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Cleanliness is Next to Godliness...

...as the old English saying goes. It's especially appropriate as far as the Islamic home is concerned because, as well as being a place for living in, it's also a place of prayer for you, your family and any guests.

Decorations

It's good to have a nicely decorated house, but there are certain decorations which are haram, especially images of living creatures. This is supported by various hadiths, such as:

Volume 7, Book 72, Number 833: Narrated Abu Talha
The Prophet said, "Angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or there are pictures."

Volume 7, Book 72, Number 835: Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar
Allah's Apostle said, "Those who make these pictures will be punished on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be said to them. 'Make alive what you have created.'"

The 'images' and 'pictures' that are referred to here are statues and engraved images, or paintings and pictures of living creatures produced for the purpose of worship or reverence. I don't think photographs fall into this category - strictly speaking they are not man-made images, but rather a 'snapshot' of a moment in time developed using a series of chemical processes - as long as they are unaltered, there should be no problem with them.

Pictures in magazines, televisions, newspapers, books, computers, etc. are allowed. Such pictures can however be prohibited if they depict nudity or other indecent representations.

It is also best to avoid excessive decorations - they can distract you during your prayers, as well as being a waste of space and money.

Pets

Most people love animals - I'm no exception (I'm the loving owner of 2 goldfish and 2 gouramis). However, as Muslims we are slightly restricted in our choice of pet.

You will have probably noticed the hadith quoted above - "Angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or there are pictures". Many peoples interpretation of this is that it is forbidden to keep a dog as a pet. However, this hadith only specifies that they shouldn't be kept in the house. Even though, keeping a dog as a pet is likely to cause offence amongst your fellow Muslims so it's probably better that you don't. If you do need to keep a dog for security or work purposes, then it should be kept in a warm and clean out-house, kennel or barn - as with each and every one of Allah's creations, dogs should be treated with love, care and respect.

There are no other restrictions with regards to other pets that can be kept - even dangerous animals such as scorpions and piranhas are halal as pets. If you have children though, common sense should tell you that dangerous animals such as scorpions and piranhas don't make ideal family pets.

Home Entertainment

A lot of coverage was given in the press recently about how the Taliban banned music, television, cinema, radio and the internet, claiming that they were all unislamic. In my opinion, this is in no way true.

If music was unislamic, how do they explain the works of artists such as Yusef Islam, Raihan and the many Islamic rap and R'n'B acts emerging from Afro-American communities, who preach Islam through music? If television was unislamic, how could they explain the many educational programmes and videos available?

Obviously, abuse of these media, for example watching / downloading pornography or listening to music with a dubious theme, would render them haram. Discretion is strongly advised, to say the least. You must also ensure that enjoying any of these activities does not intrude on your Islamic obligations such as prayer.

The question of whether music is halal or not is one where many opinion differ. Based on the opinions given by the four major jurists of Sunni Islam and a fatwa given by Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi, I would say that:

Music is halal:

Music is haram:

In all other situations, listening to music is mukruh (disliked).

Alcohol In The Home

Any decent Muslim wouldn't have alcoholic drinks in the home, but alcohol does have other uses, such as in perfumes, mouthwashes and medicines. Using it in these circumstances would be considered halal, but ONLY if a non-alcoholic alternative is unavailable.

It should be noted that that the Qur'an specifies that intoxicants are haram, but it is only ethyl alcohol (such as methylated spirits and ethanol, the alcohol found in alcoholic drinks) that is intoxicating and are therefore haram. Other forms of alcohol (such as stearyl, which can found in skin creams and other cosmetic products) are not intoxicating, and are therefore permissible for everyday use.

Your Money

With regards to your money, there are two important things you need to consider:

The reason why Islam is so against interest is really quite simple - it's a dishonest way of making money (for instance, if you buy a house with a standard mortgage, you'll end up paying twice its value! Would you want to pay £100,000 for something that is only worth £50,000? Of course not!), and it inflicts misery and inequity on those who are forced to pay it (just ask any Third World country, or indeed anybody in debt!).

Nowadays, there are a number of banks that offer halal mortgages, accounts and loans. In the UK, these include the Islamic Bank of Britain, HSBC and Lloyds TSB. In the USA, these services are provided by HSBC (USA) and Devon Bank.

Return to Top - © Amir Brooks - 2006 / 1427

  1. Haram: Forbidden or prohibited according to Islamic law. (return to 'haram' reference)
  2. Hadith: A verified statement describing the words or actions of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). (return to 'hadith' reference)
  3. Halal: Lawful or permissible according to Islamic law. (return to 'halal' reference)
  4. (prohibition of intoxicants): The Holy Qur'an, 5:90 - O ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination,- of Satan's handwork: eschew such (abomination), that ye may prosper. (return to 'intoxicants' reference)