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Pets are our responsibility. Hence, it is permissible for us to care for them to the best of our ability as long as it does not constitute any form of cruelty to the pet and does not contradict Islamic teachings. Neutering or sterilizing a pet is permissible as it is not considered as a form of cruelty towards the animal itself unless the procedure is performed when it is still conscious. A comparison can be made with similar procedures performed on humans such as ligation and vasectomy which does not constitute any prolonged pain. Hence, there is nothing wrong with sterilizing an animal as it does not involve any prolonged pain. It is also not a form of changing Allah's creation as it is performed with the intention to lessen the number of stray cats and uncontrolled breeding. What is forbidden is changing Allah's creation without any valid reason.
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Most modern perfumes contain alcohol as a solvent and/or to speed up dispersion of the smelling agent. This alcohol usually comes from industrial chemical process of producing ethyl alcohol. It does not come from the usual fermentation of carbohydrates such as fruits. Most contemporary ulama are of the view that industrially produced alcohol from chemical process is not najis since it is poisonous and cannot be consumed. But traditionally produced alcohol from fruits and foods, is still najis.
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Alcohol has several categories. The first is alcohol or ethanol derived from fermentation of carbohydrates. This is considered as filth since it is the original source of alcoholic beverages. The second category is alcohol produced chemically from hydrocarbons. According to most Islamic scholars, this type of alcohol is not filth, since it is not meant for consumption, and that it does come from food. Alcohol used in laboratories mainly falls into the second category since it will be very expensive to obtain the first category purified alcohol. Hence, it is permissible to conduct experiments or to use alcohol in laboratories, especially if it is for education, since Islam is a religion that emphasizes much on education.
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A Muslim can donate his/her cord blood as the blood contains cells vital to replace the blood cells in a person who has leukemia, bone marrow failure or certain rare inherited diseases. The collection process does not interfere in the birth process and therefore does not endanger both mother and child. Since the benefit of cord blood donation is prevalent while there is no harm involved, it is therefore allowed in Islam.
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Since cord blood collection and donation is allowed in Islam, cord blood banking for the benefit of the child is also allowed. This is due to its potential benefit and because there is no known harm in doing it.
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Islam allows the crowning of the tooth because it is done for medical purpose, and not for beauty sake. The tooth is not considered body parts that should be washed with water since it is the internal part of the body. Even wudhu’ without washing the mouth is still valid.
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The process of filling to fill up or straighten broken or chipped teeth is a medical procedure and it is therefore allowed.
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Teeth implants do not fall into the category of changing what Allah has created, since it is replacing what has been destroyed or disappeared. Islam allows teeth implants as much as other implants for organs that are not there anymore.
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It is not haram to wear braces since it does not constitute changing Allah's creation. What constitutes changing Allah's creation is the act of changing permanently something that is already normal. Braces are worn for crooked teeth that are not normal, so it is not haram to wear it.
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Muslims are not allowed to change permanently or semi-permanently any of their physical appearence, and this include cosmetic plastic surgery. Allah says in surah An-Nisaa, verse 119, narrating the words of Iblis when he defied Allah: and indeed I will order them to change the nature created by Allâh. However, Muslims are also encouraged to be healthy, and to seek medicinal help for their health problems. As such, plastic surgery for beautification per se is not allowed. But undergoing plastic surgery to restore a badly deformed body parts (due to accident or burn), is allowed since it will try to restore to the original state and it is something done out of necessity and not vanity. Liposuction, which is removal of body fats by surgical methods, is allowed only for therapeutic purposes, such as when the fat is too much that it endangers one's life or endangers the pregnancy itself. But it should satisfy the following conditions: * That there are no other safer and cheaper methods to lose weight. * That the liposuction procedure itself has been agreed upon by credible doctors that it is safe, or has very high chance of success.
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Treatment surgery such as correcting one’s vision is permitted by Islam. Furthermore, Islam encourages muslims to seek treatment for each and every sickness that has befallen upon them. The Prophet s.a.w said that there is no sickness that Allah s.w.t has given to the world that comes without a cure. In another Hadith, the Prophet s.a.w urged his followers to seek treatment for their sicknesses. Nevertheless, Islam also acknowledges the fact that not everyone can afford to seek treatment, specially in today’s context. Hence, it is acceptable if one is unable to do so and if one is patient, Insya Allah one will be rewarded accordingly.
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It is permissible for one to remove one’s birthmark as it is not in the category of changing Allah’s creations. Birthmarks are an addition to one’s normal physical appearance.
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Whatever comes into contact with pig or porcine products is considered as najis. This includes oil used to cook pork. Hence, when handling such oil, one must ensure that there is no direct skin contact with the oil. If the oil is then changed chemically to become biodesel, it is permissible to use it for powering machines, since it is not consumable.
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Organ donation to non-Muslims is permissible in Islam. However, we would like to point out that Muslim scholars are agreeable only on the donation of kidney, cornea, liver, heart and blood. These are organs in which the transfer success rate surpassed the minimum requirement for organ donation in Islam.
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The general consensus among Islamic Jurists is that buying and selling of currency is permitted as long as it is done on the spot, and there is no delay of time in exchanging the currencies. Therefore, forex trading is permissible as long as there is an immediate exchange of cash. Although paper currencies nowadays are not backed by gold or any other precious metals (which is impossible since the total amount of trade globally is more than the amount of gold produced so far), it should be presumed that the currencies in circulation has the same purpose and intent as gold, since it is appreciated by human, albeit artificially. Syariah law dictates that any exchange gold and silver must be done immediately. Hence, exchanging of currencies in the Forex market should be done immediately, without delay. This is usually the case in the Forex market nowadays. However, in cases where the handing over of the “commodity” is done within a grace period of two days and not immediately, there is an opinion within the Maliki school of thought which states that a slight delay in transfer of the commodity does not invalidate the sarf (exchange) contract. This is also the view adopted by the the Fiqh Academy and Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC). Therefore the delay of two days in the case Spot Trading is permissible.
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MUIS does not certify individual stocks and investment portfolios. It is up to the investor to assess the shares they are interested in, by getting more information from the companies themselves. There are some companies which are already listed as Syariah-compliant. It is clear that these shares are permissible for Muslims to buy. As for other companies that are not listed or certified per se as Syariah-Compliant, the principle is that it is permissible as long as the company is not involved in sectors such as gambling, weaponry, porcine products, and products that harm Muslims and the environment. In today's world, almost all big corporations are involved in some sort of Haram transactions. Thus, to further ascertain that a company is permissible to be invested on, or its shares be bought, the following should be taken into account: a) No more that 15% of the company's nett income comes from interest and other prohibited transactions. If it is more than 15%, the company's stocks and shares cannot be bought. b) Borrowing/equity ratio must not exceed 33%.The income you get from such investments must be purified first before consuming it. This can be done by giving an intelligent estimate of the percentage of non-halal transactions the company dealed with. Deduct that amount of percentage from your income and donate it to Islamic charitable organisations, such as mosques and institutions.
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If the compensation money is a part of a contribution of the deceased and is considered under an insurance scheme, then the money is part of the estate that is liable to be distributed in accordance to inheritance law. However if the compensation money is granted by the employer without any contribution by the deceased and it is granted due to the death of employee, then it is considered as a gift and is to be included in the deceased's estate. Therefore, if the money is not part of deceased estate, which is liable for inheritance distribution, then the distribution is up to the discretion of the company.
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The Fatwa Committee has previously issued a position that where the group insurance policy allows the employee to make a nomination, such nomination is considered a gift (hibah) and the pay-out does not part of the estate. The Fatwa Committee also maintains that only when the employee is the sole named beneficiary of the group insurance policy and there is no other named dependents of the employee specific in the contract, the pay-out would form part of the deceased’s estate, to be distributed according to Faraidh as stated in the Certificate of Inheritance.
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Kefir Milk is produced by fermenting Kefir Grains (which is a combination of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts) with Milk, the fermentation process is usually 12 to 72 hours long, during which the yeast found in Kefir Grains breaks down the lactose found in Milk into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Depending on the fermentation process the amount of alcohol produced may range from 0.2% to a maximum of 3%. The amount alcohol may increase even more if the Milk is fermented for longer periods of time. As factually proven that alcohol is a natural bi-product of anything that goes through the process of fermentation i.e. cakes, soya sauce etc, the Fatwa Committee of Singapore opines in a fatwa issued in 2008 that the amount of alcohol in the end product should not exceed 0.1%.
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The only animals that survive comfortably on both worlds, land and water, are those termed as amphibians. There are only three types of amphibians: frogs/toads, ceacillians, and salamanders. These animals, according to the Syafii Mazhab, are Haram. Some may confuse crabs as animals that live on two habitats. however, this is a wrong assumption as crabs are considered as marine animals and all marine animals are Halal. In relation to this, we quote the Hadith narrated by Abu Hurayra about a man who came to the Messenger of Allah, and said: Messenger of Allah! We travel by sea and we do not carry fres water with us so if we perform wudhu with it we go thirsty. Can we perform wudhu with sea water? The Messenger of Allah replied, its water is pure, and its dead creatures are halal.
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The prohibition of alcohol consumption not only arose because it is intoxicating, it is also najis. This is evident among all four schools of thought, namely Hanafi, Maliki, Syafi’ and Hanbali. Allah s.w.t has mentioned in Sura Al-Ma’idah verse 90 which means: “O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), gambling, Al¬-Ansâb, and Al¬-Azlam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaitan's (Satan) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful.” Thus, if a food is tainted with even a drop of alcohol, the food is considered as najis, although it will not be to the level of intoxication. Muslims cannot consume najis, or najis tainted foods. Thus, we cannot consume cakes and confectioneries in which alcohol is one of its contents.
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As far as the Shariah is concern, it is permissible in Islam to consume such vegetables/fruits etc. The reasoning behind this is that, even though these fertilizers was from a non-halal products, be it the from pig waste or from any animal waste, all animal waste are considered najis. There's no difference from the waste of a particular animal to that of the other. When such fertilizers are used, the plants only extracts nutrients from the soil. Hence no impurities whatsoever were being transferred to the plants, hence making it halal and safe for human consumption.
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Apple cider vinegar in general are Halal, however do ensure that there are no other alcoholic ingredients such as wine or spirit vinegar being added to the product. Do look through the ingredients list and ensure they do not contain anything haram or doubtful.
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The ruling of consuming “Halal Non-Alcoholic Beverages” which are more commonly known as Halal Beer or Halal Wine. These beverages claim to have very low (0.5%) to zero alcohol content. The Fatwa Committee has issued a fatwa stating that “Halal Non-Alcoholic Beverages” which claim to have very low to zero alcohol content is Haram. This is due to the fact that the preparation process for these beverages is similar to the production of Khamr.
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There is no objection for a muslim to be a vegetarian by choice but not by faith. Meaning, it is permissible to be a vegetarian provided she/he should not think that any Halal non-vegetarian products is Haram.
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The show of respect in Islam is done through offering greetings of peace between individuals regardless of gender, and handshakes between individuals of the same gender. This is the customary practice and religious etiquette when Muslims meet each other in social gatherings. This custom is different between Muslims and those from other communities. In a multi-religious society and secular country such as Singapore, it is customary to offer a handshake to welcome and show respect to neighbours, friends and colleagues, or to show appreciation at events and ceremonies. This practice is in line with the Islamic principle of preserving the larger common good, especially when Muslims live alongside, and frequently interact with other communities in a multi-religious society. In particular, at state and national-level events and ceremonies, the principle of the secular government should be upheld and the norms of courtesy and social interaction in our multi-racial and multi-religious society should be observed by all communities, including Muslims. In such contexts, it is appropriate for Muslims to shake the hands of the GOH, regardless of gender, race and religion. Similarly, at public service ceremonies, Muslim public officers are expected to observe this protocol in receiving awards from GOHs which applies to all award recipients.
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Some Muslims
claim that the Quran prohibits us from taking non-Muslims as friends and allies
by quoting the following verses,
“The believers
should not make the disbelievers their [supporting] allies rather than other
believers – anyone who does such a thing will isolate himself completely from
God – except when you need to protect yourselves from them.” (Al’Imran: 28)
“You who
believe, do not take the Jews and Christians as [supporting] allies: they are
[supporting] allies only to each other. Anyone who takes them as an ally
becomes one of them – God does not guide such wrongdoers.” (Al-Maaidah: 51)
These verses
are often quoted to justify claims that Muslims should not be taking
non-Muslims as their friends, or to curb our social relationship with the
religious others. This is clearly not the intended message of the revelation. A
look into the exigencies of tafsir of these verses, we will realise that
they are in fact making a specific reference to forming alliances with
non-Muslims who seek to harm the Muslim community. In addition, these verses
were revealed against the backdrop of political hostility and not during
peaceful times. According to At-Tabari and other scholars of tafsir,
this verse is not a blanket prohibition for Muslims from dealing with religious
others.
A careful examination of the overarching message of the
Quran, together with the Prophetic practices, would render to us reject any
narrow and exclusivist interpretations of these verses. There have been various
verses in the Quran that call us to do good to non-Muslims and encourage us to
establish good relations with them. Allah s.w.t. mentioned,
“And He does not forbid you to deal kindly and justly with
anyone who has not fought you for your faith or driven you out of your homes:
God loves the just.” (Al-Mumtahinah: 8)
As a matter of fact, besides his uncle who was also one of
his closest confidantes, the Prophet s.a.w. also trusted several other
non-Muslims in pivotal moments of the Islamic history, including during the
event of hijrah, when he tasked Abdullah bin Urayqit to guide him and
Abu Bakar r.a to safely reach Madinah. In fact, there were other various
historical examples of the Prophet s.a.w. which demonstrated how Muslims can
establish cordial and healthy social relationship with non-Muslims.
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