With all the problems the Muslim Ummah is facing, MR posted a fatwa on the permissibility of eating mermaids that all of us can use and shows just why these movements really are not dying out at all and shows that they talk about all the relevant issues
Here are some other questions of imminent importance to us (some questions taken from others):
- When the Mermaid takes human form, is it still permissible to eat her?
- Is it permissible to eat a Merman?
- After transforming into a werewolf, does one have to make ghusl after transforming back into human form? What about the Incredible Hulk?
- Is Godzilla’s feces najas?
- Is it permissible to wear a dragon skinned belt?
- Is the Salaat behind Optimus Prime valid?
- Can we wipe over Superman Boots?
- If an intergalactic dictator conquers the earth, is he bay’ah due to him?
- Is it permissible to have sex with an Elf if it is your Right hand possession
- Is it permissible for Vulcans to have plastic surgery on their ears?
Meanwhile, there seems to be “no benefit” in helping in the community as it has been declared to be “nationalism”
I have a friend who used to wonder for years if someone falling off a building called out to Superman, would that be against tawakkul?
Here’s another, halfway serious, question: When humans (if they don’t destroy each other first) start colonizing the Moon and Mars, where will Martian Muslims pray towards? The Ka’aba on Earth? Or does each planet have its own Ka’aba-like structure or locale (some narrations place the Ka’aba at the site of the first bubble of land from the primordial oceans)? Who’s got my fatwa?
baba
I actually wrote some Islamic sci-fi fables that included a race of monotheistic aliens who prayed during their planet’s perpetual twilight towards a different star at each point. A Pakistani dude who read it called it shirk and said I should destroy it. Everyone’s a critic.
Yeah, I heard about the Mermaid burgers and Mermaid burritos.
My understanding is that the fuqaha wanted to expand fiqh on every apparent and imaginable scenario.
Questions:
1. Can Smurfette become polygamist since she is the only girl in Smurf-village?
HAHAHAHAHAH!
There are lots of hypothetical discussions in fiqh, this is just another one of them.Its true that discussing hypothetical fiqh is discouraged.
Islam QA has thousands of fatwas , picking and taking a single fatwa and condemning as if the whole site was about hypothetical fiqh is unjust and foolish.
Superman’s costume was arguably the best thing about the movie. What a $200 million snooze fest!
I wonder if it’s ok to eat Superman.
Stuff like this is what I love about your blog.
LOL!
Why, Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy would someone ask this question?!
unless they are under the age of 10, this person needs to get slapped upside the head.
I mean everyone has silly thoughts (if a t-rex was Muslim, how would it get up from sujood?) but to write into a fatwa site and waste the time of the scholars there is ridiculous.
Someone should write the site and ask them to take it down…it’s not the most beneficial thing, and probably not the kind of “publicity” you’d want.
Unlike most of us, Sh. Salih did not grow up watching cartoons on TV here in North America. So its safe to assume that he probably did not have much idea how funny it’ll seem to answer such a question from a fiqhi perspective.
But of course, whatever happened to husn al dhan when it came to a “Salafi” alim?
Subhan Allah, the brothers who are finding enjoyment in this should make tawbah to Allah. Sh. Salih and the IslamQA team are, in sha Allah, getting reward for answering thousands of questions…and as for those who are sitting around jeering and mocking the ‘ulema, guess what are you’re earning?
ya ayyuhal ladheena amano ittaqullah wal tandhur nafsum ma qaddamat liqadh wattaqullah innallaha khabeerum bima ta’maloon [59:18]
As for talking about relevant issues, then brother Umar please open your eyes to the hundreds of other fatawa/articles on IslamQA and IslamToday talking about relevant issues.
Also, while I’m at it…please check out this year’s TDC schedule and tell me if that is relevant to the Muslims of N.A. or not. Real issues, REAL scholars to deal with them, in sha Allah ta’ala.
WAllahu ta’ala alim.
leave Ariel alone you animals
Come to think of it, King Triton (Ariel’s pop) is a nice looking specimen. I just want to run my fingers through his beard and ask him if he’s sunni, shia, salafi, shafie, hanafi, or sufi?
Anatoxin dust, I visit that site a lot, sadly there are NUMEROUS questions which make me smh. I can’t lie, when I need to laugh I visit various fatawa websites and islamic forums and read the RanDUMB questions folks ask…
ALlahu alim as to the intentions of those who submit and answer questions. Islam QA and lost my respect after I read the QA and about the woman who was raped by her father in law. The husband was told to divorce her in order for his scumbag father marry her. And we wonder why folks thing we are retarded, uncouth, and women have no rights – we don’t. In theory yes we do as Muslimahs; reality is like a cold dark night in Anartica.
Oh yeah, this was in response to the man who raped his daughter, “Her father is a criminal who should be advised, rebuked and deterred.”
More wonderful advice for women raped by their husband’s fathers…”One is that the father-in-law, under the circumstances of the Islamic law causing the nullification of her marriage, was acting in charity by offering himself as a husband. In India, the chances of a rape victim remarrying is null, so some may argue that a life married to ur father in law with ur husband now as ur son, would be favourable to a life on your own being shunned by your community.”
Makes me wonder, when is the last a muslim actually read the Quran?
Is having false teeth fitted regarded as changing the creation of Allaah?
Can I beat my husband if he doesn’t learn how to dance like Tito Seif?
“…a race of monotheistic aliens who prayed during their planet’s perpetual twilight towards a different star at each point…”
Praying to other than Allaah, in this case the stars, kind of goes against the concept of monotheism don’t you think, hence the contradiction in terms!
Umar, keep in mind that mocking he ulema can be kufr.
Aboo Uthman said:
“Praying to other than Allaah, in this case the stars, kind of goes against the concept of monotheism don’t you think, hence the contradiction in terms!”
I think he was saying they used the stars as a Qiblah, not that they worshipped the stars themselves. That’s like accusing the ummah of shirk for praying towards the Kaaba (or Bayt al-Maqdis, prior to that).
In all seriousness, regarding Superman’s boots….According to Shaykh ‘Alee at-Tuwayjaree:
“….If the shoes does not cover up to your ankles. then no, you do not wipe over them at all.”
Of course this was applied to Khufs, so not sure how it is applicable to manmade products. smile
Tammy
Aboo Uthmaan
Well, we’ve had two qiblas, so no, not really. Unless you believe that we pray to the kaaba. Who said anything about praying to stars?
assalaamu aleikum
I think this is one of those things that don’t translate too well. AFAIK, the confusion may have stemmed from Arabic terms for sea creatures, ins al-bahr (man/person of the sea), kalb al-bahr (dog of the sea = shark) and khinzeer al-bahr (pig of the sea = dolphin). Obviously the land-based dog and pig are haraam so someone, somewhere asked about the marine animals that bear these names *in Arabic*. I’m not 100% certain what ins al-bahr refers to, but am aware of there being quite some debate about mermaids in the western tradition and ideas that the creature of myth is somehow connected to an actual marine creature that was perhaps misidentified at some point.
The original question on Islam Q&A was whether mermaids exist. I suspect that the Shaykh looked up whatever he could find about mermaids in the fiqh literature and chose to quote it in his answer.
It is sad indeed to see people mocking the scholars. This is an unusual question, to be sure, but I think we have to go beyind the hootin’ and hollerin’ and references to popular western culture and Disney movies and realize that it was grounded in a genuine issue of concern at some point in the past.
Bint Will – Do you have a link to that answer at IslamQA?
There is nothing wrong at taking a smile or laugh from this fatwa. This shows that the ulema have a sense of humor. It also shows that the scholars of the present and past sought knowledge in almost everything possible including mermaids. MashaAllah!
It is not mocking. It’s halal comedy. InshaAllah this should be all our intentions.
Here’s the link;
http://www.islamonline.com/news/newsfull.php?newid=54596
“I think he was saying they used the stars as a Qiblah, not that they worshipped the stars themselves.”
Sorry, I must have misread / misunderstand it!
I heard about some fatwas made in the Middle Ages regarding Djinns, teleportation and praying on flying carpets. Kind of similar to modern issues with praying on planes, time zones, etc. It’s interesting how sci-fi sometimes seems closer to reality than most people think. Incidentally, I DO wonder how the Djinn are supposed to pray, what types of laws apply to them, and did they recieve prophets of their own? I did in fact see such a question being posted on Islamonline. Which reminds me: Dave, that aliens idea is brilliant.
- Is the Salaat behind Optimus Prime valid?
Isn’t he Jewish?
West African: No one here seems to be making fun of Islam. They’re having fun because of the rather outlandish nature of the linked fatwa about mermaids. Fiqh is certainly a vital component of our deen, but it’s clear in this case that it is a man-made contrivance rather than divine inspiration. I think people who are outraged that others are poking a bit of fun at this should maybe step back and try to see how moral outrage causes blindness.
Sorry brother, these people have made fun of our beautiful religion, includinig the males like yourself that promote spousal rape and abuse.
The British teacher in Sudan who let her students name a teddy bear “Mohammed” has been charged with “insulting religion,” as degenerate “militants” call for demonstrations after Friday prayers.
A British teacher who faces 40 lashes after naming a teddy bear Mohammed has been charged with insulting religion, showing contempt for religious belief, and inciting hatred.
The grim news for Gillian Gibbons, 54, came as Islamic militants called for demonstrations after Friday prayers in a bid for tough action.
“Khartoum north prosecution unit has completed its investigation and has charged the Briton Gillian (Gibbons) under Article 125 of the criminal code,” SUNA state media said, quoting a senior Justice Ministry official. It added the file would go before court on Thursday. Gibbons was expected to appear.
Mrs Gibbons has been accused of insulting the Prophet Mohammed after giving a class teddy bear the sacred first name.
Lawyers say the teacher, who is from Liverpool, could face 40 lashes, a fine, or six months in jail if convicted.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=496792&in_page_id=1811
Sister, bint will, may Allah ‘az wa jal forgive you for. you have accused our brother in Islam of something in which you have no basis to accuse him of
“Sorry brother, these people have made fun of our beautiful religion, includinig the males like yourself that promote spousal rape and abuse.”
Fear Allah, we should not resort to slandering other Muslims.
ASA
Its unfortunate that no topic or issue is off-limits on this blog. It is even more unfortunate that there are people who use such opportunities to expand on their own ignorance, while mocking those who have spent their lives in the service of the deen. MR made it clear that he thought that the scholar in question was doing so in humor, so at least he seems to have had good intentions for him. Regardless, one should be very careful of how such posts would be perceived by the everyday person and what he would feel about the scholar in question?
It is well known that there are many Muslim bloggers who have made a “blog-living” out of posting one-off fatwas and then having a blast at it. Mind you that they do not do it for “humor”. It is much more malicious and that is to question the very authority of the ulemah. Those mostly responsible for this are the progressives of course, whose own arrogance has gotten the best of them.
I hope after reading the following comment from Brother Hood in response to this issue, that those who jumped into the fray in making fun of this scholar and that scholar, make sincere repentance… and I hope that my dear brother Umar too takes a lesson in being careful about jumping the gun, esp. when it comes to people of knowledge. And let me also mention that when we make up hypothetical questions to get hypothetical fatwas, then that is not “halal fun”. That makes mockery of one of the principles of our religion, which is “So ask the people of the remembrance if you do not know” (Quran 21.7)
Before laughing at others, let’s laugh at our shortcomings and lack of knowledge.
wallahualam
West African..You need to chill.
Do you walk around with a big stick……
Sever….The muslim Jinn are like us in the way that they make salaat wa Allahu Alim.
The Rasul was sent for ALL of us. Read Surah Jinn 72.
Yes I know that they pray like us. But do we know for sure EXACTLY how they pray? They are supposed to be physically different from us, do they do Wuduu with water for example? And we have certain rules and regulations governing diet, inheritance, sexual relations, etc. Due to their physical differences, it’s possible that they apply such rules differently. Of course this is all in the realm of the unknown, but it’s a point of curiosity.
And this is where you say Allahu Alim. The Quraan was sent to them as us so all the edicts in the Quraan are to them as well. That being the case…we have to assume they make wudu in the same manner as us. Jinns were made in origin from fire. That does not mean they are fire. Just like we were made from clay yet we aren’t mud men.
Wa Allahu Alim.
as-salamu `alaykum,
Brother Hood’s comments as shared by brother Amad should end the subject. I love both Mujahidin Ryder and Umar Lee for the sake of Allah, yet the original blog and this related one were completely inappropriate. There are better ways to emphasize the weaknesses of the Western Salafi movement without insulting their scholars. You will not convince anyone by doing that. You will only polarize everyone further. For the record, I am not a fan of this “Lets just all get along” thing either. I think that only gives credibility to sects that should not have any. Yet, that is another issue.
Another serious problem is…what do you think non-Muslims are going to think when they read this? We could be inadvertently harming da`wah by doing this. I can guarantee you that this is going to fuel anti-Islamic material sooner or later on some Atheist or Christian missionary website.
This “mermaid” issue is all the result of a greater and more pertinent problem: The absolutely RIDICULOUS English translations of various Islamic works that exist and the substandard translations of scholars’ words into English. Either the translator knows Arabic really well, but sucks in English, or they know English really well, but learned Arabic from a few years at University of Medina.
Be honest: Can you actually read an English translation of the Qur’an without yawning (or even cringing at times)? As an Arabic speaker, I find this insulting to the Uncreated Word of Allah. As a Farsi speaker, I am disgusted that the English translations of Rumi’s works are just as stunning in English as they are in Farsi. Yet, we can’t get a decent translation of the Qur’an?
Perhaps, we should be discussing this issue for it is an issue that is directly responsible for the misunderstanding we have witnessed here.
w-Allahu ta`la a`lam.
Some of you people here need to grow a sense of humor insha allah……….
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