Is Purdah Compulsory?

Question: 

Salaam

Kindly explain to me if the purdah is compulsory on a woman, as I get different views from people and how is it different from only wearing the abaya and headscarf?

Answer:

Wa ‘alaikumus salaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh

Respected Sister

Apart from covering the rest of the body, it is necessary for a woman to conceal her face from strange (non-mahram) men.

The details in this regard are many. However, to understand the matter briefly, consider the following two verses of the Quraan Majeed. 

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Should I Attend?

Question: 

Assalaamu alaikum

Respected Panel of Ulema

I recently purchased a ticket to a program in Durban. This program is hosted by the … Institute. A broadcast has been going around to refrain from attending this program as it is by Salafies and they will destroy our imaan. I don’t know if this is true as most of these broadcasts are baseless although one can never be too sure.

If Moulana can advise whether I should attend or not, or if there is any truth in it?

Jazakallah 

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Hanafi or Muslim?

Question: 

A friend at campus often asks fellow students: “Are you a Muslim or a Hanafi/Shaafi‘ee?” How does one respond to such a question? Please advise.

Answer:

The word “or” (in the context of the question) is used between two words of the same species. It is correct to ask someone whether he will eat “rice or bread” since both are food items, but you cannot enquire whether he will eat “bread or paper”. Likewise, if your friend asks someone whether he lives in Durban or South Africa, the question will be absurd. Only one who is ignorant of the fact that Durban is not a country, but a city in South Africa, can ask such a question.

Your friend’s question implies that one can either be a Muslim or a Hanafi. Thus if someone says he is a Hanafi then, Allah forbid, he is not a Muslim!! It is the same as asking whether you live in Durban or South Africa, and that if you live in Durban, then you are not a South African???

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In Laws not on Deen

Question:

I have been brought up in a family where we do not celebrate birthdays nor do we have mixed gatherings and shake hands with any ghair mahrams. 

Unfortunately, in my husband’s family it is completely different. They celebrate birthdays, the gatherings are mixed affairs and the women even hug and even kiss some of their male relatives who are ghair mahrams. I was also once put in a situation where a male came and hugged me against my wishes.

I am recently getting worried that how do we bring our children up according to shariah whilst still respecting the family. This is mainly with regards to the issue of photographs.

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Overweight Husband

Question:

A woman’s husband is getting so overweight and she is feeling him unattractive to her. She did speak to him about it but it doesn’t seem like he is worried. What advice can you give her? 

Answer: 

Assalaamu ‘alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh

Respected Sister

She should try to get some senior family member to speak to him on a general note and advise him from a health point of view.

In any case, while she is making whatever effort possible to make him reduce weight, she must be patient on the issue of him seeming unattractive. She should focus on the positive and keep making shukr, such as that he is not disfigured or deformed; he does not have any terminal illness, etc. Making whole-hearted shukr daily will reduce the negative feeling.

And Allah Ta‘ala knows best

Uswatul Muslimah Panel of Ulama