Bismillah Rahman Raheem
(To view this answer on the Internet: www.IslamTomorrow.com/article/q6.htm)
 
Salam alaykum:
 
We receive a number of questions dealing with the problems facing the Muslims in non-Muslim countries. We would like to offer the following article as a chance to better understand the core or root of our problems today and how to best deal with them, inshallah. The article dealing with our real enemy is to be found at: www.IslamTomorrow.com/articles/shaytan.htm
 
A series of questions from our brother in UK regarding:
Marriage to Catholics; Cutting of the Beard Hairs; Working; Innovations; Movies
 
I will be grateful if you give me answers to the following questions:

          1. Can I marry a Catholic girl? We are allowed to marry Christian girls; but are the Catholics real Christians? If it is permissible for me to marry a Spanish catholic, please explain to me how can I marry an idol-worshipper? Can I pray to Allah that she accepts Islam and marries me?
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Answer:
Bismillah Rahman Raheem. Al Hamdulilah Rabbila Alameen was salat was salam ala rasool al kareem. Allahu 'Alim:
Truly, it is Allah who has all Knowledge and we have only that which Allah bestows on us. The best that I know on this subject might be:
 
Allah has permitted the believing men to marry from the believing women and from the "believing, chaste women of the book."
 
Look closely to the two conditions; "believers" and "chaste." These are very important and they are not "options."
     First: "believer" means that the lady has to really believe in her Bible and understand true Christianity and follow it every day. If she is not "religious" then she does not qualify in the first category, and the marriage is not permissible.
     Second: "chaste" means that she has never had illegal sex and she knows that it is "haram" (forbidden).
 
These are two important conditions are usually ignored by Muslims today, and as a result they find themselves in big problems very soon after entering into marriage with the non-Muslims.
 
I would like to quickly add that this is not going to work out in a non-Muslim environment, due to the lack of community support for the way of Islam. Legal matters, especially dealing with the rights of Muslim children would be the first consideration.
 
Naturally, we would prefer to see the believers marry from the believers and not put themselves and their future children in the way of danger and disbelief. For this reason, we have seen a number of very knowledgeable scholars forbid marriage to non-Muslims while living in non-Muslim countries.
 
Those who have chosen to ignore this wisdom have almost always wound up in horrible circumstances.
 
Again, Allah is the All-Knower. Any good is from Allah and the mistakes are from myself, may Allah forgive me, ameen.

          2. Can I cut the hair on my chin?
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Answer:
Bismillah Rahman Raheem. Al Hamdulilah Rabbila Alameen was salat was salam ala rasool al kareem. Allahu 'Alim:
Truly, it is Allah who has all Knowledge and we have only that which Allah bestows on us. The best that I know on this subject might be:
 
The Quran tells us that whoever is obeying the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, they are obeying Allah. We must follow the commandments as explained to us by Muhammad, peace be upon, in order to be true Muslims.
 
The authentic hadeeths collected by Imam Bukhari, may Allah have Mercy on him, are most clear on this subject. It is an order from our prophet, peace be upon him, to "grow the beard and trim the mustache."
 
Again, Allah is the All-Knower. Any good is from Allah and the mistakes are from myself, may Allah forgive me, ameen.
 

          3. Overseas students are not allowed to work more than 20 hours weekly in the UK. If I work 30 hours weekly in order to bear my living expense and continue studies, will it be illicit? Will it not be cheating on the Government? Many Bangladeshi students, my countrymen are actually doing it. Can I work in a shop where both Halal and Haram foods are sold because of dire need. I have an alternative of living in the UK, I can live in my own country, Bangladesh. But I am eager to stay in the UK and preach Islam. Can I try to keep staying here and working in shops of that kind?
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Answer:
Bismillah Rahman Raheem. Al Hamdulilah Rabbila Alameen was salat was salam ala rasool al kareem. Allahu 'Alim:
Truly, it is Allah who has all Knowledge and we have only that which Allah bestows on us. The best that I know on this subject might be:
 
When you enter a country and sign an agreement, you have the responsibility to uphold the agreement as much as you possibly can. This is an important part of Islam. Allah tells us, "O you who believe! Speak a word of truth even if it is against your family household or yourself." And also, "And always speak a word of truth."
 
What others do, does not excuse you for what you are doing. Islam teaches that none shall be asked about what others were doing. Haram and Halal are very serious issues. You should not work there if you have a choice. If you can live in a Muslim country rather than a non-Muslim country, then you should make this change as soon as possible, providing all things are as I understand them from you. But please consult a person of knowledge in your own area, inshallah.
 
Preaching Islam while following the wrong way, doing haram, breaking laws and cutting your beard, is not being true. This is 'nifaq' or hypocrisy. And the hypocrites are the very worst in the Sight of Allah.
 
Again, Allah is the All-Knower. Any good is from Allah and the mistakes are from myself, may Allah forgive me, ameen.
        
          4. We embrace our fellow Musallis and relatives on Eid days. Someone has told me that actually it is forbidden in Islam to do it on Eid-days! But people are doing it only on those 2 days! Please, let me know the truth.
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Answer:
Bismillah Rahman Raheem. Al Hamdulilah Rabbila Alameen was salat was salam ala rasool al kareem. Allahu 'Alim:
Truly, it is Allah who has all Knowledge and we have only that which Allah bestows on us. The best that I know on this subject might be:
 
Embracing each other was established at the time of the prophet, peace be upon, on the occasions when people had come great distances or had not seen each other for a long time and on occasions of importance such as weddings, funerals, birth of babies and of course the two Eids. However, on a regular basis it is preferred to follow the sunnah of the prophet, peace be upon him, by shaking hands. The clear hadeeth states the prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Sins fall from the Muslims like water, as long as their hands are joined together (shaking hands)."
 
But it is not correct to bother Muslims with these types of issues when they are in much worse conditions on other issues. Many of the Muslims today are committing shirk in their actions and doing serious bid'ah. Let us first bring the Muslims together for the sake of Allah and then let our scholars present the correct way for all of us. Do not drive the Muslims away from each other and in so doing, drive them away from Allah.
 
Again, Allah is the All-Knower. Any good is from Allah and the mistakes are from myself, may Allah forgive me, ameen.

          5. Does chanting Allah's names [For example, 'Ya Raahimu', 'Ya Laatifu' or The Kaleema] purify heart?
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Answer:
Bismillah Rahman Raheem. Al Hamdulilah Rabbila Alameen was salat was salam ala rasool al kareem. Allahu 'Alim:
Truly, it is Allah who has all Knowledge and we have only that which Allah bestows on us. The best that I know on this subject might be:
 
Chanting the names of Allah and asking Him for our needs is something very good in Islam, provided of course, that we are doing it according to the authentic hadeeths of the prophet, peace be upon him. We all need to increase our "thikr" to Allah and be closer to Him through our remembrance of Him on a daily basis. However, we are so distracted with the loves of this world that we are making remembrance of sports, TV, cars, computers, Internet, sex and material things, instead of remembering Allah.
 
Some have gone too far with the "chanting" and are not following the way of Muhammad, peace be upon him. If a person makes up something in the religion of Islam, it is called a "bid'ah" or innovation. The prophet, peace be upon him, told us, "Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (Islam), it will never be accepted from them." Also, he, peace be upon him, told us all innovations lead into the Fire of Hell.
 
Again, Allah is the All-Knower. Any good is from Allah and the mistakes are from myself, may Allah forgive me, ameen.
          
          6. The film, 'The Message' makes Muslims cry. It is based on the factual story of our prophet [saw] and certainly, it helps us when we try to preach non-Muslims.  But some Scholars have opined that making of films is prohibited in Islam and it is a great sin to allow someone to play the role of the companions of the messenger of Allah. What is your opinion on this matter?
 
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Answer:
Bismillah Rahman Raheem. Al Hamdulilah Rabbila Alameen was salat was salam ala rasool al kareem. Allahu 'Alim:
Truly, it is Allah who has all Knowledge and we have only that which Allah bestows on us. The best that I know on this subject might be:
 
Movies are like swords and guns. They can provide some good, and they can provide serious problems and even result in death. The movie you are talking about was produced by a Muslim from Maghrib and was paid for by Momar Ghadafy, of Libya. The role of Hamza, may Allah have Mercy on him, was played by the actor Anthony Quinn. In his own biography he wrote about making movies for the Arabs and admitted that they would bring him women (our Muslim sisters) for his pleasure at night and he definitely claims to be on the religion of the American Indians.
 
Yet, we cannot make something 'Haram' if the scholars have already ruled that it is not 'Haram.' And the credits of the movie do list a number of scholars who did approve of the script for the movie.
 
The best advise is, if you don't approve of the movie, then don't buy it, don't watch it and don't talk about it (either bad or good). Keep in mind the very famous hadeeth of the prophet, peace be upon him, "Let the one who believes in Allah and the Last Day, either say good things, or be silent."
 
And after making that statement, I will now be silent, inshallah....
(Thank you for your questions and may Allah make it easy for you, ameen.)
 
Again, Allah is the All-Knower. Any good is from Allah and the mistakes are from myself, may Allah forgive me, ameen.
 
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