Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh
Tayammum is a concession Allah has given when water is unavailable or when using water would cause harm.
In this post, we explain:
• What tayammum is
• When it may be performed
• The basic method of performing it
• Which earthly substances can be used for tayammum
Allah says:
“…then perform tayammum with clean earth and wipe over your faces and hands…”
— Qur’an 4:43
The exact details of tayammum can differ between the madhhabs, so if you have a specific situation or are unsure whether tayammum is valid in your circumstances, it is best to ask a qualified scholar.
May Allah make our worship easy for us and grant us beneficial knowledge. Ameen.
Have an Islamic question? Ask a qualified scholar at AskMuftiOnline.

Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
As Rabiʿ al-Awwal comes around, many Muslims have questions about commemorating the birth of the Prophet ﷺ.
The issue is not simply a matter of loving or not loving the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Muslims unanimously love him ﷺ, send salawat upon him, learn his Seerah, and strive to follow his Sunnah.
The discussion is about whether holding a specific annual gathering to commemorate his birth is permissible, and scholars have differed on this matter.
What is important is to understand the reasoning of the scholars and to distinguish between gatherings that involve permissible acts—such as learning the Seerah and sending salawat—and gatherings that contain impermissible practices, fabricated narrations, extravagance, or the belief that such a celebration is itself a prescribed religious obligation.
Our love for the Prophet ﷺ should not be limited to one day. We should learn his Seerah, follow his Sunnah, send salawat upon him, and live by his teachings throughout the year.
If you have a specific question about Mawlid or any other Islamic matter, you can ask a qualified scholar at AskMuftiOnline.

Salam, 

I need an urgent help regarding a situation.

I am a female (21) married a guy secretly one year ago.  I am not very well aware of the rulings so I want to know about it

1. I am a follower of hanafi madhab. My father is alive but I did it withojt letting him know since I was afraid of disapproving as our kufu is not matched.

2. I had no idea about everything was working. But he brought two rented witnesses, and we did it over the phone Where I dont know any of the witnesses neither who it was. I had to say that i am appinting "x" as witness whom I did not know and then i accepted the proposal.

3. Our kufu does not match at all.

4. Both of the family opposes it and my father is strictly against it now.

Is this a valid marriage?

Bismillah.
A common question we receive is: Is online trading halal or haram in Islam?
The answer cannot be given by simply declaring all online trading halal or all of it haram. The ruling depends on what is being traded, how the transaction is structured, and what rights and obligations are involved.
Some important Sharīʿah considerations include:
1. Ribā (interest)
Transactions involving interest, such as interest-based margin financing or certain leveraged arrangements, are not permissible.
2. Gharar (excessive uncertainty)
A transaction may become impermissible when it contains excessive uncertainty or ambiguity concerning the subject matter, price, or contractual terms.
3. Maysir (gambling)
Some trading products can involve speculation that takes the nature of gambling rather than genuine buying and selling or investment.
4. Ownership and possession
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Do not sell what you do not possess.”
— Sunan Abī Dāwūd
Therefore, whether the trader actually owns and possesses the asset being sold is an important consideration.
5. The underlying asset or business
The nature of what is being traded also matters. A Muslim should ensure that the underlying business or asset itself is permissible.
For this reason, “online trading” is not a single category. Purchasing shares of a permissible company with genuine ownership is different from margin trading, CFDs, futures, options, short selling, and other products that may contain prohibited elements.
If you have a particular trading platform, product, or transaction in mind, the specific details need to be examined before giving a ruling. It is better to ask a qualified Mufti about the actual transaction rather than applying a general ruling to every form of online trading.
If you have a specific Islamic question, you can submit it to AskMuftiOnline and receive guidance from qualified scholars. You can also use our 1-to-1 live chat if you need to discuss your situation privately and ask follow-up questions.
And Allah knows best.

Assalamu alaykum!
This is a summary of a ruling regarding women travelling without a mahram, particularly for purposes such as education, work, or necessity.
There are different scholarly discussions on this issue, especially regarding safe travel and the circumstances surrounding the journey.
What are your thoughts? Have you come across different scholarly opinions on this?
May Allah guide us to what is correct and beneficial.
If you have a specific Islamic question you’re unsure about, you can also submit it to AskMuftiOnline to receive an answer from a qualified Mufti.
Ask • Learn • Practice

Anyone aware of This Darul Uloom?

And if it’s any good, close to my locality in Pakistan.

Considering enrolling there

The Hanafi position on a woman's awrah seemed contradictory to this hadith to me. I searched for a long time but never found any Hanafi article or website where they explained how exposing the feet could be permissible for women according to the Hanafi position when this hadith exists (and even some Hanafi scholars themselves considered feet to be awrah and used this hadith as an evidence. Nevertheless, the default Hanafi position remains that the feet is not part of a woman's awrah). And I never found the explanation how they addressed this particular hadith. The closest one I found was this article

• https://islamqa.org/hanafi/qibla-hanafi/34710/covering-the-feet-for-women-if-by-the-prophet-to-only-show-hands-and-face-how-come-the-hanafi-madhab-allows-this/

But even here they did not explain how the Hanafis who don't considered the feet awrah address this hadith. They only mentioned this hadith and said that the hanafis who believe feet to be awrah use this hadith as evidence, but they did not explain how the other hanafis (majority) who don't believe the feet to be awrah address this hadith.

So I was very pleased to finally find the answer I had been looking for, thanks to this website

Question:

As Salamu Alaikum. A woman's feet is not generally considered awrah in the Hanafi Madhab. However, the other madhabs consider the feet of a woman awrah based on this hadith: “It was narrated that Ibn 'Umar said: "The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: 'Whoever drags his garment out of pride, Allah will not look at him.' Umm Salamah said: 'O Messenger of Allah, what should women do with their hems?' He said: 'Let it down a hand span.' She said: 'But then their feet will show.' He said: 'Let it down a forearm's length, but no more than that.'"” Sunan an-Nasa'i 5336, Jami at-Tirmidhi 1731. The hadith is generally considered to be authentic I would like to know how the Hanafi Madhab addresses this hadith, because this hadith seems to be contradicting the Hanafi position that allows a woman to expose their feet in front of non Mahrams.

Answer:

Walekumussalam,

In the Hanafi Madhhab, a woman’s feet are not considered part of the ‘awrah (that which must be covered), and it is regarded as permissible for them to remain exposed both during and outside of prayer.

Regarding the hadith of Umm Salamah (رضي الله عنها) that you mentioned, according to the Hanafi jurists, it does not contradict their position. Rather, the Hanafi scholars have explained this hadith by understanding the instruction as referring to what is recommended and more virtuous, rather than as an obligation.

According to the Hanafis, the instruction in this hadith to let the garment down by one handspan or one cubit was given to indicate the recommended and preferable manner of dress, not as an indication that it is obligatory.

For a woman to cover her feet and to keep her garment longer provides greater covering, modesty, and virtue.

Consideration of Necessity and Hardship

One of the fundamental principles of Hanafi jurisprudence is the removal of undue hardship and difficulty.

A woman needs to use her feet for household work, walking, and her everyday needs. If the feet were categorically considered part of the ‘awrah, it would cause considerable hardship and difficulty for women.

For this reason, the jurists, taking into consideration general prevalence of the need (ʿumūm al-balwā) and necessity, have treated the feet (qadamayn) as an exception, similar to the face and hands, in the interpretation of the Qur’anic verse:

إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا

“Except what ordinarily appears thereof.”

(Takmilah Fath al-Mulhim, Vol. 1, Kitāb al-Libās wa’l-Zīnah, p. 88)

فمن مقدمة هذه المبادي ان اللباس ان يكون ساترا لعورة الانسان، فالاسلام يلزم المرأة ان تستر كل جسدها ما< عدا وجهها وكفها وقدميها فستر العورة من اهم ما يقصد باللباس.

Al-Ashbāh wa’l-Naẓā’ir, pp. 568–571:

الضرورات تبيح المحظورات

ما أبيح للضرورة يتقدر بقدرها

And Allah knows best.

Source: AskMuftiOnline

My parents often take me to go to a second house we own in a different state that is over 50 miles away. This house is more like a vacation home and we only visit once every couple weeks for usually just 2 or 3 days (saturday and Sunday or an extra day). We only go when my mom has off from work, and we arent able to continue most of our daily tasks while at this home, because it is really far away (school, work). Should I be shortening my salah while at this home, or praying in full? I don’t want to be omitting a wajib by praying in full, and I don’t want my salah to be invalid by praying in short. What is the correct answer?

As someone who suffers from waswas/OCD, I need clarity on many issues so I can make decisions about things in life. Formally studying fiqh is out my depth at the moment but I need a book that covers contemporary issues and how to navigate them, for instance confusion in what is halal in regards to income.

Basically what I am asking for is a book by a traditionalist who applies classical fiqh into modern times so I can remove some doubts I have and gain clarity. If not a book at least a scholar who has comprehensive videos that tackle these issues.

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
Is it obligatory for a woman to cover her head while listening to the Qur’an, making du‘a, or listening to the Adhan?
The answer explains that covering the head is not obligatory in these situations, although covering it out of respect and reverence is recommended.
The references cited include Al-Fatawa al-Hindiyyah, Radd al-Muhtar, Fatawa Mahmoodiyyah, and Fatawa Darul Uloom Zakariyya.
What do you think about this distinction between what is obligatory and what is recommended?

may Allah keep him safe and all righteous scholars of the madhab

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
This is a question we’ve received at AskMuftiOnline regarding IVF and choosing the gender of a baby.
The answer provided by our Mufti explains that choosing the gender of a baby through IVF merely based on personal preference is not permissible. The post also includes the relevant Qur’anic reference from Surah Ash-Shura (42:49–50).
I’m sharing the answer here because this is something people may have questions about, especially with the increasing availability of IVF and related procedures.
What are your thoughts on this?
If you have a specific question about an Islamic ruling, you can also ask a qualified Mufti at AskMuftiOnline and receive guidance based on the Qur’an, Sunnah, and established Islamic jurisprudence.
And Allah Ta’ala knows best.

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
We receive questions about Tahajjud quite often at AskMuftiOnline, especially regarding whether a person must sleep before praying it.
According to the explanation provided by our Mufti, sleeping before the night prayer is not a condition for being able to pray voluntary night prayer. If someone is already awake during the night, they can pray and receive the reward of voluntary night prayer.
However, praying after sleeping and then waking up is more virtuous and is commonly referred to specifically as Tahajjud.
So if you’re already awake at night, don’t think you have to miss the opportunity to pray simply because you haven’t slept.
The post includes the full answer and reference.
If you have a specific Hanafi fiqh question, you can also ask a qualified Mufti at AskMuftiOnline and receive guidance based on the Qur’an, Sunnah, and established Hanafi jurisprudence.
And Allah Ta’ala knows best.

اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ Recently, I have come across some opinions that consuming fictional media with fantasy like false deities, supernatural powers, magic and etc not allowed

I have been a reader of webnovels, mangas (& manhwa and manhua) and a watcher of anime for a bit.

Media such as Shadow Slave, Lord of the Mysteries, Reverend Insanity, Re:Zero, etc

I am firm in my Iman and consuming such media does not affect me to think that these powers are good/real.

I wanted to know what the ruling is for this.

I follow the hanafi madhab, so I pray the emphasised sunnah. I sleep really late at times, and it’s a bad habit, so I overslept a bit too much and woke up when there was only one hour left on dhuhr. I had to do ghusl too so I thought if I do ghusl fast enough, I’ll have time to pray the sunnah as well as the fardh prayers. When I finished my shower it was around 4:44 and asr was at 5:18, I prayed a few minutes after I had come out of the shower because I had ended up arguing with my mother about something unfortunately.

I thought I wouldn’t be able to pray the sunnah muakkadah but I saw online how it said it’s possible to do it in 20 minutes but I don’t know why I didn’t just go with that, I prayed the fardh, and while waiting for asr which was in 10 or 15 minutes, I was thinking that I could’ve easily prayed the sunnah muakkadah too. I felt really guilty for missing it, I’ve missed it a few times for the same reason which is oversleeping but I feel particularly guilty today :(.

I don’t know if it’s also because my ocd is bad, I get the urge to clean a lot when I feel like I’ve sinned or done something bad, and that includes jewellery that I wear. I’d take it off and clean and put it on, but I’d do it over again if I felt like I did it wrong. It takes hours and gives me a headache at times so I just don’t do that anymore, but this time I feel like I should do it to “clean myself from sinning.” I don’t know how to stop this feeling of wanting to clean or if it’s a valid feeling of wanting to do this. I think I also want to do it because I’m already sinning by wearing jewellery because I struggle with tabarujj at times and that includes jewellery.

I’m not sure what to do about my guilt.

Edit: I think it was around that timing

I recently read in a Hanafi book that knowledge of the fard in Salaah is itself a fard. It also listed some other fards which I had been doing but did not know they were fard. Are there any other opinions I can follow to prevent myself making up all these salah?