Abbas Di Palma

as salam alaikum

evil eye is an established fact in Islam and there are many hadith in this regard. Increasing faith, relying on Allah only and the recitation of sura al-Falaq and sura al-Nas are among the best protection from it.

With prayers for your success.

as salam alaikum

Absolute wilayah belong to Allah and He has authority over all His creation. He creates as He wishes and He gives authority to whoever He wills in order to establish His own authority.

In some theological treatises two types of wilayah have been mentioned:

- Wilayah Takwiniyyah: that is creational authority like direct intervention and control over things and affairs in the creation. The human power to walk, to climb, to carry heavy loads, etc. are all examples of this authority.

- Wilayah Tashri'iyyah: that is legislative authority like the right or duty to establish a specific ruling or take a particular decision after a legitimate approval or consultation.

In theological debates the discussion around these arguments focused on the limits of the wilayah in relation to the Prophet and Imams, peace be upon them.

Miracles are instances of wilayah takwiniyyah that Allah bestowed upon His prophets; it is however a divine act beyond ordinary human faculties. As far as the legislative aspect, it is known that the Prophet, peace be upon him and his family, was subject to specific rulings only for him with the exclusion of the rest of the Ummah. Yet, the rule was from Allah and not from himself.

Some scholars have claimed that Allah has given total or partial authority to the Prophet and Imams, peace be upon them, for the administration of the world and that they have control over it, at least partially, with His permission. They base their opinion relying on certain hadith and some intellectual concepts. This is the maximum extent of the concept of wilayah takwiniyya in relation to the Prophet and Imams. 

Other scholars however reject such view and consider it against the Qur'an, implicitly or explicitly, based on conjectures and weak ahadith. 

With prayers for your success.

as salam alaikum

there are many contradictory reports attributed to the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them. Some, but not all, reasons for that are:

1) Some of the reports are weak while others are authentic.

2) Some Imams may have said or given a particular rules for a specific reason or in a particular context while other Imams may have said or given a different ruling due to some circumstantial changes in the situation they were in. 

One of the tasks of the Alim or the Mujtahid is to distinguish between true and false reports or valid and invalid knowledge. 

Differences of opinion in the details of jurisprudence are natural and each one of us is called to do his best to reach valid conclusive statements. As a matter of precaution the layman is called to follow the most learned of the scholars. Some jurists have disagreed regarding the necessity of the A'lamiyyah and regard ijtihad and full competence (with all its related conditions) as sufficient criterion to be followed.

There is no blame on anyone if two people follow two different qualified Mujtahids with different rulings as each one of them exerted outmost effort to deduce the details of the practical law. This is part of Allah's plan and He doesn't act out of wisdom.

What has been established by the Qur'an and the Sunnah Mutawatirah should not be differed upon. As far as the details, the servant should always look for truth but also be humble enough to admit that "Allah and His Prophet know best" and perhaps to understand that such humility is more important to Allah than a variation in legal opinions.

With prayers for your success.

as salam alaikum

attending mosque are a vital part of Muslim lifestyle and its importance has been stressed in both Qur'an and Sunna. A person who live in a place where there are no mosque should try to attend relatives and friends pious and religious, and if it is not possible he should strive to improve his relation with Allah by all means he has at disposal. Praying five times a day with focus and sincerity, learning the Qur'an and religious knowledge may be helpful factors in this regard. Always keep in contact with good Muslims scholars who may guide you along the path even by phone or email if this is the only option available. Organizing events and projects for non-Muslims is also a good idea while aiming at slowly build a growing local Muslim community. This not only will keep your faith strong insh'Allah but invite other to the path of religion and righteousness.

With prayers for your success.

as salam alaikum

different sources depict Shimr Ibn Dhil-Jawshan and Sinan Ibn Anas as the killers of Husayn, peace be upon him. It is evident that both played a role in the killing although there may be some variations in the details of various reports. Both were fighting along the army of 'Umar Ibn Sa'd, sent by 'Ubaydullah Ibn Zayd, appointed by Yazid Ibn Mu'awiyah. 

With prayers for your success.

as salam alaikum

you should always respect your parents and treat them kindly. However they cannot dictate the way you have to live your religion. A hadith says:

لا طاعة لمخلوق في معصية الخالق

"There is no way to obey a creature by disobeying the Creator" (see "Musnad al-Imam al-Kazim").

You should also try to guide them with good manners and give them nasihah concerning their religious duty as Muslims and parents.

With prayers for your success.

as salam alaikum

perhaps a good teacher of Qur'an may help you in your situation. Sometimes when we are faced with learning without proper support we get frustrated as we are not moving the way we are aiming for. 

You may also consider to learn Qur'an directly from Arabic language without transliteration or latinized versions. The Arabic Qur'an is the word of Allah and it purifies you, even if initially you don't understand the meaning. By being aware that Allah is speaking to you, peace and serenity should fill the heart. 

So initially it is good to learn to recite with proper tajwid and memorize what you can; but you need a good teacher for that, especially at the beginning stage. Nowadays there are courses available also online although the traditional way is always preferable in ordinary circumstances.

Never be frustrated for what it takes, for each person there is a path to follow and no one is better than the other except in taqwa. In other words it is the quality of your sincerity that counts the most, not the quantity of your actions or the apparent result.

With prayers for your success.

as salam alaikum

Alevism is a cultural-religious movement mainly based in present Turkey whose belief includes elements of Shiism, Tasawwuf and other ethnical rituals. It is difficult to dissect how exactly historically the movement came into existence; they themselves trace their origins back to Ali, peace be upon him, and the Imams after him. However certain facts have casted doubts to this claim like the followings:

1) The Imams of Ahl al-Bayt always said to be servants of Allah with no claim of divinity or to be God's incarnations of hypostatic nature. Some Alevi belief and literature suggests the contrary.

2) The Imams of Ahl al-Bayt always emphasized the shari'ah as the path of salvation and spiritual upliftment. Alevis however do not follow shari'ah.

3) The Imams of Ahl al-Bayt never performed certain practices that are customary in Alevi faith. Such rituals are considered innovations that Islam never brought.

Therefore despite the claim that Alevis are a sect of Shiism, their being de facto followers of the Ahl al-Bayt cannot be substantiated. 

With prayers for your success

as salam alaikum

there is no direct reference in the above-mentioned verses about the religion of Abu Talib, neither to Abu Talib himself. The verse 28:56 is very general and says that Allah is the ultimate guide and that no one, even the Prophet, peace be upon him and his family, can guide the people if Allah doesn't wish. The verse 9:113 is also general and it is explained by its following verse (9:114) that talk about the prohibition to ask forgiveness for the polytheists, in particular it mentions the case of Ibrahim, peace be upon him, and Azar.

What made to conclude the majority of Sunni scholars that these verses refers to Abu Talib not being Muslim are some ahadith found in Bukhari and Muslim linking those verses to such opinion. There are other narrations and evidences to support the fact that Abu Talib was a Muslim: this is also an opinion held by a minority of Sunni scholars.  

In conclusion, these two verses should firstly and foremost interpreted according to their apparent meaning avoiding solitary reports (akhbar ahad) which are contradictory. Then, to establish historical facts, other ways than tafsir by solitary reports should be taken into consideration in order to determine truth and valid knowledge.

With prayers for your success.  

as salam alaikum

we do not have much information about the woman of Fir'awn in authentic sources. We know from some ahadith that she has been one of the most pious lady of all times. 

The Qur'an says about her: "And Allah compares those who believe to the woman of Fir'awn. Behold! She said:- My Lord! Make me an abode in the Garden close to you and save me from Fir'awn...-" (66:11). Here, the expression "save me" seems to indicate a situation wherein Asiyah was forced to be his wife and from which she was looking for deliverance. 

It is not surprisingly that Allah tests His most faithful servants with great hardships as it has been a constant attitude of Him with His awliya'.

With prayers for your success.

as salam alaikum

In general, Islam encourages friendship with pious people and those who have a good religious influence on your personality and religiosity. So, to answer your question, you should first look at piety and religious/good influence of a certain person or group.

Islam also do not condone fornication, adultery or any intimate relation outside an Islamic-validated marriage. A Muslim is therefore called to preserve and support Islamic values before anything else.

With prayers for your success.

as salam alaikum

Islam does not religiously legitimize any relation outside a lawful marriage sanctioned by Islamic law. The Muslim person, whatever inclination may have, is called to control his lustful desires and abide by the divine religious, legal and ethical code. He should follow the instructions of the Qur'an and Sunna, always ask for Allah's guidance and make the love for Allah stronger than anything else.  By sincerely doing so, the servant will be guided and rewarded insh'Allah. 

With prayers for your success.