She became Muslim but did not announce her Islam, and they want to arrange her marriage to a Christian

I have a Christian friend, but by the grace of Allah she uttered the Shahaadatayn and she has been praying and fasting for a few years, but without her family’s knowledge (specifically her mother). The problem is that the girl’s father was originally Muslim, but he left his family and became Christian in secret and married a Christian lady with a civil marriage, and they had daughters and sons. Their father and mother changed the name of the grandfather and the family name in the children’s birth certificates so that the name would be a Christian one, because the father's real name sounds Islamic. When the daughter grew up and found out the truth, and realised that she was Muslim by origin and by full conviction, she uttered the Shahaadatayn and started to pray and fast Ramadan and read Qur’aan. She wants to announce her Islam in al-Azhar ash-Shareef and marry a Muslim man, but her mother does not want that and has threatened to cut her off and she says that she is ill and that this may need to her death, and her daughter will be held responsible for that. She says that she is originally Christian and her birth certificate indicates that. With regard to her father, a while back he started to pray and he says that he regrets what he did in the past, but he cannot help his daughter to announce her Islam openly lest he be exposed to scandal, according to what he says. The mother of the girl wants to arrange a marriage to a Christian man so as to bar her way to Islam. She said to her daughter: If you become Muslim, I will cut you off for life and you will be thrown out of my house. What should the daughter do so that she can save her religious commitment and be safe from her mother’s harm or cutting her off? Will the daughter be sinning if she marries that Christian man under pressure from her mother, so that she will not be guilty of causing her death, for example, because of stress? I have told you this situation, as this friend asked me to tell you, because she wants to attain success in the Hereafter and is fully convinced of Islam, and she does not want to die as a Christian. She wants to find out the Islamic view on her situation and what she has to do in order to please Allah and His Messenger.

Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:

We praise Allah, may He be exalted, for having guided our dear sister to Islam and enabled her to pray and fast. We ask Allah to bless her with steadfastness and strength and to guide her family and relatives.

Secondly:

It is not permissible for a Muslim woman to marry a Christian man, and this is not regarded as a marriage; rather it is zina (fornication or adultery) and immoral conduct. She has to refuse to do that by all possible means, and hasten to announce her Islam in her official documents. She can seek help in doing that from experts such as lawyers and the like. If announcing her Islam will result in her mother cutting her off, or becoming ill, or even dying, there is no sin on her for that, because she will have done what is required of her, and obeying Allah and pleasing Him takes precedence over obedience to anyone else. The matter is very serious; it is the matter of kufr (disbelief) or eemaan (faith), so there is no room in this case for emotion. Perhaps by declaring her Islam, that will pave the way for her father and mother to become Muslim, even if that is after a while. The point is that her remaining steadfast in Islam is what is obligatory and essential. There is nothing beyond that except apostasy and loss. It is not permissible for her under any circumstances to marry a Christian man. She has to hasten to confirm her Islam according to regular official procedures, then she should be gentle in announcing that to her family, and she should seek the help of people who are experienced and skilled in dealing with such matters. If announcing her Islam results in her family cutting her off or becoming ill, she is not responsible for any of that.

We think that the general circumstances now will be more helpful in dealing with this matter than was the case previously. We ask Allah to give her the joy of seeing her family being guided to Islam.

We should point out that the correct thing to say would be “I have a friend who was Christian”, because now she is a Muslim. The fact that she has delayed announcing her Islam does not mean that she has not become Muslim. The one who utters the Shahaadatayn in a serious manner has entered Islam, and is required to pray and do all other obligatory deeds, and she has done that, praise be to Allah.

And Allah knows best.

I am a girl who offers the five prayers regularly and fears Allah, but I fell into the pit of the secret habit. I regret what I have done and I have repented more than once, but of two occasions I swore that if I did it again that my dream of getting good grades in my exams – which is my life’s dream – should not come true. This was so that I would stop what I was doing. But unfortunately I did it again. But now I have repented sincerely and my exams are in a few days’ time, and I am afraid that what I prayed for may come true. I wanted to fast for three days but I did not have the strength to do that because of the exams and psychological pressure. But I have decided to fast after I finish the exams. My question is: is it possible for what I prayed for to come true? Praise be to Allaah. Firstly: The secret habit is an abhorrent and haraam action on the part of both males and females. We have discussed the ruling on that and how to deal with it in the answers to questions no. 329 and 101539. Secondly: What you have done of praying against yourself and asking that you not be helped to succeed in obtaining high grades is something that was not appropriate, because it was praying for something bad for oneself. Falling behind in your studies is not a good thing; rather it would lead to serious negative consequences. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade the Muslim to pray against himself. It was narrated that Umm Salamah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not pray against yourselves except for good things, for the angels says ameen to whatever you say.” Narrated by Muslim, 920 Muslim also narrated (3014) from Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not pray against yourselves, do not pray against your children, and do not pray against your wealth, lest that coincide with an hour when Allah is asked for something and He responds to you.” Thirdly: If a person swears to do an act of disobedience then he does it, what he is required to do is offer expiation for the oath he swore. This expiation is not expiation for the sin he committed; rather it is expiation for the oath that he swore. As for the sin, what he has to do is repent sincerely from it. Part of his repentance is regretting what he did in the past and resolving not to do it again. See the answer to question no. 103424 Thus, if a person swears against himself with the aim of encouraging himself to do something or preventing himself from doing something, as appears to be the case in your question, then it comes under the ruling on oaths, and if he broke it then he must offer expiation for it. Shaykh Khaalid al-Mushayqih (may Allah preserve him) was asked: What is the ruling on one who says, “Insha Allah I should die if I do such and such?” or he said “May such and such befall me if I do this thing?” when he knows that he wants to go back to it and he said that in a moment of anger? Is this regarded as being the same as an oath? May Allah reward you with good. He replied: Firstly, it is forbidden for a person to pray against himself… Secondly, if a person prayed against himself in this manner, intending to encourage himself to do something or prevent himself from doing something, or to confirm something or to say that something was a lie, then the oath was broken, then he must offer expiation for breaking an oath (kafaarat yameen). For example, if he said, “If I do not go, may I fall ill or die,” then he did not go. In that case he has to offer expiation for breaking an oath. End quote from Fataawa ash-Shaykh, 2/145. And Allah knows best.

What is your response to the one who says that so long as the Muslim has an atom’s weight of faith in his heart, he will enter Paradise even if he commits zina during his lifetime?
What do you say to the wife who betrays her husband by committing the immoral act of zina for the sake of sexual pleasure?.

Praise be to Allaah.
The belief of Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa‘ah is that those who commit major sins are subject to the will of Allah. If Allah wills, He will punish them, and if He wills, He will forgive them, and if they are punished, they will not remain in Hell forever. This is what is indicated by the mutawaatir texts of the Qur’aan and Sunnah, such as the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases, and whoever sets up partners with Allah in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin”

[an-Nisa’ 4:48].

Al-Bukhaari (18) and Muslim (1709) narrated from ‘Ubaadah ibn as-Saamit that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, when a number of his companions were around him: “Swear allegiance to me, pledging that you will not associate anything with Allah, you will not steal, you will not commit zina, you will not kill your children, you will not fabricate lies against one another, and you will not disobey in anything that is right and proper. Whoever among you fulfils that, his reward will be with Allah, and whoever does any of those things and is punished for it in this world, that will be expiation for him. Whoever does any of those things then Allaah conceals him, his case will rest with Allaah: if He wills He will forgive him and if He wills He will punish him.” So we swore allegiance to him on that basis.

Al-Bukhaari (44) and Muslim (193) narrated from Anas that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever says Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah and has in his heart goodness the weight of a grain of barley will be brought out of Hell, then whoever says Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah and has in his heart goodness the weight of a grain of wheat will be brought out of Hell, then whoever says Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah and has in his heart goodness the weight of an atom (or a small ant) will be brought out of Hell.”

Abu ‘Abdullah said: Abaan narrated to us: Qataadah narrated to us: Anas narrated to us from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) “faith” instead of “goodness”.

This does not mean that we may be heedless or reckless with regard to sin. The sinner may be faced with a bad end or loss of faith. Hence one of the Salaf said: Sins are the harbingers of kufr.

Moreover, no one takes the idea of the punishment of Hell lightly except the negligent fool who does not know what Hell is or what the punishment of Allah is, or that one dip in the Fire will make him forget the greatest pleasure in this world.

There are reports concerning the punishment and humiliation of those who commit zina, that instil fear in the heart and mind and would stop anyone thinking of zina. These reports include the following:

Al-Bukhaari (1386) narrated that Samurah ibn Jundub said: When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed, he would turn to us and say: “Who among you saw a dream last night?” If anyone had seen a dream, he would tell him and say whatever Allah willed. One day he said: “Did any of you see a dream last night?” We said: No. He said: “But last night I dreamt that two men came to me and they took me by the hand and led me out to the holy land. … Then we moved on to a hole like a tannoor (a kind of oven) that was narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. A fire was lit underneath it, and when it came close they rose up until they almost came out, and when it died down they went back into it. In it were naked men and women. I said: Who are these? They said: Move on. So we moved on.”

According to another report narrated by al-Bukhaari (7047): “… So we went on, and came to something like a tannoor (a kind of oven).  – I [the narrator] think he said: In it there was much noise and voices. We looked into it and saw naked men and women. A flame of fire was reaching them from underneath, and when it reached them, they cried out loudly. I said to them, ‘Who are these?’ They said to me, ‘Move on, move on.’ … ‘As for the naked men and women whom you saw in a structure that resembled an oven, they are the adulterers and adulteresses.’”

And he said: “When a man commits zina, faith departs from him and hovers like a cloud over him, then when he stops that, faith returns to him.”

Narrated by Abu Dawood (4690), at-Tirmidhi (2625). Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

See also the answer to question no. 15934

Then it may be said here to the one who has a heart: what kind of believer is this who is content to let the most precious thing he has depart from him, namely faith, when he does not know whether Allah will restore it to him as it was or take it away from him, in return for a moment of pleasure that will soon pass?

If a woman betrays her husband, she has combined adultery, wrongdoing and treachery towards her husband, all of which are grave major sins. How does she know that she will be able to repent or that Allah will accept her repentance? Indeed she does not know whether she will be able to die as a believer or not. We ask Allah to keep us safe and sound.

Because zina is so abhorrent and is so grave a sin, Allah has made the hadd punishment for the previously married person who commits zina stoning to death.

We ask Allah to keep us safe and to save us and protect us and you and all the Muslims from these sins.

And Allah knows best.

What should she do as she prayed against herself asking that she not be successful and her du‘aa’ was accompanied by an oath?

I am a girl who offers the five prayers regularly and fears Allah, but I fell into the pit of the secret habit. I regret what I have done and I have repented more than once, but of two occasions I swore that if I did it again that my dream of getting good grades in my exams – which is my life’s dream – should not come true. This was so that I would stop what I was doing. But unfortunately I did it again. But now I have repented sincerely and my exams are in a few days’ time, and I am afraid that what I prayed for may come true. I wanted to fast for three days but I did not have the strength to do that because of the exams and psychological pressure. But I have decided to fast after I finish the exams.
My question is: is it possible for what I prayed for to come true?

Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:

 The secret habit is an abhorrent and haraam action on the part of both males and females. We have discussed the ruling on that and how to deal with it in the answers to questions no. 329 and 101539.

Secondly:

What you have done of praying against yourself and asking that you not be helped to succeed in obtaining high grades is something that was not appropriate, because it was praying for something bad for oneself. Falling behind in your studies is not a good thing; rather it would lead to serious negative consequences. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade the Muslim to pray against himself. It was narrated that Umm Salamah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not pray against yourselves except for good things, for the angels says ameen to whatever you say.”

Narrated by Muslim, 920

Muslim also narrated (3014) from Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not pray against yourselves, do not pray against your children, and do not pray against your wealth, lest that coincide with an hour when Allah is asked for something and He responds to you.”

Thirdly:

If a person swears to do an act of disobedience then he does it, what he is required to do is offer expiation for the oath he swore. This expiation is not expiation for the sin he committed; rather it is expiation for the oath that he swore. As for the sin, what he has to do is repent sincerely from it. Part of his repentance is regretting what he did in the past and resolving not to do it again.

See the answer to question no. 103424

Thus, if a person swears against himself with the aim of encouraging himself to do something or preventing himself from doing something, as appears to be the case in your question, then it comes under the ruling on oaths, and if he broke it then he must offer expiation for it.

Shaykh Khaalid al-Mushayqih (may Allah preserve him) was asked:

What is the ruling on one who says, “Insha Allah I should die if I do such and such?” or he said “May such and such befall me if I do this thing?” when he knows that he wants to go back to it and he said that in a moment of anger? Is this regarded as being the same as an oath? May Allah reward you with good.

He replied:

Firstly, it is forbidden for a person to pray against himself…

Secondly, if a person prayed against himself in this manner, intending to encourage himself to do something or prevent himself from doing something, or to confirm something or to say that something was a lie, then the oath was broken, then he must offer expiation for breaking an oath (kafaarat yameen). For example, if he said, “If I do not go, may I fall ill or die,” then he did not go. In that case he has to offer expiation for breaking an oath.

End quote from Fataawa ash-Shaykh, 2/145.

And Allah knows best.

Should he sell tapes by daa’iyahs whose ways sometimes differ from the Sunnah?

What is the ruling on opening an Islamic bookstore to sell books, Islamic tapes and Mus-hafs, if I sell tapes by some shaykhs who make mistakes in many of their words and deeds, such as not wearing a beard and telling the masses not to let their beards grow?
 What is the ruling on selling such tapes, knowing that they have helped many to become committed Muslims?.

Praise be to Allaah
One of the good characteristics of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah is that they know the right path and show compassion towards people, so they love to speak with knowledge and fairness, and they hate wrongdoing and ignorance, because they follow the Book of Allaah whenever He commands them to treat people with fairness and to judge them on the basis of knowledge and truth.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allaah, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin”

[al-Nisa’ 4:135]

“…and that when you judge between men, you judge with justice”

[al-Nisa’ 4:58]

“And whenever you give your word (i.e. judge between men or give evidence), say the truth”

[al-An’aam 6:152]

The human soul can only reach this level when it works for the sake of Allaah free from any ego or worldly interests, and when it is aware that Allaah can see into the depths of the conscience and what is hidden in the heart. According to the hadeeth: “Those who are fair and just will be on thrones of light.” Narrated by Muslim, 2827.

One of the du’aa’s of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was: “I ask You to (make me speak) the word of truth at times of anger and at times of contentment.” Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 1305; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Nasaa’i.

 If you think about the divinely-ordained method by means of which Allaah raised people to the pinnacle of self-control, tolerance and speaking the word of truth even if it goes against one’s self, one’s parents or one’s relatives, you will understand that many of the daa’iyahs who are involved in the field of contemporary Islamic da’wah, who have some good qualities and a great deal of influences among the masses, are doing well in the aspects in which they excel, and in the aspects in which they are falling short they are either striving to reach the right conclusion by means of their own ijtihaad, in which case they will receive either one reward or two, or they are falling short in some aspects but we hope, in sha Allaah, that their good deeds will make up for their bad deeds, especially in the case of those who have influenced the people and led to them becoming righteous. Depriving the people of access to their call, when there is no effective alternative, is a method that is not approved of in Islam, for one of the basic principles of sharee’ah is to reduce evils and promote good among the people.

The good that is achieved by these daa’iyahs, such as guiding the youth, encouraging girls to observe hijab and encouraging people to pray regularly are important matters that are among the greatest aims of sharee’ah.

The shortcomings that you mention, meaning that some daa’iyahs fall short in some aspects, should not be allowed to overshadow the benefits mentioned, especially since they have to do with minor issues and are limited to the individual, whereas the benefits are great and reach many people.

Hence there is no reason why you should not sell tapes by these daa’iyahs, so long as they are following the way of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah. If any of them make a mistake with regard to some matter, the way of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah is to advise them by getting in touch with them or writing to them.

Whoever thinks about the daa’iyahs who deliver khutbahs and lectures or broadcast on TV and radio etc, will notice that they are of different types:

Some of them are following the path of the salaf in their methodology, moderation and action.  We should listen to these daa’iyahs and encourage people to listen to them.

Some of them are correct in most of what they say, but they fall somewhat short in the field of action. They should be listened to, because their shortcomings are usually limited only to themselves.

Some of them mix right and wrong but in general they follow the Sunnah and do not adopt any ideas of bid’ah (innovation) and do not promote it, so we should not put people off from listening to them altogether, rather we should correct their mistakes and speak about their errors in a just and fair manner, whilst also praising their good points.

Some of them are people of bid’ah and shirk, which they spread and promote. We should not listen to them and we should warn others against them, and not praise their good points, because that means we are praising them when they have committed major sins which cancel out any good deeds.

The above has to do with the daa’iyahs.

On the other hand, there are people who speak of the daa’iyahs in a just manner, and others who speak of them in an unfair manner.

Among the latter there are some who are unjust and unfair; they accuse some daa’iyahs of bid’ah when in fact they do not follow bid’ah, and warn others against them, when it is more appropriate to warn people against these unfair critics, because they are unfair and wrongdoers. No attention should be paid to their warnings because of their unfairness and wrongdoing.

Hence we must know how to distinguish between sin, bid’ah, error and mistakes with regard to the basic tenets of ‘aqeedah.

We will give some examples:

If there is a daa’iyah who calls people to the path of the salaf, but he is extreme and harsh, then he should be praised for his methodology but he should be given advice with regard to his harshness.

If there is a preacher who quotes da’eef and munkar (weak and unsound) ahaadeeth, but there is also a lot of truth in what he says, then he should be praised for his preaching, but he should be told of the error of his quoting weak and fabricated ahaadeeth and taking them as evidence.

If there is someone who reminds the people and teaches them about proper morals, etiquette and virtues, but he shaves his beard, for example, or sits in mixed gatherings, then he should be praised for his good qualities but should be told of the rulings regarding the matters where he goes against the Sunnah. If he calls for abandoning some of the obligatory or mustahabb Sunnahs, then that view should also be refuted.

If there is someone who teaches the people bid’ah (innovations) and encourages them to associate others with Allaah, such as seeking the help of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), dead “saints” (awliya’) or occupants of graves, or encourages them to pray to them and ask of them, then we should warn others against him and explain the falseness of his belief and shirk. We should tell the people not to listen to anything that he says because it involves dangerous and harmful ideas.

If there is someone who mixes truth and falsehood, Sunnah and bid’ah, we should not encourage the people to listen to him; rather we should point out the error of his ways. When he starts to propagate his wrong ideas, then the should be advised and requested to retract these ideas publicly. If he does not do that, then his mistakes should be announced in the same gathering where he promoted his mistaken ideas.

And Allaah is the Source of strength.

Difficulties encountered by a woman who wears hijaab

My problem is that i recently began wearing hijab. in my city there are very few women who wear this and my town is very small. i am newly convert to islam and african american, my husband is pakistani and we have been married 4 yrs. he does not seem to like the fact that i am wearing hijab. he does not want to go out in public with me wearing this. i dont know what to do..this is very hard for me to wear it but this is something that i know i must do , for we all have to make our own path to paradise. should i consider divorce, because my religion is very seriouse to me. my husband does prayer only at masjid on fridays, and i am constantly into my islam. this problem causes me to cry often..if you are able.

Praise be to Allaah.
First of all, we would like to congratulate you for having been guided by Allaah to embrace Islam, the true and final religion. I ask Allaah to help us and you remain steadfast in adhering to it until we die.

I give you the glad tidings of the words that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to the Sahaabah: “There will come a time when patience is required of the one who adheres (to Islam), and he will have the reward of fifty of you.” They said, “Of them?” He said, “No, of you.”

(Narrated by Ibn Nasr; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilat al-Saheehah, 494)

Before you think of divorce, try to play the role of a daa’iyah, calling your husband and those around you to Islam. This will benefit others and help you to remain steadfast. You have an example of that in the righteous believing women such as Umm al-Mu’mineen (the Mother of the Believers) Khadeejah (may Allaah be pleased with her), who played a great role in making the heart of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) remain firm and steadfast when his mission began. Whenever he mentioned her after she had died, he would praise her in glowing terms, as was narrated by ‘Aa’ishah who said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) mentioned Khadeejah one day, and he praised her highly.”

(Musnad al-Imam Ahmad, 24684; classed as hasan by al-Haythami in al-Majma’)

Another example is Umm Sulaym (may Allaah be pleased with her). Abu Talhah [who was not yet a Muslim at that time] proposed marriage to her, and she said: “By Allaah, O Abu Talhah, a man like you is not to be refused, but you are a kaafir man and I am a Muslim woman. It is not permissible for me to marry you, but if you become Muslim, that will be my mahr (dowry).” So he became Muslim, and that was her mahr.

(Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 3341; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Nasaa’i, 3133)                                                

So start – may Allaah help you – by calling your husband and convincing him by all kinds of means to adhere to Islam and its obligations, such as prayer, wearing hijaab, etc, especially since he is already Muslim. Calling one’s husband is one of the ways that lead to Paradise.

I hope that Allaah will guide your husband through your sincere advice. Also make a lot of du’aa’ for him. If after some time you do not see any improvement, or you think that you will be able to find someone to marry who is better than this husband, then think of divorce. This is only if this man is negligent about his prayers, praying sometimes and not at other times. But if he has forsaken prayer altogether and does not even pray on his own, then it is not permissible for you to stay with him, because forsaking prayer constitutes disbelief in Allaah.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The covenant that stands between us and them is prayer; whoever gives it up is a kaafir.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2621; al-Nasaa’i, 463 and others. It is a saheeh report. Al-Mishkaat, 574)

And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Between a man and shirk and kufr, there stands his giving up prayer.”

(Narrated by Muslim, 82).

For yourself, be patient in adhering to hijaab even though it may be difficult. How much did our examples, the men and women of the Sahaabah, suffer for the sake of Allaah; we suffer only a fraction of what they suffered. This is the path to Paradise. For Hell is surrounded with whims and desires and Paradise is surrounded with difficulties.

Be certain that hijaab is only difficult because it is new to you. If you are patient and have faith, this difficulty will fade – in sha Allaah – and it will become easy and you will become comfortable with the hijaab. If you remember the reward, that which is difficult will become easier.

The fact that you are wearing hijaab even though you find it difficult is a sign that your faith is strong.

 I ask Allaah to make us and you steadfast in adhering to the religion. Ameen.

Women giving a false excuse for not praying

In some schools the girls are obliged to pray in jamaa’ah and they allow the girls who have their period to sit in a special place. Some of the girls – may Allaah guide them – tells lies to the supervisors and claim that they have their period, and so they do not pray for as long as a period would normally last, then when their period really does come they stand and pray with the others, fearing that they will be caught out. What is the ruling in their case? Please explain.

Praise be to Allaah.
What they are doing is not permissible, firstly because it is an obvious lie by which they are claiming to have an excuse. Secondly, they are failing to pray, whether they are not praying at all, or they are delaying the prayer until after the proper time, or failing to pray with the congregation of women. Thirdly, they are praying after that, at the time when they really do have their period. You have to advise them, remind them, exhort them, and explain to them the sin of lying and the punishment for delaying the prayer beyond the proper time, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

 “So woe unto those performers of Salaah (prayers) (hypocrites),

Those who delay their Salaah (prayer from their stated fixed times)”

[al-Maa’oon 107:5]

 Any girl who is found out to have delayed her prayer and prayed when she was menstruating should be punished in a manner that will deter her and make her give up these actions which are denounced by Islam. And Allaah knows best.

She adheres to the Sunnah and is being accused of being a fanatic, and she wants advice

I was a born muslim but other than praying i was ignorant of all the things now by the blessings of allah my eyes have open and i have started acting according to quraan and sunnah to my best ability but now i have lost all my friends who ar muslims too i had before they ar not very religious they dont much abt religion andi and my husband have become two aliens in my whole country my friends have stopped calling me too my father and my mother in law and sister in laws call us wahabees and my cousins too and mymother told that she doesnt have much time she doesnt care as long as all her children ar good and prayingmost poeple make fun of my hijaab too and its very sad i mean i live in a small island in indian ocean and everyone is muslims my country is rep of maldives i am very alone and sad here can u tell me what i should do i feel so lonely and alone and its very painfull when u lose everyfriend u have can u please give me a good advice on how i should act in this situation i have tried alot to tell my family too about sunnah and all the answer i got was u have lost ur religon u ar a whabee so its wahabees way .

Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:

We ask Allaah to relieve your distress and make things easy for you, and to help you to obey Him and worship Him properly. Remember that the alienation that you are feeling is a good sign for you, The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Islam began as something strange and will revert to being something strange, so glad tidings to the strangers.” Narrated by Muslim (145).

The word tooba (translated here as “glad tidings”) has many meanings, such as goodness and honour, a great tree in Paradise, joy and happiness, and many other meanings, all of which may apply here.

Al-Sindi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

“Strange” means because its followers are small in numbers. The basic meaning of ghareeb (stranger) is one who is far from his home.

“And will revert to being something strange” means that few will adhere to it and help others to do so, even if the Muslims are many.

“to the strangers” means those who follow its commands.

“Tooba” is derived from the word tayyib (good), and it is interpreted as referring to Paradise or to a great tree that grows there.

This indicates that supporting Islam and obeying its commands may require the one who does that to leave his homeland and be patient in bearing the hardships of being away from his homeland, as was the case when it first began.

Sharh Sunan Ibn Majaah (hadeeth no 3986.

Secondly:

You have the best example in the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He brought light to his people, but they insisted on remaining in the darkness of kufr and ignorance. They accused him of being a sorcerer, soothsayer or madman, but he was patient in calling them, and he did not get fed up of repeating his call, using different methods of calling individuals and groups, calling in secret and in the open, until he attained great success. Similarly, daa’iyahs who came after him called the kuffaar to Islam, and called sinners to obedience, and called innovators to the Sunnah. Many of them experienced hardship, distress and difficulties, but that did not stop them from persisting in da’wah. Were it not for that, Islam would not have reached your country, the Maldives!

Think about these examples, and do what they did, and be patient as they were patient, so that you may attain the pleasure of Allaah. What you hear of mockery and being called “Wahhabis” was said by those who came before them, and the fools still repeat it with regard to those who promote the Sunnah, but that does not harm them or make them stop conveying the religion of Allaah.

Thirdly:

In addition to being patient in calling people, we advise you to select wise people among other women and your relatives to convey the religion of Allaah to them and remind them of the truths of Islam, for if people are happy to belong to Islam, that does not prevent them from following the Sunnah, but there may be other obstacles that are preventing them from coming to the path of truth, such as misguided scholars and proponents of bid’ah, or specious arguments and whims and desires, and so on. It may also be due to the fact that we are failing to convey the truth of Islam to them, or we do not have wise ways of conveying it.

You have to be gentle and patient, and select the wisest people, and address them politely. Use different means such as audio tapes, video lectures and books, and you may see some good results.

Fourthly:

Strive to make your house the focal point of this da’wah. Start with your husband and children, so that this will become a house of blessing for all people. Remember that our mother Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid was the first one of this ummah to become Muslim, and she was the first one to support the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in conveying the message and calling her daughters to Islam. Her house was the first house to become Muslim, and from it the call of goodness spread to all corners of the earth, so be like her and follow her example.

In the answer to question no. 9380 you will find more advice and suggestions, which we hope you will read. There is no need to repeat them here.

And Allaah is the Source of strength.