May we ask those Khalids...

May we ask those Khalids, Fahds and Ben Baz's, why was it necessary to use the name "beer" for a non- alcoholic drink? Was it not to make the name, beer, familiar to the Muslims? And once they have taken the first step, it should not take them long to go further ahead and take the second and then the third steps. It is narrated by Ibn Majah (one of the Sihah Sittah) that the Prophet said: "There will be some groups of my Ummah who will drink liquor and call it by some other name." Q.

32: Selling Liquor in obedience of parents: Zayd's father has a grocery shop which also sells alcoholic drinks. Zayd feels guilty about this and knows pretty well that it is haram and the income is haram also. He has tried to convince his father but to no avail.

He then decided to pull out of the business, but then the father and mother said that they were not pleased with him, and the mother said that she would not waive her milk-right and that the very God they are disobeying by selling liquor has said that you must obey parents! I tried to reason with Zayd that obedience of parents is only in compliance of God's command and not to disobey Him; but he is either not convinced or cannot decide due to parental emotional pressure.

A: Obedience to parents is wajib to a certain extent, no doubt. But parents do not have this right independently by their own authority. It is bestowed on them by Allah. Quite obviously Allah's order super cedes all others' orders. As I have mentioned in my book, Family Life of Islam: "The Almighty Allah is above all rulers and superiors: therefore, His commandments can never be superceded by any other rule, regulation or order.

But the superiority of parents is derived from the superiority of Allah; their authority is based upon the command of Allah. Therefore, if ever they give any order which is against the Law of Allah, it must be ignored and disobeyed." Allah says in the Qur'an: "And we enjoined on man (to be good) to his parents:…….And if they strive to make you join with Me things of which you have no knowledge, obey them not; yet bear them company in this life with fairness" (Surah Luqman, vs.

14-15) The same order is repeated in verse 8 of Surah'Al-'Ankabut. If one commits a sin or crime following an order of his superiors or elders, it does not absolve him from responsibility of that crime.