Lie is a sin, but not a crime.

Lie is a sin, but not a crime. Revealing others' shamefulness: A person who accuses a married woman of adultery (without sufficient proof) is to be whipped 80 times. In other cases, there is no fixed punishment. Destroying the Faith and using Wakf property without proper right, have no fixed punishment. Witch-craft: A Muslim, if guilty of witch-craft, is to be killed. Theft: Cutting four fingers of the right hand, leaving the thumb intact.

Robbery: Highway robbery with violence carries the punishment Adultery: An adulterer is to be stoned to death. Sodomy: Killing and burning the corpse. Committing indecent act with an animal: No fixed punishment. But generally he is whipped 25 times. The animal is to be killed and its meat destroyed. Murder: It carries the punishment of death. Stealing from Wakf property: The punishment is on the discretion of the Qadhi. Question : Which days of the Islamic year do you observe ?

What are the importance of those days ? Answer: In addition to the Fridays, Id-ul-Fitr, Idul-Adh-ha and the Holy month of Ramadhan, we arrange lectures on birthdays and death anniversaries of the Holy Prophet and 12 Imams. Question: What is the proper way of (1) marrying; (2) Inheriting ?

Answer: Please refer to the 'Light' (July-August, 1967) in which our memorandum about matrimonial affairs, submitted to the Commission set up by Kenya Government, was published Another memorandum, submitted to another commission of the Kenya Government, on the laws of Will and Inheritance, is published in this issue. I hope you will find these writings more comprehensive and will realise the beauty of Islamic sheriat as defined by the family of our Holy Prophet and preserved in Shia madhhab.

Question : Do you allow other Muslims to pray in your mosques ? Answer: Yes, willingly. Mosque is the house of Allah. And everybody within the sphere of Islam has a right to pray in it. Only recently we renovated our mosque in Bagamoyo (though there is no Shia Ithna-asheri there since last 40 years) so that our Sunni brethern may use it. Question: How do you relate with other Muslims, for example, the Sunnis ? How do you think this relation can be improved ?

For example : the world Muslims decide a unity of all "Madh-habs", what regulations would you (the Shia) demand before you accept any unity ? Answer: We have brotherly relations with the Sunnis.