skills/sistani-guidance/references/books/west/pages-241-252.md

# A Code of Practice for Muslims in the West

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Previous block: [pages 229 to 240](pages-229-240.md).

Next block: [pages 253 to 264](pages-253-264.md).

## PDF PAGE 241

```text
..……………………………………………… ١٤٢A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
Answer: Wrestling is not allowed, if it involves hurting
oneself or the opponent when it crosses the boundary of haram.
It is a obligatory on a woman not to look at the body of a man,
innocently, even on television, with the exception of the head,
hands and feet, and other parts that are not normally concealed.
Question: Is it permissible for women to look at the bodies of
men who take off their clothes [i.e., shirts] during the mourning
ceremony [when they do the matam]?
Answer: Based on obligatory precaution, they should refrain
from it.
Question: A man voluntarily takes the responsibility of raising
a girl, then she grows up into a woman. Is it obligatory on her
to observe hijab in his presence? Is it obligatory on him not to
look at her hair and not to touch her at all?
Answer: Yes, all that is obligatory; and her relations with him
should be like that of a non-mahram.
Question: If pregnancy causes great difficulty for a daughter
and a disgrace for her family, is she allowed to abort the
foetus?
Answer: It is permissible before the soul enters the feotus, if
the difficulty reaches a level that is usually unbearable and
there is no way out for her except abortion.
```

## PDF PAGE 242

```text
..……………………………………………… ٢٤٢A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
Question: Is a woman allowed to wear trousers and take to the
streets and markets?
Answer: It is not allowed, if it reveals the contours of her body
or would normally arouse temptation.
Question: Is it permissible to wear a wig with the purpose of
drawing attention and embellishing oneself in gatherings that
are exclusively for women? Is this counted as “concealing the
shortcomings”?
Answer:There is no problem in it, if it is done only for
beautification, and not for deceiving and concealing physical
drawback, in the case of would-be marriage.
Question: Is it permissible for a woman in menses to recite
more than seven verses from the Holy Qur’an (other than the
verses that require obligatory prostration)? If it is permissible,
is it disliked (makrûh)? And does that mean that she will be
rewarded for reciting, albeit less [than normal]?
Answer: She is allowed to recite other than the verses that
require obligatory prostration; and when it is said, “it is
disliked to recite more than seven verses,” this means that the
reward of such recitation will be less.
```

## PDF PAGE 243

```text
..……………………………………………… ٣٤٢A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
Introduction
The influx of devout Muslim youths to non-Muslim countries
has increased, especially to European and American countries
where they come for education, temporary visits, or for
permanent residence.
The commitment of Muslim youths to Islam causes great
concerns, problems, and inquires about the issues that are
important to them. Therefore, it is appropriate to present the
following religious laws which address some of these concerns.
(See the question-answer section below.)
```

## PDF PAGE 244

```text
..……………………………………………… ٤٤٢A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
General Rules
The mujtahids talk about prohibition of looking indecently
and lustfully at women. By the expression “prohibition of
looking lustfully,” they mean that it is prohibited to look at
them with sexual desire. By the expression “looking
indecently,” they mean a glance that could lead one to a
situation whereby they may be tempted to commit a haram act.
It is permissible to look without lust at the women who would
not listen, if they were forbidden from exposing themselves [by
not observing the hijab]. Therefore, it is permissible to look at
the face, the hands, and the feet of the woman as well as those
parts of their bodies that they normally expose in public but not
those parts that some of them, against their own custom, would
expose publicly. This is with the condition that the look is not
combined with carnal appetite and the onlooker should not fear
the temptation of getting into a situation whereby they may
commit the haram. (See the question-answer section below and
issue No.  .)٠٠٥
It is not permissible for a man to look at another man with lust;
similarly, it is not permissible for a woman to look at another
woman with lust.
Homosexuality (Ash-shudhûdh al-jinsi) is haram. Similarly, it
is forbidden for a female to engage in a sexual act with another
```

## PDF PAGE 245

```text
..……………………………………………… ٥٤٢A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
female, i.e. lesbianism. (See the question-answer section
below.)
Masturbation by any whatever means is forbidden;
Based on obligatory precaution, one must refrain from viewing
pornographic pictures and films, even if one looks at them
without indecent intention and lust. (See the question-answer
section below.)
The immoral establishments have produced an item that has the
features of the private parts of a woman, and it is possible for a
man to become intimate with it by placing it over his penis at
bedtime. Based on obligatory precaution, one must refrain
from using, it even if he does not intend to reach the stage of
ejaculation. This law applies without any difference between a
married and an the unmarried man. (See the question-answer
section below.)
It is permissible for a man to use the condom to prevent
pregnancy; however, it is precautionarily obligatory that he
should seek the consent of his wife to using it.
It is not permissible for a Muslim man to go to unisex
swimming pools and other places where people go about half-
naked. That is if it entails a haram act. Based on obligatory
precaution, one must refrain from going to such places, even if
it does not entail a haram act.
```

## PDF PAGE 246

```text
..……………………………………………… ٦٤٢A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
A Muslim man is not allowed to shake hands with a woman
without a barrier, such as gloves, unless refraining from
shaking hands will put him in a considerable harm or
unbearable difficulty. In the latter case, he is allowed to shake
hands to the extent of necessity only. (See the question-answer
section below.)
A young man is allowed to kiss his young sister or maternal
aunt or paternal aunt or their small daughters out of affection
and love. However, he is not allowed to kiss them, if it entails
sexual arousal.
It is haram to play chess, regardless of whether or not the play
is with betting. It is also haram to play chess through
computerized instrument, if there are two players involved in
it. Based on obligatory precaution, one must refrain from it,
even if just the computer is the other player. (See the question-
answer section below.)
It is similarly haram to play with instruments of gambling in
which betting is involved. Based on obligatory precaution, one
must refrain from it even when no betting is involved.
It is permissible to engage in sports games with balls like
football (soccer), basketball, volleyball, table tennis, handball,
etc. It is also permissible to watch such games at the sports
stadiums or on various displays and monitors with payment or
without payment as long as that does not entail a haram act,
like looking with lust, or neglecting an obligation like salat.
```

## PDF PAGE 247

```text
..……………………………………………… ٧٤٢A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
It is permissible to engage in wrestling and boxing without
betting as long as it does not lead to serious bodily harm.
Based on obligatory precaution it is not permissible for a man
to shave his beard. Similarly, it is not permissible for him to
just leave the hair on his chin and shave the sides. This too is
based on obligatory precaution. (See the question-answer
section below.)
A Muslim is allowed to shave his beard, if he is compelled to
do so or if he is forced to shave it for medical reasons, etc. It
also allowed if he fears harm to his life by not shaving or if
growing the beard would put him in difficulty (for example, if
it becomes a cause of ridicule and humiliation that is not
normally tolerable by a Muslim).
```

## PDF PAGE 248

```text
..……………………………………………… ٨٤٢A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
Question and Answers
Question: A father asks the friend of his son to monitor his
behaviour in order to know his son’s character. Is the friend
allowed to disclose any information regerding the character of
the son to the father that might include things that the son does
not want to be known to anyone?
Answer: It is not allowed, except when he is involved in an
evil act from which he must be stopped and that stopping him
is not possible through anything other than disclosure of his
behaviour (which would embarrass and hurt him).
Question: What is the meaning of the statement from the
hadith that “the first glance is [permissible] for you, but the
second one will [be held] against you”? Is it permissible to
prolong the first glance while looking at a woman on the basis,
as claimed by some, that it is still “the first permissible
glance”?
Answer: Apparently the meaning of the statement mentioned
above is to differentiate between the two glances in the sense
that the first was just an accidental and a passing one, and so it
is considered guiltless since no lustful desires were involved in
it, as opposed to the second glance which was naturally
intentional and accompanied with an element of desire, and
therefore is detrimental. It is because of this that a statement
has been quoted by Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) in which he says,
```

## PDF PAGE 249

```text
..……………………………………………… ٩٤٢A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
“The glance after the [first] one creates in the heart the desire
and that is sufficient as a temptation for the person.”
It is, however, clear that the statement quoted in the question
does not intend to define the permissible glance on the basis of
numbers, in the sense that the first glance is permissible, even
if it is intentional and guileful from the very beginning. Or that
it becomes such, if it is prolonged and more persistant because
the on-looker cannot control it by casting his glance away from
the woman that he is looking at. Nor does it mean that the
second glance is forbidden, even if it is for a single moment
without any lust at all.
Question: While discussing the issue of looking at a woman,
many expressions are used that are not clearly defined for most
people. So, what is the meaning of “ar-rayba, at-taladh-dhudh,
and ash-shahwa”?
Answer: At-Taladh-dhudh and ash-shahwa mean lustful and
sexual desire, not just any lust or any desire that is part of the
human instinct that appears when one sees beautiful scenes.
Ar-rayba means the fear of temptation or the falling into
haram.
Question: What is the limit of forbidden lust?
Answer: Its minimum limit —if what is meant is the ranking
order— i.e. it is the first stage of sexual arousal.
```

## PDF PAGE 250

```text
..……………………………………………… ٠٥٢A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
Question: In British government schools and also in other
Western countries the students, male as well as females, are
taught sex education which includes detailed description of
sexual organs with or without model. Is it permissible for a
young student to attend classes like this? Is it necessary for the
parents to prevent the young child from attending such classes
when the child expresses interest in by claiming that it will be
useful for him in the future?
Answer: If attending such classes does not entail other haram
deeds like looking lustfully and, as a result of studying that
unit, would result preventy him from deviant behaviour, then
there is no problem in it.
Question: Is it permissible to recite erotic poems in presence
of women without intending to woo them, or with such an
intention, if they are unmarried and can be influenced by such
recitation?
Answer: This is not allowed.
Question: Is it permissible to talk to women about love
without lustful intention or fear of temptation or encouraging a
haram act?
Answer: Based on obligatory precaution, it is not allowed.
Question: Is it permissible to praise in erotic poetry, or in
prose, a unspecified woman or women in general?
```

## PDF PAGE 251

```text
..……………………………………………… ١٥٢A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
Answer: If it is devoid of intent to commit haram or similar
acts and entails no other harm [in moral and ethical sense],
then there is no problem in it.
Question: Is it permissible to talk with women without lustful
intention for the purpose of gaining satisfaction with one of
them and then to propose temporary marriage to her?
Answer: If the talk is devoid of what one should be talking
about to a strange [i.e., non-mahram] woman, then there is no
problem in it.
Question: A new craze has spread in Europe in which men
wear ladies’ earrings in one or both ears. Is this allowed for
them?
Answer: It is not permissible if it is made of gold; rather not at
all, based on obligatory precaution.
Question: If a person commits haram by shaving his beard by
razor baled on day one, is it permissible for him to do the same
on the second, the third, the fourth day and so on?
Answer: It is precautionarily compulsory to refrain from it.
Question: At times the big companies in Europe discriminate
—among those who come to them seeking jobs— between
those who shave the irbeards and those who don’t shave them.
If this is true, then is it permissible to be clean shaven in order
to get the job?
```

## PDF PAGE 252

```text
..……………………………………………… ٢٥٢A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
Answer: Shaving the beard —whose prohibition is based on
obligatory precaution— would not become permissible just by
the desire to get a job with these companies.
Question: Is it permissible to shave the two sides of the face
and leave the hair on the chin?
Answer: Shaving the beard is haram based on obligatory
precaution, and this includes the hair that grows on the sides of
the face. However, there is no problem in shaving the hair that
grows on the cheeks.
Question: Is it permissible to play games of chance of all kinds
on electronic machines (computers) without betting or with
betting?
Answer: It is not permissible, and it is treated the same as
normal [non-electronic] gambling instruments.
Question: Some permissible games use dice in them. So is it
allowed to play with it?
Answer: If the dice is not from the tools that are exclusively
for gambling, then there is no problem in using it in non-
gambling games.
Question: Is it permissible to look at what the non-Muslim
women normally expose of their body during the summer
season?
```