Life

112983

Is it permissible to take out life insurance?

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 1 month ago

Yes. Life insurance agreement is a valid and binding both the insurance company and the policy holder according our great scholars as one of the applications of the conditional gift الهبة المشروطة.
Wassalam.

62789

Life . Children . Hereafter . Procreation

In the next life, can a believing male and female procreate and have children in the same way they did in this world?

Amina Inloes, Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the... Answer updated 1 month ago

Edit: There is a narration that says, "When a believer [in heaven] wants a child, Allah will created him or her without pregnancy or birth in whatever form [his parent] wishes, just as He created Adam." (al-Ihtijaj, 2/130, ascribed to a letter from Imam al-Mahdi (A))

I am not sure what else is mentioned on this subject in our sources (perhaps someone can add something.).

However, possibly they will not want to have children there because often our desire to have children in this world is affected by hormones or society, or the desire to procreate is put into our hearts through divine mechanisms to carry out the plan of God for humanity.

God knows best!

106734

Life . God (Allah) . Tribulation

When asking Allah for ease in this life, is it wrong to expect difficulty? When thinking of the verses and Hadith where Allah tells us that we will go through hardship, it can sometimes confuse me that should I expect hardship or ease?

Zoheir Ali Esmail, Shaykh Zoheir Ali Esmail has a Bsc in Accounting and Finance from the LSE in London, and an MA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University. He studied Arabic at Damascus University and holds a PhD... Answered 1 month ago

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. Perhaps the way to understand asking for ease is that we ask for ease in those things that can be made easier for us without compromising what is really good for us. That is that we make things unnecessarily difficult for ourselves through numerous mistakes and miscalculations and so we ask Allah to mitigate those difficulties that are out of a lack of wisdom. But test and difficulty are a part of the development of an Islamic personality rooted in faith and those with higher capacities can be tested with more extreme difficulties. That difficulty can be whilst being surrounded by material ease, and it is through those difficulties that a higher form of ease is found. When a person is needless of all except God, they are at ease despite whatever circumstance they find themselves in.

May you always be successful

110153

Life . Death . Starvation . Pork . Food

If in a life or death situation where starvation will be the cause of death and you are forced to have pork, is it permissible not to eat it and allow yourself to die?

Usually we deal with questions related to practical issues which people experience in their day to day life. Your question looks like very far from day to day life, nevertheless if you want the answer for knowledge, it is obligatory to save our life. Deliberate failure in saving life and causing death is a sinful act. It is not permissible to cause death to yourself even if the only food available to remain alive is pork, but no more than what make you survive.

'Wassalam.

110168

Life

How can I break a very long spell of bad luck in my life?

What comes across as bad luck can be for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it can be a sign that we are not meant to do certain things, for instance, if we try to get a certain type of job repeatedly and are unable to do so. Sometimes it just happens for no apparent reason.

If you are concerned there may be a metaphysical reason for your bad luck (evil eye, cursework, etc), you could contact a reliable and trustworthy scholar with practical experience in these matters who could further advise you on that. If someone is suffering from bad luck for no apparent reason (e.g. they have freak accidents repeatedly although they are careful), it is worth looking into that sort of thing.

Some overall suggestions to bring blessings into your life (you may or may not be doing these things, I am just putting them out there in general):

* Reciting the Qur'an or playing it in the background, especially parts of the Qur'an recommended for things such as attracting sustenance, like Surat al-Waqi'ah
* Prayers for the deceased, including relatives and the mu'mineen
* Maintaining good ties with family (if it is appropriate to your situation)
* Hosting guests
* Holding religious gatherings such as majalis in your home (if it is possible)
* Praying the 5 daily prayers regularly with focus
* Keeping a clean and calm environment around you (as much as possible)
* Avoiding haraam acts or places where haraam acts are committed
* Keeping things like the 99 names of Allah or Qur'anic ayat on the walls (assuming you have a place to stay)
* Some narrations suggest keeping small animals, like birds, around also.

I hope your long stretch of bad luck ends soon!

105723

Life

Will Imam Mehdi know who he is straight away or will he have a normal life first?

Imam Al-Mahdi (AS) knows from beginning that he is the last successor of the Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) and the Infallible Imam and Hujjah on all. His life is always a normal life like the life of the Prophet and other infallible Imams.

Wassalam.

102508

Life . God (Allah)

Why did Allah (swt) create us or any form of life on this planet?

Allah, The Glorious created us and all all forms of life on this planet to shower on all of us His great Mercy and countless bounties which can never reach us without Him creating us.

'Wassalam,

102980

Desire . Gender . Life

If a person has much desire for the same gender, and has none for the opposite, how do you recommend they control this desire and live a fully Islamic life?

Desire itself can never be justified unless it is approved by pure religion which is the message of The Creator, Allah, to make our life on the right path. Unguided desires can lead to disastrous results. The examples of such unguided and wrong desires are so many. There are people who have desire for animals etc. This means that desire itself can never be justified unless it is approved by true religion.

Such desires need to be controlled by the intellect which guided by the word of Allah (SWT). The person should always remember Allah and seek His help in tackling evil desires.

Repeating Estighfaar and Salawaat is very useful.

'Wassalam.

99275

Heaven . Life . God (Allah)

As a Muslim when I go to heaven, God willing, will I be able to live the life that I always wanted to live?

Inshallah, although it is possible that your hopes and dreams might change there, since much of what we hope for in the material world relates to our physical circumstances, physical bodies, social circumstances, and so forth. You may also discover that there are new things that you would like to live that you would not have dreamt of here!

101175

Hajj . Life . Sunni-Shi'a

Did Imam Ali (AS) perform Hajj during his life? If so, is there a Shia source for it?

Zaid Alsalami, Shaykh Dr Zaid Alsalami is an Iraqi born scholar, raised in Australia. He obtained a BA from Al-Mustafa University, Qom, and an MA from the Islamic College in London. He also obtained a PhD from... Answered 7 months ago

Bismihi ta'ala

By looking at the history of Islam, and how close Imam Ali (a.s.) was to the holy Prophet (s.a.w.), and their frequent travelling, along with the victory of conquering Meccah al-Mukarramah, this leaves no doubt that Imam Ali (a.s.) performed Hajj, and visited the holy Ka'bah, which was his birthplace.

We can see the many instances of how Imam Ali (a.s.) describes Hajj, in Nahj al-Balaghah, and in other sources as well.

Furthermore, we know about the authentic mutawatir hadith of Hajjatul-Wida', where on their way back from the last Hajj, our beloved Prophet (s.a.w.) announced the succession and wilayah of Imam Ali (a.s.).

With prayers for your success.

99755

Health . Life . Sawm (Fasting)

I know someone who is very religious now but, due to health reasons, is unable to make up their missed fasts. They are 70 years old but may have missed fasts for at least 40 years of their life. What can they do now?

Bismihi ta'ala

If the 40 years of fasting that they missed was with a valid excuse, then all they need to do is pay a 'fidya' for each day. A fidyah is 3/4 of a kilo of food, given to poor.

If they did not have an excuse, then they must:

1. Repent to Allah ta'ala.

2. Pay kaffarah for each day. Kaffarah is feeding of 60 poor people (most common option).

3. Write in their will that they have this amount of qadha' fasting to be done once they die, either by their next of kin, or they pay someone who will fast as qadha` on their behalf.

Furthermore, from this holy month of Ramadhan, because they cannot fast, they can pay the fidyah.

And Allah knows best.

99264

Islam . Life . Planets

What does Islam say about the possibility of life existing on other planets too?

We don't have any evidence to reject the possibility of life on other planets. We Muslims believe in the scientific evidence and encourage scientific research in every possible way and field. We also don't believe in imaginations and unsupported claims.

Wassalam.