Articles

Going Out with a marriage partner or fiancé?

Question

Is it permissible for a Muslim to ‘go out’ with a prospective marriage partner in order to find out if they are compatible? What about going out with your fiancé?

Answer

Answered by Shaykh Salim Giza

It is not permissible for a Muslim man and woman to ‘go out’ with each other even if they are engaged. The main reason for this ruling is;

Can you work in a place which sells haram food or alcohol?

Answer by Shaykh Salim Giza

In the name of Allah the most Beneficent and Merciful.

Working in a place that sells Alcohol or Haram food carries a different ruling depending upon the circumstances. Generally it is Haram for a Muslim to work in a place which sells Alcohol or serves Alcohol in it's premises. The same applies for Haram food as the general ruling is; what is Haram to you is also Haram to others', whether they believe it or not.

Our scholars state:

"Anything haram to use oneself is haram to give to another." [Ibn Nujaym, al-Ashbah; Majalla]

What Role Does Islam Play In Your Life?

The Revival has travelled across the UK to speak to young Muslims about the role of Islam in their everyday lives:

NB: Some personals details have been changed or ommitted to ensure anonymity

Name: Sara Age: 21 Location: Bolton

Islam is my passion. My life revolves around my Islamic commitments, even Uni and work is set around my Islamic timetable. On a weekly basis I attend/lead Islamic circles, manage Islamic websites, organise Islamic programmes and write Islamic articles.

Is smoking Shisha allowed?

Question: Over the last year about FIVE Shisha restaurants opened in my local town, so is smoking Shisha allowed?

Answer by Shaykh Salim Giza

In the name of Allah the most Beneficent and Merciful.

Smoking Shisha or Huqqa carries a ruling depending upon the ingredients. If the ingredients is only sweet smelling flavoured fruits then the ruling is Makrooh (preferably disliked). If the ingredients have harmful ingredients then the ruling would start at Makrooh Tahrimi (reprehensible) to Haram (forbidden). This depends upon the harm that it may cause the human body.

Allah says in the Quran:

"And do not throw yourself into destruction with your own hands." (Baqarah 195).

Also:

Exclusive Danny Williams Interview

By Shah Siddiki

The Revival talks to Danny Williams about life as a Muslim, his boxing career and his future plans.

Big, powerful and fearless can be three words to describe the current British Boxing heavyweight champion. After knocking out the likes of Iron Mike, Audley Harrison and most recently Matt Skelton, Danny Williams visited Queen Mary's University in East London to discuss Islam and life outside the ring. The talk, hosted at the Mason lecture theatre, turned out to be quite an audience as the big man sat himself down with his title belts gleaming in front of them.

Born and raised in Brixton, Williams described how his life revolved around friends who were involved with drugs, gang violence and prison, yet the only time he went to court was for jury service.

Is Islam tolerant of other peoples faith? Does Islam allow Muslims to hate non-Muslims?

Shaykh Salim Giza

Islam is a religion of peace and harmony. It is not a religion of hate and destruction. Whilst Islam like any other religion or nation has a right to defend itself and it’s followers from enemy attack, there are clear guidelines for this.

When it comes to dealing with non-Muslims there are two categories of a non-believer, 1) themselves 2)what they believe. It is not permissible to hate a person or human being but rather one can dislike and disagree with what they believe.

How Did Prophet MuhammadPeace and Blessings of Allah be upon him Treat Non Muslims?

Kashmir Earthquake: A living Hell

Haroon Rashid from Bolton travelled to Kashmir to help distribute the money and aid that was collected from the UK. Here, he gives his personal account.

We returned exhausted from our mission of transporting aid to the earthquake stricken region of Kashmir on behalf of the people of Bolton. Mentally and physically drained from the reality of our experience, nothing could have prepared us for what we witnessed.

If Islam forbids intermixing and having boy/girlfriend, then how does one go about finding a marriage partner?

By: 
Shaykh Salim Giza

In the name of Allah the Most Beneficent and Merciful

There are many different recommended methods of finding a suitable partner for marriage which are allowed under Shariah law.

1. The first and most common is for the parents of the individuals to find a suitable partner via their connections within the Islamic community. Here it is important that you have a good relationship with them and you have a say in what type of partner you are looking for and you have final approval.

2. Another method is to use influential people within the community to find a partner for you, such as the Imam or a female scholar who has contact with other people looking for a suitable partner.

What Does Islam Say About Forced/Arranged/Love Marriage? What Does Islam Say About Secret Marriages?

By Shaykh Muhammad Salim Ghisa

Marriage is a sacred bond between a man and woman, which makes each other permissible for them to enjoy and live happily. Allah has described, in the most moving and eloquent terms, this eternal, natural relationship between man and woman, which is filled with security, love, understanding and compassion:

“And among His signs is this that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your hearts: Verily in that are signs for those who reflect. (Quran 30:21)

The Revival: On the Map!

Zahid Maqbool, Media Spokesman for The Revival has his day in the media spotlight after attending a meeting with Home Office Minister Hazel Blears.

'I am cordially invited to a meeting of the Interfaith forum at the grand location of the council chambers in Oldham.' That’s what my email invite says.