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Is it permissible to have a pap smear test whilst fasting?  This involves the nurse taking a sample from the cervix at the neck of the womb.

Praise be to Allah.Shaykh ‘Abd Al-Karim Al-Khudayr said: “If having a pap smear test and having a sample taken from the cervix results in the emission of maniy (sexual discharge), then this breaks the woman’s fast because it involves desire. If it simply involves taking a sample with no feelings of desire, then it does not break her fast. But it is better to delay it until the time of iftar at night.” For more, see these answers: 50406 , 37780 , 38073 , and 38023 . And Allah knows best.

There is a man whose mother reached the age of approximately 80 years. She suffered from a stomach disease and was sick for two years, then she passed away. He did ghusl for her, as an act of kindness and honour on his part; he did not need to do that as there were others who could do it. What is the right thing to do? May Allaah reward you with good.

Praise be to Allah.The way things were was done at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the Rightly-Guided Khaleefahs (may Allaah be pleased with them) was: when a woman died, she would be washed by other women, not by men, except in the case of a wife whose husband could wash her or leave it to the women. The same applied to a slave woman in relation to her master, so long as she was permissible for him. If a man died, he would be washed by other men, not women, except in the case of a husband, whose wife could wash him, or leave that to the men. Based on this, your doing ghusl for your mother is contrary to sharee’ah, because of what is known from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his companions (may Allaah be pleased with him), even if your mother was old. You have to seek Allaah’s forgiveness and repent to him, and not do anything like this with any of your other mahrams, even if your intention is good and you want to honour them. And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family andcompanions.

Before she died, my wife miscarried a foetus aged four months. She took the foetus and buried it without praying for it. Please advise me as to whether I have to do anything.

Praise be to Allah. The foetus should have been washed, shrouded and prayed for, according to the correct scholarly view, so long as it had reached the age of four months, because of the general meaning of the report narrated by Abu Dawood and al-Tirmidhi from al-Mugheerah ibn Shu’bah (may Allaah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The miscarried foetus should be prayed for.” But the time for doing that has passed, so you do not have to do anything.  And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

I will post my question again, I have been reading the Qur'an the past 2 years and am almost through it. In my reading I have become more and more convinced about the truth of the Qur'an and I have this year for the first time started to fast with my friends. My period started on the 2nd fast and I was given conflicting advice by 2 lady friends. One said continue with the fast the other said to stop. I then asked a male friend and he advised me to stop. Yesterday I read an article on Ramadan and it said that if you have not said the Kalimah your fast is not accepted. I am not going to repeat my whole story here, but I have sent the Kalimah to a friend as an SMS and they all know I do believe. My situation does not permit me to openly live the life of a Muslim and I have begged God to help me. I believe He understands my situation. May I continue to fast or should I stop?.

Praise be to Allah.We ask Allaah to open your heart to Islam and to help you to adhere to the rituals of Islam, both outwardly and inwardly. Undoubtedly your keenness to read Qur’aan and to fast indicate that you possess a great deal of goodness and love for righteous deeds. We ask Allaah to give you strength and help you. But you have to realize that this great religion comes from Allaah, the All-Wise and All-Knowing. Whatever is enjoined by Allaah and by His Messenger is Islam, and we can only know Islam through the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who is the one who conveyed it from Allaah.  The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has told us in more than one hadeeth that Allaah does not accept any righteous deeds until after the person has uttered the Shahaadatayn. Indeed he told his companions not to tell anyone to do any of the rituals of Islam until they had pronounced the Shahaadatayn. In Saheeh al-Bukhaari (7372) and Saheeh Muslim (19) it was narrated that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent Mu’aadh to Yemen to call the People of the Book to Islam, he said to him: “You are going to some people from among the People of the Book. Call them to bear witness that there is no god but Allaah and that I am the Messenger of Allaah. If they accept that, then tell them that Allaah has enjoined on them five prayers each day and night. If they accept that, then tell them that Allaah has enjoined upon them charity [zakaah] to be taken from their rich and given to their poor…” According to a report in Saheeh Muslim he said: “Let the first thing to which you call them be…”  Hence it should be clear to you – may Allaah help you to do good – that uttering the Shahaadatayn is the first thing that the Muslim must do if he wants to become Muslim. It is not essential for you to announce that to your family if you are not able to do that and you fear for yourself and your religion. Rather it is sufficient for you to say these words to yourself, until the time comes when you can announce it to others, when you must do so.   With regard to fasting, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told menstruating women to refrain from prayer and fasting during menses (the monthly period). When the period ends, a woman has to make up the fasts of the days that she has missed. With regard to prayer, she does not have to make up the prayers. The evidence for that is as follows.  A woman asked ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), why it is that a woman who menstruates has to make up the fasts but not the prayers? She said: “Are you a Haroori?” She said, “No, I am just asking.” ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “That (menstruation) used to happen to us at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and we were commanded to make up the fasts but we were not commanded to make up the prayers.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 321; Muslim, 335.  This woman wondered why, when her period came and she did not fast or pray, Allaah commanded women to make up the fasts but not the prayers. ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) replied by telling her that this was the command of Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and we must accept the command of Allaah and His Messenger without raising objections based on our weak mental capacity which can only encompass a little of the wisdom of Allaah the Most Wise, All-Knowing, which is what Allaah has taught us.  The ruling which we have mentioned is agreed upon by all the Muslim scholars. Imam Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his book al-Tamheed (16/67): “A woman who is menstruating should not pray, and there is consensus on this point.” And he also said  (22/107): “… There is consensus that a menstruating woman should not pray during the days of her period, and she should make up the missed fasts but not the prayers, and there is no difference of opinion on any of that.”  With regard to the rest of the rituals of Islam, you have to do whatever you can. Whatever you are unable to do because of fear for yourself or your religion, you are not obliged to do, as the scholars have stated, because in that case you come under the ruling of one who has no choice, and Allaah made allowances for the one who is forced to disbelieve (outwardly), so long as his heart remains open to faith and still hates kufr (disbelief). Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Whoever disbelieved in Allaah after his belief, except him who is forced thereto and whose heart is at rest with Faith; but such as open their breasts to disbelief, on them is wrath from Allaah, and theirs will be a great torment” [al-Nahl 16:106] See al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 13/196  But you have to practise as much as you can of the rituals of Islam, then try to reach a place where you will be able to practise as much as you can of the rituals of Islam. This action is what the scholars of Islam call hijrah (migration for the sake of Allaah), and it is obligatory for every Muslim man and woman if they are unable to establish the rituals of Islam in their own country and they are able to migrate. The evidence for that is the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Verily, as for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves (as they stayed among the disbelievers even though emigration was obligatory for them), they (angels) say (to them): “In what (condition) were you?” They reply: “We were weak and oppressed on the earth.” They (angels) say: “Was not the earth of Allaah spacious enough for you to emigrate therein?” Such men will find their abode in Hell — what an evil destination! Except the weak ones among men, women and children who cannot devise a plan, nor are they able to direct their way” [al-Nisa’ 4:97-98] This indicates that only those who are weak are excused the obligation of migrating.  It says in Mughni al-Muhtaaj (6/54):  If a person is not able to practise his religion openly or he fears persecution, then it is obligatory for him to migrate, whether man or woman, even if she does not have a mahram (if they are able to migrate), because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, as for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves…” And because of the report narrated by Abu Dawood and others (according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said): “I disavow every Muslim who stays among the mushrikeen (polytheists, those who associate others with Allaah).” A saheeh hadeeth  - al-Irwa’, 5/30.  Ibn Rushd said: It is obligatory, according to the Qur’aan, Sunnah and consensus of the Muslims for the one who becomes Muslim in a kaafir country to migrate therefrom and move to a Muslim country; he should not live or settle among the mushrikeen. That applies if he is unable to practise his religion, or he is forced to adhere to the rulings of kufr.  From al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 4/264  Even though migration means leaving one’s family and homeland, Allaah will fill the person’s heart with happiness which will make him keen to migrate.  Thus it will become clear to you that so long as you are unable to practise the rituals of Islam, then Allaah by His mercy will excuse you, and whatever you are able to do, then you are obliged to do it, even if you do it in secret. If you have to put up with some difficulties that you are able to bear in order to do that, then Allaah will reward greatly the one who patiently bears hardship for His sake and for the sake of His religion. The Book of Allaah is filled with stories that speak of that. Even though uttering the Shahaadatayn is so important, Allaah has made that very easy. So we advise you to utter these words even if you only say them to yourself, because the soundness of your Islam depends on that, as I am sure you understand, until Allaah makes it easy for you to announce it publicly, by His leave. May Allaah help you to do that which is good.

It has becomes widespread in recent times for people to offer condolences through newspapers and magazines and for the family of the deceased to respond with thanks for condolences in the same manner. What is the ruling on doing this? Does it come under the heading of the kind of death announcements that are forbidden in sharee’ah?.

Praise be to Allah.Yes… what I think is that this comes under the heading of the kind of death announcements that are forbidden; even if it does not, it is still extravagance and a waste of money. Condolences are not like congratulations which people may be keen to offer whether the one who has been bereaved is sad or not. What is meant by offering condolences is that if you see a person who has been bereaved and his sorrow is plainly visible, you try to give him moral support and help him to bear that loss. This is the point of offering condolences. It is not something you do as a mere act of courtesy. If the people understood the purpose of offering condolences they would not go to the extreme of publishing them in the newspapers or gathering for that purpose or receiving people and offering them food, etc.

I am a young man who is an evildoer (faasiq) and a kaafir. I want to repent to Allaah. I used to do all kinds of haraam actions, and I do not pray. But now I want to repent. I hope the Shaykh can tell me how to repent.

Praise be to Allah. “Say: “O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah, verily, Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. And turn in repentance and in obedience with true Faith (Islamic Monotheism) to your Lord and submit to Him (in Islam) before the torment comes upon you, (and) then you will not be helped. And follow the best of that which is sent down to you from your Lord (i.e. this Qur’aan, do what it orders you to do and keep away from what it forbids), before the torment comes on you suddenly while you perceive not!’” [al-Zumar 39:53-54 – interpretation of the meaning] I have received your letter and I was impressed with your eagerness to repent and come back to Allaah, despite the fact that you have committed all kinds of haraam actions, as you say, above all neglecting prayer. It is very important that you should know that the gate of repentance is open to you. You should think deeply about what is mentioned in the aayahs quoted above. I will also tell you some practical steps which will show you clearly how to repent, in sha Allah. The word tawbah (repentance) is a great word with deep meaning. It is not, as many people think, merely words to be uttered whilst persisting in sin. Think about what Allaah says: “Seek the forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in repentance” [Hood 11:3 – interpretation of the meaning] You will see that repentance is something more than seeking forgiveness. Because this is a serious matter, there have to be conditions attached. The scholars mentioned the conditions of repentance, based on aayahs from the Qur’aan and ahaadeeth. There follows a list of some of them: 1 – Giving up the sin immediately. 2 – Regretting what has happened in the past. 3 – Resolving not to go back to it. 4 – Making amends to those whom you have wronged, or asking for their forgiveness. You should not forget other important matters connected to sincere repentance, such as: 1 – You should give up the sin for the sake of Allaah and not for any other reason such as not being able to do it or repeat it, or being afraid of what people will say, for example. The person who gives up a sin because it may affect his standing or reputation among people, or because it may cost him his job, cannot be described as having repented. The person who gives up sins for the sake of his health and strength cannot be described as having repented, such as a person who gives up zinaa (adultery) and immoral actions for fear of contagious deadly diseases, or for fear that they may weaken his body and his memory. The person who refrains from taking a bribe for fear that it may be being offered by undercover officers cannot be described as having repented. The person who gives up drinking alcohol and taking drugs because he has become bankrupt cannot be described as having repented. Similarly, the person who is unable to commit sin because of something that lies beyond his control cannot be described as having repented, such as a liar who becomes paralyzed and loses the power of speech, or an adulterer who loses the ability to engage in intercourse, or a thief who has an accident and loses his limbs. In such cases, a person has to feel regret and stop wishing to commit sin, or he has to feel sorry for what has happened in the past. To someone like this the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Regret is repentance.” (narrated by Ahmad and Ibn Maajah; Saheeh al-Jaami’, 6802) 2 – He should feel repelled by the sin and the harm it causes. This means that sincere repentance cannot be accompanied by feelings of enjoyment and pleasure when remembering past sins, or wishing to go back to it in the future. In his book al-Daa’ wa’l-Dawaa’ wa’l-Fawaa’id, Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) mentioned many of the harmful effects of sin, including the following: Being deprived of (Islamic) knowledge – feelings of alienation in the heart – difficulties – physical weakness – being unable to do acts of worship – being deprived of blessings – less help from Allaah – anxiety – more bad deeds – getting used to sin – the sinner becomes insignificant in the sight of Allaah – he becomes insignificant in the sight of people – the curse of the animals will be upon him – he will bear marks of humiliation – his heart will be sealed and he will come under the curse (of Allaah) – his du’aa’ will not be answered – cause of mischief on land and sea – loss of gheerah (protective jealousy) – loss of modesty – the blessings of Allaah will disappear – punishment will befall him – terror in the heart of the sinner – falling into the clutches of the Shaytaan – a bad end – punishment in the Hereafter. Knowing these harmful effects of sin will make you want to keep away from sin altogether, but some people may move from one sin to another for a number of reasons, including the following: - They think that it is less serious - The self is more inclined towards it and the desire for it is stronger - It is easier to commit this sin than others, unlike sins which require some preparation; the means of doing it are readily available and widespread - His friends and companions are committing this sin and it is difficult for him to differ from them - A particular sin may give a person some status among his companions, and it is too difficult for him to lose this position, so he continues to commit that sin. 3 – He should hasten to repent. Hence delaying repentance is in and of itself a sin for which repentance is required. 4 – You should make up the duties towards Allaah that you have missed, if that is possible, such as paying the zakaah which you withheld in the past; and because this is something which is the right of the poor. 5 – You should keep away from places of sin if your being there may make you fall into sin again. 6 – You should keep away from those who helped you to commit sin. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Friends on that Day will be foes one to another except Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)” [al-Zukhruf 43:67] Bad friends will curse one another on the Day of Resurrection, so you should keep away from them and break off your friendship with them, and warn others against them if you are not able to call them (to Allaah). Do nt let the Shaytaan deceive you or make the idea of going back to them in order to call them to Allaah look attractive to you, for you know that you are weak and will not be able to resist. There are many cases in which people have gone back to sin because they resumed relationships with their former companions. 7 – Destroy haraam things that you may have in your possession, such as intoxicants, musical instruments, haraam pictures and movies, permissive stories, statues and so on. They should be broken, destroyed or burnt. It is very essential that the one who wants to repent should rid himself of all items of jaahiliyyah. How often has it happened that keeping these haraam things caused people who had repented to go back on their repentance and be led astray after having been guided. We ask Allaah to make us steadfast. 8 – Choose righteous friends who will help you against your nafs (self) and who will be an alternative to bad company. Strive to attend circles of dhikr and gatherings of knowledge. Fill your time with beneficial things so that the Shaytaan will not find any opportunity to remind you of the past. 9 – Focus on your body which has been fed on haraam substances and direct its energies towards obeying Allaah. Seek out halaal substances with which to nourish your body so that your flesh will be renewed with halaal substances. 10 – Do a lot of good deeds, for good deeds cancel out bad deeds. If you are sincere in your repentance to Allaah, then receive the good news that all your previous evil deeds will be changed into good deeds. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And those who invoke not any other ilaah (god) along with Allaah, nor kill such person as Allaah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse and whoever does this shall receive the punishment. The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace; Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Furqaan 25:68] I ask Allaah to benefit you by these words, and to guide your heart. Now get up and utter the Shahaadatyan, purify yourself (with ghusl) and pray as Allaah has commanded you. Observe the Islamic duties regularly and give up haraam things. I will be happy to help you in any way. I ask Allaah to give us and you strength to do that which He loves and is pleased with. May He accept the repentance of us all, for He is the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful.

If someone dies here in Sudan, after forty days the family, including the women and children, goes to visit the grave, and opens the grave. They have seeds of corn with them which they scatter over the deceased, and I think they throw stones on the deceased. Can women visit graves?.

Praise be to Allah.This is an innovation (bid’ah) for which there is no basis in sharee’ah. Throwing seeds, perfume and clothes into the grave are all reprehensible actions for which there is no basis. The grave should not be opened unless there is a good reason for doing so, such as the workers forgetting their tools like shovels, so it may be opened for that reason, or if one of them has dropped something important, so the grave may be opened to retrieve it. But opening it to scatter seeds or clothes and the like is not permitted.  Women should not visit graves, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed women who visit graves. That was narrated from Abu Hurayrah, Ibn ‘Abbaas and Hassaan ibn Thaabit (may Allaah be pleased with them). So it is not permissible for them to visit graves, but that is prescribed for men, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Visit the graves, for they remind you of the Hereafter.” (Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh).  The reason why women are forbidden to visit graves – and Allaah knows best – is that they are a temptation (fitnah) and they have little patience.

I would like to ask a question that is a common problem among many of us. How does Allah look at physical beauty? How is it discussed in Hadith and Quran? Many people favor some of their children over others just because of light skin color or eye color. How does the Quran view this?

Praise be to Allah. Physical beauty is not considered to be a measure of virtue among people in Islam; rather the standard on which distinctions are made is taqwa (piety, fear of Allaah). Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with Allaah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa [i.e. he is one of the Muttaqoon (the pious)]. Verily, Allaah is All-Knowing, All-Aware” [al-Hujuraat 49:13]  Hence sharee’ah (divine law) came to correct our outlook which is usually based on outward appearances. There are many ahaadeeth (Prophetic narrations)on this topic, including the following:  It was narrated in al-Saheeh that Abu Hurayrah said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Allaah does not look at your appearance or your wealth, but He looks at your hearts and your deeds.’” (Narrated by Muslim, al-Birr wa’l-Silah, 4651).  It was narrated that Abu Dharr said: “I exchanged words with another man, whose mother was a non-Arab. I insulted his mother, and he mentioned that to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He said to me, ‘Did you trade insults with so and so?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Did you insult his mother?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘You are a man in whom is jaahiliyyah (ignorance)…’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Adab, 5590; Muslim, al-Eemaan, 3140). According to another report: “…I said to him, ‘O son of a black woman’,” and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “In you there is jaahiliyyah” – i.e., one of the characteristics of jaahiliyyah.  It was narrated that Sahl ibn Sa’d al-Saa’idi said: “A man passed by the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and he asked a man who was sitting with him, ‘What do you think of this man?’ He said, ‘He is one of the nobility. By Allaah, if he proposes marriage he deserves to get married and if he intercedes, his intercession deserves to be accepted.’ The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said nothing. Then another man passed by, and the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked, ‘What do you think of this man?’ He said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, he is one of the poor Muslims. If he proposes marriage he does not deserve to get married, if he intercedes his intercession does not deserve to be accepted and if he speaks he does not deserve to be heard.’ The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘This one (the second man) is better than an earthful of (men like) that one (the first man).’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Riqaaq, 5966).  It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “People should stop boasting about their forefathers who have died, for they are no more than the fuel of Hell, or they will be more insignificant before Allaah than the dung beetle which rolls up dung with its nose. Allaah has taken away your jaahili arrogance and pride in your ancestors; rather man is either a believer who fears Allaah or an immoral person who is doomed. All of them are the sons of Adam and Adam was created from dust.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, al-Manaaqib, 3890; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan al-Tirmidhi, no. 3100).  All these ahaadeeth indicate that which we have mentioned above, which is that one’s appearance and colour should not be the basis of one’s feeling proud, distinguished, superior or of high status, and that the Muslim should get close to those who are pious and righteous.  It was narrated that ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas said: “I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saying out loud, not quietly: ‘…Rather my friends are Allaah and the righteous believers…’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Adab, 5531; Muslim, al-Eemaan, 316).  With regard to dealing with one’s children, it is obligatory to treat them fairly and not to prefer some of them over others, even if one of them honours his father more than another. So how about if the distinction is based on the colour of the child’s skin or the colour of his eyes? This is a serious matter and it is a grave wrongdoing. Parents have to fear Allaah when dealing with their children and treat them fairly. It says in the hadeeth whose authenticity is agreed upon, which was narrated from al-Nu’maan ibn Basheer that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Fear Allaah and treat your children fairly.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2398; Muslim, 3055). This kind of favouritism generates envy and hatred between the children. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound. And Allaah knows best. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

What is meant by belief in the Last Day?

Praise be to Allah.What is meant by belief in the Last Day is:  Firmly believing that everything that Allaah has told us about in His Book and that His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has told us about what will happen after death, will indeed happen and come to pass. That includes believing in the signs of the Hour which will happen before the Last Day; in death and things that accompany it when a person is on his deathbed; what comes after death, namely the trial of the grave and torment or blessing therein; the Trumpet-blast and resurrection; the standing and terrors of the Day of Resurrection; the details of the gathering and reckoning; Paradise and its delights, the greatest of which will be looking upon the Face of Allaah; Hell and its torments, the most severe of which will be their being veiled from seeing their Lord. And belief in the Last Day includes acting in accordance with what is implied by these beliefs.  If this belief is firmly established in a person’s heart, it will bear great fruits, including the following:  1 – The desire to do acts of obedience and worship, and to strive hard in doing so, in the hope of attaining the rewards of that Day.  2 – Fear of committing sin or approving of it, for fear of the punishment of that Day.  3 – The believer will be consoled for whatever he misses out on of worldly luxuries and delights, because of his hope for the delights and rewards of the Hereafter.  We ask Almighty Allaah to bless us with sincere belief and unshakeable certainty of faith… Ameen.  See A’laam al-Sunnah al-Manshoorah, 110; Sharh al-Usool al-Thalaathah by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 98-103.

Should a woman pray for the missed prayers when she becomes clean after her periods? Also I would like if someone else can pray for a woman who is having her periods like a husband doing all the prayers twice one for himself and one for his wife. Please advice me?

Praise be to Allah.When a woman has her period, she is spared the obligation of having to pray; indeed if a woman were to pray at that time she would be considered to be sinning and disobeying her Lord by doing so, and her prayers would not be accepted.  Allaah has excused her from having to pray at the time of her period, and this is what is meant by the deficiency in her religious commitment as mentioned in the hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri who said, “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went out and said: ‘O women… I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you. A cautious sensible man could be led astray by some of you.’ The women asked, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, what is deficient in our religion and intelligence?’ He said, ‘Is not the evidence of one woman equal to half the testimony of one man?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘This is the deficiency in her intelligence. Isn't it true that a woman can neither pray nor fast during her menses?’ The women said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘This is the deficiency in her religion.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Hayd, 293; Muslim, al-Eemaan, 114).  It was narrated that Mu’aadhah said: “I asked ‘Aa’ishah: ‘Why is it that a women who menstruates has to make up her fasts but not her prayers?’ She said, ‘That [menstruation] used to happen to us and we were commanded to make up our fasts but we were not commanded to make up our prayers.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Hayd, 310; Muslim, al-Hayd, 508 – this version was narrated by him).  Al-Nawawi said: “This ruling – i.e., that prayers should not be made up) is agreed upon by all the Muslims, that menstruating women and women who bleed following childbirth do not have to pray or fast at the times when prayers or fasts are due; they are unanimously agreed that they do not have to make up the prayers, and they are unanimously agreed that they do have to make up the fasts. The scholars said, the difference between them is that the prayers are many and are repeated, so it would be difficult to make them up, unlike the fasts.”  (Sharh Muslim, 4/26)  It was said that when a woman is menstruating, she is not obliged to perform the prayers at all, so it is not permissible for her to make up the prayers after she becomes pure (i.e., after her period ends). So how can someone else make up her prayers for her? Her husband does not need to make them up for her. This is apart from the fact that prayers cannot be made up for another person. ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “No one should pray on behalf of another.”  Every Muslim should keep away from innovating something in the religion for which Allaah has not granted permission.  And Allaah knows best.  May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad..

How should Muslim soldiers pray when they are on the front line, guarding against the enemy, such as the Muslim troops in Pakistan who are guarding against the kaafir Hindu troops in Kashmir?

Praise be to Allah. If the soldiers mentioned are in the place where they live, and are not traveling, then they have to pray Jumu’ah and pray the four-rak’ah prayers in full. But if they are traveling to the frontier then they do not have to pray Jumu’ah and they can shorten and combine prayers, because they do not know how long they will be there or when their tour of duty will end. May Allaah help us all to do that which He loves and which please Him.

Could you please provide me with some quotes from the Hadith and Quran on the importance of hijab for women?

Praise be to Allah.Hijab in the Quran Verses that have to do with hijab are as follows:  Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer palms of hands or one eye or dress like veil, gloves, headcover, apron), and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband’s fathers, or their sons, or their husband’s sons, or their brothers or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of feminine sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful.” [al-Nur 24:31]  Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And as for women past childbearing who do not expect wedlock, it is no sin on them if they discard their (outer) clothing in such a way as not to show their adornment. But to refrain (i.e. not to discard their outer clothing) is better for them. And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.” [al-Nur 24:60]  “Women past childbearing” are those who no longer menstruate, so they can no longer get pregnant or bear children.  We shall see below the words of Hafsah bint Sirin and the way in which she interpreted this verse.  Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [al-Ahzab 33:59]  Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “O you who believe! Enter not the Prophet’s houses, unless permission is given to you for a meal, (and then) not (so early as) to wait for its preparation. But when you are invited, enter, and when you have taken your meal, disperse without sitting for a talk. Verily, such (behaviour) annoys the Prophet, and he is shy of (asking) you (to go); but Allah is not shy of (telling you) the truth. And when you ask (his wives) for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen, that is purer for your hearts and for their hearts. And it is not (right) for you that you should annoy Allah’s Messenger, nor that you should ever marry his wives after him (his death). Verily, with Allah that shall be an enormity.” [al-Ahzab 33:53]  Hadiths about hijab With regard to the Ahadith :  It was narrated from Safiyyah bint Shaybah that ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) used to say: When these words were revealed – “and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)” – they took their izars (a kind of garment) and tore them from the edges and covered their faces with them. Narrated by al-Bukhari, 4481.  The following version was narrated by Abu Dawud (4102):  May Allah have mercy on the Muhajir women. When Allah revealed the words “and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)”, they tore the thickest of their aprons (a kind of garment) and covered their faces with them.  Shaykh Muhammad al-Amin al-Shanqiti (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  “This hadith clearly states that what the Sahabi women mentioned here understood from this verse – “and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)” – was that they were to cover their faces, and that they tore their garments and covered their faces with them, in obedience to the command of Allah in the verse where He said “and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)” which meant covering their faces. Thus the fair-minded person will understand that a woman's observing hijab and covering her face in front of men is established in the sahih Sunnah that explains the Book of Allah. ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) praised those women for hastening to follow the command of Allah given in His Book. It is known that their understanding of the words “and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)” as meaning covering the face came from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), because he was there and they asked him about everything that they did not understand about their religion. And Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And We have also sent down unto you (O Muhammad) the Dhikr [reminder and the advice (i.e. the Quran)], that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought” [al-Nahl 16:44]  Ibn Hajar said in Fath al-Bari: There is a report of Ibn Abi Hatim via ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Uthman ibn Khaytham from Safiyyah that explains that. This report says: We mentioned the women of Quraysh and their virtues in the presence of ‘Aishah and she said: “The women of Quraysh are good, but by Allah I have never seen any better than the women of the Ansar, or any who believed the Book of Allah more strongly or had more faith in the Revelation. When Surat al-Nur was revealed – “and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)” – their menfolk came to them and recited to them what had been revealed, and there was not one woman among them who did not go to her apron, and the following morning they prayed wrapped up as if there were crows on their heads. It was also narrated clearly in the report of al-Bukhari narrated above, where we see ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who was so knowledgeable and pious, praising them in this manner and stating that she had never seen any women who believed the Book of Allah more strongly or had more faith in the Revelation. This clearly indicates that they understood from this verse – “and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)” – that it was obligatory to cover their faces and that this stemmed from their belief in the Book of Allah and their faith in the Revelation. It also indicates that women observing hijab in front of men and covering their faces is an act of belief in the Book of Allah and faith in the Revelation. It is very strange indeed that some of those who claim to have knowledge say that there is nothing in the Quran or Sunnah that says that women have to cover their faces in front of non-mahram men, even though the Sahabi women did that in obedience to the command of Allah in His Book, out of faith in the Revelation, and that this meaning is also firmly entrenched in the Sunnah, as in the report from al-Bukhari quoted above. This is among the strongest evidence that all Muslim women are obliged to observe hijab.” (Adwa al-Bayan, 6/594-595)  ‘Aishah narrated that the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to go out at night to al-Manasi’ (well known places in the direction of al-Baqi’) to relieve themselves and ‘Umar used to say to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), “Let your wives be veiled.” But the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not do that. Then one night Sawdah bint Zam’ah, the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), went out at ‘Isha time and she was a tall woman. ‘Umar called out to her: “We have recognized you, O Sawdah!” hoping that hijab would be revealed, then Allah revealed the verse of hijab. (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 146; Muslim, 2170)  Ibn Shihab narrated that Anas said: I am the most knowledgeable of people about hijab. Ubayy ibn Ka’b used to ask me about it. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) married Zaynab bint Jahsh, whom he married in Madinah, he invited the people to a meal after the sun had risen. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sat down and some men sat around him after the people had left, until the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stood up and walked a while, and I walked with him, until he reached the door of ‘Aishah’s apartment. Then he thought that they had left so he went back and I went back with him, and they were still sitting there. He went back again, and I went with him, until he reached the door of ‘Aishah’s apartment, then he came back and I came back with him, and they had left. Then he drew a curtain between me and him, and the verse of hijab was revealed. (Al-Bukhari, 5149; Muslim, 1428) ‘Urwah narrated that ‘Aishah said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to pray Fajr and the believing women would attend (the prayer) with him, wrapped in their aprons, then they would go back to their houses and no one would recognize them. (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 365; Muslim, 645)  ‘Aishah narrated (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “The riders used to pass by us when we were with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in ihram, and when they drew near to us we would lower our jilbabs from our heads over our faces, then when they had passed we would uncover them again. (Narrated by Abu Dawud, 1833; Ibn Majah, 2935; classed as sahih by Ibn Khuzaymah (4,203) and by al-Albani in Kitab Jilbab al-Marah al-Muslimah)  Asma bint Abi Bakr said: We used to cover our faces in front of men. (Narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah, 4/203; al-Hakim, 1/624. He classed it as sahih and al-Dhahabi agreed with him. It was also classed as sahih by al-Albani in Jilbab al-Marah al-Muslimah.)  ‘Asim al-Ahwal said: We used to enter upon Hafsah bint Sirin who had put her jilbab thus and covered her face with it, and we would say to her: May Allah have mercy on you. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And as for women past childbearing who do not expect wedlock, it is no sin on them if they discard their (outer) clothing in such a way as not to show their adornment” [al-Nur 24:60]. And she would say to us: What comes after that? We would say: “But to refrain (i.e. not to discard their outer clothing) is better for them”. And she would say: That is confirming the idea of hijab. (Narrated by al-Bayhaqi, 7/93) And Allah knows best.

I would like to know if breaking fast (iftar) is fard (obligatory)or? When a person apporching to the Masjid for Salatul Maghrib, during the time of iftar, should he/she break the fast and join in the prayer or pray first and then break the fast.  I hope my question is clear enough. Please, answer me in details and may Allah bless you with His mercy.

Praise be to Allah.The Sunnah is to hasten to break one’s fast. This is what is indicated by the ahaadeeth. It was narrated from Sahl ibn Sa’d that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The people will still be fine so long as they hasten to break their fast.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1821; Muslim, 1838)  What one should do is to hasten to break the fast by eating small morsels that will calm one’s hunger, then get up to pray, then if one wishes, one may come back and eat more.  This is what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to do. It was narrated that Anas ibn Maalik said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to break his fast before praying by eating fresh dates, and if there were no fresh dates he would eat dried dates; if there were no dried dates, he would have a few sips of water.” (al-Sawm, 632; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, no. 560)  Al-Mubaarakfoori said in his commentary on the hadeeth: “This indicates the lengths to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in order to hasten to break his fast.”

If the one who will carry a pregnancy – i.e., the one in whose womb the man’s sperm or the gamete will be implanted – is the wife of the man who produces the sperm, and that sperm is placed directly in her womb by medical means, noting that the man is unable to place his sperm there in the natural manner for some reason, what is the ruling on this case?

Praise be to Allah. Concerning the situation mentioned in the question, there has been a great deal of discussion amongst the scholars of the current age. Some say that it is permissible, some say that it is forbidden, and some say that we cannot comment either way. Among those who said that we cannot comment either way was Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him). The researcher thought that the view of the majority of modern scholars is most likely to be correct, but subject to certain conditions, namely:  (a)urgent need, i.e., when it is not possible to achieve pregnancy by natural means (b)the doctor dealing with the case should think it most likely that no harm will be caused by doing this procedure (c)there should be no room for sperm (lit. lineages) to be mixed The ruling on the case mentioned is the same as the ruling on a case where sperm is taken from a man and an egg from his wife, then the egg is fertilized in a test tube and returned to the uterus. The most correct view is that this is permissible, subject to the conditions mentioned above.

What is the status of the hadeeth “Whoever performs Hajj to the House (the Ka’bah) but does not visit me has shunned me”?

Praise be to Allah.This hadeeth is mawdoo’ (fabricated).  See Tarteeb al-Mawdoo’aat by al-Dhahabi, 600; al-Mawdoo’aat by al-Saghaani, 52; al-Fawaa’id al-Majmoo’ah by al-Shawkaani, 326

I heard of this person Yazeed Ibn Muawiyah. I heard that he once a calipha of the muslims and he was a drunken sadistic person, who was not really a muslim. Is this true? Please tell me his story. Thank you and may allah bless you.

Praise be to Allah.His name was Yazeed ibn Mu’aawiyah ibn Abi Sufyaan ibn Harb ibn Umayaah al-Umawi al-Dimashqi. Al-Dhahabi said: he was the commander of that army during the campaign against Constantinople, among which were people such as Abu Ayyoob al-Ansaari. Yazeed was appointed by his father as his heir, so he took power after his father died in Rajab 60 AH at the age of thirty-three, but his reign lasted for less than four years. Yazeed is one of those whom we neither curse nor love. There are others like him among the khaleefahs of the two states (Umawi/Umayyad and ‘Abbaasi/Abbasid) and the governors of various regions, indeed there were some among them who were worse than him. But the issue in the case of Yazeed is that he was came to power forty-nine years after the death of the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him); it was still close to the time of the Prophet and some of the Sahaabah were still alive such as Ibn ‘Umar who was more entitled to the position than him or his father or his grandfather. His reign began with the killing of the martyr al-Husayn and it ended with the battle of al-Harrah, so the people hated him and he was not blessed with a long life. There were many revolts against him after al-Husayn, such as the people of Madeenah who revolted for the sake of Allaah, and Ibn al-Zubayr. (Siyar A’laam al-Nubalaa’, part 4, p. 38) Shaykh al-Islam described people’s attitudes towards Yazeed ibn Mu’aawiyah, and said: The people differed concerning Yazeed ibn Mu’aawiyah ibn Abi Sufyaan, splitting into three groups, two extreme and one moderate. One of the two extremes said that he was a kaafir and a munaafiq, that he strove to kill the grandson of the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to spite the Messenger of Allaah and to take revenge on him, and to avenge his grandfather ‘Utbah, his grandfather’s brother Shaybah and his maternal uncle al-Waleed ibn ‘Utbah and others who were killed by the companions of the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), by ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib and others on the day of Badr and in other battles – and things of that nature. To have such a view is easy for the Raafidis who regard Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthmaan as kaafirs, so it is much easier for them to regard Yazeed as a kaafir. The second extreme group think that he was a righteous man and a just leader, that he was one of the Sahaabah who were born during the time of the Prophet and were carried and blessed by him. Some of them give him a higher status than Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, and some of them regard him as a prophet. Both views are obviously false to one who has the least common sense and who has any knowledge of the lives and times of the earliest Muslims. This view is not attributable to any of the scholars who are known for following the Sunnah or to any intelligent person who has reason and experience. The third view is that he was one of the kings of the Muslims, who did good deeds and bad deeds. He was not born until the caliphate of ‘Uthmaan. He was not a kaafir but it was because of him that the killing of al-Husayn happened, and he did what he did to the people of al-Harrah. He was not a Sahaabi, nor was he one of the righteous friends of Allaah. This is the view of most of the people of reason and knowledge and of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah. Then they divided into three groups, one which cursed him, one which loved him and one which neither cursed him nor loved him. This is what was reported from Imaam Ahmad, and this is the view of the fair-minded among his companions and others among the Muslims. Saalih ibn Ahmad said: I said to my father, some people say that they love Yazeed. He said, O my son, does anyone love Yazeed who believes in Allaah and the Last Day? I said, O my father, why do you not curse him? He said, O my son, when did you ever see your father curse anybody? Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi said, when he was asked about Yazeed: according to what I have heard he is neither to be cursed nor to be loved. He said, I also heard that our grandfather Abu ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Taymiyah was asked about Yazeed and he said: we do not deny his good qualities or exaggerate about them. This is the fairest opinion.  Majmoo’ Fataawa Shaykh al-Islam, part 4, p. 481-484

Who is the lord of the worlds ?

Praise be to Allah.Allaah alone is the Lord, the Creator, the Provider… the Sovereign, the Controller… the All-Knowing, All-Wise… the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all that exists… The All-Hearing, All-Seeing… The Subtle and Courteous, the All-Aware…  the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful… the Ever-Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving… the Almighty, the Compeller… the Oft-Pardoning, the Most Generous… the Most Strong, the All-Powerful… the Inventor of all things, the Bestower of forms…  To Him belongs the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth, in His hand is goodness and He is able to do all things.  There is none worthy of worship but He, and to Him belong the most beautiful names and sublime attributes:  “Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He)! To Him belong the Best Names” [Ta-Ha 20:8 – interpretation of the meaning]  He does whatever He wills and judges as He wants:  “And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses” [al-Qasas 28:68 – interpretation of the meaning]  He is the Owner of Sovereignty; He honours whomever He wills and humiliates whomever He wills:  “Say (O Muhammad): ‘O Allaah! Possessor of the kingdom, You give the kingdom to whom You will, and You take the kingdom from whom You will, and You endue with honour whom You will, and You humiliate whom You will. In Your Hand is the good. Verily, You are Able to do all things’” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:26 – interpretation of the meaning]  He is the One Who gives life and death, and nothing on earth or in heaven is hidden from Him:  “It is Allaah that gives life and causes death. And Allaah is All-Seer of what you do” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:156 – interpretation of the meaning]  His alone is the creation and the commandment:  “Surely, His is the creation and commandment. Blessed is Allaah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)!” [al-A’raaf 5:54 – interpretation of the meaning]  He is the First, and there is nothing before Him… He is the last and there is nothing after Him… He is the Most High, and there is nothing above Him… He is the Most Near, and there is nothing beneath Him…  “He is the First (nothing is before Him) and the Last (nothing is after Him), the Most High (nothing is above Him) and the Most Near (nothing is nearer than Him). And He is the All-Knower of every thing” [al-Hadeed 57:3 – interpretation of the meaning]  He is the Creator of all things and He is the All-Knower of everything:  “Such is Allaah, your Lord! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Creator of all things. So worship Him (Alone), and He is the Wakeel (Trustee, Disposer of affairs or Guardian) over all things [al-An’aam 6:102 – interpretation of the meaning]  He is Subtle, Most Great, All-Encompassing:  “Allaah is Ever All Aware” [al-Nisaa’ 4:126 – interpretation of the meaning]  He is Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all that exists… To Him belongs everything in the heavens and on earth… Nothing is hidden from Him… Nothing is beyond His capability… Nothing can encompass Him:  “Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), Al-Hayy al-Qayyoom (the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists). Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursiy extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great” [al-Baqarah 2:255 – interpretation of the meaning]  He knows all things and records the numbers of all things:  “and all things We have recorded with numbers (as a record) in a Clear Book” [Yaa-Seen 36:12 – interpretation of the meaning]  He is Most Generous and Bountiful… all provision comes from Him:  “And no moving (living) creature is there on earth but its provision is due from Allaah” [Hood 11:6 – interpretation of the meaning]  His blessings cannot be counted or numbered:  “And He gave you of all that you asked for, and if you count the Blessings of Allaah, never will you be able to count them” [Ibraaheem 14:34 – interpretation of the meaning]  His stores fill the earth and the heavens:  “And to Allaah belong the treasures of the heavens and the earth” [al-Munaafiqeen 63:7 – interpretation of the meaning]  He is Free of all needs and Worthy of all praise; He gives to His slaves but that never diminishes His stores:  “O mankind! it is you who stand in need of Allaah. But Allaah is Rich (Free of all needs), Worthy of all praise” [Faatir 35:15 – interpretation of the meaning  He is Oft-Pardoning and Oft-Forgiving; He bestows mercy upon His slaves and overlooks their sins:  “Verily, Allaah indeed is Oft Pardoning, Oft Forgiving” [al-Hajj 22:60 – interpretation of the meaning]  He is the Knower of the unseen and the seen… He is Almighty in His sovereignty, Wise in His commands:  “All-Knower of the unseen and seen, the All Mighty, the All-Wise” [al-Taghaabun 64:18 – interpretation of the meaning]  He knows what is secret and what is open; nothing is hidden from Him:  “And He is Allaah (to be worshipped Alone) in the heavens and on the earth; He knows what you conceal and what you reveal, and He knows what you earn (good or bad) [al-An’aam 6:3 – interpretation of the meaning]  He is Subtle and Courteous, All-Aware:  “No vision can grasp Him, but He grasps all vision. He is Al-Lateef (the Most Subtle and Courteous), Well-Acquainted with all things” [al-An’aam 6:103 – interpretation of the meaning]  He is One in His essence, attributes and actions:  “Say (O Muhammad): ‘He is Allaah, (the) One. Allaah-us-Samad [Allaah — the Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, (He neither eats nor drinks)]. He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none co equal or comparable unto Him” [al-Ikhlaas 112:1-4 – interpretation of the meaning]  Glory be to Him; His are the most beautiful names and sublime attributes, and He has no partner or associate:  “Such is Allaah your Lord. His is the kingdom. Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). How then are you turned away?” [al-Zumar 39:6 – interpretation of the meaning]  Because of this Sovereignty, these attributes, this creation, these blessings, He is the only One Who is deserving of praise and thanks and sincere worship, to the exclusion of all others:  “Surely, your Lord is Allaah Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days and then rose over (Istawa) the Throne (really in a manner that suits His Majesty), disposing the affair of all things. No intercessor (can plead with Him) except after His Leave. That is Allaah, your Lord; so worship Him (Alone). Then, will you not remember?” [Yoonus 10:3 – interpretation of the meaning]  He created (everything) then proportioned it, He ordained laws then granted guidance, He granted provision and made people independent of means:  “Allaah, it is He Who has made for you the earth as a dwelling place and the sky as a canopy, and has given you shape and made your shapes good (looking) and has provided you with good things. That is Allaah, your Lord, so Blessed be Allaah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists” [Ghaafir 40:64 – interpretation of the meaning]  O Allaah, to You be praise for Your great sovereignty:  “All the praises and thanks be to Allaah, to Whom belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth [Saba’ 34:1 – interpretation of the meaning]  O Allaah, to You be praise for Your mighty creation:  “All praises and thanks be to Allaah, Who (Alone) created the heavens and the earth [al-An’aam 6:1 – interpretation of the meaning]  O Allaah, to You be praise, for You have guided us to Islam, You have sent down to us the Qur’aan, You have provided us with good things, You have made us the best of nations, You have honoured us with great blessings. There is no god but You, to You belongs the Sovereignty, Yours is the Creation and the Commandment, all blessings and praise are Yours…  “All the praises and thanks be to Allaah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists). The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything). [al-Faatihah 1:2-5 – interpretation of the meaning]

How sound is the hadeeth which I heard, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Learn witchcraft (sihr), but do not use it.”?

Praise be to Allah. This hadeeth is false and has no basis. It is not permissible to learn witchcraft or to use it. It is an evil action and is kufr (disbelief) and misguidance. Allah clearly stated that witchcraft is forbidden in His Book, where He says (interpretation of the meaning):  “They followed what the shayateen (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the lifetime of Sulayman. Sulayman did not disbelieve, but the shayateen (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels, Haroot and Maroot, but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, ‘We are for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).’ And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife, but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah’s leave. And they learn that which harms them and profits them not. And indeed they knew that the buyers of it (magic) would have no share in the Hereafter. And how bad indeed was that for which they sold their ownselves, if they but knew. And if they had believed and guarded themselves from evil and kept their duty to Allah, far better would have been the reward from their Lord, if they but knew!” [2:102-103]  In these verses, Allah clearly states that witchcraft is kufr and that it is from the teachings of the devils. Allah has condemned them for it, and they are our enemies. And He has stated that teaching witchcraft is kufr and that it is harmful and not beneficial, so we must beware of it.  Learning witchcraft is all kufr, hence He stated that the two angels did not teach it to people until they had told them (what means), “We are for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).”  Then He says (what means), “but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah’s leave” so it is known that it is kufr and misguidance, and that the practitioners of witchcraft cannot harm anyone except by Allah’s leave. What is meant is His universal qadari will (i.e., things that He decrees should happen even though He may dislike them), not His religious shar’i will (i.e., that which He prescribes and which pleases Him) – because Allah has not prescribed this and has not given permission for it in His sharee’ah; rather He has forbidden it and stated that it is kufr and is from the teachings of the devils. And He has stated that whoever buys it – i.e., learns it – will have no share in the Hereafter. This is a serious warning. Then Allah says (what means): “And how bad indeed was that for which they sold their ownselves, if they but knew” – what is meant is that they have sold themselves to the devils for this witchcraft. Then Allah says (what means), “And if they had believed and guarded themselves from evil and kept their duty to Allah, far better would have been the reward from their Lord, if they but knew!” – this indicates that learning witchcraft and using it is the opposite of faith and piety. There is no power and no strength except with Allah.

Should the funeral prayer be offered for Muslims who are slain in battles against the kuffaar?.

Praise be to Allah.The shaheed (martyr) is a Muslim who dies fighting the kuffaar and for that reason. See al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, Kuwait edition, 26/272  The majority of scholars said that the funeral prayer should not be offered for him. That is the view of Imam Maalik and al-Shaafa’i, and the more correct of the two views narrated from Imam Ahmad. See al-Mughni, 2/334. That is because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not pray for the martyrs of Uhud (narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1347), and because the purpose behind the funeral prayer is to intercede for the deceased. But the martyr receives expiation for everything (so he has no need of intercession), apart from debt; debt is not waived because of martyrdom, rather it remains owed by the deceased.  Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:  It is not prescribed to offer the funeral prayer for the martyrs who die in battle, or to wash them, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not offer the funeral prayer for the martyrs of Uhud, neither did he wash them. This was narrated by al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh (1347) from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him).  Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 13/162  Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:  No one among the people – neither the imam nor anyone else – should offer the funeral prayer for the shaheed, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not offer the funeral prayer for the martyrs of Uhud, and because the purpose behind the funeral prayer is to intercede for the deceased. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no Muslim man who dies, and forty men who do not associate anything in worship with Allaah offer the funeral prayer for him, but their intercession with Allaah for him will be accepted.” But the martyr receives expiation for everything apart from debt, because debt cannot be waived by martyrdom, rather it remains owed by the deceased and is to be paid off from his estate if he left anything behind. Otherwise if he took it with the intention of paying it back, Allaah will pay it back on his behalf.  Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 5/367  Some of the scholars were of the view that it is permissible to offer the funeral prayer for the shaheed – but it is not obligatory. This was narrated from Imam Ahmad (see al-Mughni, 2/334). That is because of the following ahaadeeth:  1 – It was narrated from Shaddaad ibn al-Haad that a man from among the Bedouin came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and believed in him and followed him, then he said: “I will migrate with you.” They stayed there for a while, then they engaged in fighting the enemy. He was brought to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and he had been struck by an arrow… Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) shrouded him in his cloak, then he placed him in front of him and offered the funeral prayer for him.  Narrated by al-Nasaa’i; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Ahkaam al-Janaa’iz, p. 82  2 – It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Zubayr that on the day of Uhud, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) ordered that Hamzah be wrapped in his cloak, then he offered the funeral prayer for him. He said takbeer nine times, then the slain were brought and laid in rows, and he offered the funeral prayer for them and for him with them.  Narrated by al-Tahhaawi in Ma’aani al-Athaar, 1/290; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Ahkaam al-Janaa’iz, p. 82.  Among those who favoured this view was Shaykh Naasir al-Deen al-Albaani, may Allaah have mercy on him. See Ahkaam al-Janaa’iz, p. 81.

When I was fasting in Ramadan I slept after Fajr, and I had ISTIHLAM (Dream of sexual intercourse) and I had maniy (clear liquid) coming out. My question is: Would my fasting for that day be accepted if I continued, even though I didn't have control over it?  My second question is that: those kinds of dreams come from the Iblis, but Iblis is locked in the skies in Ramadan. What is your response?

Praise be to Allah.Wet dream while fasting Having a wet dream during the day in Ramadan does not invalidate the fast. This is a matter that is beyond a person’s control, and he cannot prevent it. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope”[al-Baqarah 2:286] “If a man experiences a wet dream this does not invalidate his fast, because it was involuntary on his part; it is similar to the case when something enters his throat whilst he is sleeping.” (See al-Mughni by Ibn Qudamah, vol. 3, p. 22)  The Standing Committee was asked about a man who had a wet dream during the day in Ramadan – what is the ruling on that? They replied:  “Whoever has a wet dream whilst he is fasting or is in a state of ihram for Hajj or ‘Umrah, there is no sin on him and he does not have to offer expiation (kafarah). It does not affect his fast, but he does have to do ghusl to cleanse himself from janabah (impurity) if maniy (semen) was emitted.” (Fatawa al-Lajnah al-Daimah, vol. 10, p. 274)  Ihtilam (wet dream) means seeing intercourse in one’s dream.  This is one of the things that Allah has created in human nature for men and women alike. Hence it was narrated from Umm Salamah, the Mother of the Believers, that she said: “Umm Sulaym, the wife of Abu Talhah, came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, verily Allah is not shy of (telling you) the truth. Is it necessary for a woman to take a bath (ghusl) after she has a wet dream?’ The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘Yes, if she notices a discharge.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, al-Ghusl, 373; Muslim, al-Hayd, 471)  What is meant by a wet dream is when a person who is sleeping imagines intercourse.  And al-Bukhari narrated from Abu Salamah that Abu Qutadah al-Ansari said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: ‘Dreams come from Allah and bad dreams come from the Shaytan. So if any one of you sees a dream that he dislikes, let him spit drily to his left side and seek refuge with Allah from it, and it will not harm him.” (al-Ta’bir, 6488; Muslim, al-Ruya, 4196). This does not mean that the Shaytan is the one who causes that.  Sinning during Ramadan The fact that the marids (strong jinns) are chained up during Ramadan does not mean that the devils stop whispering into people’s hearts and urging them to do evil; but that happens to a lesser extent in Ramadan than in other months. The effects of this are well known and can be seen.  Ibn Hajar said:  “The fact that bad dreams are mentioned in conjunction with the Shaytan means that they share his characteristics of lying and exaggeration, etc., unlike true dreams which are mentioned in conjunction with the name of Allah by way of honour, even though all of them are created and decreed by Allah.” (Fath al-Bari, 12/393) And Allah knows best.

Is it permissible for a woman to see her husband after he dies, or is it haram for her to see him? Can she wash him if there is no one who can wash him?

Praise be to Allah.Can wife give ghusl to dead husband? It is permissible for a woman to see her husband after he dies , and for her to wash him, according to the correct scholarly opinion, which says that either spouse may wash the other after death , even if there is someone else who could wash them.  `Aishah said: “If we could go back and change anything, no one would have washed the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) but his wives.” (Narrated by Abu Dawud) Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) left instructions in his will that he should be washed by his wife Asma bint ‘Umays, and she did that.  Abu Musa was washed by his wife Umm ‘Abd-Allah. Can husband give ghusl to dead wife? It is also permissible for a man to wash his wife when she dies , according to the correct scholarly view, because it was narrated by Ibn al-Mundhir that ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) washed Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) after she died. That was well known among the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and no one denounced him for that, thus there was consensus on this point.  And Allah knows best.

Is this hadeeth which is mentioned by the Sufis saheeh – “My heaven and my earth could not contain Me, but the heart of My believing slave contains Me”?

Praise be to Allah. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah was asked about the words which were narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “My heaven and my earth could not contain Me, but the heart of My believing slave contains Me”?  He replied:  What they mentioned is from the Israa’eeliyyaat [reports narrated from Jewish sources], no isnaad is known for it from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). What it means is that Allaah puts love and knowledge of Himself in the heart of His slave.  The report, “The heart is the house of the Lord” is like the first report. The heart is the home or seat of faith in Allaah and of knowledge and love of Him.  They reported the words, “I was an unknown treasure and I wanted to be known, so I created mankind and taught them about Myself so that they would know Me.” These are not the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and I know of no isnaad for this, either saheeh (sound) or da’eef (weak).  They reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah created reason, and said to it, ‘Come here,’ and it came. He said to it, ‘Go there,’ and it went. He said, ‘By My Glory and Majesty, I have not created anything more noble than you. I shall reward and punish because of you.’” This hadeeth is baatil (false) and mawdoo’ (fabricated) according to the consensus of hadeeth scholars.  They narrate the words, “Love of this world is the root of all evil.” This is known from Jundub ibn ‘Abd-Allaah al-Bajali, but there is no known isnaad from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).  They report the words, “This world is merely a step for the believing man.” This is not known from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or from the salaf of this ummah or its imams.  They report the words, “Whoever is blessed with a thing, let him stick with it” and, “Whoever commits himself to something, let him stick with it.” The first report was narrated from one of the salaf. The second report is baatil (false), for whoever commits himself to something may have to stick to it or he may not, according to what Allaah and His Messenger have commanded.  They report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Do favours for the poor, for tomorrow they will have authority, and what authority!” and, “Poverty is my pride and I boast of it.” Both of these are lies and are not known in any way in the well known books of the Muslims.  They report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I am the city of knowledge and ‘Ali is its gate.” This hadeeth is da’eef (weak); indeed it is mawdoo’ (fabricated) according to the scholars of hadeeth. It was narrated by al-Tirmidhi and others, but it is a lie.  They report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “The poor will sit down on the Day of Resurrection, and [Allaah] will say, ‘By My Glory and Majesty, I did not deprive you of worldly things because you are insignificant. Rather I wanted to raise your status on this Day. Go to the place where the people are standing, and whoever gave you a piece of bread, or water to drink, or clothes to wear, take him to Paradise.’” The shaykh said: this report is a lie which was not narrated by any of the scholars of hadeeth. It is baatil (false) and goes against the Qur’aan and Sunnah and scholarly consensus (ijmaa’).  They report that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to Madeenah, the daughters of al-Najjaar came out with daffs (hand-drums) and sang “Tala’a al-Badru ‘alayna min thaniyyat al-Widaa”, and the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to them, “Shake your tambourines, may Allaah bless you.” The hadeeth about women beating the daff on joyous occasions is saheeh, and this was done at the time of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but it is not known that he said, “Shake your tambourines.”  They report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “O Allaah, You have brought me out of the place which is most beloved to me, so cause me to dwell in the place which is most beloved to You.” This hadeeth is also baatil (false), although it was narrated by al-Tirmidhi and others. Rather he said to Makkah, “You are the most beloved part of Allaah’s land to me.” And he said, “You are the most beloved land to Allaah.”  They report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever visits me and my father Ibraaheem in one year will enter Paradise.” This is a fabricated lie which was not narrated by any of the scholars of hadeeth.  They report that a Bedouin prayed (quickly), pecking (like a bird) in his prayer. ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) said, “Do not peck in your prayer.” The Bedouin said, “O ‘Ali, if your father had pecked in prayer he would not have entered Hell.” This is a lie.  They report that ‘Umar killed his father. This is a lie, for his father died before the mission of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) began.  They report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “I was a Prophet when Adam was between the water and the clay. I was a Prophet when Adam was neither water nor clay.” This wording is false.  They report the words, “The bed of a single man is fire. Poor is the man who has no woman and the woman who has no man.” These are not the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).  It was narrated that when Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) built the Ka’bah, he prayed one thousand rak’ahs in each corner, then Allaah revealed to him, “O Ibraaheem, this is not like feeding a hungry man or clothing a man who cannot cover his ‘awrah.” This is obviously a lie, and it is not known in the books of the Muslims.  They narrate the words, “Do not despise tribulation, for it will reap the hypocrites.” These words are not known from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).  They narrate the words, “Whoever teaches his brother an aayah from the Book of Allaah becomes his master.” This is a lie which is not known at all in the books of the scholars.  They narrate that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “I looked at the sins of my ummah and I did not find any greater sin than that of one who learns an aayah then forgets it.” If this hadeeth is saheeh, what is meant is forgetting in the sense of not reciting. The wording of the hadeeth is: “Among the sins of my ummah is that of a man to whom Allaah gave an aayah of the Qur’aan, but he neglected it until he forgot it.”  This forgetting means turning away from the Qur’aan and not believing in it or acting upon it. With regard to neglecting to study it until one forgets it, this is a sin.  They report the words, “One aayah of the Qur’aan is better than Muhammad and the family of Muhammad. The Qur’aan is the word of Allaah, revealed not created, and there is nothing like it.” This wording was not reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).  They report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever learns something beneficial and conceals it from the Muslims, Allaah will bridle him with reins of fire on the Day of Resurrection.” A similar meaning is to be found in al-Sunan: the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Whoever is asked about a matter of [Islamic] knowledge which he knows but he conceals it, Allaah will bridle him with reins of fire on the Day of Resurrection.”  They report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “When you come to talk about disputes which took place among my companions, be quiet. When you come to talk about the Divine will and decree (al-qadaa’ wa’l-qadar), keep quiet.” This was reported with munqati’ (broken or interrupted) isnaads.  They report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Salmaan al-Farsi when he was eating grapes, “Du, du,” meaning eat them two by two. These are not the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him); this is baatil (false).  They report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Whoever commits zina (fornication) with a woman and she gives birth to a girl, the fornicator may marry his daughter who was born as a result of zina.” This was said by those who were not among the companions of al-Shaafa’i. Some of them attributed it to al-Shaafa’i, and some of the companions of al-Shaafa’i denied that he said that. They said, he did not state that this is permitted, but he did state that this is permissible in the case of radaa’ah (breastfeeding), if he breastfed from the milk of a woman who got pregnant as a result of zina. Most of the scholars, such as Ahmad, Abu Haneefah and others, are agreed that this is haraam, and this is the stronger of the two opinions narrated in the madhhab of Maalik.  They report the words, “the most deserving thing for which you take payment is the Book of Allaah.” Yes, it is proven that [the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] said, “The most deserving thing for which you take payment is the Book of Allaah,” but that was in the hadeeth about ruqyah (reciting Qur’aan and du’aa’s for the purpose of healing), and the reward was for the recovery of that sick person, not for the recitation.  They report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Whoever mistreats a dhimmi (a Jew or Christian living under Islamic rule), Allaah will be his opponent on the Day of Resurrection” or “I will be his opponent on the Day of Resurrection.” This is da’eef (weak). What is known from him is that he said: “Whoever kills a mu’aahid (member of a kaafir nation which has a peace treaty with the Muslims) for no lawful reason will not smell the fragrance of Paradise.”  They report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever lights a lamp in the mosque, the angels and the bearers of the Throne will not cease to pray for forgiveness for him so long as the light of that lamp is shining in the mosque.” I know of no isnaad for this from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

We have a Christian servant. Do we have to observe hijab in front of her?.

Praise be to Allah.A Muslim woman does not have to observe hijab in front of a kaafir woman according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions. Some scholars said that a Muslim woman should observe hijab in front of kaafir woman, quoting as evidence the verse in Soorah al-Noor where Allaah forbids the Muslim women to show their adornment to anyone except their husbands. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “…and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband’s fathers, or their sons, or their husband’s sons, or their brothers or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons, or their women …” [al-Noor 24:31] Some scholars said that “their women” means believing women; if the women are kaafirs then the believing woman should not reveal her adornment to them. Others said that “their women” means the feminine gender, whether they are believing women or not. This is the more correct view. So the Muslim woman does not have to observe hijab in front of a kaafir woman, because it was proven that Jewish women in Madeenah at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and also idol-worshipping women, used to enter upon the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and there is no mention of them observing hijab in front of them. If that had been done by the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) it would have been reported, because the Sahaabah did not omit anything, rather they transmitted everything, may Allaah be pleased with them. This is the preferred view and that which is most likely to be correct.

I left my country to live in an environment more condusive to learning about Islam, and Alhamdulillah, Allah provided me with a wonderful family who looked after me, JazahumAllahu kheyran. The father of this family took the responsibility of walayah (my family is not Muslim) - in looking for an appropriate husband for me, making arrangements for my accomodations, provision, and Islamic education. As we began to go through potential husbands, he became aware that he had most of the qualities I was looking for. He first discussed it with his wife, and then several months later opened the subject with me. However, his first wife made it clear to me that she didn't want the marriage to take place. I requested another brother to take the role of wali for me, and on his advice, and the advice of other learned people who know him and his family, and after much istikhara, the marriage took place. My question is two parts - Now, the first wife is claiming that my marriage to her husband is ungratefulness for all of the kindness she had previously shown me, and that I oppressed her by responding to her husband's proposal without consulting her, and by accepting the marriage with the knowledge that she wasn't happy with it. 1. Is her claim valid? Have I oppressed her, and did our former friendship create a relationship between us that should have prevented me from marrying her husband? Since then, she has insisted on divorce if he continues with me. As they have seven children, and I have none, the mafsadah in divorcing her was greater than the mafsadah in divorcing me. And as such, she forced him to divorce me even though I was giving up much of my rights to his time and agreed to her stipulations that their children should not know of the matter. 2. Is it within the rights of the first wife to force her husband to divorce the second wife .

Praise be to Allah. Firstly:  It is not permissible for a woman to ask her husband to divorce his second wife:  It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be please with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “It is not permissible for a woman to demand her sister’s divorce so that she may take her place and get married; she cannot have more than what is decreed for her.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5144; Muslim, 1413).  According to another version, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade women to stipulate (in the marriage contract) that their sister be divorced. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2577). Al-Bukhaari included this hadeeth in a chapter entitled “Marriage conditions which are not permissible.”  (a)  Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: the ruling of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) indicates that it is haraam for a woman to stipulate that her sister be divorced, and that the husband is not obliged to fulfil this condition. (Zaad al-Ma’aad, 5/107).  (b)  Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said: The apparent meaning of the phrase “it is not permitted” is that this is forbidden. This is to be understood as being the rule so long as there is no reason to allow that, such as there being some suspicion concerning the woman which implies that she should not remain married to the husband. The woman (the new wife) may suggest that to the husband by way of advice only or so as to avoid harm that either party may cause to the other.  Ibn Battaal said: Saying that it is not permitted clearly means that it is forbidden, but that does not necessarily mean that the marriage is annulled, rather it is to emphasize that the woman (the new wife) should not demand that he divorce the other wife. She should be content with that which Allaah has decreed for her. (al-Fath, 9/274)  (c)Al-Nawawi said: the meaning of this hadeeth is that it is not permitted for a non-mahram woman to ask the man to divorce his wife and to marry her so that she becomes the only one on whom he spends, whom treats kindly, has intercourse with, etc, as the divorced woman used to be. Sharh Muslim, 9/193  Based on the above, it is not permissible for the first wife to ask her husband to divorce you, so you should not pay any attention to what she says. Note that this is a case of the jealousy that exists in all women; indeed, jealousy existed even in the best of women, namely the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), the Mothers of the Believers. Jealousy is something natural.  Secondly:  The fact that she had treated you kindly is something for which she will be rewarded, but that does not allow her to ask her husband to divorce you. So be patient and ignore her demand, and treat her kindly as much as you can. The first wife should realize that she will not have anything other than that which is decreed for her, as it says at the end of the hadeeth quoted above from al-Bukhaari.  Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said:  Hence he ended by saying, “she cannot have more than what is decreed for her,” to show that even if she asks for that or insists on it and stipulates it as a condition, nothing will happen except that which is decreed by Allaah. Al-Fath, 9/275  And Allaah knows best.

I was really into becoming a Muslim. I came to this site to find out how to become Muslim. On doing so, I found out a lot about the religion I never knew before, and it's kind of disturbing and almost a letdown. I'm sorry I feel like that but it's true.  One of the things that bothers me is the polygamy thing, I would like to know where it addresses that in the Quran. Please try to give me tips on how to live like that and remain sane.

Praise be to Allah.Allah will not accept any religion other than Islam Allah concluded His Message to mankind with the religion of Islam, and He tells us that He will not accept any religion other than that. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers.” [Aal 'Imran 3:85] Your backing away from the religion of Islam is considered to be a loss for you, and a loss of the happiness that awaited you, had you entered Islam. You should hasten to enter Islam, and beware of delaying, for that delay may lead to regrettable consequences.  With regard to what you mention about the reason for your backing off being the idea of plural marriage [polygamy or polygyny], we will present to you the ruling on plural marriage in Islam, and then the wisdom and noble purposes behind it.  Ruling on polyguny in Islam The shar’i text which permits plural marriage is:  Allah says in His Noble Book (interpretation of the meaning):  “And if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphan girls then marry (other) women of your choice, two or three, or four; but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one or (slaves) that your right hands possess. That is nearer to prevent you from doing injustice.” [al-Nisa 4:3] This is a Quranic text which shows that plural marriage is allowed. According to Islamic shari’ah, a man is permitted to marry one, two, three or four wives , in the sense that he may have this number of wives at one time.  It is not permissible for him to have more than four. This was stated by the commentators on the Quran and jurists, and there is consensus among the Muslims on this point, with no differing opinions.  Conditions of polygyny in Islam It should be noted that there are conditions attached to plural marriage :  Justice or fairness Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one.” [al-Nisa 4:3]  This verse indicates that just treatment is a condition for plural marriage to be permitted.  If a man is afraid that he will not be able to treat his wives justly if he marries more than one, then it is forbidden for him to marry more than one. What is meant by the justice that is required in order for a man to be permitted to have more than one wife is that he should treat his wives equally in terms of spending, clothing, spending the night with them and other material things that are under his control.  With regard to justice or fairness in terms of love, he is not held accountable for that, and that is not required of him because he has no control over that. This is what is meant by the verse,  “You will never be able to do perfect justice between wives even if it is your ardent desire.” [al-Nisa 4:129 – interpretation of the meaning]  The ability to spend on one’s wives The evidence for this condition is the verse:  “And let those who find not the financial means for marriage keep themselves chaste, until Allah enriches them of His Bounty.” [al-Nur 24:33 – interpretation of the meaning]  In this verse, Allah commands those who are able to get married but cannot find the financial means, to remain chaste. One such example is not having enough money to pay the mahr (dowry) and not being able to spend on one’s wife. (al-Mufassal fi Ahkam al-Marah, part 6, p. 286).  Why is polygyny permissible in Islam? Plural marriage helps to increase the numbers of the ummah (nation, Muslim community). It is known that the numbers can only be increased through marriage, and the number of offspring gained through plural marriage will be greater than that achieved through marriage to one wife.  Wise people know that increasing the number of offspring will strengthen the ummah and increase the number of workers in it, which will raise its economic standard – if the leaders run the affairs of the state well and make use of its resources in a proper manner. Ignore the claims of those who say that increasing the numbers of human beings poses a danger to the earth’s resources which are insufficient, for Allah (the Most Wise Who) has prescribed plural marriage has guaranteed to provide provision for His slaves and has created on earth what is more than sufficient for them.  Whatever shortfall exists is due to the injustice of administrations, governments and individuals, and due to bad management. Look at China, for example, the greatest nation on earth as far as number of inhabitants is concerned, and it is regarded as one of the strongest nations in the world, and other nations would think twice before upsetting China; it is also one of the great industrialized nations. Who would dare think of attacking China, I wonder? And why?  Statistics show that the number of women is greater than the number of men; if each man were to marry just one woman, this would mean that some women would be left without a husband, which would have a harmful effect on her and on society:  The harmful effect is that she would never find a husband to take care of her interests, to give her a place to live, to spend on her, to protect her from haram desires, and to give her children to bring her joy. This may lead to deviance and going astray, except for those on whom Allah has mercy.  With regard to the harmful effects on society, it is well known that this woman who is left without a husband may deviate from the straight path and follow the ways of promiscuity, so she may fall into the swamp of adultery and prostitution – may Allah keep us safe and sound – which leads to the spread of immorality and the emergence of fatal diseases such as AIDS and other contagious diseases for which there is no cure. It also leads to family breakdown and the birth of children whose identity is unknown, and who do not know who their fathers are.  Those children do not find anyone to show compassion towards them or any mature man to raise them properly. When they go out into the world and find out the truth, that they are illegitimate, that is reflected in their behaviour, and they become exposed to deviance and going astray. They may even bear grudges against society, and who knows? They may become the means of their country’s destruction, leaders of deviant gangs, as is the case in many nations in the world.  Men are exposed to incidents that may end their lives, for they work in dangerous professions. They are the soldiers who fight in battle, and more men may die than women. This is one of the things that raise the percentage of husbandless women, and the only solution to this problem is plural marriage.  There are some men who may have strong physical desires, for whom one wife is not enough. If the door is closed to such a man and he is told, you are not allowed more than one wife, this will cause great hardship to him, and his desire may find outlets in forbidden ways.  In addition to that, a woman menstruates each month, and when she gives birth, she bleeds for forty days (this post-partum bleeding is called nifas in Arabic), at which time a man cannot have intercourse with his wife, because intercourse at the time of menstruation or nifas is forbidden, and the harm that it causes has been proven medically. So plural marriage is permitted when one is able to be fair and just.  Plural marriage does not exist only in the Islamic religion, rather it was known among the previous nations. Some of the prophets were married to more than one woman. The Prophet of Allah Sulayman (Solomon) had ninety wives. At the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), there were some men who became Muslims who had eight or five wives. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told them to keep four wives and to divorce the rest.  A wife may be barren, or she may not meet her husband’s needs, or he may be unable to have intercourse with her because she is sick. A husband may long to have children, which is a legitimate desire, and he may want to have a sex life within marriage, which is something permissible, and the only way is to marry another wife. It is only fair for the wife to agree to remain his wife and to allow him to marry another.  A woman may be one of the man’s relatives and have no one to look after her, and she is unmarried or a widow whose husband has died, and the man may think that the best thing to do for her is to include her in his household as a wife along with his first wife, so that he will both keep her chaste and spend on her. This is better for her than leaving her alone and being content only to spend on her.  There are other shar’i interests that call for plural marriages, such as strengthening the bonds between families, or strengthening the bonds between a leader and some of his people or group, and he may think that one of the ways of achieving this aim is to become related to them through marriage, even if that is through plural marriage.  Objections to polygyny in Islam Some people may object and say that plural marriage means having co-wives in one house, and that the disputes and enmity that may arise between co-wives will have an effect on the husband, children and others, and this is harmful and should be avoided, and the only way to prevent that is to ban plural marriage.   The response to this objection is that family arguments may occur even when there is only one wife, and they may not even happen when there is more than one wife, as we see in real life. Even if we assume that there may be more arguments than in a marriage to one wife, even if we accept that they may be harmful and bad, the harm is outweighed by the many good things in a plural marriage. Life is not entirely bad or entirely good, but what everyone hopes is that the good will outweigh the bad, and this principle is what applies in the permission for plural marriage.   Moreover, each wife has the right to her own, separate accommodation as prescribed in Islam. It is not permissible for the husband to force his wives to live together in one house.  If we allow men to have plural wives, why are women not allowed to have multiple husbands , why does a woman not have the right to marry more than one man?  The response to this objection is that there is no point in giving a woman the right to marry multiple husbands, rather that is beneath her dignity and she would not know the lineage of her children, because she is the one who bears the offspring, and it is not permissible for the offspring to be formed from the sperm of a number of men lest the lineage of the child be lost and no one will know who is responsible for bringing up the child; this will lead to breakdown of families, loss of ties between fathers and children, which is not permitted in Islam as it is not in the interests of the woman or of the child or of society as a whole.  Reference: Al-Mufassal fi Ahkam al-Marah, part 6, p. 290. And Allah knows best.

Is it permissible for a man who has divorced his wife by khula’ to go back to her during the ‘iddah?

Praise be to Allah. Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:  There is unanimous agreement that the man who has divorced his wife by khula’ may take her back during the ‘iddah.

Is there any truth that one should not cut their nails or shave the pubic hairs while fasting?

Praise be to Allah.Cutting nails and shaving the pubic hair are not things that are obligatory for the fasting person in particular, but they are not things that go against fasting either. Rather the fasting person refrains from eating, drinking and having intercourse, which are things that invalidate the fast.  A fasting person should also keep away from sins and bad things, such as backbiting and spreading slander, which reduce the reward for fasting.  With regard to cutting the nails and shaving the pubic hair, these are matters that pertain to the fitrah (natural state of man), which the Lawgiver said should not be left for more than forty days. They have nothing to do with the soundness of one’s fast.  And Allah knows best.

A friend of mine lent me a sewing machine. I'd like to thank her for lending me by making something on the machine for her, or buying something for her to tell her thanks. IS this considered a branch of Riba?

Praise be to Allah. This is counted as a gift in return for the favour that your friend did for you, in appreciation for her kindness. It is not ribaa, rather your doing that is part of the Sunnah. It says in a saheeh hadeeth that Ibn ‘Umar said: “The Messenger of Allaah SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘If someone does you a favour then give something in return, and if you cannot find anything then make du’aa’ for him until you feel satisfied that you have done something in return.’” (Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, al-Zakaah, 2520; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan al-Nasaa’i, no. 2407). And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Is there any reward for good other than good?” [al-Rahmaan 55:60] Al-Bukhaari narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) owed a camel of a certain age to a man, who came to ask for it back. The Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told his companions to give to him. They looked for a camel of the same age but they could find only a camel which was a year older. The Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told them to give it to him. The man said, ‘You have paid me in full and may Allaah pay you in full.’ The Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘The best among you is the one who pays his debts in the most handsome manner.’” (al-Istiqraad wa Sadaad al-Dayoon, 2393). Ibn Hajar said: the point here is that the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave the owner of the camel more than he was entitled to. This is an example of the good attitude of the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his great kindness, humility and fairness.  This is utterly different to the idea of lending money with the condition that it be paid back with interest, which is the essence of ribaa. And Allaah is the source of strength.

Can I sleep on my left side sometimes?

Praise be to Allah.Sunnah way of sleeping The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to sleep on his right side, putting his right hand on his right cheek, and this is what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recommended others to do.  According to an authentic hadith narrated from al-Bara ibn ‘Azib, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “When you go to bed, do wudu as if for prayer, then lie down on your right side…” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, al-Wudu, 239)  The Sunnah is to put one’s right hand under one’s cheek. Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) went to bed at night, he would put his hand under his cheek, then say, ‘Allahumma bismika amutu wa ahya (O Allah, in Your name I die and I live).’ Then when he woke up he would say, ‘Al-hamdu Lillah alladhi ahyana ba’da ma amatana wa ilayhi al-nushur (Praise be to Allah who has brought us back to life after causing us to die, and to Him is the resurrection).’” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 6314) Ibn Hajar said: “The right side is singled out for a number of reasons, such as: this lets a person wake up more quickly; it also allows the heart to lean towards the right hand side. Ibn al-Jawzi said: the doctors have stated that this position is more beneficial to the body. They said to start by lying on the right for a while, then turn over to the left, because the former aids peristalsis and sleeping on one’s left side facilitates digestion.” Al-Nawawi said: “This hadith mentions three acts that are Sunnah, the first of which is doing wudu before going to sleep. If one already has wudu, there is no need to repeat it , because the aim is to go to sleep in a state of purity. The second is to sleep on one’s right side…” Is it permissible to sleep on your left side? This indicates that sleeping on one’s right side is Sunnah, and if a person does that to follow the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), he will be rewarded for that. Sleeping on one’s left side is permitted, but one misses out on the reward for following the Sunnah.  For more, please see these answers: 21388 , 36889 and 21647 . And Allah knows best.

What are the benefits that a Hafiz gets in this life and the next? And what about his relatives and offspring? What about the generations before and after him?

Praise be to Allah.Benefits of memorizing the Quran  Memorizing the Quran is an act of worship through which one seeks the Face of Allah and reward in the Hereafter. Without this intention, he will never have any reward , rather he will be punished for doing this act of worship for someone or something other than Allah.  The hafiz (the person who has memorized the Quran) should not have any intention of gaining worldly benefits by memorizing the Quran , because his memorization thereof is not a product to be traded with in this world, rather it is an act of worship which is done for the sake of his Lord. Benefits of being a Hafiz in this world  Allah has given special privileges to the one who memorizes the Quran in a number of ways in this world and in the Hereafter, for example: He takes precedence over others in leading the prayer.  It was narrated that Abu Mas’ud al-Ansari said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘The people should be led in prayer by the one among them who has the most knowledge of the Book of Allah; if they are equal in knowledge of the Quran, then by the one who has most knowledge of the Sunnah; if they are equal in knowledge of the Sunnah, then by the one who migrated (made hijrah) first; if they are equal in terms of hijrah, then by the one who became Muslim first. No man should lead another in prayer in his domain of authority, or sit in his place in his house, except with his permission.” (Narrated by Muslim, 673)  `Abd-Allah ibn `Umar said: “When the first Muhaajirun (emigrants) came to Quba, before the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came (to Madinah), Salim the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah used to lead them in prayer, and he was the one who knew the most Quran.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 660) He is placed in front of others in a common grave, closer to the qiblah, if it is essential to bury him with others. Jabir ibn ‘Abd-Allah (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: “The Prophet would wrap two of the men slain at Uhud in a single cloth, then he would ask, ‘Which of them knew more Quran?’ If one of them was pointed out to him, he would put that one in the lahd (niche in the side of the grave) first. And he said, ‘I will be a witness over these people on the Day of Resurrection.’ He commanded that they should be buried with their blood, without being washed, and that no funeral prayer should be offered for them.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1278) He takes precedence in leadership if he is able to bear that. ‘Amir ibn Wathilah narrated that Nafi’ ibn ‘Abd al-Harith met ‘Umar in ‘Usfan, and ‘Umar had appointed him as governor of Makkah. ‘Umar said, “Who have you appointed in charge of the people of the valley?” He said, “Ibn Abza.” ‘Umar asked, “Who is Ibn Abza?” He said, “One of our freed slaves.” Umar said, “Have you appointed over them a freed slave?!” He said, “He is well-versed in the Book of Allah and he has knowledge of the laws of inheritance.” ‘Umar said: “Your Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘Indeed, by this Book, Allah would exalt some people and degrade others.’” (Narrated by Muslim, 817)  Benefits of being a Hafiz in the Hereafter The status of the one who memorizes the Quran will be commensurate with the last verse he memorized.  ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Amr narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “It will be said to the companion of the Quran (i.e., the one who memorized and studied it): ‘Read, advance in status and recite as you used to do in the world, for your status will be commensurate with the last verse that you recite.’” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2914; he said this is a sahih hasan hadith. Al-Albani said in Sahih al-Tirmidhi, no. 2329, it is hasan sahih. Also narrated by Abu Dawud, 1464)  What is meant by reciting here is memorizing. He will be with the angels, accompanying them.  `Aishah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The one who recites the Quran and learns it by heart, will be with the noble righteous scribes (in Heaven) and the one who exerts himself to learn the Quran by heart and recites it with great difficulty, will have a double reward.”  (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 4653; Muslim, 798)  He will be given a crown of honour and a garment of honour to wear.  Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The Quran will come on the Day of Resurrection and will say, ‘O Lord, adorn him.’ So he will be given a crown of honour to wear. Then it will say, ‘O Lord, give him more.’ So he will be given a garment of honour.’ Then it will say, ‘O Lord, be pleased with him.’ So Allah will be pleased with him. Then it will be said to him, ‘Recite and advance in status, and for each verse you will gain one more hasanah (reward for good deed).” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2915. He said, this is a sahih hasan hadith. Al-Albani said in Sahih al-Tirmidhi, 2328, this is hasan) The Quran will intercede for him with his Lord.  Abu Umamah al-Bahili said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say, ‘Recite the Quran, for it will come on the Day of Resurrection to intercede for its companions . Recite the two bright ones, al-Baqarah and Surah Al ‘Imran, for they will come on the Day of Resurrection like two clouds or two shades or two flocks of birds in ranks, pleading for those who recite them. Recite Surah al-Baqarah for to take recourse to it is a blessing and to give it up is a cause of grief, and the magicians cannot confront it.”  (Narrated by Muslim, 804, and by al-Bukhari in a mu’allaq report) Rewards for relatives and descendants of the hafiz With regard to his relatives and descendants, there is evidence concerning his parents that they will be clothed with garments which far surpass everything to be found in this world, and that will only be because they took care of and taught their child. Even if they themselves were ignorant, Allah will honour them because of their child. But the one who prevented his child from learning the Quran, he will be one of those who are deprived.  Abu Hurayrah said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘The Quran will come on the Day of Resurrection like a pale man saying to its companion, “Do you recognize me? I am the one who made you stay up at night and made you thirsty during the day…” Then he will be given dominion in his right hand and eternity in his left, and a crown of dignity will be placed upon his head, and his parents will be clothed with garments which far surpass everything to be found in this world. They will say, “O Lord, how did we earn this.” It will be said to them, “Because you taught your child the Quran.”’” (Narrated by al-Tabarani in al-Awsat, 6/51) Buraydah said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever reads the Quran, learns it and acts in accordance with it, on the Day of Resurrection his parents will be given a crown to wear whose light will be like the light of the sun, and his parents will be given garments which far surpass everything to be found in this world. They will say, “Why have we been given this to wear?” It will be said, “Because your child learned the Quran.”’” (Narrated by al-Hakim, 1/756)  These two hadiths support one another. See al-Silsilah al-Sahihah, 2829.  And Allah knows best.

Can a man and a woman go back together if they have been seperated for a long time.They were husband and wife

Praise be to Allah. If a man divorces his wife with the first or second talaaq, once her ‘iddah is over she is divorced and becomes a “stranger” (non-mahram) to him; she cannot go back to him except with a new marriage contract which fulfils all the conditions set out in sharee’ah (see Question no. 2127).  But if he divorces his wife with the third talaaq, then she becomes haraam to her first husband until she has married a second husband in a genuine marriage which is consummated. The Qur’aanic evidence for that is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):  “The divorce is twice, after that, either you retain her on reasonable terms or release her with kindness… And if he has divorced her (the third time), then she is not lawful unto him thereafter until she has married another husband” [al-Baqarah 2:229-230]  The last divorce refers to the third divorce, according to all the scholars.  The evidence from the Sunnah is the hadeeth narrated by ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, according to which ‘Aa’ishah told him that the wife of Rifaa’ah al-Qurazi came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, “O Messenger of Allaah, Rifaa’ah divorced me thrice, then I was married to ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn al-Zubayr al-Qurazi, but he has nothing with him except something like this fringe. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Perhaps you want to go back to Rifaa’ah? No, (it is not possible), unless and until you enjoy the sexual relation with him (‘Abd al-Rahmaan), and he enjoys the sexual relation with you.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4856; Muslim, 2587)  The phrase “divorced me three times” means that this was the divorce which meant that she was no longer married to him, which is the third talaaq. The Prophet’s words “until you enjoy the sexual relation with him (‘Abd al-Rahmaan), and he enjoys the sexual relation with you” refer to intercourse.  Al-Nawawi said: “This hadeeth indicates that the woman who has been divorced by a third talaaq is not permissible to the man who has divorced her until she has been married by another husband, who has intercourse with her then separates from her, and she completes her ‘iddah. Merely drawing up the marriage contract with her does not make her permissible to the first husband. This is the view of all the scholars among the Sahaabah, Taabi’een and those who came after them.  Sharh Muslim, 10/3  And Allaah knows bets. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

Does the obligation of praying the funeral prayer (salaah al-janaazah) apply only to men, or does it include all Muslims, men and women alike?

Praise be to Allah.The  funeral prayer is fard kifaayah; if some people do it then the rest are absolved of responsibility, but if all of them fail to do it then all are guilty of sin.  It is not something that is only for men; rather it is prescribed for both men and women alike to offer the funeral prayer, even though in principle it it is men who are expected to do it. But women should not follow the funeral procession, because it was narrated that Umm ‘Atiyah said: “We were forbidden to follow the funeral processions, but not emphatically.” This was narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim. According to another report, “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade us…”

could you please write me something inspirational that will lift my iman.   I do the basics required by me pray fast, make dua, read islamic literature be good to my parents, give sadaqa but I just don't feel like I'm doing anything extra, or striving and making jihad. Please help me.

Praise be to Allah.On this site there is an essay entitled “Weakness of Faith, which gives a detailed description of the weakness of faith that many people suffer, and explains the causes and the remedy. We advise you to read it. Here is the link: Weakness of Faith There follow two pieces of advice from major scholars, in addition to the above, summing up what is required on your part:  1 – We advise you to read Quran a great deal, listen to its recitation and ponder the meanings of what you read and listen to, as much as you can. If you find anything difficult to understand then ask the scholars in your country or write to other Sunni scholars for advice.  We also advise you to remember Allah a great deal (dhikr) with the dhikrs narrated in the saheeh ahaadeeth, such as “Laa ilaaha ill-Allah (there is no god except Allah)”, “Subhaan-Allah wa’l-hamdu Lillaah wa laa ilaaha ill-Allah wa Allahu akbar (Glory be to Allah, praise be to Allah, there is no god except Allah and Allah is Most Great)”, and so on. For more information on this see al-Kalim al-Tayyib by Ibn Taymiyah; al-Waabil al-Sayyib by Ibn al-Qayyim; Riyaadh al-Saaliheen [available in English]; al-Adhkaar al-Nawawiyyah by Imaam al-Nawawi, and so on.  Remembering Allah (dhikr) increases faith and brings peace of mind. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest” [al-Ra’d 13:28] Regularly perform acts of worship such as prayer, fasting and the other pillars of Islam, whilst hoping for the mercy of Allah and putting your trust in Him in all your affairs. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses (this Quran) are recited unto them, they (i.e. the Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone); Who perform As-Salaah (Iqaamat‑as‑ Salaah) and spend out of that We have provided them. It is they who are the believers in truth. For them are grades of dignity with their Lord, and forgiveness and a generous provision (Paradise).” [al-Anfaal 8:2] Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas, 3/185, 186  2 – Faith is also increased by obeying Allah, and it decreases when one disobeys Him. So adhere to doing that which Allah has enjoined such as performing the prayers on time in congregation in the mosque, praying zakaah willingly to purify yourself of sin and show compassion towards the poor and needy, sitting with good and righteous people so that they will help you to apply sharee’ah and guide you to that which will bring you happiness in this world and in the Hereafter.  Avoid the followers of bid’ah and sinners, lest they tempt you and weaken your resolve to do good.  Do a lot of voluntary good actions, turn to Allah, and ask Him for strength.  If you do that, Allah will increase you in faith and you will make up for lost time, and Allah will increase you in goodness and steadfastness in adhering to Islam.  Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas, 3/187.

A prisoner is asking if he can give blood to be tested by the state so that the state will have a record of all the different blood types of past criminals.

Praise be to Allah. It does not seem that those who commit crimes have the same type of blood, so there is no connection between blood type and human behaviour. All kinds of people – good and bad – share blood types.  What we advise this prisoner to do is to repent to Allaah from whatever crime he has committed, and to restore people’s rights if he has wronged anyone, and to make the most of his life before he dies and of his good health before he falls sick, and  to hasten to repent to Allaah. For Allaah will accept the repentance of His slave when he repents, and will forgive him his sins.  There is nothing wrong with giving a blood sample to the state from the point of view of sharee’ah, so long as it will not be put to a bad use and rather it will be used for prisoner records. But the prison administration should be notified that the reason for criminality is not blood type, rather it is corruption of the heart and mind, and growing up with crime and continuing in it.  If they want to deal with it, then they should tackle the root of the problem by looking for the motives to commit crime and the reasons why it develops, then try to put a stop to it and to reform the criminals. There is nothing better than Islam for dealing with that.  And Allaah is the Guide to the straight path.

What does my husband have to do in repentance if he has intercourse with me and I discovered aftter we were finished that my period had come ?

Praise be to Allah.If a man has intercourse with his wife and does not know that she is menstruating, then there is no blame on him. It says in a hadeeth narrated from Abu Dharr al-Ghifaari that the Messenger of Allaah SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Allaah will forgive my ummah for their mistakes, what they forget and what they are forced to do.” (Narrated by Ibn Maajah, al-Talaaq, 2033; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Ibn Maajah, 1662). But the wife should tell him of her situation and let him know that she is bleeding in menstruation, because a man may not realize that and he may have intercourse with her whilst she is menstruating, which is haraam according to sharee’ah. In that case the sin is on her. Menstrual blood is something that is well known to women, and when it starts the woman is considered to be menstruating. If what happened happened without either party knowing, then they are not sinners, because they did not know and they did not do it deliberately. And Allaah knows best.

Is a woman sinning if she shakes hands with a man when she is wearing gloves?

Praise be to Allah.It is not permissible for a woman to shake hands with a non-mahram man even if she is wearing gloves or she shakes hands from under a cloth or abayah. All of that counts as shaking hands even if there is some kind of barrier.

I want to observe i’tikaaf during the last ten days of Ramadaan. I would like to know when I should enter the mosque and when I should exit therefrom.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:  With regard to entering the place of i’tikaaf, the majority of scholars (including the four imams Abu Haneefah, Maalik, al-Shaafa’i and Ahmad, may Allaah have mercy on them) are of the view that the one who wants to observe i’tikaaf during the last ten days of Ramadaan should enter his place of i'tikaaf before the sun sets on the night of the twenty-first. They quoted several texts as evidence, including the following:  1 – It was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to observe i'tikaaf during the last ten nights of Ramadaan, Agreed upon. This indicates that the period of i’tikaaf is counted by the nights, not the days. And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And by the ten nights” [al-Fajr 89:2] The last ten nights start with the twenty-first.  Based on this, he should enter the mosque before the sun sets on the night of the twenty-first.  2 – They (the scholars) said that one of the greatest aims of i'tikaaf is to seek Laylat al-Qadr, and the night of the twenty-first is one of the odd-numbered nights in the last ten nights of Ramadaan, so it may possibly be Laylat al-Qadr, so he should be observing i’tikaaf on that night. This was stated by al-Sindi in Haashiyat al-Nasaa’i.  See al-Mughni, 4/489.  But al-Bukhaari (2041) and Muslim (1173) narrated that ‘Aa’ishah said: When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) wanted to observe i’tikaaf, he would pray Fajr then enter his place of i'tikaaf.  Because of the apparent meaning of this hadeeth, some of the salaf were of the view that he would enter his place of i’tikaaf after Fajr prayer. This view was followed by the scholars of the Standing Committee (10/114) and Shaykh Ibn Baaz (15/442).  But the majority of scholars responded to this hadeeth in one of two ways:  (1)That the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had started i'tikaaf before the sun set, but he did not enter the place for i’tikaaf until after Fajr prayer Al-Nawawi said: “When he wanted to observe i’tikaaf, he would pray Fajr then enter his place of i'tikaaf”  - this was quoted as evidence by those who say that i’tikaaf should be started at the beginning of the day. This is the view of al-Awzaa’i and al-Thawri, and of al-Layth in one of his two opinions. Maalik, Abu Haneefah, al-Shaafa’i and Ahmad said: he should enter (i’tikaaf) before the sun sets if he wants to observe i’tikaaf for a month or for ten days. They interpreted the hadeeth as meaning that he entered the place of i’tikaaf in order to be alone there after he prayed Fajr, not that this is the time when he began i’tikaaf; rather he was in i’tikaaf from before Maghrib and stayed in the mosque, and when he had prayed Fajr he withdrew to be by himself.  (2)al-Qaadi Abu Ya’la, one of the Hanbalis, responded by interpreting the hadeeth as meaning that he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to do that on the twentieth. Al-Sindi said: This response is more likely to be correct. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked in Fataawa al-Siyaam (p. 501): When does i’tikaaf begin?  He replied:  The majority of scholars are of the view that i’tikaaf should begin on the night of the twenty first, not from Fajr of the twenty-first, although some of the scholars are of the view that i’tikaaf should begin from Fajr of the twenty-first, based on the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that was narrated by al-Bukhaari: “When he had prayed Fajr he entered his place of i'tikaaf”. But the majority of scholars responded by stating that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) withdrew from people in the morning, but the intention to observe i’tikaaf was formed at the beginning of the night, because the last ten nights start when the sun sets on the twentieth.   He also said (p. 503):  Entering the place of i’tikaaf for the last ten nights of Ramadaan may be done when the sun sets on the night of the twenty-first, because that is the time when the last ten nights begin. This is not contradicted by the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah because the wording is different, so it should be understood according to what the language indicates. This is what was narrated by al-Bukhaari (2041) from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) observed i’tikaaf every Ramadaan and when he had prayed Fajr he would enter the place where he observed i’tikaaf.  Her words “and when he had prayed Fajr he would enter the place where he observed i’tikaaf” indicate that he was already staying in the mosque, meaning that he was in the mosque before he entered he place of i’tikaaf.  Secondly:  With regard to coming out of i’tikaaf:  He should come out when the sun sets on the last day of Ramadaan.  Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked: When should a person come out of i’tikaaf? Is it after the sun sets on the night of Eid or after Fajr on the day of Eid?  He replied:  He should come out of i’tikaaf when Ramadaan ends. Ramadaan ends when the sun sets on the night of Eid. Fataawa al-Siyaam, p. 502.  It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/441.  The period of i’tikaaf during the (last) ten nights of Ramadaan ends when the sun sets on the last day of the month.  If he chooses to stay until he has prayed Fajr and then depart from his place of i’tikaaf to the Eid prayer, there is nothing wrong with that. Some of the scholars regarded that as mustahabb.  Imam Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said that he saw that some of the scholars who had observed i’tikaaf during the last ten nights of Ramadaan did not go back to their families until they had attended the (prayer of Eid) al-Fitr with the people. Maalik said: I heard that from the righteous people who have passed on, and this is the dearest to me of what I have heard about that.  Al-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo’ (6/323):  Al-Shaafa’i and his companions said: Whoever would like to follow the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in observing i’tikaaf during the last ten nights of Ramadaan should enter the mosque before the sun sets on the night of the twenty-first, so that he will not miss any of it, and he should come out after the sun sets on the night of Eid, whether the month is twenty-nine days or thirty. It is better for him to stay in the mosque on the night of Eid so that he can offer the Eid prayer there, or go out to the Eid prayer-place if they pray Eid there.  If he goes directly from i’tikaaf to the Eid prayer, it is mustahabb for him to do ghusl and make himself look good before going out, because this is one of the Sunnahs of Eid. For more information please see question no. 36442.

Is t sunnah to shave the head?

Praise be to Allah.What may be understood from the words of the scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them) is that shaving the head is of six kinds:  1 – An act of worship and a means of drawing closer to Allaah, for which a person will be rewarded. This applies in four cases only, to which there is no fifth:  (i)Hajj (ii)‘Umrah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Indeed Allaah shall fulfil the true vision which He showed to His Messenger [i.e. the Prophet saw a dream that he has entered Makkah along with his Companions, having their (head) hair shaved and cut short] in very truth. Certainly, you shall enter Al-Masjid Al-Haraam, if Allaah wills,  secure, (some) having your heads shaved, and (some) having your head hair cut short” [al-Fath 48:27] (iii)Shaving the child’s head on the seventh day after birth. The evidence for that is the hadeeth narrated by al-Tirmidhi (1439) from ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) offered a sheep as ‘aqeeqah for al-Hasan, and said: ‘O Faatimah, shave his head and give the weight of his hair in silver in charity.’” (Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 1226. See also Tuhfat al-Mawlood by Ibn al-Qayyim, p. 217). (iv)The kaafir when he becomes a Muslim, because of the report narrated by Abu Dawood (356) which says that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded a kaafir man who had become Muslim, “Shave off the hair of kufr and get circumcised.” (Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood; see also al-Mughni, 1/276; Sharh al-‘Umdah by Shaykh al-Islam, 1/350) The scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them) were agreed that it is not recommended to shave the head at times other than these four. See al-Istiqaamah by Shaykh al-Islam, 1/256.  2 – Shirk (the association of others with Allaah). Shaving the head may be a form of shirk, when the head is shaved as an act of humbling oneself  before someone other than Allaah. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Zaad al-Ma’aad (4/195): “Such as when the mureeds (disciples of Sufi shaykhs) shave their heads for their shaykhs, and one of them says, ‘I shaved my head for So and so.’ This is like saying, ‘I prostrated to So and so,’ because shaving the head is an act of humility and submission, which is why it is one of the acts that complete the Hajj, for it means putting one’s forelock in the hand of its Lord, in submission to His greatness and humbling oneself before His glory. It is one of the most eloquent forms of submission. Hence when the Arabs wanted to humiliate their prisoners and free them, they would shave their heads and let them go…”  3 – A reprehensible innovation (bid’ah) – this takes many forms, such as:  Shaving the head as an act of worship and religious devotion – other than in the four cases mentioned above – such as making a shaved  head a sign of righteousness or complete asceticism (zuhd). This is what the Khawaarij used to do. Hence it was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) described the Khawaarij as “their sign will be that they shave their heads.” (al-Bukhaari, 7007; Muslim, 1763). Al-Qurtubi said: “ ‘Their sign will be that they shave their heads’ means that they will make that a symbol of their rejection of worldly adornments and a sign by which they might be known. This is ignorance on their part… and introducing something into the religion of Allaah which differs from that which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), the Rightly-guided Khaleefahs and their followers used to do.” (See Sharh al-‘Umdah, 1/231; Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 21/118).  Another example is that which some people do, ordering a person who has repented to shave his head. This is a bid’ah (innovation) which was not done by any of the Sahaabah or those who followed them in truth, or by any of the imams of the Muslims. (Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 21/118)  4 – Haraam kinds of shaving the head, which takes a number of forms, such as:  (i)Shaving the head when calamity strikes, such as the death of a relative and the like. It was narrated that Abu Moosa al-Ash’ari (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) disowned the woman who raises her voice in lament, the one who shaves her hair at times of calamity and the one who rends her garment.” Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) mentioned in al-Zawaajir ‘an Iqtiraaf al-Kabaa’ir the 117th major sin: shaving the head at times of calamity. He said: “Because that is showing discontent and a lack of acceptance of the divine decree.” (ii)Shaving the head in a manner that resembles the kuffaar or immoral people who are well known for shaving their heads. A person might do that as a kind of adornment, to make himself look like them, or he might shave the hair at the sides of the head and leave the middle long. All of these are haraam forms of imitating others, and a form of promiscuity and decadence – we ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound. And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4031; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 3401). Al-Faari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: i.e., whoever makes himself resemble the kuffaar or immoral people, then he is one of them, i.e., he shares the sin with them. 5 – Permissible – i.e., shaving the head for a reason, such as shaving it as a remedy for disease, or to prevent lice and so on. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: This is permissible according to the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and scholarly consensus. (Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 12/117)  6 – Shaving the head for none of the reasons stated above.  This is a matter concerning which the scholars differed. Some of them regarded it as makrooh, such as Maalik (may Allaah have mercy on him), and they quoted as evidence the fact that it is the sign of the followers of innovation, namely the Khawaarij, as stated in the hadeeth quoted above. And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.”  Those who regard it as permissible quoted as evidence the report narrated by Abu Dawood (4192) who said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to the family of Ja’far ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him) three days after Ja’far had died, and called for a barber and told him to shave the heads of his sons. (Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 3532).  And Abu Dawood narrated (4195) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw a child who had part of his head shaved and not other parts. He said: “Shave it all or leave it all.” (Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 3535). Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “This clearly shows that it is permissible to shave the head, and it cannot be interpreted in any other way.” (Sharh Muslim). But using these two hadeeth to show that it is permissible to shave the head for no reason is a matter which is subject to further discussion.  Firstly, shaving the head here is for a reason, so it is permissible, the reason being that boys are more likely than others to be affected by lice, because they sweat a lot and get dirty. Zaad al-Ma’aad, 4/159.  Secondly, this has to do with a young boy, and concessions are made for children that are not made for adults. Haashiyat al-Sindi ‘ala al-Nasaa’i. See also Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 21/119; Sharh al-‘Umdah, 1/230.  There is some difference of opinion concerning the fifth type: is shaving the head makrooh or permissible? It is preferable not to shave it. Al-Faawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: It is better not to shave it unless that is for Hajj or ‘Umrah, as was the practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his companions (may Allaah be pleased with them). (From ‘Awn al-Ma’bood, 11/248). And Allaah knows best.

What is the best way to see Prophet Muhammad in a dream??.

Praise be to Allah.There is no way prescribed in sharee’ah for the one who wants to see the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in a dream. It is appropriate here to comment on a number of matters that have to do with this question:  1 – The one who sees the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in a dream has to see him in his true form, at any stage of his life. So if a person claims to have seen light or a man with a completely white beard or a man wearing pants for example, these are not attributes of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), so this is not the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Shaytaan cannot appear in the true image of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but he can appear in other forms.  It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, “Whoever sees me in a dream will see me when he is awake, and the Shaytaan cannot take my shape.” Al-Bukhaari said: Ibn Sireen said: If he sees him in his true image.  Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6592; Muslim, 2266  If a man told Ibn Sireen that he had seen the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) [in a dream], he would say, “Describe to me the one whom you saw.” If he gave a description that he did not recognize, he would say, “You did not see him.” Its isnaad is saheeh.  Al-Haakim narrated via ‘Aasim ibn Kulayb (who said), my father told me: I said to Ibn ‘Abbaas, “I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in a dream.” He said, “Describe him to me.” He said, “I mentioned al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali and said that he looked like him.” He said, “You did indeed see him.” Its isnaad is jayyid.  See Fath al-Baari, 12/383, 384.  2 – The Muslim should not concern himself with dreams and visions, basing his affairs on them and forgetting about the state of wakefulness in which Allaah has enjoined rulings and acts of worship on him.  3 – The Muslim who is following the Sunnah sees the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in his heart; the more he follows him the more he will see him. So when he goes out of his house or goes to the mosque or does wudoo’, he remembers what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to do. When he prays or performs Hajj he follows his Sunnah. When he buys and sells or interacts with people, he acts according to the teachings of his Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). When he is at home with his family and children he follows the teachings of his Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).  This is what the Muslim should seek and strive to achieve.  And Allaah is the Source of strength.

Which fingers should be used to clean yourself when you are defecating or should you just use the whole left hand??

Praise be to Allah.It is narrated in a saheeh hadeeth that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “None of you should touch his penis with his right hand when he is urinating, or wipe himself with his right hand after relieving oneself, or breathe into the vessel (from which he drinks).” (Narrated by Muslim, al-Tahaarah, 392)  Al-Nawawi said: The right hand is not to be used for any of those things for cleaning oneself after relieving oneself (i.e., either urinating or defecating).  On this basis, one has to use the left hand for removing najaasah (impurity), no matter how it is used, whether one uses the entire hand or part of it. The aim is to remove the najaasah from the body. The issue here is flexible; what matters is to avoid using the right hand in removing dirt. And Allaah knows best. See also Question # 2532

Why do people need religion? Isn’t it enough to have (man-made) laws that will regulate people’s lives?

Praise be to Allah.Why do we need religion? Man’s need for religion is greater than his need for any of the other necessities of life, because man needs to know what pleases Allah and what angers Him; he needs to act in his own interests and to ward off things that will harm him.  Shari`ah is what distinguishes between actions that will bring benefit and actions that will cause harm. This is Allah’s justice towards His creation, and His light which shines for His slaves. People cannot live without laws (Shari`ah ) to help them distinguish between what they should and should not do.  Because man has a will, he has to know what he wants, is it beneficial or harmful? Is it good for him or bad for him?   Some of these things may be known instinctively, some of it may be known by working it out in a rational manner, and some of it may only be known from the teachings and guidance of the messengers. (See al-Tadmuriyyah by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, p. 213, 214; Miftah Dar al-Sa’adah, vol. 2, p. 383)  No matter how impressive and attractive the atheist, materialist schools of thought may be, and no matter how many ideas and theories there may be, individuals and societies can never do without the true religion , they can never answer the needs of body and soul. The further the individual sinks into those ways, the more certain it becomes that he cannot find security or quench his thirst, and that there is no way out except through the true religion . Ernest Renan says:  “It is possible that everything we love could disappear and that rational thinking, science and industry could cease to exist, but it is impossible that religion could be eliminated. Rather it will remain as proof that materialistic thought which wants to restrict man to the narrow path of the base life of this world is false.” (See al-Din by ‘Abd-Allah Darraz, p. 87)  Muhammad Farid Wajdi says:  “It is impossible that the idea of religion could diminish, because it is the most refined inclination of the soul and its noblest emotion, in addition to being the inclination that ennobles man. Rather this inclination will increase and the religious nature of man will remain so long as he retains that reason which enables him to distinguish between beauty and ugliness. This instinct will increase according to his level of rationality.” (Al-Din by ‘Abd-Allah Darraz, p. 87)   If man is far away from his Lord, then according to his level of knowledge and understanding he will realize the extent of his ignorance of his Lord and His attributes, and his ignorance of his own self and what is good for him or bad for him, what leads to bliss and what leads to doom, and his ignorance of such basic matters as astronomy, mathematics and the like.  At this point the wise man will move from the state of arrogance and pride to humility and submission, and will realize that behind all this knowledge is the All-Knowing, All-Wise, and that behind nature there is an Almighty Creator. This truth compels the objective seeker to believe in the unseen and acknowledge the true religion, and to respond to the call of human nature and innate instinct. If a person fails to do that he is going against his innate nature and sinking to the level of the dumb animals.   Thus we may conclude that following the true religion – that which is based on belief in Allah Alone (Tawhid) and worshipping Him in the way that He has prescribed – is an essential element of life if man is to be a true slave to the Lord of the Worlds, and to attain happiness and be free of tiredness and exhaustion in this world and in the Hereafter. It is essential in order to perfect man’s rational thinking. In this way alone can reason fulfil its desires; without it man cannot fulfil his higher ambitions.  It is an essential element for purifying the soul and disciplining the emotions, for in religion the noble emotions find fertile ground and an inexhaustible spring to help them achieve their goals.  It is an essential element for strengthening willpower and supplying it with the greatest motives and power to resist the factor of helplessness and despair.  How to attain full knowledge On this basis, if there is anyone who says that man is sociable in nature, we must say that man is religious by nature. (See al-Din by ‘Abd-Allah Darraz, 84, 98), because man has two strengths, knowledge and willpower, and his ultimate happiness depends on him acquiring both. Full knowledge can only be attained by knowing the following:  Knowing Allah, the Creator and Provider Who created man from nothing and bestowed blessings upon him. Knowing the names and attributes of Allah, and the effect of these names upon His slaves. Knowing the way to reach Him. Knowing the obstacles that prevent man from knowing this way and the great blessings to which it leads. Knowing yourself in a true sense, and knowing what your soul needs, what is good for it and what is bad for it, and knowing its faults and shortcomings. These five matters will complete a person’s knowledge.  Achieving perfect will power can only be achieved by paying attention to the rights of Allah over His slaves and fulfilling them sincerely, adhering to that and bearing witness to the blessings of Allah. These two strengths can only be perfected with the help of Allah, so man needs Allah to guide him to the Straight Path to which He guides His close friends. (See al-Fawaid, p, 18-19)  Religion is a protective shield for society Once we know that the true religion is the divine support that directs the potentials of man, then we know that religion is also a protective shield for society, because human life can only be strong when there is cooperation among the members of society.  This cooperation can only be achieved by means of a system that regulates the relationships between them, defines their duties and protects their rights.  This system needs a deterrent that will deter one from transgressing and encourage one to follow the system, one that carries weight in people’s hearts and prevents them from overstepping its limits.  What is this authority? I say that there is no power on earth that can match the power of religion in protecting the sanctity of the system, guaranteeing the coherence of society and the stability of its system, and providing the means of peace and security.  The reason for that is that man differs from all other living beings in that his voluntary actions and dealings are governed by something that can be neither seen nor heard, namely the religious belief that disciplines the heart and guides his faculties. Man is inevitably led by his belief, whether it is sound or corrupt. If his belief is sound, everything else will also be sound, but if it is corrupt then everything else will also be corrupt.  Belief and faith regulate man Belief and faith are the two things that regulate man and – as we can see in most cases – they are of two types:  Belief in the importance of virtue and human dignity, and other abstract values which make noble souls feel ashamed to go against their principles even if they are spared the consequences of physical punishment. Belief in Allah and that He is always watching and knows what is in our hearts, and that He knows secrets and that which is more hidden. The authority of SharI`ah is based on its commands and prohibitions, and makes a person feel shy before Allah, either out of love for Him, or out of fear of Him, or both. Undoubtedly this type of faith is the stronger of the two and carries more weight in human hearts. It is more able to resist the storms of desire and the upheavals of emotion, and it has more effect on the hearts of the masses and the elite. For this reason, religion is the best guarantee for ensuring that people will deal with one another on a basis of fairness and justice, and hence it is a social necessity. It comes as no surprise that the relationship of religion to the ummah is like that of the heart to the body. Nowadays we see that there are many religions in the world, and each people has its religion which they cling to. What is the true religion which will fulfil the aspirations of the human soul? What are the guidelines of the true religion?  And Allah knows best.

What is the ruling on saying that rule belongs to the people or that wealth belongs to the people?.

Praise be to Allah.These words are a fabrication and those who fabricated them are liars in their claim. They do not implement that themselves by surrendering their opinion to the opinion of the people, not even in a single case. This is a deceitful slogan aimed at cheating the people who seek relief from one oppressive regime, only to be cheated by a second oppressive regime.   In fact, people should be protected and respected; they should enjoy justice and sanctity in every sense of the word. They should not be driven like cattle. But it is not permissible to accept these slogans as is. Rule belongs to Allaah and the masses must be directed in the light of His Revelation and ruled according to sharee’ah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Do they then seek the judgement of (the days of) Ignorance? And who is better in judgement than Allaah for a people who have firm Faith” [al-Maa'idah 5:50]  “The decision [hukm] is only for Allaah” [al-An’aam 6:57] We should not say, “the rule is for the people,” because those who lead the people according to their own whims and desires are those with materialistic ideologies or idolatrous principles that go against what Allaah has revealed, and impose their own authority by force under these devious, fabricated slogans.  Similarly, the “wealth of Allaah” must be spent on the general interests of the Muslims, to protect the Muslim borders and defend Muslim causes in the east and in the west, above all; to call people to Allaah; to strive to defeat the oppressors and those who transgress against some of the Muslims; and to meet the needs of those who are in need, as mentioned in Soorat al-Hashr where Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):   “(And there is also a share in this booty) for the poor emigrants, who were expelled from their homes and their property, seeking Bounties from Allaah and to please Him, and helping Allaah (i.e. helping His religion — Islamic Monotheism) and His Messenger (Muhammad). Such are indeed the truthful (to what they say). 9. And (it is also for) those who, before them, had homes (in Al‑Madeenah) and had adopted the Faith, love those who emigrate to them, and have no jealousy in their breasts for that which they have been given (from the booty of Banu An‑Nadeer), and give them (emigrants) preference over themselves even though they were in need of that. And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, such are they who will be the successful. 10. And those who came after them say: ‘Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in Faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful’” [al-Hashr 59:8-10] Priority must be given to spending it on areas where need is greatest. This is what should be done with the wealth of Allaah. It is not permissible for selfish people to take it for themselves, or to spend it on extravagance and immorality, let alone spending it on corrupt and evil things.  It is not permissible at all to call it “the wealth of the people” because if we accept this, then they will justify doing that, and they will squander a large part of it on preserving their own hold on power, spying and buying people off. Moreover, people vary in how strong or weak they are, how rich or poor, how ignorant or righteous, how resilient or otherwise. So how can wealth belong to one who has no need of it because he is wealthy, powerful, knowledgeable or skilled, or to one who should be deprived of it because of his corruption and evil?   Allaah the Almighty spoke the truth when He said (interpretation of the meaning):  “So after the truth, what else can there be, save error?” [Yoonus 10:32] But these liars hope to overthrow rule by sharee’ah.  See: al-Ajwabah al-Mufeedah li Muhimmaat al-‘Aqeedah, p. 55-56.  By Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Doosari (may Allaah have mercy on him).  It is not permissible to say that wealth is the wealth of the people, because that means that the people have the right to dispose of it however they wish.  But in fact, wealth is the wealth of Allaah, and all people must spend it in the ways enjoined by Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).  In Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (10/281), Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] said, commenting on the hadeeth of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “All of the wealth which is at the disposal of the ruler is the wealth of Allaah and His Messenger, meaning that Allaah commanded His Messenger to spend that wealth in ways of obedience to Him, so it is essential to obey him in distributing this wealth as it is essential to obey him in all that he commands, for whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allaah, and he has conveyed this from Allaah.”  He said, concerning the wealth which the troops take from the bayt al-maal (treasury) (25/26):  Moreover, these troops are the troops of Allaah who are fighting for the sake of Allaah, as His slaves. They take these provisions from the bayt al-maal to help them in jihad. What they take is not the property of the ruler, rather it is the property of Allaah which the ruler distributes to those who are entitled to it.  And he said (28/268):  The rulers do not have the right to distribute it (the wealth of the bayt al-maal) according to their own whims and desires, as an owner may distribute his own wealth. Rather they are trustees, deputies and agents; they are not owners. As the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “By Allaah, I do not give to anyone or withhold from anyone (according to my own personal opinion), rather I am a distributor who allocates things as I am commanded.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari.  This is the Messenger of the Lord of the Worlds who told us that he did not give or withhold on the basis of his own will and choice, as an owner does who is permitted to dispose of his wealth as he wishes, or as kings do who give to those whom they like and withhold from those whom they do not like. Rather he is a slave of Allaah who distributes wealth as he is commanded by Allaah.

When fasting, are you allowed to put water in your mouth while making wudu?

Praise be to Allah.The believer is enjoined to do wudu properly . This was the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who said: “Do wudu properly, make water reach between the fingers and toes, and rinse the nose very thoroughly, except when you are fasting.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, al-Sawm, 788; Abu Dawud, 142; classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 631)  So he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) pointed out that we should avoid excessive rinsing of the mouth and nose when fasting , lest that lead to the thing which is forbidden, namely water getting into the throat whilst fasting .  As for simply rinsing out the mouth whilst fasting, there is nothing wrong with that so long as the water does not enter the throat of the fasting person .  Hence it was narrated in a sahih hadith that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab said: “I kissed (my wife) whilst I was fasting . I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, today I did something grievous, I kissed whilst I was fasting.’ He said, ‘What do you think about rinsing your mouth whilst you are fasting?’ I said, ‘There is nothing wrong with it.’ He said, ‘Then what’s wrong?’” (Narrated by Abu Dawud, al-Sawm, 2037; classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih Sunan Abi Dawud, no. 2089)  The commentator on this hadith said concerning the words, ‘What do you think about rinsing your mouth whilst you are fasting?’, this is a sign of brilliant understanding, for rinsing the mouth does not invalidate the fast and it is the first step towards drinking. And Allah knows best.

Is it permissible for a man to do ghusl for a woman from among his mahrams other than his wife?

Praise be to Allah. It is not permissible for a man to wash any female other than his wife, whether they are his mahrams or not, apart from young girls who die before the age of seven years, in which case he may wash her. On this basis, if a woman were to die among men, and she does not have a husband and there are no women present, tayammum should be done for her, instead of wudoo’ and ghusl, with the purpose of protecting her ‘awrah. For usually the one who does ghusl for the deceased, even if he just pours water over the body, is bound to look at part of the ‘awrah and turn the body over so that he can pour water over the entire body. So if tayammum is done for a woman who has died and has only men around her, that will be on the safe side with regard to protecting her ‘awrah. With regard to a man doing ghusl for his slave woman, the same rulings apply as in the case of his wife, if he owned her according to sharee’ah and she was permissible for him, i.e., she was not married to another man and was not within the ‘iddah period (following divorce or death of her husband) at the time of her death. And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah bless our  Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.

Discuss the rise of Islam by exlporing the life and religious ideas of muhammad, as well as development in the century after his death. Explain at lenght Muhammed's religious ideas, placing them in there historical context. That is, how do these ideas reflect Muhammed's personal life expiriences and background, and more generally the environment of seventhy century Arabian society? Then explain how and when Islam spred from Arabia to Europe adressing Islam's inpact on the Christian West as well as arabia and its surrounding regions.

Praise be to Allah. Firstly:  Our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not produce his ideas by himself, rather the message that he brought came from Allaah – it was Revelation (wahy) which Allaah sent to him.  Secondly:   with regard to his life (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): He was the best of all people on earth in terms of lineage, for he was descended from the noblest line. Even his enemies bore witness to that. Hence his enemy Abu Sufyaan testified to that effect before the Byzantine ruler. The noblest of people were his people; the noblest of tribes was his tribe; the noblest of clans was his clan. His full name was Muhammad ibn [son of] ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib ibn Haashim ibn ‘Abd Manaaf ibn Qusayy ibn Kilaab ibn Murrah ibn Ka’b ibn Lu’ayy ibn Ghaalib ibn Fahr ibn Maalik ibn al-Nadar ibn Kinaanah ibn Khuzaymah ibn Mudrikah ibn Ilyaas ibn Mudar ibn Nizaar ibn Ma’d ibn ‘Adnaan… ibn ‘Ismaa’eel [Ishmael] ibn Ibraaheem [Abraham] (peace be upon them).  Allaah sent him as a Prophet at the age of forty, which is the age of perfection. The first sign of Prophethood which was sent to the Messenger of Allaah was dreams: he did not see any dream but it would come true like daybreak. It was said that that lasted for six months. The period of his Prophethood lasted for twenty-three years. These dreams were one of the forty-six parts of Prophethood. Then Allaah honoured him with Prophethood, and the angel came to him whilst he was in the cave of Hira’, where he used to love to go to be alone. The first words (of the Qur’aan) to be revealed to him were:  “Read! In the Name of your Lord Who has created (all that exists)” [al-‘Alaq 96:1 – interpretation of the meaning] His message came in stages. Firstly, he was appointed as a Prophet; secondly, he warned his nearest kinsmen; thirdly, he warned his people; fourthly, he warned the people to whom no warner had ever come, namely all the Arabs; fifthly, he warned all those whom his message reached, both jinns and humans, until the end of time.  After that (initial revelation), he spent three years calling people to Allaah in secret. Then the following words were revealed to him:  “Therefore proclaim openly (Allaah’s Message Islamic Monotheism) that which you are commanded, and turn away from Al‑Mushrikoon (polytheists, idolaters, and disbeliever” [al-Hijr 15:94 – interpretation of the meaning] See Zaad al-Ma’aad by Ibn al-Qayyim, 1/71  Thirdly:  With regard to the message to which our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) called people, it is sufficient to quote what was said by Abu Sufyaan – who was a kaafir (disbeliever) at the time. Heraclius, the ruler of Byzantium, asked Abu Sufyaan, “What does he tell you to do?” Abu Sufyaan said: “He tells us to worship Allaah alone, not associating anything with Him, and he forbids us to worship that which our fathers used to worship. He commands us to pray, to give in charity, to be chaste, to keep our promises and fulfil our trusts.” Heraclius commented on Abu Sufyaan’s words by saying: “This is the description of a Prophet. I knew that he would appear, but I did not think that he would be from among you [the Arabs]. If you are indeed speaking the truth, then soon he will take possession of the place where my feet are standing. If I thought that I could meet him I would not hesitate to go to him, and if I were with him I would wash his feet.”  (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2782; Muslim, 1773).  Fourthly:  After the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), he was succeeded as khaleefah (leader of the Muslim community) by Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq, during whose time a number of major events took place: the dispatching of the army of Usaamah [to Syria]; the wars against the apostates (ahl al-riddah); fighting those who refused to pay the zakaah; the emergence of Musaylimah the liar [a false prophet]; and the compilation of the Qur’aan.  Then came ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab, who was one of the earliest Muslims, one of the ten whom the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had testified would enter Paradise, one of the Rightly Guided Caliphs (al-khulafa’ al-raashideen), one of the in-laws of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), one of the greatest scholars and ascetics among the Sahaabah (the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)). Many conquests took place during his time, including the conquest of Damascus, Jordan, Iraq, Jerusalem and Egypt. He is the one who decided, in consultation with ‘Ali, that history should be dated from the time of the Hijrah (the migration of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) from Makkah to Madeenah).  He was martyred in 23 AH by the kaafir Magian murderer Abu Lu’lu’ah.  Then came ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan, who was also one of the ten whom the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had testified would enter Paradise. He had also become Muslim in the earliest days. He was one of those whom Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq had called to Islam. He migrated twice, first to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) then to Madeenah. He married Ruqayyah the daughter of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then she passed away and he married her sister Umm Kalthoom. He ruled as khaleefah for twelve years, then he was martyred in 35 AH at the age of eighty-odd.  Then came ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib, who was also one of the ten whom the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had testified would enter Paradise. He was the brother of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) according to the system of brotherhood established when the muhaajiroon (migrants from Makkah) first came to Madeenah, and he was also the Prophet’s son-in-law as he married his daughter Faatimah, the best of all women (may Allaah be pleased with her). He was also one of the first people to become Muslim, one of the greatest scholars, bravest warriors, prominent ascetics and preachers. He was one of those who compiled the Qur’aan and showed it to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).  Fifthly:  The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was guided by the teachings of the Qur’aan, indeed his whole attitude was the Qur’aan as the Mother of the Believers ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said. The way our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was in Islam was the same as the way he had been before, but Allaah perfected his character and made it more beautiful. When the first revelation came, [his wife] Khadeejah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said, listing his attributes: “No, by Allaah, Allaah would never let you down. For you uphold ties of kinship, you help the weak, you give charity to the poor, you honour your guests and you help the deserving calamity-afflicted ones.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4; Muslim, 160)  Both his companions and his enemies described him in a befitting manner, as he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) deserved, saying that he was honourable, brave, merciful, well-spoken, worshipped a great deal, was honest and trustworthy, and so on.  This was all summed up in the verse:  “And verily, you (O Muhammad) are on an exalted (standard of) character” [al-Qalam 68:4 – interpretation of the meaning] His good character and attitude had a great effect, as it was the reason for some of the mushrikeen (pagans, polytheists) coming to Islam.  It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent some cavalry towards Najd, and they brought a man from Banu Haneefah whose name was Thamaamah ibn Athaal and tied him to one of the pillars of the mosque. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came out and said, ‘Untie Thamaamah.’ Then he (Thamaamah) went to grove of palm trees near the mosque and washed himself (did ghusl), then he entered the mosque and said, ‘I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4114; Muslim, 1764).  Sixthly:  With regard to Islam reaching Europe, it did so in several ways, including the following:  1 – The keenness of the Muslims to convey the truth to all of mankind. Andalusia [in Spain] was conquered by Taariq ibn Ziyaad in 92 AH/711 CE, and the conquests in western Europe continued until they reached southeastern France in 114 AH.  2 – People coming from North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia to look for work and a better future.  3 – Westerners bringing some people from other countries, such as the Germans bringing Turks, to work in their country.  4 – The presence of Muslim daa’iyahs (callers, “missionaries”) in those countries.  5 – The conquests of the Ottoman state of part of Europe.  6 – The conversion of some indigenous Europeans to Islam, who then began to propagate Islam.  7 – Trade links between Muslims and Europe.  8 – Conversion of some Europeans to Islam. 9 – Changes in the European intellectual approaches.  10 – Rejection of the church myths which contradict revelation and the adoption of empirical knowledge whose foundation was laid by the Muslims.  11 – Participation of Muslim communities in the development of research, inventions and companies in Europe, through the work of qualified Muslim professionals, plus the increase in the number of Muslim communities in Europe, which resulted in the increase in the number of mosques, schools and Islamic centers. This has resulted in increased Muslim influence, to the extent that the enemies of Islam such as the Jews are scared. The Israeli newspaper “Ha-eretz” said, in an issue published in late June 2001 CE, “As is the case in western Europe, the great increase in the number of Muslims in the United States has led to an increase in their political influence… The increase in the number of Muslims and their increasing political awareness, especially the Arab students, who are the most active of the Arabs in the political field, and the decrease in the number of Jews as a result of mixed marriages and their assimilation into American society, will all, in the future, play a role in changing the balance of power and changing the influence that these competing groups have in Washington. This is now something tangible, as can be seen in the activities of the pro-Arab lobbies in Congress. 1.The increase in the number of Muslims in European counties. More than ten years ago the number of Muslims in Europe was approximately 12 million. 2.The spread of mosques, Islamic centers and schools. 3.The spread of hijaab and Islamic dress in the capitals of European countries. 4.The holding of Islamic exhibitions and seminars, and the establishment of companies that take care of halaal slaughter of meat, and burying the dead in the manner prescribed in Islam.  And Allaah is the Guide to the straight path and the Source of strength.

Is it permissible for me to buy something by installments when I am able to pay for it in cash? Please note that the price when bought in installments is greater than the price if I pay in cash.

Praise be to Allah.We have already stated in the answer to question no. 13973 that selling something by installments for a higher price is permissible.  Although it is permissible, we should not be too lax on this matter, especially if there is no need for it, because buying by installments means buying with debt, and we should not be too lax when it comes to taking loans; rather we should not seek loans unless there is a need for it and it is essential.  The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to seek refuge with Allaah from debt.  Al-Bukhaari (833) narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to make du’aa’ in his prayer and say, “Allaahumma inni a’oodhu bika min ‘adhaab il-qabr, wa a’oodhu bika min fitnat il-maseeh il-dajjaal, wa a’oodhu bika min fitnat il-mahya wa fitnat il-mamaat; Allaahumma inni a’oodhi bika min al-ma’tham wa’l-maghram (O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from the torment of the grave; I seek refuge with You from the fitnah of the Dajjaal; I seek refuge with You from the trials of life and death; O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from sin and debt).”  Someone said to him, “How often you seek refuge with Allaah from debt!” He said, “If a man gets into debt, he speaks and lies, he makes a promise then breaks it.” And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to call on people to pay off debts.   The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also used to say in his du’aa’: “Allaahumma anta al-awwal fa laysa qablaka shay’un, wa anta al-aakhir fa laysa ba’daka shay’un, wa anta al-zaahir fa laysa fawqaka shay’un, wa anta al-baatin fa laysa doonaka shay’un, iqdi ‘anna al-dayn wa aghnina min al-faqr (O Allaah, You are the First and there is nothing before You, You are the Last and there is nothing after You, You are the Most High and there is nothing above You, and You are the Most Near and there is nothing closer than You. Settle our debt for us and spare us from poverty).”  Hence no one should buy by installments when he is able to pay the whole price immediately, because then he is getting into debt when he has no need to, and he is exposing himself to danger, because if a person dies in debt he will not be forgiven, even if he dies as a shaheed on the battlefield, until his debt is paid off.  Muslim narrated (1886) from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The shaheed will be forgiven for every sin except debt.”  And al-Nasaa’i narrated (4605) that Muhammad ibn Jahsh (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: We were sitting with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he raised his head towards the sky, then he put his palm on his forehead and said: “Subhaan-Allaah!  What a strict issue has been revealed to me!” We remained silent and were afraid. The following morning I asked him, “O Messenger of Allaah, what is this strict issue that has been revealed?” He said, “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if a man were killed in battle for the sake of Allaah, then brought back to life, then killed and brought back to life again, then killed, and he owed a debt, he would not enter Paradise until his debt was paid off.” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Nasaa’i, 4367.  The point is that if you are well off and you do not need the money you have, and you think it most likely that you will not need it in the near future, then it is better for you to pay cash and not to purchase by installments.  And Allaah knows best.

Does the obligatory ghusl done before Fajr exempt one from also having to do ghusl for Jumu’ah, or not?

Praise be to Allah. The Sunnah is to do ghusl on Friday when getting ready to go to Jumu’ah, and it is preferable to do that when one is about to head for the mosque, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When any one of you goes to Jumu’ah, let him do ghusl.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Jumu’ah, 882 – this version was narrated by him; Muslim, al-Jumu’ah, 845).  If one does ghusl at the beginning of the day, that is sufficient, because ghusl on Fridays is a confirmed Sunnah (Sunnah mu’akkadah), and some scholars said that it is obligatory. So this ghusl should be done regularly on Fridays, preferably when one is about to set out for the mosque, as stated above, because this is more clean, and more likely to put a stop to offensive odours. One should also take care to apply perfume and wear nice clothes. When setting out for the mosque one should take care to be solemn in one’s demeanour, and to make his stride short, because each step wipes out a bad deed and Allaah raises a person one degree thereby. So he should proceed in a solemn and careful manner. When he reaches the mosque, he should enter with his right foot first, send blessings and peace upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and mention the name of Allaah, and say, “A’oodhu Billaah il-‘Azeem wa bi wajhih il-kareem wa sultaanih il-qadeem min al-shaytaan il-rajeem; Allaahumma iftah li abwaab rahmatika (Is seek refuge with Allaah the Almighty and in His noble Face and His eternal Dominion, from the accursed Shaytaan; O Allaah, open to me the gates of Your mercy).” Then he should pray as much as Allaah wills he should pray. He should not push between two people. After that he should sit and wait, either reading Qur’aan, or reciting dhikr and prayers for forgiveness, or in silence, until the imaam comes. He should listen attentively when the imaam gives the khutbah, then he should pray with him. If he does that then he will have attained a great deal of good. It says in a saheeh hadeeth that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does ghusl, then comes to Jumu’ah and prays whatever Allaah wills that he should pray, then listens attentively to the khateeb until he finishes the khutbah, then prays with him, will be forgiven his sins between that and the other Friday plus three days.” (Narrated by Muslim, al-Jumu’ah, 1418). That is because a good deed earns a tenfold reward.

Is there any Sunnah prayer before or after Jumu’ah?

Praise be to Allah.There is no regular Sunnah prayer before Jumu’ah according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions, but it prescribed for the Muslim, when he comes to the mosque, to pray whatever Allaah enables him to pray, saying salaam after each two rak’ahs, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The prayers of the night and the day [i.e., other than the obligatory prayers] are two by two.” (Narrated by Imaam Ahmad and the authors of Sunan with a hasan isnaad; the original is to be found in al-Saheeh without any mention of the day.)  And many saheeh reports indicate that what is prescribed for the Muslim when he comes to the mosque on Friday is to pray whatever Allaah wills he should pray before the imaam comes out. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not specify whether it should be two or four or more. All of that is good, but the minimum is two rak’ahs to “greet the mosque.”   With regard to after Jumu’ah, there is a regular Sunnah prayer, the minimum of which is two rak’ahs and the maximum is four, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Whoever among you prays after Jumu’ah, let him pray four (rak’ahs)” (narrated by Muslim, al-Jumu’ah, 8881). And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to pray two rak’ahs after Jumu’ah in his house. May Allaah help us all to do that which pleases Him.

Is it permissible to give a fatwa based on taqleed?

Praise be to Allah. There are various opinions on this matter.  Ibn al-Qayyim said:  The first view is that it is not permissible to give a fatwa based on taqleed [Translator’s note: Taqleed [lit. imitation] means repeating the views of scholars to others without knowing the details or basis of their fatwas] , because that is not knowledge, and giving a fatwa without knowledge is haraam. There is no dispute among people that taqleed is not the same as knowledge and that the muqallid (the one who imitates or repeats the views of others) cannot be given the name of ‘aalim (scholar). This is the view of most of our companions and the view of the majority of Shaafa’is.  The second view is that it is permissible with regard to himself; he may follow the view of one of the scholars if the fatwa is with regard to himself only. But it is not permissible for him to repeat the views of a scholar in giving a fatwa to someone else. This is the view of Ibn Battah and others among our companions. Al-Qaadi said: Ibn Battah mentioned in his letters to al-Barmaki: it is not permitted for a person to issue a fatwa based on what he had heard from a scholar who issued a fatwa. Rather it is permissible for him to follow that scholar’s view with regard to himself, but repeating his views and issuing a fatwa to someone else, this is not permitted.  The third view is that this is permitted when necessary and when there is no scholar who is qualified to make ijtihaad. This is the most correct view and this is our guideline. Al-Qaadi said: Abu Hafs said in his comments: I heard Abu ‘Ali al-Hasan ibn ‘Abd-Allaah al-Najjaad say: I heard Abu’l-Husayn ibn Bashraan say: what I may criticize a man for is learning five issues of fiqh from Ahmad then sitting by a pillar in the mosque [i.e., setting himself up as a scholar] and issuing fatwas based on that.

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever has three daughters and is patient with them and gives them to drink and clothes them, they will be a protection for him against the Fire.” Will they be a protection against the Fire for their father only, or will their mother have a share in that too? I have three daughters, praise be to Allaah.

Praise be to Allah.The hadeeth applies to both the father and the mother. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also said, “Whoever has two daughters and treats them kindly, they will be a protection for him against the Fire.” The same applies if he has sisters or paternal or maternal aunts etc., and he treats them kindly, we hope that he will attain Paradise for that. For when he treats them kindly, he deserves a great reward and to be protected from the Fire, so he will be kept away from the Fire because of his good deed.  This applies only to Muslims, because if a Muslim does these good deeds seeking the pleasure of Allaah, he will have earned salvation from the Fire. There are many means of gaining salvation from the Fire and admittance to Paradise, so the believer should try to attain many of them. Islam itself is the only means and is the basic cause of gaining admittance to Paradise and salvation from the Fire.  There are actions which, if the Muslim does them, he will enter Paradise and be saved from Hell, such as taking care of daughters or sisters, then they will be a protection for him against the Fire. Whoever dies leaving behind three little ones who have not yet reached the age of puberty, they will be a protection for him against the Fire. They said, “O Messenger of Allaah, what about two?” He said, “And two.” They did not ask him about one. It was narrated in a saheeh (authentic) report that he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah says, if I take from My slave the one whom he loves most in this world and he bears that with patience seeking reward from Me, he will have no less a reward than Paradise.” So Allaah explains that the believing slave has no less a reward with Him than Paradise, if He takes one whom he loves of the people of this world, and he bears that with patience and seeks reward. One of our little ones is included in this hadeeth, if Allaah takes him and causes him to die, and his father or mother or both bear that with patience and seek reward, then they will have Paradise. This is a great bounty from Allaah. The same applies to husbands, wives and all other relatives and friends, if they are patient and seek reward then they are included in this hadeeth, so long as they take care to avoid anything which could prevent that, such as dying committing major sin. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound.

We would like some advice about the books which the seeker of Islamic knowledge should obtain, study and refer to.

Praise be to Allah.1 – ‘Aqeedah (basic tenets of faith):  1-    Thalaathat al-Usool 2-    Al-Qawaa’id al-Arba’ah 3-    Kashf al-Shubahaat 4-    Al-Tawheed  These four books were written by Shaykh al-Islam Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab (may Allaah have mercy on him).  5-     Al-‘Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah which deals with Tawheed al-Asmaa’ wa’l-Sifaat (The Oneness of the Divine names and attributes). This is one of the best books written on this topic, and it is worth reading and studying. 6-    Al-Hamawiyyah 7-    Al-Tadmuriyyah  These two books are more comprehensive than al-Waasitiyyah. These three books were written by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah.  8-     Al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah, by Shaykh Abu Ja’far Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Tahhaawi 9-     Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah by Abu’l-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Abi’l-‘Izz 10-Al-Durar al-Saniyyah fi’l-Ajoobah al-Najdiyyah, compiled by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Qaasim (may Allaah have mercy on him) 11-Al-Durrah al-Madiyyah fi ‘Aqeedah al-Firqah al-Mardiyyah by Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Safaareeni al-Hanbali.  This book contains some general statements which go against the madhhab of the salaf, such as his saying, “Our Lord is not an essence or an attribute or a physical entity, exalted be He.”  Therefore the seeker of knowledge has to study it with a shaykh who is well versed in the ‘aqeedah of the salaf, so that he can explain the general statements in it that go against the ‘aqeedah of the righteous salaf.  2 – Hadeeth  1-     Fath al-Baari Sharh Saheeh al-Bukhaari, by Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqallaani (may Allaah have mercy on him). 2-     Subul al-Salaam Sharh Buloogh al-Maraam, by al-San’aani, and his book Jaami’ bayna al-Hadeeth wa’l-Fiqh 3-     Nayl al-Awtaar Sharh Muntaqaa al-Akhbaar by al-Shawkaani 4-     ‘Umdat al-Ahkaam by al-Maqdisi. This is an abridged book; most of its ahaadeeth are narrated in al-Saheehayn so their authenticity does not need to be researched. 5-     Al-Arba’een al-Nawawiyyah, by Abu Zakariyya al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him). This is a good book because it includes etiquette and a good methodology, and important basic principles, such as the hadeeth, “Part of a person’s being a good Muslim is his leaving alone that which does not concern him.” (Narrated by Imaam Ahmad, 1 – 201; al-Tirmidhi, 2318; classed as hasan by al-Nawawi in Riyaadh al-Saaliheen, 73; classed as saheeh by Ahmad Shaakir in al-Musnad, 1737) This principle – if one made it the path upon which one walks – would be sufficient. Another principle is given concerning when one should speak, “Whoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day, let him say something good or else remain silent.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, Kitaab al-Adab; Muslim, Kitaab al-Luqtah, Baab al-Diyaafah). 6-     Buloogh al-Maraam, by al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqallaani. This is a very useful book, especially because it mentions the narrators, and quoted the opinions of others scholars, who said whose hadeeth is saheeh and whose is da’eef, and he comments on the hadeeth to say whether they are saheeh or da’eef. 7-     Nukhbat al-Fikr  by al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqallaani. This is considered to be a comprehensive work. If the seeker of knowledge understands it completely then he will have no need of many other books of mustalah (the science of hadeeth). Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) has a useful way of writing, which involves examining every issue in depth and categorizing the topics he discusses. If the seeker of knowledge reads it he will find it stimulating, because it is based on making one think. I say: it is good for the seeker of knowledge to memorize it because it is a useful summary of the science of mustalah (science of hadeeth). 8-     The Six Books (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, Muslim, al-Nasaa’i, Abu Dawood, Ibn Maajah and al-Tirmidhi). I advise the seeker of knowledge to read them often, because that will serve two purposes: reviewing the main sources of Islam and reviewing the names of hadeeth narrators. If you often review the names of hadeeth narrators, then whenever you come across the name of one of the narrators of al-Bukhaari in any isnaad, you will know that this is one of the narrators of al-Bukhaari, so you will benefit from this knowledge of hadeeth.  3 – Books of fiqh:  1-     Aadaab al-mashiy ila’l-Salaah by Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab (may Allaah have mercy on him) 2-     Zaad al-Mustaqni’ fi Ikhtisaar al-Muqni’ by al-Hajjaawi. This is one of the best texts of fiqh. It is a blessed book, brief and comprehensive. Our shaykh, ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on him) told us to memorize it, even though he had memorized the text of Daleel al-Taalib. 3-     Al-Rawd al-Murbi’ Sharh Zaad al-Mustaqni’ by Shaykh Mansoor al-Bahooti 4-     ‘Umdat al-Fiqh by Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) 5-     al-Usool min ‘Ilm al-Usool. This is an abridged book which serves as an introduction for the seeker of knowledge.  4 – Faraa’id (laws of inheritance)  1-     Matn al-Rahbiyyah by al-Rahbi 2-     Matn al-Burhaaniyyah by Muhammad al-Burhaani. This is a useful and comprehensive abridged book dealing with all the laws of inheritance. I think that al-Burhaaniyyah is more comprehensive than al-Rahbiyyah in some ways, and it gives more information.  5 – Tafseer  1-     Tafseer al-Qur’aan al-‘Azeem by Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him). This book is good for tafseer based on reports and it is useful and trustworthy. But it does not pay much attention to matters of grammar and style. 2-     Tayseer al-Kareem al-Rahmaan fi Tafseer Kalaam al-Mannaan by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on him). This is a good, easy and trustworthy book, and I recommend it. 3-     Muqaddimah Shaykh al-Islam fi’l-Tafseer. This is an important introduction. 4-     Adwaa’ al-Bayaan by al-‘Allaamah Muhammad al-Shanqeeti (may Allaah have mercy on him). This is a comprehensive book covering hadeeth, fiqh, tafseer and usool al-fiqh.  6 – General books on some subjects:  1-     On (Arabic) grammar: Matn al-Ajroomiyyah. This is an abridged book. 2-     Also on Arabic grammar: Alfiyyah Ibn Maalik; this is a summary of the science of grammar. 3-     On Seerah (Prophet’s biography): The best book that I have seen is Zaad al-Ma’aad by Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him). This is a very useful book in which he mentions the biography of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) from all Angles, then he discusses many rulings. 4-     Rawdat al-‘Uqalaa’ by Ibn Hibbaan al-Busti (may Allaah have mercy on him). This is a useful book despite its brevity. He compiled a large amount of useful material and stories of the scholars, muhadditheen and others. 5-     Siyar A’laam al-Nubalaa’ by al-Dhahabi. This book is very useful and the seeker of knowledge should read and refer to it.

Could you please tell me about monkeys. Are they humans who were turned into monkeys for disobeying Allahs commandments? if so which people were they and what did they do?

Praise be to Allah.Maskh (transformation) refers to the changing of a person’s exterior appearance. Allaah has told us in more than one place in the Qur’aan that He transformed some of the Children of Israel into monkeys as a punishment for their disobedience towards Allaah. Allaah says, addressing the Children of Israel (interpretation of the meaning):  “And indeed you knew those amongst you who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath (i.e. Saturday). We said to them: ‘Be you monkeys, despised and rejected.’ So We made this punishment an example to their own and to succeeding generations and a lesson to those who are Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)” [al-Baqarah 2:65-66]  And Allaah tells us their story in more detail in Soorat al-A’raaf, where He says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And ask them (O Muhammad) about the town that was by the sea; when they transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath (i.e. Saturday): when their fish came to them openly on the Sabbath day, and did not come to them on the day they had no Sabbath. Thus We made a trial of them, for they used to rebel against Allaah’s Command (disobey Allaah)  And when a community among them said: ‘Why do you preach to a people whom Allaah is about to destroy or to punish with a severe torment?’ (The preachers) said: ‘In order to be free from guilt before your Lord (Allaah), and perhaps they may fear Allaah.’ So when they forgot the reminders that had been given to them, We rescued those who forbade evil, but with a severe torment We seized those who did wrong because they used to rebel against Allaah’s Command (disobey Allaah). So when they exceeded the limits of what they were prohibited, We said to them: ‘Be you monkeys, despised and rejected’” [al-A’raaf 7:163-166]  And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Say: ‘O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Do you criticize us for no other reason than that we believe in Allaah, and in (the Revelation) which has been sent down to us and in that which has been sent down before (us), and that most of you are Faasiqoon [rebellious and disobedient (to Allaah)]?’ Say (O Muhammad to the people of the Scripture): ‘Shall I inform you of something worse than that, regarding the recompense from Allaah: those (Jews) who incurred the Curse of Allaah and His Wrath, and those of whom (some) He transformed into monkeys and swines, and those who worshipped Taaghoot (false deities); such are worse in rank (on the Day of Resurrection in the Hell-fire), and far more astray from the Right Path (in the life of this world)’” [al-Maa’idah 5:59-60]  This transformation was a punishment from Allaah to them for their doing that which Allaah had forbidden to them. This punishment was not exclusively for the Children of Israel, rather the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that the Hour will not begin until such transformation happens among this ummah too. He issued this warning to those who disbelieve in the divine decree (al-qadr), and those who drink alcohol and listen to singing – we seek refuge with Allaah from that.  Ibn Maajah (4059) narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Shortly before the Hour begins, people will be transformed into monkeys and pigs, swallowed up in the earth, and pelted with stones.” (Saheeh Ibn Maajah, 3280).  Being swallowed up in the earth means that the earth will split open and swallow up a person, house or city, just as Allaah caused the earth to swallow Qaaroon and his household. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning);  “So We caused the earth to swallow him” [al-Qasas 28:81]  Pelting with stones is the same as Allaah did to the people of Loot. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “and rained down on them stones of baked clay” [al-Hijr 15:74]  Al-Tirmidhi (2152) narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, ‘Among this ummah those who disbelieve in the divine decree (al-qadr) will be swallowed up by the earth, transformed into monkeys and pigs or pelted with stones.” (Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 1748).  And al-Tirmidhi (2212) narrated from ‘Imraan ibn Husayn that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Among this ummah, people will be transformed into monkeys and pigs, swallowed up in the earth, and pelted with stones.” A man among the Muslims said, “O Messenger of Allaah, when will that be?” He said, “When singing-girls and musical instruments become widespread and wine is drunk.” (Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 1802).  These ahaadeeth indicate that such transformations will happen in this ummah as a punishment for some sins. So let the Muslim beware of doing anything that Allaah has forbidden. Woe be to the one who provokes the anger, wrath and vengeance of Allaah. May Allaah keep us all safe from the things that incur His punishment.  But these monkeys and pigs that exist nowadays are not the people from the earlier nations who were transformed, because Allaah does not enable those who have been transformed to have offspring, rather He causes them to die after being transformed, so they have no offspring.  Muslim (2663) narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said: “A man said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, are the monkeys and pigs those who have been transformed?’ The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Allaah does not enable those who have been transformed to have offspring or children. The monkeys and pigs existed before that.’” al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “The Prophet’s words ‘The monkeys and pigs existed before that’ means that they existed before the Children of Israel were transformed, which indicates that they are not from among those who were transformed.”  And Allaah knows best. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and grant him peace.

I was born and raised a Christian, however since learning about Islam I have recently converted. Before my conversion I allowed a fallen Muslim to touch me. Since then I have not allowed for any touching, inappropriate words, or unsupervised visits. I have repented and so has he of these terrible acts. His parents are helping me to understand and follow the Quran. He has asked me to marry him, and I wish to do so. The problem is this: his parents wish for him to wait to marry until after college. Should I wait to be engaged or should I become engaged immediately?  I know that it is better to marry than to commit immoral sexual acts, and I am afraid that these acts will be very tempting, especially in our minds, even if we do not see each other alone (which I do not wish to do). I want to respect and love his family, and I do not know how to appropriately arrange for such things as marriage when they are the only Muslims I know. PLEASE HELP! I want to enter into a moral arrangement and I do not want to be a girlfriend!

Praise be to Allah.Who has guided you to Islam, and has bestowed this great blessing upon you. We ask Him to keep you steadfast. One of the blessings that Allaah has bestowed upon you is that Islam wipes out whatever sins came before it, and we ask Him to accept your repentance and the repentance of everyone who repents.  With regard to engagement and marriage, our advice to you and to this young man is to hasten to get married if possible, especially since you are afraid of doing something haraam. In this case, the issue of marriage takes priority over the issue of studying. So long as marriage is what you both want, you should try hard to convince his parents of that. Remind them of what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to the young men: “O young men, whoever among you can afford to get married, let him do so, for it is more effective in lowering the gaze and in guarding one’s chastity. Whoever cannot afford that, then he should fast, for that will be a shield for him.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5065; Muslim, 1400.   He can also remind them of how many temptations there are, and that the Muslim has to resist them by every legitimate shar’i means available. Undoubtedly marriage is one of the greatest means of protecting oneself against these temptations. Indeed, the scholars state that marriage is obligatory in such cases. (al-Mughni, 9/341). It may be sufficient to do the marriage contract which meets the conditions stipulated in sharee’ah, until you are able to do the waleemah (wedding feast) and consummate the marriage, because this will make it permissible for him to be alone with you and to touch you, because in this case he will be considered to be your husband according to sharee’ah. If you can do that, this is good. But if his family insist on refusing, and this young man is afraid of doing something haraam, then he must try hard to get married if he is able to, even if his parents do not give him permission, whilst also trying to please his family as much as he can. If he is unable to do that, then either you have to be patient and follow the advice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to those who were not able to get married, which is to fast, and try to keep away from places of temptation and situations in which desire may be provoked, until Allaah brings you together in a good way, or your legal guardian (wali) has to try to look for another righteous person for you to marry, so that you will be safe from the risk of doing something haraam.  It should be noted here that if you become engaged according to sharee’ah, that does not mean that he is allowed to sit with you or to touch you or to go out with you or to speak to you unnecessarily, until the marriage contract is done between you, fulfilling all the conditions stipulated in sharee’ah.  For more information on these conditions see Question no. 2127, 7193. And Allaah knows best.  We ask Allaah to make it easy for you to do the right thing and to ward off evil and immorality from you. Ameen.

A person was ignorant, then Allaah blessed him with Islam. Before that, he used to commit some sins. He says, “I heard a hadeeth of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), ‘Whoever has wronged his brother with regard to his honour or anything else, let him ask him for forgiveness today before there is no dinar and no dirham.’ What do you advise me to do?”

Praise be to Allah.Allaah has enjoined repentance upon His slaves, as He says (interpretation of the meanings):  “And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful” [al-Noor 24:31]  “O you who believe! Turn to Allaah with sincere repentance!” [al-Tahreem 66:8]  “And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them (till his death)” [Ta-Ha 20:82]  And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The one who repents from sin is like one who has never sinned.”  Whoever commits any sin must repent, regret what he has done, give it up, keep away from it and resolve not to go back to it. Allaah accepts the repentance of those who repent.  When a person sincerely repents by regretting what he has done and resolving not to repeat it, and he gives it up out of respect and fear of Allaah, then Allaah accepts his repentance and wipes out his past sins by His grace and kindness.  But if the sin involved wrongdoing against someone else, then the sinner has to do what he is obliged to do by repenting from what has happened, regretting it, giving it up and resolving not to do it again. He must also restore the rights of the one whom he wronged, or seek his forgiveness , such as saying, Please forgive me,” etc. Or he should give him his dues, because of the hadeeth quoted in the question, or other ahaadeeth and aayahs. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever has done some wrong to his brother, let him seek his forgiveness today before there is no dinar or dirham, when if he has some righteous deeds (to his credit), some of his hasanaat (good deeds) will be taken in proportion to his wrongdoing, and if he has no hasanaat some of the sayi’aat (bad deeds) of the one whom he wronged will be taken and added to his burden.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh). So the believer should strive to put things right and restore his brother’s rights. So he should either give him his dues or ask him for his forgiveness. If it has to do with his honour then he has to ask for his forgiveness if he can. If he cannot, or he fears the consequences of telling him or that telling him about what he said will cause more trouble, then he should pray for forgiveness for him and make du’aa’ for him, and mention his good points that he knows of , to compensate for saying bad things, aiming to wash away something bad with something good. So he should speak of his good points that he knows of and spread good words about him to counteract the bad things which he said before, and he should pray for forgiveness for him and make du’aa’ for him. In this way the problem will be solved.

Please, I need the formula of du'a al-qunut which is read in the witr prayer.

Praise be to Allah.When to recite du'a al-qunut Du'a al-Qunut is recited in the last rak’ah of Witr prayer, after bowing, but if one recites it before bowing it doesn’t matter. But reciting it after bowing is better.  Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] said in Majmu' al-Fatawa (23/100):  With regard to qunut: there are two extreme views and one middle (or moderate) view. Some say that qunut should only be recited before bowing and some say that it should only be recited after bowing. The jurists among the scholars of hadith, such as Ahmad and others, say that both are allowed, because both are mentioned in the sahih Sunnah, but they preferred reciting qunut after bowing because this is mentioned more often.   Raising the hands is mentioned in a sahih report from  ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), as was narrated by al-Bayhaqi in a report which he classed as sahih, 2/210).  How to offer du'a al-qunut The worshipper should raise his hands to chest height and no more , because this du'a is not a du'a of supplication in which a person needs to raise his hands high. Rather it is a du'a of hope in which a person holds out his palms towards heaven… The apparent meaning of the scholar’s words is that the worshipper should hold his hands close together like a beggar who asks someone else to give him something.  Should you recite du'a al-qunut in witr prayer all the time? It is better not to recite qunut in witr all the time , rather it should be done sometimes, because there is no evidence that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did it all the time. But he taught al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) a du'a to recite in qunut al-witr, as will be quoted below.  Formula of du'a al-qunut The du'a of qunut was narrated by Abu Dawud (1425), al-Tirmidhi (464), and al-Nasai (1746) from al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught me some words to say in qunut al-witr:  “Allahumma ihdini fiman hadayta wa ‘afini fiman ‘afayta wa tawallani fiman tawallayta wa barik li fima a’tayta, wa qini sharra ma qadayta , fa innaka taqdi wa la yuqda ‘alayk, wa innahu la yadhillu man walayta wa la ya’izzu man ‘adayta, tabarakta Rabbana wa ta’alayta la manja minka illa ilayk (O Allah, guide me among those whom You have guided, pardon me among those whom You have pardoned, turn to me in friendship among those on whom You have turned in friendship, and bless me in what You have bestowed, and save me from the evil of what You have decreed. For verily You decree and none can influence You; and he is not humiliated whom You have befriended, nor is he honoured who is Your enemy. Blessed are You, O Lord, and Exalted. There is no place of safety from You except with You).”  The last phrase – La manja minka illa ilayka (There is no place of safety from You except with You) – was narrated by Ibn Mandah in al-Tawhid and classed as hasan by al-Albani. (Irwa al-Ghalil, hadith no. 426, 429) Then he should send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). (al-Sharh al-Mumti’ by Ibn ‘Uthaymin, 4/14-52) What to say after taslim if you recite du'a al-qunut It is mustahabb to say after the taslim: Subhan al-Malik al-Quddus three times, elongating the vowels the third time, as narrated by al-Nasai (1699) and classed as hasan by al-Albani in Sahih Sunan al-Nasai.  Al-Daraqutni added the word: Rabb al-Malaikah wa’l-Ruh (Lord of the angels and the Spirit), with a sahih isnad. See Zad al-Ma’ad by Ibn al-Qayyim, 1/337. And Allah knows best.

I wanna ask if chess (the type played nowadays) is allowed in Islam or not?

Praise be to Allah.Is chess haram? Imam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “When chess distracts us from what we are obliged to do both inwardly and outwardly, it is haram according to the consensus of the scholars – such as when it distracts from an obligatory duty such as prayer or anything that is necessary in the interests of oneself or one’s family, or enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, or upholding ties of kinship or honouring one’s parents, or any obligations connected to positions of authority or leadership, etc.  In this case it is haram according to the consensus of the scholars. Similarly, if it involves anything that is haram such as telling lies, swearing false oaths, cheating, wrongdoing or helping in wrongdoing, or other forbidden things, then it is haram according to the consensus of the Muslims.” (Adapted from Majmu’ al-Fatawa, 32/218, 240)  But if it does not distract us from our obligations or involve anything that is haram, then there is a difference of scholarly opinion concerning the ruling. The majority of scholars (Abu Hanifah, Malik, Ahmad and some of the companions of al-Shafi`i) said that it is also haram, basing that view on the evidence of the Book of Allah and the opinions of the Companions.  The evidence of the Quran is the words (interpretation of the meaning):  “O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), and gambling, and Al-Ansab [stone altars set up for sacrifices to idols etc], and Al-Azlam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaytan’s (Satan’s) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful. Shaytan (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from As-Salah (the prayer). So, will you not then abstain?” [Al-Maidah 5:90-91] Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  “This verse indicates that it is haram to play dice or chess , whether that involves gambling or not, because when Allah forbade alcohol He explained the reason for that, which is ‘Shaytan (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from the prayer.’  So every kind of game in which a little leads to a lot and stirs up enmity and hatred between those who are devoted to it and prevents them from remembering Allah and praying, is like drinking alcohol, which implies that it must be haram like alcohol.” (Al-Jami’ li Ahkam al-Quran, 6/291)  Companions’ views on playing chess With regard to the views of the Companions, it was narrated that ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by some people who were playing chess. He said, “What are these images, to which you are devoted? [cf. al-Anbiya 21:52]” Imam Ahmad said: “The soundest comment on chess was that which was said by ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him).”  ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about chess and he said, “It is worse than dice.”  “Dice” refers to what is used nowadays for playing backgammon , which is played on a special table. It was narrated in the hadiths that it is haram.   Abu Dawud (4938) narrated from Abu Musa al-Ash’ari that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever plays dice has disobeyed Allah and His Messenger.” (Classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih Abi Dawud, 4129)  Muslim (2260) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever plays dice is like one who has dipped his hand in the flesh and blood of a pig.” Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “This hadith is quoted as evidence by al-Shafi`i and the majority of scholars to prove that playing dice is haram. The phrase ‘dipped his hand in the flesh and blood of a pig’ refers to eating it, and this simile is used to show that this is haram because it is haram to eat that.”  Scholars’ views on playing chess Ibn Qudamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Chess is like dice in that it is forbidden.” (al-Mughni, 14/155),  Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The evil consequences of chess are greater than the evil consequences of dice. Everything that points to the prohibition of dice points to the prohibition of chess even more so… This is the view of Malik and his companions, of Abu Hanifah and his companions, of Ahmad and his companions, and the view of the majority of the Successors… It is not known that any of the Companions permitted it or played it. Allah protected them from that. Everything that is attributed to any of them and says that he played it – such as Abu Hurayrah – is a fabrication and lie against the Companions and is rejected by anyone who knows how the Companions really were and by anyone who has sufficient knowledge to examine the reports critically. How could the best generation and the best of mankind after the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) permit playing something that prevents people from remembering Allah and from praying, and is worse in this regard than alcohol when the player gets immersed in it, as we see in real life? How could the Lawgiver forbid dice but permit chess, which is many times worse?…” (Al-Furusiyyah, 303, 305, 311) Al-Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  “With regard to chess, most of the scholars say that it is haram to play it, whether that is for money or not. If it is played for money then it is indisputably gambling. Even if it is not played for money it is still gambling and haram, according to most of the scholars… al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about playing chess, is it forbidden or permissible? He (may Allah have mercy on him) replied that if it makes a person miss praying on time or he plays for money, then it is haram, otherwise it is makruh according to al-Shafi’i and haram according to others…” (Al-Kabair, 89-90)  For more information, please see Tahrim al-Nard wa’l-Shatranj wa’l-Malahi by al-Ajurri, ed. by Muhammad Sa’id Idris.  And Allah knows best.

What is the ruling on one who claims to have seen the Lord of Glory in a dream? Is it true, as some say, that Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal saw the Lord of Glory in a dream more that one hundred times?.

Praise be to Allah.Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and others said that it is possible for a person to see his Lord in a dream, but what they see is not how He really is, because there is nothing like unto Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer” [al-Shoora 42:11] So nothing in His creation resembles Him, but a person may see in his dream that his Lord is speaking to him, but whatever images he sees is not Allaah because there is nothing like unto Allaah, so there is nothing that resembles Him.  Shaykh Taqiy al-Deen said concerning this that it may vary according to the situation of the person who sees it. The more righteous and good the person is, the closer his dream will be to what is true and correct, but Allaah is different from whatever he sees, because the basic principle is that there is nothing like unto Allaah.  He may hear a voice that says such and such or do such and such, without seeing any image that resembles any created being, because there is nothing like unto Allaah. It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw his Lord in a dream. It was narrated from Mu’aadh (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw his Lord, and it was narrated via a number of isnaads that he saw his Lord, and that Allaah put His hand between the Prophet’s shoulders so that he felt its coolness on his chest. Al-Haafiz ibn Rajab wrote an essay on that which he entitled Ikhtiyaar al-Awla fi Sharh Hadeeth Ikhtisaam al-Mala’ al-A’laa. This indicates that the Prophets saw their Lord in their dreams. But as for seeing the Lord in this world with their eyes, that did not happen.  The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that no one will see his Lord until he dies. This was narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh. When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was asked whether he had seen his Lord, he said: “I saw Light.” This was narrated by Muslim from Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him).   ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) was asked about that and she said that no one will see Him in this world, because seeing Allaah in Paradise is the greatest blessing for the Muslims, so that will happen only to the people of Paradise and the believers in the Hereafter, and to the believers in the place of standing on the Day of Resurrection. This world is the abode of trial and testing, the place shared by both good and evil people, so it is not the place for seeing Allaah, for seeing Him is the greatest blessing, so Allaah has saved it for His believing slaves in the abode of honour on the Day of Resurrection.   With regard to seeing Allaah in a dream as  many people claim to have done, that varies according to the situation of the one who saw that – as Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah – may Allaah have mercy on him) said – how righteous and pious the person is. Some people may imagine that they have seen Allaah when that is not the case, for the Shaytaan may appear to them and make them think that he is their Lord, as it was narrated that he appeared to ‘Abd al-Qaadir al-Jeelaani on a throne above the water, and said, “I am your lord and I have relieved you of obligations.” Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qaadir said: “Shut up, O enemy of Allaah, you are not my Lord, because the commands of my Lord can never be lifted from those who are accountable.” Or words to that effect.  The point is that seeing Allaah when awake cannot happen to anyone in this world, not even the Prophets (peace be upon them), as stated above in the hadeeth of Abu Dharr. This is also indicated by the words of Allaah to Moosa (peace be upon him) when he asked his Lord to let him see Him. He said to him (interpretation of the meaning):  “You cannot see Me” [al-A’raaf 7:143] But the Prophets and some of the righteous may see Him in a dream in a manner that does not resemble any of His creation, as stated above in the hadeeth of Mu’aadh (may Allaah be pleased with him). But if there is a command to do something that goes against sharee’ah, this is a sign that he has not seen his Lord, rather he has seen a devil. If he sees that he is telling him, Do not pray for you have been relieved of obligations, or you do not have to pay zakaah, or you do not have to fast Ramadaan, or you do not have to honour parents, or he says it does not matter if you consume riba (usury, interest) – all such things are signs that he has seen a devil and has not seen his Lord. With regard to the reports of Imam Ahmad seeing his Lord, I do not know if they are sound or not. It was said that he saw his Lord but I do not know if that is true.

Some businessmen are owed money by their customers, so they go to the bank and sell the bill of exchange to them for an amount that is less than the amount specified in the bill of exchange. Then the bank collects the debt for itself when it becomes due. What is the ruling on this?.

Praise be to Allah.This transaction is one of the transactions that are haraam, and it is a form of riba (usury, interest).  Because selling a bill of exchange – for example – which mentions a debt of one thousand riyals to be paid in one month’s time to the bank for nine hundred riyals to be paid immediately, is riba. The scholars are unanimously agreed that this haraam transaction is both riba al-nasee’ah and riba al-fadl combined, because it involves exchanging currency available immediately for currency of the same kind to be paid later, plus an extra amount.  If currency is exchanged for currency of a different kind, the physical exchange must be done in the same sitting where the agreement is made. If they are of the same kind, then they must be equal in value and the physical exchange must be done in the same sitting where the agreement is made. This is not the case in this scenario; so it involves riba al-fadl because the amounts exchanged are not equal and it also involves riba al-nasee’ah because there is no mutual exchange in the same sitting.  The Standing Committee was asked about that and they replied:  Selling the bill of exchange to the bank in return for an amount of money and leaving the bank to collect the amount stated in the bill of exchange from the purchaser of the product is haraam because it is riba.  Fataawa al-Buyoo’, p. 352  The Fiqh Council issued the following statement:  Selling bills of exchange to the bank is not permissible according to sharee’ah, because it amounts to riba.  And Allaah knows best.

what are the two surhas that have been called"as-zahrawan"?

Praise be to Allah. These two soorahs are al-Baqarah and Aal ‘Imraan.  It was proven in a hadeeth narrated by Imaam Muslim (may Allaah have mercy on him) that Abu Umaamah al-Baahili said: “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: ‘Read the Qur’aan, for it will come on the Day of Resurrection to intercede for its companions [those who read it]. Read al-Zahrawaan (the two bright ones), al-Baqarah and Aal ‘Imraan, for they will come on the Day of Resurrection like two clouds or like two shades or two flocks of birds spreading their wings, pleading for those who recite them. Recite Soorat al-Baqarah, for taking recourse to it is a blessing and giving it up is a cause of loss, and the magicians cannot confront it.” (Salaat al-Musaafireen, 1337). Al-Nawawi said in his commentary on Saheeh Muslim: they said, they are called al-Zahrawaan (the two bright ones) because of their light and guidance, and the greatness of their reward.

An inquirer from Gambia is asking, what is the ruling on a Muslim who sells alcohol or drugs, can we call him a Muslim or not? What is the ruling on a Muslim who works in an alcohol factory, does he have to give up his job if he cannot find any other job?

Praise be to Allah.Selling alcohol and other intoxicants is a grave evil, and working in alcohol factories is haraam and is an evil, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Help you one another in Al Birr and At Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression”[al-Maa'idah 5:2]   Undoubtedly selling alcohol, drugs and cigarettes constitutes cooperating in sin and transgression, and working in alcohol factories also constitutes cooperating in sin and transgression. And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), and gambling, and Al Ansaab [stone altars for sacrifices to idols, etc.], and Al Azlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaytaan’s (Satan’s) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful. Shaytaan (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allaah and from As Salaah (the prayer). So, will you not then abstain?” [al-Maa’idah 5:90]  It was narrated in a saheeh report that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed alcohol, the one who drinks it, the one who pours it, the one who extracts the juice, the one for whom it is extracted, the one who carries it, the one to whom it is carried, the one who sells it, the one who buys it and the one who consumes its price.  And it was also narrated in a saheeh report that he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has made a covenant that whoever dies drinking alcohol, He will give him to drink of the mud of khibaal.” He was asked, “O Messenger of Allaah, what is the mud of khibaal?” He said, “The juice of the people of Hell” or “the sweat of the people of Hell.”  With regard to the ruling, the one who does this is a sinner and an evildoer by so doing; he is lacking in faith and on the Day of Resurrection he will be subject to the will of Allaah. If He wills, He will forgive him and if He wills, He will punish him, if he dies before he repents. This is according to the Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):   “Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills” [al-Nisaa’ 4:48]  This ruling applies if he does not regard that as being permissible. If he does regard it as being permissible then he is a kaafir by doing so, and if he dies he should not be washed or the funeral (janaazah) prayer offered for him, according to all the scholars, because by doing that he is disbelieving in Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).  The same ruling applies to one who regards as permissible zina (adultery), sodomy, riba (usury) and other things which are unanimously agreed to be haraam, such as disobeying one’s parents, severing ties of kinship or killing a soul unlawfully.  But if a person does that or some of that knowing that it is haraam, and knowing that he is disobeying Allaah, then he is not a kaafir; rather he is an evildoer who will be subject to the will of Allaah in the Hereafter if he does not repent before he dies, as stated above concerning the ruling on one who drinks alcohol. And Allaah is the Source of strength.

The fasting person will have his prayer answered when he breaks his fast, so when should he make du`a – before, during or after breaking the fast? Are there any du`as which were narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or that you can recommend for this time?

Praise be to Allah.This question was put to Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him), who said:  “Du`a should be made before iftar (breaking the fast) , at Maghrib , because this combines weakness and humility, and because he is still fasting. All of these are means of having one’s du`a answered. After breaking the fast, one is relaxed and happy, and may become negligent. But there is a hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) which, if it is sahih, shows that the du`a may be made after breaking the fast. It said: ‘Thirst has gone, the veins are moist, and the reward is assured, if Allah wills.” (Narrated by Abu Dawud; classed as hasan by al-Albani in Sahih Sunan Abi Dawud, 2066). This can only mean after breaking the fast. Similarly it was narrated that some of the Companions said: “O Allah, for You I have fasted and with Your provision I have broken my fast.”  So you may pray to Allah and say whatever du`a you think is suitable . For more, please see this answer: 65955 And Allah knows best.

There are some writers, especially on the Internet, who spread news without verifying it, which is confusing the Muslims and making them despair, such as the claim that one of the Muslim cities has fallen, or that one of their leaders has been killed, and other reports which lead to despair and weakening of morale… All of that is without any proof or certainty that the news is true… Some of them even write at the end of their articles, “This is what I have heard but I am not sure whether the report is true”!  What is your advice to these people?.

Praise be to Allah.Undoubtedly at times of tribulation there is a lot of propaganda and excitement, hence the role of rumours.  It is well known that verifying news is required according to sharee’ah, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “O you who believe! If a Faasiq (liar — evil person) comes to you with any news, verify it, lest you should harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful for what you have done” [al-Hujuraat 49:6] The Lawgiver issued a stern warning against passing on all that one hears. It was narrated that Hafs ibn ‘Aasim said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “It is enough lying for a man to speak of everything that he hears.” Narrated by Muslim in al-Muqaddimah, 6; Saheeh al-Jaami, 4482.  It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “It is enough sin for a man to speak of everything that he hears.” Al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 2025.  Al-Nawawi said: Usually a person hears truth and lies, so if he speaks of everything that he hears, he is lying by telling of things that did not happen, and lying by speaking of something other than the way it happened; and he does not have to do that deliberately (in order to be regarded as telling lies).  It was narrated that al-Mugheerah ibn Shu’bah said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has forbidden you to disobey your mothers, to bury your daughters alive, to not pay the rights of others and to beg from others. And He dislikes gossip for you, asking too many questions, and wasting money.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2231.  Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said:  With regard to the words ‘and He dislikes gossip [qeela wa qaala – lit. it was said and he said] for you’ al-Muhibb al-Tabari said, there are three points of view as to the meaning of this hadeeth:  1 – That it indicates that it is makrooh (disliked) to speak too much, because it leads to mistakes.  2 – That it refers to wanting to pass on what people say and looking for that in order to tell others of it, so that one can say, “So and so said such and such, and Such and such was said…” The prohibition on this is either a rebuke for doing too much of it or it refers to a particular type of talk, which the person spoken of dislikes to have mentioned.   3 – That it refers to narrating differences of opinion concerning religious matters, such as saying, “This one said such and such and that one said such and such.” The reason why this is disliked is that speaking of such matters may lead to mistakes. This applies especially to those who transmit such views without verifying them, merely imitating those whom they hear without exercising any caution. I say: this is supported by the saheeh hadeeth, “It is enough sin for a man to speak of everything that he hears.” (narrated by Muslim).  It was narrated that Abu Qalaabah said: Abu Mas’ood said to Abu ‘Abd-Allaah, or Abu ‘Abd-Allaah said to Abu Mas’ood: What did you hear the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say about saying “they say…”?  He said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “How bad it is for a man to keep saying, ‘They say…’. ” al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 866.  Al-‘Azeemabaadi said: This means, it is a bad way to reach one’s objective, by saying, ‘they say…’. Saying ‘they say…’ is akin to conjecture, i.e., the worst habit of a man is to use the phrase ‘they say’ to serve his purposes, so he tells of something, merely repeating what others have said without verifying it, and thus he transmits lies … this was the view of al-Manaawi.  Hence our righteous forebears were keen to establish proof and were wary of rumours.  ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “Beware of fitnah, for a word at the time of fitnah could be as devastating as the sword.”  History shows us the danger of rumours when they spread among the ummah. There follow some examples of that:  1 – When the Sahaabah migrated from Makkah to Ethiopia, they were safe, but then a rumour spread that the kuffaar of Quraysh in Makkah had become Muslims, so some of the Sahaabah left Ethiopia and travelled until they reached Makkah, where they found that the report was not true, and they met with persecution at the hands of Quraysh. All of that happened because of rumours.  2 – During the Battle of Uhud, when Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr was killed, there was a rumour that it was the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) who had been killed, so the army of Islam withdrew because of a rumour, and some of them fled to Madeenah and some stopped fighting.  3 – There was the rumour of the slander incident (al-ifk), when the pure and innocent ‘Aa’ishah was accused of immoral conduct, which led to the distress felt by the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the Muslims with him. All of that was because of rumours.  So what is the proper shar’i method of dealing with news? There are ways of dealing with news which we will look at in brief:  1 – Deliberation   The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Deliberation is from Allaah and haste is from the Shaytaan.” Al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1795.  The one who deliberates may meet some of his needs whilst the one who is hasty may slip.  2 – Verifying news  Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “O you who believe! If a Faasiq (liar — evil person) comes to you with any news, verify it, lest you should harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful for what you have done” [al-Hujuraat 49:6] The reason why this verse was revealed:  The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent al-Waleed ibn ‘Uqbah ibn Abi Mu’eet to Banu al-Mustaliq, to collect the zakaah from them. When news of that reached them they rejoiced, and they came out to meet the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). When al-Waleed heard that they had come out to meet him, he went back to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, “O Messenger of Allaah, Banu al-Mustaliq have withheld the zakaah.”  The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) became very angry at that, and whilst he was thinking of launching a campaign against them, the delegation came to him and said, “O Messenger of Allaah, we were told that your envoy returned after coming only half way, and we were afraid that he came back because he received a message from you saying that you were angry with us. We seek refuge with Allaah from the anger of Allaah and the anger of His Messenger.”  Then Allaah excused them in His Book and revealed the words (interpretation of the meaning):  “O you who believe! If a Faasiq (liar — evil person) comes to you with any news, verify it, lest you should harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful for what you have done” [al-Hujuraat 49:6] See: al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 3085.  What is meant by verifying is making the effort to find out the truth of the matter, so as to establish whether this can be proven or not.  Verifying means making certain of the truth of the report and its circumstances.  Al-Hasan al-Basri said: “The believer reserves judgement until the matter is proven.”  Finally: we advise everyone to verify matters and not to rush to pass on news until they are sure that it is true, even if the news is good news, because if it becomes apparent that the one who passed it on is mistaken, he will lose credibility before the people… and anyone who bears a grudge towards him will use it against him. May Allaah help us all to do that which He loves and which pleases Him.  And Allaah knows best.

A woman came for Hajj and got her period after she entered ihaam. Her mahram had to leave straightaway and she has no one else in Makkah. What is the ruling?.

Praise be to Allah.She should travel with him and remain in ihraam, then she should come back when she has become pure. This applies if she lives in the land of the Two Holy Places, because it is easy to come back and does not involve a great deal of trouble or need a passport etc. But if she is a foreigner and it is difficult for her to come back, then she should tie a piece of cloth over her private part (so that no blood will leak and contaminate the Mosque), and do tawaaf and saa’i, and cut her hair, and end her ‘Umrah on the same journey, because in this case her tawaaf has become necessary, and in cases of necessity things that are ordinarily forbidden are allowed.  But she does not have to do tawaaf al-wadaa’ (farewell tawaaf), because menstruating women do not have to do the farewell tawaaf, because of the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told the people that the last thing they should do in Makkah was to circumambulate the Ka’bah, but he exempted menstruating women.  And when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was told that Safiyyah had done tawaaf al-ifaadah, he said, “Then let her leave (for her Hajj is over).” This indicates that the farewell tawaaf is not obligatory for menstruating women, but tawaaf al-ifaadah is essential.  See the fatwa of Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, Essay 60, Questions about menstruation.

A person divorced his wife but he is not sure of the number of divorces, whether it was two or three. What is the ruling in this case?

Praise be to Allah. If the husband is unsure as to whether he uttered the word of divorce at all, or as to the number of divorces he has uttered, then he should act on the basis of what is certain. So if he is not sure whether he has divorced her or not, the basic principle is that divorce has not taken place, because [in this instance] nikaah (marriage) is something which is certain, and divorce is something concerning which there is uncertainty. One of the basic principles is that certainty cannot be overridden by doubt. If he is uncertain as to whether he has divorced her once or twice, he should assume that he has divorced her once, because this is what is certain.

What is the ruling on taking part in competitions held on the internet, where the winner may get a prize or money amounting to thousands of dollars, noting that the people who enter the competition will either gain something or at least will be safe and sound, and that no one will lose anything?

Praise be to Allah. There is nothing wrong with taking part in competitions held on the internet or elsewhere, if the entrants will not lose anything and they will either be safe and sound or will win something, because that does not involve gambling. Gambling means that the person does not know whether he will gain something or lose something. But this is subject to the condition that the competitions are not contaminated with haraam things, such as questions about permissive things or songs, or other things that are forbidden in and of themselves. Then they would be forbidden for this reason, not because they involve gambling. And Allaah knows best.

If a person is praying two rak`ahs on Friday (at Jumu`ah) then the imam comes in, should he stop praying or not?

Praise be to Allah.It seems to me, and Allah knows best, that if you have already prayed one rak`ah with its two prostrations, then you should complete your prayer quickly, because of the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever catches up with one rak`ah of the prayer has caught up with the prayer.” (Agreed upon). But if the khatib starts his khutbah before you have completed the first rak`ah with its two prostrations, then you should stop your prayer, because of the obligation to listen to the khatib .  And Allah knows best.

I once had a wet dream just before sehri... it was not possiblt for me to go and perform ghusl rather.. i felt very shameful to go to perform ghusl... since my parents wud cum to know... so i had my sehri without performing ghusl and tha't morning unfortunately i even didn't pray fajr prayers... but later... i performed ghusl and i parayed by fajr prayers... but i wud like to know whether my fast is valid... 'cuz i think i went wrong here becuz i had my sehri in a sexually impure form.... Is my fast valid?

Praise be to Allah.Can you fast without ghusl? The fast of one who has intercourse with his wife at night and wakes up in the morning in a state of janabah (major ritual impurity) is still valid, as is the fast of one who becomes junub in his sleep, whether at night or during the day.  There is nothing wrong with delaying ghusl until just before dawn. Rather fasting is invalidated by having intercourse during the day in Ramadan, from the onset of true dawn until the sun sets. (Fatawa al-Lajnah al-Daimah, 10/327) Delaying prayer because of feeling shy to perform ghusl With regard to your delaying the prayer until the sun had risen, this was wrong of you to do that. What is obligatory is to perform the prayers on time. Feeling too embarrassed to do ghusl is no excuse for delaying the prayer. You have to repent from that and pray for forgiveness. May Allah help us and you to do all that is good. And Allah knows best.

What is the ruling on selling Hajj visas which are obtained with great difficulty?

Praise be to Allah. It is not permissible for a person to take a visa for himself when he does not intend to perform Hajj. If he obtains a visa for himself and intends to go for Hajj, then he changes his mind, then he should only sell it for the same amount that he spent to obtain it. In other words, it is not permissible to obtain Hajj visas for trade purposes in order to exploit the poor Muslims and those who want to perform Hajj; rather the Muslim should help others to do good and help his Muslim brothers, not exploit them. And Allaah knows best.

Is it permissible to offer condolences to Christians, and if so, how is that done?

Praise be to Allah.Offering Condolence Message to Non-Muslims Yes, it is permissible to offer non-Muslims condolences at times of bereavement, to visit them when they are sick, and to console them when calamity strikes.  Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “There was a Jewish boy who used to serve the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He fell sick, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to visit him. He sat at his head and said, ‘Become Muslim.’ (The boy) looked at his father who was with him, and he (the father) said to him, ‘Obey Abu’l-Qasim ( (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)).’ So he became Muslim. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) left, saying, ‘Praise be to Allah who has saved him from the Fire.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1356)  Anas reported that a Jew invited the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to eat barley bread and other food, and he accepted the invitation. (Narrated by Ahmad, 13201, with a sahih isnad) How to offer condolence to non-Muslims If a Muslim does that, he should do so with the intention of calling them to Islam and softening their hearts towards Islam; he should call them in an appropriate manner and at an appropriate time.  Whilst consoling non-Muslims, a Muslim should not pray for forgiveness or mercy or Paradise for their dead, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “It is not (proper) for the Prophet and those who believe to ask Allah’s forgiveness for the Mushrikun, even though they are of kin.” [al-Tawbah 9:113] Rather he should pray for them in a way that is appropriate, encourage them to be patient and steadfast, and remind them that this is the way of Allah with His creation.  For more about condolences, please see these answers: 12326 , 12530 , 174755 , and 215016 .  And Allah knows best.

I have like waswas! every ramandhan i have to go thru the same problem, like when i finish my menses after the 7th day, and i wash to get ready for fasting and praying the dark brownish colour comes again, you have stated that one can go ahead and pray but can one fast & also do we have to wash again(WUDHU)and everyone i ask they tell me different stories ,please help me by clarifying this once and for all, do i fast and pray or do i have to repay that day like the other ones that i have missed.and can i know a particular duwa that one says to wash to be pure again, i know the one which goes like nawaitu toharatul hethi is this enough?

Praise be to Allah.Firstly: if she has a regular cycle, and this discharge comes after the period has ended, then it is not part of her period, rather it is istihaadah (non-menstrual discharge), so she should not pay any attention to it, and she should do wudoo’ for every prayer and fast.  If she sees al-tuhr (purification), i.e., white discharge (when her period has ended), and then this discharge comes after that, she should not pay any attention to it, as in the first case.  If this happens during the days of her period, then it is part of her period, so she should not pray or fast.  Secondly: there is no specific du’aa’ to be said for a woman to be purified and end her period. See Question no. 12897.  Thirdly: the seat of the intention is the heart; it is not permitted to utter it aloud. So it is not correct for you to say before doing any righteous deed that you do, “I intend to do such and such…” because that was not narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The best of guidance is his guidance and every newly-invented matter is a bid’ah (innovation) and every innovation is a going astray. Please see Question no. 13337.

I am happy to have found this website of yours. I was born a Muslim and I learned a lot of Islamic teachings after I reached adolescence. I am trying to understand my religion.  I have read in some of your answers on the issue of apostasy that the punishment for the apostate is to be put to death. But I have read on another website that the apostate who is to be put to death is the one who wages war on Islam (muhaarib).  I am more inclined towards the second opinion.  The reason for that is that I have friends who were born in Muslim families and who have Muslim names, but some of them do not know how to do wudoo’ or how to pray, but they acknowledge the Shahaadatayn.  Can we regard these people as apostates and thus put them to death?.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:  The Muslim should not incline more towards one scholarly opinion rather than another just because it is in accordance with his whims and desires or his reasoning. Rather he has to accept the ruling based on evidence from the Qur’aan and Sunnah. It is essential to put the texts and rulings of sharee’ah before all else.  Secondly:  Apostasy (riddah) and going out of Islam are things that may be done in the heart, on the tongue or in one's actions.  Apostasy may take place in the heart, such as disbelieving in Allaah, or believing that there is another creator alongside Allaah, or hating Allaah or His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).  Apostasy may take the form of words spoken on the tongue, such as defaming Allaah or the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).  Or apostasy may take the form of outward physical actions, such as prostrating to an idol, mistreating the Mus-haf, or not praying.    The apostate (murtadd) is worse than one who is a kaafir in the first place.  Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said, refuting the pantheistic belief of the Baatinis:  It is well known that the kaafir Tatars are better than these (Baatinis), because the latter are apostates from Islam, of the worst type of apostates. The apostate is worse than one who is a kaafir in the first place in many aspects.  Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 1/193  Secondly:  Not every Muslim who falls into kufr is a kaafir and apostate. There are reasons why a Muslim may be excused and not judged to be a kaafir, for example: ignorance, misunderstanding, being forced, and making mistakes.  With regard to the first, a man may be ignorant of the ruling of Allaah, because he lives far from the Muslim lands, such as one who grows up in the desert or in a kaafir land, or has only recently come to Islam. This may include many of those Muslims who live in societies where ignorance prevails and knowledge is scarce. These are the ones concerning whom the questioner is confused as to whether they are to be judged as kaafirs and executed.  The second reason is if a person interprets the ruling of Allaah in a manner not intended by the Lawgiver, such as those who blindly follow the people of bid’ah (innovation) in their misinterpretations, such as the Murji’ah, Mu’tazilah, Khawaarij and the like.  The third reason is if an oppressor overwhelms a Muslim and will not let him go until he makes a blatant statement of kufr out loud in order to ward off the torture, when his heart is at ease with faith.  The fourth is when words of kufr come to one's lips without meaning it.  Not everyone who is ignorant about wudoo’ and prayer can be excused, when he sees the Muslims establishing prayer and praying regularly, and he can read and hear the verses on prayer. What is preventing him from praying or from asking about how it is done and what its essential conditions are?  Fourthly:  The apostate is not to be put to death immediately after he falls into apostasy, especially if his apostasy happens because of some doubt that arose. Rather he should be asked to repent and he should be offered the opportunity to return to Islam and resolve his doubts, if he has any doubts. Then if he persists in his apostasy after that, he is to be put to death.  Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughni, 9/18:  The apostate should not be put to death until he has been asked to repent three times. This is the view of the majority of scholars, including ‘Umar, ‘Ali, ‘Ata’, al-Nakhaii, Maalik, al-Thawri, al-Awzaa’i, Ishaaq and others. Because apostasy comes about because of doubt, and cannot be dispelled in an instant. Time should be allowed for the person to rethink the matter, and the best length of time is three days.  End quote.  The saheeh Sunnah indicates that it is essential to put the apostate to death.  Al-Bukhaari (6922) narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever changes his religion, put him to death.”  Al-Bukhaari (6484) and Muslim (1676) narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “It is not permissible to shed the blood of a Muslim who bears witness that there is no god except Allaah and that I am the Messenger of Allaah, except in one of three cases: a soul for a soul (i.e., in the case of murder); a previously-married person who commits zina; and one who leaves his religion and separates from the main body of the Muslims.”  The general meaning of these ahaadeeth indicates that it is essential to put the apostate to death whether he is waging war on Islam (muhaarib) or not.  The view that the apostate who is to be put to death is the one who is waging war on Islam (muhaarib) only is contrary to these ahaadeeth. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that the reason why he should be put to death is his apostasy, not his waging war against Islam.  Undoubtedly some kinds of apostasy are more abhorrent than others, and the apostasy of one who wages war against Islam is more abhorrent than that of anyone else. Hence some of the scholars differentiated between them, and said that it is not essential to ask the muhaarib to repent or to accept his repentance; rather he should be put to death even if he repents, whereas the repentance of one who is not a muhaarib should be accepted and he should not be put to death. This is the view favoured by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him).  He said:  Apostasy is of two types: ordinary apostasy and extreme apostasy, for which execution is prescribed. In both cases there is evidence that it is essential to execute the apostate, but the evidence indicating that the sentence of death may be waived if the person repents does not apply to both types of apostasy. Rather the evidence indicates that that is allowed only in the first case – i.e., ordinary apostasy – as will be clear to anyone who studies the evidence that speaks about accepting the repentance of the apostate. In the second type – i.e., extreme apostasy – the obligation to put the apostate to death still stands, and there is no text or scholarly consensus to indicate that the death sentence may be waived. The two cases are quite different and there is no comparison between them. It does not say in the Qur’aan or Sunnah, or according to scholarly consensus, that everyone who apostatizes in word or deed may be spared the death sentence if he repents after he is a captured and tried. Rather the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and scholarly consensus, differentiate between the different kinds of apostates.  Al-Saarim al-Maslool, 3/696  Al-Hallaaj was one of the most well known heretics who were put to death without being asked to repent. Al-Qaadi ‘Iyaad said:   The Maaliki fuqaha’ of Baghdad at the time of al-Muqtadir were unanimously agreed that al-Hallaaj should be killed and crucified because of his claim to divinity and his belief in incarnation, and his saying “I am al-Haqq [God],” even though he outwardly appeared to adhere to sharee’ah, and they did not accept his repentance.  Al-Shifa bi Ta’reef Huqooq al-Mustafa, 2/1091.  Based on this, it is clear that what the questioner says about the apostate not being killed unless he is waging war on Islam is mistaken, and the differentiation that we have quoted from Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah may dispel any confusion and make the matter clearer.  Waging war against Islam is not limited only to fighting with weapons, rather it may be done verbally such as defaming Islam or the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or attacking the Qur’aan, and so on. Waging verbal war against Islam may be worse than waging war against it with weapons in some cases.  Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:  Muhaarabah (waging war against Islam) is of two types: physical and verbal. Waging war verbally against Islam may be worse than waging war physically – as stated above – hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to kill those who waged war against Islam verbally, whilst letting off some of those who waged war against Islam physically. This ruling is to be applied more strictly after the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Mischief may be caused by physical action or by words, but the damage caused by words is many times greater than that caused by physical action; and the goodness achieved by words in reforming may be many times greater than that achieved by physical action. It is proven that waging war against Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) verbally is worse and the efforts on earth to undermine religion by verbal means is more effective.  Al-Saarim al-Maslool, 3/735  Fifthly:  With regard to not praying, the correct view is that the one who does not pray is a kaafir and an apostate. See question no. 5208.  And Allaah knows best.

when i do my wudhu for prayers i start with bismilah and continue by saying nawaitu toharatil wudhuee, while i recite this to all the parts that need to be washed, i know you have given the recitation for wudhuee but i just wanted to know can i only say recite what i have been reciting all time instead of the recitation that is given by you, of course if you tell me otherwise i'll follow your advice.

Praise be to Allah.When worshipping Allaah, the Muslim must worship Him in the manner that He has prescribed. The basic principle regarding acts of worship is tawqeef (i.e., acts of worship are to be based solely on Qur’aan and saheeh Sunnah with no room for personal opinion). No kind of act of worship is prescribed except with daleel (evidence from sharee’ah). Whoever comes up with something that was not prescribed by Allaah or His Messenger has introduced an innovation into the religion of Allaah, and this action of his is to be rejected, because in order for a deed to be acceptable (to Allaah), it must meet two conditions:  1-It must be sincerely for the sake of Allaah alone. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allaah, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him)”[al-Bayyinah 98:5] 2-It should be according to the way of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the message he brought. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad) gives you, take it; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it)”[al-Hashr 59:7] So it is not permissible to innovate any kind of act of worship that was not prescribed by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does an action that is not in accordance with this matter of ours (Islam) will have it rejected.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2697; Muslim, 1718).  Al-Tirmidhi narrated from Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal from the hadeeth of al-‘Irbaad ibn Saariyah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I urge you to adhere to my Sunnah and the way of the Rightly-Guided Khaleefahs. Adhere to it and bite onto it with your back teeth (i.e., cling firmly to it). And beware of newly-invented matters, for every newly-invented matter is an innovation and every innovation is a going-astray.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, al-Sunnah, 3991. Al-Albaani said in Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood, no. 3851, it is saheeh). So the Muslim should not go beyond that which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) brought and prescribed.  The Sahaabah transmitted the description of the wudoo’ of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and none of them transmitted this (the action mentioned in the question) from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), so we should follow that which he brought.  Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said concerning the matter of speaking the intention (niyyah) out loud:   “It is not mustahabb to utter it out loud, because that is an innovation (bid’ah) that was not narrated from the Messenger of Allaah or from his companions, and the Prophet did not command anyone among his ummah to utter the intention out loud; he never taught that to anyone among the Muslims. If that had been prescribed, the Prophet and his companions would not have neglected to convey it, because the intention is something that the Muslims must deal with every day and every night. Rather speaking the intention out loud is indicative of a defect in reason and religious commitment.”(Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, vol. 22, p. 231)  Elsewhere he said:  “All the things that people have innovated such as speaking the intention (niyyah) out loud before saying ‘Allaahu akbar’, before reciting the Talbiyah, when purifying themselves and in all acts of worship, are all kinds of innovations which were not prescribed by the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Everything that is innovated in prescribed acts of worship, such as doing extra things that were not prescribed by the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is a form of bid’ah (innovation) because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to do those acts of worship without doing these extra things. So doing them and persisting in doing so is a form of innovation and misguidance.”   (Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, vol. 22, p. 223)  With regard to the dhikr which is said before or after wudoo’, please see the answer to question no. 2165  So the Muslim should give up anything that was not brought by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and keep away from innovations introduced into the religion, because following innovations implies imitating the People of the Book. And the Muslim should strive to learn about his religion so that he will not fall into bid’ah. And Allaah knows best.

What is the reason why tayammum (dry ablution in the absence of available water) is done on only two parts of the body?

Praise be to Allah.Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  The reason why tayammum is only done on two parts of the body (i.e., the face and arms) is that this is quite appropriate, based on analogy and common sense. For placing dust on the head is something that is ordinarily disliked, rather it is customarily done at times of disaster and calamity, and the feet are usually in contact with the dust anyway. But putting dust in the face is an action of humility and veneration of Allah, submission to Him and humbling oneself before Allah, which is one of the most beloved of acts of worship to Him and one of the most beneficial to the person himself. Hence it is mustahabb (liked, encouraged) for the one who is prostrating to get dust on his face for the sake of Allah, and not to protect his face from getting dusty. One of the Sahaabah saw a man prostrating and putting something between his face and the dust, and he said to him: “Get your face dusty.” This meaning does not apply in the case of getting the feet dusty.  Moreover, this is appropriate by analogy in another sense, which is that tayammum applies to the parts of the body which are washed during wudoo’, but not to the parts which are merely wiped. For the feet may be wiped when one is wearing socks, and the head may be wiped when one is wearing a turban. Since the parts which are usually washed are reduced to wiping (in the case of tayammum), the parts which are wiped are reduced to nothing, because if we were to wipe the latter with dust, that would not be a reduction at all, rather instead of wiping them with water we would just be wiping them with dust. Thus it becomes clear that what sharee’ah tells us is the most fair and the most perfect.   The tayammum of the one who is in a state of junub (major impurity following sexual activity) is like the tayammum of the one who is in a state of minor impurity. If the one who is in a state of minor impurity is spared the obligation of wiping the head and feet with dust, then it is more appropriate that the one who is in a state of major impurity should be spared the obligation of rubbing his whole body with dust, because that would involve a great deal of hardship, and it goes against the idea of tayammum being a dispensation. It would also reduce the one who is the noblest of Allah’s creation to becoming like the animals who rub their bodies in the dust. That which was brought by sharee’ah cannot be superceded in wisdom and fairness, and to Allah be praise.

What is the difference between the thief (saariq, one who breaks in by stealth and steals something that is kept in an appropriate place) and the robber (muntahib, one who takes something by force in front of others)? Why is the hand cut off in the first case and not in the second?

Praise be to Allah. Ibn al-Qayyim said:  The fact that the hand of the thief (saariq) may be cut off for three dirhams, and not in the case of the opportunist thief (mukhtalis, one who steals when a person is not looking), robber or extortioner (ghaasib, one who seizes something by force) is indicative of the perfect wisdom of sharee’ah. For one cannot take precautions against the thief who breaks into houses and breaches one’s hiding-places and breaks locks; the owner of the goods cannot do any more than that (i.e., hiding them in appropriate places). If it were not prescribed for the hand of the thief to be cut off, then people would steal from one another in this manner and a great deal of harm would be done, and the problem of theft would be grievous indeed. This is unlike the case of the robber and opportunist thief, for the robber is the one who takes things openly in the sight of people, so they may stop him and restore the rights of the one who has been wronged, or they may testify before the judge. And the opportunist thief is the one who takes things when the owner is not paying attention, etc., so there has to be some form of negligence which enables the opportunist to steal, otherwise when one is careful and alert, he cannot take anything. So he is not like a thief (saariq), rather he is more like a betrayer.   Moreover, the opportunist theif (mukhtalis) does not take things from a place where things of that nature are usually hidden, rather he waits until you are not paying attention, then he takes your things when you put something down for a moment and are not paying attention. This is something against which precautions may be taken in most cases, and he (the opportunist) is like the robber who steals openly. With regard to the one who seizes things by force, the case is more obvious: it is even more apt that his hand should not be cut off, but it is permissible to put a stop to the actions of these people by beating them, making an example out of them as a warning to others, imprisoning them for lengthy periods and punishing them by seizing their property.

What is the reason why the hand may be cut off for stealing one-quarter of a dinar but the diyah (compensation) for the hand [in cases of injury etc.] may be 500 dinars?

Praise be to Allah.Ibn al-Qayyim said:  The fact that the hand may be cut off for stealing one-quarter of a dinar but the diyah (compensation) for the hand [in cases of injury etc.] may be 500 dinars serves a great interest, and there is a great deal of wisdom behind this. It serves to take precautions concerning two things, people’s wealth and people’s limbs. Cutting off the hand in the case of theft of a quarter of a dinar is to protect people’s wealth. Making the diyah for injury to the hand 500 dinars is to protect and preserve people’s limbs. One of the heretics raised this question and mentioned it in two verses of poetry, saying:  “A hand receives five hundred dinars’ compensation, so why can it be chopped off for one-quarter of a dinar? This is a contradiction we can only keep quiet about, and we seek the protection of our Lord from disgrace.”  One of the fuqahaa’ answered him by saying that the hand is precious so long as it is honest, but when it becomes dishonest it becomes worthless. And the poet mentioned it by saying:  “A hand receives five hundred dinars’ compensation, so why can it be chopped off for one-quarter of a dinar? Protection against physical aggression makes the hand precious, but the hand becomes worthless when it becomes dishonest.”  And it was narrated that al-Shaafa’i responded by saying in verse:  “There is aggression against the hand, therefore it is precious, but here the hand is the wrongdoer, so it becomes insignificant in the sight of the Creator.”

i'm a young girl, wanting to convert to islam, for me this religion is really the truth. The problem is, that before i discovered islam, i used to live a pretty wild life, I did a lot of wrong things (if not all wrong things). I would like to know if it's possible for a girl like me to convert, and what should I do regarding my past when converting

Praise be to Allah.In the name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful  “The revelation of the Book (this Qur’aan) is from Allaah, the All Mighty, the All Knower. The Forgiver of sin, the Acceptor of repentance, the Severe in punishment, the Bestower (of favours). Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), to Him is the final return”[Ghaafir 40:2-3 – interpretation of the meaning]  Ibn ‘Abbaas – who was one of the companions of the Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) – narrated that some of the people of shirk (polytheism) killed and did a lot of killing, and they committed adultery and they did that a great deal, then they came to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, “What you say and what you are calling for is good. If only you could tell us that there is any expiation for what we have done.” Then Allaah revealed the words (interpretation of the meaning): ‘Say: “O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah, verily, Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful. And turn in repentance and in obedience with true Faith (Islamic Monotheism) to your Lord and submit to Him (in Islam) before the torment comes upon you, (and) then you will not be helped. And follow the best of that which is sent down to you from your Lord (i.e. this Qur’aan, do what it orders you to do and keep away from what it forbids), before the torment comes on you suddenly while you perceive not!” Lest a person should say: “Alas, my grief that I was undutiful to Allaah (i.e. I have not done what Allaah has ordered me to do), and I was indeed among those who mocked [at the truth! i.e. Laa ilaaha illAllaah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allaah), the Qur’aan, and Muhammad and at the faithful believers] Or (lest) he should say: “If only Allaah had guided me, I should indeed have been among the Muttaqoon (the pious).” Or (lest) he should say when he sees the torment: “If only I had another chance (to return to the world), then I should indeed be among the Muhsinoon (good‑doers).” Yes! Verily, there came to you My Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and you denied them, and were proud and were among the disbelievers.’[al-Zumar 39:53-59]”  ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas was a mushrik (polytheist, idol-worshipper), a sinner and an enemy of Allaah. He said: “When Allaah put the love of Islam into my heart, I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to pledge my allegiance to him. He stretched out his hand towards me, but I said, ‘I will not pledge allegiance to you, O Messenger of Allaah, until you forgive me my previous sins.’ The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to me, ‘O ‘Amr, do you not know that Islam wipes out whatever sins came before it.’” (Narrated by Imaam Ahmad, 17159).  So flee to Allaah and know that there is nothing that you are worried about, but the solution to it is to be found in the texts quoted above. Indeed, these texts are addressed to you; they refer to your situation and contain the answer to your problem.  Your Lord is Most Merciful; He accepts repentance and forgives all sins. His Mercy encompasses all things. He calls you and all His slaves to repent and to become Muslim. He has promised you, through the words of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), that all of your previous sins, major and minor, of whatever type, will be wiped out completely when you become Muslim, and you will start with a clean sheet, a new record of deeds that is free of bad deeds. So what are you waiting for? Why delay it any further? Hasten to enter Islam and worship your Lord, and we give you the glad tidings of a happy future and a good life in the shade of Islam. We were very happy – by Allaah – to receive your question, and we are waiting to hear good news.  For more information on how to enter Islam, please look at Questions :  703 & 49715  And Embracing Islam . May Allaah protect you from all evil, for He is the Best of Protectors and the Best of Supporters, and He is the Guide to the Straight Path.

Can women pray in congregation (Jama`ah) with a woman performing as Imam? Can women give adhan and iqamah?

Praise be to Allah.Can women give Adhan and Iqamah? It is not prescribed for women to recite the adhan and iqamah as it is for men. If a woman does recite the adhan and iqamah, it may be one of the three following scenarios: She recites the adhan and iqamah for a group of men only, or for a mixed group of men and women. This is not prescribed in Islam and her adhan and iqamah for a group of men do not count She recites them for a group of women only. Or she recites them for herself when she is alone.  It is permissible for her to recite the adhan for a group of women or for herself, but it is not like the case with men. For men it is  more emphatically required, whereas for women, if they give the adhan it is permissible, and if they do not, it is also permissible. If a woman does recite the adhan, she must keep her voice low and make it just loud enough for her companions to hear.  If a woman says the iqamah for herself or for a group of women, that is better and is closer to what is mustahabb, but if she does not do that, the prayer is still valid. Can women lead prayer? With regard to a woman leading the prayers and acting as an imam, one of the two following scenarios may apply: A woman leading men, or a mixed group of men and women. It is not correct for a woman to lead men in prayers at all , regardless of whether it is an obligatory prayer or a nafl (supererogatory) prayer. A woman leading women in prayer . It is mustahabb for women to pray together in congregation when they get together in a place. One of them should lead the others, but she should stand with them in the middle of the row . It is permissible and correct for a woman to lead other women in prayer.  And Allah knows best.

What is the ruling on shaving the hair of a baby girl at birth or after that in order to make the hair stronger and thicker? Is it Sunnah to shave her hair at birth as in the case of males?.

Praise be to Allah. It is not Sunnah to shave a girl’s head on the seventh day as is the case for boys. With regard to shaving it for a reason, as referred to in the question, if that is true, the scholars say that it is makrooh to shave the head of a girl, but it may be said that if it is proven that this is something that will make the hair grow and become thick, then there is nothing wrong with it, because it is well known that what is makrooh is no longer regarded as makrooh if there is a reason for it.

Why do we have to love, obey, follow and venerate our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) the most (or more than any other person)?

Praise be to Allah.Muslims love Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) the most for the following reasons: Allah has commanded us to obey the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And obey Allah and the Messenger (Muhammad), and beware (of evil) and fear Allah. Then if you turn away, you should know that it is Our Messenger’s duty to convey (the Message) in the clearest way.” [Al-Ma'idah 5:92] Allah has told us that obedience to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is obedience to Allah. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “He who obeys the Messenger (Muhammad), has indeed obeyed Allah, but he who turns away, then we have not sent you (O Muhammad) as a watcher over them.” [An-Nisa’ 4:80]  Allah has warned us against failing to obey him, and that this may lead a Muslim into a trial that is the trial of Shirk (associating partners with Allah). Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Do not make [your] calling of the Messenger among yourselves as the call of one of you to another. Already Allāh knows those of you who slip away, concealed by others. So let those who dissent from his [i.e., the Prophet's] order [way or sunnah] beware , lest fitnah [trials or affliction] strike them or a painful punishment..” [An-Nur 24:63]    Allah has told us that the status of Prophethood which He gave to His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) requires the believers to respect and venerate the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Verily, We have sent you (O Muhammad) as a witness, as a bearer of glad tidings, and as a warner. In order that you (O mankind) may believe in Allah and His Messenger, and that you assist and honour him, and (that you) glorify (Allah’s) praises morning and afternoon.” [Al-Fath 48:8-9]  The Muslim’s faith cannot be complete unless he loves the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and until the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is dearer to him than his father, his son, his own self and all the people. It was narrated that Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “No one of you will truly believe until I am dearer to him than his father, his son, his own self and all the people.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari, 15; Muslim, 44).  `Abdullah ibn Hisham (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “We were with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) when he was holding the hand of `Umar ibn Al-Khattab. `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: “O Messenger of Allah, you are dearer to me than everything except my own self.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “No, by the One in Whose hand is my soul, (you will not have complete faith) not until I am dearer to you than your own self.” `Umar said to him: “Now, by Allah, you are dearer to me than my own self.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Now (you are a true believer), O `Umar.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari, 6257)  Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  “The reason why it is obligatory to love the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and venerate him more than any other person is that we cannot attain what is good in this world and in the Hereafter except through the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), by believing in him and following him. That is because no one can be saved from the punishment of Allah, and the mercy of Allah cannot reach him except by means of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), by believing in him, loving him, being loyal to him and following him. This is the means by which Allah will save him from punishment in this world and in the Hereafter. This is the means by which he will attain what is good in this world and in the Hereafter. The greatest blessing is the blessing of faith, which can only be attained through him, and which is more beneficial (to the person) than his own self and his wealth. He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is the one by means of whom Allah brings people forth from darkness into light, and there is no other way to Allah. As for a person’s self and family, they will not avail him anything before Allah…” (Majmu’ Al-Fatawa, 27/246)  One of the scholars said: “If a person thinks of the benefits that he has been given through the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), through whom Allah brought him forth from the darkness of disbelief into the light of faith, he will realise that he is the cause of his soul will remain forever in eternal bliss, and he will understand that this benefit is greater than all others. So he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) deserves that his share of a person’s love should be greater than anyone else’s. However, people vary with regard to that, depending on the extent to which they bear that in mind or neglect it. Everyone who truly believes in the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) will inevitably have a strong love for him , but they differ in the extent and depth of their love for him. Some of them have a great deal of love for him and some have only a little, like those who are absorbed in their own whims and desires most of the time. But when mention of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is made, most of them long to see him, and prefer that over their own family, sons, wealth and fathers. But that feeling quickly fades because of other distractions. And Allah is the One Whose help we seek.”  (See Fath Al-Bari, 1/59)  This is what is referred to in the verse where Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves.” [Al-Ahzab 33:6] Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  “[Allah] knew how compassionate His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was towards his Ummah, and how sincere he was towards them, so He made him closer to them than their own selves, and decreed that his judgement among them should take precedence over their own preferences.” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 6/380)  Shaykh Ibn Sa’di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  “Allah tells the believers something by which they may understand the position and status of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), so that they might interact with him appropriately. So He said: “The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves”, the closest thing to a person and the most deserving of love is his own self. Yet, the Messenger is closer to him than his own self, because he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was so kind and sincere and compassionate towards the believers. He was the kindest and most merciful of mankind. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did the greatest of favours to all of mankind. Not the slightest good came to them and not the slightest harm was warded off from them except through him. Hence if there is a conflict between what a person himself wants or what other people want, and what the Messenger wants, then what the Messenger wants must take precedence. What the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says cannot be overridden by what any person says, no matter who he is. They should sacrifice their selves, their wealth and their children, and put love for him before their love for all others.”  What the scholars have said may be summed up by noting that the wrath of Allah and the Fire of Hell are the things that we fear the most, and we cannot be saved from them except through the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The pleasure of Allah and the garden of Paradise are the things that we want the most, but we cannot attain them except through the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).  The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) referred to the former (i.e., being saved from Hell) when he said: “The likeness of me and you is that of a man who lit a fire and grasshoppers and moths started falling into it, and he tried to push them away. I am seizing your waistbands and trying to pull you away from the Fire but you are trying to get away from me.” (Muslim, 2285, from the Hadith of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him); a similar Hadith was narrated by Al-Bukhari, 3427 from the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)).  What is meant by this Hadith is that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) likened the way in which the ignorant and disobedient rush to fall into the Fire of the Hereafter by means of their sins and following their whims and desires, and their keenness to fall into that Fire, even though he is trying hard to prevent them from doing so, to the way in which moths and other insects are fatally attracted to the fire. Both of them are keen to destroy themselves because of their ignorance of the consequences. (Sharh Muslim by An-Nawawi)  The latter (i.e., entering Paradise) was referred to by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) when he said: “All of my Ummah will enter Paradise except those who refuse.” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, who would refuse?” He said: “Whoever obeys me will enter Paradise and whoever disobeys me has refused.” (Al-Bukhari, 7280, from the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him))

It is well known that the devils are chained up in Ramadaan and that yawning comes from the Shaytaan, so why do we yawn in Ramadaan?  And it is known that making images of human beings is haraam, so is the transmission of television pictures regarded as haraam?.

Praise be to Allah. Al-Bukhaari (6226) and Muslim (2994) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah likes sneezing and dislikes yawning, so if one of you sneezes and praises Allaah (by saying Al-hamdu Lillaah), it is a duty upon every Muslim who hears him to say to him, Yarhamuk Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you). With regard to yawning, it is from the Shaytaan so if one of you feels like yawning, let him suppress it as much as he can, for if one of you yawns the Shaytaan laughs at him.  Concerning the meaning of that, it was said that the Shaytaan likes to see a person yawning because it makes him look different and so he laughs at him. It does not mean that the Shaytaan is the one who makes him yawn. And it was said that yawning is attributed to the Shaytaan because yawning comes from fullness of the stomach, which generates laziness, which happens under the influence of the Shaytaan. Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Yawning is attributed to the Shaytaan because it promotes whims and desires, because it stems from heaviness of the body, excessive relaxation and fullness of the stomach. So what is meant is a warning against the thing that leads to that, which is eating too much.   Al-Manaawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: It is attributed to him because he is the one who calls for giving the self its share of desires. What is meant here is to warn against the things that lead to that, which is eating too much and eating one's fill, which makes the body feel too heavy and tired to do acts of worship.   There should be no confusion stemming from the fact that people yawn during Ramadaan even though the devils are chained up at that time, because what is meant by saying that it is from the Shaytaan is that he likes it. The fact that he likes it and approves of it does not mean that he is not chained, rather that could happen even if he was chained.  Based on the view that this is caused by the influence of the Shaytaan, either directly or indirectly, it was said that the ones who are chained up during Ramadaan are the maarids among the devils (i.e., the strong evil ones) only, and that others remain as they are, so yawning may be caused by those who are not chained up.  But based on the view that what is meant by the chaining up of the devils is that their influence on the believers is less during that month than in other months, perhaps yawning results from the little influence that they are still able to have during Ramadaan.  For more information on the chaining of the devils during Ramadaan please see question no. 39736. See question no. 37965 to find out the answer to the question: How can sins happen in Ramadaan when the devils are chained up?  With regard to the ruling on the transmission of television pictures, you will find the answer in question no. 10326.

When a Muslim does an action, what conditions make it acceptable and therefore rewarded by Allah.  Is it simply that you intended to follow the Quran and Sunnah, and therefore you will be rewarded even though you may have been wrong in your action.  Or is it that you must have the intention, but you also need to follow the correct Sunnah as well?

Praise be to Allah.For acts of worship to be acceptable to Allah and for a person to be rewarded for them, there are two conditions which must be met:  The first condition: the  act of worship should be devoted to Allah Alone. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allah, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him).” [al-Bayyinah 98:5]  The meaning of worshipping Allah alone is that the person should intend in all his words and deeds, both inward and outward, to seek the Face of Allah (i.e., His pleasure). Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And who has (in mind) no favour from anyone to be paid back, Except to seek the Countenance of his Lord, the Most High.” [al-Layl 92:19]  “(Saying): “We feed you seeking Allah’s Countenance only. We wish for no reward, nor thanks from you.” [al-Insan 76:9]  “Whosoever desires (by his deeds) the reward of the Hereafter, We give him increase in his reward, and whosoever desires the reward of this world (by his deeds), We give him thereof (what is decreed for him), and he has no portion in the Hereafter.” [al-Shoora 42:20]  “Whosoever desires the life of the world and its glitter, to them We shall pay in full (the wages of) their deeds therein, and they will have no diminution therein. They are those for whom there is nothing in the Hereafter but Fire, and vain are the deeds they did therein. And of no effect is that which they used to do.” [Hood 11:15-16]  It was narrated that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: ‘The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or to marry a woman, his emigration was for what he emigrated for.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, Bad’ al-Wahy, 1).  It was narrated by Muslim from Abu Hurayrah  (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, says: ‘I am so self-sufficient that I am in no need of having an associate. Thus he who does an action for someone else’s sake as well as Mine will have that action renounced by Me to him whom he associated with Me.’” (Narrated by Muslim, al-Zuhd wa’l-Raqaiq, 5300)  The second condition is that the action should be in accordance with the only way which Allah has prescribed for worship, which is by following the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)  in the laws that he has brought. It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever does any action that is not in accordance with this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), will have it rejected.” (Narrated by Muslim, al-Aqdiyyah, 3243).  Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “This hadeeth (narration) forms one of the most  important principles of Islam. It is like a scale for weighing up deeds according to their outward appearance, just as the hadeeth ‘The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions’ is the means of weighing up the inner nature of deeds. Just as every action which is not intended for the sake of Allah brings no reward to the one who does it, so too every deed which is not in accordance with the command of Allah and His Messenger will also be rejected and thrown back at the one who does it. Everyone who innovates in Islam something for which Allah and His Messenger have not granted permission, that thing has nothing to do with Islam.  (Jami’ al-‘Uloom wa’l-Hikam, part 1, p.176)  The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) enjoined following his Sunnah (ways) and teachings, and made them binding. He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “You have to follow my Sunnah (way) and the way of my rightly-guided successors (al-khulafa’ al-rashidoon); bite onto it with your eyeteeth (i.e., cling firmly to it).” And he warned against bid’ah (innovation), as he said: “Beware of newly-invented matters, for every newly-invented matter is a going astray.” (narrated by al-Tirmidhi, al-‘Ilm, 2600; classed as saheeh/authentic by al-Albani in Saheeh Sunan al-Tirmidhi, no. 2157)  Ibn al-Qayyim said: “Allah has made devotion of worship to Him alone and following the Sunnah the means of deeds being accepted; if these conditions are not met, then deeds are unacceptable.”  (al-Rooh, 1/135)  Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Who has created death and life that He may test you which of you is best in deed.” [al-Mulk 67:2] Al-Fudayl said:  “’best in deed’ means, most devoted to Allah alone and most in accordance with the Sunnah.  And Allah is the Source of strength.

What is the age at which a woman should observe hijab from a boy – is it when he reaches the age of discernment or when he reaches the age of puberty?.

Praise be to Allah.Allaah says in the passage where He speaks of those to whom it is permissible to show one’s adornments (interpretation of the meaning):  “…or small children who have no sense of feminine sex” [al-Noor 24:31] If a child shows some awareness of a woman’s ‘awrah and starts to look at her and talk to her a great deal, then it is not permissible for a woman to uncover in front of him.  This varies from one boy to another in terms of natural disposition and in terms of the company that he keeps. A boy may have a greater interest in women if he sits with people who talk about them a great deal, and if it were not for that he would not be particularly interested in them.   What matters is that Allaah has set the guidelines for this matter when He said (interpretation of the meaning):  “…or small children who have no sense of feminine sex” [al-Noor 24:31] i.e., these are among the ones in front of whom it is permissible for a woman to show her adornments, if they have no interest in women.  Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him), Majmoo’at As’ilah tahumm al-Usrah al-Muslimah, p. 148 Among the things which indicate that a child has started to be aware of a woman’s ‘awrah are the following: -He describes women to others -He can distinguish between a beautiful woman and an ugly one -He compares the way women look -He stares at women for a long time Undoubtedly movies and soap operas, as well as social corruption, lead to children being aware of women’s ‘awrahs at an early age, so we have to be very careful.  We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound.

Can you please let me know if it is permissible to wear a two strapped sandal when one is a state of Ahram. Are there any specific prohibitions regarding footwear that one wears when he is in a state of Ahram?

Praise be to Allah.The Sunnah is for males to enter ihraam wearing shoes or sandals, because it was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Let any one of you enter ihraam wearing an izaar (lower garment), ridaa’ (upper garment) and na’l (shoes).” It is preferable to enter ihraam wearing shoes so that they will protect him from thorns, hot sand and cold things. But if he does not enter ihraam wearing shoes, that does not matter. See Fataawa Islamiyyah, vol. 2, p. 232.  The word na’l means shoes. Al-Fayroozabaadi said: (it means) that which protects the foot from the ground. Al-Qaamoos al-Muheet, p. 1374. So everything that serves the same function as na’l is permissible to be worn in ihraam, and the stitching on the shoes does not matter. And Allaah knows best.

What can you say about dreams.if somebody is dreaming and at the sametime he realize that is dreaming while still sleeping.

Praise be to Allah.A sleeper cannot be aware of himself or know that he is dreaming, because sleep is akin to death and sleep is referred to as mawt (“death”) in the Qur’aan and Sunnah.  Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “It is Allaah Who takes away the souls at the time of their death, and those that die not during their sleep. He keeps those (souls) for which He has ordained death and sends the rest for a term appointed. Verily, in this are signs for a people who think deeply” [al-Zumar 39:42] Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:  Here Allaah explains that the taking away of souls is of two types:  He takes them away at the time of death, and He takes away the souls that did not die in their sleep. Then when they sleep, he keeps the soul of the one who dies in his sleep and He sends back the soul of the one who did not die in his sleep. Hence when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went to bed, he would say, “Bismika Rabbiy wada’tu janbi wa bika arfa’uhu fa in amsakta nafsi farhamha wa in arsaltaha fahfazha bima tahfazu bihi ‘ibaadaka al-saaliheen (In Your name my Lord I lie down and in Your name I rise, so if You should take my soul then have mercy upon it, and if you should return it then protect it in the manner You protect Your righteous slaves).”  Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 4/275  Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “It is He, Who takes your souls by night (when you are asleep), and has knowledge of all that you have done by day, then He raises (wakes) you up again that a term appointed (your life period) be fulfilled, then (in the end) unto Him will be your return. Then He will inform you of that which you used to do” [al-An’aam 6:60] It was narrated that Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamaan said: When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went to bed, he would say: “Bismika amoot wa ahyaa (in Your name I live and die)” and when he got up he would say: “Al-hamdu Lillaah alladhi ahyaana ba’da ma amaatana wa ilayh il-nushoor (Praise be to Allaah Who has given us life after taking it from us and unto Him is the resurrection).”  Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5953  This was also narrated by Muslim from the hadeeth of al-Bara’ ibn ‘Aazib (may Allaah be pleased with him).  Al-Nawawi said:  What is meant by amaatana (taking [life] away from us) is sleep. Al-nushoor (the resurrection) refers to the resurrection on the Day of Resurrection. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) pointed out that waking up after sleep which is like death is an affirmation of the resurrection after death. The scholars said: The wisdom behind saying the du’aa’ when wanting to sleep is so that a person’s final deed will be this du’aa’, and the wisdom behind saying the du’aa’ when waking up is so that the first of his actions will be remembrance of Tawheed and good words.   Sharh Muslim, 17/35  Based on this, it is not possible for a sleeper to know that he is dreaming, because when he is asleep he is not aware in the way that he is when he is awake, so the rulings that apply when he is awake do not apply to him when he is asleep. Hence the sleeper is excused for not doing obligatory duties as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever forgets a prayer or sleeps and misses it, his expiation is to offer the prayer as soon as he remembers.”  Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 572; Muslim, 684  Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said:  Abu Ishaaq al-Zajjaaj said: Sleep is called mawt (“death”) because when a person is asleep he does not think and move, which is similar to the case of death. He said this in al-Nihaayah.  Fath al-Baari, 11/14  And Allaah knows best.

My father wanders if, during Salat Alfarthd, the Imam mistakes or forgets what comes next in the middle of soorah, can the ones behind him correct or help him out??

Praise be to Allah.This is known as the issue of “correcting the imaam”.   Correcting the imaam is divided into two categories:  That which is obligatory, which is correcting the imaam concerning something which would invalidate the prayer if done deliberately. If he makes a grammatical mistake which changes the meaning of al-Faatihah, then he must be corrected, because this type of mistake which changes the meaning of  al-Faatihah invalidates the prayer. Similarly, if he omits a verse of al-Faatihah, he must be corrected, because that invalidates the prayer. The kind of correction which is mustahabb (recommended) is when the imaam makes a mistake which does not invalidate the prayer altogether, but it does undermine the perfection of the prayer. So if the imaam forgets to recite another soorah after al-Faatihah, alerting him to this fact is sunnah. The evidence for that is the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “I am a human being like you, I forget as you forget. If I forget, then remind me.” (narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Salaah, 401). So he commanded them to remind him. On one occasion when he became hesitant in his recitation, he said to Ubayy ibn Ka’b, “What stopped you?”, i.e., what stopped you from correcting me? This indicates that correcting the imaam is something that is essential. See al-Sharh al-Mumti’ by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, part 3, p. 346-347

Is it permissible to use henna with egg yolks on one's hair?

Praise be to Allah.There is nothing wrong with that, if there is some benefit in using henna with egg yolks or any other permissible materials. It is OK if there is some benefit to the hair such as making it grow long, conditioning it, etc., or preventing hair from falling out.

We see some people reciting Qur’aan at the grave of their deceased loved one when they visit, and others putting some roses and fragrant herbs on the grave. What is the ruling on that?

Praise be to Allah.With regard to reciting Qur’aan when visiting the grave, this is something which has no basis in the Sunnah.  It is not prescribed in Islam, and the fact that it is not prescribed is supported by the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Do not make your houses into graveyards, for the Shaytaan flees from a house in which Soorat al-Baqarah is recited.” This was narrated by Muslim and al-Tirmidhi from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah. This indicates that graves are not the place for reading Qur’aan, hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) encouraged reading Qur’aan in our houses and told us not to make them like graveyards where it is not read. Another hadeeth indicates that they (graveyards) are not the place for prayer (salaah) either. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Pray in your houses and do not make them like graves.” This was narrated by Muslim and others from Ibn ‘Umar. A similar report was narrated by al-Bukhaari, who included it in a chapter entitled Baab Karaahat al-Salaah fi’l-Maqaabir (Chapter on it being disliked to pray in graveyards); thus he indicated that the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar could be understood to mean that it is makrooh to pray in graveyards. Similarly the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah may be understood to mean that it is makrooh to read Qur’aan in graveyards. There is no difference between praying and reading Qur’aan in this regard.  Abu Dawood said in his Masaa’il (p. 158): “I heard Ahmad being asked about reading Qur’aan at the graveside. He said, ‘No [that should not be done].’”  It is not prescribed in Islam to put “aas” leaves (a kind of tree) or fragrant herbs or roses on the grave, because this is not what the salaf did, and if it was good, they would have done it before us. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them both) said: “Every bid’ah (innovation) is a going astray, even if the people think it is good.” (Narrated by Ibn Battah in al-Ibaanah ‘an Usool al-Diyaanah, 2/112; al-Laakaa’i in al-Sunnah, 1/21, a mawqoof report with a saheeh isnaad).  We ask Allaah to bestow mercy upon the deceased Muslims. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

If I want to visit my father’s grave, what should I do? What is the etiquette of visiting graveyards? Are there any things I should pay attention to?

Praise be to Allah.The purpose of visiting the graves It is prescribed to visit graves in order to learn a lesson from that and to remember the Hereafter. That is subject to the condition that one does not say anything that will anger the Lord, such as calling upon the one who is buried or seeking his help instead of Allah, or praising him and saying that he is for certain in Paradise, etc.  The purpose of visiting the graves is twofold: The visitor benefits from remembering death and the dead, remembering that their destiny will be either Paradise or Hell. This is the primary purpose of the visit. The deceased also benefits and is treated kindly by the visitor greeting him with salams , making du’a for him, praying for forgiveness for him. This applies only to Muslims. Making du’a when visiting the grave Among the du’as that may be recited are:  “Assalamu ‘alaykum ahl al-diyar min al-muminin wa’l-Muslimin, wa inna in sha Allah bikum lahiqun, as alu Allaha lana wa lakum al-‘afiyah (peace be upon you O people of the dwellings, believers and Muslims, In sha Allah we will join you, I ask Allah to keep us and you safe and sound).”  It is permissible to raise the hands when reciting this du’a, because of the hadith of ‘Aishah who said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) went out one night, and I sent Barirah to follow him and see where he went. She said, ‘He went towards Baqi’ al-Gharqad [the graveyard in Madinah], and he stood at the bottom of al-Baqi’ and raised his hands, then he went away.’ Barirah came back to me and told me, and when morning came I asked him about it. I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, where did you go out to last night? He said, ‘I was sent to the people of al-Baqi’, to pray for them.’” Etiquette of visiting graves But you should not face the grave when making du’a for them; rather you should face the direction of the Ka’bah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade prayer (salah) facing graves, and du’a is the heart and soul of salah, as is well known, and is subject to the same rulings. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Du’a is worship” then he recited the ayah (interpretation of the meaning): “And your Lord said: “Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything] I will respond to your (invocation).” [Ghafir 40:60] You should not walk between the graves of the Muslims wearing your shoes . It was narrated that ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘If I were to walk on hot coals or on a sword, or if I were to mend my shoes using my feet, that would be better for me than if I were to walk on the grave of a Muslim. And it makes no difference to me if I were to relieve myself in the midst of the graves or in the middle of the market-place [i.e., both are equally bad].’” (Narrated by Ibn Majah, 1567)  We ask Allah, the Most High, the Omnipotent, to have mercy upon our dead and the deceased Muslims.  For more, please see these answers: 45325 , 9381 and 36513 . And Allah knows best.

I have committed many sins which no one knows of except Allah. What do I have to do so that Allah will accept my repentance?

Praise be to Allah.To err is human  A Muslim’s faith may become weak and he may be overwhelmed by his desires. The Shaytan may make sin attractive to him, so he wrongs himself (commits sin) and falls into that which Allah has forbidden. But Allah is Kind to His slaves, and His mercy encompasses all things. Whoever repents after doing wrong, Allah will accept his repentance , for Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.  “But whosoever repents after his crime and does righteous good deeds (by obeying Allah), then verily, Allah will pardon him (accept his repentance). Verily, Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful [al-Maidah 5:39 – interpretation of the meaning]   Allah is Forgiving and Generous. He commands all His slaves to repent sincerely so that they may gain the mercy of Allah and His Paradise. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):   “O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will expiate from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise)” [al-Tahrim 66:8]   The door of repentance if always open The gate of repentance is open to His slaves, until the sun rises from the west. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah spreads out His Hand at night to accept the repentance of those who did wrong during the day, and He spreads out His Hand during the day to accept the repentance of those who did wrong during the night. (This will continue) until the sun rises from the west.” (Narrated by Muslim, no. 2759)  Conditions of repentance in Islam Sincere repentance is not merely the matter of words spoken on the tongue. Rather, the acceptance of repentance is subject to the conditions that: the person gives up the sin straight away,  that he regrets what has happened in the past,  that he resolves not to go back to the thing he has repented from,  that he restores people’s rights or property if his sin involved wrongdoing towards others, and  that he repents before the agony of death is upon him. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Allah accepts only the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and foolishness and repent soon afterwards; it is they whom Allah will forgive and Allah is Ever All-Knower, All-Wise. And of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil deeds until death faces one of them and he says: ‘Now I repent;’ nor of those who die while they are disbelievers. For them We have prepared a painful torment” [al-Nisa 4:17-18]  Allaah accepts repentance and is Merciful. He calls sinners to repent, so that He might forgive them:  “…your Lord has written (prescribed) Mercy for Himself, so that if any of you does evil in ignorance, and thereafter repents and does righteous good deeds (by obeying Allah), then surely, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-An’am 6:54 – interpretation of the meaning]   Allah is Kind to His slaves and loves those who repent. He accepts their repentance, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And He it is Who accepts repentance from His slaves, and forgives sins, and He knows what you do” [al-Shura 42:25]  “Truly, Allah loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves” [al-Baqarah 2:222]  Accepting Islam wipes away all past sins When anon-Muslim becomes a Muslim, Allah turns his bad deeds (sayyiat) into good deeds (hasanat), and forgives him all his previous sins, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief), their past will be forgiven” [al-Anfal 8:38]  Allah is Forgiving and Merciful, and He loves the repentance of His slaves. He commands them to repent so that He might forgive them. But the devils among mankind and the jinn want to turn people away from the truth and make them incline towards falsehood, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Allah wishes to accept your repentance, but those who follow their lusts, wish that you (believers) should deviate tremendously away (from the Right Path) [al-Nisa 4:27]  The mercy of Allah embraces everything The mercy of Allah encompasses all things. If a person’s sins are very great and he has wronged himself very much, but he then repents, Allah will accept his repentance and will forgive his sins no matter how great they are. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Say: O ‘Ibadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Zumar 39:53]  The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Our Lord comes down to the lowest heaven when one-third of the night remains, and says, ‘Who will call upon Me so that I may answer him? Who will ask Me so that I may give to him? Who will seek My forgiveness so that I may forgive him?’” (Narrated by Muslim, no. 758)  Man is weak. If a person sins then he has to repent and seek forgiveness every time. Allah is Forgiving and Merciful, and He is the One Who says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allah’s forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Nisa 4:110]  The Muslim is vulnerable to making mistakes and sins. So he has to repent and seek forgiveness repeatedly. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “By Allah, I seek the forgiveness of Allah and I turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times each day.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, no. 6307)  Allah loves the repentance of His slaves, and accepts it. Indeed, He rejoices over it, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “When a person repents, Allah rejoices more than one of you who found his camel after he lost it in the desert.” (Agreed upon. Narrated by al-Bukhari, no. 6309)

What are the consequences for one who does not adhere to Islam?

Praise be to Allah. As you know, Islam is the religion of Allaah, and it is the true religion. It is the religion which was brought by all the Prophets and Messengers. Allaah has prepared a great reward in this world and in the hereafter for those who believe in it, and He has prepared a severe punishment for those who disbelieve in it.   Allaah is the Creator and Sovereign, the One Who is in control of this universe, and you, O man, are part of His creation; He has subjugated to you all that is in the universe, and has prescribed His laws for you, which He has commanded you to follow. If you believe and obey what He has commanded you and keep away from what He has prohibited to you, then you will attain that eternal bliss which He has promised you in the Hereafter, and you will be happy in this world because of the different kinds of blessings which He will bestow upon you, and you will be akin to the most wise of creation and the purest in heart, namely the Prophets, Messengers, righteous and angels who are close to Allaah.  But if you disbelieve and disobey your Lord, you will lose in this world and in the Hereafter. You will be exposed to His wrath and punishment in this world and in the Hereafter. You will be akin to the most evil and foolish of creation, and worse than the devils, wrongdoers, evildoers and false gods. This is in general terms.  I will explain to you something about the consequences of kufr, the details of which are as follows:  1 – Fear and lack of security Allaah has promised those who believe in Him and follow His Messengers complete security in this world and in the Hereafter. He says (interpretation of the meaning): “It is those who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah and worship none but Him Alone) and confuse not their Belief with Zulm (wrong, i.e. by worshipping others besides Allaah), for them (only) there is security and they are the guided” [al-An’aam 6:82] Allaah is al-Mu’min (the Giver of security) and al-Muhaymin (the Watcher over His creatures); He is the Sovereign of all that exists in the universe. If Allaah loves a person for his faith then He will grant him security, tranquility and contentment. If a man disbelieves in Him He will take away his tranquility and security, so you will only see him either fearful about his destiny in the Hereafter, or fearing sickness for himself, or fearing for his future in this world. This is why the insurance business was established, to insure people’s lives and property, because of the lack of security and the lack of trust in Allaah.  2 – A life of hardship Allaah has created man and has subjugated to him all that is in the universe. He has decreed for every creature its share of provision and its life span. So you see the bird going out from its nest in the morning to seek its provision, which it picks up, flying from branch to branch and singing the most beautiful songs. Man is one of these creatures whose provision and lifespan is already allocated. If he believes in his Lord and adheres to His laws, He will bless him with happiness and stability, and make things easy for him, even if he is only given the bare necessities of life.  But if he disbelieves in Him, and arrogantly refuses to worship him, He will make his life hard and fill him with worries and distress, even if he possesses all kinds of comforts and luxuries. Do you not see how many suicides in the world are committed by people who have all kinds of luxuries? Do you not see the extravagant spending on furniture and travel aimed at enjoying life?  What makes people spend extravagantly is the fact that their hearts are devoid of faith, and their feeling that life is difficult and hard; it is an attempt to rid themselves of these feelings by ever-changing means. Allaah indeed spoke the truth when He said:  “But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Qur’aan nor acts on its teachings) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection” [Ta-Ha 20:124] 3 – He will live in conflict with himself and with the universe around him  That is because his own soul was created to believe in and worship Allaah alone (i.e., Tawheed). Allaah says:  “Allaah’s Fitrah (i.e. Allaah’s Islamic Monotheism) with which He has created mankind”[al-Room 30:30] His body submits to its Creator, and acts in accordance with His system, but the kaafir insists on going against his own innate nature and lives in such a way that in matters where he is given a choice, he always chooses to follow the way which goes against the command of his Lord, so even if his body is surrendering to the laws of Allaah, in matters of choice he chooses to oppose the laws of Allaah.  He is in a state of conflict with the universe around him, because this entire universe, from the hugest galaxies to the tiniest insect is operating in accordance with the laws that Allaah has decreed for it. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Then He rose over (Istawa) towards the heaven when it was smoke, and said to it and to the earth: ‘Come both of you willingly or unwillingly.’ They both said: ‘We come willingly’”[Fussilat 41:11] Indeed, this universe loves the one who also submits to Allaah, and it hates the one who goes against that. The kaafir is the rebellious one in this universe, where he sets himself up in opposition to his Lord, rallying others to oppose Him too. Hence it comes as no surprise that the heavens and the earth and all creatures hate him and hate his kufr and heresy. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And they say: ‘The Most Gracious (Allaah) has begotten a son (or offspring or children) [as the Jews say: ‘Uzayr (Ezra) is the son of Allaah, and the Christians say that He has begotten a son [‘Eesa (Jesus)], and the pagan Arabs say that He has begotten daughters (angels and others)].’ Indeed you have brought forth (said) a terrible evil thing. Whereby the heavens are almost torn, and the earth is split asunder, and the mountains fall in ruins, That they ascribe a son (or offspring or children) to the Most Gracious (Allaah). But it is not suitable for (the Majesty of) the Most Gracious (Allaah) that He should beget a son (or offspring or children). There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes unto the Most Gracious (Allaah) as a slave”[Maryam 19:88-93] And Allaah says of Pharaoh and his troops: “And the heavens and the earth wept not for them, nor were they given a respite”[al-Dukhaan 44:29] 4 – He will live in ignorance For kufr is ignorance, indeed it is the greatest form of ignorance, because the kaafir is ignorant of his Lord and he sees this universe that He created in such an amazing way, and he sees how great is his own creation, then he ignores the One Who created this universe and Who created him. Is this not the greatest form of ignorance?  5 – He will wrong himself and wrong those around him Because he is subjugating himself to something other than that for which he was created, and because he does not worship his Lord, rather he worships someone other than Him. Wrongdoing means putting something in the wrong place, and what wrongdoing is greater than directing worship to someone other than the One Who deserves it? Luqmaan the Wise said, explaining the abhorrent nature of shirk:  “O my son! Join not in worship others with Allaah. Verily, joining others in worship with Allaah is a great Zulm (wrong) indeed” [Luqmaan 31:13 – interpretation of the meaning] He also does wrong to others around him, humans and other creatures, because he does not recognize the rights of those who have rights. When the Day of Resurrection comes, everyone whom he wronged, whether human or animal, will stand before him and will ask his Lord to settle the score between them.  6 – He exposes himself to the wrath and anger of Allaah in this world He is exposed to that because disasters and calamities will befall him, as a punishment in this world. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Do then those who devise evil plots feel secure that Allaah will not sink them into the earth, or that the torment will not seize them from directions they perceive not? Or that He may catch them in the midst of their going to and fro (in their jobs), so that there be no escape for them (from Allaah’s punishment)?” [al-Nahl 16:45-46]  “And a disaster will not cease to strike those who disbelieved because of their (evil) deeds or it (i.e. the disaster) settles close to their homes, until the Promise of Allaah comes to pass. Certainly, Allaah breaks not His Promise” [al-Ra’d 13:31]  “Or, did the people of the towns then feel secure against the coming of Our punishment in the forenoon while they were playing?” [al-A’raaf 7:98]  This is the situation of everyone who turns away from the remembrance of Allaah. Allaah said, telling us of the punishments that befall the earlier disbelieving nations (interpretation of the meaning):  “So We punished each (of them) for his sins, of them were some on whom We sent Haasib (a violent wind with shower of stones) [as on the people of Loot (Lot)], and of them were some who were overtaken by As-Sayhah [torment — awful cry, (as Thamood or Shu‘ayb’s people)], and of them were some whom We caused the earth to swallow [as Qaaroon (Korah)], and of them were some whom We drowned [as the people of Nooh (Noah), or Fir‘awn (Pharaoh) and his people]. It was not Allaah Who wronged them, but they wronged themselves” [al-‘Ankaboot 29:40] And you see the disasters around you that have befallen people as a punishment and vengeance from Allaah.  7 – Disappointment and loss are decreed for him Because of his wrongdoing he will lose out on the greatest things that hearts and souls can enjoy, which is knowing Allaah and conversing with Him, and finding peace and contentment in Him. He will lose in this world because he will live a life of misery and confusion therein, and he will lose his own soul for the sake of which he has been striving, because he did not subjugate it to the purpose for which it was created. He will not be happy in this world, because his soul lives a miserable life and dies a miserable death, and it will be resurrected with the doomed. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And as for those whose Scale will be light, they are those who will lose their ownselves (by entering Hell)”[al-A’raaf 7:9] And he will lose his family, because he lives with them in a state of disbelief in Allaah, so they are the same as him in their misery and hard life, and their ultimate destiny will be the Fire. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “The losers are those who will lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection”[al-Zumar 39:15, al-Shoora 42:45] On the Day of Resurrection they will be gathered into Hell, what an evil abode. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “(It will be said to the angels): ‘Assemble those who did wrong, together with their companions (from the devils) and what they used to worship, Instead of Allaah, and lead them on to the way of flaming Fire (Hell)’” [al-Saaffaat 37:22-23] He lives disbelieving in his Lord and denying His blessings Allaah created him from nothing, and bestowed all kinds of blessings upon him. How can he then worship someone other than Him, and take as a friend someone other than Him, and give thanks to someone other than Him? What denial can be greater or more abhorrent than this?  9 – He will be deprived of true life That is because the one who deserves a good life is the one who believes in his Lord and knows his purpose in life, who knows where he is going and is certain that he will be resurrected. So he acknowledges the rights of all those who have rights, and he does not deny any rights, or harm any other creature. He lives the life of the blessed and enjoys a good life in this world and in the Hereafter. Allaah says:  “Whoever works righteousness — whether male or female — while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life”[al-Nahl 16:97]  “and pleasant dwellings in ‘Adn (Eden) Paradise; that is indeed the great success”[al-Saff 61:12] As for the one who lives a life akin to that of the animals, not knowing his Lord or knowing his aim in life or where he is headed, rather his aim is to eat, drink and sleep … what difference is there between him and the rest of the animals? Indeed, he is further astray. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And surely, We have created many of the jinn and mankind for Hell. They have hearts wherewith they understand not, and they have eyes wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewith they hear not (the truth). They are like cattle, nay even more astray; those! They are the heedless ones” [al-A’raaf 7:179]  “Or do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are only like cattle nay, they are even farther astray from the Path (i.e. even worse than cattle)”[al-Furqaan 25:44] 10 – He will be punished eternally The kaafir will move from one torment to another, in the sense that he will depart from this world – where he is exposed to shocks and calamities – to the Hereafter. In the first stage (of this transition) the angels of death will descend upon him, preceded by the angels of torment who will give him a taste of the punishment that he deserves. Allaah says:  “And if you could see when the angels take away the souls of those who disbelieve (at death); they smite their faces and their backs…”[al-Anfaal 8:50]  Then when his soul has come forth and he is placed in his grave, he is met with a more severe torment. Allaah says, speaking of the people of Pharaoh:  “The Fire, they are exposed to it, morning and afternoon. And on the Day when the Hour will be established (it will be said to the angels): ‘Cause Fir‘awn’s (Pharaoh) people to enter the severest torment!’”[Ghaafir 40:46] Then the Day of Resurrection will come and all creatures will be resurrected and shown their deeds, and the kaafir will see that Allaah has listed all of his deeds in that book of which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And the Book (one’s Record) will be placed (in the right hand for a believer in the Oneness of Allaah, and in the left hand for a disbeliever in the Oneness of Allaah), and you will see the Mujrimoon (criminals, polytheists, sinners), fearful of that which is (recorded) therein. They will say: ‘Woe to us! What sort of Book is this that leaves neither a small thing nor a big thing, but has recorded it with numbers!’”[al-Kahf 18:49] Then the kaafir will wish that he were dust:  “the Day when man will see that (the deeds) which his hands have sent forth, and the disbeliever will say: ‘Woe to me! Would that I were dust!’” [al-Naba’ 78:40 – interpretation of the meaning] Because of the horrors of that situation [on the Day of Resurrection], if a man possessed all that is on earth he would give it to ransom himself from the torment of that Day. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And those who did wrong (the polytheists and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allaah), if they had all that is in earth and therewith as much again, they verily, would offer it to ransom themselves therewith” [al-Zumar 39:47] “The Mujrim, (criminal, sinner, disbeliever) would desire to ransom himself from the punishment of that Day by his children. And his wife and his brother, And his kindred who sheltered him, And all that are in the earth, so that it might save him” [al-Ma’aarij 70:11-14] That abode is the abode of requital and not the abode of hope, so man must inevitably face the requital for his deeds: if they were good, then it will be good, and if they were bad, then it will be bad. The worst that the kaafir will encounter on the Day of Resurrection will be the torment of the Fire. Allaah has created different kinds of torment for its inhabitants so that they may taste the consequences of their deeds. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “This is the Hell which the Mujrimoon (polytheists, criminals, sinners) denied. They will go between it (Hell) and the fierce boiling water!” [al-Rahmaan 55:43-44] And He says, describing their drink and clothing (interpretation of the meaning):  “then as for those who disbelieved, garments of fire will be cut out for them, boiling water will be poured down over their heads. With it will melt (or vanish away) what is within their bellies, as well as (their) skins. And for them are hooked rods of iron (to punish them)” [al-Hajj 22:19-21]

Can a woman who has been revocably divorced (first or second talaaq) stay in her husband’s house, or should she go to her father’s house until her husband takes her back?.

Praise be to Allah. A woman who has been revocably divorced has to stay in her husband’s house, and it is haraam for her husband to ask her to leave, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And turn them not out of their (husband’s) homes nor shall they (themselves) leave, except in case they are guilty of some open illegal sexual intercourse. And those are the set limits of Allaah. And whosoever transgresses the set limits of Allaah, then indeed he has wronged himself” [al-Talaaq 65:1] What the people do nowadays, when a woman is revocably divorced and she goes straight to her family’s house, is wrong and is haraam, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And turn them not out of their (husband’s) homes nor shall they (themselves) leave ” [al-Talaaq 65:1] No exception is made unless the woman has committed a blatant act of immorality. Then after that Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “And those are the set limits of Allaah. And whosoever transgresses the set limits of Allaah, then indeed he has wronged himself” [al-Talaaq 65:1] Then He explains the wisdom behind the woman being obliged to stay in her husband’s house, as He says:  “You (the one who divorces his wife) know not it may be that Allaah will afterward bring some new thing to pass (i.e. to return her back to you if that was the first or second divorce)” [al-Talaaq 65:1] So her staying in the marital home may be the cause of the husband rescinding the divorce and taking her back, which is what is desired by sharee’ah.  The Muslims have to pay attention to the limits set by Allaah, and adhere to what Allaah has enjoined upon them. They should not take customs and traditions as a means to go against the commands of sharee’ah. What matters is that we are obliged to pay attention to this matter. The woman who is revocably divorced should want to stay in her husband’s house until her ‘iddah ends. In this case whilst staying in her husband’s house she is permitted to uncover in front of him, and to adorn herself and put on makeup and perfume, and speak to him and sit with him, and do everything apart from intimacy and intercourse – which can only take place after he takes her back. He may take her back verbally, by saying: “I take my wife back,” or by actions, such as having intercourse with her with the intention of taking her back.

What is the ruling on women wearing tight clothes in front of women and mahrams?

Praise be to Allah.Wearing tight clothes that show off a woman’s charms and that may cause temptation is haram. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There are two types of the people of Hell whom I have not seen: men with whips like the tails of cattle with which they strike the people – i.e., by way of wrongdoing and oppression – and women who are clothed yet naked, astray and leading others astray.”  The phrase “clothed yet naked” has been interpreted as meaning that they wear short clothes that do not cover the `awrah that should be covered, or as meaning that they wear thin clothes that do not prevent people from seeing the woman’s skin, or as meaning that they wear tight clothes which prevent others from seeing (the skin) but which show off the woman’s charms.  Based on this, it is not permissible for a woman to wear these tight clothes except in front of the one in front of whom she is permitted to show her `awrah, namely the husband , for there is no `awrah between husband and wife. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Except from their wives or (the slaves) that their right hands possess, for then, they are free from blame” [al-Muminun 23:6] And `Aishah said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and I used to do ghusl (from janabah) from the same vessel, taking turns to dip our hands in it.”  So there is no `awrah between a man and his wife . But between a woman and her mahrams, she is obliged to cover her `awrah. It is not permissible to wear tight clothes in front of mahrams or other women, if they are very tight and show off the woman’s charms. And Allah knows best.

shekh ibn uthameen fatwa on the one who finds drops oozing out after he has been to the toilet and performed his istinja is that he sould perform the istinja and then when the time for prayer has entered then he should perform the wudoo . Q- What about when one is combining the prayer due to travel if the drops come in between the two prayers ie . after he has performed his Zhur BUT BEFORE HE HAS MADE THE IQMA FOR ASR OR ANY TIME WITHIN THE ZHUR PRAyER IE . BEFORE HE SAYS HIS IQAMA FOR THE ASR DOES SUCH A PERSON HAVE TO PERFORM THE WUDOO AGAIN FOR HIS SECOND PRAYER IE ASR IN THIS CASE.

Praise be to Allah.If the urinary incontinence is continual and does not stop when you are praying, then you should pray ‘Asr with the same wudoo’; you do not have to repeat the wudoo’.  But if the incontinence stops, then a few drops come out during the period between the two prayers, then you have to repeat the wudoo’. And Allah knows best.

What is the ruling on what many companies and banks do nowadays, whereby they rent out a car for a year in return for a specified amount each month, after which time the car becomes the property of the renter, but if he does not complete the agreed-upon rental period, ownership of the car reverts to the company or bank, and the renter has no right to reclaim whatever installments he has paid?.

Praise be to Allah.This kind of transaction is known as “rent-to-own”, and the contemporary scholars have differed concerning it. The Council of Senior Scholars has issued the following statement concerning it:  The Council of Senior Scholars has studied the issue of rent-to-own schemes, and after discussing the matter, the majority of the Council thinks that this kind of transaction is not permissible in sharee’ah for the following reasons:  1 – It is a combination of two transactions for one item and is not based on either of them; the two transactions come under two separate rulings and there is a contradiction between the terms of the two transactions.  When something is sold, the item and its benefits or usage must be transferred to the purchaser, so it is not valid for the seller to receive rent for it because it is the property of the purchaser. When something is rented, that means that the usage or benefits of the item (and not the item itself) are transferred to the renter.  Selling something implies that the purchaser both owns the item itself and enjoys usage of it, and if it is worn out or destroyed he bears the cost of that and the loss of both the item and its benefits; none of that falls upon the seller. But if something is rented, the owner who is renting it out bears the cost of any loss or any wear or tear to the item or its benefits, unless the renter has transgressed the limits or shown negligence.  Secondly: The rental fees are calculated on a yearly or monthly basis in such a way that towards the end of the state term, the value of the item is paid off, but the seller calls these payments “rental fees” so that the purchaser cannot not sell the item until he has paid the whole amount.   For example: If the value of the item in question is fifty thousand riyals and the monthly rent is usually one thousand riyals, he makes it two thousand. In fact this is part of the price until, towards the end of the term, the value of the item is paid. But if the purchaser is unable to make the final payment, for example, the item will be taken away from him on the grounds that it is something rented, and he will not be given back the money that he has paid on the grounds that he has made use of it.   It is obvious that this is wrongdoing and forcing people to borrow money to make the last payment.   Thirdly: This kind of contract leads to the poor being careless about debts until many of them end up heavily in debt. It may even lead to bankruptcy for some of the lenders because of losses incurred because of loans to the poor.  The Council thinks that the two parties should look for a sound way, which is to sell the item and put its price in pledge (rahn) and to protect the seller’s rights by letting him keep the contract document and ownership papers etc.   And Allah is the Source of Strength. May Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.  Members of the Council of Senior Scholars who signed this statement include the following:  Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allah Aal al-Shaykh Shaykh Saalih al-Lahaydaan Dr Saalih al-Fawzaan Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen Shaykh Bakr ibn ‘Abd-Allah Abu Zayd.

There is no one among us who is unaware of what the Christians say defaming the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and we are not unaware either of the gheerah (protective jealousy) of the young men of the Muslim ummah towards their religion and their Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Is it permissible to respond to those who defame the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) by insulting the speaker, knowing that I insulted one of them and some of my relatives advised me not to do that again, because it will make them defame and mock him even more, so their sin will be on me?.

Praise be to Allah. Defaming the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is a kind of kufr. If that is done by a Muslim then it is apostasy on his part, and the authorities have to defend the cause of Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) by executing the one who defamed him. If the one who defamed him repents openly and is sincere, that will benefit him before Allaah, although his repentance does not waive the punishment for defaming the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), which is execution.  If the person who defames him is a non-Muslim living under a treaty with the Muslim state, then this is a violation of the treaty and he must be executed, but that should be left to the authorities. If a Muslim hears a Christian or anyone else defaming the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) he has to denounce him in strong terms. It is permissible to insult that person because he is the one who started it. How can we not stand up the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? It is also obligatory to report him to the authorities who can carry out the punishment on him. If there is no one who can carry out the hadd punishment of Allaah and stand up for the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) then the Muslim has to do whatever he can, so long as that will not lead to further mischief and harm against other people. But if a Muslim hears a kaafir defaming the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and he keeps quiet and does not respond for fear that this person may then defame him even more, this is mistaken thinking. With regard to the verse (interpretation of the meaning):  “And insult not those whom they (disbelievers) worship besides Allaah, lest they insult Allaah wrongfully without knowledge” [al-An’aam 6:108],  this does not apply in cases where they defame Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) first. Rather what is meant is that it is forbidden to insult the gods of the mushrikeen first, lest they insult Allaah out of ignorance and enmity on their part. But if they insult Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) first, then we must respond and punish them so as deter them from their kufr and enmity. If we leave the kuffaar and atheists to say whatever they want without denouncing it or punishing them, great mischief will result, which is something that these kuffaar love. No attention should be paid to the one who says that insulting or responding to insults will make him more stubborn. The Muslim has to have a sense of protective jealousy and get angry for the sake of Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Whoever hears the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) being insulted and does not feel any protective jealousy or get angry is not a true believer – we seek refuge with Allaah from humility, kufr and obeying the Shaytaan.  And Allaah knows best.

Is it permissible for those who live in Jeddah to omit the farewell tawaaf and then come back to Makkah and do it after the crowding is less severe?.

Praise be to Allah. It is not permissible for any pilgrim to leave Makkah before performing the farewell tawaaf.  Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: Is it acceptable for those who live in Jeddah to leave Mina and go to Jeddah without performing the farewell tawaaf, then come back a few days later to perform the farewell tawaaf?  He replied:  It is not permissible for the people of Jeddah or anyone else to go back to their cities before performing the farewell tawaaf, then come back to Makkah when the crowding has become less severe. They should not leave Makkah until they have performed the farewell tawaaf, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No one of you should leave until the last thing he has done is to circumambulate the House.” And Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The people used to depart from many locations (within Makkah), but the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No one of you should leave until the last thing he has done is to circumambulate the House.”  Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 23/353.  Even if he comes back after that to perform the farewell tawaaf, it will be of no benefit to him. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:  If he leaves Makkah heading for Jeddah, and reaches Jeddah, then even if he performs it (the farewell tawaaf) it will be of no benefit to him, because he left, so how can it benefit him after he has left?  Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 23/353.

What is the ruling on eating the flesh of animals that are slaughtered in a Muslim country by means of electric shocks, knowing that the animal is stunned with the electric shock until it falls to the ground, then the butcher slaughters it as soon as it has fallen to the ground.

Praise be to Allah.If the matter is as described, that the butcher slaughters the an’aam animal (camel, cow, sheep or goat) as soon as it falls to the ground after receiving an electric shock, if that is done when it is still alive, then it is permissible to eat it. But if he slaughters it after it has died then it is not permissible to eat it. This comes under the ruling on animals killed by a violent blow, which Allaah has forbidden unless they are properly slaughtered before they die. The slaughter does not count unless it is proven that the animal showed signs of life such as moving a leg or if blood flowed (at the time of slaughter) and so on, which indicates that it was still alive until the slaughtering was over. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “Forbidden to you (for food) are: Al‑Maitah (the dead animals — cattle — beast not slaughtered), blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which Allaah’s Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering (that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allaah, or has been slaughtered for idols) and that which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of horns — and that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal — unless you are able to slaughter it (before its death)” [al-Maa'idah 5:3] An’aam animals that have been exposed to a fatal blow are permissible so long as they are slaughtered properly before they die, otherwise it is not permissible to eat them.

If the fabric known as denim is made into a garment that is suitable for a Muslim woman, is it haraam to wear it, and is that an imitation of the kuffaar?.

Praise be to Allah.What is meant by imitation of the kuffaar is when a person does something to be or look like them. If this fabric or any other kind of fabric is used in ways that resemble the clothing of the kuffaar, then this comes under the heading of imitation. But if the clothes of the kuffaar are made out of this fabric but it is used in another way that is distinct from the clothing of the kuffaar, there is nothing wrong with it, so long as it is done differently from the kuffaar, even if they are well known for using this fabric, so long as it is worn in a way that differs from the way they wear it.

Is it permissible to execute a married adulterer by some method other than stoning, such as killing him with a sword or by shooting him?.

Praise be to Allah. It is essential to stone the married adulterer until he dies, following the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as it is proven that he said that, did it and enjoined it. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stoned Maa’iz, the Juhani woman, the Ghaamidi woman, and the two Jews. All of that is proven in saheeh ahaadeeth narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The scholars among the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them), the Taabi’een and those who came after them are also unanimously agreed on that. No one differed from them apart from those to whose views no attention is to be paid. Al-Bukhaari and Muslim narrated in their Saheehs from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “Allaah sent Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) with the truth and revealed to him the Book, and one of the things that Allaah revealed was the verse of stoning. We have read it and understood it. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stoned (adulterers) and we stoned (them) after him, but I fear that there may come a time when some people say: ‘By Allaah, we do not find the verse of stoning in the Book of Allaah.’ So they will go astray by forsaking an obligation that Allaah has revealed. According to the Book of Allaah, stoning is deserved by the one who commits zina, if he is married, men and women alike, if proof is established or the woman becomes pregnant or they confess…”  Based on this, it is not permissible to replace stoning with killing by the sword or shooting, because stoning is a more severe punishment and a more effective deterrent to the sin of zina, which is the most grave sin after shirk and killing a soul whom Allaah has forbidden us to kill. The hadd punishment of stoning for a married person who commits zina is one of the matters that is determined by the Qur’aan and Sunnah and there is no room for ijtihaad or personal opinion. If killing by the sword or shooting were permissible in the case of the married adulterer then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would have done that and would have explained it to his ummah, and his companions after him would have done that too.

i have recently got married and i would like to clarify something that has been on my mind recently during this month blessed month of ramadan. after closing my fast i return to bed, where sometimes my wife is there lying there to. sometimes i embrace her does this means my fast is void. can you enlighten me on what i can do and not do.

Praise be to Allah.The Muslim has to protect his fast from things that may invalidate it, and he has to seek reward by giving up his desires for food, drink and intercourse, as Allaah says in the hadeeth qudsi concerning the virtues of fasting: “He gives up his food, his drink and his physical desires for My sake.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Sawm, 1761). But if he can control himself and not slip into that which would cause his fast to be invalidated, by the emission of maniy (semen) or by having intercourse, or would make his fast imperfect by the emission of madhiy (prostatic fluid), then it is permissible for him to embrace his wife in this case, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fondle ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) but he used to control his desire. Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz said:  A man may kiss, embrace and touch his wife, without having intercourse, when he is fasting. This is permissible and there is nothing wrong with it, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to kiss and touch his wives when he was fasting. But if there is the fear that he may do something that Allaah has forbidden because his desire is aroused quickly, then it is makrooh for him to do that. If he ejaculates he still should not eat or drink for the rest of the day, and he has to make up the fast, but he does not have to offer kafaarah (expiation) according to the majority of the scholars. But madhiy (prostatic fluid) does not invalidate the fast, according to the more correct of the two scholarly views, because the basic principle is that the fast remains valid, and because it is too difficult to avoid. And Allaah is the Source of strength.  Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, part 4, p. 202