It is obligatory for all muslims to have a will especially when they are traveling as we know of our departure but not our returns. - and these wills must be updated occasionally or as needed if one acquires new property or have new members in the family( kids).

In the absence of a will especially if you live in America(or Europe for that matter) the US State laws of the place of death decides how to divide your property  and if you have young kids they can be placed in forster homes with non muslim caretakers and your family  cannot do anything about it  unless they take a good lawyer and fight it all the way.-and that costs  a lot these days.

 

Ribbah is considered as the worst mortal sin on earth -especially  If you give a loan and demand interest on the principal. It is almost unforgivable in the eyes of God.  But as far as mortgages and paying interests on home loans it is not preferable and not allowed but in reality these days it is impossible to get a car or home loan from bank without paying interest so some scholars have indicated that the investment route is permissible and can be implemented  if the paper work uses service fees instead of interest- semantics but OK

Jabou's answers on taking an extra wife is on track also but I would add that it is very unlikely that a man can love four women equally and treat them the same way exactly  ( a required  condition also) That makes it impossible in my opinion .The only exception is if your wife is barren and cannot bear children then you can take another wife for the family extension purposes.

 

I have more details but the above points should suffice for simplicity sake

Hello, have a nice day!! >From: Jabou Joh <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Question for Sister Jabou Joh >Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2002 20:15:35 EDT > >Yahya, > >I will get you references to my answers and come back to you, but I will >briefly attempt to answer your questions below. Please see my answers after >each question. > > > (1)Is there any part in the Holy Quran that states that muslims can make a > > "will"?(a testament to indicate the way in which their properties should be > > shared among their families if they die) > >ANSWER: The Qur'an already gives exact directions as to what goes to whom >among your family members and spouse when a muslim dies. I shall get you the >exact chapter where this can be found, or brother Habib or anyone else who >has this at tHE tips of their fingertips can junp in here. > > > > > (2)We as muslims, if we deposit our money in a bank for certain period of > > time and the bank pays interests on our money is that interest(s)considered > > as something forbidden by islam "HAARAM"? > >ANSWER: Ribba or interest is Haram according to the Prophet (SAS), it is >haram ot charge someone Ribba, as well as to eat it. There is a hadith of >the Prophet (SAS) that says on the day of judgement, a person who eats Ribba >will be put into a sea of blood guarded by fierce looking angels, and every >time they try to climb out, they will be pushed back in. Charging Ribba is >haram because it places a hardship on the person borrowing money, and makes >it almost impossible for them to ever finish repaying the debt. In Islam, it >is permissible to lend someone money; say for a business venture, and then >make an agreement with them to give you a set percentage of their returns for >a specified period of time only, after which you are finished with them. This >is the principle used by Islamic banks. > > > (3)What are the conditions that will make someone to marry a second wife > > whiles your first marriage is still subsisting? > > >Qur'an says that a muslim can marry more than one wife. However, I believe >that he must have the consent and permission of the first wife, or his other >wives in the case where he already has more than one. If a man signs an >agreement with his first wife not to marry any other wives, he has to abide >by that contract. >The Prophet ( SAS) married other wives as a way to help them if they were >widows with children for example. Marrying more than one wife is perissible, >but not obligatory. >It goes without saying that some muslim men use this as an excuse to marry as >many women as is allowable without giving thought to the financial and other >implications. Above all else, Islam places a great deal of importance in >taking good care of ones' family, and this means making sure they are >comfortable, and if one is finally strapped, it is harldy a good decision to >marry another wife. Therefore, good judgement is important. > >I will try to find references to my answers and post them. > >Jabou Joh > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~