Even if a woman works and earns more money than her husband, she would not be obliged to give any of it to him. However, a mutual agreement between the husband and wife is allowed in Islam. So if the wife has chosen to work and share her earnings with her husband while he looks for a job, then this would be allowed. We find that roles may switch in this day and age where a woman may work and the husband may take up house and child duties. 

The husband should know that it isn’t obligatory for his wife to work and if he forced this responsibility upon her, then he has neglected his martial duties and violated her rights. A woman may choose to work as long as  the Islamic conditions are fulfilled. 

May Allah grant you success.