Traditional Practices and Islam

Q. Could you please explain whether the following
traditions are legitimate from the Islamic point of view:
1) Tying a black thread around the arm of a baby or a young
child, and reading the Qur’anic verse known as Ayat
Al-Kursi and the opening surah of the Qur’an, to protect
the child from harm; 2) Visiting the graves of relatives
and placing a wreath of flowers on the grave. May I also
ask if it is correct to maintain a practice simply because
local traditions claim that it is Islamic?

A. The first practice is similar to wearing a charm,
talisman or amulet. All this is forbidden in Islam and
ensures that the desired result is not achieved. The
Prophet (peace be upon him) cursed people who wear such
articles and prayed that God would not grant them their
purpose.The same applies to what you describe. It is far
better to read the surah and the verse to the child and
pray to God to protect that child. This is the proper way.
Wearing something and thinking that it would ensure
protection or bring good luck is not the right way. It is
false indeed. The second practice is acceptable. In fact,
visiting graveyards is recommended as a means to remind
ourselves of death and the Day of Judgment. Placing some
tree branches or flowers on a grave is also correct, as the
Prophet did it.

When we do something of a religious nature that has become
a tradition we need to inquire about its origin, the way it
is done and its compatibility with Islamic teachings. God
has condemned those who defend their practices by stating
that they only inherited such practices. This is not
acceptable, even if the intention is correct.

Missed Prayer and Advance Zakah.

Q.1. When we offer Sunnah prayers,do they compensate for
our missed obligatory prayers? If not,do we have to pray
our missed prayers alongside our regular prayers?

Q.2. A man who had a stroke could not buy his medicine
because of his poverty. His brother bought the medication
for him and set it off against the zakah that is bound to
be due from him next Ramadan. Is this acceptable?

A.1. No, offering voluntary or Sunnah, prayers does not
compensate for obligatory ones that one had missed earlier.
The two are unrelated. However, voluntary prayers are
rewarded handsomely by God. If a person had missed prayers
in the past, he/she should repent of this sin, making a
clear resolve that he/she would not neglect their prayers
in the future. If their repentance is genuine and their
resolve is confirmed, then God may, if He so wills, forgive
them their earlier negligence.

A.2. Since a man is not duty bound to support his poor
brother,then he may give him his zakah when it is due. In
this case, he should give him the money so that he could
arrange for the medicine to be bought. If the sick brother
is not in a position to act for himself,then it could be
done on his behalf.

Having said that,I should explain that the well-off brother
could earn greater reward from God,if he bought his
brother’s medicine,and then paid his zakah to his brother,
when it became due,or in advance. Kindness to anyone is
rewarded by God,and kindness to a close relative earns
double or even greater reward.

Can Zakah Be Paid to Non-Muslims?
Q. Could you please explain whether zakah can be paid to
non-Muslims,and in what circumstances?

A. Zakah is an Islamic act of worship aimed at reducing and
eradicating poverty within the Muslim community. The
Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed Mu’adh ibn Jabal,
whom he had appointed as Governor of Yemen, to call on
people to believe in God’s oneness and in Muhammad’s
message,and to offer the five daily prayers. He then said
to him: “When they have accepted this, tell them that God
has imposed on them the duty of zakah, which is taken from
the rich among them and paid to their poor.” You note how
the Prophet’s wording indicates that zakah should be paid
to the poor in the Muslim community. This is how it was
implemented in the early period of Islam,which indicates
the proper model that should be followed in all Muslim
communities.

At the turn of the first century of the Muslim calendar,
the Muslim state was very rich and everyone benefited. The
governor of the Libyan and Tunisian province wrote to the
caliph, Umar ibn Abd Al-Azeez, that he could not find poor
people to whom he should pay the zakah already collected.
The caliph instructed him to pay it to any poor people
among the Christian and Jewish citizens.The governor wrote
back that none could be found.In fact,zakah money was
carried into the market place and placed in public with an
invitation to anyone who needs it to come forward and take
what he needed.But none did.Umar then instructed his
governor to use it in buying slaves and setting them free,
as the freeing of slaves is one of the legitimate purposes
of zakah.

This should give you a clear answer.Zakah could be paid to
non-Muslim citizens only when Muslims’ needs have been
satisfied.However,non-Muslims could be helped to alleviate
their poverty from other sources of the Muslim state.This
is due to the fact that zakah is an Islamic worship and
must be spent only in the ways the Qur’an has specified(See
Surah 9:At-Taubah Verse 60 for categories of people entitle
to Zakat).

Treating Black Magic

Q. Could you please explain the treatment of black magic
and how to ensure its effectiveness?

A. Magic is mentioned in the Qur’an, which confirms its
existence.Yet the Qur’an makes clear that magic has no
substance of reality.The sorcerers who challenged Prophet
Moses (peace be upon him) were very skilful,and their magic
is described in the Qur’an as “great”,but the Qur’an also
says that what those sorcerers produced was nothing but
deception that had no reality.

The only treatment I know of is the Qur’an. If you read the
Qur’an with reflection on its meaning and trust in its
truth,and pray God for protection and help,you will be able
to overcome the effects of black magic.It is recommended to
read the last two surahs of the Holy Quran(113 &114),
reflecting on their meaning and trusting in God for help.

Having said that,I should add that much of what people
think to be black magic and its effects is nothing but a
mental disease,which could be treatable and curable. You
need to see a psychiatrist or a psychologist for this.









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