Abu Tahavi

"One Khatm, One Dua, One Family" It is stated in al-Fatawa al-Hindiyyah: "It is mustahabb for (a man), when completing the Quran (khatm), to gather his family and children together and make dua for them. This is also noted in work of "al-Yanabi." The true foundation of a home is not made of stone or brick, but is kneaded from the hands raised beneath its roof, the prayers made together, and the verses recited. In the noise of the modern world, in an age when everyone sits in the same room yet is glued to a different screen, a subtle jurisprudential (fiqhi) recommendation, filtered down through the depths of centuries, shakes the heart: "It is mustahabb, when completing the Quran, to gather one's family and children together and make dua for them..." This short sentence is not merely a religious etiquette, but the very code for how the sacred fortress called the family is built. Imagine an evening. The final surahs of the Quran are slowly recited and brought to completion. Before closing the pages of the sacred book, the man of the house calls his family not to the dining table or the hearth, but to this table of mercy. From the smallest child to the aged mother, everyone forms a circle on one rug, within one ring of light. For the moment when the divine word is completed is a rare slice of time. An Islamic family greets this moment not as the individual worship of one person, but as the spiritual awakening of the entire household. The greatest upbringing for a child is not long counsel, but hearing his father or mother weep over the Quran and mention His name one by one. At the moment a father raises his hands to the sky and says, "O my Lord, make my children among the righteous, do not turn them away from the path of truth, and place love of the Quran in their hearts," a trustworthy refuge is built in the child's soul that no storm can destroy. That child understands that he is not loved merely for worldly concerns, that his very existence is part of an eternal journey, a sacred trust. The resentments, the coldness, and the weariness of daily life melt away through exactly such prayers, leaving in their place a deep closeness of hearts. An Islamic family is not merely a collection of people spending the night under the same roof, but a caravan marching shoulder to shoulder toward the abode of the Hereafter. If the Quran is recited in a home but the family members are not made to share in this joy and blessing, the greatest treasure there remains, as it were, locked in a chest. Yet, at the moment of khatm, taking the child by the hand, stroking his head, and blessing him lets him taste the sweetness of faith and ties the bonds of the family with a thread sanctioned by Sharia. Years will pass, those children will grow up, and the parents will depart this world, but they will never forget the trembling voice of their father as the last verses of the Quran were recited in the corner of the room, nor the "Amin" their mother whispered softly from behind. In the hurried rhythm of life, the way to save our homes from being merely a heap of concrete walls lies in returning to this delicate sunnah. When we turn the last page of the Quran, we gather our loved ones around us, raise our hands together, and turn to our Lord with the same hope. Perhaps the only balm needed by the fractured families of our age, weary from lovelessness, lies hidden on that blessed rug, within those sincere "Amin"s spoken together.

O son, set aside idle talk such as "so-and-so said this" and "so-and-so was like that." Look to yourself and reform your nafs through knowledge, taqwa, and wara' (abstaining from doubtful things). Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Question (325): Does a dental filling prevent ghusl from being valid? Answer (325): No, a dental filling does not pose any obstacle to the validity of ghusl. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Question (324): According to the Hanafi madhhab, in which fard prayers is qunūt recited when a calamity occurs? Answer (324): In such cases, the qunūt supplication is recited only in the Fajr prayer. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Question (323): Some Sufis write the name of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) on a cake, and then cut and eat that cake. Moreover, they claim that they love and respect the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). What is the ruling on this act? Answer (323): This act is clearly a breach of etiquette (bad manners). Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Question (322): Is it permissible to cite fatwas based on matn (primary text) books? Answer (322): A fatwa is not given directly on the basis of matn books. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Question (321): What is the ruling on going to the mosque after eating garlic and onions? Answer (321): It is makruh tahriman for a person who gives off an unpleasant odor to enter the mosque. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Question (320): My friend took out a large interest-based loan from a bank. Can I borrow from the funds he obtained? Answer (320): This is not permissible. Because you know that these funds were obtained through haram means. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Question (319): A person bought a washing machine on interest (riba) terms, but after making the payment he learned that this act is haram. What should he do in this case? Answer (319): If it is within his means, he should rescind the contract he made. If he is unable to do so, he should give the item to someone in need. However, care must be taken that the needy person is not aware that this item was purchased through interest. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Question (318): Should the evening dhikrs be recited after Asr prayer, or after Maghrib prayer? Answer (318): After Maghrib prayer. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Question (317): Is it possible to learn the Hanafi madhhab from Sheikh al-Zuhayli's work "Islamic Fiqh and Its Evidences"? Answer (317): No, the madhhab is not learned from books of this kind. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Question (316): Is it obligatory for a woman to serve her father-in-law and mother-in-law? Answer (316): It is not obligatory for a woman to serve anyone other than her husband. However, her serving her father-in-law and mother-in-law is a highly commendable and virtuous act. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

The developments surrounding the hijab have shown once again that Azerbaijan's most vital need is an independent Islamic community, one that bows to no foreign influence and is nurtured by the spirit of this very land. It must be an unshakable community that preserves its unity and submits to a single fatwa. Only figures with deep knowledge can build such a community. My loftiest wish was to see true scholars rise in these lands, to bow to their fatwas and stand in their service. Alas, it will take many more years for such a foundation to be established, for those who devote themselves to this sacred cause are few. Yet we do not lose hope; we take refuge in our prayers. I believe that, however late, the figures who will lay this foundation stone will surely appear. After this issue, fateful questions arose before the believers of our land, questions that only reliable people of knowledge can untie. I presented these difficulties to authoritative scholars of the four madhhabs from every corner of the Islamic world. With few exceptions, I heard nearly the same cry from all of them: "We cannot issue a ruling on these matters; turn to the scholars of your own homeland." When I told them that our country has no scholar able to bear this burden, I was met with a deep and sorrowful silence. In the end, people's cries and questions remained unanswered, which became another wound upon our wound. May Allah the Almighty help us out of His grace and mercy!

Question (315): What is the ruling on a woman praying while wearing trousers? Answer (315): It is makruh. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Question (314): According to what Imam al-Tahawi narrated, shaving the mustache from the root with a razor is sunnah according to the opinion of Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Abu Yusuf, and Imam Muhammad. As far as I know, according to the preferred opinion accepted in the Hanafi madhhab, shaving the mustache from its base is also considered sunnah. Since I am lazy about shaving my mustache regularly, I want to remove my mustache hairs permanently through laser hair removal. In this case, would I attain the reward of the sunnah? Answer (314): Acting in this way is not permissible. Because the sunnah prescribed in the madhhab is the process of shaving the mustache regularly and continuously. By eliminating the mustache hairs permanently, you in effect abandon that sunnah of shaving. For this reason, no reward of the sunnah will be recorded for you for this act. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Question (313): Is it permissible for a wealthy woman to give her zakat to her husband? Answer (313): No, it is not permissible. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Question (312): If a divorced woman has a 19-year-old son, and a suitor comes for her and she wishes to remarry, can her son act as her marriage wali? Answer (312): Yes, in this situation her son is her wali. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Question (311): Is it permissible to use medications that contain bear fat? Answer (311): No, it is not permissible. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Standing upright in this era is like holding a handful of glowing embers in your palm. Your hands will burn and your soul will ache, but your heart will remain pure. Sometimes you will be left alone. In a world where everyone follows the current, planting your feet and waiting for the truth makes you a stranger. They will say, "Why aren't you like everyone else?" They do not know that to be like everyone else is to lose yourself in the crowd. Yes, you will lose. Because you refused to share in their lies, you will be driven out of their gatherings. Because you refused to put anything haram on your table, perhaps you will earn less than all of them. Because you would not bend or bow your neck, doors will sometimes be shut in your face. The weariness in your eyes will deepen, for when the world goes to sleep, the night of the one whose conscience is awake is long and his burden heavy. At the moment the eternal, cool breeze of Paradise touches your face, if you were asked, "Did you ever see sorrow in the world? Did you ever weep?", amid that endless tranquility, would you remember even a single drop of grief? All those wounds, the lonely sobs knotted in your throat, the bitter gulps you swallowed while enduring injustice, will vanish like a drop falling into the ocean. Today you chose not cheap applause but the inexhaustible peace of tomorrow. So do not let go of the ember in your palm. However dark it gets around you, the light you carry will shine all the brighter.

Question (310): According to the Hanafi madhhab, is the testimony of fāsiqs acceptable in a marriage contract? Answer (310): Yes, it is acceptable. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi