Shafaqna English- Questions on Muslims issues in the West and answers from the Grand Ayatollah Sistani based on the text of the book: “A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West” by ‘Abdul Hadi As-Seyyed Muhammad Taqi Al-Hakim.
Question & Answer
Question 1: Is it permissible to buy a carving or statue of a totally naked human being, male or female? Is it permissible to buy a carving or statue of an animal and hang it for decoration?
Answer: There is no problem in the second [case of the animal]; as for the first case, if it is [considered a way of] promoting indecency, it is not allowed.
Question 2: Fortune tellers and palmists claim to foretell a person’s future. Is it permissible for the palmist to do so, if the customer is going to plan [his life] according to his predictions?
Answer: Since the information given by the palmist has no value, it is, therefore, not permissible for him to give information with certainty, just as it is not permissible for the customer to plan according to it, except on legal or reasonable grounds.
Question 3: Is hypnotism permissible? Is invocation of spirits permissible?
Answer: If it puts a person in harm’s way, it is Haram, and therefore forbidden.
Question 4: Is invocation of the jinn with a view to solving the problems of the faithful permissible?
Answer: The same rule mentioned earlier is applicable here.
Question 5: Is cockfighting and bullfighting with permission of their owners allowed?
Answer: It is permissible but disliked as long as it does not cause loss of property.
Question 6: What is the [minimum] limit of the difficulty (Al-Haraj) that lifts the prohibition? Is exorbitant price [for a halal item] that could still be bought with [financial] strain or by getting a loan a [valid] example that would make a haram [but cheap alternative] item permissible religiously?
Answer: The circumstances are different in this [case], and the criterion is the extreme hardship that is not normally tolerable.
Question 7: What is the present day equivalent in Mithqal or grams of the weight in gold known as “Al-Himsa”?
Answer: Al-Himsa is 1/24 of the Mithqal As-Sayrafi; and the latter is 4.64 grams; so the weight of Al-Himsa will be 0.193 grams.
- Religious questions in Graph
- The Grand Ayatollah Sistani’s Fatwas
- Religious questions and answers
- Shia answers
- Read more: Shafaqna Directory
Source: sistani.org