Is the belief that Imam Ali (AS) is infallible (ma'soom), an essential part of shia faith?
Yes, two great scholars of us shaikh mofeed (died on year 413 hijri) and allama alhili (died on year 725 hijri) has narrated that in there books along with other scholars. They has proven this concept using the following two verses:
A."And Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from you. Ye Members of the family, and to make you pure and spotless" Verse 33 surah 33 AlAhzab.
B."O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you (Uli al amr)" Verse 59 surah 4 AlNisa.
One of sunni scholars by the name of fakhr alrazi has excepted this last verse to explain that (Uli al amr) are infallible but did not know how to explain who are the (Uli al amr).
Is the belief that Imam Ali (AS) status is higher (above) than all creatures (humans, dJinns, angels, and specially prophets) except the last prophet Muhammed (SAWAW) an essential belief of shia faith?
No, It is not. Some of our scholars did not to believe in this concept even there are some narration that means this.
What should be done (hadd, ta'azeer) to a person who claims to be a muqalled (follower) of respected Ayatullah, but does not believe in the concept that, "Imam Ali (AS) is superior to all prophets except prophet Muhammed (SAWAW)".
If this disbelieving is based on not knowing the evidence then that is expectable since it is not essential in the shia faith. But if he/she actually denies this concept then he/she must have strong evidence that supports his/her opinion. He/She must read the narration that explains and supports this concept so he/she will not be from those who are uneducated and ignorant that believe and disbelieve not according to any evidence. However, We are willing to negotiate any one who really wants to negotiate and hear from any of our brothers or sisters their opinions with evidence.
What is the proof of the shia belief that "Imam Ali (AS) is superior to all prophets except prophet Muhammed (SAWAW)"?
There are some narrations that meant that.
Is the belief that "Imam Ali (AS) is superior than all prophets except prophet Muhammed (SAWAW)" part of the belief of usuul-e-din's (religious essentials) "Imamat"?
No it is not from usuul-e-din (religious essentials).
Are respected lady Fatima (AS) and other infallible imams (AS) also above than all prophets in status except prophet Muhammed (SAWAW)?
This issue is one of the issues that the shia scholars vary in their opinions due to the variety of their evidences. This issue is not from usuul-e-din (religious essentials) so the shia Muslims should believe in it. But this does not mean that the devote Muslim should denies that without any evidence since both believing and denying should be based on evidences. However, we suggest any non-specialist to leave this kind of concepts and issues to the scholars.
Is it ja'ez [allowed] to buy a house by taking a loan from the bank (English Bank) subjected to interest rate? The loan is normally paid through monthly installments together with the interest. The bank has the authority to take the house should the buyer stop paying their installments according to the loan contract.
Since the bank owners are non-Muslims you could get the interest money and own it when get it without the intention of borrowing. And then paying the monthly installments will be in order to obey the law not to return the loan money.
if it is ja'ez [allowed], how would the Khums be calculated if
a) the buyer is living in the house?
If the buyer lived in the bought house before the end of his fiscal year (khums year) then there is no khums because this will be in his year's expenses.
b) the house is rented to somebody else?
If he did not live in the house until the end of his fiscal year (khums year), he should pay khums for what he paid to the bank as installments.
If it is not Riba, what is the islamic view to solve such a problem particularly many of us have houses bought in this way?
As we explained it is not Riba since the borrowing deal is not actual according to the Islamic laws.
I have problems with the wife, could you please answer few questions:
1. Do I have to take a permition from my wife to go out somehwere?
2. Can she divorce me just because she cannot stand me anymore for reasons she created like the above question?
3. Isn't haram that she keeps acusses me with doing something haram and it's not haram?
4. Isn't haram she keeps accusses me with doing Zina which I am not doing anything like that all?
5. Isn't haram that she keeps mentioning the bad things that I did in my past and which I already asked Allah to forgive me?
6. Isn't haram that she tells me HARAM for somethings based on no knowledge?
I would like to hear from you regarding these questions please plus can you tell me what are the woem's right in Islam, I would like to read them and share them with her.
There is no doubt that you do not have to take permission to leave the house from your wife nor she can divorce you.
From the way you asked the questions it is obvious the greatness of your problems with your wife.
Please consider the following point that might return your relations to the normal condition.
1. When we return to the holy Quran, we see a great view of the relations between the Islamic devote couple that those couple should work to reach it.
Allah almighty considers the creation of the wife to be one of his great signs. He also created all the reasons for the mercy and love to role the relations between the devote couple. Their life then would be filled with mercy, love and tolerance. All this because the family in Islam is the cell of the society and every harm to it is actually a harm to the whole society.
We also notice that as each of the couple has responsibilities towards each other and the children, he/she is responsible to the society as well. His/her responsible to bring suitable children. A child that was raised in a stable family if this happened then the family is fulfilled to its aim. And if the reverse occurred then the duty of the family is not fulfilled. This sense of responsibility should encourage the couple to deal with their problems with tolerance, flexibility and wisdom.
2. Allah almighty has blessed the Muslim couple in another way. He made laws that govern the family relations. What we want to show here that these laws are not restricted to forbidden and allowed or in other words (to haram and halal) but in the Islamic laws many teachings that arranges the relations between the Islamic couple.
For the wife side: Allah will give great rewards for the wife that deals nicely with her husband. The Islamic law (sheriaa) considers this gentleness from the wife side to be her struggle since she does not have to fight in the war against the enemies. However she fights in the fields of her companionship with her husband in the family.
In anther side, Allah warns the wife from harming her husband and considers this harming as a reason for not excepting her deeds.
For the husband side, the Islamic laws expect from the husband to be good to his family as a narration came from the prophet (P.B.U.H.H.F.) stated that the best is the best to his family. In conjuction, Allah warns the husband from any roughness in his family dealings and considers that to be the reason behinds any punishments happens to him in his grave.
3. You suppose to deal with your side problems in calmness with the feeling of responsibility, consider the main issues only and ignore any side effects.
4. The feeling of responsibilities and the Intention to deal each other with care, mercy and tolerance are the two factors that responses to resolving any standing problems eventually.
5. Finally we must not forget to ask Allah the great almighty for his kindness and guideness to resolve all our problems and his blessings in all our life.
The company I work for provides me with free house, free car, free education for my children and free medication.Therefore I am able to save around 40 000 USD every year. I invest this money (the 40 000) in the following way:
1. 20 000 in retirement fond from which 50% in shares and 50% in fixed deposits. I will live on the outcome when I am retired within few years.
2. 10 000 in bank account for the eduction of my children. This money is to be used when I return home to pay the collage fees for my children.
3. 10 000 in saving account in my home country. I will use this money to buy a house for my family when I return home within few years. My contract in the Gulf will be finished in 2001 and it is the time for me to retire. In my home country I don not own anything so when the contract in the Gulf is finished I have to start paying everything myself.
I wonder: Would you kindly inform me if I have to pay the fifth (i.e. Khums) every year on the money mentioned above or not?
In addition, if the money are invested in a house (i.e. I buy a house in home country and I pay 40 000 every year as amortization) then do I have to pay any fifth on this money every year?
You have to pay fifth of all what exceeds your yearly regular expenses – which you have spent already – from the mentioned amounts. However if you where to buy a house for yourself and/or your family even by paying the price as payments from your yearly savings AND you live in it before the end of your fiscal khums year then the house is considered as one of your expenses and you do not have to pay the fifth of the value of the house.
In general, What you pay the khums on is what is left after spending your regular yearly expenses. This khums payment is due once for the specific amount so you do not have to pay the fifth every year for the same amount. However you should, for any extra savings.
If Khums is to be payed on shares (stock), then does it mean one has to sell all the shares, then pay the Khums and then buy new shares? If yes then what is the price to be used when calculating the Khums, original price or sell price?
You could pay the khums for the shares from another money that you have.
In general, you do not have to pay the khums on the exact item or amount by cutting the khums from it. However, you can pay the fifth of the value of the amount or the item that's due for khums.
If a money is dedictated for children education, then would it be a form of gift to the children or not? Do we have to pay Khums on gifts as well?
If this money (for the education of the children) is paid to the children so it is theirs now (in a way that if they did not use this money in educational purposes in the future then it will still be theirs), Then you do not have to pay the khums on this amount. However if they were children in the Islamic point of view (the girl's age less then 9, boy's age less then 15), then you have to pay khums in their behalf if you were following ayatollah as-sayyid alhakeem (may Allah bless him). On the other hand, if you are following ayatollah al-khuie (mercy of Allah on him) then there is no khums in the child's money.
If they were grown-ups then the khums responsibility is their's.
A money in fixed deposit means the money is locked for certain amount of time. If the Khums is to be payed then does it mean the deal has to be broken, the money is taken out and Khums is paid?
you can do two things:
a. Pay the khums on this fixed money from another money as explained in answer 1 (above)
b. Ask the scholar that you follow or his representative to authorize the delay of the khums payment until the money is free.
I have a question regarding daily prayers behind an imam.
It is my understanding that a shia is not allowed to pray behind a sunni imam. However, as shias are nearly always a minority and the mosques in western cities are scarce, then how could it be possible for a shia muslim who is seeking knowledge to abstain from attending mosques where islamic lectures are held and not perform prayers with the [sunni] majority afterwards? It does not seem logical, nor correct.
Would it be accpetable to pray behind a sunni imam with the intention of unity, by following the imam in action and not in belief? Is there any recitation needed for this before the takbir?
It is allowed to pray after a Sunni Imam even without any pressure and even for unity purposes. But the follower prayer should read for himself. In the prayer with audible reciting (dawn sunset evening) Subh, Maghrib and Isha, if you were not able to recite in an audible voice due to the circumstances, then you could recite in an inaudible voice and your prayers would still be correct. Furthermore, there are narriations say that the prayer after them (Sunni imams) is a favorite one