Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Burhanbhai,

Please enlighten me on the following questions.

1) Is sitting in idhat cumpulsory to women? In bohras some women have to go thru torture just because some small boy or houseboy has come into the room.?? I know of women who have repeated the iddat all over again. Is this really necessary???

2) Is it true that when u pray at the mosque you get more sawab then at home?? If so what sawab is this?

4) In the bohra community once a child is born one has to ask for name raza from the Moulana and he is the one who has to name the child? It is usally the typical bohra names that we all have. My question is do these names that he gives have special meaning eg. Tasneem, Mariyah Insiya etc..or is he just choosng them on other basis. Also if I want to name my child is there any specific thing or belief I should do to name him or choosing any good muslim name is enough?

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Iddah compulsory for women, Pray in mosque and Name child

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Q-1A: Is sitting in idhat cumpulsory to women?

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqrah verse 234: If any of you die and leave widows behind they shall wait concerning themselves four months and ten days: when they have fulfilled their term there is no blame on you if they dispose of themselves in a just and reasonable manner. And Allah is well acquainted with what ye do.

The sitting of a believing woman in ‘iddah’ or waiting period for four months and ten days is a direct Command of the Merciful Lord; and thus obligatory on the believing woman who sincerely fears Allah and the Last Day.

Q-1B: In bohras some women have to go thru torture just because some small boy or houseboy has come into the room.?? I know of women who have repeated the iddat all over again. Is this really necessary???

Allah Subhanah has prescribed one iddah for the widow of the believers; and no man has a right to declare that a woman has to repeat the iddah for any reason whatsoever!

Some misguided sects have made this ‘iddah’ period a form of torture for the believing woman, and have introduced many things in it which have absolutely nothing to do with Islam! If a woman who is in Iddah has absolutely no one to take care of her daily needs, there is no harm if she even goes to the markets to buy her groceries; or visit the doctor in state of emergency, etc.; which have absolutely no effect on her iddah or waiting period.

The misguided sect’s self-declared leaders and priests, who have ordered the believing woman to repeat her iddah again just because some non-mehram person or child has seen her accidentally, have absolutely no basis for their decisions from the Quran or Sunnah, and will be brought forth as criminals in the Court of Allah Subhanah for declaring something they had no right or authority to declare!

The iddah period for a widow who is not pregnant is four months and ten days; and if she is pregnant the iddah period is until the delivery of her child. No matter what happens, the iddah period cannot be repeated or increased in the least!

Q-2: Is it true that when u pray at the mosque you get more sawab then at home?? If so what sawab is this?

There is a separate ruling for the believing men and the believing women as regards to praying the obligatory prayers in the mosques in congregation.

Ruling regarding the believing men praying in congregation:

Ibn 'Umar reports that the Prophet (saws) said: "Prayer in congregation is superior to a prayer performed individually by twenty-seven degrees."

(Related by Bukhari and Muslim)

Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet (saws) said: "The prayer of a man in congregation is twenty-five times more superior (in reward) to his prayer in his house or market - and this is because he makes the wudu' and perfects it and goes to the mosque with the sole purpose of performing the salah. He does not take a step without being raised a degree and having one of his sins erased. When he prays, as long as he does not lose his wudu, the angels keep on praying [for him] 'O Allah, bless him. O Allah, have mercy on him.' And he is considered in salah as long as he is waiting for the salah."

(Related by Bukhari and Muslim)

It is obligatory for the believing men to pray their five obligatory prayers in congregation in the mosques.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.424 Narrated by Ibn Umar

The Prophet (saws)said, "Offer some of your prayers (Nawafil) at home, and do not take your houses as graves."

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 9.393 (part) Narrated by Zaid bin Thabit

The Prophet (saws) said: “O people! Perform your (voluntary) prayers at your homes, for the best prayer of a person is what is performed at his home except the compulsory (congregational) prayer."

In light of the above authentic narrations, it is better for the believing men to pray some of their Sunnah and Nafl prayers at home.

Ruling regarding the believing women prayer in mosque and homes:

Abu Hurairah relates that the Prophet (saws) said: "Do not keep the slave girls of Allah from the mosques of Allah. And they are to go out unperfumed."

Related by Ahmad and Abu Dawud.

Ibn 'Umar reports that the Prophet (saws) said: "Do not prevent the women from going to the mosques, although their houses are better for them."

Related by Ahmad and Abu Dawud.

Ahmad and at-Tabarani record that Umm Humaid as-Sa'diyah came to the Messenger of Allah (saws) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I love to pray with you." The Prophet (saws) said: "I am aware of that, but your salah in your residence is better for you than your salah in your people's mosque. And your salah in your people's mosque is better than your salah in the [larger] congregational Mosque."

In light of the above authentic narrations, it is better and a bigger reward for a woman to pray her prayers (obligatory and voluntary) at home rather than in the mosque; but if she wishes to pray her prayers in the mosques, she should not be stopped or prevented.

Q-4: In the bohra community once a child is born one has to ask for name raza from the Moulana and he is the one who has to name the child? It is usally the typical bohra names that we all have. My question is do these names that he gives have special meaning eg. Tasneem, Mariyah Insiya etc..or is he just choosng them on other basis. Also if I want to name my child is there any specific thing or belief I should do to name him or choosing any good muslim name is enough?

The parents of the child have the biggest right to give a good name to their new born baby; and if they wish they may consult anyone in choosing a good Islamic name.

The ritual of going to the sect leader and seek his raza, blessing, or permission is a self-introduced ritual in some misguided sects, and has absolutely no basis or authority in the deen of Islam.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan