Guidance regarding basic Islamic issues that Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, has given on various occasions in his written correspondence and during MTA programmes is being published officially below for everyone’s benefit.
What is the Ahmadiyya view on reciting the Holy Quran while menstruating?
A lady from the USA wrote to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa: “I know that a woman cannot recite the Holy Quran during her menstruation, but in an audio recording, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh has said that the Holy Quran can be read by holding it in a cloth. Some people say that it is more important to know the opinion of the Khalifa-e-Waqt, which is why I am asking you about this.
“I also wish to know whether the fasts that a woman misses during her menstruation have to be made up later or if the expiation [fidyah] should be paid.”
In his letter dated 31 May 2023, Huzoor-e-Anwaraa gave the following reply:
“Regarding the recitation of the Holy Quran during a woman’s menstrual cycle, my position, in light of the Holy Quran, the ahadith of the Holy Prophetsa and the guidance of the Promised Messiahas, is that during her period, a woman may repeat in her heart any portion of the Holy Quran she knows by heart, as a form of remembrance and supplication [zikr]. Furthermore, when necessary, she may hold the Holy Quran in a clean cloth and may also read a portion of it to provide someone with a reference or to teach the Holy Quran to children, but she may not perform a formal, devotional recitation [ta‘abbudi tilawat].
“Similarly, during these days, a woman is not permitted to perform formal recitation from a computer or other device, where she does not practically have to hold the Holy Quran. However, for a specific need, such as searching for a reference or showing a reference to someone, she may make use of the Holy Quran on a computer or other device. There is no harm in this.
“As for the matter of making up for the fasts of Ramadan missed due to menstruation, just as it is obligatory to observe the fasts of Ramadan, it is also obligatory to make up for these missed fasts, as Allah the Exalted states:
فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ
“‘…whoso among you is sick or is on a journey [shall fast] the same number of other days.’ (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.185)
“And for the completion of these missed fasts, the [most excellent and preferred] time is until the following Ramadan, during which these fasts can and should be observed. Accordingly, Hazrat Aishara states that she used to observe the fasts remaining from the month of Ramadan in the month of Sha‘ban, before the arrival of the next Ramadan. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab as-sawm, Bab mata yuqda qada’u ramadan) However, if a woman is under some compulsion that prevents her from being able to observe these fasts after Ramadan, she will fall into the category of the sick and should give the expiation [fidyah] for the missed fasts of Ramadan.”
[For a more detailed answer by Huzooraa on this question, see: “Answers to Everyday Issues – Part 82”, Al Hakam, 15 August 2025, pp. 4-5. —Editor, Al Hakam]
Is it permissible to buy an investment property on mortgage in Islam?
A lady from Canada enquired of Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa: “Can Ahmadis buy properties in which they do not reside themselves in order to increase their income? Or a property in which they reside themselves and rent out a portion of it to supplement their income? Is it proper to offer financial sacrifices [chanda] on such an income?”
In his letter dated 2 June 2023, Huzoor-e-Anwaraa provided the following guidance on this matter:
“Under Islamic law, there is no prohibition on buying property or letting it out on rent. Therefore, if Allah the Exalted has granted someone the financial capacity, they may acquire as much property as they wish with their own money and let out as much as they wish on rent; there is no harm in it.
“However, if your question refers to buying these properties through the method of mortgage, the Jamaat’s position on this is that since in these Western countries not everyone can easily buy a house even for their own residence, they either have to live in a rented house for their entire life, from which they derive no benefit from the rent paid throughout their life other than living in the house, because despite paying such a large amount in rent, this house never becomes their property. Or, they take advantage of the mortgage facility to buy a home for their residence. For this, they have to pay a mortgage instalment that is approximately the same as the rent they would be paying for a house, but the benefit they receive from a mortgage is that after the payment of these instalments, the house becomes their property.
“Therefore, buying a house by means of a mortgage is a state of necessity and compulsion that can be classified among the mushabbahat or matters that are susceptible to different interpretations in varying circumstances, as is mentioned in the following guidance of the Holy Prophetsa:
’”الْحَلَالُ بَيِّنٌ وَالْحَرَامُ بَيِّنٌ وَبَيْنَهُمَا مُشَبَّهَاتٌ لَا يَعْلَمُهَا كَثِيرٌ مِنْ النَّاسِ فَمَنْ اتَّقَى الْمُشَبَّهَاتِ اسْتَبْرَأَ لِدِينِهِ وَعِرْضِهِ وَمَنْ وَقَعَ فِي الشُّبُهَاتِ كَرَاعٍ يَرْعَى حَوْلَ الْحِمَى يُوشِكُ أَنْ يُوَاقِعَهُ‘
“‘The lawful is clear and the unlawful is (also) clear and between the two are some mushabbahat which many people do not know. Thus, he who avoids these mushabbahat has saved his religion and his honour and he who gets involved in these mushabbahat is like a shepherd who grazes his animals very close to the royal pasture, concerning which there is a fear that one day the animals will enter into that pasture.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-iman, Bab fadli mun istabra’a li dinih)
“In any case, one may benefit from it only to the extent of buying one house for one’s own residence. However, using this mortgage method to continuously buy house after house as a business is by no means correct and the Jamaat does not encourage this matter at all; rather, it forbids it. Therefore, if a person has the financial capacity to buy a house without a mortgage, they should also abstain from this doubtful method of a mortgage. Because this state of necessity and compulsion is just like the incident mentioned in the context of the acceptance of Hajj, in which it was temporarily permissible for a family suffering from starvation for many days to eat the meat of a dead donkey to save their lives, but for their neighbour, who had the financial capacity and had also saved money to go for Hajj, this meat was not permissible. (Tazkirat-ul-Awliya, Al-Farooq Book Foundation, May 1997, p. 123)
“As for other matters, a central committee is deliberating on various contemporary financial issues such as bank loans, the stock market and mortgages in light of the following guidance of the Promised Messiahas. When a decision is reached, the members of the Jamaat will be informed of it, insha-Allah:
“‘In recent times, most jurisprudential issues in this country have become convoluted. In all forms of commerce, there is some component of interest [riba]. Therefore, at this time, there is a need for new juristic reasoning [ijtihad].’ (Al Badr, Nos. 41-42, Vol. 3, 1-8 November 1904, p. 8)”
What does the Quran mean by ‘impure women for impure men’ (Surah an-Nur, Verse 26/27)?
A lady from Germany wrote to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa: “Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh wrote in his Urdu translation of verse 27 of Surah an-Nur that impure women are for impure men and impure men are for impure women. And pure men are for pure women and pure women are for pure men. The question is that if a righteous woman is married to a man who is not pious, does this mean the woman is impure, for such a man to have been her portion?
“My second question is whether it is permissible to drink beer that is labelled ‘non-alcoholic’ when it contains a minute quantity of alcohol?”
In his letter dated 2 June 2023, Huzoor-e-Anwaraa gave the following reply to this question:
“It is generally observed that pure people have connections and relationships with pure people. And it seldom happens that impure men fall to the lot of pure women. The specific advice that the Holy Prophetsa gave regarding marriage – that at the time of marriage, instead of looking at the other party’s wealth, family and beauty, their faith [din] should be given precedence, because true success lies in marrying a person of faith (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab an-nikah, Bab al-akfa’i fi d-din) – is for this very reason: so that a pious person may become your partner.
“However, if a relationship is established somewhere between a good and a bad man and woman, then either the bad partner is reformed through the prayers and efforts of the righteous partner or a separation occurs between them through a wife’s seeking of divorce [khul‘] or a husband’s pronouncement of divorce [talaq]. Hence, if such a relationship is ever established, the man or the woman writes to me and I tell them to make a decision after praying.
“Therefore, both men and women should make a full effort to learn their faith and to live according to its teachings, so that as many righteous men as possible may fall to the lot of righteous women and righteous women to the lot of righteous men. And I have drawn attention to these matters several times in my sermons.
“As for the translation of this verse, the translation provided by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh is also substantiated by previous exegetes [mufassirun]. Moreover, in the footnote, he has also clarified this translation, stating:
“‘A general principle has been stated here that those who are impure usually marry impure women, but this is not a universal rule. There are exceptions to it. And those who are chaste marry chaste women. In this, too, there are sometimes exceptions.’ (Qur’an-e-Karim: The Holy Qur’an With Urdu Translation, Introduction of Chapters And Brief Explanatory Notes by Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IVrh, UK, 2002, p. 599, footnote)
“Furthermore, another translation of this verse was provided by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra, which is that ‘Evil things are a characteristic of evil people, and evil people are inclined towards evil things; and good things are a characteristic of good people and good people are inclined towards good things.’ Explaining his translation, he states:
“‘Generally, commentators take this verse to mean that impure men are for impure women and impure women are for impure men. But this is not correct. ‘Words’ or ‘things’ and ‘deeds’ are also used in the feminine gender and it is these that are mentioned here. Otherwise, if a wicked woman marries a noble man through deceit, what is the man’s fault in that? And you may understand the reverse of this as well. The Holy Quran simply states that you should not level an allegation of evil against those who are known for righteousness, because rationally, a man or woman with a good reputation will perform good deeds.’ (Tafsir-e-Saghir, 1979, p. 448, footnote)
“The meaning that the Promised Messiahas has given for this verse also supports the translation provided by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra. Accordingly, the Promised Messiahas states:
“The Prophets, peace be upon them, and those commissioned by Allah Almighty are preserved from foul and disgraceful diseases, such as syphilis, for example, or leprosy, or any other vile disease of this nature. It is the wicked who are afflicted with such diseases. ‘اَلۡخَبِیۡثٰتُ لِلۡخَبِیۡثِیۡنَ’ (An-Nur, 27) The word used in this verse is general in meaning and even in the specific connotations here, a generality is implied.’ (Malfuzat, Vol. 2, UK: 2022, p. 23)
“Similarly, he stated:
“‘Allah the Exalted has promised that He does not subject the righteous to such tribulations. ‘اَلْخَبِیْثٰتُ لِلْخَبِیْثِیْنَ وَالطَّیِّبٰتُ لِلطَّیِّبِیْنَ’ From this, it is clear that Allah the Exalted Himself provides pure things to the righteous and that impure things are for impure people. If a person adopts righteousness [taqwa] and attains the inner cleansing and purity that is purity in the sight of Allah the Exalted, they will be saved from such trials.
“‘A certain king once invited a saint to a banquet and had both goat’s meat and pork prepared. When the food was served, he deliberately placed the pork before the saint and the goat’s meat before himself and his friends. As the meal was laid out and they were invited to begin, Allah the Exalted revealed the true state of affairs to that saint by means of a vision [kashf]. The saint said, ‘Wait, this arrangement is not right,’ and with these words, he began to exchange the dishes before him with theirs, all the while reciting the verse, ‘…اَلْخَبِیْثٰتُ لِلْخَبِیْثِیْنَ’.
“‘In short, when a person fulfils the injunctions of the sharia and adopts righteousness, Allah the Exalted aids them and protects them from evil and detestable things. This is the very meaning of, ‘اِلَّا مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّیۡ’ [‘…except for him upon whom my Lord has mercy’ (Surah Yusuf, Ch.12: V.54)].. (Malfuzat, Vol. 5, UK: 2022, p. 221)
“Therefore, both translations are correct, but they each have separate explanations.
“The answer to your second question is that there is a very clear guidance from the Holy Prophetsa that whatever causes intoxication in a large quantity is forbidden even in a small quantity. (Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitab al-ashribah, Bab an-nahyi ‘ani l-muskir). Therefore, if a beer is made from any substance that causes intoxication, or if it has an admixture of alcohol or any such beverage of which a larger quantity causes intoxication, then even if drinking that adulterated beer does not cause intoxication, such a beer is, in any case, forbidden [haram] according to Islamic teachings. And every Ahmadi Muslim should abstain from it.”
What is the Islamic ruling on getting tattoos versus using henna?
A lady from Pakistan sent the following enquiry to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa:
“Can we create designs like tattoos with henna [mehndi]?
“Also, if one loves someone but they (a man or a woman) are a non-Muslim and are supportive of one’s religion, is it permissible to marry them?”
In his letter dated 3 June 2023, Huzoor-e-Anwaraa gave the following guidance on this matter:
“Islam has permitted women to adorn themselves by means of henna and has also made it permissible for men to dye the hair of their heads and beards with henna. A fundamental difference between henna and a tattoo is that the colour of henna fades within a week or two, whereas most tattoos become permanently imprinted on the body. And in the parts of the body where a tattoo is made, the sweat glands under the skin are severely affected and, after getting a tattoo, perspiration decreases in those parts of the body, which is medically harmful. And sometimes, this can also cause skin cancer. Similarly, since some types of tattoos become a permanent part of the body, the shape of the tattoo also changes as the body grows or shrinks, which can make the tattoo look ugly rather than aesthetically pleasing and many people then come to consider it a torment upon their life, but cannot get rid of it. Therefore, for these reasons, getting a tattoo is a vain act. Since all these matters were in the knowledge of Allah the Exalted, He forbade this act through His Messengersa. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-libas, Bab al-mustawshimah)
“As for women, for the sake of adornment, there is no harm in having such designs made with henna, by oneself or by other women, on those parts of the body that do not fall within the domain of that which must be covered for modesty [satr], provided that no polytheistic aspect is found in them. Furthermore, it is also necessary that this adornment is not then displayed openly in such a way that it violates the Islamic injunction concerning modesty [purdah].
“The answer to your second question is that Islam has forbidden believers from marrying polytheists [mushrikun]. (Surah al-Baqarah: Ch.2: V.222). Therefore, if the man or woman mentioned in your question is a mushrik, it is not permissible to marry them.”
(Compiled by Zaheer Ahmad Khan, Head of Records Department, Private Secretariat, London and translated by Al Hakam)
