What are the requirements for a Muslim woman's dress?A- The following are required in a Muslim woman's dress: • It must cover all her body, yet scholars have differed concerning the covering of the face and the two hands; some say they must be covered as well while some others maintain otherwise. • The Muslim woman' dress must not be an adornment in its own right. • It must be thick so that it does not reveal what is underneath. • It must be loose enough so that it does not reveal any part of her body. • It must be neither incensed nor perfumed. • It must not resemble men's clothing. • It must not resemble the dress of the disbelieving women. •- It must not be a dress of distinction, i.e. a dress which is worn for the sake of ostentation, for showing off or to donate status. And Allah knows best.Q- What are the Shariah requirements for the prayer to be valid?A - There are a number of conditions that must be fulfilled before performing prayer (Salah) including the following: • The first condition is that the Muslim performing the prayer must be in a state of cleanliness, which means that he must not be in a state of hadath whether minor, as when he has passed urine for example, or major, that is when he is in a state of janabah (the state of a person after having sexual intercourse with his wife or after having a sexual discharge in a wet dream. A person in such a state should perform Ghusl (i.e. have a bath) or do Tayammum, if a bath is not possible). • The second condition is that one must be free from impurity, that is, his body and clothes must be clean and so must be the place on which he intends to perform prayer. • The third condition is that the person must cover his awrah (private parts) that must be covered including his genitals. • The fourth condition is that the person planning to say his prayer must face the direction of the qiblah, that is, his face and chest must be towards its direction. • The fifth condition is that the person must make sure that the stated time of prayer has become due. It is not valid that he performs a prayer before its time has become due. • The sixth condition is intention for offering the prayer. And Allah knows best.Q- What is the Shariah ruling concerning publicizing the marriage and how should the marriage be publicized?A- Proclamation of marriage is to publicize it and let people know that a certain man has taken a certain woman in marriage. The announcement of marriage is desirable according to the majority of scholars. However, Az-Zuhri maintains that it is obligatory. Marriage is announced by women's beating the duff (tambourines) and singing songs that are permissible. Such singing – on such an occasion – is lawful as long as it is free from disallowed and immoral things such as uttering immoral things and as long as there are no musical instruments other than the duff. And Allah knows best.Q- Is it permissible for a father to propose his daughter to a pious Muslim for marriage?A- This is permissible, and that was what the righteous man mentioned in the Qur'an did to Prophet Moses (peace be upon him), when he said to him, “I intend to wed one of these daughters of mine to you, on condition that you serve me for eight years; but if you complete 10 years, it will be (grace) from you.” (Qur'an, 28:27) Also it has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), that Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) presented his daughter Hafsa (may Allah be pleased with her) for matrimonial alliance to Uthman and then to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them). Later, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) married her.– Extracted from 500 Questions and Answers on Islamic Jurisprudence, compiled and translated by Muhammad Abdul
