Q. Is it permissible for a Muslim to work for the government in a non-Muslim country?

A. There is no issue if a Muslim works for the government, or if a person works with non-Muslims, as long as they are not engaging in prohibited behaviour, such as selling alcohol.

Q. One hadith says that Allah will seal the heart of a person who misses Jummah (Friday) prayers three times. If this has happened, how does a person know that Allah has unsealed their heart?

A. You will know the seal has been removed when you sincerely repent, when you want to do good deeds and go to Jummah regularly.

Q. Is it permissible to have a bank account that pays interest if you are not seeking the interest?

A. You can have a bank account, even if it pays you interest if there is no Islamic bank that you could use instead and you donate the interest to charity. However, you will not receive a reward for this donation.

Q. If I am interested in buying a property to live in, what alternatives are there for a mortgage?

A. There are a small number of Islamic companies that try to offer Islamic alternatives but there are some issues with their contracts. If there is genuine necessity, such as no home is available for rent, then it is permissible to get a mortgage. In other cases, a person should rent.  

Q. What are the minimum requirements for wudu (ablution) to be valid?

A. Every ibada (worship) has pillars, without which it would be invalid. The pillars are to intend (nayyah),to wash the face and the arms until the elbow, wiping the head and washing the feet to the ankle. These should be done in order and some Ulema (scholars) say they should be done consecutively, without interruption. Although the wudu would be valid without the sunnah actions, a person should not be lazy and avoid them when they have the time and ability to do them.

Q. If parents do not want a person to do something that is recommended in Islam but not fard (mandatory), is it more important to obey them?

A. Fard actions have priority over all sunnah actions. Parents should be obeyed because this is a requirement. For example, if you are praying optional salah and your mother calls you, you can break the optional salah if she needs you or will become angry with you.

 
Answered by Sheikh Khaled Alazhari, imam of the Ottawa Main Mosque. To contact the imam, e-mail:  i This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it