What are the proper etiquettes to be observed on the wedding night?A- The following are some of the etiquettes that should be observed on the wedding night: u The bridegroom is recommended to greet his bride as this is apt to remove worry from her heart. u The husband is recommended to present to his bride some drink or sweet as prelude to his kind treatment to her. u He is recommended to place his hand on her head and pray for her asking Allah to grant both of them blessing, as we learn from the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him). u He is recommended to perform two rak'ahs (prayer units) along with the bride. u It is desirable that he cleanses his mouth with siwak (toothbrush) before approaching her. u He is to recite tasmiyyah and invoke Allah upon approaching her. And Allah knows best.Q- What is the Shariah ruling concerning hibah (gifts and presents)? A- Hibah is that a person gives something that he owns without charging anything?. Islam encourages hibah and warns Muslims against depreciating things that they may receive as gifts or presents. It has been narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him), said, “Exchange presents and gifts so that you may love one another.” It is recommended that when a person receives something as a present or a gift, he may reward the person who has given it to him in a suitable way by giving him something in return. Islam also encourages doing good to one's relatives and neighbors as they are more deserving of one's gifts and presents. However there are two precautions that must be mentioned in this concern: u The Muslim should never give preference to one of his children over others when he gives them gifts. u No gifts are to be given to a government employee because it may be regarded as a bribe. And Allah knows best.Q- What is the Shariah ruling concerning wakalah (authorization)?A- Wakalah is that a person authorizes another person to deputize him and act on his behalf whether unconditionally or under certain restrictions. The legality of wakalah is supported by the Qur'an, the Sunnah and the consensus of Muslim scholars. As a general rule, everything which a person may undertake by himself is permissible to be undertaken by another person whom this person may authorize to act on his behalf concerning that thing. A person who is authorized to act on behalf of another must be truthful and must be up to the responsibility which he has shouldered as a result of this authorization. Therefore, an authorized person is just like the person holding something in trust. He is not to guarantee the thing concerning which he has been deputized except in the case of negligence. And Allah knows best.Q- Why is riba (usury) prohibited in Islam? A- There are many reasons why Islam prohibits riba. For example, imam Ar-Razi in his tafsir (exegesis) mentioned the following reasons: u Riba requires the taking of interest appropriating another person's property without giving him anything in exchange, because the one who gets two dirhams for one dirham gets the extra dirham for nothing. This means that taking it from the borrower without giving him anything in return is prohibited. u Dependence on interest prevents people from working to earn money, since the person with money can earn an extra sum through interest, whether at one go or at a later date, without working for it. This means that he will never take the trouble of running a business or risking his money in trade or industry which simply means that economic life will come to a halt. u Permitting the taking of interest discourages people from doing good to one another as required by Islam. If interest is prohibited in the society, people will lend money to each other with good will. Not only that, people will never exploit one another's financial difficulties. u The lender is very likely to get wealthier while the borrower gets poorer. If interest is allowed, the rich will exploit the poor which is against the spirit of mercy and charity that Islam wants to promote among people. And Allah knows best.– Extracted from 500 Questions and Answers on Islamic Jurisprudence, compiled and translated by Muhammad Abdul
