His Eminence the Grand Ayatollah al-Hakeem met with Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway in Baghdad, and advised for greater communication between different cultures

His Eminence the Grand Ayatollah al-Hakeem met with Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway in Baghdad, and advised for greater communication between different cultures
2018/12/11

His Eminence, the Grand Ayatollah al-Sayyid Muhammed Saeed al-Hakeem, received the Norwegian Ambassador to Jordan and Iraq, Tone Allers, along with her aides, on Tuesday 11 December 2018. The guests expressed their appreciation for His Eminence in giving the opportunity for this meeting, and they congratulated the Marji’iyya on the first anniversary of the victory over Daesh.

His Eminence indicated that the victory over Daesh came from the blessings and guidance of God Almighty, as well as the people abiding by their religion and giving their sacrifices for it.

His Eminence called for greater communication between various cultures, and to keep away from bitterness and hate, and this will greatly benefit the people.

The meeting was concluded by the guests thanking His Eminence for this opportunity and appreciating his important advice.

Day Questions

What is the difference between a temporary marriage contract and consummating a temporary marriage?

The contract refers to the actual recitation of the words that create the religious matrimonial relationship, and consummating the marriage refers to the actual sexual intercourse between the bride and groom.

I usually prefer to be clean before I pray. Is it possible for me to perform the ghusl of janabah instead of wudhu even when I am not in the state of janabah before I offer my prayers?

The ghusls are ordained by the Sharia for particular causes and circumstances. If they are not present, then the ghusl is not legislated. For example, the ghusl of janabah is only for those in the state of janabah, and the ghusl of Friday is only related to Friday. In order to be clean for prayers, a shower or bath can be taken, but this will not be sufficient to enter the prayer. Wudhu will be necessary before prayers.

I am a married woman, is there any form of birth control that I am permitted to use in order to prevent pregnancy?

There are two scenarios, Firstly: if childbirth will cause bodily harm, it is permissible to disable the reproductive system even if this is permanent in order to alleviate the harm. Secondly: it is permissible to temporarily disable the reproductive system, even if childbirth does not cause any bodily harm. However, if this involves prohibited exposing or touching of the body then it is not permissible except if there is a conventional necessity that requires this.

Can we supplicate to the Messenger of Allah, the Ahlulbait and the Imams (peace be upon them all)?

The Dua (supplication) is a “request”, and since Almighty Allah is in charge of the universe and manages all creations, asking Him is direct. Requesting from others, like the Prophets or the Imams, is not permissible if the seeker considers them as being independent in dealing with his request, aside from Almighty Allah. This is like considering a partner with Almighty Allah. If the believer seeks the intercession of the Prophets and the Imams (peace be upon them) as they can then ask Almighty Allah to fulfill the seeker’s supplication, or he requests from Almighty Allah to fulfill his supplication by referring to the high rank of the noble personalities of the Prophets and the Imams (peace be upon them), then these two kinds of supplications are considered as permissible acts of worship.