Im an 18 year old muslim girl.I have been wearing hijab from the age of 12.I understand the reason behind the obligation of hijab and i respect it but I never liked it.I have really beautiful hair and i would love to show it.My intention is not to attract male attention.I just want to look good and feel confident.My parents have alway sent me to the best of schools and in both my high schools i was the only or one of the two girls wearing hijab..I have been accepted into a reputed college and im leaving nhome next month and i feel i ll be the only hijabi there..I just want to live without the head veil for some time but i have been controlling this temptation for a while..Im also a very good orator and i dont like going on stage with the head veil.I just dont feel beautiful with the head veil..I need your help..i feel like giving up the head veil.How to stop myself from doing this?

My du’a’ for you that Allah strengthen your heart and soul until eternity.

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW IF IN- VITRO FERTILIZATION AND USING A SORROGATE MOTHER IS ALLOWED IN ISLAM. I HAVE A FRIEND WHO’S UTERUS HAD BEEN REMOVED BUT SHE STILL HAS HER OVARIES THEREBY SHE’S STILL OVULATING. SHE WANTS TO KNOW IF SHE AND HER HUSBAND CAN DO IVF AND USE A SORROGATE MOTHER IN ORDER TO HAVE A CHILD. SINCE SHE NO LONGER HAVE HER UTERUS SHE CANNOT HAVE A BABY IN A NATURAL WAY. JAZAKALLAHUKHEIRAN.

Your question is extremely important. As you know, the Juristic opinion I am about to summarize for you on this issue is not mine.  The authority to use here is The Islamic International Fiqh Council which has issued the verdict on in-vitro firtilization, so did the  leading scholar of the Ummah  Dr. al-Qaradawi, from among the highest ranking scholars.  The only form of in-vitro allowed is between husband and wife to facilitate pregnancy. The other form you are explaining is when both husband and wife agree to place the wife’s egg fertilized by the husband’s sperm in another woman’s uterus.  Al-Qaradawi has explained on several occasions that this form is prohibited in Islam, as did the Fiqh Council. However, he did not prohibit the transplant of a uterus. Meaning that in Shari’ah there are alternatives for pregnancy in this case when a wife is unable to have children because of the uterus’s mal-function. The scenario of using another woman’s uterus will cause confusion in lineage, and this violates one of the main objectives of Shari’ah which is protecting lineage. One question is what if the carrier has a husband and a normal intimate relation with him, whose baby will it be, the man who fertilized his wife’s egg or the husband of the carrying mother? Another consequence is having two mothers, one providing the egg and another carrying for nine months with travail upon travail, and delivering the baby.  To rule out this confusion, Shari’ah acknowledges only the mother carrying and delivering the baby. As you know, surrogacy is widespread in the west and has become a trade. And because Islam respects the human body, Shari’ah has made it clear that any form of trade with body parts is prohibited. With all this evidence at hand, the only way out is to seek a uterus transplant if possible. Islam has allowed organ transplant with certain restrictive norms to insure medical and juristic ethical standards are maintained.

Recently, ‘Alamah Yusuf al-Qaradawi has issued another verdict.  In Fatawa Mu’asirah (Contemporary Juristic Verdicts), he has put restrictive norms for the husband and wife needing to place the fertilized egg in another woman’s womb.  The restrictive norm is that the woman should be a thayyib or one that has been married before and without a husband. A virgin cannot be a surrogate mother. Al-Qaradawi has gone through extensive detail explaining the harms of going through the process legally as we cannot treat surrogacy as a deal with a written contract as in financial transactions. Legal complications with surrogate mothers are well known to the western public. The source of this Fatwa or Juristic Verdict is: (فتاوى معاصرة (بيروت: المكتب الإسلامي، 2000) الجزء الأول، ص 608، 609
If you need to read it in detail.

I would like to provide a final note on the issue of surrogacy.  The overriding, majority opinion of scholars is prohibition of this practice altogether. Al-Qaradawi’s opinion is unique in this respect and if one adopts it, one must be extremely  cautious with all the restrictive norms that he proposed that go along with his opinion. The Grand Mufti of Egypt prohibited the practice and other scholars have explained other consequences that conflict with Shari’ah. If a woman is used to becoming pregnant with others’ fertilized eggs, and it happens that she gives birth to someone who in the future marries another born from the same surrogate mother without knowing, this will be a prohibited marriage between a brother and a sister. Because the International Islamic Council has prohibited the practice of surrogacy, this is the opinion one would feel safer following. It is the majority opinion. I hope this explanation is detailed enough to settle the issue and help the lady asking the question.

]]> http://www.muslimahsource.org/new-from-our-experts/approaching-a-guy-about-marriage/feed/ 17 http://www.muslimahsource.org/new-from-our-experts/losing-my-faith/ http://www.muslimahsource.org/new-from-our-experts/losing-my-faith/#comments Mon, 05 Oct 2009 01:06:25 +0000 Muslimah Source http://www.muslimahsource.org/?p=1251 I am a revert and practice Islam for more than 3 years now, I am now losing my faith because I found out that nearly all miracles of Quran were actually known 1000 years earlier by Greeks and that was why I convert to Islam in the first place. Now i wonder if it was from real (starghfallah) Allaah. I am sooo confused, please help me! really give me faith again. Please.

Without going into what the Greeks knew and predicted 1000 years before Islam and how right or wrong they were, I like to ask you a question:

If you have been practicing Islam for over three years now, has it brought any change in your life; has it made you a better person, a better wife, a better mother, a better daughter, a better sister, and a better neighbor; has it brought you inner peace and contentment better than the Greeks; has it made you contemplate upon the purpose of your life here and the life hereafter? If your answer to all these questions is a flat ‘NO’, and you believe that you could have gained all of these things being a Greek or whatever else, then most certainly you can go back to whatever you were before coming to Islam.

But, if your answer is a definite ‘YES’, then know that Islam is not about predicting future. Many other religions, fortune-tellers, magicians, palmists, etc., predict the future, most of the time wrong and sometimes even correctly. You can choose to follow any of them whoever appears more convincing to you about predicting the future of your life and future of this world.

I sincerely pray that you will ponder upon what I said. May Allah (swt) protect your Iman and grant you the true understanding of what Islam is all about. Ameen.

Answered by Dr. Mohammed Sadiq

Wa Alaikum Salaam, Sister:

I hope and pray that you are well, Insha Allah.

Wife abuse often occurs in situations where a man is otherwise incapable of maintaining his leadership and control of his family effectively. Such men are often highly anxious, have a low self-image and self-confidence. Anger and violence is their way of feeling strong and in-control. They also tend to be quite dependent and parasitic. They need help, but often won’t accept it unless they are forced into, often by the law, or when they truly fear losing their family.

If the husband is not willing to seek counseling, then the wife needs some counseling and guidance for emotional support and to look at the alternatives and how to pursue them in a healthy way. Often, the wives stick it out for the sake of children, or for the sake of family’s honor, and for many other reasons; and therefore continue to suffer. But, there are other ways to deal with these types of situation, and more healthy ways of dealing with them.

Hope this helps, Insha Allah. I pray for your health and well being. Insha Allah Khair.

Answered by Dr. Mohammed Sadiq

To answer this question, I would like to go to the basis of our imaan. Indeed, all acts are according to intention. For the true believer, deeds must be geared towards Allah. If careers are geared towards this dunya, they are either for a status in life or for accumulating money and wealth, or for both. If they are for Allah, they can be for the service of Islam and also will be a source of living. Most careers that are directed to serve the deen do not pay that much, unless one chooses med school for example and becomes a doctor, dealing with the human body as a miracle from Allah and teaching people the faith by explaining it. Not to say that serving humanity by curing diseases is not within the service of Islam. But some careers serve it directly and others indirectly. Journalists, graphic designers, teachers, psychiatrists, lawyers and others can all direct their attention to serve Islam and Muslims in different ways. Since our image as Muslims needs constant work and explanation, Muslim media specialists will be the busiest showing the true nature and beliefs of Islam. I am certain that all other specialists will find avenues to express their Islamic personality and serve the Ummah in the most brilliant way.

Answered by Dr. Rasha al-Disuqi