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If vitamin D pills are made with whale oil, is it haram to eat it?

It is not permissible to consume whale oil unless it is known that it has undergone istihalah.

• food
• permissibility

What is the position of Sayyid Sistani in regards to astrology and horoscopes? For example, some people consider it a bad sign to be married at certain dates of the year because of the alignment of the stars and others consult horoscopes to see what their fortune will be. Has his eminence issued any statements in regards to these matters?

His Eminence Sayyid al-Sistani (may Allah prolong his life) approves what is sanctioned by the authentic Islamic text (Quran and hadith). For example, he states in his book, Minhaj al-Salihin, v. 3, p. 9 “It is disliked (makrooh) to conduct the marriage formula when the moon is in the Scorpius (al-qamar fi al-Aqrab), and during the final few days of the lunar month (known as the mahaaq).

• marriage

I am inquiring as to whether a vasectomy (procedure where a male is no longer able to release sperm) is permissible in Islam? I have read the medical literature and all suggest the rate of reversal is approximately 50 to 70%. With this in mind, no physician can guarantee the reversal rate is 100%. Is it still permissible according to the Islamic rulings?

It is not permissible to [permanently] prevent the possibility of having offspring through medical interventions (i.e. sterilization). However, it is permissible to perform procedures for birth control, even if those procedures may lead to infertility. If the process requires revealing the private parts, it is only permissible to carry it out if there is a legitimate excuse/reason necessitating birth control.

• medical issues

Several types of sugar alcohols are commonly used as sweeteners. Xylitol is the most common and well-researched sugar alcohol. It’s a common ingredient in sugar-free chewing gums, mints and oral care products like toothpaste. Erythritol is another sugar alcohol that is considered to have an excellent taste. It is produced by fermenting the glucose in cornstarch and has 70% of the sweetness of sugar but 5% of the calories. Sorbitol has a smooth mouthfeel and cool taste. Maltitol is processed from the sugar maltose and has a very similar taste and mouthfeel as regular sugar. Are these permissible to eat?

Aromatics or aroma compounds add flavor to dishes. Typically, aroma compounds are herbs, spices, and fruit or vegetable-derived chemicals that are mixed with either oil, water, or alcohol (ethanol) as a base to enhance the flavor. It is permissible to consume foods and beverages with aromatic compounds mixed with alcohol as long as the alcohol level is less than 3 percent and it dissolves in it [due to the mixing], and does not intoxicate.

• food
• permissibility

Is it permissible to take an interest-bearing loan from a western bank?

Yes, it is permissible but with the intention of istinqadh or rescuing the wealth, and not with the intention of taking a loan that includes a form of usury.

• loans
• permissibility

If a person missed fajr prayer, what time of the day can they make this prayer up?

They can make it up anytime, but it is recommended to make it up as soon as they can.

• make up prayers
• prayers

I am a university student and I have a lot of questions regarding some of my affairs:

1. If a student receives a scholarship (free or non-returnable money) from the university for a specific expense/purpose (e.g. for books), is it ok to use whatever is left from that money for other school-related needs? Can that scholarship or school financial-aid be used or saved to fund my hajj goal?

2. I am interested in studying abroad to expand my knowledge and open my mind to different teaching styles. Is that permissible if as a woman I will be going alone without a mahram?

Separate question:

Can the Zabihah website be trusted to determine which restaurant/market serves halal meat (i.e. that it has been zabihah certified)? How do we make sure that a meat is halal if the owner is not Muslim?

1. Yes, it is permissible for you to use that money for any lawful spending, including saving it for Hajj, unless the terms/conditions of the scholarship stipulate it must be used for education and school-related purposes only.

2. Yes, it is permissible as long as you are immune from committing unlawful acts (haram).

IMAM cannot verify the authenticity/validity of the information on any such website; thus, it is the responsibility of each person to investigate and established certainty on the permissibility of any meat supplier/restaurant. If the producer of the meat is a Muslim it can be considered/accepted as halal, or if you are certain that a Muslim has slaughtered the lawful to eat animal (i.e. muhallal) according to Islamic laws.

• college / university
• student

Banks in the West give loans known as mortgages to those who do not have enough money to buy houses; this is to be paid back in [weekly or monthly] instalments with a high rate of interest. Is a Muslim allowed to use this facility? If it is not permissible, is there a solution in your view for someone who claims that he needs the mortgage to buy his own residential house and does not possess enough money to pay for it?
1. Is it necessary the bank is fully financed (100%) by non-Muslims?
2. What if a non-Muslim-financed bank has Muslim minority ownership (say 1%) through purchasing bank shares in the stock market?

If the bank is financed by non-Muslims it is permissible to take the money, and there is no problem if there are shares for Muslims in it as long as their shares are trivial (i.e. such that taking money from their bank shares is improbable).

• banking
• money
• permissibility

1. If a person completely forgets (i.e. they knew before) that there was najasat (impurity) on their clothing, and only realized after they finish their prayers, is it required for them to repeat their prayers?

2. What if a person assumed it was tahir (pure) but after prayer they realized it was not?

1. If forgetting [after previously knowing of the najasah] was due to negligence then the prayers must be repeated based on obligatory precaution. Otherwise it does not have to be repeated.

2. If the person assumed that the clothes were pure (because there was no reason to suspect impurity) and only found out that there was najasah on them after the prayers, then the prayers are valid. If a person doubts whether their clothing is tahir (pure) or not, they should check. If after checking, the clothes appear pure, however, after completing the prayer they actually discover that it was not, then their prayer is considered correct. However, if they did not check after doubting the purity of their clothing, and it turned out to be impure, then the prayer must be repeated based on obligatory precaution.

• najis
• prayers

Is there a particular mourning period (i.e. number of days) when a person’s father has passed away? Does the person have to observe the forty days of mourning for him? Also, my mother is 81 years old, does she have to observe Iddah?

There is no specified length of time to mourn for a deceased father. However, it is makrooh (reprehensible) to mourn over any dead person for more than three days.
Your mother must observe Iddatul-Wafat, which is four months and ten days, and during that period she must avoid any adornment such as wearing bright colors, make up, etc.

• deceased
• mourning