A Fiqh Tutorial For A New
Muslim
Hatem al-Haj

Need
• There is an obvious need to address the issues faced by new
Muslims in the beginning of their Islam and help them cruise
through some of the difficulties they come across through
times that are at least turbulent and unstable.
• I felt like contributing to this effort by preparing this Fiqh (the
science pertaining to rulings) tutorial for my new Muslim
brothers and sisters.
• I have to also mention that the general meaning of fiqh is the
good understanding of the entire religion, yet in the
terminological use, it pertains to the science of legal rulings.
• I will be talking about fiqh in the terminological sense, and that
doesn’t mean that these issue are more important than issue
like reliance upon Allah and his love and recognition, but
simply I will be talking about rulings today and at what point
we have to discuss them because we need to learn how to
worship our most beloved Allah.

• I will include in this talk
Introduction
• The source and authority, and the correct position from the madhhabs (schools of fiqh)
• The Fiqh and how to approach it, which will include talking about moderation, laxity and
excessiveness.
• The prophet's approach to teaching new Muslims.
• And then we will go through some of the details of the various rulings
Matters of Worship
• Shahadah taking and associated rites, including pronouncement, witnesses, and washing.
• Purification
• Washing / Shaving or saving / Circumcision / Tattoos, now what?
• Prayers
• What parts must be in Arabic / Hard in the beginning, tips to make it easy
Rulings pertaining to Transactions, interactions and customs.
• Family Laws
• Relations with the kin / My girl/boy friend / My child, is it mine?
• Laws of Inheritance
• Am I not getting anything from my parents?
• Work
• What and how
• Islamic Etiquettes and Manners and people's customs
• Names, and when they need to be changed.
• Hijab & Dress code for men (Suit and Tie vs Qamees and 'Emamah)
• Male and Female interactions
• Foods and drinks
• Celebrations (mother's day vs mother's birthday), national and religious holidays. and
parties.

• I will not talk about these issues in the format of
categories and subcategories, but to make it more
engaging, I will try to present it within a story like format,
in which we will accompany a new Muslim male and a
new Muslim female within the first your of their life post
Islam. This is more likely to make us feel their joy and
struggles in this year, and thus address the various
issues with this understanding.
• It is to be mentioned here as well that this is not a
comprehensive explanation of fiqh, and some of the
issues discussed today may be less important than
others not discussed, but I tried to select the issue that
create the most confusion for the new Muslims.

The source of this religion is the revelation
and that is al-Quran and the Sunnah.
• Allah is the only legislator in Islam, and the Prophet is the only conveyer.
Allah said:
‫َإ‬ َ َ
ْ ُ َ َ ِ ِ ‫)أمْ َ ُ ْ ُ َآ ء َ َ ُ ا َ ُ ْ ِ َ ا ِ َ َ ْ َ ْذنْ ِ ِ ا ُ وَ ْ آِ َ ُ ا ْ َ ْ ِ َ ُ ِ َ َ ْ َ ُ ْ وِن ا‬
َ ُ َ َ
(21:‫َ َا ٌ أِ ٌ( )ا رى‬َ‫ب‬
What! have they partners (in godhead), who have established for them
some religion without the permission of Allah. Had it not been for the
Decree of Judgment, the matter would have been decided between them
(at once). But verily the Wrong- doers will have a grievous Penalty.
And Allah said about the Prophet:
(4-3: ‫)و َ َ ْ ِ ُ َ ِ ا ْ َ َى* إنْ ه َ إ و ْ ٌ ُ َ ( )ا‬
َ ِ ُ ِ َ
Which means: \"Nor does he speak of (his own) desire. It is only an
Inspiration that is inspired.\" An-Najm 53/3-4
(7: ِ ‫إ‬ ‫و‬ ُ
‫)و َ َ آ ُ ا ُ ل َ ُ ُو ُ و َ َ َ آ ْ َ ْ ُ َ ْ َ ُ ا َا ُ ا ا َ ِن ا َ َ ِ ُ ا ْ ِ َ ب( )ا‬
َ ُ ُ َ
Which means: \"And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) gives
you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it) , and fear
Allah. Verily, Allah is Severe in punishment.\" Al-Hashr 59/7

What is the role of the madhhabs
As we have indicated before, Muslims should consult those well grounded in knowledge
as per Allah's command.
And the ummah has accepted the founders of the madhahib as such.
Their work was
• Collection and compiling of knowledge.
• Arranging knowledge in chapters, titles and sub titles.
• Reconciling between the different divine and prophetic statements that would seem
contradictory to those who lack comprehensive knowledge of them.
• Choosing from the different opinions of Sahaba and their followers when they were
different and justifying the chosen opinion by At-Tadleel (proving an opinion by the
scriptural evidence)or At-Ta’leel (proving an opinion by reasoning).
• Deduction of rulings from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the prophet based on
certain fundamental principles of each Madhhab known as (Principals of
Jurisprudence).
– This is particularly important because the Muslims have come across many new events
and things the prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace) didn’t directly comment
on. (Finite scriptural statements versus relatively infinite matters and events needing to be
subject to the rule of Islam)
• Finally it has to be mentioned that the Madhahib are not only the product of their
founders but a collective effort of thousands of the most outstanding scholars of
Islam throughout the history of Islam. You may say that each Madhhab was like a
huge fiqh assembly of outstanding scholars with different specialties that
transcended time.

Why and upon what did they differ?
• The four Imams belong to ahlussunah (the people of
sunnah, who are the Muslim mainstream) and their
differences were not in the major cornerstones of
belief .
• Their differences were not a matter of whether we
should follow the Sunnah or not but rather how to
understand and apply it.
• The three most important reasons of their
differences are:
1- Did the revelation say that?
2-Did the revelation mean that?
3-But the revelation also said

What should be our stance from
Madhahib?
• First of all we have to understand that our position from the madhahib is
dependent on our position from the pursuit of knowledge.
• There are two types of Muslims
1-the students of knowledge 2-the public
• 1- As for the students of knowledge
There are different types, those with a main focus on hadeeth (the
prophetic traditions), and those with a main focus on tafseer
(interpretation of the Quran), and those with a main focus on fiqh
(jurisprudence) etc.
For all students of knowledge the scholars recommend studying
according to a particular madhhab initially
After you had a good understanding of your particular madhhab you may
move on to learning about the other madhahib.
Initially you will abide in your religious practice by your madhhab and
when you extensively study a particular matter and you feel confident that
you digested the controversy, and if you found that your madhhab is in
some conflict with the revelation, then you ought to give precedence to
the revelation; after all we all say: Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.
• 2- As for the public, they follow their local scholars,

Moderation is to follow the revelation,
without deviating to the right or left. It is not
to take the religion lightly.
• Allah says:
( 63 :‫) ُ ُوا َ َ ْ َ آ ْ ِ ُ ة َاذْآ ُوا َ ِ ِ َ َ ُ ْ َ ُ ن( )ا ة‬
َ ُ ‫ٍو‬ ُ
And remember We took your covenant and We raised above you (The towering
height) of Mount (Sinai) : (Saying): \"Hold firmly to what We have given you and
bring (ever) to remembrance what is therein: Perchance ye may fear Allah.\"
• Allah said:
ِ ُ َ ً ُ َ َ ِ َ َ ُ ُ ََ
‫)وآ َِ َ َ َ ْ َ آ ْ أ ً و َ ً ِ َ ُ ُ ا ُ َ َاء ََ ا س و َ ُ ن ا ُ ل ََ ْ ُ ْ َ ِ ا و َ َ َ ْ َ ا ْ ِ َْ َ ا ِ آ ْ َ ََ ْ َ إ‬
ِ َ َ َ َ
ْ ُ َ َ ‫ِ َ َْ َ َ ْ َ ِ ُ ا ُ ل ِ ْ َ ْ َِ ُ ََ َ ِ َ ْ ِ وإنْ آ َ ْ َ َ ِ َة إ ََ ا ِ َ ه َى ا ُ و َ آ ن ا ُ ِ ُ ِ َ إ‬
ًِ َ َِ َ
(143:‫ِن ا َ ِ س َ َ ُو ٌ ر ِ ٌ( )ا ة‬
َ ‫ِ ؤ ف‬ ‫إ‬
Thus, have We made of you an Ummat justly balanced, that ye might be witnesses
over the nations, and the Messenger a witness over yourselves; and We
appointed the Qibla to which thou wast used, only to test those who followed the
Messenger from those who would turn on their heels (From the Faith). Indeed it
was (A change) momentous, except to those guided by Allah. And never would
Allah Make your faith of no effect. For Allah is to all people Most surely full of
kindness, Most Merciful. 2/143
• In other words Islam is already moderate and doesn't need to be diluted.

No less than a scholar
• Knowledge helps the scholars well grounded
in it to provide the allowable flexibility without
compromising the deen, thus it is quiet
essential to seek their help in understanding
the religion and implementing it.
ْ‫)و َ أرْ َ ْ َ ِ ْ َ ِْ َ إ ر َ ً ُ ِ إَ ْ ِ ْ َ ْ َ ا أه َ ا آ ِ إن‬
ِ ْ َْ ِ ِ ِ َ َ
(43: ‫آ ْ ُ ْ َ َْ ُ ن( )ا‬
َ ُ
And before thee also the apostles We sent
were but men, to whom We granted
inspiration: if ye realise this not, ask of those
who possess the Message. An-Nahl 16/43

Some people because of their lack in knowledge may
cause you severe hardships
So don't be satisfied with a fatwa from less than a scholar particularly in
serious matters with long term consequences.
.\" ‫آ أ‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ن ا ري: \" إ ا‬ ‫لا م‬
The great Imam Sufyan ath-Thawri said: \"Verily knowledge to us is a
concession from the trustworthy scholar. As for excessive strictness, that is
perfectly doable by all\"
Is there excessiveness?
Yes, and the Prophet warned us from it, he said:
‫د‬
‫ََ َ ُ َ َ ُوا‬ ‫َ أ ٌَ إ‬
ِ َ َ
‫َ ا ُ ََ ْ ِ و َ َ َ ل ِن ا َ ُ ْ ٌ وَ ْ ُ َ د ا‬
‫َ إ‬ َ ِ ‫َ ْ أ ِ ه َ ْ َة َ ْ ا‬
َ ُ َ
ِ َ ْ ‫و َ ر ُ ا وأ ْ ِ ُوا َا ْ َ ِ ُ ا ِ ْ َ ْوة َا وْ َ ِ و َ ْء ِ ْ ا‬
ٍ َ ‫َِ و‬ ‫و‬ ََ ِ َ
This religion is a religion of ease, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) said: “Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself
in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be
extremists, but if you cannot be perfect, then try to be near to perfection and
receive the glad tidings that you will be rewarded; and what helps you to
persist in worship is to do it at times when you have most energy, such as at
the beginning of the day, after the sun has passed its zenith and at the end
of the night.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari from Abu Hurairah).

Not excessiveness
No one is to be blamed for taking the stricter opinion, or even
recommending it to people, but
Excessive strictness is not to avoid the suspicious matters, neither is
it to stay away from some permissible things out of fear that they may
lead to that which is permissible,
For avoiding suspicious matters is the way of our most beloved, the final
Messenger, Muhammad (May Allah bless him and give him peace)
He said:
ْ ََ ُ َ َ َ
‫َ ْ ا ْ َ ن ْ ِ َ ِ ٍ َ ل َ ِ ْ ُ ُ َ ُ ل َ ِ ْ ُ ر ُ ل ا ِ َ ا ُ ََ ْ ِ و َ َ َ ُ ل وأه َى‬
ُ َ ِ
ِ َ ‫ت‬ َ َ ‫َإ‬ َ ‫ِ ُُ إ‬ ُ
‫ا ْ َ ن ِِ ْ َ َ ْ ِ إَ أذ َ ْ ِ ِن ا ْ ََ ل َ ٌ وِن ا ْ َ َام َ ٌ و َ ْ َ ُ َ ُ ْ َ ِ َ ٌ َ َ َْ ُ ُ آ ِ ٌ ِ ْ ا س‬
َ ِ َ ِ َ َ
َ ْ َ ِ ‫َ َ ْ ا َ ا ُ َ ت ا ْ َ ْ َأ ِ ِ ِ ِ و ِ ْ ِ ِ و َ ْ و َ َ ِ ا ُ َ ت و َ َ ِ ا ْ َ َام آ ا‬
َ َ ِ
ِ َ َ ْ ‫َ ْل ا ْ ِ َ ُ ِ ُ أنْ َ ْ َ َ ِ ِ أَ وِن ِ ُ َِ ٍ ِ ً أَ وِن ِ َ ا ِ َ َ ر ُ ُ أَ وِن ِ ا‬
‫ِ َ َإ‬ ‫َ َإ‬ ‫َ َإ‬ َ َ
ُ ْ َ ْ ‫ُ ْ َ ً إ َا ََ َ ْ ََ َ ا ْ َ َ ُ آ ُ وإ َا َ َ َتْ َ َ َ ا ْ َ َ ُ آ ُ أَ وه َ ا‬
َِ َ ُ ‫ُ َِذ‬ ‫ِذ‬
Which means: Verily, what is Halal is clear, and what is Haram is clear. But
in between there are doubtful things, unknown to many people. So
whosoever avoids things that are doubtful, he has purged himself and his
deen (from sins and accusations). But whosoever frequently takes things
that are doubtful, then he has clearly fallen into the state of haram.
Agreed upon, and this is Muslim's wording.

So what is excessiveness?
It is to always take the stricter opinion just
because it is so.
It is to force people to take the stricter
opinion.
It is to consistently forego the concessions
given to us by Allah.
And most certainly it is to make haram that
which Allah hasn't.

As for the new Muslim, the way of the Prophet
was to guide them gradually and gently to the
shore of safety.
Al-Bukhari reports from 'Aisha, she said:
‫إذا ب ا س إ‬ ‫وا ر‬ ‫ذآ ا‬ ‫ا‬ ‫]ا ن[ رة‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ل أول‬ ‫\"إ‬
‫ا‬ ‫ل‬ ‫أ او‬ ‫عا‬ ‫ا‬ ‫اا‬ ‫ل أول ء‬ ‫م ل ا ل وا ام و‬ ‫ا‬
\"‫ع ا أ ا‬
ً ‫ا‬
The first part of the Quran to come down was a chapter from al-Mufassal, in
which there was a reminder about the paradise and the hell fire, so when the
people returned [to their lord] the verses pertaining to the lawful and unlawful
were revealed and had it been that the first revelation was don't drink wine,
they would have said: we shall never forego wine, and had it been, don't
commit fornication, they would have said we shall never give up fornication.\"
Thus don't overwhelm new Muslims early with details. You may also
assign a certain knowledgeable person to mentor that new Muslim,
something like big brother or big sister. That is likely to cause less confusion
for him or her and to be consistent.
If the job can't be done by one, then may be two or three.

Now, the story
But before we take our seats next to our new
brother and sister,
let me tell you a few things about the story.
We will have different figures in this story mainly
Brother new / sister new / brother knowledgeable / sister knowledgeable / brother Hassan / sister
Amal / brother X / sister X and others
I don't mean to ridicule anyone or stereotype any particular or prototype.
Through our journey for the acquisition of knowledge we go through different stages, and as
we learn more, we change our ideas and approach to various issues. So if I talk about brother
X in a way that may be prototyping, or stereotyping that is for the sake of the story and to
make it engaging, and I hereby admit that I may have been that brother at some point or
another in my career of involvement in Da'wah, whether that was here or back in Egypt, but
the bottom line is that I do review some of my past statements and ideas and say to myself
how ignorant were you.
• Also, I have to emphasize that I am talking from personal experience, and fortunately I am
more surrounded by brothers who are more practicing and keener to follow the straight path,
so my examples are drawn from what is see or hear. I know quiet well that in some other
places the new Muslims may be surrounded by people who will give them the impression that
life will carry on without any significant changes in their life except for getting used to stuffed
grape leaves, basmati rice and curry chicken; and coming to worship on Friday instead of
Sunday if even that.

Legal Principals:
Deeds are but by their intentions
Certainty is not negated by doubt
Hardship must bring about easing
No harm and no reciprocating of harm
Customs are giving consideration
The use of all statements takes precedence over overlooking some
All actions belong to one of the following categories
Mandatory
Preferable
Permissible
Disliked
Forbidden
Halal is any one of the first three or four.
The rule is that all things are permissible until proven otherwise. And all worships are not to be performed until
clear evidence on their sanctity is established.
Fiqh is not an orphan science, Wrong doesn’t mean invalid.
Ibn Taymiyah says: A non-Muslim cannot conduct a marriage on behalf of a Muslim woman; neither in the
capacity of being her guardian nor in the capacity of being her guardian’s appointed representative.
However, it does not appear that such a contract will be invalid, since there is no specific evidence in
Islamic Law to indicate its invalidity. [al-Ikhtiyarat (206)]

Day one
• Brother/sister new had read some about Islam and came to realize its beauty and
decided to accept the last revelation from God to mankind. Masha'Allah.
• S/he came to the masjid and talked to someone in the bookstore about their
interest in converting, brother X was there and he told him/her you first need to go
home and wash and then come back at noon and declare your Islam before the
congregation, he also said: you are lucky, for today is Friday and we will have a big
crowd.
• What is wrong so far?
• It is a grave mistake to defer someone's acceptance of Islam until they wash
• Had brother knowledgeable was there, he would have shown great pleasure in that
fellow's interest in Islam and would have immediately helped him pronounce the
shahadah, and then talked to him about Islam and what made him arrive at the right
destination, and exchanged contact information with him/her and asked her, if that
was convenient to have a complete ablution, and sometimes, preferably remove the
body hair, not including the hair of the scalp for women. And then come back to
declare the testimony of faith after jumu'ah if brother/sister new were of the
outgoing type or after 'Isha if they were somewhat people shy.
• Now, let us talk about the rulings pertaining to taking shahadah and the rites
associated with that.

Taking shahadah
For any unbeliever to become a Muslim, s/he must pronounce the two
statements of the Shahadah: \"I bear witness that there is no god but Allah,
and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.\"
A person who has previously been Jew or Christian may also add: \"And I bear
witness that Jesus is the servant of Allah, His Messenger, and His word
which He gave to Mary, and a spirit from Him.“
The Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
‫أن إ إ ا‬ ‫لأ‬ \": ‫و‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ل: ل ر ل ا‬ ‫دة ا‬ ‫روا‬
‫وروح‬ ‫ا وا أ وآ أ ه إ‬ ‫وأن‬ ‫ور‬ ‫ا‬ ‫وأن‬ ‫و‬
\"‫ء‬ ‫ا‬ ‫أي أ اب ا‬ ‫أد ا‬ ‫وأن ا ر‬ ‫وأن ا‬
\"Whoever testified that there is no god but Allah, alone, without partners with
him, and that Muhammad is his servant and messenger and Jesus is His
servant and His word which He has thrown into Mary, and a spirit from Him,
and that Paradise is true and that Hell is true, Allah will admit him into
Paradise from any of its 8 gates he pleases.\" (Bukhari, Muslim)

Witnesses to Conversion
• The presence of witnesses is not a condition in the
taking of shahadah, yet the new Muslim should
proclaim Islam in front of Muslims to be recognized
as a member of the Muslim fraternity and to be
given their rights in full. It is also necessary that we
indicate in writing our conversion and that in case
of our death, the Islamic rulings will be followed in
burial and division of estate etc. that can be done
by leaving a notarized statement with one's lawyer
and the more documentation, the better.

Ghusl (Full Ablution)
Once the Shahadah has been pronounced the
new convert becomes subject to the rules of
Islam. If the new Muslim is an adult, male or
female, Ghusl is obligatory to enable the
person to perform his or her prayers.
Summary
Full ablution is not a condition for the conversion
bt agreement.
The ruling regarding it is controversial, the
opinion that is most consistent with the proofs
is that it is mandatory for adult converts.

Shaving the Head, Removing
Bodily Hair
It may be recommended for the new convert to shave his head (men only)
and to remove body hair from the armpits and the private parts (men and
women). It is reported that Abu Kulayb and another person came to the
Prophet to declare his Islam, and to one he told him to shave his hair, and
to another convert he said:
َ َ َ َ
ِ ‫َ ا ُ ََ ْ ِ و َ َ َ َ ل َ ْ أ ْ َ ْ ُ َ َ ل َ ُ ا‬ َِ َ َ ُ
ِ ‫َ ْ ُ َ ْ ِ ْ ِ آَ ْ ٍ َ ْ أ ِ ِ َ ْ َ ِ أ ُ َ ء إَ ا‬
ِ ْ ََ ُ ‫َ ا‬ ِ ‫َ ُ َن ا‬
‫أ‬ َ َ
ِ َ َ ْ ‫َ ا ُ ََ ْ ِ و َ َ أ ْ ِ َ ْ َ َ ْ َ ا ْ ُ ْ ِ َ ُ ل ا ِْ ْ. َ ل و أ‬
ُ َ َ
ْ ِ َ ْ ‫و َ َ َ ل ِ َ َ َ َ ُ أ ْ ِ َ ْ َ َ ْ َ ا ْ ُ ْ ِ َا‬
‫و‬ َ َ َ
\"Clean off the hair which grew while you were a disbeliever, and get
circumcised.\"(Reported by Abu Dawood and deemed sound by al-Albani)
Al-'Adheem Abaadi in 'Awn al-Ma'bood had indicated that the command
may have been because certain unbelievers had certain hairstyles, so
these were marks on disbelief. It is not unlikely, given that the prophet
didn't require that of every convert.

Prayers
After taking shahadah and shouting the usual takbeer (saying Allahu Akbar, which means God is
Great), which is not a prescribed sunnah for every conversion, yet it is a manifestation of
happiness, so it can not be condemned. But may be used judiciously and wisely, particularly
since it may scare some, even tough may be good for others.
Now brother knowledgeable or sister knowledgeable will step in to teach the new Muslim a few
things about Islam, and they agree to see one another before 'Asr. (They should have been
taught enough to pray jumu'ah) and they will go through the pillars and conditions of the prayer,
and if brother/sister new can absorb more, they will cover the mandatory acts of the prayer.
The question that always arises is, what do I have to say in Arabic and what can I say in my own
language.
The summary,
Quran must be recited in Arabic.
Until you know how, you may say dhikr
Takbeer must also be recited in Arabic according to the vast majority, if some one is completely
incapable, and then they may say it in a different language.
The routine dhikr in the prayer aside from the Quran and takbeer there is more controversy;
however it is very important that you learn as much as you can in Arabic to perfect your prayer,
since that is the most important deed in Islam after the pronouncement of shahadah.
Supplication (Du'a') may be said in any language. It is to be known that the supplications of the
Quran and those of our most beloved, the final messenger, Prophet Muhammad (May Allah
bless him and give him peace) are the most perfect and it is very recommended that we learn
them and say them in their exact wording.

Discussion,
Al-Fatihah
First, the Fatihah must be said in Arabic, and there is no controversy regarding this.
With regard to reading Quran, the majority say that it is not permissible to read it in any
language other than Arabic. The evidence for this is many proofs including this verse:
‫إ أ َ ْ َ ُ ُ ْ ً َ َ ِ ًّ َ ُ ْ َ ْ ُِ ن‬
َ َ ِ
“Verily, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’aan…” [Yoosuf 12:2]
Moreover, the Quran is a miracle in its wording and its meaning; if it is changed, this is
no longer the case, and it is no longer Quran but an interpretation (tafseer).
In the following ahadeeth, our most beloved, the final messenger, Prophet Muhammad
(May Allah bless him and give him peace) will tell us what to do until we learn al-
Fatihah
Abu Dawood from Rifaa’ah ibn Raafi’, who said that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) said: “When you get up to pray, if you know some Qur’aan,
recite it, otherwise say al-hamdu Lillaah (praise be to Allah), and La ilaaha ill-Allah
(there is no god but Allah), and Allahu akbar (Allah is Most Great).”
In another incident,
Abu Dawood reported that a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) and said: “I cannot learn anything of the Quran. Teach me something that
will suffice me.” He said, “Say Subhaan Allah wa’l-hamdu Lillaah wa Laa ilaaha ill-
Allah wa Allahu akbar wa Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah.” (Glory be to Allah;
praise be to Allah; there is no god but Allah; Allah is Most Great; and there is no
strength and no power except with Allah).
He should also recite as much as he needs to make it equivalent in length to Soorat al-
Faatihah.

Takbeer
The majority of fuqaha’ say that if the non-Arab can speak Arabic, he should
not recite Takbeer (saying “Allahu akbar (Allah is Most Great)”) in any other
language. The evidence for this is that the texts instruct this particular
wording, which is Arabic, and that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) did not do it any other way. But if a non-Arab cannot
speak Arabic and is unable to pronounce it, then according to the majority
of fuqaha’ it is OK for him to say the Takbeer in his own language after it
has been translated from Arabic, according to the statements of the
Shaafa’is and Hanbalis, no matter what the language is. The Takbeer is
remembrance or mentioning of Allah, and Allah can be remembered or
mentioned in every language, so a language other than Arabic is an
alternative, and the person has to learn how to say it in the other language.
Other adhkaar
There is some controversy as to whether all of the adhkaar of the prayer, such
as tashahhud, qunoot, du’aa’, and the tasbeehaat in rukoo’ and sujood may
be said in languages other than Arabic.
Supplication (du'a')
According to the majority, It is permissible to make du’aa’ in a language other
than Arabic, if one does not speak it.

The first night
Going back home, brother new found his girlfriend waiting for him (that is not saying
everybody will),
Now, what should he do if he had the knowledge?
He must not sleep in the same house. Why?
Because being in seclusion with a foreign woman is a sin, and it leads to the committing of the
major sin of fornication.
The Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
\"‫ن‬ ‫ا‬ ‫أة إ آ ن‬ ‫نر‬ ‫\"أ‬
\"When a man and a woman are alone together, the third person is Shaitaan.\" Reported by Abu
Dawood
What could be next for them?
A man and woman who have committed fornication with one another may not marry one another
unless they both repent.
Then, if they repent, the question remains as to whether it would be lawful for them to marry while
the woman is pregnant or still in her waiting period (`iddah).
The majority of the scholars would say no (because they believe the child is not his); however many
scholars would allow them to marry. No one would allow the fornicator to marry another person
during her period.
As for the duration of the waiting period (`iddah) for a woman who has fornicated, it is the duration
of one menstrual cycle, unless she is pregnant. In the case of pregnancy, the woman’s waiting
period comes to an end only upon delivery.

On a different track,
Sister new will go back home and find her husband.
Summary
It is the agreement of the vast majority of the scholars that a woman who converts to Islam will
have her marriage nullified from her non Muslim husband.
She will have to wait for three months or one menstrual period or until child birth if pregnant before
she can marry someone else.
If her husband converted during that time, their marriage is valid.
If he didn't, then she is free to marry whomever she pleases after the end of her period. That is
given she had her legal civil divorce.
Discussion,
If a non-Muslim woman married to a non-Muslim man converts to Islam, then her marriage contract
is invalid.
Allah says:
ٍ َ ِ َ َ َ َ َ ِ َ َ
‫)و َ ْ ِ ُ ا ا ْ ُ ْ ِآ ت َ ُ ْ ِ وَ َ َ ٌ ُ ْ ِ َ ٌ َ ْ ٌ ِ ْ ُ ْ ِآ ٍ وَ ْ أ ْ َ َ ْ ُ ْ و ُ ْ ِ ُ ا ا ْ ُ ْ ِآ َ َ ُ ْ ِ ُ ا وَ َ ْ ٌ ُ ْ ِ ٌ َ ْ ٌ ِ ْ ُ ْ ِك‬
(221:‫وَ ْ أ ْ َ َ ُ ْ ُوَ ِ َ َ ْ ُ ن إَ ا ر َا ُ َ ْ ُ إَ ا ْ َ ِ َا ْ َ ْ ِ َة ِ ِذْ ِ ِ و ُ َ ُ َ ِ ِ ِ س َ َ ُ ْ َ َ َآ ُون()ا ة‬
َ ِ َ ِ ‫و‬ ِ ‫ِو‬ َِ ‫أ‬ َ َ
Which means: “A man slave who believes is better than an unbeliever even though he may allure
you. Unbelievers do (but) beckon you to the Fire, but Allah beckons by His grace to the Garden
and forgiveness and makes His signs clear to mankind: that they may receive admonition”
[Sûrah al-Baqarah: 221]
*************

Hiding your Islam
Sister new Muslim teenager came back home and felt intimidated talking to
her parents. She prayed in her room and when she felt the footsteps of
her Dad are approaching her room, she interrupted her prayers and ran to
her bed, was it Ok for her to do that?
If she is afraid to tell her family about her Islam, she may do that.
The obligatory prayer may never be interrupted except in one of the
following conditions:
• Fear of being harmed by an enemy or a wild animal.
• Fear for one's wealth or property, such as if a person is praying and
someone comes who wants to take his property, or he fears that his
mount will run away.
• Stopping the prayer in order to save someone from a fire or from
drowning, or fear that a blind man may fall into a well.[i]
Can she combine the prayers? Yes. Can she skip prayers? No.
Yet, our most beloved, the final messenger, Prophet Muhammad (May
Allah bless him and give him peace) had accepted Islam from certain
people who said they wouldn't pray but two prayers, but he never gave
them his approval.

Day two 'Asr prayer
Sister new Muslim was approached by a nice Sister
Knowledgeable, who gave her a hijaab as a gift.
Was that Ok? Yes, since hijaab is one of the main obligations of Islam.
Is it not pushy? No, because she will not scorn her if she saw her the next day without it,
otherwise, it would be pushy.
Discussion,
Women must cover themselves completely in front of all men besides their husbands and
those who are non-marriageable-kin ( mahram) to them.
The husband is allowed to see every part of his wife.
Men who are non-marriageable-kin (mahram) to her may see her in her normal house dress and
she may uncover in front of them that which is customarily uncovered, such as the face,
hands, forearms, feet, and so on. However, if there is a danger of temptation with respect to
certain unscrupulous mahram relatives, then she must cover in front of them as if they were
strangers.
Allah said:
َ ً َ ََ َ َ َ َ ِ َ َ ‫و‬ َ
(ً ِ ‫) َ أ َ ا ِ ُ ْ ِ َزْ َا ِ َ و َ َ ِ َ و ِ َ ء ا ْ ُ ْ ِ ِ َ ُ ْ ِ َ ََ ْ ِ ِ ْ َ ِ ِ ِ ذِ َ أدْ َ أنْ ُ ْ َ ْ َ َ ُ ْذ ْ َ وآ ن ا ُ َ ُ را ر‬
(59:‫اب‬ ‫)ا‬
‘O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women that they should cast their
outer garments over their persons (when out of doors): that is most convenient, that they
should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-forgiving, most merciful’ [al-
Ahzaab/59], they immediately covered their heads so you see nothing but a black view.” Abu
Dawood.

Conditions of hijaab
It does not matter what style of dress you adopt. However, the clothing
must be:
Thick enough not to show the color of your skin.
Loose enough to completely conceal your form.
And not too attractive in themselves.
They must also be different from the clothes of men, and the clothes
particular for a certain religion aside from Islam.
Different cultures have different customs in this regard, and those
customs may be respected as long as the woman is properly
covered. If you are wearing wide pants and your shirt covers you
completely down to the bottom of your thighs, then this should be
sufficient.
What about covering the face and hands?

Brother new figured he would wear his best clothes to the
masjid and put on his nice tie, and when he arrived, and
after the prayer he was approached by brother Hassan who
told him, I like how you are diligent in observing the
congregational prayers, it is so unfortunate that many
Muslims don't observe them, even though they are
mandatory. And because I think you are strong I have an
advice for you if you didn't mind, I believe it is not
appropriate to wear a neck tie.
Is praying in congregation mandatory?
• The disagreement between the scholars on this issue is
huge and I am not in the caliber to settle it,
• yet I believe they are very emphasized but short of
mandatory.
• This is particularly true in the world of today and more
so in the west, where it would take up your entire day to
pray the five daily prayers in the masjid, and there is a
recognizable difference between someone who lives next to
the masjid and one who is far away.

Dress code, including neck ties.
The basic principle concerning garments is that they are
permissible,
Allah said:
\"‫\" ُ ْ َ ْ َ م ز َ َ ا ّ ِ ا ِ َ أ ْ َج ِ ِ َ د ِ وا ْ َ ت ِ َ ا زْق‬
ِ ِ َ ِ َ َ ِ َ
“Say (O Muhammad): Who has forbidden the adornment with
clothes given by Allah, which He has produced for His slaves,
and At-Tayyibaat [all kinds of Halal (lawful) things] of food?” [al-
A’raaf 7:32]
yet there are some guidelines, including:
• covering for men and women and
• the prohibition of wearing the clothes of the other sex or
• those particular for a certain religious group, and
• the prohibition of wearing silk for men.
• the prohibition of extravagance and seeking celebrity.

Discussion
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
forbade us to resemble the non Muslims in general –
\" ‫م‬ \"
“Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” Narrated by
Abu Dawood[i]
He also specifically forbade us to resemble them in
clothing. It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-
‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw him
wearing two garments dyed with safflower and he said to
him: “These are the garments of the unbelievers; do not
wear them.” Narrated by Muslim, 2077.
Yet, the garments of the unbelievers which the Muslims
are forbidden to wear are those which are worn
exclusively by the unbelievers
When imam Malik was asked about the burnus he allowed
it. The inquirer said to him it is worn by Christians. Malik
said it is worn here.[ii]

Wearing silk is forbidden for men, Abu Moosa (may
Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Gold and silk have been permitted for the females of
my ummah and forbidden for the males.”
The scholars allowed men to wear silk in certain
exceptional circumstances*
The scholars also allowed men to wear garments
containing four fingers’ width of silk, because of the
hadeeth of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be
pleased with him) who said that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade the
wearing of silk except for an area the width of two
fingers, or three or four.” (Reported by Muslim,
3/1644).

Brother Hassan then took him to the bazaar in the lobby of the Islamic center and
bought him a qamees and hat.
Is he wrong? No, because it is definitely permissible to wear them.
When would it be excessive? If he told him he must wear them.
What is the ruling regarding these? habits not the religious practices,
No one among the scholars said that covering the head is obligatory for men.
Some scholars have said that it is mustahab. They describe baring one’s head in front
of people as being one of the things that undermine man's status and character,
especially for scholar.
Yet, that is based on the culture. Al-Shaatibi (may Allah have mercy on him) divided
people’s customs into two categories:
1 – there is shar’i evidence as to whether it is good or bad. In this case refer to shari’a
2 – Things which are customary among people and there is no shar’i evidence to
prohibit it or enjoin it.
Such things are of two types:
(a) Established customs that do not change, such as the desire for food and drink.
(b) Customs that change, such as whether an action is regarded as good or bad,
which varies from one society to another.
Al-Shaatibi described this type by saying, “Such as uncovering the head, which varies
from one place to another; in the lands of the east (i.e. Egypt and lands to the east)
it is reprehensible for people of prominent status, and in the lands of the west (i.e.,
North Africa and Islamic Spain) it is not reprehensible. The shar’i ruling varies
accordingly; for people in the east it is to be regarded as undermining a man’s
status and character, whereas in the west it is not.[i]

And before Brother Hassan said good bye to him, he told him, I
am quiet sure the brothers must have already told you about
the beard.
Is it the right time? Probably not, soon he will ask, and then
you will tell him the truth.
What is the truth?
Shaving the beard is unlawful in Islam.
Abu Hurayrah related from the Prophet that he said:
\"‫س‬ ‫اا‬ ‫و‬ ‫\" ا ا ارب و أ ا ا‬
“Clip your moustaches and let your beards grow. Be different
than Magians.\" Muslim and similar by al-Bukhari.
It is the agreement of the madhahib that shaving the beard is
forbidden.
Ibn `Umar as reported by the al-Bukhari cut what ever hair
was showing of his beard after he held it with his fist. This was
approved by some Companions, Successors, and scholars.
Does it have to be the size of one's fist?

Sunday school for Muslim kids
Being so excited about this enormous transformation in his life brother new decided to
come to the Sunday school for muslim kids at the masjid. One of the kids noticed his
pony tail and made fun of it.
So, what is the deal with pony tails?
Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The hair of the Messenger of
Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came down between his ears and
his shoulders. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5565; Muslim, 2338.
It was narrated that Umm Haani’ (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger
of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to Makkah and he had four
braids. Narrated by al-Tirmidhi[i]
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This is to be understood as
referring to times when he was so preoccupied that he could not take care of his hair
for a long time, such as when traveling and the like.[ii]
Ibn Abdul-Barr went farther to say: Nowadays no one braids their hair except soldiers
who have long hair; people of righteousness, modesty and knowledge have turned
away from this custom, until that has become one of their distinguishing features.
Nowadays long hair has virtually become the characteristic of the foolish. It was
narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever
imitates a people is one of them – or will be gathered with them (on the Day of
Resurrection).” Al-Tamheed, 6/80
Yet, I believe, that this is something that should never be condemned or advised, I would
certainly discourage my close brothers against it.

Another kid notices his tattoo,
and tells his teacher on him. They notice that and ask the teacher about
tattoos and whether they are haram.
The teacher tells him they are. And he asks him, by the way, it is important for
Muslim males to have circumcision.
Was it the right time?
No, it is not. Why? Because we said we will sail with him slowly to safety and
an overdose of instructions may be overwhelming mentally and
emotionally.
Discussion,
Tattooing is haraam in all forms, because it involves changing the creation of
Allah,
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) cursed the one who
does tattoos and the one for whom that is done. ‘Abd-Allah ibn Mas’ood
(may Allah be pleased with him) said: “May Allah curse the women who do
tattoos and those for whom tattoos are done, those who pluck their
eyebrows and those who file their teeth for the purpose of beautification
and alter the creation of Allah.” Agreed upon.

Circumcision
The male convert should be circumcised, given it is
medically safe, as this is part of the natural manners of
purification recommended in Islam.
Our most beloved, the final messenger, Prophet
Muhammad (May Allah bless him and give him peace)
said:
َ
َ َ ‫َ ا ُ ََ ْ ِ و‬ َِ
ِ ‫َ ْ ُ َ ْ ِ ْ ِ آَ ْ ٍ َ ْ أ ِ ِ َ ْ َ ِ أ ُ َ ء إ َ ا‬
َ َ ُ
ُ َ َ
‫َ ا ُ ََ ْ ِ و َ َ أ ْ ِ َ ْ َ َ ْ َ ا ْ ُ ْ ِ َ ُ ل‬ ِ ‫َ َ ل َ ْ أ َْ ْ ُ َ َ ل َ ُ ا‬
َ َ َ
ِ ْ ‫َ ا ُ ََ ْ ِ و َ َ َ ل ِ َ َ َ َ ُ أ‬
َ َ َ ِ ‫َ ُ َن ا‬
‫أ‬ ِ َ َ ْ ‫ا ْ ِ ْ. َ ل و أ‬
َ َ
ْ ِ َ ْ ‫َ ْ َ َ ْ َ ا ْ ُ ْ ِ َا‬
‫و‬
\"Clean off the hair which grew while you were a
disbeliever, and get circumcised.\"(Reported by Abu
Dawood and deemed sound by al-Albani)

Sister new was on the other side of the masjid in the
wash rooms of sisters and was trying to make wudu',
that is when sister knowledgeable saw her and noticed
that she has nail polish. sister knowledgeable said to
her I like your nail polish, it is Ok to wear it for the
husband, but you will need to remove it before you
make any ritual ablution because it obstructs the water
from getting to the nail.
It is permissible for a woman to color her nails for the
purpose of adornment, with materials that do not
cause harm, and there is nothing wrong with her
praying with that, unless it is a substance that
prevents water from reaching what is beneath it, in
which case wudoo’ and ghusl are not valid unless it is
removed. If the wudoo’ is not valid then the prayer is
not valid. It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah,
5/218:

On Sunday night,
Brother new comes back to the same masjid and chats with one
of the fellows about his eventful weekend and how tired he is
and moreover he has to go back to work early in the am at 6
because they work in a deli, the brother/sister asks whether
they sell pork and/or beer, and they say yes!
Was it the right time?
No, I think that the weekend was full enough of dos and donts
that it would have been nice to give him a break.
Now, since it happened, what should he do?
First, The haraam jobs would include
Criminal professions or those requiring the committing of sins
Unlawful transactions are usually unlawful because they involve
one of the following injustice which includes deception, undue
risk taking or usury
Selling or buying of haram products
Helping others upon haraam and injustice

It is beyond the scope of today's lecture to address in details
the unlawful jobs, but as a principal
You must desist from criminal activities
If you need your job for survival, and it doesn't entail criminal
activity (the necessity that would allow such activities is very
limited, and it would be acceptable by all people, like the
case during the hurricane)
Now, if your job is not criminal in nature, but still sinful,
you may talk to the local scholar and discuss your individual
case with them and put them in the picture and see what
they tell you.
The money earned from haraam sources:
1-Your money from before Islam is yours
2-Your money after Islam and before knowing is yours
3-Your money after Islam and before repenting is
controversial.

Monday,
Brother new went to work and found a few female colleagues, and
as usual one of them approached him to give him the morning
message that he is used to. Now what,
Let us address some of the principals of interactions between men and
women in Islam:
It is permissible for men and women to speak to each other if there is a
legitimate reason for their doing so and temptation is avoided.
Women used to come the Prophet (peace be upon him) and talk to him
in the presence of the Companions, and he had never refused to
speak with them.
Allah says:
َ ْ ُ ‫) َ ِ َ ء ا ِ َ ُْ آَ َ ٍ ِ َ ا َ ء إن ا َ ُْ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ ِ ْ َ ْل َ َ ْ َ َ ا ِي ِ َ ْ ِ ِ َ َ ٌ و‬
َ ‫ض‬ ِ ِِِ َ َ
(32:‫اب‬ ‫َ ْ ً َ ْ ُو ً( )ا‬
“O wives of the Prophet! you are not like any other of the women; If
you will be on your guard, then be not soft in (your) speech, lest he
in whose heart is a disease yearn; and speak a good word.” [al-
Ahzâb: 32]

Men and women should never be in seclusion alone
Men and women should limit their interactions with the opposite
sex to needed ones, and they may socialize with the same
sex.
The proof on this position is numerous verses and ahadeeth
including
َ ِ ٌ ِ َ َ ‫) ُ ْ ِ ْ ُ ْ ِ ِ َ َ ُ ا ِ ْ أ ْ َ ره ْ و َ ْ َ ُ ا ُ ُو َ ُ ْ ذِ َ أزْآ َ ُ ْ ِن ا‬
‫إ‬ َ َ َ َ ِِ َ
(30:‫َ ْ َ ُ ن( )ا ر‬
َ
Allah says in the Quran: “Tell the believing men and women to
lower their gaze and protect their chastity, for that is bound to
render them purer. Allah is aware of all that they do.”(An-
Nurr: 30)
Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet (May peace and blessings
be upon him) said: \"\"The best of the men's rows is the first
and the worst is the last, and the best of the women's rows is
the last and the worst in the first. \"Narrated by Muslim. Al-
Qurtubi, in al-Mufhim and an-Nawawi, in Sharh Saheeh
Muslim, said, regarding this hadeeth, that this is due to the
closeness of the women's first row to men and vice versa.

Our beloved Prophet said: (Muslim from Usama)
“‫ا ل ا ء‬ ‫يأ‬ ‫آ‬ ”
\"I have not left behind me a temptation for men more
harmful than that of women\" reported by Muslim from
Usamah ibn Zaid.
For those who believe in science, the BBC reported that
a group of researchers at the University of Chicago
found that Male sex hormone easily triggered. I find the
report quite interesting so I will quote some of it here,
and the rest in the footnotes: \"Scientists have proved
that even the most seemingly innocent chat with a
woman can be enough to send male sex hormones
soaring.\"[i]

But now he didn't get the message and he had earlier broken up with his girlfriend,
now what
He is at home tired after a long day of work, so happy to be Muslim, but feels a
great need for a companion.
We would recommend marriage, but when his life gets back on track and he gets
confirmed in his new path and feels stable.
One of the main objectives of marriage in Islam is for the husband and wife to satisfy
their natural desires in a lawful way. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “O
young people, whoever can afford it let him marry, as it will help him to lower his
gaze and protect his chastity.” Agreed upon.
If you can't afford having kids, you have the right to use birth control if both of you
agree. Jabir said: “We used to practice coitus interrupts while the Qur’ân was still
being send down.” Reported by al-Bukhari.
until he gets married, can he masturbate?
The ruling on masturbation is a matter of disagreement. Some scholars say it is
lawful, others say it is not preferred, while a third group of scholars says that it is
unlawful.
The most likely of these opinions - and Allah knows best - is that masturbation is
something that is not preferred. In case of a dire need, it becomes lawful, but
resorting to it excessively can result in serious problems.

By the next weekend, his/her family members all knew about
what is happening to their deer son or daughter. How are
they going to handle them?
Allah says:
َ ْ ‫)وإنْ َ ه َاك ََ أنْ ُ ْ ِك ِ َ َ ْ َ َ َ ِ ِ ِ ْ ٌ َ ُ ِ ْ ُ َ و َ ِ ْ ُ َ ِ ا‬
َ َ َ َ َ َِ
(‫َ ْ ُو ً َا ِ ْ َ ِ َ َ ْ أ َ ب إَ ُ إَ َ ْ ِ ُ ُ ْ َُ َ ُ ُ ْ ِ َ آ ْ ُ ْ َ ْ َُ ن‬
َ ُ ِ َِ َ ‫و‬
(15:‫) ن‬
Which means: \"But if they strive to make thee join in worship
with Me things of which thou hast no knowledge, obey
them not; yet bear them company in this life with justice
(and consideration), and follow the way of those who turn
to me (in love): in the end the return of you all is to Me, and
I will tell you the truth (and meaning) of all that ye did.\"
Our most beloved, the final messenger, Prophet Muhammad
(May Allah bless him and give him peace) said: (al-
Bukhari)
\"‫ا م‬ ‫\"ا‬
\"The maternal aunt is like the mother\"

Weekend three
Next weekend sister new came to the masjid, and sat down next to sister x
who asked her what is your name? And she said Jessica. She then said, I
meant what is your Muslim name?
Was it right to ask that question?
What about names?
It is preferable for a Muslim to give his child a name that has a good
meaning and expresses that child’s Islamic identity.
It is not unlawful to give a child a non-Arabic name. Many Muslims give
their children Persian or Turkish names and there is nothing wrong with
this.
It is forbidden, however, to give a child a name with the express
intention of imitating or identifying with the unbelievers or if the name
has a bad meaning or it is particular for a certain religion, such as
Christian and Christina.
If his name conveys a bad meaning, he should change it even if it is an
Arabic name. The Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace)
changed the names of some of his Companions who had bad names,
even though those names were in Arabic.
Otherwise, a new Muslim may change his name only if he wishes to. It
is unlawful however to change the family name.

Next brother new brought his kids along to the masjid,
Upon more discussion with brother x, he told him that these are
not his kids anymore and he must give them up. Why, the
new Muslim asks? Because they were born out of the
wedlock, brother X replies.
Now is that right? Yes and no.
The summary
A new Muslim will keep his kids and not give them up since
many kids were born out of the wedlock before Islam and the
prophet didn't separate between those kids and their fathers.
If a Muslim had a child out of the wedlock with a woman who
is not married he may claim this child and raise it without
telling people it was born out of the wedlock, that is called
istelhaaq, (claiming the paternity of a child who doesn't have a
father) and it is accepted in the Islamic court in all madhahib
with different coditions, that is given he will not say it was out
of the wedlock.
What if he said it was to a judge in an Islamic court, and the
woman is unmarried, here it gets to be controversial with the
majority of scholars saying it wouldn't be his child, but this is
not the case of the new Muslim anyway.

Weekend four Sister/brother new invited sister x
and sister knowledgeable to her home
and offered them some candy and sister x
started to read the ingredients,
And she found that it had monoglycerides or
vanilla or something else, and she told her
sisters you must watch for these things,
and I have a good book on all haram and
halal ingredients. Now sister new has one
more book to read.

Summary
This applies to new and old Muslim; Islam is a religion of ease. Haram food is clearly
haram and no one needs a PhD in biochemistry to figure out what is halal to eat and
what is not.
There is some disagreement regarding this issue between the different madhahib,
and all draw from the guidance of our most beloved, the final messenger, Prophet
Muhammad (May Allah bless him and give him peace); I will simply state what I
believe is correct.
Pork and liquor (which is not chocolate liquor by the way) are forbidden by
consensus. As well as animals with eye teeth and birds with claws (according
to the majority) Lard is haram, but no one uses it anymore, thank God; gelatin is to
be avoided as much as possible unless it is in a medicine that doesn't have
alternatives; the other ingredients are either Ok in origin, or even if not, they were
transformed, and the stronger of the two opinions about transformation is that it
makes the impure pure, and sometimes they are in negligible amounts that wouldn't
have much effect on the final product.
The sin that a person may receive from forbidding good and pure food is equivalent
to the sin he gets if he legalizes forbidden food.
These days, there are numerous foods, drinks, medicines and other products,
which are suspicious and could be included in the instruction of our Prophet
(peace be upon him) when he said: “Whoever avoids suspicious matters keeps
himself pure from things which could affect his religion and his behavior, and
whoever falls into doubtful matters, invariably falls in forbidden things, just like a
shepherd who pastures his sheep near private ground will invariably have his sheep
stray into it.”

Discussion,
Allah says:
َ ِ ‫)ا ْ َ ْم أ ِ َ ُ ُ ا َ ت و َ َ م ا ِ َ ُو ُ ا ا ْ ِ َ ب ِ َ ُ ْ و َ َ ُ ُ ْ ِ َ ُ ْ َا ْ ُ ْ َ َ ت‬
ُ ‫و‬ َ َ ‫أ‬ ُ َ ُ َُ
(5 ‫ا ْ ُ ْ ِ َ ت َا ْ ُ ْ َ َ ت ِ َ ا ِ َ ُو ُ ا ا ْ ِ َ ب ِ ْ َ ِْ ُ ْ()ا ة: ا‬
َ ‫أ‬ ُ ‫ِو‬
“This day are (all) things good and pure made lawful unto you
.The food of the People of the Book is lawful unto you and
yours is lawful unto them”
and says:
ُ َ ‫) ُ َ ْ ََ ْ ُ ُ ا ْ َ ْ َ ُ َا م وَ ْ ُ ا ْ ِ ْ ِ ِ و َ أه ِ َ ْ ِ ا ِ ِ ِ َا ْ ُ ْ َ ِ َ ُ َا ْ َ ْ ُ ذة َا ْ ُ َ َد‬
‫َُ و‬ ‫و‬ ‫و‬ ُِ َ َ ُ ‫و‬
ْ ُ ِ‫َا ِ َ ُ و َ أآ َ ا ُ ُ إ َ َآ ْ ُ ْ و َ ذ ِ َ ََ ا ُ ِ وأنْ َ ْ َ ْ ِ ُ ا ِ َْزْ م ذ‬
َ ِ ََ ُ َ ‫ذ‬ ِ ََ َ ‫و‬
(3 ‫ِ ْ ٌ()ا ة: ا‬
“Forbidden to you (for food) are : dead meat, blood, the flesh of
swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other
than Allah, that which hath been killed by strangling, or by a
violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being gored to death;
that which hath been (partly) eaten by a wild animal; unless you
are able to slaughter it (in due form), that which is sacrificed on
stone altars...”

A few concepts necessary to understand the issues pertaining to
food.
• Transformation
Renders the impure pure according to the majority.
• Obliteration by submersion.
It is well known in the Islamic law that impurity can be
eliminated by adding more quantities or by it becoming
obliterated or submerged. The Prophet (peace be upon him)
made reference to this concept when he said: “Water will not
become impure unless the impurity changes its smell, its taste
or its color.” Even though there is weakness in the transmission
of this hadeeth, its meaning is true and a matter of scholarly
consensus.
• Insignificant amounts are disregarded.

Now some examples of the controversial matters:
Jallalah (Animals fed animal products) is a matter of
disagreement among the scholars.
Some scholars consider the flesh of such animals and their
milk to be unlawful for human consumption if the majority of
their fodder is impure. According to this opinion, if more than
50% of an animal’s fodder is from dead meat, blood, or other
impure substances, then its meat and milk are prohibited. If
50% or less of its feed comes from impure substances, then
its meat and milk will be lawful.
Other scholars hold the view that the meat and milk of such
animals will not be prohibited unless the impurity noticeably
affects the taste or smell of the animal’s meat or its milk.
I prefer the second opinion. If there is any bad taste or smell
in the meat or the milk, or if consuming it may cause any
kind of sickness, then it is prohibited. Otherwise, its meat
and milk are permissible because the impurity that the
animal had eaten has been transformed into something else.

• Cheese made with rennet extracted from animals that were illegally
slaughtered was deemed permissible by Imam Ahmad, as stipulated in
al-Mughnî (1/3). Muslims used to eat the cheese brought from the
Magians and other unbelievers.
However, The people of knowledge have two opinions:
That of the majority is that such rennet is impure[i]. They believed the
rennet is impure because it comes from an impure source, the stomach
of the illegally slaughtered animal. They say it is a liquid material that
touched an impure substance and thus becomes impure. Imam al-
Nawawî said: \"It is part of the animal so it is impure, like all the other
parts of the animal.\"
The other saying is that it is pure. This is the opinion of some of the
Companions and successors, `Umar, Salmân al-Fârisî, Talhâ, al-Husayn
b. `Ali and others. It is also the opinion of the Hanafî school of thought,
one narration from Ahmad, and the opinion of Ibn Taymiyyah,[ii] for more
on this see the footnote[iii]

• Animals slaughtered by Christians and Jews are
lawful for Muslims to eat. This is not contingent on
their firmness on their religion, because the the
Jews and Christians who lived in the time of our
Prophet’s (peace be upon him) had already altered
their teachings and deviated from their religion. In
spite of this, Allah says: “The food of the People of
the Book is lawful unto you and yours is lawful unto
them” [Surah al-Ma’idah: 5]
Therefore, the meat they sell in their supermarkets
and restaurants is lawful, provided they slaughter
their meat properly, and do not use alternative
methods like electrocution or suffocation to kill the
animal.

They went to sit in the family room and
found a TV
The ruling for watching television depends upon what is
being viewed.
Music
The majority of Muslim scholars prohibit music and
musical instruments. It is mentioned in Saheeh al-
Bukhari that Abu Malik al-Ash`ari said: “I heard the
Prophet (peace be upon him) say: “There will be a group
of my people who will legalize for themselves adultery,
pure silk, intoxicants, and stringed instruments.\"
The exception to this ruling is the duff, a tambourine
without bells, and what is like it.

Figures
The ruling regarding image making:
Drawing pictures by hand of people and animals is unlawful. This is
indicated by clear and unambiguous textual evidence. Ibn `Abbâs relates
that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
(‫أ ا‬ ‫ا وح ، و‬ ‫ر رة ن ا‬ )
“Whoever makes an image in this world, Allah will torment him until he breathes
life into it on the Day of Resurrection, but he will not be able to do it.” Agreed
upon.
He also said: \"the people most tormented on the day of judgment are the
figure/image makers\"
Making statues of animals and people is the most unlawful aspect of image
making, and it deserves the severest punishment from Allah.
Drawing pictures comes second.
However, the following cases are exempted from this ruling:
1. Images used by children for playing and for learning are lawful. `Aishah
said: “I used to play with dolls in front of the Prophet (Peace be upon him)
with my friends …” agreed upon. Drawing for educational reasons is under
this category.
2. Photography does not come under the category of forbidden image
making^^^^^^,
3. Taxidermies are Lawful as per ibn jibreen and others.

On their way out they found a dog's
house
The Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade
keeping dogs as well as selling and buying
them.
Dogs may be had for hunting, guarding,
farming and needs similar in importance
and may not be attained by the use of
other animals.

A few months later,
Their father is bed bound and embarked on writing
his will, they tell brother x, who says, you can't get a
penny of your father's money.
It is true that a Muslim does not inherit from an
unbeliever. Usamah b. Zayd related that the Prophet
(May Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“ ‫ا‬ ‫و ا‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ثا‬ ”
“The Muslim does not inherit from the unbeliever and
the unbeliever does not inherit from the Muslim.\"
agreed upon.
However, in the west there is usually a written will.
Therefore, therefore brother/sister new are entitled up
to one third of the estate unless the other heirs agree
to give him more, then he may take more.

First Ramadan
• The first Ramadan is here, and sister x is excited to
partake in this great pillar of Islam.
• Usually fasting is not too difficult.
• When they come for the night prayers, and the imam
recites half to one part of the Quran’s 30 parts, many
get overwhelmed, particularly since they don’t
understand the language. In my view, the solution is
to hold a translated copy of the Quran and glance at
the meanings in english without uttering them.
• Also standing for more than one hour may be tough
on some, who should then sit down if that will help
them contemplate what is said and enjoy their
prayers.

It is December now, and all family members, who are
already stunned by the changes in brother new's life are celebrating
Christmas.
Summary
it is unlawful to celebrate any public recurring feasts aside from the two Islamic feasts we have, whether they
are religious or national or universal such as mother's day.
The Islamic feasts have great meanings that are being celebrated. For instance eid al-Fitr is a celebration of
success in the test of submission through Ramadan and eid al-Adha is commemorating Ibraheem's example
of sacrifice. Many of the other holidays have unwholesome concepts or may be days revered by some and
reviled by others.
You have to do your best in being kind to family members around those times to soften the blow of having
converted and that of not celebrating Christmas for the first time in your life
You will need to make it clear that you are now Muslim and Christmas is not your feast; that will help bring the
new reality into perspective, and if you do it wisely and kindly, I hope it will not bring about too much
negativity.
If everybody will be coming home on this day, and you will not see your aunt who came from florida to
Wisconsin particularly for the 24th and 25th and will be going back early on the 26th, then you may go visit
your relatives, but avoid the times of celebration; you may keep yourself busy cleaning the kitchen for your
mother and/or shoveling the snow.
Mother's day is a recurring public feast, thus you may not celebrate it, yet you should shower your mother with
gifts and the best gift is that of kindness and attention, and do that particularly before and after that day.
Your mother's own birthday or wedding anniversary is a personal event, and many Muslim scholars don't feel
there is a problem with such celebrations except that they were imported from the west, but it is probably Ok
to share your parents their joy on such days, thus making up some for the other days that you can't celebrate
at all. It is only the recurring public occasions that have the same qualities as 'eid al-fitr and al-adha, thus
these are the only prohibited ones.
The prohibition of public recurrent feasts is evidenced by the hadeeth where the Prophet (May Allah bless him
and give him peace) arrived at Madinah and found that they had two festive days wherein they would play
and enjoy themselves. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Allah – Most Blessed and High – has
replaced them with what is better: 'eid al-Fitr and 'eid al-Adhâ.” Reported authentically by Abu Dawood.

Now the sister is getting married to a Muslim man.
What should she do in choosing?
Please look for commonalities.
What does she need to know about her rights?
She must be taught about the prenuptial agreements and which of them are valid
The principal is:
If the guardian of the woman stipulates a condition in the marriage contract that will not make void
the main tenets and objectives of marriage, then that condition must be respected.
E.g.
• If the woman puts a condition to have the right to divorce, then that is permissible and she
will have the right to divorce only one time, even though it is not recommended;
besides, even without this Islam gave men and women both a way out of a very sour
marriage, that is divorce for men and for women khul' (separation initiated by a woman who
agrees to return to the man his wedding gift).
• She may also stipulate a certain share in their future savings,
• or that he doesn't take her away from her hometown;
• or that her husband may not marry another woman.
Such conditions must be made before the marriage contract or while executing it.
If the man violates these conditions, then the woman will have the right to terminate the
marriage contract.
In the usual conditions, it is best to have no conditions, unless there is fear on the part of the
woman from something.

On the day of marriage
• It is essential to have a guardian
Our Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him
peace) said: “Any woman married without the
consent of her guardian, then her marriage contract
is void, and the ruler is the guardian for a woman
who has no guardian.” Reported by Abu Dawood
and others
• The Guardian must be Muslim^^^^^
In the absence of an Islamic judge, preference
will be given to whoever is in some position to act in
such a capacity, like the local Muslim leader or the
head of the nearest Islamic center. In the absence of
even that, she can appoint someone to act as her
guardian.

• What should she we do with her father?
Since the issue of guardianship is not familiar to non Muslims,
hopefully, there won't be any resentment on his part, and he
may be included in the process in a way that will be kind and
leasing to him.
If he conducted the marriage as his daughter's attorney,
Ibn Taymiyah says: A non-Muslim cannot conduct a marriage
on behalf of a Muslim woman; neither in the capacity of being
her guardian nor in the capacity of being her guardian’s
appointed representative. However, it does not appear that
such a contract will be invalid, since there is no specific
evidence in Islamic Law to indicate its invalidity. [al-Ikhtiyarat
(206)]
Therefore, if a Muslim woman’s guardian is a non-Muslim
and he marries her to a Muslim man, then the contract will be
legally valid.
• After marriage, what do they need to do?
” ‫ر‬ ‫، إن آ‬ ‫آ‬ ”
“A believing man should never hate a believing woman;
Whenever he dislikes one of her qualities he likes others”
Saheeh al-Jame’, from Abu Hurairah.