By Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwi Being vaccinated while fasting: I have been asked about whether it is lawful to take the covid-19 vaccine while fasting. For some people, the chance to be vaccinated will come during the fasting month of Ramadan, and they are wondering if they should try to postpone their appointments. Sawm (fasting) means ‘abstaining from’. As a term of fiqh, sawm means abstaining from eating, drinking, and sexual intercourse from first light to sunset. Whoever, while fasting, deliberately eats or drinks (either to nourish himself or as a medicine) or deliberately has sexual intercourse, has committed a…
View More Three questions related to the on-going pandemicCategory: Community
The Ulama and Covid-19 vaccine
By Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwi and translated by Syed Huzaifah Ali Nadwi In the last few days, there has been an increase in the number of inquiries and fatwas regarding the Covid-19 vaccine. I am also being asked such questions, and without giving a formal response, I hope that scholars and Muftis alike will consider my thoughts. Before making any comments on the Covid-19 vaccine, we need to keep the following in mind: 1. The scientists who have developed this vaccine are not scholars, nor have they studied in a Madrasa. They have not consulted any Dar al-Ifta’ or any…
View More The Ulama and Covid-19 vaccineThe evil eye
By Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwi and translated by Hala Akram and Aisha Akram A question was put to me by the well known Quranic scholar, Ustādh Nouman Ali Khan about the truth of the evil eye. The answer: Imam Bukhari narrates in his Sahih from Abu Hurayrah, and Imam Muslim narrates in his Sahih from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “The evil eye is real.” Ibn Manzur mentions in Lisan al-Arab: Al-’ayn: The evil eye; the smiter is ‘Ā`in and the smote is Ma’yūn. The evil…
View More The evil eyeThe pandemic and Ramadan
By Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwī Only a week remains to prepare, before we welcome the month of Ramadan. With the covid-19 pandemic ongoing, so is the lockdown, and it is most likely that the lockdown will continue throughout Ramadan, and perhaps even longer. People are preparing themselves for this unusual Ramadan when they are confined to their homes. Several questions have been put to me about the fasting, tarawih, i`tikaf and `id. Here I have tried to answer some of the most pressing ones. Fasting for doctors and medical staff For the duration of the pandemic, the people at the…
View More The pandemic and RamadanCoping with the Covid-19 outbreak
By Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwī Covid-19 is spreading at great speed throughout the human population of the world. While Europe and the USA are reporting the highest number of infections, all countries are affected. If the disease spreads in the same way everywhere, there can be no doubt that the poorest in the world will suffer the most, directly in loss of life and then indirectly, much more severely, in loss of livelihoods that were already precarious. Generally, people are in a state of shock, although those who have to rush about in order to cope with the emergency cannot…
View More Coping with the Covid-19 outbreakIssues related to those who have died from the corona virus: washing their bodies, their burial and funeral prayers
By Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwī Some community workers have put to me some questions concerning those who have died as a result of infection by the coronavirus: Your question: Since the bodies (and the inside and outside of the body bags in which they are delivered) of Muslims who died because of covid-19 are still contagious and there is a high risk of being infected when doing either ghusl or tayammum for the deceased, is it permissible for us to do the funeral prayer for them and bury them without doing ghusl or tayammum? Can we do salat al-gha’ib for…
View More Issues related to those who have died from the corona virus: washing their bodies, their burial and funeral prayersCoronavirus (COVID-19): Guidance regarding the religious gatherings of Muslims
By Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwī and translated by Maulana M Talhah At this present time, the Coronavirus has spread to almost every country in the world, and is continuing to spread very rapidly. There is no cure that has been found to combat this virus. The most effective means of protection which can be understood is to avoid social contact, avoid travel, and avoid places of congregation and gathering. Those countries which have strictly enforced this guidance have relatively been protected, and those that are somewhat lenient in this regard, are being immensely affected and the death rate has reached…
View More Coronavirus (COVID-19): Guidance regarding the religious gatherings of MuslimsGuidelines for Muslims on Coronavirus Covid-19
By Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwī Coronavirus Covid-19 has reached all countries and continents and has just recently been declared a global pandemic. Many are circulating all sorts of information, precautions and treatments as a response to this outbreak, leading to more anxiety, confusion, and possibly harmful behaviours. We should avoid relying on or passing around ‘information’ and ‘advice’ of this kind because it is not based on authoritative, verifiable procedures for ensuring that information is as reliable and useful as it can be. We must make sure that we look to the knowledge and advice of experts in matters about…
View More Guidelines for Muslims on Coronavirus Covid-19Principles and applications
By Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwī Both general principles and concrete applications must be learnt together for creation to fulfil its Creator’s purpose. If you don’t learn how to interpret an engineering design into an engineered object, then all your engineering skills will be spent on repeating a limited number of engineered objects. So, for example, a craftsman may produce the most beautiful carved wooden table, expressing years of patience, careful practice. He may be able to scale this application so that he can make the same table in different sizes. But if we ask him to produce a chair or…
View More Principles and applicationsSettling disputes between Muslims in the UK
By Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwī The primary function of courts in any jurisdiction, Islamic or otherwise, is to settle disputes according to rules that both disputing parties know and agree. One of the main functions of the state is to uphold the authority of the courts and then to enforce their decisions. Any court, however grand, is useless if its decisions cannot or will not be enforced by the state. That is why, i.e. for the most practical reasons, I always advise Muslims to register their marriages with the civil authority so that the marriage is legally recognized by the…
View More Settling disputes between Muslims in the UK