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If during Wudu (ablution), one finds dirt stuck on his fingers, does working on removing the dirt by scrubbing it off disrupt the continuity of the Wudu and require repeating it? | Praise be to Allah.Continuity would not be disrupted by such an action (according to the most viable opinion) even if his body had dried, because he was delayed due to an action required for his purity. The same is true if he were to move from one faucet to another in search of water.
However, if continuity were disrupted due to an action not related to this, like removing impurity from his clothes, eating or drinking and the like, and the limbs became dry, then he needs to repeat the Wudu.
From the book What Should You Do in the Following Situations .. ?
Fatawa ibn Uthaimeen, 4/145-146 (Dar al-Qutni)
And Allah knows best. |
What should a person do if one of the areas normally washed during wudu is wounded? | Praise be to Allah.
If a person is wounded in one of the areas of wudu and is not able to cover the wound with a bandage, he should perform wudu except for the wounded body part, for which he should then perform ablution with sand (tayammum).
1 (Note that this means one performs normal tayammum, not actually placing the sand on the wound itself.)
1 Al-Mughni ma'a al-Sharh il-Kabeer 1/282. |
If a man sees the signs of sexual discharge impurity (janaba) on his clothes, and he is not sure when the discharge occurred, and several prayers have passed, what should he do? | Praise be to Allah.If a man sees the signs of sexual discharge impurity (janaba)
on his clothes, and he is not sure when the discharge occurred, and he had performed
several prayers (salaat) not knowing, he has to perform major ablution (ghusl)
and repeat the salaat from the most recent sleep in which he was wearing this
clothes. However, if he finds out that the janaba was from a previous sleep,
then he should repeat salaat from the last sleep he thinks the janaba occurred1.
The references (adillah) on the religious duty of performing ghusl due to janaba
in preparation for salaat are many, one of which is Allah's command in the Qur'an,
a translated meaning of which is: "O' You who believe, do not get approach
salaat while you are drunk until you know what you are saying, nor while impure
due to sexual discharge (junob) unless you are traveling about until you perform
ghusl" (4:43). And Ali's narration (hadith), (may Allah be pleased with
him), in which he said "I was a man with frequent urethral discharge, so
I kept performing ghusl until the skin of my back started cracking, so I mentioned
this to the Prophet peace be upon him (or it was
mentioned to him) so the messenger of Allah (peace
be upon him) said, "Don't do ghusl if you see urethral discharge, just
wash your male organ and perform wudu' same as wudu' of salaat. If semen appears,
then perform ghusl"2.
This hadith indicates that appearance of semen requires ghusl whereas urethral
discharge only needs washing of the sexual organ followed by wudu'.From the book What Should You Do in the Following
Situtations...?
1 Al-Mughni ma'a al-Sharh il-Kabeer
1/199.
2 Narrated by Abu Dawood number 206 and verified sahih
by Albani in Arwaa' al-Ghaleel number 125. |
A lawyer in Argentina is asking about the ruling on circumcision for a disbelieving man or woman who wants to enter Islam. | Praise be to Allah.Thank you for submitting this question. The issue of circumcision is one of the issues which in several cases forms a barrier for some of those who want to enter the religion of Islam. The matter is easier than many people think.
Male circumcision in Islam
As for circumcision, it is one of the symbols of Islam. It is part of sound human nature (fitrah), and is part of the way of Ibrahim (peace be upon him). Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Then We revealed to you, [O Muhammad], to follow the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth.” [an-Nahl 16:123]
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) circumcised himself when he was eighty years old…” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 6/388)
Is male circumcision mandatory in Islam?
Circumcision is obligatory for a Muslim man, if he is able to do it. If he is not able to do it, such as if he fears that he may die if he is circumcised, or if a trustworthy doctor has told him that it will lead to haemorrhaging that may cause his death, then he is exempt from circumcision in that case, and he is not sinning if he does not do it.
Is circumcision necessary for conversion to Islam?
It is not appropriate under any circumstances to let the issue of circumcision be a barrier that prevents a person from entering the faith; rather the soundness of a person’s Islam does not depend upon him being circumcised. A person’s entering the religion of Islam is valid even if he does not get circumcised .
With regard to the issue of female circumcision, you will find the answer in question no. 427 .
I ask Allah to enable you to do all that is good and to protect you from all that is evil.
And Allah knows best. |
If a woman has a miscarriage and has discharge of blood, does she pray? | Praise be to Allah.This case depends on the type of blood. Is the blood what is known as post-natal bleeding (nifas) or vaginal bleeding (istihadah ) (but not part of her regular period)?
The scholars have declared the regulation in this matter. They said:
"If she sees the blood after the abortion of a formed human being, then it is nifas; if she sees blood after the abortion of a clot, then it is not nifas." (Al-Mughni ma' al-Sharh al-Kabir 1/361)
In the latter case, she is considered to be mustahada, so she performs wudu for every prayer when the time for it is due and she prays.
Whereas if the aborted object is a fetus or has human-formed organs like an arm or a leg or a head, then it is considered nifas.
For the case where the aborted object is disposed of in the hospital before the woman saw it, the scholars have mentioned that the least amount of time human form starts to take place is eighty one days after pregnancy. (Majmu’ Fatawa Ibn ‘Uthaymin 4/292)
This is based on the report of ‘Abdullah Bin Mas’ud's hadith (may Allah be pleased with him), in which he said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke to us, and he is the truthful and believed one, and said: "Each one of you, human creation, forms in his mother's womb for forty days, then he is a hanging clot for the same amount of time, then he is a mudghah (the size of a morsel) for the same amount of time, then Allah sends an angel who is commanded with four things: he is told to write his deeds, his livelihood and sustenance, whether he is happy or distressed " (Sahih al-Buhari 6/303)
Ladies in this case should spend the effort to find out from the doctors' estimations until her situation is clear to her.
As for the blood that is discharged just prior to a normal delivery, if it is accompanied with the pains of contraction, then it is nifas, and if not, then it is not. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taimiyyah (may the mercy of Allah be upon him) said: "What she sees when the contractions commence is nifas. What is referred to here is contractions after which follows delivery; otherwise it is not nifas." (Majmu’ Fatawa Ibn ‘Uthaymin 4/327)
Reference: “What Should You Do in the Following Situations by Sheikh Muhammad Salih Al-Munajjid. |
If a person praying experiences insinuating thoughts from Shaytan in his prayer, causing him problems in reciting the Quran, and resulting in bad or evil thoughts, and making him doubt the number of completed rak’ahs, what should he do? | Praise be to Allah.Satanic whispers during prayer
This happened to one of the Companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) whose name is ‘Uthman ibn Abi Al-’As, (may Allah be pleased with him). ’Uthman came complaining to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and said: "The Shaytan comes between me and my prayer and causes me problems with my recitation." So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That is a Shaytan called Khanzab , so if you feel his presence, seek refuge in Allah and blow a mist to your left three times." He said: "I applied this advice and Allah has rid me of him.” (Sahih Muslim, 2203)
Tips on how to stay focused in prayer
This hadith includes two ways on how to get rid of the shaytan while praying .
Seeking refuge in Allah from the Shaytan's evil by pronouncing the words of seeking refuge and this is OK in this case.
Blowing with mist to the left three times. This is basically blowing air in a similar manner to spitting, but with a minute mist of saliva, on the condition that this does not disturb or bother the person next to him, nor make the masjid dirty.
And Allah knows best.
Reference: “What Should You Do in the Following Situations by Sheikh Muhammad Salih Al-Munajjid. |
If prayer starts (i.e. the iqama is called) and the person feels the call of
nature, what should he do? | Praise be to Allah.He should go to the restroom and tend to the call of nature even
if this means he will miss the jama'at (congregational prayer). The
evidence: Abullah Bin Arqam said, "The Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him) said: 'If one of you needed to go to the restroom and the
salaat starts, he should start with the restroom.' "1
From the book What Should You Do in
the Following Situations... ?
1 Abu Dawood 88 and Sahih
al-Jaami' 373. |
If a person has something happen to him (i.e., someone speaks to him or
approaches him) while praying what should he do? | Praise be to Allah.If it is a man, he should pronounce tasbeeh (glorifying
Allah by saying "subhan Allah"), and if it’s a woman,
she should clap. The evidence is Sahl Bin Saad’s narration that the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said,
"If something bothers you in your salaat, men should make tasbeeh
and women should clap."1
From the book What Should You Do in
the Following Situations... ?
1 Sunan Abu Dawood 941,
Sahih al-Bukhari (Bugha print) 1145, and Sahih Muslim 106. |
If a praying person is in doubt whether he has passed wind or not, or if
he feels movement or gasses in his abdomen, should he stop prayer or
continue? | Praise be to Allah.If he knows without doubt that wind has passed, then he should
leave the prayer. However, if he is in doubt but is not certain, then he should
not leave unless he becomes certain--by hearing the wind pass or smelling it.
If he finds that he has passed wind, he should leave; otherwise he should pay
no attention to it. The evidence: Abu Huriara, (may Allah be pleased
with him) said, "The Messenger of Allah (peace
be upon him) said: 'If one is in prayer and feels movement in his behind, (and
is in question whether) he has passed wind or not, and he is in doubt, then
he should not leave unless he hears the sound or detects the smell".1
And this is one of the significant Islamic prescriptions for curing waswasa
(insinuations from the whispering of shaitan [Satan]).
From the book What Should You Do in
the Following Situations... ?
1 Abu Dawood 177, and
Sahih al-Jaami 750. |
If a person is praying witr (final odd prayer of late night) and during his
prayer the muathin (caller of prayer) called for fajr (dawn) prayer,
should he continue with his witr? | Praise be to Allah.Yes, if the call to prayer was during his witr, he should
complete the prayer and he is excused. This matter is part of the case of the
timing of witr prayer: i.e., does witr end at the start of the
timing of the fajr prayer or at the end of the timing of the fajr
prayer? The majority of scholars (al-jumhoor) are in agreement that answer
is the start of fajr prayer.1
From the book What Should You Do in
the Following Situations... ?
1 Is'aaf Ahl il-Asr bi-ma Warada
fi Ahkaam Salaat il-Witr, by Faihan al-Mutairi, p.33. |
If a person missed asr (afternoon prayer), and when he arrived to the masjid he found maghrib (sunset prayer) has started, what should he do? | Praise be to Allah.Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taimiyya (may the mercy of Allah
be upon him) said that he should pray maghrib with the imam (prayer
leader), then pray asr afterwards, as agreed upon by all leading scholars.
The question of does he repeat maghrib has two scholarly opinions: the
first is that he repeats. This is the saying of Ibn Omar, Malik, Abi Hanifa
and Ahmad in what is most well-known about this issue. The second opinion is
that he does not repeat. This is the saying of Ibn Abbas, the Shafiei madhab,
and the second opinion of Ahmads school of thought.
The latter is more correct, for Allah did not make it obligatory
on the person to pray a salaat twice if he has feared Allah as much as
he can (wallahu a'lam [and Allah knows best]).1
From the book What Should You Do in
the Following Situations... ?
1 Majmooa Fatawi Ibn Taimiyya
22/106. |
If a traveling person comes upon a congregation praying, and he does
not know if: (1) the imam (prayer leader) is a traveler, meaning that he
should join the prayer with the intention of qasr (shortening prayer), or
(2) if he is resident, and thus should pray the complete prayer, what
should he do? | Praise be to Allah.The answer that is apparent is: he acts based on what is clear
to him from the signs of travel on the imam from clothes or travel gear.
If it appears to him that the imam is resident, then he should pray the
complete prayer.
The evidence: what Imam Ahmad authenticated and narrated
that Ibn Abbas was asked: "What is reason that the traveler prays
two rakaat (iterations of prayer) if he is alone and four rakaat
if he is led in [a full] prayer by a resident? So he said, that is the sunna
(tradition of the Prophet ),
and in another narration "That is the sunna of Abi Al-Qasim."
Take the case of one who assumes that the imam is a traveler,
and thus prays with him two rakaat with intention of qasr. Then,
after salaam (completion of prayer) with the imam, it becomes
clear to him [from speaking with others after the prayer, for example] that
the imam is actually a resident and that the two rakaat that he
had prayed were the imam’s third and fourth. In such an instance,
he should stand up and make two rakaat to complete the prayer, he makes
sujood sahw (an extra two prostrations). Whatever speaking was
done or questions asked to investigate do not harm his prayer.1
From the book What Should You Do in
the Following Situations... ?
1 Al-Majmooa lil-Nawawi 4/356 |
If a praying person suddenly cannot stand up for the remainder of the
prayer, or he was unable to pray standing up so he was praying sitting
down, then he became able to stand again, what should he do? | Praise be to Allah.Ibn Qudama, (may the mercy of Allah be upon him), said:
"As soon as the ill person during prayer is able to do what he was not
able to do when he commenced the prayer, whether it be standing, sitting, bowing,
prostrating, or bowing, then he should move on and build on what has been already
completed from his prayer. The same if he began the prayer completely capable
of performing all actions, then suddenly became unable to perform certain actions.
In this case he continues praying in the best shape he can and builds on what
he previously had completed as though nothing has changed in his condition."1
The evidence is: hadith Umran Bin Hossayn, (may Allah be pleased with
him), who said, "I had bawaseer (hemorrhoids) so I asked the Prophet
(peace be upon him), about salaat, and he said: 'Pray standing up; if
you cannot, then sitting down; if you can not, then on your side.' "2
From the book What Should You Do in
the Following Situations... ?
1 Al-Mughni maa al-Sharh al-Kabeer
1/782, and likewise in Al-Majmooa lil-Nawawi 4/318.
2 Sunan Abu Dawood 922 and Sahih Sunan Abu Dawood
815 |
What should one do if one is distracted during the prayer by something
happening in ones environment, such as someone knocking on the
door, or a child in danger, e.g. playing with an electrical outlet, etc.,
perhaps requiring him to move? | Praise be to Allah.If a person praying needs to do something relatively minor during
prayer, like opening a door and the like, it is OK as long as his direction
does not change from the qibla (direction of prayer). The evidence for
this is what Abu Dawood narrated that Aa'isha (may Allah be
pleased with her), said, "The Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him), used to pray with the door closed, so I arrived and asked
him to open it, so he came and opened it and returned to his prayer" (the
narrator mentioned that the door was in the direction of the qibla).1
The same is true if a mother needed, while praying, to save her
child from danger or harm and the likesmall movement to the right or left,
or forward or backward, does not harm the prayer. Similarly if the ridaa
(upper body cover) falls off, the praying person can pick it up and if the izar
(lower body cover) became loose, then he can tighten it up. The sharia
(laws of Islam) have allowed for the praying person in some cases excessive
movement even if he were to change direction from qibla, as evident in
the hadith of Abu Huraira, (may Allah be pleased with him), where he
said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him), said: Kill the two black things while in prayer: the snake and scorpion.
"2
Also, preventing a person from passing in the place of prostration
by pushing (or even fighting him if he insists) is prescribed, as related in
Bukhari from hadith Abi Saleh Al-Samman, who said: "I saw Aba
Saeed Al-Khudri on Friday praying with something in front of him to protect
him from [passing] people, and a young man from Bani Abi Muaet wanted to pass
in front of him in the place of prostration. So Abu Saeed pushed the mans
chest, so the man looked [around] and did not find any place from which to walk
except in front of him, so he tried to pass in front of him again. Abu Saeed
pushed him harsher than the first time, so he cursed Abu Saeed. Then the young
man went to Marwan and complained about Abu Saeeds action and Abu Saeed
entered after him at Marwans place so Marwan said: What is the matter
with you, doing that to your brothers son oh Abu Saeed.? He said:
I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) saying:
"If one of you prays with something in front of him protecting him from
[passing] people, and someone wants to pass in front of him, then he should
push him, and if he refuses to [turn back], then fight him, for he is a shaitan
(satan)."3
From the book What Should You Do in
the Following Situations... ?
1 Sunan Abu Dawood, number
922, and Sahih Sunan Abu Dawood 815.2 Sunan Abu Dawood,
number 921, and Sahih Sunan Abu Dawood 814.3 Narrated al-Bukhari
Fath 1/582. |
If as-salaam (the greeting of Islam) was said to someone during his
prayer, what should he do? | Praise be to Allah.He should reply by signaling, as narrated by Sohaib (may Allah
be please with him): "I passed by the Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him), while he was praying and I said salaam to him and he replied
by signal." The description of the signal was narrated in many hadith,
one of which is from Ibn Omar (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) went to
Qubaa’ (first Masjid in Medina) to pray. He said that the Ansaar
(first Muslims of Medina) came to him and said salaam to him while he was praying.
He said, "So, I said to Bilal, ‘How did you see the Messenger
of Allah (peace be upon him) reply to them when
they said salaam to him while he was praying?’" He said that he said,
"Like this."and he flattened his hand. Jafar bin Awn (one of
the narrators) flattened his hand and made the bottom of the hand facing down
and the back of the hand facing up.1
From the book What Should You Do in
the Following Situations... ?
1 Reference |
If a man enters the masjid while the imam (leader of prayer) is praying.
Should he join the imam immediately in whatever position he is in and
start praying, or should he wait to find out whether the imam is going to
sit or stand? | Praise be to Allah.The correct answer is the one to which the evidence points. And
that is that he should enter with the imam no matter what part of prayer
the imam is insujood (prostration), qiyaam (standing),
rukuu' (bowing) or qu'ood (sitting). The evidence is the hadith
of Abi Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), in which he said, "The
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, 'If
you come to prayer and we are prostrating, then you should prostrate [but] dont
count it, and whoever catches a rakaa, then he has caught the
salaat'."1
And Muath said that [the Prophet] (peace
be upon him) has said "If one of you comes to prayer and the Imam is in
a certain position, then do as the Imam is doing".2
Also, the general meaning of his saying (peace be upon him), applies: "What
you catch up with, pray."
From the book What Should You Do in
the Following Situations... ?
1 Sunan Abu Dawood 893
and Sahih Sunan Abu Dawood 792.2 Sunan Al-Tirmidhi 591
and Sahih Sunan Al-Tirmidhi 484.. |
What should a person do if prayer starts and a person is still on his way
to the masjid? | Praise be to Allah.If prayer starts and a person is still on his way to the masjid,
then he should not hurry in his walk; instead, he should walk with calmness
and respect as indicated in the hadith of Abi Huraira (may Allah be
pleased with him), in which he said: [The Prophet]
(peace be upon him) said: "If salaat is started, do not approach
it running, but approach it walking, with calmness. Whatever you catch up with,
pray, and what you miss, complete it."1
From the book What Should You Do in
the Following Situations... ?
1 Narrated by Al-Bukhari
Fath 2/390. |
How does a murderer repent for his sin? | Praise be to Allah.A murderer has three rights on him. That of Allah, that of the murdered person, and
those of his or her immediate kin.
As for Allah's right it cannot be requited but with true repentance.
The right of the immediate kin can be requited by the murderer by handing himself over
to them in order that they either: a) turn him over to the authorities for execution; b)
accept monetary compensation from him; or c) forgive him.
The right of the person himself who was murdered cannot be compensated for in this
world. Some scholars are of the opinion - and this seems to be the preferable opinion -
that if the murderer is true in his repentance, Allah will clear him of his sin and
compensate on his behalf by satisfying the person murdered on the Day of Judgment. |
How does a thief repent? | Praise be to Allah.If what he has stolen is still in his possession it should be returned to the owner. If it has been used or disposed of, then an amount equivalent to its value should be returned to the owner--unless the owner is willing to forgive.
And Allah knows best. |
I find it extremely difficult to go back to those whom I had stolen from, nor can I ever confess to them in order to gain their forgiveness. What should I do? | Praise be to Allah.It is not necessary for you to face the embarrassment of informing them yourself, or offering compensation in person. You can send their dues to them by, for example, mail, or through another person without revealing your identity. You can also place it in their sight without their knowledge, or say to them if you have to go in person that "someone" - who doesn't like to reveal his name - says this is your property. In short, the important thing is to return rightful property to the people who it was taken from.
And Allah knows best. |
I used to steal money on and off from my father's pocket. Now I do not
know how much I stole, nor can I admit to him now. What shall I do? | Praise be to Allah.Try and estimate to the best of your memory the total amount you have stolen, and
return it. And there is no harm if you return it as secretly as you took it. |
I swindled some money from some orphans. Then I invested it in a trade
and it proved to be very profitable so that it came back to me manifold.
But fear of Allah has overtaken me and I want to repent. How do I do it? | Praise be to Allah.The scholars have expressed different opinions. The moderate and most just opinion is
that you return the entire original sum to the orphans plus half of the profits, as if you
and they had been partners with their capital and your labor, hence the division.
This ruling has come from Imam AHED. It is also the opinion of Ibn Taymiyya which
his pupil Imam Ibn ul-Qayyim prefers. This also applies to the situation in which you
have rustled a cattle which gives birth to calves. The cattle must be returned and the
calves must be split. If the original cattle dies then its price plus half of its calves must
be returned. |
A man works in an air transport company. He steals a tape-recorder. After
many years he repents. Now, should he return the same transistor radio, or
a similar model or its equivalent price, especially considering that the
original model is not sold in the markets now? | Praise be to Allah.He must return the same piece along with an additional amount equal to the reduction in
its value that has resulted due to its usage or the course of time. Of course it is to be
accomplished in a suitable manner without causing himself harm. However if that is
impractical or infeasible then he can give in charity an equivalent amount in the name of
the original owner. |
I used to have money earned from usury or interest (riba), but I have spent it all and none of it remains with me. Now I want to repent. What am I required to do? | Praise be to Allah.Nothing is required of you except repentance and seeking forgiveness from your Lord. Note that riba is a very serious and grave issue, seeing that Allah did not declare war in the Quran against anyone except the one who accepts riba. Since the money earned from riba has all gone, then there is nothing due from you in its regard.
And Allah knows best. |
What should a person do with the profits he made from selling cigarettes, when it has been mixed with other lawful money? | Praise be to Allah.
He who has
done business in things that are prohibited in Islam, such as musical
instruments, prohibited cassettes, cigarettes etc. while knowing the ruling
on them then wishes to repent, needs to give away in charity all the profits
he made from them. This will be a means of purification and will not be
counted as spending in the way of Allah, for Allah is pure and does not
accept but the pure.
Further, if
this money gets mixed up with other earnings, as in the case of a shop owner
who sells many other items, then if he can compute the amount of profits
made from them, he should do so in the hope of purifying the rest of his
earnings.
In other
words, he who has some money earned through unlawful means and intends to
repent, should:
1- If he was an unbeliever at the time of earning the money, he is not
obliged to atone for them or seek their purification. For the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not demand from his followers that
they purify their wealth after coming into the fold of Islam.
2- If he was Muslim at the time of earning the money, well aware of its
Islamic ban and prohibition, then he should separate it out at the time of
repentance. |
What should a person do with the profits he made from selling cigarettes, when it has been mixed with other lawful money? | Praise be to Allah.He who has done business in things that are prohibited in Islam, such as musical instruments, prohibited cassettes, cigarettes, etc. while knowing the ruling on them then wishes to repent, needs to give away in charity all the profits he made from them. This will be a means of purification and will not be counted as spending in the way of Allah, for Allah is pure and does not accept but the pure.
Further, if this money gets mixed up with other earnings, as in the case of a shop owner who sells many other items, then if he can compute the amount of profits made from them, he should do so in the hope of purifying the rest of his earnings.
In other words, he who has some money earned through unlawful means and intends to repent, should:
If he was an unbeliever at the time of earning the money, he is not obliged to atone for them or seek their purification. For the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not demand from his followers that they purify their wealth after coming into the fold of Islam. If he was a Muslim at the time of earning the money, well aware of its Islamic ban and prohibition, then he should separate it out at the time of repentance.
And Allah knows best. |
A man used to accept bribes. Then Allah guided him to righteousness. What should he do with what he used to earn as bribes? | Praise be to Allah.There can be two situations.
Either the bribes he used to accept were from those that had been wronged who had to offer bribes as a means of obtaining what was their right, in which case the repentant should return them their amounts or articles or whatever, for what he took from them is considered as having been taken by force or through deceit. Or, the bribe was taken from an unjust (zalim) man like he was himself before he repented. That is, someone who achieved or attained things via bribes which were not his right. This amount is not to be returned to him. Instead the repentant should spend it in a charitable way, such as on the poor and the destitute. Likewise, he must repent from the harm he caused to people by giving their right away to others who had no right to them, but rather obtained them via the use of bribes.
And Allah knows best. |
I used to do forbidden things and get paid for them. Now I have
repented. Do I have to return the amounts thus earned? | Praise be to Allah.Yes, one who commits haram (forbidden) deeds and accepts payments for them, should
get rid of the amounts earned from them when he repents. But such amounts should not be
returned to those who paid them.
For instance, when a call-girl repents, she should not return her wages of sin to her
customers. When a singer repents he should not return the wages he earned to the band to
which he belonged or the party which paid. When a man who used to sell wine or drugs
repents he should not return the amounts to those who used to buy from him. Nor should he
who used to swear for others as a false witness return the amounts he earned to those for
whose benefit he used to swear. The reason being that if he returns the amounts to him who
paid, then he will be depositing with him both the unlawful money as well as the unlawful
commodity that he took through bribe or wages of sin. Therefore it will be enough if he gets
rid of such unlawful earning himself. This is the preference of Sheikh al-Islam Ibn
Taimiyyah as well as his pupil Ibn ul-Qayyim as stated in his Madarij. |
What is the ruling on using clothing of the kuffar (unbelievers)? | Praise be to Allah.The use of clothing of the kuffar (unbelievers) which they have worn
is permissible as long as there is no known najasa (impurity)
regarding it, because the default for things in general is tahaarah
(purity) and it is not overridden by mere doubt. Likewise, what they
have woven and dyed and what has been imported from their
countries are also permissible, as long as they do not comprise
anything haram (forbidden), because the Prophet
(peace be
upon him) and his sahaba (his companions) wore items the kuffar
had woven and made, and likewise the Prophet
(peace be
upon him) wore a Roman jubba (a long outer garment, open in front,
with wide sleeves). |
What are the different types of ‘iddah (waiting period) and what are their extents? | Praise be to Allah.According to the Islamic Shari`ah, the iddah is a waiting period with certain exigencies required of a woman when the appropriate condition exists; either divorce or death of her husband.
As for divorce , the ‘iddah for a pregnant woman is until she delivers her child.
The ‘iddah for one who still menstruates, is three menstrual cycles, whereas for one who is either too young or too old to menstruate, it is three months.
As for the widow whose husband has passed away, if she is pregnant then her ‘iddah is until she delivers her child; otherwise, it is four months and ten days.
And Allah knows best. |
There is another problem that has been worrying me for some time—namely, I committed fornication with a woman. How do I repent? Can I marry her in order to cover up the whole affair?
Another man says he committed fornication outside his country, and he knows that the woman conceived and delivered a child. Is this his child? And is it obligatory for him to bear the costs of the child’s upbringing? | Praise be to Allah.
Questions of this sort are
asked so often and by so many that it is time Muslims paid serious attention
to their reformation in the light of the Quran and Sunnah (prophetic
teachings), in order that such things do not occur in the first place.
Special stress is to be placed on the lowering of the gaze, no bodily
contact (including shaking hands) between men and women, wearing of the full
hijab (women’s Islamic dress code), prohibition of meetings in secrecy in
particular and of mixing of sexes in general, discouraging unwarranted
travel to non-Muslim countries, and early marriages. As for the question
about one who committed fornication, there can be two situations.
Either the man did it by force,
that is, raped the woman. Such a man should pay her the amount of mahr
(dower) in accordance with her social class, as compensation for what harm
he caused her. As for himself, he should sincerely repent. And, if the
matter has reached the authorities, then he should be punished according to
the law of shari’ah (Islamic law). See Madarij. Or, he has had sex with a
woman who consented to the act. There is nothing due from such a man except
repentance. Neither the child is his, nor is the cost of upbringing born by
him because it is an illegal child and must be attached to the mother and
not the father.
The man’s marriage to the
woman, for the sake of covering up the issue, is also not permissible. For
Allah revealed in the Quran a verse whose meaning can be translated as: “An
adulterer does not marry but an adulteress or mushrika (female polytheist).
And an adulteress does not marry but an adulterer or mushrik (male
polytheist).” (24:3)
It is also not permissible to
marry a woman who is pregnant from an adulterous act, even if the man has
fathered the baby in the womb, as it is also not permissible to marry a
woman about whom it is not known if she is pregnant or not.
Nonetheless, if he repents, and
she also repents, and she is not carrying a child, then it is permissible
for him to marry her and begin a new life. If she is carrying a child, they
must wait until she gives birth.
And Allah knows best. |
Supposing - and may Allah save us from such a thing that I sinned with a woman and then we married. And after many years we both repent. What is required of us now? | Praise be to Allah.So long as both of you are true in your repentance, it is required of both of you to get married anew in the presence of a wali (legal guardian of the woman) and two witnesses. But it is not necessary that it be done in a court—rather, it will suffice even if the whole proceeding takes place inside a house. |
A woman says she married a virtuous man. But she had committed things
before marriage that Allah disapproves of. Now her conscience pricks her. She
would like to know if it is necessary for her to confess to her husband what she
used to do before marriage? | Praise be to Allah.No, it is not necessary for either of the two spouses to inform the other of what they used to
do before their marriage. Let he or she who happens to have fallen in such evils conceal
himself or herself just as Allah has concealed them. A true repentance should suffice.
As for he who married a virgin, but it became apparent to him at consummation that she is
not so for reasons of promiscuity committed before marriage, then he has the to take back
the mahr (dower) he paid her and separate from her. Nevertheless, if he finds that she has
truly repented, then if he keeps it confidential and conceals the matter and retains her in
marriage, surely he will be rewarded for it by Allah. |
What is required of the man who repents homosexuality? | Praise be to Allah.It is obligatory on both of them - the active and the passive partners - to repent to Allah
urgently, passionately and sincerely for no worse combination of punishments was sent by
Allah as the ones in the case of the people of Lut (asws), who used to commit this filthy
crime. The combination of punishments was as follows:
They were blinded and left groping, as Allah said, “fa-tamasna a’yoonahum” (i.e.,
blinded them).
A thunderous cry (tore their hearts) (al-sayha)
Their homes were turned upside down.
Allah rained upon them a storm of stones of baked clay prepared specifically for them
and destroyed them completely.
Accordingly the punishment if Islam for sodomy is death whether the two involved are
married or unmarried. Said the Prophet
(peace be upon him): “Whomsoever you
find committing the act, kill them: both the active and the passive partners.” (Abu Dawood,
Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah, authenticated sahih by al-Albani, Arwaa’ ul-Ghaleel 2350) |
I have repented. But in my possession are some forbidden things such as musical instruments, cassettes, films, etc. Is it permissible for me to sell them, particularly since they are worth a large amount? | Praise be to Allah.
Sale of such banned articles is not permissible in Islam. The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “When Allah forbids a thing, then
He forbids its price (as well).” (i.e., its sale/purchase/trading.) [Abu
Dawood, and it is authentic] Also, you know well that whomever you sell it
to will use it in a forbidden act; thus, it is not permissible for you to
sell it to him as Allah has prohibited this in commanding us (in meaning):
‘do not assist one another in sins and enmity’.
And no matter how much you lose in worldly wealth, have faith that what is
in store with Allah is worthier and longer lasting. He will compensate you
with His grace, and His favor and His generosity.
And Allah knows best. |
I was a misguided person spreading secularist ideologies, and writing heretical stories and articles, and using my poetry as a vehicle to spread corruption and liberalism. Then Allah turned to me with His mercy and brought me forth from darkness into light. How should I repent? | Praise be to Allah.This of course is a great blessing of Allah and a favor. We pray to Allah that He grant you perseverance.
As for those who were engaged with their tongue and their pen in a war against Islam by spreading distorted ideologies and doctrines, or by spreading misguided innovations and corruption, the following is incumbent upon them:
Announce their repentance and renounce all that they used to spread in antagonism to Islam, in order that the renunciation becomes well known, and so that no one can claim to be misguided by their disowned writings. This renunciation is an obligation and is a precondition for the acceptance of repentance.
Allah says (what means):
“Save for those who repent, make amends and show clearly [what they used to say/rule wrongly], it is from those whom I accept their repentance, and I am very Forgiving, very Compassionate.”
[2:160]
The tafseer (explanation) for this verse indicates that it was revealed regarding the scholars of ahl ul-kitab (People of the Book) who used to conceal what had been revealed regarding the signs of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the commands to believe in him.
The repentant person should now engage themselves in the spread of the truth of Islam, spending their energies in defense of its teachings, and educating people in their religion. They should use their power of speech or writing to counterattack the forces of falsehood, to expose their deceits, plans and strategies, even as he used to co-operate with them in opposing Islam, and thus become a sword in the defense of Islam. It is also binding on he who convinced another man, even if in a private meeting, against things declared haram (forbidden) by Islam, such as, for instance, taking interest, to get in touch with the person he was instrumental in changing his opinion and let him know of his own renewed enlightenment.
And Allah knows best. |
If a person has already prayed in a mosque then goes to another one and finds people there praying the congregational prayer, should he pray again? | Praise be to Allah.If a person prays in a mosque and then goes to another one to attend a lecture or for any other reason, and finds the people there praying, then he should join them and his prayer would be considered a supererogatory (nafilah, nafl, tatawwu‘) prayer .
He should do so even if it is during the prohibited times of prayer because there is a reason behind it. The evidence for this comes from what has been narrated in the hadith of Yazid bin Al-Aswad (may Allah be pleased with him) in Sunan Al-Tirmidhi in the chapter on “What has been reported about a person who prayed alone and then joins a congregation”:
“He said: I performed Hajj with the Prophet (peace be upon him) and prayed Fajr with him in Masjid Al-Khayf. When he completed his prayer and turned around, he found two people who did not pray with him. He said: I have to talk to them. So he came to them and they were trembling. He asked them: What prevented you two from praying with us? They said: O Prophet of Allah! We had already prayed in our places. He said: Do not do that. If you already prayed at your places and then came to a congregational mosque, pray with them too and it will become a supererogatory prayer for you.”
(Sunan Al-Tirmidhi, No. 219; Sahih Al-Jami‘, No. 667)
In another hadith it is narrated that the two came after the Fajr prayer which is a prohibited time for prayer. Imam Malik has reported in Muwatta in the chapter on “What has been narrated about repeating the prayer with the Imam after a person has prayed individually”:
Mihjan (may Allah be pleased with him), says that he was in the company of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed in congregation and returned while Mihjan himself did not pray with them. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: What prevented you from praying with the people? Are you not a Muslim? He said: Indeed, O Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! But I had already prayed at home. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: When you come (to the mosque) then pray with the people even if you have prayed.”
For more about repeating prayers, please see these answers: 90038 , 9023 , and 32680 .
And Allah knows best. |
What should one do if one is praying the sunnah prayer
in the mosque and the iqamah is called? | Praise be to Allah.If a person enters the mosque and is praying the sunnah while the
iqamah is called, then the best opinion in this case is that if he is in
his second rak‘ah, he should shorten it, and if he is in the first
rak‘ah, he should just break his prayer and enter the congregation
with the Imam1. The evidence for this comes from what Imam
Muslim has narrated in his Sahih:
Prophet
(peace be upon him) said: If iqamah is
called for the prayer then there is no prayer except the
obligatory one.
(Sahih Muslim, 1/493)
So, if one has performed the ruku‘ for the second rak‘ah, then he
should complete the prayer, and if not, then he should discontinue
because what is left from his sujud and tashahhud is not needed any
more. Moreover, he should break without salaam, and it is enough
to have the intention in the heart, contrary to common
misconception. |
What should one who is informed about the correct direction of the qiblah
during a prayer? | Praise be to Allah.If there is a congregation praying, and during their prayer they are informed about the
right direction of qiblah, they should all turn towards the correct direction. The same is
also true for someone praying individually. Whatever part of their prayer has been
performed (before changing direction) will be correct. The evidence for this a narration
by Imam Muslim from Anas (may Allah be please with him), that:
While the Prophet
(peace be upon him) was praying towards
Bayt-al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), the verse was revealed to him (translation of
meaning):
Verily! We have seen the turning of your face towards
the heaven. Surely, We shall turn you to a qiblah that
shall please you, so turn your face in the direction of
Al-Masjid Al-Haram.
(Al-Baqarah, 2:144).
A man from Bani Salamah was passing by and found
them (i.e., the people of Bani Salamah) in the state of
ruku‘ in the Fajr prayer in the second rak‘ah. He
shouted to them: Indeed the qiblah has been changed.
So, turn to the qiblah as they (i.e., the Prophet
and his Companions) have.
(Sahih Musim, No. 527)
If some of the people were informed and the others were not, then the one to whom it
was made clear should turn to the direction he believes to be the correct direction of
qiblah. Now if all of these people (who were informed or not) were originally praying
together in the same direction, and some of them turned towards right and some
towards left, it is correct for some to follow others. But the scholars have a difference
of opinion about some people following others in the situation where there was
complete disagreement (among the praying people) about the direction of the qiblah. If
there was someone among them who was completely ignorant about the direction, he
should follow the one who is more aware amongst them of the direction of the qiblah.1
For the one who was uninformed about the direction f the qiblah, must ask someone if
he can, or else he should make ijtihad (make a judgment based on the best of his ability
with the information available) if he is able to, otherwise he must follow someone who is
reliable. If he cannot find one, then he should do his best in obedience to Allah and
complete his prayer, and his prayer is correct. This sometimes happens to a number of
those who travel to the lands of disbelievers and find no Muslim around them to inform
them of the correct direction of qiblah.
If one was capable of finding out the direction of the qiblah, but was neglectful and
prayed without making all possible efforts, he should repeat his prayer because he was
careless.2
1 Al-Mughni, 1/473.
2Al-Mughni, 1/490 |
What should one do if one is praying behind an imam and one misses one
of the obligatory parts (arkaan)of the prayer? | Praise be to Allah.If someone is praying in a congregation and the loud speaker stops working or the
person is drowsy, and he lags behind the Imam by one or more obligatory acts
(arkaan) of prayer (i.e., the Imam performed it and he could not because of not hearing
the Imam’s voice), then when he returns to consciousness or the sound of the speaker
returns back, he should complete the missed obligatory acts and then continue with the
Imam. This situation has many cases. Take for example the following case: the Imam
recited a verse that contains the word of prostration (sajdah) and the people
misunderstood it to be an actual verse of prostration while in reality it is not, so when
the Imam says takbeer for ruku‘ at the end of the verse and performs ruku‘, some of
the followers (especially those towards the rear of the rows) take it to be the takbeer for
the prostration of recital, thus going into prostration. When the Imam stands up from
the ruku‘ saying “sami‘a Allahu li man hamidah”, they return back (stand up) from
their prostration. Thus, they missed the act of ruku‘ and standing up from it. So it is
incumbent on them to complete what they missed and then catch up with the Imam.
This is because they did not do it intentionally. However, for the one who intentionally
lags behind the Imam (e.g., someone who prolongs his prostration to make a long
supplication such that he misses the obligatory act which is after the prostration) the
majority of the scholars say that the prayer of someone who misses two consecutive
obligatory acts of prayer without a valid excuse, is void and he is sinful.1 However, in
principle the Imam must be followed as said by the Prophet
(peace be upon
him):
The Imam is selected to be followed; the, do not differ with him. When he makes
the takbeer, make the takbeer, when he goes into ruku‘, make ruku‘. When he
says “samia‘ Allahu li man hamidah” (Allah hears he who praises Him), say
“Rabbanaa lakal Hamd” (O our Lord! To You belongs the Praise). When he
goes into sajdah, make sajdah. If he prays sitting, then all should be sitting. (Sahih Al-Bukhari, No. 689) |
What happens if the Imam nullifies his ablution during the prayer? Or what
if he suddenly recalls that he in fact was not in a state of wudu’ in the first
place? What should he do? Is the prayer of the people praying behind him
still valid or do they need to make up all or part of it? | Praise be to Allah.If the Imam enters the state that nullifies his ablution or prayer, or remembers during the
prayer that he did not perform ablution, then he should come out from prayer and
appoint someone from the attendees who can lead them to completion. This has been
narrated from ‘Umar, ‘Ali, ‘Alqamah and ‘Ataa’. If he did not appoint anyone and the
people prayed individually, this would be acceptable, and this is the opinion taken by
Imam Al-Shafi‘i. If he elected someone and advanced him to lead them, that is also
permitted. The evidence for this is what has been narrated regarding ‘Umar (may Allah
be pleased with him) when he was stabbed. He took Abdur Rahman bin ‘Auf who led
the prayer to completion.1
And the reason for this deduction is that ‘Umar did so in the presence of a number of
Companions and others and no one opposed this act, so it became a consensus
(ijma‘).2
If the Imam remembers that he is not in a state of purity, he should indicate to the
followers to remain as they are and purify himself and come back to lead them. The
evidence for this is the following narration of Abu Dawud from Abu Bakrah:
The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) entered into the Fajr prayer and
indicated to the people that they should stay in their places. Then he came back to
lead them and water was dripping from his head.
(Sunan Abi Dawud, No. 233; Sahih Sunan Abi Dawud, 1/45)
Commenting on this hadith, Imam Al-Khatabi says:
In this hadith there is an evidence that if one is leading the people in prayer while in a
state of impurity and the people do no know of it, then their prayer is unaffected and
there is no need for them to repeat it. But the Imam has to repeat his prayer.3
If one is praying (either as Imam or follower or individually) and recalls that he had
wiped over his socks during wudu’ while the duration of wiping had expired, he should
terminate his prayer because his ablution is incorrect. This is what has been quoted from
Imams Ahmad and Al-Shafi‘i.4
Sahih Al-Bukhari/Fath Al-Bari, 7/60.
2 Ahkam Al-Imamah by Al-Muneef, 234, 1st Edition.
3 Ma‘alim As-Sunan by Al-Khatabi (Collected by Al-Da‘as) 1/159.
4 Al-Mughni, 2/505. |
What should one do if one is praying behind the Imam
and sees part of his body uncovered? | Praise be to Allah.If someone if in a congregational prayer behind the Imam and sees
the ‘awrah (those parts of the body that a man or a woman must
cover.) uncovered due to an opening in his clothes or due to his
clothes being thin and transparent, then if it is possible he should go
ahead and cover it with something, otherwise he should move and
come out of prayer and inform the Imam by saying “cover your
‘awrah” (in Arabic “ghatti il-‘awrah”), or “protect what has been
uncovered”. He must not stay quiet and continue to pray because it
is known that the Imam’s prayer (in the said condition) is incorrect
and following him is incorrect as well.1 |
What happens if an Imam forgets the
ending of the verse during prayer and no
one reminds him? | Praise be to Allah.If the Imam recited a part of the Qur’an and forgot the ending of the
verse, and none of the followers reminded him of it, he can choose
either to say the takbeer and discontinue the recitation, or recite a
verse or more from another surah. But this is allowed only if the
forgotten part is not from Al-Fatihah. As far as Al-Fatihah is
concerned, it must be recited in its entirety as reciting it is an
obligatory act of prayer.1 |
What should one do if people go out to congregate for
salaat il-istisqa’ (prayer asking for rain) and it rains? | Praise be to Allah.If the people went out for the prayer for rain (istisqa’) or intended to
do so and it rained, then there can be two cases:
If they were prepared to go out and it rained before they left,
then they should thank Allah (subhanahu wa ta‘ala) for His
blessings and not leave.
If they had already come out, they should pray in thankfulness
to Allah (subhanahu wa ta‘ala).(Al-Mughni, 2/296) |
What should one do if one feels oneself dozing off
during Friday prayer? | Praise be to Allah.If a person dozes while listening to the Friday sermon, it is
recommended for him to change the place with the person next to
him. In doing this he should be careful not to speak; rather, he should
use some gestures (hand movements, etc.). The evidence for this is
the hadith narrated by Samrah who said:
The Prophet
(peace be upon him) said: If one of you
dozes during the Friday sermon, he should exchange his
position with the person sitting next to him. (Al-Baihaqi, 3/238; Sahih Al-Jami‘ No. 812)
Another hadith has been narrated by Ibn ‘Umar who said:
The Prophet
said: If one of you dozes in the mosque on
Friday, he should move his position to another place. (Abu Dawud, No. 1119; Sahih Al-Jami‘ No. 809) |
What should one do if one finds oneself unsure in the middle of the prayer how many raka’at one has prayed? | Praise be to Allah.If a person falls into doubt as to whether he prayed , e.g., three of four rak`ahs he should consider the most likely case. However, if he cannot put more weight to one of the two , he should assume what he is certain of and that is the lesser amount, and make the prostrations of forgetfulness (sujud al-sahw ).
The evidence is the hadith narrated by Abu Sa‘id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: If one of you has doubts during his prayer and he does not recall how many rak`ahs he has prayed, whether three or four, then he can put an end to his doubt by praying according to what he was certain of (the lesser amount) and then making two sujud before the salam. If it turns out that he had prayed five rak`ahs, the two sujud would make it even. Whereas if he ended up completing his four rak`ahs , they would be in defiance of the Satan.” (Sahih Muslim, No. 571)
Source: From The Book, What Should You Do In The Following Situations...?
And Allah knows best. |
What should one do if one remembers in the final
tashahhud that one recited at tahiyyaat in the beginning
of the rak’ah instead of al-Fatihah? | Praise be to Allah.If the Imam remembers in the final tashahhud (sitting of the prayer)
that he had recited at-tahiyyaat (the greetings mentioned during the
sitting) in the beginning of the rak‘ah instead of Al-Fatihah, he
should stand up and offer another rak‘ah, which is correct in
exchange for the one he performed incorrectly and did not recite
Al-Fatihah. This is because the Prophet
(peace be upon him)
said:
There is no prayer for the one who did not recite (in it)
Al-Fatihah (the opening chapter of the Qur’an). (Sahih Al-Bukhari, No. 723)
It is also required for the followers to follow him even though it
would be the fifth rak‘ah for them. If they do not understand and do
not stand up, and say “subhan Allah” to indicate to Imam that he is
error, the Imam should inform them by hand movements to the right
and left to tell them that he did it purposefully and to indicate to them
to stand up.
However, if something like this happens to one of the followers
behind the Imam, his prayer will be correct as long as he followed his
Imam.
The evidence for this is the Hadith of Abu Bakrah when he entered
into the prayer in the position of ruku‘ and did not recite Al-Fatihah.
The Prophet
(peace be upon him) said to him:
May Allah increase your endeavor. You do not need to repeat.
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, No. 750)
If the follower forgets to recite Al-Fatihah or is ignorant of its
obligatory nature or finds the Imam in the state of ruku‘, then his
rak‘ah will be considered as complete and his prayer correct. He
does not need to repeat the rak‘ah, as he is his excused due to
ignorance or forgetfulness or if he missed catching the qiyam (the
position standing upright). This is the opinion of the majority of
scholars.1
Fatawa Islamiyyah by Ibn Baz, 1/263. |
What should one do if one forgets to mention a required tasbeeh during ruku’ and remembers just afterwards after rising up? | Praise be to Allah.If someone, after raising his head from ruku‘,
remembers that he did not say the supplications of ruku‘, he should not return
back to the ruku‘ because the requirement for supplication of ruku‘
has been dropped by virtue of his rising it. If he returns back to the ruku‘
intentionally, this action would render his prayer invalid since he added an extra rukn
(pillar, or obligatory act of the prayer) which is this second superfluous ruku‘.
However, if he did it in ignorance or forgetfulness, his prayer will not be nullified, but
in this case he must make the prostration of forgetfulness if he was praying individually
or leading a congregation. This is because tasbeeh (subhaana Rabbi al-Azeem, How
Perfect is my Lord, the Supreme, or another supplication of ruku‘) is wajib
(required), and forgetting it makes the prostration of forgetfulness necessary. If he was
praying behind an Imam, the he is released from the requirement of sujood for his
forgetfulness (al-Mughni 1/679). |
What should one do if one forgets the first tashahhud (sitting after the second rak’ah)? | Praise be to Allah.If one forgets the first tashahhud , stands up for the third rak`ah and starts the recitation of Al-Fatihah, then according to the majority of scholars, he should not return back to the sitting position. If he does return knowing that his return is unapproved of, his prayer will be nullified because he has already started another obligatory act. Due to his missing the wajib (i.e., tashahhud ) he is forced to make the prostrations of forgetfulness .
The evidence is the hadith narrated by Al-Mughirah bin Shu‘bah that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: If the Imam stands up after the second rak`ah, and remembers that he has to sit, before he straightens himself (upright), then he should sit down, and if he straightened upright, he should not sit and make two prostrations of forgetfulness .
(Abu Dawud, No. 1036; Silsilah Al-Sahihah, 321)
In short, if someone stands up for the third rak`ah, forgetting the tashahhud , he is in one of the three situations:
He remembers it before standing up straight: then he should return to tashahhud.
He remembers after standing up straight, and before starting the recitation of Al-Fatihah: then it is better for him not to sit, but if he sits his prayer will be correct.
He remembers it after starting the recitation of Al-Fatihah: then he is not allowed to return to tashahhud. (al-Mughni 1/677)
These three cases have been deduced from the above Hadith.
And Allah knows best. |
We have collected some money to buy or build a Masjid and a School for
Muslim children. Almost, everyone in the community donated some money.
Before collecting the donations we were considering a certain piece of land;
but the deal failed through. Some of the people who donated money requested
the money back. There excuse was that they are donating the money for that
certain piece of land only, but no one in the community leaders said they are
collecting the money to buy this certain piece of land.
our questions:Can we give them the money back?
If we can give them the money back, is the money lawful for them to use
as they please?
If they decide to donate the money once we find the right property for
the masjid and the school, can we accept their money?
There are Muslims who have stores that sell liquor and pork; can we ask
these people for donations? | Praise be to Allah.1 & 2. If a donor's intention when he donated the money was for the purchase of the
particular land in question, you became his trustee and representative with this money. If the
efforts to buy this land have stopped or been cancelled, and the donor requests the return
of the amount donated, then he has the right to have the money returned to him. However,
since this money has been donated for the sake of Allah and is a sadaqa, they cannot
spend it for personal use. You need to advise them that it then becomes their responsibility
to spend it for a similar charitable purpose.
However, if the intention at the time of donation was for the purpose of the project and not
for the particular land in question, then you are not obliged to return them the money, and
you should try to spend it in a timely manner for the project for which it was appropriated.
3. There is nothing against accepting donations from such people, whenever they are willing
to donate, and I advise you to be vigilant not to allow any personal enmity to grow among
the parties involved, since the donors are at the root muhsinoon (good-doers).
4. Yes, you can ask for donations from such people, on the condition that it is not
understood that you agree with the forbidden (haram) actions which they are practicing.
Additionally, it is incumbent upon you to advise and caution them that they must give up
selling such items which are haram. |
Assalam, I have a question that pertains to impurity. Once we enter the
shower, intending to do ghusl, then it is accepted. But what if one urinates
while showering? Does his ghusl become void? What i am meaning to say is
that, is it ok, if after one urinates to continue washing himself and complete
ghusl again? | Praise be to Allah.There is no objection against one urinating while making ghusl. If the intention of ghusl was
to purify oneself of janaba or major impurity, then he should complete his ghusl. If the
intention was to purify himself of al-hadath al-asghar (minor impurity), he must renew his
niyyah (intention) to cleanse himself of his state of impurity and it enough to make wudu'
washing the body parts normally washed during wudu'. |
Praying during menstruation is impure,, but what if the periods lasts more than the normal days, (5-7 days). My question is whether we wait until it stops and then pray or can we pray, even though the periods last way longer? | Praise be to Allah.A women's menstrual cycle is subject to variations, such as being longer or shorter or discontinuous or delayed or coming earlier as a result of many biological and psychological factors.
Therefore, the woman is not allowed to perform prayer, have intercourse with her husband, etc., until she becomes totally clean , even if her period is longer than usual, unless it exceeds 15 days. |
What is the ruling if a woman’s period lasts longer than 15 days? | Praise be to Allah.If blood continues to flow and a woman is still waiting to purify herself, and it exceeds 15 days, then she should fall back to her normal period as a reference. Accordingly, she must make ghusl, and start praying , and in addition make up the prayers for the days which she did not pray since the time when her normal period would have ended.
For example, suppose a woman has a normal period of 6 days. However, during a given month blood continued to flow until 15 days had passed, while she was still waiting for the end of the period. In this case, she makes ghusl immediately, and starts praying , and prays all the prayers for the 9 days counted from the end of her normal period until she made ghusl.
The reason for this is that the longest that a woman's menstrual cycle can be is 15 days according to Imam Ahmed and many scholars (al-Mughni 1:388).
Thus, if the flow continues past 15 days , then everything after the number of days in a normal cycle is considered istihadah (which is blood that flows from a woman due to reasons other than menstruation, such as from a burst vein, hemorrhage, etc.)
Regarding making up the missed prayers, she should pray them consecutively in order by intention, in one session, and she can rest if she gets tired.
And Allah knows best. |
Is one allowed to borrow money from some one works in a restaurant which
sells haram things? If he borrowed this money already what is the hukm? | Praise be to Allah.Yes, it is permissable for a Muslim to borrow from someone in such a situation. The daleel
(evidence) for this is that the Prophet
(peace be upon him) borrowed from the Jews
and they were dealing in riba. Furthermore, in most cases, such a person's income is not
totally haram, because it is a mix of earnings gained by selling both halal and haram items.
However, you should advise him and clarify to him the Islamic ruling on what he is doing. |
During prayer, do you perform 'takbeer' during the course of a particular
action or at the end of that action? E.g during sujood, should we say "Allah Akbar" DURING the course of getting up or once we've straightened up completely? | Praise be to Allah.The sunnah is for the takbeer to be in conjunction with the movement, such that one
begins the takbeer with the beginning of the movement. The daleel (evidence) for this is the
hadith of Abu Hurairah in which was said:
Abu Huraira used to say takbeer in all the prayers, compulsory and optional, ... He used to
say takbeer when standing for prayer and when bowing; then he would say, "Sami'allahu
li-man hamida," and before prostrating he would say "Rabbana walaka-l-hamd." Then he
would say takbeer when prostrating and when raising his head from the prostration, then
another takbeer when prostrating (for the second time), and when raising his head from the
prostration. He also would say the takbeer when standing from the second raka'a. He used
to do the same in every raka'a until he completed the prayer. On completion of the prayer,
he would say, "By Him in Whose Hands my soul is! No doubt my prayer is closer to that
of Allah's messenger than yours, and this was his prayer until he left this world."
(al-Bukhari)
The scholars have have understood from the Arabic word "heena" used in the hadith
(translated here as "when") that the beginning of the takbeer should be in conjunction with
the beginning of the movement.
Note that some scholars have recommended that the saying of takbeer should extend
throughout the movement, from when it starts until it ends; however, there is no daleel
(evidence) for this. |
I have a question for my friend. She is 17 years old and
they just moved here from their home country and her
guardians and mom want her to marry her cousin who
lived in their same house back home but this girl really
refuses to marry him because she dislikes for some
reason and she is begging and crying in front of her
mother not to make her marry him. This girl is saying
she will not be happy with him
My question is does any girl have the RIGHT to say no
for her marriage if she does not like the man? This girl is
Islamic and going to school and she doesn't know
anybody to talk to but she really doesnt want to marry
him and her mother is utterly pressuring her by telling
her she will die and she will be destroyed if she doesnt
marry this guy and her mother is telling her that nobody
will marry her because she is not beautiful and rich.
Sorry it was long question but please reply me as soon
as possible. | Praise be to Allah.Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah). This situation about
which this sister is asking is a common one and occurs
often as a result of a clash of desires between parents
and their daughter. It could be for a benefit or interest
the mother or father sees and the young woman doesnt,
and each regards the issue from a different perspective
or with a particular consideration. And perhaps the
opinion of the parents is the appropriate and correct one
as a result of their prior trials and longer experience in
life, and perhaps the woman sometimes looks to the
appearance of the groom more than anything else,
whereas the parents may look to other considerations,
such as his family status, or his long-term career or
employment. Of course none of this means that the
womans opinion isnt sometimes more correct and
preferable, particularly when the opinion of the parents
stems from a benefit they may realize if the marriage is
accomplished, and they do not actually make the
priority their daughter who is the most important thing in
this issue. And while being vigilant in advising you of the
importance of obeying ones parents and struggling with
oneself to realize their wishes and desires and giving
their opinion the priority, the point must clearly be made
that the following two hadeeth from the Prophet
(peace be upon him) must be abided by and carried out,
as within them are the complete answer to your question
and questions from others in similar situations:
The first hadeeth:
If he whose character and deen (practice of religion)
pleases you, approaches you in marriage, then marry
him, for if you dont, their will be fitna in the land and
vast corruption. (Tirmidhi and others, see Sunan
Tirmidhi #1085 and it is hassan (reliable) as per Sahih
ul-Jaami #270). (fitna here can be understood to
refer to the temptation for fornication, enmity and the
cutting off of relations among the people and relatives,
and the spreading of hatred)
The second:
Buraida (may Allah be pleased with him) said that a
young woman came to the Prophet
(peace be
upon him) and said, My father married me to his
brothers son (i.e. her cousin) in order to raise his
standing among the people, so the Prophet
(peace be upon him) put the matter in her hands (i.e.
asserted that the validity of the marriage is conditioned
on her approval and negated by her refusal). So she
said, I authorize and endorse what he has done but I
wanted women to know that fathers cannot force their
will in these matters.
And it was narrated by NisaaI via Abdullah ibn
Buraida via Aaisha that a young woman came to her
and said, My father married me to his brothers son in
order to raise his standing among the people and I am
unwilling (to agree to it), so she said, Sit until the
Prophet
(peace be upon him) comes. So the
Prophet
(peace be upon him) came and she
informed him of the situation, so he sent for her father
and invited him (over) and asserted that the matter is in
the brides hands. So she said, Oh Prophet of Allah I
have authorized and endorsed what my father has done,
but I wanted to know if women had a say in the matter
or not. (Sunan al-NisaaI, Kitaab al-Nikaah min
Sunanihi and it is sahih).
I ask Allah for you success and guidance to that in
which there is blessings for you and your family, and
may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our
Prophet Muhammad
. |
Is it OK for a husband to marry a second wife, without the consent of the first wife just because the man, or husband, in our case, falls in love with another woman? Should he marry her, even though he is already married? Does Islam allow such a situation for a man? | Praise be to Allah.Man-woman relationship before marriage
Before responding to this question, a comment must be made regarding an objectionable and reprehensible issue implied in the question, and that is the mentioning by the sister that he “falls in love with another woman”.
It is known that it is not permissible in the Islamic religion to establish a relationship between a man and a woman who is ajanabiyya to him (lit. foreign, i.e., marriageable) before marriage, for Allah revealed in Surat al-Maidah (the Table), ayah 5 a verse whose meaning can be translated as:
“This day are (all) things good and pure made lawful unto you. The food of the People of the Book is lawful unto you and yours is lawful unto them. (Lawful unto you in marriage) are (not only) chaste and virtuous women who are believers, but chaste women among People of the Book, revealed before your time, when you give them their due dowers, and desire chastity, not lewdness, nor secret intrigues. If anyone rejects faith, fruitless is his work, and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good).”
And the word “akhdan” that appears in this ayah (appearing above as “secret intrigues”) means intimate friend or companion, and in this case refers to a lover , and Allah has indicated in Surat al-Ahzab (33:53) that a condition for talking with women when it is needed is: (a translation of the meaning)
“…and if you ask them (women) for something you want, ask them from behind a hijab (both in the sense of a physical barrier such as a screen or wall, as well as in clothing); that makes for greater purity for your hearts and for theirs…”
And Allah has commanded women not to speak with soft, sensual voices with a man who is ajnabi (lit. foreign, meaning one to whom marriage is not forbidden) so that he is not tempted by their voices, and so as not to provoke feelings of lust. Allah ta'ala said in Surat al-Ahzab, ayah 32, a verse whose meaning can be translated as:
“… if you do fear (Allah) be not too complacent of speech lest one in whose heart is a disease should be moved with desire; but utter sufficient and appropriate speech.” (33:32)
So how could it possibly be permissible after all of these injunctions to establish love or friendship relations among women and men who are ajanib (marriageable)?
Conditions to marry a second wife in Islam
And as for the original matter of the question, Allah (subhanahu wa-ta’ala), Who is al-Hakim (All Wise) al-Khabir (All Experienced), and Who is more knowledgeable about the human beings He created than they themselves are about themselves, has ordained that a man is allowed to marry whom he wills among women as long as he does not bond in marriage under his care and responsibility more than four women .
And this is conditioned upon him dealing justly among them the known justice specified by Shari’ah which includes overnight stays and spending.
If he does not have the ability and capacity to deal with such justice , then he should suffice with one, as Allah indicates in Surat al-Nisa in ayah 3, which has a meaning that can be translated as:
“… marry women of your choice, two, or three, or four; but if you fear that you will not be able to deal justly (with them) then only one…” (4:3)
And Allah’s Shari’ah (law) is all just and wise, and He ordains what He wills and does what He wants and it is incumbent upon as human beings to believe and have faith and submit and obey and abide by the Shari`ah, otherwise then we are not Muslims nor mu’minin (believers). As Allah also said in Surat al-Nisa, ayah 65, a verse whose meaning can be translated as:
“But no, by your Lord, they can have no (real) faith until they make you judge in all disputes between them, and find in their souls no resistance against your decisions, but accept them with the fullest conviction” (4:65)
and in Surat al-Ahzab, ayah 36, a meaning that can be translated as:
“It is not fitting for a mu’min (believing man) or mu’minah (believing woman) when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger to have any option about their decision: if anyone disobeys Allah and His Apostle he is indeed strayed on a manifestly wrong path.” (33:36)
Second marriage in Islam: Do you need permission from your first wife?
Furthermore, no evidence appears either in the Quran or sunnah requiring the permission of the first wife if her husband wishes to marry another wife, and therefore he is not required to ask her permission.
However, he needs to be judicious in taking this decision and to weigh it carefully with respect to benefits and drawbacks and to look with the eye of wisdom at all of the considerations pertaining to the matter, and he should strive all he can to conciliate, reassure, and satisfy his first wife, in order to ease and mitigate the effect of the matter upon her. |
I live in the united states. How much is Nesab el-Zakat in US dollars? | Praise be to Allah.Nisab ul-Zakat for naqd (gold and silver) is defined as the minimum amount of naqd specified by shari’a below which one is not required to pay zakat, whereas if one’s wealth exceeds it then zakat becomes incumbent.
And it is known that zakat ul-maal (wealth) in shari’a is required for the two types of naqd—gold and silver—and what serves their function in modern times (commonly referred to as cash), whether it is dollars or riyals or pounds or otherwise.
Nisab for gold as our Prophet (peace be upon him) has informed us (and for currencies made from gold) is 20 mithqaalan, a measure which is equivalent to 85 grams of pure gold (1 mithqaal = 4.25 grams). It becomes incumbent upon anyone who owns such an amount in any form to pay zakat on it in the amount of 2.5%.
Nisab for silver and currencies made from silver is 200 dirhams, which is equivalent to 595 grams of pure silver (1 dirham = 2.975 grams). Likewise, it becomes incumbent upon anyone who owns such an amount in any form to pay zakat on it in the amount of 2.5%.
It is well known that there is a noticeable disparity between the value of nisab for gold and that of silver in our times. The best and most conservative for a poor person is to assess how many dollars he has that have been in his possession for a complete lunar year (Hijri, which is 354 days). If the amount reaches the value of nisaab for silver or more, then he should pay from it for every 1000 dollars, 25 dollars (i.e., 2.5%) to be spent in the prescribed benficiaries as specified by shari’ah, and we ask Allah to aid us and help us succeed in haqq il-maal wa salla allahu ala nabiyyana muhammad |
Praying during menstruation is not allowed, but what if the period lasts more than the normal days, (5-7 days). My question is whether we wait until it stops and then pray or can we pray, even though the period lasts very long? | Praise be to Allah.A woman's menstrual cycle is subject to variations, such as being longer or shorter or discontinuous or delayed or coming earlier as a result of many biological and psychological factors.
Therefore, the woman is not allowed to perform prayer, have intercourse with her husband, etc., until she becomes totally clean, even if her period is longer than normal , unless it exceeds 15 days.
And Allah knows best. |
My friend is asking againHe was working in a restaurant, serving everything except wine (khamr)but the meat there is not halal and he knows that; he was carrying the empty glasses of wine and washing them, he knows that that is not allowed. His Q is: he felt guilty so he left the restaurant. He had money out of that job and he wants to start a new halal business.
CAN HE USE THAT MONEY TO START A NEW JOB? IF HIS MONEY IS NOT HALAL, DOES HE NEED TO GET RID OF THAT MONEY OR CAN HE WORK WITH IT AND FROM THE PROFIT HE CAN TAKE THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY?
WAJAZAKUM ALLAH KHAYRAYAMAN | Praise be to Allah.The job which this brother was performing is the kind in which halal and haram have been mixed together. At the same time that he was serving food that contained haram ingredients such as pork or lahm ul-maita (meat not properly slaughtered), he was serving things that are halal as well washing dishes and glasses. If he had known at the time he was working about the prohibition of the haram things, then his income in this situation comprises mixed money, both halal and haram. So if he wants to repent to Allah, then he needs to get rid of the portion of his income which his haram, by estimating and approximating to his best judgment how much the haram portion of the income was which was earned via haram service. He can spend it in any of the various charitable means, and he cannot benefit from it whether by investment or otherwise. As for the remaining portion which is the halal amount, he is allowed to use it to his benefit. |
Salam Alicom, A friend of mine has gotten an offer
from a life insurance company in USA. He is a student
but he must work to support himself and his study. what
makes the problem worse is that he must find a job by
Sept 97 otherwise he will be illegal and will be kicked
out of the country. So my questions are: (1) is working
in life insurance companies Haram? (2) Are this
circumstances for my friend considered a necessity and
can he get this job until get a better one instead of
loosing everything? | Praise be to Allah.Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah). Life insurance is among the most
severely prohibited types of insurance if not the single worst one. It
is no doubt a type of gambling, and thus working in this field of
employment is haram (prohibited), and it is forbidden to be a partner
in helping people towards sin and enmity.
While taking into consideration the situation of this brother and the
difficulty and distress that he has fallen into, I can but say:
(translation of the meaning from surat al-Talaaq:2-3)
“And for those who fear Allah, He (ever) prepares for him a way out.
And He provides for him from (sources) he could never expect”
(65:2-3) |
Can Muslims eat in restaurants owned and directed by people who are not
worshipping Allah? For example, Chinese restaurants. Keeping in mind that
the type of food in these places is not HARAM in itself but the people
making this food are KOFFAR. | Praise be to Allah.Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah). There is no objection for a Muslim to eat from
food that a kaafir (unbeliever), whether polytheist or otherwise, has cooked, as the issue
of cooking does not involve slaughtering according to Islamic guidelines so that we
would require the person to be from ahl il-kitaab (People of the Book) among the
kuffar. In fact, it is only a matter of cooking, so the only issues that concern us are
cleanliness and the avoidance of najasa (impurity), and likewise that nothing haram
(forbidden) is mixed with the food such as khamr (wine or alcoholic beverages) or lard.
May Allah protect us from harm, evil and the things he has forbidden
(al-muharramaat). |
What about someone who joins the congregational
prayer late and has to make up the rak’aat missed, and
finds that the Imam makes sujood al-sahw? Should he
join in the sujood or stand and continue his prayer and
make it at the end? | Praise be to Allah.If the Imam makes the salaam and the follower stands up to
complete what he missed, while the Imam has to make prostrations
of forgetfulness after the salaam, the follower should return back
and make prostrations with the Imam if he has not completed
standing upright. Otherwise he should not return. He should
complete his prayer and after it he should make the missed
prostrations. The evidence for this is the same as presented in the
discussion for Forgetting to sit for tashahhud between the second
and third raka’ah. (al-Mughni 1/697) |
If the Imam makes a mistake in the prayer and the
followers try to remind him but he does not know when
he made the mistake, what should they do? | Praise be to Allah.If the Imam makes a mistake in the prayer and misses an obligatory
act, while the followers remind him of the mistake (by saying
“subhan Allah”) but he does not understand what they mean or does
not know when or where he made the mistake, and continues to
move on to other obligatory acts which do not include the missed
act, then there a number of opinions on this. The best of these
opinions is that they remind him of the act by the particular
supplication that act, e.g., saying “subhana Rabbi al-‘Azeem” if it
was the ruku‘ or “subhana Rabbi al-A‘la” if it was the prostration,
or Rabbighfir li if it was the sitting between the two prostrations, etc.
(Al-Mughni 1/707) |
Dear brother in faith.
I start with the name of Allah. I would like to thank you for your prompt response for our previous question which was of a great help to our community (All thanks be to Allah).
What is the Islamic point-of-view regarding those who attend Friday prayers in the Masjid and fail to attend any other of the daily prayers? Do you have to attend the prayers at the Masjid if time permits? | Praise be to Allah.All Praise is due to Allah A- Evidence From The Quran
First Evidence
Our Lord tabaraka wa ta'aala said what may be translated as {And when you [i.e., the commander of an army] are among them and lead them in prayer, let a group of them stand [in prayer] with you and let them carry their arms. And when they have prostrated, let them be [in position] behind you and have the other group come forward which has not [yet] prayed and let them pray with you} (Quran 4:102)
I say:
In the verse is an order to establish salat, and the order was repeated once more, "and let the other party ..."
There is evidence here that jama'ah meaning congregational prayer is obligatory on all because the obligation did not fall from being upon the second party simply by the congregation of the first party.
Allah has commanded a congregational prayer while they are in a state of war and fear, and if it were only a sunnah then it would have been better to abandon the congregational prayer; however, since Allah has ordered it, and obligations like following the Imam are allowed to be violated in order for the second party to pray behind the Imam. This proves clearly that the congregational prayer is obligatory.
This is a clear proof, and there is none amongst Muslims (scholars) that denies the salat of fear ordered in this verse.
Second Evidence
Our Lord the Exalted has said what may be translated as "The day that a Shin shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to prostrate, but they shall not be able to. Their eyes will be cast down, ignominy will cover them, seeing that they had been summoned aforetime to bow in adoration while they were whole, and had refused." (Quran 68:42-43)
The evidence here is from several facets amongst them:
Allah punished them because they did not answer the call to prostrate.
The one that is calling to salat is the one calling Athan. As has been explained by the hadeeth of Ibn Abi Maktoom: the Prophet told him "do you hear Hayya Alassalat, Hayya Alalfalah (parts of the call to prayer)"? He said yes, then the Prophet said "fahayhala" which means something like "then go answer the call." This hadeeth is sahih (which means sound, and authentic) and is narrated by Abu Dawood and Ahmad.
So he learned that the one who does not answer the call, has not answered.
Third Evidence
Allah ta'aala said what might be translated as "Establish salat and pay your zakat and bow with those that are bowing". (Quran 2:43)
The proof therein is:
That Allah ordered us to bow, and meaning salat because it is a pillar of the salat.
His statement which was translated as "with those that are bowing" is an order to bow with those that are bowing, and that is not accomplished except through congregation. So this is evidence that salat al-jama'ah is obligatory because the meaning of the verse is not accomplished except through congregation.
B- Evidence From The Sunnah
First Evidence
Abu Huraira narrated that the Messenger of Allah said "The heaviest salat for the hypocrite is that of Isha'a and Fajr and if they knew what was in them they would have attended them even if it meant crawling, and I have a strong desire to order the salat to be established, then order a man to lead the people in salat then I would go with some men carrying bundles of wood to a people not attending the salat and burn their houses on them." Agreed upon by Bukhari and Muslim, and this was Muslim's version.
This hadeeth proves that salat al-jama'ah is obligatory because one's house would not be burned for leaving a sunnah.
Those of the opinion that salat al-jama'ah is not obligatory find refuge in a few excuses with regards to this hadeeth which follow:
They said this punishment is in reference to those that do not attend the Jum'ah (Friday) prayer, and their evidence in this regard is the hadeeth of Abdullah Bin Mas'ood narrated by Muslim that the Prophet said to a people that miss the Friday prayer "I have a strong desire to order a person to lead the salat and I would burn the homes of those that have missed the Friday prayer". This is not in contradiction to the hadeeth of Abu Huraira because Ibn Mas'ood is stating that the burning is for those that miss the Friday prayer, and Abu Huraira is stating that the burning is for those that miss salat al-jama'ah and there is no contradiction between the two because the hadeeth of Abu Huraira clearly states the Isha'a and Fajr and it is likely that what is meant is to show that both cases are worthy of the burning.
They say: This has been abrogated! My reply is: Where is the proof that this has been abrogated, and who has narrated it? However, to simply claim abrogation without evidence is a forgery upon Allah which is not backed by any knowledge.
They say: The Prophet wanted to burn their houses because they were hypocrites, not because they did not attend the prayer in congregation. The best rebuttal of this statement was given by Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him in his statement, ...as for your claim that he wanted to punish them because of their hypocrisy, and not for missing the congregation this implies two errors:
The first: cancelling what the Messenger confirmed and related to missing the congregation.
The second: Confirming what the Messenger cancelled. For he never punished the hypocrites for their hypocrisy; to the contrary, he used to accept from them what they announced, and left what they concealed between them and Allah.
As such the hadeeth of Abu Huraira remains a strong argument for the obligation of salat al jama'ah.
Second Evidence
What Muslim narrated in his Sahih that a blind man said, "Oh Messenger of Allah, I do not have someone to guide me to the Mosque," and thus asked the Messenger to grant him special permission not to attend congregational prayers. As he was leaving, the Messenger called him and said "Do you hear the call? ", he said "yes". He said, "Then answer." Authentic versions narrated by Ahmed and others came as: narrated by Ibn Maktoom that he said: "Oh Messenger of Allah, I am blind, live far away, and have a guide that does not suit me, so can't you give me consent to pray at home?" He said "Do you hear the call?" Ibn Maktoom replied "Yes". The Prophet then said "I cannot find an excuse for you". If the blind man has no excuse not to pray in congregation, how can there be an excuse for the one that can see?
Those that conclude salat al-jama'ah to be sunnah say, "This is an order to pray in congregation that implies the preference not the obligation of salat al-jama'ah".
The response to this is that since the order here was unrestricted one needs supportive evidence to conclude that it was only meant to show preference. Now how about supportive evidence confirming salat al-jama'ah to be obligatory.
If supportive evidence were not necessary to conclude that an order was stated to imply preference then each and every order could be understood to have been implying preference, and nothing would remain obligatory.
Third Evidence
Narrated by Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them (him, and his father), that the Prophet said, "Whosover hears the call to salat, and does not respond, then there is no salat for him unless he has a valid excuse." This is a sound, and authentic hadeeth.
Ibn Al-Qayyim wrote in his Risalat Assalat "... and mind you this chain (referring to chain of narration of the above hadeeth) is authentic." This hadeeth has been narrated by Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah, Daar qutni, Al-Hakim, Al-Baghawi, Bayhaqi, and has also been traced and judged authentic by the following scholars: Al-Thahabi, Al-Nawawi, Ibn Hajar Al Asqalani, Ibn Taimiya, Ibn Qayyim Al, and Al-Albani. Some have spoken about this hadeeth, claiming that its chain is stopped (literal translation for the Arabic word mawqoof; however, the authentic chains of narrations which have been traced to the Prophet contradict their claim.
That hadeeth states that whoever does not answer the call, there is no salat for him, and this judgment would not be passed to someone who is simply going against an order which implies preference, and not obligation.
Fourth Evidence
Abdullah Bin Mas'ood said: who ever would be pleased to meet Allah as a Muslim, then let him take care of those salat which are called to because they are of the ways of huda (guidance), and Allah has given to your Prophet the ways of huda. And if you were to establish salat in your homes, like that person staying behind in his home, you would be abandoning the sunnah of your Prophet, and if you were to abandon the sunnah of your prophet you would surely go astray. And there is not a man amongst you that purifies himself (yatatahhar), and does so properly, then directs himself to one of these mosques except that Allah will write for him with each step he takes a hasanah (merit), and raises him a grade, and drops from him a sayyi'ah (demerit). And I have seen us, where not one of us would stay behind from prayer in congregation except for a hypocrite whose hypocrisy is known. And one that could not come on his own would be carried between two men until he is stood in the row.
In another narration he said, "the Messenger of Allah taught us the ways of huda, and amongst the ways of huda is salat in the Mosque in which Athan is called". Narrated by Muslim.
The evidence in this hadeeth is that not praying in congregation is considered a sign of confirmed hypocrisy.
It is known that the signs of hypocrisy are those of abandoning something which is obligatory, or doing something which is haram (unlawful.) And there is not a Muslim in whose heart iman (faith) has established itself, that would want to be like the hypocrites in their attributes.
Fifth Evidence
Ibu Sa'eed Al-Khudry said that the Messenger of Allah said, "If there are three let one of them be their Imam, and the one with the strongest right to be Imam is the one that is the best reciter of the Quran (both in terms of the amount memorized, and ability to recite it properly)".
Abu Ad-Darda'a said that the Messenger of Allah said "There are not three in a town where no Athan is called, and congregational prayers are not established amongst them except that the Sheitan will overcome them, so you must stick to jama'ah because the wolf gets the stray one". Authentic hadeeth narrated by Abu Dawood and Ahmed.
Sixth Evidence
Abu Asha'a'thaa'a Al-Muharibi said: We were sitting in the masjid (mosque) then the Mu'athin (the one that makes the call to prayer) made the call to prayer. Then a man got up from the masjid walking. Abu Huraira followed him with his sight until he left the Masjid. Then Abu Huraira said "as for this person he has disobeyed Abal Qasim (the Messenger) ". Narrated by Muslim.
Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, judged this man as having disobeyed Abal Qasim , and Abu Huraira would not have passed this verdict without knowledge of the sunnah of Abal Qasim . And whosoever is considered among the disobedient then he has left something which is obligatory.
These, my Muslim brothers are some of the pieces of evidence that oblige the Muslim servant to pray in congregation, and whoever ponders in the Quran and Sunnah will find more and more.
Each piece of the preceding evidence is enough in itself to be proof that salat al-jama'ah is obligatory. We also remind our brothers that the Muslim servant is not allowed to reject anything from Allah or his Messenger just because a certain scholar ruled differently. Evidence is an argument against all people. Imam's that have concluded differently are expected to have a valid excuse because even they cannot contradict clear evidence from Quran and Sunnah. Their teachings that people must follow Quran and Sunnah are well known, and they, may Allah have mercy upon them, did not become Imam's except by strong adherence to Quran and Sunnah.
Know this because it is beneficial to you...
Of Allah's bounty upon us with regards to this issue is that the best of people, the companions of the Messenger , have had Ijma'a (consensus) in it. There are no narrations passed down from any one of them giving leave not to pray in congregation. And following is what has been confirmed by them:
Ibn Mas'ood said, "and I have seen us, where not one of us would stay behind except for a hypocrite whose hypocrisy was known." (5th evidence)
Ibn Mas'ood, Abu Musa Al-Ash'ary, Ali, Abu Huraira, Ayesha, and Ibn Abbas have stated, "Whoever hears the call to salat and does not answer, there is no salat for him unless he has a valid excuse." (3rd evidence)
Ibn Al-Qayyim said after he presented the statements of the companions: "These are statements of the companions as you find them, authentic and well known, and there is not one known statement from any of the companions which contradicts this. Each of these pieces of evidence is enough all by itself, so how about when they all enforce one another. Verily in Allah is our success."
These are the statements of the people of knowledge:
Al-Baghawi wrote in Sharh Assunnah (3/349), "More than one of the companions were of the opinion that whoever hears the call and does not answer, then there is no salat for him."
Ata'a bin Rabah said, "There is no excuse for anyone created by Allah in a city or country side not to attend if he hears the call to prayer."
Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "If his mother forbids him from praying Isha'a in congregation, out of pity, he should not obey her.
Al-Awza'i said: "There is no obedience to the father in leaving the Friday prayer, or the daily congregational prayers, regardless of whether one heard the call to prayer or not."
Amongst those that have said that it is obligatory as well are Ibn Khuzaima, Al-Shafi'i, Al-Bukhari, Ibn Hibban, Dawood, Ahl Al-Dhahir, Hanabila, Ishaaq, and most of Ahl Al-Hadeeth, and some of the companions of Al-Shafi'i.
You now know, may Allah have mercy upon you, the preceding evidence concerning the obligatory status of salat al-jama'ah,and the statements of those that conclude it as such from amongst the pious predecessors of our Ummah (nation.)
Now what remains for you to know is that whoever prays alone, then his prayer is correct; however, he has the ithm (sin) of leaving the jama'ah (congregation). As for the acceptance, or rejection, this is up to The Creator, and no one can say that the prayer of Zaid is accepted while the prayer of Obaid is not.
We ask Allah to help us in remembering and thanking him and better worshipping him. Allah the exalted knows best. |
Is it permissible to interrupt tawaf or sa`i? | Praise be to Allah.Is it permissible to interrupt tawaf or sa`i?
If a person is performing tawaf (circumambulation around the Ka`bah) or sa`i (between Safa and Marwah), and he comes across a need (e.g., he is thirsty and wants to drink something, or loses someone from his family members and stops to look for him, or becomes tired and wants to take some rest), and if the break was short, then he may continue his tawaf from where he left off .
Can you interrupt tawaf for prayer?
If the prayer is called and he interrupts his tawaf to pray , the scholars have disagreed on this issue. The most conservative opinion is that when he continues his tawaf, he should not count the last round which he left incomplete.
Can you take a rest in tawaf and sa`i?
The issue of taking a rest in tawaf and sa`i , however, is based on the condition that tawaf and sa`i should be completed contiguously.
Continuity in tawaf and sa`i
In sa`i, continuity is not a requirement according to the best opinion.
So, if a person is performing sa`i, and he breaks after some of the rounds, and then comes back to complete them, this would be considered permissible.
However, regarding continuity of tawaf , the scholars have two opinions:
That continuity is mandatory, and that a long discontinuity without due justification nullifies the tawaf.
That continuity is a sunnah, and the tawaf is not nullified even though the break was long. However, it is better to act according to the first opinion. (See Fatawa Al-Hajj Wal 'Umrah by Ibn Baz, p. 80; Al Majmu' by Al-Nawawi, 8/47 and 49; Al-Mughni, 3/414) |
How do you bury someone who dies at sea? | Praise be to Allah.If a person dies on a ship while traveling at sea, according to Imam Ahmad, the people should wait if
they hope to reach some place to bury him (such as an island or beach) in a day or two and if they
are confident that the body will not decay. However, if they cannot, they should wash the body,
shroud and protect it, then pray the funeral prayer, and finally, tie something heavy to it and drop it in
water. (Al-Mughni, 2/381) |
What should one do if one is asked to perform something at work that he feels is
contrary to the teachings of Islam? | Praise be to Allah.If a person is ordered to perform a certain assignment at his work, he should consider itif the act
does not involve any disobedience to Allah (subhaanahu WA ta'aala) he should execute it. Otherwise,
if it does involve some disobedience to Allah (subhaanahu WA ta'aala), he should not obey the
command, or else he will be a partner in sin and wrong-doing. The Prophet (peace be upon him)
said:
"A human must not be obeyed if that (i.e., obeying the human) causes disobedience to Allah
(subhaanahu wa ta'aala). Indeed, obedience is only in righteous deeds"
(Sahih Al-Bukhari with Fath Al-Bari, 13/121; Ahmad, 1/91; and the context is found in Al-Silsilah
As-Sahihah, No. 181)
And Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) said (about the people who went astray) in the Qur'an (an
interpretation of the meaning):
"They will say: Our Lord! We followed in the footsteps of our leaders and elders and they
misguided us from the right path". |
What is the distance which, once one has set out for it, allows one to shorten the prayer? | Praise be to Allah.The majority of scholars comprising the Malikis and the Shafi’is and the Hanbalis have taken the opinion that the recognized distance for one who has undertaken its travel in shortening the prayer is four burud (an antiquated unit of distance), which is two average day's travel by heavily-loaded camels (equivalent to 88.7 km in distance).
Among what they have quoted as evidence is what was authentically (sahih) narrated by Ibn ‘Umar and Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) that they used to shorten the prayers and break fasting at a distance of four BURUD.
This quoted distance is approximate and not exactly limited as per the majority of scholars, and thus what is slightly less is exempted as well.
Some scholars including Ibn Qadamah and Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and his pupil Ibn al-Qayyim have taken the opinion that all that is referred to as travel in practice and in language, and requires preparation of provisions as well as rest and similar things, falls under the licenses of shari'ah such as the shortening of the prayer and breaking the fast of Ramadan.
Their pretext and justification is the generalization in the wording referring to the shortening of the prayer as it appears in the Quran and sunnah, as in the example of Surat al-Nisa, verses 4:101-102:
"When you travel through the earth, there is no blame on you if you shorten your prayers, for fear the unbelievers may attack you: for the unbelievers are unto you open enemies. When you (O Messenger) are with them, and stand to lead them in prayer, let one party of them stand up (in prayer) with you taking their arms with them; when they finish their prostrations, let them take their positions in the rear. And let the other party come up - which has not yet prayed - and let them pray with you, taking all precautions, and bearing arms: the unbelievers wish, if you were careless of your arms and your baggage, to assault you in a single rush. But there is no blame on you if you put away your arms because of the inconvenience of rain or because you are ill; but take (every) precaution for yourselves. For the unbelievers Allah has prepared a humiliating punishment."
And in the following hadith: Al-Tirmidhi, hadith 2960: Ya'la bin Umayyah said: I said to `Umar ibn al-Khattab "Verily Allah has said ' if you shorten your prayers, for fear the unbelievers may attack you' and now the people feel secure." 'Umar said, "[Indeed] I wondered the same thing you are wondering, so I mentioned it to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and he said '[It is] a charity that Allah has bestowed upon you so accept His charity.' " (Abu 'Isa said this hadith is hasan sahih.)
Al-Tirmidhi, hadith 453: Umayyah ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Khalid ibn Asid said to Ibn `Umar, "How can you shorten the prayer when Allah the Almighty has said, 'there is no blame on you if you shorten your prayers, for fear' ," so Ibn `Umar said, "O son of my brother, verily the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to us when we were misguided, so he taught us, and among what he taught us was that Allah the Almighty has ordered us to pray two raka'ahs during travel." (Al-Shu'aithiy said that al-Zuhriy used to relate this hadith via ‘Abdullah ibn Abu Bakr.)
The verse expresses the permission for shortening the prayer for one who travels without specifically restricting the distance . Thus the Quran and sunnah mention "travel" and do not differentiate a particular travel from another, and as such if one travels via air for one hour without any burden or hardship it would be permissible for him or her to shorten the prayer and break the mandatory fast. In fact, this is the most viable opinion, unless for a particular case there is confusion as to whether it is commonly regarded as travel or not, in which case one falls back to the opinion of the majority of scholars (regarding the minimum required distance).
And Allah knows best. |
If one commences travel and shortens the prayers, then it becomes evident that one must
return, and one has only traveled a short distance, what is the ruling on his prayers? | Praise be to Allah.His prayers are valid since the precept to be followed is one's intention to complete the distance of
travel and not actually completing the full distance. The required condition of shortening the prayer is
that one resolves in the beginning of his travel to traverse a given distance, and if he both leaves and
heads out with such intention then he is permitted to shorten the prayer. |
If one who is traveling decides to return and alters his travel plan should he shorten his
prayer on his way back? | Praise be to Allah.If what remains from his return trip would commonly be known locally as "travel," then there is no
objection to his shortening the prayer. This opinion would be the ruling as per those who regard what
is commonly accepted by custom and traditions in the local area as the basis for defining travel. As
for the majority of scholars (al-jumhoor), they place the condition that the distance for the return in
and of itself must meet the distance required to be considered travel (88.7 km plus or minus), even if
he is returning to get something he forgot and plans to return to his original travel plans. This is
because the return trip should be considered an independent travel in and of itself. |
If one is in doubt whether the distance is far enough to allow him to shorten the prayer,
is it permissible for him to shorten it? | Praise be to Allah.If one does not know and there is nothing to indicate whether or not the distance is far enough, then a
traveler is not allowed to shorten the prayers. The completion of prayers is the default requirement
and cannot be abrogated or over-ridden by doubt or uncertainty (as per the Shafi'yah opinion). |
When a traveler's destination can be reached by two routesone long enough to meet
the distance requirement for shortening prayer, and one which isn'tis the traveler
permitted to shorten prayers if traveling along the longer route? | Praise be to Allah.The traveler is allowed to shorten when traveling by the longer route if he has chosen it for a proper
purpose, such as safety or being easier (there is no dissension amongst the scholars in this case).
Furthermore, if his intention is to take it in order to be able to shorten the prayers (i.e., selecting the
longer road with the objective being merely to shorten prayer and enjoy the permission), then he /she
is also allowed to do so according to the Hanbali, Hanafi, and one of the two Shafi'i opinions. |
When one leaves his/her home town traveling without a specific destination until reaching
the distance limit for shortening the prayer (e.g. a shepherd looking for good grazing for
his sheep, a picnicker searching for a more suitable place for camping, or one chasing a
fugitive) is he/she allowed to shorten prayers? | Praise be to Allah.According to the majority (of Muslim scholars) one would not be allowed to shorten prayers, since
the traveler in such a case has set off without the intention beforehand (and the intention is of
significance in Islam). Therefore he/she has not met the condition of being a traveler. |
Are those who are accompanying or following others (e.g. a soldier with his commander
or a servant with his/her sponsor/boss) and are fully unaware of the destination permitted
to take advantage of the license to shorten the prayers? | Praise be to Allah.If the people in question know beforehand that those whom they are following had the intention to
travel, then they would be permitted to shorten. On the other hand, if they were fully unaware of the
intentions of those whom they were following, they would be allowed to shorten prayers once they
themselves set-off with the intention to travel apart from their companions. This ruling is the Hanbali
and Hanafi opinion. |
At what point is a traveler permitted to commence shortening prayers? | Praise be to Allah.The majority of the Muslim scholars assert the condition that a traveler must depart from all the
housings and buildings of his/her home town relying on the fact that Allaah (glory be to Him) relates
shortening to travel (specifically darb fil-ardh), and such travel only happens once departing one's
home-town. Moreover, the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) himself shortened at a place
called (Dhul-Hulaiyfah) after departing from al-Madinah. |
What is the verdict in performing two salaat (prayers) together (jam'a) and shortening the
prayer (qasr) at the airport for those who are waiting to fly or those who have just
disembarked from an arriving plane? | Praise be to Allah.If the airport, sea-port or railway station are within the outskirts of the traveler's home-town, or even
linked to his/her home-town by contiguous dwellings or buildings, no license to shorten prayers is
allowed, since he/she would not be considered to have departed the dwelling or town. Once the
plane, ship, or train has traveled away from all housing and buildings, only then is he/she allowed to
shorten and/or perform together two prayers. If the airport, harbor, or train station is outside the
home town, a traveler is allowed to utilize the license to shorten and combine two prayers together
based on the fact that he or she in this case has departed from his/her city and has already
commenced on his/her journey. |
What is the ruling on libaas ul-shuhrah or the wearing of extravagant clothing? | Praise be to Allah.All praise and thanks be to Allaah the Lord of the worlds.
Regarding your question about the prohibition of so-called "libaas ul-shuhrah" (lit. dress of high repute,
i.e. to show-off or as a status symbol), there is a sound and truthful hadith narrated by Abdullah ibn
Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them both) that Allah's messenger Muhammad (peace be upon
him) said: "He who wears libaas ul-shuhra in this world will be dressed in humiliating clothes on the
day of judgment." (narrated by Ahmed & Abu Dawood, confirmed sahih by Al Albani in Sahih Al-Jami'
6526)
Those who wear libaas ul-shuhrah will be punished on the day of judgment in accordance with their
deeds (as you sow, so you reap), provided that he/she meant sovereignty and supremacy upon mankind.
In return, Allaah Almighty will humiliate him/her on the day of judgment and will suppress him/her to
put-on such a dress for which people would despise him/her and mock at him/her (as you sow, so you
reap).
The question here is: " What consists libaas ul-shurah?" What is meant by this expression is a anything
worn to show-off and to attract the attentions of others, so as to look upwards unto him/her once he/she
appears wearing it. This, of course is due either to its strange colors amongst the ordinary dresses of
other people or due to the stylish models or even to how precious, expensive or even to the contrary of
this as being trivial and completely valueless.
Hence, our righteous forefathers (may Allaah have mercy upon their souls) used to hate, disregard and
even despise either extremity of the fame-clothing: i.e. those which are highly bombastic & precious
and/or vise versa alike.
All we wish of His All-Mighty is to grant us the righteous clothing and save us in this world and in the
hereafter. Aameen. |
I fall into sin and then repent. But my base self overcomes me and I fall into it again. Does this nullify my earlier repentance leaving the previous sins intact and not forgiven? | Praise be to Allah.In the opinion of the majority of scholars it is not a condition for a repentance to be accepted that the penitent does not fall into the same sin again. It is a condition that the sin be given up immediately and that there should be true feelings of regret in the heart. This should be accompanied by the firm intention not to fall into it again. Now, with these conditions met, if he falls into it again, then this will be considered a new sin altogether, requiring a new repentance and with no connection to those of the past.
And Allah knows best. |
I have neglected many rights of Allah in the past, such as prayers, fasts, and zakah (paying poor-due). Am I required to repeat them or to compensate for them? | Praise be to Allah.As far as the five daily prayers are concerned, the preferred opinion is that the repetition or compensation (or what is known as qadha in Arabic), is not obligatory for the reason that prayers are obligatory at a particular time, and once that time has elapsed, there is no way to offer them. However, one should seek Allah's forgiveness and offer as many nawafil (voluntary prayers) as possible.
As for fasting-yes; if a person was a Muslim at the time they became obligatory and he did not fast, then their performance is required, accompanied by the feeding of a poor Muslim for every day of fastng that was not observed during previous years. What is required is always a day for a day-no more, no less.
Example 1: A person did not fast three days of Ramadan in the year 1400 A.H., and five days of Ramadan in the year 1401 A.H., all out of negligence. He must now fast eight days, and feed eight poor Muslims in compensation.
Example 2: A girl reached puberty in Ramadan of the year 1400 A.H. but out of shame and modesty did not inform anyone of her menstruation, and, rather, continued fasting say for eight days of her period. Thereafter, she repented. She would then be required to redo eight days of fasting.
It may also be pointed out here that this is the predominant position. A minority opinion is that the ruling for fasting is the same as that for the prayers, i.e., there is no qadha (making up) for fasting in the case of a person who did not fast and did not have a valid reason for not fasting.
As for he who did not offer the obligatory zakah, it is necessary for the repentant to pay it for all previous unpaid years, for it is, from one angle, Allah's right, while from another, the poor people's right. (See Madarij Al-Salikin for further details).
And Allah knows best. |
Is repentance from a particular sin acceptable while I am a victim of another? | Praise be to Allah.Yes, repentance from a particular sin is acceptable even if the repentant insists on another sin which is of a different nature and not the same as the one from which he has repented. For example, if a man repents from having accepted interest but not from drinking wine, his repentance over accepting interest is acceptable, and vice versa. But if he repents from simple interest but not compound interest then his repentance is invalid. Or if he repents from taking drugs but insists on drinking wine, or vice versa, then the repentance is invalid too. It will also be incorrect and unacceptable if a man repents from adultery with one woman but commits it with another. In all of these cases they have only shifted from one variety of sin to another within the same kind.
And Allah knows best. |
I stole from certain people. Now I have repented, but I do not know where
they live. Perhaps another may say," I embezzled some money from a firm
which has closed up its business." Or yet another person may say," I
pilfered some material from an establishment which has shifted its
premises." What shall I do now? | Praise be to Allah.In all these cases it is incumbent upon you to search for them to the extent of your
means. If you find them, return them their right. If the owner or owners have died, then
their right should be returned to their immediate kin. However, if you cannot locate
them, then spend in charity equal amounts on their behalf. Allah will give them the
reward of this charity. And if they are unbelievers, Allah will compensate them in some
way or other in this world itself, since there are no rewards for the unbelievers in the
Hereafter.
This is similar to the story that Ibn ul-Qayyim has written in his Madarij Al-Salikin
(1/388). He states that a soldier of a Muslim regiment ghalla [i.e., stole from
al-ghaneema (the war spoils)]. Then, after some time, he repented and took with him
what he had stolen and reported to the commander of the regiment. But the commander
refused to accept it back saying, 'And how do I return this to the soldiers [seeing that
they have dispersed].' The man then went to a scholar - Hajjaj bin al-Sha'ir [seeking
his advice]. He [Hajjaj] told him: 'Listen! Allah knows the army involved and each
soldier's name and lineage. Send one fifth of the amount to the one whose right is
one-fifth (this is in reference to bait ul-maal, or the central depository in the Islamic
government which contains money to be spent in charity, and which receives one-fifth
of all spoils of war), and spend the rest in charity in their name and Allah will give
convey it to them.' The man did so. And when the news reached Mu'awiyya bin Sufyan
[who was then the khalifa], he said: 'That I had been the man who gave that ruling, is
dearer to me than half of what I rule over.' Imam Ibn Taymiyya has also given a similar
ruling. (See Madarij) |
I have committed backbiting involving a person or a group of people, or have unjustly slandered some people regarding things with which they didn't have anything to do. Is it a condition of repentance that I should inform them and seek their pardon? And if this is not required then how do I repent? | Praise be to Allah.The answer will depend on
the nature of the interests of the people involved. If the case is such that
if he were to inform them of what he had once said about them, it would not
be likely to increase their anger, then, he should do that and seek their
forgiveness. He may then tell them - in general terms, and without offering
details - that he had wronged them in the past by expressing such sentiments
about them that were not right and just, and that now he has repented and
seeks their forgiveness.
But if the case is the
opposite, that is, the fear is that if he told them of the previous
backbiting or slander, they will - and in most cases that is most likely to
happen - be angry with him, or will not be satisfied with the general terms,
rather, will demand to know all the details, which is sure to provoke them
to anger, then, in such a case, it is not obligatory on him to let them know
and seek their forgiveness for the sharee'ah (Islamic law) does not order
adding insult to injury. And informing a person who was in a happy mood, of
things that will evoke feelings of distress or anger, is something against
the purpose of the sharee'ah, which enjoins the spread of happiness and
brotherliness. In fact, sometimes such action may give place to animosity
where there was love. In such situations it is enough to repent in the
following manner.
Evoke
in oneself the feeling of regret, and seek forgiveness from Allah
accompanied by the conviction that it was an abominable and unlawful thing
in which he had indulged. Try and make up for what he had said earlier
before others by denying the presence of things and qualities he had alleged
were in them and clear the person or persons involved. Follow up by
mentioning and asserting good qualities of those he had spoken ill of in the
presence of the same people in whose company he had slandered them. Defend
the people he had slandered when they are slandered in his presence. Pray to
Allah in private to forgive the sins and shortcomings of those he had
wronged. (See Madarij Al-Salikin, and Al-Mughni with explanatory notes for
further elucidation).
You must note, dear
brother Muslim or sister Muslimah, that there is a difference between the
material rights of the people and non-material rights, between backbiting
and defamation. When the material rights are returned to the people, they
are put to some use and cause increase in happiness, and therefore they must
not be put under the mattress. Whereas non-material rights, such as those
concerning a man's honor, when returned to the people can only cause
increase in distress.
And Allah knows best. |
If the sin involves the rights of another person then what form should repentance take? | Praise be to Allah.The basis for the answer is the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who said: "He upon whom his brother has a right, be it of the nature of money or honor, let him compensate for it before he is made to compensate for it on a day when there will be neither dinar nor dirham to deal with. Instead, if he has a good deed in his account it will be taken away from him and given to the person he had wronged. And if he has no good deeds in his account, sins of the other person will be taken from him and added to his account" (al-Bukhari). Accordingly, the repentant can escape the questioning only by either giving back to the people wronged their due or seeking their forgiveness. If they forgive, he need not worry, but if they do not, then he must return their dues.
And Allah knows best. |
Should the Zakat be paid from the WHOLE money you
have (if more than elnisab) or from the amount you have
beyond elnisab (the remains from subtracting the nisab
from the whole money) ? | Praise be to Allah.Al-hamdu lillah (all praise be to Allah).
Al-Khiraqi (rahimahullah) said: "If it (nisaab al-zakaat) is reached then
a quarter of 1/10 is due upon it and upon whatever exceeds it, no matter how
small." Ibn Qadama (rahimahullah) in explaining this statement said: "Meaning
that if the amount of silver has reached 200 (which is the nisaab of silver
in dirhams as has been discussed in question #
64) and
the dinars 20 (which is the nisaab for gold in the units of mathaqeel [
see also question #64])
then one is obligated to pay zakaat upon it one quarter of 10 percent, as this
has been established by his (the Prophet's , peace
be upon him) saying 'for silver, one fourth of one tenth' " (Al-Mughni
ma'a al-sharh il-kabeer, 2/600)
As for the meaning of the rest of the statement
that what exceeds the nisaab no matter how small, it means that 1/4 of 1/10
(i.e. 2.5%) is also due upon this surplus difference. Thus, the overall meaning
is that if monetary wealth surpasses the amount of nisaab, then zakaat is due
upon it all, and not upon the surplus only, nor upon the amount of nisaab only,
but on the total. Note that zakaat must be paid on the excess amount over nisaab,
regardless of how small. This is the opinion taken by Malik and al-Shaafi'i
and jumhoor al-ulemaa'. (see the source quoted above) |
I have read several articles on what foods are halal and what foods are haraam. But when I
go to a restaurant I still [doubt] if what I am eating is halal. I know that the meat needs to be
slaughtered in the name of Allah, and it shall be done by the people of the book. Currently
in the United States, the Christians and the Jews don't follow the true Bible and the Torah.
The Christians call Isa (may Allah be pleased with him) the son of God. Is the meat cut by
these people halal, can it be eaten? | Praise be to Allah.Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah).al-hamdu lillah (all praise be to Allah). The Christians and the Jews of
the People of the Book in our times are indeed those People of the Book that are mentioned in the texts
of shari'ah in the Qur'an and sunnah, and they are the kuffar (unbelievers) of the Jews and Christians that
existed at the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). They are the people of the corrupted Torah
and corrputed Injeel, as evidenced by the fact that Allah (swt) addressed them and named them "People
of the Book" despite their being kuffar and their books being corrupted, as indicated in the following
interpretations of the meanings of the aayaat:
Aala 'imran: 70:
O People of the Book! why do you reject the Signs of Allah, of which you are (yourselves) witnesses?
Al-maa'ida: 15:
O People of the Book! there has come to you Our Messenger, revealing to you much that you used to
hide in the Book, and passing over much (that is now unnecessary): There has come to you from
Allah a (new) light and a perspicuous Book.
Al-hashr: 2: (in regards to the Battle of Bani al-Nadeer):
It is He Who got out the Unbelievers among the People of the Book from their homes at the first
gathering (of the forces)
These kuffar among the People of the Book have certain abrogating qualities distinguishing them from
the rest of the kuffar, by virtue of the fact that they are recipients of heavenly guidance and are people of
previously revealed divine bookseven though they corrupted themunlike the remainder of the kuffar
who have neither a previous book nor messenger, such as the Hindus, the Sikhs, the Buddhists, the
communists, and others.
Because of this distinguishing quality, the shari'ah has specified special rulings particular to the People of
the Book, and exceptions specific to them in some rulings, such as allowing marriage to the the chaste
and virtuous (whether virgins or previously married) among their women and the permissibility of eating
their slaughtered meat, as indicated in the following ayah (interpretation of the meaning):
Maa'ida: 5
This day are (all) things Good and pure made lawful unto you. The food of the People of the Book is
lawful unto you and yours is lawful unto them. (Lawful unto you in marriage) are (not only) chaste
women who are believers, but chaste women among the People of the Book, revealed before your
time, when you give them their due dowers, and desire chastity, not lewdness, nor secret intrigues
The preceding discussion is in regards to the general ruling with respect to slaughtered meat of the
People of the Book; as for the specifics, the slaughtered meat of People of the Book can be one of
several cases:
That he slaughters it via the known way specified by shari'ah and he speaks the name of Allah upon
it. In this case there is no problem in the permissibility of eating it.
That he does not slaughter it by the way specified by shari'ah as is the case if he chokes it or
electrocutes it until it dies or drowns it in water until it dies or kills it by a bullet, etc. In this case
there is no doubt that eating it is forbidden since it is maita (meat of an animal that has died without
properly being slaughtered) and Allah has forbidden it in the Qur'an (interpretation of the meaning):
" and forbidden unto you is maita" (al-Maa'ida:3)
That he mentions the name of someone or something other than Allah upon it as he is slaughtering,
such as the Messiah or otherwise. Likewise there is no doubt that the meat in this case is haraam,
since it is among what has been dedicated to other than Allah, which is specifically forbidden in the
ayah in surat al-Maa'ida: 3 (interpretation of the meaning): "Forbidden to you (for food) are: maita,
blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which has ben invoked the name of other than Allah; that
which has been killed by strangling or by a violent blow"
That we receive their meat and we don't know if it has been slaughtered properly or not. In this
case the rule of thumb is that if we don't know the way of slaughter, the default is that it is
permitted if it has been slaughtered by Muslims or Ahl il-Kitaab (Fatawa Islamiyya, Sheikh
Abdel-Aziz Bin Baz, 3/404), as per the generally encompassing ayah (interpretation of the meaning)
"and the food of the people to whom have been revealed the Book is permitted for you."
(al-Maa'ida:5) If it becomes evident to us that they have not slaughtered it properly then it would
not be permisible.
That we receive their meat and we don't know what they have mentioned upon it, and in this case
likewise the preferrable and recommended opinion is the permissibility of eating it, as per the hadith
in Sahih al-Bukhari via Aa'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) that some people said to the
Prophet (peace be upon him) that a people come to them with meat which they do not know
whether they have mentioned the name of Allah upon it or not. The Prophet replied "Mention
the name of Allah upon it and eat it." |
Is it correct that our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) discouraged marrying cousins? Should marrying cousins be the last resort? | Praise be to Allah.Can you marry your cousin?
There is no objection whatsoever in the Islamic religion for a man to marry any of his relatives except al-maharim (those forbidden for marriage ) whom Allah mentioned in Surat Al-Nisa, 4:23 (interpretation of the meaning):
“Prohibited to you (for marriage) are: your mothers, daughters, sisters; father's sisters, mother's sisters; brother's daughters, sister's daughters; foster-mothers (who breast-fed you), foster-sisters (who breast-fed from the same woman as you); your wives' mothers; your step-daughters under your guardianship, born of your wives with whom you have consummated marriage, no prohibition if ye have not consummated; (those who have been) wives of your sons proceeding from your loins; and two sisters in wedlock at one and the same time, except for what is past; for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
Thus, when Allah mentioned for us the relatives to whom marriage is forbidden, we then come to know that there is no objection for the remainder of the family relations.
Should marrying cousins be the last resort?
Furthermore, there is no condition that it be the last resort as indicated in the question. Among the most prominent evidence of this fact is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) married his daughter Fatimah to ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with them) and he is the son of her father's uncle, as well as the marriage of the Prophet himself to Zainab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her) and she is his aunt's daughter (i.e. his cousin); and there are many other such examples.
However, a different question may be asked, namely: "Is it better or preferable for a Muslim to marry someone he is not related to rather than a relative?"
The answer to this question varies from case to case, and perhaps it may be preferable to marry people who are non-relations, for example if one aspires to form new social ties or bonds, and regards the existence of a marriage relationship with a different family as constructive in widening the circle of social bonds.
For more about marriage to cousins in Islam, please see these answers: 98931 , 222086 , 12335 , and 5240
And Allah knows best. |
If the calender table indicates 4:45 a.m. as Ishraq till what
time can Fajr be prayed?
Thank you | Praise be to Allah.If what is published in the calendar conforms to what is actually observed in reality, then
the answer to your question is what was narrated by Abu Huraira in the hadith of the
Prophet
(peace be upon him): "Whoever catches a raka'a of the morning prayer
before the sun rises has caught the prayer" (i.e. on time) (Bukhari).
It must be noted, however, that praying the five daily congregational prayers in the
mosque is wajib (compulsory) for men. |
Is smoking cigarettes Haraam? | Praise be to Allah.And peace and blessings be on His Prophet.
Smoking is one of the things which has caused a lot of problems and harm these days and it has spread like wild fire. Before we discuss this topic in detail, we should know that Allaah the Almighty has divided things in the world into two types, good or permissible (al-tayyibaat, al-halaal) and evil or prohibited (al-khabaa'ith, al-haraam), and there is no third type. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning) in surat al-A'raaf (7:157):
"And He makes good things halaal for them and bad things haraam."
Considering this fact, smoking can either be permissible and good or prohibited and evil.
Thus, we present some of its characteristics and let the person asking the question see himself in which type lies smoking.
There is no disagreement among the physicians and sane people that smoking is harmful for health. It is one of the major causes of lung cancer and other diseases. It is also one of the major causes of death. Since, it is known that the Islamic law prohibits everything that is harmful for a human being. Allah said (interpretation of meaning):
"Do not kill yourself. Allah is Merciful unto you." (Surat al-Nisaa' 4:29)
In addition, His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"There is no harm or causing of harm (in Islaam)." (Arabic "laa darar wa laa diraar")
He (peace and blessings be upon him) also said:
"A person will not be able to move on the Day of Judgment until he is asked about ... his body as to what he engaged it in."
Smoking also goes against the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
"Your body has a right on you."
There is no disagreement among the physicians and sane people that smoking is harmful for the health of others who inhale the polluted breath of the smoker. Medical research has proven the harmful effects of smoking mothers on their children.
The offensive smell caused by smoking is a source of pain to the worshippers of Allah among humans and angels. The angels are offended and suffer from the same things that the human beings suffer from. Allah said (interpretation of the meaning):
"Those who cause harm to believing men and women without any reason do a great sin." (Surat al-Ahzaab, 33:58)
The money that is spent on cigarettes is used on buying a harmful thing and is therefore an extravagance. Allah said (interpretation of the meaning):
"… and do not be extravagant wasters. Those who are extravagant are kinsmen of Satan." (Surat al-Israa' 17:26-27)
Extravagance (in Islam) means spending on something haraam.
Spending money on cigarettes is a waste of resources as well. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"A person will not be able to move on the Day of Judgment until he is asked about ..... what he owned as to how he spent it."
Considering all that has been presented, it can be clearly seen that smoking is an evil among many others. It is not permissible to indulge in it, or buy and sell it, or even to offer it to others. It is incumbent on a person who is addicted to it that he must make all efforts and get whatever necessary treatment to stop it. If the unbelievers have understood the harm caused by smoking and made laws regarding it, the Muslims should be even more eager to stop it and treat those who are addicted to it.
We ask Allah the Almighty to cure everyone indulging in this evil and help him in giving it up. Allah is the Best Guide to the Right Path. |
I have a dear friend that has converted to Islam. I am in support of her decision. Could you explain the process of how to convert to Islam?
Is it haram in Islam to date? Is there halal dating in Islam? What is the process of finding a suitable wife in Islam? | Praise be to Allah.A message of thanks
Respected questioner (may Allah protect you from every evil),
Please accept from me a well-intentioned greeting!
I commend and appreciate your wise and mature sense of judgment in supporting your friend's decision to accept Islam. It shows admirable wisdom and a balanced sense of sagacity and understanding of this blessed event.
How to embrace Islam
Regarding the procedure for embracing the religion of Islam, it is actually an extremely simple process, without complication or prolongment. This is because it is something between a person and his Lord and there are no other parties involved.
All that is required of a person in order to embrace Islam is that he or she pronounces the two testaments of belief in the Islamic creed, believing in their meaning, then to take a complete bath with the intention of (ritual) purification in order to start performing prayers (note to ensure complete cleanliness one should shave pubic and under-arm hair, and a man should be circumcized if he is not already--Islam places great emphasis on proper hygiene and personal cleanliness).
The meaning of the shahadah
As for the two testimonies of creed, the first is "ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Allah" (I testify that there is no deity other than Allah), which means that one believes and confirms that there is nothing to be worshipped other than Allah and that one is prepared to implement His divine rulings and guidelines (Shari`ah) for all aspects of life.
The second is "ash-hadu anna Muhammadan Rasool ullah" which means the belief that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is the seal of the prophets (i.e. the final one), whom Allah has sent with the Islamic religion to supercede all other previous religions and that it is obligatory to comply with what he has enjoined, and to abstain and renounce all that he has prohibited and restrained.
Convert to Islam NOW before it is too late
I tend to gather from your question that there is a degree of pondering on your part or inclination towards embracing the Islamic religion, joining the example of your friend. I would invite you to carry through with it without excessive delay and reluctance , for one does not know when one's fate will come.
So why not meet one's unavoidable fate as a believer in Allah (God) and the Hereafter, a member of the religion of Islam? It is the religion which Allah has specified that He will not accept any other religion besides it, and He will not save anyone from Hell besides its followers. Undoubtedly, this step will be the greatest thing that you will ever have experienced in your life. Surely you will not regret it at all and Allah will help you to surmount the difficulties you perhaps may face in your path after accepting Islam, such as the scorn of some relatives or family members or the alientation of some friends. However, the step in fulfilling your destiny is much more important and significant than all this.
We pray for you to be bestowed with grace, and may Allah guide you to success.
Waiting for glad tidings in the near future, may Allah guard and protect you.
For more about the pillars of Islam, please see this answer: 13569
Is dating haram in Islam?
I was extremely pleased to receive your questions regarding the nature of the relationship between men and women in Islam.
Regarding the issue of dating in Islam , one must first define what is meant by "dating." If dating is understood to mean how a man and a woman get to know each other for the purpose of marriage, then there are certain guidelines and established procedures which can be discussed.
However, if dating is understood to refer to casual relationships between men and women for the purpose of "fun" or "going out" and such, then there is no provision for this in Islam.
Such a situation is not considered respectful for either the man or the woman, nor is it constructive for the concept or the building of the family or society or social responsibility. Opening the door to relationships of love and infatuation and passion and pre-marital sex is categorically prohibited in Islam. It does not lead to the establishment of a family nor to proper and virtuous upbringing of children nor to stability and mutual care and tranquility and peace of mind between a man and woman.
Rather, dating leads to disorder, the disgracing of one's honor and dignity, and to a lifestyle similar to that of animals, and to that of illegitimate children who are subjected to a life of vagrancy and loss. (Please see question # 61 which addresses the issue of prohibition of pre-marital relationships).
How to approach a woman for marriage in Islam
As for the former case, regarding how a man and a woman come to know each other for the purpose of marriage , it varies from circumstance to circumstance. Normally if a man has the desire to marry and has the ability to accept the responsibility, and he does not have anyone in mind, he will ask his friends, family, and relatives if there is a lady that may be suitable for him and his expectations among their acquaintances and relatives.
If someone is suggested, he normally asks about her extensively, about her religious observance, her personality, her knowledge, strengths, weaknesses, suitability as a wife willing to accept all the relevant responsibilities, etc.
If preliminary information seems appealing, then normally she is told that there is someone interested in meeting her and she is likewise given relevant information about him.
At this point, assuming the man and the woman as well as both families involved agree that there is potential, then the man usually visits the woman's family, often accompanied by members of his own. They are given the opportunity to see each other and sit and talk together, to converse modestly (but not in complete solitude) regarding whatever is relevant to making an informed judgment.
The intention for this meeting should be for them to be able to make a decision whether or not they feel they are mutually suitable. Afterwards, they each evaluate their own and their families' reactions, and pray to Allah that He guides them to what is in their best interest, and to make them accept the outcome.
When both sides feel comfortable and feel they know everything they need to, based on all that has been mentioned such as asking about the other person, knowing their family, meeting in person, etc., they can make a final decision whether to carry on with marriage or not.
And Allah knows best. |
Can a non-muslim man marry a muslim woman? | Praise be to Allah.It is absolutely not permissible under any circumstances in Islamic law (shari'a) of Allah,
the most esteemed and exhalted, for a non-Muslim to marry a Muslim woman, as per
what He has said regarding the marriage of a kafir (unbeliever) to a Muslim woman and
vice versa: (interpretation of the meaning).
They are not lawful (wives) for the unbelievers, nor are the unbelievers lawful
(husbands) for them... (Al-Mumtahina:10)
And Allah the most esteemed and exhalted has also said (interpretation of the meaning):
Nor marry (your girls) to unbelievers until they believe... (Al-Baqara:221)
i.e., it is not ever permissable for someone to marry his Muslim daughter or sister or any
Muslim woman for whom he is a guardian to a kafir.
Islam must be exhalted and cannot be subjugated, so how could a Muslim woman be
put under the care of a kafir man, when the man is normally naturally in a stronger
position? In such a situation he could cause her to corrupt the practice of her religion or
force her into subdual by causing her to live a life of oppression with him. He could also
prevent her from practicing some of her religious rites. These are among the reasons for
the aforementioned ban expressed in the previous ayaat. wallahu a'lam (and Allah is the
most knowledgable). |
If a lady reverts to Islam and is married to a non-Muslim man, must she divorce this
man? If he refuses to become a Muslim, can she continue to live with him? | Praise be to Allah.All praise be to Allah the Almighty.
If a woman becomes a Muslima and her husband is a kaafir, then it becomes mandatory for her to
separate from him and it is not permissible for her to remain with him in his state of shirk (disbelief),
as per Allah's injunction (interpretation of the meaning):
" do not send them back to the disbelieversthey are not lawful (wives) for the disbelievers nor
are the disbelievers lawful (husbands) for them" (Al-Mumtahinah 60:10).
It is her duty to invite him to Islam and to attempt to convince him via various approaches in the hope
that Allah may accept her efforts and give her the great reward for his guidance through her. The
prophet (peace be upon him) once told Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) when he sent him to a
people who were idol-worshippers:
"Invite them to Islam and inform them what is required of them, for (I swear) by Allah, that Allah
guides a man through you is better than if you had humr un-na'am (a particular kind of camel
which is the most sought-after wealth among the Arabs)" (Al-Bukhari, Fath il-Baari 3009).
As for the course of the marriage, and what she should do if her husband accepts Islam or doesn't,
Ibn ul-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: What is indicated by evidence of his (i.e.,
the prophet's) ruling is that the marriage is mawqoof, or in abeyance (i.e. suspension); if her husband
accepts Islam before the elapsing of her 'iddah (waiting period), then she remains his wife. If her
'iddah elapses then she has the right to marry whom she pleases or if she likes she may wait (in the
hope he may still accept Islam). If he then accepts Islam, she becomes his wife without need of
renewing the marriage. (Zaad ul-Ma'aad, Vol 5 p.138).
wallahu a'lam. (And Allah the Most Knowledgeable knows what is the most true and correct) |
When is the romedon holiday? I hope the spelling is correct. | Praise be to Allah.The pronunciation and spelling of the word which is closest to the Arabic pronunciation is Ramadhaan. The month of Ramadhaan for this Hijrah year 1418H is expected to commence on 30 or 31 December 1997, as will be established by sighting of the moon. Allah has said in surat al-Baqarah, 2:189 (interpretation of the meaning):
"They ask you [O Muhammad
] about the new moons. Tell them they are signs for people to mark
fixed periods of time and for the pilgrimage..."
so that they may fix their times of worship and other appointments.
The Prophet
(peace be upon him) also said:
"Begin fasting after sighting the moon."
One should note in comparing and contrasting the beginning of the month of Ramadhaan for this Hijrah year with the Gregorian date at that time. We will begin the Holy month of Ramadhaan in shaa' Allaah while the Christians will be celebrating New Year and Christmas. While we will be refraining from eating and drinking, in worship and obedience to the Lord of the worlds, they will be involved in the worst of all sins and malpractice. So Muslims should be warned against participating with them, and be sure to distance themselves from their imitation. May Allah guide us and you to the best. |
Dear brother in faith.
I start with the name of Allah. I would like to thank you for your prompt response for our previous answer which was of a great help to our community (all thanks be to Allah). We are still have not purchased a masjid yet. We are considering an older church, with the will of Allah, we will convert it into a masjid and a school. Therefore, we are still collecting donations, which leads to my questions:
Our Imam has been leading the efforts in gathering the donations from local sources and out of town resources. The Imam is on a bi-weekly salary and it is not in his contract to collect donations for the masjid. The Imam has suggested the idea of building or purchasing a masjid, and he also suggested collecting the donations. It has been suggested to us by one of the brothers that the Imam should get a percentage of the donations he collects according to Surah 6 Tawbah #60 "Alms are for the poor and the needy, and those employed to administer the (funds)"
1. Is the Imam entitled to a percentage of what he collected; if so, what is the percentage. Note that no prior agreement with Imam was established.
2. If a percentage is to be paid, when should this percentage be given to the Imam.
3. If the Imam is not entitled for a percentage, is the board of trustees in the community permitted to give him a reward for his efforts from the money collected. | Praise be to Allah.All praises be to Allaah, Lord and Sustainer of the worlds, and may the peace and blessings of Allaah be upon our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and upon his family and companions.
Dear brothers:
As-salaamu alaikum wa-rahamat ullaahi wa-barakaatuh, I ask Allah ta'ala that this message finds you all in good health and that He brings you success in all that is good. Before answering your most recent question, the following point must be made clear: Performing the duties of a mufti, a judge, an imam, a khateeb, or a mu'adhin is considered a duty of shari'ah, associated with the Hereafter, which must be rooted in one's volunteering and seeking the reward from Allah. It is not a worldly employment for profit or attaining income, and thus one cannot apply the principle of identifying a remuneration or compensation for specifically defined duties as one would do in the case of a worldly employment contract. If one cannot find those who are willing to volunteer to fill these duties without compensation, then it is permissible to arrange a payment for he who will execute these tasks and free himself up for them, since his duties as an imam or judge or mufti or similar functions may occupy his time such that he may not find the opportunity to gain his income through other means. Note that this payment is appointed for him for the purpose of freeing him up for his duties vis-a-vis shari'ah, and it is NOT a "fee for hire", i.e. NOT a salary compensating for work done. Thus, the correct case is that he accepts money so that he can be free to make fataawa (for a mufti), NOT that he makes fataawa so that he can make money; likewise, he accepts money so that he can be free to be an imam, NOT that he works as an imam so as to make money, etc. Both the correct and invalid cases are a means to an end; what makes one correct and the other invalid is what comprises the means and what comprises the end. The accepting of money must be the means, i.e. an instrument, aiding a person to the end, which is to establish and conduct acts of worship and pleasing Allaah, and to free himself up for this. Acts of worship cannot be the means to the end of achieving an income. Now we come to your question regarding giving the imam a portion of the zakaat which he is gathering for the purpose of the charitable project. This suggestion is based on the fact that he is among those who administer the funds, a category mentioned in the aayah regarding eligible parties that may receive from the zakaat funds. This category must be identified by its definition according to shari'ah, and it is: those officials appointed by the khalifah of the Muslims and their Imam for collecting zakaat, keeping account of it, guarding it, and distributing it among those who deserve it. Among the prerequisites required of those who collect zakaat are: that they are Muslim; that they are respected and trusted and don't betray; that they are reliable, trustworthy, and impartial, not inclined to favor anyone; fair and not liable to deal unjustly; knowledgeable in the required Islamic fiqh, aware of what is to be taken and what is not; disciplined and able to perform the duties. It is permissible for to give such persons a compensation from the zakaat itself or a salary from bait ul-maal from other funds. However, the official cannot take anything from the zakaat other than what the imam gives him, nor is he allowed to accept any gifts from those from whom he is collecting zakaat, as has been indicated by authentic ahaadeeth. If there is no khalifah of the Muslims to appoint those who will collect the zakaat or the khalifah has not sent someone to collect it (in a particular, perhaps remote, location), it becomes an obligation upon those who have wealth to pay it themselves and distribute it to those who deserve it. Further, the venerable Sheikh Abdul-Aziz bin Baaz has given us a fatwah indicating that it is permissible when necessary for the president of the Islamic center, or whoever is responsible for the matters of the Muslims, in non-Muslim countries, to appoint someone to collect zakaat and to give them an appropriate portion of it as a compensation, as they would be considered as among those employed to administer it. Important observation: If the person collecting zakaat is already receiving a salary from bait ul-maal such as a judge (qaadi), mufti, imam, etc., then he does not receive anything (additional) from the zakaat because he already has an income taken from bait ul-maal. In addition, the duties of anyone in such a position includes general work for the good of the Muslims (see Al-Mughni ma'al-Sharh al-Kabeer, Vol 7, p. 319, and al-Majmoo' lil-Nawawi, Vol 6, p.188). If what he receives does not cover his needs then he would be classified as being among the poor (al-fuqaraa'), and thus would be entitled to be given enough to meet his needs. Note, again, that he should not take anything himself unilaterally, so as not to compromise his impartiality and sincerity. And Allah the Most Knowledgeable knows what is best most correct. |
Assalamu'alaikum. I am very in love with my girlfriend, a Chinese non-muslim.We've
been together for 5 years and planned to be wed soon. The problem is she is the eldest
in her family and by tradition has to look after her parents who are non-muslim.I have
tried to convert them to the islamic faith but they refused to submit to islam.As a muslim,
i respect their decision but will i be doing a sin if they continued to livewith my girlfriend
and I after we wed.I deeply love and respect them even though they rejected our religion
as they are my girlfriend's parents. They however were understanding enough to not
keep idols and dieties in the house after we wed but they love to eat pork (just like any
other chinese) What am i supposed to do? My girlfriend doesn't eat pork anymore and
she has submitted to islam willingly but she is concerned about changing her name as her
parents want her to keep her original name(ie Wong Wan Pei). Can this be allowed? | Praise be to Allah.All praise is due to Allah.
First of all, we praise Allah the most glorified that He guided
this woman to Islam and that you are now allowed to marry her under Islamic
law (shari'ah). May Allah the Almighty help you to remain firm toward your faith.
Out of compassion and caring for your sake, please allow me to reproach a particular
aspect of your question, which is that you did not indicate any regret on your
part regarding the sinful and forbidden relationship of taking a girlfriend
and continuing with her in a friendship that angers and displeases Allah regardless
of the extent of that friendship.
Your question focused on a secondary issue regarding the ruling
on changing one's name which is not as serious as what you have practiced for
the past five years. Allah the most glorified has forbidden such an indecent
relationship in the Qur'an (interpretation of the meaning, )
"not committing fornication, nor taking them as
lovers (i.e. girlfriends)" (Al-Maa'ida, 5:5)
So, it is obligatory upon you to repent to Allah and to regret
what has passed and to have the firm will not to return to the same action again,
and to do good deeds and perform acts of worship to expiate the evils of that
sin, and Allah is surely forgiving and merciful. (Please see also similar discussion
of this issue in question #61)
As for your statement: "I deeply love my girlfriend's parents
even though they rejected our religion," by Allah it is extremely astonishing
how a Muslim man that believes in Allah and the last day can love people who
are non-believers that don't believe in Allah and the last day and don't forbid
what Allah forbids and don't practice the religion of truth and also refuse
the religion of Islam??! Is this not a clear violation of Allah's statement
in the Qur'an in surat al-Mujadlilah 58:22 (interpretation of the meaning):
"You will not find any people who believe in Allah and
the Last Day, making friendship with and loving those who oppose Allah and His
Messenger (Muhammad-
Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon Him), even if they are their fathers or
their sons or their kindred"
We are not saying to you curse them or pick up arms against them;
however, it is obligatory upon you to abhor them for their disbelief and their
denial of the Lord of the worlds and to hate the invalid and untruthful religion
that they are practicing. On the other hand, there is no objection for you to
treat them with kindnesswhile disliking them in your heartand to
be amicable towards them so that perhaps Allah will guide them through you.
You will find no conflict or contradiction between these two ideas if you consider
them carefully.
Furthermore, there is no objection to her parents living with
you after marriage if they do not perform forbidden acts in the home (e.g.,
eating pork, drinking alcohol, etc.)
As for the question raised at the end of your letter regarding
changing her name, the answer is: if the name of the person has a forbidden
meaning, like the name of an idol or one of their deities or a name that means
worshipping other than Allah, such as Abdul-Maseeh (worship per of Jesus the messiah) or Abdul-Hussain (worshipper of Hussain)
then it is mandatory to change it. However, if its meaning is permissable and
not objectionable, e.g. if it means one of the colors such as red or green or
a vocation like carpenter or baker, then it is OK and it is not obligatory to
change it. However, if changing the name in official documents would cause the
person much distress or harm, then it suffices to change it amongst his family
and acquaintances.
Finally, I ask Allah to give you and this woman a halaal (lawful
and good) and blissful life, full of imaan (faith) and taqwa (piety - God-fearing)
and enriched with righteous posterity. All success is from Allah. |
Here in Singapore, the Muslims have very little, if not any, chance to participate in
non-interest based transactions. What advice can you give to us who have no choice but
to be involved in these transactions for our basic needs? | Praise be to Allah.Al-hamdu lillaah:
Every Muslim has to implement Islamic law, with all possible means, in all affairs, being social,
economical, etc., in accordance with the verse: (interpretation of the meaning) "Say: My prayer, my
sacrifice, my life and my death are for Allah".
On certain occasions Muslims may be ruled by a non-Islamic system, which makes it very difficult
for them to practice their religion. Their example may be similar to that predicted by the prophet, (peace be upon him):
" There will come a day where a Muslim holding fast to his deen (religion) is like he who is
gripping a hot coal" (Al-Tirmidhi, sahih).
When a Muslim is faced with such a situation, he should hold fast to the teachings of the Qur'an,
keep himself within a good Muslim community, and strive his best to implement Islam, asking Allah's
forgiveness for things he could not implement. Allah, the Merciful, has stated that (interpretation of
the meaning):
"Allah does not require from a soul more than what it can bear".
When the situation becomes too difficult and over-bearing, a Muslim enters in a state of "adversity"
or "necessity" (al-dharoorah) where unlawful things (al-mahdhooraat) become permissible. This is a
great rule in Islam which reflects its mercy and appreciation to its followers. However, this issue is
very sensitive as many Muslims, out of their ignorance, mistreat this rule. For example they neglect
the corollary which says: "The state of necessity should be dealt with in proportion to its measure."
Therefore it is very important to mention the constraints and conditions under which the rule of
necessity is applicable. Some of these are:
That the level of harm associated with the unlawful action be less than that caused by the state
of dharoorah.
That the permissible degree or amount of the unlawful action he is allowed to commit be just
enough to get him out of the state of dharoorah.
That there is no other alternative in facing the state of dharoorah other than committing the
unlawful act.
That the duration of the concession be restricted to the duration of its cause.
That the dharoorah is actually existing and not only anticipated or expected.
When someone is faced by dharoorah and all its conditions and constraints are observed then
the unlawful thing becomes lawful to him.
Here are few practical examples to illustrate the above:
It is permissible for the Muslim to eat from the dead animal if he finds nothing halaal to eat, and
he will die if he doesn't eat
It is permissible for a Muslim to utter the words of kufr (disbelief) when he is under a painful
torturing that he cannot bear.
It is permissible to deposit the money at the banks to save them from being lost or stolen,
although that is considered to be helping the banks in their haraam interest transactions.
It is permissible to enroll in car insurance (considering that most of the forms of car insurance
are not acceptable in Islam) if he is in bad need to have a car and he is not allowed to drive one
without insurance.
It is permissible to complain to the "civil courts" (although they may not be implementing the
Islamic law) to obtain one's rights if they is no other means to do so, provided one has the
sound belief that there is no judgment except that of Allah.
Since the question inquires about transactions in particular, it is worth noting the following:
It is never permissible to ask for riba nor to accept it under any circumstances. Such unlawful
action is not permissible under any need.
Minimizing the risk, or having more convenience are not valid excuses to enter into unlawful
contracts, like those involving riba.
Improving the income or promoting the profits are also not valid excuses to adopt unlawful
ways of earning. Let's remember that a little blessed halaal earning is better than many folds of
haraam earning.
Finally we have to say that it is the duty of Muslims everywhere to strive to find lawful alternatives to
alleviate the state of dharoorah and save themselves from the need to adopt unlawful ways.
We ask Allah to give us of His bounties what keeps us sufficed and satisfied, and not to make us in
need of anyone other than Him. Ameen. |
Our extended family seem to de divided on the issue of women visiting graves. Some say it is perfectly okay and do so and some say it is not permitted and do not visit graves. Please let me know if it is permissible for women to visit graves. | Praise be to Allah.Paying visits by Muslim men to cemeteries is a practice of the sunnah, and it reminds one of his destiny so that he may strive for it. As the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"I [once] had forbid you from visiting graves, [and I now enjoin] you to do so, so that the visit may serve as a beneficial reminder." (related by Muslim and others)
and in the version of al-Haakim:
" for [such visits] soften the heart, bring tears to the eyes, and serve as a reminder of the Hereafter, [but be careful] not to speak forbidden expressions [i.e. while visiting]." (Sahih al-Jaami' 4584)
Concerning visits to cemeteries by women, scholars have varied opinions on this issue:
it is allowed or preferred and their case is similar to that of men
it is makrooh (reprehensible), which is the opinion of jumhoor ul-'ulemaa' (the majority of the scholars)
it is forbidden, this one probably being the strongest opinion, as indicated by al-hadith al-sahih in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"Allah has cursed women who frequent graves," related by Ahmed and Tirmidhi and Ibn Maajah and in one version,
"Allah has cursed women who visit graves and those who build mosques and place lights upon them." (related by Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nisaa'i and al-Haakim)
This condemnation would warrant the validity of the argument against women visiting cemeteries as the lawmaker (i.e. Allah) would not condemn something that is permissible or reprehensibleonly that which is forbidden completely.
Regarding what would be the reason for this condemnation, the scholars have cited two main arguments:
Firstly, that women for the most part are emotionally weaker in accepting calamities and perhaps being in sight of her dear one's graves may break into wailing and loud weeping, which would be detrimental to her religious character and harmful for her body as well.
Secondly, cemeteries are oftentimes isolated places which may not be safe for someone being alone, possibly exposing a woman to people of corrupt or loose moral character.
In summary, the rationale behind this prohibition is that women are often not as strong emotionally in the face of calamities, and not visiting graves prevents them from the trial and from being exposed to unnecessary fitnah.
Allah the Most Knowledgeable knows what is most correct and best. |
By Allah's mercy, many Muslims are entering Islam in America. Many Muslims change their names after accepting Islam. Some change their names to names of angels like Jibril or Mikail, etc. According to the 'aqidah of Ahl-us-Sunnah, angels are neither male nor female. If one says they are male, this is bid`ah and if one says they are female, this is kufr.
So, I would like to know in light of all of this, what is the proper status of changing one's name to the name of an angel. Is it haram, makruh, mubah, etc.? Please help me with this answer for I have been asking and I have yet to receive a response. May Allah reward you for your answer! What advice would you give someone who has changed his or her name to the name of an angel? | Praise be to Allah.Ibn al-Qayyim said in his book "Tuhfat al-Mawdud fi Ahkam al-Mawlud" in the second chapter under "What is preferred among the names and what is considered reprehensible among them" said:
“... and among them are the names of the angels such as Jibrail and Mikail and Israfil, it is makruh to name human beings with these names. Ash'had said: Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy upon him) was asked regarding naming someone the name Jibril; he abhorred it and it didn't please him; al-Qai `Iyad said: "... and others allowed it." Abdul-Razzak said in al-Jami' via Ma`mar: "I said to Hammad ibn Abi Sulayman what would you say regarding a man whose name is Jibril or Mikail, and he responded, 'There is no objection.' (la bas bi-hi)"
Regarding the hadith: "la tusammow bi-asma al-malaikah" ("don't name yourselves with the names of the angels "), al-Bukhari has said that the validity of its chain of narration is questionable. This means that the hadith would not be considered sahih.” ("Tuhfat al-Mawdud, p. 83)
In al-Mawsu'ah al-Fiqhiyya most of the scholars have ruled that using the names of the angels like Jibril and Mikail is not makruh (disagreeable or reprehensible). Imam Malik, on the other hand, has ruled that it is makruh.” (Al-Mawsu'ah al-Fiqhiyya, al-Kuwait, Vol 11:334)
Some have stated that the meaning of Jibril is Abdullah and likewise Mikail. See Tafsir Ibn Kathir under verses numbers 97-98 in Surat al-Baqarah.
Thus, based on what has been presented, it is preferable not to use the names of the angels, and that we follow the rightly-guided forefathers in the naming of our children and in the naming of those who accept Islam among the non-believers. The most preferred names, no doubt, are ‘Abdullah and ‘Abdul-Rahman as has been related in the sound hadith.
And Allah knows best. |
Is it permissable for a Muslim woman, who does not have a
mahram because she is an unmarried convert, to relocate to
another country for the purposes of furthering her Islaamic
knowledge, to live among Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaat, and seek
a husband? | Praise be to Allah.
If the Muslim woman is living in a place where there are no Muslims of Ahl
al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah with whom she could live and she is therefore
unable to learn her religion, it is permissible for her to move to another
place where she can live among Ahl al-Sunnah and learn her religion.
Indeed, she should try to move, travelling with a mahram if possible. If she
has no mahram, then she should travel in the company of others who can
be trusted, in an airplane, for example, so that she can reach her destination
safely. We ask Allaah to help us obey Him.
Translator's note: "mahram" refers to a blood-relative to whom marriage is
permanently forbidden, such as a woman's father, brother, son, uncle, etc. |
Is it permissable for the
husband to move out of the home during the
iddah of his wife? For what period
of time is he required to maintain her
after he pronounces divorce? If
he abandons the home and does not maintain her, what does the Sharee'ah
say about such actions? | Praise be to Allah.All Praise is due to Allah the Almighty.
It is mandatory that a divorced woman stay in her husband's
home during
the period of iddah (specifically after
the first and second divorce).
It is not permissible for her husband to force her out
of the home.
The verse from the Qur'an which asserts this is al-Talaaq
(65:1), (interpretation
of the meaning):
"... and do not force them out of their homes, nor
shall they (themselves)
leave, except in the case where they are guilty of
open illegal sexual
intercourse..."
The husband is also obliged to provide for her during
this period of
iddah, as she is still under his guardianship
('isma).
It is permissible for the woman to beautify herself for
her husband during
the iddah. In fact, one of the reasons for iddah
is to provide a period of
reflection and contemplation, so each party may consider
the consequences and review the decisions and circumstances, so as to provide
a chance for them to get back together.
If the husband abandons the house or forces the wife out,
then the reasons
for which Allah has ordained this period have been missed.
Thus, it is incumbent upon the husband to beware of this, as he would be
disobeying
a command from Allah.
There is nothing wrong with her going out of the house
for visits, etc.,
with his permission, just as before her divorce.
Regarding the length of the iddah, please refer
to question #31.
May Allah guide us to the right path. |