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I have a friend who will undergo gallbladder removal. She was telling me there are supplements recommended to take after surgery, one of these is called ox bile supplement (from an ox). Is it permissible (halal) to take?

If the supplement is derived from an animal that is unlawful to eat or lawful but not slaughtered according to Islamic laws it is not permissible to consume. However, if there is no alternative to this supplement, and not taking it would pose unbearable hardship it is then permissible to consume the minimum amount that can remove hardship.

• medical condition
• medicine

Is it permissible to give the sahm as-sadah portion of my yearly khums to my needy brother who is a sayyid? He is currently in a corrections facility and the judge has ordered him to secure 8 months of living expenses prior to being released. He has no savings or any source of income and needs the assistance from us to both accumulate the necessary living expenses and hire an attorney.

It is permissible to give your Sayyid brother the sahm as-sadah portion. However, based on obligatory precaution if he does not perform prayers (salat) and commits unlawful acts openly it is not permissible to give him khums. Furthermore, it is better to assist him with your non-khums money as an act of silat al-raham or maintaining the bonds of family.

• family relations
• syed

If I'm getting sick with a bad cold and need to stay hydrated and take lots of vitamins throughout the day to get rid of the impending sickness quickly, should I break my fast [and take the vitamins] or fast knowing I'll get even more sick which will cause me to break my fast for more days later on?

If you are ill [currently] and unable to fast because you need to take medicine during the day you can break your fast and make it up after the month of Ramadan. However, anticipating/assuming that you will get sicker later on because of fasting is not a valid reason not to fast if you are able to do so at that moment.

• medication
• medicine
• ramadhan

Could you please explain the rationale and reason for prohibiting crab meat, lobster and scaleless fish?

Islamic rulings are derived from the Holy Quran and the sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh&hp) and his purified progeny (pbut), and we are obliged to abide by them whether there is an explanation of the law or not. Moreover, we cannot guess why something is unlawful, we must refer to the source of legislation to see if an explanation is provided. In this case there are no such reports.

• food
• halal food
• haram food

When should I pay the kaffarah for a unintentionally broken fast? Should it be before the start of the month of Ramadhan or on Eid al-Fitr? How should I calculate the amount of kaffarah in the United States? Is there any criteria for calculating it?

If the fast was broken unintentionally, there is no kaffarah required, however, it should be made up after the month of Ramadhan. A person who delays making up the fast until the next month of Ramadhan must pay a onetime Kaffarah of feeding one poor person for delaying the qadha fasting.

Fidyah and the kaffarah are given as food and nothing other than food suffices. As for how much food, it is the average amount, which we usually feed our families and ourselves. According to Islamic law, it must be the equivalent of at least 1.65 lbs. (750 grams) of wheat, rice or dates. It is permissible to pay money with the condition of delegating to the appropriate entity, or trustworthy person, or the poor person him/herself, so long as one feels assured that the food would be bought and offered. It is not permissible to purchase anything but food with the money.

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• ramadhan

My wife will be breastfeeding all of the month of Ramadhan and if she feels the baby is not getting enough milk she will break her fast. If she has to break her fast will she have to make up these days?

If the nursing mother is able to feed her baby through a bottle, whether previously pumped breast milk or artificial milk), or with the help of a wet-nurse she is not permitted to break her fast. However, if feeding the child through a bottle has a harmful effect on the child she can break her fast to feed the child and make up the days that she did not fast after the holy month of Ramadan as well as pay the fidyah.
If the nursing mother is able to feed her baby through a bottle, whether previously pumped breast milk or artificial milk), or with the help of a wet-nurse she is not permitted to break her fast. However, if feeding the child through a bottle has a harmful effect on the child she can break her fast to feed the child and make up the days that she did not fast after the holy month of Ramadan as well as pay the fidyah.
If the nursing mother is able to feed her baby through a bottle, whether previously pumped breast milk or artificial milk), or with the help of a wet-nurse she is not permitted to break her fast. However, if feeding the child through a bottle has a harmful effect on the child she can break her fast to feed the child and make up the days that she did not fast after the holy month of Ramadan as well as pay the fidyah.

• breaking fast
• newborn
• women

I am aware of the rule that if we backbite about a disbeliever, we do not have to ask them for forgiveness but if we backbite about a Muslim we must ask them for forgiveness. Is that the same ruling when it comes to being directly rude or unkind to a non-Muslim?

Backbiting is one of the major sins that requires repentance (tawbah) and based on recommend precaution one should ask Allah to forgive the believer (i.e. by praying for them) whom he backbit against. As for hurting others, it is not permissible whether they are a Muslim or a non-Muslim. Imam Ali (p) is narrated to have said that “People are of two types: Either they are your brother in religion or your equal in humanity.” Islam teaches us to be kind to others regardless of their faith. Therefore, a person should apologize to anyone whom he mistreated.

I traveled to Karbala, Iraq where I stayed for 18 days. Upon my return, I stopped in Baghdad for one day and thereafter traveled back to the U.S. albeit having to take a layover in Canada due to missing my flight. Should my prayers during the actual travel and while in Baghdad be qasr (i.e. shortened)? I did not pray them and am only now making them up. Thus, should the makeup prayer be qasr or complete?

Is the salawat on the Prophet (pbuh&hp) in bowing (ruku) and prostration (sujood) obligatory or recommended?

Your salat will be qasr or shortened as long as you are traveling and its makeup should be that as well.

It is not permissible to abandon the salat, and doing so during travel is a sin and necessitates asking forgiveness from God. A person is required to perform salat in all circumstances (traveling, etc.) and thus, it should be performed accordingly (i.e. within the plane) because its requirement is never lifted.

Salawat on the Prophet (pbuh&hp) are recommended (mustahhab) in ruku and sujood.

• make up prayers
• travelling
• ziyarah

In the case that two individuals who live in different countries have the intention of marriage in the near future; would it be permissible to have a temporary marriage until logistics and a permanent marriage takes place? What would be the limitations and measures for a woman who has not been previously married, does not live with her farther, is mature and financially independent with respect to a temporary marriage?

A temporary marriage may be conducted with an independent and mature girl, however, based on obligatory precaution (ihtiyaat wujubi) she must obtain her father or paternal grandfather’s consent. For this type of ruling (i.e. ihtiyaat wujubi), a person may follow the next most knowledgeable jurist (Mujtahid) after the highest religious authority who otherwise allows it without consent.

For example, certain jurists permit temporary marriage with a mature girl without the consent of her father or paternal grandfather as long as there is no intercourse.

• temporary marriage
• women

If a woman misses 30 days of fasting due to pregnancy/nursing, but she was travelling during some of those days and unable to pray due to her monthly cycle on other days, can she subtract these days from the total days that require fidyah?

She should pay the fidyah for the 30 missed days.

• fidyah
• women