Assalamu Alaikum, I have few questions about muslims women`s role in the family and islamic society. Q1: I know women are encouraged to stay home and take care of the household, on the other hand I see women working outside maintaining proper hijab. What would be the islamic ruling or view on these? If you could clarify with reference, I`ll greatly appreciate it. Q2: My question is on the saying that we (muslims)have to adhere to the ummah or jamat or some kind of islamic organization. In my community some people treat it as an obligatory. I have two kids of 3 and 1 yr old and they keep me very busy. So how much it applies to me to be actively involved in dawah and related activity? Q3: What would be the ruling on an islamic gathering based on observation like prophet`s birthday, 15th of shaban or night of isra, ashura etc. Should I join or avoid these? Q4: I hear women`s jihad is different than men. How is it adressed in Quran or Hadith? JAK for all of your answer

All praise be to Allah, and may his peace and blessings be on the last and best prophet and messenger, Muhammad.

Answer 1
I believe it is permissible for women to work as long as they maintain their hijab and Islamic conduct and the job is respectful of the Muslim woman’s nature and conducive to propriety.
The Messenger of Allah said regarding women going out:
(إنه قد أذن لكن أن تخرجن لحاجتكن)
“It has been made permissible for you to go out for your needs” reported by al-Bukhari from ‘Aisha.
Notice that this hadeeth may used by people who encourage women’s liberal involvement in the outdoor life and at the same time by their opponents, since they may say, the Prophet while making permissible the going out of women for their needs, he indicated by mafhoom al-mukhalafah [i], that it wouldn’t be permissible for them to go out for no need. It is also to be noted that many of the earlier scholars interpreted the hadeeth to mean going out to the lavatory, and that is before they had them in their homes. The permission was given by the prophet in this context, but the wording indicated that they may go out for any needs.
The women were also allowed to go out to the masjid, and to the battle field to help with nursing the wounded. Asma’ used to help her husband az-Zubair with his work outdoors, and no one of the sahabah or more importantly the Prophet commented on that. There is no proof on prohibiting women from work. However if the work will result in neglecting the rights of the husband and/or the children, then it becomes impermissible.
Also, women may work outside of their homes on individual basis, however, it should not be a communal policy or direction, nor should it be a trend for the Muslim communities to follow in imitation of others. This is because if most women left their homes for outside jobs, much harm will ensue, including:
• Lack of support for the elderly, handicapped and children, since all the capable adults will be out working.
• The detrimental psychological, emotional, educational and behavioral consequences of children going back to empty homes are incalculable.
• Unemployment for many men, resulting in many families having no income, while others have double income.
• Inflation as a result of the increased buying power of the wealthier families.
• Improper mixing and fitnah.

Answer 2
You should try to do your best and Allah doesn’t burden any one beyond their capacity.
You should bring your kids along with you to the masjid, and involve them in your work. If you clean the masjid with them, they will grow up having a sense of belonging to their community and commitment.
If you look after the work of Islam and be of the maintainers of the houses of Allah and commit to the cause of Allah, He will look after your kids in your life and after your death.

Answer 3
Gathering for the occasions mentioned above have not been the practice of the Messenger or any of his noble companions. Thus, we should follow them in matters of the religion and avoid making up new rituals or ceremonies.

Answer 4
Women are not required to go out for jihad, yet they must defend their land when the enemy invades it with all means possible and islamically acceptable.

[i] When the statement indicates that what is omitted from it should take the opposite ruling of that which is mentioned.

Assalaamu`alaikum wr wb, What is the Islamic ruling on organ donation? Jazakallah khairan.

Please see the following decisions of the Islamic Fiqh Assembly of the Muslim World League (8/1)
All praise be to Allah and peace and blessings be upon the seal of prophets. The council of the Islamic Fiqh Assembly in its eighth session addressed the issue of organ transplantation…. After scrutinizing the proofs cited by each group of scholars, the council of the Assembly concluded that the view of those who approve of the permissibility of organ transplanting is the more acceptable, and therefore, council has decided the following:
First: It is permissible to remove an organ from one person’s body that is still alive and transplant it into another person’s body that needs this organ to save his life or to restore an organ’s regular function. The permissibility here is conditioned by the following,
1. Such an act will not cause any harm or weakness to the donor or prevent him from living his life normally, as the Islamic rule states that “Harm can not be warded off by an equivalent or a greater harm.” Furthermore, donation in such a situation would be equivalent to throwing oneself into certain destruction, which is impermissible from the Islamic viewpoint.
2. The donor gives the organ willingly, with no compulsion.
3. The transplantation of that organ is the only medical treatment for the patient.
4. That the success of both removing the organ and transplanting it is certain or at least most likely.
Second: Organ transplantation is permitted in the following situations:
1. Transplanting an organ from a dead person to a living person whose life depends on receiving that organ, on the condition that the donor was legally accountable and that he gave permission for it before his death.
2. Taking the organ from an edible slaughtered animal, when necessary, to be transplanted into a human body.
3. Using part of a person’s body (e.g. a bone or part of the skin) and transplanting or grafting it onto another part of the same person’s body, in the case where he needs this to be done.
4. Placing metal or other materials into the human body to treat an illness, such as in the joints and heart valves, and for other diseases. The four cases described above are deemed permissible when the conditions discussed above are attended to.

Asalamo alykum,
Is changing wife’s last name to husband’s name is allowed in islam? I have
read somewhere that islam doesn’t allow changing name to anyone else’s name but biological father’s name and changing wife’s name is west’s practice and we should avoid that.
If wife wants to keep her birthday name what are her rights after marriage?
I would greatly appreciate any info.
Jazak Allah.
Salaam.

Assalamu ‘alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

All praise be to Allah, and may his peace and blessings be on the last and best prophet and messenger, Muhammad.

A woman may not change her name after marriage. She must be attributed to her father, not husband. She is not the property of her husband or his family, but rather an independent being. She may divorce that husband and get married to another one.
Allah said:
“ادْعُوهُمْ لِآبَائِهِمْ هُوَ أَقْسَطُ عِندَ اللَّهِ”
“Call them by (the names of) their fathers: that is juster in the sight of Allah.” (33:5)
That is the Islamic position. The wife of the best of mankind was called ‘Aisha bint Abi Bakr, after her father, not her husband.

Allah knows best.

I want to open up an exercise and recreational room facility in an area where taxi drivers come to wait for passengers. This room will provide for them a place to exercise, eat and a recreational room with pool tables, and other games. Only cab drivers who are already waiting for passengers come to this area, so while they are waiting for passengers they can pass the time at my facility. Presently, if they buy food at a nearby restaurant there is no place to sit and eat, so they either have to stand, sit on the ground or eat in their cars. My concern is that I may be giving them an area to gamble while they are waiting for passengers, but how much am I responsible for their actions?

All praise be to Allah, and may his peace and blessings be on the last and best prophet and messenger, Muhammad.

You are only responsible for the services you provide them. However, if you truly fear that the environment will be unwholesome, then I would recommend for you to find another business.

Allah knows best.

Assalaamu Alaikum, Someone brought some booklets called Authenticity of Hadith to our local Masjid in Northern California. I’ve never heard some of the ahadiths listed on this book. To make it short I just noted only one below. I wanted to verify these ahadith, but the numbers don’t match with Sahih Muslim. I’ve looked at the Salaah section and I couldn’t find them. Hazrat Jaabir Ibn Samurah (RA) relates that once Rasulullah (SAV) came out of his house towards us and said: “Why is it tah I see you all raising your hands as though they are the tails of stubborn horses. Be tranquil in salaah: (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 430). This hadith alone makes it clear that those narrations which mention the raising of the hands (during the salaah) were narrated prior to the prohibition of this practice. Do you know the source of this hadith? I emailed to the publisher of this booklet, which is in India, replied “Sahih Muslim comprises of 9 Vols. have total Hadiths therein are 7563”. I asked them again to let me know the correct ahadith numbers on Sahih Muslim, but I haven’t heard them again. Can I mail this booklet someone who can verify the ahadith in this booklet? I have suspicion that someone might use weak or false ahadith but list them as Sahih Muslim. Jazak Allahu Khairan Ibrahim

All praise be to Allah, and may his peace and blessings be on the last and best prophet and messenger, Muhammad.

First, let me apologize for the late reply, since we just came back from the annual AMJA conference, and while there I was answering the questions with pressing personal matters only.
As for your question, the hadeeth is authentic, reported by Muslim and its number is 651 according to the numbering of Muhammad AbdulBaqi – may Allah bestow mercy on him -.
I commend you for having this interest in protecting the sunnah of our most beloved (peace be upon him) and encourage you to continue on the same path.
Jazakum Allah khairan

Allah knows best.