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Which takes priority, doing the obligatory (first) Hajj, or paying off one’s father’s debt? | Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, and he answered as follows:
, Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and companions, and upon those who follow them in truth until the Day of Judgement. The obligatory Hajj comes first, because he is not obliged to pay off his father’s debts, but if the father left anything behind, this should be used to pay off the debts. If he did not leave anything, then the matter is up to Allaah. The son should rest assured that if the father took money from people with the intention of paying it back, then Allaah will see to it that it is paid back to the one who lent it, so he should not feel anxious or guilty. In conclusion, therefore, he should do his Hajj because he is able to. And Allaah knows best. |
What is the ruling on gathering to recite du’aa’ for completing the Qur’aan, when a person completes reading the Qur’aan and invites the rest of his family and others to come and recite the du’aa’ together so that they may all gain the reward for completing the Qur’aan? The du’aa’ narrated from Shaykh al-Islam Imaam Ahmad Ibn Taymiyah
and other du’aa’s are printed at the back of the Mushaf and are called
“Du’aa’ Khatam al-Qur’aan al-‘Azeem” (Du’aa’ for completing the Holy Qur’aan). Is it permissible to gather to recite this du’aa’, whether at the end of Ramadaan or on other occasions? Are such gatherings counted as bid’ah or not? Has any specific du’aa’ for completing the Qur’aan been narrated from the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? | Praise be to Allah.As far as we know, no specific du’aa’ has been narrated, so
it is permissible for a person to recite any du’aa’ he likes and to pray for
anything he wishes, such as asking for forgiveness of sins, to be admitted to Paradise, to
be saved from Hell, to be given refuge from trials and tribulations, to be helped to
understand the Qur’aan in the way that pleases Allaah, and to act upon it and
memorize it, and so on. It was reported from Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he
used to gather his family and make du’aa’ when he completed the Qur’aan.
However, nothing of this nature was reported from the Prophet
(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), as far as I know. With regard to the du’aa’ attributed to
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him), I do not know whether this
attribution is correct, but it is well-known among our shaykhs and others even though I
have never seen it in any of his books.
And Allaah knows best. |
I have become Muslim, al-hamdu-Lillaah, but I do not know Arabic. What should I do with regard to the adhkaar (phrases praising Allaah) in the prayer and reading Qur’aan in Arabic? | Praise be to Allah.The majority of fuqaha’ say that if the non-Arab can speak Arabic, he should not recite Takbeer (saying “Allaahu akbar (Allaah is Most Great)”) in any other language. The evidence for this is that the texts instruct this particular wording, which is Arabic, and that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not do it any other way.
But if a non-Arab cannot speak Arabic and is unable to pronounce it, then according to the majority of fuqaha’ it is OK for him to say the Takbeer in his own language after it has been translated from Arabic, according to the statements of the Shaafa’is and Hanbalis, no matter what the language is. The Takbeer is remembrance or mentioning of Allaah, and Allaah can be remembered or mentioned in every language, so a language other than Arabic is an alternative, and the person has to learn how to say it in the other language. There is some controversy as to whether all of the adhkaar of the prayer, such as tashahhud, qunoot, du’aa’, and the tasbeehaat in rukoo’ and sujood may be said in languages other than Arabic.
With regard to reading Qur’aan, the majority say that it is not permissible to read it in any language other than Arabic. The evidence for this is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’aan…” [Yoosuf 12:2]
Moreover, the Qur’aan is a miracle in its wording and its meaning; if it is changed, this is no longer the case, and it is no longer Qur’aan but an interpretation (tafseer).
(al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, part 5: A’jami).
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“Section: It is not right to read it in any language other than Arabic, or to substitute other words in Arabic, whether the person can read it well in Arabic or not, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “…an Arabic Qur’aan …’ [Yoosuf 12:2] and ‘In the plain Arabic language’ [al-Shu’ara’ 26:195]. The Qur’aan is a miracle in both its wording and its meaning, but if it is changed this is no longer the case, it is not Qur’aan or anything like it. It is only an interpretation (tafseer), and if the interpretation were like the Qur’aan itself, they would not be unable to meet the challenge of producing a soorah like it.
If a person cannot read well in Arabic, he has to learn. If he does not learn when he is able to, his prayers are not valid. If he is not able, or he fears that he does not have time to learn before the time for the next prayer is over, and he knows one aayah of al-Faatihah, he should repeat it seven times… If he can recite more than that, he should repeat it as much as he needs to make his recitation equivalent to the length of Soorat al-Fatihah, or he could make it up by reciting other aayaat. If he knows some aayaat he does not have to repeat, he could recite another aayah instead, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded the one who could not recite Qur’aan well to say ‘Al-Hamdu Lillaah (Praise be to Allaah)’ and other phrases, which is part of an aayah, but he did not command him to repeat it. If he cannot do anything, but he knows some of the Qur’aan by heart, he should recite whatever he can, and nothing else will do, because of the report narrated by Abu Dawood from Rifaa’ah ibn Raafi’, who said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When you get up to pray, if you know some Qur’aan, recite it, otherwise say al-hamdu Lillaah (praise be to Allaah), and La ilaaha ill-Allaah (there is no god but Allaah), and Allaahu akbar (Allaah is Most Great).” This is more like Qur’aan, and is more appropriate (than any other words). He should also recite as much as he needs to make it equivalent in length to Soorat al-Faatihah. If he cannot recite anything of the Qur’aan, and cannot learn before it is too late to pray the current prayer, he should say Subhaan Allaah wa’l-hamdu Lillaah wa Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa Allaahu akbar wa Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah (Glory be to Allaah; praise be to Allaah; there is no god but Allaah; Allaah is Most Great; and there is no strength and no power except with Allaah). Abu Dawood reported that a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: “I cannot learn anything of the Qur’aan. Teach me something that will suffice me.” He said, “Say Subhaan Allaah wa’l-hamdu Lillaah wa Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa Allaahu akbar wa Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah.”
And Allaah knows best. |
What is the ruling on
crossword puzzles and doing them? | Praise be to Allah.Among the many types of intellectual games to
be found all over daily newspapers and magazines are the type of puzzles called
crosswords, a kind of puzzle that focuses on how well educated and widely read a person
is. They cover all branches of knowledge and art, and test how bright and quick-witted a
person is.
In principle, these puzzles are a form of permissible
entertainment, but from what we see, many of the words used have evil implications, such
as the names of artists who are insignificant, morally corrupt or intellectually deviated.
Or the crosswords expect answers that are of no benefit and are not worth the time and
effort required to solve the puzzle. In addition, they distract people from reading
serious and useful material, which is like wasting one’s life in doing something that
is not useful.
One of the strange things we often see is that readers of
newspapers and magazines go straight to the puzzles, without looking at other, useful
information. This love of crossword puzzles could become an addiction, leading people to
neglect their duties.
On this basis, many of these puzzles would come under the
category of makrooh entertainment, provided that the subject matter is not haraam and they
do not lead to addiction or cause people to neglect their duties. If they do make people
become negligent and forgetful, then it is more appropriate to say that they are haraam in
this case.
(Adapted from the book Qadaaya al-Lahw
wa’l-Tarfeeh by Ma’dhoon Rasheed, p. 188)
Muslims who prepare these crossword puzzles
should try to put useful information in them, and words that will make readers learn
things that will be of benefit to them. And Allaah is the source of strength. |
What is the ruling on so-called test-tube babies? | Praise be to Allah.This matter has been studied by the Islamic Fiqh Council (Majma’ al-Fiqh al-Islami), who issued the following statement:
One: The following five methods are forbidden according to sharee’ah. They are forbidden either in and of themselves, or because of their consequences such as mixing lineages, not knowing who the child’s mother is, or other reasons that are objectionable according to sharee’ah.
When fertilization takes place between sperm taken from the husband and an egg taken from a woman who is not his wife, then the embryo is placed in his wife’s womb.
When fertilization takes place between sperm taken from a man who is not the husband, and an egg taken from the wife, then the embryo is placed in the womb of the wife.
When fertilization is done externally between the sperm and egg of the couple, then the embryo is placed in the womb of a woman who volunteers to carry it (“surrogate motherhood”).
When fertilization is done externally between the sperm of a man who is not the husband and the egg of a woman who is not the wife, then the embryo is placed in the womb of the wife.
When fertilization is done externally between the sperm and egg of the two spouses, then the embryo is placed in the womb of another wife (of the husband).
Two: The sixth and seventh methods are acceptable as a last resort in cases of necessity, when it is certain that all necessary precautions have been taken. These two methods are:
6. When the sperm is taken from the husband and an egg is taken from the wife, fertilization is done externally, then the embryo is planted in the womb of the wife.
7. When the sperm of the husband is taken and injected into a suitable place in the cervix or womb of the wife so that fertilization may take place internally.
Other reservations that pose a concern in this matter include: the uncovering of the woman’s ‘awrah and most private parts; the possibility of mistakes in the laboratory; the possibility that some weak-minded people in some hospitals may breach their trust and deliberately switch eggs or sperm in order to make the operation a success and earn more material gains. So we have to be extremely cautious when dealing with this matter. And Allaah knows best. |
If something happens to the imam (he breaks his wudoo’), is it permissible for one of the members of the congregation to take over and lead the others in prayer? | Praise be to Allah.If the imam loses his wudoo’ and stops praying, he can say to one of the members of the congregation, “O so and so, come forward and finish leading them in prayer.” If he does not do this, then the worshippers can appoint one of their number to finish leading the prayer, or they can complete the prayer individually. |
What are the virtues of a man reciting ruqyah for himself? What is the evidence for that? What should he say when he recites ruqyah for himself?. | Praise be to Allah.Can you do ruqyah for yourself?
There is nothing wrong with the Muslim reciting ruqyah for himself. That is permissible; indeed it is a good Sunnah, for the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited ruqyah for himself, and some of his Companions recited ruqyah for themselves.
‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was ill, he would recite al-Mu'awwidhat over himself and spit drily. When his pain grew intense, I recited over him and wiped him with his own hand, seeking its barakah (blessing).” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 4728; Muslim, 2192)
With regard to the hadith narrated by Muslim (220), according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) described the seventy thousand of this ummah who will enter Paradise without being brought to account or punished, and in which it says: “They are those who did not recite ruqyah or ask for ruqyah to be done , and they did not believe in bad omens and they put their trust in their Lord” – the phrase “they did not recite ruqyah” is the words of the narrator, not of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Hence al-Bukhari narrated this hadith (no. 5420) and he did not mention this phrase.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
These people are praised because they did not ask anyone to recite ruqyah for them, and ruqyah is a type of du`a, so they did not ask others to pray for them. The phrase “and they did not recite ruqyah” which is mentioned in the hadith is a mistake (on the part of the narrator), for their ruqyah for themselves and for others is a good deed. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited ruqyah for himself and for others; he did not ask anyone to recite ruqyah for him. His reciting ruqyah for himself and others was like his making du`a for himself and others; this is something that is enjoined, for all the Prophets asked of Allah and prayed to Him, as Allah tells us in the stories of Adam, Ibrahim, Musa and others.” (Majmu’ al-Fatawa, 1/182)
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
This phrase is inserted in the hadith, but it is a mistake on the part of some of the narrators. (Hadi al-Arwah, 1/89)
Ruqyah is one of the greatest remedies that the believer should use regularly.
What du`a to say in ruqyah?
With regard to the du`a that is prescribed for the Muslim to say if he wants to recite ruqyah for himself or for someone else, there are many such du`as, the greatest of which are al-Fatihah and al-Mu'awwidhat.
A group of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) set out on a journey and travelled until they came near one of the Arab tribes. They asked them for hospitality but they refused to do so. Then the leader of that tribe was stung, and they tried everything but nothing helped him. Then some of them said, Why don’t you go to those people who are staying (nearby)? Maybe some of them have something. So they went to them and said, O people, our leader has been stung and we have tried everything and nothing helped him. Do any of you have something? One of them said, Yes, by Allah. I will perform ruqyah for him, but by Allah we asked you for hospitality and you did not give us anything, so we will not perform ruqyah for you unless you give us something in return. So they agreed on a flock of sheep, then he started to blow on him and recite Al-hamdu Lillahi Rabb il-‘Alamin. Then he recovered quickly from his complaint and started walking, and there was nothing wrong with him. Then they gave them what they had agreed to, and some of them (the Sahabah) said, Let us share it out. The one who had performed ruqyah said, Do not do anything until we come to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and tell him what happened, and we will wait and see what he tells us to do. So they came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and told him what had happened. He said, “How did you know that it is a ruqyah?” Then he said, “You did the right thing. Share them out, and give me a share.” And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) smiled. (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 2276, and by Muslim, 2201).
‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was ill, he would recite al-Mu'awwidhat over himself and spit drily. When his pain grew intense, I recited over him and wiped him with his own hand, seeking its barakah (blessing).” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 4728; Muslim, 2192)
Dua for Ruqyah from the Sunnah
The du`as that have been narrated in the Sunnah include the following:
Muslim (2202) narrated from ‘Uthman ibn Abi’l-As that he complained to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about pain that he had felt in his body from the time he had become Muslim. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to him: “Put your hand on the part of your body where you feel pain and say ‘Bismillah (in the name of Allah) three times, then say seven times, ‘A’udhu bi ‘izzat-illah wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajid wa uhadhir (I seek refuge in the glory and power of Allah from the evil of what I feel and worry about).”
Al-Tirmidhi (2080) added: He said, I did that, and Allah took away what I had been suffering, and I kept on enjoining my family and others to do that.” (Classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih al-Tirmidhi, 1696)
Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to seek refuge for al-Hasan and al-Husayn, and he would say: “Your father [ meaning Ibrahim, peace be upon him] used to seek refuge with Allah for Isma’il and Ishaq with these words: Audhu bi kalimat Allah al-tammah min kulli shaytanin wa hammah wa min kulli ‘aynin lammah (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah, from every devil and every poisonous reptile, and from every evil eye).’” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 3191)
For more, please see this category: Reciting the Quran Over a Sick
And Allah knows best. |
A woman has been given the choice by her husband of either going with him when he goes to study in a kaafir country, and take a course there, or of staying in the Muslim country. He is going there for some worldly benefits and to earn a higher salary. Should she go with him or not? | Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who answered as follows:
“Praise be to Allaah, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings of Allaah be upon our Prophet Muhammad and all his family and companions. I think that she should go with him, because this will keep him safer from temptation. There will be no sin on her so long as she adheres to her duties of covering and behaving modestly. But if he goes alone there is the fear that he may fall into temptation, and if she stays alone without a husband she will not be happy… And Allaah knows best.” |
What is the ruling on working as a
doctor in the army of the kuffaar who are not in a state of war with the Muslims? | Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, with whom we had a conversation which is
summarized below:
Shaykh: Is this so that he may gain experience, or what?
- He is a doctor who is treating their sick, but they are not in
a state of war.
Shaykh: And they are not at war with the Muslims?
- It is possible that they may be at war with the Muslims in the
future.
Shaykh: We do not give the future precedence over the present
(i.e., we do not count on that or take it into consideration).
- This questioner says, 'I work in a place where the soldiers are
not fighting the Muslims. But it is possible that some of the army may be fighting them in
other places, and it is possible that we may be involved in such fighting in the future,
but the military bases where I work now are not involved in fighting against the
Muslims.
Shaykh: But is this nation (in which this army is) one of those
who are fighting the Muslims?
- The questioner is working for the American army, he is a Muslim
working in America.
Shaykh: Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning): Allaah does not forbid you to deal justly and
kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion and did not drive you
out of your homes. Verily, Allaah loves those who deal with equity. [al-Mumtahinah
60:8].
- And what if they are not driving us out of our homes, but they
are helping others to do so, as mentioned in the next aayah?
Shaykh: It is only as regards those who fought you on
account of religion, and have driven you out of your homes, and helped to drive you out,
that Allaah forbids you to befriend them [al-Mumtahinah 60:9
interpretation of the meaning].
- So if it is clear to him that these people are helping to drive
us out of our homes, for example, would working for them for a salary come under the just
and kind treatment mentioned in the aayah?
Shaykh: No doubt it does come under that heading.
- Even if you are working for money and not as a volunteer?
Shaykh: Yes, but they are benefitting from it.
- So how may we sum up your answer?
Shaykh: This is not permissible unless the nation in whose army
he is working is not fighting the Muslims.
- And not driving them out of their homes or helping others to do
so?
Shaykh: Yes.
And Allaah knows best. |
What is the ruling on the imaam of the
mosque giving an announcement every time someone in the neighbourhood passes away, by
saying after the prayer, “So and so has died, and the prayer for him will be in such
and such a place”? | Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-‘Uthaymeen, who responded as follows, may Allaah preserve him:
“I do not agree with this. It was not the custom of the salaf to
announce the death of someone so that the people could pray over him, except in the case
of a person of high standing in the society, such as a rich man who gave to benefit people
or a scholar, as the people would be interested in knowing about this news.”
And Allaah knows best. |
Can a person go for Hajj without his parents’ permission, and will his Hajj be valid? Can he go out to seek knowledge? Will they be sinners if they stop him? | Praise be to Allah.They can stop him from going for a voluntary Hajj, and they will not be sinners if they do that. But they do not have the right to stop him from going for the obligatory Hajj, and they will be sinners of they stop him. If he goes for (obligatory) Hajj without their permission, his Hajj will be valid regardless – even though he would be a sinner if he went for a voluntary Hajj without their permission. He also has the right to travel to seek knowledge without their permission. |
Eating bread, watermelon, fruits etc., in the mosque – is this permitted or should it not be allowed? | Praise be to Allah.This is permissible, and it need not be stopped, but a cloth or something should be put down, the mosque should be protected, and care should be taken not to drop any crumbs, pieces of fruit, etc., in the mosque. This is what we have stated with regard to foods that do not have an offensive odour, like garlic, onions and leeks, and dishes that do not have any of these odours in them.. If the food has any of these things in it, then it is makrooh to eat it in the mosque, and the person who has eaten them should be stopped from entering the mosque until the smell has gone. If he has entered the mosque, he should be thrown out, because of the well-known saheeh hadeeth to that effect. All of this applies where the odour is present, but if the odour has been killed by cooking, the person who has eaten it need not be stopped from entering the mosque, and it is permissible to eat it in the mosque. And Allaah knows best. |
If a dhimmi woman [a Jewish or Christian woman who is living under Islamic rule; from the context it would appear to refer to a Jewish or Christian wife of a Muslim – Translator] dies when she is pregnant with a Muslim child, where should she be buried? | Praise be to Allah.The most correct view is that she should be buried
between the graveyards of the Muslims and the kuffaar. It was also said that she should be
buried on the way to the Muslim graveyard, or with her co-religionists, so that they can
take care of washing her and burying her in their graveyard. Wherever she is buried, her
back should be towards the Qiblah, because the face of the foetus faces the mother’s
back. |
what is
the ruling on purifying oneself with Zamzam water? | Praise be to Allah.It is not makrooh to purify oneself with Zamzam water according to
our opinion. This is the opinion of all the scholars, apart from Ahmad according to one
report narrated from him. Our evidence (the evidence for this) is that no saheeh report
has been narrated to indicate that it is prohibited, and it was reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Water is purifying and nothing
makes it impure."
As for the reports that al-'Abbaas said it was forbidden to do ghusl with the water of
Zamzam, this is not a saheeh report. |
If a Muslim sneezes and does not say “Al-hamdu Lillaah (praise be to Allah), does he deserve to have others say “ Yarhamuk Allah ” to him? Is it better to say “ Yarhamuk Allah ” to him or not to say it? Has anything concerning this been narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or not? | Praise be to Allah.He does not deserve that, and it is makrooh to say “Yarhamuk Allah” to him. It was reported in the two Saheehs of al-Bukhaari and Muslim that Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
‘Two men sneezed in the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He said “Yarhamuk Allah” to one of them and not to the other. The one to whom he did not say it said, “So and so sneezed and you said, ‘Yarhamuk Allah’ to him, and I sneezed but you did not say it to me.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “He said ‘Al-hamdu Lillaah’, and you did not.”
According to Saheeh Muslim, Abu Moosa al-Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say, ‘When one of you sneezes and says “al-hamdu Lillaah”, then say “Yarhamuk Allah” to him, but if he does not say “al-hamdu Lillaah”, then do not say “Yarhamuk Allah” to him.’”
In Saheeh al-Bukhaari it is reported from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “When any one of you sneezes, let him say ‘Al-hamdu Lillaah’ and let his brother or companion say to him, ‘Yarhamuk Allah.’ If he says ‘Yarhamuk Allah’ to him, let him say, ‘Yahdikum Allahu wa yusliha baalakum (May Allah guide you and reform your thinking).’” |
What is the ruling on kissing another
person's hand? | Praise be to Allah.It is mustahabb to kiss the hands of righteous people
and the greatest scholars, and it is makrooh to kiss the hand of anyone else. The hand of
the beardless man should not be kissed under any circumstances,
(From Fatawa al-Imaam al-Nawawi, p. 71)
In the commentary on the book, it says:
If a person wants to kiss another person's hand, if this is because of
his asceticism, righteousness, knowledge, position or modesty, or other reason that has to
do with his commitment to religion, then it is not makrooh. In such cases it is mustahabb,
because Abu Ubaydah kissed the hand of Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them
both).
But if it is because of the persons riches, wealth, high rank or
status in the eyes of the people of this world, and so on, then it is intensely makrooh.
Al-Mutawalli, one of our companions, said: It is not permitted, and he
indicated that it is haraam.
It was narrated in Sunan Abi Dawood that Zaari (may Allaah
be pleased with him), who was among the delegation of Abd Qays, said: We
started to get out from our howdahs and we kissed the hands and feet of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). |
What is the ruling on one who plants
something, then he dies and the plants go to his heir? Who gets the reward? If some of the
fruits of these plants are taken wrongfully during the lifetime of the one who planted
them, is it better for him to forgive the person who took it, or to leave it as a debt
owed by that person? If his heir does not forgive that person or accept any compensation,
and the debt remains until the Day of Resurrection, who will be able to demand it from him
on that Day – the original planter or the heir? | Praise be to Allah.The one who planted it will have an ongoing reward from
the time he planted it until the plants die. The heir will have the reward for whatever of
its fruit is eaten during the time when the plants are under his care, so long as it is
taken without his objection.
Whatever fruits are taken, it is better to forgive than to leave it as
a debt. But if he does not forgive, then both the deceased and his heir will be rewarded
for whatever is eaten, from the time the payment is due until it is finally paid. As for
demanding restitution on the Day of Resurrection, priority will be given to the rights of
the one from whom it was taken by force. It was said that it will be given to the final
heir in the direct line of descent. This does not apply only the case of plants, but also
in the case of everything that was owed and was not paid off. This ruling applies in all
such cases. And Allaah knows best. |
What is the ruling on jalsah al-istiraahah? | Praise be to Allah.It is mustahabb to have the habit of sitting for a brief rest during prayer, i.e., after the two prostrations of each rak’ah in which one does not recite the Tashahhud immediately after the prostrations. A hadeeth to this effect was reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaari. It was also reported in Sunan Abi Dawood and Sunan al-Tirmidhi via different isnaads that are also saheeh. This is the correct view according to scholarly consensus in the madhhab of al-Shaafa’i. Jalsah al-istiraahah is not mustahaab after sajdat al-tilaawah (prostration during recitation of Quran) during prayer. (Words of Imam al-Nawawi).
Jalsah al-istiraahah is a brief pause, sitting for a short while after the second prostration and before standing up. It is Sunnah according to al-Shaafa’i, Ishaaq and Ahmad. It was reported that Abu Qulaabah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Maalik ibn al-Huwayrith showed us how the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed, and when he raised his head from the second prostration in the first rak’ah, he sat and then stood up.” (Reported by all five major scholars of hadeeth apart from Muslim). The wording according to al-Bukhaari was: “When he raised his head from the second prostration, he sat and settled on the ground, then he stood up.”
I say: one of the features of the prayer is jalsah al-istiraahah which should be done after every prostration from which one stands up.
It is not Sunnah to do Jalsah al-Istiraahah after Sajdat al-Tilaawah, or when one is praying sitting down, or in the fourth or second rak’ah of Zuhr, for example, if a person wants to recite Tashahhud. If he does not want to recite it, then it is Sunnah to do Jalsah al-istiraahah.
It is a separation between the two rak`ahs, according to the soundest opinion, it is not a part of either the first rak’ah or the second.
The best is not to make it last longer than a few seconds, because according to the Sunnah, the shorter it is the better, like when one keeps quiet in prayer. |
A graveyard had been endowed for the
burial of Muslims, and someone built a mosque with a mihrab in it. Is this permissible?
Should it be knocked down? | Praise be to Allah.It is not permissible for him to do that, and it should
be knocked down. (Words of Imaam al-Nawawi).
Taking graves as mosques or places of worship is one of the customs of
the Jews with whom Allaah is angry. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported
that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: May
Allaah destroy the Jews! They have taken their graves as places of worship. (Agreed
upon). Ibn Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The
Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed the women who
visit graves and those who build mosques over them and place lamps on them. Some of
them claim that this was because at that time they were still close to the time when
people had worshipped idols, but Ibn Daqeeq al-Eed refuted this argument. This
indicates that it is haraam to place lamps on graves because this could lead to false
beliefs.
In addition to the issue of building mosques over graves, this person's
actions also involve going against the conditions set by the one who endowed this land.
Moreover, he is denying the Muslim dead space in which to be buried. Adding any extra
structure over a grave as the ignorant people among the Muslims do is haraam, as stated by
the fuqaha and ulama, let alone building mosques over graves. So the
imaam (Imaam al-Nawawi) ruled that whatever mosques had been built over the graves should
be torn down.
(Comment in the margin of Fataawa al-Imaam al-Nawawi, p. 65). |
What is the ruling on dyeing a white
beard? | Praise be to Allah.Dyeing it with something reddish or yellowish is Sunnah,
but dyeing it black is haraam according to the sound opinion, and it was also said that it
is makrooh. This ban applies to both men and women, except for the man who is engaged in
jihaad (mujaahid). Al-Maawirdi said: “It is not haraam in his case.” In Saheeh
Muslim it is reported from Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) that when the
Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw that the beard of Abu Quhaafah,
who was the father of Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with him), was so white,
he said, “Change this, but avoid black.”
(The above is the words of Imaam al-Nawawi).
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that he saw
the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) dyeing his beard with a yellowish
colour. According to another report, he added, “And I would like to do this.”
Imaam Ahmad and Ibn Maajah reported that Wahb said: “We entered
upon Umm Salamah (may Allaah be pleased with her) and she brought out some of the hair of
the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to show us. It was dyed with
henna and katam.”
Katam is a plant that is mixed with henna, and it is used to dye the
hair and preserve the colour, as is stated in al-Qaamoos. When katam is used alone,
not mixed with anything, it produces a reddish-black colour.
Some people have the habit of dyeing their hair pure black at peace
time (i.e., when not engaged in jihaad). This is not right according to sharee’ah.
There have been cases where prospective brides and their families have been deceived and
cheated when a prospective husband has dyed his hair to give the impression of being young
and strong when in fact he is old and weak. |
If a member of the congregation is not
sure whether the place where he was standing was in front of the imaam or not, what is the
ruling in this case? | Praise be to Allah.His prayer is valid, as was stated by al-Shaafa’i.
This applies whether he was further ahead of the imaam or behind him.
From Fatawa al-Imam al-Nawawi, p. 58.
But it is not permissible to deliberately stand in a place in front of
the imaam. And Allaah knows best. |
A man is extremely sick and
cannot stand or sit, or remove impurity. Does he still have to pray? | Praise be to Allah.He has to pray lying down, and make gestures
to indicate the rukoo’ (bowing) and sujood (prostration). He should also keep away
from impurity (najaasah) as much as he can. |
If a person was disobedient towards his
parents, and they died angry with him, how can he put things right so that they will not
ask him to put it right in the Hereafter? | Praise be to Allah.There is no way to stop them asking him to put things
right in the Hereafter, but now that he has felt regret for what he did, he should make
lots of du;aa; for them and ask Allaah to forgive them, give charity on their behalf if he
can, honour the friends etc, whom they loved, uphold their ties of kinship, pay off their
debts and do whatever else he can. |
If a person thinks that if he greets
someone, that person will most likely not return his salaam, should he still say salaam or
not? | Praise be to Allah.Yes, he should still say salaam. |
I wanted to know if a woman can excite
herself till she comes. Does this make her unclean the way intercourse does? | Praise be to Allah.If a woman excites herself to the point of climax, it is
obligatory (waajib) for her to do ghusl, and she is considered to be junub (in a state of
sexual impurity) because of that. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “Water is for water” (Saheeh Muslim, 151), i.e., ghusl becomes waajib when
fluid is emitted as a result of sexual stimulation.
But this action – when a person excites herself or himself to the
point of climax – is masturbation, which is forbidden for men and women alike. There
is no differentiation between them in this regard. For more information and explanation of
the evidence (daleel), please see Question #329.
And Allaah knows best. |
If one has a garden in which vegetables and fruits are grown for his own purpose, is he required to pay 'ushr on its harvest? | Praise be to Allah.Zakat is not required on vegetables or fruits, because they are not measured or stored. Zakat is, however, required on fruits that are measured and stored, such as dates, raisins, almonds, pistachios, But if they are not measured and are not stored – such as pomegranates, figs, peaches, melons and other fruits, and tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables – there is no Zakat due for them, because if they are stored they will be spoiled.
It was reported from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There is no Zakat due on grains or dates unless they reach the amount of five awsuq.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, Muslim and others. This is if they are measurable, so it is more appropriate that no Zakat should be paid on things that are not measured at all.
It was reported from ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib in a marfoo’ report – and some said it was mawqoof – “There is no Zakat due on vegetables.”
Moreover, neither the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) nor his successors (al-Khulafaa’ al-Raashidoon) collected Zakah for fruits and vegetables. Although they were grown in their regions, there was no Zakah paid on them. This indicates that there is no Zakah to be paid for these things.
And your garden is for your own personal use, not for business purposes, so it is definite that there is no Zakat required for the produce of this garden. But if it is for business purposes, and you keep the profit from it for one complete year, in this case you would have to pay Zakah on the money which you have had for one complete year. And Allah knows best. |
Assalam u alaikum. Is it allowed for
someone with little knowledge of Islam to inform other people about Islam - just the
basics i.e. the five pillars and a few brief points on Islam, directing them to more
knowledable sources for further discussion e.g. websites. Or am I doing an injustice to
these people? By only giveing them a brief intro and leaving them as they are? For I read
that everyone will see Islam at some point in their life. That being the case, if I only
give someone a brief intro would it be okay? | Praise be to Allah.There is nothing at all wrong with conveying what you know of the
religion of Allaah to non-Muslims, as long as you are certain that it is correct, such as
the basics that you mention, like the five pillars of Islam or the pillars of eemaan
(faith). Indeed, this is probably obligatory upon you, as Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning): “Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that
is good (Islam), enjoining al-ma’roof (i.e., Islamic monotheism and all that Islam
orders one to do) and forbidding al-munkar (polytheism and disbelief and all that Islam
has forbidden). And it is they who are the successful.” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:104]
The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Convey from me, even an aayah.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari). Ibn Hajar (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said: He said in the hadeeth, “even an aayah”, meaning
one aayah, as if he was saying that every listener should hasten to convey whatever aayaat
he heard, even if it is only a few. Some of the Sahaabah set out to call their tribes to
Islam when they had only a little knowledge that they had gained during the brief time
they had sat with the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). But even
though their knowledge was so little, it was correct and was blessed, and because of their
sincerity, Allaah benefitted others through it. Al-Tufayl ibn ‘Umar went from Makkah
to his people Daws with the limited amount of knowledge that he had, then he came to the
Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in Madeenah accompanied by eighty
families of Daws, all of whom had become Muslim, and among whom was Abu Hurayrah (may
Allaah be pleased with him).
Know that some non-Muslims may become Muslim for the slightest reason
and by hearing the briefest word said to them. Do not think that the knowledge you have is
too little for the purposes of conveying the Message. “… invite them to your
Lord. Verily! You indeed are on the (true) straight guidance.” [al-Hajj 22:67 –
interpretation of the meaning]. |
Assalaamu 'AlaykumA brother is a taxi driver and faces some difficulties for which he
requires sincere advice.He says that often times a passenger will get in the vehicle and after a
portion of the journey asks him to stop at the liquor store so he can pick up his booze.Also, some people may require him to take them to
very undesirable places such as night clubs or places of that sort. Is it permissible to
do a job that requires such things? | Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen:
one of our brothers in Canada is working as a taxi driver, and says that often, after
taking on a passenger and commencing the journey, the passenger asks him to stop near a
liquor store so that he can buy something from there. Some passengers also ask him to take
them to places such as nightclubs. Is it permissible for him to work in this occupation or
to accept these fares?
The shaykh, may Allaah preserve him, replied as follows:
No, it is not permissible for him to stop at the liquor store for his
passenger to buy some, and it is not permissible for him to take anyone to forbidden
clubs, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): Help you one
another in al-birr and al-taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one
another in sin and transgression [al-Maaidah 5:2].
And Allaah knows best. |
As Salaamu Alaikum,
I made an oath by Allah that I would not allow a TV in my home and I do
not have any desire for one. However, I am married and my wife is at home while I am at
work with nothing to do. We dont have children. I am not wealthy, so I dont have furniture
or decorations in the house yet. My wife desperately wants a TV to remove her boredom. She
is young and is not yet willing to devote all her time to studying Islam or Quran. This
issue is getting worse because she is becoming stressed from having nothing to fill her
idle time. I am afraid that this may provide Shaytan a way to break up my family. Is there
any advice that you can give to help my situation?
Jazakallahu Khayr | Praise be to Allah.Subhaan-Allaah, how have Muslim women reached a state where they do not
know how to kill time, so they waste it and destroy the blessing of time which Allaah has
made available to them to fill it with worship, dhikr and good deeds, as He explains
(interpretation of the meaning): “And it is He Who has put the night and the day in
succession, for such who desires to remember or desires to show his gratitude.”
[al-Furqaan 25:62]
The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Make the most of five things before five others come: your life before your death,
your health before your sickness, your spare time before your work, your youth before your
old age and your wealth before your poverty.” (Reported by al-Haakim; see also
Saheeh al-Jaami’, 1077).
It is regrettable that a Muslim cannot find anything to do
other than committing the sin of watching TV programs that are filled with scenes of kufr,
nakedness, and singing. The one who looks at this tragedy will indeed see how accurate are
the words of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the saheeh
hadeeth: “There are two blessings of which many people have an unfair share: good
health and spare time.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 5933).
You must exhort this woman, in a gentle manner, and remind
her, kindly, why she was created in this life. There follow a few useful suggestions which
include both serious pursuits and permissible forms of leisure activities.
Doing acts of worship such as reciting dhikr and wird, salaah, reading
Qur’aan, fasting, and thinking about the signs of Allaah in His creation.
Adopting an Islamic cause in the place where she is living, and taking
part in it, such as teaching Muslim girls, supporting an Islamic magazine by sending
articles, statistics and useful information of interest concerning Muslims in the West,
taking part in charitable projects to help Muslim orphans, widows, divorcees and elderly,
or joining a committee to help organize social programs and celebrations for Muslim girls
on Eid.
Finding righteous (female) companions to meet with and good (females)
neighbours to visit.
Reading Islamic books in particular and useful stories in general.
Taking part in da’wah activities, women’s activities and
preschool programs in Islamic centres.
Listening to tapes and lectures, writing summaries of them, and
distributing the summaries to anyone who could benefit from them.
Doing arts and crafts, and cooking items to be sold to raise funds for
the Islamic centre.
Taking an interest in computers and computer programs. This is a vast
field that can fill a lot of time, and the computer can be used to do a lot of good things
as well as providing entertainment in the form of permissible games.
Spinning, weaving, cutting out and sewing.
Gardening.
Exercising at home.
In all cases, you must resist pressures that may make you give in and
introduce that window of evil to your home. We ask Allaah to grant your wife a righteous
child in the near future, so that she may fill her time with taking care of him. May
Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad. |
I have an awkward problem, that is I still suck my thumb since I was a child! It can be quite extreme when I am not feeling too well. I am in doubt if this is Haram at all, and does it nullify my fast? I heard a friend say anything that enters the body nullifies the fast. Please answer my question a.s.a.p. because Ramadan is beginning soon and it is extremely embarrassing for me to talk to anyone about it, not even my husband! | Praise be to Allah.You have to try hard to give up this habit, and take your thumb out of your mouth every time you realize that you are sucking your thumb. Whatever happens because of forgetfulness will not affect your fast.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah has forgiven my ummah for what they do by mistake or out of forgetfulness, and what they are forced to do.”
For more, please see these answers: 1312 , 13619 , 12487 , and 82308 .
And Allah knows best. |
I was a very modern girl until I met my
husband who brought me to Islam alhamdulilah. I was a zaniya and I never thought it was
that bad! this is making me have sleepless nights (which I sometimes spend praying to
Allah)and no matter how much I do I feel Allah will not forgive me for the many sins! I
got pregnant from my husband when we were still engaged ! the child is 7 now! is he a
"Child from Zina" will I ever be forgiven!
jazakum allah alf khair | Praise be to Allah.Firstly, whoever repents, Allaah accepts his or her repentance.
Secondly, if the pregnancy and birth happened before the marriage
contract took place according to sharee’ah, the child takes the adulterous
mother’s name, not the adulterous father’s. The child still has rights according
to sharee’ah and he should be given a good upbringing and cared for properly.
Thirdly, you should not despair of the mercy of Allaah or say
“Allaah will not forgive me.” “No one despairs of Allaah’s soothing
mercy except those who have no faith” [Yoosuf 12:87 – interpretation of the
meaning]; “And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord, but such as go astray?”
[al-Hijr 15:56 – interpretation of the meaning]. So long as you have repented,
you should have the hope of mercy from Allaah.
Fourthly, you will find a detailed answer about repentance from zinaa
and a lot of information to make you feel better, in the book “"I
Want to Repent, But...", which is published in the
“Books” section of this website.
Fifthly, what is in the past can be dealt with by
repenting. From now on you have to try to do a lot of good deeds, because good deeds wipe
out bad deeds and raise a person’s status. We ask Allaah to forgive your sins and
help you adhere firmly to His religion. We wish you a future filled with good deeds and
acts of worship. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad, |
Is watching TV permitted in Islaam ? If so under what coditions ? | Praise be to Allah.The issue of watching films is not free from numerous reservations from a shar’i point of view, such as uncovering ‘awraat, listening to music, spreading corrupt beliefs and calling for imitation of the kuffaar. Allaah has commanded us to lower our gaze, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts). That is purer for them. Verily, Allâh is All-Aware of what they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts)” [al-Noor 24:30-31].
Since lowering the gaze is the basis of protecting the private parts, it is mentioned first. Allaah has made the eyes the reflection of the heart: if a person lowers his gaze, the desire in his heart will be reduced, but if a person looks and stares, the desire in his heart will be provoked.
In Saheeh Muslim (1218) it is reported that Al-Fadl ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) was riding behind the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) on the Day of Sacrifice (Yawm al-Nahr) from Muzdalifah to Mina, when some women riding on camel-borne sedan chairs passed by. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) turned his [al-Fadl’s] head away. This was prevention and denunciation through action, for if looking were permissible he would have approved of what he did.
In Saheeh al-Bukhaari (6343) it is reported that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Every son of Adam has his share of zinaa decreed for him, and he will undoubtedly get his share. The eye commits zinaa and its zinaa is looking. The tongue commits zinaa and its zinaa is speaking; the feet commit zinaa and their zinaa is walking; the hands commit zinaa and their zinaa is touching. The heart longs and desires for something and the private parts confirm that or deny it.”
He began by mentioning the eye because this is how the zinaa of the hand, foot, heart and private parts begins. By mentioning the zinaa of the tongue, he pointed out that the mouth can commit zinaa by speaking. And he stated that the private parts can confirm that if they make the deed happen, or deny it if that does not happen.
This hadeeth gives the clearest indication that the eye can sin by looking and that this is its zinaa. This is a refutation to those who say that looking is allowed in all circumstances.
It was also reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “O ‘Ali, do not follow a look with a second, for the first look is allowable but not the second.”
A look has the same effect on the heart as an arrow has on its victim. If it does not kill him, it will wound him. It is like a spark of fire in dried grass; if it does not burn all of it, it will still burn some of it. May Allaah have mercy on the one who said:
“Everything starts with a look, and big fires start from little sparks.
How often has a heart been dealt a fatal blow like that of an arrow, with no need for a bow.
As long as a man’s eyes are looking around, looking into the eyes of others, he is in a state of danger.
His eye delights in that which could destroy his heart. The joy that may lead to harm is not welcome.”
Hence Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Fataawa 3/227:
With regard to television, it is a dangerous device and its harmful effects are very great, like those of the cinema, or even worse. We know from the research that has been written about it and from the words of experts in Arab countries and elsewhere enough to indicate that it is dangerous and very harmful to Islamic beliefs (‘aqeedah), morals and the state of society. This is because it includes the presentation of bad morals, tempting scenes, immoral pictures, semi-nakedness, destructive speech, and Kufr. It encourages imitation of their conduct and ways of dressing, respect for their leaders, neglect of Islamic conduct and ways of dressing, and looking down on the scholars and heroes of Islam. It damages their image by portraying them in an off-putting manner that makes people despise them and ignore them. It shows people how to cheat, steal, hatch plots and commit acts of violence against others. Undoubtedly anything that produces so many bad results should be stopped and shunned, and we have to close all the doors that could lead to it. If some of our brothers denounce it and speak out against it, we cannot blame them, because this is a part of sincerity towards Allaah and towards other people.
Whoever thinks that this device (TV) can be free of these evils and can be used only for good purposes if it is censored properly is exaggerating and is making a big mistake, because the censor may miss things and most people nowadays want to imitate the foreigners. It is very rare to find censors who are doing their job properly, especially nowadays when most people are only interested in time-wasting entertainment and things that turn people away from true guidance. Reality bears witness to that.
We ask Allaah to keep us safe from all evil for He is the Most Generous. |
I have seen alot of the questions that you
have answered and I have come to trust your opinion in complex matters such as which face
the Ummah at this time.May Allah bestow His Mercy on you for helping the muslims by your
knowledge. (Amen)My question is whether it is permissible for a muslim to travel in a land
of the kuffar for the purpose of gaining worldly knowledge.Also is it allowed for us to
help the kuffar in making software,that they may use for military purposes.eventhough they
may be a peace with us?Is the money that we get from such jobs halal or haram?Please
answer this question for me as I am a student and very disturbed about whether what i am
doing is right or wrong.I have talked with of my friends and they say that it is halal
because what they do with our software is non of our concern and we are only doing our
work and getting paid what we cannot imagine in any muslim country.Dear shiekh please help
me out,May Allah enter you in Paradise for all the good work you are doing.(Amen) | Praise be to Allah.If it is worldly knowledge that is beneficial to the
Muslims, and it cannot be learned in a Muslim country, then it is OK to go to the kaafir
countries, on the condition that the person is religiously committed and knowledgeable
enough to be safe from desires and doubts.
It is not permissible for us to help the enemies of Allaah with
programs that may cause harm to the Muslims and give the kuffaar more power. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue,
righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression”
[al-Maa’idah 5:2]
This applies whether the harm is something that may happen in the
future, which is the situation when there is peace, or is something that may happen
immediately, as in the case of kuffaar who are in a state of war with the Muslims. The
means of earning a halaal income are many, and whoever gives up something for the sake of
Allaah, Allaah will compensate him with something better. |
I would like to know why men aren't allowed to wear silk, but in Paradise they will? | Praise be to Allah.Wisdom behind prohibitions in Islam
It should be known that Allah, may He be exalted and glorified, is Wise in His commands and prohibitions. He does not command anything except that which is in peoples’ best interests and He does not forbid anything except that which is harmful.
People may or may not come to understand the reasons behind these commands and prohibitions , although Allah has His Wisdom in any given issue.
Having said that, it is still not right to make following a command or prohibition dependent upon knowing the wisdom behind it; rather we should hasten to carry out the commands of the Shari`ah, regardless of whether the wisdom behind it is clear to us or not. If it is clear, then praise be to Allah, and if it is not, then the Muslim should not let the fact that he does not know it prevent him from acting in accordance with the ruling of the Shari`ah.
This is true submission to the command of Allah, and Islam means submission to Allah, may He be exalted, and obeying Him. If a person makes his actions dependent on understanding matters which may or may not convince him, he is in effect following his own thoughts and desires, not his Lord and Master.
The above does not mean that it is not important to look for the wisdom behind the rules of the Shari`ah, or that doing so is forbidden, but we should not make knowing the reasons a condition for acting upon the ruling.
Is there a connection between things prohibited in this world and those allowed in the Hereafter?
There is no connection between things that are prohibited in this world and those that are allowed in the Hereafter. It is not correct to think of the Hereafter as being like this world; each realm has its own rules and laws.
It is not correct to suggest that something is permitted in this world on the basis that it is permitted in Paradise or in the Hereafter , otherwise we would end up allowing things that we know from the basics of Islam are forbidden , such as drinking wine, taking more than four wives, singing etc. On this basis, the confusion reflected in the question about silk being forbidden in this world although it is permitted in Paradise should be cleared up.
Why is silk haram for men?
The scholars have discussed the reasons for silk being forbidden for men in this world. For example, al-’Allamah Ibn al-Qayyim suggested in his brilliant work Zad al-Ma'ad that
“Among those who believe that there is reason and wisdom (behind the rulings of Islam) and they are the majority are some who answer that Islam has forbidden it so that people will keep away from it and give it up for the sake of Allah, so they will be rewarded for that.
Others reply that it was basically created for women, as is the case with gold jewellery, so it was forbidden for men because it can corrupt them by making them resemble women.
Some of them said that silk was forbidden for men because of what it may lead to in the way of pride, showing off and self-admiration.
Some of them said that silk was forbidden for men because when it touches the body, it makes a man effeminate and goes against his masculinity and manliness, so if he wears it his heart gains the characteristics of femininity and softness, as is obvious, even if he was the most masculine and chivalrous of men.
There is no doubt that wearing silk will diminish these manly characteristics, if not take them away altogether. Whoever is too dense to understand this should just submit to the Wise Lawmaker.” (Zad al-Ma`ad, 4/80)
And Allah knows best. |
Imaam, can you please tell me if it is
impermissible to believe that there were dinosaurs on the earth before Adaam and Eve were
created? | Praise be to Allah.Allaah created Adam (peace be upon him) on a Friday, the sixth day
from the beginning of creation. Some texts mention what was created on the previous five
days, in brief and general terms, but as to the details of what was created, Allaah knows
best about that. Questions like this, on which no belief or deeds are to be based, are
just meaningless distractions that are of no benefit. Faith does not increase or decrease
according to whether one believes in dinosaurs or not. It was reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade us to occupy ourselves with things
that cause confusion and are not clear. We also know that people differ in their views as
to whether these dinosaurs existed or they are just figments of the imagination. And
Allaah knows best. |
If one has a student loan with riba that was taken before accepting Islam, is he/she obligated to repay this loan since riba is involved? JazakAllahu khairan. | Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, may
Allaah preserve him, who answered as follows:
It was reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) addressed the people on the day of ‘Arafaah, and said: “The riba of
the Jaahiliyyah is cancelled.” This was in spite of the fact that these contracts had
been made during the time of Jaahiliyyah and before the ruling on riba was established. If
it is possible for him not to pay the interest on the loan, then he should not pay it, but
he should not make a gain twice. The Muslim judge or leader should take the amount he was
supposed to pay in riba and give it in charity or put it in the bayl al-maal (Islamic
treasury).
Question:
You said, “he should not make a gain twice.” What does this
mean?
Answer:
The first gain was when he benefitted from the money that he took from
the bank, for example. The second gain is the interest which, if he does not pay it to the
bank, he will have made a second gain… But still, he should not pay it to the one who
loaned him the money on the basis of interest. For example, if he borrowed a million and
owes interest of one hundred thousand, do we say pay back the million and keep the hundred
thousand? No, we say pay back the million but do not give the hundred thousand to the
usurer, and do not keep it for yourself as a profit or gain… Put it in the bayt
al-maal or give it in charity. And Allaah knows best. |
I will inshaa'Allaah be travelling to
get married and the place where i am going has many ignorant people who follow bidah. can
i make adjustments to my conduct and saying to avoid fitna and to concentrate on more
fundemental issues. for example the people do not understand tawheed and i would rarther
talk about this then defend myself why i raise my hands or move my finger or other aspects
of the sunnah. | Praise be to Allah.Firstly, if you are doing an action which is proven to
be part of the Sunnah of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), it is
not right to say that you want to make some changes to it, because it is right and proper
in and of itself. But the reason behind your question seems to be that you want to keep
from doing it openly in front of some people for a specific purpose, or to avoid a
specific evil.
Secondly, talking about Tawheed and basic matters of aqeedah and
teaching people about these things among the people you describe, is undoubtedly more
important. Tawheed is the key to the call of the Messengers (peace be upon them) and the
first duty of the one who is accountable. It is the condition for all other deeds to be
accepted. If it is clear to you, or you believe it to be most likely that adhering to some
mustahabb actions, such as moving your finger etc., may cause confusion or fitnah, or
cause you trouble, or damage your reputation so that people are put off you and do not
listen to you, or distract the people you are addressing from what is more important, then
there is nothing wrong with not doing it for this reason in these circumstances. Allaah
knows best what your intention is, and that you are not giving it up out of negligence,
but in the interests of spreading Islam, so you will be rewarded for this, in sha Allah.
May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad. |
If Allah has ordained the
"rizk" for everyone then why do people die of starvation. | Praise be to Allah.Allaah is al-Razzaaq (the Provider) and the
best of those who give provision. “And no moving (living) creature is there on
earth but its provision is due from Allaah” [Hood 11:6 – interpretation of the
meaning]. The rizq (provision) of Allaah will not be brought by the carefulness of the
miser, nor will it be prevented by the hostility of one who does not want it to come to
another. It is part of the Wisdom of Allaah that He differentiates between His slaves in
their provision just as He differentiates between them in their physical creation and
their attitudes. So He gives in abundance to whomever He wills and gives little to
whomever He wills. He may give plenty to some people and little to others. He is the One
Who guarantees the provision of His slaves according to His prior knowledge and decree.
Allaah knows and decrees that some of His slaves will be given plenty and some will be
given little; He has reasons for that that are beyond our comprehension. In His wisdom, He
gives plenty or gives little as a test for His slaves, testing them with blessings or with
calamities, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“and We shall make a trial of you with evil and with
good” [al-Anbiya’ 21:35]
Allâh says (interpretation of the meaning):
“But when He tries him be straitening his means of
life, he says: ‘My Lord has humiliated me!” [al-Fajr 89:16]
But then Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Nay!”
[al-Fajr 89:16], meaning, it is not as he thinks; Allaah blesses whoever he wills and
makes things difficult for whomever He wills, and this is a test, not a sign of honour or
humiliation. By means of this test, it becomes apparent who is grateful and patient, and
who is the opposite. And Allaah is the Knower of all things. |
When I was a youngster I was sent to a Boarding School and
did hifz for a while. I left the hifz classes after completing four paras (juz). This was due to the fact that I could not manage school & hifz at the same time. I was 12-13 years old at the time and not baaligh yet.
Is it a sin that I have now, almost 20 years later, forgotten the 4 paras (juz)? People have said it is a very great sin and that I should learn and memorize it again?
I am confused. Please help! | Praise be to Allah.Undoubtedly forgetfulness is something that is natural in man, and man is only called insaan because of his forgetfulness (nasiy). Usually this varies from one person to another, according to the differences in the strength of the memory that Allaah has created in His slaves.
The Qur’aan “escapes” from the heart if the Muslim does not constantly and regularly review what he has memorized of it.
The reason for this may be that it is a test of people’s hearts, to show the difference between the one whose heart is attached to the Qur’aan and regularly recites it, and the one whose heart is attached to it only whilst memorizing it, then he loses interest and forgets it.
The reason may also be to give the Muslim a stronger motive to recite the Qur’aan more frequently so as to attain the immense reward for every letter that he recites. If it were the case that he could learn it and never forget it, he would not need to read it frequently and then he would miss out on the reward for reciting and reviewing it regularly. Fear of forgetting it will make you keen to recite it so as to gain more reward with your Lord. For every letter you recite you will have one hasanah, and the reward for one hasanah is ten like it.
The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) urged us to read Qur’aan regularly lest we forget it. He warned us against being negligent in this regard, as was stated in numerous ahaadeeth, including the following:
1-The hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The likeness of the one who memorizes the Qur’aan is that of the owner of a hobbled camel. If he tends to it regularly, he will keep it, but if he lets it go, he will lose it.” (al-Bukhaari, 5031).
It is well known that if a camel escapes and runs away, it cannot be recaptured except with a lot of stress and difficulty. Similarly, if the person who memorizes Qur’aan does not regularly review what he has memorized, he will lose it and will require a great deal of effort to get it back.
* Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said in al-Fath (9/79), in his commentary on this hadeeth: so long as one constantly reviews it, what one has memorized will remain, as is the case with a camel, if it remains hobbled, you will keep it. The camel was singled out here because it is the most likely of domesticated animals to run away, and if it does run away, recapturing it is very difficult.
2 – Muslim narrated in his Saheeh (no. 790 and 791) from Abu Moosa (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Read this Qur’aan regularly for, by the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, it is more likely to escape than a hobbled camel.”
3 – Al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah said: the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “It is not right for any one of you to say, ‘I have forgotten such and such.’ On the contrary, he has been made to forget. Try to review the Qur’aan, for it is more likely to escape from men’s hearts than camels.” (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, 5032).
Al-Haafiz said in al-Fath (9/81): Ibn Battaal said, This hadeeth is in accordance with the two aayahs (interpretation of the meanings):
‘Verily, We shall send down to you a weighty Word’ [al-Muzzammil 73:5]
and
‘And We have indeed made the Qur’ân easy to understand and remember’ [al-Qamar 54:17]
So whoever strives to memorize it and recite it regularly, it will be made easy for him, and whoever turns away from it, will lose it.
This is what encourages us to constantly review what we have memorized and to keep on reciting it, lest we forget it. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave this example because it is the best way to explain what he meant. He also confirmed it with his oath ‘by the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad’, to affirm the importance of constantly reciting the Qur’aan and reviewing what one has learned.
3 – With regard to the report that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The sins of my ummah were shown to me and there is no sin greater than that of a man who was given orwas helped to memorize a soorah or an aayah of the Qur’aan and then he forgot it.” This is a weak (da’eef) hadeeth which was classed as such by al-Bukhaari and al-Tirmidhi. See Takhreej Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh by al-Albaani, no. 720.
Imaam Ibn al-Munaadi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Mutashaabih al-Qur’aan (p. 52):
The Salaf were always afraid of forgetting Qur’aan after they had memorized it, because this was a shortcoming.
Al-Suyooti said in al-Itqaan (1/106):
Forgetting it is a major sin, as was stated by al-Nawawi in al-Rawdah and others, because of the hadeeth “I was shown the sins of my ummah…”
One of the best ways to help oneself to remember what one has memorized and to make it firmly-entrenched is to recite it in one’s salaah, especially in Qiyaam al-Layl. The Salaf used to recite it during the day and when praying Qiyaam al-Layl.
If you strive hard to review the Qur’aan regularly, there will be no sin on you even if you do forget some of it. The blame is on those who neglect it and fail to review it and read it regularly. We ask Allaah to forgive us.
O Allaah, make the Qur’aan the life of my heart, the light of my breast, a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety. O Allaah, teach us from it that which we do not know and remind us from it of that which we have forgotten, for You are the All-Hearing, All-Knowing. |
A woman gave birth in Ramadaan and did not make up her missed fasts after Ramadaan because she was worried about her nursing baby. Then she got pregnant and gave birth in the following Ramadaan. Is it permissible for her to give charity instead of fasting? | Praise be to Allah.What this woman has to do is to fast and make up the days she has missed, even if it is after the second Ramadaan, because she had an excuse not to make up the days she had missed between the first Ramadaan and the second. I wonder whether it will be too difficult for her to fast day after day in the winter even though she is still breastfeeding, but probably Allaah will give her the strength to make up the second Ramadaan. If she is not able to do that then it is OK for her to delay making it up until the second Ramadaan. |
Assalamu alikum. I understand that selling
haram things are probihibited. If I have a grocery store and I sell soaps, toothpastes etc
that contain haram or doubtful ingredients, shall I commit sin? Thanks. | Praise be to Allah.It is not permissible to sell them because when Allaah
forbids a thing He also forbids its price. Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with
them both) said: “The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: ‘Allaah has cursed the Jews because fat was forbidden to them, but they
sold it and took its price. When Allaah forbids something he also forbids its
price.’” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 2546).
With regard to doubtful things, it is better not to sell
them, so as to be free of any blame, as the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said. Al-Nu’maan ibn Basheer said: “I heard him saying, ‘I heard
the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “What is
permitted is clear and what is prohibited is clear, and between them are doubtful things
which many people do not know about. Whoever avoids doubtful things will be on the safe
side with regard to his religion and his honour, but whoever falls into doubtful things
will fall into haraam things.”’” (Reported by Muslim, 2996). And Allaah is the Source of Strength |
A patron at our library has asked for the
architecture and history of the Great Mosque in Mecca known as Masjid Al Haram. | Praise be to Allah.Al-Masjid al-Haraam (the Sacred Mosque) is situated in Makkah, a city
in the Arabian Peninsula 330 meters above sea-level. The history of the mosque goes back
to its founding at the time of Ibraaheem (Abraham) and his son Ismaa’eel (Ishmael),
peace be upon them both. Makkah is the place where the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was born and where the Revelation began, and from
which the light of Islam spread. Al-Masjid al-Haraam is located here. This is the first
mosque that was built for people on earth, as Allaah says in the Qur’aan
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, the first House (of worship) appointed for mankind was
that at Bakkah (Makkah), full of blessing, and a guidance for al-‘aalameen (mankind
and jinns).” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:96].
It was reported in Saheeh Muslim that Abu Dharr said: “I
asked the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about the first
mosque to be built for people on earth. He said, ‘Al-Masjid al-Haraam.’ I asked,
‘Then which?’ He said, ‘Al-Masjid al-Aqsaa [The Furthest Mosque, in
Jerusalem].’ I asked, ‘How long between them?’ He said, ‘Forty
years.’”
The Ka’bah – which is the direction of prayer for all Muslims
throughout the world – is situated roughly in the middle of al-Masjid al-Haraam. It
is a 15-meter high stone structure more or less in the shape of a cube. It was built by
Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) on the command of Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“And (remember) when We showed Ibraaheem the site of the
(Sacred) House (the Ka’bah at Makkah) (saying): ‘Associate not anything (in
worship) with Me, and sanctify My House for those who circumambulate it, and those who bow
and make prostration.” [al-Hajj 22:26]
The word “bawwa’naa” [translated here as “We
showed”] means “He guided him and gave him permission to build it.” (Tafseer
Ibn Katheer).
Allaah also says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And (remember) when Ibraaheem and (his son) Ismaa’eel
were raising the foundations of the House (the Ka’bah at Makkah)…”
[al-Baqarah 2:127]
Wahb ibn Munbih said: “… It was built by Ibraaheem, then
[rebuilt] by the Amalekites, then by Jurham, then by Qusayy ibn Kilaab. Its rebuilding by
Quraysh is well known… They began to rebuild it with the stones of the valley, which
Quraysh carried on their shoulders, and they built it up, 20 cubits high… Between the
rebuilding of the Ka’bah and the beginning of the Revelation there were five years,
and between the rebuilding and the Hijrah there were fifteen years. ‘Abd al-Razzaaq
reported from Mu’ammar from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Uthmaan from
Abu’l-Tufayl, and from Mu’ammar from al-Zuhri: ‘They were building it and
when they reached al-Rukn, Quraysh argued about which tribe should lift it up. Then they
said, “Let us ask the first person who comes from this direction to judge between
us.” They agreed on that, then the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) came to them, and he was a young man wearing a spotted sash. They
asked him to judge between them, and he told them to place al-Rukn on a piece of cloth,
then he told the chief of every tribe to hold the edge of the cloth, then he climbed up
and they lifted al-Rukn up to him, and he himself
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) put it into its place.” (Taareekh Makkah by al-Azraqi, 1/161-164)
Muslim (2374) reported that ‘Aa’ishah said:
“I asked the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about
al-Jadr [the wall] and whether it was part of the House [the Ka’bah]. He said,
‘Yes.’ I asked, ‘So why is it not incorporated into the House?’ He
said, ‘Your people ran out of money.’ I asked, ‘What about the door? Why is
it high up?’ He said, ‘Your people did that so they could let in whomever they
wanted and keep out whomever they wanted. If it were not for the fact that your people are
still new [in Islam] and too close to their Jaahiliyyah, and I am afraid that they would
resent it, I would think of incorporating al-Jadr into the House and bringing the door
down to ground level.’”
Before Islam (in the year in which the Prophet
(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) was born), the Ka’bah was subjected to an attack by the Ethiopian
Abrahah, who had built al-Qulays, a church to which he wanted the Arabs to make their
pilgrimage. He set out with his army, with whom was the elephant, and when they reached
Makkah, Allaah sent flocks of birds against them; each bird was carrying three stones like
chickpeas or lentils, one in its beak and two in its claws. Every man who was struck by a
stone was killed, so the army was destroyed, by the command of Allaah.
Allaah has mentioned this incident in His Book, where He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the Owners of the
Elephant? Did He not make their plot go astray?
And sent against them birds, in flocks,
Striking them with stones of Sijjeel,
And made them like an empty field of slaks (in which the corn has been
eaten up by cattle).” [al-Feel 105:1-5]
(See al-Seerah al-Nabawiyyah by Ibn Hishaam,
1/44-58).
There was no fence or wall around the Ka’bah until
it became necessary. Yaaqoot al-Hamawi said in Mu’jam al-Buldaan (5/146):
“The first one to build a wall around the Ka’bah was ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab
(may Allaah be pleased with him); there was no wall around it during the time of the
Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or Abu Bakr. [The wall was built]
because people were building their houses too close to the Ka’bah and making the
space around it too small for people. ‘Umar said: ‘The Ka’bah is the House
of Allaah, and a house needs a courtyard. You have encroached on its space, it has not
encroached on yours.’ So he bought those houses, demolished them and added that space
to the space around the Ka’bah. He also destroyed the houses of people in the
vicinity of the Ka’bah who had refused to sell, and kept the money aside for them
until they came and took it later on. He built a wall around the mosque, lower than the
height of a man, and lamps were placed on it. When ‘Uthmaan was khaleefah, he bought
more houses that were more expensive… It was said that ‘Uthmaan was the first
one to build porticos around it … When Ibn al-Zubayr was in power, he improved its
appearance, although he did not increase its size, by adding marble pillars, extra doors
and other improvements. When ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwaan was khaleefah, he added to the
wall of the mosque, and brought columns from Egypt by sea to Jeddah, which were carried
from Jeddah to Makkah on wheels. Al-Hajjaaj ibn Yoosuf commanded that the Ka’bah
should be covered in drapes (al-kiswah) and when al-Waleed ibn ‘Abd al-Malik was
khaleefah, he added to the adornment of the kiswah and spent money on improvements to the
drainage spout and roof… When al-Mansoor and his son al-Mahdi were khaleefahs, they
added more adornments to the mosque and improved its appearance.”
There are also other religious monuments in the Mosque, such as Maqaam
Ibraaheem (the Station of Ibraaheem), which is the rock on which Ibraaheem (peace be upon
him) stood whilst he was building the Ka’bah. There is also the Well of Zamzam, which
is a spring of water brought forth by Allaah for Haajar and her child Ismaa’eel
(peace be upon him) when he got thirsty. We should not forget either the Black Stone and
al-Rukn al-Yamaani, which are two of the precious stones of Paradise. Al-Tirmidhi and
Ahmad reported that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr said: “I heard the Messenger of
Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saying that the Rukn and the Maqaam
are two of the precious stones of Paradise, whose light has been extinguished by Allaah.
If He had not extinguished their light, it would illuminate everything between the East
and the West.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 804).
Near the Mosque are the two hills of al-Safa and
al-Marwah. One of the unique features of the Mosque is that it is the only mosque in the
world to which people come on pilgrimage (Hajj). Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“Verily! Al-Safa and al-Marwah are of the Symbols of Allaah. So
it is not a sin on him who performs Hajj or ‘Umrah (pilgrimage) of the House to
perform the going (tawaaf) between them. And whoever does good voluntarily, then verily,
Allaah is All-Recognizer, All-Knower.” [al-Baqarah 2:158]
Another of its unique features is that Allaah has made it safe, and
one prayer in it is equal to a hundred thousand prayers elsewhere. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“And (remember) when We made the House a place of resort for
mankind and a place of safety. And take you (people) the Maqaam (place) of Ibraaheem as a
place of prayer, and We commanded Ibraaheem and Ismaa’eel that they should purify My
House for those who are circumabulating it, or staying (I’tikaaf), or bowing or
prostrating themselves.” [al-Baqarah 2:125]
“In it are manifest signs (for example); the maqaam (place) of
Ibraaheem; whoever enters it, he attains security. And Hajj to the House is a duty that
mankind owes to Allaah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance,
provision and residence); and whoever disbelieves [i.e., denies Hajj, then he is a
disbeliever of Allaah], then Allaah stands not in need of any of the ‘aalameen
(mankind and jinns).” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:97]
(See Akhbaar Makkah by al-Azraqi and Akhbaar Makkah
by al-Faakihi).
And Allaah is the Source of Strength and the Guide to the Straight
Path. |
What are some ways that help to pray Qiyam Allayl or tahajjud (late night voluntary prayers)? | Praise be to Allah.There are many things that one can do to help oneself pray qiyaam
al-layl, among which are the following:
1 Being sincere towards Allaah, as He has commanded us to be
sincere towards Him and none other in our deeds. He tells us (interpretation of the
meaning): And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allaah, and
worship none but Him Alone [al-Bayyinah 98:5]. The more sincere a person
is towards Allaah, the more he will be guided and helped to obey Allaah and draw closer to
Him. Ubayy ibn Kab (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: Give glad tidings to this ummah (nation/community)of splendour, religion, high rank, victory and prevalence on earth. Whoever does the deeds of
the Hereafter to gain some worldly benefit, will have no share of the Hereafter. (Reported
by Ahmad. Saheeh al-Jaami, 2825). Mutarraf ibn
Abd-Allaah ibn al-Shakheer said: The goodness of a deed is related to the
goodness of the heart, and the goodness of the heart is related to the goodness of the
intention. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The degree to
which a person is helped and aided by Allaah depends on the degree of his intention,
drive, aim and hopes. Help from Allaah comes to people in proportion to their drive,
intention, hopes and fears, and failure comes to them in like manner.
Therefore the salaf (pious predecessors) were very keen to conceal their acts of worship
such as qiyaam al-layl. A man asked Tameem ibn Aws al-Daari (may Allaah be pleased with
him), How do you pray at night? He got very angry and said, By Allaah,
one rakah that I pray in secret in the small hours of the night is more beloved to
me than praying the whole night long and then telling people about it. Ayyoob
al-Sakhtiyaani used to spend the entire night in prayer, then when dawn approached, he
would go back to bed and lie down, and when dawn came, he would raise his voice as if he
had just woken up.
2 The person who wants to pray qiyaam al-layl should realize
that Allaah is calling him to qiyaam. When the slave realizes that his Master, Who has no
need of peoples worship, is calling him to do this, he will respond. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): O you wrapped in your garments (i.e., Prophet
Muhammad)! Stand (to pray) all night, except a little. Half of it, or a little less than
that, or a little more; and recite the Quraan (aloud) in a slow, (pleasant tone and)
style. [al-Muzzammil 73:1-4].
Sad ibn Hishaam ibn Aamir said to Aaishah (may
Allaah be pleased with her): Tell me about how the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed qiyaam. She said: Have you not read
Yaa ayyuhal-muzzammil (O you wrapped in your garments!)? He said,
Of course. She said: Allaah, may He be exalted and glorified, made
qiyaam obligatory at the beginning of this soorah, so the Prophet
(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) and his companions prayed qiyaam for a year, and Allaah withheld the
end of this soorah for twelve months, until He revealed something at the end of this
soorah to make things easier, so qiyaam al-layl became voluntary after it had been
obligatory. (Reported by Muslim).
3 Knowing the virtues of qiyaam al-layl. Whoever
knows the virtues of this act of worship will be keen to talk to Allaah, may He be
exalted, and to stand before Him at that time. Among the reports that describe the virtues
of this act of worship is the hadeeth (narration)of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), in
which the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: The best of
prayers after the prescribed prayers is prayer in the depths of the night, and the best of
fasting after the month of Ramadaan is fasting the month of Allaah, Muharram.
(reported by Muslim).
Abd-Allaah ibn Amr (may Allaah be pleased with them both)
reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: The
most beloved of prayer to Allaah is the prayer of Dawood, and the most beloved of fasts to
Allaah is the fast of Dawood. He used to sleep for half of the night, then get up and pray
for a third of the night, then sleep for a sixth of the night, and he used to fast every
other day. (Agreed upon).
Amr ibn Absah reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: The closest that the Lord is to
His slave is in the later part of the night, so if you can be one of those who remember
Allaah at that time, then do so. (Reported by al-Tirmidhi and al-Nisaa'i).
According to a hadeeth narrated by Ibn Masood (may Allaah be
pleased with him), the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
Our Lord admires two men: a man who leaves his mattress and cover, and slips away
from his wife and lover, to go and pray. Allaah says, O My angels, look at My slave.
He has left his mattress and cover and slipped away from his lover and wife to pray, out of hope for what is with Me and out of fear of what is with Me. (Reported by
Ahmad. It is a hasan (sound) report. Saheeh al-Targheeb, 258).
Qiyaam al-Layl expels forgetfulness from the heart, as
is stated in the hadeeth narrated by Abd-Allaah ibn Amr ibn al-Aas (may
Allaah be pleased with them both), in which the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: Whoever recites ten aayaat (verses)in qiyaam will not be recorded as one of
the forgetful. Whoever recites a hundred aayaat in qiyaam will be recorded as one of the
devout , and whoever prays a thousand aayaat in qiyaam will be recorded as one of the
muqantareen (those who pile up good deeds). (Reported by Abu Dawood
and Ibn Hibbaan. It is a hasan report. Saheeh al-Targheeb, 635).
Yahyaa ibn Muaadh said: The medicine of the
heart is five things: reading Quraan and pondering the meaning, having an empty
stomach, praying at night (qiyaam al-layl), beseeching Allaah at the time of suhoor, and
keeping company with righteous people.
4 Studying how the salaf and righteous people practised qiyaam
al-layl and adhered to it. The salaf used to enjoy qiyaam al-layl and rejoice greatly in
doing it. Abd-Allaah ibn Wahb said: Every type of pleasure is enjoyed only
once, except for acts of worship, which are enjoyed three times: when you do it, when you
remember it, and when you are given the reward for it.
Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir said: There is nothing left of the joys
of this life except three: qiyaam al-layl, meeting ones brothers in faith, and
praying in congregation.
Thaabit al-Banaani said: There is nothing I enjoy more than
qiyaam al-layl.
Yazeed al-Riqaashi said: A lot of tahajjud brings delight to the
worshippers, and a lot of thirst (i.e., fasting), brings joy when they meet Allaah.
Mukhallad ibn Husayn said: I never woke up at night except I saw
Ibraaheem ibn Adham remembering Allaah and praying, and this made me depressed, so I
consoled myself with this aayah (interpretation of the meaning): That is
the Grace of Allaah which He bestows on whom He pleases. And Allaah is the Owner of Great
Bounty [al-Hadeed 57:21].
Abu Aasim al-Nabeel said: Abu Haneefah used to be called
al-Watad (pole or pillar) because he prayed so much.
Al-Qaasim ibn Maeen said: Abu Haneefah spent an entire
night in qiyaam reciting this aayah (interpretation of the meaning): Nay, but the
Hour is their appointed time (for their full recompense), and the Hour will be more
grievous and more bitter [al-Qamar 54:46], repeating it and weeping, beseeching
Allaah until morning came.
Ibraaheem ibn Shammaas said: I used to see Ahmad ibn Hanbal
staying up at night to pray when he was a young man.
Abu Bakr al-Marwadhi said: I was with Imaam Ahmad for nearly four
months in the army, and he never stopped praying qiyaam at night or reading Quraan
during the day, and I never knew when he completed the Quraan, because he kept that
secret.
Imaam al-Bukhaari used to pray qiyaam and tahajjud at night until the
time of suhoor, and he would read between a half and a third of the Quraan, and
complete it at suhoor every third night.
Al-Allaamah Ibn Abd al-Haadi said, describing the qiyaam of
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah: At night he would keep away from people, and spend
that time only with his Lord, beseeching Him continually and reciting Quraan,
repeating different kinds of acts of worship by night and by day. When he began to pray,
his body would start to tremble, leaning to the left and right.
Ibn Rajab said concerning his shaykh Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim: He was
a man of worship, tahajjud and lengthy prayers. I have never seen his equal in worship and
knowledge of the Quraan, hadeeth and principles of faith.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said, describing his shaykh al-Haafiz
al-Iraaqi: I stayed with him, and I never saw him forsake qiyaam al-layl: it
was like a habit for him.
5 Sleeping on ones right side. The Prophet
(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught his ummah (followers)to sleep on their right sides, as is reported in the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said that
the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: When any one of you
goes to bed, let him clear his bed by hitting it with his garment, for he does not know
what may have come onto it. Then let him lie down on his right side, then let him say,
Bismika Rabbi wadatu janbi wa bika arfauhu. In amsakta nafsi
farhamhaa wa in arsaltahaa fahfazhaa bimaa tahfazu bihi ibaadaka al-saaliheen
(In Your Name, my Lord, I lay myself down and I get up again. If You take my soul, then
have mercy on it, and if You send it back to me, then protect it with that with which You
protect Your righteous slaves). (Agreed upon).
Al-Baraa ibn Aazib (may Allaah be pleased
with him) reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
When you want to go to bed, do wudoo as for prayer, then lie down on your
right side. (Agreed upon)
Hafsah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: When
the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went to bed, he would put his
right hand under his right cheek. (Reported by al-Tabaraani, Saheeh
al-Jaami, 4523).
Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
There is a reason for his lying on his right side, which is that the heart is
located on the left, so if a person lays on his left side, he will sleep too deeply,
because the hearts position will be too comfortable, but if he sleeps on his right
side, he will not be too settled, so he wont sleep deeply.
6 Sleeping in a state of tahaarah (purity). We have already
quoted the hadeeth of al-Baraa ibn Aazib (may Allaah be pleased with him), in
which the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, When you go to
bed, do wudoo as if for prayer. (Agreed upon).
Muaad ibn Jabal (may Allaah be pleased with him)
reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: There
is no Muslim who goes to sleep remembering Allaah and in a state of purity, and when he
turns over he asks Allaah for good in this world and the next, but it will be given to
him. (Reported by Abu Dawood and Ahmad. Saheeh al-Jaami, 5754).
Ibn Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both)
reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: Purify
these bodies and Allaah will purify you, for there is no slave who goes to sleep in a
state of purity but an angel spends the night with him, and every time he turns over, [the
angel] says, O Allaah, forgive Your slave, for he went to bed in a state of
purity. (Reported by al-Tabaraani. Al-Mundhiri said, its isnaad is
jaayid. Saheeh al-Jaami, 3831).
7 Going to sleep early. Sleeping straight after
Ishaa is the advice of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him), and a good and healthy habit. One of the ahaadeeth that describe its virtues was
narrated by Abu Barzah al-Aslami (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said that the
Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to prefer to delay
Ishaa, and he did not like to sleep before it or talk after it. (Reported
by al-Bukhaari).
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar reported that al-Qaadi Ayaad
said, concerning the phrase He did not like to sleep before it: Because
that could lead to one praying it too late, or delaying it until after the preferred time,
and talking after it could lead to one sleeping before Fajr and missing it, or missing
qiyaam al-layl.
Ibn Raafi said: Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be
pleased with him) used to wave his stick at the people when darkness fell, and would say,
Get up and go, may Allaah help you to pray qiyaam at night!
Another matter that has to do with sleep is choosing a suitable bed,
not one that is excessively luxurious or soft, because that makes a person sleep too much
and become negligent, and causes laziness and carelessness. Aaishah (may
Allaah be pleased with her) said: The pillow of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) on which he slept at night was made of leather stuffed with palm
fibres. (Reported by Abu Dawood and Ahmad. Saheeh al-Jaami,
4714).
Ibn Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him)
reported that Umar ibn al-Khattaab entered upon the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he was lying on a mat of palm fibres that had left
marks on his side. Umar said, O Messenger of Allaah, why do you not get
something more comfortable than this? He
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: What do I have to do with this world? My relationship with this world is
like that of a traveller on a hot summers day, who seeks shade under a tree for an
hour, then moves on. (Reported by Ahmad and al-Haakim. Saheeh
al-Jaami, 5545).
Ali ibn Bakkaar (may Allaah have mercy on him)
used to have a slave-woman who would spread out his bed for him, and he would touch it
with his hand and say: By Allaah, you are good, and by Allaah you are cool, but by
Allaah I will not rest on you tonight. Then he would get up and pray qiyaam until
Fajr.
Also, one should not sleep too much or too deeply. Ibraaheem ibn Adham
said: If you are sleeping at night, and running about during the day, and always
committing sin, how can you earn the pleasure of the One Who is directing your
affairs?
8 Having the habit of reciting adhkaar (words of remembrance of Allah) prescribed by
shareeah (Islamic law) before going to sleep, because these adhkaar are like a fortress which
protects a person from the Shaytaan, by the permission of Allaah, and helps him to get up
for qiyaam. Among these adhkaar is that mentioned in the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may
Allaah be pleased with him), who said that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: When any one of you goes to bed, let him clear his bed by hitting it
with his garment, for he does not know what may have come onto it. Then let him lie down
on his right side, then let him say, Bismika Rabbi wadatu janbi wa bika
arfauhu. In amsakta nafsi farhamhaa wa in arsaltahaa fahfazhaa bimaa tahfazu bihi
ibaadaka al-saaliheen (In Your Name, my Lord, I lay myself down and I get up
again. If You take my soul, then have mercy on it, and if You send it back to me, then
protect it with that with which You protect Your righteous slaves). (Agreed
upon).
Aaishah (may Allaah be pleased with her)
reported that when the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went to bed
each night, he would put his palms together, blow in them, and recite Qul huwa Allaahu
ahad, Qul aoodhu bi Rabbil-Falaq and Qul aoodhu bi
Rabbil-Naas, then he would wipe as much of his body as he could with his hands,
starting with his head and face, and the front of his body, doing this three times. (Agreed
upon).
Ibn Masood (may Allaah be pleased with him)
reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: Whoever
recites the last two aayahs of Soorat al-Baqarah, this will take care of him.
(Agreed upon).
Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that when the
Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went to bed, he would say: Al-hamdu
Lillaah illadhi atamanaa wa saqaanaa, wa kafaanaa fa kam mimman laa kaafeeya lahu wa
laa muweeya lahu (Praise be to Allaah Who has fed us and given us to drink, and
Who has given us enough, for how many are there who have no-one to suffice them or give
them refuge). (Reported by Muslim).
According to the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah in which he tells the story of
how he captured the Shaytaan, the Shaytaan said to him: When you go to bed, recite
Aayat al-Kursi, Allaah! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the
Ever-Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists [al-Baqarah
2:255 interpretation of the meaning] until the end of it, because it will bring
Allaahs protection for you, and no shaytaan (devil) will approach you until morning
comes. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) mentioned this to the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and he said, He spoke the truth even
though he is a liar. (Agreed upon).
Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with
him) reported that when the Prophets daughter Faatimah (may Allaah be pleased with
her) came to him and asked him for a servant, he
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said to her and Ali: Shall I not teach you something that will be better
for you than a servant? When you go to bed, say Subhaan Allaah
thirty-three times, al-hamdu Lillaah thirty-three times, and Allaahu
akbar thirty-four times. This is better for you than a servant. (Agreed
upon).
Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him)
reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: Recite Qul
yaa ayyuhal-kaafiroon when you go to sleep, for it is a renunciation of
shirk. (polytheism) (Reported by al-Bayhaqi. Saheeh al-Jaami, 1172).
Hafsah (may Allaah be pleased with her) reported that
when the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went to bed, he would put
his right hand under his right cheek and say: Rabbi qinee adhaabaka yawma
tabathu ibaadaka (My Lord, save me from Your punishment on the Day when
You resurrect Your slaves). (Reported by Abu Dawood, Saheeh
al-Jaami, 4532).
Al-Baraa ibn Aazib (may Allaah be pleased
with him) reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
When you go to bed, do wudoo as if for prayer, then lie down on your right
side, then say: Allaahummah aslamtu nafsi ilayk, wa wajahtu wajhi ilayk, wa
fawwadtu amri ilayk, wa aljatu zahri ilayk, raghbatan wa rahbatan ilayk, laa
maljaa wa laa manjaa minka illa ilayk. Aamantu bi kitaabik alladhi anzalt, wa bi
nabiyyik alladhi arsalt (O Allaah, I submit myself to You, I turn my face to You, I
delegate my affairs to You and I rely totally on You, out of fear and hope of You. There
is no refuge or sanctuary from You except in You. I believe in Your Book which You have
revealed and in Your Prophet whom You have sent). Then if you die, you will have
died on the fitrah, (natural state) , so make these the last words you speak.” (Agreed upon).
Similarly, the Muslim should have the habit of reciting
adhkaar prescribed by shareeah when waking up, such as that reported by Abu
Hurayrah, who said that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
When any one of you wakes up, he should say: Al-hamdu Lillaah illadhi radda
alayya roohi, wa aafaani fi jasadi wa adhina li bi dhikrihi (Praise be to
Allaah Who has restored my soul, given health to my body, and allowed me to remember
Him). (Reported by al-Tirmidhi and al-Nisaa'i, Saheeh al-Jaami,
326).
Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit (may Allaah be pleased with
him) reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
Whoever turns over at night and says Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa
shareeka lah, lahul-mulk wa lahul-hamd wa huwa al kulli
shayin qadeer. Al-hamdulillahi, subhaan Allaah wa laa illaaha ill-Allaah wa Allaahu
akbar wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah (There is no god but Allaah Alone, with
no partner or associate. His is the Dominion and the Praise, and He is Able to do all
things. Praise be to Allaah, glory be to Allaah. There is no god except Allaah, Allaah is
Most Great and there is no strength and no power except in Allaah), then says,
Allaahumma ghfir li (O Allaah, forgive me), or some other
duaa, it will be answered, and if he does wudoo and then prays, his
prayer will be accepted. (Reported by al-Bukhaari)
Imaam Ibn Battaal said: Allaah has promised
through His Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that whoever wakes up
from his sleep pronouncing words of Tawheed, submitting to His sovereignty, recognizing
His blessings by praising Him, exalting Him above that which does not befit Him by
glorifying Him (saying Subhaan Allaah), submitting to Him by magnifying
Him (saying Allaahu akbar) and admitting ones utter dependence
upon His help, then if he makes duaa it will be answered, and if he prays his
prayer will be accepted. Everyone who hears this hadeeth should apply it and make the most
of it, and make his intention sincerely for his Lord, may He be glorified and
exalted.
Al-Baraa ibn Aazib (may Allaah be pleased with them both)
said: When the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) woke up, he
would say: Al-hamdu Lillaah illadhi ahyaanaa bada maa amaatanaa wa ilayhi
al-nushoor (Praise be to Allaah Who has brought us back to life after having caused us
to die, and unto Him is the resurrection). (Reported by Muslim).
Ibn Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both)
reported that when the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) woke up he
would wipe the sleep from his face with his hand, then look at the sky and recite the
final ten aayaat of Soorat Aal Imran: Verily, in the creation of the
heavens and the earth [Aal Imraan 3:190 interpretation of the
meaning]. (Reported by Muslim)
Imaam al-Nawawi said: This indicates that it is
mustahabb (recommended) to wipe away the traces of sleep from ones face, and to recite these
aayaat when getting up from sleep.
9 Being keen to take a nap or siesta during the day, whether
before zuhr or after. Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: Take a nap, for the shayaateen do
not take naps. (Reported by al-Tabaraani. Al-Saheehah, 2647).
Ishaaq ibn Abd-Allaah said: Taking a nap is
one of the deeds of good people. It revitalizes the heart and helps one to pray qiyaam
al-layl.
Al-Hasan al-Basri passed by a group of people in the marketplace in the
middle of the day, and heard the racket they were making. He said, Do these people
take a nap? It was said to him, No. He said, I think their nights
must be bad.
10 Avoiding eating or drinking too much. Eating and drinking too
much are two of the main obstacles that prevent people from praying qiyaam al-layl.
Al-Miqdaam ibn Mad Yakrib (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: Man fills no vessel worse than his
stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to have a few mouthfuls to give him the
strength he needs. If he has to fill his stomach, then let him leave one-third for food,
one-third for drink and one-third for air. (Reported by al-Tirmidhi and Ibn
Maajah. Saheeh al-Jaami, 5674).
Abu Juhayfah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported
that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to a man who burped in
his presence: Stop your burping, for the people who eat the most in this life will
be the most hungry on the Day of Resurrection. (Reported by al-Haakim.
Saheeh al-Jaami, 1190).
Sufyaan al-Thawri said: You should eat little, so
that you will be able to pray qiyaam al-layl.
Maqal ibn Habeeb saw some people eating a lot, and said, I
do not think that our companions want to pray qiyaam al-layl.
Wahb ibn Munabbih said: There is no son of Adam dearer to his
shaytaan than the one who eats and sleeps a lot.
11 Striving against oneself to pray qiyaam al-layl. This is one
of the best means of helping oneself to pray qiyaam, because human nature is inclined
towards wrongdoing, so the one who follows his own inclinations will be led to doom and
destruction. Allaah has commanded us to strive against our own selves, as He says
(interpretation of the meanings):
And strive hard in Allaahs Cause as you ought to
strive [al-Hajj 22:78]
And as for those who strive hard in Our Cause, We will surely
guide them to Our Paths. And verily, Allaah is with the muhsinoon (good-doers).
[al-Ankaboot 29:69]
Their sides forsake their beds, to invoke their Lord in fear and
hope, and they spend (charity in Allaahs Cause) out of what We have bestowed on
them [al-Sajdah 32:16]
Fadaalah ibn Ubayd (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that
the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: The mujaahid (warrior) is the one who strives against his own self for the sake of Allaah. (Reported by
al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibbaan. Al-Saheehah, 549).
According to the hadeeth of Uqbah ibn Aamir
(may Allaah be pleased with him), the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: When a man from my ummah gets up to pray at night, striving against his own
self to get up and purify himself, there are knots on him. When he washes his hands in
wudoo, one knot is undone. When he washes his face, another knot is undone. When he
wipes his head another knot is undone. When he washes his feet, another knot is undone.
Then Allaah says to those who are veiled (in the Unseen): Look at this slave of
Mine, he is striving against his own self and asking of Me. Whatever My slave asks of Me
shall be his. (Reported by Ahmad and Ibn Hibaan. Saheeh al-Targheeb,
627).
Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir said: I struggled against
my own self for forty years until it became right. Thaabit al-Banaani said: I
struggled for twenty years to make myself pray qiyaam al-layl, and I enjoyed it (qiyaam
al-layl) for twenty years. Umar ibn Abd al-Azeez said: The
best of deeds are those which we force ourselves to do. Abd-Allaah ibn
al-Mubaarak said: The souls of righteous people in the past used to push them to do
good deeds, but our souls do not do what we want them to do except by force, so we have to
force them. Qutaadah said: O son of Adam, if you do not want to do any good
except when you have the energy for it, then your nature is more inclined towards boredom
and laziness. The true believer is the one who pushes himself.
12 Avoiding sin. If the Muslim wants to be one of those who earn
the honour of speaking to Allaah in the depths of the night, let him beware of sin, for
the one who is contaminated with the stain of sin will not be helped to pray qiyaam
al-layl. A man said to Ibraaheem ibn Adham, I cannot pray qiyaam al-layl, so tell me
the cure for this. He said, Do not commit sin during the day, and He will help
you to stand before Him at night, for your standing before Him at night is one of the
greatest honours, and the sinner does not deserve that honour.
A man said to al-Hasan al-Basri: O Abu Saeed, I sleep
in good health, and I love to pray qiyaam al-layl, and I prepare water with which to
purify myself, so why can I not get up? Al-Hasan said: Your sins are
restricting you. He said, may Allaah have mercy on him, The slave who commits
a sin will be denied the opportunity to pray qiyaam at night and to fast during the
day.
Al-Fudayl ibn Ayaad said: If you cannot pray qiyaam
al-layl, or fast during the day, know that you are indeed deprived and restricted, chained
by your sins.
13 Checking oneself and rebuking oneself for not praying qiyaam
al-layl. Checking oneself is one of the signs of the righteous and truthful. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): O you who believe! Fear Allaah and keep your
duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the morrow, and fear
Allaah. Verily, Allaah is All-Aware of what you do. [al-Hashr 59:18].
Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim said: If the slave is responsible and
accountable for everything, even his hearing, sight and innermost thoughts, as Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning), Verily, the hearing, and the sight, and
the heart of each of you will be questioned by Allaah [al-Isra 17:36],
then he should check on himself before he is brought to account.
Qiyaam al-layl is an act of worship that connects the heart to Allaah,
may He be exalted, and enables it to overcome the temptations of life and to strive
against ones own self, at the time when voices are stilled, eyes are closed in
sleep, and sleepers are tossing and turning in their beds. Therefore qiyaam al-layl is one
of the measures of sincere determination and one of the qualities of those who have great
ambitions. Allaah has praised them and distinguished them from others in the Quraan,
where He says (interpretation of the meaning): Is one who is obedient to Allaah,
prostrating himself or standing (in prayer) during the hours of the night, fearing the
Hereafter and hoping for the Mercy of his Lord (like one who disbelieves)? Say: Are
those who know equal to those who know not? It is only men of understanding who
will remember. [al-Zumar 39:9]
Qiyaam al-layl is sunnah muakkadah (confirmed
Sunnah), which the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) urged us to do
when he said, You should pray qiyaam al-layl, for it is the habit of the righteous
people who came before you, and it will bring you closer to your Lord, expiate for bad
deeds, prevent sin, and expel disease from the body. (Reported by al-Tirmidhi
and Ahmad).
According to a hadeeth, the Prophet
(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: The best of prayers after the prescribed
prayers is qiyaam al-layl. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
always had the habit of praying qiyaam al-layl, and never gave it up, whether he was
travelling or staying at home. Even though he, among all the sons of Adam, would be the
one to have all his past and future sins forgiven, he prayed qiyaam al-layl until his feet
became swollen, and when he was asked about that, he said, Should I not be a
grateful slave? (Agreed upon).
This is how the noble salaf were, may Allaah have mercy
upon them. Abul-Darda (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: Pray two
rakahs in the darkness of the night for the darkness of the grave. Ahmad ibn
Harb said: I am astonished at people who know that the delights of Paradise lie
above them and the horrors of Hell lie beneath them. How can they sleep in between
them?
When Umar ibn Dharr saw that night had come, he would say:
Night has come, and night has dignity, and Allaah is most deserving of
reverence.
For this reason, al-Fudayl ibn Ayaad said: I met some
people who feel ashamed before Allaah to sleep for too long in the depths of the night.
Such a person may be resting on his side, and when he moves, he says to himself,
This is not your right. Get up and take your share of the Hereafter.
Al-Hasan said: We do not know of any deed more difficult than the
struggle to stay up at night or to spend money. It was said to him, Why do the
mutahajjadeen (those who pray Tahajjud at night) have the most beautiful faces? He
said, Because they spend time alone with the Most Merciful, so He adorns them with
some of His light.
The women of the salaf also used to strive to pray qiyaam al-layl with
energy and determination. Where are the women of our own age when it comes to such great
deeds? Urwah ibn al-Zubayr said: I came to Aaishah (may Allaah be
pleased with her) one day to greet her, and I found her praying and reciting the aayah
(interpretation of the meaning), But Allaah has been gracious to us, and has
saved us from the torment of the Fire [al-Toor 52:27], repeating it and weeping.
I waited for her, but I got bored of waiting, so I went to the market for some things I
needed, then I came back to Aaishah, and she was still praying and reciting
this aayah and weeping.
Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the
Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: Jibreel said to me,
Go back to Hafsah, for she fasts a lot and prays a lot at night (qiyaam
al-layl). (Reported by al-Haakim, Saheeh al-Jaami, 4227).
Muaadhah al-Adawiyyah, one of the righteous
Taabiaat (successors of the companions of the Prophet) spent her wedding night, along with her husband Silah ibn Ashyam, praying
until Fajr. When her husband and son were killed in the land of jihaad (battle), she would spend the whole night in prayer, worshipping and beseeching Allaah, and she would sleep during
the day. If she felt sleepy whilst she was praying at night, she would tell herself:
O soul, there is plenty of sleep ahead of you.
When Habeebah al-Adawiyyah prayed Ishaa, she would
stand on the roof of her house, wearing her chemise and khimaar (i.e., covered in proper
Islamic dress), then she would say, O my God, the stars have come out, people have
gone to sleep, and kings have closed their doors, but Your door is open. Every lover is
alone with his lover, but here I am standing before You. Then she would start to
pray and talk to her Lord until the time of suhoor. When the time of suhoor came, she
would say, O Allaah, this night is ending, the day is coming, and I wish I knew
whether you have accepted this night (of worship) from me, so that I could congratulate
myself, or if it has been rejected, so that I might console myself.
Amrah, the wife of Habeeb al-Ajami, prayed qiyaam al-layl
one night whilst her husband was asleep. When the time for suhoor came, and her husband
was still asleep, she woke him up and said to him, Get up, my master, for the night
has gone, the day has come and ahead of you lies a long road with little provision, and a
small group of righteous people who have gone before us, and we are still here.
We ask Allaah to help us to remember Him, to thank Him and to worship
Him properly. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad. |
Is it a bid'ah to yell "takbeer"
or "tasbeeh" everytime you have som good news in a masjid so that the
congregation can chant in a group? | Praise be to Allah.When the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) heard something that pleased him, he would say: Allaahu akbar, Allaahumma la
aysha ila aysh al-aakhirah (Allaah is most great, O Allaah, there is no
real life except the life of the Hereafter). (Narrated by Ahmad). So it is permissible for a man to say Allaahu akbar when he sees
something that makes him glad, and he can raise his voice, without going to extremes. But
congergational Takbeer, where everyone starts and ends at the same time, is not prescribed
in Islam, because there is no report to indicate that. But if one person says Takbeer,
then another and another joins in, and they happen to say it at the same time, without
prior agreement, then there is nothing wrong with this. They can also prostrate (sajdat
al-shukr the prostration of thanksgiving) if it is a serious matter. And Allaah is
the Source of help. |
My husband is a strict follower of the
Shafi'ee madhab, while I prefer to choose the fatwa which my mind tells me is based on
stronger daleel no matter what the origin of the school is, whenever there is a difference
between the well-known madhabs. My husband tells me that I don't have the right to do this
since I am not a scholar myself. Is he right?Please reply if at all possible, because there has been a lot of tension
in my household because of this. | Praise be to Allah.In order to answer this question, we must shed light on
three things:
we must point out the importance of avoiding sectarianism in following
any school of thought, whether it has to do with fiqh, thought or anything else. We should
get into the habit of following the Quraan and Sunnah and letting them be our guide.
There is such a thing as the inclination to follow one of the opinions
of the fuqaha, not on the basis of Tarjeeh (weighing and comparing evidence) but
because of a desire to follow the easiest way or because it suits one's own desires. A
person may find some justification for motives that he thinks are correct, and does not
realize they are wrong until later on. Therefore one should only select or give preference
to an opinion either by studying the matter and examining the evidence and proofs offered
by all sides, which should be done by one who has sound knowledge, or else by following a
scholar who is well known to be knowledgeable, religious, pious and righteous, so that one
feels confident of his sincerity and wide knowledge.
Keeping the peace in the marital home is more important than disputing
as to whose opinion or madhhab should prevail, so long as the issue in question is one in
which differences of opinion are permissible and every opinion has some grounds for
validity. At the same time, it should be pointed out to the husband, gently and calmly,
that it is important to base ones opinions on sound evidence, and that not every
scholarly opinion or madhhab is always correct. The scholars themselves said that their
opinions should be discounted if they contradicted well known evidence, as
al-Shaafai said: If my opinion contradicts a hadeeth of the Messenger of
Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), cast it aside (lit. throw it against
the wall).
If you and your husband are not students of shareeah with a firm
grounding of knowledge, then you have to refer to one of the scholars and follow his
opinions. If you agree on a scholar you can both refer to him, and if your husband chooses
someone according to what he thinks is best and you choose someone else, there is nothing
wrong with that. Each of you can follow his or her scholar in matters that do not affect
the other, but in matters where the husband has authority or responsibility, the opinion
of the scholar whom your husband is following should prevail. And Allaah knows best. |
My question is very embarrassing but
there is nobody I can ask about this.
My husband is good and pious, and
I have no reason not to trust him, but he is not giving me my rights in bed. Is it
permissible for me to ask him for a divorce, or will I be one of those who will not smell
the fragrance of Paradise? | Praise be to Allah.If a husband is fulfilling his Islamic duties towards his wife, it is
not permissible for her to ask him for a divorce, because the Prophet
(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If any woman asks her husband for a divorce
for no compelling reason, she will be deprived of the fragrance of Paradise.” (Reported
by Imaam Ahmad, 21874, and Ibn Maajah, 2055). The meaning of the phrase
“for no compelling reason” is anything that gives her a strong motive for
seeking divorce. (Sharh Ibn Maajah ‘ala al-Sanadi).
As for intercourse in bed, if the wife’s demands
are greater than what is normal, it is not permissible for her to seek a divorce (the word
“normal” refers to what is usual, such as once a week or once every ten days and
so on, and people vary in their capacity in this regard). For more information, please see
Question # 1078.
If the husband has some defect or sickness that prevents him from
having intercourse (i.e., he is impotent), then it is permissible for his wife to ask for
a divorce. And Allaah knows best. |
I have a VERY important and urgent question. I would really like a DETAILED answer as your answer could change my life !!!
Mail me if you want more information.
Please be patient with the length of my question as I believe the more I inform you the better you can answer the question.
I live in the West and I was born in a Muslim family. From my early teenage years I became active in Islam. Even from a young age I believed in Islam and I even wondered how people went to sleep without praying !!
I'm now much older and I have changed completely. My belief in Islam and even in Allah has disappeared. Basically I have become an outright hypocrite of the worst kind. I stay away from women but not pornography. I am prepared and trying to give that up and that maybe the cause of my fall but I've noticed that it's too late, as this is now a branch of the problem and not the root as the root of the problem is my belief in Allah and Islam.
Sometimes I believe I am crazy as I continuosly have erroneous thoughts about God, where I came from, Islam, right and wrong, etc.. I seem to be fighting between belief and disbelief, especially during prayer.
I have not abandoned prayer, etc, but it really does not benefit me any more. If you meet me you'll think I'm practicing from my appearance and speech, etc, I go to the mosque, I fast, but really I'm a true hypocrite whom no one knows. I cannot go on like this.
I actually actively give Dawah aswell to non-muslims but in my heart I really disbelieve, so why am I doing this ??? But when I directly discuss Allah it hurts me due to my confusion as I have lost my belief and find it hard to fake belief at times !!! | Praise be to Allah.You should know, my brother, that the most essential thing for any
person is his commitment to Islam and his faith, and he will not be harmed by whatever he
misses out on of worldly things if Allaah keeps his religion safe. Allaah is the King of
kings and is the One Who moves the heart; He Alone is the One Who strengthens the heart
and makes it steadfast. For this reason I advise you, my brother, to turn to Allaah, for
He is a loving and merciful Lord Who is Compassionate towards His slaves. If you turn to
Him sincerely and pray with true longing and ask Him to strengthen your faith and protect
you from the evil of the whispers of your own soul and of the Shaytaan, then Allaah is
Close and responds to the prayers of those who call on Him. Do not forget this important
fact, for it is a source of relief and a way out from your problem, in sha Allaah. I would
also like to remind you of the virtues of reading Quraan and reciting a lot of
duaas, morning and evening, for this will have a great effect in bringing
peace and comfort to your heart.
Avoid the things that will make you feel far away from Allaah and bring
you closer to the Shaytaan and his whispers. One of these things is what you mention in
your question, namely looking at pornography and so on, because if a person persists in
sin, it piles up in his heart until it is overwhelmed with darkness and is not affected by
any exhortation or preaching. So hasten to repent from this sin and others, and fulfil the
conditions of repentance properly. We also advise you to avoid sitting with bad company
and in gatherings that could increase your confusion or provoke your desires; look for
good people and keep company with them, because a man will be on the religion of his
friend.
It seems from your question that you are suffering from a specific
psychological problem, either financial or social or otherwise, and this is having an
effect on this waswaas (insinuating thoughts from Shaytaan) that you are suffering. If
this is indeed the case, we advise you to treat this problem quickly, because this may be
a way of dealing with what you are suffering from. We will help you as much as we can, in
sha Allaah.
What you are going through might be a kind of depression or anxiety, for
one reason or another. You know that Allaah has not created a disease without also
creating the cure. It is known that there are medicines that may be of help, by the grace
of Allaah, in treating this kind of sickness. So ask about this kind of medication from a
psychiatrist. |
AsSalaam ALaik, Who leads the prayer between husband and wife if the wife knows much more
of the Quran than the man ?The one who knows more Quran leads ?
Or the man leads ?
Please let me know ASAP. Jazakallahu Khairan. | Praise be to Allah.Ibn Hazam (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his book Al-Muhallaa
bi’l-Aathaar, 317:
“… It is not permissible for a woman to lead a man or men in
prayer, and there is no dispute on this matter. Also, it has been reported that a woman
invalidates a man’s prayer if she passes in front of him, which we will discuss
further in a later chapter, in sha Allaah. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) also said, “The imaam is a protection (or a shield),” and ruled that
(women) should definitely be behind men in prayer. The imaam should stand in front of the
congregation or with them in the same row, as we have already mentioned. From these texts
it is clear that it is not correct for a woman to lead a man or men in prayers.” (al-Muhallaa,
part 2, Salaat al-Jamaa’ah).
‘Ali ibn Sulaymaan al-Mardaawi al-Hanbali (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said: “With regard to his saying ‘It is not right for
a woman to lead a man in prayer’, and this applies whatever the case.” (Al-Insaaf,
part 2, Baab Salaat al-Jamaa’ah).
And Allaah knows best. |
Is it forbidden to use
contraception for two years at the beginning of marriage by mutual consent and until both
parties are certain that the marriage will continue? | Praise be to Allah.This question was put to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen,
who answered as follows:
“This is not forbidden, but it is better not to do this, and to be
optimistic and think positively of Allaah [i.e., put one’s trust in Him that the
marriage will succeed].”
Having a child might bring the couple together and create deeper ties
between them, and bring them both great joy. And Allaah is the Source of strength. |
If I forgot to say Adhkar as-sabah (words of remembrance for the morning) before sunrise, is it acceptable if I say them whenever I wake up? | Praise be to Allah.
Adhkar al-sabah (supplications recited in the morning) are not connected
only to the time when the sun rises; in Arabic the word subh (morning)
applies to dawn and the first part of the day, as is stated in al-Qamoos
al-Muheet, 291
[a famous Arabic language dictionary – Translator].
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“… and celebrate the praises of your Lord in the evening and in the
morning.”
[Ghafir 40:55 – Yusuf ‘Ali’s translation]
Ibn Katheer said in his Tafseer (exegesis) (4/86) that this means in
the early part of the day and in the early part of the night. But the best
time of the day for making dhikr (reciting words of remembrance) is after
the dawn prayer, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“… and glorify the praises of your Lord before the rising of the sun, and
before its setting…”
[Taha 20:130]
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever
prays Fajr in congregation, then sits and remembers Allah (makes dhikr)
until the sun rises, then prays two rak’ahs (units of prayer), will have a
reward like that for Hajj and ‘Umrah (major and minor Pilgrimage), complete,
complete, complete.” (Saheeh al-Jami’, 6222).
Based on the above, this is how we understand the reports narrated on this
topic, such as the hadeeths (narrations):
“Whoever says, in the morning and the evening, ‘Subhan Allahi wa bi
hamdih (Glory and praise be to Allah)’ one hundred times, will not come
with anything better than it on the Day of Resurrection, except for one who
does likewise or does more.”
(Reported by Muslim, 2692).
“Allahumma bika asbahna wa bika amsayna wa bika nahya wa bika namoot wa
ilayka al-nushoor (O Allah, by Your blessings we reach the morning, by
Your blessings we reach the evening, by Your blessings we live, by Your
blessings we die, and unto You is the Resurrection).”
(Reported by Abu Dawood in al-Sunan, no. (5068); al-Nasai
in al-Sunan al-Kubra (9836). Al-Albani said it is a saheeh hadeeth/authentic
narration).
Therefore, you can say adhkar al-sabah when you wake up from sleeping,
because it is still the time of subh (morning). And Allah is the Source of
strength.
Note:
Muslim reported in his Saheeh (no. 747) that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever sleeps without doing his
regular dhikr or part of it, then recites it during the time between the
Fajr prayer and Zuhr prayer, it will be recorded as if he had recited it at
night.”
In Sharh Muslim (6/27), al-Nawawi said:
“This indicates that it is mustahabb (liked, preferred), to recite awrad (dhikr,
supplications) regularly, and that if one misses it, one can make it up
later.”
In ‘Awn al-Ma’bood (4/198) it says: “This hadeeth indicates that it
is permissible to recite wird regularly at night, and that it is
permissible to make it up if one misses it because of sleeping or any other
reason. It also indicates that the one who does this between the Fajr prayer
and Zuhr prayer is like the one who does it at night, so it is mustahabb to
make up tahajjud if one misses it at night.”
And Allah knows best. |
I married and later on I discovered my wife
has psychological problem. Her other sister are ok. They only agree to have MEHR_Missal at
that time (as I do not about her problem). I already give her MEHR.
Under such condition what MEHR suppose to be. I feel is a total fraud.
Is Mehr suppose to be justified again?
Although, I am on terrible road of marriage life.
It is probably possible that (if there is a separation) she can use that same MEHR money
against me by hiring good lawyer and get most out of the USA law (against me). What I can
do in this situation?
Jazakallah Khair! | Praise be to Allah.Refer to a sharee’ah judge (qaadi) if there is any
qaadi there. If not, then if the man has consummated the marriage with the woman, the mahr
must be given to her because of having had intercourse with her. As for this sickness, if
it prevented him from consummating the marriage or put him off from doing that properly,
then whatever was paid to the one who tricked him into this marriage should give it back,
if he was tricked. If that is not the case, then he does not deserve anything because he
did not ask enough questions and find out information properly. |
What is the structure of the Islam social class?
How does it work? And to what extent does it exist? | Praise be to Allah.Human societies have known all kinds of class systems.
In some societies there is a class of princes, a class of warriors, a class of farmers and
a class of slaves, and based on this there is a lot of oppression, abuse and trampling on
people’s rights. But the sharee’ah or law of Allaah does not recognize such
systems at all. Islam gives equal rights to all, rich and poor, noble and ignoble. The
basic principle on which people are differentiated in Islam is mentioned in the Holy
Qur’aan, in Soorat al-Hujuraat (interpretation of the meaning):
“O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and
made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most
honourable of you with Allaah is that (believer) who has al-taqwa [i.e., is one of the
muttaqoon or pious]. Verily, Allaah is All-Knowing, All-Aware”
[al-Hujuraat 49:13]
The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “O
people! Verily your Lord is One and your father [Adam] is one. An Arab is no better than a
non-Arab, and a non-Arab is no better than an Arab; a red man is no better than a black
man and a black man is no better than a red man – except if it is in terms of taqwa
(piety)…” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 22391; al-Silsilat al-Saheeh,
2700).
This is the principle on which society is based in
Islam. This is the global human society which mankind is trying to attain through its
far-fetched ideas, but is failing to do so, because they are not following the one
straight path that will lead them there, the way to God, may He be glorified, and because
they are not standing under the one banner that could unite them, the banner of God, may
He be exalted.
People live on this earth connected by all kinds of relationships, all
of which carry some weight or have some attraction in their lives… these include
lineage, power, wealth, etc. From these stem other connections, practical, economic, etc.,
where people have different positions and levels of status with regard to one another. So
some people have more status than others in worldly terms… Then Islam comes and says:
“the most honourable of you with Allaah [God] is that (believer) who has al-taqwa
[i.e., is one of the muttaqoon or pious]” so it ignores all the values that carry
weight in people’s lives, and replaces them all with this new value that is derived
directly from the Revelation and is the only one that is recognized in the standards of
God. This is piety and consciousness of God, which is manifested in the worship of God
lone, with no partner, no son, no equal… obeying what He commands and avoiding what
He forbids, seeking His pleasure and Paradise, and fearing His punishment and Hell-fire.
Allaah is All-Seer of His slaves. |
A Muslim couple expecting their first child soon would like to preserve the afterbirth (placenta and fetal membranes), which has been found to cure certain forms of cancer. Is this lawful in Islam? | Praise be to Allah.We put the following question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-‘Uthaymeen:
Question:
What is the ruling on keeping the placenta to treat cancer and remove
facial wrinkles?
He replied as follows:
It seems that there is nothing wrong with it so long as there is proof
that it is an effective treatment.
Question: does the rule that whatever is taken from a living being is
dead apply in this case?
Answer: dead matter of human origin is taahir (pure).
Question: and if it is of no use, should it be buried, or can it be
disposed of in any place?
Answer: it seems that it is the same as nails and hair.
And Allaah knows best. |
I am a 27 year old Muslim. I have liked a
Muslim girl for the past 10 years. I told my parents about my likeness towards her and
wanted them to ask for her hand in her marriage. They completely refused since she had a
different family back ground. For almost 8 years I tried to convince my parents for the
girl I liked but they never seemed to agree. I always could never decide between my
parents and the person I loved. Finally nine months ago I got married to her with her
parents consent but without my parents knowledge. They still do not know about my
marriage, but recently they suddenly had a change of hearts for my wife. They have
developed the liking toward her not knowing that she is my wife. They want us to get
married now not knowing that we are married. I want to tell them about my marriage but my
father is a heart patient and I am not sure how he would take it after I break the news.
I wanted to know if it is valid that I still keep my first marriage hidden from my parents
and just get remarried to my wife. Please Comment.
May Allah guides us All to the right path. | Praise be to Allah.We put the following question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn
Saalih al-Uthaymeen:
One of the Sunnahs with regard to marriage is that it should be
announced publicly, with beating on the daff or hand-drum (i.e., celebrations), so
as to distinguish it from fornication, which usually happens in secret. If the marriage
contract has been drawn up in accordance with all the requisite conditions, then it is
valid even if the family does not accept it. The issue of kafaaah or
compatibility has to do with religious commitment, as Allaah has explained in His Book. A
Muslim man can marry a Muslim woman, or a woman of the People of the Book (Jews and
Christians) on the condition that she is chaste, but he is not permitted to marry a
mushrikah (polytheist woman) or a zaaniyah (woman who commits adultery or fornication). He
should, however, try to find a woman who is strongly committed to Islam. A Muslim woman is
not permitted to marry anyone except a Muslim man. A man of the People of the Book does
not qualify in terms of compatibility with her, and she should look for someone who is
known among the Muslims to be committed to Islam and of good character.
With regard to the situation described in the question, we may note the
following points:
The husband does not have to divorce his wife if his father asks him to
do so.
The fathers rights are great indeed, and good treatment of one's
family is a duty. If your father is suffering from heart disease, it is better if he does
not know about this marriage. It is unlikely that his attitude has changed because it is
based on the class/caste system and it is not easy for seniors to change their beliefs.
You have to make sure you understand your familys current attitude
and to what extent they are prepared to accept your marriage to this woman. Perhaps they
have heard that she has got married, and they think that she has married someone else, so
they want to make you feel better (by saying they would accept her because she now seems
to be safely out of the picture). Or perhaps they have heard that she has got married to
you and they want to hear about it from you. Once you are sure that they have changed
their attitude for real, there is nothing to stop you asking for permission from them and
from your father to get married. If they give you permission, then this is what you want;
if they do not, then just stay as you are now, so that no bad consequences will come to
them as a result of them knowing about your marriage.
As far as repeating your marriage contract is concerned, we put this
question to the Mufti Shaykh Abd al-Azeez ibn Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz, who
replied with the conclusion that if the first contract met all the requisite conditions,
and there are no impediments, then it is a valid contract. It should not be repeated lest
that open the way to playing about with it. You should strive to please your family in
every way you can and tell them that the matter has been concluded in an appropriate
fashion. If there is genuine cause to fear for your fathers life, then it could be
said that repeating the contract could be done on the grounds of necessity. And Allaah
knows best. |
Can husband and wife take a bath together and look at each other’s private parts? I have been told by some people that while having intercourse with one’s wife, the room should be completely dark and one cannot take all the clothes off while copulating. Is it true?
May Allah guide us to the right path. | Praise be to Allah.Can a husband see his wife's private parts?
It is permissible for a woman to see all of her husband’s body and for a man to see all of his wife’s body, with no need to go into details, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And those who guard their chastity (i.e., private parts, from illegal sexual acts), except from their wives or (the captives and slaves) that their right hands possess, - for then, they are free from blame; but whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors.” [al-Muminun 23:5-7] (Fatawa al-Mar’ah by Ibn ‘Uthaymin, 121)
Can husband and wife bathe together?
Al-Bukhari reported in his Sahih (no. 250) that ‘Aishah said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and I used to bathe from one vessel.”
Al-Hafiz said in al-Fath: “Al-Dawudi interpreted this to mean that it is permissible for a man to look at his wife’s ‘awrah and vice-versa. This is supported by the report narrated by Ibn Hibban via Sulayman ibn Musa, who was asked about a man looking at his wife’s private parts. He said: ‘I asked ‘Aishah, and she referred to this hadith.’ This is evidence in this matter. And Allah knows best.”
I say: as for the words that some people attribute to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), that it is makruh (disliked) for a man to look at his wife’s private parts, this is not sahih. This includes the reports narrated from Ibn 'Abbas and Abu Hurayrah according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “When any one of you has intercourse with his wife , let him not look at her private parts, because this causes blindness, and let him not speak, because this causes muteness.” Ibn al-Jawzi said: “(This is) mawdu’ (fabricated).” (See al-Mawdu’at by Ibn al-Jawzi, 2/271-272).
And Allah knows best. |
I am in a relationship with a guy who can not make up his mind to get married. I have not yet became a muslim and I will soon We have talked about this being wrong for us to be together and if he was back in Xyz , that he would not be able. I feel like wrong is wrong, and even if I hav not yet converted, that should not be the problem. His family wants him to come home, but when does a man have the right to make a choice? Maybe, because I am from the US I don't understand the whole thing about family. When you have a wife or someone to be your wife, is she not your family too?
Please help me to do what is right.
Salaam, | Praise be to Allah.It is true what you have said, that wrong is wrong. In Islam, pre-marriage relationships are not permissible. We believe that adultery is not permissible not only in Islam, but also in all religions of Allah (God). I believe that the gentleman of nationality Xyz whom you are seeing is not serious in getting married, because if he were, he would have married you from the very beginning. In Islam, a man must respect the will of his parents, and in some cases he must obey them. You, in your present status, are not a member of his family. When you become his wife, then you are considered to be his family. Yet even then, if a father orders his son to divorce his wife because, for example, she has bad reputation or she is not a good Muslim, he must obey his father. My advice to you is to think seriously in embracing Islam, not for the sake of this man, but for the salvation of your soul and body from Hellfire. I believe by now, you have a good idea what Islam is, putting aside the bad example this gentleman has been setting. Therefor, you should stop seeing this man and you should become Muslim. If his love to you is genuine, he will propose to you. If he doesnt, then be sure that Allah will not leave you alone, and as He guided you to his religion, He will send you a good Muslim who will cherish you and give you a decent life as a wife not as a mistress. I pray to Allah that He may enlighten your heart with Islam and guide you to make the right choice. |
My older brother has been studying in the
xxx. for approximately 7 years now.We belong to a very conservative family with strict
principles. In the last year he has gotten involved(intimately) with a girl who is muslim
and belongs to the same country except she is very 'Westernised'. They have decided to get
married except my parents do not agree to the marriage on the terms that the girl is not
islamic i.e.she doesnt wear conservative clothing, and she drinks, etc..My parents have
tried very hard to desuade my brother but he has become evn more adamant and is
threatening to go ahead with the marriage whether they support him or not. Consequently my
parents have threatened to cut off all ties from him, and cut off his inheritance.MY question is is my brother right to marry this girl with who he is
intimately involved against my parents wishes?And is it right for my parents to disagree
to the marriage on the terms i have stated and cut him off his inheritance? | Praise be to Allah.With regard to the question of marriage, if you have any
authority or influence over your brother and can convince him to give up the idea of
marrying this woman, then remember that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) commanded the Muslim to marry the woman who is religious. This woman
is sinful and goes against the religion, she is not modest in her dress and she drinks
wine, so he should not marry this woman.
With regard to the issue of his disobedience towards his parents, this
sin is more serious than the one mentioned above. They have told him to obey Allah and to
keep away from sin, so he must obey them and avoid going against their wishes. Your
familys rejection of this marriage is quite correct according to shareeah,
because they are enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, and seeking to
control one who is insane.
It is permissible, indeed it is necessary, to forsake him if doing so
will stop him from going ahead, because marriage to this woman will keep him away from his
religion. In America and in other kaafir countries there are many individuals in the
Indian, Pakistani and Arab communities who have forsaken their religion and are no longer
Muslim in anything but name.
As regards depriving him of his inheritance, this should not be done
unless he becomes an apostate (leaves Islam). So long as he is within the pale of Islam,
and does not do anything to put him outside of Islam or to make him a kaafir, then it is
not permissible to deprive him of his inheritance, because this is something prescribed by
Allaah, and as such it is not permissible to change it. And Allaah knows best, |
i know that for congregational prayer to be
valid a person must pray behind imam so to see him or to pray behind a man who can see
imam....etc...but my questionis ..is it same for women?? as i heard that at least one
woman should see imam.....and u do understand that most of the women's area in mosque is
arranged that it impossible to see imam but to hear from speakerswhich sometimes can break so that we cannot hear......or also one time happened to me thaty during traveling with my husband we
stopped to pray at mosque and we were running a bit late so what happened was that when i
went into prayer area there were no one there at all..and imam was saying takbir and i had
no idea to which part of salah that takbir was reffered so i ended up confusing the oreder
of salah. | Praise be to Allah.When a woman prays behind an imaam, it is not essential
for her to see him or some of the people who are praying behind him, but the rows have to
be straight and the women who are praying should be within the boundaries of the mosque
and be able to hear the voice of the imaam, so that they can follow him. If women are
unable to hear the imaams voice for some reason, then they should pray individually,
or in a jamaaah with other women, if they cannot hear the imaams voice or
follow him. If a woman enters the mosque and hears the imaam saying takbeer, she should
not follow him in saying takbeer until she knows whether he is in sujood or rukoo
etc. The way out of this dilemma if she cannot see the imaam or any members of the
congregation is to wait until the imaam says sami Allaahu liman
hamidah, then she can pray with him. Ibn Abd al-Barr said in al-Kaafi
(1/212): Everyone who can see or hear the imaam, and knows where he is in the
prayer, and is behind him, it is permissible for him to follow him in prayer. This is the
Maaliki view. And Ibn Qudaamah said: If there is a barrier between the imaam
and the person who is following him, which prevents him from seeing the imaam or the
people praying behind him, then there are two views narrated from Ahmad, one of which says
that it is not valid for him to pray behind him and the second view is: it is valid
because he can follow the imaam without seeing him, as a blind person does. But for his
following the imaam to be valid, he has to be able to hear him. (al-Mughni,
2/208)
In conclusion, if you are inside the mosque and you can hear the
imaams voice and you know where he is in the prayer, then follow him, otherwise pray
by yourself or with a group of women after the imaam finishes the prayer.
With regard
to whether your prayer is valid or not, we asked Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-Uthaymeen, and he replied that to be on the safe side you should repeat the
prayer. And Allaah is the source of strength. |
Modern medicine treats disease with physical medicine only. Is this sufficient, or should we use ruqyah? Which of them is better? | Praise be to Allah.
There is no doubt that man suffers psychological diseases,
such as anxiety about the future and grief for the past. Psychological
diseases may have a greater impact on the body than physical diseases.
Treating these diseases by means of something prescribed in sharee’ah
– i.e., ruqyah – is more successful than treating them by means of physical
medicines, as is well known.
Among the means of treating them: the saheeh haseeth
narrated from Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him): “There is
no believer who is stricken by anxiety, distress or grief, and he says,
‘Allaahumma inni ‘abduka ibnu ‘abdika ibnu amatika, naasiyati bi yadika,
maadin fiyya hukmuka, ‘adlun fiyya qadaa’uka, as’aluka bi kulli ismin
huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka aw ‘allamtahu ahadan min khalqika aw
anzaltahu fi kitaabika aw asta’tharta bihi fi ‘ilm il-ghaybi ‘indaka
an taj’ala al-Qur’aan al-‘azeem rabee’a qalbi wa noora sadri wa jalaa’a
huzni wa dhahaaba hammi wa ghammi (O Allaah, I am Your slave, son of
Your slave, son of Your maidservant. My forelock is in Your hand, Your
command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just.
I ask You by every name belonging to You which You have named Yourself
with, or taught to any of Your creation, or revealed in Your Book, or
You have preserved in the knowledge of the Unseen with You, that You
make the Holy Qur’aan the life of my heart and the light of my breast,
and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety and distress)’,
but Allaah will relieve him.” This is one of the medicines prescribed
in sharee’ah.
Similarly, one may say, “Laa ilaaha illa anta, subhaanaka,
inni kuntu min al-zaalimeen (none has the right to be worshipped
but You (O Allaah), Glorified (and Exalted) be You [above all that (evil)
they associate with You]! Truly, I have been of the wrongdoers)” [cf.
al-Anbiyaa’ 21:87]
If you want to know more, please refer to the writings
of the scholars on the topic of adhkaar (dhikr, remembering Allaah),
such as al-Waabil al-Sayyib by Ibn al-Qayyim, al-Kalim al-Tayyib
by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, al-Adhkaar by al-Nawawi, and
Zaad al-Ma’aad, by Ibn al-Qayyim.
But when faith grows weak, the soul’s acceptance of remedies
prescribed in sharee’ah also grows weak. People nowadays have begun
to rely on physical medicines more than on the spiritual remedies prescribed
in Islam. But when faith is strong, the spiritual remedies prescribed
in Islam have a more complete effect; their effect may be faster than
that of physical medicines. We are all aware of the story of the man
whom the Messenger SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
sent on a campaign. He camped near some Arabs, but those people near
whom he camped did not show him any hospitality. Allaah willed that
their chief should be stung by a snake, and they said to one another,
“Go to those people who are camped (near us), maybe you will find a
raaqi (one who recites ruqyah, i.e., incantations or prayers for healing)
with them.” The Sahaabah said to them, “We will not recite ruqyah for
your chief until you give us such and such number of sheep.” They said,
“We agree.” Then one of the Sahaabah went and recited over the one who
had been stung; he recited Soorat al-Faatihah only, then that
person who had been stung got up as if he was released from a chain.
This recitation of al-Faatihah had such an effect
in this man because it came from a heart that was filled with faith.
When they came back, the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said, “How did you know that it is a ruqyah?”
But in our own times there is this weakness of religious
commitment and faith, and people have started to rely on outward physical
matters, and this is causing them further suffering.
On the other hand there are those who cheat people and
deceive them, claiming to be pious reciters of Qur’aan, but they
consume people’s wealth unlawfully. People are of two extremes, one
which thinks that recitation of Qur’aan has no effect at all, and the
other extreme composed of cheaters who deceive people by reciting devious
recitations, and some are moderate.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, Fataawa Islamiyyah, 4/465,
466
But as there is no contradiction between using permissible
physical medicines as prescribed by doctors and using spiritual medicines
such as ruqyah and seeking refuge with Allaah and other du’aa’s that
are proven in sound reports, the two may be combined, as the Prophet
SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did. It was proven
that he used both kinds of treatment, and he said, “Strive to pursue
that which will benefit you and seek refuge with Allaah, and do not
feel helpless.” And he said: “Seek treatment, O slaves of Allaah, but
do not seek treatment with things which are haraam.” |
1) It is ok to give sadaqah to non-Muslims especially in this country?
2) Someone (probably Muslim) beg for specific amount of money. What Islam says to deal with such situation? Please also mention this situation when the beggar is non-Muslim?
3) Is the same ruling for the first two questions would be applicable to beggar who are on drugs/alcohol, etc? It may be possible they may use money for wrong doing. | Praise be to Allah.Can we give sadaqah to non-Muslims?
It is permissible to give charity – other than the obligatory charity (zakah etc.) – to poor non-Muslims, especially if they are relatives, on condition that they do not belong to people who are in a state of war against us and have not committed acts of aggression that would preclude our treating them kindly. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Allah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion nor drove you out of your homes. Verily, Allah loves those who deal with equity. It is only as regards those who fought against you on account of religion, and have driven you out of your homes, and helped to drive you out, that Allah forbids you to befriend them. And whosoever will befriend them, then such are the Zalimun (wrongdoers those who disobey Allah.” [Al-Mumtahinah 60:8-9]
Asma bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “My mother came to me when she was still a mushrikah – at the time when there was a peace treaty between Quraysh and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) – accompanied by her father. I consulted the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), saying, ‘O Messenger of Allah, my mother has come to me and she is asking for help. Should I uphold the ties of kinship with her?’ He said, ‘Yes, uphold the ties of kinship with her.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, no. 2946)
It was narrated that a Jewish woman came begging to `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and she gave her something. The Jewish woman said to `Aishah, “May Allah protect you from the punishment of the grave.” `Aishah did not like that, and when she saw the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) she asked him about it and he said “No.” `Aishah said: “Then later on, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘It has been revealed to me that you will be tried in your graves.’” (Musnad Ahmad, no. 24815)
These two hadiths indicate that it is permissible to give charity to the non-Muslims. But it is not permissible to give zakah funds to the poor among the kuffar, because zakah can only be given to Muslims to spend on the poor and needy among them as mentioned in the ayah of zakah.
Imam al-Shafi`i said: “There is nothing wrong with giving charity to a mushrik as a nafilah (supererogatory) action, but he has no right to charity from the obligatory (zakah). Allah praised people who, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘… they give food, in spite of their love for it (or for the love of Him), to the Miskin (the poor), the orphan, and the captive’ [al-Insan 76:8].” (Kitab al-Umm, part 2)
Giving charity to poor Muslims is preferable and more befitting, because spending on them helps them to obey Allah, and it helps them in both their worldly and spiritual affairs. This helps to strengthen the bonds among Muslims, especially nowadays when the poor among the Muslims far outnumber the rich. And Allah is the One Whose help we seek.
What does Islam say about begging for money?
If the person who is asking for the money is Muslim and is definitely in need, then give him what you can in charity. The same applies even if he is not Muslim. But it is better for Muslims who are in need to refrain from begging in the streets. If they have no other choice, they should go to Islamic charity organizations which exist to channel charitable donations to the poor and needy. By the same token, those who want to give charity can also contact reliable charitable organizations so that their charity will reach those who deserve it.
Can we give charity to someone to do something haram?
If the person who is asking for money –regardless of whether he is a Muslim or a non-Muslim – is asking for it in order to commit sin and buy something that is haram, or he is going to use the money to help him to do something haram, then it is not permissible to give that charity to him, because by doing so, one is helping him to commit that haram action. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression.” [Al-Maidah 5:2]
And Allah knows best. |
A'ushu mina Eshaytan errajimBismi Allahi Errahman ErrahiimAssalam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh Dear ImamI am a revert and my homepage is at : ..I have found the Haadith below and i have asked an Uztazah about it. I
send you her answer.I am very troubled about the Haadith and the answer I received concerning
what this Haadith really means.Please, could you tell me more about this matter and if there are other
Haadiths confirming it?JazakallahkhairanMay Allah Taalah reward you for your efforts in His Deen
Narrated by Abu Hurayrah the hadith doesn't say "humans were alive
before being born". Only the souls were in heaven. This heaven is not the one people with good deeds go to in the hereafter.
It is somewhere that we do not know. It's in the Lohmahfuz....only Allah knows. In simple
words this place is like a "bank" where the souls created by Allah were placed.
So when a woman is pregnant, at the point where Allah gives the soul to the creation in
the womb, He will take one of these souls. So, there were good and bad souls. Let say, the
bad soul is given to the creation, the baby is born and become a bad person. However, this
grown up person can have a change in his/her destiny due to his/her deeds in his life.
This is where the du'a plays a major role. The du'a and the inten | Praise be to Allah.Imaam al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him)
reported in his Saheeh that Aaishah (may Allaah be pleased with her)
said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saying:
Souls are like conscripted soldiers; those whom they recognize, they get along with,
and those whom they do not recognize, they will not get along with. (Saheeh
al-Bukhaari, Kitaab Ahaadeeth al-Anbiyaa, Baab al-Arwaah junood mujannadah).
Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his
commentary on the hadeeth: Concerning the phrase Souls are like conscripted
soldiers al-Khattaabi said: This may refer to their similarity as
regards good or evil, righteousness or corruption. Good people are inclined towards other
good people, and evil people are similarly inclined towards other evil people. Souls feel
affinity with others according to the nature in which they were created, good or evil. If
souls natures are similar, they will get along, otherwise they will not be on good
terms with one another. It could be that what is being referred to is the beginning of
creation in the realm of the unseen when, it is reported, souls were created before
bodies, and used to meet one another and express their pessimism about the future. When
souls have entered bodies (come to the physical realm) they may recognize one another from
the past, and may be on friendly terms or otherwise based on that past experience.
Someone else said: What it means is that when souls are created,
they are made in two parts, and when the bodies in which the souls reside meet in this
world, they either get along together or do not, based on the way in which these souls are
created in this world.
I say that this is not contradicted by the fact that some people who do
not like one another at first may get along well later on, because the hadeeth is probably
speaking about the moment of first meeting, which has to do with the original creation and
nothing else. If they dislike one another at first but later come to like one another, it
is because of something new, a new quality that makes them love one another after the
initial dislike, such as a kaafir becoming a Muslim or a sinner being reformed.
The phrase conscripted soldiers refers to different types
or classifications, or groups brought together. Ibn al-Jawzi said: What we learn
from this hadeeth is that when a person finds that he feels dislike towards someone who is
known to be virtuous or righteous, he should try to find out the reason for that so that
he can make the effort to rid himself of something undesirable. The opposite (if a person
finds himself liking someone who is known to be evil) also applies. Al-Qurtubi said:
Although they are all souls, they differ in different ways, so a person will feel an
affinity with souls of one kind, and will get along with them because of the special
quality that they have in common. So we notice that people of all types will get along
with those with whom they share an affinity, and will keep away from those who are of
other types. [Birds of a feather flock together Translator]. We may
also note that within any given group or type, people may get along with some and dislike
others, and this is in accordance with issues or qualities that form the basis of love or
hate.
We have narrated a mawsool report in Sunan Abi Yalaa, at
the beginning of which is the story narrated from Amrah bint Abd al-Rahmaan,
who said: There was a woman in Makkah who liked to joke, and she came and stayed
with a woman in Madeenah who was like her. When Aaishah heard about this, she
said, My beloved spoke the truth. I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) saying and mentioned a similar hadeeth.
The hadeeth was also narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh, 4773.
Al-Nawawi said: With regard to the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), Souls are like conscripted soldiers; those whom they recognize,
they get along with, and those whom they do not recognize, they will not get along
with, the scholars said that the meaning is groups gathered together, or different
types. As for them getting along, this happens because of something in common between them
that Allaah has created. It was said that they are similar attributes that Allaah has
created in them, or that they were created in a group and then dispersed in their bodies,
so people who have similar characteristics will like one another, and those who do not
have similar characteristics will not like one another. Al-Khattaabi and others said: this
getting along with one another has to do with what Allaah decreed from the outset about
the ultimate destiny of souls, whether they will be among the blessed [in Paradise] or the
doomed [in Hell]. Souls are of two opposing kinds, and when they meet in this physical
world, they will either love or hate one another depending on the way they were created.
Good souls will be inclined towards other good souls, and evil souls will be inclined
towards other evil souls. And Allaah knows best. |
I am issuing orders for purchase of various
items for our Institute. The decision was taken by a purchase commttee (ie which item
& what rates and whom to be purchase) My work only to type the order & issue to
the concern company. If any one give me gift in kinds like diary, calander, T-shirts etc.
Is it is allowed (jayaj) to accept such items of gift. please clarify in details what is
gift & what is bribe (Hindi/urdu word riswate). | Praise be to Allah.We put the following question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al’-Uthaymeen
Some companies give away promotional gifts to other companies with whom
they have connections, and some of these promotional gifts may be of high value, such as
watches, and some may be of lesser value, such as ordinary pens, diaries, calendars or
t-shirts with the company logo. What is the ruling on such things?
Let us suppose, for example, that a company is trying to market a specific
product, such as lumber etc., so they go to other construction companies who buy lumber
and give their employees items promoting the lumber company, so that this company will
gain a reputation and be known to the employees of the construction company. These gifts
may vary in value. Is it permissible for the employees of the construction company to
accept these gifts?
He answered, may Allaah preserve him:
“I am afraid that this may involve toying with the market or that it
may lead to treachery on the part of those who take these gifts. I think that it is not
allowed.”
Question:
Could we say that if these gifts that the company gives out as advertising
are given to the general public, such as calendars, for example, then they may take them,
but if they are given exclusively to these employees or they are of high values, they
should not take them?
The Shaykh said:
“This is our fatwa, but there is still the fear that this is done in
order to toy with the market, for example, if there is a company working with you and they
give you a gift like those they give to the general public, then this is OK, because it
does not affect anyone. But if the gift is given in an attempt to win customers and make
it harder for competitors, then this gift should not be accepted. And Allaah knows
best.” |
Is
it permissible to stop one’s prayer if the warning siren goes off in the
case of an accident? | Praise be to Allah.If
the accident is major and serious, then it is OK to stop one’s prayer;
if it is a minor incident that can be dealt with after completing the
prayer, then it is not permissible. The scholars said: it is obligatory to
stop one's prayer in order to save a negligent person from a fatal
accident. For example, if you are praying and you see a snake approaching
a man who is sitting down and has not noticed it. If it is heading for
him, you have to stop your prayer and tell him so that he will not be
bitten, possibly fatally. Or if you see a blind man walking in front of
you whilst you are praying, and he is heading towards a well, and you are
afraid that he may fall into it, then you have to stop your prayer and
save him from that fatal accident, even if this means stopping your
prayer. The same applies in cases of fire, etc.
But
if the siren goes off for a minor matter which can be dealt with after
completing the prayer and it will not be too late if you complete the
prayer first, then it is not permissible to stop your prayer before you
have completed it, because this accident can be dealt with after
completing the prayer, without anyone coming to further harm. And Allaah
knows best. |
What is the ruling on doing dangerous sports, such as walking across tightropes in high places, jumping down from high places and staying in a cage with snakes? | Praise be to Allah.Just as Islam has commanded the Muslim to
take care of his physical wellbeing, so too it forbids him to do any
kind of harm to his body. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There should be no
harming or reciprocating harm.” (Narrated by Ibn Maajah, Kitaab
al-Ahkaam, 2332; Ahmad, 2719; Maalik, 1234).
The scholars have discussed the matter
of doing dangerous sports.
The author of al-Durr
al-Mukhtaar said: “According to the Hanafi fiqh, ‘… all kinds
of dangerous sports are permitted to the one who is skilled and is most
likely to be safe from harm, such as archery/shooting, or hunting snakes.
Watching these sports is permitted in such cases.’” (See al-Durr
al-Mukhtaar, 6/404)
The first condition:
Complete skill and proficiency
in these kinds of sports. That cannot be achieved without a lot of repeated
practice and training, until that level of proficiency is achieved.
If this training results in neglecting obligatory duties or ignoring
Sunnah or recommended actions, then the view that it is haraam is applicable
in this case. But if no such neglect results from this practice and
training, then the view that it is permitted is applicable, and it is
also permitted to watch.
The second condition:
That it is most likely that
the person will be safe. If there is the slightest possibility that
he will not be safe, or there is doubt that he will be safe, then the
sport is haraam, because it may lead to his death. We are forbidden
to reach towards such things, because Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
“…and
do not throw yourselves into destruction…”
[al-Baqarah 2:195]
The third condition.
The sport should not be done for money. It is haraam
to take payment for such sports, because this is regarded as consuming
people’s wealth unlawfully, as there is no benefit in it.
See Bughiyat al-Mushtaaq
fi Hukm al-Lahw wa’l-La’b wa’l-Sibaaq, p. 156-157.
I say: these things should be limited
to special occasions and celebrations, provided that they comply with
the conditions mentioned above. The soundness of this opinion is based
on the reports about the Ethiopians playing in the mosque, so these
matters should be restricted to the days of Eid. By analogy they may
also be done on other special occasions and celebrations. Similarly,
such sports are regarded as permissible on the condition that there
is no mixing of men and women, and that the ‘awrahs of the players are
not visible, and that no games of magic are involved. |
Assalamu a'laikum How can we make things haraam or halaal (such as smoking or avoiding tax
or insurance) when Allah (SWT) Himself is the only One to say what is halaal and what is
not? | Praise be to Allah.Allaah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meanings):
The command (or the judgement) is for none but Allaah. He has
commanded that you worship none but Him [Yoosuf 12:40]
And say not concerning that which your tongues put forth falsely:
This is lawful and this is forbidden., so as to invent lies against Allaah.
Verily, those who invent lies against Allaah will never prosper. [al-Nahl 16:116]
Say [O Muhammad, to the polytheists]: Tell me, what
provision Allaah has sent down to you! And you have made of it lawful and unlawful.
Say [O Muhammad]: Has Allaah permitted you (to do so) or do you invent a lie against
Allaah? [Yoonus 10:59]It is only for Allaah to say what is halaal and
what is haraam, because He is the Law-giver, and there is no law-giver besides Him. When
we say that a given thing is haraam, or halaal, we refer to the evidence in the Book of
Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
Whatever we find is prohibited therein, we take as haraam, and whatever we find is
permitted, we take as halaal. We refer to the sayings of the Sahaabah (Companions of the
Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the Taabieen (the
generation after the Sahaabah) may Allaah be pleased with them and the
commentaries of the Salaf (first generations of Islam) on the texts of the Quraan
and Sunnah, and we refer to the sayings and ijtihaad of the scholars.
It is not permissible for us to allow or prohibit however we wish. When
new issues come up, if we do not find a text in the Quraan or Sunnah, or in the
sayings of the scholars of the salaf or the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah
wal-Jamaaah who came before us, then we have to refer to trustworthy scholars
and people of understanding, as Allaah commands us (interpretation of the meaning):
so ask of those who know the Scripture [al-Nahl 16:43]. These are the
scholars, who can do ijtihaad, examine the matter and make analogies (qiyaas) with the
existing texts of Islam, taking into consideration the principles of necessity, and taking
note of what is harmful to the interests of shareeah and what is beneficial, relying
on the basic general principles of shareeah, such as the aayah (interpretation of
the meaning), he allows them as lawful al-tayyibaat [(i.e., all good and
lawful things as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods, etc.]
[al-Araaf 7:157] and the hadeeth, There should be no harming nor
reciprocating harm (reported by Ibn Maajah, 2331), and
avoiding following whims and desires. Every evil thing that is proven to be harmful is
haraam, and every good and beneficial thing is halaal. If it is not known that it is
either harmful or beneficial, then the general rule is that it is permissible (mubaah).
And Allaah knows best. |
Number of people tell me if you say
so-and-so X amount of times then you will get such and such reward e.g. reciting the 99
names of Allah in certain combnations and quantities will do certain things . | Praise be to Allah.This question was answered for us by Shaykh
‘Abd-Allaah ibn Munayyi’, who said:
“This is not permissible, and if he believes in it, it is
bid’ah.”
Every dhikr that involves reciting a certain number of times, or in a
certain place, or at a certain time, or in a certain manner, that is not prescribed in
sharee’ah, is bid’ah. With regard to the Most Beautiful Names of Allaah, the way
to use these in worship is to call upon Allaah by these Names, as He says (interpretation
of the meaning), “And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allaah, so call on
Him by them…” [al-A’raaf 7:180]. Merely reciting them in certain
combinations is not a prescribed form of worship. And Allaah knows best. |
Is it permissible for men to trim the
eyebrows to make them look tidy (i.e. to make them look presentable - not shaping them to
make them look fashionable!) ? | Praise be to Allah.It is forbidden for men to pluck their eyebrows. (al-Mawsoo’ah
al-Fiqhiyyah, part 14, Tanammus)
It is not permissible for men, just as it is not
permissible for women, to trim their eyebrows. Islam forbids plucking even one hair, and
trimming could affect every hair, which is worse. (This was the fatwa of our shaykh,
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, when he was asked this question verbally).
But if the eyebrows are causing harm, such as falling over the eyes and
preventing one from seeing properly, they may be trimmed as much as needed to remove the
problem. (From a discussion of the matter with Shaykh ‘Abd-‘Allaah ibn
Qa’ood).
And Allaah knows best. |
Islamic centers in the west often have investments (halal), mainly profits from joint partnerships and other non-share investments. Is zakah due on the profits of these investments and any other donations to the Islamic Center? Jazak Allah. | Praise be to Allah.This question was answered for us by Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn
Qa’ood as follows:
The shareholders must pay zakaah on their own behalf, but no zakaah is
due on the profits stemming from donations. |
Is there any evidence that one who delays prayer from its recommended time (but prays in its legal time) and who makes post-salah
du'ah does not have his/her du'ah accepted? | Praise be to Allah.Shaykh Abd-Allaah ibn Qaood answered this question for us
as follows:
We do not know of any evidence to that effect. Allaah may answer the
duaa of one who calls on Him in desperation even if he is a kaafir. And Allaah
knows best. |
Is it sinful to accept a proposal for marriage from a Muslim man who consumes alcohol on a social basis. I detest alcohol and think it is the root of all evil, but I have been approached with this proposal, but am hesitant because of this issue. Please advise. | Praise be to Allah.Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Qa’ood answered this
question for us and said:
It is better not to marry him, but if she does marry him, that is
permissible. |
Is it necessary for husband and wife to perform ghusl straight after love making or can ghusl be performed when they wake up in the morning? | Praise be to Allah.It is permissible to delay ghusl until the time of Fajr but it is mustahabb (recommended) for the husband and wife to do wudu before they sleep. This was the view of the majority of scholars, and al-Nawawi reported that there was scholarly consensus on this point. (Al-Kafi, 1/173; al-Muhadhdhab, 1/33; al-Mughni, 1/229)
Their evidence is the hadith of `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) whose authenticity is agreed upon, in which she narrated that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wanted to sleep whilst he was in a state of impurity , he would wash his private parts and do wudu as for prayer. (Narrated by al-Jama`ah)
They also use as evidence the report narrated by Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) who said that ‘Umar said, “O Messenger of Allah, may any of us sleep when he is in a state of impurity?” He said, “yes, if he does wudu.” (Agreed upon).
The wisdom behind doing wudu is that it reduces the impurity and is better for the body.
The Zahiriyyah and Ibn Habib among the Malikis thought that it was obligatory for the person who is in a state of impurity to do wudu, on the basis of the hadith of ‘Umar referred to above.
For more, please see these answers: 82344 , 46562 , 415 , and 43307 .
And Allah knows best. |
How the meat of Udhiyah (sacrifice) should be shared out? | Praise be to Allah.The command to give the meat of the udhiyah in charity is reported in a number of hadiths, as was the permission to eat some and preserve some.
Al-Bukhari and Muslim reported that `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “Some poor families among the people of the desert came to al-Madinah on the occasion of `Eid al-Adha at the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘Keep with you meat sufficient for three days, and whatever is left, give in charity.’ After that, they said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, the people made water-skins with [the hides of] their sacrificial animals , and they rendered the fat from them. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘What about it?’ They said, ‘You forbade us to eat the meat of our sacrificial animals after three days.’ He said, ‘I forbade you to do that because of the people who came, but now eat some and preserve some and give some in charity.’” (Reported by Muslim, 3643)
Al-Nawawi said, commenting on this hadith:
“The phrase ‘I forbade you to do that because of the people who came’ refers to the poor Bedouin who came to Madinah, and this was so that they could be helped. ‘Rendered’ means that they melted down the fat from the animals (to be stored and used).
The phrase ‘I forbade you to do that because of the people who came, but now eat some and preserve some and give some in charity’ is a clear statement that this prohibition of keeping more than three days’ worth of meat no longer applies; it is also a commandment to eat some and to give some in charity. With regard to the portion to be given in charity, if it is a voluntary sacrifice, then giving some of it in charity is obligatory, according to the view regarded by our companions as correct. It is preferable [mustahabb] for most of it to be given in charity. They said: at the very least, a third should be eaten, a third should be given as gifts and a third should be given in charity. There is another opinion that suggests half may be eaten and half given to charity. This difference of opinion has to do with the amount that is mustahabb. With regard to the other parts of the animal, it is OK to give them in charity. As for eating from it, it is mustahabb but is not wajib (obligatory)… The majority of scholars interpreted this command (i.e., the ayah (interpretation of the meaning): ‘… eat thereof…’ [al-Hajj 22:28 and 36]) as implying encouragement or permission, especially since it came after it had been prohibited.”
Malik said:
“There is no limit to what may be eaten or given in charity or used to feed the poor or the rich, whether one wants to give it uncooked or cooked.” (Al-Kafi, 1/424)
The Shafi`is said that it is mustahabb to give most of it in charity, and said: “At least one third of it may be eaten , and one third given in charity, and one third given away as gifts.” They said that one half may be eaten, but it is more correct to give some of it away in charity .” (Nayl al-Awtar, 5/145; al-Siraj al-Wahhaj, 563).
Ahmad said:
“We go along with the hadith of ‘Abd-Allah (ibn ‘Abbas – may Allah be pleased with them both): ‘He should eat one third himself, feed one third to whomever he wants, and give one third in charity.” (Reported by Abu Musa al-Isfahani in al-Wazaif; he said it is a hasan hadith. This is also the opinion of Ibn Mas’ud and Ibn ‘Umar. No conflicting opinion is known among the Companions.” (Al-Mughni, 8/632)
The reason why there is a difference of opinion as to how much of the sacrifice may be given in charity is that there are conflicting reports, and some reports were narrated without specifying a particular amount, such as the report of Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘I had forbidden you to eat from the sacrificial meat for more than three days so that those who could afford it could give to those who are poor, but now you can eat as you wish, feed others from it, and preserve some.’” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 1430; he said it is a sahih hasan hadith). The scholars among the Companions of the Prophet and others followed this.
And Allah knows best. |
I have a bank loan, and very strongly I wish to go for ‘umrah. But as I know I have to finish all the loans before I can go to ‘Umrah or Hajj. Can you please tell me the proper way and limitations in Islam? | Praise be to Allah.Interest-based loans
If this loan is based on riba (usury, interest) , then it is haram and is one of the major sins and one of the seven sins that doom a person to Hell. All of the nations regarded it as forbidden, even the Greeks who were idol-worshippers. One of them, whose name was Solon said: Money is like a sterile hen; a drachma cannot give birth to a drachma.
In the Christian belief it says that one who consumes usury should not be shrouded if he dies, and even the Jews forbade usury.
Islam has forbidden it in a manner that leaves no room for doubt concerning its prohibition.
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Allah has permitted trading and forbidden Riba. So whosoever receives an admonition from his Lord and stops consuming Riba, shall not be punished for the past; his case is for Allah (to judge); but whoever returns (to Riba), such are the dwellers of the Fire — they will abide therein.” [al-Baqarah 2:275]
“O you who believe! Fear Allah and give up what remains (due to you) from Riba (from now onward) if you are (really) believers.” [al-Baqarah 2:278]
Abu Juhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade the price of blood, the price of a dog and the earnings of a prostitute, and he cursed the woman who does tattoos and those who have them done, the one who consumes riba (usury) and the one who pays it, and he cursed the one who makes images. (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 2123)
‘Abd-Allah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) cursed the one who consumes riba and the one who pays it. (Narrated by Muslim, 1597)
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Avoid the seven sins that doom a person to Hell.” They said, “O Messenger of Allah, what are they?” He said: “Associating others in worship with Allah (shirk); witchcraft; killing a soul whom Allah has forbidden killing, unless that is done lawfully; consuming riba (usury, interest); consuming the property of orphans; running away from the battlefield; slandering innocent, chaste, believing women.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 2615; Muslim, 89)
Samurah ibn Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Last night I saw (in a dream) that two men came to me and took me out to a sacred land. They set out with me until we came to a river of blood in which a man was standing, and on the bank of the river there was a man with stones in front of him, facing the man who was in the river. Every time the man wanted to get out, the man (on the bank) threw a stone into his mouth and he went back to where he had been. I said: ‘What is this?’ They said, ‘The one whom you saw in the river is the one who consumed riba.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1979)
So you have to repent to Allah from this action.
But if the loan was a good kind of loan that did not involve riba, there is nothing wrong with it.
Going for Hajj or paying off the debt?
With regard to Hajj, the person who cannot spend on himself because he is of limited means is not obliged to go for Hajj, but which of the two is more important, going for Hajj or paying off the debt?
The most correct view is that paying off the debt is more important, because the debtor is not obliged to do Hajj, since one of the conditions of Hajj is that one should be able to do it.
If there is a conflict between your doing Hajj and your paying off your debt , then give priority to paying off the debt . But if there is no conflict, such as there being plenty of time for you to pay off your debt, or if the person to whom you owe money is patient and can wait, then the correct view is that there is nothing wrong with your doing Hajj or ‘Umrah.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“It is permissible for a person who is in debt and facing financial hardship, either because he is unable to earn money or because the creditor is absent and he cannot pay him, to go for Hajj if someone else takes him for Hajj, provided that this does not affect his ability to pay the debt.” (Majmu’ al-Fatawa, 26/16)
All of that is subject to the condition that you are completely able to perform Hajj and that you pay off debts to anyone who asks you to pay him back when the debt becomes due, and that you are able to pay for the journey and its provisions, and whatever you need to take care of your affairs whilst you are travelling, without neglecting your family or those on whom you are obliged to spend.
So you should leave with them enough to cover their needs. If you do not do that then you are sinning and neglecting those whom Allah has commanded you to take care of.
Khaythamah said: “We were sitting with ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Amr when Qaharman came to him. He said, ‘Have you given the slaves their food?’ He said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Go and give it to them. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “It is sufficient sin for a man if he withholds the food of his slave.”’ (Sahih Muslim, 996)
Ibn ‘Umar narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “It is sufficient sin for a man if he neglects those whom he is responsible for.” (Narrated by Abu Dawud, 1692)
And Allah knows best. |
i wanna marry a non muslim woman just for papers, without really practicing sex
should i do sex with her even if i just want to take the papers?is it possible to marry her for that purpose? | Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who answered as follows:
If she is one of those whom it is permissible to marry, then there is nothing wrong with that, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A woman may be married for four things” and he mentioned wealth as one of them… and this is akin to that. If he marries her in order to obtain the settlement visa, he should not have the intention of divorcing her as soon as he gets his settlement. And Allaah knows best. |
Is it permissible for someone to give
the khutba and someone else to lead the salaat on friday, this happens at my mosque during
ramadan where a shaikh was asked to give the khutba but for a hafiz/quran who was present
to lead the salaat,is this correct because the shaikh said this is not of the sunnah, Jazakhalla Khairan | Praise be to Allah.Imaam Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said: “Section: the Sunnah is for the same person to lead the prayers as gave the
khutbah, because the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to do
both himself, as did his successors (the khulafa’). But if one man gives the khutbah
and another leads the prayer for a valid reason, this is permissible. This is what Ahmad
stated…because if it is permissible for someone else to take over leading the prayer
for a valid reason, then this applies even more so in the case of the khutbah with the
prayer. If there is no reason, then Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: ‘I do
not like it if there is no excuse.’ The reason why it is not liked may be because the
Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to do both of them, and he
said, ‘Pray as you have seen me praying’ (Reported by al-Bukhaari and Ahmad),
and because the khutbah takes the place of two rak’ahs. The reason why it is
permissible may be because the khutbah is separate from the prayer, as if it is two
prayers.” (al-Mughni, part 2, Kitaab al-Jumu’ah: Fasl: yatawallaa
al-salaah man yatawallaa al-khutbah. See also: al-Badaa’i’, 1/262, al-Sharh
al-Kabeer, 1/499).
The fact that the one who leads the prayer knows more
Qur’aan than the khateeb is not a reason for going against the Sunnah of the khateeb
also being the imaam for the prayers. The khateeb should lead the people in prayer and
recite whatever he can of Qur’aan, even if there are people behind him who know more
than he does. And Allaah knows best. |
Is it permissible to give for Da'wah to the non-Muslims a translation of the meanings of the Qur'aan which accompanies the original Arabic text as well? | Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen: what is the ruling on giving a kaafir a copy of the Quraan containing the text in Arabic and a translation and commentary amounting to half of the content?
He replied, may Allaah preserve him:
What is known among the scholars is that it is not permissible to give a kaafir power over the Quraan (i.e., put it at his disposal), but if a kaafir is sincere in his desire to know more about the Quraan, a person can invite him to come to a library either a public library or his own home library, where he can show him the Quraan.
If you find a translation of the meanings of the Quraan without the Arabic text then there is nothing wrong with giving that to a kaafir. And Allaah knows best. |
Is anyone in heaven right now (not prophets , angels etc) ?
Or are we all waiting for the 'Day of Judgment' before entering heaven or hell
I have heard some references to people who have seen heaven or are in heaven now or went to heaven and saw how it was Again, I am not including prophets and angels to this list of people | Praise be to Allah.Allaah has created Paradise and its creation is complete, because He says in a hadeeth qudsi: "I have prepared for My righteous slaves that which no eye has seen…" And because the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw it on the night of the Israa' and Mi'raaj, and because of other proofs (daleel).
Will any humans enter it before the Day of Resurrection?
There are two aspects to this:
1. Entering it in spirit only, as is the case with the dead. This is proven in the case of the Prophets, and of the martyrs (shuhadaa') whose souls are in the crops of green birds which roam about in Paradise. This is also known from the ahaadeeth in which the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) describes how he entered Paradise in dreams, which has to do with the soul or spirit.
2. With regard to entering Paradise in both body and soul, this will happen on the Day of Resurrection for both humans and jinn. The only exception to this is Adam (peace be upon him) who was in Paradise before he came down to this earth, as was mentioned by Ibn al-Qayyim and others. And Allaah knows best. |
Is it permissible to learn how to remove spells from a person affected by magic? | Praise be to Allah.If
that is by doing something permissible, such as reciting du’aa’s that
are prescribed or permitted in Islam, or by using a ruqyah that is prescribed
in Islam, there is nothing wrong with that. But if a person learns magic
in order to counteract magic, or for any other purposes, then that is
not permitted and in fact is something which nullifies a person’s Islam,
because it is not possible to learn it without falling into shirk. That
happens by worshipping the shayaateen (devils), by offering sacrifices
to them and making vows to them, and other kinds of worship, and offering
sacrifices to them and seeking to draw close to them with things that
they love, until they serve a person and do what he wants. This is the
mutual benefit which Allaah refers to in the aayah (interpretation of
the meaning):
“And
on the Day when He will gather them (all) together (and say): ‘O you
assembly of jinn! Many did you mislead of men,’ and their Awliyaa’ (friends
and helpers) amongst men will say: ‘Our Lord! We benefited one from
the other, but now we have reached our appointed term which You did
appoint for us.’ He will say: ‘The Fire be your dwelling place, you
will dwell therein forever, except as Allaah may will. Certainly your
Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing.’”
[al-An’aam
6:128] |
What is the wisdom behind the Islamic prohibition on gambling? | Praise be to Allah.Is gambling haram?
Gambling is haram because Allah has forbidden it, and He rules as He wills. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), gambling, al-Ansab [sacrifices for idols, etc.] and al-Azlam [arrows for seeking luck or decision] are an abomination of Shaytan’s handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful. Shaytan wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drink) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from al-salah (the prayer). So, will you not then abstain?” [al-Maidah 5:90-91]
Why is gambling haram?
With regard to the wisdom behind the prohibition of gambling , any wise person will see that there are many reasons for it, including the following:
Gambling makes a person rely on accidents, luck and wishful thinking for his earnings, instead of hard work, the sweat of his brow and paying respect to the ways prescribed by Allah.
Gambling destroys families and causes the loss of wealth through haram means. It makes rich families poor and humiliates proud souls.
Gambling results in enmity and hatred among the players, because they are consuming one another’s wealth unlawfully and getting wealth unlawfully.
Gambling turns people away from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer, and pushes the players to have the worst of attitudes and habits.
Gambling is a sinful hobby that wastes time and effort, and makes people get used to laziness and idleness. It stops the ummah from working and producing.
Gambling pushes people to commit crimes because the one who is penniless wants to get hold of money in any way he can, even if he has to steal it or take it by force, or through accepting bribes and cheating.
Gambling causes stress, illness and nervous breakdowns. It breeds hatred and in most cases leads to crime, suicide, insanity and chronic illness.
Gambling pushes the gambler to bad behaviour such as drinking alcohol and taking drugs. The atmosphere in which gambling takes place is dimly lit and filled with cigarette smoke; people talk in hushed voices and whispers, and sneak in and out as if they are up to no good. They come in hesitantly, filled with suspicion, and gather around the green table, breathing uneasily and with their hearts pounding. They are supposed to be friends playing a game, but in reality they are enemies, each of them lying in wait for the other and trying to make gains at the expense of the other and his children. The owner of the place tries to numb the feelings of all participants by offering dreamy music, fallen women, all kinds of drinks and cigarettes. The green table is surrounded with cheating and deception. The waiters and girls may tell one player about another player’s cards, helping one player to beat another by means of nods and whispers. Sometimes they achieve a kind of balance to make sure the game carries on and people stay for longer. No doubt everyone loses in the end, they lose the money they spend on drinks and cigarettes, the money they give to the waiters, the money they spend on drinks for the girls, and all kinds of other losses. Even the one who wins all or most of the games loses all or most of his winnings, and the loser loses everything. And at the end of the night, they all sneak away, showing the signs of depression and humiliation, and the loser warns the winner to look out the next day. (Ahmad Shalabi, al-Hayat al-Ijtima’iyyah fi’l-Tafkir al-Islami, p. 241)
What are the negative consequences of gambling?
How many families have become poor because of gambling ? How many mouths have gone hungry, how many bodies have become naked or been clothed in nothing but rags? How many marriages have failed, how many jobs have been lost, because of a person who stole money to support his gambling habit? How many men have sold their religion and honour at the gambling table? Gambling destroys everything, even when the aim is money. It includes wine, smoking, bad company, darkness, confusion, cheating, hatred, watching for opportunities to take advantage of others, deception and all other kinds of evil. (Qadaya al-Lahw wa’l-Tarfih, p. 388)
We ask Allah to keep us safe and sound.
For more, please see this category: Gambling.
And Allah knows best. |
Will a person be rewarded if he combines three of the six days of Shawwal with the Ayyam al-Beed (Days 13,14,15 from every month)? | Praise be to Allah.I asked our Shaykh, ‘Abd al-‘Azهz ibn ‘Abd-Allah ibn Baz about this matter, and he replied that hopefully he will be rewarded for that, because it is true that he fasted the six days of Shawwal , and it is also true that he fasted the al-Ayyam al-Beed , and the Bounty of Allah is great indeed.
With regard to this particular matter, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-‘Uthaymin replied as follows:
“Yes, if he fasts six days of Shawwal , he does not have to fast al-Ayyam al-Beed during that month too, whether he fasted the six days at the same time as al-Ayyam al-Beed (the 13 th, 14th and 15th of the hijri month) or before them or after them, because it is true that he has fasted three days of the month. ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: ‘The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to fast three days of every month, and he did not bother whether he fasted them at the beginning of the month or in the middle or at the end.”
This case is similar to that of Tahiyyat al-Masjid (prayer to “greet the mosque” upon entering), which does not have to be done if one prays a regular prayer upon entering the mosque. So if you enter the mosque and pray a regular Sunnah prayer, you do not have to pray Tahiyyat al-masjid…
And Allah knows best. |
I put some money in my young
children’s name into shares of an investment company. Should I put it all together
when calculating zakaat, or should I work it out individually, knowing that if I do not
put it all together, the individual amounts will not reach the level of nisaab? | Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen
(may Allaah preserve him) and he answered as follows: “Every person has his own
money, so if it reaches the level of nisaab, he should pay zakaat, otherwise he should
not. But does he have other children to whom he has given the same? If he has other
children then let him fear Allaah and treat them fairly, “to the male, a portion
equal to that of two females” [al-Nisa’ 4:11 – interpretation of the
meaning]. If he does not have other children, then the matter is clear. If he has
other children and he gives them the same as he has given to these, then he has treated
them fairly and he does not have to do anything more… And Allaah knows best.” |
Does a woman have to defend herself if someone wants to rape her, and is she allowed to use a weapon for that purpose? | Praise be to Allah.A woman who is being forced to commit zinaa [unlawful sexual activity] is obliged to defend herself and should not give in even if she kills the one who wants to do that to her. This self-defence is waajib (obligatory), and she is not at fault if she kills the one who wants to force her into zinaa. Imaam Ahmad and Ibn Hibbaan reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: Whoever is killed defending his property is a shaheed (martyr), whoever is killed defending himself is a shaheed, whoever is killed defending his religion is a shaheed, and whoever is killed defending his family is a shaheed. In the commentary on this hadeeth it says: whoever is killed defending his family is a shaheed refers to the one who defends the honour of his wife and female relatives.
If a man is obliged to defend his wife and fight off the one who wants to rape her even if this leads to his own death then this obligation applies even more to the woman herself, who must defend herself and not give in to the aggressor who wants to violate her honour, even if she is killed, because if she is killed she will also be a shaheedah, just as her husband will be a shaheed if he was killed defending her honour. Shahaadah (martyrdom, the status of shaheed) is a high status which is only achieved by the one who dies in the way of obedience to Allaah and that which He loves, which indicates that Allaah loves this kind of defence, a mans fighting to defend his wifes honour and a womans fighting to defend herself. But if she is unable to defend herself, and the evil aggressor overpowers her and rapes her by force, then she should not be subjected to any punishment (hadd or tazeer); rather, the punishment should be carried out on the evil aggressor.
It says in al-Mughni by Ibn Qudaamah al-Hanbali: Concerning a woman who was pursued by a man, and she killed him to protect herself, Ahmad said: If she knew that he wanted [to rape] her, and she killed him to protect herself, then she is not at fault. Ahmad mentioned the hadeeth which al-Zuhri reported from al-Qaasim ibn Muhammad, from Ubayd ibn Umayr, in which it said that a man had visitors from [the tribe of] Hudhayl, and he wanted [to rape] a woman, so she threw a rock at him and killed him. Umar said, By Allaah, there is no diyah for him ever i.e., she did not have to pay the blood money for him. If it is permissible to defend one's money, which one can give away, then a woman defending and protecting herself and her honour which cannot be given away, is clearly more permissible than a man defending his money. If this is clear, then she is obliged to defend herself if she can, because letting someone overpower her [rape her] is haraam, and by not defending herself, she lets him overpower her. [al-Mughni, 8/331]
And Allaah knows best. Al-Mufassal fi Ahkaam al-Marah, 5/42-43.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Turuq al-Hukmiyyah, 18: (Section) A woman who had committed zinaa was brought to Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him), and he asked her about it and she admitted it, so he commanded that she should be stoned. Ali said: Maybe she had a reason. So he said to her, What made you do that? She said, I had a partner who shared livestock with me; his camels had water and milk, and mine had none. I got thirsty, so I asked him to give me something to drink, but he refused unless I let him have his way with me. I refused three times, but I was so thirsty that I thought I was going to die, so I gave him what he wanted, and he gave me something to drink. Ali said: Allaahu akbar! But if one is forced by necessity without wilful disobedience nor transgressing due limits, then there is no sin on him. Truly Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [al-Baqarah 2:173 interpretation of the meaning].
In Sunan al-Bayhaqi it says: From Abu Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sulami, who said: A woman was brought to Umar who had been extremely thirsty, and had passed by a shepherd and asked him to give her something to drink; he had refused to give her something to drink unless she let him have his way with her. [Umar] consulted with the people as to whether he should have her stoned. Ali said, She was forced to do it. I think you should let her go. So he did so. I say: this is what should be done. If a woman is in desperate need of food and drink from a man, which he will not give her unless she lets him have his way with her, and she is scared that she will die without them, so she lets him have his way with her, then she is not to be punished. If it were asked, is it permissible for her in this situation to let him have his way with her, or does she have to suffer [her hunger and thirst] with patience, even if she dies? The answer is that her case is like that of a woman who is forced to commit zinaa, to whom it is said, Either you let me have my way with you, or I will kill you. The woman who is forced to do this should not be punished; she can save herself from being killed in this manner, but if she bears it (i.e., being killed) with sabr (patience), this is better for her. (But she does not have to put up with being killed). And Allaah knows best. |
In one of the mosques there is a partition between men and women. A dispute has arisen as to how important this partition is. Some think that there is no need for it, because at the time of the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) there was no partition; others insist on having it. The resulting argument may lead those who think there should be no partition to stop praying in the mosque, despite the fact that removing the partition could lead to some degree of mixing or looking at the opposite sex when leaving the mosque, because some of the men are not strongly committed in their religion. Should we insist on keeping the partition even though some people may stop praying in the mosque, or should we remove it
although this may lead to people looking at the opposite sex? | Praise be to Allah.Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen answered this question as
follows:
The partition should stay. The fact that there was no partition at the
time of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was either because
there was no need for it or because there was a reason why they could not have a
partition. With regard to the former, the Sahaabah, may Allaah be pleased with them, had
such strong faith in Allaah that they would not look at women; with regard to the latter,
the financial situation of the Sahaabah, as we know, especially before the conquests, was
one of hardship, and they could not afford to put a partition between themselves and the
women. Having understood this, we should next look at which is further removed from
fitnah, having a partition or not having it? Everyone will agree that having the partition
is less likely to cause fitnah. If that is the case, then whatever is less likely to cause
fitnah is what should be done. If you say, “If we insist on keeping it, those who
want to remove it will stay away from the mosque,” our response is that if they stay
away, they are doing wrong. They have no excuse for failing to pray in jamaa’ah
because of this partition being there. Having the partition there is not a sin such that
they could say, “We are not coming to be witnesses to sin.” If they stay away,
they are committing sin by failing to attend prayers in congregation. |
Some brothers give a speech when someone is buried, for the purpose of preaching to the mourners. What is the ruling on this? | Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen,
may Allaah preserve him, who replied:
“I think that this is an innovated bid’ah. No preacher can
claim that he loves to preach to people more than the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) did. It is not reported anywhere that the Messenger of
Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to stand up to address the people
with a khutbah in the graveyard. All that is mentioned is that one day he came to a grave
when the burial had not yet been completed. He sat down, and his companions sat down with
him, and he started talking to them about what happens when a person is on his deathbed
and after he dies. This is the nearest thing that has been reported, and anyone who stands
up to preach to the people after a burial is doing so on the basis of incorrect ijtihaad.
Question:
But the fact that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) did this once…?
Answer:
He did not preach as such. He just started talking to the people who
were sitting with him. It was not intended as preaching and he did not stand up to deliver
a khutbah.
Question:
So if a person sits by the grave and others sit with him, and he tells
them the hadeeth of Abu Dawood (the hadeeth of al-Bara’), would this action be OK
according to sharee’ah?
Answer:
It is not OK according to sharee’ah, because the Messenger of
Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not sit with the intention of
preaching. He just sat down to wait until the burial was over. There is a difference
between what happens by coincidence and what is done deliberately, and he never did this
on any other occasion.
And Allaah knows best. |
Is it permissible for a man to wear a ring made of platinum? | Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Sheikh Muhammad ibn Salih al-‘Uthaymin, may Allah have mercy on him, who answered as follows:
Men can wear rings made of platinum with two conditions:
That it is not an extravagance on the part of one who cannot afford to wear this kind of jewellery
That it should not cause any kind of fitnah (temptation), such as the man being young and perhaps causing fitnah by wearing it.
The basic principle with regard to clothing is that everything is permissible except gold rings , which are haram for men as is well known.
For more, please see these answers: 6697 , 105400 , 68039 , and 1980 .
And Allah knows best. |
A man died, and his wife gave birth a
few hours later. Is it permissible for her to wash his body? | Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who answered:
“No, because when she gave birth, the relationship between her and
her husband came to an end. It is not permissible for her to wash him because now she is
no longer his wife, and thus if she were to enter into a (new) marriage contact at this
time, it would be valid.”
When a woman’s husband dies, she should observe the ‘iddah
(waiting period or mourning period) of four months and ten days. If she is pregnant, her
‘iddah lasts until she gives birth. Once her ‘iddah is over or she has given
birth, there is no longer any connection between them. It is permissible for a wife to
wash her husband’s body, and vice versa, if this is still within the ‘iddah
period, because the connection between husband and wife does not end merely because of
death. The evidence for this from the Sunnah of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) is the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with
her), who said: “The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
came back from (the cemetery of) al-Baqee’ and found me suffering a headache, saying
‘Oh, my head!’ He said, ‘No, O ‘Aa’ishah, it is I who should be
saying, “Oh, my head!”’ Then he said, ‘What’s the matter? If you
die before me, I will take care of you: I will wash your body, wrap you in your shroud,
pray for you and bury you.’” (Reported by Ibn Maajah, 1454; classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani in Ahkaam al-Janaa’iz, page 50). It was
reported that ‘Aa’ishah said, concerning the death of the Prophet
(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), “If I could go back and do things all over again,
no one would wash him but his wives.” (Reported by Abu Dawood, 3733.
Al-Albaani classed its isnaad as saheeh in Ahkaam al-Janaa’iz, p. 49). And Allaah knows best. |
What is the ruling on a Muslim placing
his hand on the Tawraat (Torah – Old Testament) or the Injeel (Gospel – New
Testament), or both (the Bible) when swearing an oath in court in a non-Muslim country,
where the judicial system requires this of the one who is taking an oath? | Praise be to Allah.It is not permissible for a Muslim to swear by anything except Allaah,
may He be exalted, alone, because the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “Whoever swears an oath, let him swear by Allaah, or else keep silent.”
It is not essential for a person swearing an oath to put his hand on the
Mus-haf (copy of the Qur’an) for the oath to be valid, but some people do this to
make the oath more binding, so that the person swearing the oath will be afraid to tell
lies.
It is not permissible for the Muslim to put his hand on the Tawraat or
Injeel when swearing an oath, because the copies in circulation are distorted, and are not
the original Books that were revealed to Moosa and ‘Eesaa (peace be upon them); and
because the Message with which Allaah sent His Prophet Muhammad
(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) abrogates the messages that came before.
If the system in a country that is not ruled by Islamic law requires the
person swearing an oath to put his hand on the Tawraat or Injeel, or both, then the Muslim
should ask the court to let him swear by Allaah, may He be exalted. There is nothing wrong
with him putting his hand on the Holy Qur’aan, which is the Word of Allaah and is
therefore one of His attributes. If they do not allow him this request, and he is forced
to swear by the Tawraat or Injeel, then this is considered to be compulsion, and there is
no sin on him if he puts his hand on one or both of them, so long as he does not intend to
show respect to them by doing so. And Allaah knows best. |
What is the ruling on reciting Qur’aan
and wailing over graves, and mentioning things that are not appropriate, and on women
uncovering their faces with men around them? | Praise be to Allah.Wailing is forbidden for both men and women according to the
well-known imaams. It was reported in al-Saheeh that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If the woman who wails
does not repent before she dies, on the Day of Resurrection she will be wearing
a garment of scabs and pants made of melted tar.” In al-Sunan it
is reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) cursed the woman who wails and the one who listens to
her. In al-Saheeh it is reported that he said: “He is not one of
us who strikes his cheeks, rends his garments and says things like the people
of Jaahiliyyah say.” For women to uncover their faces where strangers (i.e.,
men to whom they are not related) can see them is not permitted. The man who
is in charge must enjoin what is good and forbid this evil and others. Whoever
does not refrain from doing this should be punished in such a way as to make
them stop, especially women who wail at gravesides, because this is a sin that
is hated by Allaah and His Messenger, as it involves panic, lamenting and wailing.
It hurts the dead and causes fitnah (trial, temptation) to the living, and consumes
people’s wealth unlawfully. It makes people forget about the patience and
hope for reward enjoined upon them by Allaah, and it may lead to evil deeds.
The Muslims should put a stop to such practices. And Allaah knows best. May
Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions. |
If an Ash’ari knows more Qur’an,
can he lead the prayer or not? | Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen,
may Allaah preserve him, who replied as follows:
“If he does not call others to follow his bid’ah and is not
stubborn when the truth becomes clear to him, there is nothing wrong with him leading the
prayer, otherwise, it is better if someone else leads the prayer even if he knows less
Qur’an. And Allaah knows best.” |
Is urinating in the bathtub when
having a shower included in the hadeeth that forbids urinating in the place where a person
washes himself or is it not, because the water is draining out of the tub? | Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen,
may Allaah preserve him, who replied as follows:
“No, this is not included in that hadeeth, because if he urinates,
he can pour water over it and the urine will be removed, but he should not start taking
his shower until the urine has been removed by pouring water over it.”
Question:
This urination is happening during the shower.
Answer:
Usually there is another place for urinating, but if it happens that a
person needs to urinate whilst he is having a shower, he should stop washing himself until
he has urinated and washed away the urine. And Allaah knows best. |
is it permissible for a woman to send her picture via the internet to her fiancé far away so that he can be certain as to whether he wants to go ahead and marry her, or not? | Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen: is it permissible for a woman to send her picture via the internet to her fiancé far away so that he can be certain as to whether he wants to go ahead and marry her, or not?
He replied, may Allah preserve him,
“I do not think that this is right.
Firstly, because other people besides him may also look at it.
Secondly, because a picture does not reflect reality completely. How often have people seen pictures then when they see the person or scene in real life they find that it is completely different.
Thirdly, the fiancé may keep this picture, then change his mind about marrying her, but he still has the picture and can play about with it as he wishes.
And Allah knows best.” |
Did you know your religion was founded and
developed by Catholics? I know Muhammad was your Christ, but let me tell you friend the
God you know is not the God of Gods but the Devil of Devils. | Praise be to Allah.We do not wish to respond to slander in kind, but we will answer you,
you disbeliever, with quotes from the Word of God (the Qur’aan), if you even believe
in the existence of God.
O disbeliever, we debate with you in the words addressed by Allaah (the
Arabic name of the One True God) to the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) and the
disbelievers. He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Do not exceed
the limits in your religion, nor say of Allaah aught but the truth. The Messiah ‘Eesa
(Jesus) son of Maryam (Mary) was (no more than) a Messenger of Allaah and His Word
(‘Be!’ – and he was), which He bestowed on Maryam, and a spirit created by
Him; so believe in Allaah and His Messengers. Say not: ‘Three (trinity)!’ Cease!
(it is) better for you. For Allaah is (the only) One (God). Glory be to Him (Far Exalted
is He) above having a son. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in
the earth. And Allaah is All-Sufficient as a Disposer of Affairs.”
[al-Nisa’ 4:171]
“Say: O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Do you
criticize us for no other reason than that we believe in Allaah, and in (the revelation)
which has been sent down before (us), and that most of you are faasiqoon (rebellious and
disobedient [to Allaah])?”
[al-Maa’idah 5:59]
“How can you disbelieve in Allaah? Seeing that you were dead and
He gave you life. Then He will give you death, then again will bring you to life (on the
Day of Resurrection) and then unto Him you will return.”
[al-Baqarah 2:28]
“… whosoever disbelieves in Allaah, His Angels, His Books,
His Messengers, and the Last Day, then indeed he has strayed far away…
Verily, those who disbelieve in Allaah and His messengers and wish to
make a distinction between Allaah and His Messengers (by believing in Allaah and
disbelieving in His Messengers) saying, ‘We believe in some but not in others,’
and wish to adopt a way in between,
They are in truth disbelievers. And We have prepared for the
disbelievers a humiliating torment.”
[al-Nisa’ 4:136, 150-151]
O disbeliever, do you think that you can do any harm to Allaah by
your disbelief? Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“… But if you disbelieve, then unto Allaah belongs all
that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, and Allaah is Ever Rich (Free of all
wants), Worthy of all praise.” [al-Nisa’ 4:131]
You will only increase in hatefulness and loss in the sight of Allaah,
you disbeliever, for you are one of the worst of living creatures, as Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, the worst of moving (living) creatures before Allaah
are those who disbelieve, - so they shall not believe.”
[al-Anfaal 8:55]
O disbeliever, are you not going to die? Or do you doubt that as well?
Do you know what your position will be when you die, if you die in a state of disbelief?
Listen:
“And if you could see when the angels take away the souls of
those who disbelief (at death), they smite their faces and their backs, (saying):
‘Taste the punishment of the blazing Fire.’”
[al-Anfaal 8:50]
O disbeliever, woe to you from what will happen to you on the Day of
Resurrection! Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“… so woe to the disbelievers from the meeting of a great
Day (i.e., the Day of Resurrection, when they will be thrown in the blazing Fire).”
[Maryam 19:37]
We have an appointment with you after death, on the Day of Reckoning:
“On that day those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger
[Muhammad SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] will wish that they were
buried in the earth, but they will never be able to hide a single fact from Allaah.”
[al-Nisa’ 4:42]
O disbeliever, do you know what Allaah has prepared for you if you die
in a state of disbelief? Read:
“And whosoever does not believe in Allaah and His Messenger
[Muhammad SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)], then verily, We have prepared
for the disbelievers a blazing Fire.”
[al-Fath 48:13]
“Verily, those who disbelieve, and die while they are
disbelievers, it is they on whom is the Curse of Allaah and of the angels and mankind,
combined.”
[al-Baqarah 2:161]
“Verily, those who disbelieved, and died while they were
disbelievers, the (whole) earth full of gold will not be accepted from any one of them
even if they offered it as a ransom. For them is a painful torment and they will have no
helpers.”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:91]
“Surely, those who reject Faith, neither their properties, nor
their offspring will avail them aught against Allaah. They are the dwellers of the Fire,
therein they will abide.”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:116]
Do you know what you will have to drink in Hell if you die as a
disbeliever? Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“… But those who disbelieved will have a drink of boiling
fluids and painful torment because they used to disbelieve.”
[Yoonus 10:5]
Do you know what you will have to wear on that Day? Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“… Then as for those who disbelieve, garments of fire will
be cut out for them, boiling water will be poured down over their heads.”
[al-Hajj 22:19]
Do you know what kind of punishment you will endure?
“Surely! Those who disbelieved in Our Signs, We shall burn them
in Fire. As often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for other skins
that they may taste the punishment. Truly, Allaah is Ever Most Powerful, All-Wise.”
[al-Nisa’ 4:56]
“If only those who disbelieved knew (the time) when they will not
be able to ward off the Fire from their faces, nor from their backs; and they will not be
helped.”
[al-Anbiya’ 21:39]
O reviler, maybe on the Day of Judgement you will wish that you had
been a Muslim in this world. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Perhaps (often) will those who disbelieve wish that they were
Muslims.”
[al-Hijr 15:2]
O disbeliever, you are among those who have disbelieved and done
wrong. Allaah says concerning you and your like (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily those who disbelieve and do wrong, Allaah will not
forgive them, nor will He guide them to any way”
[al-Nisa’ 4:168]
“Those who disbelieve and deny our signs are those who will be the
dwellers of the Hell-fire.”
[al-Maa’idah 5:10]
There you will have no life, but neither will you be able to find any
respite in death. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“But those who disbelieve, for them will be the Fire of Hell.
Neither will it have a complete killing effect on them so that they die, nor shall its
torment be lightened for them. Thus do We requite every disbeliever!”
[Faatir 35:36]
O disbeliever, have the glad tidings of a punishment from which you
will not be able to ransom yourself:
“Verily, those who disbelieve, if they had all that is in the
earth, and as much again therewith to ransom themselves thereby from the torment on the
Day of Resurrection, it would never be accepted of them, and theirs would be a painful
torment.”
[al-Maa’idah 5:36]
O disbeliever, if you want to mock Islam and its followers, this is
nothing new:
“Beautified is the life of this world for those who disbelieve,
and they mock at those who believe. But those who obey Allaah’s Orders and keep away
from what He has forbidden, will be above them on the Day of Resurrection. And Allaah
gives (of His bounty on the Day of Resurrection) to whom He wills without limit.”
[al-Baqarah 2:212]
O disbeliever, if you think that the light of Islam will be
extinguished, then you are living in a world of illusions. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
“They (the disbelievers) want to extinguish Allaah’s Light
with their mouths, but Allaah will not allow except that His Light should be perfected
even though the disbelievers hate (it).”
[al-Tawbah 9:32]
O disbeliever, do you know that you are cursed if you do not submit to
Allaah, so save yourself from this curse:
“Verily, Allaah has cursed the disbelievers, and has prepared
for them a flaming Fire (Hell).”
[al-Ahzaab 33:64]
There is still time for you to repent from sin and transgression, so
long as you are still alive. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from
disbelief) their past will be forgiven. But if they return (thereto), then the examples of
those (punished) before them have already preceded (as a warning).”
[al-Anfaal 8:38]
Whoever is guided, then it is for his own benefit, and whoever
disbelieves, then Allaah has no need of His creation. The curse of Allaah be upon the
disbelievers. |
Some computer programs that are in the
memory of a computer and then loaded onto disks and the like. Another program may be added
to the disks to protect the contents, so that no one can copy the original program. My job
has to do with these protection programs, working for companies or program owners. Among
the programs I deal with are some that contain music or that belong to followers of
bid’ah. If I produce programs to protect this material, as far as I can see, I am
reducing the number of copies available, because then no one can make copies and they have
to buy original versions. Is my work to protect these programs that contain objectionable
material halaal or haraam? | Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who answered as follows:
“This is not haraam, and indeed it may be waajib (obligatory),
because it is reducing the availability of these things.”
Question:
On that basis, is it permissible for him to accept payment for this?
Answer:
“Yes.”
Question:
“But the owner of the programs could go to someone else to get the
protection of these programs.”
Answer (paraphrased):
“This has nothing to do with anyone else. It’s OK if he does
this work of making these protection programs.”
Question:
And he can accept payment for it?
Answer:
“He can accept payment for it. And Allaah knows best..” |
A person is living in a kaafir country,
and one of his sons does not pray at all. We know that not praying is kufr and puts a
person beyond the pale of Islam. The system in that country allows a father to say before
he dies how his estate should be divided. Is it permissible for him, or is it obligatory
for him, to write a will with a lawyer stating that if his son does not pray, the estate
will be divided and he will be left out, and the estate will be shared out according to
Islamic shareeah among the other heirs? | Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who replied as follows:
There is nothing wrong with leaving instructions in one's will
that if this son does not return to Islam before the father dies, he will have no share of
the inheritance.
Question:
Can he write down specific shares with the lawyer?
Answer:
He should write it down according to Islamic law, because he does
not know, some of the heirs may die before him.
So he can write in his will, kept with the lawyer, that his estate
should be shared out according to Islamic law, and that if this son is not praying and has
not returned to Islam before the father dies, he will not have any share of the
inheritance.
And Allaah knows best. |
What is the ruling on going to the second wife on the first wife’s day in order to teach the second wife’s children, during the day when they come back from school? | Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who answered as follows:
“This is not allowed, it is haraam.”
Question:
But the children need to be taught.
Answer:
“He should bring them to the house of the wife whose day it is.
And Allaah knows best.” |
What is the ruling on what people do on the day of Ashura, such as wearing kohl, taking a bath (ghusl), using henna, shaking hands with one another, cooking grains (huboob), showing their happiness and so on…? Has any saheeh hadeeth to that effect been narrated from the Prophet peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or not? If there is no saheeh hadeeth to that effect, does doing these things constitute bid’ah, or not? What about the things that the other people do, such as mourning, grieving, going without anything to drink, eulogizing, wailing, rending their garments, etc.? Is there any basis for that or not? | Praise be to Allah.Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked this question and he replied as follows:
‘Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Nothing to that effect has been reported in any saheeh hadeeth from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or from his Companions. None of the imams of the Muslims encouraged or recommended such things, neither the four imams, nor any others. No reliable scholars have narrated anything like this, neither from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), nor from the Sahabah, nor from the Tabi'een; neither in any saheeh report or in a da’eef (weak) report; neither in the books of Saheeh, nor in al-Sunan, nor in the Musnads. No hadeeth of this nature was known during the best centuries, but some of the later narrators reported ahadeeth like the one which says “Whoever puts kohl in his eyes on the day of Ashura will not suffer from eye disease in that year, and whoever takes a bath (does ghusl) on the day of Ashura will not get sick in that year, etc.” They also narrated reports concerning the supposed virtues of praying on the day of Ashura, and other reports saying that on the day of Ashura Adam repented, the Ark settled on Mount Joodi, Yoosuf returned to Ya’qoob, Ibraheem was saved from the fire, the ram was provided for sacrifice instead of Ismaa’eel, and so on. They also reported a fabricated hadeeth that is falsely attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), which says, “Whoever is generous to his family on the day of Ashura, Allah will be generous to him for the rest of the year.”
(Then Ibn Taymiyah discussed the two misguided groups who were in Koofah, Iraq, both of whom took Ashura as a festival because of their bid’ah). The Rafidi group made an outward show of allegiance to the Ahl al-Bayt although inwardly they were either heretics and disbelievers or ignorant and bound by whims and desires. The Nasibi group hated ‘Ali and his companions, because of the troubles and killings that had occurred. It is reported in Saheeh Muslim that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “In (the tribe of) Thaqeef there will be a liar and an oppressor.” The liar was al-Mukhtar ibn Abi ‘Ubayd al-Thaqafi, who made an outward show of allegiance to and support of the Ahl al-Bayt, and killed ‘Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad, the governor of Iraq, who had equipped the party that killed al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with them both); then he (al-Mukhaar) made it clear that he was a liar, by claiming to be a prophet and that Jibreel (peace be upon him) brought revelation to him. People told Ibn ‘Umar and Ibn ‘Abbas about this, and said to one of them, “al-Mukhtar ibn Abi ‘Ubayd is claiming to receive revelation [annahu yanzilu ‘alayhi].” He said, “He is telling the truth, for Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘Shall I inform you (O people) upon whom the shayateen (devils) descend [tanazzalu]? They descend upon every lying, sinful person.’ [al-Shu’ara’ 26:221].” [Translator’s note: the words translated as “receive revelation” and “descend” both come from the same root in Arabic]. They said to the other: “Al-Mukhtar is claiming that he receives inspiration.” He said, “he is telling the truth. ‘… And certainly, the Shayateen (devils) do inspire their friends (from mankind) to dispute with you…’ [al-An’aam 6:121 – interpretation of the meaning].” As for the oppressor , this was al-Hajjaj ibn Yoosuf al-Thaqafi, who was opposed to ‘Ali and his companions. Al-Hajjaj was a Nasibi and al-Mukhtar was a Rafidi, and this Rafidi was a greater liar and more guilty of fabrication and heresy, because he claimed to be a prophet…
There was much trouble and fighting between these two groups in Kufa. When al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with them both) was killed on the day of Ashura, he was killed by the sinful, wrongdoing group. Allah honoured al-Husayn with martyrdom, as He honoured other members of his family, and raised his status, as He honoured Hamzah, Ja’far, his father ‘Ali and others. Al-Husayn and his brother al-Hasan are the leaders of the youth of Paradise. High status can only be attained through suffering, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him said, when he was asked which people suffer the most. He said, “The Prophets, then righteous people, then the next best and the next best. A man will suffer according to his level of faith. If his faith is solid, he will suffer more, but if his faith is shaky, he will suffer less. The believer will keep on suffering until he walks on the earth with no sin.” (reported by al-Tirmidhi and others). Al-Hasan and al-Husayn achieved what they achieved and reached the high status they reached by the help and decree of Allah. They did not suffer as much as their forefathers had, for they were born and raised during the glory days of Islam, and the Muslims respected and honoured them. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) died when they were still young, and Allah blessed them by testing them in such a manner that they would be able to catch up with the rest of their family members, as those who were of a higher status than them were also tested. ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib was better than them, and he was killed as a shaheed (martyr). The killing of al-Husayn was one of the things that caused fitnah (tribulation) among the people, as was the killing of ‘Uthman, which was one of the greatest causes of fitnah, because of which the ummah is still split today. Thus the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There are three things, whoever is saved from them is truly saved: my death, the killing of a patient khaleefah, and the Dajjal (‘antichrist’).”
Then Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned a little about the biography of al-Hasan and his just character, then he said:
“Then he died, and Allah was pleased with him and honoured him. Some groups wrote to al-Husayn and promised to support and help him if he went ahead and declared himself khaleefah, but they were not sincere. When al-Husayn sent his cousin [son of his paternal uncle] to them, they broke their word and gave help to the one they had promised to defend him against, and fought with him against [al-Husayn’s cousin]. Those who were wise and who loved al-Husayn, such as Ibn 'Abbas and Ibn ‘Umar and others, advised him not to go to them, and not to accept any promises from them. They thought that his going to them served no useful interest and that the consequences would not be good. Things turned out just as they said, and this is how Allah decreed it would happen. When al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) went out and saw that things were not as he had expected, he asked them to let him go back, or to let him join the army that was defending the borders of Islam, or join his cousin Yazeed, but they would not let him do any of these things unless he gave himself up to them as a prisoner. So he fought with them, and they killed him and some of those who were with him, and he was wrongfully slain so he died as a shaheed whose martyrdom brought him honour from Allah, and so he was reunited with the good and pure members of his family. His murder brought shame on those who had wrongfully killed him, and caused much mischief among the people. An ignorant, wrongful group – who were either heretics and hypocrites, or misguided and misled – made a show of allegiance to him and the members of his household, so they took the day of ‘Ashura as a day of mourning and wailing, in which they openly displayed the rituals of jahiliyyah such as slapping their cheeks and rending their garments, grieving in the manner of the jahiliyyah. But what Allah has commanded us to do when disaster strikes – when the disaster is fresh – is to bear it with patience and fortitude, and to seek reward, and to remember that all things come from Allah and we must return to Him, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “… but give glad tidings to al-sabiroon (the patient ones), who, when afflicted with calamity, say: ‘Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.’ They are those on whom are al-salawat (the blessings) (i.e., who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones.” [al-Baqarah 2:155-157] .
It is reported in al-Saheeh that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “he is not one of us who strikes his cheeks, rends his garments and prays with the prayer of Jahiliyyah.” And he said: “I have nothing to do with those who strike [their cheeks], shave [their heads] and rend [their garments].” And he said: “If the woman who wails does not repent before she dies, she will be raised up on the Day of Resurrection wearing trousers made of tar and a shirt of scabs.” In al-Musnad, it is reported from Faatimah bint al-Husayn, from her father al-Husayn, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no man who suffers a calamity, and when he remembers it, even if it is old, he says ‘Innaa Lillaahi wa innaa ilayhi raaji’oon (Truly, to Allaah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return),’ but Allaah will give a reward equal to the reward He gave him on the day he suffered the calamity.” This is how Allaah honours the Believers. If the disaster suffered by al-Husayn, and other disasters, are mentioned after all this time, we should say “Innaa Lillaahi wa innaa ilayhi raaji’oon (Truly, to Allaah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return),” as Allaah and His Messenger commanded, so as to be given the reward like that earned on the day of the disaster itself. If Allaah commanded us to be patient and steadfast and to seek reward at the time of the disaster, then how about after the passing of time? The Shaytaan made this attractive to those who are misled, so they took the day of ‘Aashooraa’ as an occasion of mourning, when they grieve and wail, recite poems of grief and tell stories filled with lies. Whatever truth there may be in these stories serves no purpose other than the renewal of their grief and sectarian feeling, and the stirring up of hatred and hostility among the Muslims, which they do by cursing those who came before them, and telling many lies, and causing much trouble in the world. The various sects of Islam have never known any group tell more lies or cause more trouble or help the kuffaar against the Muslims more than this misguided and evil group. They are even worse than the Khawaarij who went beyond the pale of Islam. They are the ones of whom the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “They will kill the people of Islam and will leave alone the people who worship idols.” This group cooperated with the Jews, Christians and mushrikeen against the members of the Prophet’s household and his believing ummah, and also helped the mushrik Turks and Tatars to do what they did in Baghdaad and elsewhere to the descendents of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), i.e., the ‘Abbaasid rulers and others, and the believers; the Turks and Tatars killed them, enslaved their women and destroyed their homes. The evil and harm that they do to the Muslims cannot be enumerated by any man, no matter how eloquent he is. Some others – either Naasibis who oppose and have enmity towards al-Husayn and his family or ignorant people who try to fight evil with evil, corruption with corruption, lies with lies and bid’ah with bid’ah – opposed them by fabricating reports in favour of making the day of ‘Aashooraa’ a day of celebration, by wearing kohl and henna, spending money on one's children, cooking special dishes and other things that are done on Eids and special occasions. These people took the day of ‘Aashooraa’ as a festival like Eid, whereas the others took it as a day of mourning. Both are wrong, and both go against the Sunnah, even though the other group (the Rafidis) are worse in intention and more ignorant and more plainly wrong… But Allaah commands us to be just and to treat others well. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Those of you who live after my death will see many disputes. I urge you to adhere to my Sunnah and the sunnah of my rightly-guided successors (al-khulafa’ al-raashidoon) who come after me. Hold onto it as if biting it with your eyeteeth. Beware of newly-innovated matters, for every innovation is a going astray.” Neither the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) nor his rightly-guided successors (the khulafa’ al-raashidoon) did any of these things on the day of ‘Aashooraa’, they neither made it a day of mourning nor a day of celebration.
But “when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to Madeenah, he saw the Jews fasting on the day of ‘Aashooraa’. He said, ‘What is this?’ They said, ‘This is the day when Allaah saved Moosa from drowning, so we fast on this day.’ He said, ‘We have more right to Moosa than you,’ so he fasted on that day and commanded [the Muslims] to fast on that day.”
Quraysh also used to venerate this day during the Jaahiliyyah. The day on which people were ordered to fast was just one day. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to Madeenah it was Rabee’ al-Awwal, and the following year he fasted ‘Aashooraa’ and commanded the people to fast. Then in that year fasting in Ramadaan was made obligatory and fasting on ‘Aashooraa’ was abrogated. The scholars disputed as to whether fasting on that day (‘Aashooraa’) was waajib (obligatory) or mustahabb (encouraged). Of the two best known opinions, the more correct view is that it was waajib, then after that whoever fasted it did it because it was mustahabb. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not tell ordinary Muslims to fast on ‘Aashooraa’, but he used to say, “This is the day of ‘Aashooraa’; I am fasting on this day and whoever wishes to fast on this day may fast.” And he said: “Fasting on ‘Aashooraa’ expiates for the sins of one year and fasting on the day of ‘Arafaah expiates for the sins of two years.” When, towards the end of his life, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) heard that the Jews took the day of ‘Aashooraa’ as a festival, he said, “If I live until next year, I will certainly fast on the ninth” – to be different from the Jews, and not to resemble them in taking the day as a festival.
There were some of the Sahaabah and scholars who did not fast on this day and did not regard it as mustahabb, but thought it makrooh to single out this day for fasting. This was reported from a group of the Koofiyeen (scholars of Kufa). Some other scholars said that it was mustahabb to fast on this day. The correct view is that it is mustahabb for the one who fasts on ‘Aashooraa’ to fast on the ninth day [of Muharram] too, because this was the ultimate command of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as he said: “If I live until next year, I will certainly fast on the ninth as well as the tenth.” This was reported with a variety of isnaads. This is what is prescribed in the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
As for the other things, such as cooking special dishes with or without grains, or wearing new clothes, or spending money on one’s family, or buying the year’s supplies on that day, or doing special acts of worship such as special prayers or deliberately slaughtering an animal on that day, or saving some of the meat of the sacrifice to cook with grains, or wearing kohl and henna, or taking a bath (ghusl), or shaking hands with one another, or visiting one another, or visiting the mosques and mashhads (shrines) and so on… all of this is reprehensible bid’ah and is wrong. None of it has anything to do with the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or the way of the Khulafa’ al-Raashidoon. It was not approved of by any of the imaams of the Muslims, not Maalik, not al-Thawri, not al-Layth ibn Sa’d, not Abu Haneefah, not al-Oozaa’i, not al-Shaafa'i, not Ahmad ibn Hanbal, not Ishaaq ibn Raahwayh, not any of the imaams and scholars of the Muslims.
The religion of Islam is based on two principles: that we should worship nothing besides Allaah Alone, and that we should worship Him in the manner that He has prescribed, not by means of bid’ah or reprehensible innovations. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “… So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord.” [al-Kahf 18:110].
Righteous deeds are those which are loved by Allaah and His Messenger, those which are prescribed in Islam and in the Sunnah. Thus ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) used to say in his du’aa’: “O Allaah, make all of my deeds righteous and make them purely for Your sake, and do not let there be any share for anyone or anything else in them.”
(The above is summarized from the words of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah – may Allaah have mercy on him. Al-Fataawa al-Kubra, part 5). And Allaah is the Guide to the Straight Path.
For more information, please see the answers to questions No. (21775 ) and (303756 ).
And Allah knows best. |
Can a Muslim woman uncover in front of her
non-Muslim father, and can she travel with him? | Praise be to Allah.Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“A kaafir is not a mahram for his Muslim female relative. Ahmad said
concerning a Jew or Christian whose daughter becomes Muslim: ‘He cannot travel with
her, he is not a mahram for her.’ Apparently he meant that he is not her mahram for
the purposes of travelling. As far as looking is concerned, she does not have to wear
hijab in front of him, because Abu Sufyaan came to Madeenah at the time when he was still
a mushrik, and visited his daughter Umm Habeebah. She folded up the Prophet’s bed so
that he would not sit on it, but she did not wear hijab in front of him, and the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not command her to do so.” (al-Mughni,
part 7, Ahkaam al-Khutbah). |
Some Muslims made da’wah to call a
family, consisting of a husband and wife, to Islam. They embraced Islam and came together
to the Islamic centre to declare their Islam. Do they have to do a new marriage contract
or not? | Praise be to Allah.Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“Chapter Three: if the husband and wife become Muslim together,
then they keep their original marriage contract, whether this happens before the marriage
is consummated or after. There is no dispute among the scholars on this matter, praise be
to Allaah.
Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr mentioned that there is scholarly consensus on
the matter. The reason is that there is no difference of religion between the spouses. Abu
Dawood reported from Ibn ‘Abbaas that a man came to declare his Islam at the time of
the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then his wife came
to declare her Islam. [The man] said: ‘O Messenger of Allaah, she became Muslim when
I did.’ So the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) returned her to
him.”
(al-Mughni, part 7, Ahkaam al-Nikaah).
On the basis of the above, their original marriage contract is
sufficient, and there is no need for them to do a new one. And Allaah knows best. |
In the Islamic centres and when calling non-Muslim women to Islam, we are faced with the problem of the wife’s attachment to her kaafir husband who does not want to become Muslim. It is difficult for the woman to sacrifice her marriage, especially when the couple has children and the husband treats her well and she feels a great deal of love for him. We know that if a kaafir woman becomes Muslim it is not permissible for her to remain in a marriage with a kaafir man, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “… they are not lawful (wives) for the disbelievers nor are the disbelievers lawful (husbands) for them…” [al-Mumtahinah 60:10]. How should we deal with this problem? Is it permissible for us to focus on the issue of the woman becoming Muslim and ignore the rest of the matter? | Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen:
A woman says, I want to become Muslim, and my husband
is good and I do not want to leave him. What should I do?
He answered:
“She has to leave him, but is it possible for her to
call him to Islam? She could say, ‘I want to become Muslim, but if I
become Muslim, the marriage will become null and void unless you become
Muslim too.’ Hopefully if she says this to him, he will become Muslim
too.’”
Question:
If she become Muslim, can she stay in the marital home
while she calls him to Islam, or should she leave?
Answer:
“If she is hopeful that he will become Muslim, she can
stay in the marital home until the end of her ‘iddah (waiting period
following the dissolution of a marriage).”
Question:
Can she uncover herself (go without hijab) during the
‘iddah or not?
Answer:
“To be on the safe side, she should not uncover, because
there is no certainty that he will agree to become Muslim.”
Question:
And she should not be alone with him?
Answer:
“And she should not be alone with him.”
Question:
If telling her about this could turn her away from Islam,
is it permissible for us according to sharee’ah to conceal the second
part of the answer from her, so that we could tell her, “Become Muslim
first, then we will tell you about the ruling on staying with your husband”?
Answer:
“No, if we say this, and then we tell her about the ruling
and she leaves Islam (becomes an apostate), this will make the problem
worse. For this reason the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib,
when he sent him to the people of Khaybar: ‘Call them to Islam and tell
them what they have to do in the way of duties towards Allaah.’”
Question:
So now if she continues to live with him after she becomes
Muslim she is guilty of a major sin (kabeerah)?
Answer:
“Yes that is the case, but she should not persist in
zinaa (unlawful sexual relationship).”
Question:
Briefly, how should we answer her?
Answer:
“Tell her: Become Muslim, and know that if you become
Muslim and your husband does not, the marriage will become null and
void.”
When we are talking to women who will be faced
with this issue, we should focus on the following points:
Giving
priority to love for Allaah and His Messenger over love for anyone else.
If she is sincere in calling him to Islam
and in praying for him, Allaah may guide him at her hands.
-Whoever gives up something for the sake of Allaah, Allaah will
compensate him or her with something better.
Allaah will never forsake His slave who
gives up something he or she loves for His sake.
When a woman like this becomes Muslim and leaves her
husband, one of the Muslim brothers should come forward to marry her
and take her children into his family, or good-hearted Muslims should
undertake the responsibility of spending in charity on her and her children.
We ask Allaah to guide us and grant us strength and help us to do the
right thing. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad. |
I am a working woman, and I have a salary from which I spend on myself and my home, I give some to my family and I give some in charity, and so on. Many of the arguments that I have with my husband arise because of the way I spend my money. Does my husband have the right to object to the way I spend my money? Do I have to ask for his permission when I want to spend any of my money? | Praise be to Allah.Undoubtedly the free adult person who is of sound mind and discernment is permitted to dispose of his own wealth with no restrictions as long as he is alive, whether he is buying, renting, giving a gift, establishing a waqf (endowment) or any other kind of transaction. There is no dispute among the scholars on this point.
There is also no dispute among the scholars concerning the fact that the husband does not have the right to object to the way his wife handles her wealth in transactions such as buying, renting, etc., if the woman is of sound mind and there is no reason why she should not handle her own money and she is not one of those who may be tricked.
(Muraatib al-Ijmaa li Ibn Hazm, 162; al-Ijmaa fil-Fiqh al-Islami, Abu Habeeb, 2/566).
But the scholars differed as to whether a woman has the right to give all or some of her wealth in charity or as a gift without the permission of her husband. The details of their opinions are as follows:
The first opinion:
The husband has the right to prevent her from giving if the amount is more than one third of her wealth, but he does not have this right with regard to lesser amounts. This is the opinion of the Malikis and Hanbalis, and one of the two views narrated from Ahmad.
(Sharh al-Khurashi, 7/103; al-Mughni, 4/513; Nayl al-Awtaar, 6/22). The evidence for this is reports and qiyaas (analogy).
Among the reports referred to are the following:
The report that Khayrah, the wife of Kab ibn Maalik, came to the Prophet with some jewellery of hers. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: It is not permissible for a woman [to dispose of] her wealth without the permission of her husband. Have you asked Kabs permission? She said, Yes. So the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent for Kab ibn Maalik, her husband, and asked him, Have you given permission to Khayrah to give her jewellery in charity? He said, Yes, so the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) accepted it from her.
(Reported by Ibn Maajah, 2380; its isnaad includes Abd-Allaah ibn Yahya and his father, who are majhool (not known, i.e., not enough information is known about them to ascertain whether they are trustworthy)).
The report narrated from Umar ibn Shuayb from his father from his grandfather that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said in a khutbah (sermon) he gave: It is not permissible for a woman to give anything except with the permission of her husband.
(Sunan Abi Dawood, Buyoo, Baab 84; Sunan al-Nisaai, Zakaah, Baab 58; Musnad Ahmad, 2/179; Sunan Ibn Maajah, 2/798). According to another version: A woman has no right to her money if she is married. (Reported by five, except al-Tirmidhi).
These reports are taken as evidence that a woman does not have the right to spend her money except with her husbands permission, which means that the husbands permission is a condition any time she wants to spend; his right to stop her spending is limited to amounts over one-third of her wealth, because there are reports that indicate that the owner has the right to dispose of one-third or less of his wealth in his will, but he does not have the right to dispose of more than that without the permission of his heirs. This is seen in the famous story of Sad ibn Abi Waqqaas, who asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) if he could give all of his wealth in charity, and he said, No. Sad asked, What about two-thirds? The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, No. Sad said, What about half? The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, No. Sad said, What about a third? The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, [Yes,] a third, but a third is still a lot.
(Agreed upon)
With regard to their using qiyaas (analogy) as evidence, they say that the husbands rights are connected to the wifes wealth, on the basis of the hadeeth: A woman may be married for her wealth, her beauty or her religious commitment.
(Reported by the seven scholars).
Usually a husband increases his mahr because of the wifes wealth, and he will be able to spend her money, and if he cannot afford to spend on her, she will not complain (because she has her own money). This is similar to the rights of heirs in relation to a sick person's wealth.
(al-Mughni, 4/514).
The second opinion:
The husband has the right to stop his wife from spending in all cases, whether it is a small amount or a large amount, except in the case of insignificant things. This is the opinion of al-Layth ibn Sad.
(Nayl al-Awtaar, 6/22).
The third opinion:
The woman is not allowed to spend anything of her wealth at all, except with the permission of her husband. This is the opinion of Taawoos (Fath al-Baari, 5/218). Ibn Hajar said in al-Fath, and Taawoos used as evidence, the hadeeth of Umar ibn Shuayb, It is not permissible for a woman to give anything of her own wealth except with the permission of her husband. This was reported by Abu Dawood and al-Nisaai. Ibn Battaal said: The hadeeth narrated in this chapter are more sound.
The fourth opinion:
The woman has the right to spend her own money in all circumstances, whether in a transaction or otherwise, whether this involves all of her wealth or part of it. This is the opinion of the majority, and is the opinion of the Hanafis, Shaafais and Hanbalis, and of Ibn al-Mundhir.
(al-Mughni, 4/513; al-Ansaaf, 5/342; Maaani al-Athaar, 4/354; al-Baari, 5/318; al-Awtaar, 6/22).
This is the soundest opinion, and is most in accordance with the Quraan, the Sunnah and common sense.
In the Quraan, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
And give to the women (whom you marry) their Mahr (obligatory bridal money given by the husband to his wife at the time of marriage) with a good heart, but if they, of their own good pleasure, remit any part of it to you, take it, and enjoy it without fear of any harm (as Allaah has made it lawful).[al-Nisa 4:4]
Allaah allows the husband to take what his wife gives him willingly.
Allaah also says (interpretation of the meaning):
And if you divorce them before you have touched (had a sexual relation with) them, and you have appointed unto them the mahr (bridal money given by the husband to the wife at the time of marriage), then pay half of that (mahr), unless the women agree to forego it[al-Baqarah 2:237]
Here Allaah allows women to give up as much of the mahr as they wish if their husbands divorce them, without them having to ask permission from anybody. This indicates that women have the right to decide what to do with their own money, and that a woman has rights to her wealth just as a man has rights to his wealth.
(Sharh al-Maaani al-Athaar, 4/352).
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
And try orphans (as regards their intelligence) until they reach the age of marriage; if then you find sound judgement in them, release their property to them [al-Nisa 4:6]
This clearly means that when the female orphan becomes wise and discerning, she is allowed to handle her own wealth.
Similarly, when the women gave their jewellery in charity after the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had addressed them during his Eid sermon, this was an indication that they are allowed to dispose of their wealth without asking permission from anybody.
(See Ittihaaf al-Khilaan bi Huqooq al-Zawjayn fil-Islam by Dr. Fayhaan ibn Ateeq al-Mutayri, pp. 92-96).
It says in Nayl al-Awtaar: the majority of scholars agreed that women are allowed [to handle their own wealth] with no restrictions and without having to ask their husbands permission, so long as they are not foolish, but if they are foolish, it is not permitted. It says in al-Fath: The majority have a lot of evidence in the Quraan and Sunnah.
The majority of scholars argued against those who used as evidence the hadeeth It is not permissible for a woman to give anything except with the permission of her husband.
(Reported by Abu Dawood, 3079; Saheeh al-Jaami, 7265; some of its narrators have already been mentioned). The majority of scholars said that this has to do with the good manners and proper etiquette required of the wife because of the rights her husband has over her, and because of his status, experience in life and wisdom. Al-Sindi said in his commentary on al-Nisaai with regard to the hadeeth quoted: According to the majority of scholars, this has to do with good manners and making the husband feel good. It was reported from al-Shaafai that the hadeeth was not proven, so how can we use it as evidence when the Quraan, Sunnah, other reports and common sense indicate the opposite? Maymoonah freed a slave before the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) knew anything about it, and he did not tell her off. This and other reports indicate that if this hadeeth is true, it is to be interpreted as being the matter of good manners, and the wife has the option either to ask her husbands permission or not.
So the Muslim woman is encouraged to seek her husbands permission but it is not obligatory for her to do so and she will be rewarded for doing that. Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was asked, Which woman is the best? He said, The one who makes [her husband] happy when he looks at her, who obeys him when he tells her to do something, and who does not oppose him in a manner he dislikes with regard to herself and her wealth.
(Reported by al-Nisaai, 3179; Saheeh al-Jaami, 3292).
And Allaah knows best |
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