Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

A person may not know the real reason for which Allah tests him in this world until the Day of Resurrection, when he will discover the high status that Allah, may He be exalted, has prepared for him in Paradise if he is patient and seeks reward. At that time he will realise that Allah, may He be exalted, tried and tested him by His grace and in His wisdom.

It was narrated from Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “On the Day of Resurrection, those who were hale and hearty will wish that their skin had been cut with scissors, when they see the reward of those who were put to trial.”

Narrated by at-Tirmidhi, 2402; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in as-Silsilah al-Hadeethah, 2206

It seems that you have, praise be to Allah, overcome that situation and its psychological effects; in fact I hope that you have emerged psychologically stronger, with higher morale and a purer spirit, for in every trial there is a blessing and after every calamity comes well being. No one should regret what has passed and dwell on the past that will never come back; rather he should learn a lesson from it for today and be optimistic about his future.

In your story there is a lesson for parents who are responsible for their children before Allah, may He be exalted, that they should not send them to places of danger on the grounds of thinking well of relatives. The unfortunate reality compels us to say that many cases of molestation come from relatives. We ask Allah to keep us safe and sound.

This is not a call to sever ties of kinship and cause division among people; rather it is a call to be always careful and take precautions as dictated by the situation. Parents have to take proper precautions without going to extremes or being negligent. Islam has given us an important principle in this regard, which is the principle of blocking the means (that may lead to evil). In fact Islam teaches us to take precautions even among siblings in the same house. That was when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed us to separate children in their beds, as was narrated by Abu Dawood (495) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani.

Al-Munaawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: i.e., separate your children in their beds in which they sleep when they reach the age of ten years, so as to avoid temptations, even if they are his siblings.

End quote from Fayd al-Qadeer, 5/531]

At-Teebi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Telling them to pray and separating them in their beds are mentioned together in childhood for the purpose of discipline and adhering to all the commands of Allah… And for the purpose of teaching them good manners among people, and so that they will not find themselves in suspicious circumstances, and so that they may avoid all things that Allah has prohibited.

End quote from Sharh Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 2/155

In your story there is also a lesson for parents that they should check on their children’s situations and make the children get used to talking frankly about every issue they face, whether it is in school, in the street or in the home. Many children encounter problems and suffer mental illness as a result, and the parents are completely unaware of that, when they could have relieved their children of what was affecting them. But lack of frankness within the family leads to embarrassment in the children that prevents them from complaining to their parents.

Secondly:

With regard to what you mentioned about the young man who has proposed marriage to you, and your speaking frankly to him and telling him what happened to you when you were small, and his accepting it and not objecting – that is a blessing from Allah to you. Allah has brought you someone who will excuse you for what happened to you when you were small and will conceal a matter in which you were mistreated, and he wants to marry you you in the manner prescribed by Allah. May Allah reward him with good.

But you made a mistake when you continued to talk to one another before the shar‘i connection between you was made (i.e., marriage). You could have done the Islamic marriage contract and delayed consummation of the marriage until he graduates or finds work. But if the matter is allowed to remain as it is now, that is undoubtedly haraam, because there is no legitimate shar‘i relationship between you. Rather all it is at present is wishes and promises of marriage.

What you have to do is adhere to the Islamic ruling; it is not permissible for you to continue talking to one another until the shar‘i marriage contract has been done. If he is sincere in his promise to marry you, then he will respond to the ruling of Allah and will hasten to do the marriage contract, or he will cut off contact until he graduates. If he does not respond to the ruling of Allah, may He be exalted, then be very careful in that case, for his aim may be only to have fun and pass the time talking to girls, in which case he is using the promise of marriage as a means to get what he wants, especially if he knows the situation; this may be an opportunity for the Shaytaan to whisper to him and cause trouble.

You do not have to tell any suitor of what happened to you, and it does not matter if the hymen has been broken, because the hymen may be broken by jumping or by heavy menstrual bleeding.

We have previously published on our website several answers having to do with the ruling on talking and chatting between the sexes, such as the answers to questions no. 7492, 13791, 26890, 45668, 66266, 82702

We ask Allah, may He be exalted, to protect you, guide you and bless you with contentment and happiness.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

This du’aa’ is not proven from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Something similar was narrated by Ibn Abi’l-Dunya in al-Faraj ba’d al-Shiddah, via al-Khaleel ibn Murrah from the faqeeh of the people of Jordan, who said “we heard that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)…” It was classed as da’eef by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Da’eefah, 4173; and Da’eef al-Jaami’, 4348

Since it has not been proven in any saheeh report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said this, no attention should be paid to it. 

There are du’aa’s which have been narrated in saheeh ahaadeeth which are sufficient, and we have no need for the du’aa’s narrated in weak reports. These du’aa’s protect the Muslim, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) always used to recite them, such as the dhikrs for morning and evening, and other saheeh ahaadeeth. For example:

1 – Reciting the last two verses of Soorat al-Baqarah every night. It was narrated that Abu Mas’ood al-Badri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The last two verses of Soorat al-Baqarah, whoever recites them at night, they will be sufficient for him.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4008; Muslim, 807. al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “With regard to the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) ‘they will be sufficient for him,’ it was said that it means they will suffice instead of praying qiyaam al-layl; and it was said, they will suffice him against the Shaytaan, or against harm. It may be understood as meaning all of these things.’”

2 – Du’aa’ al-karb (prayer at times of stress). It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say at times of stress:

“Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah ul-‘azeem al-haleem, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah Rabb il-‘arsh il’azeem, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah Rabb ul-samawaati wa rabb ul-ard wa rabb ul-‘arsh il-kareem (There is no god but Allaah, the Almighty, the Forbearing; there is no god but Allaah, Lord of the Mighty Throne; there is no god but Allaah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth and Lord of the noble Throne).” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6346; Muslim, 2730.

Reciting Soorat al-Ikhlaas, Soorat al-Falaq and Soorat al-Naas. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite them when going to sleep, and he would blow into his hands and then wipe them over whatever he could reach of his body. It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that every night when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went to bed, he would cup his hands together, blow into them then recite into them Qul Huwa Allaahu ahad, Qul a’oodhu bi Rabb il-falaq and Qul ‘aoodhu bi Rabb il-naas, then he would wipe as much as he could reach of his body, starting with his head and face and the front of his body. And he would do that three times. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5018.

And it was narrated that ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Have you not seen the verses that were revealed tonight, the like of which has never been seen? Qul a’oodhu bi Rabb il-falaq and Qul ‘aoodhu bi Rabb il-naas. Narrated by Muslim, 814.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

This saying, “The sleep of the scholar is better than the worship of the ignorant”, is not a hadeeth from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and it is not a report from any of the Sahaabah or Taabi‘een. It is not known in the books of Sunnah and hadeeth, and we have not come across it in any of the recognized books of Sunnah, even after extensive searching.

Rather we found it among the books of the Shi‘ah which are full of fabrications and lies, in a book called Man la yahduruhu al-Faqeeh (4/352-367) by ash-Shaykh as-Sadooq (d. 381 AH), where it says:

“It was narrated from Hammaad ibn ‘Amr and Anas ibn Muhammad from his father, and they both – meaning Hammaad and Muhammad the father of Anas – narrated from Ja‘far ibn Muhammad, from his father, from his grandfather, from ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib, from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he said to him: – and he mentioned a very lengthy hadeeth, in which he said: ‘O ‘Ali! The sleep of the scholar is better than the worship of the worshipper.’”

From this book it was picked up by many of the books of the Shi‘ah, such as Makaarim al-Akhlaaq by at-Tubrusi (d. 548 AH), p. 441; Bihaar al-Anwaar by al-Majlisi, 2/25; and elsewhere.

The indication of falsehood is clear in this hadeeth. Hammaad ibn ‘Amr and Muhammad the father of Anas are both majhool (unknown) and are not known to have been narrated from Ja‘far as-Saadiq. There is no mention of him in the books of the Sunnis or even in the books of the Shi‘ah, to such an extent that the commentator on the book Man la yahduruhu Faqeeh (1/536) said, when Shaykh as-Sadooq attributed its isnaad to Hammaad ibn ‘Amr and Anas: “Hammaad ibn ‘Amr, perhaps he is from the city of Naseebiyyeen, and is not mentioned, and the same applies to Anas ibn Muhammad. In the isnaad going back to them there are unknown narrators, and it is as if they are from among the regular masses”– meaning Ahl as-Sunnah!

When Abu’l-Qaasim al-Kho’i gave a biography of him in Mu‘jam Rijaal al-Hadeeth, 7/235, he did not narrate from anyone that they regarded him as trustworthy. Rather he also said: “as-Sadooq’s isnaad going back to him about the will (wasiyyah) of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him and his family) to Ameer al-Mu’mineen [‘Ali] (peace be upon him) is da‘eef (weak), and includes a number of unknown narrators.” End quote.

It is sufficient for you to know that hundreds of hadeeths that are attributed to Ja‘far as-Saadiq were only narrated with this isnaad going back to him, which even some of the Shi ‘ah admit includes some unknown narrators, and the unknown narrator is used as a means to tell lies about the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).

Similar to this is another saying, “The sleep of the scholar is worship.” These are not the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) either. Mullah ‘Ali al-Qaari (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It has no basis in any marfoo‘ report (one that has an isnaad going back to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)).

End quote from al-Asraar al-Marfoo‘ah fi’l-Akhbaar al-Mawdoo‘ah, p. 374

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

1.

Imam an-Nasaa’i is Ahmad ibn Shu‘ayb ibn ‘Ali ibn Sinaan ibn Bahr al-Khurasaani an-Nasaa’i, who was known by the kunyah Abu ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan or as an-Nasaa’i, after a city in Korasan that is called Nasa. 

2.

He was born in 215 AH and died in 303 AH.

3.

His book as-Sunan as-Sughra is known as al-Mujtaba or al-Mujtana, but the former is more correct and more well-known. The scholars differed concerning it: is it an abridged version that he himself compiled, as Ibn al-Atheer, Ibn Katheer, al-‘Iraqi and al-Sakhkhaawi said, or is it an abridged version prepared by his student Abu Bakr ibn as-Sunni, as is the view of adh-Dhahabi and Ibn Naasir ad-Deen ad-Dimashqi?

4.

The number of hadeeths in as-Sunan as-Sughra is 5774.

5.

Some scholars gave the title as-Saheeh to Sunan an-Nasaa’i, including Abu ‘Ali an-Nisapoori, Ibn ‘Adiy, ad-Daaraqutni, Ibn Mandah and al-Khateeb al-Baghdadi, because of the stringent conditions of Imam an-Nasaa’i and his careful examination of hadeeths. But this opinion cannot be accepted from the one who suggested it, because the number of da‘eef hadeeths in his Sunan is approximately five hundred, according to the verdict of Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him). The number differs according to the ruling of the scholar who is examining the book. We see that Imam Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) criticised those who said that the hadeeths in Sunan an-Nasaa’i were saheeh, and he criticised those who said that the conditions of an-Nasaa’i were more stringent than the conditions of Imam Muslim (may Allah have mercy on him), as he said:

“The opinion of al-Haafiz Abu ‘Ali ibn as-Sakan and also of al-Khateeb al-Baghdadi concerning the book as-Sunan by an-Nasaa’i, that it is saheeh, is debatable. And (their opinion that) his conditions concerning the narrators were more stringent than the conditions of Muslim is not a given, because his narrators include men who are unknown (majhool), in that they themselves or their level of trustworthiness and accuracy is unknown; they also include majrooh narrators (i.e., those whose reports are rejected because of flaws in their character etc). And it contains hadeeths that are da‘eef, mu‘allal and munkar (types of weak hadeeths), as we have pointed out in al-Ahkaam al-Kabeer.”

Al-Baa‘ith al-Hatheeth fi Ikhtisaar ‘Uloom al-Hadeeth, p. 44

6.

as-Sunan as-Sughra contains the fewest da‘eef hadeeths among the six books after the Saheehayn (al-Bukhaari and Muslim); there is not a single mawdoo‘ (fabricated) hadeeth in it.

al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: To sum up, the book of an-Nasaa’i contains the fewest da‘eef hadeeths and majrooh narrators among the books after the Saheehayn .

End quote from an-Nukat ‘ala Kitaab Ibn as-Salaah, 1/484

7.

There are many commentaries on an-Nasaa’i’s as-Sunan as-Sughra, among the most famous of which is the commentary of as-Suyooti which is entitled Zahr ar-Raba ‘ala’l-Mujtaba. There is also a commentary on it by Imam Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Haadi as-Sindi. And there is an audio commentary on as-Sunan by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Muhsin al-‘Abbaad (may Allah preserve him). One of the most comprehensive commentaries is Dhakheerat al-‘Uqbah fi Sharh al-Mujtaba by Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Aadam ibn Moosa al-Ithiyobi (may Allah preserve him), which is contemporary and has been published in forty volumes! The first five volumes of it have been published by Dar al-Mi‘raaj in Riyadh and the rest of its volumes were published by Dar Aal Baroom in Makkah al-Mukarramah; it is also available on the Internet on the al-Maktabah al-Wafqiyyah website and elsewhere.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

It is not permissible to buy and sell pigs or any part of them, such as the skin, bones and fat, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say (O Muhammad ): ‘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), or the flesh of swine (pork, etc.) for that surely is impure”

[al-An‘aam 6:145].

Al-Jassaas (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Although meat is singled out for mention, what is meant is all parts (of the pig). The meat is only singled out for mention because that is what is mostly used and sought from it.

End quote from Ahkaam al-Qur’aan, 1/153.

It was narrated from Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say in the year of the conquest when he was in Makkah: “Verily Allah and His Messenger have forbidden the sale of alcohol, dead meat (from animals that were not slaughtered properly), pork and idols.” It was said: O Messenger of Allah, what do you think about the fat of animals that were not slaughtered properly, for it is used to caulk ships and is applied to leather and people use it to light lamps? He said: “No, it is haraam.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2082; Muslim, 2960.

Ibn Battaal (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The scholars are unanimously agreed that buying and selling pork is haraam.

End quote from Ibn Battaal’s commentary on Saheeh al-Bukhaari, 6/344

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: With regard to the prohibition on selling pork, it includes the entire pig and all of its parts, outside and inside.

End quote from Zaad al-Ma‘aad, 5/674

But… If it is not possible to acquire pig bones except by buying them and there is no other substance that can take its place, then there is nothing wrong with you doing that because this is a case of necessity, and necessity makes permissible that which is forbidden as Allah, may He be exalted, said (interpretation of the meaning):

“while He has explained to you in detail what is forbidden to you, except under compulsion of necessity”

[al-An‘aam 6:119].

Secondly:

There is nothing wrong with making use of pig bones in the way mentioned to manufacture glue, because bones come under the same rulings as the fat of dead animals, and the hadeeth only forbade selling it, not making use of it. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: There are two scholarly opinions concerning the phrase “it is haraam”. One is that these actions are haraam, and the other is that selling is haraam if the purchaser is buying it for that purpose. These two opinions are based on the question of whether the prohibition applies to selling it for the purpose mentioned or to the use mentioned. The former is the opinion favoured by our shaykh and it is more likely to be correct, because when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told them of this prohibition, he was not referring to these uses of it;  rather he told them about the prohibition on selling, then they told him that they trade in it for these purposes, and he did not grant them a concession allowing them to sell it, but he did not forbid them to use it in the ways mentioned. The fact that something is permissible to sell does not necessarily mean that it is permissible to use. And Allah knows best.

End quote from I‘laam al-Muwaqqi‘een, 4/248.

So it is permissible to make use of these bones without buying them. If there is a need for that and it is not possible to find them except by buying, then it is permissible to buy them.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

The basic principle is that it is not permissible for men to use gold, whether as an adornment or for medicinal purposes, except in cases of necessity.

If a specialist doctor thinks that treatment of the tooth, whether by using a “bridge”, filling it or inserting a screw to fix it, can only be done using gold, there is nothing wrong with that. But if it is possible to treat the tooth just as well using some other material, then it is not permissible to use gold, because of the report narrated by ‘Urfujah ibn As‘ad (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: My nose was cut off on the day of (the battle of) al-Kulaab during the Jaahiliyyah, so I had a nose made of silver, but it began to smell bad, so the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told me to get a nose made of gold.

Narrated by at-Tirmidhi, 1770; classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: With regard to the view of the author, that in cases of necessity it is permissible to use gold, this is agreed upon (among the scholars). Our companions said: It is permissible to use an (artificial) nose or tooth made of gold or silver; similarly, putting fillings of gold and silver in teeth is permissible.

End quote from Sharh al-Muhadhdhab, 1/312

It says in al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 11/121:

The fuqaha’ are unanimously agreed that it is permissible to use a nose made of gold. The Malikis and Hanbalis, and Muhammad ibn al-Hasan among the Hanafis, and the Shaafa‘is, said: (This also applies to) teeth. And the Shaafa‘is added: fingertips. The Maalikis and Hanbalis also stated that it is permissible to treat a tooth or teeth with gold. The basic principle concerning that is the report about ‘Urfujah ibn As‘ad (may Allah be pleased with him). … And al-Athram narrated from Moosa ibn Talhah, Abu Jamrah ad-Dab‘i. Abu Raafi‘ ibn Thaabit al-Banaani, Ismaa‘eel ibn Zayd ibn Thaabit and al-Mugheerah ibn ‘Abdullah, that they fixed their teeth with gold.

End quote.

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (24/70): If the dentist is skilled and thinks that it is better for you to have a tooth made of gold rather than anything else, then it is permissible for you, otherwise it is not. End quote.

They also said (24/56): In cases of necessity it is permissible to use gold to make an (artificial) tooth, nose and so on, if nothing else could be used instead. End quote.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about the ruling on having gold teeth.

He replied: It is not permissible for men to have gold teeth except in a case of necessity, because it is haraam for men to wear gold or use it as an adornment. In the case of women, if it is customary for women to wear gold teeth, there is nothing wrong with that, and she may have her teeth plated with gold, if that is a customary kind of beautification, and does not constitute extravagance.

End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 11/102

Based on that:

If the doctor who is treating you only used the screw made of gold because nothing else could be used instead, or because it is better for your teeth, there is nothing wrong with that. Otherwise it should be removed, unless doing so will cause harm, in which case there is nothing wrong with leaving it.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

The apparent meaning of the Qur’aan indicates that zakaah should not be spent on this project, because it is not one of the groups on which zakaah is to be spent, as mentioned in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“As-Sadaqaat (here it means Zakaah) are only for the Fuqaraa’ (poor), and Al-Masaakeen (the poor)…”[al-Tawbah 9:60]

The Council of Senior Scholars issued a statement saying that zakaah money should not be given to this project, as stated above.

And Allaah knows best.

Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah lil’Shaykh Ibn Baaz, vol. 14, p. 300.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

It is mustahabb to give charity to one who is in need, even if it is something small, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Protect yourselves from the Fire even if it is with half a date.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5564; Muslim, 1689

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever gives charity the equivalent of a date that was acquired by halaal means – for Allah does not accept anything but that which is good (halaal)– Allah accepts it in His right hand, then He tends it for the one who gave it, as one of you tends his foal, until it becomes like a mountain.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1321

Secondly:

Reciting du‘aa’ before giving charity is something that is subject to further discussion. This has been discussed previously in the answer to question no. 98579.

Thirdly:

It is permissible for a person to give in charity on his own behalf and to intend that others among those who have died have a share of the reward of his charity. This has been discussed in the answer to question no. 102322.

With regard to giving a share of the reward for the charity to those who are still alive, this is not mentioned in the Sunnah so it is better not to do it.

It says in Zaad al-Mustaqni‘: If a person does any act of worship and dedicates its reward to a deceased Muslim, or one who is still living, that will benefit him. End quote.

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

If a person has died, and one does an act of worship on his behalf, that serves a purpose, because the deceased is in need (of hasanaat) but cannot do any righteous deeds. But if he is alive and is able to do this act, then in that case it depends, because it may lead to the living person depending on this man who is doing an act of worship on his behalf. There is no report that the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them) or the righteous early generations did such a thing; rather what they were accustomed to do was to dedicate the reward for an act of worship to the dead; in the case of those who were still alive, they did not do this, except in the case of an obligation such as Hajj, because that was known from the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), but that is subject to the condition that the person on whose behalf Hajj is performed is incapable in such a way that there is no hope of recovery.

End quote from ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘, 5/371

Fourthly:

There is nothing wrong with exchanging pieces of metal for others; rather it is permissible for you to change your mind about this charity, because anything that is given as charity or a gift does not become the property of the recipients unless they take possession of it. If it has not been taken possession of, then the giver has the option to go ahead with it or to change his mind concerning it. See the answer to question no. 146237

Fifthly:

The one who wants to give charity has a choice between giving it to one poor person or more, as he sees fit. It is better to give it to relatives if they are in need, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “To an orphan near of kin” [al-Balad 90:15].

And because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Charity given to the poor person is charity, but given to a relative it is two things: charity and upholding ties of kinship.”

Narrated by at-Tirmidhi, 594; classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani, may Allah have mercy on him.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

The evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah, and the comments of the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them), indicates that singing accompanied by music is haraam. This has been discussed previously in the answers to questions no. 5000 and 43736.

As it is proven that singing and music are haraam, the Muslim should hate that which Allah and His Messenger hate and tell others not to do it.

The Muslim should tell singers not to commit this sinful action, 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. 

Voting via mobile phone for a singer so that she can win the title involves a number of things that are forbidden according to sharee‘ah:

1.

It implies approval of sin, and approval of sin is itself a sin. Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Approval of sin is itself a sin, hence both the one who does it and the one who approves of it are included in the punishment for sin and are both doomed.”

Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 5/418

2.

It is failing to forbid what is evil. Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated that there was scholarly consensus that enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil is obligatory.

Sharh Muslim, 9/22

3.

It is encouraging singers in their sinning and their disobedience towards Allah, may He be exalted. Allah has forbidden us to help the sinner in his sin, as He 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].

4.

It involves spending money, whether a small amount or a great amount, in disobedience towards Allah, and “The feet of the slave of Allah will not move [on the Day of Resurrection] until he is asked about five things: his wealth, from where he acquired it and on what he spent it…”

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2417; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan al-Tirmidhi.

5.

Taking an interest in these foolish programs distracts the Muslim from what is useful to him in both religious and worldly terms, and it distracts from what is really in his interests, and it distracts him from Allah, may He be exalted.

Secondly:

With regard to the expiation for the one who does that, there is no expiation except that he has to repent, which means: regretting what he has done, giving up participating in such programs, and resolving not to do that again.

He should also strive to do righteous deeds so that Allah will accept his repentance. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“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 Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

It is prescribed to pray istikhaarah concerning permissible matters or when choosing between mustahabb matters. With regard to things that are obligatory, mustahabb, haraam or makrooh, it is not prescribed to pray istikhaarah concerning them.

It says in al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 3/243: There is no room for istikhaarah with regard to matters that are obligatory, haraam or makrooh. Rather it applies to things that are recommended and permissible. And with regard to recommended matters, istikhaarah should not be done to decide whether to do them or not, because they are required. Rather it should be done when there is a conflict, i.e., when there are two conflicting matters and one does not know which one to start with or limit himself to. With regard to permissible matters, one may pray istikhaarah when deciding whether to do them at all. End quote. 

Secondly:

With regard to divorcing a woman (talaaq), it may come under one of five rulings.

It says in Zaad al-Mustaqni‘: It is permissible in case of necessity and is makrooh when there is no such need. It is mustahabb in the case of harm, obligatory in the case of eela’ (an oath to refrain from marital intimacy) and haraam in the case of bid‘ah (innovation).

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The phrase “It is permissible in case of necessity” means if the husband needs to do that, then it is permissible for him, such as if he cannot be patient with his wife. If there is a need for that, it is permissible for him to divorce her…

End quote from ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘, 13/8

In this case, before divorcing her it is mustahabb for the man to pray istikhaarah, asking Allah to guide him. But if things are going smoothly, it is not prescribed for him to pray istikhaarah, because in this case divorce is makrooh.

Similarly, if divorce has become obligatory for him, it is not prescribed for him to pray istikhaarah, such as if he has discovered that his wife is not chaste and has not repented. In that case it is obligatory for him to divorce her and not to keep her.

Similarly, it is permissible for the wife to ask for a divorce if she has been harmed by her husband, such as if he does not spend on her maintenance, or if she dislikes him because of his bad attitude or weakness in his religious commitment and so on. In that case it is mustahabb for her to pray istikhaarah about asking for a divorce. But if things are going smoothly, it is haraam for her to ask for a divorce, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Any woman who asks her husband for a divorce when it is not absolutely necessary, the fragrance of Paradise will be forbidden to her.”

Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

For more information please see the answer to question no. 118325

To sum up, it is prescribed for the husband to pray istikhaarah about divorcing his wife if doing so is permissible. Similarly it is permissible for the wife to pray istikhaarah about asking for a divorce, if doing so is because of a reason that makes it permissible to seek divorce. Apart from that, it is not prescribed to pray istikhaarah about divorce.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Liqa’ al-Baab al-Maftooh by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 55/126

Praise be to Allaah.

By His bounty towards the Muslim, Allah has made the matter of du‘aa’ broad in scope. There are du‘aa’s in the Qur’aan, du‘aa’s of the Prophets and Messengers, that are few in words but great in meaning. And there are du‘aa’s in the Sunnah, du‘aa’s of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). And there are also du‘aa’s of the noble Sahaabah, Taabi‘een, scholars and righteous people, which have been compiled in many books and are also to be found in their biographies. We do not think there is any need for anyone to come along and make up phrases for calling upon his Lord, and not be content with keeping them between him and his Lord until he spreads them among people on web sites and elsewhere. The one who browses websites will find a great deal of such material, most of which is questionable.  The reason for that is that those who originally wrote these things were not scholars or seekers of knowledge. 

One example of what we are talking about is something that is widespread on many web sites, a du‘aa’ that contains clear exaggeration and some phrases that is extremely abhorrent and distasteful. It is the du‘aa’ mentioned by the questioner. Its mistakes are twofold:

1.     Using the same word referring to the striving of the created being in committing sin and the striving of the Lord, the Creator, the All-Forgiving. This is something that it is not befitting for the one who is calling upon his Lord to do, and it is disrespectful towards Allah, may He be glorified and exalted.

2.     It ascribes “striving” to Allah, may He be exalted! This is a word that it is abhorrent to attribute to the Lord, may He be exalted. This word is indicative of expending effort and energy, which is impossible in the case of Allah, may He be exalted, Who told us that He created the heavens and the earth and everything in between and no fatigue or tiredness touched Him. Allah, may He be exalted, said (interpretation of the meaning): “And indeed We created the heavens and the earth and all between them in six Days and nothing of fatigue touched Us” [Qaaf 50:38]. This clearly states that there is no tiredness or fatigue on the part of Allah, may He be exalted, at all. Rather He mentioned it here, after He created the heavens and the earth and everything in between them, so as to dispel any confusion and refute those among the Jews who attributed that to Him. This negation of tiredness and fatigue is indicative of the perfection of His power, may He be glorified and exalted.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It should be noted that when it is said that Allah does not possess an attribute, it is not only a negation; rather as well as the negation, what is meant is the opposite. So when Allah, may He be exalted, said of Himself (interpretation of the meaning): “and nothing of fatigue touched Us”, what is meant is a negation of fatigue and an affirmation of the perfection of His might and power.

End quote from Tafseer Soorat al-Baqarah, 2/132

If it were correct to say of a sinful person that he “strove” in committing sin, how can a person be content to say of his Lord, may He be exalted, that He “strove” in concealing it when He – may He be exalted – is able to conceal it and, rather, to forgive it and replace it with good deeds (hasanaat) with one word, “Be!” This is not permissible; rather it is haraam, and it is not permissible for anyone to speak of his Lord in a manner that is suggestive of shortcomings or that is far removed from the proper etiquette that must be observed before Him, may He be glorified.

What the Muslim must do is refrain from using this phrase in his du‘aa’ and beware of spreading it. Websites must also erase this sentence from their pages and not incur sin by spreading it.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

It is not permissible for a Muslim to offer an obligatory prayer on his mount, unless there is a valid excuse, because on a mount he will omit some of the essential parts of the prayer, such as standing, bowing and prostrating.

It was narrated from Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray on his mount facing towards the east, but when he wanted to offer an obligatory prayer, he would dismount and face towards the qiblah. 

Ibn Battaal said: The scholars are unanimously agreed that it is not permissible for anyone to offer the obligatory prayer on his mount without a valid excuse. Because offering obligatory prayers on one’s mount when it is possible to dismount is not permissible, and because the conditions of the obligatory prayer stipulate that the worshipper should face towards the qiblah and continue to do so throughout, an obligatory prayer offered by a rider who cannot stand up or face the qiblah is not valid.

End quote from al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 27/231

But this ruling does not apply to one who prays on a bus when he is able to do all the obligatory and essential parts of the prayer, such as facing towards the qiblah, standing, bowing and prostrating. The scholars have stated that praying in a howdah is valid, because one can do all the obligatory parts of the prayer. The howdah is like a room on the camel’s back.

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The conditions of the obligatory prayer are that the worshipper should face towards the qiblah and continue to do so throughout. It is not valid without facing towards the qiblah except in cases of extreme fear, and it is not valid on the part of one who is walking whilst facing towards the qiblah, or one who is riding and is not able to stand up or face towards the qiblah. And there is no difference of scholarly opinion on this point.

If he faces towards the qiblah and does all the essential parts of the prayer in the howdah or similar place on the back of a mount that is standing, there are two opinions concerning the validity of his obligatory prayer. The more correct opinion is that it is valid and this was stated definitively by the majority.

End quote from Sharh al-Muhadhdhab, 3/221

It says in al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah (27/231): If the obligatory prayer is offered on one’s mount, that is not permissible unless there is an excuse, because the conditions of the obligatory prayer are that the worshipper should be facing towards the qiblah and continue to do so throughout, and he should fulfil all the conditions and essential parts. But if a person is able to offer the obligatory prayer atop his mount, fulfilling all of its conditions and doing all of its essential parts, even if he has no excuse, his prayer is valid. This is the view of the Shaafa‘is and Hanbalis, and it is the preferred view of the Maalikis.

End quote.

Based on that, there is nothing wrong with you praying on the bus so long as you do all the essential parts of the prayer.

But it must be noted that it is obligatory to offer the obligatory prayer with the Muslim congregation in the houses of Allah (i.e., in the mosques) and it is not permissible to stay away from offering the prayer in congregation in the mosque except for one who has an excuse. For more information please see the answer to question no. 8918 and 40299.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

We have previously discussed the difference of opinion among the scholars concerning the maximum length of nifaas; the most correct view is that it is forty days. See the answer to question no. 10488. 

Secondly:

With regard to the bleeding that occurs after the period of nifaas has ended, if it comes at the usual time of the menstrual period, then it is menses and the woman should not pray or fast or have intercourse with her husband at that time, until her monthly period has ended, as is well known.

If it occurs at a time other than the usual time of the menstrual period, then it is istihaadah (non-menstrual bleeding) and in this case she should fast and pray, and her husband may have intercourse with her. But she has to do wudoo’ for each obligatory prayer after the time for it begins, then with that wudoo’ she may offer whatever naafil prayers she wishes.

For more information please see the answer to question no. 106464

Thirdly:

The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed concerning the case of a woman suffering istihaadah if she refrains from praying out of ignorance: does she have to make up the prayers that she omitted? There are two opinions:

1.     That she has to make up the prayers.

2.     That she does not have to make up the prayers. This is the view favoured by Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him).

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If the woman who is suffering istihaadah did not pray for some time because she thought that it was not obligatory for her to pray, there are two opinions as to whether it is obligatory for her to make up the prayers. One opinion is that she does not have to make them up – as was narrated from Maalik and others – because when the woman who was suffering from istihaadah said to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “I have been bleeding heavily for some time and it prevents me from praying and fasting,” he told her what she should do in the future, and he did not tell her to make up the prayers of the past. End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 21/102

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It is best if you pray what you omitted during the early days, but if you do not do that there is nothing wrong with it, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told the woman who was suffering from istihaadah and who said that she was suffering heavy bleeding during which she did not pray to count her menses as six or seven days and to pray the rest of the month, but he did not tell her to make up the prayers that she had omitted. If she does make up the prayers that she missed, this is good, because it may be that she was heedless in not asking, but if she does not make them up there is no sin on her. End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 11/276

To be on the safe side, your friend should make up the prayers that she missed as much as she is able to. So every day she should make up whatever she can of the prayers that she omitted during this time, because it seems that there was a kind of heedlessness on her part as she did not ask even though the time during which she did not pray was lengthy, and usually one does not stop praying for so long. Moreover, she used to pray sometimes, which indicates that perhaps she knew that she should be praying. See also the answer to question no. 31803.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

There are many conditions of du’aa’, including the following:

1 – You should call upon no one except Allaah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If you ask, then ask of Allaah, and if you seek help, then seek the help of Allaah.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2516; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’.

This is what is meant by the verse (interpretation of the meaning):

“And the mosques are for Allaah (Alone), so invoke not anyone along with Allaah”

[al-Jinn 72:18] 

This is the most important condition of du’aa’, without which no du’aa’ will be accepted and no good deed taken up. There are some people who make du’aa’ to the dead and regard them as intermediaries between them and Allaah. They claim that these righteous people will bring them closer to Allaah and intercede for them with Him, and they claim that their sins are so great that they have no status before Allaah, and that is why they set up these intermediaries and pray to them instead of Allaah. But Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor)”
[al-Baqarah 2:186]

2 – You should seek to draw close to Allaah in one of the ways that are prescribed in sharee’ah.

3 – You should avoid seeking a quick response, for this is one of the problems that may prevent the du’aa’ from being accepted. In the hadeeth it says: “One of you may be answered so long as he is not hasty and says, ‘I said du’aa’ but I got no response.’” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6340; Muslim, 2735.

In Saheeh Muslim (2736) it says: “A man’s (du’aa’s) may be answered so long as it does not involve sin or severing the ties of kinship or hastening.” It was said: “O Messenger of Allaah, what does hastening mean?” He said: “When he says, ‘I made du’aa’ and I made du’aa’ but I did not see any response,’ so he gets discouraged and stops making du’aa’.”

4 – The du’aa’ should not involve sin or severing of the ties of kinship, as stated in the hadeeth quoted above: “A man’s (du’aa’s) may be answered so long as he does not involve sin or severing the ties of kinship …”

5 – You should think positively of Allaah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah, may He be exalted, says: ‘I am as My slave thinks I am.’” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 7405; Muslim, 4675. According to the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah: “Make du’aa’ to Allaah when you are certain of a response.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 245.

Whoever thinks well of his Lord, Allaah will bestow His bounty upon him and give him in abundance.

6 – You should be focused, aware of the greatness of the One upon Whom you are calling. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Know that Allaah does not answer a du’aa from a distracted heart.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3479; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 245.

7 – Ensuring that one’s food comes from good (halaal) sources. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, Allaah accepts only from those who are Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)”

[al-Maa’idah 5:27]

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stated that a response was unlikely for one who eats, drinks and wears haraam things. In the hadeeth it says: [The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] mentioned the man who undertakes a lengthy journey and is disheveled and covered with dust, and he stretches his hands towards heaven saying, ‘O Lord, O Lord,’ when his food is haraam, his drink is haraam, his clothes are haraam. He is nourished with haraam, so how can he be granted a response?

Narrated by Muslim, 1015.

Ibn al-Qayyim said: Thus eating haraam things saps the strength of the du’aa’ and weakens it.

8 – You should avoid aggression in du’aa’, for Allaah does not like aggression in du’aa’. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors”

[al-A’raaf 7:55]

See also question no. 41017.

9 – You should not let du’aa’ distract you from an obligatory duty such as an obligatory prayer that is now due, and you should not neglect parents’ rights on the basis of du’aa’. This is indicated by the story of Jurayj, when he did not answer his mother’s call and turned instead to his prayer. She prayed against him and Allaah tested him sorely.

Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The scholars said: This indicates that what he should have done is to answer her, because he was offering a supererogatory (naafil prayer), continuation of which was voluntary, not obligatory, whereas answering his mother and honouring her was obligatory and disobeying her was haraam.

Saheeh Muslim bi Sharh al-Nawawi, 16/82.

For more information see Kitaab al-Du’aa’ by Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem al-Hamad.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

Naturally, a married woman will have friends from before her marriage, and there is nothing at all in sharee‘ah to keep her away from her friends, unless her husband does not give her permission for that. Rather, things remain as they are, so she may keep her friends from before, and they may visit her in her home and she may honour them with hospitality. This is how things were among the noble female Sahaabah, foremost among whom are the Mothers of the Believers, the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).

It was narrated that Umm Salamah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed ‘Asr, then he entered upon me and some women from Banu Haraam, who were from among the Ansar, were with me. 

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1233; Muslim, 834.

Here is Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her); the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered her house and found her female friends with her. Then she (may Allah be pleased with her) says that he prayed two rak‘ahs to make up the Sunnah prayer of Zuhr.

There is a great deal of evidence, but what we have quoted above is sufficient. In fact the basic principle is that the husband should honour his wife’s friends even after his wife dies! This is mentioned in the saheeh Sunnah.

It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: I never felt jealous of any of the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) except Khadeejah, even though I never met her. But the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to mention her often, and sometimes he would slaughter a sheep then cut it up and send it to the friends of Khadeejah. One day I said to him: It is as if there is no woman in this world except Khadeejah! He said: “She was such and such, and I have children from her.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3607; Muslim, 2435.

Secondly:

What we have mentioned above does not contradict the wife’s duty to obey her husband if he tells her to end her relationship with one of her friends, or does not allow one of them to visit her, because the husband is in charge of the wives in the home, and he is a shepherd who is responsible for his flock. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has made one of them to excel the other…”

[an-Nisa’ 4:34].

And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The man is the shepherd of his family and he is responsible for his flock.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 853; Muslim, 1829

The wife does not have the right to admit anyone into her husband’s house if the husband does not want that person to enter his house. And the wife does not have the right to go out of the marital house except with her husband’s permission. Even if he does not allow her to visit her family, she has to refrain from doing so. He may be unjust in this decision of his, in which case he is sinning; or he may be correct, in which case he will be rewarded. Whatever the case, it is obligatory for the wife to obey her husband in this regard. The wise woman will not put the friendship of a woman before her role as a wife who is happy with her husband and children in the marital home.

It was narrated that Jaabir said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Fear Allaah with regard to women, for you have taken them as a trust from Allaah, and intimacy with them has become permissible to you by the word of Allaah. Your rights over them are that they should not allow anyone whom you dislike to sit on your furniture. If they do that, then hit them, but in a manner that does not cause injury or leave a mark.  Their rights over you are that you should provide for them and clothe them in a reasonable manner.”

Narrated by Muslim, 1218.

The husband’s preventing her from seeing a particular friend does not necessarily mean that that woman is of bad character or lacking in religious commitment; rather the pros and cons of any relationship are many and the wife may not understand these pros and cons in all cases.

But if the husband sees something in the friend’s attitude or religious commitment (or lack thereof) that makes this necessary, then the matter is clear and does not need any explanation.

For more information, please see the answers to questions 112048 and 10680.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

It is not permissible to make medicine in this manner, because it involves using wine or alcohol, and Allah has commanded us to avoid alcohol, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful”

[al-Maa’idah 5:90].

And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade making medicine from wine and he said that wine is a disease and is not a remedy. 

Muslim (1984) narrated that Taariq ibn Suwayd al-Ju‘fi (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about wine and he forbade him or expressed his disapproval of his making it. He said: I only make it as a remedy. He said: “It is not a remedy; rather it is a disease.”

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

This indicates that it is haraam to store alcohol [i.e., to keep it] and to make it into vinegar, and it is a clear statement that it is not a remedy and it is haraam to use it for medicinal purposes.

End quote.

For more information, please see the answer to question no. 41760

But… If the medicine has been manufactured in this haraam manner, it is permissible to use it if the alcohol has been absorbed into this medicine and there is no trace of it left in the form of colour, taste or smell.

But if there is still some trace of it in the medicine, it is not permissible to use it, because using it constitutes using and consuming alcohol.

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

If the intoxicant is mixed with water and is absorbed into it then he drinks it, the hadd punishment is not to be carried out on him, because by being absorbed into the water, it did not change the nature of the water.

End quote from Kashshaaf al-Qinaa‘, 6/118

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

If alcohol falls into water and is absorbed, then someone drinks it, he is not drinking alcohol and he does not have to be given the hadd punishment for drinking alcohol, if nothing of its taste, colour or smell remained. If a woman’s milk is poured into water and is absorbed to the extent that no trace of it is left, and a child drinks that water, he does not become her son through breastfeeding thereby.

End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 21/33

The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas said:

It is not permissible to mix medicines with alcohol, but if it has been mixed with alcohol it is permissible to use it if the ratio of alcohol is low and its traces do not appear in the colour, taste or smell of the medicine. Otherwise it is haraam to use anything that has been mixed with it.

End quote from Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah, 25/39

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

Alcohol is an intoxicating substance as is well known, so it is khamr, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Every intoxicant is haraam,” and according to one report he said, “Every intoxicant is khamr.”

Based on that, if this alcohol is mixed with something and was not absorbed into the substance it was mixed with, then this mixture becomes haraam, because this mixture still has a trace of alcohol. But if this alcohol has been absorbed into what it is mixed with and no trace of it appears, then it is not haraam.

End quote from Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb, 122/21

He also said:

With regard to the mixing of some medicines with a small amount of alcohol, that does not necessarily mean that they are haraam, if the alcohol in the mixture is very little and no trace of it remains with what it has been mixed with.

End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 11/193

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Praise be to Allaah.

The belief of the Salaf concerning the Holy Qur’aan is like their belief in all the names and attributes of Allah, which is a belief that is based on what is indicated by the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). We all know that Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, has described the Holy Qur’aan as being His Word and that it was sent down from Him. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And if anyone of the Mushrikoon (polytheists, idolaters, pagans, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah) seeks your protection then grant him protection, so that he may hear the Word of Allah (the Qur’aan), and then escort him to where he can be secure”

[at-Tawbah 9:6].

Undoubtedly what is meant by the Word of Allah here is the Holy Qur’aan.

And He, may He be exalted, says:

“Verily, this Qur’aan narrates to the Children of Israel most of that about which they differ”

[an-Naml 27:76].

So the Qur’aan is the Word of Allah in both wording and meaning. Allah spoke it in a real sense and gave it to Jibreel the trustworthy, then Jibreel brought it down to the heart of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), so that he might be one of the warners, in a plain Arabic tongue.

The Salaf believe that the Qur’aan was revealed; Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, revealed it to Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) piecemeal, i.e., bit by bit, over twenty-three years, in accordance with the wisdom of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted.

Moreover, some of the revelation was revealed for a specific reason for which it was sent down, and some of it was revealed without a specific reason. And some of it was revealed to tell of something that happened to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his companions. Some of it was revealed concerning shar‘i rulings, according to what the scholars have said concerning this matter.

Then the Salaf say that the Qur’aan is from Allah in the first place and it will return (to Him) at the end of time. This is the view of the Salaf concerning the Holy Qur’aan.

It is clear to us that Allah has described the Holy Qur’aan in superlative terms. He has described it as wise (hakeem), noble (kareem), great (‘azeem), and glorious (majeed). These qualities, in terms of which Allah has described His Book, may be attainable by one who adheres to this Book and acts upon it both inwardly and outwardly. Allah will give him some share of glory, greatness, wisdom, honour and authority that is not given to the one who does not adhere to the Book of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted. Hence I call all Muslims, rulers and ruled, scholars and ordinary folk, to adhere to the Book of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, both inwardly and outwardly, so that they may attain honour, happiness and glory, and prevail in the east and in the west. End quote.

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

Fataawa Kibaar ‘Ulama’ al-Ummah, p. 45

{“Muhammad is the Messenger of God, and those with him … their description in the Gospel is like a seed which sends forth its shoot, then makes it strong, and it becomes thick and stands straight on its stem, delighting the sowers, so that He may enrage the disbelievers through them …”} (al-Fath, v. 29)

And here is that description in the Gospel referenced in the above verse:
“The sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the air ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it withered away because it had no moisture. Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out. Other seed fell into the good soil and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great …

Now, the parable is this: the seed is the Word of God. Those beside the road are those who have heard, then the Devil comes and takes the Word from their heart so that they will not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the Word with joy, and these have no firm root: they believe for a while, and in times of temptation, fall away. The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way, they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the Word in an honest and good heart, hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.” (Luke 8:5-15)

So, the heart is likened to fertile soil in which a seed is planted. Ibn al-Qayyim likewise said, in ‘al-Fawa`id’ (p.70): “The soil of one’s natural state is fertile, accommodating whatever is planted in it. If the tree of faith and God-conciousness is planted, it will bring forth an eternally sweet fruit. If the tree of ignorance and desires is planted, all its fruits will be bitter.”

So, when you make your heart fertile for the seed of faith, that tree will grow strong and bear sweet fruit. The particular methods of making your heart fertile will be discussed later.

At this point, an angry wind will blow in your direction, because as the aforementioned verse notes, the strong tree will “enrage the disbelievers.” Nothing infuriates this wind more than a strong Muslim. This has been a reality since ancient times. When Pharaoh was hunting Prophet Moses and his followers through the deserts of Egypt, he specifically complained:

{“They are a small gang, and they have enraged us! “} (ash-Su’ara’, v. 54 -55)

This wind will try to uproot you and knock you down. You will look around at the other trees, and you may find that some of them easily snapped and fell over, uprooted from the force of the wind. These are the hypocrites, whose weak roots are finally exposed:

(“A filthy word is like a filthy tree, uprooted from the Earth’s surface, having no stability.”} (Ibrahim, v.26)

And the Prophet Muhammad (صلي الله عليه و سلم) specifically likened the hypocrite to a plant that is easily pushed around and knocked down by the wind (see ‘al-Lu`lu’ wal-Marjan,’ hadith #1791). So, don’t be affected by them, no matter how many are paraded before you by the wind. Pity them, thank God for saving you from their fate, and move on. For them, Islam was merely a hobby, a flavor of the week.

Now, when the wind sees that you won’t fall over outright, it will shift to a more subtle strategy: to pressure you to shed your leaves. But it won’t ask you to shed them all at once. That would be too obvious. Rather, the wind will blow softly, trying to get you to shed one leaf, then another, then another, until you’re stripped bare. Sayyid Qutb explained this well:

“… the attempt of the authorities with those who stand for a cause, always, is to trick them so that they deviate just slightly from the firmness and strength of the cause. It is to get them to accept a compromising solution that they can trick them in exchange for a lot of reward. There are some people who stand for the cause who are tricked by this away from the cause because they don’t consider it to be a big deal to make these compromises. So, the authorities don’t ask him to completely abandon his cause. Rather, they request slight adjustments here and there so that both sides can meet in the middle. Satan will come upon the one standing for the cause from this angle, causing him to imagine that he can benefit his cause by gaining favor with the authorities through compromising on a part of it! But slight deviation at the beginning of the road will lead to total deviation at its end, and the upholder of the cause who agrees to compromise on even a small part of it won’t be able to stop there, because his willingness to compromise increases every time he takes a step backwards. The authorities thus deal with the upholder of the cause in a sneaky, gradual manner …”

So, don’t fall for this trick, and never even take a step in the direction of shedding a single leaf for the wind. In fact, just like the Prophet likened the hypocrite to a plant easily pushed around by the wind, he likened the Muslim to the palm tree – because the palm tree never sheds its leaves (see ‘al-Lu’lu’ wal-Marjan’, hadith #1792). No matter how harsh the wind, the Muslim not only remains standing, but doesn’t give the wind even a single leaf. Rather, the harder the wind blows, the harder you cling to your leaves, and this is why the wind is angry with you in the first place:

{“And they weren’t angry with them except because they had belief in God, the Mighty and Wise.”} (al-Buruh, v.8)

The wind typically tries to hide this reality by distracting the cause of its anger – it will claim that this is about violence, terrorism, or whatever. But the truth is that it hates to see a Muslim it cannot knock down. And when the tree refuses to shed even a leaf, the wind only becomes angrier. And when the wind gets angrier, you are rewarded by God:

{“nor do they take any step to anger the disbelievers … except that it’s written to their credit as a good deed …”} (at-Tawbah,v.120)

so, when the wind blows, don’t be intimidated by it. Rather, look right up at it and:

{“Say: ‘Die in your anger!’ “} (Al ‘Imran, v. 119)

Those leaves are a trust from God that He has left in your care, as is the health of the tree as a whole. If you betray that trust, you will simply be replaced by those who won’t:

{“O you who have believed! Whoever of you turns back on his religion, God will bring people He loves and who love Him, humble with the believers, strong with the disbelievers, striving in God’s cause, and not fearing anyone’s condemnation. That is the grace of God that He bestows on Whom He wills … “} (al-Ma`idah, v.54)

This verse concisely describes the tree, the seed, and the leaves of greatest importance. Let us analyze it, piece by piece:

The “religion” is the tree, as a whole.

The relationship of “love” between God and you is the seed from which the tree will sprout. Ibn Taymiyyah has a lovely treatise called ‘at-Tuhfah al-’Iraqiyyah’ (which can be found at the beginning of the tenth volume of ‘Majmu’ al-Fatawa’) where he comments on the mention of love in this verse, saying (p.18, 28)

“Love of God and His Messenger is one of the greatest obligations of faith, and its greatest principle. In fact, it is the basis of every action in the religion … The two nations before us (i.e. Jews and Christians), based on the narrated statements of Moses and Jesus, agree that the greatest advice left by them is to love God with all your heart, mind, and intent. This is the reality of the pure Abrahamic creed, which is the essence of the law of the Torah, the Gospel, and the Qur’an.”

So, love for God is the seed from which every action and belief – every leaf and fruit – grows, and this is why love is mentioned first in the verse.

We then have the first fruit of that seed, the leaf of wala’ and bara’: “humble with the believers, strong with the disbelievers.” Ibn Taymiyyah commented on this (p.22), saying:

“The one who loves his beloved will love what he loves, hate what he hates, be loyal to his allies, disavow his enemies … so, they are one and the same in this regard.”

Put simply, the wind focuses on getting you to shed this leaf so that the lines are blurred in your mind as to who your true enemies are. Once you consider the enemy to be a friend, the enemy’s work is complete. Never let go of this leaf. Ever.

The next leaf is that of Jihad: “Striving (yujahiduna) in God’s Cause …” Obviously, this is the leaf that the wind hates more than the others. In order to understand why, think of the AIDS virus. What does it do to kill the body? It doesn’t actually hurt the body directly. Rather, what is does is attack the immune system – the body’s defense mechanism – so that other infections can invade and attack without facing any resistance. The body is like the Muslim Ummah, Jihad is it’s immune system through which it defends itself against attackers, and the wind/ government is like the AIDS virus, trying to wipe out the spirit of resistance from this Ummah in order to make it easier to invade, attack, and overtake it completely. This is why people like Sayyid Qutb are demonized, ‘Abdullah `Azzam, az-Zarqawi, Shaykh Usamah, etc. – because they symbolize this spirit of resistance. And this is why the wind blows harsher than ever when it wants you to shed this leaf. Don’t fall for the trick. Remember: the AIDS virus.

And indeed, the strong tree is one that is “not fearing anyone’s condemnation,” and in fact is affected by condemnation in a manner opposite to what is expected. When the wind blows and tries to shake off your leaves – when it attacks you and condemns you for refusing to betray the concepts of wala’ & bara’ and Jihad – Ibn Taymiyyah says (p.23) that “the one with complete love of god isn’t affected by anyone’s condemnation or criticism. On the contrary, this pushes him to adhere even more …”

Finally, the verse carries the crucial fact that this ability to stay true to these Qur’anic teachings “is the grace of God that He bestows on whom He wills.” The ability to stand up to the wind is purely a gift from God. God is the ultimate power capable of keeping a tree standing strong or letting it crumble into dust:

{“Then tell me about the seed that you sow in the ground. Is it you who make it grow, or are We the Grower? If We willed, we could crumble it to dry pieces, and you’d be left in regret.”} (al-Waqi’ah, v. 63 – 65)

This is very important, because the Prophet warned us of how easy it would be at the end of time for people to change, and how quickly they will abandon the truth due to the prevailing pressures, as well as their own weakness. He said (عليه الصلاة و السلام):

“Prior to the Day of Resurrection, there will be tests and trials like pieces of dark night, in which a person will wake up as a believer and go to sleep as a disbeliever, and go to sleep as a believer and wake up as a disbeliever.”

These types of transformations are the result of hidden divine causes which we humans cannot fully comprehend. However, there are practical means provided to us in the Qur’an and the Sunnah through which we can stay on the right side of history. Here, we will explore just two methods, and both will focus on the very first quality of the strong tree that I mentioned: being planted in fertile soil – a good heart.

* In Makkah, when the Prophet was facing his harshest trials, he received constant revelation focusing on the stories of Prophets who had lived before his time. The purpose of this was to show him that he was not the first person to experience harsh trials for the sake of Islam, as well as to show him how those previous Prophets conducted themselves during those trials. Hearing the stories and learning this history played a huge role in strengthening the hearts of the Prophet and his Companions during their darkest hours in the belly of the beast that was Makkah. This is reflected in the following verse:

{“And all that We relate to you of the stories of the messengers is meant to keep your heart firm …”} (Hud, v.120)

Likewise, as we relive those harsh trials and dark hours experienced by the earlier Muslims, it’s a good idea to study history, particularly the biographies of Muslims who took some kind of bold stand in history. Sometimes we may spend hours looking through books of Fiqh to find out what to do in a certain situation, when often times, simply studying the lives of the right people will cause their attitude to rub off on you and allow you to absorb their personalities into your own, thus giving you a general template as to how to deal with every challenge you may face in life. The author of the excellent book ‘Safahat min Sabr al-`Ulama’ (‘Pages of Patience of the Scholars,’ p. 17 -18) said:

“Reading the stories of the scholars who acted on their knowledge and the righteous is one of the best ways to implant virtue in the soul and push yourself to endure harshness for the sake of noble goals. And it pushes you to imitate those who sacrifice for these goals with persistence, so that you rise to the highest status. It was said that such stories are the soldiers of God through which He keeps the hearts of His allies firm. Abu Hanifah said: “The stories of the scholars and their good qualities are more beloved to me than much knowledge, because they describe the character of these people.” “

So, reading about the lives of the right people, studying them, absorbing their attitudes and character, is a good way to liven & strengthen the heart, and make it fertile soil for the seeds of faith and knowledge. So, where should you start? In ‘Sayd al-Khatir’ (p. 69), Ibn al-Jawzi said quite simply:

“The most useful knowledge is that gained by looking in the biography of the Messenger and his Companions…”

* The second method of strengthening the heart is even more simple: just ask your Lord! Umm Salamah was once asked which supplication the Prophet made more than any other, and she replied:

“His most frequent supplication was: ‘O Controller of the hearts, keep my heart firm on Your religion’ (ya Muqallib al-qulub, thabbit qalbi `ala Dinik).”

This is a method which can, and should, be taken advantage of constantly throughout your day. As you drive to work, as you walk down a hallway at school, as you have any opportunity to repeat this simple phrase to yourself, appreciate this supplication for the treasure that it is, and keep your heart fastened to Islam by making it a constant on your tongue. It is so easy to do, yet so easily neglected by many who need it more than anything these days.

So, by tending to your heart, tending to that soil, you keep your roots firmly fixed. And the tree with firm roots ends up with branches that reach the sky:

{“A good word is like a good tree: its roots are firmly fixed, and its branches reach the sky …”} (Ibrahim, v. 24)

And when your branches reach the sky, nobody can reach your leaves. They can imprison you, they can even assassinate you, but they can never say that they got you to shed your leaves.

Written by: Tariq Mehanna
Wednesday, 4th of Safar 1433/
28th of December 2011
Plymouth Correctional Facility
Isolation Unit – Cell #107
(The Belly of the Beast)

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

Rinsing the mouth is one of the obligatory parts of wudoo’; this has been discussed previously in the answer to question no. 153791

Secondly:

It is mustahabb when rinsing the mouth to do it extensively, except when one is fasting, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do wudoo’ properly, rub between the fingers and go to some lengths when rinsing the nose, unless you are fasting.”

Narrated by Abu Dawood. 142; at-Tirmidhi, 788; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani, may Allah have mercy on him. 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: One of the Sunnahs of wudoo’ is to go to some lengths in rinsing the mouth and nose. Going to some lengths in rinsing the mouth means moving the water forcefully and making it reach all parts of the mouth.

End quote from ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘, 1/171

But this going to some lengths is mustahabb, as we have mentioned, and it is not obligatory; rather if the water reaches his mouth and he swills it around, that is sufficient.

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

Rinsing the mouth means swilling the water around in the mouth.

Rinsing the nose means snuffing up the water into the nose. Then the water is to be expelled from the nose.

It is not necessary to swill the water around in all of the mouth or to make it reach all of the inside of the nose. Rather that is part of going to some lengths that is mustahabb for one who is not fasting.

End quote from al-Mughni, 1/89

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

It is sufficient with regard to what is obligatory to swill the water around in the mouth a little.

End quote from ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘, 1/172

Based on that, if the individual rinses out his mouth and moves the water around in his mouth, that is sufficient and he doesn’t have to make the water reach his throat; rather doing that is mustahabb.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A