skills/sistani-guidance/references/books/west/pages-013-024.md

# A Code of Practice for Muslims in the West

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## PDF PAGE 13

```text
..……………………………………………… ٣١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
 .١By committing to recitation of some chapters or noble verses
of the Holy Qur'an on a daily basis or listening to its recitation
with humility, reflection and contemplation because in them
are "clear proofs from your Lord, a guidance and a mercy for a
people who believe; and when the Qur'an is recited, then listen
to it and remain silent so that mercy may be shown to you."
(٣٠٢:٧-  .)٤٠٢
In the words of Imam 'Ali (a.s.), "No one will sit besides the
Qur'an but that when he rises he will achieve an increase or a
diminution: an increase in his guidance or elimination of his
(spiritual) blindlness. You should also know that no one will
need any thing after (guidance from) the Qur'an and no one
will be free from want before (guidance from) the Qur'an.
Therefore, seek it as cure for your ailments and seek its
assistance in your distresses. It contains a cure for the biggest
diseases, namely unbelief, hypocrisy, revolt and misguidance.
Pray to Allah through it and turn to Allah with its love. Do not
ask the people through it. There is nothing like it through
which the people could turn to Allah, the Sublime. Know that it
is an interceder and its intercession will be accepted.
For whoever the Qur'an intercedes on the Day of Judgement,
its intercession for him would be accepted…" ٣It has also been
said, "Whosoever recites the Qur'an at a tender age, the Qur'an
will intertwine with his flesh and blood, and the Almighty
Allah shall place him among the respected and virtuous
messengers; and the Qur'an will be his protector on the Day of
Judgement."  ٤
There are certain copies of the Holy Qur'an which contain brief
```

## PDF PAGE 14

```text
..……………………………………………… ٤١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
commentaries that can be easily carried, and it will greatly
benefit the Muslims in foreign countries.
 .٢Commitment to say the daily obligatory prayers on time,
rather, even the recommended ones as much as possible. ٥It
has been narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said to
'Abdullah bin Rawaha in an advice to him when the latter was
leaving for the Battle of Mu'ta: "You are going to the city in
which there are few prostrations; therefore increase the
prostrations."
Zayd ash-Shahham narrates from Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.): "The
most beloved of deeds with the Almighty Allah is salat; and
that is the last advice of the prophets."  ٦
Imam 'Ali has also advised us concerning the salat: "Pledge
yourself with prayer as much as possible and seek nearness (of
Allah) through it, because it is upon the believers a timed
ordinance [ .]٣٠١:٤Have you not heard the reply of the people
of Hell when they were asked, 'What has brought you into
Hell?' They shall say, 'We were not of those who offered the
regular prayers.' [٢٤:٤٧- ]٣٤Certainly, prayer sheds sins like
the dropping of leaves (of trees), and removes them as ropes
are removed from the necks of cattle. The Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessing of Allah be with him and his progeny)
likened it to a hot bath situated at the door of a person who
bathes in it five times a day. Will then any dirt remain on
him?"  ٧
 .٣Reciting whatever is possible of supplication (du'a),
wishpered prayers (munajat) and remembrance of Allah, since
they remind us of the sins, warn us to refrain from evil deeds,
```

## PDF PAGE 15

```text
..……………………………………………… ٥١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
and encourage us to do good deeds. For example, the
supplications in as-Sahifah as-Sajjadiyya of Imam Zaynu 'l-
'Abideen (a.s.), du'a of Kumayl bin Ziyad, and the du'as of the
month of Ramadhan like the du'a of Abu Hamzah ath-Thumali
and the du'a of dawn, and the du'as of the weekdays, etc. ٨This
purification is needed for every Muslim, especially if he is in a
non-Muslim country.
 .٤Frequently visiting the Islamic centers and organizations that
observe the Eids, religious occasions, the birth anniversaries
and death commemorations, as well as other religious
programs like lectures and counselling - in the month of
Ramadhan or Muharram or Safar or during other months, days,
and times.
In cities that do not yet have any dedicated center and
organization, Muslims should observe the religious occasions
in their homes. [Actually this is how early immigrants started
to gather, and gradually formed a communities that later on
rented or purchased a centre for their religious programs.]
 .٥Attending and participating in the Islamic seminars and
conferences that are held in foreign lands.
 .٦Reading Islamic books, magazines, and newspapers for they
contain both useful as well as entertaining materials.
 .٧Listening to the various cassettes that contain Islamic talks
that have been painstakingly prepared by the respected scholars
and great speakers. In them you will find advice and counsel
[for betterment of your faith].
```

## PDF PAGE 16

```text
..……………………………………………… ٦١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
 .٨Keeping away from the centers of entertainment and
immorality including the viewing of immoral television
programs and special channels that present movies which are
not compitable with our beliefs, our religion, our values, our
customs, our traditions, and our Islamic intellectual and civil
heritage.
 .٩Establishing friendships with those who are good people for
the sake of Allah: you guide them and they guide you, you
strengthen them and they strengthen you so that you may spend
your free time with them in a useful manner.
In this way, you will stay away from those who are immoral in
their behaviour, and also protect yourself from loneliness and
its negative consequences. Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) narrates
through his forefathers that the Prophet (a.s.) said, "No Muslim
person has gained a benefit after Islam [itself] better than a
brother from whom he derives benefit for the sake of Allah."  ٩
Maysarah narrates that Imam al-Baqir (a.s.) said to him, "Do
you have your own gatherings, talking and saying to one
another whatever you like [i.e., without fear of government
spies]?" I said, "Yes, by Allah, we indeed get together, and talk
and say whatever we want." He said, "I surely love your
fragrance and your souls; you all are on the religion of Allah
and that of His angels. So help one another by piety and
hardwork."  ٠١
 .٠١A Muslim should evaluate his deeds on a daily or weekly
basis; if there is good in it, then thank Allah and add onto it;
and if there is evil in it, then ask for forgiveness, repent, and
make a commitment of not repeating it. Our noble Prophet
```

## PDF PAGE 17

```text
..……………………………………………… ٧١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
Muhammad (s.a.w.) advised Abu Dharr saying, "O Abu Dharr,
evaluate yourself before you will be evaluated, this will be
easier for your appraisal tomorrow [on the Day of Judgement];
weigh yourself before you will be weighed; prepare for the
great Judgement, the day when you will be judged. No secret is
hidden from Allah…
O Abu Dharr, no person can be counted among the pious ones
unless he be more critical of himself than a business partner
can evaluate his partner so that he may know the source of his
drink and dress: has it been secured from a permissible or from
a forbidden [source]." ١١Imam al-Kadhim (a.s.) said, "A
person who does not evaluate himself every day is not one of
us. If he has done good, he should ask Allah to increase that;
and if he has done an evil act, then he should ask Allah`s
forgiveness and repent for it."  ٢١
 .١١Attaching importance to the Arabic language, the language
of the Holy Qur'an and the language of numerous sources of
Islamic laws and ethics. For those immigrants who come from
Arabic speaking countries, Arabic is also the language of their
ancestors: so they should encourage their children to speak it.
Since the students in these countries learn more than one
foreign language, it is better that they learn the language of the
Qur'an so that they do not loose touch with their religion,
heritage, values, history and civilization.
 .٢١Attaching due importance to the up-and-coming generation
by bringing them -both males as well as females- up on the
love for the Book of Allah and its recitation by way of
competitions and other encouraging activities. They should be
```

## PDF PAGE 18

```text
..……………………………………………… ٨١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
trained to perform the devotional prayers and acquire good
morals like truthfulness, courage, fulfilment of promise, and
love for others. One should accompany them to the Islamic
centers and organizations so that they get used to visiting those
places. They should be made aware of the enemies of Islam,
and the concept of Islamic brotherhood should be strengthened
in them. They should be encouraged to participate in the
observance of various Islamic occasions and celebrations. In
short, everything should be done to help them in better
understanding of Islam and adopting the best manner of
conduct according to its values and principles in this life.
The thought of how I should behave in the foreign country and
preserve my individuality without being absorbed into another
culture, and also without isolating myself and adopting the
"seashell" attitude, kept haunting me. Then I asked myself:
How will the others (among whom I shall soon be living) judge
me?
My hometown [Najaf] which is filled with pilgrims and visitors
the year round had conditioned me to judge the behaviour of a
society by the behaviour of its members, or to judge a religion
by the actions of its followers. If a visitor from a city would
demonstrate good attitude, I would say that the inhabitants of
that city are good people; and if a visitor demonstrates negative
attitude, I would say that the inhabitant of that city are not good
people, etc.
So, it is natural that the people of the non-Muslim country
where I shall reside will judge Islam through my behaviour as a
```

## PDF PAGE 19

```text
..……………………………………………… ٩١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
Muslim and then generalize their judgement on all Muslims.
So, if I am truthful in my words and deeds, fulfill the promise,
honour the trust, abide by the general laws, help the needy,
deal with my neighbours kindly, and follow the Prophet
Muhammad (s.a.w.) example and respect his teachings, in that
he has emphasized that "the religion [of Islam] is positive
interaction [with people]" - if I do all this, then a non-Muslim
who interacts with me will say: "Islam is the religion of the
higher moral ground."
But if I lie, not fulfill my promise, be abrasive with others,
disobey the law of the land, harass my neighbour, cheat in my
dealings, violate the trust, etc, then those who deal with me
will say: "Islam is a religion that does not teach its followers
high morals."
The pilot interrupted my thoughts and announced that we are
flying over Germany. I opened my briefcase and took out a
book that I had acquired to help me [in the foreign land]. Five
ahadith from Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) in that book attracted my
attention.
In the first one, addressing his followers, he said, "Be a source
of pride for us, do not be disgrace to us. Make people love us
and do not make them hate us [because of your behaviour]."
In the second had?th, he quotes his father, Imam al-Baqir (a.s.),
"Be among those who are foremost in doing good; be thornless
leaves. Those who have passed before you were as the example
of thornless leaves, and I fear that you would become thorns
with no leaves. Be those who call people to their Lord, bring
them into the fold of Islam and do not make them abandon it.
```

## PDF PAGE 20

```text
..……………………………………………… ٠٢A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
Those who were before you were recruiting others into Islam
and were not making them abandon it."
In the third hadith, after conveying his greeting to the faithful
among his followers, Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) says, "I enjoin you
to fear Almighty Allah, be pious, work hard for the sake of
Allah, be truthful in speech, trustworthy in handling trusts,
prolong the prostration (sajda) and be good neighbours. This is
what Muhammad (s.a.w.) came with. Return things trusted to
your custody, whether they belong to a pious person or a sinner
because the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) used to enjoin the
returning of even [small items like] a thread and a needle.
Maintain relationship with your kinfolk, participate in their
funerals, visit their sick, and fulfill their rights.
"If a person from among you is pious, truthful in speech,
honours the trust, behaves well with the people, it will then be
said that 'This person is a Ja'fari,' that pleases me and delights
my heart because it would be said, 'This is the character of
Ja'far.' "But if a person is otherwise, then his bad behaviour and
disgrace is attributed to me and it is said, 'This is the character
of Ja'far.'
"By Allah, my father (a.s.) has narrated that if there is a Shi'a
of 'Ali in a tribe, then he should be its pride: he should be the
most trustworthy, the most deligent in upholding the rights, the
most truthful in speech, and should be one to whom people
entrust their wills and trusts. When people inquire about him
from his tribe, they would say, 'Who can be like him? He is the
most trustworthy, and the most truthful of us in speech.'"
```

## PDF PAGE 21

```text
..……………………………………………… ١٢A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
In the fourth hadith, he says, "I call upon you to say the prayer
in the mosques, to have good neighbourly attitude towards the
people, to be willing to testify [for the sake of truth], and to
participate in funerals - because you need the people; no one's
life is independent of the people; people need one another."
In the fifth hadith, the Imam (a.s.) answers the question of
Mu'awiya bin Wahab who had asked, "What should be our
attitude between ourselves and our fellow tribesmen and
acquaintances from the people who are not of our persuation
(madhhab)?" He said, "You should look towards your Imams
whom you follow and do what they used to do. By Allah, they
used to visit their sick, participate in their funerals, testify for
and against them, and honour the trusts."  ٣١
Once I finished reading these ahadith, a sense of relief
overwhelmed me since they chartered for me the way I should
act and outlined for me the code of conduct. At that moment, I
made a resolution to compile in my notebook the most
important problems that I shall face in the non-Muslim country
and seek help from the books of jurisprudence that were in my
briefcase. If I come across new problems that I cannot solve in
the sources that are with me, then I shall write to the mujtahid
so that he can answer my questions. With this I shall have
solved my problems -related to ethics and jurisprudence- as
well as those of the other immigrants.
This is how I started noting down my religious problems, one
by one, and sought the expert opinion of the mujtahid on issues
to which I have no answers in his Manual of Islamic Laws.
Gradually this book came to existence.
```

## PDF PAGE 22

```text
..……………………………………………… ٢٢A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
This book is divided into two parts: Part One deals with Acts
of Worship; and Part Two with Laws on the Mundane Aspects
of Life. It also has three appendices.
Part One on the Acts of Worship consists of seven chapters that
I think are more important to the immigrant Muslim than
others. These chapters are as follows: Migration to non-Muslim
Countries; Taqlid: Following a Jurist; Ritual Purity and
Impurity; Salat: the Ritual Prayer; Sawm: Fasting; Hajj: the
Pilgrimage to Mecca; and Death Related Issues. Each of these
chapters begins with an introduction on the topic, followed by
some rules that are relevant in non-Muslim countries, and ends
with the most important question-answer [from the mujtahid]
on that subject.
Part Two on Laws on the Mundane Aspects of Life consists of
eleven chapters as follows: Eating and Drinking; Dress and
Clothing; Dealing with Laws in Non-Muslim Countries; Work
and Investment; Interaction in Social Life; Marriage; Women's
Issues; Youths' Issues; Music, Singing and Dancing; and
Miscellenous. Again each of these chapters begins with an
introduction on the topic, followed by some rules that are
relevant in non-Muslim countries, and ends with the most
important question-answer on that subject.
The book also contains three appendices. Appendix I contains
a sample of questions sent to the Ayatullah as-Sistani and his
answers to them. Appendix II contains a list of main
ingredients that are used in food items and which are forbidden
to the Muslims. This is followed by Appendix III which has the
names and pictures of the fish that have scales and are
```

## PDF PAGE 23

```text
..……………………………………………… ٣٢A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
permissible for consumption. At the end of the book, I have
listed the references and a detailed table of contents.
 .١Dalilu 'l-Muslim fi Biladi 'l-Ghurba, p.   .٧٢
 .٢Ibid, p. ٦٣-  .٧٣
 .٣Nahju 'l-Balagha (ed. Subhi Salih) p. [ ٢٥٢sermon   .]٦٧١
 .٤Al-Kulayni, al-Usûl mina 'l-Kafi, vol.  ,٢p.   .٣٠٦
 .٥See al-Hurr al-'Amili, Tafsilu Wasa'ili 'sh-Shi'a, vol.  ,٤p.
  .٥٠١
 .٦Ibid, vol.  ,٤p.   .٨٣
 .٧Nahju 'l-Balagha (ed. Subhi Salih) p. [ ٧١٣sermon   .]٩٩١
 .٨Translator's Note: English translations of all these du'as are
easily available in most centres in Europe and North America.
 .٩Wasa'ilu 'sh-Shi'a, vol.  ,٢١p.   .٣٣٢
 .٠١Al-Kulayni, al-Usûl mina 'l-Kafi, vol.  ,٢p.  ;٧٨١and also
see the chapters on "visiting the brethren" (vol.  ,٢p.  )٥٧١and
"remembering the brethren" (vol.  ,٢p.   .)٦٨١
 .١١At-Tusi, Amali, vol.  ,٢section   .٩١
 .٢١An-Naraqi, Jami'u 's-Sa'adat, vol.  ,٣p.   .٤٩
 .٣١Al-Hurr al-'Amili, Wasa'ilu 'sh-Shi'a, vol.  ,٢١p. ٦ff. Also
see al-Kulayni, al-Usûl mina 'l-Kafi, vol.  ,٢p.  .٦٣٦
```

## PDF PAGE 24

```text
..……………………………………………… ٤٢A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
Editor's Note
This book is the second in its league. It is yet another
contribution of the author, as-Sayyid Abdul Hadi al-Hakim,
after the publication of the translation of his book alfatawal
muyessarah - Jurisprudence Made Easy, to the effort of making
the body of fiqh (jurisprudence) easier for the layman to come
to grips with.
Translating such work is a challenging task. Yet the translator,
as-Sayyid Mohammad Rizvi, has done a great job. However,
where I saw the reader's interest is better served, I have made
some changes. The title of the book now reads, A Code of
Practice for Muslims in the West. To avoid repetition, I
decided to collate the translator's footnotes, dealing with
clarifying the meanings of the Arabic terms, as well as some
other "Frequently Used Terms" under one title, i.e. "Glossary".
I must stress, though, that throughout the process of making
these changes, and others for that matter, I was in close
consultation with both the author and the publishers, Imam Ali
Foundation, UK, London.
I pray to Allah, the Exalted to forgive any inadvertent mistake
or error of judgement I may have made in the course of editing
the book. I also implore Him to make this work of mine a step
towards attaining His approval, that He accepts it favourably
and make it of use.
Najim al-Khafaji, BA
```