Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

Suicide is a major sin. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that the one who commits suicide will be punished with something like that with which he killed himself. 

See the answer to question no. 70363

Secondly:

There are known signs of puberty for both males and females. The male reaches puberty when one of three things happens: emission of maniy (semen), growth of pubic hair or reaching the age of fifteen years according to the Hijri calendar, which is a few months before reaching the age of fifteen according to the Gregorian calendar.

In females, puberty is reached when these three signs occur; in addition to that there is a fourth sign, namely menstruation.

It is not stipulated that all of these signs should appear; rather when one of them appears that is sufficient to rule that the individual has reached puberty.

See also the answer to question no. 70426 and 78591

Thirdly:

Accountability is waived for the child who has not yet reached puberty, until he reaches that stage, because of the report narrated by Abu Dawood (4403) and at-Tirmidhi (1423) from ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The Pen has been lifted from three: from the sleeper until he awakens, from the child until he reaches puberty and from the insane person until he comes to his senses.”

Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 2/4, no. 297

In al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah (8/196) it says:

A person becomes accountable for fulfilling obligatory duties and refraining from haraam actions when he or she reaches puberty; one who has not reached puberty is not accountable … and (one who has not reached puberty) is not subject to qisaas (retaliatory punishments) and hadd punishments, such as those for stealing and slander. However, it is permissible for him to be disciplined. End quote.

See also 14/36

A person from whom the Pen has been lifted because he is insane or is a minor is not subject to qisaas (retaliatory punishment) if he injures or kills someone, whether the minor had reached the age of discernment or not, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The Pen has been lifted from three: from the child until he reaches puberty, from the insane person until he comes to his senses and from the sleeper until he awakens.”

End quote from al-Haawi al-Kabeer, 12/181

Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: A minor is not to be executed (in the case of apostasy), regardless of whether we say that his apostasy is valid or not, because the child is not subject to punishment, on the basis that the rulings on adultery and theft and other crimes that are subject to hadd punishments are not applicable to him to him and he cannot be executed in a retaliatory punishment (qisaas).

End quote from al-Mughni, 10/62

Based on that, there is no punishment in the Hereafter for a child if he does something before the age of puberty, which is attained when one of the signs mentioned above appears.

For more information please see the answer to question no. 3277.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

Allah has ordained divorce (talaaq) to dissolve the marriage contract, which is a firm and strong covenant. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “and they have taken from you a firm and strong covenant” [an-Nisa’ 4:21].

No one has the right to use divorce except in a serious manner and for a reason.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The Lawgiver forbids treating the verses (laws) of Allah as a jest or to speak of the verses of Allah that are covenants, except in a serious manner that shows commitment to the shar‘i conditions and obligations. Hence it is forbidden to take them as a jest as it is also forbidden to engage in a tahleel marriage (in which an irrevocably divorced woman marries another man with the intention of getting divorced so that she can go back to her first husband). This is indicated by the words of Allah (interpretation of the meaning): “And treat not the Verses (Laws) of Allah as a jest” [al-Baqarah 2:231]. And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon) said: “What is wrong with people who play with the limits of Allaah and take His verses (laws) as a jest, and one of them says, ‘I divorce you, I take you back, I divorce you, I take you back’?” Thus it is established that tampering with them (the laws and limits set by Allah) is haraam.

End quote from al-Fataawa al-Kubra, 6/65

The hadeeth was narrated by Ibn Maajah, 2017; classed as hasan by al-Busayri in az-Zawaa’id; classed as da‘eef by al-Albaani in Da‘eef Sunan Ibn Maajah.

Based on that, your father does not have the right to pretend to divorce when he does not really want to divorce in a real sense.

Moreover, this pretence is a trick to consume wealth unlawfully. The state only gives this assistance to women who are really divorced, and using a trick to obtain it is haraam.

Secondly:

If divorce (talaaq) takes place with a clear statement using the word talaaq or its derivatives, then the divorce counts as such even if he did not intend it to do so.

If it is written and not spoken, the basic principle is that it does not count unless it was intended as such. But if that occurred in court, then some of the scholars say that it does count as such even if the intention was not there.

See the answer to questions no. 72291, 125215 and 126378

If your father is unable to spend on his wife’s maintenance and he thinks that divorcing her in a real sense will enable the wife and her children to get this assistance, then he may do that. But he should bear in mind the implications of doing that, such as cancelling out the right to inherit from one another and other rulings. Our advice is to look for another means of earning a livelihood and spending on his family; that is better for him than divorce. May Allah grant him relief and a way out from this problem.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

First:

It is important for you to realize that divorce is a law from the laws of Allah and a limit from His limits that he has made clear for His slaves and warned them of crossing it or marginalizing it.

Allah, the Exalted said while clarifying divorce and its rulings (what means): “Divorce is twice. Then, either keep [her] in an acceptable manner or release [her] with good treatment. And it is not lawful for you to take anything of what you have given them unless both fear that they will not be able to keep [within] the limits of Allah. But if you fear that they will not keep [within] the limits of Allah, then there is no blame upon either of them concerning that by which she ransoms herself. These are the limits of Allah, so do not transgress them. And whoever transgresses the limits of Allah – it is those who are the wrongdoers. And if he has divorced her [for the third time], then she is not lawful to him afterward until [after] she marries a husband other than him. And if the latter husband divorces her [or dies], there is no blame upon the woman and her former husband for returning to each other if they think that they can keep [within] the limits of Allah. These are the limits of Allah, which He makes clear to a people who know.” [2:29-230]

At the beginning of soorah at-Talaq, Allah, the Exalted says (what means): “O Prophet, when you [Muslims] divorce women, divorce them for [the commencement of] their waiting period and keep count of the waiting period, and fear Allah, your Lord. Do not turn them out of their [husbands'] houses, nor should they [themselves] leave [during that period] unless they are committing a clear immorality. And those are the limits [set by] Allah. And whoever transgresses the limits of Allah has certainly wronged himself. You know not; perhaps Allah will bring about after that a [different] matter.” [65:1]

So Allah, the Exalted clarifies that opposing the laws which He prescribed for His slaves is turning away from what Allah has permitted and is an oppression of themselves by doing it.

The Prophet (may the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) warned of the transgression of the transgressors and the jest of the jesters concerning His limits; An-Nasai reported from Mahmood ibn Labeed (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (may the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) was informed of a man who divorced his wife three divorces all together. So he stood up angrily and said: “Does he play with the book of Allah and I am amongst you!” Then a man stood up and said: Oh Messenger of Allah, shall I not kill him?! In Buloogh al Maram, al-Hafidh ibn Hajar said: Its narrators are reliable.

Abu Musa al Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (may the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “What is the matter with people who play with the limits of Allah: I divorce you, I take you back, I divorce you, I take you back.” Reported by al-Bayhaqi in as-Sunan al-Kubra, declared sound by al Albani.

Second:

If you explicitly pronounced the words of divorce and said: you are divorced or a divorcee, or I have divorced you, or my wife is divorced, or so and so is divorced or a divorcee, or I have divorced her, then a single divorce has taken effect and you may take your wife back as long as she is in the waiting period (‘iddah).

That is because for the explicit divorce the intention is not a condition, rather the divorce of one who does so jokingly takes effect just as the divorce of one who is serious.

Ibn Qudamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “If he comes with an explicit divorce, it is incumbent upon him whether he intended it or not.” End quote, al-Mughni (8: 280). See also question number 44038.

Third:

It is upon you to resolve the problems between your wife and your family with wisdom and to give each of them their rights. Your mother and sister erred when they remained silent and did not warn you against pronouncing divorce, and we hope that they now realize the danger of their actions and instigation.

It is not a shameful thing for a man to love his wife and strive to please her, as long as he continues to fulfill the rights of others.

We advise you to find separate housing for your wife where she can live away from your family and it can be near to where your family resides so you can combine between fulfilling their rights and living with your wife fairly.

We ask Allah to assist you and grant you success.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

The Sunnah is the put the hair of a deceased woman into three braids. It was narrated that Umm ‘Atiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: One of the daughters of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came to us and said: “Wash her with lotus leaves an odd number of times, three, or five, or more than that if you see fit, and put camphor in (the water) the last time, or a little camphor. And when you have finished, let me know.” When we had finished, we let him know, and he gave us his waist wrapper (to shroud her in). And we put her hair into three braids and put them behind her. 

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1263; Muslim, 939

According to a report narrated by Muslim (939): And we put her hair in three braids, two at the sides and one at the front.

Badr ad-Deen al-‘Ayni (may Allah have mercy on him) said: What is meant by “we put her hair in three braids” is one braid at the front of the head and two braids at the side of the head. Our explanation is indicated by the report narrated by Muslim: “And we put her hair in three braids, two at the sides and one at the front.”

End quote from Sharh Sunan Abi Dawood, 6/74

Secondly:

With regard to braiding the hair of a deceased man, it is not mustahabb because it is not proven. Many people died at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and there is no report to suggest that the hair of any one of them was put in braids. This is indicated by the texts of the fuqaha’; they clearly state that this is mustahabb in the case of women, but not men.

Al-Bukhaari (may Allah have mercy on him) included a chapter in his Saheeh entitled: Chapter: (Braiding) the woman’s hair in three braids.

Ash-Shaafa‘i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The woman is like a man in terms of her ghusl, but there are some additional requirements in the case of the woman, and her hair is to be put in three braids, two of which should be placed behind her.

End quote from al-Umm, 8/131

Al-Bahooti (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

And it is makrooh to comb the hair of the deceased, whether on his head or his beard, because that will pull it unnecessarily. It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that she passed by some people who were combing the hair of a dead man, and she told them not to do that and said: Why are you combing the hair of your deceased? But it is Sunnah to put the hair of a female into three braids and let them hang behind her.

End quote from Daqaa’iq Ooli an-Nuha, 1/350

To sum up:

Braiding the hair is only mentioned with regard to washing the woman, not the man.

With regard to parting a man’s hair from the middle when doing the ghusl, as mentioned in the question, there is no basis for this in the Sunnah as far as we know. The case of the deceased is different from the case of one who is alive; because of that the majority of scholars are of the view that it is makrooh to comb the hair of the deceased, as quoted above from the Hanbalis.

Those who disagreed with the majority, namely the Shaafa‘is, only said that that is permissible if the hair is stuck together for some reason; this does not mean that it is Sunnah. And they stipulated that it should be done with a wide-toothed comb, so that it does not pull out the hair of the deceased.

End quote. Ahkaam fi’l-Fiqh al-Islami by Taha Muhammad Faaris, 235-257

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

If this woman is the mother of that girl it is not permissible for her – according to sharee‘ah – to have custody of her Muslim daughter, because a kaafir cannot be entrusted with raising a Muslim child in Islam; rather he will cause the child to follow his own religion. We have discussed this previously in the answer to question no. 21516. So how about if she is not even her daughter?

It is shameful – let alone sinful – for a Muslim man to leave his children without any care and not bring them up in Islam, and to not care about anything except marriage without being prepared to take responsibility for its consequences. Fathers and mothers who neglect their children so that they end up becoming corrupt or apostatise from their religion are partners in this serious crime that affects their children, because they are the reason why it happens. Hence it is very important that you play a role through the local Islamic centre or some righteous people in the area, who could try to contact the father of that girl and inform him of his responsibilities towards his daughter, and advise him to take responsibility with his wife, and point out the dangers of neglecting this little girl.

We appreciate the questioner’s keenness to do good and help people, and her concern about this Muslim girl’s situation. It is clear that she is as upset as we are to see that the one who is taking charge of raising this Muslim girl is a Christian woman, who it is expected will turn her away from her natural state and true religion and cause her to become a Christian or to end up without any religion. Hence we advise the sister who asked this question to pay a great deal of attention to two important matters:

(i)                After thanking this woman for coming to her and asking about the best way to raise a Muslim girl, she should try to get her to hand over custody of this Muslim girl to a Muslim family or an Islamic centre. Even better than that would be to look for Muslim relatives of this girl who are trustworthy in terms of their attitude and religious commitment, who could look after her and gave her a home. You have to be gentle and polite in doing this

(ii)              If this woman does not agree to give up looking after this child, then we advise you to stay in close contact with her, to offer advice, care and education, so that this woman will not be the sole person concerned with this girl’s upbringing lest she teaches her that which could lead to the corruption of her religious commitment or behaviour. For example, this woman could make arrangements for the girl to attend an Islamic school or spend time with a religiously committed family or with a woman who has good knowledge of Islam and works in da‘wah. If none of that is possible, then you should keep in touch with this girl so that you can communicate with her, so that she can remain in touch with her religion, her nature will not be spoiled and she will not apostatise from her religion. And seek reward for all of that with Allah, may He be exalted, and be patient in doing so, until Allah guides her parents – or one of them – to take her back and raise her in the true religion or the girl can go to a Muslim who can raise her such as a woman or an institution or a righteous person among her relatives.

Perhaps your being close to that woman will be a cause of her becoming Muslim, then she would be a suitable and trustworthy guardian to take care of that girl.

This is what we think you should do, and we encourage you to do it. We ask Allah to guide you and help you to do that which pleases Him.

See also “How to raise a child” in the answer to question no. 10016

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

We praise Allah for having enabled you to adhere to His laws and for having guided you to that which is in your best interests. As for movies, if they include haraam things such as showing women with adornments, music and alcohol, it is not permissible to watch them. That has been discussed previously in the answer to question no. 125535, 114707 and 85232

Just as it is not permissible for a Muslim to watch movies that include haraam things, it is not permissible for him to help other people to do so, even if the other person is a non-Muslim, because the minor issues of sharee‘ah are also addressed to the disbelievers, as we have explained in the answer to question no. 140550. So what is forbidden to the Muslim is also forbidden to the disbeliever, and he will be punished for that in addition to the punishment for disbelief (kufr).

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It is not permissible for a man to help anyone else in disobeying Allah, even if that person does not believe that it is a sin, such as helping the disbelievers to acquire alcohol and pork.

End quote from al-Fataawa al-Kubra, 6/282

What your husband should do is destroy the tickets or try to return to the company and take something else instead. This ruling of destroying the item applies to every reprehensible thing that comes into the possession of a Muslim, if he cannot make use of it in a permissible manner, as in the case of musical instruments, books of witchcraft and innovation (bid‘ah), cigarettes and haraam images. See the answer to questions no. 152192 and 13634

Your husband should seek reward with his Lord for what he is going to do, and he will find compensation for his action in this world, in the form of the sweetness of faith in his heart – in sha Allah – then he will find great reward for his action when he meets his Lord, as we should think positively of our Lord, may He be exalted, and believe that He will honour the one who gives up something for His sake.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

the worshipper does not have to intend exiting the prayer when saying the tasleem; if he says the tasleem without intending that, it is acceptable. This is the view of the majority of fuqaha’ among the Hanafis, Shaafa‘is and Hanbalis.

Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: He should intend when saying the tasleem to exit the prayer. If he does not have that intention, then Ibn Haamid said that his prayer is rendered invalid, and this is the apparent meaning of the statement of ash-Shaafa‘i, because it is uttered at one of the two ends of the prayer, so having the intention is essential, as is also the case with the takbeer (at the beginning of the prayer).

What was narrated from Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) is that it does not render his prayer invalid, and this is the correct opinion, because the intention to pray covers all of the prayer, and the salaam is part of it. And because if it were obligatory to form the attention when saying the salaam, there should have been some text to specify that, as with the opening takbeer, and because it is an act of worship. So it is not required to form the intention to exit the prayer, as is also the case with other acts of worship.) Drawing an analogy between the end of the prayer and the beginning is not correct; the intention is regarded as essential at the beginning so that it covers all other parts of the prayer, unlike the ending. Hence there is a differentiation between the beginning and end in all acts of worship.

Some of our companions said: He should intend, by saying both tasleems, to exit the prayer. If he intends thereby to return the salaam of the two angels and of those who are behind him if he is the imam, and of the imam and the other members of the congregation if he is praying behind an imam, there is nothing wrong with that. This was stated by Ahmad who said: He should say the salaam in the prayer and intend by saying it to respond to the imam, because of the report narrated by Muslim from Jaabir ibn Samurah who said: When we prayed with the Prophet (sa), we used to say: As-salaamu ‘alaykum, as-salaamu ‘alaykum. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) looked at us and said: “Why do you wave your hands like the tails of restive horses? When one of you says the salaam, let him turn to his companion and not wave his hand.” According to another report: “It is sufficient for one of you to put his hand on his thigh, then say the salaam to his brothers on his right and on his left. Abu Dawood narrated: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed us to respond to the imam and to say salaam to one another.

This indicates that it is Sunnah to intend by saying the salaam to greet one’s fellow worshippers. This is the view of ash-Shaafa‘i and Abu Haneefah. Abu Hafs ibn al-Muslim – one of our companions – said: He should intend by the first salaam to exit the prayer and he should intend by the second to greet the recording angels and the members of the congregation, if he is the imam, and to respond to the imam and the recording angels if he is praying behind an imam.

End quote from al-Mughni, 1/326

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Is it necessary to intend by saying the salaam to exit the prayer? There are two well known opinions concerning that, the more correct of which according to the Khorasaanis is that it is not obligatory, because the intention of praying includes the salaam. This is the view of Abu Hafs ibn al-Wakeel and Abu ‘Abdillah al-Khatan, as was stated in al-Musannaf. Imam al-Haramayn said: It is the view of the majority.

(The second opinion) is that it is obligatory. This is the more correct view according to the majority of the Iraqis. In al-Musannaf (may Allah have mercy on him) it says: This is the apparent meaning of the statement of al-Buwayti. It is also the opinion of Ibn Surayj and Ibn al-Qaas. The author of al-Haawi said: It is the apparent meaning of ash-Shafaa‘is view, and the opinion of the majority of his companions, by analogy with the beginning of the prayer.

The correct view is the first one. Ar-Raafa‘i said: This is the favoured view of the majority of later scholars. They interpreted the statement of ash-Shaafa‘i as meaning that it is mustahabb.

End quote from al-Majmoo‘, 3/457

See: al-Badaa’i‘ wa’s-Sanaa‘i, 2/214

The Maalikis have two opinions

It says in at-Taaj wa’l-Ikleel (2/219): There is a difference of opinion about stipulating that the intention to exit (the prayer) be formed. Ibn Rushd said: Just as one cannot start to pray without the takbeer, intending thereby to start the prayer, by the same token he cannot exit the prayer except by saying the tasleem, intending thereby to exit the prayer. If he says the tasleem at the end of his prayer without the intention, that is acceptable because of his previous intention, because he does not have to renew the intention for every part of the prayer. Ibn al-Maajishon said: It is essential to renew the intention to exit (the prayer). Ibn al-‘Arabi said: The well-known opinion of our madhhab differs from that. End quote.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

With regard to “blood poured forth” that comes out of the animal at the time of slaughter, it is najis (impure) according to scholarly consensus.

With regard to the blood that is mixed with the meat or that remains in the veins, it is not called “blood poured forth” and it is taahir (pure).

Imam at-Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

In the verse in which Allah tells His slaves that blood is haraam, He mentions “blood poured forth” (al-An‘aam 6:145), to the exclusion of other types of blood. This clearly indicates that blood that is not “poured forth” is halaal and not najis.

Then he narrated from ‘Ikrimah the words: Were it not for this verse, the Muslims would have had to trace out the blood from the veins as the Jews do.

It was narrated from Abu Majlaz, concerning the reddish colour that may appear in the cooking pot because of blood, that he said: Allah has only forbidden “blood poured forth.”

It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that she did not see anything wrong with the reddish colour or blood that may appear in the cooking pot, and she recited this verse (interpretation of the meaning): “Say (O Muhammad SAW): I find not in that which has been inspired to me anything forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it, unless it be Maytatah (a dead animal) or blood poured forth (by slaughtering or the like)…” [al-An ‘am 6:145].

Tafseer at-Tabari, 12/193-194, Shaakir edn. See also: Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 6/194-195.

Al-Mirdaawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

The blood of animals that may be eaten is taahir, according to the correct view of the madhhab, even if its reddish colour appears. This was stated and it is the correct view of the madhhab… Because the veins are part of the meat and cannot be separated from it, so the ruling (on blood) is waived, because it cannot be helped.

Al-Qaadi said: As for the blood that remains in the meat after slaughter and what is left in the veins, it is permissible. Shaykh Taqiy ad-Deen said concerning it: I do not know of any difference of opinion about overlooking it and that it does not make the broth najis; rather it may be eaten with it.

End quote from al-Insaaf by al-Mirdaawi, 1/309

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Blood that remains in the slaughtered animal after it is slaughtered, such as the blood in the veins, heart, spleen and liver, is taahir whether it is a little or a lot.

End quote from ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘, 1/440

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:

Is prayer acceptable in clothes that are spattered with the blood of the sacrificial animal? If a person prayed with blood on his clothes, what should he do? Where is the problem; is it the blood that is spilled whilst slaughtering or the blood that is left in the meat?

He replied: The clothes must be washed or changed; he cannot pray in them when they are contaminated with blood. He must either wash them or change them; he should wash them and delay the prayer until he has washed them. If he knew about the blood and when ahead and prayed deliberately, then he has to repeat his prayer. If he forgot or was unaware of it, he does not have to repeat his prayer. If he did it deliberately and knowingly, and was heedless, then he has to repeat his prayer. What is referred to is the “blood poured forth” that comes out at the time of slaughter. As for the blood of the meat itself, it does not matter. The blood that remains in the muscles and veins is overlooked. What is meant here is the blood that comes out at the time of slaughter.

End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 29/219

To sum up:

If the blood comes from the carcasses of animals that were slaughtered a few days ago, as you say in your question, there is nothing wrong with it; rather it is taahir.

If it came from an animal at the time of slaughter when it was still alive, then this is najis blood, but if it is only a small amount, then it is overlooked, especially for someone like a butcher for whom it is difficult to avoid that.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

It is permissible to eat meat slaughtered by a Kitaabi (a Jew or a Christian) subject to two conditions:

1.     That the meat is slaughtered as the Muslims slaughter it, by cutting the trachea and oesophagus and draining the blood. If he kills it by strangulation, electric shock or drowning in water, then the meat he has slaughtered is not halaal. The same applies if the Muslim does that; the meat he has slaughtered is not halaal.

2.     That no name other than the name of Allah, such as the name of the Messiah or any other name, is mentioned over it, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Eat not (O believers) of that (meat) on which Allah’s Name has not been pronounced (at the time of the slaughtering of the animal)” [al-An‘aam 6:121]. And He says concerning haraam foods: “He has forbidden you only the Maytatah (dead animals), and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allah (or has been slaughtered for idols, etc., on which Allah’s Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering)” [al-Baqarah 2:173].

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: What is meant here is that on which a name other than the name of Allah was mentioned at the time of slaughter, such as saying “In the name of the Messiah” or “in the name of Muhammad” or “in the name of Jibreel” or “in the name of al-Laat” and the like.

End quote from Tafseer Soorat al-Baqarah.

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (22/387): The basic principle with regard to the permissibility of meat slaughtered by the People of the Book is the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “The food (slaughtered cattle, eatable animals, etc.) of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) is lawful to you” [al-Maa’idah 5:5]. Ibn ‘Abbaas explained the word “food” here as referring to meat slaughtered by them, which is one of two interpretations of this verse. If a Kitaabi slaughters an animal, if we know that he mentioned the name of Allah over it, it is permissible to eat it, but if we know that he mentioned the name of someone other than Allah over it, then it is not permissible to eat it, because of the general meaning of the words of Allah (interpretation of the meaning): “Eat not (O believers) of that (meat) on which Allahs Name has not been pronounced (at the time of the slaughtering of the animal), for sure it is Fisq (a sin and disobedience of Allah)” [al-An‘aam 6:121], and His words concerning haraam foods: “and that which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allah (or has been slaughtered for idols, etc., on which Allah’s Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering)” [al-Baqarah 2:173]. If we do not know whether the name of Allah or the name of someone or something else was mentioned over it, then the basic principle is that meat slaughtered by them is permissible.

End quote.

If it is known that the Kitaabi mentions the name of someone other than Allah, and says “In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,” it is not permissible to eat meat slaughtered by him, because it is something that has been slaughtered for someone other than Allah. It does not make a difference if he means Allah when he says “the Father” – as you say in your question – because by saying “[and] the Son and the Holy Spirit”, it is slaughtered in the name of someone other than Allah. So it is not permissible to eat the meat when these names have been said over it.

See also the answer to question no. 3261.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

There is no guarantee for the rights of your father’s wife if you register his property in the name of one of your brothers; in fact there is no guarantee for the rights of the other siblings if the property is registered in the name of only one, as you want to do in this case. It is possible that this brother may take over the entire estate on the basis of this registration that you are asking for. In fact there have been many cases like this. Two wrongs do not make a right.

Just as you have rights with regard to your father’s property that you fear for, the wife also has rights with regard to her husband’s property that she fears for. Just as you fear that she may take over your father’s property, she fears the same thing from you.

The reality is that this solution offers no guarantees to anyone and it cannot be allowed.

But if you really fear the possibility of undue influence for your father and his condition does not let him distinguish between what is right and what is wrong, then the Islamically prescribed way of dealing with that is to get a court injunction that will prevent the carrying out of any of his instructions given during the period when he was incapacitated and there was the possibility of tampering or undue influence.

However we are aware that there are far-reaching social difficulties that may stand in the way of this solution, and there may also be legal difficulties in your country, so you can convince your father to divide his property now among all his heirs who are still alive and transfer ownership to them at the time when it is divided.

In this manner each party will be protected against tampering from the others.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

There is no doubt that the husband who goes away from his wife because of study or work and lives in a land far away from her is exposing himself and his wife to temptation and sins that have to do, in particular, with the gaze and the private parts. Hence we advise husbands to pay attention to this important matter and not stay away from the marital home so that they will not expose themselves and their wives to temptation that may lead to losses in both spiritual and worldly terms.

It is no secret to the Muslim that looking at indecent websites is haraam and causes damage to one’s spiritual well-being and religious commitment. We have discussed the ruling on this and ways to rid oneself of this in several answers. Please see the answers to questions no. 12301, 39923, 26985, 10459 and 7669

Allah, may He be exalted, has commanded men and women alike to lower their gaze. Being away from his wife does not give the husband an excuse to look at things that are forbidden to him, otherwise that would also be an excuse for his wife! And this is not something that Allah has prescribed. See the answer to question no. 20229, in which we have mentioned twenty-seven ways to help one lower one’s gaze. You will also find the benefits of lowering the gaze in the answer to question no. 22917. In the answer to question no. 33651, we have mentioned some ways of dealing with the fitnah of women. In the answer to question no. 20161 you will find a solution to the problem of desire and how to fulfil it.

With regard to the secret habit, it is also haraam. For more information on the ruling on masturbation and how to deal with this problem, see the answer to questions no. 329 and 101539

Please note that your kind treatment of your mother will not excuse you for these sins; rather honouring your mother is a great good deed, but you are falling into is bad deeds. And all that will matter of the Day of Resurrection are good deeds and bad deeds, so beware lest you destroy what you are doing of good deeds and lose out on the reward for them because of what you are doing of bad deeds, if they accumulate and outweigh the good deeds.

Secondly:

What we advise you to do is one of the following things:

1.

Go back to your country and stay with your mother and your wife, even if this means earning less money and having less. If a person gives up something for the sake of Allah, Allah will compensate him with something better than it.

2.

Bring your wife and your mother to live with you in the country in which you are working, if you are able to do so.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

The ‘awrah of a man is the area between the navel and the knee; as for the navel and the knee themselves, they are not part of the ‘awrah.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

There are several opinions concerning the matter:

One is that the knee is included in the ‘awrah so it must be covered.

The second opinion is that the navel and the knee are both part of the ‘awrah so they must both be covered.

The third opinion – which is the well-known view among our madhhab – is that the navel and the knee are not included in the ‘awrah, so they do not have to be covered. This is based on the definition of the ‘awrah as being “between the navel and the knee.”

End quote from ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘, 2/160

He also said (may Allah have mercy on him): The ‘awrah for a man is the area between the navel and the knee.

End quote from ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘, 5/273

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Concerning the ‘awrah for men, there are five opinions; the correct view is that it is the area between the navel and the knee, and the navel and the knee are not part of the ‘awrah.

Our evidence for that is what we have quoted above from Abu’d-Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I was sitting with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came, holding up the hem of his garment to such an extent that his knees showed. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Your companion has had a quarrel.” And he quoted the hadeeth.

Narrated by al-Bukhaari

It was narrated from Abu Moosa (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sitting in a place where there was water and his knee or knees were uncovered, then when ‘Uthmaan came in, he covered them.

Narrated by al-Bukhaari. And we have quoted above hadeeths which speak of the thigh being ‘awrah.

End quote from Sharh al-Muhadhdhab, 3/174, 175

For the rest of the evidence please see the answer to question no. 34976

And he said in ash-Sharh al-Kabeer, 1/457: The navel and the knees are not part of the ‘awrah. This is the view of Maalik and ash-Shaafa‘i. End quote.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It is not permissible for a young man to play football, for example, wearing only shorts that do not reach the knees or that do not reach the navel. It is essential that the area between the navel and the knee be covered in the case of young men.

End quote from Liqa’ al-Baab al-Maftooh, no. 73

Based on that, it is permissible to go to the sea wearing clothing that covers the area between the navel and the knee. But if it leaves any part of the thigh or anything lower than the navel uncovered, that is not permissible.

But if that is in a place where there is mixing, it is not permissible because that involves staying in a place where evil actions are being committed when one is not able to change them or denounce them.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

All the individuals involved in this situation are wrong and are committing sin, and perhaps you have been the most wrong of all, for several reasons. You are the one who has been writing these sinful love letters for your mother; you have been concealing this from your father and have even lied to him, telling him that nothing is going on; you did not advise your uncle to refrain from doing haraam things, namely going against the teachings of his religion and betraying his brother. You did not confront your mother frankly and make her give up this foolish and haraam action – in fact you regarded her action and her justification for it as just an opinion, as opposed to your opinion that her action is not justified, when in fact the issue is one of whims and desires as opposed to a shar‘i ruling. You even tried to spare her feelings so that she would not be upset if you refused to do her bidding and write haraam letters to your uncle and correspond with him in her name.

All of that leads us to fear that you are the most sinful of all the individuals involved. You could have put a stop to this evil immediately, by confronting your mother and telling her frankly that what she is doing is haraam, that it is not permissible for her to carry on with it, that her justifications for it are not acceptable in terms of either sharee‘ah or reasoning, and that you would inform your father if she continued this sinful relationship with your uncle. You could also have put a stop to this evil by confronting your uncle with his evil deeds and telling him that a person like him could not be entrusted with people’s honour; by threatening him that if he continued this action, you would tell your father about what he is doing and you would prevent him from entering your house. You could also have put an end to this evil by telling your father about the details of the matter so that he could do what Allah has enjoined upon him of advising his family members. We do not advise you to tell your father unless your mother or your uncle persist in this sinful relationship between them. If they give up that relationship then there is no need to tell your father about it. But if they persist in it – or if one of them persists – then you do not have the option of remaining silent; rather you must – whilst also continuing to advise and exhort them – tell your father so that he can put a stop to this sinful relationship, even if that leads to him divorcing his wife or cutting off ties with his brother and banning him from entering his house.

Secondly:

We are doubtful about your saying that your father knows about your mother’s relationship with your uncle and that the matter is out of his hands. If we assume that the matter is as you say, and that your father knows what is really going on between his wife and his brother, but he is keeping quiet about it and is not doing what the situation requires, then this is a case of cuckoldry. He has the power to advise his wife, or to shun her, or to hit her; he also has the power to ban his brother from entering his house, or to cut off communications in his house. What makes us doubt that he knows about this relationship is the fact that your mother has been trying to conceal it from him, and he asks you and you deny it. As for his stress, it may be an indication of his doubt; it does not indicate that he knows what is really going on, especially since you say that your mother does not talk to him face-to-face when he visits you. We are certain that if he knew about this haraam relationship, he would act as is befitting for the head of a religiously committed family, as you claim to be.

Thirdly:

One of the clear rulings of sharee‘ah is that it is haraam to cooperate and help in sin and transgression, or to obey if doing so involves sin. There is no obedience to anyone if it involves disobedience towards Allah, even if the one who is issuing these orders is a mother or father; rather obedience is only in that which is right and proper.

Allah, may He be exalted, 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. And fear Allaah. Verily, Allaah is Severe in punishment”

[al-Maa’idah 5:2]

And it was narrated from ‘Ali that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There is no obedience if it involves disobedience towards Allah; rather obedience is only in that which is right and proper.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6830; Muslim, 1840.

Based on that, it is not permissible for you to hesitate about refusing to obey your mother and doing that evil action with regard to the sinful relationship between her and your uncle. Her justification for that is not acceptable and it is not even worth paying attention to.

See also the answer to questions no. 40283 and 150828

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

Paradise is the abode of honour that Allah, may He be exalted, has prepared for His believing slaves. In it are delight and happiness such as have never entered the mind of man and no one has ever imagined. Whoever enters it will find true, eternal happiness and will have attained a great victory. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do”

[as-Sajdah 32:17].

Part of the happiness that Allah has guaranteed to His believing slaves is that He will reunite the family, parents and children, after they all enter Paradise by the mercy of Allah and the intercession of Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). This promise is mentioned in the holy Book of Allah, in the verses that will be recited until the Day of Resurrection, in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And those who believe and whose offspring follow them in Faith, to them shall We join their offspring, and We shall not decrease the reward of their deeds in anything”

[at-Toor 52:21].

Ibn ‘Abbaas said, commenting on this verse:

Allah will raise the offspring of the believer to the same degree as him, even if they are lower than him in terms of good deeds, so as to bring joy to his heart. Then he recited the words (interpretation of the meaning):

“And those who believe and whose offspring follow them in Faith, to them shall We join their offspring, and We shall not decrease the reward of their deeds in anything”

[at-Toor 52:21].

Narrated by Ibn Abi Haatim in at-Tafseer, and by Ibn Abi’d-Dunya in al-‘Iyaal (no. 357), and by others. For more information see: Tafseer Ibn Jareer at-Tabari, 22/467

This promise is confirmed by what Allah says elsewhere (interpretation of the meaning):

“Adn (Eden) Paradise (everlasting Gardens), which they shall enter and (also) those who acted righteously from among their fathers, and their wives, and their offspring”

[ar-Ra ‘d 13:23]

“Enter Paradise, you and your wives, in happiness”

[az-Zukhruf 43:70].

Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer said in Tasfseer al-Qur’aan al-‘Azeem (4/451):

The words of Allah, “and (also) those who acted righteously from among their fathers, and their wives, and their offspring” mean: they and their loved ones among their fathers, wives and offspring, of those who were believers and qualified to enter Paradise, will be reunited so as to bring joy to their hearts. And they will be raised from a lower degree to a higher degree without that detracting from the higher degree; rather that is a blessing and favour from Allah, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And those who believe and whose offspring follow them in Faith, to them shall We join their offspring, and We shall not decrease the reward of their deeds in anything. Every person is a pledge for that which he has earned”

[at-Toor 52:21].

End quote.

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (vol. 2, p. 409):

Question: Will we meet our children in the Hereafter, as all of us are hoping for that? We hope that you will explain this matter for us and tell us of everything that you think is good. May Allah reward you with the best of rewards.

The response was:

Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, has told us that by His grace, blessing and kindness He will  make the offspring of the believers join their fathers in the same status, even if they did not reach the same status in good deeds. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And those who believe and whose offspring follow them in Faith, to them shall We join their offspring, and We shall not decrease the reward of their deeds in anything. Every person is a pledge for that which he has earned”

[at-Toor 52:21].

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said in Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb (Aqeedah (belief)/ Belief in the Last Day):

When a person enters Paradise, will he recognise his relatives? Yes, he will recognise his relatives and others, which will bring joy to his heart, because Allah, may He be exalted, says:

“(there will be) therein all that the ones inner-selves could desire, all that the eyes could delight in, and you will abide therein forever”

[az-Zukhruf 43:71].

Indeed a person will be gathered with his offspring in one status even if his offspring are of lower status than him, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And those who believe and whose offspring follow them in Faith, to them shall We join their offspring, and We shall not decrease the reward of their deeds in anything. Every person is a pledge for that which he has earned”

[at-Toor 52:21].

End quote.

Secondly:

We should differentiate between two things here:

-1-

The people of Paradise will visit one another, recognise one another and meet one another in the Gardens of delights. This is part of the perfect delight of the people of Paradise. There is nothing to prevent someone of a lower status in Paradise from visiting one who is above him, as also happens in this world.

Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Then they will turn to one another, mutually questioning.

A speaker of them will say: ‘Verily, I had a companion (in the world),

Who used to say: ‘Are you among those who believe (in resurrection after death)?

‘(That) when we die and become dust and bones, shall we indeed (be raised up) to receive reward or punishment (according to our deeds)?’

(The man) said: ‘Will you look down?’

So he looked down and saw him in the midst of the Fire.

He said: ‘By Allah! You have nearly ruined me.

‘Had it not been for the Grace of my Lord, I would certainly have been among those brought forth (to Hell).’

(Allah informs about that true believer that he said): ‘Are we then not to die (any more)?

‘Except our first death, and we shall not be punished? (after we have entered Paradise).’

Truly, this is the supreme success!

For the like of this let the workers work”

[as-Saaffaat :50-61].

Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Here, Allah, may He be exalted, tells us about the people of Paradise: they will turn to one another and ask one another about their situation, how they were in the world and what they used to suffer there? This is an example of their meeting and conversing over their drinks, whilst they are sitting on thrones, with servants around them, coming and going with delights such as food, drink, clothing and other things that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor has it entered the mind of man.

End quote from Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 7/15. See also Haadi al-Arwaah by Ibn al-Qayyim, 1/259-263

With regard to fathers and sons, or other family members, being gathered in the same level of Paradise on an eternal basis, what appears to be the case – and Allah knows best – is that this applies only to those who die in childhood and their parents; Allah will bless their parents in Paradise and raise the children to their status, so that they may have the joy of being with their children there.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said, after speaking of the difference of opinion concerning this matter:

It seems most likely that only those children who died in childhood are singled out in this case. No one of a lower degree could join someone of a higher degree, and the fact that children will join their parents is something natural, because a man usually has his children with him. And Allah knows best.

End quote from Haadi al-Arwaah, 398

This is also the view favoured by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him). See al-Baab al-Maftooh, 4/161

See also the answer to question no. 5981 and 10144

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

You should find out what will result from the civil divorce such as rulings having to do with children, inheritance, mahr and maintenance. If you have a child, will you be able to attribute him to his father? If one of you dies, will the other be able to inherit? How will you be able to prove your rights to maintenance and the deferred portion of the mahr, if there is any?

If you can avoid these negative consequences, and the possibility of your husband going to prison is a real one, then there is nothing wrong with you getting a civil divorce.

Secondly:

If the civil divorce does not involve your husband uttering the words of divorce (talaaq), and he signs it or writes it without the intention of talaaq, then it does not count as talaaq. This has been explained previously in the answers to questions no. 127179 and 72860

We advise you to have your marriage and your rights documented in a way that counts, such as doing the marriage contract in the Islamic Centre after the date of the divorce, if that could be of benefit, or documenting it in your original country or in another Islamic country, if that will not result in the problems that may result from documenting your marriage in the American courts.

We ask Allah to make things easy for you and to help you to obey Him.

Our advice to your husband is not to neglect the rights of his first wife and her child, and not to leave her hanging. Rather if he wishes he may divorce her or if he wishes he may keep her and give her her rights, unless she herself agrees to waive them.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

It is not permissible for the family of the deceased to make food and invite people to come and eat. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade that. Jareer ibn ‘Abdullah said: We used to regard gathering with the family of the deceased and making food after the burial as coming under the same heading as wailing.. Narrated by Ahmad, 6866; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Talkhees Ahkaam al-Janaa’iz.

It is not permissible to go to these meals and gatherings; rather what must be done is to tell people not to do that and to explain to them that it is contrary to Islam.

With regard to reciting Qur’aan together, if the group starts to recite Qur’aan together in unison, this is another innovation; this was not narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or from any of his Companions.

This has been discussed previously in the answer to question no. 4039.

Based on that, you should not have attended this gathering and if you did attend, then you should have explained to them that this action is not prescribed in Islam. If they did not respond to you then you should have left the place, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever among you sees an evil action, then let him change it with his hand [by taking action]; if he cannot, then with his tongue [by speaking out]; and if he cannot, then with his heart – and that is the weakest of faith.”

Narrated by Muslim, 49

Part of objecting to evil in the heart is leaving the place where it is happening.

See also the answer the question no. 96662

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

The fact that karaamaat (miracles) happened to the righteous of this ummah is something that is proven and there is no doubt concerning it. This is one of the ways in which Allah makes His believing slave steadfast and is part of his reward in this world.

At-Tahhaawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-‘Aqeedah (p. 84):

We believe in what is narrated about their karaamaat and what is mentioned in saheeh reports from trustworthy narrators. End quote.

But it is essential to approach this matter with caution and correct understanding, because extraordinary events may happen to some who promote misguidance, which may make the ignorant think that these are karaamaat when in fact it is the deceit of the devils.

Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

The karaamaat of the close friends of Allah (awliya’) are true according to the consensus of the imams of Islam and of Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa‘ah. That is indicated by the Qur’aan in more than one place and by saheeh hadeeths and well founded reports from the Sahaabah, Taabi‘een and others. It is only denied by innovators such as the Mu‘talizah, Jahamiyyah and those who followed them. But many of those who claim to have performed miracles or to whom people attributed miracles may have been lying or confused.

End quote from Mukhtasar al-Fataawa al-Masriyyah, 2/63

It should be noted that the true miracle for the slaves of Allah, and especially for His close friends (awliya’), only occurs because of their following the path of righteousness and their adherence to it.

Shaykh al-Islam said:

The real karaamah (honour) is steadfastness in adhering to the path of righteousness; There is no honour that Allah bestows on any of His slaves that can match the honour of helping him to do that which He loves and which pleases Him, and to do more of that which will bring him closer to Him and raise him in status.

End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 11/298

Secondly:

Some of these privileges or honours (miracles) happened to Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him), which were narrated from him by some of his students and those who knew him.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

I saw wondrous examples of the intuition of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) and I have never seen anything greater than it. The incidents of his intuition would fill a huge volume.

He told his companions about the Tatars entering ash-Shaam (greater Syria) in 699AH, and that the Muslim armies would be defeated, but there would be no widescale killing or taking of prisoners in Damascus, and that the (enemy) army’s main interest would be in seizing wealth. This was before the Tatars took any action to attack.

Then he told the people and the commanders in 702 AH, when the Tatars started moving and were heading towards greater Syria, that they would be defeated and the Muslims would be victorious, and he swore more than seventy oaths to that effect. It was said to him: Say In sha Allah (if Allah wills). So he said In sha Allah, but it was in affirmation and certainty, not with any sense of doubt or hesitation. And I (Ibn al-Qayyim) heard him say that.

And his intuition concerning the details of these two battles was very great indeed.

When he was summoned to Egypt, there were plans afoot to kill him – after a great deal of scheming to get rid of him, and many people were against him. His companions gathered to bid him farewell and they said: We have received many letters confirming that the people (in Egypt) are intending to kill you. He said: By Allah, it will never go that far. They said: Will you be imprisoned? He said: Yes, and it will be for a long time, then I will come out and I will speak up for the Sunnah, addressing large crowds of people. I heard him say that.

When his enemy who was known as al-Jaashinkeer came to power, they told him about that and said: Now he has the power to do whatever he wants with you. And he prostrated to Allah in gratitude, and remained in prostration for a long time. It was said to him: Why did you do this prostration? He said: This is the beginning of his humiliation and the end of his power has begun from now; the demise of his authority is at hand. It was said: When will that be? He said: The troops’ horses will not be bridled before his authority will vanish. And it turned out as he said. I heard him say that.

On one occasion he said: My companions and others enter upon me and I see in their faces and in their eyes things that I do not mention to them. I – or someone else – said to him: Why don’t you tell them? He said: Do you want me to be like a spy for the authorities?

One day I said to him: If you told us about that, it would help us to adhere to the straight path and righteousness. He said: You would not be able to put up with me for one week – or he said, one month.

On more than one occasion he told me about private, personal matters that I had decided to do but I had not spoken of them. And he told me about some major events that would happen in the future but he did not state a specific time; I have seen some of them and I am waiting for the rest.

What his senior companions saw of that is many more times what I have seen

End quote from Madaarij as-Saalikeen, 2/458-459

Better than this is what was narrated from him by Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) in his book al-Waabil as-Sayyib (p. 67) in which he said:

Allah knows, I have never seen anyone more happy and content than him despite the hardship he was living through and the type of life that is the opposite of luxury and pleasure, and despite what he went through of imprisonment, threats and exhaustion. Despite all that he was one of the most content and happiest of people, one of the strongest in spirit and most joyful; you could see in his face the glow of serenity. I remember when we were very fearful and were feeling pessimistic and distressed; we would come to him and no sooner did we see him or hear his words but all of those negative feelings would disappear and turn into peace of mind, strength, certainty and reassurance. Glory be to the One Who caused His slaves to experience the joy of His Paradise before meeting Him and opened its gates to them in the realm of striving (i.e. this world) so that some of its comforting breezes and fragrance could reach them and motivate them to seek it and compete for it. End quote.

Thirdly:

With regard to karaamaat (miracles) of the righteous among this ummah, such as the scholars, devoted worshippers and ascetics, there are many such stories. We will quote a few examples of such incidents that were narrated by the scholars in their books. However we should point out that many of the stories that have been narrated in this regard may not be sound, so it is essential to verify reports of this nature before taking them seriously or quoting them.

It was narrated that Qays ibn Abi Haazim said: I saw Khaalid ibn al-Waleed (may Allah be pleased with him) in Heerah. Some poison was brought to him and he said: What is this? They said: Poison that kills in a very short time. He said: Bismillah (in the name of Allah), then he swallowed it and nothing bad happened to him.

Sharh Usool I‘tiqaad Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa‘ah, 6/498; al-Bidaayah wa’n-Nihaayah, 6/382

It was narrated that Thaabit al-Bunaani said: I was with Anas when his steward came to him and said: O Abu Hamzah, our land is very dry. Anas got up and did wudoo’, then he went out to the desert and prayed two rak‘ahs, then he offered supplication (du‘aa’). And I saw the clouds gathering, then it rained until everything was full. When the rain stopped, Anas sent one of his family members to look and said: See how far the rain reached. So he looked and it had not reached beyond his land except a short distance.

End quote from Sharh Usool I‘tiqaad Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa‘ah, 7/11; al-Bidaayah wa’n-Nihaayah, 9/107

It was narrated that Ja‘far ibn Zayd al-‘Abdi said: We went out on campaign to Kabul and among the army was Silah ibn Ashyam. When we got close to the land of the enemy, the commander said: No one among the troops should wander off away from the army. A mule of Silah’s strayed, carrying its load, and he started to pray. It was said: The people (i.e. the army) have started moving on. He said: It is only two brief rak‘ahs. Then he offered supplication (du‘aa’) and said: O Allah, I urge You to return my mule and its load to me. Then it came and stood in front of him.

End quote from Sharh Usool I‘tiqaad Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa‘ah, 7/142

It was narrated that Naafi‘ ibn Abi Nu‘aym said: When Abu Ja‘far Yazeed ibn al-Qa‘qaa‘ al-Qaari’ was washed (ghusl) after he died, they looked at the area between his throat and chest and saw that it looked like a page of the Mushaf. He said: None of those who were present doubted that it was the light of the Qur’aan.

End quote from Tahdheeb al-Kamaal, 33/201

It was narrated from Muhammad ibn Ziyaad al-Alhaani, from Abu Muslim al-Khawlaani, that a woman turned his wife against him, so he prayed against her and she lost her sight. Then she came to him and said: O Abu Muslim, I did such and such, but I shall not do it again. He said: O Allah, if she is telling the truth then restore her sight to her. And she regained her sight.

End quote from Hilyat al-Awliya’, 5/121

It was narrated that Bilaal ibn Ka‘b al-‘Akki said: Some boys said to Abu Muslim al-Khawlaani when a gazelle passed by: Pray to Allah to detain this gazelle for us. He prayed to Allah (du‘aa’) and He detained it until they caught it with their hands.

End quote from Tareekh Dimashq, 27/215

It was narrated that Shaqeeq said: I was in some farmland of mine when a cloud came, and I heard from it a voice saying: Rain on the land of So and so. So I went to the man and said: What do you do with your crops? He said: I plant one third (i.e., save the seeds for planting), I eat one third and I give one third in charity.

End quote from Sharh Usool I‘tiqaad Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa‘ah, 7/94

It was narrated from Abu’l-‘Alaa’ ibn ‘Abdillah ibn ash-Shakhkheer that ‘Aamir ibn ‘Abd Qays used to take his stipend and carry it in the hem of his rida’ (upper garment), and he would not meet any of the poor who asked him for something but he would give him something. Then when he entered upon his family, he gave it to them and they counted it, and it was the same as what he had been given (i.e., it had not decreased at all).

End quote from Tareekh Dumashq, 26/29; al-Isaabah, 5/77

It was narrated that Yoonus said: When Mutarrif ibn ‘Abdillah entered his house, the vessels in his house would glorify Allah.

End quote from Tareekh Dimashq, 58/323; Hilyat al-Awliya’, 2/206

It was narrated that Qataadah said: Mutarrif ibn ‘Abdillah and a companion of his were walking on a dark night, and at the end of the whip of one of them there was a light. He said to his companion: If we tell people about this they will say that we are lying. Mutarrif said: The one who says we are lying is more of a liar.

End quote from Hilyat al-Awliya’, 2/205; Siyar A‘laam an-Nubala’, 4/193

It was narrated that al-Jurayri said: ‘Abdullah ibn Shaqeeq was a man whose du‘aa’s were answered. Clouds would pass by him and he would say: O Allah, do not let them go beyond such and such a place before it rains, and they would not go beyond that place before it rained.

End quote from Tareekh Dimashq, 29/161

It was narrated that al-Haarith ibn an-Nu‘maan said: Ibraaheem ibn Adham used to pick fresh dates from oak trees.

End quote from Tareekh Dimashq, 6/326; Siyar A‘laam an-Nubala’, 7/393

It was narrated that Yahya ibn Katheer al-Basri said: Kahmas ibn al-Hasan bought some flour for one dirham and ate some of it, then after a long time he weighed it and found that it was the same weight as when he bought it.

End quote from Siyar A‘laam an-Nubala’, 6/317

There are many such stories in the books of the scholars that deal with biographies and stories of the salaf (early generations), such as az-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad, Hilyat al-Awliya’ by Abu Na‘eem al-Asbahaani, Siyar A‘laam an-Nubala’ by adh-Dhahabi, al-Bidaayah wa’n-Nihaayah by Ibn Katheer, and many others. But some of these stories are not saheeh and some are exaggerated, especially the stories told by the Sufis in their books about their shaykhs. Hence at-Tahhaawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

We believe in what is narrated of their karaamaat that is proven to be narrated from trustworthy narrators.

Shaykh al-Albaani said in his commentary on at-Tahhaawiyyah:

The author did well to limit it to the reports that are proven to be sound, because the people, especially among later generations of Muslims, narrated very many stories of karaamaat, to such an extent that they narrated many false stories under that heading which no one who has the slightest reason or common sense would doubt are false. In fact in some cases they contain major shirk, associating others with the Lordship of Allah (ruboobiyyah).

End quote from Takhreej al-‘Aqeedah at-Tahhaawiyyah, p. 84

We hope that you will read a very important book on this topic which is entitled al-Furqaan bayna Awliya’ ar-Rahmaan wa Awliya’ ash-Shaytaan by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him).

For more information please see the answer to question no. 125276

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

Reviling and impugning may be either justifiable or unjustifiable.

Firstly:

If it is justifiable, such as if a Muslim is wronged in an obvious manner, or is harmed in a way that cannot be denied, then there is nothing wrong with warding off harm and enmity from oneself by reviling and impugning, whether that is done secretly or openly, without transgressing or overstepping the mark, although it is better not to do that.

Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Allaah does not like that the evil should be uttered in public except by him who has been wronged. And Allaah is Ever All‑Hearer, All‑Knower”

[an-Nisa’ 4:148].

As-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Here Allah tells us that He does not like evil to be uttered in public, i.e., He hates that, dislikes it and punishes for it. That includes all bad words that may cause hurt and make people sad, such as reviling, slandering, impugning and so on. All of that comes under the heading of forbidden things that Allah hates.

What is implied is that Allah loves good kinds of speech such as dhikr and kind and gentle words.

“except by him who has been wronged” means, it is permissible for him to pray against the one who has wronged him, and to make a complaint about him. He may speak out openly against the one who uttered evil against him publicly, without telling lies about him and without going any further in wrongdoing than he did. And he should not overstep the mark and revile anyone other than the one who wronged him. Yet despite that forgiving him and not responding in kind is preferable, as Allah says: “but whoever forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is with Allaah”[ash-Shoora 42:40]. End quote.

Tayseer al-Kareem ar-Rahmaan, p. 212.

Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And indeed whosoever takes revenge after he has suffered wrong, for such there is no way (of blame) against them.

42. The way (of blame) is only against those who oppress men and rebel in the earth without justification; for such there will be a painful torment”

[ash-Shoora 42:41-42].

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

“When two people revile one another, the sin of what they say is on the one who started it, so long as the one who is wronged does not overstep the mark.”. Narrated by Muslim, 2587.

The best supplication that the one who is wronged may offer concerning the wrongdoer is that which was narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) by Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to say: “O Allah, correct my hearing and my sight, and allow me to retain them until I die. Lead me to victory over those who have done me injustice and allow me to see vengeance.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari in al-Adab al-Mufrad, 1/226; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani. See ad-Du‘aa’ by at-Tabaraani, 1/421-426

Al-Khateeb ash-Sharbeeni (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

If one person reviles another, it is permissible for the one who was reviled to revile him back as much as he reviled him, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “The recompense for an evil is an evil like thereof” [ash-Shoora 42:40]. It is not permissible for him to revile his father or mother. It was narrated that when Zaynab reviled ‘Aa’ishah, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to her – as narrated in Sunan Ibn Maajah and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani: “You should say something to defend yourself.” [‘Aa’ishah said:] So I turned on her, until I saw that her mouth had become dry, and she did not say anything back to me. And I saw the Prophet (S) with his face shining. Rather all that is permitted is reviling which does not involve lying or slander, such as saying, “O wrongdoer” or “O fool”, because hardly anyone is free from these descriptions. Once a person has stood up to defend himself  by reviling the one who reviled him, then the matter is settled and the first person is in the clear, but he has the sin of initiating the exchange and the sin of transgressing the limits set by Allah.

End quote.

Mughni al-Muhtaaj, 4/157

But it is far better and closer to perfection to forgive, pardon and overlook, in the hope that Allah will pardon us on the Day of Resurrection, for the recompense will fit the nature of the deed.

Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“The recompense for an evil is an evil like thereof; but whoever forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is with Allaah. Verily, He likes not the Zaalimoon (oppressors, polytheists, and wrongdoers)”

[ash-Shoora 42:40].

And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “O ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir, uphold ties with those who cut you off, give to those who withhold from you, and forgive those who wrong you.”

Narrated by Ahmad, 4/158; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani, as-Silsilah as-Saheehah, 891

It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said that a blanket of hers was stolen, and she started to pray against the one who had stolen it. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not reduce his burden of sin by making du‘aa’ against him.”

Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1497; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Targheeb, 2468

There are also reports from the Taabi‘een that point to the superiority of forgiving and overlooking in this world.

Al-Haytham ibn Mu‘aawiyah said:

Whoever is wronged and does not retaliate in word or deed, and does not bear resentment in his heart, that will be his light among people. End quote. Narrated by al-Bayhawi in Shu‘ab al-Eemaan, 6/264

Secondly:

If the reviling and impugning is done unlawfully, i.e., as a result of personal resentment or hatred based on malicious envy (hasad), or because one dislikes a person’s appearance, lineage, conduct or anything else that results in people reviling and insulting others, this is something that is clearly forbidden and comes under the heading of slips of the tongue that consume (i.e., wipe out) good deeds and incur punishment for bad deeds, whether it is done secretly or openly.

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Insulting a Muslim is an evil action and fighting him is kufr.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 48; Muslim, 64.

It was also narrated from him (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (sa) said: “The believer is not given to insulting, cursing a great deal, obscene talk or foul speech.”

Narrated by at-Tirmidhi, 1977; he said: it is hasan ghareeb. It was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi.

Al-Mubaarakfoori (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“The believer” means: the perfect believer

“is not given to insulting” i.e., criticizing people

“or cursing a great deal” i.e., cursing excessively, because the perfect believer can hardly be free from some shortcomings

“obscene talk” i.e., he does not commit obscene actions or utter obscene speech ??? next 2 lines

“or foul speech” al-Qaari said: this refers to the one who has no shame.

End quote.

Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi, 6/111

Thirdly:

If the reviling or impugning occurs in one’s heart or mind, such as a thought that crosses the mind without one meaning it to or uttering it out loud – rather it is some passing thought or whispers that may come to mind about reviling So and so, but he does not pay attention to it or resolve to do it – then this comes under the heading of passing thoughts that are forgiven, in sha Allah, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah has forgiven my ummah for what crosses their minds so long as they do not act upon it or speak of it.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4968l Muslim, 127

But there is the fear that of these thoughts become persistent and settle in the heart, they may come under the heading of deeds of the heart for which a person will be brought to account.

Al-Qaasimi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

As for the effects of anger on the heart, such as resentment, malicious envy, wishing ill, rejoicing in the misfortunes of another, begrudging his happiness, resolving to spread his secrets and transgress his privacy, making fun of him, and other evil actions, these are the fruits of excessive anger.

End quote from Tahdheeb Maw‘izat al-Mu’mineen, 312.

Al-Ghazaali (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

It should be noted that thinking bad things is haraam, just like saying bad things. Just as it is haraam for you to say bad things about another person, you do not have the right to think bad things about your brother and think negatively of him. What I mean is when one forms a solid idea and decides that another person is bad and evil. As for passing thoughts, they are forgiven. Thinking here refers to what one focuses on and is inclined towards.

End quote.

Ihya’ ‘Uloom ad-Deen, 3/150. See also al-Adhkaar by an-Nawawi, 344

And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allaah.

It is permissible to wipe over the khuffayn (leather slippers) or socks for a reason or otherwise. The one who is not travelling may wipe over his socks for one day and one night, and the traveller may do so for three days and nights.

If a person needs to wear socks and has someone who can put them on for him, even if that is in return for payment, then he must wipe over them and it is not permissible for him to move to the option of tayammum or to regard the socks as being like a plaster cast; rather they are socks that he puts on after purifying himself completely.

It is permissible for someone else to wipe over the socks for him, as it is also permissible for someone else to help him to do wudoo’.

Ibn ‘Aabideen (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his commentary on al-Bahr ar-Raa’iq (1/182): If he tells someone to wipe over his khuffayn and he does so, that is valid as it says in al-Khulaasah.

It is not stipulated that the wiping be done directly with the hand; if he wiped with a piece of cloth or a sponge dampened with water and attached to a stick (a long-handled sponge, as you mention), that is permissible.

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Majmoo‘ (1/549): Our companions said: It is acceptable to wipe (over the khuffayn) with the hand, a finger, a stick, a cloth or something else.

This is also the view of the Hanbalis. See al-Insaaf, 1/160, 185.

And if he walks on a wet piece of cloth or through wet grass, that is acceptable.

It says in al-Bahr ar-Raa’iq (1/182): If the place that is to be wiped got wet by water or rain the width of three fingers, that is permissible. The same applies if he walks through grass that has been made wet by rain. End quote.

See also Asna al-Mataalib, 1/97

As you can see, the matter is quite simple, praise be to Allah.

If the disabled person does not have anyone who can wipe his socks for him or he is not able to wipe them himself with a cloth and the like, he should wash the parts of his body that are to be washed in wudoo’, and do tayammum for whatever he is unable to wash. See the answer to question no. 71202

Secondly:

If it is too difficult to take the socks off and put them back on again, then the ruling on a plaster cast applies and there is no time limit. So he may use them so long as they are on him, and wipe over the entire thing, top and bottom (of the feet)and to the ankles. It is not stipulated that he put them on when in a state of purity. He may wipe them himself, using his hand or something else, or someone else can wipe them for him. If he cannot find someone to wipe them for him, even in return for payment, then he may wash the parts of the body that are to be washed in wudoo’ and do tayammum for his feet, as stated above.

We ask Allah to grant well-being to all the sick Muslims.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

It is permissible for the father to share out whatever he wants of his wealth between his daughters and transfer it to their ownership. This comes under the heading of giving gifts. But he does not have the right to share out all of his wealth with the aim of depriving the rest of his heirs. This has been discussed in the answer to question no. 132928

In Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (16/484) it says: Praise be to Allah, my Lord has blessed me with four daughters, aged 10, 8, 5 and 3 years, and a wife. I have a sister who is married, and she has children. I own a building comprised of four apartments. I have written a sale contract between me and my wife for one third of the value of the building, and I wrote another sale contract between me and my wife so that she can buy the second third for my daughters. So the first third is for my wife and the second third is for my daughters, and I have left the last third. Of course I tell you frankly that I have not received any money; the purpose behind that is so that no one will dispute with them concerning their inheritance, because they are girls (i.e., weak offspring). What is the ruling on that? Please advise me, may Allah reward you with good.

Answer: it is not permissible for a man to draw up a contract to transfer his wealth in order to deprive some of the heirs. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, is watching each individual and sees his intention and aims. We warn you against doing something for which you may be punished. And Allah is the source of strength. May Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.

Bakr Abu Zayd, ‘Abd al-‘Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh, Saalih al-Fawzaan, ‘Abdullah ibn Ghadyaan, ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Baaz.

End quote.

Secondly:

The investment certificates issued by banks of all three types, A, B and C, are all haraam.

This has been discussed previously in the answer to question no. 126073

If the certificates that you have are of this type, you have to get rid of them and get your money back, and look for another place where you can invest it in a halaal manner.

We ask Allah to help you and provide for you by His grace.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A