The reader is invited to translate a series of answers to questions about iftar from the Sheikh's website Muhammad Salih al-Munajid islam-qa.com.

It is sunnah not to delay breaking the fast

Question #13999:

I would like to know if breaking the fast (iftar) is mandatory. If a Muslim goes to the mosque during the evening prayer, then what should he do during iftar, first eat and then join the collective prayer, or first pray, and then eat?

Answer:

All praise belongs to Allah!

It is advisable to break the fast as soon as the time of fasting ends. Various hadiths point to this. Transmitted from words Sahl b. Sa'da that the Messenger of Allah - peace and blessings be upon him! - said: "People will be in prosperity as long as they hurry to break the fast" ( Al Bukhari(1821) and Muslim (1838)).

After fasting, a person should first of all immediately eat a few pieces of food that will satisfy his hunger, and then proceed to prayer. After completing the prayer, if he wants, he can again continue eating until he is full.

So did the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. They convey that Anas b. Malik said: “The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him! - before he performed the prayer, he broke the fast with fresh dates. If there were none, then he would break his fast with dry dates. If there were none, then he broke his fast with a few sips of water. This hadith gives at-Tirmizi(as-saum / 632), and al-Albani called it reliable in "sahih Abi Daoud» (560).

In the comments on this hadeeth, al-Mubarakfuri writes: "This hadeeth is a full and sufficient indication of the desirability of breaking the fast immediately after fasting."

Breaking the fast with food provided to those who possess an unlawful state

Question #37711:

Is it permissible to accept an invitation to iftar from a person whose most of the property consists of forbidden things?

Answer:

All praise belongs to Allah!

If the majority of a person's property consists of forbidden things, then it is permissible to accept his invitation.

Prophet - peace and blessings of Allah be upon him! - accepted an invitation to the table from the Jews, despite the fact that Allah described them as engaged in usury and misappropriation of people's property. Some of the Salaf said about such things: "the benefit from him will go to you, and the sin from him will go to them."

At the same time, you are also allowed to refuse such a person to accept an invitation, in order to thereby express your reproach to him and keep him from earning a fortune in an unlawful way. It is better to do so, if it can really have an effect on leaving the sin into which he has fallen.

And Allah knows best!

Hukm of Breaking the Fast in the Society of Adherents of Innovations

Question #37742:

Does sin fall on the one who did not perform the Taraweeh prayer throughout the month of Ramadan? I work for a company where sometimes I have to stay late for work so that I have to break my fast at work. And I seem to be the only Sunni in this firm. All the rest are Shiites and Ismailis. Can I break the fast with them?

Answer:

All praise belongs to Allah!

If a Muslim does not perform the Tarawih prayer, then the sin does not fall on him for this. Regardless of whether for a good reason he did not do it, or without a good reason, since it is not mandatory. Its fulfillment is an imperative sunnah (sunnah muakkada). The Prophet himself - peace and blessings of Allah be upon him! - constantly did it and encouraged Muslims to do it. He said: “Whoever stands [night prayers] in Ramadan sincerely and with faith, all his previous sins will be forgiven!” (Al-Bukhari (37) and Muslim (760)).

A Muslim, of course, should not neglect this prayer. If he does not have the opportunity to perform it behind the imam in the mosque, then he can perform it at home. If he cannot perform eleven rak'ats, then he can perform as much as he will not be a burden to him, even if only two rak'ats, and then he will perform the vitr prayer. And Allah knows best!

As for breaking the fast with the Shiites and Ismailis, then if you think that breaking the fast in their circle can help incline their hearts to call them to observe the Sunnah and abandon those innovations that they make, then from the point of view of Sharia, this will be lawful.

If you see that there will be no benefit in sharing iftar with them, then it is better not to break the fast with them and avoid them, expressing a negative attitude towards their innovations, and being careful that you will have to face their fabrications (shubukhats) when you will not have knowledge that would reveal to you their falsity and inconsistency, by virtue of which you can subject yourself to temptation in Religion. And Allah knows best!

Where is it better to break the fast, in the mosque or at home?

Question #38264:

Which is better, to have iftar in the mosque after prayer, or to pray first, then go home and eat with the family?

Answer:

All praise belongs to Allah!

If the questioner, speaking about iftar, meant what the fasting person eats to distinguish the time of fasting from the time when it is allowed to eat, such as eating a few dates, drinking water, etc., then it is advisable to make such iftar immediately after fasting, in in accordance with the words of the Prophet - peace and blessings of Allah be upon him! - "People will be in prosperity as long as they hurry to break the fast" (Al-Bukhari (1957) and Muslim (1098). See: question no. 13999).

If he meant what people usually eat after prayer, that is, those dishes that they specially prepared for iftar (wajabat ul-iftar), then, as I know, there are no specific regulations in the Sunnah on this matter. Here the person himself must decide how best to act, taking into account various needs.

Breaking the fast in the mosque in the circle of the jamaat is useful in that it gathers Muslims, brings their hearts closer, puts them on a par with each other, introduces them, helps to revive the spirit of mutual assistance, etc. Breaking the fast at home in the circle of household members is useful in that it brings the family together, allows you to discuss its problems, helps strengthen family ties, helps to educate children in a culture of communication and a culture of eating, etc.

The head of the family is obliged to reasonably weigh all these benefits and determine on which days he will break his fast in the family circle, and on which days he will do it in the mosque, taking into account that the duty of caring for the family and children, teaching children Religion and its ethical norms is more important and significant than the simple desirability of meeting friends in the mosque, despite the fact that there is an opportunity to see them during taraweeh prayers, and at meetings where they acquire knowledge, and in other similar cases.

And Allah knows best!

Remembrance of Allah while breaking the fast.

Question #93066:

How is the appeal to Allah with prayers found in hadiths that are called unreliable, such as: (1) When breaking the fast: “Allahumma la-ka sum-tu wa 'ala rizki-ka aftar-tu / O Allah, for Your sake I fasted , and I break the fast with the inheritance provided by You! ; (2) “Ashhadu al-la ilaha illa Allah, astagfiru-Llah, as'alu-ka-l-janna, wa a'uzu bi-ka mina-n-nar / I testify that there is no other deity but Allah, I ask Forgiveness from Allah, I ask You for Paradise and I seek protection from You from the Fire! Is there such a thing in the Shariah, can they be read, not allowed, condemned, not reliable, or haram?

Answer:

All praise belongs to Allah!

First:

The words of supplication you mentioned during iftar are given in a weak hadith, which was narrated by Abu Daoud(2358). In it, according to Mu'adha b. Zahra, it is reported that when the Prophet - peace and blessings of Allah be upon him! - broke the fast, said: “Allahumma la-ka sum-tu wa ‘ala rizki-ka aftar-tu / O Allah, for Your sake I fasted, and I break the fast with the inheritance provided by You!”.

There is no need for these words, since there is something that was also reported by Abu Dawud (2357) from the words Ibn ‘Umar May Allah be pleased with him and his father! - who said: “When breaking the fast, the Messenger of Allah - peace and blessings be upon him! - said: “Zahaba-z-zamau wa-btallyati-l-‘uruku, wa sabata-l-ajru in sha’a-Llah / The thirst is gone, the veins are filled with moisture and the reward is already waiting, if Allah wills!” .

This hadeeth was named authentic by al-Albani in Sahih Abi Dawud.

Second:

It is advisable for a fasting person to turn to Allah with prayers, both during fasting and when breaking the fast. Ahmad(8030) narrated from words Abu Hureyra- may Allah be pleased with him! - who said: “I said: “O Messenger of Allah, verily, when we see you, our hearts soften and we become people [aiming] for the eternal world, but when we leave you, this world again deceives us, and we become passionate about their wives and children.” The Prophet replied: “If you always remained in the same state in which you are in my presence, then the angels would shake hands with you and visit you in your homes, and if you did not sin, then Allah would replace you another people who would commit sins in order to forgive them.” Then we said: “O Messenger of Allah, tell us about Paradise, what are the buildings in it?” He replied: “Bricks of gold and silver, mortar from a strong-smelling bowl, crushed stone from pearls and yahonta, dust from saffron. Whoever enters it will be prosperous, will not be subjected to anything bad, will live forever and will never die. His clothes won't wear out and he won't stop being young. The prayer of three people is not rejected: a just ruler who fasts while his fast lasts, and an oppressed one. This prayer is carried in the clouds and the gates of heaven open before it, and the Lord is Almighty and Great! - says: “With My Power I will help you, even if only from this moment!”.

Hadith authentic, as established Shu'ayb al-Arnaut in "tahkyk ul-musnad".

The version of at-Tirmidhi (2525) says: "... fasting, at the moment of breaking the fast."

This version was recognized as authentic by al-Albani in Sahih at-Tirmidhi.

You should ask Allah for Paradise, ask Him for refuge from the Fire, ask Him for forgiveness of sins, and appeal to him with any other prayers legalized by Sharia. As for the prayer: “Ashhadu al-la ilaha illa Allah, astagfiru-Llah, as'alu-ka-l-janna, wa a'uzu bi-ka min-n-nar / I testify that there is no other deity but Allah, I ask Allah for forgiveness, I ask You for Paradise and I seek protection from You from the Fire! ”, - then we did not meet her.

And Allah knows best!

Time to pray to Allah during Iftar

Question #14103:

The fasting person receives an answer to the prayer with which he addresses during iftar. And at what exact moment should you cry out with a prayer: before you start breaking the fast, in the process of breaking the fast, or after breaking the fast? Are there any special prayers transmitted from the Prophet - peace and blessings of Allah be upon him! - or which you can advise to read at this time?

Answer:

All praise belongs to Allah!

This question was put to the Sheikh Muhammad b. ‘Uthaymeen- may Allah have mercy on him! and he replied:

“One should turn to Allah with a prayer before iftar, during sunset, since at this moment humility, humility and the state of fasting are united in a person. All these are the reasons for receiving an answer to a prayer. After breaking the fast, the soul receives rest, delight, and sometimes even carelessness comprehends it.

However, transmitted from the Prophet - peace and blessings of Allah be upon him! - a prayer, even if it is authentically transmitted, took place after breaking the fast, and this is “Zahaba-z-zamau wa-btallyati-l-'uruku, wa sabata-l-adzhru in sha'a-Llah / Thirst is gone, the veins are filled with moisture and the reward is already waiting, if Allah wills!

Narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Albani recognized the message as good in Sahih Sunan Abi Dawud (2066).

It is pronounced only after iftar. Also, from some companions, his words are transmitted: “Allahumma la-ka sum-tu wa ‘ala rizki-ka aftartu / O Allah, for Your sake I fasted and with what You endowed me, I break my fast!”.

You can turn to Allah with such requests that you think are more suitable.

(“Lika’u-sh-shahri”, No. 8, Sheikh Muhammad b. Salih al-‘Uthaymeen).

When does an airplane pilot break his fast?

Question #37670:

When should an airplane pilot break his fast?

Answer:

All praise belongs to Allah!

“If, while on the ground, he breaks his fast after sunset, and then takes off in an airplane and sees the sun again, then he will not be obliged to refrain from breaking the fast, since he fully completed the observance of the fast that day and there is no need for him to to repeat the performance of that rite of worship which he had already completed. If he takes off before the sun sets, and wants to complete the fast of this day, despite the fact that he is a traveler, then he will have to break his fast only when the sun sets in relation to the place in the air where he is. At the same time, the pilot is not allowed to deliberately lower the aircraft to such a height where the sun is not visible in order to complete the post, since this is a trick. However, if he descends for technical reasons of flight and at the same time the solar disk disappears, then he should break his fast.

(From the oral fatwas of the Sheikh Ibn Baza. See booklet: Seventy Highlights About Fasting.)

Permanent Council He speaks:

“If the fasting person is on an airplane and finds out by means of a watch and a telephone that iftar time has come in the nearest part of the earth, but because the plane is in the air, he will still see the sun, then he will not have the right to complete the fast, for Allah Almighty He speaks: "... and then fast until night"(Holy Quran 2: 187) - and since he sees the sun, it is not considered that night has come for him.

If he is on the ground and breaks his fast when the day is over with him, and after that the plane in which he is in rises into the air and he sees the sun again, then in this case he continues to remain non-fasting, since he must act according to to the position that exists in that part of the earth in which he was until the end of the day until he flew out ”(end of quote).

In another fatwa, the Permanent Council says: “If during the daytime of Ramadan a person is in flight and desires to continue fasting until the end of the day, then he will not be allowed to break his fast except after sunset” (“Majmu' fatawa al-Lajnati-d -Daima", 10 / 136 - 137).

And Allah knows best!
Question No. 66605: What should the muazzin do first: break the fast or proclaim the adhan?

When does the muezzin break the fast: before adhan or after?

All praise belongs to Allah!

According to the basic rule, a fasting person should break his fast after the sun sets and night falls, in accordance with the words of the Almighty: “Eat and drink until you can distinguish the white thread of dawn from black, and then fast until night” (Holy Quran, 2: 187).

At-Tabari said: “As for the words: “... and then fast until night,” then the Almighty gives them a delimitation of the time of fasting, that is, indicates that its time ends with the onset of night. Similarly, He points out that the limit of the time of breaking the fast and the time in which it is allowed to eat, drink and have sexual intercourse is the moment the day begins and the night begins to fade. With the same words, He indicates that the fast is not observed at night, and that on the days of fasting it is impossible to break the fast in the daytime ”(end of quote).

"Tafsir al-Tabari", 3/532.

It is advisable for a fasting person to start breaking the fast immediately. Narrated from Sahl b. Sa'da - may Allah be pleased with him! - that the Messenger of Allah - peace and blessings be upon him! - said: "People will be in goodness as long as they quickly begin to break the fast."

Al-Bukhari (1856) and Muslim (1098).

Ibn ‘Abdul-Barr - may Allah have mercy on him! - said: “It is sunnah to break the fast and delay the suhoor. Breaking the fast should be started immediately after it becomes known exactly about sunset. No one is allowed to break his fast at the moment when he has doubts about whether the sun has set or not, since the performance of the duty is not started except when there is confidence in its occurrence, and they do not stop fulfilling it except when there is confidence in its occurrence. completion" (end of quote).

"at-Tamhid", 21/97, 98.

An-Nawawi - may Allah have mercy on him! - said: “This hadeeth encourages us to start breaking the fast immediately, immediately after it is definitely established that the sun has set. He says that the position of the Muslim community will be stable, and the Muslims themselves will be prosperous as long as they stably observe this sunnah ”(end of quote).

Sharh Muslim, 7/208.

As for the muazzin, if there are those who are waiting for him to start proclaiming the adhan in order to start breaking the fast based on his adhan, then he should immediately start proclaiming the adhan so as not to cause people to be late in breaking the fast and thereby violate the sunnah . However, there is nothing wrong if, before starting to proclaim the adhan, he resorts to a light conversation, in the form of a sip of water, for example, which will not entail postponing the adhan.

If no one waits until he begins to proclaim the adhan, as in the case when he proclaims it for himself (if he is alone in the desert, for example), or when he proclaims the adhan for a group of people next to him (a group of travelers, for example), there is nothing wrong with breaking the fast before the adhan is called, because his companions will break the fast with him even if he does not proclaim the adhan, and will not wait until he begins to proclaim it.

And Allah knows best!

Conversation among non-Muslims

Question #38125:

Is it possible to eat iftar together with non-Muslims, with Hindus and Christians, for example?

Answer:

All praise belongs to Allah!

Eating iftar with non-Muslims is permitted if there is a Sharia benefit in doing so, such as calling them to the Religion of Truth, or inclining their hearts to Islam, or something similar that can be expected from their participation in eating iftar from those tables, which Muslims cover for a common iftar, as is done in some countries.

As for simply maintaining sociability with them and enjoying their company, this is a dangerous business, for one of the most important provisions of the foundations of the Religion and the duties of believers is adherence to the principle of "friendship and non-participation" (al-wala'u wa-l-bara'u ). This principle is indicated by a number of verses from the Book of Allah, and a number of hadiths from the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Of them:

The words of the Almighty: “You will not find people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, who would be friends with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if for them these opponents are fathers, sons, brothers or relatives. Allah established faith in their hearts and strengthened them with a spirit (light) from Himself. He will lead them into the Gardens of Paradise where rivers flow. They will stay in them forever. Allah is pleased with them [for their obedience to Him], and they are pleased with Him [for the way He rewarded them]. They are the party of Allah (following His orders and avoiding His prohibitions). Verily, the party of Allah is prosperous” (Quran, 58: 22);

The words of the Almighty: “O you who believe, do not take unbelievers as your helpers and friends instead of believers. Do you really want Allah to present against you a clear argument [revealing your hypocrisy]” (Quran, 4: 144);

The words of the Almighty: “O you who believe, do not take Jews and Christians as your friends and helpers. They are friends and helpers for each other. And whoever among you takes them as his friends and helpers, he is one of them. Verily, Allah does not guide a people who commit iniquity [by taking the disbelievers as friends]” (Quran, 5:51).

The words of the Almighty: “O you who believe, do not take as your close friends (such friends who can inquire about your secrets) those who are not from you (Jews, Christians and hypocrites). They do not miss the opportunity to harm you and rejoice in your difficulties. Animosity [towards you] has already appeared on their lips, but in their hearts lies even more [enmity]. We have explained to you the signs [regarding their enmity], if only you realize [this and do not maintain relations of friendship and mutual assistance with the infidels] ”(Quran, 3: 118).

Based on the foregoing, the answer to the question of the admissibility of sharing iftar with the unbelievers depends on the purpose for which this is done.

And Allah knows best!

Can a doctor performing surgery delay iftar?

Question #49716:

My relative is a doctor. He wanted to ask if he is performing surgery, can he postpone iftar?

Answer:

All praise belongs to Allah!

First:

It is sunnah to start breaking the fast as soon as the sun sets. This is reported in the hadith of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Al-Bukhari (1975) and Muslim (1098) narrate from Sahl b. Sa'da that the Messenger of Allah - peace and blessings be upon him! - said: "People will be in prosperity as long as they hurry to break the fast."

An-Nawawi writes: “This hadith encourages us to hurry up with breaking the fast as soon as the sun sets. Its meaning is that the position of the Muslim community will be stable, and the Muslims themselves will be in prosperity as long as they observe this sunnah. If they start postponing breaking the fast, it will be a sign of their crisis.”

Hafiz said: "According to Mukhallab, this act makes it possible to exclude the possibility of adding part of the night time to the daytime, and is also a manifestation of the greatest indulgence towards the fasting person and in the best way gives him strength for worship. Scientists unanimously agree that the moment of breaking the fast is the establishment of sunset by direct observation of it, or from information received from two reliable people. Also, according to a more reliable opinion, the testimony of one reliable person will be sufficient ”(end of quote).

“ash-sharhu-l-mumti’” (6/268) also speaks of another wisdom of timely breaking the fast: “... this is a hasty striving for what Allah has made permissible. Allah is holy and great! – Generous, and Generous loves when people use His Generosity. He loves it when His servants, as soon as the sun sets, rush in haste to what He has permitted them ”(end of quote).

Ibn Daqiq al-‘Id said that this hadeeth contains an answer to the Shiites who delay breaking the fast until the stars appear.

Second:

It is sunnah to break the fast with fresh dates. If they are not, then dry dates. If there are no dry dates, then water. If the fasting person does not find water, then he can break his fast with any food or drink that he has. If he does not have anything at all, then he breaks the fast through intention, that is, he expresses the intention to break the fast and thereby shows haste in breaking the fast and acts in accordance with the Sunnah.

Sheikh Ibn 'Uthaymeen writes in "ash-sharkh-l-mumti" (6/269): "If a fasting person does not find any water, no other drink, no food, then he simply expresses the intention to break the fast, and it will be for him sufficient."

Therefore, if this doctor cannot break his fast with fresh or dry dates, then he breaks his fast with water. If he is unable to do this due to being busy with a surgical operation, then it will be sufficient for him to express his intention for iftar, and thus the sunnah will be observed by him.

And Allah knows best!

Question from China about iftar time

Question #93148:

I am a student studying in China. The city in which I am located is surrounded by mountains from the west. The Muslim community living here breaks their fast based on the time indicated in the schedule taken from the Internet. As for me, I look at the solar disk. As soon as he goes behind the mountains, I break my fast and perform the evening prayer (Maghrib) in order to observe the Sunnah of immediately breaking the fast and immediately performing the evening prayer, and also to be different from the Jews. Am I doing the right thing? Do I have to burden myself with climbing to a very high place, equal in height to mountains, in order to observe the solar disk?

Answer:

All praise belongs to Allah!

It is allowed to rely on the calculations of the time of prayers, if nothing confirms that there are errors in these calculations. Although errors in these calculations are often found. Not in all, of course, but it often happens that they incorrectly indicate the time of morning prayer (fajr), and in some - the time of night prayer (‘isha). As for the evening prayer (Maghrib), errors regarding its time are insignificant, and for the majority of people it is not difficult to confirm whether the time indicated in the schedule is correct, or to identify an error in it by self-observation of the sun.

In any case, the sunset, after which the fasting person is allowed to break his fast and the time for evening prayer comes, is considered to have taken place when the solar disk actually disappears behind the horizon, and not when it disappears behind a mountain or building.

From the companions - may Allah be pleased with him! - it is transmitted that they called the time of sunset the hiding of the sun under the veil (of the night). The phrases they used were different, someone said: “the sun has set” (“gabati-sh-shamsu”), others said: “hid behind a veil” (“tawarat bi-l-hijab”), still others said: “ the sun has set” (“vajabati-sh-shamsu”). All these phrases have one meaning - the setting of the entire solar disk beyond the horizon (gyyabu-l-kuliyu li-kursi-sh-shamsi).

You don't have to climb a mountain or any hill. You must account for the call based on where you are. Relative to this place, the sun should go below the horizon, but just setting it behind the mountain is not a sunset.

Since because of the mountains you do not have the opportunity to see the sun at sunset, you can determine the time of sunset by the sign mentioned by the Messenger of Allah - peace and blessings be upon him! – and this is the approach of darkness from the East.

Al-Bukhari (1954) and Muslim (1100) reported from the words ‘Umar b. al-Khattaba- may Allah be pleased with him! - about how the Messenger of Allah - peace and blessings be upon him! - said: “If the night comes from this side (from the east), the day moves away to that side (towards the west), and the sun sets, then the fasting person breaks his fast.”

An-Nawawi said: “Regarding these words of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him! – scientists say: “Each of these three signs presupposes the others and is accompanied by them. The Prophet mentioned them together so that a person who is in a gorge or in a similar place and does not have the opportunity to watch the sunset, based on the approach of darkness and the removal of light ”- and Allah knows best!” (end of quote).

If you cannot do this, then there will be nothing wrong with being guided by the schedule of prayers, since at least what they give you is a solid assumption (galyabatu-z-zann) about the onset of prayer time, unless, of course, nothing it has not been established that this timetable is erroneous.

And Allah knows best!

If the muazzins proclaim adhan at different times, then which one of them should be relied upon when breaking the fast?

Question #93577:

If the adhan from one mosque is distributed at a different time than in another mosque, while both of these mosques are located in the same area not far from each other, then which of them will be able to determine the start of iftar?

Answer:

All praise belongs to Allah!

When deciding on the onset of the time of breaking the fast, one should rely on the sunset. Prophet - peace and blessings of Allah be upon him! - said: "If the night comes from this side, the day goes to that side, and the sun sets, then the fasting person breaks his fast."

Al-Bukhari (1954) and Muslim (1100).

Today, most mu'azzins rely on prayer schedules. There is nothing wrong. It's just that some of the mu'azzins are indifferent to the accuracy of the time on their watches.

Therefore, if the mu'azzins announce the azan in different ways, then you should either wait until the azan begins to be announced by the one who is more scrupulous about the time than the others, so that he starts to announce the azan immediately, as soon as the time due for him comes, neither earlier nor later, and rely on his azan, and not on someone else, or you can rely on the schedule yourself, first making sure that your hours are accurate, even if the muazzin does not announce the azan at the time specified in your schedule.

And Allah knows best!

Does the excess (israf) in iftar meals reduce the reward of fasting?

Question #106459:

Does excessive fasting reduce the reward of fasting?

Answer:

All praise belongs to Allah!

“This does not reduce the reward for the post. Even committing sinful acts after fasting does not reduce the reward for it. However, this falls under the words of the Almighty: "Eat and drink, but do not overdo it; verily, He does not like those who are overbearing."(Quran, 7:31).

Israf (wastefulness) is itself forbidden, and iktisad (economical) puts life in order.

If they have a surplus, then let them give it as sadaqa (donations). It will be better that way” (end of quote). (Dear Sheikh Muhammad b. ‘Uthaymeen “Fatawa-l-Islamiyya”, 2 / 118).

Arsen Shabanov [website]

Question: During fasting, what needs to be done first: evening prayer or iftar?

Answer: In an authentic hadith narrated by Bukhari from Sahl Ibn Saad (may Allah be pleased with him), it says:

لاَ يَزَالُ النَّاسُ بِخَيْرٍ مَا عَجَّلُوا الفِطْرَ

« Good things will not leave my ummah while they rush to break their fast ". (Bukhari)

Imam An-Nawawi writes that this hadeeth calls us to break the fast as soon as the breaking of the fast comes and informs us that the affairs of the ummah will be in order as long as they are in a hurry to do so.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: إِنَّ أَحَبَّ عِبَادِي إِلَيَّ أَعْجَلُهُمْ فِطْرًا

« Allah Almighty says: “My most beloved servants are people who break their fast at the very beginning of the term. ". (Tirmizi)

That is, the closest to the reward and blessings of Allah Almighty are those who, after sunset and the break of the fast, do it immediately, without delay.

As-Sayyid Abu-Bakar, referring to Ibn Qasim, conveys: “If the iqamat (call for the immediate beginning of prayer) sounds or the iqamat has already been read, or the imam has already entered the prayer, then the one who has not yet broken his fast and is not sure that he will have time to quickly break the fast and enter into prayer, so as not to miss the value of performing prayer with the imam, it is better to enter into prayer and break the fast after prayer. But for someone who is very hungry, it is better to eat first, and then enter into prayer, so that during prayer he is not distracted by thoughts of food.

As for iftar (eating), all of the above does not apply to it, that is, a fasting person, breaking his fast with dates, a sip of water or other food, can calmly perform evening prayer and then start eating, except when he is very hungry . In this case, it is better to eat a little first, and then perform the evening prayer, so that during prayer he is not distracted by thoughts about food. If a person, while performing namaz, thinks about food, then his concentration on the spiritual component of namaz may be incomplete.

The same exception is considered if the table was set by the time of the evening prayer. In this case, it is advisable to eat first, and then perform prayer, because the prayer will constantly be distracted by extraneous thoughts and wish to perform prayer as soon as possible in order to quickly sit down at the table.

It was narrated from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that she heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say:

لَا صَلَاةَ بِحَضْرَةِ الطَّعَامِ، وَلَا هُوَ يُدَافِعُهُ الْأَخْبَثَانِ

« A full-fledged prayer will not be performed by a person when food is served and when the urge to satisfy a large or small need turns him away from prayer. ". (Muslim)

That is, in such cases, prayer will not be complete, since the aforementioned things will distract a person.

Therefore, when food is served, it is better to perform, and then, after eating a little, stand up for prayer. But it should be borne in mind that after abstaining from food and drink for a long day, a person at iftar can consume a large number of different dishes, and this can cause a feeling of heaviness, and in this state it will be uncomfortable for him to pray. In addition, a person receives more reward if he performs prayer on time, that is, at the beginning of the time of a particular prayer.

At present, there is no single view of Islam and Muslims in the Western media. Despite this, since the fall of the Soviet Union, the main task of the West has been to portray Islam as the main enemy of the West and the Muslim world - as a hotbed of terrorism that threatens Western civilization and its democratic values. Thus, in today's dominant world order - where all norms of civilized behavior in the field of foreign policy have been abandoned by Washington and its allies in London and Tel Aviv - Muslims are associated with terrorism.

Over the past few years, there have been a number of catastrophes caused by the expansionist policies of former US President George W. Bush. These disasters include the brutal treatment of the captive populations of Iraq and Afghanistan, the abuse of prisoners from Muslim countries by American and British troops, and the complete disregard for the rights of prisoners of war. We have also witnessed the mistreatment of those who are suspected of resisting or opposing the American occupation of their countries, as well as false propaganda, the purpose of which was to cover up the real goals and crimes against humanity, conceived and committed by neo-conservatives from Washington and London.

Needless to say, the so-called "Islamic challenge" is based on statements that are not supported by anything in reality. They misrepresent, distort and mislead rather than enlighten and inform. Over the past 15 years, a number of publications have come out of print with such sensational titles as "The Sword of Islam", "The Islamic Threat", "The Roots of Muslim Wrath", "Islam's New War Cry". These titles are a reflection of the preconceived image of Islam that the authors of publications tell their readers about. According to this projection, Islam is a threat to Western values, as well as the economic and political interests of the West. But, if we take into account the real influence that the West in general and America in particular have in the Middle East and beyond, then the so-called "Threat of Islam" is completely groundless.

But political manipulators from the right and Christian fundamentalists can easily provoke a serious crisis between the Muslim world and the West. One has only to recall the case of the caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed. The real purpose of the publication of these cartoons by some Danish and Norwegian right-wing newspapers was to try to provoke a hostile reaction from Muslims and thereby arouse feelings of resentment and resentment among Muslims and Christians towards each other. They have tried to cover up their anti-Islamic campaign with a smokescreen of arguments that the publication of the cartoons is a demonstration of Western freedom of expression. They showed themselves to be xenophobic and racist and showed disrespect for the culture of immigrants in Europe and, in particular, for the culture of Islam. How can insulting the feelings of more than a billion Muslims serve the interests of a free press, freedom of expression, or civil liberties? As an anti-Islamic fundamentalist and Christian, the Norwegian editor of the Magazine, Selbekk, reprinted cartoons originally published in Denmark. When asked if he would publish cartoons insulting Jesus, Selbekk replied "No". Thus, "freedom of expression" - the vaunted ideal of this gentleman - was limited to insulting the Prophet Muhammad and apparently did not include insulting the gods and prophets of other major religions.

However, it is very important to understand the strategic goals pursued by such editors and publishers. They managed to achieve their goal - to provoke Muslims around the world as much as possible and to cause contempt and hatred towards them from followers of other religions. As expected, the Muslims were offended in their feelings, which resulted in a series of terrible incidents in various parts of the globe. However, the overreacting public did not realize that they had fallen into the trap set by the anti-Muslim wicked, who, through provocation, achieved their goal - the ground was set for repeating the old accusations: Muslims are fanatical, explosive and irrational, they are "terrorists"! The gulf between "them" and "us" as cultural opposites has become wider and deeper.

The anti-Muslim media continues to churn out stereotypes that portray Muslims as more prone to conflict and violence than Westerners. To reinforce this image, news of conflicts in Muslim countries is presented as self-evident truth. There is a general tendency to oversimplify or completely ignore the various trends and socio-economic factors that lead to instability and conflict in various Muslim countries. The explanations and conclusions offered are sometimes based on implicit, but most often on explicit assumptions about the superiority of the West and "Judeo-Christian" culture. At the same time, the Islamic world is considered the epicenter of cruelty and disharmony.

There is a widespread stereotype in the West that Islamic countries are inherently violent, bigoted, medieval-minded, and prejudiced. This means that Islam, as a religion and cultural factor, is responsible for all regional evils. The West, on the other hand, is the herald of complete prosperity (and sometimes suffering), peace and civilization (and sometimes wars of conquest and barbarism), rationality and impartiality (and sometimes irrationality, racism and prejudice). In addition, he constantly thinks only of his own interests. Those who have taken the trouble to look at the history of Western colonialism of the last few centuries, which began with the so-called "discoveries" - America by Columbus in 1492, the sea route to India by Vasco da Gama in 1498 and Africa by Europeans - in terms of the possibility of human trade , point to the "noble" hands of the Western countries, reaching out to the people of the Americas, Asia, Africa and Australia and leaving their mark on every continent.

We do not have the opportunity in this article to delve into history. But the global expansion of Western colonialism is a story of looting and destruction. Undoubtedly, it was in this way that the seeds of Western civilization were sown. Within Western societies themselves, internal contradictions, violence and wars present us with a bloody history. If we take into account exclusively geopolitical and international relations, this supreme culture over the past 100 years has left behind only the legacy of two World and other wars (Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq), invasions and coups (Guatemala, Grenada, Iran, Pakistan, Indonesia , Chile, Argentina, South Africa), concentration camps and racist pogroms perpetrated on an unprecedented scale by the standard-bearers of Western civilization.

Undoubtedly, cultural differences between countries and people is a historical fact. And so the generalization of cultural differences is inevitable. But these differences can in no way be equated with mutual exclusivity or inevitable hostility between different cultures. Where the original instinct does not delve into the comparative anthropological and historical studies of cultures, but rather, from secret motives, provokes peoples and religions to rivalry and hatred towards each other, the consequences can be disastrous.

Let's remember the events that followed the explosion in Oklahoma City, USA on April 19, 1995. The media were quick to spread rumors that a "person from the Middle East" (i.e. a Muslim Arab) was responsible for this massacre. As a result, Muslims in the US were subjected to physical abuse, rough treatment and public boycott. Their mosques were desecrated, Muslim women were molested, and cars belonging to "people from the Middle East" were damaged.

The British newspaper Today ran a horrific front-page photo of a firefighter carrying the charred body of a dead child under the headline "In the name of Islam." It would not be enough to establish the identity of the perpetrator of this reprehensible act; it was necessary to involve Islam in order to stir up public anger against members of another faith. However, it soon became clear that the terrorist was a blond-haired American soldier, a veteran of the 1991 Gulf War. The religion of this right-wing terrorist was not Islam, but Christianity. But not a single media outlet in America and Britain called him a "Christian terrorist" or apologized to Muslims for the harm he had caused them. Once again, the freedom to tell the truth and report on current events was relegated to the background.

The second case is the September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon by several people, most of whom were from Saudi Arabia, a close American ally. They viewed the US policy in the Middle East and support for the anachronistic rule of the House of Saud as an obstacle to the establishment of a just social order in their country and throughout the Middle East. No matter what the reason for their discontent was, I consider this attack a huge mistake. It gave Washington neo-conservatives and right-wing fanatics a pretext to unleash terror and war in the Middle East and the neighboring oil regions, to bring death and destruction. At the same time, the question arises: what do these terrorists have to do with the millions of ordinary Muslim citizens in Europe and America? Answer: none. We have witnessed the ridiculous and despicable behavior of the white people of the West in persecuting Muslims.

During my more than forty years of living in Europe, I realized very clearly that it is necessary to conduct a serious historical analysis of the negative image of Islam and Islamic civilization, which will allow us to rise above the common and beaten clichés of the media and thus reveal the facts of the problematic relationship between the two world religions and their civilizations. . These questions and issues are addressed in my book Perceptions of Islam in Christendom (2006). Undoubtedly, both Islam and the West suffer from the problem of perceiving hostile relationships that are rooted in the depths of history. Their mutual perception was negatively affected by religious dogmas, politics and prejudices.

Looking at the history of European colonial expansion in America, Australia and the East (China, India, the Middle East, North Africa), it becomes clear that the balance of power between East and West has shifted. Colonial power over other peoples reinforced the collective consciousness of the industrialized West, or its belief that it is stronger and therefore better than the rest of the world. The oppressed inhabitants of the colonies also began to believe that the West was superior to them in material, cultural and moral terms. The West has indeed been the best at creating machines, weapons and efficient armies designed to conquer and enslave the rest of the world. This made the Western countries stronger, but did not mean that they were better morally or intellectually. However, the oppressed peoples were unable to put forward this challenging point of view. With such an unequal balance of power under colonialism, true communication was impossible. The same can be said about the current neo-colonial war of the Bush administration in Iraq, which is aimed at gaining complete control over oil resources and consolidating US political hegemony throughout the Middle East.

Contrary to all historical facts and modern political reality, in the West Islam is considered a monolithic religious and political force. But it is not monolithic. Differences within the Islamic world are deeper than most Westerners realize. Three decades after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, Muslim society split into Sunnis and Shiites as a result of a civil war. This division proved to be stable, and for the next 14 centuries the Islamic faith was characterized by a further division already within these two main directions. In different countries and regions of the world, the spread of Islam took place in different ways. Currently, more than one billion people of all races, languages, nationalities and cultures are Muslims. Their sociocultural conditions, as well as their doctrinal affiliation, are different. This means that, like Christianity, Islam, as a universal religion, is not monolithic, despite the commonality of some fundamental Muslim dogmas, such as belief in one god and his revelations through the prophets.

However, historical and religious traditions and myths continue to exist. Having become part of the culture, they form and rebuild the collective consciousness of a huge number of people. The anti-Islamic tradition of Christendom has a long history and continues to shape and negatively influence international relations. History, as a science, allows us to look at the facts in terms of the historical evolutionary process and thereby alleviate the cultural baggage that so often poisons relations between two religious societies. An honest and balanced study of the past and current geopolitical reality of the dominant world order will give us the opportunity to stop passively accepting a distorted legacy and turn a blind eye to what is happening in Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan and Pakistan, which are in the hands of the United States, its allies and puppet Muslim rulers tops.

The issue of "Islamic terrorism", the denial of women's rights in Islam and the alleged incompatibility of Islamic and Western values ​​are constantly exaggerated in the Western media. Such reproaches speak of deeply rooted ignorance and delusion. They have nothing to do with reality. We should remember that a follower of any religion is not necessarily a true representative of that religion. No act of terrorism, state terrorism or superpower terrorism can be blamed on any religion, be it Christianity, Judaism, Islam or Hinduism. If an individual or group of people from a Muslim society, for any reason, resorts to extremism in the political or religious spheres or commits a crime, then Islam is usually the culprit. What happens when someone of Western culture or a Christian right-wing extremist becomes violent or commits a crime? He bears personal responsibility, and no one blames Western culture or Christianity for what happened. Aren't there powerful leaders in the West who are right-wing Christians and are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Muslim men, women and children? Does anyone blame Christianity for this? We ask these questions and hope that our readers will try to find the answer to them.

As for women, the Quran gave them the right to inherit and divorce in the seventh century, while Western women only received these rights in the 19th and 20th centuries. Islam does not say anything about the obligatory wearing of the veil or seclusion. In fact, this practice appeared in Islam 3 generations after the death of the prophet Muhammad and was borrowed from the Byzantine Greek Christians. In fact, there was a high degree of cultural interpenetration between Christians and Muslims early in the history of Islam.

Fundamental values ​​such as community of views, respect, justice and peace are common to all major civilizations and the five major religions. It is wrong to call democracy a "Western value". Europe was dominated by a monarchical system in which kings had absolute power by virtue of the right of God's anointed. The evolution of a democratic and constitutional form of government occurred much later. Contrary to the claims of the media and populist politicians, there is nothing in Islam that contradicts democracy and democratic values.

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The role of PR technologies in shaping the image of Islam

R.F. Ishmatov

Introduction

Islam is the youngest, largest in terms of the number of followers and the most controversial monotheistic religion in the perception of Western society. Western attitudes towards Islam have changed dramatically over the past centuries. From the perception of the Islamic caliphate as a kingdom of enlightenment and prosperity in the Renaissance and Enlightenment, to the image of Muslim countries as a model of backwardness in the middle of the twentieth century. However, in recent decades, a frightening trend has been observed - Islam is increasingly associated with terrorism, violence, lack of rights and aggression. A religion that proclaims the greatest value of human life is associated in the minds of millions only with the image of suicide bombers. A religion that places scientists between angels and humans is increasingly presented as an irrational ideology of war and ignorance. Despite the openness of reliable information about Islam and Muslims, millions do not even have a superficial understanding of Islam as a religious, ethical, social and legal concept. The consequences of misunderstanding and rejection of Islam in the West are such phenomena as nationalism (and reverse nationalism), the emergence of radical beliefs, the tacit approval of direct aggression against both individual Muslims and entire organizations and states.

Without going into the political reasons for such a PR policy, it is still worth noting that the objective coverage of Islam as a real alternative to the modern social concepts of the West is not beneficial to the majority of elites. On the one hand, creating the image of the enemy distracts the masses from the true causes of political and socio-economic problems, on the other hand, instilling fear of the “threat from the East” contributes to the legitimization of the policy of the authorities, as was already the case during the Cold War. On the way to achieve this goal, various technologies of "black" PR are used. However, the Muslim response to such attacks should not be acts of aggression and defiance. First of all, jihad must be waged with knowledge and words, convincing the public of the humanistic nature of Islam, its peaceful foundations, extolling human life and dignity, reason and intellect, family values.

In connection with the identified trends, the analysis of PR technologies used to form both a negative and a positive image of Islam is of particular interest.

The purpose of this work is to analyze PR technologies as a tool for shaping the image of Islam, its image in the minds of the Western, and not only, public.

1. Features of PR technologies and PR object in the formation of the image of Islam

1.1 Analysis of PR technologies

The relationship and relationship between PR and religion is ambiguous. On the one hand, such familiar phenomena as sermons, missionary work, educational activities of religious organizations can be safely attributed to PR technologies. But on the other hand, belief in PR is one of the technologies, while for religion it is the end product, the goal of the activity. In this work, our goal is to analyze the role of PR in promoting such a product as the image of Islam.

To begin with, let's consider the features of communication technologies in general and PR in particular.

As features of communication technology in the work of D.P. Gavra identifies the following features and criteria:

1. artificiality and conscious management of communication resources? a special change in the natural (spontaneously occurring) communication process in the formation of a controlled (and therefore artificial) communicative space;

2. the presence of a socially significant goal, purposefulness and expediency? implementation of communicative influence with a clearly formulated and clearly defined goal of changing the consciousness and behavior of social communities, changing social structures and regulating social relations;

3. the social nature of the communication process undergoing technologization? if communication is not focused on social communities, then management may be associated not with socio-communicative technology, but with other technologies, for example, interpersonal communication;

4. consistency? communication technology should be an ordered set of procedures and operations with a stable structure;

5. regularity? communication technology is implemented in accordance with the developed plan, as a rule, having a material carrier and prepared in accordance with the requirements of special procedures;

6. manufacturability? a structured chain of sequence of operations and procedures corresponding to the plan to achieve the goal of communication;

7. formal organization and functional division of labor? organization of communicative influence by a group of performers with the assignment of certain functions for the development and implementation of communication technology to individual performers;

8. optimization and feedback? optimization is such an organization of communicative influence that allows you to achieve the maximum result with given resources or use the minimum amount of resources to obtain the desired result, while feedback allows you to evaluate the effectiveness of communication technology;

9. discreteness, the presence of a beginning and an end? this means that if the technology is developed and implemented correctly, then its use leads to the achievement of the goal and thus the completion of the technology, since the need for it disappears;

10. creativity and standardization? communicative technology is a synthesis of non-standard and unified components, since, on the one hand, standardization is a necessary feature of any technology (at the same time, the more standardized a technology is, the easier it is to use and more conveniently replicate it), and on the other hand, communicative technology in due to the specifics of the managed object, they imply the presence of a creative component at all stages of the technology (during development, initial implementation, replication);

11. cyclicality and the possibility of replication? communicative technology has its own internal cycle, a given sequence of stages, which follows from the features and criteria discussed above, and also has the ability to reproduce in relation to similar tasks in other conditions.

Thus, communicative technology serves to adjust or completely restructure public opinion in relation to a particular product, phenomenon, person or organization. Analyzing the modern information field, we can state that the image of Islam, like other religions and ideologies, is subjected to a specialized influence. Stakeholders, without formally crossing the border of reliability, can change the “shades”, focusing on aspects that people of a different kind can hardly understand. At the same time, individual postulates are given taken out of context, without explaining the reasons for their occurrence and their true purpose.

What are the features of Islam as an object of PR? This will be discussed further.

1.2 Features of Islam as an object of PR

Islam, at its core, goes beyond the usual definition of religion. For millions of people around the world, it is rather a social modality, a combination of a cult, political and social attitudes, legal relations and ethical ideas. The consequence of such an attitude towards Islam is that it is positioned not only as a blessing in "eternal life", but also as a potentially more efficient and fair political, legal and socio-economic system. Evidence of this trend is the course towards the Islamization of legislation in a number of countries, the emergence of the Islamic financial services industry, the development of Islamic political parties and social movements both in Muslim countries and beyond. Thus, the creation of a negative image of Islam and Muslims is nothing more than a technique to discredit a political and ideological opponent. In this sense, the attacks on Islam in modern Western society are very similar to the attacks on the representatives of the "left" movements during the Cold War. We can argue that the peculiarity of Islam as an object of "black" PR is the alternative nature of this system of values, which is capable of weakening the political and ideological hegemony of Western values.

Features of the PR of Islam on the part of Muslims lie in such a term as dawa "at (call to Islam). Dawa" at is an obligation for all Muslims, its goal is to attract more people to the True Faith. Canonically, the duty of conducting dawa "at is enshrined in the Holy Quran. About the duty of Muslims to engage in dawa" at, with all their lives and diligence to be an example, model and embodiment of the Muslim religion, Allah Almighty says: “We have made you a community adhering to the middle, so that you testify to all mankind, and the Messenger testified of yourselves” (2:143).

“Invite to the way of the Lord with wisdom and good admonition, and argue with them in the best way” (16:125). This verse indicates that it is necessary to apply technologies for the positive promotion of the image of Islam, which, through building effective communication and interaction, should convince society of the value of Muslim life attitudes.

Thus, a feature of Islam as an object of promotion is, on the one hand, the interest in forming a negative image on the part of representatives of Western political elites, and on the other hand, the duty of Muslims to counteract the denigration of their religion, demonstrating the positive aspects of Islam by personal example, word and deed.

2. Analysis of the role of PR in shaping the image of Islam

2.1 TtrendsformationIimage of Islam

Analysis of trends in the formation of the image of Islam should begin with an analysis of the role of Islam in modern society.

According to Dr. Lowey Safi: "The campaign against Islam is a conscious and deliberate effort by those in power to discredit the world's religion as a viable alternative to Western atheism and to undermine a historical movement that critics say has the potential to to become a global political force. Not so long ago, in the mid-1970s, Western society was filled with a lively interest in Islam, and the way of life offered by the Koran became the goal for an increasing number of people returning to the bosom of their native religion or discovering a new path of knowledge. The revival of Islamic ideas and spiritual values ​​was reflected in all sectors of society, not bypassing the bourgeois elite, and took many forms, including the impact on science and politics.

In connection with this trend, it is interesting to analyze the words of Daniel Lerner, who in his work "Integration of Traditional Society" gave the following assessment of the position of Islam in the Middle East:

"...regardless of whether in the east or in the west, modernization dictates submission to the arguments of "rational and positivist thinking", against which, according to the unanimous opinion of scientists, "Islam remains absolutely unarmed." However, already in the past decade, the phase and modality of this While Europeanization first invaded the upper crust of Middle Eastern society, affecting mainly passive imitators of new fashion trends, today the voice of modernity has spread to a wider segment of the population, affecting equally with its restless "spirit of positivism" both public institutions and personal aspirations."

Mr. Lerner is clearly too late with such a formulation of the question. In just 2 decades, most scholars will talk about the phenomenon of the "Islamic renaissance". The decline in the significance of Islam as a social concept began somewhat earlier and proceeded according to a different scenario. During the period of the Ottoman Caliphate, an active reception of European law began, since fiqh ceased to meet the needs of our time, in parallel, Western attitudes invaded Muslim society, which, at that time, turned out to be more effective, beneficial politically and economically. However, this process reversed in the middle of the twentieth century.

In the 80s, the perception of Islam as a social concept by modern society took a completely different form. To a certain point, Western scholars and politicians stopped considering Islam as a backward and reactionary force, and began to perceive it as an equal ideological opponent. This is due to the active dissemination of the ideas and values ​​of Islam both in the East and in the West, with a phenomenon called the "Islamic Renaissance"

A similar opinion is shared by Zbigniew Brzezinski, statesman and US foreign policy strategist. In Out of Control, published shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Brzezinski voices dismay, warning of the expansion of Islam into Central Asia, which he believes could take advantage of the power vacuum created by the collapse of the Soviet empire:

"...Since nature abhors a vacuum, it is obvious that foreign policy forces, in particular the Islamic states neighboring the former Soviet republics, will make every effort to fill the geopolitical void created in Central Asia by the collapse of Russian Soviet imperialism. Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan have already begun maneuvering to strengthen and expand their sphere of influence, while the more distant Saudi Arabia is ready to generously fund the revival of the cultural and religious Muslim heritage in this region.So Islam is creeping north, changing for the first time in two century geopolitical course of its influence."

While Brzezinski does not deny the ability of Islam to produce sociopolitical transformations on a global scale, he rightly mentions the modern limitations of this religion, expressed in the absence of a specific model for the transformation of Islamic ideas into social reality.

Over the past 10 years, the media have presented Islam as an archaic religious system, indispensable features of which are aggressive fanaticism and so on. Criticism of the dogmatic and ritual aspects of Islam in newspapers and on television is interspersed with reporter footage depicting kneeling Muslims during collective prayer or gigantic crowds of pilgrims in Mecca. Prejudice against the adherents of Allah turns into selective angles and distortion of visual images: mass gatherings of Muslims are perceived exclusively as an ominous element that carries a potential threat. It is not surprising that the audience of many millions has already become accustomed to the idea of ​​an organic connection between the spiritual tradition of Muslims and the ideology of modern terrorism.

2.2 Analysis of the formation of a negative image of Islam

Unfortunately, cases of forcing a negative attitude towards Islam and its representatives in the world media have become more frequent recently. Of great concern is the emergence of such trends in the Russian media. What is the true essence of Islam and how society sees it depends on how journalists bring it to society. The role of the media in shaping the image of the enemy is twofold. They not only capture the dominant moods in society, but at the same time form the stereotypes of mass consciousness. Possessing a colossal manipulative potential, the mass media are able to “imprint” phobic attitudes into the minds of anyone. image islam information spontaneous

In most cases, the media seek to justify the aggression of the Western elites against the Muslim world, using black "PR" technologies:

1. tactics of distorting ideas about the Islamic worldview;

This tactic, first of all, implies a public misinterpretation by the media of the most commonly used religious terms (jihad, martyr, Allah Akbar, Mujahid). Unfortunately, the effect is further enhanced by the complete ignorance of the terrorists, who cover up their atrocities with Islam. Let's take Nord-Ost and the complete religious ignorance of the head of the terrorists who took hostages in Moscow, Movsar Baraev, who proudly called himself a martyr, and this despite the fact that, by definition, only a dead person can be considered a martyr.

After media coverage of the Nord-Ost terrorist attack, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Republic of Karelia drew attention to the statements of journalists regarding suicide bombers and explosive belts, using such terms as “shahid”, “shahid belt”, “mujahid”, "Warriors of Allah" The text of the statement says:

“…we demand…to stop using religious Islamic terms in relation to people accused of terrorism and murders… The use of these terms is offensive to us. In addition, the public use of these concepts incites inter-confessional hatred in Russian society, since causes distrust among non-Muslims towards fellow citizens of a different religion, and among Muslims - dissatisfaction with the current situation.

2. tactics of binding Islam to radical leaders and groups;

This applies, again, to the issue of lexical and textual accuracy. So, often, we can hear about "Islamic fundamentalism", "radical Islam", "Islamic terrorism". Reports of fighting in the Middle East or, in the recent past, the North Caucasus, were interspersed with the display of Muslim symbols, and references were made to the statements of individual religious figures.

3. ubiquitous binding of the concept of "Islamic" to everything that potentially brings death;

For example, the American media, describing the explosion of a car near the federal government building in Oklahoma in April 1995, use a similar technique. In its April 20, 1995 issue, the Seattle Postal Courier quoted Robert Habel, former head of the FBI's counterterrorism unit, as saying, "I believe if a bird looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and swims like a duck, then it's a duck... The explosion of cars is the work of Islamic fundamentalists.”

To the surprise of the public, the Muslim quacking duck turned out to be Christian Timothy McVeigh.

4. mixing the image of Islam with the image of phenomena that potentially cause antipathy;

Mass migrations to large cities from the southern regions led to a surge of migrant phobia (especially Caucasian phobia) among the local population. The sharpest rejection among the inhabitants of the capital is caused by market traders and workers in the sphere of trade in services, that is, representatives of predominantly public professions. Since the vast majority of them belong to the Muslim confession, they are the objects of Islamophobia. Antagonism towards Muslims, although inferior to the scale of migrant-phobia and Caucasian-phobia, nevertheless retains a steady upward trend, gradually acquiring also a racial connotation. The common lexicon in relation to “strangers” (often non-Muslims) includes definitions such as “Azeris”, “Mameds”, “Churks”, “Elkaens” (“persons of Caucasian nationality”), “blacks”, “Muslims”, etc. Note: the appearance of a racial connotation is, first of all, a reaction to the ethnic component, and only then - to the religious one.

5. tactics of maintaining the prevailing myths and stereotypes about the Muslim community

Thus, in her report, Putfiye Zudieva notes the following myths, which are actively supported by the media:

“A Muslim woman is forced to wear a headscarf and jilbab, and in fact she feels extremely uncomfortable in it. This propaganda myth was actively used by the French authorities, trying to justify the ban on the hijab in schools as “protection of the rights of girls who are forced by their parents to cover their heads.”

Another common and equally untrue myth is that a girl who puts on Sharia attire simply tries to draw attention to her own person in this way. A similar argument was made by sociologist Cheryl Benard and published by the RAND Corporation in 2004. Benard refuses to see the Muslim headscarf as a manifestation of religious tradition, and prefers to interpret it as a challenge to Western democracy. She insists that "they want to draw attention or provocatively announce themselves in schools, colleges or workplaces."

And here is another equally well-known myth. A Muslim woman is forced to marry, and she has no right to resist. Her husband is a tyrant, a despot and, in addition, a polygamist. From time to time there are broadcasts about harems in which slave wives who got there solely by the will of circumstances (especially when it comes to our compatriots), hiding their faces under a veil, complain about their fate.

Thus, we see that the technologies used to create a negative image of Islam are diverse. Now let's try to analyze what tasks the pro-Islamic forces face and what technologies they have at their disposal.

6. aggravation of contradictions in intra-Islamic directions of theological and legal thought;

“As religion unfolded in time, certain issues of faith received different interpretations, thereby creating certain internal disagreements on certain issues of dogma. If within Islam these disagreements have always coexisted to one degree or another, then in order to achieve the goals of control using the "divide and conquer" technique, destructive vectors were set on the disagreements in order to break, divide the Islamic community, the Ummah. And the Ummah is torn in internal conflict. The confrontation between "traditional Islam" and "Wahhabism" manifests itself from hot conflicts on online forums to actual murders.

2 . 3 pro-Islamicstrengthand their role in shaping a positive image of Islam

At present, there is a need to change the image of Islam and its adherents that has developed in the mass consciousness of both the entire Western world in general and Russians in particular. What is called an image. We can distinguish the following structure for the formation of this image:

1) Muslims as a kind of object, the image of which is being formed;

2) recipients of information impact - the population;

3) those who form this image using certain information technologies. This third group includes: firstly, media workers; secondly, the expert community; thirdly, Islamic religious figures.

Today, the image of Muslims is formed primarily by television, print media and comments on current events. Related to this are the problems described above. It is known that the big is seen from a distance. The culture of Islam, which has been developing for almost one and a half millennia, requires familiarization with oneself in order to understand the current state of affairs by both politicians and journalists, as well as for Muslims to realize their place and mission in our country. The peoples of Russia need textbooks, and its electronic media need big, exciting series on the history of Islam, Sharia, and the way of life of Muslims. The greater literacy of our Muslims in relation to their own roots, the familiarization of our non-Muslims with the treasury of the richest, no doubt, the culture of Islam will benefit everyone.

Thus, it is obvious that the formation of a positive image of Islam is a mission that falls on the Muslim media. What is stopping them from doing it? What is the state of Muslim journalism today?

Unfortunately, the most popular topics related to the economy, society, politics, requiring reflection through the prism of Islamic values, are rarely found on the pages of Islamic publications. The xenophobic problem is cleverly combined with the inter-confessional one. People do not like foreigners and automatically equate them with Muslims. To overcome both is the task of Muslim journalists. But for this, they must write in such a way that it would be interesting to read them not only for Muslims, but for everyone else.

According to Abdul-Vahed Niyazov, a State Duma deputy and chairman of the political council of the Eurasian Party - the Union of Patriots of Russia, Muslim journalism is more applied than analytical. It does not cause a resonance in society, does not cover the issues on the agenda in society. And the regional media especially lag behind the federal ones. In his opinion, Muslim journalism cannot fend off obviously non-complimentary publications towards Islam, which are trying to denigrate religion.

Aleksey Grishin, adviser to the Presidential Administration on religious issues, who assessed the level of Muslim media in Russia as extremely weak, noted at the same time that there are a large number of both print and electronic publications in the information space. In his opinion, in the media now there are almost no deep, analytical articles, materials written by young Islamic authors for a youth audience. "And such toothless Islamic media discredit the very idea of ​​ideological work," A. Grishin believes. He also emphasized the importance of educational work, recalling that representatives of the Muslim Ummah were repeatedly asked to prepare small brochures for one-time reading, for example, on a bus or train, according to the “read - handed to another” type, which would contain answers to many questions on Islam: how to read prayer, what is jihad, and others.

People of intellectual labor also form the image of Muslims. First of all, these are Muslim theologians - they convince the authorities that Islam is "good". But Muslim scholars, orientalists, are just an educated layer. And ordinary Muslims, as a rule, do not deal with these issues. They live their lives, as all people live.

A significant role in shaping the image of Muslims is played by the fact that, first of all, it is not clear to society who among Muslims takes responsibility for the formation of this image. And without a counterparty, it is impossible to talk about building a civil dialogue. I.e:

First, Russian society is only taking shape and is not yet aware of itself as a society. Without comprehending yourself, your place in history and on the map, your interest, there is nothing to go to another. There is nothing to offer him and it is impossible to evaluate the counter offer.

Secondly, Russian society is unfamiliar with the Islamic world. The emerging Russian elites should take the trouble to introduce the society of Russia and the society of the Islamic world to each other. Speaking constructively, the new Russia, first of all, needs a project of Russia, which would include an attitude towards various worlds, including the Islamic world. New Russia needs promotion in the Islamic world. Russia, including Russian Muslims, needs to be introduced to the history of Islam, the rules of law and the economy of Muslim countries. Only then can interaction and the future of civil dialogue be discussed.

Radical figures and organizations on the way PR

Particularly noteworthy is the fact that recently various radical groups and their leaders have been making significant efforts in the field of PR. Undoubtedly, this is due to the awareness on their part of the importance of controlling the information space, as well as finding and attracting new supporters.

Indicative in this regard is the gesture of the leader of the Taliban movement. The Taliban went on the offensive again. Now on a new front: informational. To improve their image, win the support of the Afghan people, and counter the new American campaign for the hearts and minds of Afghans, the Taliban have resorted to modern media techniques combined with old, tried and tested methods. Last spring, the spiritual leader of the Taliban, Mullah Mohammed Omar, issued a long list of new rules for the conduct of members of the movement. According to him, the Taliban are now prohibited from carrying out terrorist attacks against civilians, setting fire to schools, and cutting off the ears, lips and tongues of prisoners.

It is also interesting what aspects Amir of the Caucasian Mujahideen Dokka Umarov focuses on in his interview with Prague Watchdog.

“Wherever there are people, as we know, there are laws. The law is a dictatorship. Those who should be with weapons will be with him, who should put them down - they will lay them down. Some will be engaged in creation, who will be punished - they will be punished. This is called Dar Us Salam. There is no need to reduce the Islamic order to the image of cave life. In an Islamic state, there will be both civil and law enforcement agencies. No one will be limited in their talents granted by the Almighty ».

Increasingly, the appeals of the leaders of radical groups in Central Asia and the Middle East are aimed not at inciting the emotions of supporters, but at appealing to the minds of opponents, opponents and those who have not yet decided on their attitude to certain acts. All these steps, in our opinion, are a consequence of the realization by these figures of the importance of control over the information field.

Conclusion

Thus, we analyzed the role of PR technologies in shaping the image of Islam in the minds of the Western world. We have identified the main prerequisites for the formation of a negative image, the basis of which is the perception of Islam as an ideological opponent of Western civilization. We examined the trends in the formation of the image and made sure that the fight against Islam in the media field began especially actively at a time when this religion entered a phase of revival and rapid growth, when its value “coordinate system” began to prevail (in some regions) over what seemed to be still recently absolute western system. We have identified exactly which PR technologies are used in forming a negative image, and exposing melon technologies is the first step towards giving them a worthy answer. And finally, we analyzed the state of the Muslim media in particular, and pro-Islamic forces in general, as subjects of the formation of a positive image of Islam, and found out that at this stage, unfortunately, their forces are incomparably small.

Outlining the measures that need to be taken by the pro-Islamic forces in order to begin the effective formation of a positive image of their religion, it is necessary to highlight the following:

1. Training of specialists in journalism and public relations at a level comparable to specialists speaking on the side of opponents;

2. Integration of movements representing Islam and a clear designation of a group of persons who are responsible for the formation of this image;

3. Formation of a positive image of Islam through daily demonstration by its adherents of high ethical and cultural standards;

4. Pursuing a policy of dialogue, not isolation, activation of integration into the cultures of those regions where Muslims live, with a demonstration of the positive aspects of Islam.

The image of Islam is currently being formed both purposefully (by ideological opponents) and spontaneously. The primary task is to take under control the pro-Islamic media that part of the information field, which is subject to the influence of natural factors.

Sources

Gavra D.P. Socio-communicative technologies: today and tomorrow // PR-dialogue. 2003. No. 2-3.

Lowey S. How to deal with the media that spread false information about Islam // http://ahlisunna.moy.su/news/2009-06-06-26/ 14/12/2010

Lerner Daniel. Integration of traditional society // Free Press, 1958.

Zbigniew_Brzezinski. Out of Control: Global Turmoil on the Eve of the 21st Century // New York: Collier 1993

Islam in the media space: collection of materials / ed. Kuznetsova-Morenko I.B. and Salahatdinova L.N. - Kazan: Open Society. - 2004. - 89s.

Sheremet Vitaly. Waves of invasions // Motherland. - 2006. - No. 6. - S. 22-26.

Tsorieva S. Formation of a negative image of Islam by means of PR // www.inci.ru/science/conference/102--pr. 20/12/2010

Zorin Vladimir. Russian Islam // Otechestvennye zapiski. - 2003. - No. 5. - P.75-82

Zudiev Putfie. Report: "The role of the media in the formation of a negative image of Islam and Muslim women" 17/07/2010 //

Dalid Iskander. Why does Islam have no future in Russia? 01/25/2010 // http://www.watchdog.cz/?show=000000-000024-000004-000025&lang=2 01/21/2011

[ 11] Islamic media should be more active in combating extremism, adviser to the President of the Russian Federation. 24/09/2010 // http://www.znanie-islam.ru/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59:smi&catid=34:articles&Itemid=58 15/01/2010

Ruby Alyssa. The Taliban are on the path of a PR war. 02/03/2010 // http://www.novayagazeta.ru/data/2010/the_new_york_times03/09.html 12/20/2010

"Our possibilities are inexhaustible…" (interview with D. Umarov) 07/04/2009 // http://www.watchdog.cz/?show=000000-000024-000007-000002&lang=2 01/20/2011

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UDC 28:316.346.2-055.2:28 LBC 60.542.21 F 91

Frolova L.N.

Status of women in Islam

(Reviewed)

Annotation:

The article deals with the specifics of the social status of women in Islam. The basic rights and obligations of an Islamic woman in accordance with Muslim law are considered. The status-role model of a woman within the framework of the family institution is presented.

Keywords:

Status-role model of a Muslim woman, functional differentiation, woman-mother, woman-wife, woman-daughter.

The status of the woman in an Islam

The paper discusses the specificity of a social status of the woman in an Islam. Fundamental laws and duties of the Islamic woman according to the Muslim legislation are examined. The status-role model of the woman is presented within the framework of the family institute.

Status-role model of the Muslim woman, functional differentiation, woman - mother, the woman - spouse, the woman - daughter.

Unfortunately, a distorted image of a Muslim woman "enslaved" by the fetters of Islam dominates in the modern public consciousness. Despite the rather high level of scientific Islamic studies, Russian society clearly lacks objective knowledge about Islam and the achievements of Islamic culture. Particularly acute is the lack of knowledge about Muslim social and legal culture, about the place and role of women in it. Superficial, often distorted ideas prevail here, which do not contribute to understanding the real position of a Muslim woman in Islamic society, both by Muslims themselves and by representatives of other faiths.

At present, in Russia, a Muslim woman who outwardly expresses her belonging to Islamic culture (wearing a hijab) in public places causes an inadequate reaction from Russians. And the main reason is the ignorance of the culture of Islam by the mass of the population or the dominance of the image of a Muslim shahid woman created in the media. The lack of knowledge in the field of Islamic socio-legal culture leads to the fact that under the guise of observing Sharia norms in the Muslim environment itself, customs and traditions that have nothing in common with the socio-legal culture of Islam are legalized, illegal laws are adopted on this basis, degrading the position of women. For example, as L.V. Ivanov, there is a “male” interpretation of Islamic laws in Somali society, which violates the legal rights of women: when the responsibility for “raising children and maintaining the hearth and traditions” up to the financial support of the family is often placed on “fragile” women's shoulders. Whereas Somali men view any kind of work in terms of its worthiness for a "proud" Somali.

If Somali men are willing to voluntarily cede to a woman some “burdensome” positions, then in Western society the traditional generic balance of “male-female” is being gradually destroyed with the active assistance of the woman herself, who actively seizes positions traditionally regarded as male. Unfortunately, the violation of the tribal balance leads to the fact that the institution of the family ceases to be a fundamental value in Russia for a certain part of the population. We are going through a certain period of a kind of family breakdown, when

up to 300 thousand illegitimate children appear annually in Russia, and this trend is growing. More and more Russians - men and women - are making a choice in favor of a "free" intimate life, not burdened by marital obligations. Moreover, the overall demographic situation is deteriorating. In this context, the experience of Russian Muslims is of social significance. It should be noted that the Muslims of Russia, although their birth rate is falling, are in a slightly better position: the birth rate exceeds the death rate, the population density is increasing, as well as the percentage of Muslims in their traditional territories. Muslim families are on average larger, stronger and healthier than Russians (especially in villages). The best demographic indicators are among the Muslims of the North Caucasus. This is explained, in our opinion, by the strictness and exactingness of both traditional culture and Islam regarding certain aspects of a woman's morality, in contrast to modern societies, where the tendency to recognize the extreme freedom of a woman in some areas of public life persists. In this regard, the problem of studying the social and legal basis of the position of women in Islam has both scientific and theoretical and practical significance.

The Muslim woman should be studied as a real participant in Islamic society. This, in our opinion, allows a deeper understanding of the social position of women in Islam. Therefore, before talking about the position of women in Islam, it is necessary to emphasize the typical features of Islam as an integral social system. The Qur'anic concept contains and defines the following feature of Islam - the potential need to implement a certain "ideal" model of society in a specific socio-historical situation. The normative system of Islam is characterized by the interrelation of moral, religious and legal norms, they are institutional. As institutionalized regulators of behavior, they are enshrined in documentary forms, normative acts, which constitute a special mechanism of legal regulation (fiqh). For example, punishment for drinking alcohol, extramarital sexual relations, etc. requires a legal sanction. The religious motivation of social activity, based on the concept of "Monotheism", implies following the religious norms of Islam in social reality as a way of expressing "worship of the One God". Islam determines the dominance of monotheism in all spheres of society, determining the content of the worldview, worldview and behavior of each of its members. The social ideal is the "Islamic way of life", the full implementation of which is possible only in an Islamic state. That is why the adoption of a single religion, its implementation, dissemination and, on the other hand, the establishment of state power are interconnected.

Thus, the specificity of the religious system of Islam involves the creation of an integrated system that serves to legitimize and institutionalize religious norms and values ​​at the level of all societal subsystems of society. In this regard, special attention deserves the so-called personal status - a branch of Muslim law that regulates the most important aspect of the legal status of Muslims. The subject of this branch is marriage, family and inheritance relations, mutual obligations of relatives, guardianship, trusteeship and some other related issues. Most of the norms on personal status are contained in the fundamental sources of Islam - the Koran and the Sunnah, which also relate to the status of women both in society in general and within the institution of the family in particular.

A Muslim woman must be considered, first of all, as a subject professing Islam and being a substantive unit of a religious community. In this regard, the religious community is the Muslim community, the social unit of the Islamic society, and the Muslim family, the basic unit of the Muslim community. So, at the level of a religious community, she is equated with a man as an identical subject in terms of her rights and duties: “O people! Be obedient to your Lord, who from one soul created man, and from him

He created a wife like him, and from the two of them he multiplied men and women and spread them over the earth” (4:1).

Equality at the social level is manifested primarily in the observance of religious duties, which determine the basic social qualities of a woman. Religious instructions are conditioned by the religion of the One God and must be implemented in practical religious activities:

Observance of prayer (prayer); a woman is exempted from prayer every month on certain days, visiting a mosque during Friday prayers is optional for a woman;

fasting; a pregnant woman is exempted from fasting, but she must fast at another time convenient for her;

Compliance with the pilgrimage (hajj); but there are rituals from which she is exempted for physiological reasons;

In the payment of tax (zakat), she is equal to a man.

As you can see, by equating her in religious duties with a man, Islam does not disregard her physiological and psychological characteristics.

In the scheme of internal social relations, a woman at the personal level, as a subject of a religious community, enters into social interactions, being guided, regardless of the subject of communication, by uniform criteria of moral values, having a clear knowledge of the existing regulation of positive (permissible) and negative (prohibited) norms. At the same time, the specific content of the behavior of a woman, as well as other subjects of Muslim society, is largely determined by the system of norms and values ​​developed on the basis of the Koran. It is advisable to refer to the classification of prohibitive norms given by G.M. Kerimov, since it says "everything that is not prohibited is allowed": 1) Prohibitions on religious issues. 2) Prohibitions related to food, gambling. Alcohol, gambling, forbidden food, witchcraft are prohibited. Forbidden food is carrion, blood, pork and that over which the name of not Allah was invoked. 3) Prohibitions related to morality and morality: disobedience to parents, the manifestation of shamelessness, fraud, cheating, insult, slander, envy, malice, pride, suspicion, hypocrisy, everything that is considered immoral. 4) Prohibitions of the legal order. The main thing here is the inviolability of human life, property

As for the rights of a Muslim woman, they are most widely manifested in matters of property. According to Muslim law, a woman has absolute rights to her property. A woman has equal rights with a man in matters of acquiring property. A woman's inheritance rights are detailed in the Qur'an (4:7-12; 4:176) and therefore do not need to be specified in a will, they receive their share automatically. In addition to this, in addition to certain property rights, she has the right to maintenance (food, clothing, housing, etc.), and Muslim law obliges her father, husband, and others to provide for her women's needs.

But as practice shows, despite the fact that many Islamic countries now recognize the equality of men and women, enshrined in Islamic tradition, as, for example, in Pakistan, women still suffer from social oppression. Its reason lies in the class division, when there are upper and middle classes, whose representatives have all the privileges of equal citizens, while women of the lower classes do not have these privileges. On the one hand, it is likely that Muslim women are not fully aware of the opportunities provided by Islam. On the other hand, the oppressed position of women contributes to the consolidation of the educated part of women in specific feminist movements (for example, the "Pakistan Women's Association") and

the development of various organizations to protect women's interests from unfair treatment.

In Islamic society, spirituality implies both individual and collective responsibility before Allah, which should have specific manifestations (consequences) in the social reality of Muslim society. Proceeding from the normative obligation of morality as a factor limiting social behavior, the social status of women in Islam should be considered. The social status of a woman prescribes certain roles, and those involve a set of rights and obligations that are assigned by Muslim law to this position. The role of women in society, as well as men, is determined by the Muslim concept of the world order. According to the "socio-cultural project" of the Almighty, all the creations created by him exist in pairs, and only Allah is One, and He has no equal. Such a device is the key to the development of life on earth and the continuation of the kind of created species of living beings. In this sense, a woman is entrusted with a great function in its significance - the preservation of the human race. Muslim scholars say: "You teach a man - you teach one person, you teach a woman - you teach a nation". The function of reproduction is supposed to be a top priority and can only be realized within the framework of the institution of the family. This situation significantly contributes, first of all, to the growth of the social value of the family, and secondly, to the increase in the social significance of the status of a married woman. Due to the fact that the upbringing of children is a fundamental task, Islam assigns to a woman the status of a mother as the most important: "Even Paradise lies at the feet of your mother." It includes as the main role of the educator of children in the spirit of Islam. The educational process, of course, requires a woman to have certain training and knowledge in various areas of life in a purely Islamic interpretation, i.e. a woman should know Islam, and this is a lot in terms of education, moral development, and possession of a clear worldview and worldview.

The next status of a woman is the status of a woman-wife. Within the framework of the Islamic family, a woman, first of all, is the righteous wife of her husband and the keeper of the hearth. The constituent elements of a woman-wife are determined by the following concept - "she is the other half of her husband's religion." A Muslim woman has a certain set of roles, in particular: religious companion, social partner, sexual partner, educator of children, organizer of family life and leisure, etc. Relations "man-woman" exist only within the framework of marriage. The concepts of "love", "sex" and "procreation" are not separated. The status of a woman-daughter (sister) puts a Muslim woman under the protection of the male half of her family until her marriage. In this regard, the headship of a man in the family is clearly defined: “Each of you is the manager, and each of you will be responsible for the management entrusted to him” (hadith).

For example, as sociological surveys conducted among Muslims in Moscow show, the primacy of men is recognized by the majority as a priority family value. 78% of respondents to the question: "Who is the main one in your family?" answered: "Husband/Father." In turn, this is manifested in role relationships and family responsibilities. Muslim respondents recognize it as a norm that the head of the family is usually engaged in the material support of the family, and the woman is in charge of the household. Moreover, in a Muslim family, as the majority of respondents (54.4%) believe, a woman cannot disobey her husband.

The social role of a woman is not limited to family responsibilities, which, from the point of view of Islam, are considered as a natural sphere for the application of the natural characteristics of a woman's nature. Professional activity is also permissible for a Muslim woman, provided that all necessary requirements are met: the consent of a spouse or relative, the preservation of Islamic morality,

selection of an acceptable field of activity (medicine, education, modeling and tailoring, cooking, etc.).

The specific status-role model of a Muslim woman is largely formed on the basis of the principle of functional differentiation of a man and a woman, which takes into account the spiritual, biological, psychological and social qualities of the two sexes. A woman is entrusted with a great, from the point of view of Islam, function of preserving the religiosity of the family; upbringing and piety of the younger generation. If a woman reproduces and educates the next generation of Muslims, then a man is entrusted with taking care of the material, psychological, and spiritual stability of the family. One of the main principles that contribute to maintaining the stability and effectiveness of this social role standard is the correct implementation and religious responsibility of the approach to the functions assigned to them, both for men and women: “For men, a share of what they acquired, and women - a share of what they have acquired. Ask the Almighty for His mercy. Verily, Allah knows everything” (4:32).

The level of social stratification of a Muslim woman is carried out strictly within the framework of the institution of the family. Schematically, the horizontal mobility of a Muslim woman can be represented as follows:

daughter (sister) ==> spouse ==> mother

marriage, childbirth

Even in the case of professional activity (vertical mobility) and with a change in social stratification position, she is under the patronage of the male half of her family in accordance with the role of the daughter (sister), or spouse, or mother of a particular man (head of the family). These factors “impose” on a Muslim woman a general Muslim type of social behavior, i.e. form typological, socially predictable, standard elements of social behavior in Islamic society. But the social portrait of a Muslim woman is not limited to typical features. A specifically pronounced difference between a Muslim woman is also manifested in the standardization of appearance - wearing a hijab that covers the body from outsiders. In accordance with the moral norms of Islam, a woman should be protected from excessive male attention. Her task is to speak with her appearance about her commitment to Islamic moral values ​​(modesty, chastity, dignity).

Thus, based on the analysis, we can state that the social role model of a Muslim woman is characterized by: the Muslim type of regulation of social behavior, a clear distribution of functions, rights and duties as a subject of a religious society, role and functional differentiation in the family. It is the institutional, i.e. the religious, well-established, value-rational and normative aspect of social life is a decisive factor determining the level of inclusion of a Muslim woman in the social reality of Islamic society. Role-based standardized behavior guarantees a woman social, material, physical and even psychological security. In this regard, complete equality between a man and a woman in the usual European sense, which is ensured by a certain impersonalization of social requirements, is impossible, since Islam considers a woman as a social unit and a spiritual substance with certain physiological and mental characteristics that distinguish her from a man.

When examining any problem concerning Islam, one should bear in mind that the social is objectively organized according to laws that have a "transcendental" origin. Fulfillment of status-role instructions developed by Sharia and

supported by sanctions, is valid under the condition of sincere religious motivation, i.e. the effect of preferences dependent on the consciousness of a particular person, a given generation of people is achieved. Thus, a Muslim woman is that separate person whose level of religiosity and religious knowledge determines the level of her involvement in social objectivity and her specific contribution to the upbringing of the younger generation in the spirit of Islam.

Notes:

1. Ivanova L.V. Somalis as part of the Muslim community of Moscow // Muslims of the changing Russia. M., 2002. S. 131.

2. Ibid. S. 129.

3. Egorin A. Russian woman: a portrait in the Eurasian interior (Reflections on one of the postulates of the Koran) // Russia and the Muslim world. 2003. No. 6. P. 177.

4. Kobishchanov Yu.M. Muslims of Russia, Indigenous Muslims and Muslim Russians // Muslims of Changing Russia. M., 2002. S. 105.

5. Kerimov G.M. Sharia: forbidden and permitted // Dispute. 1992. No. 2. S. 206-208.

6. Islam / comp. V.V. Yurchuk. 2nd ed. Minsk, 2006, pp. 158-161.

7. Basharat Tayyab. Islam // A Companion to Feminist Philosophy / ed. by A.M. Jaggar and I.M. Young. Maiden, 1998. P. 236-244.

8. Nurullina G. Woman in Islam. M., 2004. S. 16.

9. Ibid. S. 15.

10. Portrait of a Moscow Muslim based on the materials of a socio-anthropological survey in the mosques of Moscow // Muslims of Changing Russia. M., 2002. S. 135.

1. Ivanova L.V. Somalis as a part of a Muslim community of Moscow // Moslems of changing Russia. M., 2002. P. 131.

2. Ivanova L.V. Somalis as a part of a Muslim community of Moscow // Moslems of changing Russia. M., 2002. P. 129.

3. Egorin A. The Russian woman: a portrait in the Euroasian interior (Speculations about one of postulates of the Koran) // Russia and the Muslim world. 2003 No. 6. P. 177.

4. Kobishchanov Yu.M. Moslems of Russia, radical Moslems and Russian Moslems // Moslems of changing Russia. M., 2002. P. 105.

5. Kerimov G.M. Sheriyat: forbidden and legal // Debate. 1992 No. 2. P. 206-208.

6. An Islam / Compiled by V. V. Yurchuk. 2nd ed. Minsk, 2006. P. 158-161.

7. Basharat Tayyab. Islam. In: A Companion to Feminist Philosophy \ Ed. by A.M. Jaggar and I.M. Young. Maiden, Massachusetts USA: Blackwell Publishers Ltd. Oxford, 1998, p. 236-244.

8. Nurullina G. The woman in an Islam. M., 2004. P. 16.

9. Nurullina G. The woman in an Islam. M., 2004. P. 15.

10. A portrait of the Moscow Moslem as shown by materials social and anthropological interrogation in mosques of Moscow // Moslems of changing Russia. M., 2002. P. 135.