Is intention obligatory while paying Zakat?A- Zakat is an act of worship, and so it is stipulated that whoever is to pay it must intend that what he is going to pay is Zakat, while seeking to get reward from Allah for that. Almighty Allah says: “And that which you give in gift (to others), in order that it may increase (your wealth by expecting to get a better one in return) from other people's property, has no increase with Allah; but that which you give in Zakat seeking Allah's Countenance, then those they shall have manifold increase.” (Qur'an, 30:39) Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), said, in a well-known Hadith which has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), “Actions are but by the intention and every man will have what he intended.” And Allah Knows bestQ- What is the Shariah ruling concerning a fasting person donating his blood?A. Donating blood is like cupping and it is undesirable for a fasting person to do something that may cause him weakness to the extent that he may not be able to observe fasting for some time. This applies to cupping and donating blood, but the majority of scholars opine that such acts do not invalidate fasting. It has been narrated by Al Bukhari on the authority of Anas Bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), that they (the Companions) would not hold cupping as disallowed for a fasting person, except for it causing weakness, meaning it would be disapproved if it caused weakness and feebleness. And Allah knows best.Q- A woman does not perform prayers during her menses, but is it obligatory on her to make up for these prayers after her period has ended?A- A woman is not to make up for the prayers she missed during her menses or postnatal bleeding. However, she must make up for the fasting she did not observe during menses or postnatal bleeding. It has been narrated that ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), said, “ One of us (women) would have menses and we would be commanded to make up for (the unobserved) fasting, yet we were never commanded to make up for (the unperformed) prayers. And Allah knows best.Q- What are the things that invalidate prayer?A- There are certain things that invalidate prayer and necessitate that whoever does any of them must repeat the prayer. These things include the following: uEating and drinking Speaking while engaged in the prayer whether intentionally or forgetfully. Doing a lot of actions and movements because this contradicts the concentration of heart needed in the prayer. Laughing especially loudly. Neglecting any of the conditions or the pillars of prayer invalidates prayer because these pillars and conditions are obligations that must be observed. And Allah knows best. Q- Can a man in residence perform prayer behind another who is on a journey?A- There is no difference among fuqaha' (scholars of Islamic jurisprudence) that a man in residence can perform prayer behind a man on a journey. However, in this case, the imam who is a traveler will perform two rak'ahs (prayer units) then make taslim, because he will have then completed what is obligatory on him. On the other hand, the man in residence, who is led by a traveler, will perform the prayer in full, because what is obligatory upon him is to perform four rak'ahs. Furthermore, it is legally desirable for a traveling imam to say after taslim, “Complete your prayer, for we are on a journey” as the Prophet (peace be upon him), and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), did. And Allah knows best.– Extracted from 500 Questions and Answers on Islamic Jurisprudence, compiled and translated by Muhammad Abdul
