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I have just read one of your answers which
says that a menstruating woman may not touch the Quran as she is not in the state of
purity.
I have a CD-ROM called Alim which contains the complete Quran and Hadith.
Am I allowed to read the Qur'an on my computer as I am not physically touching the book,
and would I be allowed to touch the CD-ROM considering the information that the disc
holds?
Jazak Allah Khairun
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Praise be to Allah.Wa alaykum al-salaam wa rahmat-Allaahi wa barakaatuhu.
Given that no Quraan appears on the surface of the CD-ROM, the
rulings concerning the Mushaf do not apply to it, as is also the case with Quraan
recorded on audio cassettes. On this basis, there is nothing wrong with you running this
CD-ROM and reading Quraan from the screen. As for ahaadeeth, the menstruating woman
is permitted to touch the books of Hadeeth and to read from them. And Allaah knows best.
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Is the principle of pleasure forbidden
in Islam? What is the view of Islam concerning physical pleasure, because the religion is
a bunch of hard and strict duties.
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Praise be to Allah.The pleasures of this world are of three types.
Pleasures which will be followed by a greater pain, or which make a
person miss out on a greater pleasure. These are the pleasures enjoyed by sinners and
negligent people to varying degrees, such as those who enjoy zina (illegal sexual
conduct), drinking wine, stealing, and so on. It will be said to them on the Day of
Resurrection (interpretation of the meaning):
“You received your good things in the life of the world, and you
took your pleasure therein…” [al-Ahqaaf 46:20]
Pleasures which will not be punished in the Hereafter, but
overindulgence causes a person to miss out on achieving higher levels and keeps him from
earning reward. These are the permissible pleasures of those who are negligent, which they
do not do in order to better themselves or to earn reward, and they have no intention of
worship when they do these things. Examples include going to extremes in matters of food,
drink, transportation, accommodation, travelling and going on vacation, and other things
that are not inherently harmful or sinful.
Pleasures for which a person will be rewarded. These pleasures belong
exclusively to the believers who let themselves enjoy them on the grounds of doing their
duty towards themselves, seeking help thereby to obey Allaah, and helping to keep
themselves away from sin.
On the basis of these noble aims, these pleasures may be classified as
acts of obedience towards Allaah, concerning which the Prophet
(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah will be pleased with a slave who eats some food
then praises Allaah for it, and drinks some drink then praises Allaah for it.” (Reported
by Muslim, 2734, from the hadeeth of Anas). He also said. “In your
intercourse with your wife, there is reward.” They said, “O Messenger of Allaah,
can anyone of us have sexual enjoyment and be rewarded for that?” He said, “Do
you not see that if you do that in a haraam manner, you will be punished for it? So if you
do it in a halaal manner, you will be rewarded.” (As in the hadeeth of Abu
Dharr, reported by Muslim, 1006).
It is clear from the hadeeth that enjoying these worldly
pleasures on the basis of praising Allaah, recognizing His bounty and seeking to protect
oneself from doing forbidden things will bring reward from Allaah. Praise be to Allaah for
His blessings. (See Majmoo’ al-Fawaa’id by Ibn Sa’di, p.
234). Thus we know that in Islam there are permissible pleasures, having to
do with eating and drinking permissible foods and enjoying permissible kinds of clothing
and means of transportation, and there are pleasures for which a person will be rewarded
in the Hereafter, in addition to his enjoyment of them in this world, such as the one who
eats with the intention of gaining the strength to obey Allaah, or who sleeps with the
intention of helping himself to get up to pray Qiyaam al-Layl and Fajr, or the one who has
intercourse with his wife with the intention of keeping himself and her chaste, keeping
them both away from sin, and with the hope of having a child, or the one who works hard at
his trade or job with the intention of spending on himself and his family and his parents,
and so on. And Allaah knows best.
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Below question are for a working employee :
1) Can I claim medical expenses by producing the fake bill even the company knews this and allows to do so as this is the normal tendency .
2) Can one take sick leave when one is really not sick . If i dont take i may lose the benefit .
3) Can we wear Tie while praying Namaz (salah ) as i heared that in Islam one can pray without removing his shoe .What about praying with the shirt tucked in .
4) Can i manipulate the timings while entering in the register .
Company does not do anything for the one who works beyond the working hours .
5) Many people does not like beard especially non-muslim .If for the interview i dont shave , i will get the disadvantage . What is your opinion -- BOTHER or NOT TO BOTHER these non-muslim as i should see the nod of Almighty rather than these kafirs .
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Praise be to Allah.(1, 2, 4) Fiddling medical bills, leave and timings.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, Allaah commands that you should render back the trusts to those, to whom they are due; and that when you judge between men, you judge with justice. Verily, how excellent is the teaching which He (Allaah) gives you! Truly, Allaah is Ever All-Hearer, All-Seer” [al-Nisaa’ 4:58]
“O you who believe! Betray not Allaah and His Messenger, nor betray knowingly your Amaanaat (things entrusted to you, and all the duties which Allaah has ordained for you)” [al-Anfaal 8:27]
In these aayaat there is the command to fulfil all kinds of trusts which people may be given. Fulfilling trusts and carrying them out properly is one of the greatest signs of faith.
It was reported in al-Saheehayn from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The signs of the munaafiq (hypocrite) are three: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is entrusted with something he betrays that trust.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 32; Muslim, no. 89). According to a report narrated by Muslim (no. 90), “Even if he fasts and prays and claims that he is a Muslim.”
This indicates that betrayal is a characteristic of the hypocrites. In al-Musnad it was narrated from Anas that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no eemaan (faith) for the one who cannot be trusted and there is no religion for the one who does not keep his promise.” (Musnad al-Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, no. 11935).
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to pray: “Allaahumma inni a’oodhu bika min al-joo’i fa innahu bi’s al-dajee’, wa a’oodhi bika min al-khiyaanah fa innahaa bi’sat il-bitaanah (O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from hunger, for it is the worst of bedfellows, and I seek refuge with You from betrayal, for it is the worst of companions).”
(Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, no. 5373; Abu Dawood, no. 1323; Ibn Maajah, 3345. Al-Albaani said, it is hasan saheeh. Saheeh Sunan al-Nasaa’i, 3/1112).
Maymoon ibn Mihraan said: “Three things are to be fulfilled for the righteous and impious alike: trust, promises and the upholding of family ties.”
Hence it is obligatory for an employee to remember that his Lord is always watching and to fulfil the trust of his work honestly, sincerely and carefully, so that his conscience will be clear, his earnings will be good (halaal) and his Lord will be pleased with him.
What you have mentioned about fiddling (with medical expenses, etc.) is a form of cheating, deception and betrayal which is not appropriate. “A believer may have any (bad) qualities apart from treachery and lying.” (Narrated by Imaam Ahmad, no. 21149, from the marfoo’ hadeeth of Abu Umaamah may Allaah be pleased with him).
So it is not permissible for you to manipulate the timings of your attendance at work, or to take sick leave when you are not sick, or to ask for things to which you are not entitled by giving false proof. All of that is haraam according to Islam, and is acting like the hypocrites. The fact that your boss or superior takes the matter lightly is not an acceptable excuse for doing something haraam. And Allaah knows best.
(3) With regard to neckties, please see Question # 1399
(4) With regard to praying wearing trousers or pants. If they are concealing and loose, not tight, then it is OK to pray in them. It is better to wear a shirt over them which covers the area from the navel to the knee and comes down to mid-calf or to the ankles, because that is more concealing.
(5)With regard to the beard, it is obligatory to leave it alone and let it grow, in obedience to the command of the Messenger of Allaah, and ignore what they say. Whoever gives up something for the sake of Allaah, Allaah will compensate him with something better than it. And Allaah knows best.
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I was going on a journey, and
someone entrusted me with some money to give it to a relative of his. It was confiscated
by the airport authorities who do not let anyone take more than a certain amount of money
out of the country; they also took some of my own money. Do I have to repay the person
whose money it was?
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Praise be to Allah.The person to whom the money was given is a
trustee, and if the money in his care was lost without any wrongdoing on his part, then he
does not have to pay any compensation. If the matter is as you say, then you do not have
to give him anything in return.
And Allaah is the source of strength. May Allaah bless our
Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
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I live in one of the Muslim
countries and I have a piece of farmland. When I was digging, I found some ancient graves
on the eastern side, but I found nothing in them except some old bones. I need this land,
so what is the ruling in this case?
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Praise be to Allah.From what you say, it seems that the land you
are asking about is a graveyard and that your farm borders it on the west. It is not part
of your farm, since when you dug in it you found old graves containing bones, as you
admit. It does not belong to you and it is not part of your farm, rather it is a Waqf
(endowment) for those who are buried there, and it is not permissible for you or anyone
else to take possession of it or use it for residential purposes, farming, construction,
erecting tents or any other purpose. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family
and companions.
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A woman was breast feeding her child
in the bed. She then left that child to look after other children. She stayed with the
other children until they slept. She also was exhausted and slept with them. When she
woke, she found that the first baby cried a great deal and was being affected by the
crying. He was taken to the hospital and stayed there a number of days. He then died
because of that. The question is: Does that mother have to make an expiation? If so, what
is it?
|
Praise be to Allah.If the events were as described in the question, there is no expiation
upon the mother of the child. This is because she did not do anything that caused the
child's death.
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I am a Christian minister--Yet I feel that
after reading your teaching on ,"how to treat your wife",was exllent in our
creators eyes . I know that we have different vieues on The Holy One who has made us.Yet I
am a student of the scriptures, but also student to understanding. I have a daughter who
married a muslim. I don't even know if I'm right in ,the case of calling my son-law a
musilm. For he is a devoted to the teaching of the Koran. Lately I had a discussion with
my daughter. Remember this I do not preach that she has made the wrong mistake, or try to
force my oppinion on her.I love her,and my son -inlaw as well. I need to not preach what I
believe,but my actions should show love. I thank you and all our brothers ,that we shall
know the truth together. Again I hope and pray for peace. Yours in Loving of the
Brotherhood
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Praise be to Allah.We thank you very much for expressing these kind feelings. The fact that
you have not stood in the way of your daughter and her husband in their following of Islam
is indicative of your fair mindedness and respect for the beliefs of others. At the same
time, we cannot hide our wish that you could join us and your daughter and her husband in
following this religion, the great religion of Islam. We know that the matter may appear
difficult, especially for a man who represents and studies another religion, but who
knows, maybe this study will be followed by a proper study of Islam which will lead to a
new conviction. We wish you well always, and pray that Allaah will guide us all to the
path of truth and guidance. Thank you once again.
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What does islam says about this case: I
want to marry a muslim man..but my parents refuse him totally because he is from a
different country than mine. My mother is crying all the time which hurt me a lot. I love
my mother deeply and i don't want to hurt her. but i want to get married with the man i
choosed because he has the necessary qualities that islam asks for: kafaa and
"aql" plus he is a good beleiver. in addition, we have involved in a
relationship that im asking allah to forgive me..and the only solution now is to get
married. i always talk with my parents with extreme care, but it just takes long time, and
i want to finish this relationship by marriage as soon as possible, is my obligation to my
parents more important than my marriage?
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Praise be to Allah.Obeying ones parents is obligatory, as is
respecting their wishes with regard to good things. It is better to respect their wishes
in this matter, and Allaah will compensate you with someone better. Your description of
the man in your question, as having the necessary qualities that islam asks for:
kafaa and "aql" plus he is a good beleiver, does not fit with the sin that
he has committed by having this haraam relationship with you. Whether this relationship
involved zinaa (illicit sexual contact) or not, the way out is to repent and show
regret. If this relationship resulted in pregnancy, then marriage is not the solution to
this problem, because in this case the child is for the bed (meaning he should be given
his mothers surname and the zaani [man who committed zinaa] has
nothing to do with him), as was reported from the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him). If you both repent to Allaah, and you manage to persuade your family , and
your guardian agrees to let you marry this man, then praise be to Allaah. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: Any woman who gets married without
her guardians permission, her marriage is invalid (Reported and
classed as hasan by al-Tirmidhi, 1021).
We ask Allaah to help you to repent sincerely and to
help you to do the right thing, whatever it may be. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
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A number of years ago I took
one hundred Saudi riyaals from each of a number of colleagues. Later on I travelled to
another region and forgot these colleagues, and they forgot me. Now I do not know where
they are. What should I do about the money I owe them? Please tell me, may Allaah reward
you.
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Praise be to Allah.If the case is as you describe in your
question, and you have forgotten the person who lent you one hundred Riyaals, then what is
prescribed in Islam is that you should give an equivalent amount in charity on their
behalf. When you remember any of them, then pay him what you owe him, unless he accepts
the fact that you gave charity on his behalf. This will clear you of debt and bring reward
to you and to them.
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A person was not blessed with
children, so he took a foundling from the orphanage and brought him up, teaching him and
treating him well. Out of compassion and an attempt to the do right thing, he gave him his
name and registered him as his own son in official documents. What is the ruling on this?
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Praise be to Allah.According to shareeah it is not
permissible for a person who adopts a child to give him his name as if he is his own son
and a member of his tribe, as described in the question, because this involves lying,
falsehood, the mixing of lineages and a threat to peoples honour, as well as
distorting the channels of inheritance so that someone who is not entitled may receive an
unfair share whilst depriving the rightful heirs of their due, and causing chaos in the
sphere of relationships between mahram and non-mahram which affect issues of khulwah
(being alone with a member of the opposite sex) and marriage. All of this violates
sanctities and transgresses the bounds of shareeah. Hence Allaah forbade saying that
a child belongs to anyone except his father or a slave belongs to anyone except his
master. As Allaah said (interpretation of the meaning):
nor has He made your adopted sons your real sons.
That is but your saying with your mouths. But Allâh says the truth, and He guides to the
(Right) Way. Call them (adopted sons) by (the names of) their fathers, that is more just
with Allâh. But if you know not their fathers (names, call them) your brothers in
Faith and Mawâlîkum (your freed slaves). And there is no sin on you concerning that in
which you made a mistake, except in regard to what your hearts deliberately intend. And
Allâh is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [al-Ahzaab 33:4-5]
The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said:
Whoever knowingly claims to belong to anyone other than
his father, Paradise will be denied him. (Narrated by Ahmad, al-Bukhaari and
Muslim). The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also said: Whoever
claims to be the son of anyone other than his father, or the slave of anyone other than
his master, on him will be the curse of Allaah continually until the Day of
Resurrection.
The one who is asking this question made a mistake when he
tried to do the right thing by giving his name to the child. He cannot leave matters as
they are; he has to try to change it and put matters right, because of the texts that
state this naming is haraam, as quoted above. As for his feeling compassion for the child,
bringing him up and treating him kindly, this is a good action which is encouraged in
Islam. May Allaah bless our prophet Muhammad.
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I am a 46 year old catholic who loves a 62 year old Muslim . We have been together for 15 years. We were once married and after the divorce, we got back together but never remarried. He is presently in Mecca for the Muslim Pilgrimage Mecca Ritual. Once he comes back from Mecca, what will happen to our relationship? We would like to grow old together. Do we have to get married? Can our relationship stay the same? If we have to marry, can he marry me as a Christian woman? I am not a virgin as I have been with him for the last 15 years. I have never been unfaithful to him. I do not want to convert as I am comfortable as a Christian. I respect the Muslim religion and I love him for being so religious and a good person. Please help us guide us in the right direction. Thank you.
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Praise be to Allah.The best thing for you to do is to become Muslim, because Allaah created mankind to worship Him as He wants. He wants us to worship Him in the Islamic way. The Christian religion was right in its own time (when it first came), but it has been distorted, then Allaah abrogated it with Islam. The Muslims recognize the religion of the Messiah, may peace be upon him, but it was followed before Islam came, by a small group of people. Then Islam came and abrogated it, so it is not right to follow it now.
After man dies, he will have another life. Either he will be blessed (in Paradise), if he worshipped Allaah as Allâh wants, or he will be doomed (in Hell) if he went against the commands of Allaah Who created him and gave him his provision. So how can you worship Allaah by following an abrogated religion? We advise you to read good Islamic books, and you will be guided to the truth, by the permission of Allaah. Do not be deceived by the large numbers of Christians around you, or by the fact that it is the religion of your forefathers, or by the influence of the media. You have a mind of your own, so use it and do not live according to what others think.
If you insist on remaining Christian, then in Islam it is permissible for a Muslim to marry a Christian woman, if she is chaste and does not engage in forbidden relationships. It is not permissible for him to live with her outside of marriage. If he does that, then he is a sinner who has disobeyed Allaah by committing a serious major sin, and he deserves punishment in this world and the next.
We ask Allaah to guide you and him, to make you strong and to grant you a good end. Allaah is the Guide to the Straight Path.
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At the edge of my land I found three graves – what should I do with them? Is it permissible for me to move the remains to another place?
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Praise be to Allah.These people were originally buried in land for the dead (a graveyard), and they own it by virtue of being buried there. It is not permissible to disturb them, whether by digging up the remains, walking over the graves or any other form of disrespect. You should put up a fence around the graves so that they will not be subjected to any disrespect, and so as to preserve their dignity, because the sanctity of the dead among the Muslims is like the sanctity of the living. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
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What are the laws by which the widow
whose husband had just died must abide by?
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Praise be to Allah.The Hadith states what a mourning widow is prohibited
from doing and what she is requested to do.
First, she must remain in her house in which she
was living when her husband died. She remains therein until her iddah (mourning
period) comes to an end. This is four months and ten days. Unless she is pregnant,
wherein her mourning period ends when she gives birth. Allah says in the Quran,
"For those who are pregnant, their waiting period is until
they deliver" (al-Talaq 4).
She does not leave the house except due to need
or necessity, such as visiting the hospital due to illness, buying what she
is in need of from the market, such as food or other items, if she cannot find
others to do such for her. Similarly, if the house is destroyed, she leaves
it for another house. Finally, if she does not find anyone who she knows close
to her and she fears for her safety, she may move due to that need.
Second, she may not wear any kind of beautiful
clothing, either yellow, green or other. She must wear clothing which is not
beautiful or attractive, regardless of whether it be black, green or otherwise.
The important aspect is that it is not beautiful or attractive. This is what
the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered.
Third, she must not wear jewelry, either gold,
silver, diamonds, pearls or anything of that nature. This is regardless if it
be bracelets, chains or rings. She may not wear anything of this nature until
her mourning period is over.
Fourth, she must refrain from using perfume. She
cannot perfume herself with either incense or any other kind of items that make
the body smell good. The only exception to this is when she cleanses herself
after her period. In that case, there is no harm if she applies some kind of
incense.
Fifth, she should not apply kohl. She can neither
use kohl nor anything similar to kohl which is a beautification for the face,
a beautification that may be considered something that attracts people. As for
the normal beautification of using water and soap, there is nothing wrong with
that. But the kohl which is a beautification of the eyes and other similar items
that woman put on their faces are not to be used.
These are the five items that a woman must attend
to when her husband dies.
However, there are many other acts that the general
masses believe or have fabricated concerning a mourning woman. For example,
they say that she cannot talk to anyone, she may not talk on the phone, she
can only take a shower once a week, she cannot walk barefoot in her house, she
cannot go out under the light of the moon, and other superstitions that are
simply false. There is no basis for any of these. She may walk barefoot or with
shoes in her house. She fulfills her needs in the house, such as cooking her
food and the food of her guests. She may go out in the light of the moon on
her roof 1 or in her garden. She may wash herself whenever she wishes. She may
speak to anyone she wishes as long as it is not suspicious speech. She may shake
hands with women and men she is related to-- as for those men she is not related
to, she may not shake their hands. She may remove her head scarf if she is not
in the presence of men she is not related to.
However, she should not use henna or saffron either
on her clothing or in her coffee. This is because saffron is a kind of perfume
and it is not allowed for her to perfume herself. She cannot be proposed to.
One may indirectly make a statement intent to her but a clear proposal is not
allowed.
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What is the meaning of the hadeeth “We are an unlettered nation, we do not read or write”? Does this contradict what the Muslims are doing nowadays of seeking education?
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Praise be to Allah.The wording of the hadeeth is not as mentioned
in the question. We will quote it here:
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased
with him) that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “We are an unlettered
nation, we do not write or calculate. The month is such-and-such or
such-and-such – meaning sometimes it is twenty-nine and sometimes it
is thirty.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1814; Muslim, 1080)
This hadeeth was narrated concerning the issue of
the beginning of the lunar month, and it indicates that there is no
need to resort to astronomical calculations in order to know when the
month begins. We should rely on visual sighting of the moon when it
is new, then we will know that the month has begun. The hadeeth was
quoted to explain that we should rely on sighting of the moon and not
on calculations. It did not come to urge the ummah to remain ignorant
and not to learn arithmetic and all other useful sciences. So this hadeeth
does not contradict what Muslims are doing nowadays of seeking education
in different branches of science which will benefit their worldly interests.
Islam is the religion of knowledge; it calls for knowledge and obliges
every Muslim to learn what Allaah has enjoined upon him and to learn
whatever rulings of sharee’ah he needs to know about acts of worship
and dealings with others. With regard to worldly sciences such as medicine,
engineering, agriculture, etc., Muslims have to learn whatever the ummah
needs to know. If the Muslims need to manufacture a needle, there has
to be someone among them who can learn how to make this needle.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah wrote a very useful
discussion on this hadeeth; there follows a selection of his comments
on it:
“The phrase ‘We are an unlettered nation’ is not
telling them to be like that. They were unlettered before Islam came,
as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
‘He it is Who
sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves’
[al-Jumu’ah 62:2]
‘And
say to those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) and
to those who are illiterates (Arab pagans): Do you (also) submit yourselves
(to Allaah in Islam)?’
[Aal ‘Imraan
3:20]
Although this is how they were before the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) was sent to them, they were not commanded to become like
that. Some of the implications of being unlettered were to remain, but
as we shall see, they were not commanded to remain as they were in every
sense…
Among the nation to which Allaah sent
him were some who could read and write a great deal, just as there were
among his Companions. There were also some who could calculate. The
Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) was sent with some obligations which involve calculation.
It was narrated that when the person he had appointed to take care of
the zakaah, Ibn al-Latabiyyah, came to him, he calculated the
total amount collected. He had a number of scribes, such as Abu Bakr,
‘Umar, ‘Uthmaan, ‘Ali, Zayd and Mu’aawiyah, who would write down the
Revelation, and would write contracts and write his letters to the people
to whom Allaah had sent him, the kings of the earth and the leaders
of groups, and to his workers, governors, etc. Allaah says in His Book
(interpretation of the meaning):
“… that you might
know the number of the years and the reckoning”
[Yoonus 10:5; al-Israa’
17:12]
This is mentioned in two places in the Qur’aan, where
Allaah tells us that He has created [the sun and moon] so that the calculations
may be known.
The word ummi
(unlettered or illiterate) comes from the same root as the word ummah
(nation). It refers to one who is not distinguished from the rest of
the people by knowing how to read or write. It is akin to the word ‘aammi
which is used to describe a regular person (one of the ‘aammah
or masses) who is not distinguished from them by having knowledge which
they do not have. It was also said that the word ummi
is connected to the word umm
(mother), because he has learned no more than his mother taught him,
and so on.
The distinction which takes him out of the
ranks of the regular, unlettered people into the ranks of those who
have specialized knowledge may be a virtue in and of itself, as in the
case of those who read Qur’aan and understand its meaning, or it may
be a means which helps to reach that level of virtue, as when a person
is distinguished from them by his being able to write and read. So the
one who uses that knowledge to pursue perfection is to be praised, whilst
the one who neglects it or uses it for evil purposes is to be condemned.
Whoever does away with it in favour of something that is more beneficial
is more perfect, and if you can achieve the aim without using these
means, then that is even better.
Thus it is clear that being distinct from
the unlettered is of two types. The first nation to which the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) was sent was the Arabs, through whom the Message was conveyed
to all the other nations, because it was sent in their tongue. They
were mostly illiterate, and they had no advantage of having knowledge
or a scripture etc., although by nature they were more ready to learn
than other nations. They were like a plowed field that is ready to be
sown, but there was no one to do the task and they had no scripture
they could read that had been revealed from Allaah, as the People of
the Book had, or any analytical science like the Sabaeans and others
had. Writing existed among them, but to a very small extent. They had
some knowledge of the type that is acquired by common sense, but which
does not make an individual distinct from any other unlettered person;
for example, they knew of the Creator, and they held good characteristics
in high esteem, and they had some knowledge of astronomy, genealogy
and poetry. So they deserved to be called unlettered in all senses of
the word, as Allaah said concerning them (interpretation of the meaning):
“‘He
it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad) from
among themselves’
[al-Jumu’ah 62:2]
‘And
say to those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) and
to those who are illiterates (Arab pagans): Do you (also) submit yourselves
(to Allaah in Islam)?’
[Aal ‘Imraan
3:20]
So the unlettered or illiterate were described as being
opposite to the People of the Book, for the kitaabi
(one of the People of the Book) is something other than the ummi
(unlettered).
When he was sent among them, it became
obligatory upon them to follow the Book that he brought and to ponder
its meanings, understand it and act upon it. Allaah made this Book an
explanation for all things, and their Prophet taught them everything,
even (the etiquette of) defecation. They became people of a Book and
people of knowledge, indeed, they became the most knowledgeable of people
and the best of them in beneficial knowledge. They lost the feature
of blameworthy and imperfect illiteracy, which is the lack of knowledge
and a revealed Book, and they gained knowledge of the Book and wisdom.
They inherited the Book, as Allaah said concerning them (interpretation
of the meaning):
“He
it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad) from
among themselves, reciting to them His Verses, purifying them (from
the filth of disbelief and polytheism), and teaching them the Book (this
Qur’aan, Islamic laws and Islamic jurisprudence) and Al-Hikmah
(As-Sunnah: legal ways, orders, acts of worship of Prophet Muhammad).
And verily, they had been before in manifest error”
[al-Jumu’ah 62:2]
They were unlettered in every sense of
the word, but when he taught then the Book and al-Hikmah,
Allaah said concerning them (interpretation of the meaning):
“Then
We gave the Book (the Qur’aan) as inheritance to such of Our slaves
whom We chose (the followers of Muhammad). Then of them are some who
wrong their ownselves, and of them are some who follow a middle course,
and of them are some who are, by Allaah’s Leave, foremost in good deeds”
[Faatir 35:32]
“And this is
a blessed Book (the Qur’aan) which We have sent down, so follow it and
fear Allaah (i.e. do not disobey His Orders), that you may receive mercy
(i.e. saved from the torment of Hell).
Lest you (pagan
Arabs) should say: ‘The Book was sent down only to two sects before
us (the Jews and the Christians), and for our part, we were in fact
unaware of what they studied.’
Or lest you (pagan
Arabs) should say: ‘If only the Book had been sent down to us, we would
surely, have been better guided than they (Jews and Christians).’”
[al-An’aam 6:155-157]
And Allaah answered the prayer of al-Khaleel
(Ibraaheem) for them, when he said (interpretation of the meaning):
“Our
Lord! Send amongst them a Messenger of their own (and indeed Allaah
answered their invocation by sending Muhammad), who shall recite unto
them Your Verses and instruct them in the Book (this Qur’aan) and Al-Hikmah
(full knowledge of the Islamic laws and jurisprudence or wisdom or Prophethood)
[al-Baqarah 2:129]
So there are kinds of illiteracy which
are haraam, kinds which are makrooh and kinds which are a shortcoming
and failure to do that which is better. A person who does not know how
to read al-Faatihah or
any part of the Qur’aan, is called by the fuqahaa’ in their discussion
on al-salaah (prayer), ummi
(unlettered), the opposite of whom is a qaari’
(one who reads or recites). They say: it is not correct for a qaari’
to be led in prayer by an ummi,
but it is permissible for an ummi
to lead another ummi in
prayer; and they discuss other issues of the same nature. What they
mean by ummi here is one
who cannot read what is necessary, regardless of whether he can write
and calculate or not.
This illiteracy also includes neglecting
what is obligatory, for which a man will be punished if he is able to
learn it but he does not do so.
There is also the kind of illiteracy
which is blameworthy, such as that which Allaah described in the case
of the People of the Book, when He said (interpretation of the meaning):
“And
there are among them (Jews) unlettered people, who know not the Book,
but they trust upon false desires and they but guess”
[al-Baqarah 2:78]
This is a description of one who does not
understand the word of Allaah or act upon it; all he does is to recite
it. Al-Hasan al-Basri said: The Qur’aan was revealed to be acted upon,
so recitation implies acting upon it. The ummi
in this sense may read the letters of the Qur’aan, etc., but he does
not understand it; when he speaks about matters of knowledge, he speaks
superficially, based on conjecture. This person is also regarded as
ummi and deserves to be
blamed, just as Allaah condemned him for his lack of obligatory knowledge,
whether this knowledge is fard ‘ayn
(obligatory on each individual) or fard
kafaayah (obligatory on the community as a whole but not
on each individual)
There is also the kind of ‘illiteracy’
which is better and more perfect, such as the one who only reads a part
of the Qur’aan and he only understands what he has learned. He only
understands as much of sharee’ah as he has to know. Such a person is
also called ummi (illiterate),
and others who learn and act upon the Qur’aan are better and more perfect
than him.
These matters which distinguish a person
are virtues, and if a person fails to attain them, he is missing out
on something that is obligatory either on him as an individual (fard
‘ayn) or is obligatory on the community (fard
kafaayah) or is mustahabb (recommended). These attributes of perfection and
virtue may be attributed to Allaah and His Prophets in general terms.
Allaah is All-Knowing and All-Wise, and He combines knowledge and beneficial
speech in all that He wants, tells and wills. The same is true of His
Prophets and our Prophet, the leader of the knowledgeable and wise.
With regard to the distinguishing features
which are means to attaining virtues, but which one can do without and
use alternative means, these are things like writing and numeracy. If
a person does not have these abilities, knowing that virtue cannot be
achieved without them, not having them is a sign of imperfection. If
a person acquires them and uses them to perfect himself – like the one
who learns how to read and then uses that to read the Qur’aan and read
useful books or write other things that will be of benefit to people
– then this is a virtue in his case. But if he uses it for purposes
that will harm him or other people – like the one who reads misguided
books or writes things that will harm people, like forging the writing
of rulers, judges and witnesses – then this will be bad for him, and
will be a sin and imperfection. Hence ‘Umar forbade teaching women how
to write. If it is possible to do without it yet still achieve perfect
knowledge, then this is better, and this was the case with our Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him), of whom Allaah said (interpretation of the meaning):
“Those
who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write
(i.e. Muhammad) whom they find written with them in the Tawraat (Torah)
and the Injeel (Gospel)…”
[al-A’raaf 7:157]
His being unlettered did not mean that he was lacking
in knowledge or the ability to recite by heart, for he is the leader
of all imaams in that regard. What it meant was that he was not able
to write or to read anything that was written, as Allaah said of him
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Neither
did you (O Muhammad) read any book before it (this Qur’aan), nor did
you write any book (whatsoever) with your right hand…”
[al-‘Ankaboot 29:48]
[Then he (Ibn Taymiyah – may Allaah
have mercy on him) went back to discussing the hadeeth “We are an unlettered
nation, we do not write or calculate…” and stated that there is a corroborating
report which refers to what is meant by this hadeeth. Then he said:]
When this is compared with his comment
that the month may be thirty or twenty-nine days, it becomes clear that
what is meant is that with regard to the new moon (beginning of the
month), we have no need for writing or calculations, because sometimes
it is (thirty days) and sometimes it is (twenty-nine days). What differentiates
between them is the sighting (of the new moon), there is nothing else
that differentiates between them, such as writing or calculation.
Thus is becomes clear that the “illiteracy”
mentioned here is a characteristic which is praiseworthy in several
senses:
it
means doing without writing and calculations in favour of something
whichis clearer and more apparent, namely, (sighting) the new moon.
-Writing and calculation may involve errors…
Etc.
|
I have been studing Islam for a few months now, I have a Quran and am busy reading it and I must admit I am comparing it with the bible. I am almost ready to embrace Islam however I have two major problems. First I am married to a Christian, he drinks a lot and is out of work at this stage, when he drinks I become someone I do not like very much. I do not drink at all and have not for several years. My father was an alcoholic and unfortunately I also married one.
I loved him very much when we got married however he has slowly destroyed this love with his manners and attitude. I do like him, when he is sober he is the kindest and most giving person I know and he would do almost anything for his friends and I think for his family. We have 2 children but they are both very fed up with his drinking. If I had to leave him, he will most definitely land up in the gutter. He will not be able to cope on his own. He has a very low self-esteem at this stage. I am very helpless at this stage and do not know what to do.
My second major problem is I am friends with a much younger Muslim man. We have known each other for a couple of years now and I have also come to love him. The major problem here is he is married and has two children, he is much younger than what I am and he is friends with my husband and I am friends with his wife. I have never indicated to him how I feel or what I feel, but I do dream a lot of what may be. I know this is probably wrong. I am not the type of person who will leave my husband for another man but we have not had a proper marriage relationship for almost six years now and I am not dead yet.
I would like to embrace Islam but I am afraid that my friend's attitude may change towards me when I become a Muslimah, we now visit and talk about almost anything ranging from business to religion and I would not like to loose his friendship by committing myself. My friend is a is very staunch in his religion and he is a practising Muslim.
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Praise be to Allah.The conviction that you have reached must be very firm and strong, because it is based on research and study, and comes after you have compared the Bible and the Quran. We do not think that that you need to be convinced any further, but the problems that you talk about have to do with the next step, which is really embracing the religion of Islam and starting to practise it by living an Islamic life. We do not see any real obstacles that would prevent you from taking this step. Let us look at each of these problems in turn.
The first problem is: how will your alcoholic husband react to your becoming Muslim? The Islamic ruling is that as soon as you embrace Islam, you start your iddah, which is the waiting period (following dissolution of a marriage).
Maalik (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: According to our opinion, if a woman becomes Muslim when her husband is a kaafir, then he becomes Muslim, then he has more right (to go back) to her as long as she is still in her iddah period, but if her iddah has expired, he has no right to go back to her.
Al-Shaafai said: If one of them (the couple) becomes Muslim before the marriage is consummated, then their separation takes effect instantly when one of them becomes Muslim. If this happens after the marriage has been consummated, then it becomes the matter of waiting until three (menstrual periods) have passed. This is if the woman has regular periods; otherwise the waiting period is three months. If the other partner becomes Muslim before this time has passed, then their marriage contract remains valid.
(Tabyeen al-Haqaaiq Sharh Kanz al-Daqaaiq, part 2, Baab Nikaah al-Kaafir).
This is because a Muslim woman is not allowed to be married to a kaafir at all, because Islam should prevail and not be prevailed over.
So become Muslim, and present Islam to him (your husband). If he becomes Muslim too, then praise be to Allaah. Maybe this will make him give up alcohol. If he does not become Muslim and the iddah time expires, then leave him, especially as his circumstances are not acceptable and and his alcoholism is causing so much trouble for you and your children, and living with him is unbearable. Do not feel any regrets about him; maybe Allaah will compensate you with someone better than him. If he cannot take care of himself, then he only has himself to blame, because he is bringing it upon himself. If you leave him, this make him feel bad and thus bring him back to his senses; maybe then he will become Muslim and get his wife and children back.
The second problem is very serious and dangerous, because it has to do with an Islamically unacceptable relationship between a man and a non-mahram woman who talk together intimately about all kinds of topics, without any controls or restraints. This improper conduct has led to other kinds of improper conduct, namely love and attachment and fear of separation from that person, as well as the weighing up of this relationship against the religion of Islam even though continuing this intimate relationship is so harmful and entering Islam is obligatory and will bring happiness in this world and salvation from the Fire in the Hereafter. Moreover, we are astonished and wonder how he can be so committed to his religion as you say yet he has formed such a relationship with you that you describe him as your friend. You must hasten to enter Islam and advise this person in an appropriate fashion (such as sending him an e-mail, for example). Rest assured that when you become Muslim, Allaah will make for you a way to get out (from difficulty), and He will provide for you from (sources) you could never imagine. So strive to please your Lord, and He will be pleased with you and will make other people pleased with you. May Allaah help us all to do that which He loves and which pleases Him.
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Do I have permission to look in my
husband's wallet? Does he have permission to look in my purse.
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Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-Uthaymeen, who replied as follows:
Does the other partner agree to that? If he or she agrees to it, then
there is nothing wrong with it, but if he or she does not agree to it, then it is not
permissible.
And Allaah knows best.
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I know that one of the requisites of making Du'a is sending prayers on the Prophet Muhammad (S) and the Du'a is blocked from the heavens until one sends prayers on him (S). Is this is general ruling? What is one wants of make Du'a during sujood (prostration), does one send prayers on the Prophet during that posture as well?
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Praise be to Allah.According to Islamic teaching, du’aa’ (supplication)
may be divided into two categories, general and specific.
General du’aa’ is that which may be
initiated by the individual, in which he may say whatever he wants,
at certain times or in certain places prescribed by sharee’ah, such
as making du’aa’ in the last third of the night, or making du’aa’ between
the adhaan (call to prayer) and iqaamah (second call immediately preceding
the prayer), or making du’aa’ at ‘Arafaah, and so on.
The specific kind of du’aa’ is du’aa’s
which are said when entering or leaving a place, when certain things
happen, and so on, such as when entering and leaving the toilet, when
the wind blows strongly, and so on.
The first kind, general du’aa’s, are
those in which blessings should be sent upon the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). They should also include
praise of Allaah. Faddaalah ibn ‘Ubayd said: “The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) heard a man making du’aa’ in his prayer, but he did not
praise Allaah or send blessings on the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: ‘This man is in a hurry.’ Then he called him or someone
else and said, ‘When any one of you prays, let him begin by praising
his Lord, then let him send blessings on the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then let him pray for whatever
he wants after that.’”
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3477, and Abu Dawood, 1481)
The context of sending blessings on the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) was mentioned by the great scholar Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah
have mercy on him), who said:
“Blessings should be sent upon him before supplication
and after praising Allaah.
The second place is to send blessings upon him at the
beginning of the du’aa’, in the middle and at the end.
The third place is to send blessings upon him at the
beginning and at the end, and to mention one’s need in the middle.”
(Jalaa’ al-Afhaam,
p. 375)
With regard to the reason for sending blessing
upon the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) in du’aa’, Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“Sending blessings upon him is one of the greatest means
of having du’aa’s answered, and this has been enjoined by Allaah. Sending
blessings upon him in du’aa’ is what is indicated by the Qur’aan, Sunnah
and ijmaa’ (scholarly consensus). Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning);
‘Allaah
sends His Salaah (Graces, Honours, Blessings, Mercy) on the Prophet
(Muhammad), and also His angels (ask Allaah to bless and forgive him).
O you who believe! Send your Salaah on (ask Allaah to bless) him (Muhammad),
and (you should) greet (salute) him with the Islamic way of greeting
(salutation, i.e. As‑Salaamu ‘Alaikum)’
[al-Ahzaab 33:56].”
(Majmoo al-Fataawa,
1/347)
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
In these contexts in which it is prescribed to send blessing
upon the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him), it is prescribed to send blessings upon the
Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) before starting the du’aa’. The key to du’aa’ is
sending blessings upon the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), just as the key to salaah
(prayer) is purity. So may Allaah send blessings and peace upon him
and his family.
With regard to the specific kind of du’aa’s mentioned
above, these do not include sending blessings upon the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), except in a few cases such
as the du’aa’ for entering the mosque and the du’aa’ after the adhaan,
as will be quoted below.
The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught his ummah
specific du’aa’s for certain times and certain actions, in which there
is no sending blessings on the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). These include:
Du’aa’
al-istikhaarah:
It was narrated that Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah
(may Allaah be pleased with them both) said: The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) taught us to pray for guidance in all our affairs, just
as he would teach us a soorah from the Qur’aan. He said: “If any of
you intends to undertake a matter, then let him pray two non-obligatory
rak’ahs, then let him say:
‘Allaahumma inni astakheeruka
bi ‘ilmika wa astaqdiruka bi qudratika, wa as’aluka min fadlik al-‘azeem
fa innaka taqdiru wa laa aqdir, wa ta’lamu wa laa a’lam, wa anta ‘allaam
ul-ghuyoobi. Allaahumma in kunta ta’lamu anna haadha’l-amra
– and here he mentions his need – khayrun
li fi deeni wa ma’aashi wa ‘aaqibati amri (or he said, ‘aajil amri wa aajilihi), faqdirhu
li wa yassirhu li thumma baarik li fihi. Wa in kunta ta’lam anna hadha’l-amra
sharrun li fi deeni wa ma’aashi wa ‘aaqbiti amri (or he said,
‘aajil amri wa aajilihi),
fasrifhu ‘anni wasrifni ‘anhu waqdir
li al-khayr haythu kaana thumma ardini bihi
(O Allaah,
I seek Your guidance by Your knowledge and I seek strength by Your power.
I ask you of Your great Bounty. You have power, I have none, You know,
I know not. You are the Knower of the Unseen. O Allaah, if You know
that this matter – and here he should mention it – is good for me in
my religious commitment, my livelihood and my affairs (or he said, immediately
and in the distant future), then decree it for me, make it easy for
me and bless it for me. And if you know that this matter is bad for
me in my religious commitment, my livelihood and my affairs (or he said,
immediately and in the distant future), then turn it away from me, and
turn me away from it, and decree for me whatever is good, wherever it
may be, and make me content with it).’”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1113) Du’aa’ when entering
the toilet:
It was narrated that Anas ibn Maalik
(may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “Whenever he entered the toilet,
the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) used to say, ‘Allaahumma
inni a’oodhu bika min al-khubthi wa’l-khabaa’ith (O Allaah,
I seek refuge with You from all evil and evildoers).”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5963; Muslim, 375)
Du’aa’ when there are high winds:
It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah, the
wife of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whenever there was a wind-storm,
the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) would say, “Allaahumma
inni as’aluka khayrahaa wa khayra ma fihaa wa khayra maa ursilat bihi,
wa a’oodhu bika min sharrihaa wa sharri maa fihaa wa sharri ma ursilat
bihi (O Allaah, I ask You for its goodness, the goodness
within it and the good with which it was sent, and I seek refuge with
You from its evil, the evil within it and the evil with which it was
sent.”
And there are other du’aa’s which he
taught us, in which there is no mention of sending blessings upon him,
(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him). We should recite them as he has taught them to us, without
adding anything or taking anything away. This ruling also applies to
making du’aa’ in sujood, which is mentioned in the question. Several
du’aa’s have been reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said in his sujood, none
of which contain blessings upon the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). These du’aa’s include the
following:
It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may
Allaah be pleased with her) said: “The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) often used to say in his
sujood and rukoo’: ‘Subhaanaka Allaahumma
Rabbanaa wa bi hamdika, Allaahumma ighfir li (Glory and praise
be to You, O Allaah our Lord; O Allaah, forgive me).’” (Narrated
by al-Bukhaari, 874; Muslim, 484).
And it was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah said: “one
night I noticed that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was not in his bed, so I
reached out looking for him, and my hand touched the soles of his feet;
he was in his prayer place and his feet were upright (i.e., he was prostrating),
and he was saying, ‘Allaahumma a’oodhu
bi ridaaka min sakhatika wa bi mu’aafaatika min ‘aqoobatika wa a’oodhi
bika minka laa uhsi thanaa’an ‘alayka anta kamaa athnayta ‘ala nafsika
(O Allaah, I seek refuge in Your good pleasure from Your wrath, and
I seek refuge in Your pardon from Your punishment. I seek refuge in
You from You. I cannot enumerate Your praise, You are as You have praised
Yourself).’”
(Narrated by Muslim, 486)
Let us not forget also that the person who
is praying will recite al-salaah
al-Ibraaheemiyyah when he sits to recite the Tashahhud in
his prayer; thus his prayer will include sending blessings upon the
Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him).
The specific du’aa’s which include sending
blessings upon the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) include the following:
-Du’aa’ when entering the mosque:
It was narrated that Abu Humayd and Abu Usayd
said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When any one of you enters
the mosque, let him greet the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) with peace, then let him
say, ‘Allaahumma aftah li abwaab rahmatika (O Allaah, open to me
the gates of Your Mercy).’ And when he leaves, let him say, ‘Allaahumma
inni as’aluka min fadlika (O Allaah, I ask You of Your Bounty).’”
(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 466).
(This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani
(may Allaah have mercy on him) in Tamaam
al-Minnah, p. 290)
Du’aa’
following the adhaan:
It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn’Amr
ibn al-‘Aas heard the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “When you hear the muezzin,
say what he says, then send blessings upon me, for whoever sends blessings
upon me, Allaah will send ten blessings upon him. Then ask Allaah to
grant me al-waseelah,
which is a position in Paradise which will only be attained by one of
the slaves of Allaah, and I hope that I will be the one. Whoever asks
for al-waseelah for me,
my intercession will be granted for him.”
(Narrated by Muslim, 384)
And Allaah knows
best.
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Is it allowed for a married couple to speak through the telephone about sex and to excite each other so much that one of them or both get an orgasm (without their hands, because that is not allowed)?
This happens because the man is living abroad for work and they see each other only once every four months and they miss each other very much.
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Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-‘Uthaymin, who answered as follows:
“There is nothing wrong with that. Yes, it is permissible for spouses to talk to each other about sex over the phone. ”
Question:
Even if there is use of the hand?
Answer:
“There are some reservations about use of the hand (i.e., masturbation). It is not permissible unless one fears that one may commit zina otherwise.”
Question:
So as long as there is no use of the hand, it is OK?
Answer:
“Yes, as long as there is no use of the hand, it is OK. He can imagine that he is with her and there is nothing wrong with that.”
They should also make sure that no one is listening to what they say or is spying on them.
For more about sex in Islam, please see these answers: 5560 , 1202 , 108872 , and 91968 .
And Allah knows best.
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Did Allaah create man from clay or from something else that is not fully described in the Qur’aan?
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Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
Allaah created Adam (peace be upon him) from the earth i.e.,
from what it contains. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Thereof (the earth) We created you, and into it We shall
return you, and from it We shall bring you out once again”
[Ta-Ha 20:55]
He created him from the dust of the earth, as He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, the likeness of ‘Eesa (Jesus) before Allaah is
the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust…”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:59]
There are many similar verses in the Qur’aan.
Then the dust was combined with water to form clay, as the
Lord of the Worlds says (interpretation of the meaning):
“He it is Who has created you from clay, and then has
decreed a (stated) term (for you to die). And there is with Him another
determined term (for you to be resurrected)”
[al-An’aam 6:2]
There are also many similar verses.
This clay was sticky – or it was said, viscous – as it says
in the verse (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, We created them of a sticky clay”
[al-Saaffaat 37:11]
Ibn Manzoor said: the words laazib (sticky) comes
from the root lazuba which has the meaning of becoming sticky and solid.
Lisaan al-‘Arab, 1/738
Then this sticky clay became muntin (stinking). Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“And indeed, We created man from dried (sounding) clay of
altered mud [min hama’in masnoon]”
[al-Hijr 15:26]
Al-Raazi said:
Al-hama’ means black mud.
(Mukhtaar al-Sihaah, p. 64).
It says in Lisaan al-‘Arab (1/61):
Al-hama’ means black, stinking
mud. In the Qur’aan it says “min hama’in masnoon.”
And it says in Lisaan al-‘Arab (13/227):
“Masnoon means muntin (stinking), as in the
verse ‘min hamaa’in masnoon.’ Abu ‘Amr said: this means altered and
stinking. Abu’l-Haytham said: sunna al-ma’, fa huwa masnoon, i.e.,
the water changed, so it was altered (masnoon).”
When this mud was mixed with sand, it became salsaal
(dried clay).
Al-Raazi said:
Salsaal is hot mud mixed with
sand, so it starts to clank or clatter when it dries. If it is baked with
fire it becomes fired clay or earthenware pottery.
Mukhtaar al-Sihaah, 1/154.
It says in Lisaan al-‘Arab (11/382):
Al-Salsaal min al-teen (clay
made from mud) is that which has not been made into pottery. Any mud or clay
that dries is described as salla saleelan (rattling or clattering) …
i.e., it makes a noise like new pottery. Thus salsaal is likened to
pottery, as in the verse,
“He created man (Adam) from sounding clay like the clay of
pottery”
[al-Rahmaan 55:14 – interpretation of the meaning]
All of this is confirmed by the hadeeth of Abu Moosa
al-Ash’ari who said: “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: ‘Allaah created Adam from a handful
that He gathered from the entire earth, so the sons of Adam come like the
earth. Some of them are red, some are white, some are black and some are in
between. Some of them are easy, some of them are difficult, some are evil
and some are good.”
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2955; Abu Dawood, 4693. Al-Tirmidhi
said that this hadeeth is hasan saheeh, and it was classed as saheeh by Ibn
Hibbaan, 14/29; al-Haakim, 2/288; and al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood,
3926).
This is how Adam was created: from the earth – i.e. from its
dust – which was then mixed with water to form mud, which then became black,
stinking mud. And this dust was created from the earth which is partly sand
and when it is mixed it becomes sounding clay like the clay of pottery.
Hence when Allaah describes the creation of Adam in the
Qur’aan, in each case He describes one of the stages through which his
creation passed and through which the mud was formed. So there is no
contradiction in the verses of the Qur’aan.
Then after that the sons of Adam started to multiply and they
were created through water which is the sperm and fluids which are emitted
by men and women, as is well known.
This is explained by the Qur’aan in the verses
(interpretation of the meanings):
“And it is He Who has created man from water, and has
appointed for him kindred by blood, and kindred by marriage”
[al-Furqaan 25:54]
“Then He made his offspring from semen of despised water
(male and female sexual discharge)”
[al-Sajdah 32:8]
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
When the perfection, complete power, all-encompassing
knowledge, ever-executed will and utmost wisdom of the Lord decreed that His
creation should be of materials of different kinds, and that they should
vary in their forms and attributes and natures, His wisdom decreed that He
should take a handful of dust from the earth, then mix it with water. So it
became like black stinking mud. Then the wind was sent upon it and it dried
out, until it became clay like pottery. Then it was given shape and limbs
and faculties, and each part of it was given a shape suited to its purpose.
Then he mentioned how people are created by means of
intercourse and the emission of semen.
Al-Tabaayun fi Aqsaam al-Qur’aan, p. 204
And Allaah knows best.
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I am a woman studying Islam and have a few
questions that need answering:
1. I have a few Muslim male friends, we are very close and they treat me as an equal, if I
had to convert to Islam would their attitutes towards me have to change, e.g. when I visit
their houses, their wifes are very much in the background while I am allowed to sit with
the men and partake in the conversation the wifes are usually busy in the kitchens or else
busy with the kids or generally sit and watch TV while we talk; I would not like to loose
these special moments with my friends;
2. What will I be able to do about Friday prayers? I work in a place where my situation is
very difficult. My collegeus are very prejudice against Muslims and I am afraid that
should I convert they will freak. I have read somewhere that you can appoint someone to do
the prayers for you, is that true?
3. My family are all very staunch Christians and I was brought up as a christian, I am
also married to a christian but he has no objections to my studying and practicing Islam,
if I had to convert how can I get my family to leave me alone?
4. Obviously this is a big step for me and I do still have doubts as to whether I am doing
the right thing, how can one be 100% sure that you are doing the right thing. In my heart
I feel OK about this although my mind has a lot of worries as you can notice from my
questions. I am sure of the Oneness of God and have always been. I have read the Choice by
Ahmed Deedat and I am sure about the Prophet (PBUH) and I do and have always believed in
life after death but why do I still feel so confused? Am I ready to take the big step?
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Praise be to Allah.Is what you want to do the right step? Are you ready to take
this great step? From what you say, these are the two important questions to
which you have been trying to find the answer. We thank you for consulting us,
and we believe that what you are going to do is the right step for sure, because
this is the religion of Allaah, and He does not accept any other religion from
His slaves, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will
never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers.”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:85]
Maybe you have compared (religions, etc.) and read widely and
have reached the conviction that this is the true religion which you must follow,
but this is not enough and it will not save a person just to believe in the
Oneness of Allaah and the Prophethood of Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the resurrection after death.
He must also utter the Shahadataayn and practise Islam. It seems to us that
your hesitation is not due to lack of conviction of the truth but because of
certain fears that have to do with social factors such as friends, family, husband
and job.
One aspect of the answer may be found under Question # 4775,
so please refer to that. As far as your Muslim acquaintances are concerned,
you will be sitting with their wives, not with the men, as is dictated by Islamic
teaching. If you find this difficult at first, you will find it easy later on.
If these women are too busy, then look for other sincere Muslim women who you
can make friends with and encourage one another to adhere to the truth.
If you are sincere towards Allaah, He will help
you to overcome your difficulties with your husband and family. With regard
to Friday Prayers, this is not obligatory for women because the Prophet of Islam
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“It is a duty for every Muslim to pray Jumu’ah in congregation apart
from four: slaves, women, young boys and the sick.” (Reported by
Abu Dawood, 901). Women have to pray four rak’ahs of Zuhr
prayer on Friday wherever they are. What you have heard about a person delegating
someone else to pray on his behalf is not correct at all. Prayer is fard
‘ayn, i.e., an individual duty for each Muslim, and it is not acceptable
for one person to appoint someone else as a proxy or for one person to pray
on behalf of another. In any case, you have no need for this in the case of
Jumu’ah prayers, as you now know.
Briefly, all you need in your case is to put your trust in
Allaah and strive to please Him. Go ahead and embrace His religion even if it
makes other people angry. So long as you accept Him as your Lord and God, and
follow His religion, He will never let you down or forsake you. We believe that
you are ready to take this great step, in sha Allaah, so remember our advice
in brief is “Go for it” and put your trust in Allaah. We ask Allaah
to give you strength.
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I pray to Allah azzavajall that this mail
reaches you in a state of good healt and strong iman ameen.
Sheikh we have an organization that are in urgent need of getting the
ruling on one issue.We have a dawa organization that are trying to uphold the authentic sunnah
of our blessed prophet (saw) and insha Allah call people to the understanding and manners
of his noble companions.A woman whants to donate large amount of zadaqa to our organization wich
up to now is financed of our own personal means.The issue is that her money was made in a way that is not halal, but in a
time of ignoranse before she started to practise her religion. And she made taubah and
started to practise her religion after. (she is was a borned muslim but not practising
when she earnde this money) can we use this money in financing our modest attempt to make
dawa over here in sweden?
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Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Saykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-‘Uthaymeen, who answered as follows:
Yes, that is permissible, because although it is haraam for her, it is
halaal for others if it is taken in a proper manner, and you will be taking it in a proper
manner.
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Is it permissible for a muslim to burry
another muslim in a christian graveyard because the wife of the deceased is a christian
and is insisting on it? JazakUm Allah Khair
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Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-‘Uthaymeen, who replied as follows:
It is not permitted, and this woman should not be listened to. He
should not be buried anywhere except with the Muslims (in the Muslim graveyard).
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A question has come up in our community here in Victoria, BC, Canada
regarding the selling of our Masjid property.Alhamdulillaah, a few years ago we purchased a property and converted it into a Masjid. Things are going quite well there. Now we have seen another property and many brothers feel that it is a better location and so on. Would it be permissible for us in such a case to sell the present Masjid so that we could buy the second property which
we prefer?
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Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-‘Uthaymeen, who replied as follows:
“Praise be to Allaah. Yes, this is permissible, but on the
condition that the (Muslim) neighbours agree. If the Muslim neighbours of the mosque who
pray there agree, then there is nothing wrong with it, because the other mosque may be far
away from them, and this mosque is freehold.”
Question:
If the Muslims in that city are scattered and live far away from one
another, whose opinion should count?
Answer:
“They should heed the opinion of those among them who live near
the mosque, so that the mosque will not be so far away from them that it becomes difficult
for them to attend.
Question:
If the other mosque or new mosque will benefit a greater number of
Muslims, what should they do?
Answer:
“I think that they should leave the old mosque as it is and build
another, new mosque in the other place. If they cannot build the other mosque because they
have little money, I think they should leave the old mosque as it is so that its
neighbours are not adversely affected by the new mosque being too far away.
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My brother works as a music-writer, putting music to songs, and he has no other source of income. I cannot work, and my father is dead. Is it permissible for me to eat from his wealth (be supported by him)?
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Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, and he answered as follows:
Yes, it is permissible for you to eat from his
wealth, so long as you are in need, and it is his duty to spend on you.
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We Muslims who live in foreign countries
are faced with the problem of linguistic assimilation, whereby we speak the language of
the Kuffaar in the west in a conscious or unconscious effort to get along with the people
around us, and because we are influenced by the environment we are in. What is the Islamic
view of this problem, and how can we overcome it?
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Praise be to Allah.Shaykh al-Islam Ahmad ibn ‘Abd al-Haleem ibn
Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) spoke very effectively about this problem,
explaining its seriousness and effects, and the Islamic viewpoint concerning it. This is
what he said:
“As for becoming accustomed to talking to one another in a
language other than Arabic, which is the symbol of Islam and the language of the
Qur’aan, so that this becomes a habit in the land, with one’s family and
household members, with one’s friends, in the marketplace, when addressing government
representatives or authority figures or when speaking to people of knowledge, undoubtedly
this is makrooh (disliked), because it involves being like the non-Arabs, which is
makrooh, as stated previously.
Hence when the early Muslims went to live in Syria and Egypt, where the
people spoke Byzantine Greek, and in Iraq and Khurasaan, where the people spoke Farsi, and
the Maghrib (North Africa) where the people spoke Berber, they taught the people of those
countries to speak Arabic, so that Arabic became the prevalent language in those lands,
and all the people, Muslim and kaafir alike, spoke Arabic. Such was also the case in
Khurasaan in the past, then they became lax with regard to the language and got used to
speaking Farsi until it became prevalent and Arabic was forgotten by most of them.
Undoubtedly this is makrooh.
The best way is to become accustomed to speaking Arabic so that the
young people will learn it in their homes and schools, so that the symbol of Islam and its
people will prevail. This will make it easier for the people of Islam to understand the
Qur’aan and Sunnah, and the words of the Salaf, unlike a person who gets used to
speaking one language, then wants to learn another, and finds it difficult.
Know that being used to using a language has a clear and strong effect
on one’s thinking, behaviour and religious commitment. It also has an effect on
making one resemble the early generations of this Ummah, the Sahaabah and Taabi’een.
Being like them improves one’s thinking, religious commitment and behaviour.
Moreover, the Arabic language itself is part of Islam, and knowing
Arabic is an obligatory duty. If it is a duty to understand the Qur’aan and Sunnah,
and they cannot be understood without knowing Arabic, then the means that is needed to
fulfil the duty is also obligatory.
There are things which are obligatory on all individuals (fard
‘ayn), and others which are obligatory on the community or ummah (fard kifaayah,
i.e., if some people fulfil them the rest are relieved of the obligation).
This is the meaning of the report narrated by Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah
who said: ‘Eesa ibn Yoonus told us from Thawr from ‘Umar ibn Yazeed that
‘Umar wrote to Abu Moosa al-Ash’ari (may Allaah be pleased with him) and said:
‘learn the Sunnah and learn Arabic; learn the Qur’aan in Arabic for it is
Arabic.’
According to another hadeeth narrated from ‘Umar (may Allaah be
pleased with him), he said: ‘Learn Arabic for it is part of your religion, and learn
how the estate of the deceased should be divided (faraa’id) for these are part
of your religion.’
This command of ‘Umar, to learn Arabic and Sharee’ah,
combines the things that are needed, for religion involves understanding words and
actions. Understanding Arabic is the way to understand the words of Islam, and
understanding the Sunnah is the way to understand the actions of Islam…”
(Iqtidaa’ al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem, 2/207)
In addition to the above, we advise the following:
Muslims should strive – along with their families and children
– to speak Arabic in their homes and gatherings. Parents should set the example for
their children within the home, and sometimes they should deliberately not answer their
children if they do not speak Arabic.
Try to put the children in Arabic schools and academies wherever
possible.
Families should try to form housing co-ops or live close to one another,
so that the neighbourhood and the local environment will be Arabic-speaking.
Try to set up Arabic-language courses and seek reward and draw closer to
Allaah by doing so. Books, tapes and other modern educational means should be used for
this purpose.
Continually listening to recordings of the Qur’aan, listening to
lessons on tape and attending Islamic lectures in Arabic.
And Allaah is the source of strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet
Muhammad,
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I HAVE SHIFTED INTO A NEW HOUSE. PLEASE COULD YOU SUPPLY ME WITH A DUAA FOR THE PROTECTION OF MY HOUSE, SINCE I AM GETTING MARRIED AND HAVE RE-LOCATED TO A NEW AREA.
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Praise be to Allah.Is there a du’aa’ for moving into a new house?
We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, who answered as follows:
“Praise be to Allaah. When he enters a house or stops to camp in a spot out of doors, he should say, ‘A’oodhu bi kalimaat-Illaah it-taammaati min sharri ma khalaq (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from the evil of that which He has created)’ three times. If he says this, then nothing will harm him until he leaves that place.”
The house he is talking about is a new house which he is going to go and live in for the first time. What should he say?
“When he enters it for the first time, he should say, ‘A’oodhu bi kalimaat-Illaah it-taammaati min sharri ma khalaq.’”
Can he say, “Rabbi anzilni munzalan mubaarakan [My Lord! Cause me to land at a blessed landing-place – al-Mu’mineen 23:29 – interpretation of the meaning]”?
“This is for when one embarks on a boat or ship.”
And Allaah knows best.
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Someone entrusted some money to me and I
made use of this money by investing it. When the owner of the money came, I gave him all
of his money, but I did not tell him how I had made use of it. Was what I did permissible
or not?
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Praise be to Allah.If anyone entrusts something to you, you do not have the
right to use it without his permission… you have to keep it and take care of it in
the manner that is usual. If you make use of it without his permission, you have to seek
his forgiveness. If he forgives you, then all well and good; otherwise you have to give
him the profit made with his money, or try to reach some agreement with him to take half
each, or some other agreement. It is permissible to make agreements and reconcile among
Muslims, except for agreements that make something that is halaal haraam or vice versa.
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Is it permissible for a menstruating
woman to do Sajdat al-Tilaawah and Sajdat al-Shukr? If it is not permissible, is it
permissible for her just to say Subhaan Allaah if she hears an aayah in which a sajdah is
prescribed?
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Praise be to Allah.Firstly: in the cases where she is permitted to recite
Qur’aan, she is also permitted to do Sajdat al-Tilaawah, if she happens to recite or
hear a verse where the sajdah is prescribed. The correct view is that it is permissible
for her to recite from memory, not from the Mus-haf, so on this basis the sajdah is
prescribed for her, because it is not salaah (prayer), rather it is an act of submission
to Allaah and worship, like other kinds of dhikr.
Secondly: the correct view is that it is not a condition for sajdat
al-shukr and sajdat al-tilaawah on the part of one who is reciting or listening, that the
person should be in a state of tahaarah (ritual purity), because they do not come under
the rulings of salaah.
And Allaah is the source of strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet
Muhammad and his family and companions.
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I have three sons and a daughter. My husband, may Allah protect us, is
an alcoholic. He has be imprisoned in the past. He is addicted to alcohol and has injured me and my children. I have been divorced from him and I am currently with my family. He does not spend anything on us and
I do not have any desire to return to him. However, he has threatened to take my children and that would be something that I could not bear. After
all, I am, first and foremost, a mother. Please help me.
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Praise be to Allah.This is something that definitely needs to be taken up in the courts of
law. One should not remain with an alcoholic as he harms his wife and his children. One
should remain away from him unless Allah guides him and he returns to what is correct. If
the judge separates the two, usually, the children are given over to the mother as she is
most qualified for them while he is not qualified. As long as he has the problem of being
an alcoholic, he is not suited to bring up his children as he will destroy and ruin them.
Therefore, she has more right to her children than him, even if they be boys. This is what
is usually done by the judges and this is what is obligatory. The children must be with
her because she is better than him and he is an evildoer. If she refuses to go back to
him, she has done well, as such a living condition is harmful and dangerous for her. If he
also does not pray, then it is obligatory not to return to him for the one who abandons
the prayer is a disbeliever-- and protection is sought from Allah. The Prophet (peace be
upon him) said, "The covenant between us and them is the prayer. Whoever abandons it
has committed disbelief."l
It is not obligatory to remain with the one who does not pray.2
"They are not lawful [wives] for the disbelievers nor are the disbelievers lawful
[husbands] for them" (al-Mumtahina 10).
[That is,] until Allah guides them and they repent. The woman should go to her family or
stay with her children and not let her husband come to them until he repents to Allah and
returns to what is right.If he prays but drinks alcohol, then that is a great sin and
great crime.
However, he is not a disbeliever but an evildoer.The woman has the right to prevent him
from her and to leave him. She is excused for that act. If she remains patient and has the
ability to be patient, there is no harm in that option either.
Shaikh ibn Baz
Footnote
1. Recorded by Ahmad, al-Nasal, al-Tirmidhi and ibn Majah. Al-Albani calls it sahih.
Al-Albani, Sahih al-Jami, vol. 2, p. 760 .
2. This sentence, as is clear from the remainder of the response, must not be
misunderstood. It does not mean that one may stay with one who does not pray if one wishes
to do so. It is not an option to remain with a husband who has been deemed a disbeliever.
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One of my friends just married with a
beautiful girl a few months ago. Before marriage my friend was thinking that he's wife is
so religious and never went out with any guy in her whole life. He was thinking that his
wife has never done anything bad. He really loved her. But after a few months of marriage
he found out that his wife has gone out with someone else and had boyfriend before
marriage. My friend is really upset now.He really loved her wife and never thought of her
like that. He doesn't love her anymore. He wanted wife like who never went out with anyone
or had boyfriend. He doesn't understand what to do. He's planning to get divorce. When he
asked me for my advice, i couldn't tell him anything because i have no idea what to say.
So, please tell me what should i tell him. What should he do, next? Should he give divorce
to her or forget about her past? What does islam says about this situation? Thank you,
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Praise be to Allah.If this woman has mended her ways and has repented to
Allaah and has given up haraam things and going out with men, and there are no reasons to
be suspicious about her, then our advice is that your friend should keep her and conceal
her past mistakes. Whoever conceals a Muslims faults, Allaah will conceal his faults
in this world and the next. Allaah is Forgiving and Merciful, He forgives and accepts the
repentance of the one who turns to Him in repentance. So we should be forgiving and should
treat the one who has repented in accordance with the way he is now, and help him to
continue to repent. The one who has repented is like one who has never sinned at all. If
the husband conceals his wifes past mistakes and treats her well, this will be of
immense benefit in helping this woman adhere to the straight path and encouraging her to
continue living a life of purity and chastity; her husband will also have a great reward
for concealing her faults, keeping her chaste and helping her to avoid evil and stay on
the straight path, living under his care in a pure atmosphere in the marital home.
If this woman is still persisting in mischief and going out with men
and committing haraam actions, and does not repent despite being advised to do so, then we
do not suggest that he should keep her at all. Let him get rid of her and Allaah will
provide him with another wife.
If she has repented, but he cannot bear what she has done in the past,
and he is tormented with bad thoughts that give him sleepless nights, and he is scared
that if he keeps her he may mistreat her even though she has repented, then he can divorce
her so as to give himself peace of mind and avoid mistreating her. But he should look at
the matter anew and think long and hard about the advice we have given here. Let him think
about himself too: maybe he has made mistakes in the past, or will do so in the future. We
ask Allaah to help him to make the right decision and to guide him to the best way. Allaah
is the Source of strength and the Guide to the Straight Path.
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Should a person who is reading Quran say Takbeer when doing sajdat al-tilaawah and when sitting up, or only when going down? Should he recite the Tashahhud or not? Should he say salaam afterwards or not?
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Praise be to Allah.Firstly: the person who is doing sajdat al-tilaawah should say Takbeer when going down, because of the hadeeth narrated by Abu Dawood in his Sunan from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) who said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to recite Quran to us, and if he reached a verse where a sajdah was prescribed, he would say Takbeer and prostrate and we would do likewise.”
(Reported by Ahmad, 2/17; al-Bukhaari, 2/33,34; Muslim, 1/405, no. 575). He should not say Takbeer when coming up from the sujood, because there is no report from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to indicate that, and because sajdat al-tilaawah is an act of worship, and acts of worship are to be done in accordance with what is prescribed in sharee’ah. What was reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was Takbeer when going down into sujood al-tilaawah, not when coming up. But if a person is doing sajdat al-tilaawah when praying, then he should say takbeer both when going down and when coming up, because of the general meaning of the saheeh ahaadeeth which describe the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and state that he said Takbeer each time he went down into sujood or came up.
Secondly: one should not recite al-Tashahhud or say salaam after doing sajdat al-tilaawah, because there is no proof that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did that. Sajdat al-tilaawah is an act of worship and as such should be done as prescribed as in sharee’ah and we cannot make qiyaas (analogy) comparing it to the tashahhud and salaam in prayer.
And Allah is the source of strength. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
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Assalamu alaikumWhat is the ruling concerning joking? Is it considered useless and vain
speech? Note that it does not contain any ridiculing of the religion. Jazakum allah alf Khair
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Praise be to Allah.Wa ‘alaykum al-salaam wa rahmat-Allaahi wa barakaatuhu.
There is no harm in joking by words and anecdotes, if they are truthful
and real, especially if it is not done often. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to joke
but he would only speak the truth. If it is with lying, then it is not allowed. The
Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Woe to the one who speaks and tells a lie in order
to make the people laugh at it. Woe to him. Then again, woe to him."
This was recorded by Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi and al-Nasal with a good chain.
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What should a woman do if she is reciting Qur’aan and comes across an aayah where a sajdah is prescribed? Should she prostrate when she is not covered, or what should she do?
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Praise be to Allah.It is better for a woman if she comes across an aayah where a sajdah is prescribed to prostrate with her head covered, but if she does sajdat al-tilaawah without a cover, we hope that there is nothing wrong with that, because sajdat al-tilaawah does not come under the rulings on salaah – rather it is an act of submission and drawing close to Allaah, like all other kinds of dhikr and good deeds.
And Allaah is the source of strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
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If a family member dies overseas, what should the family do overhere?
1. can we perform the janaza prayer, that means there will be two janaza prayers, one overseas and one here. Is it allowed?
2. Are we allowed to read the quran together and hopefully the blessing will go to the deceased?
3. Do we have to do a special Quran reading and invite people for a meal after three days and after 40 days also? This is being practiced back home and I am told that the spirit of the deceased comes to the house for 40 days and wait to get all these blessings.
When I was back home I used to practice this but now I am told that the Prophet sws and His companions never did it. I want to do the right thing. Please give quotations from quran and sunnah. And also if this practice is wrong, please advise what is the proper thing to do under this circumstance.
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Praise be to Allah.Firstly: if a relative or close friend dies
in another country, a person may travel to attend the funeral prayers
if that is easy to do. There is nothing wrong with this travelling because
it is travelling for a legitimate purpose, even though this action was
not known among Muslims in the past. It was not done in the past because
they were not able to do that, unlike today when travelling has become
easier with faster methods of transportation.
With regard to offering the funeral
prayer for the deceased in absentia, there is a great deal of difference
of opinion among the scholars on this matter, because it is not reported
that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) did that, except in the case of the Negus (ruler
of Abyssinia), and it was not narrated that the Muslims outside of Madeenah
prayed for the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) in absentia when he died, even though
their love for him was so great.
Also, it is not reported that the Muslims
prayed in absentia for any of the khulafaa’ al-raashideen (the rightly-guided
khaleefahs, the first four leaders of Islam after the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)) when they died. Prayer
for the dead in absentia was not known among the Muslims even though
circumstances might have dictated it, such as the eagerness of the Muslims
to do something of benefit for their brothers, especially those who
were held in high esteem by all the Muslims, or one to whom one is related
or who one is fond of, which would make one seek to do something good
for him by praying for him. For this reason, scholars such as Shaykh
al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah were of the view that the fact that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) prayed for the Negus was an exceptional case which applied
only to him, because there was no one in the land where he died who
could offer the janaazah prayer for him. In my view, this is a sound
view in the light of the above. Some scholars say that the funeral prayer
in absentia may be offered only for certain people among the ummah,
such as famous scholars and just rulers; this view is close to the previous
view.
On this basis, there is no reason why
the funeral prayer should not be offered for the deceased both when
one is present and in absentia.
Secondly:
Gathering to read Qur’aan and give the reward for that
to the deceased is a bid’ah (reprehensible innovation), even if it is
not done in return for any payment. If it is done in return for payment
then it is haraam, because it is being done for a reason other than
for the sake of Allaah, and any such action will not earn any reward.
But if a person reads Qur’aan by himself and gives the reward for that
to a relative or friend, without gathering with others for that purpose
and without seeking payment, then there are two scholarly views in this
case, one of which says that it is permissible and that the reward for
the reading will reach the deceased.
The second view is that it is not prescribed
to give the reward for the reading to anyone, because there is no evidence
(daleel) to indicate that this is prescribed.
Thirdly:
If the family of the deceased have a special reading,
and invite people to a meal three days and forty days after the death,
this is bid’ah (reprehensible innovation).
And every bid’ah is a going astray.
The Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever invents something
in this matter of ours (i.e., Islam) that is not a part of it will have
it rejected.” The action mentioned is a matter that has been invented
in the religion, so it is to be rejected, and the one who does it is
a sinner and will not be rewarded.
What people say about the soul of the
deceased visiting the house after forty days to get the reward is a
lie which has no basis. The person who told you that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his Companions did not
do any of these things was right. You did well to ask about the things
of which you were unsure, and your eagerness to know the Sunnah of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) and act accordingly is highly commendable. This
is how the Muslim should be; his concern should be to know the truth
so that he can follow it, and know what is false so that he can avoid
it.
We ask Allaah to make us and you steadfast
in following the Straight Path. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad
and his family and companions, and grant them peace.
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We noticed that some people do not think it is essential to be in a state of Taharah or to face the Qiblah when doing sajdat al-tilawah, and that others say that these are essential. Which view is correct?
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Praise be to Allah.“Some of the scholars regard Sujud al-Tilawah as being a form of prayer, and on this basis they say that it is essential to be in a state of taharah, to face the qiblah, to say Takbir when going down and when sitting up, and to say salam after the prostration.
Other scholars say that Sujud al-Tilawah is an act of worship, but it is not like prayer, and on this basis they say that it is not essential to be in a state of taharah, to face the qiblah, etc., as stated before. This is the more correct opinion, because we do not know of any evidence to suggest that taharah and facing the Qiblah are essential, but if it is easy to face the Qiblah when doing the prostration and to be in a state of taharah, then this is better, so as to avoid dispute and to be in accordance with all the scholars.
And Allah is the source of strength. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and Companions.” (Al-Lajnah Al-Daimah Li’l-Buhuth Al-‘Ilmiyyah Wa’l-Ifta, 7/262)
For more, please see these answers: 32750 , 73402 , 131299 , and 4908 .
And Allah knows best.
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What is the ruling on Sajdat
al-Tilaawah? Should it be followed with Tasleem (saying salaam) or not when a person is
reciting Qur’aan but is not praying? What should he say in this sujood? If he is
praying and the Sajdat al-Tilaawah comes at the end of a soorah, should he recite a little
more of the soorah afterwards or should he do rukoo’ straightaway?
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Praise be to Allah.Sajdat al-Tilaawah is Sunnah, and there is no
text to indicate that one should say salaam afterwards, so the person who does sajdat
al-tilaawah does not have to say salaam. The person who does sajdat al-tilaawah at the end
of a soorah like Al-A’raaf, Al-Najm or Iqraa’ whilst he is
praying does not have to recite more Qur’aan afterwards and before doing rukoo’,
but if he does do that there is nothing wrong with it. In his sujood for reciting
Qur’aan he says what he says in his sujood when he prays.
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My question is that my husband
started to take a morgege,a home loun from a bank and the muslim allamah said that is riba
and haram.He did'nt care about the case,but what is my hokom in this case??
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Praise be to Allah.We put the following question to Shaykh
Muhammad Saalih ibn Uthaymeen:
Her husband has bought a house with haraam money. Can she
refuse to live in it?
He replied, may Allaah preserve him:
No, she cannot refuse to live in
it, because she is living there rightfully. It is he who has acquired the house in a
wrongful manner. But if he has seized another person's house by force, then she has the
right to refuse to live in it.
And Allaah knows best.
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If a person is reading
Qur’aan sitting down in the mosque or elsewhere, and he reaches an ayah where a
sajdah is prescribed, is it better for him to stand up to do the sajdah, or should he
prostrate from his sitting position? Which is better?
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Praise be to Allah.We know of no evidence (daleel) to suggest
that he should stand up in order to do sajdat al-tilaawah.
And Allaah is the source of strength. May Allaah bless our
Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
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WHEN A NON-MUSLIM SAYS SALAAM U ALAIKUM(GREETS YOU) HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO RESPOND?
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Praise be to Allah.Muslim reported in his Saheeh (14/144) from Anas ibn Malik that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “When the People of the Book say salaam to you (greet you by saying al-salamu alaykum), say ‘Wa ‘alaykum’ (and unto you).’” According to another report, he was asked, “The People of the Book say salaam to us. How should we respond?” He said, “Say, ‘Wa ‘alaykum.’” According to another report (14/164), he said, “When the Jews greet you, they say ‘al-saam ‘alaykum (death be upon you). So say ‘ ‘alayk (upon you).’” According to another report he said, “So say, ‘wa ‘alayk’ (and upon you).” According to another report (14/146) a group of Jews asked for permission to enter upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and they said, “Al-saam ‘alaykum (death be upon you).” ‘Aa’ishah said, “Bal ‘alaykum al-saam wa’l-la’nah (No, death be upon you and curses)!” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “O ‘Aa’ishah, Allah loves gentleness in all things.” She said, “Did you not hear what they said?” He said, “I answered, ‘Wa ‘alaykum (and unto you).’” According to another report, he said, “I answered, ‘ ‘alaykum’” – without the “waw” (i.e., wa meaning “and”). According to the last hadeeth (14/148), he said, “Do not initiate the greeting of salaam with the Jews and Christians, and if you meet one of them on the road, push him to the narrowest part of it.”
All of these reports were narrated in the Saheeh of Imaam Muslim.
Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his commentary (14/144-145):
The scholars agree that the greeting of the People of the Book should be returned, if they greet us with salaam, but we should not say to them, “Wa ‘alaykum al-salaam (and upon you be peace).” We should say only “ ‘alaykum (upon you)” or “wa ‘alaykum (and upon you).” Ahaadeeth have been narrated by Muslim both with and without the “wa” (“And”), but most of them include it. On this basis, there are two meanings, one of which is the apparent meaning: if they say “ ‘Alaykum al-mawt (death be upon you)”, then one should say, “Wa ‘alaykum (and also on you)” – meaning that we and you are alike, we are all going to die. The second meaning is that this is a waw that is used to start a new idea or phrase, not to connect it to the previous sentence or to reiterate the same idea. This implies: and upon you be what you deserve of condemnation. The phrase without the wa implies: but rather death should be upon you. Al-Qaadi said: some of the scholars, including Ibn Habeeb al-Maliki, preferred to use the phrase without the wa, so that it would not have the implication that these people are like the Muslims. Others said that it should be used with the wa as it appears in the majority of reports. Some of them said: he should reply “ ‘alaykum al-silaam (and upon you be stones) – but this is da’eef (weak). Al-Khattaabi said: most of the muhadditheen (scholars of hadeeth) reported it with the wa (wa ‘alaykum), but Ibn ‘Uyaynah reported it without the waw. Al-Khattaabi said: this is what is correct, because if the phrase is used without the waw, this means that what they are saying is returned specifically and exclusively to them, but if the waw is used, it implies commonality with them in what they are saying. This is the view of al-Khattaabi. But the correct view is that it is permissible either to use the waw or omit it, as both have been mentioned in saheeh reports, but including the waw is better, as it appears in most of the reports. There is nothing wrong with that, because al-saam means death, which will come to us and to them, so there is no harm in including the waw. The scholars differed as to returning the greeting of salaam when a kaafir initiates it or initiating the greeting. Our opinion is that it is haraam to initiate the greeting, but we have to return their greeting by saying “Wa ‘alaykum” or just “ ‘alaykum.” Our evidence with regard to initiating the greeting is the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), “Do not initiate the greeting with the Jews and Christians” and his command to reply by saying, “Wa ‘alaykum.” What we have mentioned as our madhhab or point of view is also the opinion of most of the scholars and the majority of the salaf… It is permissible to initiate the greeting when addressed to a group composed of both Muslims and kaafirs, or one Muslim and a number of kaafirs, but he should intend the greeting to be directed towards the Muslim(s) among them, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) greeted an assembly that included a mixture of Muslims and mushrikeen.
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What is the place of sufism in Islam? What truth is there in 'religious experiences', contacts with the Divine, etc.? Some people hold such phenomena in high regard, claiming the similarities between experiences of people from different religions and from opposite corners of the globe, to be proof. How should people who claim to be sufis or believers/followers of sufism be seen? Isn't prayer and remembrance also a form of contact with the Almighty, SWT?
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Praise be to Allah.The word Sufism was not known at the time of the Messenger or the Sahaabah or the Taabieen. It arose at the time when a group of ascetics who wore wool (soof) emerged, and this name was given to them. It was also said that the name was taken from the word soofiya (sophia) which means wisdom in Greek. The word is not derived from al-safa (purity) as some of them claim, because the adjective derived from safa is safaai, not soofi (sufi). The emergence of this new name and the group to whom it is applied exacerbated the divisions among Muslims. The early Sufis differed from the later Sufis who spread bidah (innovation) to a greater extent and made shirk in both minor and major forms commonplace among the people, as well as the innovations against which the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned us when he said, Beware of newly-invented things, for every newly-invented thing is an innovation and every innovation is a going-astray. (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, who said it is saheeh hasan).
The following is a comparison between the beliefs and rituals of Sufism and Islam which is based on the Quraan and Sunnah.
Sufism has numerous branches or tareeqahs, such as the Teejaniyyah, Qaadiriyyah, Naqshbandiyyah, Shaadhiliyyah, Rifaaiyyah, etc., the followers of which all claim that their particular tareeqah is on the path of truth whilst the others are following falsehood. Islam forbids such sectarianism. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
and be not of al-mushrikoon (the disbelievers in the Oneness of Allaah, polytheists, idolaters, etc),
Of those who split up their religion (i.e., who left the true Islamic monotheism), and became sects, [i.e., they invented new things in the religion (bidah) and followed their vain desires], each sect rejoicing in that which is with it. [al-Room 30:31-32]
The Sufis worship others than Allaah, such as Prophets and awliya [saints], living or dead. They say, Yaa Jeelaani, Yaa Rifaai [calling on their awliya], or O Messenger of Allaah, help and save or O Messenger of Allaah, our dependence is on you, etc.
But Allaah forbids us to call on anyone except Him in matters that are beyond the person's capabilities. If a person does this, Allaah will count him as a mushrik, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
And invoke not, besides Allaah, any that will neither profit you, nor hurt you, but if (in case) you did so, you shall certainly be one of the zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers). [Yoonus 10:106]
The Sufis believe that there are abdaal, aqtaab and awliya (kinds of saints) to whom Allaah has given the power to run the affairs of the universe. Allaah tells us about the mushrikeen (interpretation of the meaning):
Say [O Muhammad]: And who disposes the affairs? They will say. Allaah. [Yoonus 10:31]
The mushrik Arabs knew more about Allaah than these Sufis!
The Sufis turn to other than Allaah when calamity strikes, but Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
And if Allaah touches you with harm, none can remove it but He, and if He touches you with good, then He is Able to do all things. [al-Anaam 6:17]
Some Sufis believe in wahdat al-wujood (unity of existence). They do not have the idea of a Creator and His creation, instead they say that everything is creation and everything is god.
The Sufis advocate extreme asceticism in this life and do not believe in taking the necessary means or in jihaad, but Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
But seek with that (wealth) which Allaah has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter, and forget not your portion of legal enjoyment in this world [al-Qasas 28:77]
And make ready against them all that you can of power [al-Anfaal 8:60]
The Sufis refer the idea of ihsaan to their shaykhs and tell their followers to have a picture of their shaykh in mind when they remember Allaah and even when they are praying. Some of them even put a picture of their shaykh in front of them when they are praying. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: Ihsaan is when you worship Allaah as if you can see Him, and although you cannot see Him, He can see you. (Reported by Muslim).
The Sufis allow dancing, drums and musical instruments, and raising the voice when making dhikr, but Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
The believers are only those who, when Allaah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts [al-Anfaal 8:2]
Moreover, you see some of them making dhikr by only pronouncing the Name of Allaah, saying, Allaah, Allaah, Allaah. This is bidah and has no meaning in Islam. They even go to the extreme of saying, Ah, ah or Hu, Hu. The Sunnah is for the Muslim to remember his Lord in words that have a true meaning for which he will be rewarded, such as saying Subhaan Allaah wa Alhamdulillah wa Laa ilaaha illa Allaah wa Allaahu akbar, and so on.
The Sufis recite love poems mentioning the names of women and boys in their dhikr gatherings, and they repeat words such as love, passion, desire and so on, as if they are in a gathering where people dance and drink wine and clap and shout. All of this has to do with the customs and acts of worship of the mushrikeen. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
Their salaah (prayer) at the House (of Allaah, i.e., the Kabah at Makkah) was nothing but whistling and clapping of hands
[al-Anfaal 8:35]
Some Sufis pierce themselves with rods of iron, saying, O my grandfather! So the shayaateen come to them and help them, because they are seeking the help of someone other than Allaah . Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
And whosoever turns away (blinds himself) from the remembrance of the Most Beneficent (Allaah), We appoint for him a shaytaan (devil) to be a qareen (intimate companion) for him.
[al-Zukhruf 43:36]
The Sufis claim to have gnosis and knowledge of the unseen, but the Quraan shows them to be liars. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the ghayb (unseen) except Allaah [al-Naml 27:65]
The Sufis claim that Allaah created the world for the sake of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but the Quraan shows them to be liars. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
And I (Allaah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone). [al-Dhaariyaat 51:56]
Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, addressed His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) with the words (interpretation of the meaning):
And worship your Lord until there comes unto the certainty (i.e., death). [al-Hijr 15:99]
The Sufis claim that they can see Allaah in this life, but the Quraan shows them to be liars. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
[Moosa said:] O my Lord! Show me (Yourself), that I may look upon You. Allaah said, You cannot see Me [al-Araaf 7:143]
The Sufis claim that they take knowledge directly from Allaah, without the mediation of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and in a conscious state (as opposed to dreams). So are they better than the Sahaabah??
The Sufis claim that they take knowledge directly from Allaah, without the mediation of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). They say, Haddathani qalbi an Rabbi (My heart told me from my Lord).
The Sufis celebrate Mawlid and hold gatherings for sending blessings on the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but they go against his teachings by raising their voices in dhikr and anaasheed (religious songs) and qaseedahs (poems) that contain blatant shirk. Did the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) celebrate his birthday? Did Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, the four imaams or anyone else celebrate his birthday? Who knows more and is more correct in worship, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the Salaf, or the Sufis?
The Sufis travel to visit graves and seek blessings from their occupants or to make tawaaf (ritual circumambulation) around them or to make sacrifices at these sites, all of which goes against the teachings of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): Do not travel to visit any place but three mosques: al-Masjid al-Haraam [in Makkah], this mosque of mine [in Madeenah] and al-Masjid al-Aqsa [in Jerusalem]. (Agreed upon).
The Sufis are blindly loyal to their shaykhs, even when what they go against the words of Allaah and His Messenger. But Allaah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
O you who believe! Do not put (yourselves) forward before Allaah and His Messenger [al-Hujuraat 49:1]
The Sufis use talismans, letters and numbers for making decisions and for making amulets and charms and so on.
The Sufis do not restrict themselves to the specific blessings on the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that were narrated from him. They invented new formulas that involve seeking his blessings and other kinds of blatant shirk which are unacceptable to the one on whom they are sending blessings.
With regard to the question of the whether the Sufi shaykhs have some kind of contact, this is true, but their contact is with the shayaateen, not with Allaah, so they inspire one another with adorned speech as a delusion (or by way of deception), as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
And so We have appointed for every Prophet enemies shayaateen (devils) among mankind and jinns, inspiring one another with adorned speech as a delusion (or by way of deception). If your Lord had so willed, they would not have done it [al-Anaam 6:112]
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
And, certainly, the shayaateen (devils) do inspire their friends (from mankind) [al-Anaam 6:121]
Shall I inform you (O people!) upon whom the shayaateen (devils) descend?
They descend on every lying, sinful person. [al-Shuara 221-222]
This is the contact that is real, not the contact that they falsely claim to have with Allaah. Exalted be Allaah far above that.
(See Mujam al-Bida, 346 359).
When some of these Sufi shaykhs disappear suddenly from the sight of their followers, this is the result of their contact with the shayaateen, who may even carry them to a distant place and bring them back in the same day or night, to mislead their human followers.
So the important rule here is not to judge people by the extraordinary feats that they may do. We should judge them by how closely or otherwise they adhere to the Quraan and Sunnah. The true friends of Allaah (awliya) are not necessarily known for performing astounding feats. On the contrary, they are the ones who worship Allaah in the manner that He has prescribed, and not by doing acts of bidah. The true awliya or friends of Allaah are those whom our Lord has described in the hadeeth qudsi narrated by al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh (5/2384) from Abu Hurayrah, who said:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: Allaah said, Whoever shows enmity towards a friend (wali) of Mine, I declare war against him. My slave does not draw close to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties that I have enjoined on him, and My slave continues to draw close to Me with supererogatory (naafil) acts, so that I will love him. When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it.
And Allaah is the Source of Strength and the Guide to the Straight Path.
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I was born in a French catholic family. My
parents are strong and sincere believers, and I respect that a lot.Now I'm very interested in Islam, but there are a couple of reasons that
"prevent" me from converting. For instance, as a woman, I cannot accept
polygamy, the fact of stoning people who had an affair, of always depend on a
"mahram"...Furthermore, it's not "easy" to be and live as a Muslim in a
western country : in my job, I wouldn't be able to wear a veil, not to shake men's hands
anymore, pray 5 times a day... And my parents (especially my mother who is sick) would be
very sad seeing me leaving Christianity.So my question is to know how I can convert in such conditions. Is there a
kind of "minimum" required ? I mean, considering that there are still things
which I don't accept, wouldn't it be better for me to wait ?Thanks for your help.
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Praise be to Allah.We put the following question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn
Saalih al-Uthaymeen:
A non-Muslim woman is saying, I want to become Muslim but on the
condition that I do not have to do the five prayers until the end of the day, because I
cannot do them at work. And also I cannot accept the idea of polygamy.
He answered as follows:
I think that she should adhere to the rulings of
Islam if she wants to become Muslim and be saved from the Fire. But as for her choosing
what she wants and saying I cannot accept the idea of polygamy as if she is saying
that she cannot accept it as a ruling from Allaah or saying I cannot pray until I
finish my work, this is not acceptable.
Question:
In the book Muntaqa al-Akhbaar, the author says,
Chapter on the soundness of a persons Islam when he lays down invalid
conditions, and he mentions the hadeeth of Waheeb, who said:
I asked Jaabir about the tribe of Thaqeef, when they gave their
Bayah (oath of allegiance) to the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allâh be upon
him), with the condition that they would not have to pay Sadaqah (charity) or engage in
Jihaad. After that he heard the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) say,
They will give sadaqah and they will engage in jihaad.
Can we understand from this that if a non-Muslim comes and says I
want to become Muslim on the condition that I can do all the prayers together at the end
of the day this is OK, or is this an entirely different case?
Shaykh:
This is an entirely different case, because when that was said to the
Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), he said, If they become
Muslim, they will pray. This has to do with matters of the Unseen, which we cannot
know. (in other words, the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) accepted
that from them because he knew, from what Allaah taught him of the Unseen, that these
people would become good Muslims and would give charity and engage in jihaad, whereas we
cannot know the Unseen and how this non-Muslim will be in the future). If we accepted the
conditions laid down by the kuffaar, Islam would disintegrate. One may stipulate the
condition that we let him engage in zinaa (unlawful sexual activity), another may demand
that we let him drink wine, and so on and so forth. The Messenger
(peace and
blessings of Allâh be upon him) told Ali, when he sent him to the people of
Khaybar: Tell them what their duties are towards Allaah in Islam. The
condition of Islam is that it must be accepted in totality, as it is. The Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allâh be upon him) told Muaadh, Teach them that Allaah has
enjoined five prayers upon them, and if they accept that, then tell them about
Zakaah. So the obligations of Islam have to be accepted.
Question:
Can we not say that this persons entering Islam serves a great
interest, and that their stipulating that they should be excused a few acts of worship is
less harmful?
Shaykh: Not at all! Whose interests are being served here? The
interests of the person himself? But this is damaging to Islam, because then lazy Muslims
will say, We will only pray when we have finished work, like this person does.
So the harm this would do to Islam is serious. If he really wants to save himself, let him
accept Islam in totality. And whomsoever Allaah leads astray, no-one can
guide.
So what we say to you is this: become Muslim and accept Islam in
totality. Submit to Allaah in all that He has prescribed, and Allaah will help you and
give you the strength to follow His laws, if you are sincere in your intention towards
Him. Then if you are faced with something that you cannot do for a genuine reason, or are
forced to do something, then if you are sincere, Allaah will not punish you for that. May
Allaah help us and you to accept the truth and adhere to it. May Allaah bless our Prophet
Muhammad.
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Before I get to my question, I would
like to introduce myself a little. I am a muslim girl in Sweden, who got a question from a
christian person. I've asked everyone around me and tried to find the answer by looking
in books, internet, but unfortunately whithout any results.The question was about huriyat
(several women), according to what I've heard it is several women that the muslim men will
be "awarded" with,in janna(heaven).I don't know if this information is right,
but if you could give me a little bit more information about this, I would be thankful.
The main question is: -Why does Islam encourage something in janna(heaven), which is
forbidden here on earth?. Whith that he means, that a relationship outside marriage is according to Islam- haram (forbidden), if they(muslim
men)avoid this on earth, they will be awarded with huriyat in janna. Isn't that very
strange? Unfortunately a know very little about this subject, I don't know where he got
this question, but I am sure there is a logical explanation for this question, which I
hope to find answer to.I would be very grateful, if you could help me with this question,
thank you for your time!
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Praise be to Allah.In His Holy Book, Allaah has mentioned Paradise and what
He has prepared therein. He has mentioned the attributes of Paradise and of its people in
numerous places in the Quraan, such as the aayaat (interpretation of the meaning):
Therein will be a running spring.
Therein will be thrones raised high.
And cups set at hand.
And cushions set in rows.
And rich carpets (all) spread out
[al-Ghaashiyah 88:12-16]
But for him who fears the standing before his Lord, there will
be two Gardens (i.e. in Paradise).
Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both (jinn and men)
deny?
With spreading branches.
Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both (jinn and men)
deny?
In them (both) will be two springs flowing (free).
Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both (jinn and men)
deny?
In them (both) will be every kind of fruit in pairs.
[al-Rahmaan 55:46-52]
Wherein both will be Qaasiraat ut-Tarf [chaste females
(wives) restraining their glances, desiring none except - their husbands], with whom no
man or jinni has had Tamth [sexual intercourse] before them.
Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both (jinn and men)
deny?
(In beauty) they are like rubies and coral.
[al-Rahmaan 55:56-58]
Hoor (beautiful, fair females) guarded in pavilions
[al-Rahmaan 55:72]
And (there will be) Hoor (fair females) with wide lovely eyes
(as wives for Al-Muttaqoon the pious).
Like unto preserved pearls.
A reward for what they used to do.
[al-Waaqiah 56:22-24]
There are many saheeh ahaadeeth from the Prophet
(peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) which describe the women of Paradise and state that they will be
prepared on the Day of Resurrection for the muttaqoon (pious). Among these
ahaadeeth is the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said, the
Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
The first group to enter Paradise will look like the moon on the
night when it is full, then those who follow them will look like the brightest star in the
sky; they will not urinate or defecate or spit or blow their noses. Their combs will be of
gold and their sweat will be musk and their incense-burners will be pearls. Their wives
will be al-hoor al-iyn. Their appearance will be the same and they will look
like their father Adam who was sixty cubits tall.
(Saheeh al-Jaami, 2015).
It was also reported that he
(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: A tent will be a pearl sixty miles high, in each corner of
which will be a wife for the believer whom no one else will see. (Saheeh
al-Jaami, 3357).
In these ahaadeeth the women of Paradise are mentioned
who have been prepared for the men. In His Book, Allaah called them al-Hoor. Al-Hoor
is the plural of Hooraa . Al-Qurtubi said in al-Ahkaam (17/12):
(This means) a woman in whose eyes the white is intensely white and the black is
intensely black. We believe in that with absolute faith uncontaminated with any
doubts. It is part of the essentials of our belief. For more information see Saheeh
al-Bukhaari, Kitaab Bad al-Khalq, Baab Sifat al-Jannah; and Saheeh
Muslim, Abwaab Sifat al-Jannah; and Sifat al-Jannah by
Abul-Naeem al-Isfahaani, which describes the women of the people of Paradise
and their beauty.
With regard to the question about why Islam encourages and gives glad
tidings of things in Paradise which are forbidden in this world, such as men having
intimate relationships with women outside of the framework of marriage before we
answer this question, we must make a serious point, which is that Allaah forbids whatever
He wills in this world to its people, for He is the Creator and Sovereign of these things,
so it is not permissible for anyone to object to the ruling of Allaah on the basis of his
foolish thinking and imperfect understanding. The ruling and the decision of the matter,
before and after, is only with Allaah, and there is none who can overturn His ruling, may
He be glorified and exalted.
With regard to the question of why Allaah forbids some things in this
world, then in the Hereafter will permit them as a reward to those who abstained from them
(such as wine, zinaa, wearing silk for men, etc.), this is what Allaah wills to give as a
reward to those who obey Him and patiently strive in this world. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
Is there any reward for good other than good?
[al-Rahmaan 55:60]
With regard to the reason why these things are forbidden, there follow
a few important points:
Firstly:
We do not necessarily know all the reasons why things are forbidden.
There are some reasons which we do not know. The basic principle is to accept and submit
to the texts even if we do not know the reason, because submission is the point of Islam
which is based on complete obedience to Allaah, may He be exalted.
Secondly:
Some of the reasons for the prohibitions may be clear to us, such as
the corruptions that result from zinaa, e.g., the mixing of lineages, the spread of fatal
diseases and so on. When Islam forbids unlawful relationships, the intention is to protect
peoples lineage and honour, which may not mean anything to the kaafirs and immoral
people, who jump on one another like donkeys, with a boyfriend having intercourse with his
girlfriend and people having intercourse with their own relatives and so on, as if they
are in the jungle. Indeed, they are worse than animals, for some animals refuse to do such
a thing, but these people do not refuse and do not care. As a result of this promiscuity,
the ties that bind society disintegrate and it becomes filled with fatal sexual diseases
which are an indication of the wrath of Allaah towards those who violate His sacred limits
and make permissible that which is forbidden.
This is unlike the relationship of a man with the Hooris in
Paradise which is what has been asked about here for we may note that in the
case of a promiscuous woman in this world, her honour is readily available to all and she
has no religious commitment or shame. She is not bound by a lawful relationship to one
person. So men and women have intercourse with whomever they want, with no restrictions of
religion or morality. But the hooris in Paradise are restrained and restricted to
their husbands to whom Allaah has given them as a reward for their patience in abstaining
from haraam things in this world. As Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings):
Hoor (beautiful, fair females) guarded in pavilions
[al-Rahmaan 55:72]
with whom no man or jinni has had Tamth [sexual intercourse]
before them. [al-Rahmaan 55:56]
The hoori is a wife for the man, as Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
and We shall marry them to Hooris [female fair ones]
with wide, lovely eyes [al-Dukhaan 44:54].
And they will be confined to their husbands, and no one else will have
a share in them.
Thirdly:
Allaah who has declared that in this world a man is not
permitted to have more than four wives at one time is the One Who will bless the
people of Paradise with whatever He wills of al-hoor al-iyn. So there is no
contradiction between what is forbidden in this world and in the Hereafter, because the
rulings of each are different, in accordance with what the Lord wills. Undoubtedly the
Hereafter is far better and more lasting than this world. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
Beautified for men is the love of things they covet; women,
children, much of gold and silver (wealth), branded beautiful horses, cattle and
well-tilled land. This is the pleasure of the present worlds life; but Allaah has
the excellent return (Paradise with flowing rivers) with Him.
Say: Shall I inform you of things far better than those? For
Al-Muttaqoon (the pious) there are Gardens (Paradise) with their Lord, underneath which
rivers flow. Therein (is their) eternal (home) and Azwaajun Mutahharatun (purified mates
or wives). And Allaah will be pleased with them. And Allaah is All-Seer of the (His)
slaves.
[Aal Imraan 3:14-15]
Fourthly:
This prohibition may be a kind of test from Allaah to His slaves, to
see whether they will obey these commands and avoid that which He has forbidden. The test
could not be with regard to something for which people have no inclination and which they
do not like; it has to be with regard to something to which they are inclined and
attracted. This testing may include wealth will a person take from that which is
permitted and dispose of it in manners which are permitted, and will he fulfil the rights
which Allaah has over it? The test with regard to women is: will he restrict himself to
that which Allaah has permitted him of women, and will he lower his gaze and avoid seeking
pleasure in that which Allaah has forbidden. It is an aspect of Allaahs mercy
may He be exalted and glorified that He does not forbid something to which people
are inclined without allowing something of that nature and there is much which is
permitted.
Fifthly:
The rulings (ahkaam) of this world are not like the rulings of
the Hereafter. The wine of this world causes people to lose their minds, unlike the good
wine of the Hereafter which does not make people lose their minds or cause headaches or
stomachaches. What Allaah has prepared for the believers of women on the Day of
Resurrection as a reward for their obedience is not like zinaa which violates
peoples honour, confuses lineages, spreads diseases and leads to regret. The women
of Paradise are pure and good; they will never die or get old, unlike the women of this
world. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
Verily, We have created them (maidens) of special creation.
And made them virgins.
Loving (their husbands only), (and) of equal age
[al-Waaqiah 56:35]
We ask Allaah to bless us with the best of this world and the next, and
to help us to be obedient to His commands and to have certain faith in His reward and to
keep us safe from His punishment. And Allaah knows best.
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well i want to make a little inquiry plz kindly inform with the correct info I have heard that you are not supposed to have sex on tuesdays....and there is some thing that comes that night which then curses all those who are doing it...and they suffer some how later...then plz reply me and inform me with the correct info...from hadiths or Quran..
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Praise be to Allah.I know, may Allaah teach us and you, that this is one of the myths and innovations that have no basis on the Qur’aan or Sunnah. It is like the things said by the people who follow innovations and are misguided, so that they say that it is makrooh to get married when the moon is in Scorpio or when it is under the rays [???], or when it is waning or in any of its other stages.
(See Mu’jam al-Bida’ by Raa’id Sabri, 656).
Allaah has permitted intercourse at all times and in all places, with the following exceptions:
During the day in Ramadaan. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “It is made lawful for you to have sexual relations with your wives on the night of al-siyaam (the fasts). They are libaas (body cover, screen, etc.) for you and you are the same for them. Allaah knows that you used to deceive yourselves, so He turned to you (accepted your repentance) and forgave you. So now have sexual relations with them and seek that which Allaah has ordained for you (offspring)…” [al-Baqarah 2:187]
During the woman’s period [hayd] and when she is still bleeding after childbirth [nifaas]. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “They ask you concerning menstruation. Say: that is an adha (a harmful thing for a husband to have a sexual intercourse with his wife while she is having her menses), therefore keep away from women during menses and go not unto them until they have purified (from menses and have taken a bath). And when they have purified themselves, then go in unto them as Allaah has ordained for you…” [al-Baqarah 2:222]
In the mosques. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “… And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in I’tikaaf (i.e., confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques. These are the limits (set) by Allaah, so approach them not…” [al-Baqarah 2:187]
And in other situations, such as when one is muhrim (in a state of ihraam for Hajj or ‘Umrah). You will not find anything in the Qur’aan or Sunnah to confirm this lie. It is a kind of evil falsehood that has cheated a lot of people, so that now they hold it as some kind of inflexible belief. Many people have had intercourse with their wives on a Tuesday and have conceived healthy children. No harm has befallen either them or their children because of that. May Allaah protect us and you from bid’ah and evil. And Allaah knows best.
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I have always heard that music, singing and dancing are haram in Islam. I went to a particular site for the first time and typed in music and all of these articles appeared which said music, dancing, and singing in Islam is halal!
They said "as long as the 2 sexes are not close together and there is no drinking going on" etc. and they even have hadiths that try to prove our Prophet Muhammad was OK with this!
I am very confused now... Could you please give a full, detailed explanation about the Islamic ruling on music, singing and dancing and when it is allowed, if it is even allowed at all?
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Praise be to Allah.What is Ma’azif?
Ma’azif is the plural of mi’zafah, and refers to musical instruments (Fath al-Bari, 10/55), instruments which are played (al-Majm’, 11/577). Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated from al-Jawhari (may Allah have mercy on him) that ma’azif means singing . In his Sihah, it says that it means musical instruments. It was also said that it refers to the sound of the instruments. In al-Hawashi by al-Dimyati (may Allah have mercy on him) it says: ma’azif means drums (dufuf, sing. daff) and other instruments which are struck or beaten (Fath al-Bari, 10/55).
Evidence of prohibition of music and singing in the Quran and Sunnah
Allah says in Surah Luqman (interpretation of the meaning):
“And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks (i.e. music, singing) to mislead (men) from the path of Allah…” [Luqman 31:6]
The scholar of the ummah, Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: this means singing . Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him) said: this means playing the drum (tabl). (Tafsir al-Tabari, 21/40)
Al-Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) said: this ayah was revealed concerning singing and musical instruments (lit. woodwind instruments). (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 3/451)
Al-Sa’di (may Allah have mercy on him) said: this includes all manner of haram speech, all idle talk and falsehood, and all nonsense that encourages kufr and disobedience; the words of those who say things to refute the truth and argue in support of falsehood to defeat the truth; and backbiting, slander, lies, insults and curses; the singing and musical instruments of the Shaytan; and musical instruments which are of no spiritual or worldly benefit. (Tafsir al-Sa’di, 6/150)
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“The interpretation of the Sahabah and Tabi'in, that ‘idle talk’ refers to singing, is sufficient. This was reported with sahih isnad from Ibn 'Abbas and Ibn Mas’ud. Abu’l-Sahba said: I asked Ibn Mas’ud about the ayah (interpretation of the meaning), ‘“And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks’ [Luqman 31:6]. He said: By Allah, besides Whom there is no other god, this means singing – and he repeated it three times. It was also reported with a sahih isnad from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that this means singing.
There is no contradiction between the interpretation of “idle talk” as meaning singing and the interpretation of it as meaning stories of the Persians and their kings, and the kings of the Romans, and so on, such as al-Nadr ibn al-Harith used to tell to the people of Makkah to distract them from the Quran.
Both of them are idle talk. Hence Ibn 'Abbas said: “Idle talk” is falsehood and singing. Some of the Sahabah said one and some said the other, and some said both. Singing is worse and more harmful than stories of kings, because it leads to zina and makes hypocrisy grow (in the heart); it is the trap of the Shaytan, and it clouds the mind. The way in which it blocks people from the Quran is worse than the way in which other kinds of false talk block them, because people are naturally inclined towards it and tend to want to listen to it.
The ayat condemn replacing the Quran with idle talk in order to mislead (men) from the path of Allah without knowledge and taking it as a joke, because when an ayah of the Quran is recited to such a person, he turns his back as if he heard them not, as if there were deafness in his ear. If he hears anything of it, he makes fun of it. All of this happens only in the case of the people who are most stubbornly kafirs and if some of it happens to singers and those who listen to them, they both have a share of this blame.” (Ighathat al-Lahfan, 1/258-259)
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“[Allah said to Iblis:] And befool them gradually those whom you can among them with your voice (i.e. songs, music, and any other call for Allah's disobedience)…” [al-Isra 17:64]
It was narrated that Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “And befool them gradually those whom you can among them with your voice” – his voice [the voice of Iblis/Shaytan] is singing and falsehood.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “This idafah [possessive or genitive construction, i.e., your voice] serves to make the meaning specific, as with the phrases [translated as] “your cavalry” and “your infantry” [later in the same ayah]. Everyone who speaks in any way that is not obedient to Allah, everyone who blows into a flute or other woodwind instrument, or who plays any haram kind of drum, this is the voice of the Shaytan. Everyone who walks to commit some act of disobedience towards Allah is part of his [the Shaytan’s] infantry, and anyone who rides to commit sin is part of his cavalry. This is the view of the Salaf, as Ibn ‘Abi Hatim narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas: his infantry is everyone who walks to disobey Allah.” (Ighathat al-Lahfan).
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Do you then wonder at this recitation (the Quran)? And you laugh at it and weep not, Wasting your (precious) lifetime in pastime and amusements (singing)” [al-Najm 53:59-61]
‘Ikrimah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: it was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas that al-sumud [verbal noun from samidun, translated here as “Wasting your (precious) lifetime in pastime and amusements (singing)”] means “singing”, in the dialect of Himyar; it might be said “Ismidi lana” [‘sing for us’ – from the same root as samidun/sumud] meaning “ghaniy” [sing]. And he said (may Allah have mercy on him): When they [the kuffar] heard the Quran, they would sing, then this ayah was revealed.
Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Allah says (interpretation of the meaning) “Wasting your (precious) lifetime in pastime and amusements (singing)” – Sufyan al-Thawri said, narrating from his father from Ibn 'Abbas: (this means) singing. This is Yemeni (dialect): ismad lana means ghan lana [sing to us]. This was also the view of ‘Ikrimah.” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)
Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not sell singing slave women, do not buy them and do not teach them. There is nothing good in this trade, and their price is haram. Concerning such things as this the ayah was revealed (interpretation of the meaning): {And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks (i.e. music, singing) to mislead (men) from the path of Allah…} [Luqman 31:6].” (Hasan hadith)
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Among my ummah there will certainly be people who permit zina, silk, alcohol and musical instruments…” (Narrated by al-Bukhari ta’liqan, no. 5590; narrated as mawsul by al-Tabarani and al-Bayhaqi. See al-Silsilah al-Sahihah by al-Albani, 91)
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This is a sahih hadith narrated by al-Bukhari in his Saheeh, where he quoted it as evidence and stated that it is mu’allaq and majzum. He said: Chapter on what was narrated concerning those who permit alcohol and call it by another name.
This hadith indicates in two ways that musical instruments and enjoyment of listening to music are haram. The first is the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “[they] permit” which clearly indicates that the things mentioned, including musical instruments, are haram according to shari’ah, but those people will permit them. The second is the fact that musical instruments are mentioned alongside things which are definitely known to be haram, i.e., zina and alcohol: if they (musical instruments) were not haram, why would they be mentioned alongside these things? (adapted from al-Silsilah al-Sahihah by al-Albani, 1/140-141)
Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah) (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This hadith indicates that ma’azif are haram, and ma’azif means musical instruments according to the scholars of (Arabic) language. This word includes all such instruments. (al-Majmu’, 11/535).
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: And concerning the same topic similar comments were narrated from Sahl ibn Sa’d al-Sa’idi, ‘Imran ibn Husayn, ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Amr, ‘Abd-Allah ibn 'Abbas, Abu Hurayrah, Abu Umamah al-Bahili, ‘Aishah Umm al-Mu’minin, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, Anas ibn Malik, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Sabit and al-Ghazi ibn Rabi'ah. Then he mentioned it in Ighathat al-Lahfan, and it indicates that they (musical instruments) are haram.
It was narrated that Nafi’ (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Ibn ‘Umar heard a woodwind instrument, and he put his fingers in his ears and kept away from that path. He said to me, O Nafi’, can you hear anything? I said, No. So he took his fingers away from his ears and said: I was with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and he heard something like this, and he did the same thing. (Sahih Abi Dawud). Some insignificant person said that this hadith does not prove that musical instruments are haram, because if that were so, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would have instructed Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) to put his fingers in his ears as well, and Ibn ‘Umar would have instructed Nafi’ to do likewise! The response to this is: He was not listening to it, but he could hear it. There is a difference between listening and hearing.
Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah) (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Concerning (music) which a person does not intend to listen to, there is no prohibition or blame, according to scholarly consensus. Hence blame or praise is connected to listening, not to hearing. The one who listens to the Quran will be rewarded for it, whereas the one who hears it without intending or wanting to will not be rewarded for that, because actions are judged by intentions. The same applies to musical instruments which are forbidden: if a person hears them without intending to, that does not matter. (al-Majmu’, 10/78).
Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: the listener is the one who intends to hear, which was not the case with Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both); what happened in his case was hearing. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) needed to know when the sound stopped because he had moved away from that path and blocked his ears. So he did not want to go back to that path or unblock his ears until the noise had stopped, so when he allowed Ibn ‘Umar to continue hearing it, this was because of necessity. (al-Mughni, 10/173)
(Even though the hearing referred to in the comments of the two imams is makruh, it was permitted because of necessity, as we will see below in the comments of Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him). And Allah knows best).
Views of the scholars on music and singing
Al-Qasim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Singing is part of falsehood. Al-Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) said: if there is music involved in a dinner invitation (walimah), do not accept the invitation (al-Jami’ by al-Qayrawani, p. 262-263).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The view of the four Imams is that all kinds of musical instruments are haram. It was reported in Sahih al-Bukhari and elsewhere that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that there would be among his ummah those who would allow zina, silk, alcohol and musical instruments, and he said that they would be transformed into monkeys and pigs… None of the followers of the imams mentioned any dispute concerning the matter of music. (al-Majmu’, 11/576).
Al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The four madhhabs agree that all musical instruments are haram. (al-Sahihah, 1/145).
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The madhhab of Abu Hanifah is the strictest in this regard, and his comments are among the harshest. His companions clearly stated that it is haram to listen to all musical instruments such as the flute and the drum, even tapping a stick. They stated that it is a sin which implies that a person is a fasiq (rebellious evil doer) whose testimony should be rejected. They went further than that and said that listening to music is fisq (rebellion, evildoing) and enjoying it is kufr (disbelief). These are their words. They narrated in support of that a hadith which could not be attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). They said: he should try not to hear it if he passes by it or it is in his vicinity. Abu Yusuf said, concerning a house from which could be heard the sound of musical instruments: Go in without their permission, because forbidding evil actions is obligatory, and if it were not allowed to enter without permission, people could not have fulfilled the obligatory duty (of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil). (Ighathat al-Lahfan, 1/425).
Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about playing the drum or flute, if a person happens to hear the sound and enjoy it whilst he is walking or sitting. He said: He should get up if he finds that he enjoys it, unless he is sitting down for a need or is unable to get up. If he is on the road, he should either go back or move on. (al-Jami’ by al-Qayrawani, 262). He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The only people who do things like that, in our view, are fasiqs.” (Tafsir al-Qurtubi, 14/55)
Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Among the types of earnings which are haram by scholarly consensus are riba, the fee of a prostitute, anything forbidden, bribes, payment for wailing over the dead and singing, payments to fortune-tellers and those who claim to know the unseen and astrologers, payments for playing flutes, and all kinds of gambling. (al-Kafi).
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said, explaining the view of Imam al-Shafi'i: His companions who know his madhhab (point of view) stated that it is haram and denounced those who said that he permitted it. (Ighathat al-Lahfan, 1/425).
The author of Kifayat al-Akhbar, who was one of the Shafi’is, counted musical instruments such as flutes and others, as being munkar (evil), and the one who is present (where they are being played) should denounce them. (He cannot be excused by the fact that there are bad scholars, because they are corrupting the shari’ah, or evil faqirs – meaning the Sufis, because they call themselves fuqara or faqirs – because they are ignorant and follow anyone who makes noise; they are not guided by the light of knowledge; rather they are blown about by every wind. (Kifayat al-Akhbar, 2/128)
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: With regard to the view of Imam Ahmad, his son ‘Abd-Allah said: I asked my father about singing. He said: Singing makes hypocrisy grow in the heart; I do not like it. Then he mentioned the words of Malik: the evildoers (fasiqs) among us do that. (Ighathat al-Lahfan)
Ibn Qudamah, the researcher of the Hanbali madhhab – (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Musical instruments are of three types which are haram. These are the strings and all kinds of flute, and the lute, drum and rabab (stringed instrument) and so on. Whoever persists in listening to them, his testimony should be rejected. (al-Mughni, 10/173). And he said (may Allah have mercy on him); If a person is invited to a gathering in which there is something objectionable, such as wine and musical instruments, and he is able to denounce it, then he should attend and speak out against it, because then he will be combining two obligatory duties. If he is not able to do that, then he should not attend. (al-Kafi, 3/118)
Al-Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The scholars of all regions agree that singing is makruh and should be prevented. Although Ibrahim ibn Sa’d and ‘Ubayd-Allah al-‘Anbari differed from the majority, (it should be noted that) the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Adhere to the majority.” And whoever dies differing from the majority, dies as a jahil. (Tafsir al-Qurtubi, 14/56). In earlier generations, the word “makruh” was used to mean haram, then it took on the meaning of “disliked”. But this is to be understood as meaning that it is forbidden, because he [al-Tabari] said “it should be prevented”, and nothing is to be prevented except that which is haram; and because in the two hadiths quoted, music is denounced in the strongest terms. Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) is the one who narrated this report, then he said: Abu’l-Faraj and al-Qaffal among our companions said: the testimony of the singer and the dancer is not to be accepted. I say: if it is proven that this matter is not permissible, then accepting payment for it is not permissible either.
Shaykh al-Fawzan (may Allah preserve him) said: What Ibrahim ibn Sa’d and ‘Ubayd-Allah al-‘Anbari said about singing is not like the kind of singing that is known nowadays, for they would never have allowed this kind of singing which is the utmost in immorality and obscenity. (al-I’lam)
Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It is not permissible to make musical instruments. (al-Majmu’, 22/140). And he said: According to the majority of fuqaha, it is permissible to destroy musical instruments, such as the tanbur [a stringed instrument similar to a mandolin]. This is the view of Malik and is the more famous of the two views narrated from Ahmad. (al-Majmu’, 28/113). And he said: …Ibn al-Mundhir mentioned that the scholars agreed that it is not permissible to pay people to sing and wail… the consensus of all the scholars whose views we have learned about is that wailing and singing are not allowed. Al-Shu’bi, al-Nakha’i and Malik regarded that as makruh [i.e., haram]. Abu Thawr, al-Nu’man – Abu Hanifah (may Allah have mercy on him) – and Ya’qub and Muhammad, two of the students of Abu Hanifah said: it is not permissible to pay anything for singing and wailing. This is our view. And he said: musical instruments are the wine of the soul, and what it does to the soul is worse than what intoxicating drinks do. (Majmu’ al-Fatawa, 10/417)
Ibn Abi Shaybah (may Allah have mercy on him) reported that a man broke a mandolin belonging to another man, and the latter took his case to Shurayh. But Shurayh did not award him any compensation – i.e., he did not make the first man pay the cost of the mandolin, because it was haram and had no value. (al-Musannaf, 5/395).
Al-Baghawi (may Allah have mercy on him) stated in a fatwa that it is haram to sell all kinds of musical instruments such as mandolins, flutes, etc. Then he said: If the images are erased and the musical instruments are altered, then it is permissible to sell their parts, whether they are silver, iron, wood or whatever. (Sharh al-Sunnah, 8/28)
Al-Daff: An appropriate exception
The exception to the above is the daff – without any rings (i.e., a hand-drum which looks like a tambourine, but without any rattles) – when used by women on ‘Eids and at weddings. This is indicated by sahih reports.
Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said: But the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) made allowances for certain types of musical instruments at weddings and the like, and he made allowances for women to play the daff at weddings and on other joyful occasions. But the men at his time did not play the daff or clap with their hands. It was narrated in al-Sahih that he said: “Clapping is for women and tasbih (saying Subhan Allah) is for men.” And he cursed women who imitate men and men who imitate women. Because singing and playing the daff are things that women do, the Salaf used to call any man who did that a mukhannath (effeminate man), and they used to call male singers effeminate – and how many of them there are nowadays! It is well known that the Salaf said this.
In a similar vein is the hadith of ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), when her father (may Allah be pleased with him) entered upon her at the time of ‘Eid, and there were two young girls with her who were singing the verses that the Ansar had said on the day of Bu’ath – and any sensible person will know what people say about war. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Musical instruments of the Shaytan in the house of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)!” The Messenger of Allah had turned away from them and was facing the wall – hence some scholars said that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) would not tell anybody off in front of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but he thought that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was not paying attention to what was happening. And Allah knows best. He (the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)) said: “Leave them alone, O Abu Bakr, for every nation has its ‘Eid, and this is our ‘Eid, the people of Islam.” This hadith shows that it was not the habit of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his Companions to gather to listen to singing, hence Abu Bakr al-Siddiq called it “the musical instruments of the Shaytan”. And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) approved of this appellation and did not deny it when he said, “Leave them alone, for every nation has its ‘Eid and this is our ‘Eid.” This indicates that the reason why this was permitted was because it was the time of ‘Eid, and the prohibition remained in effect at times other than ‘Eid, apart from the exceptions made for weddings in other ahadith. Shaykh al-Albani explained this in his valuable book Tahrim Alat al-Tarab (the Prohibition of Musical Instruments). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) approved of young girls singing at ‘Eid, as stated in the hadith: “So that the mushrikin will know that in our religion there is room for relaxation.” There is no indication in the hadith about the two young girls that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was listening to them. The commands and prohibitions have to do with listening, not merely hearing, just as in the case of seeing, the rules have to do with intentionally looking and not what happens by accident. So it is clear that this is for women only. Imam Abu ‘Ubayd (may Allah have mercy on him) defined the daff as “that which is played by women.” (Gharib al-Hadith, 3/64).
Drums at times of war and military music: An inappropriate exception
Some of them make an exception for drums at times of war, and consequentially some modern scholars have said that military music is allowed. But there is no basis for this at all, for a number of reasons, the first of which is that this is making an exception with no clear evidence, apart from mere opinion and thinking that it is good, and this is wrong. The second reason is that what the Muslims should do at times of war is to turn their hearts towards their Lord. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“They ask you (O Muhammad) about the spoils of war. Say: ‘The spoils are for Allah and the Messenger.’ So fear Allah and adjust all matters of difference among you…” [al-Anfal 8:1]. But using music is the opposite of this idea of taqwa and it would distract them from remembering their Lord. Thirdly, using music is one of the customs of the kuffar, and it is not permitted to imitate them, especially with regard to something that Allah has forbidden to us in general, such as music. (al-Sahihah, 1/145)
“No people go astray after having been guided except they developed arguments amongst themselves.” (Sahih)
Story of the Abyssinians playing and singing in the Prophet’s mosque
Some of them used the hadith about the Abyssinians playing in the mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as evidence that singing is allowed! Al-Bukhari included this hadith in his Sahih under the heading Bab al-Hirab wa’l-Daraq Yawm al-‘Eid (Chapter on Spears and Shields on the Day of ‘Eid). Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This indicates that it is permissible to play with weapons and the like in the mosque, and he applied that to other activities connected with jihad. (Sharh Muslim). But as al-Hafiz ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: whoever speaks about something which is not his profession will come up with weird ideas such as these.
Some of them use as evidence the hadith about the singing of the two young girls, which we have discussed above, but we will quote what Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said, because it is valuable:
I am amazed that you quote as evidence for allowing listening to sophisticated songs the report which we mentioned about how two young girls who were below the age of puberty sang to a young woman on the day of ‘Eid some verses of Arab poetry about bravery in war and other noble characteristics. How can you compare this to that? What is strange is that this hadith is one of the strongest proofs against them. The greatest speaker of the truth [Abu Bakr al-Siddiq] called them musical instruments of the Shaytan, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) approved of that appellation, but he made an exception in the case of these two young girls who had not yet reached the age of responsibility and the words of whose songs could not corrupt anyone who listened to them. Can this be used as evidence to allow what you do and what you know of listening (to music) which includes (bad) things which are not hidden?! Subhan Allah! How people can be led astray! (Madarij al-Salikin, 1/493).
Ibn al-Jawzi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was young at that time; nothing was transmitted from her after she reached the age of puberty except condemnation of singing. Her brother’s son, al-Qasim ibn Muhammad, condemned singing and said that it was not allowed to listen to it, and he took his knowledge from her. (Talbis Iblis, 229). Al-Hafiz ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: A group of the Sufis used this hadith – the hadith about the two young girls – as evidence that singing is allowed and it is allowed to listen to it, whether it is accompanied by instruments or not. This view is sufficiently refuted by the clear statement of ‘Aishah in the following hadith, where she says, “They were not singers.” She made it clear that they were not singers as such, although this may be understood from the wording of the report. So we should limit it to what was narrated in the text as regards the occasion and the manner, so as to reduce the risk of going against the principle, i.e., the hadith. And Allah knows best. (Fath al-Bari, 2/442-443)
Did the Companions listen to singing?
Some people even have the nerve to suggest that the Sahabah and Tabi'in listened to singing, and that they saw nothing wrong with it!
Al-Fawzan (may Allah preserve him) said: We demand them to show us sahih isnads going back to these Sahabah and Tabi'in, proving what they attribute to them. Then he said: Imam Muslim mentioned in his introduction to his Sahih that ‘Abd-Allah ibn al-Mubarak said: The isnad is part of religion. Were it not for the isnad, whoever wanted to could say whatever he wanted to.
Are the hadiths which forbid music full of faults?
Some of them said that the ahadith which forbid music are full of faults. No hadith was free of being criticized by some of the scholars. Ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The ahadith which were narrated concerning music being haram are not full of faults as has been claimed. Some of them are in Sahih al-Bukhari which is the soundest of books after the Book of Allah, and some of them are hasan and some are da’if. But because they are so many, with different isnads, they constitute definitive proof that singing and musical instruments are haram.
All the imams agreed on the soundness of the ahadith which forbid singing and musical instruments, apart from Abu Hamid al-Ghazzali, but al-Ghazzali did not have knowledge of hadith; and Ibn Hazam, but al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) explained where Ibn Hazam went wrong, and Ibn Hazam himself said that if any of (these ahadith) were sahih, he would follow that. But now they have proof that these reports are sahih because there are so many books by the scholars which state that these ahadith are sahih, but they turn their backs on that. They are far more extreme than Ibn Hazam and they are nothing like him, for they are not qualified and cannot be referred to.
Singing is haram only where alcohol is drunk: Correct?
Some of them said that the scholars forbade singing because it is mentioned alongside gatherings in which alcohol is drunk and where people stay up late at night for evil purposes.
Al-Shawkani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The response to this is that mentioning these things in conjunction does not only mean that what is haram is what is joined together in this manner. Otherwise this would mean that zina, as mentioned in the ahadith, is not haram unless it is accompanied by alcohol and the use of musical instruments. By the same token, an ayah such as the following (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, he used not to believe in Allah, the Most Great, And urged not on the feeding of Al-Miskin (the poor). [al-Haqqah 69:33-34]
would imply that it is not haram to disbelieve in Allah unless that is accompanied by not encouraging the feeding of the poor. If it is said that the prohibition of such things one at a time is proven from other reports, the response to that is that the prohibition of musical instruments is also known from other evidence, as mentioned above. (Nayl al-Awtar, 8/107).
Idle talk does not refer to singing: Correct?
Some of them said that “idle talk” does not refer to singing; the refutation of that has been mentioned above. Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This – the view that it means singing – is the best that has been said concerning this ayah, and Ibn Mas’ud swore three times by Allah besides Whom there is no other god, that it does refer to singing. Then he mentioned other imams who said the same thing. Then he mentioned other views concerning the matter. Then he said: The first view is the best of all that has been said on this matter, because of the marfu’ hadith, and because of the view of the Sahabah and the Tabi'in. (Tafsir al-Qurtubi).
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him), after quoting this Tafsir, said: Al-Hakim Abu ‘Abd-Allah said in the Tafsir of Kitab al-Mustadrak: Let the one who is seeking this knowledge know that the Tafsir of a Sahabi who witnessed the revelation is a hadith with isnad according to the two Shaykhs (al-Bukhari and Muslim). Elsewhere in his book, he said: In our view this hadith has the same strength as a marfu’ report. Although their tafsir is still subject to further examination, it is still more readily acceptable than the tafsir of those who came after them, because they are the most knowledgeable among this ummah of what Allah meant in his Book. It was revealed among them and they were the first people to be addressed by it. They heard the tafsir from the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in word and in deed. And they were Arabs who understood the true meanings of (Arabic) words, so Muslims should avoid resorting to any other interpretation as much as possible.
Singing is a form of worship if it helps one to obey Allah: Acceptable?
Some of them said that singing is a form of worship if the intention is for it to help one to obey Allah!
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: How strange! What type of faith, light, insight, guidance and knowledge can be gained from listening to tuneful verses and music in which most of what is said is haram and deserves the wrath and punishment of Allah and His Messenger? … How can anyone who has the least amount of insight and faith in his heart draw near to Allah and increase his faith by enjoying something which is hated by Him, and He detests the one who says it and the one who accepts it? (Madarij al-Salikin, 1/485)
Shaykh al-Islam said, discussing the state of the person who has gotten used to listening to singing: Hence you find that those who have gotten used to it and for whom it is like food and drink will never have the desire to listen to the Quran or feel joy when they hear it, and they never find in listening to its verses the same feeling that they find when listening to poetry. Indeed, if they hear the Quran, they hear it with an inattentive heart and talk whilst it is being recited, but if they hear whistling and clapping of hands, they lower their voices and keep still, and pay attention. (Majmu’ al-Fatawa, 11/557 ff)
Music softens people’s hearts: Correct?
Some say that music and musical instruments have the effect of softening people’s hearts and creating gentle feelings. This is not true, because it provokes physical desires and whims. If it really did what they say, it would have softened the hearts of the musicians and made their attitude and behaviour better, but most of them, as we know, are astray and behave badly.
Conclusion
Perhaps – for fair-minded and objective readers – this summary will make it clear that the view that music is permissible has no firm basis. There are no two views on this matter. So we must advise in the best manner, and then take it step by step and denounce music, if we are able to do so. We should not be deceived by the fame of a man in our own times in which the people who are truly committed to Islam have become strangers. The one who says that singing and musical instruments are permitted is simply supporting the whims of people nowadays, as if the masses were issuing fatwas and he is simply signing them! If a matter arises, they will look at the views of fuqaha on this matter, then they will take the easiest view, as they claim. Then they will look for evidence, or just specious arguments which are worth no more than a lump of dead meat. How often have these people approved things in the name of shari’ah which in fact have nothing to do with Islam!
Strive to learn your Islam from the Book of your Lord and the Sunnah of your Prophet. Do not say, So-and-So said, for you cannot learn the truth only from men. Learn the truth and then measure people against it. This should be enough for the one who controls his whims and submits himself to his Lord. May what we have written above heal the hearts of the believers and dispel the whispers in the hearts of those who are stricken with insinuating whispers. May it expose everyone who is deviating from the path of Revelation and taking the easiest options, thinking that he has come up with something which none of the earlier generations ever achieved, and speaking about Allah without knowledge. They sought to avoid fisq (evildoing) and ended up committing bid’ah – may Allah not bless them in it. It would have been better for them to follow the path of the believers.
And Allaah knows best. May Allah bless and grant peace to His Messenger who made clear the path of the believers, and to his Companions and those who follow them in truth until the Day of Judgement.
Reference:
Summary of a paper entitled al-Darb bi’l-Nawa li man abaha al-Ma’azif li’l-Hawa by Shaykh Sa’d al-Din ibn Muhammad al-Kibbi.
For more information, please see:
1. Al-I’lam bi Naqd Kitab al-Halal wa’l-Haram, by Shaykh al-‘Allamah Salih ibn Fawzan al-Fawzan
2. Al-Sama’ by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn al-Qayyim
3. Tahrim Alat al-Tarab, by Shaykh Muhammad Nasir al-Deen al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him)
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What is the ruling on passing in front
of someone who is doing Sajdat al-Tilaawah (prostration for recitation of Qur’aan)?
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Praise be to Allah.There is nothing wrong with that.
And Allaah is the source of strength. May Allaah bless
our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
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A person is working as a
computer programmer, and the computer programs on which he works keep stock of what the
company has in its warehouses, how much has been sold, how much is left. They also keep
track of maintenance, sales, employees’ salaries, etc. This program also calculates
the interest on deposits held by this company, but the ratio of haraam work to permissible
work dealt with by the program is very little, no more than 5%. This person works with the
entire program and cannot work only on one part and ignore the other part. Is it
permissible for him to work on this program or not?
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Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn
Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who replied as follows:
It is not permissible to work for this company unless he puts
the condition that he will not have to deal with riba, meaning that he should not record
anything having to do with riba.
Question:
This computer program runs calculations by pressing buttons,
so the accounts for all budgets are done by pressing buttons. They are not recorded on
paper, for example, so that he could record this and not record that. Everything is done
by pressing buttons, including those that involve riba. It is not possible to separate
between them.
Answer:
To be on the safe side, he should not work there, and Allaah
will send his provision. And Allaah knows best.
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i would like to know if muslims are allowed
to lisen to islamic songs with instruments in it. please answer by using the quran and the
sunnah or ijmaa.
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Praise be to Allah.The aayaat of the Quraan and the Ahaadeeth of the
Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) indicate that musical instruments are
condemned, and warn us against them. The Quraan teaches that playing these
instruments is one of the things that leads people astray and constitutes mockery of the
Signs of Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
And of mankind is he who purchases idle talk to mislead (men)
from the Path of Allaah, without knowledge, and takes it (the Path of Allaah, the Verses
of the Quraan) by way of mockery. For such there will be a humiliating torment (in
the Hell-fire). [Luqmaan 31:6]
Most of the scholars interpreted lahw al-hadeeth (idle
talk) as meaning singing and musical instruments, and every voice that diverts
people from the truth.
Al-Tabari (Jaami al-Bayaan, 15/118-119), Ibn
Abil-Dunya (Dham al-Malaahi, 33) and Ibn al-Jawzi (Talbees Iblees,
232) all reported that concerning the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
[Allaah said to Shaytaan;] And istafziz [literally means
befool them gradually] those whom you can with your voice, make assaults on them with your
cavalry and your infantry, mutually share with them wealth and children, and make promises
to them. But Shaytaan promises them nothing but deceit [al-Isra 17:64]
Mujaahid said, This refers to singing and flutes.
Al-Tabari reported that al-Hasan al-Basri said:
His voice is the tambourine.
Ibn al-Qayyim said in Ighaathat al-Lahfaan (1/252):
The grammatical structure here (idaafah genitive or
possessive) is used to make something specific (idaafat al-takhsees), and in all these
words in the aayah it refers back to the Shaytaan [addressed here as you by
Allaah, may He be glorified]. Everyone who speaks about anything other than obedience of
Allaah or plays a reed pipe, flute, tambourine or drum, all of this is the voice of
Shaytaan.
Al-Tirmidhi reported in his Sunan (no. 1005) from Ibn Abi Layla
from Ata from Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The
Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went to to al-Nakhl with
Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Awf, when his son Ibraaheem was dying. He took the child in
his lap and his eyes filled with tears. Abd al-Rahmaan said, Are you weeping
when you have forbidden us to weep? He said, 'I do not forbid weeping. What I have
forbidden is two foolish and evil kinds of voices: voices at times of entertainment and
play and the flutes of the Shaytaan, and voices at times of calamity and scratching the
face and rending the garments and screaming.
Al-Tirmidhi said: this is a hasan hadeeth. It was also reported by
al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak, no. 1683, al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra (4/69),
al-Tayaalisi in Musnad (no. 1683) and by al-Tahhaawi in Sharh al-Maaani,
4/29, and it was classed as hasan by al-Albaani.
Al-Nawawi said: What is meant here is singing and musical
instruments. See Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi, 4/88.
It was reported in a saheeh hadeeth from the Prophet
(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: In my ummah there will be people who allow
fornication/adultery (zina), silk, wine and musical instruments [maaazif].
Some people will stay at the side of a mountain, and they will have flocks of sheep. When
a poor person comes in the evening to ask them for something he needs, they will say.
Come back to us tomorrow. Then during the night Allaah will destroy them by
causing the mountain to fall upon them, while He changes others into apes and swine. They
will remain in such a state until the Day of Resurrection.
(Reported by al-Bukhaari in al-Saheeh muallaqan, 51/10.
Reported mawsoolan by al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra, 3/272; al-Tabaraani in al-Mujam
al-Kabeer, 3/319; and Ibn Hibbaan in al-Saheeh (8/265-266). Classed as saheeh
by Ibn al-Salaah in Uloom al-Hadeeth (32), Ibn al-Qayyim in Ighaathat
al-Lahfaan (255) and Tahdheeb al-Sunan (5/270-272), al-Haafiz in al-Fath
(10/51) and al-Albaani in al-Saheehah (1/140)).
Al-Haafiz said in al-Fath (10/55): Maaazif refers
to musical instruments. Al-Qurtubi reported from al-Jawhari that maaazif
meant singing, and what it says in his book al-Sihaah is that it refers to musical
instruments. It was also said that it is the sound of musical instruments. In a footnote
by al-Dimyaati it says: maaazif is tambourines and other kinds of drums. The
word azif is applied to singing and all other kinds of instruments that may
be played.
Ibn al-Qayyim said in Ighaathat al-Lahfaan (1/256):
The evidence for this is that maaazif refers to all kinds
of things used for entertainment. There is no dispute among scholars of the Arabic
language on this point. If they were halaal, he would not have condemned those who
permitted them, or compared permitting them to permitting wine and zina.
We may understand from the hadeeth that all kinds of musical
instruments are forbidden. This is clear from the hadeeth for a number of reasons:
The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said
there will be people who allow It is clear that the things listed
here, including musical instruments, are forbidden in shareeah, but those people
will allow them.
He compared musical instruments to things that are definitely known to
be haraam, namely zina and alcohol. If instruments were not haraam, he would not have made
this comparison. The evidence of this hadeeth that singing is haraam is definitive. Even
if no other hadeeth or aayah spoke about musical instruments, this hadeeth would be
sufficient to prove that they are haraam, especially the kind of singing that is known
among people nowadays, the essence of which is obscenity and foul talk, based on all kinds
of musical instruments such as guitars, drums, flutes, ouds, zithers, organs, pianos,
violins and other things that make it more enticing, such as the voices of these
effeminate singers and whores.(See Hukm al-Maaazif by al-Albaani, Tas-heeh
al-Ahkta wal-Awhaam al-Waaqiah fi Ahaadeeth al-Nabi
alayhil-salaam by Raaid Sabri, 1/176).
Shaykh Ibn Baaz said in Majmoo al-Fataawa,
3/423-424):
Maaazif refers to singing and musical instruments.
The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that at the end of time
there will come a people who will allow these things just as they will allow alcohol, zina
and silk. This is one of the signs of his Prophethood, for all of this has happened. The
hadeeth indicates that [musical instruments] are haraam, and condemns those who say they
are halaal, just as it condemns those who say that alcohol and zina are allowed. The
aayaat and ahaadeeth that warn against singing and musical instruments are many indeed.
Whoever claims that Allaah has allowed singing and musical instruments is lying and is
committing a great evil. We ask Allaah to keep us from obeying our desires and the
Shaytaan. Even worse and more seriously sinful than that are those who say it is
mustahabb. Undoubtedly this stems from ignorance about Allaah and His Religion; it is
insolent blasphemy against Allaah and lying about His Laws. What is mustahabb is to beat
on the daff [simple hand drum] at weddings. This is mustahabb for women only, in order to
announce the wedding and to distinguish it from fornication. There is nothing wrong with
women singing amongst themselves, accompanied by the daff, so long as the songs contain no
words that encourage evil or distract people from their duties. It is also a condition
that this should take place among women only, and there should be no mixing with men. It
should also not cause any annoyance or disturbance to neighbours. What some people do, of
amplifying such singing with loudspeakers is evil, because of the disturbance it causes to
other Muslims, neighbours and others. It is not permissible for women, in weddings or on
other occasions, to use any instrument other than the daff, such as the oud, violin, rebab
(stringed instrument) and so on. This is evil, and the only concession that women are
given is that they may use the daff.
As for men, it is not permissible for them to play any kind of musical
instrument, whether at weddings or on any other occasion. What Allaah has prescribed for
men is training in the use of instruments of war, such as target practice or learning to
ride horses and competing in that, using spears, shields, tanks, airplanes and other
things such as cannons, machine guns, bombs and anything else that may help jihaad for the
sake of Allaah.
Shaykh al-Islam said in al-Fataawa (11/569):
I know that in the golden age, the first and best
three centuries, in the Hijaaz, in Syria, in the Yemen, in Egypt, in the Maghreb, in Iraq,
in Khorasan, none of the religious and righteous people, the ascetics and those who
worshipped Allaah much, would gather to listen to this whistling and clapping and
drum-beating and so on. This was innovated after that at the end of the second century,
and whenever the imaams saw it, they denounced it.
As for these anaasheed which are described as Islamic but
are accompanied with musical instruments, giving them this name lends them some measure of
legitimacy, but in fact they are singing and music, so calling them Islamic nasheeds is
falsehood and deception. They cannot be a substitute for singing, as an evil thing cannot
be substituted for another evil thing. We should replace something evil with something
good. Listening to it on the grounds that it is Islamic and an act of worship is
bidah, and Allaah does not allow this. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound.
For more information, see:
Talbees Iblees (237) and al-Madkhil by Ibn al-Haaj
(3/109); al-Amr bil-Ittibaa wal-Nahy an al-Ibtidaa by
al-Suyooti (99 ff); Dham al-Malaahi by Ibn Abil-Dunya; al-Ilaam
bi-anna al-Azif haraam by Abu Bakr al-Jazaairi; Tanzeeh
al-Shareeah an al-Aghaani al-Khaleeah wa Tahreem Aalaat al-Tarab by
al-Albaani.
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Hi. I am a 15 year old . I am doing a religion assignment on the role of women in Islam and I find the information in your website very helpful. I was just wondering, if you don't mind doing it, if you could send me some more information, maybe one particular woman's stories? I don't really know much about Islamic women, and I, like other non - Islamic women/girls, have the perception that an Islamic woman's life is a bit restricted. I hope that you can put me right on that matter.
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Praise be to Allah.We thank you for your interest and your question. We will tell you the story of a great Muslim woman; we hope that you will find what you are looking for, and that this will be a light to guide you to the path of Truth.
Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported:
Maalik ibn Anas said to his wife Um Sulaym who was the mother of Anas This man meaning the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is forbidding alcohol. So he left Madeenah and went to Shaam (Syria), where he died. (i.e., he fled from Madeenah when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came there, because he did not like the ban on alcohol, and he died as a kaafir or non-believer in Syria). Then Abu Talhah came and proposed marriage to Um Sulaym, and spoke to her about it. She said, O Abu Talhah, a man like you would not be turned down, but you are a non-believer, and I am a Muslim woman. It is not right for me to marry you. He said, This is the chance of a lifetime! She said, What chance? He said, The yellow and white (i.e., he was tempting her with a mahr or dowry of gold and silver). She said, I do not want any yellow or white. I want you to become Muslim. If you become Muslim, that will be my mahr, and I will not ask you for anything else. He asked, Who could help me with that (i.e., to become Muslim)? She said, The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) will help you. So Abu Talhah went to look for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who was sitting with his Companions. When he [the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] saw him, he said, Abu Talhah is coming to you with the light of Islam shining on his forehead. (This was one of the miracles of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): he knew that Abu Talhah would become a Muslim even before he spoke). Abu Talhah told the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about what Um Sulaym had said, and he married her on that basis. Thaabit (i.e., Thaabit al-Banaani, one of the people who narrated the story from Anas) said: We have never heard of any mahr greater than this, she accepted his Islam as her dowry.
So he married her, and she was a woman with nice eyes, rather small. She was with him until she bore him a son, who Abu Talhah loved very much. The child became very ill, and Abu Talhah was very upset and distressed by the childs sickness. Abu Talhah used to get up to pray the morning prayer, he would go to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and pray with him, and would stay with him for almost half the day. Then [Abu Talhah] would come to take a nap and eat, and when he had prayed Zuhr [mid-day prayer] he would get ready and leave, and would not come back until the time of the Isha [night-time] prayer. One evening, Abu Talhah went out to see the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (according to another report: to go to the mosque), and the child died (during his absence). Um Sulaym said, No one is to tell Abu Talhah about his childs death until I have told him. She covered the child up as if he were sleeping, and left him in a corner of the house. Abu Talhah came back from visiting the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and brought some people from the mosque with him. He asked, How is my son? She said, O Abu Talhah, from the time he fell sick, he has never been as calm as he is now, and I hope that he is resting. (She spoke vaguely so as not to upset him; this was not a lie. She was referring to the calmness of death and the child finding relief from the pain of his sickness, but her husband took it to mean that the childs condition had improved). She brought the meal and they all ate dinner, then the people left. Then he went to bed and lay down, and she got up and put on perfume and adorned herself, making herself more beautiful than she ever had before. (This was a sign of her patience and great faith in the will and decree of Allaah. She was seeking reward from Allaah and concealing her feelings, hoping that she would become pregnant that night to make up for the loss of her child). Then she came and lay down in the bed with him, and when he smelt the perfume, he did as men usually do with their wives (this is the narrators polite and circumspect manner of referring to what happened between them). At the end of the night, she said, O Abu Talhah, do you think that if some people lent something to some others, then they asked for it back, do they have the right not to give it back? He said, No. She said, Allaah, may He be glorified, lent your son to you, and now He has taken him back, so seek reward with Him and have patience. He became angry and said, You left me until I did what I did (i.e., had intercourse), then you tell me that my son has died! Then he said, Innaa Lillaahi wa innaa ilayhi raajioon (Truly, to Allaah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return the words uttered by Muslims when faced with news of death or calamity) and he praised Allaah. In the morning, he did ghusl (full ablution) then he went to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and prayed with him, and told him what had happened. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, May Allaah bless you for last night. She conceived a child (thus the Prophets prayer for them was answered).
Um Sulaym used to travel with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), leaving Madeenah when he left, and returning when he returned. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, When she gives birth, bring the child to me. He was on a journey, and Um Sulaym was with him. When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came back from travelling, he would never enter Madeenah at night (so as not to disturb the people, and so that wives would have time to get ready to greet their husbands). They reached the outskirts of Madeenah, and her labour pains started. Abu Talhah stayed with her, and the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went on. Abu Talhah said, O Allaah, you know that I like to set out with your Messenger when he sets out, and come back with him when he comes back. I have been detained as You see. Um Sulaym said, O Abu Talhah, I do not feel the pains as much (this was one of her miracles; her labour pains ceased because she had asked Allaah to enable her to catch up with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)). So they set off, and after they had reached Madeenah, her labour pains started again, and she gave birth to a boy. She told her son Anas, O Anas, I will not give him anything to eat until you take him in the morning to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and she sent some dates with him. (Because she wanted the first thing to enter the childs mouth to be food from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him); this was a sign of her great faith, because the womans natural instinct is to hasten to feed the baby as soon as he is born). The child cried all night long, and I [Anas, the narrator of this story] stayed up all night taking care of him. In the morning, I took him to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who was wearing his burdah (a kind of cloak) and marking the camels and sheep that had been given to him (the animals had been given in charity and he was marking them so that they would not get lost or mixed with other flocks or herds). When he saw him, he said to Anas, Has the daughter of Milhaan [i.e., Um Sulaym] given birth? He said, Yes. He said, I will be with you in a minute. He put down the tool in his hand (with which he had been marking the animals) and took the child, then he said, Do you have something for him? They said, Yes, dates. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) took some of the dates and chewed them, mixing them with his saliva (and the saliva of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was blessed by Allaah). Then he opened the childs mouth and gave him some of the dates, wiping them inside his mouth (this is called Tahneek and is one of the customs among Muslims when a baby is born). The infant began to smack his lips, sucking some of the sweetness of the dates and the saliva of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Thus the first thing that entered that childs stomach was mixed with the saliva of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He said, See how much the Ansaar (the Muslims who were living in Madeenah when the Prophet migrated there) love dates! I [Anas] said, O Messenger of Allaah, name him. He wiped his face and named him Abd-Allaah. There was no young man among the Ansaar who was better than him, and when he grew up he had a lot of sons, and was martyred in Persia (he died as a martyr when the Muslims conquered Persia; all of this happened as a result of the Prophets blessed duaa).
(The story was reported by Imaam al-Bukhaari, Muslim, Ahmad and al-Tayaalisi; this version was reported by al-Tayaalisi and others. Al-Allaamah al-Albaani collected all its isnaads in his book Ahkaam al-Janaaiz, p. 20).
This is one story of one Muslim woman among the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). There are many other stories which show the effect Islam had on the hearts of Muslim women and how the religion of Allaah bore fruits of righteous deeds and good lives. In this there is enough to convince the seeker of truth of the right religion which he must follow. Read it again and think about it; maybe you will take the greatest step of your life. Peace be upon those who follow true guidance.
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I want to become a Muslim, but am very hesitant. My brother converted a few months ago, which caused a lot of problems between him and my parents(both of them being Christian). I have a close relationship with my girlfriend, which doesn't help me out much either. I don't know what to do. I know it'll be a choice of Allah or my parents/girlfriend. I know what the right decision should be, I just don't know how, or when to make it. I just need some advice.
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Praise be to Allah.Congratulations to your brother, congratulations to your brother, congratulations to your brother! Please give him our best wishes and greetings of peace (salaam) and tell him that even though we are thousands of miles away, we are praying he will stand firm in his faith and gain a proper understanding of his religion. Tell him that he has brothers in faith who share his joy at having entered Islam, even though he does not know their names or where they live. This is the relationship of believers with one another, like a structure parts of which support other parts.
With regard to yourself, you say that you know what the right decision is, and that is great. You have come a long way, and all that remains is for you to make the decision which you know you have to make.
What is life without religion? What is the point of living and working and striving if it is not for the purpose of pleasing Allaah? Can there be any joy in life or salvation after death or any hope of attaining the bliss of Paradise without entering Islam? If we do not worship Allaah, what are we going to worship? Our whims and desires? Would a wise person accept to be the slave of his sexual desire that will soon come to an end or of some wealth that he will soon leave behind in this transient world? Man has a spirit that will never be at peace unless he worships Allaah. He has a conscience that cannot thrive except in the light of Allaah. He has a soul that can never be at ease unless it is in contact with Allaah, remembering Him, speaking to Him, praying and fasting for His sake, putting its trust in Him and repenting to Him. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
Is he who was dead (without Faith by ignorance and disbelief) and We gave him life (by knowledge and Faith) and set for him a light (of Belief) whereby he can walk amongst, like him who is in the darkness (of disbelief, polytheism and hypocrisy) from which he can never come out? [al-Anaam 6:122]
And whomsoever Allaah wills to guide, He opens his breast to Islam, and whomsoever He wills to send astray, He makes his breast closed and constricted, as if he is climbing up to the sky
[al-Anaam 6:125]
There is no need for hesitation in this matter, because it is the matter of freedom from the Fire of Hell and salvation from the wrath of al-Jabbaar (the Compeller, i.e., Allaah), and attaining the victory of happiness in this world and the next. Allaah Who created you and created the heavens and earth is greater, and obeying Him is more important, than the closest of relatives and the dearest of friends. Become Muslim and you will be safe. Allaah will help you with regard to your parents and will give you the strength to stand firm against their pressure. Who knows, maybe you and your brother will be the cause of saving your entire family. Allaah told the Prophet Moosa (Moses) about his brother Haaroon (Aaron), peace be upon them both (interpretation of the meaning): We will strengthen your arm through your brother [al-Qasas 28:35] So together they went to call Pharaoh and his people to worship Allaah.
With regard to your girlfriend, do not think that this forbidden relationship will help you adhere to the truth. You have to call her to Islam and to repent to Allaah. If she repents, then marry her in accordance with the Islamic way that is acceptable to Allaah. If she does not, then do not feel any regrets about her. The Prophet of Islam said: Whoever gives up something for the sake of Allaah, Allaah will compensate him with something better.
We ask Allaah to hasten the blessings of Islam for you, to bless you with happiness in this world and success in the Hereafter, and to protect you from all evil. We look forward to hearing happy news. Peace be with you.
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I would like to know if it's okay if i
didn't make wudu after taking a bath???
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Praise be to Allah.If you are referring to the ritual bath of ghusl, then
the answer is as follows:
Al-Bukhaari reported in al-Saheeh (248) from Aaishah
that when the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did ghusl to purify
himself from janaabah (impurity following intercourse), he would start by washing his
hands, then he would do wudoo as for prayer, then he would dip his fingers into the
water and make the water reach the roots of his hair, then he would pour water over his
head three times, scooping the water up with both hands, and then he would pour water over
his entire body.
Al-Haafiz said in al-Fath (1/248): he would start
by washing the parts of the body ordinarily washed in wudoo in order to honour them,
and so as to include both kinds of purification, the minor and the major
Al-Haafiz also said (1/362): Al-Bukhaari also understood this to
mean that it is waajib when making ghusl to purify oneself from janaabah to wash oneself
once, and that the one who does wudoo with the intention of making ghusl and then
washes the rest of his body does not have to repeat his wudoo if he does not do
anything to break it [e.g., pass wind, etc.]
Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughni (1/217): There are two ways of
making ghusl to purify oneself from janaabah, one of which is sufficient, and the other is
the perfect way. What al-Khiraqi mentions here is the perfect way. Some of our companions
said: the perfect way includes ten things: the niyyah (intention), saying
Bismillah (In the name of Allaah), washing the hands three times,
washing away whatever dirt is there, doing wudoo, pouring water over the head three
times making sure that it reaches the roots, pouring water over the rest of the body,
starting on the right side, rubbing ones body with one's hand and moving from the
place where one has done ghusl in order to one's feet. It is mustahabb to make sure that
the water reaches the roots of the hair on one's head and beard before pouring water over
them. Ahmad said: Ghusl to purify oneself from janaabah should be done in the manner
described in the hadeeth narrated from Aaishah, who said: When the
Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did ghusl to purify
himself from janaabah (impurity following intercourse), he would start by washing his
hands three times, then he would do wudoo as for prayer, then he would run his
fingers through his hair until he thought the water had reached his scalp, then he would
pour water over his head three times, scooping the water up with both hands, and then he
would wash the rest of his body. (Agreed upon). Maymoonah said: The Messenger
of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did wudoo to purify himself
from janaabah, then he poured water on his hands and washed them two or three times, then
he poured some water from his right hand into his left, and washed his private parts, then
he struck his hand on the floor or wall two or three times, then he rinsed his mouth and
his nose, and washed his face and forearms, then he poured water on his head, then he
washed his entire body, then he moved slightly and washed his feet. Then I brought him a
cloth, but he did not want it, and he started to wipe the water away with his hands.
(Agreed upon). A lot of the requirements (of ghusl) are listed in these two hadeeth.
Beginning on the right is important because the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) liked to always start on the right when purifying himself. According to a
hadeeth narrated from Aaishah, when the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) did ghusl to purify himself from janaabah, he would call
for something like a milking-vessel, and he would take some water in his hands, then he
would start with the right side of his head, then the left. Then he would take some water
in his hands and start pouring it over his head. (Agreed upon). With regard to
washing the feet after doing ghusl, there was some dispute as to what Ahmad actually said.
According to one report, he said, I would rather wash them (the feet) after doing
wudoo, because of the hadeeth of Maymoonah. According to another report, he
said, We should act according to the hadeeth of Aaishah, which says that
he did wudoo for prayer before doing ghusl. And Allaah knows best.
He said: If he does ghusl once and makes water reach every part
of his head and body, and does not do wudoo, that should be sufficient if he rinses
his mouth and nose and has the intention to do ghusl and wudoo, but in this case is
not doing that which is better.
What is mentioned here is what is sufficient, but the perfect way is
preferable, which is why he said he is not doing that which is better i.e., if
he does no more than that, this is sufficient even though he is not doing what is perfect
and preferable. The phrase has the intention to do ghusl and wudoo means
that ghusl is sufficient for both if he has the intention for both. This is what was
stated by Ahmad. Another opinion was also narrated from him, which is that ghusl is not
sufficient for wudoo unless he does wudoo either before or after ghusl. This
is also one of the two opinions of al-Shaafai, because the Prophet
(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) did that, and because both janaabah (major impurity) and
hadath (minor impurity) are present, and purification from both is required.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
approach not al-salaah (the prayer) when you are in a
drunken state until you know (the meaning) of what you utter, nor when you are in a state
of janaabah (i.e., in a state of sexual impurity and have not yet taken a bath) except
when travelling on the road, till you wash your whole body [al-Nisa
4:43]
So the lack of ghusl has been made the factor that prevents a
person from praying, and if a person has done ghusl, he has no reason not to pray. Both
are acts of worship of the same type. In ghusl a lesser type is incorporated in a major
type, as umrah is incorporated in Hajj.
Ibn Abd al-Birr said: The one who does ghusl to purify himself
from janaabah, if he does not do wudoo but he makes water reach every part of his
body, he has done what is required of him, because Allaah has enjoined upon the one who is
in a state of janaabah to do ghusl, not wudoo, when He says (interpretation of the
meaning): if you are in a state of janaabah (i.e., had a sexual
discharge), purify yourself (bathe your whole body. [al-Maaidah 5:6]. This
is the consensus of the scholars and there is no dispute among them; they are agreed that
it is mustahabb to do wudoo before doing ghusl, in emulation of the Messenger of
Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and because this reinforces and
perfects ghusl.
And Allaah knows best.
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My question is: what should one who ardently desires to perform Hijrah (from daarul kufr) but his parents prevent him from making it and they do not intend to do so either? Can he perform Hijrah on his own, that is, is he allowed to leave his parents in considering the lesser of two evils as well as
obeying the Creator in disobedience to the creation?
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Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-‘Uthaymeen, who replied that if the parents need their son, and he is able to
practise Islam openly in the kaafir country where they live, it is permissible for him to
remain there. And Allaah knows best.
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I am a Muslim woman who wants a clarification on one important matter regarding Women. I would like to know if a Muslim woman can say her prayers during the period of her mensuration. If so then, what is the right way to do this?
I would be very obliged if you let me know.
Thank You.
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Praise be to Allah.The following question is listed in Fatawa Islamiyyah (1/239):
Is it permissible for a menstruating woman to recite the du’aa’s of the Day of ‘Arafaah despite the fact that they include aayat from the Qur’aan?
Answer:
There is nothing wrong with the woman who is menstruating or bleeding after childbirth reciting du’aa’s that are prescribed for the rituals of Hajj. Also, according to the correct opinion, there is nothing wrong with them reading Qur’aan as well, because there is no clear saheeh report that states that the woman who is menstruating or bleeding after childbirth should not read Qur’aan. It was reported that the man who is junub (in a state of impurity following sexual activity), in particular, should not read Qur’aan whilst he is junub, because of the hadeeth of ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him). With regard to the woman who is menstruating or bleeding after childbirth there is the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar: “The menstruating woman and the man who is junub should not read Qur’aan” – but it is da’eef (weak), because the hadeeth was reported by Ismaa’eel ibn ‘Ayyaash from the Hijaaziyeen, and he is da’eef in his reports from them. But she should read without touching the Mus-haf (copy of the Qur’aan in Arabic), from memory. In the case of the man who is junub, he should not recite Qur’an at all, either from memory or from the Mus-haf, until he has done ghusl. The difference between them is that the timespan for the one who is junub is very short, he can do ghusl straightaway, as soon as he finished having intercourse with his wife. He is not junub for long, and it is up to him when he wants to do ghusl; if he cannot find water, he can do tayammum (“dry ablution” using dust etc.) and pray and read Qur’aan. But the woman who is menstruating or bleeding after childbirth has no control over her situation – it rests with Allaah, may He be glorified. The period lasts for a number of days and nifaas (post-natal bleeding) is the same. So it is permissible for them to recite Qur’aan so that they do not forget it and so that they do not miss out on the blessings of reciting Qur’aan and learning the rules of sharee’ah from the Book of Allaah. If that is the case, then it should certainly be permissible for them to read books containing du’aas that are a mixture of aayaat and ahaadeeth, etc… this is the more correct of the two opinions of the scholars, may Allaah have mercy on them.
(Shaykh Ibn Baaz).
The following question was also mentioned:
I read some Tafseers (Qur’anic commentaries) when I am not taahir (ritually pure), such as during my monthly period. Is there any sin on me for doing that? Will I be committing a sin if I do that?
Answer:
There is no sin on the woman who is menstruating or bleeding after childbirth if she reads books of Tafseer or even if she reads Qur’aan without touching the Mus-haf, according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions. As for the man who is junub, he should not read Qur’aan at all until he has done ghusl, but he can read books of Tafseer and hadeeth etc., without reading whatever they contain of aayaat, because of the report that nothing would stop the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) from reading Qur’aan except janaabah (being junub). According to a hadeeth narrated by Imaam Ahmad with a jayyid isnaad, he said: “As for the man who is junub, he should not read even one aayah.”
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My question is: What is the ruling on finding money on the street? Is one allowed to keep it?
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Praise be to Allah.What is al-luqatah?
This question has to do with al-luqatah, which is one of the categories of Islamic jurisprudence or fiqh.
Al-luqatah is property that has gone missing from its owner. This pure religion teaches that property is to be protected and preserved, and that the property of the Muslim is sacred and is to be protected. This includes al-luqatah or lost property.
Types of lost property
If property goes missing from its owner, it has to be one of the following three scenarios:
The first scenario: it is something to which most people would not attach much value , such as a whip, or a loaf of bread, or some fruit, or a stick. In these cases, the person who finds the property may keep it and use it without having to announce it, because of the report narrated by Jabir, who said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) made exceptions in the case of a stick or a whip or a rope that a man picks up.” (Reported by Abu Dawud)
The second scenario: (animals) that are unlikely to be harmed by small predators, either because of their size, such as camels, horses, cattle and mules, or because they can fly, like birds, or because they move swiftly, like gazelles, or because they can defend themselves with their fangs, like leopards. This is the category which it is haram to keep. These things do not become the property of the finder after he announces it for a year , because when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked about a lost camel, he said: “What has it got to do with you? It has its water, it can walk to find water and it can eat trees until its owner finds it.” (Agreed upon).
‘Umar said, “Whoever takes a lost animal is misguided ” i.e., he is a sinner. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ruled in this hadith that the lost animal should not be taken, it should be left to find its own water and to eat from the trees until its owner comes across it.
This also applies to large implements, such as big pans, wood, iron and anything that can be left alone without getting damaged. Such things can hardly be lost and cannot move from where they are, so it is haram to take them just as it is haram to take lost large animals, and in fact it may be more haram to do so.
The third scenario: any other kind of lost property, such as money , luggage, and any animals that need to be protected from small predators, such as sheep, young camels and calves. If the one who finds them can trust himself not to harm or damage these things, then it is permissible for him to pick them up.
Types of lost money, luggage, and animals
These things are of three types:
The first type: animals that are eaten, such as young camels, sheep, chickens, the one who finds these must do what is in the best interests of the owner, which may be one of three things:
He can eat it, in which case he owes the price of the animal straight away.
He may sell it and keep the price of it to give to the owner once he has claimed it by describing the animal.
He may keep it and spend on it from his own wealth, but he does not own it, and he can claim back what he has spent on it if the owner comes and claims the animal back, because when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked about the sheep, he said: “Take it, because either it is for you, or your brother, or the wolf.” (Agreed upon)
The meaning is that the sheep is weak and is vulnerable to attack, so either you take it, or your brother takes it, or the wolf will eat it.
Ibn al-Qayyim said in his discussion of the hadith:
“This includes permission to take lost sheep, and if the owner of the sheep does not come to claim it, then it belongs to the one who found it. Then he has the choice to eat it immediately, and then he will owe the price of it, or he can sell it and keep the price, or he can keep it and spend on it from his own money. The scholars agreed that if the owner comes before the finder eats it, he has the right to take it.”
The second type: things that could become spoiled, such as watermelons and fruits. The finder in this case should do what is in the owner’s best interests, whether this is eating it and paying for its value, or selling it and keeping its price until the owner comes.
The third type: all other kinds of wealth that are not covered by the first two types, such as money and vessels. All of these must be kept as a trust and announcements should be made in the places where people gather.
It is not permissible for anyone to pick up any kind of lost property unless he can be sure that he will deal with it properly and that he is able to make the necessary announcements, because of the hadith of Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhani (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked about lost gold and silver. He said, ‘Know the details of the purse and the string, then announce it for a year. If no one claims it, then dispose of it, and it is like a trust in your hands. Then if the owner comes along some day, give it to him.” He was asked about the sheep, and he said, “Take it, because either it is for you, or your brother, or the wolf.” He was asked about lost camels, and he said, “What has it got to do with you? It has its water, it can walk to find water and it can eat trees until its owner finds it.” (Agreed upon)
The meaning of the phrase “Know the purse and the string” refers to the kind of purse or wallet that money is kept in and the way it is fastened or tied up.
The meaning of the phrase “then announce it for a year” is that it should be mentioned to people in the places where they gather, such as in market places and by the doors of the mosque etc. “A year” means one full year. In the first week after it is found, it should be announced every day, because it is more likely that the owner will come in that first week. After that it should be announced as often as is customary among the people.
This was the method of announcing lost property in the past. Nowadays people should make lost and found announcements in whatever way is appropriate. What matters is achieving the desired result, so one must do whatever it takes to return property to its rightful owner.
The hadith indicates that it is obligatory to know exactly what the lost property is. The phrase “Know the purse and the strings” indicates that it is obligatory to know what it looks like, so that if the owner comes and describes it properly, it can be given to him, but if his description is at odds with the true description, then it is not permissible to give it to him.
The phrase “If no one claims it, then dispose of it” indicates that the finder takes possession of the property after one year has passed and after announcing it, but he should not dispose of it before he knows exactly what it is, i.e., until he knows “the purse and the string”, and he knows its value, nature and description. If the original owner comes along some time later, and describes it accurately, he should then give it to him, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “If someone comes looking for it some day, then give it to him.”
What to do if you find money on the ground
The above discussion makes it clear that there are certain obligations with regard to lost property:
When the property is found, the finder should not take it unless he is certain that he can be trusted to keep it and is able to make the necessary announcements until he finds the owner. Whoever does not feel that he can trust himself to do this is not allowed to pick it up. If he does pick it up, then he is like one who takes something wrongfully, because he took the property of someone else in a manner that is not permissible, and because by taking it he is causing the property of another person to be lost.
Before he takes it, he must be sure of its exact details, by knowing its “purse and string”, and its value, type and appearance. What is meant by its “purse” is knowing the appearance of the container it is in, whether it is a bag or a cloth, and what is meant by its “string” is what it is tied up with, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded this, and a command implies that something is obligatory.
It must be announced for a whole year, every day in the first week and then as frequently as is customary. In such announcements one can say for example, “Who has lost something?” and so on. The announcements should be made in places where people gather, such as in marketplaces or at the doors of mosques at prayer time. Announcements should not be made in the mosques themselves, because the mosques are not built for that, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever hears a man making an announcement about lost property in the mosque, let him say, ‘May Allah never return it to you!’”
If someone comes looking for it and describes it properly, it must be given to him without asking him for proof or to swear an oath, because of the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to that effect, and because his precise description is sufficient in the place of proof or an oath. Indeed, his description may be more clear and more honest than proof or an oath. He should also be given any increase, whether attached or separate. But if he is not able to describe it, then it should not be given to him, because it is a trust in the hands of the finder, and it is not permissible for him to give it to someone who cannot prove that he is the owner.
If the owner does not come forward after it has been announced for an entire year, it becomes the property of the finder, but before he disposes of it he must be sure of its exact description, so that if the original owner comes along some day and describes it, he can give it back to him if it is still there, or he can give him something else if it is no longer there, because his possession of it is limited and expires when the original owner comes along.
It is part of the Islamic teachings on lost property that we should understand how Islam pays attention to the issue of ownership and the sanctity of the Muslim’s property. From all of this we learn that Islam urges us to cooperate in goodness. We ask Allah to help us all to stand firm in Islam and to die as Muslims.
And Allah knows best.
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I have a few questions concerning parents:
1- What right does my mother have over me?
2- What right do I have over my mother?
3- What do I have the freedom to do (which is Halal or Mubah, of course) without my mother having the right to stop me?
4- When does the father have the final say in a matter?
I love my mother very, very, very much. She is very over protective, and sometimes I feel like I'm in chains. I know she is doing it out of extreme love for me. How can I tell her that I need a little choice of my own in life?
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Praise be to Allah.Rights of mother in Islam
The mother has many major rights over her child . These rights are innumerable, but we may mention the following:
Love and respect, as much as possible, because she is the most deserving of people of her son’s good companionship.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “A man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, who among the people is most deserving of my good companionship?’ He said, ‘Your mother.’ The man asked, ‘Then who?’ He said, ‘Your mother.’ He asked, Then who?’ He said, ‘Your mother.’ He asked, ‘Then who?’ He said, ‘Your father.’”
She is the one who made her womb a vessel for you and nourished you from her breast. You have no option but to love her. The fitrah (natural inclination of man) calls you to love her. Love between mothers and children and children and mothers is something that Allah has instilled even in animals, so it is even more befitting for the children of human beings, and for Muslims in particular.
Taking care of her and looking after her affairs if she needs that; this is a debt that rests on the child’s shoulders. Did she not take care of him when he was a child and stay up with him at night and bear it all with patience?
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents. His mother bears him with hardship. And she brings him forth with hardship…” [al-Ahqaf 46:15]
This even takes precedence over jihad if there is a conflict between the two.
‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: “A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and asked him for permission to participate in jihad. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to him, ‘Are your parents alive?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Then your jihad is with them.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 2842; Muslim, 2549)
Not offending them or saying or doing anything that they dislike.
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“say not to them a word of disrespect” [al-Isra 17:23]
If Allah has forbidden us even to say “uff” [paraphrased as “a word of disrespect” in the translation of the meaning of the verse] to our parents, then how about someone who hits them?!
Spending on her if she is in need and does not have a husband who can spend on her or if her husband is poor; for the righteous, spending on one’s mother and feeding her is more precious than feeding their own children.
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Three men went out walking and rain began to fall on them. They entered a cave in a mountain, then a rock fell (blocking the entrance to the cave). They said to one another, Pray to Allah by virtue of the best deeds that you have done. One of them said, O Allah, my parents were elderly and I used to go out and tend to my flocks, then I would milk them and bring the milk to my parents for them to drink from it, then I would give some to my children. One night I came home late and found them sleeping. I did not want to wake them, and the children were crying at my feet. I kept waiting and the children kept crying until dawn broke. O Allah, if You knew that I did that for Your sake, then open a way for us through which we can see the sky. So a way was opened for them…” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 2102; Muslim, 2743)
Obeying her when she tells you to do something good. But if she tells you to do something bad, such as shirk, then there should be no obedience to any created being if it involves disobedience to the Creator.
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“But if they (both) strive with you to make you join in worship with Me others that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not; but behave with them in the world kindly” [Luqman 31:15]
After one’s mother dies, it is Sunnah to fulfil any vows that she had made, and to give charity and perform Hajj and ‘Umrah on her behalf.
Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated that a woman from Juhaynah came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: “My mother vowed to go for Hajj, but she died before she did so. Can I perform Hajj on her behalf?” He said, “Yes, perform Hajj on her behalf. Do you not think that if your mother owed a debt that you would pay it off for her? Fulfill her debt to Allah, for Allah is more deserving that what is owed to Him should be paid.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1754)
After she dies, it is also Sunnah to honour her by maintaining ties with those whom she used to keep in touch with, such as her relatives and friends.
‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Umar narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The best of righteous deeds is for a man to keep in touch with his father’s friends after he dies.” (Narrated by Muslim, 2552)
Rights of children over mother
That she should take care of you when you are a child, breastfeeding and nurturing you. This is a well-known aspect of human nature that has been handed down from the beginning of creation.
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“The mothers shall give suck to their children for two whole years, (that is) for those (parents) who desire to complete the term of suckling” [al-Baqarah 2:233]
She should bring you up in a righteous manner, for she will be responsible for that before Allah on the Day of Resurrection. You are part of her “flock” and she is your “shepherd”.
‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Umar said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: ‘Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock. The imam is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. A man is the shepherd of his family and is responsible for his flock. A woman is the shepherd of her husband’s house and is responsible for her flock. A servant is the shepherd of his master’s wealth and is responsible for his flock.’ I think that he said, ‘A man is the shepherd of his father’s wealth and is responsible for his flock. Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 853; Muslim, 1829)
Permissible things that it is permissible for you to do without your mother interfering in your affairs
She does not have the right to make decisions about what you should like with regard to permissible things over which she has no authority, such as food, drink, clothing, means of transportation, etc.
Neither does she have the right to interfere in your choice of a wife – if she is righteous – so long as you are not disobeying Allah with regard to that. At the same time it is prescribed (by Islam) that you should try to please her even in your choice of a wife, if she advises you in a way that will not harm you.
With regard to her interfering with such matters as when you go out of the house or come in, or your going out in the evening with your friends: both parents have to watch their children with regard to this, so as to keep control of things and not let their children be led astray by bad company.
In most cases, when young people are corrupted it is because of bad company. Concerning this matter, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “A man will follow the way of his close friend, so let each of you look to who his close friends are.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2387; Abu Dawud, 4833. This hadith was classed as hasan by al-Tirmidhi and as sahih by al-Nawawi, as stated in Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi, 7/42).
Parents also have to watch when their child goes out and when he comes in, because they should not give him free rein, especially if he is not righteous.
You have to acknowledge their status and respect them and offer them good companionship, even if they give you a hard time with regard to things that Allah has made permissible for you. Allah has commanded us to treat our parents well even if they are non-Muslims who call you to disbelief, so how about if they are calling us to something which they sincerely believe to be good? Even if sometimes it causes you some difficulty with regard to something that is permissible for you, the best thing to do is to obey them and do what they want. Even though you do not have to do this, it is a kind of sacrifice and giving them preference, because they are the most deserving of being given good treatment. In the Quran, Allah has mentioned obedience to parents immediately after worship of Him, in order to demonstrate the high status afforded obedience to parents.
When does the father have the final say?
Your father has the final say concerning everything that comes under his responsibility. For example, he is the one who decides in which school a child who is dependent on him will study. The father also has the final say concerning anything to do with his property, such as your using his car, taking his money, etc.
With regard to a son who is grown up and independent, he makes his own decisions concerning things that Allah has permitted. It is prescribed for him to please his father so long as that does not conflict with his obedience towards Allah. The son must continue to respect his father no matter how old he gets, because this has to do with honouring one’s parents and treating them kindly. It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: “I never climbed onto the roof of a house in which my father was.”
If a father tells a child to do something good, or to stop doing something that is permissible, he should obey him so long as that will not cause the son any harm.
How to tell mother to create a bit of space of freedom for you
With regard to how you can tell your mother that you want more freedom, this can be achieved by words and by deeds.
Deeds
After proving to your mother in practical terms that you are no longer the child whom she used to know and that you have become a man who is able to bear responsibility and you behave like a man in front of her, if she sees that repeatedly, she will trust you. Then things will start to get better and you will have a higher status in your mother’s eyes.
Words
By clearly proving, quietly discussing and speaking softly, giving examples of your sound attitude. May Allah open your mother’s heart so that she will deal with you as a wise, mature, sensible, adult man, so long as you are like that.
We ask Allah to guide us, you and your parents to the straight path. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
For more about rights of individuals in Islam, please see these answers: 70042 , 14630 , and 10680 .
And Allah knows best.
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I entered the mosque and the
adhaan was being given for the prayer. Should I pray Tahiyyat al-Masjid or wait until the
adhaan finishes?
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Praise be to Allah.It is better to respond to the adhaan first,
then pray Tahiyyat al-Masjid, so as to combine two virtuous deeds. But the issue is
flexible.
And Allaah is the source of strength. May Allaah bless our
Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
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When the imaam or a member of the
congregation enters the mosque, should they pray Tahiyyat al-Masjid if they have already
prayed Sunnat al-Fajr at home and then come to the mosque to pray Fajr?
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Praise be to Allah.If the situation is as you describe, then when they
enter the mosque it is prescribed for them to pray Tahiyyat al-Masjid before sitting down.
The imaam may order that the Iqaamah be given for Fajr prayer, after which there is no
need for Tahiyyat al-Masjid, because praying the fard (obligatory) prayer is sufficient
and means that there is no longer any need to do Tahiyyat al-Masjid. The member of the
congregation may also forego Tahiyyat al-Masjid if he enters the mosque when the Iqaamah
is being given.
And Allaah is the source of strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet
Muhammad and his family and companions.
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I was brought up in a good Muslim household
in the West. Unfortunately in my teenage years I allowed myself to be led astray by
Shaitaan and committed many mortal sins for a number of years, even going out of Islam. I
have tried to repent and reform over the last couple of years. I perform all the five
pillars, give sadaqa generously, get involved with dawah and try to be helpful to Muslims.
I am good to my wife and parents. However my heart is very shaky indeed. Sometimes I am convinced of the
truth but usually I am "sumum bukmun". I find that my heart is very arrogant,
evil and hates the Truth. I have tried hard to repress these negative feelings but cannot
fully overcome them. I want to become a Muslim again but am at the point of resigning
myself to a life of Taaghoot. I have read countless books and been to many lectures but I
have made no progress. I want to succeed in this life and be saved from the Fire. What can
I do? Do I need to do the Shahada again? Please help me.
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Praise be to Allah.His Excellence Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz
(may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked the following question:
I am a young man who has wronged myself by committing many sins. I do
not even pray in the mosque, I have never fasted all of Ramadaan in my life, and I do
other bad things. Often I have promised myself that I will repent, but then I go back to
my bad ways. I make friends with young people in our neighbourhood who are not very good,
and most of my brothers’ friends who come to our house are also not righteous. Allaah
knows that I have wronged myself by committing so many sins and doing bad things, but
every time I resolve to repent, I go back to my old ways again. I hope that you can show
me a way to get closer to my Lord and keep me from doing these bad things.
He (may Allaah have mercy on him) replied:
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say: “O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed
against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of
Allaah, verily, Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful”
[al-Zumar 39:54]
The scholars agreed that this aayah was revealed concerning those who
repent; whoever repents sincerely from his sins, Allaah will forgive him all his sins, as
this aayah says, and as Allaah says elsewhere (interpretation of the meaning):
“O you who believe! Turn to Allaah with sincere repentance! It
may be that your Lord will expiate from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under
which rivers flow (Paradise)” [al-Tahreem 66:8]
In this aayah, Allaah made the forgiveness of sins and admittance to
Paradise conditional upon sincere repentance, which includes giving up and avoiding sins,
regretting the sins of the past, and sincerely resolving not to go back to them, out of
reverence for Allaah, hoping for His reward and fearing His punishment.
One of the conditions of sincere repentance is that one should restore
what is rightfully due to people whom you have wronged or asking for their forgiveness if
the sin involved wronging them with regard to blood, wealth or honour. If it is not
possible to ask your brother for forgiveness concerning his honour, then you must pray for
him a lot, and speak of him in the best way you can in the places where you gossiped about
him, for good deeds expiate for bad deeds. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“… And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O
believers, that you may be successful.” [al-Noor 24:31]. In this aayah, Allaah
made the connection between success and tawbah, which indicates that the one who repents
will be successful and blessed. If the one who repents follows his repentance with faith
and righteous deeds, Allaah will wipe out his sayi’aat (evil deeds) and
replace them with hasanaat (good deeds). Allaah says in Soorat al-Furqaan,
after mentioning shirk, killing without just cause and zina (unlawful sexual
intercourse) (interpretation of the meaning):
“The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection,
and he will abide therein in disgrace; Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic
Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allaah will change their sins into good
deeds, and Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Furqaan 25:69-70]
One of the means of repentance is praying to Allaah for guidance and
strength, asking Him to bless you with repentance. Allaah is the One Who says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“And your Lord said: “Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My
Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything] I will respond to your
(invocation)…” [Ghaafir 40:60]
And He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then
(answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of
the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor).”
[al-Baqarah 2:186]
Another of the means of repentance which will help you adhere to it is
keeping company with good people and following their example of righteous conduct, and
keeping away from bad company. It was reported in a saheeh hadeeth that the Messenger of
Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“A man will be on the path of his close friends, so pay attention
to who you make friends with.”
And he
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“The likeness of a righteous companion is that of the seller of
musk: either he will give you a gift, or you will buy something from him, or you will
smell a pleasant fragrance from him. And the likeness of an evil companion is that of the
man who works the bellows: either he will burn your garment, or you will smell an
unpleasant odour from him.”
(Majmoo’ Fataawaa Samaahat al-Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez
ibn Baaz; Fataawaa al-‘Aqeedah, part 2, p. 640)
With regard to renewing your Islam: if you have done something that
takes you out of Islam altogether, then you have to pronounce the Shahaadatayn and
re-enter Islam because you had left it. If what you have done is a major sin which does
not, however, take you out of Islam, then it is sufficient for you to repent according to
the conditions referred to above. Do not despair of the Mercy of Allaah; follow the path
of salvation. May Allaah give us and you the strength to do all that is good. May Allaah
bless our Prophet Muhammad.
We ask Allaah to bless us and you with sincere repentance and to forgive
us and you. May He show you the way out from your problem and bring us and you together in
Gardens of Delight (Paradise) facing one another on thrones [cf. Al-Hijr 15:47]. Ameen.
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If a person enters the mosque
and prays Tahiyyat al-Masjid, does that mean that he does not need to pray the two
Rak’ahs of Sunnat al-Fajr? Or should he pray Tahiyyat al-Masjid and then do the two
Rak’ahs of Sunnat al-Fajr?
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Praise be to Allah.If he enters the mosque and prays Sunnat
al-Fajr, this is sufficient and he does not have to pray Tahiyyat al-Masjid. If he makes
the intention of praying both, then that is fine.
And Allaah is the source of strength. May Allaah bless our
Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
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What
was the name of the Prophet's (S) camel?
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Praise be to Allah. Imaam
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his section on the
animals owned by the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him):
Of
camels he had al-Qaswaa’, and it was said that she was the camel on
which he made his Hijrah; and al-‘Adbaa’ and al-Jad’aa’. Were
al-‘Adbaa’ and al-Jad’aa’ one and the same, or two different
camels? There is some difference of opinion concerning this.
Al-‘Adbaa’ was the camel who had never been defeated in a race, then a
Bedouin came on a young camel, which beat her in a race. This upset the
Muslims, but the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: “When Allaah raises the status of something in this
world, He inevitably brings it down again.” At the battle of Badr, the
Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) took as booty a
dromedary which had belonged to Abu Jahl and had a silver ring in its
nose. He took it to be sacrificed on the day of al-Hudaybiyah in order to
annoy the mushrikeen.
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Recently I became aware of some scholarly research done by German scholars into the inerrancy of the Quran. Some of their findings are discussed in an Atlantic Monthly article entitled "What Is the Koran?" written by Toby Lester, published in the January 1999 issue of that magazine. The gist of their research is that some very old fragments of the Quran found in a mosque in Yemen show small but significant aberrations from the standard Quranic texts. In some cases, the writing on the fragments found had been washed off and different writing substituted overtop. The article tries to cast doubt on the Muslim view of the Quran as being absolutely reliable, and tries to show instead that it is a literary text that has been subject to change just like any other.
I am not a Muslim, but I know that the Quran holds a position in Islam that is similar to that of Christ in Christianity. In view of this, sir, how would you respond to these attempts to dispute the absolute inerrancy of the Quran? In your view, do these scholars have false motives that render their findings untrustworthy? Or do you have another response to these attacks on the verity of the Quran?.
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Praise be to Allah.
1 – The proof that the copies of the Holy Qur’aan that we
have before us is not just one or two pieces of evidence, rather it is
proven by a vast amount of evidence that no fair-minded person can study
without becoming convinced that it is exactly as Allaah revealed it to
Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
2 – There have been generations coming one after another,
reciting the Book of Allaah and studying it, memorizing it and writing it
down. They have not omitted a single letter, and no one can change even the
vowel point of a single letter. Writing is just one means of preserving it;
basically it is preserved in their hearts.
3 – The Qur’aan has not come down to us on its own, such that
the so-called alterations could be made. Rather the interpretation of its
verses, the meanings of its words, the reasons for its revelation, the
grammar of its words and the commentary on its rulings have all been
transmitted. When such care has been given to this Book, how could sinful
hands find a way to distort even one letter of it, or add a word, or take
away a verse?
4 – The Qur’aan speaks of matters of the unseen, in the
future, which Allaah revealed to His Messenger Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) to show him that they came from Allaah. If
a human being wants to write a book, he can describe an event or express a
point of view, but if any human being were to speak about matters of the
unseen, in this field he can only base that on speculation and lies. But the
Qur’aan told of the defeat of the Romans by the Persians, at the time when
there was no means of communication to inform the Arabs of this event. The
same verses also foretold that they (the Persians) would be defeated after a
certain number of years. If what the Qur’aan said was not accurate, then the
kaafirs would have had a great opportunity to criticize the Qur’aan.
5 – If you read any verse of the Qur’aan, then you go to
America or Asia or the jungles of Africa, or to the deserts of Arabia or any
place where there are Muslims, you will find that all of them have the exact
same verse, memorized by heart or in their books; not a single letter of it
will have been altered.
So what is the importance of this unknown manuscript in Yemen
which we have not seen, and in which some ignorant may have altered, in
recent times, one verse or one word?
Does this argument carry any weight when properly researched
and discussed? Especially when the people claim to be fair-minded and
objective in their research.
What would be their response if we went to one of their most
trusted books by a well-known author, a book of which there are many copies
in the world, all of them exactly the same, and we claimed that there was a
copy of this book in some country or other in which there was extra material
and alterations, and it was different from what is in their copies? Would
they pay any attention?
Their answer would be the same as ours.
6 – The manuscript copies which are in the Muslims’
possession cannot be proven to be authentic in this simplistic manner, for
we have experts who know the history of calligraphy and we have principles
and guidelines through which we may determine whether a manuscript is
genuine, such as the names and signatures of the people who heard it and
read it.
We do not think that these features are present in this
so-called copy of the Qur’aan in Yemen or in others.
7 – We are happy to conclude our answer with this true story
that happened in Baghdad during the ‘Abbasid era, when a Jew wanted to find
out how true are the books attributed by their followers to God, namely the
Torah among the Jews, the Gospel among the Christians and the Qur’aan among
the Muslims.
He went to the Torah and added and took away a few minor
things that were not very obvious, then he gave it to a scribe from among
the Jews and asked him to make copies of it. It did not take long before
these copies were placed in the synagogues of the Jews and were in
circulation among their major scholars.
Then he went to the Gospel and added and took away a few
things as he had done with the Torah, and he gave it to their scribes and
asked them to make copies of it. It was not long before it was being read in
their churches and was in circulation among their scholars.
Then he went to the Qur’aan and added and took away a few
things as he had done with the Torah and the Gospel. Then he gave it to a
Muslim scribe to make copies of it.
When he went back to get his copy, the scribe threw it in his
face and told him that this was not the Qur’aan of the Muslims!
From this experiment the man came to know that the Qur’aan is
the true Book of Allaah and that all other books were the works of human
beings.
If the scribes of the Muslims could tell that this copy had
been tampered with, then how could it go into circulation among the Muslim
scholars undetected?
If the questioner wants to repeat this ancient experiment
nowadays, all she has to do is to do the same as that Jewish man did, who
later became Muslim; she can add and take away things from these three books
and see what happens as a result.
But we do not tell her to show her copy of the Qur’aan to a
scribe, rather we tell her to show it to Muslim children, and they will tell
her where the mistakes are in her copy!
Some Muslim states have printed Mus-hafs in which there were
mistakes, and young children found them before the grown-ups did!
And Allaah is the Guide to the Straight Path.
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What are the details of Sajdat
al-Shukr, the prostration of thankfulness to Allaah for something that has happened?
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Praise be to Allah.Sajdat al-Shukr is prescribed for anything
that makes one happy, whether it is attaining some benefit or warding off some harm. The
evidence (daleel) for this is to be found in the Ahaadeeth and Aathaar (reports). Among
the Ahaadeeth is the Hadeeth of Abu Bakrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said that
when the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) heard any news that made him
glad, he would fall down prostrating to Allaah, may He be exalted. (Reported by the
five except al-Nisaa’i; al-Tirmidhi said, it is hasan ghareeb).
According to the version narrated by Ahmad: he saw the Prophet
(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), when news reached him that his troops had prevailed over their enemy,
he was lying with his head in ‘Aa’ishah’s lap, then he got up and fell in
prostration. (Reported by Ahmad, 5/45; al-Haakim, 4/291).
Another hadeeth is that narrated by ‘Abd
al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf, who said: the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) went out to the place where the sadaqah (charitable donations) was kept, then he
faced the Qiblah and fell in prostration, remaining like that for a long time. Then he
raised his head and said, “Jibreel came to me with good news, he said, ‘Allaah
says to you, “Whoever sends blessings on you, I will send blessings on him, and
whoever sends greetings of peace to you, I will send greetings of peace to
him,”’ so I prostrated in thankfulness to Allaah.” (Narrated by
Ahmad. Al-Mundhiri said: the hadeeth of Sajdat al-Shukr came from the hadeeth of
al-Baraa’ with a saheeh isnaad, and from the hadeeth of Ka’b ibn Maalik and
others.)
The reports include the following:
Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) prostrated when he heard the
news that Musaylimah had been killed. (Reported by Sa’eed ibn Mansoor in his Sunan).
‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib prostrated when he found Dhu’l-Thadiyah
among the Khawaarij. (Reported by Ahmad in al-Musnad)
Ka’b ibn Maalik prostrated at the time of the Prophet
(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he was given the glad tidings that Allaah had
accepted his repentance. (The story is agreed upon)
And Allaah is the source of strength. May
Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
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Are there any dua`s to remove my depression?
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Praise be to Allah.In al-Sahihayn, Ibn 'Abbas narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to say, when he felt distressed :
“La ilaha ill-Allah al-‘Azim ul-Halim, La ilaha ill-Allah Rabb il-‘arsh il-‘azim, La ilaha ill-Allah Rabbis-samawati wa Rabbil-ard wa Rabbil-‘arsh il-karim (there is no god except Allah, the All-Mighty, the Forbearing; there is no god except Allah, the Lord of the Mighty Throne; there is no god except Allah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth and Lord of the noble Throne).”
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to say, when something upset him:
“Ya Hayyu ya Qayyum, bi Rahmatika astaghith (O Ever-Living One, O Everlasting One, by Your mercy I seek help).”
Asma bint ‘Umays (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to me: “Shall I not teach you some words to say when you feel distressed? ‘Allah, Allah, Rabbi la ushriku bihi shay-an (Allah, Allah, my Lord, I do not associate anything with Him).’”
‘Abd-Allah ibn Mas’ud narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “No person suffers any anxiety or grief , and says:
‘Allahumma inni ‘abduka wa ibn ‘abdika wa ibn amatika, nasiyati bi yadika, madin fiyya hukmuka, ‘adlun fiyya qadauka, as aluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka aw anzaltahu fi kitabika aw ‘allamtahu ahadan min khalqika aw ista’tharta bihi fi ‘ilm il-ghaybi ‘indak an taj’ala al-Qurana rabi’a qalbi wa nura sadri wa jala a huzni wa dhahaba hammi (O Allah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, son of Your female slave, 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 named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the Quran the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety)’ - but Allah will take away his sorrow and grief , and give him in their stead joy.”
And Allah knows best.
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Why doesn't Allah answer our duas ?
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Praise be to Allah.Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
du`as and taawwudhaat [prayers seeking refuge with Allah] are like a weapon, and a weapon is only as good as the person who is using it; it is not merely the matter of how sharp it is. If the weapon is perfect and free of faults, and the arm of the person using it is strong, and there is nothing stopping him, then he can lay waste the enemy. But if any of these three features is lacking, then the effect will be lacking accordingly.
(al-Daa wal-Dawaa, p. 35).
From this it will be clear that there is an etiquette and rulings which must be fulfilled, in the du`a and in the person making the du`a. There are also things that may prevent the du`a reaching Allah or being answered these things must be removed from the person making the du`a and from the du`a. When all of these conditions are fulfilled, then the du`a may be answered.
1. Sincerity in making du`a. This is the most important condition. Allah has commanded us to be sincere when making du`a, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
So, call you (O Muhammad and the believers) upon (or invoke) Allah making (your) worship pure for Him (Alone) (by worshipping none but Him and by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allahs sake only and not to show off and not to set up rivals with Him in worship) [Ghaafir 40:14].
Sincerity in du`a means having the firm belief that the One upon Whom you are calling Allah, may He be glorified and exalted is alone Able to meet your need, and it also means avoiding any kind of showing off in your du`a.
2. Repentance and turning back to Allah. Sin is one of the main reasons why du`as are not answered, so the person who is making du`a should hasten to repent and seek forgiveness before he makes du`a. Allah tells us that Nooh (peace be upon him) said:
I said (to them): Ask forgiveness from your Lord, verily, He is Oft-Forgiving; He will send rain to you in abundance, And give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers. [Nooh 71:10-12]
3. Beseeching, humbling oneself, hoping for Allahs reward and fearing His punishment. This is the spirit, essence and purpose of du`a. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors [al-Araaf 7:55].
4. Urgently beseeching and repeating the du`a, without getting exasperated or bored; this is achieved by repeating the du`a two or three times. Restricting it to three times is preferable, in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Ibn Masood (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) liked to say a du`a three times and ask for forgiveness three times. This was narrated by Abu Dawood and al-Nasaai.
5. Making du`a at times of ease, and saying more du`as at times of plenty. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Remember Allah during times of ease and He will remember you during times of hardship. Narrated by Ahmad.
6. Seeking to draw closer to Allah by calling upon Him by His Most Beautiful Names and Sublime Attributes at the beginning of the du`a or at the end. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them [al-Araaf 7:180].
7. Choosing the clearest and most concise words and the best of du`as. The best of du`as are the du`as of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), but it is permissible to say other words according to the specific needs of a person.
Other aspects of the etiquette of making du`a, although they are not waajib (obligatory), are: to face the Qiblah; to make du`a in a state of tahaarah (purity); to start the du`a with praise of Allah and blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). It is also prescribed to raise the hands when making du`a.
One of the things that helps to bring a response to du`a is to seek the best times and places.
Among the best times is the time just before Fajr (dawn), the last third of the night, the last hour of Jumuah (Friday), when rain is falling, and between the Adhaan and iqaamah.
Among the best places are mosques in general, and al-Masjid al-Haraam [in Makkah] in particular.
Among the situations in which du`a is more likely to be answered are: when one is mistreated or oppressed, when one is travelling, when one is fasting, when one is in desperate need, and when a Muslim makes du`a for his brother in his absence.
Things which may prevent du`a from being answered include:
1. When the du`a is weak in itself, because it involves something inappropriate, or involves bad manners towards Allah, may He be exalted, or it is inappropriate, which means asking Allah for something which it is not permitted to ask, e.g. when a man asks to live forever in this world, or he asks for a sin or something haraam, or he prays that he will die, and so on. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: A person's du`as will continue to be answered so long as he does not pray for something sinful or for the breaking of family ties. Narrated by Muslim.
2. When the person who is making du`a is weak in himself, because he is faint-hearted in his turning towards Allah. This may be either because of bad manners towards Allah, may He be exalted such as raising his voice in du`a or making du`a in the manner of one who thinks he has no need of Allah; or because he pays too much attention to the wording and tries to come up with unnecessarily ornate phrases, without paying attention to the meaning; or because he tries too hard to weep or shout without really feeling it, or he goes to extremes in that.
3. The reason why his du`a is not answered may be because he has done something that Allah has forbidden, such as having haraam wealth whether it be food or drink or clothing or accommodation or transportation, or he has taken a haraam job, or the stain of sin is still in his heart, or he is following bidah (innovation) in religion, or his heart has been overtaken by negligence.
4. Consuming haraam wealth. This is one of the major reasons why du`as are not answered. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: O people, Allah is Good and only accepts that which is good. Allah commanded the pious to follow the same commandments as He gave to the Messengers. He says (interpretation of the meaning):
O (you) Messengers! Eat of the Tayyibaat [all kinds of Halaal (lawful) foods which Allah has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, milk products, fats, vegetables, fruits)] and do righteous deeds. Verily, I am Well-Acquainted with what you do [al-Muminoon 23:51]
O you who believe (in the Oneness of Allah Islamic Monotheism)! Eat of the lawful things that We have provided you with [al-Baqarah 2:172]
Then he mentioned a man who has travelled on a long journey and is dishevelled and covered with dust; he stretches forth his hands to the heaven, (saying) O Lord, O Lord, but his food is haraam, his drink is haraam, all his nourishment is haraam, so how can he du`a be accepted? Narrated by Muslim.
The man described by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had some of the characteristics which help du`as to be answered he was travelling and he was in need of Allah, may He be exalted and glorified but the fact that he consumed haraam wealth prevented his du`a from being answered. We ask Allah to keep us safe and sound.
5. Trying to hasten the response. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: The du`a of any one of you will be answered so long as he is not impatient and says, I made du`a but it was not answered. Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim.
6. Making the du`a conditional, such as saying, O Allah, forgive me if You will or O Allah, have mercy upon me if You will. The person who makes du`a has to be resolute in his supplication, striving hard and earnestly repeating his du`a. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Let not any one of you say, O Allah, forgive me if You will, O Allah, have mercy on me if You will. Let him be resolute in the matter, whilst knowing that no one can compel Allah to do anything. Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim.
In order for du`as to be answered, it is not essential to adhere to all of these points and be free of all that could prevent ones du`as from being answered. That is something which happens very rarely. But one has to try hard and strive towards achieving this.
Another important point is to realize that the response to the du`a may take different forms: either Allah will respond and fulfil the desire of the person who made the du`a, or He will ward off some evil from him because of the du`a, or He will make something good easy for him to attain because of it, or He will save it with Him for him on the Day of Resurrection when he will be most in need of it. And Allah knows best.
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As Muslims we are required to shave pubic
hair.
For a man, is this all the hair between his navel and his knees ? (i.e. all hair on the
lower abdomen and thighs)
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Praise be to Allah.Al-Haafiz said in al-Fath (10/343):
Al-Nawawi said: what is meant by al-‘aanah is the hair which is
above and around the man’s penis, and the hair around the woman’s vagina. It was
reported from Abu’l-‘Abbaas ibn Surayj that it is the hair that grows around the
back passage. From all of this, we may understand that it is mustahabb to shave all the
hair from the front and back and all around them. Shaving is mentioned because this is the
most common method, but it is also permissible to remove hair by waxing, plucking, etc.
Abu Shaamah said: al-‘aanah is the hair that grows on the rakab,
which is what is underneath the bulge of the abdomen and above the private parts. Or it
was said that it is the exterior of the private parts; or the private part itself, whether
of a man or a woman. It is mustahabb to remove the hair from the front and back, indeed it
is more important to remove the hair from the back, lest any faeces get stuck to it and
cannot be removed by cleaning it with water or with stones, tissues, etc. Depilatory
agents (waxing, sugaring, etc.) may be used instead of shaving, or the hair may be plucked
or cut. Ahmad was asked about removing the pubic hair with scissors. He said, “I hope
this will be good enough.” He was asked, “What about plucking?” He said,
“Could anyone do that?” Ibn Daqeeq al-‘Eed said: the scholars of the Arabic
language said: “al-‘aanah is the hair that grows around the private part, or it
was said that it is where the hair grows. This is what was meant in the report. Abu Bakr
ibn al-‘Arabi said: The pubic hair is the body hair which it is most important to
remove, because it grows thick and dirt gets trapped in it. Ibn Daqeeq al-‘Eed said:
it is as if those who said it is mustahabb to shave the hair around the back passage
mentioned this by way of analogy.
And Allaah knows best.
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I would like to know the specific verses in the Quran where we should offer sujud al-tilawah (prostration of recitation).
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Praise be to Allah.Sujud in the Quran
There are fifteen places in the Quran where we should perform sajdat al-tilawah (prostration of recitation) when reciting them.
‘Amr ibn al-’As narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited to him fifteen verses in the Quran where one should prostrate, three of which are in al-Mufassal and two in Surat al-Hajj. It was reported by Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, al-Hakim and al-Daraqutni, and classed as hasan by al-Mundhiri and al-Nawawi.
Verses of sujud al-tilawah
The fifteen verses of sujud al-tilawah are:
Surely those who are with your Lord (angels) are never too proud to perform acts of worship to Him, but they glorify His Praise and prostrate before Him. [al-A'raf 7:206]
And unto Allah (Alone) falls in prostration whoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and so do their shadows in the mornings and in the afternoons. [al-Ra’d 13:15]
And to Allah prostrate all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, of the live moving creatures and the angels, and they are not proud [i.e., they worship their Lord (Allah) with humility]. [al-Nahl 16:49]
Say (O Muhammad): Believe in it (the Quran) or do not believe (in it). Verily! Those who were given knowledge before it, when it is recited to them, fall down on their faces in humble prostration. [al-Isra 17:107-109]
When the Verses of the Most Beneficent (Allah) were recited unto them, they fell down prostrating and weeping. [Maryam 19:58]
See you not that to Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the mountains, and the trees, and al-dawab (moving living creatures, beasts, etc.), and many of mankind? But there are many (men) on whom the punishment is justified. And whomsoever Allah disgraces, none can honour him. Verily! Allah does what He wills. [al-Hajj 22:18]
O you who believe! Bow down, and prostrate yourselves, and worship your Lord and do good that you may be successful. [al-Hajj 22:77]
And when it is said to them: Prostrate to the Most Beneficent (Allah)! They say, And what is the Most Beneficent? Shall we fall down in prostration to that which you (O Muhammad) command us? And it increases in them only aversion. [al-Furqan 25:60]
[As Shaytan has barred them from Allah's Way] so that they do not worship (prostrate before) Allah, Who brings to light what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows what you conceal and what you reveal. [al-Naml 27:25, 26]
Only those believe in Our ayat (verses, signs, etc.) who, when they are reminded of them, fall down prostrate, and glorify the Praises of their Lord, and they are not proud. [al-Sajdah 32:15]
And Dawud guessed that We had tried him and he sought forgiveness of his Lord, and he fell down prostrate and turned (to Allah) in repentance. [Sad 38:24]
And from among His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Prostrate not to the sun nor to the moon, but prostrate to Him Who created them, if you (really) worship Him. [Fussilat 41:37, 38]
So fall down in prostration to Allah, and worship Him (Alone). [al-Najm 53:62]
And when the Quran is recited to them, they fall not prostrate. [al-Inshiqaq 84:21]
Fall prostrate and draw near to Allah! [al-’Alaq 96:19] (See Fiqh al-Sunnah by Sheikh Sayyid Sabiq, 186-188)
Scholarly views of the narration of ‘Amr ibn Al-’As about sujud al-tilawah
Al-Albani said, in Tamam al-Minnah (296):
On the contrary, the hadith is not hasan, because it includes two majhul [unknown] narrators. Al-Hafiz said in al-Talkhis, after quoting the opinion of al-Mundhiri and al-Nawawi that it is hasan: ‘Abd al-Haqq and Ibn Qattan classed it as da’if [weak]. It includes ‘Abd-Allah ibn Munayn, who is majhul, and the one who narrated from him is al-Harith ibn Sa’id al-Atqi, who is also unknown. Ibn Makula said: He did not narrate any hadith apart from this one.”
Hence al-Tahawi was of the opinion that there is no second sajdah in Surat al-Hajj, towards the end of the surah. This is also the opinion of Ibn Hazm who said in al-Muhalla:
“Because it is not narrated in any sahih report that this was the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and there is no scholarly consensus to this effect. But it was reported with a sahih isnad that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, his son ‘Abd-Allah and Abu Darda performed sajdah in (the second verse quoted from Surat al-Hajj).”
Then Ibn Hazm discussed whether the sajdahs for the other verses quoted are prescribed in Islam. He mentioned that the scholars are agreed upon the first ten, that performing sujud when reciting these verses is prescribed.
Al-Tahawi also reported this consensus in Sharh al-Ma’ani (1/211), but he said that the sajdah in Surat Fussilat was prescribed, instead of the sajdah in Surat Sad.
Both scholars narrated ahadith with sahih isnads from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) concerning the sajdahs in Sad, al-Najm, al-Inshiqaq and al-’Alaq. These last three are from the Mufassal, which is referred to in the hadith of ‘Amr mentioned above.
In conclusion, even though the isnad of the hadith is weak, it is supported by the consensus of the ummah which supports most of it, and by sahih ahadith which support the rest of it, except for the second sajdah in Suat al-Hajj, for which there is no evidence in the Sunnah or in the consensus of the scholars. But some of the Sahabah used to prostrate when reciting it, which could be taken as evidence, especially since no one is known to have disputed with them in this regard.
To sum up, the prostration of recitation should be performed when reciting the fifteen verses quoted above.
And Allah knows best.
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I have read that during the third Khalief, Oethmaan, a committee under supervision of Zaid ibn Thabit has been ordered to make an official editorship of the whole Koran. But this "Oethmanian" text didn't give yet a uniform reading.
Because early arabic language didn't have vowels and also some consonants had the same or almost the same form. New signs were introduced to seperate the different letters. But this still did not stop the different ways of reading.
In the first half of the fourth/tenth century the 'imaam of the Koran readers' in Baghdad, Ibn Moedjahid, gave a solution to this problem. He said that the word harf should be put equivalent to kira'a. He declared seven ways of reading correct. Because according to him the saying of the Prophet (PBUH) that the Koran was send in seven ahroef means that seven ways of reading are inspired.
Nowadays only to ways of reading are in use, Warsj of Nafi' and Hafs of 'Asim.
Could you tell me more about these different ways of reading? Are there ahadieth about this?.
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Praise be to Allah.Firstly :
you should note, may Allaah bless you, that the Qur’aan was revealed in one style at the beginning, but the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) kept asking Jibreel until he taught him seven styles, all of which were complete. The evidence for that is the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas who narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Jibreel taught me one style and I reviewed it until he taught me more, and I kept asking him for more and he gave me more until finally there were seven styles.”
(narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3047; Muslim, 819)
Secondly, what is meant by styles (ahruf, sing. harf)?
The best of the scholarly opinions concerning what is meant is that there are seven ways of reciting the Qur’aan, where the wording may differ but the meaning is the same; if there is a different meaning then it is by way of variations on a theme, not opposing and contradiction.
Thirdly:
Some of the scholars said that what was meant by ahruf was the dialects of the Arabs, but this is far-fetched, because of the hadeeth of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab who said: “I heard Hishaam ibn Hakeem reciting Soorat al-Furqaan in a manner different from that in which I used to recite it and the way in which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught me to recite it. I was about to argue with him whilst he was praying, but I waited until he finished his prayer, and then I tied his garment around his neck and seized him by it and brought him to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, I heard this man reciting Soorat-al-Furqaan in a way different to the way you taught it to me.’ The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to him, ‘Recite it,’ and he recited it as I had heard him recite it. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘It was revealed like this.’ Then he said to me, ‘Recite it,’ so I recited it and he said, ‘It was revealed like this.’ This Qur'aan has been revealed in seven different ways, so recite it in the way that is easiest for you.’”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2287; Muslim, 818)
It is known that Hishaam was Asadi Qurashi (i.e., from the clan of Bani Asad in Quraysh) and ‘Umar was ‘Adawi Qurashi (i.e., from the clan of Bani ‘Adiyy in Quraysh). Both of them were from Quraysh and Quraysh had only one dialect. If the difference in ahruf (styles) had been a difference in dialects, why would two men of Quraysh have been different?
The scholars mentioned nearly forty different opinions concerning this matter! Perhaps the most correct is that which we have mentioned above. And Allaah knows best.
Fourthly:
It seems that the seven styles were revealed with different wordings, as indicated by the hadeeth of ‘Umar, because ‘Umar’s objection was to the style, not the meaning. The differences between these styles are not the matter of contradiction and opposition, rather they are synonymous, as Ibn Mas’ood said: “It is like one of you saying halumma, aqbil or ta’aal (all different ways of saying ‘Come here’).”
Fifthly:
With regard to the seven recitations (al-qiraa’aat al-saba’), this number is not based on the Qur’aan and Sunnah, rather it is the ijtihaad of Ibn Mujaahid (may Allaah have mercy on him). People thought that al-ahruf al-saba’ (the seven styles) were al-qiraa’aat al-saba’ (the seven recitations) because they happened to be the same number. But this number may have come about coincidentally, or it may have been done deliberately by Ibn Mujaahid to match what was narrated about the number of styles (ahruf) being seven. Some people thought that the styles (ahruf) were the recitations, but this is a mistake. No such comment is known among the scholars. The seven recitations are one of the seven styles, and this is the style that ‘Uthmaan chose for all the Muslims.
Sixthly:
When ‘Uthmaan made copies of the Qur’aan, he did so according to one style (harf), but he omitted the dots and vowel points so that some other styles could also be accommodated. So the Mus-haf that was copied in his time could be read according to other styles, and whatever styles were accommodated by the Mus-haf of ‘Uthmaan remained in use, and the styles that could not be accommodated fell into disuse. The people had started to criticize one another for reciting differently, so ‘Uthmaan united them by giving them one style of the Qur’aan.
Seventhly:
Your saying that Mujaahid’s different recitations meant the seven styles (ahruf) is not correct, as was said by Shaykh al-Islam ibn Taymiyyah. (Majmoo’ah al-Fatawa, vol. 13, p. 210)
Eighthly:
The seven readers or reciters were:
1-Naafi’ al-Madani
2-Ibn Katheer al-Makki
3-‘Aasim al-Kufi
4-Hamzah al-Zayaat al-Kufi
5-Al-Kisaa’i al-Kufi
6-Abu ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ala’ al-Basri
7-‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Aamir al-Shaami
The ones who have the strongest isnaad in recitation are Naafi’ and ‘Aasim.
The most eloquent are Abu ‘Amr and al-Kisaa’i.
Warsh and Qaaloon narrated from Naafi’.
Hafs and Shu’bah narrated from ‘Aasim.
And Allaah knows best.
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What is the position on
beggars at the doors of the mosque? Should we give them something or not? Can the imaam
tell the person who stands up after the prayer and asks for something to be quiet?
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Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn
Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who answered as follows:
As for the beggars who stand outside the doors of the mosque,
there is nothing wrong with giving to them if they are genuine, but it is not allowed for
them to do that inside the mosque, and they should be stopped and told, “Go and stand
outside the door.”
Question:
Would the imaam who tells them to go outside be considered to
be going against the Aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “And repulse not the
beggar” [al-Duhaa 93:10].
Answer:
He is not repulsing him, he is just telling him to move to a
different place. And Allaah knows best.
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i have a project in the quality of health
care in the prison.. do the prisoners have the same health care like other people.. what
is the isalmic prespective of justic and equality in this case??
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Praise be to Allah.Islam pays great attention to the matter of prisons and
the circumstances of prisoners; it is rare to find anything similar to this in any place
or time. The fuqahaa’ discussed in their books the rulings pertaining to prisoners,
their circumstances and how they should be treated. This concern stems from the Islamic
concern for the protection of man and respect for his humanity.
To make the matter easier to understand and to make the rulings more
clear, the scholars divided the subject-matter into two parts: the rulings pertaining to
the personal health of prisoners, and the rulings pertaining to health care in the place
that is used as a prison.
One: Rulings pertaining to the personal health of prisoners
Imprisoning a sick person. The fuqahaa’ discussed the matter of
imprisoning a person who is sick in the first place – do the authorities have the
right to imprison a sick person? The answer is that this is the matter of ijtihaad, and
the final decision rests with the Qaadi (judge) who must weigh up the reason why this
person is to be imprisoned, the seriousness of his disease and the possibility of taking
care of him in jail. If sufficient health care is available for this sick person in
prison, and he is not suffering a serious illness which could kill him if he is detained,
it is permissible to imprison him. If such care is not available, the judge may hand him
over to someone who can treat him and guard him, without releasing him completely, until
it is possible to imprison him again.
If a prisoner becomes sick whilst in jail. If a prisoner becomes sick
whilst in jail and it is possible to treat him there, then he must be treated without
bringing him out. Doctors and servants should not be prevented from going in to see him,
treat him and serve him. If not treating him leads to his death, criminal charges are to
be laid against those who were the cause of that, and they are to be punished. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) passed by a prisoner who was in chains, and he
called out, “O Muhammad, O Muhammad!” He came to him and said, “What is the
matter?” He said, “I am hungry – feed me. I am thirsty – give me
water.” The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded that his
needs should be met. (Narrated by Muslim, 3/1263). And no doubt
medical treatment is what the sick person needs.
But if it is not possible to treat him inside the prison, he must be
taken out to a place where it is possible to treat him, under the supervision of the jail
or whoever is delegated to the task of watching and guarding him.
With regard to these rulings, the fuqahaa do not differentiate between
physical illness and psychological illness (true psychological illness, that is, as
opposed to the made-up psychological illness or the regular psychological illness which
many lawyers use as a means of getting criminals let off). Hence the fuqahaa’ (may
Allaah have mercy on them) stated that it is not permissible to lock the door on the
prisoner – so long as there is the certainty that he will not run away – or to
put him in a darkened room, or to harm him in any way or to do anything that will make him
terrified. His relatives should not be prevented from visiting him, because this will have
an effect on his health and psychology.
It is prescribed for the authorities or their representative to set up a
special medical wing in the prison, to take care of the prisoners’ health needs. This
will spare them the need to take them out to public hospitals and expose them to possible
insult and humiliation.
Prisoners should be allowed to see their wives and to have intimate
relations with them, if there is a suitable place for that in the jail, as a protection
for them and their wives.
The fuqahaa’ stated that it is obligatory to enable prisoners to do
wudoo’ and purify themselves, which is undoubtedly an important protective precaution
against sickness.
Two: Rulings pertaining to health care in the place that is used as a
prison
The place that is used as a prison should be spacious, clean,
well-ventilated, lit by natural sunlight, and furnished with the necessary facilities such
as washrooms, etc.
It is not permissible to gather such a large number of prisoners in one
place that they will not be able to do wudoo’ and pray.
Three: there follow some of the things which the fuqahaa’ stated
it is haraam to use when disciplining or dealing with prisoners:
Mutilating the body: it is not permitted to punish a prisoner by cutting
off any part of his body or breaking any of his bones. The Prophet
(peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) forbade mutilation of prisoners-of-war and said: “Do not
mutilate.” (Narrated by Muslim, 3/1357).
Hitting the face, etc., because of the humiliation involved. By the same
token, it is not permitted to put chains on prisoners’ necks or to lay them on the
ground to whip them, even if this is the hadd (Islamic punishment) prescribed for them,
because this involves humiliation and harms their health and bodies.
Punishment by fire, strangulation or holding a prisoner’s head
under water – except in cases of qasaas and where the punishment needs to fit
the crime. For example, if a person has committed aggression against another by burning
him, it is permissible to exact retribution against him in the same manner.
Starving prisoners or exposing them to the cold, or feeding them harmful
things, or preventing them from wearing clothes. If a prisoner dies because of such
things, his jailer may be executed in retribution (qasaas) or be required to pay
diyah (blood money).
Removing prisoners’ clothing, because this uncovers their
‘awrah and exposes them to physical and psychological illness.
Preventing them from relieving themselves, doing wudoo’ and
praying. It is obvious that this is harmful to the prisoners’ health.
Examples of Muslims’ concern for prisoners:
The hadeeth mentioned above shows how the Prophet
(peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) issued commands that prisoners should be cared for and their needs
for food and drink met. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) often
used to hand prisoners over to his companions and urge them to treat them well.
The Rightly-Guided Khaleefah ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be
pleased with him) used to inspect the prisons, meet the prisoners in them and enquire
about their circumstances.
‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez, the fifth Rightly-Guided
Khaleefah, used to write to his employees, telling them to see how the prisoners were and
to take care of the sick among them.
The ‘Abbaasi khaleefah al-Mu’tadid allocated 1500 dinars of
the monthly budget to be spent on the needs and medical treatment of prisoners.
When the ‘Abbaasi khaleefah al-Muqtadir imprisoned one of his
wazeers, Ibn Muqlah, the wazeer got sick. So the khaleefah sent the famous doctor Thaabit
ibn Sinaan ibn Thaabit ibn Qurrah to treat him in jail, and he urged him to treat him
well. The doctor used to feed him with his own hand and treated him very kindly.
At the time of the khaleefah al-Muqtadir, the wazeer ‘Ali ibn
‘Eesaa al-Jarraah wrote to the head of the hospitals of Iraq at that time, telling
him: “I have been thinking, may Allaah grant you long life, about those who are in
prison. With their large numbers and rough accommodation, they are not free from disease.
They are prevented from doing things which will benefit them and meeting with doctors whom
they can consult about the sicknesses they are exposed to. So you have to appoint doctors
for them who will go in and see them every day and take them medicine and drinks, and who
will go around to all the jails and treat the sick in them and prescribe medicine for
them.” This care lasted throughout the khilaafah of al-Muqtadir, al-Qaahir, al-Raadi
and al-Muttaqi.
For more information, please see: Ahkaam al-Sijn wa Mu’aamilat
al-Sujanaa’ fi’l-Islam, p. 367-379; al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah,
part 16, p. 320-327
And Allaah knows best.
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What is the ruling about going to Visit
Friends and relatives in America? (For the sake of Allah, not for the sake of play and
vain talk.). Jazaka Allah Khayr.
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Praise be to Allah.It is not permissible to travel to a kaafir country
except for a valid reason such as studying to acquire knowledge or skills that are not
available in a Muslim country, or for medical treatment. But the traveller should have
sufficient religious commitment to protect him from temptation and sufficient knowledge to
protect him from doubts. Keeping in touch with relatives and upholding the ties of kinship
can be achieved through lesser means; you can call them by phone, or correspond with them
in any fashion, or send greetings and gifts, and so on. A person should not expose himself
to the risks of travelling to a kaafir country and committing sin for the sake of
something that may be achieved through other means. And Allaah knows best.
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does iddah imply when it is the woman who is seeking the divorce (khuli).
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Praise be to Allah.
1 – Khula’ – in principle – can only occur at the request of
the wife, and with the husband’s subsequent agreement to end the marriage.
2 – ‘Iddah is obligatory upon every woman who leaves her
husband, or whose husband leaves her, whether the cause is talaaq (divorce),
annulment of the marriage or the death of the husband, except when the
divorce occurs before the marriage has been consummated, in which case the
woman does not have to observe ‘iddah, because Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
“O you who believe! When
you marry believing women, and then divorce them before you have sexual
intercourse with them, no ‘Iddah [divorce prescribed period] have you to
count in respect of them”[al-Ahzaab 33:49]
3 – With regard to the ‘iddah following khula’, the correct
scholarly view is that it is one menstrual cycle, as is indicated by the
Sunnah.
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the wife of Thaabit ibn
Qays ended her marriage to her husband by means of khula’ at the time of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded her to observe an
‘iddah of one menstrual cycle. (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1185; Abu Dawood,
2229. Also narrated by al-Nasaa’i (3497) from the hadeeth of al-Rabee’ bint
‘Afra’. The two hadeeth were both classed as saheeh by Ibn al-Qayyim, as we
shall see below).
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
In the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) commanded the woman who ended her marriage to her
husband by khula’ to observe an ‘iddah of one menstrual cycle, there is
evidence for two rulings:
The first is that she does not have to wait for three
menstrual cycles, rather one menstrual cycle is sufficient. Just as this is
clearly the Sunnah, it was also the view of Ameer al-Mu’mineen ‘Uthmaan ibn
‘Affaan, ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab, al-Rabee’ bint Mu’awwadh and
her paternal uncle, who was one of the greatest Sahaabah. We do not know of
anyone who held a different opinion, as al-Layth ibn Sa’d narrated that
Naafi’ the freed slave of Ibn ‘Umar heard al-Rabee’ bint Mu’awwadh ibn
‘Afra’ telling ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that
she had ended her marriage to her husband by khula’ at the time of ‘Uthmaan
ibn ‘Affaan, and her paternal uncle had come to ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan and
said, The daughter of Mu’awwadh ended her marriage to her husband by khula’
today, so should she move (from the marital home)? ‘Uthmaan said, She
should move, and there is no inheritance between them, and she does not have
to observe any ‘iddah, but she should not remarry until one menstrual cycle
has passed, lest she be pregnant. ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar said: and ‘Uthmaan
was the best of us and the most knowledgeable.
This view was also shared by Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh and Imaam
Ahmad, according to one report narrated from him. It was also the view
favoured by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah.
Those who supported this view said: this is in accordance
with the principles of sharee’ah. The ‘iddah (in the case of talaaq) was
made three menstrual cycles in order to lengthen the time during which the
husband may take back his wife, so that the husband will have enough time to
rethink the matter and to be able to take his wife back during this time.
But in the case of khula’ the wife is not going to go back and the purpose
is simply to establish whether she is pregnant or not, so one menstrual
cycle is sufficient. They said: this does not contradict the ruling that the
‘iddah for a woman divorced by talaaq is three months. In the case of
divorce the ‘iddah is the same whether it is a final talaaq or a revocable
talaaq.
Zaad al-Ma’aad, 5/196, 197
Some scholars said that the ‘iddah for a woman who ends her
marriage to her husband by khula’ is three menstrual cycles, as in the case
of one who is divorced by talaaq, but this was expertly refuted by Imam Ibn
al-Qayyim, who said:
What indicates that khula’ is not the same as talaaq is the
fact that in the case of a revocable talaaq after consummation of the
marriage, there are specific rulings which are not applicable in the case of
khula’.
1.That the husband has more right
to take her back.
2.When the husband issues a
talaaq, is it counted as one of three, and after the third it is not
permissible for the wife to go back to him until she has been married to
another man and that marriage has been consummated.
3.‘Iddah in the case of talaaq is
three menstrual cycles.
So the ‘iddah in the case of khula’ is what is indicated by
the Sunnah, namely one menstrual cycle.
And Allaah knows best.
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I am a 21 year old muslim girl I have been wearing the hijab for the past one and a half years against the wishes of my parents. The next year insha allah I'll be moving to United States for pursuing my Higher studies. My father strongly advised me not to wear the hijab there cause people do not like to be distinguished there . I am facing a dilemma now. I strongly prefer to wear the hijab cause I was told it is sin not to wear hijab. Could you please advise on this?
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Praise be to Allah.You have done well, may Allaah
bless you, when you followed the laws of Allaah and put on hijaab. You
should note that there is no obedience to any created being if it involves
disobedience to Allaah. You have to continue to wear hijaab and follow
all the other laws of sharee’ah. But we are afraid that if you go to
America to study, you will face waves of fitnah from all directions,
all kinds of doubts and forbidden desires. If you can study in a university
or college which pays attention to the rules of sharee’ah such as wearing
hijaab and avoiding mixing, then that is what you should do. May Allaah
help us and you to do all that is good.
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Could inform me regarding the Islamic view about people who have committed homosexual acts, but have repented and abstained from such acts. Should they be stoned to death? Can they be forgiven? And are they allowed to marry people of the opposite gender?
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Praise be to Allah.Undoubtedly the sin of homosexuality is one of the worst sins; indeed, it is one of the major sins (kabaa’ir) that Allah has forbidden. Allah destroyed the people of Loot (peace be upon him) with the most terrifying kinds of punishment because they persisted in their sin and made this evil action commonplace and acceptable among themselves. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“So when Our Commandment came, We turned (the towns of Sodom in Palestine) upside down, and rained on them stones of baked clay, in a well-arranged manner one after another; Marked from your Lord” [Hood 11:82-83].
Then Allah says, warning those who come after them of the nations who do the same deed as they did (interpretation of the meaning):
“and they are not ever far from the Zaalimoon (polytheists, evildoers)” [Hood 11:83]
And Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And they indeed sought to shame his guest (by asking to commit sodomy with them). So We blinded their eyes (saying), ‘Then taste you My Torment and My Warnings.’” [al-Qamar 54:37]
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever you find doing the action of the people of Loot, kill them, the one who does it and the one two whom it is done.”
(Narrated by Ahmad, 2727; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’ al-Sagheer wa Ziyaadatihi, no. 6589).
Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
It was reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Kill the one who does it and the one to whom it is done.”
(Reported by the four authors of Sunan. Its isnaad is saheeh. At-Tirmidhi said it is a hasan hadith).
Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq judged in accordance with this, and he wrote instructions to this effect to Khaalid, after consulting with the Sahaabah. ‘Ali was the strictest of them with regard to that. Ibn al-Qasaar and our shaykh said: the Sahaabah agreed that [the person who does homosexual acts] should be killed, but they differed as to how he should be killed. Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq said that he should be thrown down from a cliff. ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said that a wall should be made to collapse on him. Ibn ‘Abbas said, they should be killed by stoning. This shows that there was consensus among them that [the person who does homosexual acts] should be killed, but they differed as to how he should be executed. This is similar to the ruling of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) concerning the person who has intercourse with a woman who is his mahram [incest], because in both cases intercourse is not permitted under any circumstances. Hence the connection was made in the hadith of Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) who reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Whoever you find doing the deed of the people of Loot, kill them.” And it was also reported that he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever has intercourse with a woman who is his mahram, kill him.” And according to another hadith with the same isnaad, “Whoever has intercourse with an animal, kill him and kill the animal with him.”
(Narrated by Ahmad, 2420; Abu Dawood, 4464; al-Tirmidhi, 1454; al-Haakim, 4/355).
This ruling is in accordance with the ruling of sharee’ah, because the worse the haraam action is, the more severe the punishment for it. Having intercourse in a manner that is not permissible under any circumstances is worse than having intercourse in a manner which may be permitted in some circumstances, so its punishment is more severe. This was stated by Ahmad in one of the two reports narrated from him.
(Zaad al-Ma’aad, part 5, p. 40-41).
The same applies to the sin of lesbianism. There is no doubt among the fuqahaa’ that lesbianism is haraam and is a major sin, as stated by al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him).
(Al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, part 24, p. 251).
With regard to the specific type of punishment mentioned in the question – stoning to death – this kind of punishment is for the adulterer who is married. The shar’i punishment for the crime of homosexuality is execution – by the sword, according to the most correct view – as was narrated in the discussion above about the differences among the scholars as to how this execution should be carried out. As far as lesbianism is concerned, there is no hadd for it, but it is subject to ta’zeer [unspecified punishment to be determined at the discretion of the qaadi].
(al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, part 24, p. 253).
But if the person who does this evil deed, or any other action which is subject to a hadd punishment, repents, gives up that sin, seeks forgiveness, regrets what he has done and intends never to go back to it – Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about that, and he answered:
If he truly repents to Allah, Allah will accept his repentance, and he does not need to confess his sin to anyone so that the hadd punishment would be carried out on him.
(Majmoo’ al-Fatawaa, part 34, p. 180).
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And those who invoke not any other ilaah (god) along with Allah, nor kill such person as Allah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse and whoever does this shall receive the punishment. The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace; Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. And whosoever repents and does righteous good deeds; then verily, he repents towards Allah with true repentance” [al-Furqaan 25:69-71].
If he repents sincerely towards Allah, there is no reason why he should not get married, and indeed it may be obligatory in his case, as a protection for him and in accordance with what Allah has permitted. And Allah knows best. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
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I am wearing hejab for 1 year naw and my
husband wants me to take it off and i think it will cause me problems with my husband if i
dont what should i do
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Praise be to Allah.You have to persevere in obeying the command of Allaah and
not remove your hijaab, because there is no obedience to any created being if
it involves disobedience to the Creator. You should advise him and deal with
him kindly and gently, and seek the support of righteous people among your family
and his, if it comes to that. We also recommend you read the book "Wasaail
Thabat" (Ways to Steadfast Faith) published under the heading
Books on this web site. We ask Allaah to help you to be steadfast, and to guide
him (your husband).
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Is it permissable for a woman to go
on the pill (female contraception) prior to her marriage, so as to avoid pregnancy in case
the marriage does not work out (ie. she becomes pregnant and then they divorce and she is
left with the child)? Should she inform her spouse on the wedding night or prior to the
nikkah that she is on the pill? In light of the above, is it permissible to use
contraceptives to avoid pregnancy in the event that the marriage might not work out (ie
for the first year of the marriage)?
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Praise be to Allah.If it is medically proven that birth control pills are
harmful to women, then it is not permissible to use them either before marriage or
afterwards, on the basis of the rule that no harm should be done. This rule is based on
the aayaat (interpretation of the meanings):
“And do not kill yourselves” [al-Nisa’ 4:29]
“and do not throw yourselves into destruction” [al-Baqarah
2:195]
Unless it is possible to produce pills that are free of harmful side
effects, they should not be taken.
As for using any non-harmful means of contraception at the beginning of
marriage, fearing that the marriage may not work out, there are a number of reservations
about this, such as:
it may be a kind of pessimism, because you are expecting it to fail.
It may lead to an unhappy marital life and both spouses expecting bad of
one another, because it is known that one of the most important purposes of marriage is to
have children, and if this is delayed for a specific reason the relationship may cool off.
If the husband finds out that this is what his wife is doing, it will spoil the
relationship between them.
Pregnancy is one of the most important functions of women, which
generates feelings of love and compassion towards her husband and children. If pregnancy
is prevented the opposite feelings develop.
The fuqahaa’ (may Allaah have mercy on them) stipulated the
condition for ‘azl (coitus interruptus) or other forms of contraception used by the
woman, that it should only be done with the permission of the other spouse, because both
of them have the right to have children. So it is not permissible for the wife to take
birth control pills without her husband’s permission and consent.
The fear that the marriage may fail and the fact that there is a high
divorce rate cannot be dealt with in this manner. The way to deal with it is to make the
right choice of spouse and make sure that this is the right choice. The prospective
husband should be allowed to see the prospective wife, because this is one of the ways of
fostering love after marriage. Other means should also be used. We ask Allaah to guide us
all. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
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Many refugees are entering the USA from Kosova, they may be sponsored by christain organizations. Some brothers want to sponsor the orphans by allowing them to live in their homes and feeding them. A scholar here said that it is Haraam to adopt someone in Islaam, and he discouraged the people from sponsoring the orphans. My question is, doesn't Islaam allow us to adopt the orphans, only that the orphan does not change his last name, nor is he considered the child of the one adopting him.
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Praise be to Allah.There is a difference between adoption and sponsoring orphans.
A – Adoption means that a man takes an orphan and makes him like one of his own children, calling him after him, so that the orphan is not allowed to marry one of the man’s daughters, and so the sons of the adoptive father are regarded as brothers of the orphan and his daughters are regarded as his sisters, and his (the father’s) sisters are regarded as his paternal aunts, and so on. This was one of the things that were done during the first Jaahiliyyah, and some of the Sahaabah carried the names of their adoptive fathers, as in the case of al-Miqdaad ibn al-Aswad whose real father’s name was ‘Amr, but he was called ibn (son of) al-Aswad, after the man who had adopted him.
This continued into the early days of Islam, until Allaah forbade that, according to a well-known story. Zayd ibn Haarithah was called Zayd ibn Muhammad, and he was the husband of Zaynab bint Jahsh, then Zayd divorced her.
It was narrated that Anas said: When Zaynab’s ‘iddah came to an end, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Zayd ibn Haarithah, “Go and tell her about me (that I want to marry her).” So he went to her and found her kneading dough. He said, “O Zaynab, good news. The Messenger of Allaah wants to marry you.” She said, “I will not do anything until I consult with my Lord.” Then she got up and went to her prayer-place, then the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came and entered upon her.
Concerning this, Allaah revealed the words (interpretation of the meaning):
“And (remember) when you said to him (Zayd bin Haarithah the freed‑slave of the Prophet) on whom Allaah has bestowed grace (by guiding him to Islam) and you (O Muhammad too) have done favour (by manumitting him): ‘Keep your wife to yourself, and fear Allaah.’ But you did hide in yourself (i.e. what Allaah has already made known to you that Hewill give her to you in marriage) that which Allaah will make manifest, you did fear the people (i.e., their saying that Muhammad married the divorced wife of his manumitted slave) whereas Allaah had a better right that you should fear Him. So when Zayd had accomplished his desire from her (i.e. divorced her), We gave her to you in marriage, so that (in future) there may be no difficulty to the believers in respect of (the marriage of) the wives of their adopted sons when the latter have no desire to keep them (i.e. they have divorced them). And Allaah’s Command must be fulfilled”
[al-Ahzaab 33:37]
(Narrated by Muslim, 1428)
B – Allaah has forbidden adoption because it causes knowledge of people’s lineage to be lost, and we have been commanded to preserve people’s lineage.
It was narrated from Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “There is no man who knowingly calls himself after someone other than his father but he has committed kufr. Whoever claims to belong to people to whom he has no ties of blood, let him take his place in Hell.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3317; Muslim, 61)
What is meant by “committed kufr” is that he has done an act of kufr, not that he is beyond the pale of Islam.
This may generate hatred and resentment between the adopted son and the children of the adoptive father, because it will cause them to lose out on something that is rightfully theirs, which will go to this orphan unlawfully who they know is not entitled to it as they are.
Sponsoring an orphan means that a man brings the orphan to live in his house, or he sponsors him somewhere other than his house, without giving him his name or forbidding that which is permitted or permitting that which is forbidden, as is the case with adoption. Rather the one who sponsors an orphan is doing a generous deed. So there can be no comparison between one who sponsors an orphan and one who adopts a child, because of the great difference between them and because sponsoring orphans is something which is encouraged in Islam.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“…And they ask you concerning orphans. Say: The best thing is to work honestly in their property, and if you mix your affairs with theirs, then they are your brothers. And Allaah knows him who means mischief (e.g. to swallow their property) from him who means good (e.g. to save their property). And if Allaah had wished, He could have put you into difficulties. Truly, Allaah is All-Mighty, All-Wise”
[al-Baqarah 2:220]
The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that sponsoring orphans is a means of being together with him in Paradise.
It was narrated that Sahl ibn Sa’d said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I and the one who sponsors an orphan will be like this in Paradise” – and he gestured with his index and middle fingers, holding them slightly apart.
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4998)
But we must point out that when these orphans reach adolescence, they must be separated from the wives and daughters of the sponsor. We should not do good with one hand and do evil with the other. We should also note that the one who is sponsored may be an orphaned girl and she may be beautiful and may become attractive before adolescence, so the sponsor must watch his sons lest they fall into doing haraam things with the orphans, because this could happen and be a means of causing mischief which it will be difficult to put right.
We encourage our brothers to sponsor orphans, for this is something that is rarely done except by those whom Allaah has made righteous and caused them to love good and feel compassion for the orphans and the poor, especially our brothers in Kosova and Chechnya who are faced with hardship and difficulties. We ask Allaah to relieve them of their distress.
And Allaah knows best.
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i am a 18 yrs old girl who had been asked in marriage 5 times so far, and i have refused all of them becuase i was young ... however, now im considering marriage ... so my question is what should i look for to have a good muslim husband? and what are the most important things ... jazak Allah khair
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Praise be to Allah.We appreciate your eagerness to find out the attributes which will help you to choose a righteous husband, in shaa Allah. There follows a description of the most important qualities which should be present in the man whom you choose or accept to be your husband and the father of your children, if Allah decrees that you will have children.
Religious commitment. This is the most important thing to look for in the man you want to marry. The husband should be a Muslim who adheres to all the laws and teachings of Islam in his daily life. The woman’s guardian (wali) should strive to check out this matter and not rely only on outward appearances. One of the most important things to ask about is the man’s prayer (salaah); the one who neglects the rights of Allah is more likely to neglect the rights of others. The true believer does not oppress or mistreat his wife; if he loves her, he honours her, and if he does not love her, he does not mistreat or humiliate her. It is very rare to find this attitude among those who are not sincere Muslims. Allah says (interpretation of the meanings):
“and verily, a believing slave is better than a (free) Mushrik (idolater), even though he pleases you” [al-Baqarah 2:221]
“Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwaa [i.e. he is one of the Muttaqoon (the pious)]” [al-Hujuraat 49:13]
“Good statements are for good people (or good women for good men) and good people for good statements (or good men for good women)” [al-Noor 24:26]
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“If there comes to you one whose religious commitment and attitude pleases you, then marry [your female relative who is under your care] to him, for if you do not do that, there will be tribulation on earth and much corruption.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 1084).
As well as being religiously committed, it is preferable that he should come from a good family and a known lineage. If two men come to propose marriage to one woman, and they are equal in terms of religious commitment, then preference should be given to the one who comes from a good family that is known for its adherence to the commands of Allah, so long as the other person is not better than him in terms of religious commitment – because the righteousness of the husband’s close relatives could be passed on to his children and his good origins and lineage may make him refrain from many foolish and cheap actions. The righteousness of the father and grandfather are beneficial to the children and grandchildren. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the town; and there was under it a treasure belonging to them; and their father was a righteous man, and your Lord intended that they should attain their age of full strength and take out their treasure as a mercy from your Lord” [al-Kahf 18:82].
See how Allah protected their father’s wealth for the two boys after the father died, as an honour to him because of his righteousness and taqwaa. By the same token, if the husband comes from a righteous family and his parents are good, Allah will make things easy for him and protect him as an honour to his parents.
It is good if he has sufficient wealth to keep him and his family from having to ask people for anything, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to Faatimah bint Qays (may Allah be pleased with her), when she came to consult him about three men who had proposed marriage to her, “As for Mu’aawiyah, he is a poor man who has no wealth…” (Narrated by Muslim, 1480). It is not essential that he should be a businessman or rich, it is sufficient for him to have an income that will keep him and his family from having to ask people for anything. If there is a choice between a man who is religiously committed and a man who is wealthy, then the religious man should be given preference over the wealthy man.
It is preferable that he should be kind and gentle towards women, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to Faatimah bint Qays, in the hadeeth quoted above, “As for Abu Jaham, his stick never leaves his shoulder”, referring to the fact that he used to beat women a lot.
It is good if he is sound of body and healthy, free of faults, sickness, etc., and not disabled or sterile.
It is preferable that he should have knowledge of the Qur’aan and Sunnah; if you find someone like this it is good, otherwise you should realize that this is something rare.
It is permissible for the woman to look at the man who comes to propose marriage, and for him to look at her. This should be in the presence of her mahram, and it is not permitted to look more than is necessary, or for him to see her alone, or for her to go out with him on her own, or to meet repeatedly for no reason.
According to Islam, the woman’s wali (guardian) should check on the man who proposes marriage to the woman who is under his guardianship; he should ask those whom he trusts among those who mix with him and who know him, about his commitment to Islam and his trustworthiness. He should ask them for an honest opinion and sincere, sound advice.
Before and during all of this, you must turn towards Allah and pray to Him to make it easy for you and help you to make a good choice and to grant you wisdom. Then after all these efforts, when you have decided on a particular person, you should pray Istikhaarah, asking Allah for that which is good. For more details on Salaat al-Istikhaarah, please see Question 2217. Then after you have done your utmost, put your trust in Allah, for He is the best of helpers, may He be glorified.
Adapted from Jaami’ Ahkaam al-Nisaa’ by Shaykh Mustafaa al-‘Adawi.
We ask Allah, the Exalted, the Powerful, to make things easy for you, to help you make a wise choice, and to bless you with a righteous husband and good offspring, for He is Able to do all that. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
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My question is, does the term Taaghoot include objects that do not call the people to worship them, like the sun, trees, idols, stones? Also, are righteous Muslims, like Imaam Shafi', are they called Taaghoot if the people worship them or their graves?
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Praise be to Allah. Not
everything that is worshipped instead of Allaah can be considered to be
taaghoot. The most correct scholarly view concerning the meaning of the
word Taaghoot is that of Ibn Jareer al-Tabari, who said in his Tafseer
(3/21):
The
correct opinion concerning Taaghoot, in my view, is that it refers to
everyone who arrogates to himself a position that is befitting only for
Allaah, and so is worshipped instead of Him, either by forcing others to
worship him or by accepting their willing worship. The one that is thus
worshipped may be a human being, or a shaytaan (devil), or an idol, or a
statue, or some other being.
He
also said that the root of Taaghoot implies putting oneself in a higher
position and overstepping the mark.
The
Prophets, scholars, righteous people and awliyaa’ (those who are close
to Allaah) did not force people to worship them or obey them in such a
thing. On the contrary, they issued the sternest warning against it. The
purpose behind Allaah’s sending Messengers to mankind was to call them
to believe in Allaah alone and to disbelieve in other gods besides Him.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And verily, We have sent among every Ummah
(community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): ‘Worship Allaah (Alone),
and avoid (or keep away from) Taaghoot (all false deities, etc. i.e., do
not worship Taaghoot besides Allaah)…” [al-Nahl 16:36]
And
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And
(remember) when Allaah will say (on the Day of Resurrection): “O
‘Eesaa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)! Did you say unto men: ‘Worship
me and my mother as two gods besides Allaah?’ ” He will say:
“Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to say).
Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known it. You know what is
in my inner‑self though I do not know what is in Yours; truly, You,
only You, are the All‑Knower of all that is hidden (and unseen). “Never
did I say to them aught except what You (Allaah) did command me to say:
‘Worship Allaah, my Lord and your Lord.’ And I was a witness over them
while I dwelt amongst them, but when You took me up, You were the Watcher
over them; and You are a Witness to all things” [al-Maa’idah
5:116-117]
If
people worship Prophets or scholars instead of Allaah, we should not apply
the word Taaghoot to the object of their worship.
If people exaggerate
about al-Shaafa’i or any other scholar (may Allaah have mercy on them),
and call upon them for help instead of Allaah, or worships their graves,
there is no sin on those scholars; on the contrary, the burden of sin is
on the one who associates others in worship with Allaah (Shirk).
The same is true in the case of the Christians who worship ‘Eesaa (Jesus
– peace be upon him) alongside Allaah. ‘Eesaa (peace be upon him) will
not bear any part of their burden of sin. A brief definition of Taaghoot
is: whoever is worshipped instead of Allaah and accepts that. It is well
known that ‘Eesaa (peace be upon him) and other Prophets, and also
al-Shaafa’i and other scholars who believed in Allaah alone (Tawheed)
would never accept to be worshipped instead of Allaah. On the contrary,
they forbade that and preached the message of Tawheed. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“And (remember) when Allaah will say (on the Day of
Resurrection): “O ‘Eesaa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)! Did you say
unto men: ‘Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allaah?’ ”
He will say: “Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no
right (to say). Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known it.
You know what is in my inner self though I do not know what is in Yours;
truly, You, only You, are the All Knower of all that is hidden (and
unseen). “Never did I say to them aught except what You
(Allaah) did command me to say: ‘Worship Allaah, my Lord and your
Lord.’ And I was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them, but
when You took me up, You were the Watcher over them; and You are a Witness
to all things” [al-Maa’idah 5:116-117].
And
Allaah knows best.
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Iam the only child to my parents. Iam
married and have only two daughters.My husband and I live in the USA, and all our families
and relatives live in a country in the middile east. Thus the only Mahraam I have is my
husband who cannot travel out of the USA for reasons that I cannot mension in this email.
I really whant to go to Hajj inshaa-Allah since I have all the means to do so. Is it Halal
for me to go to Hajj with an organized group for pilgrims. And if not, how will I ever be
able to fullfil this important pillar of Islam when I don't have any Mahrams?!
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Praise be to Allah.A woman does not have to go for Hajj unless she is able,
and having a Mahram who can accompany her is one of the prerequisites for her to be able
to go to Hajj. If it is not easy for her to find a Mahram to go for Hajj with her, then
she is not able according to Shareeah, because in Islam a woman is forbidden to
travel without a Mahram. Therefore Hajj is not obligatory for you unless you find a
Mahram. So have patience until Allaah makes it easy for you to have a Mahram with whom you
can go for Hajj. You have a valid excuse and there is no sin on you for this. As for going
with a group without a Mahram, this is not permissible because of the hadeeth narrated by
Ibn Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The Prophet
(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: No woman should travel except with a Mahram,
and no man should enter upon a woman unless her Mahram is with her. A man said,
O Messenger of Allaah, I want to go out with such-and-such an army and my wife wants
to go to Hajj. He said, Go to Hajj with her. (Reported by
al-Bukhaari, 1729). The pilgrims used to go out from Madeenah in one
caravan like a group but still the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
did not allow women to travel without a Mahram.
And Allaah knows best.
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If you do not pray salat out of laziness on purpose, are you a kafir or just a bad Muslim? Please answer.
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Praise be to Allah.Imaam Ahmad said that the one who does not pray because of laziness is a kaafir. This is the more correct view and is that indicated by the evidence of the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, and by the words of the Salaf and the proper understanding.
(Al-Sharh al-Mumti’ ‘ala Zaad al-Mustanqi’, 2/26).
Anyone who examines the texts of the Qur’aan and Sunnah will see that they indicate that the one who neglects the prayer is guilty of Kufr Akbar (major kufr) which puts him beyond the pale of Islam.
Among the evidence to be found in the Qur’aan is:
The aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
“But if they repent [by rejecting Shirk (polytheism) and accept Islamic Monotheism], perform As-Salaat (Iqaamat-as-Salaat) and give Zakaat, then they are your brethren in religion.” [al-Tawbah 9:11]
The evidence derived from this aayah is that Allaah defined three things that the Mushrikeen have to do in order to eliminate the differences between them us: they should repent from shirk, they should perform prayer, and they should pay zakaah. If they repent from shirk but they do not perform the prayer or pay zakaah, then they are not our brethren in faith; if they perform the prayer but do not pay zakaah, then they are not our brethren in faith. Brotherhood in religion cannot be effaced except when a person goes out of the religion completely; it cannot be effaced by fisq (immoral conduct) or lesser types of kufr.
Allaah also says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up As-Salaat (the prayers) [i.e. made their Salaat (prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or by not offering them perfectly or by not offering them in their proper fixed times] and have followed lusts. So they will be thrown in Hell. Except those who repent and believe (in the Oneness of Allaah and His Messenger Muhammad), and work righteousness. Such will enter Paradise and they will not be wronged in aught.” [Maryam 19:59-60]
The evidence derived from this aayah is that Allaah referred to those who neglect the prayer and follow their desires, Except those who repent and believe, which indicates that at the time when they are neglecting their prayers and following their desires, they are not believers.
The evidence of the Sunnah that proves that the one who neglects the prayer is a kaafir includes the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his neglect of the prayer.”
(Narrated by Muslim in Kitaab al-Eemaan from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)).
It was narrated that Buraydah ibn al-Husayb (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: ‘The covenant that distinguishes between us and them is the prayer, and whoever neglects it has disbelieved (become a kaafir).’”
(It was narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nisaa’i and Ibn Maajah). What is meant here by kufr or disbelief is the kind of kufr which puts a person beyond the pale of Islam, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made prayer the dividing line between the believers and the disbelievers. It is known that the community of kufr is not the same as the community of Islam, so whoever does not fulfil this covenant must be one of the kaafireen (disbelievers).
There is also the hadeeth of ‘Awf ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him), according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The best of your leaders are those whom you love and who love you, who pray for you and you pray for them. The worst of your leaders are those whom you hate and who hate you, and you send curses on them and they send curses on you.” He was asked, “O Messenger of Allaah, should we not fight them by the sword?” He said, “Not as long as they are establishing prayer amongst you.”
This hadeeth indicates that those in authority should be opposed and fought if they do not establish prayer, but it is not permissible to oppose and fight them unless they make a blatant show of kufr and we have evidence from Allaah that what they are doing is indeed kufr. ‘Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) called us and we gave bay’ah (oath of allegiance) to him. Among the things that we pledged to do was to listen and obey him both when we felt enthusiastic and when we were disinclined to act, both at times of difficulty and times of ease, and at times when others were given preference over us, and that we would not oppose those in authority. He said: ‘unless they made a blatant show of kufr and you have evidence from Allaah that what they are doing is indeed kufr.’”
(Agreed upon). On this basis, their neglecting the prayer, for which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said we should oppose them and fight them by the sword, constitutes an act of blatant kufr for which we have evidence from Allaah that it is indeed kufr.
If someone were to say: is it not permissible to interpret the texts about a person who neglects prayer being a kaafir as referring to the one who neglects the prayer because he does not think it is obligatory?
We would say: it is not permissible to interpret the texts in this way because there are two reservations about this interpretation:
it involves ignoring the general description that the Lawgiver took into consideration and to which the ruling was connected. The ruling that the person who neglects prayer is a kaafir is connected to the action of neglecting prayer, not to his denial of it being obligatory. Brotherhood in religion is based on performing the prayer, not on whether a person declares it to be obligatory. Allaah did not say, “If they repent and state that the prayer is obligatory”, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not say “Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his denial that the prayer is obligatory” or “The covenant that distinguishes between us and them is our statement that the prayer is obligatory, so whoever denies that it is obligatory has disbelieved.” If this is what Allaah and His Messenger had meant, then not stating it clearly would have contradicted what is said in the Qur’aan. For Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And We have sent down to you the Book (the Qur’aan) as an exposition of everything” [al-Nahl 16:89]
“And We have also sent down unto you (O Muhammad) the Dhikr [reminder and the advice (i.e. the Qur’aan)], that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them” [al-Nahl 16:44]
It is not correct to refer to a reason which the Lawgiver did not make a factor in ruling a person to be a kaafir, because if a person who does not have the excuse of ignorance denies that the five daily prayers are obligatory then he is deemed to be a kaafir, whether he prays or not. If a person performs the five daily prayers, fulfilling all the conditions of prayer and doing all the actions that are obligatory or mustahabb, but he denies that the prayers are obligatory with no valid reason for doing so, then he is a kaafir, even though he is not neglecting the prayers. From this it is clear that it is not correct to interpret the texts about neglecting the prayers as referring to denying that they are obligatory. The correct view is that the person who neglects the prayer is a kaafir who is beyond the pale of Islam, as is clearly stated in the report narrated by Ibn Abi Haatim in his Sunan from ‘Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) exhorted us: ‘Do not associate anything in worship with Allaah, and do not neglect the prayer deliberately, for whoever neglects the prayer deliberately puts himself beyond the pale of Islam.” Moreover, if we interpret the ahaadeeth about neglecting the prayer as referring to a denial that it is obligatory, there would be no point in the reports referring specifically to the prayer, because this ruling applies equally to zakaah, fasting and Hajj – whoever neglects any of these, denying that it is obligatory, is a kaafir, if he does not have the excuse of ignorance.
Just as the one who neglects the prayer is deemed to be a kaafir on the basis of the evidence of the texts and reports, so he may also be deemed to be a kaafir on the basis of rational analysis. How can a person be a believer if he neglects the prayer which is the pillar of religion, and when there are aayaat and ahaadeeth urging us to perform prayer which make the wise believer rush to do the prayer, and when there are aayaat and ahaadeeth warning against neglecting it, which make the wise believer scared to ignore the prayer? Once we have understood this, a person cannot be a believer if he neglects the prayer.
If a person were to say: can we not interpret kufr in the case of one who neglects the prayer as meaning a lesser form of kufr (kufr al-na’mah) rather than the kind of kufr which puts a person beyond the pale of Islam (kufr al-millah)? Or can we not interpret it as being less than Kufr Akbar (major kufr) and more like the kufr referred to in the ahaadeeth, “There are two qualities that exist among people which are qualities of kufr: slandering people’s lineage and wailing over the dead” and “Trading insults with a Muslim is fisq (immoral conduct) and exchanging blows with him is kufr”, etc.?
We would say that this interpretation is not correct for a number of reasons:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made prayer the dividing line between kufr and faith, between the believer and the disbeliever. This is where he drew the line, and the two things are quite distinct and do not overlap.
Prayer is one of the pillars of Islam, so when the person who neglects it is described as a kaafir, this implies the kind of kufr that puts a person beyond the pale of Islam, because he has destroyed one of the pillars of Islam. This is a different matter from attributing kufr to a person who does one of the actions of kufr.
There are other texts which indicate that the kufr of the one who neglects the prayer is the kind of kufr which puts a person beyond the pale of Islam, so what is meant here by kufr should be interpreted according to the apparent meaning, so as avoid contradictions between the texts.
The description of kufr in those ahaadeeth is different. Concerning neglecting the prayer, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Between a man and shirk and kufr.” Here the word kufr is preceded in the original Arabic by the definite article “al”, which indicates that what is referred to here is the reality of kufr. This is in contrast to the other ahaadeeth where kufr is referred to without the definite article, or in a verbal form, which indicates that this is a part of kufr or that the person has disbelieved by doing this action, but it is not the absolute kufr which places a person beyond the pale of Islam.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in his book Iqtidaa’ al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem
(p. 70, Al-Sunnah Al-Muhammadiyyah edn.), concerning the hadeeth of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) ““There are two qualities that exist among people which are qualities of kufr”:
“The phrase ‘which are qualities of kufr’ means that these two qualities which exist among people are qualities of kufr because they are among the deeds of kufr and they exist among people. But not everyone who has a part of kufr becomes a kaafir because of it, unless there exists in his heart the reality of kufr. Similarly, not everyone who has a part of faith becomes a believer because of it, unless there exists in his heart the essential reality of faith. So there is a distinction between kufr that is preceded [in the original Arabic] by the definite article “al”, as in the hadeeth ‘Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands nothing but his neglecting the prayer’, and kufr that is not preceded by the definite article but is used in an affirmative sense.’”
So it is clear that the person who neglects the prayer with no excuse is a kaafir who is beyond the pale of Islam, on the basis of this evidence. This is the correct view according to Imaam Ahmad, and it is one of the two opinions narrated from al-Shaafa’i, as was mentioned by Ibn Katheer in his tafseer of the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
“Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up As-Salaat (the prayers) [i.e. made their Salaat (prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or by not offering them perfectly or by not offering them in their proper fixed times] and have followed lusts” [Maryam 19:59]
Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned in his book Al-Salaah that it was one of the two views narrated from al-Shaafa’i, and that al-Tahhaawi narrated it from al-Shaafa’i himself.
This was also the view of the majority of the Sahaabah, indeed many narrated that there was consensus among the Sahaabah on this point. ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Shaqeeq said: the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not think that neglecting any deed made a person a kaafir, apart from neglecting the prayer. This was reported by al-Tirmidhi and al-Haakim, who classed it as saheeh according to the conditions of (al-Bukhaari and Muslim). Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh, the well known imaam, said, It was reported with a saheeh isnaad from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that the one who neglects the prayer is a kaafir. This was also the view of the scholars from the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) until the present day: that the person who deliberately neglects the prayer with no valid excuse, until the time for that prayer is over, is a kaafir. Ibn Hazm said that it was reported from ‘Umar, ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf, Mu’aadh ibn Jabal, Abu Hurayrah and others among the Sahaabah. He said: “We do not know of any opposing view among the Sahaabah.” Al-Mundhiri narrated this from him in Al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, and added more names of Sahaabah: ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood, ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbaas, Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah and Abu’l-Dardaa’ – may Allaah be pleased with them. He said: apart from the Sahaabah, there are also Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh, ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Mubaarak, al-Nakha’i, al-Hakam ibn ‘Utaybah, Ayyoob al-Sakhtayaani, Abu Daawood al-Tayaalisi, Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah, Zuhayr ibn Harb and others.
And Allaah knows best.
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Does touching dogs and/or dogs' saliva nullify wudu?
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Praise be to Allah.Touching dogs or their saliva does not nullify wudu because if taharah is done according to the rules of Shari`ah, nothing can nullify it except things for which there is evidence in Shari`ah.
There is no such evidence that touching dogs or their saliva have this effect. It was not mentioned by the scholars among the things that nullify wudu.
Ibn Qudamah mentioned in al-Mughni (1/264) things that nullify wudu, and he did not mention touching dogs or their saliva. Then he said: These are all the things that nullify taharah, and it cannot be nullified by anything else according to the view of the majority of scholars
But there is no doubt that dogs saliva is very dirty and extremely impure, and it can only be removed by washing seven times, one of them with earth. There is a difference between this and something which nullifies taharah.
For more, please see this category: Nullifiers of Wudu.
And Allah knows best.
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Are cousins of the opposite sex allowed to play together?
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Praise be to Allah.If the cousins are male and female and are young and
have not reached the age where they could feel desire and temptation, then there is no
harm in their playing together. If they are older, then it is forbidden because cousins
are not Mahrams (close relatives whom one is permanently forbidden to marry and with whom
the rules of hijaab and segregation are relaxed). Cousins are ‘Ajaanib or strangers
(non-Mahrams) to the daughters of their paternal uncles (father’s brothers) and
maternal uncles (mother’s brothers). And Allaah knows best.
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I work for an airline company where I
turn a blind eye to some passengers’ excess baggage so as to encourage them to travel
with this airline. I do this in the company’s interests so that passengers will be
attracted to travelling with them. So if a person’s luggage weighs more than twenty
kilos, I do not charge them for it, to encourage them to give their custom to our company.
I also receive promotional gifts from other companies.
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Praise be to Allah.If your turning a blind eye to excess baggage is done
with the knowledge and permission of the company, and the company considers it as a means
of attracting passengers, then there is nothing wrong with it. But if it is an individual
effort on your part and is done without their knowledge and permission, then you should
not do it, because it is not up to you to turn a blind eye with regard to the rights of
others. (This response was read to Shaykh Muhammad al-‘Uthaymeen and he agreed with
it).
With regard to inexpensive promotional gifts, such as diaries,
calendars, coasters and so on, that carry company names and logos and are distributed as a
form of advertising, if they are given to everyone and not just to you, then you can take
them.
But if they are given only to you or they are very valuable, then you
should not take them if they are given to you, because this is a kind of bribe. You have a
regular salary from the company which you take in return for your efforts, so do not take
anything from anyone else for your work. This also applies to anything else that is in the
nature of a valuable gift, such as reductions. You should not accept these, and you should
buy from people who do not know you. The guideline in this matter should be: if you were
in a different position and were not working for this airline company, or you were a
student, for example, or without work, would they still give you this gift or reduction,
or not? On this basis you will know whether to accept what is offered to you. And Allaah
knows best.
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I am wondering how a woman who is
previously married should get married, i.e. how does she find a husband, does she require
a wali, how does she meet the husband-to-be and when in the process. Can he see her face
and hair and when.Please show all proofs using Qur'an and
Sunnah JazakAllahkhairunPlease tell me who is giving this fatawa
and their islamic Background
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Praise be to Allah.The case of a woman getting married again is something
that God has predestinated and is a success granted by Him. This matter could be fulfilled
by: (Doaa) praying to Allah to provide her with another husband. By the guide of
charitable people for a suitable man. By one of her female friends who knows her status
and mentions her to one of her relatives, also this could be the fruit of philanthropic
project for achieving marriage relations considering the state of the man and the woman
and what is suitable for every one and is controlled by trustworthy faithful people.
And as for the guardian, it is a must no matter the woman has been
married before or not. The prophet (peace be upon him) said: Any woman who gets
married without the permission of her guardian, her marriage is false, her marriage is
false, her marriage is false.[Narrated by Al Termithy # 1102, Abou Dawood, Ibn Maga
& El Albani said that it is authentic in his book Sahih Al Gamia #
2709 ].
It is preferable for the person proposing (for the first time) to look
at the woman he is proposing to because the prophet (peace be upon him) said:
Go and look at her [Narrated by Muslim # 1424].
And for what Al Nasaee narrated: Al Mugira Ibn Shoba said:
Someone proposed to a woman at the time of the prophet (peace be upon him) so the
prophet asked him: (Did you look at her?) He said no. He said: (look at her, by doing this
it will be more likely to have a harmonious marriage with everlasting love.[Narrated
by Al Nasaee & others, El Albani said that it is authentic in Sahih Al
Gamia # 859].
Most of the scholars agreed that the man proposing for marriage is
allowed to look at the womans face as it is the place that gathers all the charms,
and her hands (their face and back), i.e. she should appear in the same state as in her
prayers.
This should be without staying alone with each other in a privet place.
And without touching one another. He may look, in their meeting, at her more then one time
as long as he needs this, until he decides if hes going to marry her or not.
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A university teacher’s employers have stipulated a condition that they will give him unpaid leave if he gives 25% of the income that he earns from another employer to an interest-based bank, so that they will take part of it as a tax. Is it permissible for him to give an incorrect statement of his
income so that he can avoid putting a larger amount in the bank for the tax to be deducted from it?
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Praise be to Allah.The following question was put to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who replied as follows:
It seems that it is not permissible, because he has a contract with
them, and if he has a contract with them it is not permissible for him to try to cheat
their system.
Question: even if it involves an unfair tax?
Answer: but he agreed to that from the outset.
And Allaah knows best.
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What is the Islamic ruling on taking part in some annual celebrations and occasions, such at the International Day of the Family, the International Day for Disabled People, the International Year of Older Persons. Also what is the ruling on taking part in some religious celebrations such as al-Israa’ wa’l-Mi’raaj (the anniversary of the Prophet’s Night Journey and ascent into the heavens), al-Mawlid al-Nabawi (Prophet’s Birthday) and al-Hijrah (anniversary of the Prophet’s migration), by preparing leaflets or holding lectures and Islamic conferences for the purposes of reminding and exhorting the people (about their religion)?
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Praise be to Allah.It seems to me that these days which are repeated every year and the gatherings held to mark them are innovated festivals and ways for which Allaah did not reveal any authority. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Beware of newly-invented matters, for every newly-invented matter is an innovation (bid’ah) and every innovation is a going-astray.”
(Narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi and others).
He also said: “Every people has its festival (‘Eid) and this is our festival.”
(Agreed upon)
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) spoke at length in his book Iqtidaa’ al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem li Mukhaalifat Ashaab al-Jaheem (The Requirements of the Straight Path in Differing from the People of Hell), condemning the innovated occasions and festivals that have no basis in the pure Sharee’ah and the ways in which they corrupt people’s religious commitment. Most if not all of the people have no understanding of the damage caused by this kind of bid’ah, especially when it has to do with acts of worship, but those who are blessed with insight and understanding realize something of the damage that it can do.
What people have to do is to follow the Qur’aan and Sunnah, even when they do not entirely understand the issues of benefit and harm that are involved.
Whoever innovates something on a certain day, such as observing a fast, performing a prayer, preparing certain foods, putting up decorations, spending on his family and so on, will be affected by this and it will create some kind of belief in his heart, because he must believe that this day is better than other days, since if he and those who follow him did not have this belief in their hearts, they would not make the effort to do these things.
“Celebration” or “festival” involves three things: place, time and gathering, in any of which things may be innovated.
With regard to time, there are three kinds of innovation, which may overlap with issues of place and actions.
The first kind is a day which is not venerated at all in Sharee’ah, which was not mentioned by the Salaf and nothing happened on that day to indicate that it should be held in any kind of esteem.
The second kind is a day on which some event happened that also happened on other days, but that does not mean that it should be regarded as a special occasion, and the Salaf did not venerate this day.
Whoever does such a thing is imitating the Christians, who took the days of events in the life of Jesus (peace be upon him) as festivals, and the Jews. But festivals are part of Sharee’ah, and whatever has been prescribed by Allaah should be followed, but whatever has been innovated in the religion is not a part of Islam.
Similarly, the innovation followed by some people (in celebrating the Prophet’s birthday), whether it is done in imitation of the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus, peace be upon him, or it is done out of love and respect for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), is not something which was done by the Salaf, even though the reason for doing it was there and there was nothing to stop them doing it if it was good…
The third kind is days which are venerated by Sharee’ah, such as the day of ‘Aashooraa’, the day of ‘Arafaah and the two Eid days, etc., but the people who follow their own desires innovate things that they think are good but which in fact are wrong and are not allowed – such as when the Raafidis go without water and express grief on the day of ‘Aashooraa’ etc. These are innovated matters which were not prescribed by Allaah or by His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or by any of the Salaf or the members of the household of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
As regards holding regular gatherings, whether weekly, monthly or annually, apart from the gatherings that are prescribed in Sharee’ah, this implies that one is making them as important as the gatherings for the five daily prayers, Jumu’ah, Eid and Hajj, and this is a newly-invented innovation.
The principle in question here is: the Islamic acts of worship which are repeated at certain intervals and are thus special occasions, have been prescribed by Allaah and are sufficient for mankind. If any other gatherings are invented in addition to these gatherings, it means that they are being given a status equal to that of the occasions prescribed by Allaah, which leads to the adverse effects referred to above. This is in contrast to what a person or a small specialized group may undertake on their own sometimes.
On the basis of the above: it is not permissible for the Muslim to take part in these events which are celebrated regularly every year, because of their resemblence to the prescribed Islamic festivals, as explained above. But if it is a “one-off” event that is not repeated, and the Muslim can use the occasion to convey the truth to people, then there is nothing wrong with that, in sha Allaah. And Allaah knows best.
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If a person repents and feels that he has fulfilled all the conditions of repentance, can he be sure that his repentance has been accepted, or should he just hope that this is so?
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Praise be to Allah.We put the following question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allah preserve him, who answered as follows:
No, he can only hope that this is so. No one can be sure that his repentance has been accepted.
And Allah knows best.
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Should I give my father what he needs of my wealth – if he asks for it – when I want to build a house and my father wants to get married? I am renting a house and I could continue renting, but I really want a house of my own. Should I give priority to building my own house or do I have to give the
money to my father so he can get married?
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Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who answered as follows:
He has to give his father what he needs to get married, especially if
his father is in great need of getting married.
Question: if the father wanted to build a house and asked his son for
the money, should he give priority to his own house or his father’s house?
Answer: he should give priority to his own house over his father’s
house.
And Allaah knows best.
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A group of people went to an auction, and they had agreed beforehand that they would not increase the price against one another.
The auction started and a friend of theirs came in and started bidding. They spoke to him and said, “We will give you a share, so keep quiet.” Then after the auction was over, they sold the things they had bought and shared the profit between them. What is the ruling on this?
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Praise be to Allah.We put the following question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn
Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who replied as follows:
-If there is no one else present at the auction except them, then this
is not permissible. But if there are others present, there is nothing wrong with them
making such an agreement, so long as they do not prevent anyone else from taking part in
the auction. But preventing someone else from taking part and telling him that he will
have a share in their profits, is not allowed.
Question: if they give him a share, does he have to get rid of the
money?
Answer: If they give him a share then they are sinners.
Question: What should he do with the money?
Answer: he should give it back, or he should give it in charity. And
Allaah knows best.
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His wife insisted on divorce, and he told her “Think about it for one month.” But she did not change her mind, and she left. When the month was nearly over, he wrote a letter of divorce, intending to send it to her exactly at the end of the month. She got in touch with him one day before the
end of the month and said, “I want to come back.” So did the divorce take place?
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Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who replied as follows:
The matter is according to his intention; if he intended divorce, then
the divorce has happened. But it seems that he did not want the divorce to happen until
the end of the month, so on this basis the divorce did not happen.
And Allaah knows best.
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Does the hadeeth “Whoever loses
three children who had not reached the age of puberty…” include miscarried
foetuses into whom the soul had already been breathed?
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Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who answered as follows:
Yes, they are included, but they are not like children who have been
born and to whom one has developed an attachment.
Question: but will a person get the same reward?
Answer: yes, we hope so.
And Allaah knows best.
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Is it permissible to use clothing or
other things on which are drawn six-pointed stars (the “Star of David”) or
crosses?
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Praise be to Allah.Al-Bukhaari narrated in his Saheeh from
‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet
(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) would never leave anything in his house on which there
were any crosses without erasing them or – according to another report –cutting
them out.
This hadeeth indicates that if the Prophet
(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) saw a cross on something, he would not leave it without blotting it
out, or cutting it out if it was still visible after blotting it out, because the cross is
something that is worshipped instead of Allaah, and its presence is something
objectionable (munkar) which must be changed. This is a summary of what was said by
Al-Haafiz in Al-Fath.
It was also reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said:
“Whoever among you sees an evil action (munkar), let him change it
with his hand [by taking action], and if he cannot, then with his tongue [by speaking
out], and if he cannot, then with his heart [by feeling that it is wrong], and that is the
weakest of faith.” (Narrated by Muslim).
Muslim also narrated that Abu’l-Hayaaj al-Asadi
said: “ ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) said to me: ‘Shall I not send
you on the same mission that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) sent me? Do not leave any image without blotting it out and do not leave any
built-up grave without levelling it.’”
These two ahaadeeth indicate that it is obligatory to change, remove or
blot out any objectionable thing (munkar). The symbols of kufr (including the six-pointed
star) are included in this, so they must be removed and wiped out. And Allaah knows best.
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Some of the students give gifts to their
teachers on special occasions. Some of them are her current students, but some are
students who she is not teaching now but may teach in the coming years. Others are
students that she can never teach because they have already graduated. What is the ruling
on these cases?
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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 the third case, but the other two are not
permissible, even if it is a gift for her giving birth etc, because this gift could be
seen as an attempt to soften the teacher’s heart (i.e., a bribe).
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What is the ruling on going on strike to
attain some workers’ demands or to improve their situation?
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Praise be to Allah.Striking is a breach of the contract between the worker
and his employer, and Allaah calls on us in His Book to honour and uphold the contracts
that one person may take upon himself towards another person. So the worker has to do all
the work that he agreed to do in a manner that pleases Allaah and in accordance with the
aayah (interpretation of the meaning);
“O you who believe! Fulfil (your) obligations…”
[al-Maa’idah 5:1]
Strikes are often accompanied by trouble, discord and violence, which
is unacceptable in Islam because of the Fiqhi principle that warding off evil takes
priority over achieving benefits. There are a number of other means which can be resorted
to in order to achieve one’s goals, and which may be more effective than striking. A
wise man would not leave any legitimate avenue unexplored.
As for stopping work because one has not been paid, this is
permissible, because in this case the employer is in breach of contract, so the worker has
the right to stop work until he gets paid. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: “Give the hired worker his wages before his sweat dries.” (Narrated
by Ibn Maajah). And Allaah knows best.
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The tins of cat food include pork. Is it permissible to buy them for cats?
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Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who answered as follows:
If you buy the tins, then it is not permissible, because it is not permissible to pay for pork and buy it. But if a person finds it by chance and feeds it to his cat, then there is nothing wrong with that.
And Allah knows best.
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They imposed a condition that if he did
not buy the product from them, he would have to pay them compensation if they sold it at a
loss. Is this an invalid condition? For example, he came and said, “I want to buy
such and such a product” and they said, “We will bring it from America and if
you do not buy it, and we sell it to someone else at a loss, you will have to compensate
us because you broke your promise.” Is this an invalid condition?
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Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who answered as follows:
Yes, this is an invalid condition.
And Allâh knows best.
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My question is as follows:I married a sister who had a
child with her husband before me. The little brother is currently three years old.
If their is any evidence to show clearly my wife's right to visitation. And the behavior
of the Sahaabah and their implimention of the hadeeth,"And the women has more right
unless she remarries." How did those men who took custody of the children give their
former wife her right to the child. Please help us we are truly being oppressed
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Praise be to Allah.The best way for a child to be brought up is with both
of his parents, because if he is cared for by both this will strengthen him physically,
enhance his intellectual development, keep his soul pure and prepare him for life.
If it so happens that the parents separate, then the mother has a
greater right to custody than the father, unless there is reason not to give priority to
the mother or there is a reason to give the child the choice in the matter.
The reason why the mother is given priority is that she is the primary
caregiver and is the one who breastfeeds the child; she is also better able to care for
the child and take care of him. She has more patience than a man in this regard, and has
more time than he does, so the mother is given priority in the best interests of the
child.
It was reported from Abd-Allaah ibn Umar that a woman said,
O Messenger of Allaah, my womb was a container for this son of mine and my lap was a
haven for him, and he drank from my breast, but his father is claiming that he should take
him from me. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
You have more right to him (to custody of him) so long as you do not remarry. (Narrated
by Ahmad, 2/182; Abu Dawood, 2276; al-Haakim, 2/225. Classed as Saheeh by al-Haakim).
Yahyaa ibn Saeed said: I heard al-Qaasim ibn
Muhammad said: Umar ibn al-Khattaab had a wife from among the Ansaar who bore
him Aasim ibn Umar, then Umar divorced her. Umar came to
Quba and found his son Aasim playing in the courtyard of the mosque. He took
him by the arm and seated him in front of him on his riding-animal, but the childs
grandmother caught up with him and fought with him over the child until they went to Abu
Bakr al-Siddeeq. Umar said, (He is) my son! and the woman said,
(He is) my son! Abu Bakr said: Leave them alone, and Umar
did not answer back. (Narrated by Maalik in al-Muwatta, 2/767;
al-Bayhaqi, 8/5). Ibn Abd al-Barr said: this hadeeth is well known
with a variety of isnaads, complete and incomplete, and is accepted by the scholars.
According to some reports, [Abu Bakr] said: the mother is more
compassionate, more kind, more merciful, more loving and more generous, and she has more
right to her child unless she remarries.
Abu Bakrs description of the mother as being more compassionate
and more kind is the reason why the mother has more right to the custody of her young
child. And Allaah knows best.
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Are there any du’as which one can say in the final Tashahhud after al-Tahiyyat and al-Salah al-Ibrahimiyyah? If so, what are they? Some imams stay for a long time in the final Tashahhud and the people praying behind them do not know what they are saying.
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Praise be to Allah.Du’a after Tashahhud
Abu Hurayrah said: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “When any one of you recites the Tashahhud [according to one report: when any one of you finishes the final Tashuhhud ], let him seek refuge with Allah from four things, let him say: ‘Allahumma inni ‘a'udhu bika min 'adhabi Jahannam wa min ‘adhab al-qabri wa min fitnat il-mahya wa’l-mamat wa min sharri fitnat il-masih id-dajjal (O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the punishment of Hell and the punishment of the grave, and from the trials of life and death and from the worst of the turmoil of the Dajjal (antichrist)).’” Sahih Muslim, 588.
It was also narrated that in addition to seeking refuge from these four, one should also seek refuge from sin and heavy debt.
Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated from ‘Aishah, the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to say during his prayer: “Allahumma inni a’udhu bika min ‘adhab al-qabri wa a’udhi bika min fitnat il-masih id-dajjal wa a’udhi bika min fitnat il-mahya wa fitnat il-mamat. Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min al-matham wa’l-maghram (O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the punishment of the grave and I seek refuge with You from the turmoil of the Dajjal and I seek refuge with You from the trials of life and the trials of death. O Allah, I seek refuge with You from sin and heavy debt).’” Someone said to him: “How often you seek refuge from heavy debt!” He said: “When a man gets into debt, he speaks and tells lies, and he makes a promise and breaks it.” (al-Bukhari, 833)
It was also narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught Abu Bakr al-Siddiq a du’a which he could recite during his Salah, as was narrated by al-Bukhari. Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), “Teach me a du’a that I can recite during my salah.” He said: “Say: ‘Allahumma inni zalamtu nafsi zulman kathiran wa la yaghfir ul-dhunoob illa anta, faghfir li maghfiratan min ‘indaka warhamni, innaka anta al-Ghafoor al-Rahim (O Allah, indeed I have wronged myself greatly, and there is none who forgives sins besides You. So grant me forgiveness from You and have mercy on me, for You are the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful).’” (790).
This du’a may be recited in the final Tashahhud , after the prayers seeking refuge referred to above.
It was also narrated that after reciting the prayers seeking refuge, a person may recite any good du’a he wishes, and may ask Allah for anything he wishes of the good things of this world and the next. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “When any one of you recites the Tashahhud , let him seek refuge with Allah from four things – from the punishment of Hell, the punishment of the grave, the trials of life and death, and the evils of the Dajjal, then let him pray for himself for whatever he wants.” (Narrated by al-Nasai, 1293).
And Allah knows best.
|
What is the Islamic ruling on working as
a secretary in an institute that teaches financial courses, i.e., an institute which
teaches bank employees only about matters pertaining to bank administration, knowing that
the institute’s income comes from riba-based banks in exchange for training their
employees?
|
Praise be to Allah.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]. Your working in this institute is clearly helping them to
continue engaging in riba, which is something that is forbidden not only in Islam but in
all religious laws revealed to other Prophets. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: “Allaah has cursed the one who consumes riba, the one who gives
riba, the one who writes it down and the one who witnesses it.” He said: “They
are all the same.” (Narrated by Muslim).
So you have to look for a new job. The Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “You never give up anything out of fear of
Allaah, but Allaah will give you something better than that.” (Narrated by
Ahmad).
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will
make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from
(sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will
suffice him.” [al-Talaaq 65:2-3]
And Allaah knows best.
|
Then what about gifts that the teachers
give to the principal, for example when she recovers from illness or after she gives
birth, if it is known that the principal also gives the teachers gifts on similar
occasions?
|
Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who replied as follows:
If this is a two-way exchange of gifts, then there is nothing wrong
with it.
|
A woman was told by the doctor to give
her child an injection once every two days, but because of her love for him and her desire
to hasten his recovery, she gave the dosage every day, and her child died. What is the
ruling in this case?
|
Praise be to Allah.This woman has to pay the diyah (blood money), because
she was of sound mind. The kafaarah (expiation) is to free a slave, but if this is not
possible then she has to fast two consecutive months. Mothers have to be very careful in
such cases, and they have to follow the doctor’s instructions.
And Allaah knows best.
|
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