1. An Imam from my locality (Ladysmith) does not read Salaah behind Deobandi Alims. He claims that they are all Wahabis. How should we respond to him?

1) In order for us to advise, kindly inform on the following: a) Is the Imaam an Aalim, b) Are you an Aalim. We also wish to advise that if a person has prejudice, it may not be useful to talk to him. Only sincere seekers of the truth are guided.

2) Kindly refer attached - Taqleed

6) Refer below - Taweez

7) It is possible that a person has a formula to enhance love between the husband and wife. However, the effect in the formula is only by the order of Allah Ta'ala. One must also be very careful of the person who makes such a claim as many such people have ulterior motives and devious motives in such practices.

and Allah Ta'ala Knows Best

Mufti Ebrahim Desai
FATWA DEPT.

TAWEEZ
Allah Taãla says in the Noble Qurãn, 'In the Qurãn is (spiritual, physical) cure for people.'

The opening chapter of the Noble Qurãn, Surah Faatiha is also called the chapter of Shifaa. It is recorded in the Bukhari Shareef vol. 1 p. , 'A ruler of a certain clan was stung by a creature, the people of the area requested the Sahaaba to cure him, one Sahaabi read Surah Faatiha and blew on the affected area and cured the ruler. The Prophet (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) even praised the Sahaabi for doing so.

From the above quotations, it is clear that the verses of the Noble Qurãn is a means of cure. Treating oneself with Taweez containing verses of the Qurãn is similar to treating oneself with medication. By using medication, one merely places his trust in Allah Taãla and use the medication as a means of cure. The effect in the means is with the Will of Allah Taãla so, too is the usage of the Taweez.

The art of making Taweez is a science independent to other known sciences. People who have studied this science are most knowledgeable to explain its vast understanding. One thing must be outlined at the outset is that anyone practising the making of Taweez cannot ascribe (in his method and application) partners with Allah Taãla. Any act of Kufr is unacceptable in Islam.

The people during the time of Jaahiliyya had an incorrect belief that the stars and planets cause rainfall, but the Prophet (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) dismissed that. The drawings and illustrations used in Taweez are like the concepts used in geometry, etc. to arrive at a solution.

In conclusion, consider the following Hadith: Abu Khuzaymah (Radhiallaahu Ánhu) narrates from his father that he asked Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam), 'Inform me about Rukan (blowing in water and Taweez), medication, and means of security, does it change Taqdeer (predestination)? He replied, 'They (all the above) are within Taqdeer. (Mishkãt pg. 22)

TAQLEED
The concept of Taqlid simplified

Taqlid refers to the practice of an unqualified, lay person (in a specific field of specialization) submitting to and accepting the authority of an expert in that field, without demanding proof and justification for every view, opinion or verdict expressed by such an expert authority.

Imitation is a natural tendency of human existence, practiced by millions of people worldwide in every facet of life. The simplest and most tangible example of Taqlid is that of a child learning his basic alphabets at school. Every child learning his alphabets is unconsciously practicing Taqlid. A learner driver taking instructions from a driving instructor is practicing Taqlid. People going to a specialist doctor for medical treatment and following his instructions is another example of Taqlid. A lay person soliciting a legal opinion from an advocate or following the advice of a tax consultant is another common case of Taqlid. A client at an engineering firm, asking for the engineer's advice on complex engineering calculations is yet another instance of Taqlid in action. The millions of 'facts' in the myriad of sciences such as astronomy, archaeology, etc. are all distinct examples of Taqlid. Who ever questions the 'fact' that the sun is really 93 million miles away from the earth! It is taken for granted that this is the findings of the 'experts' in these fields and everyone simply accepts it as such. School teachers teach these to their pupils as 'gospel truth' and children learn and memorize these 'facts' with the hope of succeeding in their exams. There are countless such examples of Taqlid in everyday existence.

By way of extension, Taqlid is the easy option for ordinary people In the context of Islamic Fiqh or Law too. Taqlid in Islam simply refers to accepting and following the verdicts of expert scholars of Islamic Fiqh in their exposition and interpretation of Islamic Law, without demanding from them an in-depth explanation of the intricate processes (Ijtihad) required in arriving at such a verdict. It simply means that ordinary folk do not have to do Ijtihad. The duty of ordinary people is to trustingly accept the authority of the learned scholars in this matter and act upon their verdicts.

In this sense, Taqlid is a great blessing for common people, for it is beyond the capacity of everyone to understand the extremely complex and complicated mechanics of Ijtihad. The ability to do Ijtihad requires many long years of study and erudition and a great deal of exertion in acquiring a mastery of various Islamic sciences.

Khalid Dhorat (Mawlana)