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 ruling on reciting the Bismillah aloud versus silently when leading congregational prayers?
Someone wrote to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, noting the difference of opinion concerning whether the Basmalah should be uttered aloud by the imam before Surah al-Fatihah, or indeed any Surah, while leading congregational prayers. They added that when someone does pronounce it loudly, they are often dissuaded on the grounds that such a practice disturbs the Jamaat’s unity and harmony. Guidance was therefore sought.
In his letter dated 23 March 2023, Huzoor-e-Anwaraa provided the following reply to this question:
“Before commencing Surah al-Fatihah or any other Surah in salat, we certainly recite the Basmalah; however, we do so softly, not audibly. The reason is that the authentic collections of Hadith establish that the Holy Prophetsa would recite the Basmalah in a low voice before beginning his recitation of Surah al-Fatihah or other Surahs in salat.
“Accordingly, Hazrat Anasra relates that whenever Allah’s Messengersa, or Hazrat Abu Bakrra or Hazrat Umarra began the salat, they started with al-hamdu lillahi rabbi l-‘alamin. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab as-salat, Bab ma yaqulu ba‘da t-takbir) In another narration, Hazrat Anasra says: ‘I performed salat behind the Holy Prophetsa, Abu Bakrra, Umarra and Uthmanra and never heard any of them recite the Basmalah aloud [before a Surah].’ (Sunan an-Nasa’i, Kitab al-iftitah, Bab tarki l-jahri bi bismillah)
“The Promised Messiahas followed the same practice and refrained from reciting the Basmalah aloud, as have all Khulafa-e-Ahmadiyyat after him. Jamaat’s unity, therefore, demands that the imam of congregational prayer adopt the very practice established by the Holy Prophetsa, the Promised Messiahas and his Khulafa’.
“That said, if an individual does recite the Basmalah aloud in prayer, we do not deem it wrong, for certain ahadith indicate that the Holy Prophetsa also did so on occasion. Hence, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira explained:
“‘Reciting the Basmalah aloud or softly is permissible in both forms. Our Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Karim Sahib (may Allah forgive him and have mercy upon him) was of an ardent disposition. He used to recite the Basmalah audibly. Hazrat Mirza Sahibas did not recite it audibly. Likewise, I too recite it inaudibly. Among the Companions, both practices were found. I counsel you not to quarrel over how anyone recites it. The same applies to saying amin; both ways are permissible. In some places, Jews and Christians disliked hearing Muslims pronounce amin, so the Companions would say it very loudly. I derive pleasure from both ways, whether one recites it loudly or inaudibly.’ (Badr, No. 32, Vol. 11, 23 May 1912, p. 3)
“Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Karim Sialkotira embraced Ahmadiyyat later in life and, prior to becoming an Ahmadi, he used to recite the Basmalah aloud. Since this practice is also substantiated by the Holy Prophetsa, the Promised Messiahas did not forbid him from doing so. However, as is evident from the aforementioned guidance of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira, as well as from the narrations of many other eminent Companions – including Hazrat Mian Abdullah Sanaurira, Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra, Hazrat Qazi Muhammad Yusuf Peshawarira and Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Bashir Ahmadra – the personal practice of the Promised Messiahas was that which his lord and master, the Holy Prophet Muhammad al-Mustafasa, most frequently adopted.
“Therefore, in this matter too, to maintain unity, we ought to act upon the same practice that the Holy Prophetsa, the Promised Messiahas and the noble Khulafa’ followed in their respective eras.
“Once, someone observed that certain Hadith collections other than Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim report the Holy Prophet’ssa audible recitation of the Basmalah and asked Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra whether, in light of this, he might also recite it aloud unless Huzoorra advised otherwise. For precisely this reason of preserving unity and concord, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra responded:
“‘If Bukhari and Muslim record that he did not recite it aloud, do you presume the other books to be more authoritative than Bukhari and Muslim?’ (Farmudat-e-Musleh-e-Maw‘ud dar barah Fiqhi Masa’il, pp. 56-57)”
Why is the consumption of blood forbidden in Islam?
Someone wrote to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, stating, “My teacher has asked why Muslims abstain from consuming the blood of animals. Is the motivation purely hygienic, or are there additional reasons?”
In his letter dated 25 March 2023, Huzoor-e-Anwaraa provided the following guidance on this issue:
“Islam is a perfect religion and is in perfect accord with nature. Therefore, its commandments accord profound consideration to man’s spiritual health alongside his physical well-being. Accordingly, concerning fallen and flowing blood, Islam has decreed that it should not be consumed. In fact, this decree also rests on the principles of hygiene, because blood is susceptible to rapid putrefaction and becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. It also contains such impure substances as are deleterious to human health. For this reason, Islam has forbidden its consumption.
“Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira, who, in addition to being a great religious scholar, was also a highly skilled physician, remarked on the matter [while responding to a Hindu critic of Islam]:
“‘Blood is pernicious to the finer tissues and organs and contains toxins […]. Even if you study your Vedas, it is also written therein that blood harbours various types of poisons that are expelled through urine. […]’ (Haqaiq-ul-Furqan, Vol. 2, pp. 189-190)
“[…] Thus, Islam has forbidden the eating of the aforementioned type of blood. However, the residual blood that remains in the arteries of an animal after it has been slaughtered, which in a way is part of the meat itself, or the blood from certain small birds that release very little blood upon being slaughtered and which is sometimes visible in the fine capillaries when eating their cooked meat – such blood is not forbidden and there is no harm in consuming it.”
Can janazah prayer be performed more than once for the same deceased person?
A missionary from the UK asked Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, “If the Khalifa of the Time leads the hazir funeral prayer (i.e., where the dead body is present), but the burial is scheduled for a later day, can the janazah be performed again for the same person at the cemetery before the burial?
“Furthermore, on those Fridays when Huzooraa announces the passing of certain members and leads their funeral prayer after the Jumuah prayer, would it be considered an innovation [bid‘ah] if other mosques then also offer the funeral prayer in absentia for them?”
In his letter dated 25 March 2023, Huzoor-e-Anwaraa provided the following guidance in this regard:
“The janazah prayer is a collective obligation [fard kifayah]. Once it has been performed [by the Khalifa of the Time], there is no need to perform it again without a valid reason. When the Holy Prophetsa performed the funeral prayer for someone, the Companions did not subsequently repeat that person’s funeral prayer.
“However, there is evidence from the ahadith that if the Companions had performed the funeral prayer for a deceased person and buried them without the Holy Prophetsa having been informed of the person’s death, the Holy Prophetsa, out of compassion and mercy, would later perform the funeral prayer in absentia for that person. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-jana’iz, Bab sufufi s-sibyans ma‘a r-rijali fi l-jana’iz; Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-jana’iz, Bab as-salati ‘ala l-qabr)
“Therefore, if the Khalifa of the Time has performed the hazir funeral prayer for someone once, there is no need to perform their hazir janazah again. The exception to this is if the burial is taking place some days later, and at that time, some of the deceased’s close relatives, who were unable to be present for the first funeral prayer, have also arrived. In such a case, taking into consideration the sentiments of these close relatives, there is no harm if the funeral prayer is offered again. However, without a legitimate reason, there is no need to repeatedly offer the funeral prayer.
“As for the respected elders, martyrs, or deceased individuals who have made extraordinary sacrifices, whose funeral prayer in absentia I lead after Friday prayers; if people who are offering the Friday prayer in other mosques wish to offer the funeral prayer in absentia for these individuals, it is neither obligatory nor forbidden. Moreover, for these mosques to offer their funeral prayer in absentia again is by no means a bid‘ah.”
Is it permissible to read the Quran directly from the mushaf while performing salat?
Someone wrote to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, and asked the following questions:
“1. Is it permissible to read from the mushaf or a physical copy of the Holy Quran by placing it open in front of oneself during salat?
“2. What is the ruling concerning a person who, without any valid excuse, has not made up for the fasts they missed during the previous Ramadan by the time the next Ramadan arrives?
“3. Should a sick person pay the fidyah for missed fasts on a daily basis, or can they also pay it on the last day of Ramadan?”
In his letter dated 26 March 2023, Huzoor-e-Anwaraa provided the following answers to these questions:
“Allah the Exalted states in the Holy Quran:
فَاقۡرَءُوۡا مَا تَیَسَّرَ مِنَ الۡقُرۡاٰنِ
“‘Recite, then, as much of the Qur’an as is easy [for you].’ (Surah al-Muzzammil, 73:21)
“Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra writes in his book, Zikr-e-Habib:
“‘Dr Mirza Yaqub Baig Sahib once submitted to the Promised Messiahas that he was unable to memorise the long Surahs of the Holy Quran but desired to recite them in salat. He asked, ‘Is it possible for me to place the Holy Quran open on a Quran stand or a table, or to hold it in my hand, and after reciting, set it aside to perform the ruku‘ and sujud, and then pick it up again for the second rak‘ah?’ The Promised Messiahas replied, ‘What is the need for that? You should memorise a few Surahs and recite those.’ (Zikr-e-Habib […], p. 136)
“Therefore, one should recite in the prayers whatever of the Holy Quran one has memorised, and if one has the capacity, one should endeavour to memorise [more of] it. However, there is no need to read from the mushaf.”
What is the Islamic ruling if someone fails to make up for their missed Ramadan fasts before the beginning of the next Ramadan?
“If a person misses some fasts of Ramadan due to a valid reason, they should make up for them after the reason is no longer present and before the arrival of the next Ramadan. Indeed, this is the method mentioned in the ahadith concerning the Mothers of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with them. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab as-siyam, Bab qada’i ramadana fi sha‘ban)
“However, if someone has been unable to make up for these fasts, they can still observe them after the next Ramadan, because the Holy Quran has not imposed any condition that the fasts of Ramadan must be completed before the next Ramadan. Rather, by using the words, ‘فَعِدَّۃٌ مِّنۡ اَیَّامٍ اُخَرَ’ (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.186), meaning, ‘[They] should complete the reckoning by fasting on a corresponding number of other days’, it has been left to a person’s convenience.
“Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states in this regard:
“‘It is indeed a Quranic injunction that one should not fast while on a journey or in a state of illness, and we stress this so that the Quranic command is not disrespected. However, those who take advantage of this excuse, who are able to fast yet do not, or who have missed some fasts and could have completed them with effort but do not try to do so, they are sinners just as the one who does not fast in Ramadan without a valid excuse is a sinner. Therefore, every Ahmadi should make up for any fasts they have not kept due to some negligence or a valid excuse under Islamic law. Even if they have missed some of the fasts over a period of five or six years due to negligence or a valid religious excuse, they should complete those as well, so that they may be saved from punishment.’ (Al Fazl, Rabwah, 8 March 1961, p. 2; Farmudat-e-Musleh-e-Maw‘ud dar barah Fiqhi Masa’il, pp. 167-168)”
When and why should fidyah be paid for fasts missed due to illness or travel?
“If a person is unable to observe some fasts of Ramadan due to illness or travel, they should, according to their capacity, pay the fidyah for these missed fasts concurrently. The Promised Messiahas has also explained that one benefit of the fidyah is that it grants one the divine grace or ability [tawfiq] to be able to fast. Thus, he states:
“‘Once, the thought came to my mind as to why the fidyah was instituted. I came to understand that it is for the sake of tawfiq, so that the divine grace to fast may be obtained through it. It is the Being of God alone who bestows tawfiq, and every single thing should be sought from God alone. God the Exalted is the All-Powerful; if He so wills, He can grant even an extremely feeble person the strength to fast. Thus, the purpose of the fidyah is precisely this: that this strength may be acquired, and this comes about by the grace of God. Therefore, in my view, it is excellent that one should pray, ‘O my God, this is a blessed month of Yours, and I am being left deprived of it. And what do I know whether I will be alive next year or not, or whether I will be able to make up for these missed fasts or not!’ If one seeks tawfiq from Him, then I am certain that God the Exalted will bestow strength upon such a heart.’ (Al Badr, No. 7, Vol. 1, 12 December 1902, p. 52)”
Are professionals like doctors permitted to go on strike according to Islamic teachings?
A doctor from the UK wrote to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, “There is currently widespread talk of doctors’ strikes. When we tell people that strikes are forbidden for Ahmadis, they reply that striking is a human right of employees and ask why we are not permitted to do so. They say this is an act that weakens the collective voice. What should be the response to this?”
In his letter dated 26 March 2023, Huzoor-e-Anwaraa provided the following guidance in this regard:
“If the law permits a strike, there is no harm in holding such a peaceful strike. However, even in this case, care should be taken to ensure that there is no form of vandalism and that no damage is caused to public or private property. During the blessed era of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, when a protest was held in support of the Kashmiris, he granted Ahmadis permission at that time to participate in peaceful gatherings and protests.
“However, if a strike is prohibited by the government, one should not participate in it. Similarly, one should not participate in a strike that carries the risk of loss of life.
“As for the rest, instead of causing harm to patients or creating difficulties for them by going on strike to secure one’s rights, one should exert pressure on the government through the Members of Parliament in one’s respective areas, who have been elected by the people as their representatives. They should be informed that junior doctors also obtain their degrees after many years of study and after spending a substantial amount of money. If you pay them at a rate of 14 or 15 pounds per hour, then this too is an injustice, especially when, in comparison, a cleaner earns a higher wage.
“So, the government should also pay heed to this matter, because the duty of government officials is not merely to assume office and then only consider their own interests. Rather, the government is the guarantor for the protection of the rights of every citizen of the country. Therefore, the government should also strive to fulfil this public responsibility on a priority basis.”
(Compiled by Zaheer Ahmad Khan, Head of Records Department, Private Secretariat, London and translated by Al Hakam)