Is it permissible for children to play with dolls in Islam?

Is it allowed for children to play with dolls and teddy bears?

Question: Is it allowed for children to play with dolls, teddy bears and similar toys?

Answer: Yes, it is permissible for children to play with dolls and teddy bears. However, it is not allowed to display them in places of respect, such as in a cupboard, a display cabinet, or on a high shelf. If they are displayed this way, the angels of mercy will not enter the house. These toys should just be left lying around or kept in a scattered manner. They should not be used as decorations. If someone has decorated their display cabinet with these items, they should repent. Instead of toys, you can put beautiful flower vases in the display cabinet. You may also keep toy cars or aeroplanes, as long as they do not have pictures of living things on them.

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ صلَّی اللّٰہ تعالٰی علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Can a person who dies under the weight of something be called a martyr?

Question: If a person dies because something falls on them and crushes them, can we call them a martyr?

Answer: Yes. If a Muslim dies by being crushed under something, like a wall, a large stone, or iron, they are a martyr.

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ صلَّی اللّٰہ تعالٰی علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Should we only fast on the 10th of Muharram?

Question: Can we fast on the 9th or 11th of Muharram along with the 10th, or should we only fast on the 10th?

Answer: You can fast on the 9th or 11th of Muharram along with the 10th. In fact, this is what we are taught in the hadith. As mentioned in Musnad Imam Aḥmad, the holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: “Fast on the Day of ꜤĀshūrā and go against the way of the Jews; fast one day before it or one day after it.”^[1]

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ صلَّی اللّٰہ تعالٰی علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Is it okay to say "Go to the furnace" (Bhaar mein ja)?

Question: Is it okay to use the phrase "Bhaar mein ja"?

Answer: The word "Bhaar" refers to a large stove or furnace. Phrases like "Bhaar mein ja" or "Bhaar mein gaya" are said to show that you think someone is lowly or unimportant. These words hurt people's feelings. Naturally, when you say such things to someone, they will feel upset. Instead of reducing hatred, such words increase it. Therefore, one should avoid using such phrases because hurting someone’s feelings can lead a person to Hell.

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ صلَّی اللّٰہ تعالٰی علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

The ruling on water coming out of the mouth while sleeping:

Question: If water comes out of someone's mouth while they are sleeping at night, is it pure or impure?

Answer: For some people, water without froth comes out of their mouth while sleeping. For some, it even happens while they are awake. People usually call this drool, and it is actually saliva. Whether it smells or not, it is pure.^[2]

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ صلَّی اللّٰہ تعالٰی علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

The four kings who ruled the whole world:

Question: Has there ever been a king who ruled over the entire world?

Answer: There have been four kings who ruled the entire world. Two of them were Muslim: (1) Prophet Sulaymān عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم and (2) Sayyidunā Sikandar Dhū al-Qarnayn رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه. The other two were non-believers: (3) Nimrod and (4) Nebuchadnezzar.^[3]

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ صلَّی اللّٰہ تعالٰی علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Should we pray the Funeral Prayer with shoes on or off?

Question: Should we pray the funeral prayer while wearing shoes or after taking them off? Also, some people take off their shoes and stand on top of them to pray; is this okay?

Answer: If you offer the funeral prayer while wearing your shoes, then both the shoes and the ground must be pure. If you take off your shoes and stand on top of them, then it is not necessary for the soles of the shoes or the ground to be pure. The Imam of Ahl al-Sunnah, Imam Aḥmad Riḍā Khān رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه says in answer to a question: “If the place was impure due to urine or if the soles of the shoes were impure, and the prayer was offered while wearing those shoes, then the prayer is not valid. It is safer to take off the shoes and stand on top of them so that if the ground or the soles are impure, the prayer is not affected.”[4]

(To learn more about the rules of the funeral prayer and other prayers, please read the book "Laws of Salah (Hanafi)" published by Maktaba-tul-Madina.)

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ صلَّی اللّٰہ تعالٰی علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

The best time to ask Allah Almighty for forgiveness:

Question: What is the best time to ask Allah Almighty for forgiveness?

Answer: If a person commits a sin due to human weakness, it is necessary (wājib) to repent immediately. The best time to ask Allah Almighty for forgiveness is to repent as soon as the sin is committed.

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ صلَّی اللّٰہ تعالٰی علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Is it allowed to eat duck?

Question: Is it Halal to eat a duck?

Answer: Yes, it is Halal to eat a duck.^[5] It should also be slaughtered by reciting بِسْمِ اللہِ اَللہُ اَکْبَر.

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ صلَّی اللّٰہ تعالٰی علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

"I wish I were in the era of the holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم "

Question: Is it okay to say, "I wish I were in the era of the holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم so I could see him"?

Answer: There is no harm in having this wish. We can wish that we were born in the blessed era of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and stayed close to his feet. However, this wish should include being a person of faith. This is because Abū Jahl was also present in that blessed era, but he gained no benefit and died as a non-believer.

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ صلَّی اللّٰہ تعالٰی علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

How is it to desire hearing one's own praise?

Question: Is it okay to have a desire to hear people praise you?

Answer: It is not good to want to hear your own praise; there is a lot of risk in it. The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, "Liking your own praise makes a person blind and deaf."^[6] It is very difficult to control the carnal-self (nafs) after hearing praise and admiration from people. Therefore, one should try to avoid hearing their own praise.

However, if a person does not have a desire for it, but someone praises them anyway, there is no harm in hearing lawful praise as long as the person keeps their nafs under control. For example, whilst in their presence, people praised the pious predecessors رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ and recited poems in their honour, but these great personalities did not stop them from doing this.

In this regard, here is an account:

The representative of Imam Aḥmad Riḍā Khān, the preacher of Islam, Mawlana ꜤAbd al-ꜤAlīm al-Ṣiddīqī al-Mīrthī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه, once visited Imam Aḥmad Riḍā Khān رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه after returning from the two Harams. He recited an ode in praise of the Imam رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه in a very beautiful voice. Imam Aḥmad Riḍā Khān رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه did not show any sign of aversion. Instead, he said, "Mawlana! What can I present to you?" Pointing towards his very expensive Ꜥimāmah, he said, "If I give you this Ꜥimāmah, it is not even worthy of your feet because you are coming from that pure land. However, the most expensive item among my clothes is a cloak (jubbah); I present that to you." He then brought a red velvet cloak from his home and gave it to him. Its value was at least 150 rupees (which was a lot at that time). The Mawlana stood up, spread both his hands, and took it. He touched it to his eyes, kissed it, placed it on his head, and held it to his chest for a long time.^[7]

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ صلَّی اللّٰہ تعالٰی علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

How can we please the beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم?

Question: What should we do in the month of RabīꜤ al-Awwal to please the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم?

Answer: We should please the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم in RabīꜤ al-Awwal and in every other month too. We must always do the things that please Allah Almighty and the merciful Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. If someone was lazy in their prayers, they should stop being lazy. If they have missed prayers from the past, they should repent, calculate them, and start making them up immediately.

In the same way, while celebrating the birth of the holy Prophet (Mawlid), one should ensure they are fulfilling their obligatory (farḍ) and necessary (wājib) duties like fasting and Zakat. We should also follow the Sunnah in our lives. For example, instead of having stylish hairstyles, one should keep long hair according to the Sunnah. Instead of walking around with a bare head, one should wear the Ꜥimāmah. If someone shaves their beard or trims it to less than a handful, they should repent and adorn their face with a Sunnah-length beard. One should also dress according to the Sunnah and adopt a complete Islamic appearance. Change your laziness into active effort for those sunan you were neglecting. Spend your life doing things that please Allah Almighty. اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه, a positive transformation will take place in your heart.

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ صلَّی اللّٰہ تعالٰی علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد