Is there divine guidance for extraterrestrial life too?
Someone from Germany wrote to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih V (aa), asking: If there are other worlds as well, then what religion would there be for those other worlds? Would there be more than one Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and would there be different versions of the Holy Quran? In that case, should it not have been stated in the Holy Quran that Allah the Almighty would safeguard every version of the Quran?
“Huzoor-e-Anwar (aa), in his letter dated 2 December 2023, granted the following guidance regarding this question:
“Allah the Exalted states in the Holy Quran:
اَللّٰهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَوَاتٍ وَمِنَ الْأَرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ يَتَنَزَّلُ الْأَمْرُ بَيْنَهُنَّ لِتَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا
“‘Allah is He Who created seven heavens and of the earth the like thereof. The [divine] command comes down in their midst, that you may know that Allah has power over all things and that Allah encompasses all things in [His] knowledge.’ (Surah at-Talaq, Ch.65: V.13)
“From this Quranic verse, it is clear that Allah the Exalted has, throughout His vast universe, sent down commands everywhere exactly in accordance with what was required there and under these commands the order of the universe continues to function. Upon this earth, Allah the Exalted also created human beings and for their reformation and guidance, He instituted, in this world, the chain of Prophets. Thus, our belief is that only those human beings are subject to the obligations of this system of divine law to whom the message of such laws has been conveyed. If, apart from this earth, there are other such worlds inhabited by beings like the people of this earth, then, until the message of our Sharia reaches them, they are not subject to its obligations. And if Allah the Exalted has granted them some other sharia, then they will certainly be subject to that. What the sharias granted to them are like or who the Prophets sent to them may be, is known only to Allah the Exalted. However, once contact is established with the inhabitants of those worlds and we convey to them the message of this Sharia of Allah the Exalted, then they too will become subject to its obligations and this teaching and this Messenger (sa) will also be applicable to them and worthy of emulation.
“As yet, aliens exist only in stories and it is the people of this earth who are searching for them. As far as their side is concerned, no contact with us has yet been established.
“An English professor, Mr Wragge, submitted to the Promised Messiah (as):
“‘This issue is beyond my comprehension: When God has created billions of other [celestial] systems apart from this earth with which we are connected, why restrict the powers and favours of God Almighty to this earth alone?’
(Malfuzat, 2022, Vol. 10, p. 309)
“To this, the Promised Messiah (as) replied:
“‘This is not our belief. We do not assert that there is no other system beyond this heaven and earth. On the contrary, our God affirms that He is Rabb-ul-‘Alamin [Lord of all the worlds]; meaning that He is the Lord of all worlds and that wherever any population exists, there He has verily sent Messengers. Absence of knowledge does not necessarily imply absence of existence. Why wouldn’t the God who created such vast provision for this lone little tiny earth, have created any provision for all the other inhabitations? He is equally the Lord of all and aware of the needs of all.’”
(Malfuzat, 2022, Vol. 10, p. 309)
Can a husband and wife pray Jumuah together at home?
Someone from Egypt forwarded an individual’s question to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih V (aa), stating that no other Ahmadi resides near them. Can he, therefore, offer the Jumuah prayer at home with his wife? If he can, who will call the azan and who will call the iqamah?
Huzoor-e-Anwar (aa), in his letter dated 4 December 2023, gave the following reply to this question:
“As you have described that no other Ahmadi resides near them, this is in itself an extenuating circumstance in which both the husband and wife can jointly offer the Friday prayer. However, in this scenario, as mentioned in the ahadith, the husband will stand in the front row as the imam and the wife will stand in the back row. (Sunan an-Nasa’i, Kitab al-imamah, Bab mawqifi l-imami idha kaana ma‘ahu sabiyyun wa imra’ah)
“A similar question of law was presented in the august presence of the Promised Messiah (as): if only two Ahmadis are present in a village, should they nevertheless offer the Jumuah prayer or should they not?
“[The Promised Messiah (as)] addressed Maulvi Muhammad Ahsan Sahib, who submitted, ‘Two persons suffice to constitute a congregation; therefore, the Jumuah prayer too may validly be offered.’
“[The Promised Messiah (as) then said, ‘Yes, they should offer it. The jurists have stipulated three persons. If someone is alone, he may complete the required number by having his wife, or another [person], stand behind him.’ (Badr, No. 11, Vol. 6, 14 March 1907, p. 5)
“As far as calling the azan is concerned, prayer used to be offered even before the practice of calling the azan had commenced. Thus, if all the people who intend to pray are already present, there is no harm if the azan is not called. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) was asked whether the azan is necessary for a congregation. He stated:
“‘Yes, the azan should be called. However, if those who are to join the congregation are already present there, there is no harm if the azan is not called. People have expressed various views regarding this. But I was once travelling to Gurdaspur with Hazrat Sahib [i.e., the Promised Messiah (as)]. Along the way, the time for prayer arrived. It was asked, “Should the azan be called?” He replied, “The friends are already gathered. What is the need?” Therefore, if such a situation arises, the azan need not be called. Otherwise, calling the azan is necessary because it prompts others to pray as well.’ (Al Fazl, Qadian, 19 January 1922, No. 56, Vol. 9, p. 8)
“Thus, in the scenario you have described, there is no need to call the azan. Furthermore, a woman will not call the iqamah either, even if the prayer is being offered at home, because the Holy Prophet (sa) did not permit this. (As-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi, Kitab as-salat, Bab laysa ‘ala n-nisa’i adhanun wa la iqamah)
“It is also recorded regarding the Promised Messiah (as) that when he would offer prayer at home due to some constraint and out of necessity had Hazrat Amma Jan (ra) stand alongside him in prayer [because the Promised Messiah (as) would sometimes experience dizziness while standing, therefore he would have Hazrat Amma Jan (ra) stand alongside him in prayer] (Sirat-ul-Mahdi, Vol. 1, Narration No. 696, p. 636), it is nowhere mentioned that he instructed Hazrat Amma Jan (ra) to call the iqamah. Therefore, the man will call the iqamah himself. It is also mentioned in the hadith regarding the iqamah that, where necessary, the imam can call it himself. (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi, Kitab as-salat, Bab ma ja’a fi s-salati ‘ala d-dabbati fi t-tini wa l-matar)”
What is the difference between a fasiq, a kafir and a munafiq?
A lady from Rabwah, Pakistan, wrote to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih V (aa), asking what the difference is between a kafir [disbeliever], a munafiq [hypocrite] and a fasiq [transgressor]. In one place, the Holy Quran states that the kafir are in fact munafiq and in another place it states that the munafiq are themselves fasiq. The distinction between these terms is not clear to me. Guidance is requested.
Huzoor-e-Anwar (aa), in his letter dated 5 December 2023, gave the following reply:
“From the lexical point of view, the root of kufr [disbelief/denial] is kaf-fa-ra and in Arabic usage this root fundamentally conveys the sense of concealing or covering something over. Thus, when a soldier conceals their coat of mail beneath a garment or the like, the Arabs say, كَفَرَ دَرْعَهُ, meaning that they concealed their armour. By the same semantic association, a farmer, too, has been called a kafir, because they also hide the seed within the earth. Accordingly, the notion of concealment is found in most of the derivatives formed from this root.
“In technical religious usage, kufr signifies that, after having recognised something, a person still refuses to accept it, rejects it and denies it, just as Allah the Exalted states in the Holy Quran:
وَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ كِتَابٌ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِمَا مَعَهُمْ وَكَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ يَسْتَفْتِحُونَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ مَا عَرَفُوا كَفَرُوا بِهِ فَلَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ
“‘And when there came to them a Book from Allah, fulfilling that which is with them – and before that they had prayed for victory over the disbelievers – yet when there came to them that which they knew, they rejected it. The curse of Allah be on the disbelievers.’ (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.90)
“Here too, because those who deny the truth draw a veil over it after having come to know it, the word kufr has been used in reference to them.
“Likewise, one of the meanings of kufr is to declare oneself dissociated from a matter or from a person and to claim freedom from responsibility in relation to it, as the Holy Quran states:
وَقَالَ إِنَّمَا اتَّخَذْتُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَوْثَانًا مَوَدَّةَ بَيْنِكُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ثُمَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكْفُرُ بَعْضُكُمْ بِبَعْضٍ وَيَلْعَنُ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضًا وَمَأْوَاكُمُ النَّارُ وَمَا لَكُمْ مِنْ نَاصِرِينَ
“‘And he said, “Verily you have taken for yourselves idols beside Allah, out of love for each other in the present life. Then on the Day of Resurrection, you will deny each other and curse each other. And your abode will be the Fire; and you will have no helpers.”’ (Surah al-‘Ankabut, Ch.29: V.26)
“Thus, the semantic range of kafir includes one who conceals something, one who denies it, one who rejects it, one who refuses to acknowledge it and one who declares oneself absolved of it.
“Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (ra), while elucidating the word kafir, states:
“‘The word kafir in the Arabic idiom was not such that calling someone a kafir was tantamount to setting the world ablaze, as it has become in our country. Since those people were native speakers, they fully understood that one who does not accept another’s statement is, in that respect, their kafir; and since we do not accept what you say, you therefore address us in this manner. In the Holy Quran, kufr has even been mentioned as an attribute of Muslims themselves, where Allah states يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ [he rejects those who hinder people from following the right path]. (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.258) This shows that kufr may also be an attribute of a Muslim. But nowadays, in our country, the word has come to be used in the most incorrect and indeed the most dangerous way. Someone calls another a kafir and the two are at once at each other’s throats.
“‘In reality, the word kafir was not intended to wound anyone’s feelings; rather, it was simply the expression and description of an actual state of affairs. Those people would readily accept this term and mode of address.
“‘قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ means: O ye kafirs! Be alert and listen carefully to what I say. لَا أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ means: I do not submit to those idols, those notions, those customs and usages and those conjectures to which you submit.
“‘Most of those people were, in fact, immersed in the worship of customs, habits, idols, conjectures and vain suppositions. There were, of course, some among them who were atheists, but the greater part belonged to the former category. They acknowledged God as the Supreme God and did not deny His existence. There were also some kafirs who believed in God and remained apart from idols. Nor had they become ensnared in customary usages. Yet they regarded coming to the Holy Prophet (sa) and obeying him as a humiliation of their chieftainship; and for them, it was their pride and sense of superiority that served as the veil and became the cause of their kufr.’
(Khutbat-e-Nur, Friday sermon of 10 April 1908, p. 328)
“Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra), while setting forth the categories of kufr in its technical sense, states:
“‘Kufr is of two kinds: one by which a person is expelled from the millah [religious community] and the other by which they are not expelled from the millah. Denial of the Islamic declaration of faith constitutes the first kind of kufr. The second kind of kufr arises from doctrinal errors of a lesser degree.’
(Tahqiqati ‘Adalat Mein Hazrat Imam Jamaat Ahmadiyya ka Bayan, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 24, p. 363)
“The meanings of fasiq include one who is disobedient and sinful and one who deviates from the path of truth. Likewise, a fasiq is also one who, despite being a Muslim, does not obey Allah and commits major sins or persists obstinately in minor sins. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra), while explaining this word, states:
“The meanings of fasiq are: one who rejects the command of Allah the Almighty and one who departs from the straight path. The word fasiq is most commonly used for a person who at first observes the injunctions of the Sharia and acknowledges them to be true and binding, but thereafter abandons all or some of the injunctions of the Sharia.
“Thus, the meanings of fasiq are: 1. Disobedient. 2. One who abandons and rejects the command of Allah the Almighty. 3. One who accepts the truth and then forsakes it.’ (Abridged from Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 1, UK: 2023, p. 374)
The word munafiq is used for a person who verbally claims to be a Muslim, but inwardly denies Islam. In the hadith, the signs of a hypocrite are stated to be these: when they speak, they lie; when they make a promise, they break it; when they are entrusted with something, they betray that trust; and when they quarrel, they become abusive. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-iman, Bab ‘alamati a-munafiq)
“Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) states in this regard:
“‘Allah the Almighty has mentioned two groups of hypocrites. […] One class of munafiqin are those who are deniers at heart, yet outwardly profess that they are believers. The second are those who inwardly possess true conviction and belief, but out of fear of people, they do not make it manifest and lack the strength to act accordingly. They become overcome with anxiety through fear of people. Out of fear for their property and their lives, they are unable to profess their faith openly.’
(Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Friday sermon of 20 February 1914, delivered at Qadian, Vol. 4, p. 38)
“Thus, in its lexical sense, the word kafir may be applied to both a Muslim and a non-Muslim. In its technical sense, however, it applies to one who denies God Almighty, the Holy Prophet (sa) and the other Prophets sent by God Almighty. Furthermore, a kafir may also be a fasiq and a Muslim too may be a fasiq. Likewise, the word munafiq may also be used for both a Muslim and a kafir. In reality, all these terms denote different states of the human being. Whatever the condition of a person may be, the corresponding term will be applied to them.”
Is it haram for Muslim women to wear hair extensions?
A lady from Tanzania quoted various ahadith and, in light of them, sought guidance from Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih V (aa), regarding the prohibition of women wearing artificial hair.
Huzoor-e-Anwar (aa), in his letter dated 12 December 2023, gave the following guidance regarding this issue:
“It is correct that in the ahadith there is a prohibition regarding women having artificial hair attached to their hair solely for the sake of beautification. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-libas, Bab al-mutafallijati li l-husn)
“If these ahadith are considered authentic, then one reason underlying this prohibition is that during the time of the Holy Prophet (sa), sexual immorality was rife among the Jews and centres of vice also existed in Medina. The women involved in such vice would resort to ploys of this kind in order to attain beauty and then attract men towards themselves. For this reason, Allah’s Messenger (sa) expounded upon the abomination of these acts and forbade believing women from engaging in such practices.
“Whilst clarifying the prohibition mentioned in a hadith of this nature, Hazrat Aisha (ra) states that al-wasilah [the woman who attaches hair extensions] does not mean the woman you perceive it to mean. For there is no harm if a woman has very little hair, so thin that the skin of her scalp is visible and she attaches braids of black wool or a plait to her hair. Remember, such a woman is by no means an al-wasilah. In reality, an al-wasilah is one who was a prostitute in her youth and when she grows old, she attaches a plait to her head to work as a procurer. [Because of her old age] no client comes to her. And [if any old client comes to her] both of them [this woman and her client] are introduced to one another due to this immorality. (Kitab ad-Du‘afa al-Kabir by Al-Uqayli, Bab ash-shin, Hadith 717)
“Thus, the fundamental principle is that it is not forbidden for a person to adopt any lawful means for their beauty while remaining within the permissible limits. Hence, it is mentioned in a hadith that a person asked, ‘Allah the Almighty has granted me beauty and I too like to remain beautiful and I desire that my clothes be fine and my shoes be fine; does this amount to arrogance?’ Upon this, the Holy Prophet (sa) replied that this was not arrogance and further stated:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ جَمِيلٌ يُحِبُّ الْجَمَالَ
“‘Allah is most Beautiful and loves beauty.’ (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-iman, Bab tahrimi l-kibri wa bayanih)
“Similarly, the ahadith mention that when women were married, they too would be prepared, adorned and made beautiful according to the custom of that time. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-hibah wa fadliha wa t-tahridi ‘alaiha, Bab al-isti‘arah li l-‘arusi ‘inda l-bina’; Fath al-Bari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab an-nikah, Bab isti‘arati th-thiyabi li l-‘arusi wa ghairiha)”
(Compiled by Zaheer Ahmad Khan, Head of Records Department, Private Secretariat, London and translated by Al Hakam)