Fathwa, - Taking Rides from Non-Muslim Classmates

Question:
Is it okay to accept a ride from a non-Muslim, male classmate? I was
thinking that I�ve been in a cab/bus with Muslim and non-Muslim
cab/bus drivers before (it was just us), so maybe it would be okay.
But then the whole non-mahram issue comes up, and I think, no, it's
not okay. What�s the fiqh on this?
Answer:
Wa�alaykum Assalam wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhu,
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful & Compassionate
There are two considerations:
a) permissibility;
b) propriety.
In terms of permissibility, accepting a ride from someone unrelated of
the opposite sex can often entail getting into unlawful seclusion
(khalwa). [Explained in the answers below] When it does, it would be
haram to accept the ride.
Accepting such a ride could also lead to the unlawful, including
unlawful interaction, looks, or thoughts. When it does�or when there
is reason to fear this�it would be impermissible, as well.
This is where accepting rides from classmates, coworkers, and others
of the opposite sex whom one has ongoing dealings with is more
dangerous than things like taxi rides. [The fiqh of taxi rides is
explained in the answers below.] Other forms of �solitary interaction�
is akin to accepting rides in its details, even when it does not
entail unlawful seclusion.
The scholars remind us that, �There is nothing like safety,�
(al-salama la yu`adiluha shay�) and that we should not forget the
words of the Beloved Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him
peace) that tell us that there is no test more trying for men than
women (and men for women).
Propriety would entail avoiding such situations, even when there is no
seclusion, nor any reason to fear harm from such interaction, except
in the most dire circumstances.
And Allah alone gives success.

Evidence Islam is Truth>The Existence of God, - The Earth, A Living Planet

The earth is a living planet where many complex systems run perfectly
and continuously, without pause. When compared to other planets, it
is evident that in all its aspects the earth is specially designed for
human life. Built on delicate balances, life prevails in every spot
of this planet, from the atmosphere to the depths of the earth.
Exploring only a few of the millions of these delicate balances would
be sufficient to show that the world we live in is specially designed
for us.
One of the most important balances in our planet is revealed in the
atmosphere that surrounds us. The atmosphere of the earth holds the
most appropriate gasses in the most appropriate ratio needed for the
survival not only of human beings, but also of all the living beings
on the earth.
The 77% of nitrogen, 21% of oxygen and 1% of carbon dioxide as well as
other gasses readily available in the atmosphere represent the ideal
figures necessary for the survival of living beings. Oxygen, a gas
that is vital for living beings, helps to burn up food and convert it
into energy in our bodies.
If the oxygen quantity in the atmosphere were greater than 21%, the
cells in our body would soon start to suffer great damage. The
vegetation and hydrocarbon molecules needed for life would also be
destroyed. If this quantity were less, then this would cause
difficulties in our respiration, and the food we eat would not be
converted into energy. Therefore, the 21% of oxygen in the atmosphere
is the most ideal quantity determined for life.
No less than oxygen, other gasses like nitrogen and carbon dioxide are
also arranged in the ideal quantity for the needs of living beings and
the continuity of life. The amount of nitrogen in the atmosphere has
the ideal ratio to balance the harmful and burning effects of oxygen.
This ratio represents the most appropriate value required for
photosynthesis, which is essential for life's energy supply on the
earth. Moreover, the amount of carbon dioxide has the most
appropriate value needed to maintain the stability of the surface
temperature of the earth and to prevent heat loss especially at night
time. This gas, comprising 1% of the atmosphere, covers the earth
like a quilt and prevents the loss of heat to space. If this amount
were greater, the temperature of the earth would increase excessively,
causing climatic instability and posing a serious threat to the
living beings.
These proportions remain constant thanks to a perfect system. The
vegetation covering the earth converts carbon dioxide to oxygen,
producing 190 billion tons of oxygen every day. The proportion of
other gasses is always kept constant on the earth by the help of
interconnected complex systems. Life is thus sustained.
In addition to the establishment of the ideal gas mixture required for
life on earth, the mechanisms needed to preserve and maintain this
order are created alongside with it. Any break in the balance, though
instantaneous, or any change in the ratios even for a very short time
period, would mean the total destruction of life. Yet, this does not
happen. The formation of these gasses in the atmosphere just in the
amount people need, and the constant preservation of these ratios
indicate a planned creation.
At the same time, the earth has the ideal size in terms of magnitude
to possess an atmosphere. If the mass of the earth were a little
less, then its gravitational force would be insufficient and the
atmosphere would be dispersed into space. If its mass were a little
greater, then the gravitational force would be too much and the earth
would absorb all gasses in the atmosphere. There is an incredibly
high number of conditions required for the formation of an atmosphere
such as the one our world currently has and all of these conditions
should exist altogether to be able to talk of life.
The creation of these delicate proportions and balances in the sky is
mentioned in the Quran:
"He erected heaven and established the balance." (Quran 55:7)
The majority of people spend their lives without being aware of the
delicate balances and subtle adjustments in the gas composition of the
atmosphere, the distance of the world from the sun or the movements of
planets. They are ignorant of the great significance of these
balances and adjustments to their own lives. However, even a minor
deviation in any one of these arrangements would create very severe
problems regarding the existence and survival of humankind.
There are many other balances established on earth for the continuity of life:
For instance, if the surface gravity were stronger than its current
value, the atmosphere would retain too much ammonia and methane
gasses, which would mean the end of life. If it were weaker, the
planet's atmosphere would lose too much water, and life on earth would
be impossible.
The thickness of the earth's crust constitutes another one of the
delicate balances in the earth. If the earth's crust were thicker,
too much oxygen would be transferred from the atmosphere to the crust
and this would have severe effects on human life.
If the opposite were true, that is, if the earth's crust were thinner,
volcanic and tectonic activity would be too great to permit life on
earth.
Another crucial balance for human life is the ozone level in the
atmosphere. If it were greater than its current value, the surface
temperatures would be too low. If it were less, surface temperatures
would be too high, and there would be too much ultraviolet radiation
at the surface.
In fact, the absence of even a single one of these balances would
herald the end to life on earth. However, God has created the universe
with infinite wisdom and power and designed the earth especially for
human life. Despite this fact, the majority of people lead their
lives in total ignorance of these events. In the Quran, God reminds
people of His:
"(God) makes night merge into day and day merge into night, and He has
made the sun and moon subservient, each one running until a specified
time. That is God, your Lord. The Kingdom is His. Those you call on
besides Him have no power over even the smallest speck." (Quran 35:13)
It is sufficient to look at millions of dead planets in space in order
to understand that the delicate balances required for life on earth is
not a result of random coincidences. The conditions essential for
life are too complicated to have been formed "on their own" and at
random, and these conditions are specially created for life alone.
These balances we have briefly described so far are only a few of the
millions of intricate, interrelated balances and orders established so
that people can live in peace and safety on the earth.
Examining only a part of the balances and harmony on the earth is
enough to comprehend the superior being of God and grasp the existence
of a planned creation in every detail of the universe. It is no doubt
impossible for a person or any other living being to build such an
enormous balance and order. Nor are the components of this order such
as atoms, elements, molecules, and gasses, capable of establishing an
order based on such intricate and extremely delicate calculations and
measurements, and such fine tunings. This is because activities like
planning, ordering, arranging, calculating, and proportioning can only
be realized by beings that possess wisdom, knowledge and power. The
Exalted Being Who orders, plans and balances the entire universe to be
fit for life of human beings on a planet like earth and Who sustains
it with dramatically delicate measures and balances is God, Who has
Infinite Wisdom, Knowledge and Power.
In the Quran, it is stated that those people who are able to realize
these facts are the only "people with intelligence":
"Indeed in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the
alternation of night and day, there are Signs for people with
intelligence: those who remember God, standing, sitting and lying on
their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth:
[They say] 'Our Lord, You have not created this for nothing. Glory be
to You! So safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire." (Quran
3:190-191)

Evidence Islam is Truth>The Existence of God, - The Ability to See the Signs of God

"Say: 'Praise be to God. He will show you His Signs and you will
recognize them. Your Lord is not heedless of anything you do.'"
(Quran 27:93)
"This is a communication to be transmitted to mankind so that they can
be warned by it and so that they will know that He is One God and so
that people of intelligence will pay heed." (Quran 14:52)
In many other verses, God emphasizes that one of the most crucial
purposes of the Quran's revelation is to invite people to ponder.
In the Quran, God invites people to reject blindly accepting the
beliefs and values society imposes on them and to ponder by pushing
aside all the prejudices, taboos and constraints on their minds.
Man must think on how he came into being, what the purpose of his life
is, why he will die and what awaits him after death. He must question
how he, himself, and the whole universe came into existence and how
they continue to exist. While doing this, he must relieve himself of
all constraints and prejudices.
By thinking while isolating his conscience from all social,
ideological and psychological obligations, the person should
eventually perceive that the entire universe, including himself, is
created by a superior power. Even when he examines his own body or
any other thing in nature, he will see an impressive harmony, plan and
wisdom at work within its design.
Concerning this point again, the Quran guides man. In the Quran, God
guides us as to what we should reflect on and investigate. With the
methods of reflection given in the Quran, he who has faith in God will
better perceive God's perfection, eternal wisdom, knowledge and power
in His creation. When a believing person starts to think in the way
shown in the Quran, he soon realizes that the whole universe is a sign
of God's power and art, and that, "nature is a work of art, not the
artist itself". Every work of art exhibits the exceptional skills of
the one who has made it and conveys his messages.
In the Quran, people are summoned to contemplate numerous events and
objects that clearly testify to the existence and uniqueness of God
and His attributes. In the Quran, all these beings that bear witness
are designated as "signs", meaning "tested evidence, absolute
knowledge and expression of truth". Therefore, the signs of God
comprise all the beings in the universe in that they disclose and
communicate the being and attributes of God. Those who can observe
and remember will see that the entire universe is entirely composed of
the signs of God.
This, indeed, is the responsibility of mankind: to be able to see the
signs of God. Thus, such a person will come to know the Creator who
created him and all other things, draw closer to Him, discover the
meaning of his existence and his life and so prosper.
Each thing, the breath a human takes; political and social
developments; the cosmic harmony in the universe; the atom, which is
one of the smallest pieces of matter, is each a sign of God, and they
all operate under His control and knowledge, abiding by His laws.
Recognizing and knowing the signs of God calls for personal effort.
One will recognize and know the signs of God in accordance with his
own wisdom and conscience.
Undoubtedly, some guidelines may also help. As the first step, one
can investigate certain points stressed in the Quran in order to
acquire the mentality that perceives the whole universe as an
articulation of the things created by God.
God's signs in nature are emphasized in a chapter call "The Bee":
"It is He who sends down water from the sky. From it you drink and
from it come the shrubs among which you graze your herds. And by it
He makes crops grow for you and olives and dates and grapes and fruit
of every kind. Therein is certainly a sign in that for people who
reflect. He has made the night and the day subservient to you, and
the sun, the moon and the stars, all subject to His command. Therein
are certainly signs in that for people who use their intellect. And
also, the things of varying colors He has created for you in the
earth. There is certainly a sign in that for people who pay heed. It
is He who made the sea subservient to you so that you can eat fresh
flesh from it and bring out from it ornaments to wear. And you see
the ships cleaving through it so that you can seek His bounty, and so
that perhaps you may show thanks. He cast firmly embedded mountains
on the earth so it would not move under you, and rivers, pathways, and
landmarks so that perhaps you might be guided. And they are guided by
the stars. Is He Who creates like him who does not create? O will
you not pay heed?"(Quran 16:10-17)
In the Quran, God invites men of understanding to think about the
issues which other people overlook or just dismiss using such barren
terms as "evolution", "coincidence", or "a miracle of nature".
In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of
night and day, there are Signs for people of intelligence: those who
remember God standing, sitting and lying on their sides, and reflect
on the creation of the heavens and the earth:
"Our Lord, You did not create this for nothing. Glory be to You! So
guard us from the punishment of the Fire." (Quran 3:191)
As we see in these verses, people of understanding see the signs of
God and try to comprehend His eternal knowledge, power and art by
remembering and reflecting on them, for God's knowledge is limitless,
and His act of creating flawless.
For men of understanding, everything around them is a sign of this creation.

Evidence Islam is Truth>The Existence of God, - A System Planned in Its Every Detail

Breathing, eating, walking, etc, are very natural human functions.
But most people do not think about how these basic actions take place.
For example, when you eat a fruit, you do not contemplate on how it
will be made useful to your body. The only thing on your mind is
eating a satisfying meal; at the same time, your body is involved in
extremely detailed processes unimaginable to you in order to make this
meal a health-giving thing.
The digestive system where these detailed processes take place starts
to function as soon as a piece of food is taken into the mouth. Being
involved in the system right at the outset, the saliva wets the food
and helps it to be ground by the teeth and to slide down the
esophagus.
The esophagus transports the food to the stomach where a perfect
balance is at work. Here, the hydrochloric acid present in the
stomach digests the food. This acid is so strong that it has the
capacity to dissolve not only the food but also the stomach walls. Of
course, such a flaw is not permitted in this perfect system. A
secretion called mucus, which is secreted during digestion, covers all
the walls of the stomach and provides a perfect protection against the
destructive effect of the hydrochloric acid. Thus the stomach is
prevented from consuming itself.
The point that deserves attention here is that evolution can by no
means explain the system briefly summarized above. Evolution
maintains that today's complex organisms have evolved from primitive
cellular forms by the gradual accumulation of small structural
changes. However, as stated clearly, the system in the stomach could
in no way have been formed step by step. The absence of even one
factor would bring about the death of the organism.
When food is received into the stomach, the ability of the gastric
juices to break down food is effectuated as a result of a series of
chemical changes. Now, imagine a living being in the so-called
evolutionary process in whose body such a planned chemical
transformation is not complete. This living being, unable to develop
this ability autonomously, would not be able to digest the food it ate
and would starve to death with an undigested mass of food in its
stomach.
In addition, during the secretion of this dissolving acid, the stomach
walls simultaneously have to produce the secretion called mucus.
Otherwise, the acid in the stomach would destroy the stomach.
Therefore, in order for life to continue, the stomach must secrete
both fluids (acid and mucus) at the same time. This shows it was not
a step-by-step coincidental evolution that must, in effect, have been
at work, but rather a conscious creation with all its systems intact.
What all this shows is that the human body resembles a huge factory
made up of many small machines that work together in perfect harmony.
Just as all factories have a designer, an engineer and a planner, the
human body has an "Exalted Creator."