• Children: Saving for the future of a child
We have recently had a baby born to us. We have thought of opening a saving account in his name so that he would find money to help him with his life requirements when he grows up. There is no interest free banking in our country. Can we go ahead and open an account for him?
The idea of putting aside some money for the child is a very good one, because it provides the child with something at the start of his working life in due course.However, if this is your first child, then you have to bear in mind that you would do the same for every child, boy or girl, you may have in future in order to maintain justice among your children. You may alternatively decide that this saving account is for your children, to be shared equally in due course, no matter how many you have eventually have.
The important point in this is that this account must not involve anything forbidden. Otherwise you would be starting your children on the wrong course. Interest is very similar to usury and God has forbidden usury in all shapes and forms.
Therefore, I would strongly urge you not to expose your child to this type of transaction at this stage when he does not have any say in the matter and does not have the ability to distinguish between what is lawful and what is not. My advice is that you should use for him an Islamic bank, which operates a scheme of saving that is acceptable from the Islamic point of view. A bank, which operates a profit-and-loss sharing account scheme, is acceptable.
You say that there is no such bank in your home country. You should try and keep the savings in such a bank even if it means that you keep them in a foreign country. However, this may be against the law in your country. If it is, you have to look for a scheme, which is Islamically acceptable. If you can find none, then you may try to invest the money with a businessman whom you can trust. Whatever you do, you must not expose your child to interest or any usurious transaction.
• Christians: Muslims insulting their religious book, the bible
Is a Muslim liable to punishment if he tears off the Bible during a quarrel with Christians?
A Muslim is required to treat the followers of other religion with respect. Although he does not agree with their practices or with their concepts, he must keep that disagreement within the limits which do not cause them to be offended. Allah gives us an express order in the Qur'an not to abuse verbally the idols which disbelievers associate as partners with Allah. This is mentioned in verse 106 of Surah 6 which clarifies the reason for that prohibition, explaining that if we were to hurl verbal abuse on their idols, they will retaliate with hurling verbal abuse on Allah Himself. Mistaken as their concepts are and idolatrous as their practices may be, every community considers their actions sound, wise and correct.
It is needless to say that this prohibition applies to everything that the followers of other religions consider as sacred.
With Christians and Jews, we certainly have a special relationship, they follow religions which have divine origins contained in revelations vouchsafed by Allah to His two great messengers, Moses and Jesus, peace be upon them both. Although we know that distortion has crept into the revelations contained in the Torah and the Gospel, they remain sacred to the followers of these two religions. If a Muslim tears off the Gospel or the Bible, he should not wonder at a retaliatory action which may involve tearing off the Qur'an. He would have invited such an action which is bound to cause him great distress in addition to the fact that it is totally uncalled for. A Muslim must always remember the Prophet's definition of a strong person. He says: "A strong person is not the one who can overcome others physically, but the one who controls himself when angry."
You say about the punishment for such an action. Most offenses do not have specified punishment. It is left to a Muslim judge to determine the punishment in accordance with the teachings of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. If a Muslim is brought before an Islamic court for having torn off the Bible during a quarrel with a Christian, he is certain to be punished either by a fine or imprisonment or both, or indeed any other punishment the judge may decide.
• Christians: Muslims partaking in the celebration of Christmas
Some years ago I married an English girl who decided later to convert to Islam, without any pressure from me. We had then to move to Denmark where we have been living for the last few years. Needless to say, that has restricted our visiting my parents-in-law. It so happens that my wife and children visit her parents for two weeks at Christmas time. The parents accept the fact that their daughter has become a Muslim and respect Islamic teachings with regard to food and drink when she is with them, to the extent that we do not see pork or an alcoholic drink in their home during our visits. My wife gives them gifts at Christmas and they in return give her and my children presents at Christmas. I am thinking of telling my wife not to visit them next Christmas. Please advise.
A woman companion of the Prophet once told him that her mother had come to visit her, and that the mother was a non-believer who shared the pagan beliefs of the Arabs. She asked the Prophet whether it was appropriate for her to be kind and dutiful to her mother. The Prophet ordered her to be so.
You have been following the proper practice which Islam urges by maintaining good relations with your wife's parents. From what you have said about their behavior, they seem to be broad-minded people who will not cause you, your wife or children any harm. You may maintain warm relations with them.
Nor is there any harm in giving them gifts on Christmas, because the Prophet did not instruct Muslims not to do so. On the contrary, giving non-believers presents on their festive occasions is encouraged as long as they behave in a proper manner toward Muslims and Islam. Your parents-in-law seem to fall in this category of people. If you feel uneasy about your children developing the habit of associating Christmas with festivity and good presents from their grandparents, then perhaps you could suggest to your parents-in-law, in a gentle way that does not offend them, that you would prefer that they delay the gifts to your children until the new year, or some other occasion, such as Eid. You should try to make sure first that they will receive your suggestion without taking offense, and that they will be accommodating. If you determine that they may be offended at your suggestion, then it may be more advisable not to broach the subject at all. Instead, you can explain to your children that the gifts they receive at Christmas have no religious value. From what you tell me about your children and the way they cope with interfaith relationship, I feel that they will easily understand.
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