What is the Islamic view regarding the sneeze?

Question: Has Islam commended that while beginning a particular work if someone sneezes the work has to be postponed?

Answer: There is no such command in Islam and basically the spirit of Islam does not agree with such superstitions. Rather it commands that if you are going to begin some work and someone is doing divination against it, you must not pay attention to that person, you must rely on Allah and begin your work. Islam has even considered divination a sign of polytheism.

Although it is commanded with regard to the sneeze that if one of you sneezed one should utter Alhamdo lillaah (Praise be to Allah) and the others should say Yarahamokumllaah (May Allah have mercy on you). The person will then respond with the prayer: Yaghfirullaaha lakum (Allah shall forgive you).

However, to refrain from doing something or to delay for even a little, or to discriminate between one or two sneezes are all baseless things. Therefore a true Muslim should avoid such useless superstitions.

Is the Dream having any truth?

Question: Sometime dream scrolls are released by the caretakers of the Prophet’s shrine. These scrolls prohibit people to commit sinful acts and in addition to this it also informs about the progeny of the Prophet (a.s.) that the reappearance of Imam-e-Zaman (a.s.) is going to be within a year. Is there any truth about such publications?

Answer: Unfortunately the above evil act is being done by the enemies of Islam since many years. Every year the caretakers of the Prophet’s shrine see a new dream while they do not have any personal merit. They issue a new date for the reappearance of Imam-e-Zaman (a.s.). When the dream is proved wrong they see another dream.

Apparently these falsifiers of dreams, on the basis of their defective beliefs intend to create doubts in the reappearance of Imam-e-Zaman (a.s.) so that simple-minded people are influenced by this propaganda. But they are ignorant of the fact that Muslims (however simple minded people they may be) never pay attention to these concocted things. In any case even if someone really has such dreams, it is certainly not reliable from the religious point of view.

Is Khums the recompense of Prophethood?

Question: There is no doubt that the Holy Prophet (a.s.) has not demanded anything in return of the efforts and hardships he had borne to guide the humanity. He has sought the recompense of this only from the Almighty Allah. But we see that in some Quranic verse, like the verse of Mawaddat the love of Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) is termed as the recompense of Prophethood due to the fact that this love is a favor upon the people themselves and a channel for their guidance because wilayah (Guardianship) of Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) becomes a cause to follow the words and actions of these noble personages. This itself is a kind of guidance and righteousness, which is bestowed on the people through a medium. But what is the reason for making Khums obligatory (half of which is the share of Sadaat)? Is it not a price for Prophethood?

Answer: As well all know Khums is not for every Sadaat. It is only for those who are needy. If the amount of Khums exceeds the needs of Sadaat it has to be deposited in the Islamic treasury (according to the commands that have reached us) so that it can be spent for common food of the people. In the same way if the needs of the poor Sadaat are more than the Khums paid by the people the deficit has to be made up by the Baitul Maal (Islamic treasury). On the other hand the Sadaat are prohibited to receive Zakah which is the right of other needy people (Even if the Zakah is taken from rich Sadaat).

Therefore actually Khums is in place of Zakah which is paid to other needy people and the requirements are same as for the recipients of Zakah. But in order to maintain the honor of the Holy Prophet (a.s.) and as a mark of respect its payment has been given another form and another title (Khums instead of Zakah). It is a mark of respect for the esteemed position of the Holy Prophet (a.s.) and it is not in anyway a sort of recompense or price. Obviously, there is a wide difference between maintaining respect of honor of exalted personalities and paying a price.

Is not Khums a cause for social difference?

Question: A communist leader has been reported to have said: I have studied all the religions so that I may be attracted towards one of them. Thus I found the religion of Islam to be superior to other faiths. But I regret to say that in this too I found a weak aspect. It is that Islamic law gives preference to the descendants of the Holy Prophet (a.s.) over other Muslims and has made Khums as their prerogative?

Answer: As mentioned in the reply to the previous question, basically there is no difference between Khums (which is the share of Sadaat) and Zakah. That is, both are related to the needy people of the society. Each is paid according to their needs and whatever is left is considered a part of Baitul Maal. The only thing is that since the descendants of the Holy Prophet (a.s.) have a sort of superiority that is why their needs are fulfilled not by the name of Zakah but by different name. It is also obvious that the Sadaat on the basis of their relationship cannot ignore even a little bit any of the Islamic laws and from the aspect of social laws there is no difference between them and other people.

The gist of this discussion is that contrary to what people think the law of Khums is not in any way a distinction for Sadaat and from the monetary point of view there is no difference between Khums and Zakah (which is for other poor people). That is the needy Sadaat are not given a higher monetary assistance than other people, and neither is Khums given for well-to-do Sadaat.

Why is there still ignorance despite so many efforts for popularizing knowledge?

Question: Though the Holy Prophet (a.s.) has invited people towards knowledge and wisdom and encouraged them to fight against ignorance and obtain knowledge, in spite of these we find that today the majority of the people are ignorant?

Answer: Till the time the Muslims had not become aloof from Islamic teachings knowledge and science were progressing among them very fast. Our assertion is proved by the presence of great Islamic universities and libraries that are mentioned in history. At the time when paper was not manufactured so widely and there were no printing presses, there were four hundred thousand books in the library of Muragha and four million books in the library of Baitul Hikmah of Baghdad. In the same way the libraries of other countries were also overflowing with books. Till the time the Muslims were subjugated by dictators and western powers, there were a large number of intellectuals and educated people among them. For example, before France occupied Algeria, the majority of the people there were literate. However, after French occupation the government went into foreign hands, the situation changed.

In the near past when some leaders of Islamic countries began to fight among themselves and outsiders also fanned the flames of hypocrisy, the Muslims started experiencing a period of ignorance and decline. Their culture stopped developing and progressing and a majority of the Muslims remained illiterate. A great part of whom were also unable to read and write.

We hope that Muslims would once again derive the benefits of Islamic principles and resume their intellectual mission as nowadays we can see the signs of revival among them.

Should the good people also pray?

Question: We know that Prayer stops us from evil deeds. However, if without saying prayers we are able to refrain from bad acts, do we still need to say the prayers?

Answer: Prayer is an absolute and obligatory command for all the people. And even if we presume that one can avoid evil deeds even without praying, then too he shall not be exempted from this law. He must offer the obligatory prayers. Because if this is allowed many people will get an excuse to avoid it altogether.

Apart from this there is no guarantee that one would be able to save himself from sins without prayers because prayer is the greatest medium of being attentive to the Almighty. Experience shows that people who do not pray, cannot be safe from any type of sinful acts. At least they are not particular about personal hygiene. In addition to this prayer and attention towards the Almighty play a very important role in the perfection of faith and in the gradual development of spirituality. Abstaining from sins also contribute to the spiritual upliftment of man.

In any case, it is obligatory upon all able Muslim men and women, without any exception that they must perform the duty of prayers.