If One Does Not Listen to the Khutbah Will the Jumuah Prayer Be Valid

Do Fairies Play with Children?

Question: Small children sometimes laugh in their sleep. It is said that they are laughing because they see “fairies”. What do you say about this?

Answer: It is true that children sometimes laugh in their sleep, but to say that “fairies” are playing with them is just a fanciful belief held among the public. This is simply a natural phenomenon and “fairies” have no role in it. I have neither read about this anywhere, nor heard anything about it from the scholars.[1]

If One Does Not Listen to the Khuṭbah, Will the JumuꜤah Prayer Be Valid?

Question: The khuṭbah (sermon) for the JumuꜤah prayer is a sunnah. Does this refer to the speech in the local language or the one in Arabic? Also, if someone does not listen to the khuṭbah, is his JumuꜤah prayer valid?

Answer: The khuṭbah is a condition for the JumuꜤah prayer, and there are detailed rulings regarding it. Delivering it in Arabic is a sunnah mutawārithah (a continuously transmitted sunnah). Delivering the khuṭbah in any language besides Arabic is an abandonment of the Sunnah. If a person was unable to hear the Arabic khuṭbah but participated in the JumuꜤah congregation, his prayer is valid. However, it is necessary to start preparing for the Friday prayer as soon as the first call to prayer is heard.[2]

What is the Ruling on Pouring Goat's Blood into a Building's Foundations?

Question: If a person is having a new building constructed, is it necessary to pour goat's blood into its foundations?

Answer: This is a wrong practice. Some people sacrifice goats or other animals and pour their blood into the foundations of a new building, believing that it will later demand human blood. This is incorrect. If someone slaughters a goat and wishes to distribute its meat, he may do so as it is a good deed. However, one should not hold the belief that failing to distribute the meat will cause the building to consume human flesh![3]

Will the Day of Judgment Occur this Century?

Question: This is the 15th Islamic century, and people say that the Day of Judgment will occur before this century ends. Is this correct?

Answer: Saying this is incorrect. Many signs of the Day of Judgment are mentioned in the blessed Aḥādīth, some of which have already appeared, while many are yet to appear.

A person once asked the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, “When will the Day of Judgment occur?”

The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم replied, “What preparation have you made for it?”

The man responded, “I love Allah and His Messenger.”

The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم replied, “A person will be with the one he loves.”

Sayyidunā Anas رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ relates that the noble Companions رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُم were filled with such joy upon hearing this blessed statement—“A person will be with the one he loves”—that they had never experienced such happiness before.[4]

Since all the noble Companions رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُم loved the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم deeply, according to this statement, they will be raised on the Day of Judgment alongside the noble Messenger صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Just the thought of this brought them immense joy.

May we too be blessed with such love for our beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, so that on the Day of Judgment, we may also be graced with the mercy of his companionship.[5]

What is the Ruling on Drinking Water Mixed with Zamzam While Standing?

Question: If a few drops of Zamzam water are poured into a jug of regular water, can that water be drunk while standing?

Answer: The status of Zamzam is so great that even if a single drop is added to a water cooler, the water becomes blessed. However, one may drink it while standing if the quantity of Zamzam is greater than the other water; otherwise, it should be drunk while sitting.[6]

The Meaning of "مَا شَآءَ اللہ" and Other Phrases

Question: What is the literal meaning of " اَلْـحَمْـدُ لـِلّٰـه", " مَا شَآءَ اللہ", and " اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه"?

Answer: اَلْـحَمْـدُ لـِلّٰـه means: “All praise is for Allah”. مَا شَآءَ اللہ means: “Whatever Allah wills”, and  اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه means: “If Allah wills”.[7]

Does the Time of Zawāl Occur at Night as Well?

Question: Does Zawāl occur at 12 a.m. as well?

Answer: No. Zawāl is calculated based on the sun's decline after midday. This is why the time of Zawāl changes daily. It is not fixed at 12 p.m.[8]