Performing Aqiqah With One Goat for a Male Child

Madani Muzakarah

1. Performing ʿaqīqah with one goat for a male child

Q: Will the ʿaqīqah of a male child be valid by sacrificing one goat?

A: Yes, the ʿaqīqah of a male child will be valid by sacrificing one goat. Having said this, it is better to sacrifice two.^[1]

2. One should not sleep after applying henna to the head

Q: I have heard that going to sleep after applying henna to the head poses the risk of becoming blind. Is this true?

A: A physician once informed me about sleeping after applying henna to the head, and how this is harmful for one’s eyes. A blind man once came to me and said, “I have been blind for 10 years because I fell asleep after applying henna to my head, and when I awoke, I had become blind.” Thus, there is a risk in sleeping after applying henna to the head.^[2]

3. What should be done if a cat clings onto one’s feet during salah?

Q: If a cat clings onto one’s feet during salah, how should it be moved away?

A: If a cat clings onto one’s feet during salah, it should be moved away gently using one’s foot. This is because if you prostrate without moving the cat away, it may scratch you, and you will also be unable to prostrate properly. You should not make sounds to move the cat away, but you can move it with your hand by using as little movement as possible (ʿamal qalīl). This action (of moving the cat using as little movement as possible) can only be done twice in each section (rukn) of salah.^[3]

4. Washing the hands using bottled mineral water

Q: How is it to wash the hands using bottled mineral water that is given during meal invitations?

A: Bottled mineral water is provided for drinking, so it cannot be used to wash the hands. If this water is specified for drinking in a gathering, it would be contrary to principle to wash one’s hands with it.^[4]

5. Is it necessary to pay zakat upon money that is saved from one’s wages?

Q: With great difficulty, I have gradually managed to save some money from my wages. Must I pay zakat upon this amount?

A: If you have gradually saved money and it has reached the amount that meets the conditions for paying zakat, then it will become farḍ to pay zakat on that saved amount, even if you did so by ‘cutting the stomach’ (i.e with great difficulty). This is an idiom for frugality; for example, consuming simple food, eating little and to make do with as little as possible.^[5]

6. Observing a pledged fast on a Friday

Q: Can we observe a pledged fast on a Friday?

A: Yes, you may.^[6]

7. Eating raw onions does not invalidate wudu

Q: Does eating raw onion invalidate wudu?

A: It is good to avoid eating raw onion, as it causes odour in the mouth. However, it is permissible to eat and does not invalidate wudu. One can eat onion and garlic that is cooked in curry, as their smell no longer remains after cooking, and they do not create bad smell in the mouth.^[7]

8. Becoming upset with family members after not receiving permission for marriage

Q: An individual was not granted permission by his family to marry someone of his choice, so he became upset with them and left home. There is now no way of contacting him. What should his parents do?

A: May Allah create ease for all. [We ask Allah] For the sake of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, may that boy return home; obey his parents; make them happy; having pleased everyone, may he then get married with domestic harmony; may Allah shower His grace so that the boy’s heart changes, the parents of both the boy and girl are satisfied, and they agree to the marriage. May they both marry with the approval of their parents and be successful in managing their family. Everyone should do this, as this is how families run. If the parents do not make duʿā’ in their favour, how will the relationship last?

Remember, the meaning of shādī (marriage) is happiness. What kind of marriage causes homes and families to separate, family members to become worried and hurts their feelings? Young people should not take emotional steps like leaving home if they do not receive permission for marriage. It is my appeal to all young people in the world to resolve matters with their parents’ mutual agreement. Also, parents should accept what their children are saying.

If the boy or girl is good in nature, presentable and there is no other sharʿī obstacle, then there is no harm in them marrying, even if the boy or girl are from different backgrounds (e.g., the boy is Memon and the girl is Sindhi, or the girl is Punjabi and the boy is Pathan). This is because we have recited the kalimah of our Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم , who is an Arab. Therefore, we should keep an open heart, give permission to our son or daughter for marriage and make duʿā’ for them.  

This is my advice. People do as they wish, which sometimes results in ruined homes and the doors of sin being flung wide open.^[8]

9. Offering salah with closed eyes

Q: Can we offer salah with our eyes closed?

A: It is makrūh tanzīhi (minorly disliked) to do this. If closing the eyes helps one focus in salah and leads to greater concentration, humility and presence of the heart, it is better to offer salah with the eyes closed.^[9]