Has it been reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to be silent between the recitation of Surat Al Fatihah (The Opening) and the recitation of the Surah after it? A- The silence between the recitation of Surat Al Fatihah and the recitation of the Qur'an following it has not been reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the manner claimed by some of the scholars of Islamic jurisprudence. That is, the imam remains silent long enough for the people praying behind him to recite Surat Al Fatihah. It is only a short pause in which one may take breath on the one hand, and on the other hand, it enables the one being led in prayer to begin to recite Surat Al-Fatiha and to complete it, even while the imam may be in the midst of his recitation from the Qur'an. So it is a short pause, not a long one. Q - What is the Shariah ruling concerning delivering a sermon in a language other than Arabic? A- The correct opinion in this matter is that it is not permissible for the one who delivers the Friday sermon to do so in a language in which those present may not understand it. So, if the people are not Arabs, and they do not know Arabic, then he (the imam) should deliver the sermon in their language because this is the means of communicating the message to them, and the point of the sermon is to explain the limits set by Allah to worshippers and to admonish and guide them in matters of religion. However, the Qur'anic verses must be recited in Arabic and then explained in the language of the people. Evidence that he should deliver the sermon in the language of the people is in the words of Allah, the Most High, “We sent not an apostle except (to teach) in the language of his (own) people, in order to make (things) clear to them. Now Allah leaves straying those whom He pleases and guides whom He pleases: and He is Exalted in power, full of Wisdom.” (Qur'an, 14:4) So Allah has made it clear that the explanation must only be in a language which those being addressed can understand. Q - What is the Shariah ruling regarding a person who specifies in his will that after his death, he should be buried at such and such place. Should such a will be fulfilled? A- First of all, he must be asked why he has chosen this place. It might be that he has chosen it in order to be next to a false grave, or next to a grave which is taken as an object of worship besides Allah, or for some other unlawful reason. In that case, it is not permissible to carry out his will and he should be buried with other Muslims if he is a Muslim. However, if he requested this for some other reason, for example, that his body be sent to the country in which he lived, there is no sin involved in that case, in fulfilling his wish, so long as it does not involve waste of money. If it involves a waste of money, meaning that his body cannot be transported except by incurring heavy expenditure, then in that case, his will should not be implemented. And Allah's earth is same everywhere, so long as it is the land of the Islam. – Excerpted from Islamic Verdicts on the Pillars of Islam by Sheikh Muhammad Bin Salih Al-‘Uthaimeen, complied and arranged by Fahd Bin Nasir Ibrahim As
