Questions Nazar or Niaaz

(1) Nazar or Niaaz is some eatable things which people give to other people to get love of the saints (people who have prayed for Allah very much). Please tell us the detail of "Nazar or Niaaz", that this is Halaal, haram or makruh.

(2) Is it halaal or haraam to give "Nazar or niaz" on the name of 12 Imams (AS), what should be its procedure?

(3) The meaning of One Ayah of Holy Quran is that all the halaal animal that are slaughter on the name of any other than Allah are Haram. People are asking that if a Goat is slaughter on the name of a saint or on the name of 12 Imams then is it will halal or Haram?  If someone says that he is slaughtering the Goat in name of Allah and I am transferring its profit (SAVAAB) to some saint then is it allowed to eat?? I am hopeful that I have told about this tradition correctly; please give us a detail answer it is related to a large group of our society.

(4) Again a question from a large number of people that it is written in Holy Qur'an that do not pray (ask Du'a) to anyone other than Allah. People are asking what is Fatwa of Ayatollah ul Uzma about saying "YA ALI MADAD" (help me Imam Ali (AS)) what should be in our mind while saying YA ALI MADAD (which mean in English, Help me Imam Ali (AS)). Can we pray that Ya Imam Hussain (AS) give me son? Can we say Help me YA Imam Mahdi (AS)??

(5) Can a non-Mehram give a gift of Holy Qur'an to a non-mehram that he/she will take Guide from it?

(6) One of our brothers says that every "action with lust" is Haram except with your own husband/wife, so we are asking is it true or false.

(7) There is written in Risala of Great Ayatollah ul Uzma Syed Muhammad Shirazi that co-system (system in which male and female are together) is not allowed in any case. It is also written that for example in Swimming or education.

Answer

1. Nazr - or Nathr as it is pronounce in Arabic - means vow.  In Nazr, one makes a pledge or a promise to Allah, or an Imam or a Ma'soom, or even someone who is not one of the fourteen Ma'soom, but very pious man or woman such as Hazrat-e Zaynab, Hazrat-e Abbas, Hazrat-e Um-ul-Baneen (the mother Hazrat-e Abbas) etc. that one would do certain thing if their problem or difficulty or illness one has is solved. In general if the conditions or criteria of the vow one makes are not haraam, then the vow is halaal.  So if someone makes a vow that if s/he get his wish concerning certain things, then they would give food to the poor, or say x-number of salawaat as a gift for certain Ma'soom - saint -  or imam, or perform certain number of prayers, or do certain Zeyarat (like Zeyarat-e Ashura), etc. then this kind of vow is halaal.  However if the Nazr involves any haraam act, then it is haraam.

2. Yes it is halaal, as it is explained above.  For example you make nazr that if you get your wish, then you would offer certain number of prayers as a gift for the imam, or recite certain surah(s) of the Qur'an, or read Zeyarat-e Ashura, or say 100 or more salawaat, etc. and the list is almost endless.

3. When the animal is slaughtered, all the slaughtering related criteria must be met, and one of these criteria is to call the name of Allah, that is the animal must be slaughtered in the name of Allah.  However, the SAWAAB of giving the meat of the animal to others, or to the poor for food CAN be intended for one of the ma'soom Imams, and that is OK.

4. Allah Almighty is the only source of force and power, LAA HAWLA WA LAA QUWWATA ILLA BILLAH, and no one else in existence has any power of his own however insignificant  - any individual who possesses any power, that power is given to him by Allah Almighty.  Now if a Muslim does not associate anyone with any power of his own, then he has NOT done or believed in wrong.  Now when we say YA ALI MADAD, we are not associating any power to Imam Ali independent of Allah Almighty.  Imam Ali, and the other Ma'soomeen, have no power of their own, but we seek help from them on the AUTHORITY that Allah has given them because of their station and their position in the sight of Allah.  So it is halaal to seek help from the Ma'soom since that is with the permission of Allah and Allah has allowed this as is stated in the Qur'an: {O ye who believe! do your duty to Allah, seek the means of approach unto Him . . .} - 5:35.  For example we read in the Holy Qur'an that the prophet Jesus raised the dead, or created birds from mud, but that was by the permission of Allah and the authority Allah has vested in Jesus.

5. Yes.

6. Except for spouses, acts with lust are haraam, such as looking at, speaking, etc.  With non-Mahram is haraam if it is with lust. 

7. I am not sure of the exact wording of the Risalah you are referring to, there may have been a case of over generalisation by the translator.  In general, if all the necessary precautions have been taken, then a girl may study say in university where male and female students are mixed, although it is encouraged that boys and girls study separately in schools.

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