Is This Part of Islam or another Culture Thing

[NaSra]

Asalamalaikum


Giving money to someone who does the nikah ceremony?


Giving money to someone who recites Quraan on someone who's sick?


If you don't give money to the person who does Nikah, there will be no blessing in the marriage.


What's that all about?


Is this part of the sunnah of our beloved prophet mohamed (Saw) or seen anywhere in the Quraan? I have looked but it's not there [img]style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif[/img]


I am so baffled..........

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


as salam alykom Intuition


what is with u these days, u keep coming with the stragest questions????? what have u been up to?


Any way I will say what I know.


as for the NIkah ceremony part, I am not sure what u mean exactly? do u mean one who carries out the contract including the paper work and all. For ex here in Egypt they this one a Ma-dhun (which could be litteraly translated as has a permission) it is an implication that he is authorized by the government to carry out the whole process, including registeration of the doc at the gov authorities. For this and because he does a job, he is paid a percentage of the amount of the Mahr.


Actually the process needs work to be done. And thus he is allowed fees. This situation is totally different from the days of Sahaba, they didnt have to register any documents...etc, I think someone just had to sort of carry on the process. Well I am not sure how they did it. But this is what I know.


As for taking money for doing Ruqia (reciting Quran for the sick I think u r referring for Ruqia)


What I know is that companion Kharija Ibn Assalat was coming back after meeting the Messenger salla Allah A`lyhee wa sallam and a group of Kufar met him, asked him if he knows any Ruqia because their leader is epliptic, he was chained down, they told him we know your companion brought good with him.


So Kharija stayed with him 3 days reciting only Fatiha, after which Mash a Allah the man stood up perferctly alright.


They gave him a present like a package of something. Just be noted a present. He didnt ask for anything or made a certain fee to be charged, getting my point? he went back and told the Messenger, the Messenger asked him who told u that Fatiha could be used as Ruqia? he said I was inspired.


From this hadeeth we conclude that Fatiha is a general Ruqia I mean could be used for anything: illness, evil eye, witchcraft... etc.


We can conclude that one who made the Ruqia can take a gift and accept it. But of course he can also do it for free.


If u ask me my personal opinion, I prefer one who does the Ruqia not to take anything, but certainly not charge certain fees. Currently many people mixed things together and interpreted situation so that they can make money and that is it. May Allah improve us all.


Again about the Nikah issue and money I explained what I know, here in Egypt this one is like a gov servant and thus must be paid for the duties he carries out which are a lot and time consuming really.


May Allah Bless the NIkah of every Muslim, Protect every married couple from all kinds of evil, and Puts love and mercy between them


[img]style_emoticons/default/wub.gif[/img] did I help dearest. [img]style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif[/img]

[NaSra]

SalamS Muslimah


I know [img]style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif[/img] I'm just eager to learn more insha'Allah, sorry about the many questions. It just shows you how little I really know [img]style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif[/img] . No i'm not talking about the person whos job describtion is to nikah and whos employed under the government etc. I'm talking about like an imam from the masjid without any strings attached. In many cultures its honour to give money to the imam or anybody else who's in a fit state to marry 2 people "according to the shariah law" and all the witnessess present. I have never read anywhere in the quraan or read any hadith that allows this kind of practise. I know and i've even been the witness of a nikah where the sheikh said no to the money and he said that its bid'a and it needs to stop.


Insha'Allah I want to learn to differenciate Culture from Islam. Walahee it's not easy. Now that I have been on this learning path for awhile I'm learning that there is a lot of Bid'a involved in some of our cultures.


Another thing I have noticed that really made my eyes almost pop out is for instance the opposite sexes shacking hands and when the man approaches the muslim women, the woman puts her hijab or something over her hand and hands her hand over to the man and shackes the hand of the man. "as in" oh well its ok now I have covered my hand.


Many times I have seen muslim men trying to shacke hands with me. SubhanaAllah when nonmuslim men do that, it's because they are ignorant. And when I do try to educate them they are thankful & friendly that I did, and they don't even get offended. Whereas I have seen muslim men who feel like as though they are being put to shame. When they stand there and they have the hand out, and your standing there keepign your hands to yourself, they give you this weird look. Making you feel guilty.


It's very clear that its ok to do that in those cultures whereas in Islam that is absolutely haram and unacceptable.


One time someone was very sick and I have visited the family. When the Hafiz recited the quraan on the sick person and left. A lot of the visitors felt disgusted and shame. They kept saying " they didn't give him any money, it's haram" "Oh how shameful why didn't they honour the man and give him some money its sunnah". All of that was intended for the family because they didn't give the Brother money. I felt so dumbfounded.


Later that evening the Hafis Brother heard about this incident and felt offended, he said I was not there to sell my knowledge to anybody, The quraan is the word of Allah. Not something that can be sold. It's your culture to give people money.


Some things are really not worth keeping <i>i.e</i> our cultures that contradict with Islam.

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


as salam alykom


I fully understand what u saying dear Intuition, and no problem for asking we all do, and we all lack knowledge.


As for the nikah thing, here in Egypt nikah is only processed through the Madhoun. But I think and this is just my opinion, if an imam concludes the contract, I dont think it is a must to give money, but we might investigate this.


As for the Ruqia I already gave u an example, a present may be given, but it isnt a must and the reciter may or may not take it.


As for shaking hands, I have an experience with this. I stopped shaking hands like more than 10 years ago, it takes time till people know u and then they also stop.


All men in my surrounding were already informed, except two my former boss who occupies a position similar to a minister, I mean the chairman of where I work is a highly senior position in the GOE. The other one was also a high rank retired army general. Both men are much older than me, both treat me very respectufly. Like the chairman when I walk into his office, he jumps out of his seat, leans over the desk and extends his hand. It felt sooooooo hard to handle the situaiton always.


The other one, whenever he sees me from even the other end of the hall, he just comes forward extending his hand.


How I did it? the chairman: Walked into his office for something, he stood there, I did shake his hand but very kindly said btw I stopped this long time ago. He immediately respected it and never repeated it.


The other one, met him by the elevator and said the same thing, he said OOOO u spared my much effort thank u.


We shouldnt really care except for what Allah Pleases. U made me [img]style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img] for the women who cover with their hijab to shake hands. I know Intuition there is much bida`a may Allah Protect us.