Q) I would like to know the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) regarding Eid prayers.
A) Praise be to Allaah.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to offer the Eid prayers in the prayer-place (musalla). There is no report of his offering the Eid prayer in his mosque.
Al-Shaafa’i said in al-Umm: It was narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to go out on the two Eids to the prayer-place in Madeenah, as did those (caliphs) who came after him, unless there was an excuse such as rain etc. The people of other lands did likewise, apart from the people of Makkah.
He used to wear his most beautiful garments to go out to pray. He had a suit (hullah) which he would wear for Eid and Jumu’ah (Friday prayer). A hullah is a two-piece suit of the same kind of fabric.
He used to eat dates before going out on Eid al-Fitr, and he would eat an odd number of them.
Al-Bukhaari (953) narrated that Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not go out on the morning of Eid al-Fitr until he had eaten some dates, and he would eat an odd number.
Ibn Qudaamah said: We do not know of any differing opinion concerning the fact that it is mustahabb to eat early on the day of Eid al-Fitr.
The reason for eating before the prayer is so that no one will think that it is essential to fast until the prayer has been offered.
And it was said that this was in order to hasten to obey the command of Allaah Who enjoined breaking the fast after He enjoined fasting.
If no dates are available, he should have something else for breakfast, even if it is only water, so that he can fulfil the Sunnah in principle, which is to have something for breakfast before praying on Eid al-Fitr.
With regard to Eid al-Adha, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used not to eat anything until he came back from the prayer-place, then he would eat some of the meat of his sacrifice.
It was narrated that he used to do ghusl for both Eids. Ibn al-Qayyim said: Two weak (da’eef) hadeeths have been narrated concerning this… but it was proven from Ibn ‘Umar, who was very keen to follow the Sunnah, that he used to do ghusl before going out on the day of Eid.
And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to go out to the Eid prayer walking, and come back walking.
Ibn Maajah (1295) narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to go out to the Eid (prayer) walking and come back walking. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.
Al-Tirmidhi (530) narrated that ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib said: It is Sunnah to go out to the Eid (prayer) walking. Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
Al-Tirmidhi said: Most of the scholars followed this hadeeth and said that it is mustahabb for a man to go out to the Eid (prayer) walking. It is mustahabb for him not to ride unless he has an excuse.
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) reached the prayer-place, he would begin the prayer with no adhaan or iqaamah, and without saying “Al-salaatu jaami’ah (prayer is about to begin).” The Sunnah is not to do any of these things.
And he did not offer any prayer in the prayer-place before or after the Eid prayer.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would start with the prayer, before the khutbah. He prayed two rak’ahs, with seven consecutive takbeers in the first rak’ah, including takbeerat al-ihraam (the takbeer with which the prayer begins), and a brief pause between each two takbeers. There is no report of him saying any particular dhikr between the takbeers, but it was narrated that Ibn Mas’ood would praise Allaah and send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
But Ibn ‘Umar, who was always keen to follow the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), used to raise his hands with each takbeer.
When he had completed the takbeers, he would start to recite. He would recite al-Faatihah then recite Qaf wa’l-Qur’aan il-majeed (Soorah Qaaf 50) in the first rak’ah and Aqtarabat il-saa’ah wa anshaqqa al-qamar (Soorat al-Qamar 54) in the other. Sometimes he recited Sabbih isma rabbika al-A’la (Soorat al-A’laa 87) and Hal ataaka hadeeth al-ghaashiyah (Soorat al-Ghaashiyah 88). Both were narrated in saheeh reports, but no other soorahs are mentioned in saheeh reports. When he had finished reciting he would say takbeer and bow. When he had finished bowing and prostrating and had stood up again, he would say five takbeers. When he had completed the takbeers he would start to recite again. The takbeer was the first thing that he would do in each rak’ah and his recitation was followed by rukoo’ (bowing).
Al-Timridhi narrated from the hadeeth of Katheer ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf, from his father, from his grandfather, that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) recited takbeer in the Eid (prayer), seven times in the first rak’ah before reciting Qur’aan and five times in the second rak’ah before reciting Qur’aan. Al-Tirmidhi said: I asked Muhammad – i.e., al-Bukhaari – about this hadeeth and he said: There is nothing more sound than this concerning this topic. And I say likewise.
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had finished the prayer, he would move away and stand facing the people, with the people sitting in their rows, and he would address them, preaching and exhorting, with commands and prohibitions. If he wanted to dispatch anyone on a mission he would do so, and if he wanted to enjoin anything he would do that.
There was no minbar on which he would stand, and the minbar of Madeenah was not brought out. Rather he would address them standing on the ground. Jaabir said: I attended Eid prayer with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He started with the prayer before the khutbah, with no adhaan and no iqaamah, then he stood, leaning on Bilaal, and enjoined us to fear and obey Allaah. He preached to the people and reminded them, then he went over to the women and preached to them and reminded them. Agreed upon.
Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to go out on the day of al-Fitr and al-Adha to the prayer place. He would start with the prayer, then he would go and stand facing the people, with the people sitting in their rows… This hadeeth was narrated by Muslim.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) started all his khutbahs with praise of Allaah. It is not narrated even in one hadeeth that he started the khutbah of Eid with takbeer. Rather Ibn Maajah narrated in his Sunan (1287) that Sa’d al-Qaraz, the muezzin of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say the takbeer between the two sermons and he used to say takbeer a great deal throughout the khutbah of Eid. This was classed as da’eef by al-Albaani in Da’eef Ibn Maajah. Although the hadeeth is da’eef, it does not indicate that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to begin his khutbah with takbeer.
It says in Tamaam al-Mannah: Although it does not indicate that it is prescribed to begin the Eid khutbah with takbeer, its isnaad is da’eef and includes one man who is da’eef (weak) and another who is majhool (unknown), so it is not permissible to quote it as evidence that it is Sunnah to say takbeer during the khutbah.
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
People differed as to how the khutbah on Eid and on the occasion of prayers for rain (istisqa’) should begin. It was said that they should begin with takbeer and it was said that the khutbah of istisqa’ should begin with prayers for forgiveness, and it was said that they should begin with praise. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: this is the correct view. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to begin all his khutbahs with praise of Allaah.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) granted a concession allowing those who attended the Eid prayers either to sit and listen to the khutbah, or to leave.
Abu Dawood (1155) narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Saa’ib said: I attended Eid (prayer) with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and when he had finished the prayer he said: “We are going to deliver the khutbah, so whoever wants to sit and listen to the khutbah, let him do so, and whoever wants to leave, let him go.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to vary his route on the day of Eid. He would go by one route and come back by another.
Al-Bukhaari narrated (986) that Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said: On the day of Eid, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would vary his route.
Islam Q&A
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Mistakes made on Eid
Q) What are the mistakes and wrong actions that the Muslims are warned against on the two Eids? We see some actions which we denounce such as visiting graves after the Eid prayer and staying up to worship on the night of Eid….
A) Praise be to Allaah.
As Eid is approaching, we would like to point out some things that some people do out of ignorance of the laws of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). These include the following:
1 – The belief of some that it is prescribed to spend the night of Eid in worship.
Some people believe that it is prescribed to spend the night of Eid in worship. This is a kind of innovation (bid’ah) that is not proven from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Rather it was narrated in a da’eef (weak) hadeeth which says, “Whoever stays up on the night of Eid, his heart will not die on the day when hearts die.” This hadeeth is not saheeh. It was narrated via two isnaads, one of which is mawdoo’ (fabricated) and the other is da’eef jiddan (very weak). See Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth al-Da’eefah wa’l-Mawdoo’ah by al-Albaani, 520, 521.
It is not prescribed to single out the night of Eid to pray qiyaam to the exclusion of all other nights, unlike the one whose habit it is to pray qiyaam, in which case there is nothing wrong with him praying qiyaam on the night of Eid.
2 – Visiting graves on the two Eid days.
This is contrary to the purpose of Eid which is to express joy and happiness, and it goes against the teaching of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the actions of the salaf. It comes under the general meaning of the Prophet’s prohibition on visiting graves on a specific day and making that like a festival, as the scholars stated.
See Ahkaam al-Janaa’iz wa Bida’uha by al-Albaani, p. 219, 258.
3 – Forsaking the jamaa’ah and sleeping late and missing the prayer.
Unfortunately you see some of the Muslims missing the prayer and forsaking the jamaa’ah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The covenant that stands between us and them is the prayer; whoever forsakes it is a kaafir.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2621; al-Nasaa’i, 463; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
And he said: “The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are the ‘Isha’ and Fajr prayers. If they knew (what goodness) there is in them, they would come to them even if they had to crawl. I had thought of ordering the call to prayer to be given, then I would tell a man to lead the people in prayer, then I would go, taking some men with me carrying bundles of wood, to people who do not attend the prayer, and would burn their houses down around them.” Narrated by Muslim, 651.
4 – Women mixing with men in the prayer place, the streets and elsewhere, and crowding together with men in those places.
This is a source of great fitnah (temptation) and serious danger. Both women and men should be warned against that, and the necessary means should be taken to prevent that as much as possible. Men and youth should not leave the prayer place or the mosque until after the women have dispersed completely.
5 – Some women going out wearing perfume and makeup, and without veils.
This is a problem which is widespread, and many people take this matter lightly. Allaah is the One Whose help we seek. Some women – may Allaah guide them – even dress up in their finest clothes and put on the best perfume when they go to the mosque to pray Taraaweeh or go to the Eid prayers, etc. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Any woman who puts on perfume and passes by people so that they can smell her fragrance, is an adulteress.” Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 5126; al-Tirmidhi, 2783; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 2019.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are two types of the people of Hell whom I have not seen. People with whips like the tails of cattle with which they beat the people, and women who are clothed yet naked, going astray and leading others astray, with their heads looking like the humps of camels, leaning to one side. They will not enter Paradise nor even smell its fragrance, although its fragrance may be detected from such and such a distance.” Narrated by Muslim, 2128.
The guardians of women must fear Allaah with regard to those who are under their care, and fulfil the duty of protecting and maintaining that Allaah has enjoined upon them, because,
“Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allaah has made one of them to excel the other”
[al-Nisa’ 4:34 – interpretation of the meaning]
So they must guide them and show them that which will lead to their salvation and their safety in this world and in the Hereafter, by means of keeping away from that which Allaah has forbidden and striving for that which will bring them closer to Allaah.
6 – Listening to singing and haraam things.
Among the evil things that are widespread in these times is music and singing. They have become very widespread and people take this matter lightly. It is on TV and radio, in cars, homes and marketplaces. There is no power and no strength except with Allaah. Even cell phones are not free of this evil. There are companies which compete in putting the latest music on the ringers of their cell phones, and in this way music has even reached the mosques, may Allaah protect us… This is a great problem and a great evil whereby music is heard in the houses of Allaah. See question no. 34217. This confirms the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “There will be among my ummah people who will regard adultery, silk, alcohol and musical instruments as permissible.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari.
See questions no. 5000, 34432.
The Muslim has to fear Allaah and realize that the blessing of Allaah means that he is obliged to give thanks to Him. It is not gratitude for the Muslim to disobey his Lord, when He is the One Who has bestowed this blessing upon him.
One of the righteous passed by some people who were engaged in idle entertainment on the day of Eid and said to them, “If you did well in Ramadaan, this is not the way to give thanks for that. If you did badly in Ramadaan, this is not the way that the one who did badly should behave.”
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
As Eid is approaching, we would like to point out some things that some people do out of ignorance of the laws of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). These include the following:
1 – The belief of some that it is prescribed to spend the night of Eid in worship.
Some people believe that it is prescribed to spend the night of Eid in worship. This is a kind of innovation (bid’ah) that is not proven from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Rather it was narrated in a da’eef (weak) hadeeth which says, “Whoever stays up on the night of Eid, his heart will not die on the day when hearts die.” This hadeeth is not saheeh. It was narrated via two isnaads, one of which is mawdoo’ (fabricated) and the other is da’eef jiddan (very weak). See Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth al-Da’eefah wa’l-Mawdoo’ah by al-Albaani, 520, 521.
It is not prescribed to single out the night of Eid to pray qiyaam to the exclusion of all other nights, unlike the one whose habit it is to pray qiyaam, in which case there is nothing wrong with him praying qiyaam on the night of Eid.
2 – Visiting graves on the two Eid days.
This is contrary to the purpose of Eid which is to express joy and happiness, and it goes against the teaching of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the actions of the salaf. It comes under the general meaning of the Prophet’s prohibition on visiting graves on a specific day and making that like a festival, as the scholars stated.
See Ahkaam al-Janaa’iz wa Bida’uha by al-Albaani, p. 219, 258.
3 – Forsaking the jamaa’ah and sleeping late and missing the prayer.
Unfortunately you see some of the Muslims missing the prayer and forsaking the jamaa’ah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The covenant that stands between us and them is the prayer; whoever forsakes it is a kaafir.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2621; al-Nasaa’i, 463; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
And he said: “The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are the ‘Isha’ and Fajr prayers. If they knew (what goodness) there is in them, they would come to them even if they had to crawl. I had thought of ordering the call to prayer to be given, then I would tell a man to lead the people in prayer, then I would go, taking some men with me carrying bundles of wood, to people who do not attend the prayer, and would burn their houses down around them.” Narrated by Muslim, 651.
4 – Women mixing with men in the prayer place, the streets and elsewhere, and crowding together with men in those places.
This is a source of great fitnah (temptation) and serious danger. Both women and men should be warned against that, and the necessary means should be taken to prevent that as much as possible. Men and youth should not leave the prayer place or the mosque until after the women have dispersed completely.
5 – Some women going out wearing perfume and makeup, and without veils.
This is a problem which is widespread, and many people take this matter lightly. Allaah is the One Whose help we seek. Some women – may Allaah guide them – even dress up in their finest clothes and put on the best perfume when they go to the mosque to pray Taraaweeh or go to the Eid prayers, etc. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Any woman who puts on perfume and passes by people so that they can smell her fragrance, is an adulteress.” Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 5126; al-Tirmidhi, 2783; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 2019.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are two types of the people of Hell whom I have not seen. People with whips like the tails of cattle with which they beat the people, and women who are clothed yet naked, going astray and leading others astray, with their heads looking like the humps of camels, leaning to one side. They will not enter Paradise nor even smell its fragrance, although its fragrance may be detected from such and such a distance.” Narrated by Muslim, 2128.
The guardians of women must fear Allaah with regard to those who are under their care, and fulfil the duty of protecting and maintaining that Allaah has enjoined upon them, because,
“Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allaah has made one of them to excel the other”
[al-Nisa’ 4:34 – interpretation of the meaning]
So they must guide them and show them that which will lead to their salvation and their safety in this world and in the Hereafter, by means of keeping away from that which Allaah has forbidden and striving for that which will bring them closer to Allaah.
6 – Listening to singing and haraam things.
Among the evil things that are widespread in these times is music and singing. They have become very widespread and people take this matter lightly. It is on TV and radio, in cars, homes and marketplaces. There is no power and no strength except with Allaah. Even cell phones are not free of this evil. There are companies which compete in putting the latest music on the ringers of their cell phones, and in this way music has even reached the mosques, may Allaah protect us… This is a great problem and a great evil whereby music is heard in the houses of Allaah. See question no. 34217. This confirms the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “There will be among my ummah people who will regard adultery, silk, alcohol and musical instruments as permissible.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari.
See questions no. 5000, 34432.
The Muslim has to fear Allaah and realize that the blessing of Allaah means that he is obliged to give thanks to Him. It is not gratitude for the Muslim to disobey his Lord, when He is the One Who has bestowed this blessing upon him.
One of the righteous passed by some people who were engaged in idle entertainment on the day of Eid and said to them, “If you did well in Ramadaan, this is not the way to give thanks for that. If you did badly in Ramadaan, this is not the way that the one who did badly should behave.”
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
What is prescribed for the one who comes to the Eid prayer-place?
Q) I noticed that some people, when they come to pray the Eid prayers, they pray two rak’ahs, and some start reciting the Takbeer (“Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, Allaahu akbar wa Lillaahi’l-hamd”). I hope that you can explain the Islamic rulings on these matters. Is there any difference between holding the Eid prayers in the mosque or in the Eid prayer-place?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
The Sunnah for the one who comes to the Eid prayer-place to pray the Eid prayers or to offer prayers for rain, is to sit down and not pray Tahiyyat al-Masjid (two rak’ahs to greet the mosque), because it is not narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or his companions did that, as far as we know. But if the prayer is being held in a mosque, then he should pray Tahiyyat al-Masjid, because of the general applicability of the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “When any one of you enters the mosque, let him not sit down until he has prayed two rak’ahs.” (Saheeh, agreed upon).
What is prescribed for the one who sits down to await the Eid prayer is to recite a lot of Tahleel (saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah) and Takbeer (saying Allaahu akbar), because these are the slogans of this day, and this is the Sunnah for all of those who are inside the mosque or outside of it, until the khutbah is over. If a person busies himself with reading Qur’aan, this is also OK. And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Kitaab Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, vol. 13, p. 13
A) Praise be to Allaah.
The Sunnah for the one who comes to the Eid prayer-place to pray the Eid prayers or to offer prayers for rain, is to sit down and not pray Tahiyyat al-Masjid (two rak’ahs to greet the mosque), because it is not narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or his companions did that, as far as we know. But if the prayer is being held in a mosque, then he should pray Tahiyyat al-Masjid, because of the general applicability of the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “When any one of you enters the mosque, let him not sit down until he has prayed two rak’ahs.” (Saheeh, agreed upon).
What is prescribed for the one who sits down to await the Eid prayer is to recite a lot of Tahleel (saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah) and Takbeer (saying Allaahu akbar), because these are the slogans of this day, and this is the Sunnah for all of those who are inside the mosque or outside of it, until the khutbah is over. If a person busies himself with reading Qur’aan, this is also OK. And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Kitaab Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, vol. 13, p. 13
Is it better for woman to go out to the Eid prayers or to stay at home?
Q) I know that it is better for women to pray at home, but my question has to do with the Eid prayer. Is it better for women to go out to the Eid prayer or to stay at home?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
It is better for women to go out to the Eid prayer. This was enjoined by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
Al-Bukhaari (324) and Muslim (890) narrated that Umm ‘Atiyyah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded us to bring them (women) out on (Eid) al-Fitr and (Eid) al-Adha, and to bring out adolescent girls, menstruating women and virgins, but the menstruating women were to stay away from the prayer, but were to witness goodness and the gathering of the Muslims. I said: “O Messenger of Allaah, what if one of us does not have a jilbaab?” He said: “Let her sister lend her a jilbab.”
Al-Haafiz said:
This shows that it is mustahabb for women to come out and attend the Eid prayers, whether they are young or not.
Al-Shawkaani said:
This and similar hadeeths indicate that it is prescribed in sharee’ah for women to come out to the prayer-place, with no differentiation between virgins and non-virgins, young or old, menstruating or otherwise, so long as they are not going through ‘iddah (following divorce or death of their husband) or their coming out will be a cause of fitnah or they have an excuse.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked: what is better for a woman, to come out to the Eid prayer or to stay at home?
He replied:
It is better for them to go out to Eid prayer, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined that the women go out to the Eid prayer, even the adolescent girls and virgins – i.e., women who do not ordinarily go out. He commanded them to go out, and he told the menstruating women to go out but to keep away from the prayer-place. So menstruating women should go out with other women for Eid, but they should not enter the place where the Eid prayer is offered, because the Eid prayer-place is a mosque and it is not permissible for a menstruating woman to stay there, but it is permissible for her to pass through or to take something she needs from it, without staying there. Based on this we say: women are commanded to go out to the Eid prayer and join the men in this prayer, because of the goodness, dhikr and du’aa’ they may experience there.
Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 16/210.
He also said:
But they must go out looking decent, not wearing adornment, makeup or perfume, so that they may combine following the Sunnah with avoiding fitnah.
What some women do of wearing adornment, makeup and perfume is because of their ignorance and negligence on the part of their guardians. This does not cancel out the general shar’i ruling, which is that women are commanded to go out to the Eid prayer.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
It is better for women to go out to the Eid prayer. This was enjoined by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
Al-Bukhaari (324) and Muslim (890) narrated that Umm ‘Atiyyah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded us to bring them (women) out on (Eid) al-Fitr and (Eid) al-Adha, and to bring out adolescent girls, menstruating women and virgins, but the menstruating women were to stay away from the prayer, but were to witness goodness and the gathering of the Muslims. I said: “O Messenger of Allaah, what if one of us does not have a jilbaab?” He said: “Let her sister lend her a jilbab.”
Al-Haafiz said:
This shows that it is mustahabb for women to come out and attend the Eid prayers, whether they are young or not.
Al-Shawkaani said:
This and similar hadeeths indicate that it is prescribed in sharee’ah for women to come out to the prayer-place, with no differentiation between virgins and non-virgins, young or old, menstruating or otherwise, so long as they are not going through ‘iddah (following divorce or death of their husband) or their coming out will be a cause of fitnah or they have an excuse.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked: what is better for a woman, to come out to the Eid prayer or to stay at home?
He replied:
It is better for them to go out to Eid prayer, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined that the women go out to the Eid prayer, even the adolescent girls and virgins – i.e., women who do not ordinarily go out. He commanded them to go out, and he told the menstruating women to go out but to keep away from the prayer-place. So menstruating women should go out with other women for Eid, but they should not enter the place where the Eid prayer is offered, because the Eid prayer-place is a mosque and it is not permissible for a menstruating woman to stay there, but it is permissible for her to pass through or to take something she needs from it, without staying there. Based on this we say: women are commanded to go out to the Eid prayer and join the men in this prayer, because of the goodness, dhikr and du’aa’ they may experience there.
Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 16/210.
He also said:
But they must go out looking decent, not wearing adornment, makeup or perfume, so that they may combine following the Sunnah with avoiding fitnah.
What some women do of wearing adornment, makeup and perfume is because of their ignorance and negligence on the part of their guardians. This does not cancel out the general shar’i ruling, which is that women are commanded to go out to the Eid prayer.
Islam Q&A
It is permissible to fast on the second day of Shawwaal?
Q) Is it permissible to make up a missed fast on the second or third day of Eid?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Eid al-Fitr lasts for just one day, which is the first day of Shawwaal.
With regard to the commonly-held belief among people, that Eid al-Fitr lasts for three days, this is merely a custom that is known among the people, and has nothing to do with any shar’i rulings.
Al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Chapter: Fasting on the day of al-Fitr.
Then he narrated (1992) that Abu Sa’eed (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade fasting on the day of al-Fitr and al-Nahr.
Based on this, the day of al-Fitr is just one day, on which it is haraam to fast, As for the second and third days of Shawwaal, it is not haraam to fast those days; it is permissible to fast it to make up a missed Ramadaan fast or as a voluntary fast.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Eid al-Fitr lasts for just one day, which is the first day of Shawwaal.
With regard to the commonly-held belief among people, that Eid al-Fitr lasts for three days, this is merely a custom that is known among the people, and has nothing to do with any shar’i rulings.
Al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Chapter: Fasting on the day of al-Fitr.
Then he narrated (1992) that Abu Sa’eed (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade fasting on the day of al-Fitr and al-Nahr.
Based on this, the day of al-Fitr is just one day, on which it is haraam to fast, As for the second and third days of Shawwaal, it is not haraam to fast those days; it is permissible to fast it to make up a missed Ramadaan fast or as a voluntary fast.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Monday, September 29, 2008
It is permissible to pay zakaat al-fitr in the form of flour
Q) Is it permissible for a person to pay zakaat al-fitr in the form of flour?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Zakaat al-fitr must be given in form of the people’s staple food. Based on this, there is nothing wrong with giving it in the form of flour.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Mughni (2/357): It is permissible to give flour. This was stated by Ahmad. End quote.
Abu Dawood (618) narrated from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) that they used to give a saa’ of flour for zakaat al-fitr, but this is a da’eef (weak) hadeeth which was classed as such by Abu Dawood and others. See: Irwa’ al-Ghaleel (848).
The fact that the hadeeth was classed as da’eef does not mean that it is not permissible to give flour, because what is required, as stated abode, is to give what the people eat as their staple food. Hence Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in I’laam al-Muwaqqi’een (3/12) after confirming that zakaat al-fitr should be given in the form of the people’s staple food, whatever it is: Based on that, it is acceptable to give flour, even if it is not mentioned in the saheeh hadeeth. End quote.
The view that it is permissible to give flour for zakaat al-fitr is the view of Abu Haneefah and Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on them), and it was the view favoured by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah. Among contemporary scholars it was viewed as most correct by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen.
The scholars – such as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (25/69) and al-Mardaawi in al-Insaaf (3/180) – have drawn attention to the fact that flour must be given by weight, i.e. equivalent to the weight of a saa’ of grain, because a saa’ of flour may be less than a saa’ of grain, so if a person gives a saa’ of flour it may be less than a saa’ of grain, and that is not permissible.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (6/179): If he gives a saa’ of wheat or barley flour, that is acceptable, but that is based on the idea that what counts with regard to flour is weight, because when grains are ground, they become less dense, so a saa’ of flour is nearly one-sixth less than a saa’ of grain. End quote.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Zakaat al-fitr must be given in form of the people’s staple food. Based on this, there is nothing wrong with giving it in the form of flour.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Mughni (2/357): It is permissible to give flour. This was stated by Ahmad. End quote.
Abu Dawood (618) narrated from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) that they used to give a saa’ of flour for zakaat al-fitr, but this is a da’eef (weak) hadeeth which was classed as such by Abu Dawood and others. See: Irwa’ al-Ghaleel (848).
The fact that the hadeeth was classed as da’eef does not mean that it is not permissible to give flour, because what is required, as stated abode, is to give what the people eat as their staple food. Hence Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in I’laam al-Muwaqqi’een (3/12) after confirming that zakaat al-fitr should be given in the form of the people’s staple food, whatever it is: Based on that, it is acceptable to give flour, even if it is not mentioned in the saheeh hadeeth. End quote.
The view that it is permissible to give flour for zakaat al-fitr is the view of Abu Haneefah and Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on them), and it was the view favoured by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah. Among contemporary scholars it was viewed as most correct by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen.
The scholars – such as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (25/69) and al-Mardaawi in al-Insaaf (3/180) – have drawn attention to the fact that flour must be given by weight, i.e. equivalent to the weight of a saa’ of grain, because a saa’ of flour may be less than a saa’ of grain, so if a person gives a saa’ of flour it may be less than a saa’ of grain, and that is not permissible.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (6/179): If he gives a saa’ of wheat or barley flour, that is acceptable, but that is based on the idea that what counts with regard to flour is weight, because when grains are ground, they become less dense, so a saa’ of flour is nearly one-sixth less than a saa’ of grain. End quote.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Which is better: praying qiyaam or reading Qur’aan?
Q) Which is better if one stays up at night: praying or reading Qur’aan?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Praying is better than reading Qur’aan outside of prayer. This was stated by the imams. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Adhere to righteousness even though you will not able to do all acts of virtue. Know that the best of your deeds is prayer and that no one maintains his wudoo’ except a believer.” But if a person feels more focused and ponders and understands better when he reads Qur’aan outside of prayer, then in his case it is better to do that which is more beneficial for him. End quote.
Majmoo’ Fataawa Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (23/62).
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Praying is better than reading Qur’aan outside of prayer. This was stated by the imams. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Adhere to righteousness even though you will not able to do all acts of virtue. Know that the best of your deeds is prayer and that no one maintains his wudoo’ except a believer.” But if a person feels more focused and ponders and understands better when he reads Qur’aan outside of prayer, then in his case it is better to do that which is more beneficial for him. End quote.
Majmoo’ Fataawa Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (23/62).
“There is no i’tikaaf except in the three mosque”
Q) I heard a hadeeth which says that i’tikaaf is only valid in al-Masjid al-Haraam (in Makkah), al-Masjid al-Nabawi (in Madeenah) and al-Masjid al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem). Is this hadeeth saheeh?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The hadeeth to which the questioner is referring was narrated by al-Bayhaqi (4/315) from Hudhayfah, who said to ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him): I saw some people who were observing i’tikaaf between your house and the house of Abu Moosa (i.e., in the mosque) and I know that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no i’tikaaf except in the three mosques: al-Masjid al-Haraam…” ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said: Perhaps you forgot and they remembered, or you made a mistake and they were correct.
This was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth al-Saheehah (2876).
Secondly: With regard to the ruling on this matter, the majority of scholars are of the view that it is not essential for i’tikaaf to be observed in one of the three mosques. They quoted as evidence for that the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in I‘tikaaf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques” [al-Baqarah 2:187] The word masaajid in this verse includes all mosques, except those of which the evidence states that i’tikaaf is not valid therein, such as mosques in which prayers are not held in congregation, if the person who is observing i’tikaaf is one of those on whom prayer in congregation is obligatory. See question no. ( 48985 ) Imam al-Bukhaari referred to the general meaning of the verse. He said:
Chapter: I’tikaaf during the last ten days (of Ramadaan) and i’tikaaf in any mosque. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in I‘tikaaf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques. These are the limits (set) by Allaah, so approach them not. Thus does Allaah make clear His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, revelations, verses, laws, legal and illegal things, Allaah’s set limits, orders, etc.) to mankind that they may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious” [al-Baqarah 2:187].
The Muslims continued to observe i’tikaaf in the mosques in their countries, as was mentioned by al-Tahhaawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) in Mushkil al-Athaar, 4/205.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about the ruling on i’tikaaf in the three mosques: al-Masjid al-Haraam (in Makkah), al-Masjid al-Nabawi (in Madeenah) and al-Masjid al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem).
He replied:
I’tikaaf in mosques other than the three mosques – al-Masjid al-Haraam (in Makkah), al-Masjid al-Nabawi (in Madeenah) and al-Masjid al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem) – is prescribed at the appropriate time, and is not limited to the three mosques. It may be observed in those mosques or in others. This is the view of the imams of the Muslims and the imams of the madhhabs that are followed, such as Imam Ahmad, Maalik, al-Shaafa’i, Abu Haneefah and others – may Allaah have mercy on them – because of the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):
“And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in I‘tikaaf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques. These are the limits (set) by Allaah, so approach them not. Thus does Allaah make clear His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, revelations, verses, laws, legal and illegal things, Allaah’s set limits, orders, etc.) to mankind that they may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)”
[al-Baqarah 2:187]
And because the word masaajid (mosques) is general in meaning and includes all mosques throughout the world. This sentence appears at the end of the verses on fasting, the ruling of which applies to the whole ummah in all regions. So it is addressed to all those to whom the ruling on fasting is addressed. Hence these rulings end with the words (interpretation of the meaning):
“These are the limits (set) by Allaah, so approach them not. Thus does Allaah make clear His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, revelations, verses, laws, legal and illegal things, Allaah’s set limits, orders, etc.) to mankind that they may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)”
[al-Baqarah 2:187]
It is extremely unlikely that Allaah would address the ummah with words that only include a very few of them.
With regard to the hadeeth of Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamaan (may Allaah be pleased with him): “There is no i’tikaaf except in the three mosques,” even if we assume that this hadeeth is free from faults, it is referring to the most perfect of i’tikaaf, i.e., that which is observed in the three mosques, because of their honoured status and superiority over others. This usage occurs frequently, where the negative is a statement that something is incomplete, not a denial of its validity. For example the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no prayer in the presence of food,” etc. Undoubtedly the basic principle with regard to negative statements is to negate or deny, but if there is evidence to the contrary then that evidence should be followed, as in the hadeeth of Hudhayfah. This is if we assume that it is free of faults. And Allaah knows best.
Fataawa al-Siyaam (p. 493).
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: How sound is the hadeeth “There is no i’tikaaf except in the three mosques”? If the hadeeth is saheeh, does that in fact mean that i’tikaaf can only be observed in the three mosques?
He replied:
I’tikaaf is valid in mosques other than the three mosques, but it is essential that the mosque in which i’tikaaf is observed is a mosque in which prayers are held in congregation. If no prayers are held in congregation there, then it is not valid to observe i’tikaaf there. But if a person has vowed to observe i’tikaaf in one of the three mosques then he is obliged to do so in fulfillment of his vow.
Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 15/444.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The hadeeth to which the questioner is referring was narrated by al-Bayhaqi (4/315) from Hudhayfah, who said to ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him): I saw some people who were observing i’tikaaf between your house and the house of Abu Moosa (i.e., in the mosque) and I know that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no i’tikaaf except in the three mosques: al-Masjid al-Haraam…” ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said: Perhaps you forgot and they remembered, or you made a mistake and they were correct.
This was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth al-Saheehah (2876).
Secondly: With regard to the ruling on this matter, the majority of scholars are of the view that it is not essential for i’tikaaf to be observed in one of the three mosques. They quoted as evidence for that the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in I‘tikaaf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques” [al-Baqarah 2:187] The word masaajid in this verse includes all mosques, except those of which the evidence states that i’tikaaf is not valid therein, such as mosques in which prayers are not held in congregation, if the person who is observing i’tikaaf is one of those on whom prayer in congregation is obligatory. See question no. ( 48985 ) Imam al-Bukhaari referred to the general meaning of the verse. He said:
Chapter: I’tikaaf during the last ten days (of Ramadaan) and i’tikaaf in any mosque. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in I‘tikaaf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques. These are the limits (set) by Allaah, so approach them not. Thus does Allaah make clear His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, revelations, verses, laws, legal and illegal things, Allaah’s set limits, orders, etc.) to mankind that they may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious” [al-Baqarah 2:187].
The Muslims continued to observe i’tikaaf in the mosques in their countries, as was mentioned by al-Tahhaawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) in Mushkil al-Athaar, 4/205.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about the ruling on i’tikaaf in the three mosques: al-Masjid al-Haraam (in Makkah), al-Masjid al-Nabawi (in Madeenah) and al-Masjid al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem).
He replied:
I’tikaaf in mosques other than the three mosques – al-Masjid al-Haraam (in Makkah), al-Masjid al-Nabawi (in Madeenah) and al-Masjid al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem) – is prescribed at the appropriate time, and is not limited to the three mosques. It may be observed in those mosques or in others. This is the view of the imams of the Muslims and the imams of the madhhabs that are followed, such as Imam Ahmad, Maalik, al-Shaafa’i, Abu Haneefah and others – may Allaah have mercy on them – because of the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):
“And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in I‘tikaaf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques. These are the limits (set) by Allaah, so approach them not. Thus does Allaah make clear His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, revelations, verses, laws, legal and illegal things, Allaah’s set limits, orders, etc.) to mankind that they may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)”
[al-Baqarah 2:187]
And because the word masaajid (mosques) is general in meaning and includes all mosques throughout the world. This sentence appears at the end of the verses on fasting, the ruling of which applies to the whole ummah in all regions. So it is addressed to all those to whom the ruling on fasting is addressed. Hence these rulings end with the words (interpretation of the meaning):
“These are the limits (set) by Allaah, so approach them not. Thus does Allaah make clear His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, revelations, verses, laws, legal and illegal things, Allaah’s set limits, orders, etc.) to mankind that they may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)”
[al-Baqarah 2:187]
It is extremely unlikely that Allaah would address the ummah with words that only include a very few of them.
With regard to the hadeeth of Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamaan (may Allaah be pleased with him): “There is no i’tikaaf except in the three mosques,” even if we assume that this hadeeth is free from faults, it is referring to the most perfect of i’tikaaf, i.e., that which is observed in the three mosques, because of their honoured status and superiority over others. This usage occurs frequently, where the negative is a statement that something is incomplete, not a denial of its validity. For example the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no prayer in the presence of food,” etc. Undoubtedly the basic principle with regard to negative statements is to negate or deny, but if there is evidence to the contrary then that evidence should be followed, as in the hadeeth of Hudhayfah. This is if we assume that it is free of faults. And Allaah knows best.
Fataawa al-Siyaam (p. 493).
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: How sound is the hadeeth “There is no i’tikaaf except in the three mosques”? If the hadeeth is saheeh, does that in fact mean that i’tikaaf can only be observed in the three mosques?
He replied:
I’tikaaf is valid in mosques other than the three mosques, but it is essential that the mosque in which i’tikaaf is observed is a mosque in which prayers are held in congregation. If no prayers are held in congregation there, then it is not valid to observe i’tikaaf there. But if a person has vowed to observe i’tikaaf in one of the three mosques then he is obliged to do so in fulfillment of his vow.
Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 15/444.
Islam Q&A
He did ‘umrah during the day in Ramadaan and felt tired and exhausted so he broke his fast
Q) I have a brother who is 18 and a sister who is 17. They went one day in Ramadaan after Fajr and started to do ‘Umrah, but they felt so tired and exhausted when they were doing saa’i that they thought they were going to die, so they drank some water whilst they were doing saa’i. What should they do, because that was three years ago?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
If your brother and sister had done ‘umrah and they were travelling, there is nothing wrong with them breaking the fast, because it is permissible for the traveller to break the fast in Ramadaan, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe Sawm (fasts) must be made up] from other days”
[al-Baqarah 2:185]
But if they were not travelling and they broke their fast because of the tiredness and exhaustion that you mention and because they were afraid they might die, there is no sin on them for that, because Allaah has granted a concession allowing the sick person not to fast, so whoever finds himself experiencing such hardship comes under the same ruling as one who is sick.
In either case (whether they were travelling or not), there is no blame or sin on them, but they have to make up a day to replace that day.
As for their ‘umrah, if they did all the obligatory and essential parts of it, then it is valid in sha Allaah.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
If your brother and sister had done ‘umrah and they were travelling, there is nothing wrong with them breaking the fast, because it is permissible for the traveller to break the fast in Ramadaan, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe Sawm (fasts) must be made up] from other days”
[al-Baqarah 2:185]
But if they were not travelling and they broke their fast because of the tiredness and exhaustion that you mention and because they were afraid they might die, there is no sin on them for that, because Allaah has granted a concession allowing the sick person not to fast, so whoever finds himself experiencing such hardship comes under the same ruling as one who is sick.
In either case (whether they were travelling or not), there is no blame or sin on them, but they have to make up a day to replace that day.
As for their ‘umrah, if they did all the obligatory and essential parts of it, then it is valid in sha Allaah.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Paying zakaah al-fitr one week before Eid
Q) I paid zakaah al-fitr more than a week before Eid. Is that valid? If it is not valid, then what should I do?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The scholars differed concerning the earliest time when zakaah al-fitr may be paid, and there are several views.
1 – That it should be paid two days before Eid. This is the view of the Maalikis and Hanbalis. They quoted as evidence the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: They used to give (zakaat) al-fitr one or two days before (Eid). Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1511).
Some of them said it may be given three days before Eid, because of the report in al-Mudawwanah (1/385) according to which Maalik said: Naafi’ told me that Ibn ‘Umar used to send zakaat al-fitr to the one who was collecting it two or three days before (Eid) al-Fitr.
This view was favoured by Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) as it says in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (14/216).
2 –That it is permissible to give it from the beginning of Ramadaan. This is the view of the Hanafis and is the correct view according to the Shaafa’is. See: al-Umm (2/75), al-Majmoo’ (6/87) and Badaa’i’ al_Sanaa’i’ (2/74).
They said: because the reason for giving charity is fasting and then breaking the fast, so if one of these two reasons is present it is permissible to hasten it, just as it is permissible to hasten giving the zakaah of one's wealth after taking possession of the nisaab and before one full year has passed.
3 – That it is permissible to give it from the beginning of the year. This is the view of some of the Hanafis and some of the Shaafa’is. They said: because it is zakaah and they likened it to the zakaah of one’s wealth with regard to paying it in advance in all cases.
The most correct view is the first one.
Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughni (2/676):
The reason why it is obligatory is the breaking of the fast, which is indicated by the fact that it is mentioned in conjunction with it. The purpose behind it is to make the poor independent of means at a specific time, and it is not permissible to pay it in advance of that time. End quote.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked, as it says in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (18/zakaat al-fitr/question no. 180):
I paid zakaat al-fitr at the beginning of Ramadaan in Egypt before I came to Makkah, and now I am staying in Makkah al-Mukarramah. Do I have to pay zakaat al-fitr?
He replied:
Yes, you have to pay zakaat al-fitr, because you paid it before its time came. The phrase “zakaat al-fitr” is composed of two words, which explains the reason for the zakaah, which is breaking the fast (fitr).
So zakaat al-fitr is mentioned in conjunction with the fitr (breaking of the fast) because that is the reason for it, and it is known that breaking the fast of Ramadaan occurs only on the last day of Ramadaan, so it is not permissible to pay zakaat al-fitr except when the sun has set on the last day of Ramadaan, except that there is a concession allowing it to be paid one or two days before. Otherwise the proper time for it is after sunset on the last day of Ramadaan, because that is the time when the Ramadaan fast is to be broken. Hence we say that it is better to pay it on the morning of Eid if possible. End quote.
Secondly:
It is permissible to give zakaat al-fitr to a deputy to pay it on your behalf through a charity or trustworthy people etc at the beginning of the month, so long as you stipulate to the deputy that it is to be paid one or two days before Eid, because the proper way of paying it is to give it to poor and needy people who are entitled to it; this is what is mentioned in sharee’ah, that it is limited to one or two days before Eid. Acting as someone’s deputy in paying it comes under the heading of cooperating in righteousness and piety, and there is no time limit for that.
This has been discussed in the answer to question no. 10526.
To conclude: Paying zakaat al-fitr one week before Eid is not valid, and you have to pay it again, unless you gave it to someone whom you delegated to pay it such as a charitable organization that will pay it at the proper time, one or two days before Eid. In that case you have done what is required of you and it is regarded as zakaah that is valid and acceptable in sha Allaah.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The scholars differed concerning the earliest time when zakaah al-fitr may be paid, and there are several views.
1 – That it should be paid two days before Eid. This is the view of the Maalikis and Hanbalis. They quoted as evidence the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: They used to give (zakaat) al-fitr one or two days before (Eid). Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1511).
Some of them said it may be given three days before Eid, because of the report in al-Mudawwanah (1/385) according to which Maalik said: Naafi’ told me that Ibn ‘Umar used to send zakaat al-fitr to the one who was collecting it two or three days before (Eid) al-Fitr.
This view was favoured by Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) as it says in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (14/216).
2 –That it is permissible to give it from the beginning of Ramadaan. This is the view of the Hanafis and is the correct view according to the Shaafa’is. See: al-Umm (2/75), al-Majmoo’ (6/87) and Badaa’i’ al_Sanaa’i’ (2/74).
They said: because the reason for giving charity is fasting and then breaking the fast, so if one of these two reasons is present it is permissible to hasten it, just as it is permissible to hasten giving the zakaah of one's wealth after taking possession of the nisaab and before one full year has passed.
3 – That it is permissible to give it from the beginning of the year. This is the view of some of the Hanafis and some of the Shaafa’is. They said: because it is zakaah and they likened it to the zakaah of one’s wealth with regard to paying it in advance in all cases.
The most correct view is the first one.
Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughni (2/676):
The reason why it is obligatory is the breaking of the fast, which is indicated by the fact that it is mentioned in conjunction with it. The purpose behind it is to make the poor independent of means at a specific time, and it is not permissible to pay it in advance of that time. End quote.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked, as it says in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (18/zakaat al-fitr/question no. 180):
I paid zakaat al-fitr at the beginning of Ramadaan in Egypt before I came to Makkah, and now I am staying in Makkah al-Mukarramah. Do I have to pay zakaat al-fitr?
He replied:
Yes, you have to pay zakaat al-fitr, because you paid it before its time came. The phrase “zakaat al-fitr” is composed of two words, which explains the reason for the zakaah, which is breaking the fast (fitr).
So zakaat al-fitr is mentioned in conjunction with the fitr (breaking of the fast) because that is the reason for it, and it is known that breaking the fast of Ramadaan occurs only on the last day of Ramadaan, so it is not permissible to pay zakaat al-fitr except when the sun has set on the last day of Ramadaan, except that there is a concession allowing it to be paid one or two days before. Otherwise the proper time for it is after sunset on the last day of Ramadaan, because that is the time when the Ramadaan fast is to be broken. Hence we say that it is better to pay it on the morning of Eid if possible. End quote.
Secondly:
It is permissible to give zakaat al-fitr to a deputy to pay it on your behalf through a charity or trustworthy people etc at the beginning of the month, so long as you stipulate to the deputy that it is to be paid one or two days before Eid, because the proper way of paying it is to give it to poor and needy people who are entitled to it; this is what is mentioned in sharee’ah, that it is limited to one or two days before Eid. Acting as someone’s deputy in paying it comes under the heading of cooperating in righteousness and piety, and there is no time limit for that.
This has been discussed in the answer to question no. 10526.
To conclude: Paying zakaat al-fitr one week before Eid is not valid, and you have to pay it again, unless you gave it to someone whom you delegated to pay it such as a charitable organization that will pay it at the proper time, one or two days before Eid. In that case you have done what is required of you and it is regarded as zakaah that is valid and acceptable in sha Allaah.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
What can a woman who is menstruating do on Laylat al-Qadr?
Q) I was wondering what a woman can do on laylat al-qadr if she is menstruating at that time. can she earn extra rewards for engaging herself in worship? if so, what is permissible for her to do so that night?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
A woman who is menstruating may do all acts of worship apart from praying, fasting, circumambulating the Ka’bah and doing i’tikaaf in the mosque.
It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to stay up at night during the last ten nights of Ramadaan. Al-Bukhaari (2401) and Muslim (1174) narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “When the last ten nights of Ramadaan came, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would refrain from marital relations, stay up at night and wake his family up.”
Staying up at night is not only for prayer, rather it includes all kinds of acts of worship. This is how the scholars interpreted it.
Al-Haafiz said: “Staying up at night” means staying up to do acts of worship.
Al-Nawawi said: spending the night staying up to pray etc.
He said in ‘Awn al-Ma’bood: i.e., in prayer, dhikr and reciting the Qur’aan.
Praying qiyaam is the best act of worship that a person can do on Laylat al-Qadr. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever spends the night of Laylat al-Qadr in prayer out of faith and in hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1901; Muslim, 760).
Because the woman who is menstruating is not allowed to pray, she can spend the night in doing other acts of worship apart from prayer, such as:
1- Reading or reciting Qur’aan. See question no. 2564.
2- Dhikr – such as saying Subhaan-Allaah, La ilaaha illa-Allaah, al-Hamdu Lillaah, etc. She can repeat the words “Subhaan-Allaah wa’l-hamdu Lillaah, wa laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, wa Allaahu akbar (Glory be to Allaah, praise be to Allaah, there is no god but Allaah and Allaah is Most Great)” and “Subhaan Allaah wa bi hamdihi, subhaan Allaah il-‘Azeem (Glory and praise be to Allaah, glory be to Allaah the Almighty)” etc.
3- Istighfaar (praying for forgiveness), by repeating the phrase “Astaghfir-Allaah (I ask Allaah for forgiveness).”
4- Du’aa’ (supplication) – she can pray to Allaah and ask Him for what is good in this world and in the Hereafter, for du’aa’ is one of the best acts of worship. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Du’aa’ is ‘ibaadah (worship).” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2895; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2370).
The woman who is menstruating can do these acts of worship and others on Laylat al-Qadr.
We ask Allaah to help us to do that which He loves and which pleases Him. May Allaah accept our righteous deeds.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
A woman who is menstruating may do all acts of worship apart from praying, fasting, circumambulating the Ka’bah and doing i’tikaaf in the mosque.
It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to stay up at night during the last ten nights of Ramadaan. Al-Bukhaari (2401) and Muslim (1174) narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “When the last ten nights of Ramadaan came, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would refrain from marital relations, stay up at night and wake his family up.”
Staying up at night is not only for prayer, rather it includes all kinds of acts of worship. This is how the scholars interpreted it.
Al-Haafiz said: “Staying up at night” means staying up to do acts of worship.
Al-Nawawi said: spending the night staying up to pray etc.
He said in ‘Awn al-Ma’bood: i.e., in prayer, dhikr and reciting the Qur’aan.
Praying qiyaam is the best act of worship that a person can do on Laylat al-Qadr. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever spends the night of Laylat al-Qadr in prayer out of faith and in hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1901; Muslim, 760).
Because the woman who is menstruating is not allowed to pray, she can spend the night in doing other acts of worship apart from prayer, such as:
1- Reading or reciting Qur’aan. See question no. 2564.
2- Dhikr – such as saying Subhaan-Allaah, La ilaaha illa-Allaah, al-Hamdu Lillaah, etc. She can repeat the words “Subhaan-Allaah wa’l-hamdu Lillaah, wa laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, wa Allaahu akbar (Glory be to Allaah, praise be to Allaah, there is no god but Allaah and Allaah is Most Great)” and “Subhaan Allaah wa bi hamdihi, subhaan Allaah il-‘Azeem (Glory and praise be to Allaah, glory be to Allaah the Almighty)” etc.
3- Istighfaar (praying for forgiveness), by repeating the phrase “Astaghfir-Allaah (I ask Allaah for forgiveness).”
4- Du’aa’ (supplication) – she can pray to Allaah and ask Him for what is good in this world and in the Hereafter, for du’aa’ is one of the best acts of worship. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Du’aa’ is ‘ibaadah (worship).” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2895; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2370).
The woman who is menstruating can do these acts of worship and others on Laylat al-Qadr.
We ask Allaah to help us to do that which He loves and which pleases Him. May Allaah accept our righteous deeds.
Islam Q&A
Fasting person using cream to moisturize the lips
Q) What is the ruling on a fasting person using cream to treat dryness of the lips?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
There is nothing wrong with a person using something to moisturize the lips and nose, or wetting them with water or with a cloth and the like. But he must take care to avoid letting any of these moisturizers reach his stomach, but if any of that reaches his stomach without him intending it to, there is no sin on him, just as if he were to rinse his mouth and some water were to reach his stomach without him intending it to, that does not break his fast. End quote.
Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 19/224.
A) Praise be to Allaah.
There is nothing wrong with a person using something to moisturize the lips and nose, or wetting them with water or with a cloth and the like. But he must take care to avoid letting any of these moisturizers reach his stomach, but if any of that reaches his stomach without him intending it to, there is no sin on him, just as if he were to rinse his mouth and some water were to reach his stomach without him intending it to, that does not break his fast. End quote.
Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 19/224.
Why isn’t the puffer for asthma regarded as breaking the fast?
Q) I would like a detailed answer: why isn’t the puffer that is used by people who have asthma regarded as breaking the fast?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
The puffer is a container in which there is a liquid medicine composed of three things: chemical substances (medical preparation), water and oxygen.
When pressure is applied to the puffer, the medicine comes out in the form of a mist. If the patient takes a deep breath in when applying pressure to the puffer, this mist enters the airway (trachea), but some of it remains in the pharynx, and a very small amount of it may enter the oesophagus.
Some contemporary scholars are of the view that using a puffer invalidates the fast. They said: Because the contents of the puffer may reach the stomach via the mouth, so it breaks the fast.
But most contemporary scholars are of the view that using this puffer does not break the fast, and this view is the correct one. They quoted a number of things as evidence for this:
1. The basic principle is that the fast remains valid, and this fact cannot be altered except when there is certain proof. Whether part of the mist from the puffer reaches the stomach is something uncertain: it may enter the stomach or it may not, because the basic principle is that this substance goes to the respiratory system, but some of it may enter the stomach. With this uncertainty we cannot say that it invalidates the fast. This is the answer to the evidence for the first opinion.
2. Assuming that some of this medicine does actually enter the stomach, it is forgiven, and does not invalidate the fast, by analogy with rinsing the mouth and using the miswaak.
With regard to rinsing the mouth: when the fasting person rinses his mouth, some of that water remains in his mouth, and some of that water may go down to the stomach. Hence if he rinses his mouth with water in which there is a radioactive substance, that radioactive substance will appear in his stomach after a while, which confirms that some of the water used for rinsing the mouth does go down into the stomach. But this part that goes down into the stomach is a very small amount, which is overlooked in sharee’ah. The ruling is that the fast is still valid if one rinses the mouth. The amount of medicine from a puffer that reaches the stomach – if any – is smaller than the amount of water that reaches the stomach when one rinses the mouth, so it is more likely that it does not break the fast.
As for the siwaak, it contains a substance that dissolves in the saliva and goes down into the pharynx, and then to the stomach. But Islam overlooks this, and does not regard it as invalidating the fast, because it is a small amount and is not intentional. Similarly the part that may go down into the stomach from the puffer is small, and the patient does not intend for it to enter the stomach, so it does not break the fast, by analogy with the miswaak.
Thus the strength of the second view is apparent. This is the view favoured by our contemporary scholars: Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), Shaykh Muhammad ibn al-‘Uthaymeen, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Jibreen, and the scholars of the Standing Committee. We have quoted some of their fatwas concerning this in the answer to question no. 37650.
See: Majallat al-Fiqh al-Islami (vol. 10, in which there are a number of articles about modern things that break the fast); Muftiraat al-Siyaam al-Mu’aasirah, by Dr. Ahmad al-Khaleel, p. 33-38.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
The puffer is a container in which there is a liquid medicine composed of three things: chemical substances (medical preparation), water and oxygen.
When pressure is applied to the puffer, the medicine comes out in the form of a mist. If the patient takes a deep breath in when applying pressure to the puffer, this mist enters the airway (trachea), but some of it remains in the pharynx, and a very small amount of it may enter the oesophagus.
Some contemporary scholars are of the view that using a puffer invalidates the fast. They said: Because the contents of the puffer may reach the stomach via the mouth, so it breaks the fast.
But most contemporary scholars are of the view that using this puffer does not break the fast, and this view is the correct one. They quoted a number of things as evidence for this:
1. The basic principle is that the fast remains valid, and this fact cannot be altered except when there is certain proof. Whether part of the mist from the puffer reaches the stomach is something uncertain: it may enter the stomach or it may not, because the basic principle is that this substance goes to the respiratory system, but some of it may enter the stomach. With this uncertainty we cannot say that it invalidates the fast. This is the answer to the evidence for the first opinion.
2. Assuming that some of this medicine does actually enter the stomach, it is forgiven, and does not invalidate the fast, by analogy with rinsing the mouth and using the miswaak.
With regard to rinsing the mouth: when the fasting person rinses his mouth, some of that water remains in his mouth, and some of that water may go down to the stomach. Hence if he rinses his mouth with water in which there is a radioactive substance, that radioactive substance will appear in his stomach after a while, which confirms that some of the water used for rinsing the mouth does go down into the stomach. But this part that goes down into the stomach is a very small amount, which is overlooked in sharee’ah. The ruling is that the fast is still valid if one rinses the mouth. The amount of medicine from a puffer that reaches the stomach – if any – is smaller than the amount of water that reaches the stomach when one rinses the mouth, so it is more likely that it does not break the fast.
As for the siwaak, it contains a substance that dissolves in the saliva and goes down into the pharynx, and then to the stomach. But Islam overlooks this, and does not regard it as invalidating the fast, because it is a small amount and is not intentional. Similarly the part that may go down into the stomach from the puffer is small, and the patient does not intend for it to enter the stomach, so it does not break the fast, by analogy with the miswaak.
Thus the strength of the second view is apparent. This is the view favoured by our contemporary scholars: Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), Shaykh Muhammad ibn al-‘Uthaymeen, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Jibreen, and the scholars of the Standing Committee. We have quoted some of their fatwas concerning this in the answer to question no. 37650.
See: Majallat al-Fiqh al-Islami (vol. 10, in which there are a number of articles about modern things that break the fast); Muftiraat al-Siyaam al-Mu’aasirah, by Dr. Ahmad al-Khaleel, p. 33-38.
Islam Q&A
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Ruling on watching movies and TV, and playing cards, during the day in Ramadaan
Q) Some people who are fasting spend most of the day in Ramadaan watching movies and soap operas on video and TV, and playing cards. What is the Islamic view on that?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Those who are fasting and other Muslims should fear Allaah with regard to what they do and what they refrain from doing at all times, and they should beware of that which Allaah has forbidden of watching indecent movies which show things which Allaah has forbidden, such as pictures of naked and semi-naked people and evil words; the same applies to things that appear on TV which go against the laws of Allaah, such as images, songs, musical instruments and misleading advertisements.
Every Muslim, whether he is fasting or not, should be beware of playing with cards, because of what that involves of witnessing evil and doing evil, and because it also leads to hard-heartedness, sickness in the heart and lack of respect for Allaah’s laws and finding what Allaah has made obligatory to be burdensome, such as praying in congregation and other obligatory duties, and falling into many haraam things. Allaah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks (i.e. music, singing) to mislead (men) from the path of Allaah without knowledge, and takes it (the path of Allaah, or the Verses of the Qur’aan) by way of mockery. For such there will be a humiliating torment (in the Hell‑fire).
7. And when Our Verses (of the Qur’aan) are recited to such a one, he turns away in pride, as if he heard them not — as if there were deafness in his ear. So announce to him a painful torment”
[Luqmaan 31:6-7]
And Allaah says in Soorat al-Furqaan, describing the slaves of the Most Merciful (interpretation of the meaning):
“And those who do not bear witness to falsehood, and if they pass by some evil play or evil talk, they pass by it with dignity”
[al-Furqaan 25:72].
Falsehood includes all kinds of evil, and what is meant by “[they] do not bear witness” is that they are not present. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There will be among my ummah people who regard adultery, silk, alcohol and music as permissible.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh in a mu’allaq, majzoom report. What is meant by music is singing and musical instruments. Allaah has forbidden to the Muslims the means that cause them to fall into evil. Undoubtedly watching evil films and the evils that are shown on television are means that cause one to fall into evil or to become careless and not denounce it. And Allaah is the One whose help we seek. End quote.
Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz (15/315).
These sins detract from the reward of fasting, and may erase it altogether.
See also the answer to question no. 50063.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Those who are fasting and other Muslims should fear Allaah with regard to what they do and what they refrain from doing at all times, and they should beware of that which Allaah has forbidden of watching indecent movies which show things which Allaah has forbidden, such as pictures of naked and semi-naked people and evil words; the same applies to things that appear on TV which go against the laws of Allaah, such as images, songs, musical instruments and misleading advertisements.
Every Muslim, whether he is fasting or not, should be beware of playing with cards, because of what that involves of witnessing evil and doing evil, and because it also leads to hard-heartedness, sickness in the heart and lack of respect for Allaah’s laws and finding what Allaah has made obligatory to be burdensome, such as praying in congregation and other obligatory duties, and falling into many haraam things. Allaah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks (i.e. music, singing) to mislead (men) from the path of Allaah without knowledge, and takes it (the path of Allaah, or the Verses of the Qur’aan) by way of mockery. For such there will be a humiliating torment (in the Hell‑fire).
7. And when Our Verses (of the Qur’aan) are recited to such a one, he turns away in pride, as if he heard them not — as if there were deafness in his ear. So announce to him a painful torment”
[Luqmaan 31:6-7]
And Allaah says in Soorat al-Furqaan, describing the slaves of the Most Merciful (interpretation of the meaning):
“And those who do not bear witness to falsehood, and if they pass by some evil play or evil talk, they pass by it with dignity”
[al-Furqaan 25:72].
Falsehood includes all kinds of evil, and what is meant by “[they] do not bear witness” is that they are not present. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There will be among my ummah people who regard adultery, silk, alcohol and music as permissible.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh in a mu’allaq, majzoom report. What is meant by music is singing and musical instruments. Allaah has forbidden to the Muslims the means that cause them to fall into evil. Undoubtedly watching evil films and the evils that are shown on television are means that cause one to fall into evil or to become careless and not denounce it. And Allaah is the One whose help we seek. End quote.
Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz (15/315).
These sins detract from the reward of fasting, and may erase it altogether.
See also the answer to question no. 50063.
Islam Q&A
Shaking hands with women in Ramadaan
Q) What is the ruling on touching women with one's hand only during Ramadaan and the emission of semen as a result?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
The ruling on touching non-mahram women is that it is haraam, during Ramadaan and at other times, whether that is touching with the hand only or actions that are more serious than that, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If one of you were to be stabbed in the head with an iron needle, that would be better for him than his touching a woman who is not permissible for him.” Narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer, 486; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 5045.
See also question no. 2459, 21183
Sins in general – including touching women – are more serious in Ramadaan. They detract from the reward of fasting, and may even spoil the fast altogether so that the fasting person gets nothing from his fast except hunger and thirst. Hence the fasting person is told most emphatically to avoid sin.
The believer should make the most of Ramadaan to set himself straight, to repent from sin and to turn to Allaah. The day when he fasts and the day when he does not fast cannot be the same.
Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: When you fast, then let your hearing, sight and tongue fast and abstain from lies and haraam things, and refrain from harming your neighbour. Be tranquil and dignified on the day when you fast, and do not let the day when you fast and the day when you do not fast be the same.
Narrated by Ibn al-Mubaarak in al-Zuhd, 1308.
See also Question no. 37658
If a man shakes hands with a woman during the day in Ramadaan, and he ejaculates, his fast is invalidated, and there is no difference of opinion among the scholars on this point. He has to repent to Allaah from this sin, refrain from eating and drinking for the rest of the day, and make up that day’s fast later on.
See al-Mughni by Ibn Qudaamah, 4/361
With regard to emission of semen whilst fasting, if that happens without desire, e.g. because of sickness, then it does not affect the fast.
The Standing Committee was asked:
I suffer from seminal discharge during the days in Ramadaan without any wet dreams or engaging in the “secret habit” (masturbation). Does this have any effect on the fast?
They replied:
If the matter is as described, the emission of semen without any feelings of pleasure during the day in Ramadaan does not affect your fast, and you do not have to make up that day.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/278.
But if the emission of semen is accompanied by desire, one of two scenarios applies:
1 – That happens because the man does something that provokes his desires, such as kissing his wife, shaking hands with a woman with desire, etc. This invalidates the fast and he must make up that day later on.
2 – The semen is emitted without the man doing anything, such as simply thinking about desire, or because of a wet dream. This does not invalidate the fast and his fast is still valid.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to the emission of semen as the result of desire, this invalidates the fast whether that happened because of touching or kissing or repeatedly looking, or any other reason that provokes desire, such as masturbation etc. With regard to wet dreams and thinking, these do not invalidate the fast even is semen is emitted as a result.
Fataawa Islamiyyah, 2/135
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
The ruling on touching non-mahram women is that it is haraam, during Ramadaan and at other times, whether that is touching with the hand only or actions that are more serious than that, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If one of you were to be stabbed in the head with an iron needle, that would be better for him than his touching a woman who is not permissible for him.” Narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer, 486; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 5045.
See also question no. 2459, 21183
Sins in general – including touching women – are more serious in Ramadaan. They detract from the reward of fasting, and may even spoil the fast altogether so that the fasting person gets nothing from his fast except hunger and thirst. Hence the fasting person is told most emphatically to avoid sin.
The believer should make the most of Ramadaan to set himself straight, to repent from sin and to turn to Allaah. The day when he fasts and the day when he does not fast cannot be the same.
Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: When you fast, then let your hearing, sight and tongue fast and abstain from lies and haraam things, and refrain from harming your neighbour. Be tranquil and dignified on the day when you fast, and do not let the day when you fast and the day when you do not fast be the same.
Narrated by Ibn al-Mubaarak in al-Zuhd, 1308.
See also Question no. 37658
If a man shakes hands with a woman during the day in Ramadaan, and he ejaculates, his fast is invalidated, and there is no difference of opinion among the scholars on this point. He has to repent to Allaah from this sin, refrain from eating and drinking for the rest of the day, and make up that day’s fast later on.
See al-Mughni by Ibn Qudaamah, 4/361
With regard to emission of semen whilst fasting, if that happens without desire, e.g. because of sickness, then it does not affect the fast.
The Standing Committee was asked:
I suffer from seminal discharge during the days in Ramadaan without any wet dreams or engaging in the “secret habit” (masturbation). Does this have any effect on the fast?
They replied:
If the matter is as described, the emission of semen without any feelings of pleasure during the day in Ramadaan does not affect your fast, and you do not have to make up that day.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/278.
But if the emission of semen is accompanied by desire, one of two scenarios applies:
1 – That happens because the man does something that provokes his desires, such as kissing his wife, shaking hands with a woman with desire, etc. This invalidates the fast and he must make up that day later on.
2 – The semen is emitted without the man doing anything, such as simply thinking about desire, or because of a wet dream. This does not invalidate the fast and his fast is still valid.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to the emission of semen as the result of desire, this invalidates the fast whether that happened because of touching or kissing or repeatedly looking, or any other reason that provokes desire, such as masturbation etc. With regard to wet dreams and thinking, these do not invalidate the fast even is semen is emitted as a result.
Fataawa Islamiyyah, 2/135
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Giving zakaah to one who is seeking worldly knowledge
Q) My sister is married to a man who only works sometimes but he is also stingy and does not spend on her or her children. She works and pays for all the household expenses, and now she is being forced to complete her studies so that she can get a higher certificate, otherwise she will lose her job, but she needs money to do these studies. Is it permissible for me to give the zakaah of my wealth to her?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
It is permissible to give zakaah to a seeker of worldly knowledge who does not have enough to support him, if the knowledge that he is studying is permissible and is needed, so that he will be able to work and find a job, because getting these certificates has become a real necessity without which one cannot usually find employment.
Al-Mardaawi says in al-Insaaf (3/218): Shaykh Taqiy al-Deen favoured the view that it is permissible to take zakaah in order to buy books that he needs including books of knowledge that is indispensable for his religious and worldly affairs. End quote. And this is the correct view. End quote.
Based on this, there is nothing wrong with your giving the zakaah of your wealth to your sister.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
It is permissible to give zakaah to a seeker of worldly knowledge who does not have enough to support him, if the knowledge that he is studying is permissible and is needed, so that he will be able to work and find a job, because getting these certificates has become a real necessity without which one cannot usually find employment.
Al-Mardaawi says in al-Insaaf (3/218): Shaykh Taqiy al-Deen favoured the view that it is permissible to take zakaah in order to buy books that he needs including books of knowledge that is indispensable for his religious and worldly affairs. End quote. And this is the correct view. End quote.
Based on this, there is nothing wrong with your giving the zakaah of your wealth to your sister.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Does he have to refrain from eating on the day he becomes Muslim?
Q) If a kaafir becomes a Muslim during the day in Ramadaan, does he have to refrain from eating during the day on which he becomes Muslim?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, he has to refrain from eating for the rest of the day on which he becomes Muslim, because he is now one of the people who are under this obligation. This is different from the case when an impediment to fasting ceases to apply; when an impediment to fasting ceases to apply, the person does not have to refrain from eating for the rest of that day, for example, if a woman’s period ends during the day and she becomes pure, she does not have to refrain from eating for the rest of the day. Similarly if a sick person who didn’t fast because of sickness recovers during the day, he does not have to refrain from eating, because it was permissible for him not to fast on this day, even though he is one of those who come under this obligation – i.e., a Muslim. This is different from the case of one who becomes Muslim during the day; he has to refrain from eating but he does not have to make up that day. But those people – menstruating women, people who are sick and so on, do not have to refrain from eating but they do have to make up that day. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him).
Al-Ijaabaat ‘ala As’ilat al-Jaaliyaat, (1/7)
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, he has to refrain from eating for the rest of the day on which he becomes Muslim, because he is now one of the people who are under this obligation. This is different from the case when an impediment to fasting ceases to apply; when an impediment to fasting ceases to apply, the person does not have to refrain from eating for the rest of that day, for example, if a woman’s period ends during the day and she becomes pure, she does not have to refrain from eating for the rest of the day. Similarly if a sick person who didn’t fast because of sickness recovers during the day, he does not have to refrain from eating, because it was permissible for him not to fast on this day, even though he is one of those who come under this obligation – i.e., a Muslim. This is different from the case of one who becomes Muslim during the day; he has to refrain from eating but he does not have to make up that day. But those people – menstruating women, people who are sick and so on, do not have to refrain from eating but they do have to make up that day. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him).
Al-Ijaabaat ‘ala As’ilat al-Jaaliyaat, (1/7)
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
The reward for i’tikaaf
Q) What is the reward for i’tikaaf?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
I’tikaaf is prescribed in Islam and it is an act of worship that draws one closer to Allaah. See Question no. (48999)
Once this is established, there are many ahaadeeth which encourage us to draw closer to Allaah by doing naafil acts of worship. The general meaning of these ahaadeeth includes all kinds of worship, including i’tikaaf.
For example, there is the hadeeth qudsi in which Allaah says: “My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6502.
Secondly:
There are several ahaadeeth which speak of the virtue of i’tikaaf and describe its reward, but they are all weak (da’eef) or fabricated (mawdoo’).
Abu Dawood said: I said to Ahmad (i.e., Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal): Do you know anything about the virtue of i’tikaaf? He said: No, except something weak. Masaa’il Abi Dawood, p. 96.
These ahaadeeth include the following:
1 – Ibn Maajah (1781) narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said concerning the person who observes i’tikaaf: “He is refraining from sin and he will be given a reward like that of one who does all kinds of good deeds.” This was classed as da’eef by al-Albaani in Da’eef Ibn Maajah.
2 – al-Tabaraani, al-Haakim and al-Bayhaqi narrated the following from Ibn ‘Abbaas, which they classed as da’eef: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever observes i’tikaaf for one day seeking thereby the Face of Allaah, Allaah will place between him and the Fire three ditches wider than the distance between the east and the west.” This was classed as da’eef by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Da’eefah, 5345.
3 – al-Daylami narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever observes i’tikaaf out of faith and in the hope of reward will be forgiven his previous sins.” Classed as da’eef by al-Albaani in Da’eef al-Jaami’, 5442.
4 – Al-Bayhaqi narrated the following report from al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him), which he classed as da’eef: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever observes i’tikaaf for ten days in Ramadaan, that will be equivalent to two Hajjs and two ‘Umrahs. This was mentioned by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Da’eefah (518) where he said: it is mawdoo’ (fabricated).
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
I’tikaaf is prescribed in Islam and it is an act of worship that draws one closer to Allaah. See Question no. (48999)
Once this is established, there are many ahaadeeth which encourage us to draw closer to Allaah by doing naafil acts of worship. The general meaning of these ahaadeeth includes all kinds of worship, including i’tikaaf.
For example, there is the hadeeth qudsi in which Allaah says: “My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6502.
Secondly:
There are several ahaadeeth which speak of the virtue of i’tikaaf and describe its reward, but they are all weak (da’eef) or fabricated (mawdoo’).
Abu Dawood said: I said to Ahmad (i.e., Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal): Do you know anything about the virtue of i’tikaaf? He said: No, except something weak. Masaa’il Abi Dawood, p. 96.
These ahaadeeth include the following:
1 – Ibn Maajah (1781) narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said concerning the person who observes i’tikaaf: “He is refraining from sin and he will be given a reward like that of one who does all kinds of good deeds.” This was classed as da’eef by al-Albaani in Da’eef Ibn Maajah.
2 – al-Tabaraani, al-Haakim and al-Bayhaqi narrated the following from Ibn ‘Abbaas, which they classed as da’eef: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever observes i’tikaaf for one day seeking thereby the Face of Allaah, Allaah will place between him and the Fire three ditches wider than the distance between the east and the west.” This was classed as da’eef by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Da’eefah, 5345.
3 – al-Daylami narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever observes i’tikaaf out of faith and in the hope of reward will be forgiven his previous sins.” Classed as da’eef by al-Albaani in Da’eef al-Jaami’, 5442.
4 – Al-Bayhaqi narrated the following report from al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him), which he classed as da’eef: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever observes i’tikaaf for ten days in Ramadaan, that will be equivalent to two Hajjs and two ‘Umrahs. This was mentioned by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Da’eefah (518) where he said: it is mawdoo’ (fabricated).
Islam Q&A
Are there any saheeh ahaadeeth which speak of the ransoming of the living and the dead during Ramadaan?
Q) I heard from someone that Allaah ransoms just one of the dead Muslims every night, and that He does not ransom any of the living except on the last night of Ramadaan, when He ransoms the same number as the number of dead whom He ransomed during the month. Is this true?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
After researching the matter, we did not find any ahaadeeth which say such a thing.
There are ahaadeeth which say that Allaah ransoms people from the Fire during Ramadaan, and that happens every night.
Some of these ahaadeeth are saheeh (sound), some are da’eef (weak), and some are mawdoo’ (fabricated).
Among the saheeh ahaadeeth which speak of that are the following:
1 – It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When the first night of Ramadaan comes, the devils and mischievous jinn are chained up, and the gates of Hell are closed, and none of its gates are opened. The gates of Paradise are opened and none of its gates are closed. And a caller cries out: ‘O seeker of good, proceed; O seeker of evil, desist.’ And Allaah has people whom He frees (from the Fire), and that happens every day.”
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 682; Ibn Maajah, 1642; classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 759.
2 – It was narrated that Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “At every breaking of the fast Allaah has people whom He redeems from the Fire, and that happens every night.”
Narrated by Ahmad, 21698; Ibn Maajah, 1643; classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.
The da’eef (weak) and mawdoo’ (fabricated) ahaadeeth that have been narrated on this topic include the following:
1 – The report narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), according to which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When the first night of Ramadaan comes, Allaah looks at His creation, and if Allaah looks at a person He will never punish him. And every day Allaah has one thousand thousand whom He ransoms from the Fire. On the twenty-ninth night Allaah ransoms a number equivalent to the number whom He has already ransomed during the entire month.”
This is a mawdoo’ hadeeth. See Da’eef al-Targheeb, 591 and al-Silsilah al-Da’eefah, 5468.
2 – It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Paradise is scented with incense and adorned throughout the year, in preparation for the beginning of the month of Ramadaan. On the first night of the month of Ramadaan, a wind called al-matheerah comes from beneath the Throne… And on each day of the month of Ramadaan at the time of breaking the fast, Allaah has one thousand thousand whom He ransoms from the Fire, all of whom deserved to go to Hell. And on the last day of the month of Ramadaan, Allaah ransoms on that day a number equivalent to all those whom He ransomed from the beginning of the month to the end.
This is a mawdoo’ hadeeth. See Da’eef al-Targheeb, 594.
3 – It was narrated that al-Hasan said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Every night of Ramadaan Allaah has six hundred thousand whom He ransoms from the Fire. And on the last night Allaah ransoms a number equivalent to those whom He has already ransomed.”
This is a da’eef hadeeth. See Da’eef al-Targheeb, 598.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
After researching the matter, we did not find any ahaadeeth which say such a thing.
There are ahaadeeth which say that Allaah ransoms people from the Fire during Ramadaan, and that happens every night.
Some of these ahaadeeth are saheeh (sound), some are da’eef (weak), and some are mawdoo’ (fabricated).
Among the saheeh ahaadeeth which speak of that are the following:
1 – It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When the first night of Ramadaan comes, the devils and mischievous jinn are chained up, and the gates of Hell are closed, and none of its gates are opened. The gates of Paradise are opened and none of its gates are closed. And a caller cries out: ‘O seeker of good, proceed; O seeker of evil, desist.’ And Allaah has people whom He frees (from the Fire), and that happens every day.”
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 682; Ibn Maajah, 1642; classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 759.
2 – It was narrated that Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “At every breaking of the fast Allaah has people whom He redeems from the Fire, and that happens every night.”
Narrated by Ahmad, 21698; Ibn Maajah, 1643; classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.
The da’eef (weak) and mawdoo’ (fabricated) ahaadeeth that have been narrated on this topic include the following:
1 – The report narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), according to which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When the first night of Ramadaan comes, Allaah looks at His creation, and if Allaah looks at a person He will never punish him. And every day Allaah has one thousand thousand whom He ransoms from the Fire. On the twenty-ninth night Allaah ransoms a number equivalent to the number whom He has already ransomed during the entire month.”
This is a mawdoo’ hadeeth. See Da’eef al-Targheeb, 591 and al-Silsilah al-Da’eefah, 5468.
2 – It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Paradise is scented with incense and adorned throughout the year, in preparation for the beginning of the month of Ramadaan. On the first night of the month of Ramadaan, a wind called al-matheerah comes from beneath the Throne… And on each day of the month of Ramadaan at the time of breaking the fast, Allaah has one thousand thousand whom He ransoms from the Fire, all of whom deserved to go to Hell. And on the last day of the month of Ramadaan, Allaah ransoms on that day a number equivalent to all those whom He ransomed from the beginning of the month to the end.
This is a mawdoo’ hadeeth. See Da’eef al-Targheeb, 594.
3 – It was narrated that al-Hasan said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Every night of Ramadaan Allaah has six hundred thousand whom He ransoms from the Fire. And on the last night Allaah ransoms a number equivalent to those whom He has already ransomed.”
This is a da’eef hadeeth. See Da’eef al-Targheeb, 598.
Islam Q&A
Is it permissible to read from the computer during Taraweeh prayers?
Q) Is it permissible to read the Holy Qur’aan from the computer whilst performing Taraweeh prayers?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Reading from the computer whilst praying comes under the same rulings as reading from the Mus-haf whilst praying. This is a well known issue concerning which there is a difference of opinion among the scholars. The Shaafa’is and Hanbalis regard it as permissible, but Abu Haneefah was of the view that their prayer is invalidated if one reads from the Mus-haf.
It says in al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah (33/57, 58):
The Shaafa’is and Hanbalis are of the view that it is permissible to read from the Mus-haf whilst praying. Imam Ahmad said: There is nothing wrong with a person leading the people in praying qiyaam (taraweeh) whilst looking at the Mus-haf. It was said to him: What about the obligatory prayers? He said: I have not heard anything concerning that.
Al-Zuhri was asked about a man who read from the Mus-haf during Ramadaan. He said: The best of us used to read from the Mus-haf.
In the commentary on Rawd al-Taalib by Shaykh Zakariya al-Ansaari it says: If he reads from the Mus-haf and turns the pages occasionally it does not invalidate the prayer, because this is a slight movement or is not ongoing, and does not distract one. A little of a movement of which a lot would invalidate the prayer, if done deliberately with no need, is makrooh.
Abu Haneefah was of the view that the prayer is invalidated if one reads from the Mus-haf in all cases, whether it is a little or a lot, whether one is leading the prayer or praying alone, whether one is unversed and can only recite from it or not, and they mentioned that Abu Haneefah had two reasons for regarding it as invalid:
1. That holding the Mus-haf, looking at it and turning the pages is a lot of movement
2. That he is being prompted by the Mus-haf, so it is as if he is being prompted by someone else, and it makes no difference in this case whether the Mus-haf is placed on a stand or held in the hand. But with regard to the first reason, it makes a difference.
He excluded from that the case where a person had memorized what he is reciting and he recites without holding the Mus-haf. In that case it does not invalidate his prayer because this reading is counted as helping him to remember what he has memorized and is not regarded as being prompted by the Mus-haf; merely looking without holding it does not invalidate the prayer.
Two of our companions – Abu Yoosuf and Muhammad – were of the view that it is makrooh to read from the Mus-haf if the intention is to imitate the people of the Book. End quote.
The view that it is permissible is the view which is stated in fatwas of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas, Shaykh al-‘Uthaymeen and Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah al-Jibreen.
See the answer to question no. 1255 and 69670.
Undoubtedly it is better that the people should only be led in prayer by one who has memorized the book of Allaah, and can recite from memory.
Shaykh Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him) was asked:
Is reading from the Mus-haf better than reciting from memory? We hope you can advise us.
He replied:
With regard to reading Qur’aan outside of prayer, reading from the Mus-haf is better, because it is a more accurate recitation. But if reciting from memory will help him to focus more, then he should recite from memory.
With regard to prayer, it is better to recite from memory, because if he recites from the Mus-haf he will do repeated movements by holding the Mus-haf, putting it down, turning the pages and looking at the letters; thus he will miss out on placing the right hand over the left on the chest whilst standing, and he may miss out on spreading the arms when bowing and prostrating if he puts the Mus-haf under his arm. Hence we prefer that the worshipper should recite Qur’aan from memory whilst praying rather than reading from the Mus-haf. End quote.
Al-Muntaqa min Fataawa al-Fawzaan (2/35, question no. 16).
See also the words of Shaykh al-Uthaymeen in the answer to question no. 3465.
One of the negative aspects of reading from the Mus-haf – or from the computer or cell phone – whilst praying is that it deadens the imam’s interest in memorizing Qur’aan, and ends his desire to memorize it. If he knows that he can open the Mus-haf whilst praying, or look at the computer or cell phone, he will not devote time to memorizing the Book of Allaah, and he will not be eager to memorize it well. You should strive to memorize the Book of Allaah and recite it by heart whilst praying.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Reading from the computer whilst praying comes under the same rulings as reading from the Mus-haf whilst praying. This is a well known issue concerning which there is a difference of opinion among the scholars. The Shaafa’is and Hanbalis regard it as permissible, but Abu Haneefah was of the view that their prayer is invalidated if one reads from the Mus-haf.
It says in al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah (33/57, 58):
The Shaafa’is and Hanbalis are of the view that it is permissible to read from the Mus-haf whilst praying. Imam Ahmad said: There is nothing wrong with a person leading the people in praying qiyaam (taraweeh) whilst looking at the Mus-haf. It was said to him: What about the obligatory prayers? He said: I have not heard anything concerning that.
Al-Zuhri was asked about a man who read from the Mus-haf during Ramadaan. He said: The best of us used to read from the Mus-haf.
In the commentary on Rawd al-Taalib by Shaykh Zakariya al-Ansaari it says: If he reads from the Mus-haf and turns the pages occasionally it does not invalidate the prayer, because this is a slight movement or is not ongoing, and does not distract one. A little of a movement of which a lot would invalidate the prayer, if done deliberately with no need, is makrooh.
Abu Haneefah was of the view that the prayer is invalidated if one reads from the Mus-haf in all cases, whether it is a little or a lot, whether one is leading the prayer or praying alone, whether one is unversed and can only recite from it or not, and they mentioned that Abu Haneefah had two reasons for regarding it as invalid:
1. That holding the Mus-haf, looking at it and turning the pages is a lot of movement
2. That he is being prompted by the Mus-haf, so it is as if he is being prompted by someone else, and it makes no difference in this case whether the Mus-haf is placed on a stand or held in the hand. But with regard to the first reason, it makes a difference.
He excluded from that the case where a person had memorized what he is reciting and he recites without holding the Mus-haf. In that case it does not invalidate his prayer because this reading is counted as helping him to remember what he has memorized and is not regarded as being prompted by the Mus-haf; merely looking without holding it does not invalidate the prayer.
Two of our companions – Abu Yoosuf and Muhammad – were of the view that it is makrooh to read from the Mus-haf if the intention is to imitate the people of the Book. End quote.
The view that it is permissible is the view which is stated in fatwas of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas, Shaykh al-‘Uthaymeen and Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah al-Jibreen.
See the answer to question no. 1255 and 69670.
Undoubtedly it is better that the people should only be led in prayer by one who has memorized the book of Allaah, and can recite from memory.
Shaykh Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him) was asked:
Is reading from the Mus-haf better than reciting from memory? We hope you can advise us.
He replied:
With regard to reading Qur’aan outside of prayer, reading from the Mus-haf is better, because it is a more accurate recitation. But if reciting from memory will help him to focus more, then he should recite from memory.
With regard to prayer, it is better to recite from memory, because if he recites from the Mus-haf he will do repeated movements by holding the Mus-haf, putting it down, turning the pages and looking at the letters; thus he will miss out on placing the right hand over the left on the chest whilst standing, and he may miss out on spreading the arms when bowing and prostrating if he puts the Mus-haf under his arm. Hence we prefer that the worshipper should recite Qur’aan from memory whilst praying rather than reading from the Mus-haf. End quote.
Al-Muntaqa min Fataawa al-Fawzaan (2/35, question no. 16).
See also the words of Shaykh al-Uthaymeen in the answer to question no. 3465.
One of the negative aspects of reading from the Mus-haf – or from the computer or cell phone – whilst praying is that it deadens the imam’s interest in memorizing Qur’aan, and ends his desire to memorize it. If he knows that he can open the Mus-haf whilst praying, or look at the computer or cell phone, he will not devote time to memorizing the Book of Allaah, and he will not be eager to memorize it well. You should strive to memorize the Book of Allaah and recite it by heart whilst praying.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Which is more important, repeating the word of the adhaan or hastening to break the fast?
Q) Its said that we should listen to azan.but what about a person whois breaking his fast on hearing magrib azan?is he exempted as he is having food to break fast?similarly abot having sahri during fajr azan?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
The scholars differed concerning the ruling on repeating after the muezzin and repeating the words of the adhaan. The correct view – which is the view of the majority of scholars – is that repeating it is mustahabb, not obligatory. This is the view of the Maalikis, Shaafa’is and Hanbalis.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Majmoo’ (3/127):
Our view is that repeating (the words of the adhaan) is Sunnah, not obligatory. This is the view of the majority of scholars. Al-Tahhaawi narrated that some of the salaf held a different view and said that it is obligatory. End quote.
In al-Mughni (1/256) it is narrated that Imam Ahmad said: If he does not repeat his words there is nothing wrong with that. End quote.
This is indicated by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to Maalik ibn al-Huwayrith and those who were with him: “When the time for prayer comes, let one of you give the adhaan and let the oldest of you lead you in prayer.”
This indicates that repeating the words of the adhaan is not obligatory. This conclusion is based on the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was teaching them, and in this case there was a need to explain everything they needed to know. This delegation of people may not have had any knowledge of what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said about repeating the words of the adhaan, and the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not mention it, even though there may have been a need to explain it to them, and this delegation stayed with him for twenty days then left, indicates that repeating the words of the adhaan is not obligatory. This is the most correct view. End quote from al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (2/75).
Maalik narrated in al-Muwatta’ (1/103) from Ibn Shihaab that Tha’labah ibn Abi Maalik al-Qurazi told him: At the time of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab they would pray on Friday until ‘Umar came out. When ‘Umar came out and sat on the minbar and the muezzin gave the adhaan, Tha’labah said: We would sit and talk, then when the muezzins fell silent and ‘Umar stood up to deliver the khutbah, we would listen attentively and none of us would speak.
Ibn Shihaab said: When the imam comes out, prayer should stop, and when he speaks, speaking should stop.
Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Tamaam al-Minnah (340):
This report indicates that it is not obligatory to repeat the words of the muezzin, because what was done at the time of ‘Umar was that people spoke during the adhaan, and ‘Umar did not say anything about that. I have often been asked about the evidence that repeating the words of the adhaan is not obligatory, and I have replied in this manner. End quote.
Based on the above, there is no sin on the one who does not repeat the words of the muezzin, whether that is because he is busy with eating or anything else. But by doing that he is missing out on a great reward with Allaah.
Muslim (385) narrated that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If the muezzin says, ‘Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar (Allaah is most great, Allaah is most great),’ and one of you says, ‘Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar (Allaah is most great, Allaah is most great)’; then he says, ‘Ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah),’ and you say, ‘Ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah)’; then he says, ‘Ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasool-Allaah (I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah),’ and you say, ‘Ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasool-Allaah (I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah)’; then he says, ‘Hayya ‘ala’l-salaah (Come to prayer),’ and you say, ‘La hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah (There is no power and no strength except with Allaah)’; then he says, ‘Hayya ‘ala’l-falaah (Come to prosperity),’ and you say, ‘Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah (There is no power and no strength except with Allaah)’; then he says, ‘Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar (Allaah is most great, Allaah is most great),’ and you say, ‘Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar (Allaah is most great, Allaah is most great)’; then he says, ‘Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (There is no god but Allaah),’ and one of you says, ‘Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (There is no god but Allaah),’ from the heart, he will enter Paradise.”
There is no conflict between hastening to break the fast and repeating the words of the muezzin. The fasting person can hasten to break his fast as soon as the sun has set, and at the same time he can repeat the words of the muezzin. Then he will have attained both virtues, the virtue of hastening to break the fast and the virtue of repeating the words of the muezzin.
People from ancient times until now have always spoken whilst eating; they do not think that eating keeps them from speaking. But it should be noted that hastening to break the fast may be done by eating anything, even if it is something small like a date or drinking water. It does not mean that he should eat until he is full.
The same applies if the adhaan for Fajr is given when one is eating sahoor; he can combine the two without difficulty.
But if the muezzin gives the adhaan for Fajr after the time for it begins, then one must stop eating and drinking when the adhaan is heard.
See also the answer to question no. 66202.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
The scholars differed concerning the ruling on repeating after the muezzin and repeating the words of the adhaan. The correct view – which is the view of the majority of scholars – is that repeating it is mustahabb, not obligatory. This is the view of the Maalikis, Shaafa’is and Hanbalis.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Majmoo’ (3/127):
Our view is that repeating (the words of the adhaan) is Sunnah, not obligatory. This is the view of the majority of scholars. Al-Tahhaawi narrated that some of the salaf held a different view and said that it is obligatory. End quote.
In al-Mughni (1/256) it is narrated that Imam Ahmad said: If he does not repeat his words there is nothing wrong with that. End quote.
This is indicated by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to Maalik ibn al-Huwayrith and those who were with him: “When the time for prayer comes, let one of you give the adhaan and let the oldest of you lead you in prayer.”
This indicates that repeating the words of the adhaan is not obligatory. This conclusion is based on the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was teaching them, and in this case there was a need to explain everything they needed to know. This delegation of people may not have had any knowledge of what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said about repeating the words of the adhaan, and the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not mention it, even though there may have been a need to explain it to them, and this delegation stayed with him for twenty days then left, indicates that repeating the words of the adhaan is not obligatory. This is the most correct view. End quote from al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (2/75).
Maalik narrated in al-Muwatta’ (1/103) from Ibn Shihaab that Tha’labah ibn Abi Maalik al-Qurazi told him: At the time of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab they would pray on Friday until ‘Umar came out. When ‘Umar came out and sat on the minbar and the muezzin gave the adhaan, Tha’labah said: We would sit and talk, then when the muezzins fell silent and ‘Umar stood up to deliver the khutbah, we would listen attentively and none of us would speak.
Ibn Shihaab said: When the imam comes out, prayer should stop, and when he speaks, speaking should stop.
Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Tamaam al-Minnah (340):
This report indicates that it is not obligatory to repeat the words of the muezzin, because what was done at the time of ‘Umar was that people spoke during the adhaan, and ‘Umar did not say anything about that. I have often been asked about the evidence that repeating the words of the adhaan is not obligatory, and I have replied in this manner. End quote.
Based on the above, there is no sin on the one who does not repeat the words of the muezzin, whether that is because he is busy with eating or anything else. But by doing that he is missing out on a great reward with Allaah.
Muslim (385) narrated that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If the muezzin says, ‘Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar (Allaah is most great, Allaah is most great),’ and one of you says, ‘Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar (Allaah is most great, Allaah is most great)’; then he says, ‘Ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah),’ and you say, ‘Ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah)’; then he says, ‘Ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasool-Allaah (I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah),’ and you say, ‘Ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasool-Allaah (I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah)’; then he says, ‘Hayya ‘ala’l-salaah (Come to prayer),’ and you say, ‘La hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah (There is no power and no strength except with Allaah)’; then he says, ‘Hayya ‘ala’l-falaah (Come to prosperity),’ and you say, ‘Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah (There is no power and no strength except with Allaah)’; then he says, ‘Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar (Allaah is most great, Allaah is most great),’ and you say, ‘Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar (Allaah is most great, Allaah is most great)’; then he says, ‘Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (There is no god but Allaah),’ and one of you says, ‘Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (There is no god but Allaah),’ from the heart, he will enter Paradise.”
There is no conflict between hastening to break the fast and repeating the words of the muezzin. The fasting person can hasten to break his fast as soon as the sun has set, and at the same time he can repeat the words of the muezzin. Then he will have attained both virtues, the virtue of hastening to break the fast and the virtue of repeating the words of the muezzin.
People from ancient times until now have always spoken whilst eating; they do not think that eating keeps them from speaking. But it should be noted that hastening to break the fast may be done by eating anything, even if it is something small like a date or drinking water. It does not mean that he should eat until he is full.
The same applies if the adhaan for Fajr is given when one is eating sahoor; he can combine the two without difficulty.
But if the muezzin gives the adhaan for Fajr after the time for it begins, then one must stop eating and drinking when the adhaan is heard.
See also the answer to question no. 66202.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sunday, September 21, 2008
The basic goal of i’tikaaf – why have the Muslims forsaken this Sunnah?
Q) Why have the Muslims forsaken i’tikaaf, even though it is the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? What is the purpose of i’tikaaf?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
I’tikaaf is one of the confirmed Sunnahs which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did regularly.
See the evidence for its being prescribed in the answer to question no. 48999.
This Sunnah has disappeared from the lives of the Muslims apart from those on whom Allaah has mercy. It is like many Sunnahs which the Muslims have virtually forsaken.
There are several reasons for this, including the following:
1- Weakness of faith in many hearts
2- Increased focus on worldly pleasures and desires, which leads to an inability to keep away from them even for a short time.
3- Lack on interest in Paradise on the part of many, and their inclination towards leisure and relaxation, so that they do not want to put up with the hardship of i’tikaaf even for the sake of earning Allaah’s pleasure.
Whoever understands the significance of Paradise and the greatness of its delights will sacrifice his life and that which is most precious to him in order to attain it. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The reward of Allaah is precious, the reward of Allaah is Paradise.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani, 2450.
4- Many people pay lip-service to the love of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), without acting upon it and implementing various aspects of the Sunnah, including i’tikaaf. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Indeed in the Messenger of Allaah (Muhammad) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes for (the Meeting with) Allaah and the Last Day, and remembers Allaah much”
[al-Ahzaab 33:21]
Ibn Katheer said (3/756):
This verse represents a major principle: that we should follow the example of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in word and deed in all situations.
Some of the salaf (early generations of Islam) found it odd that people did not observe i’tikaaf even the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) persisted in doing so. Ibn Shihaab al-Zuhri said: It is strange that the Muslims have given up i’tikaaf when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not give it up from the time he entered Madeenah until Allaah took him (in death).
Secondly:
The i’tikaaf which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) always observed at the end of his life is i’tikaaf during the last ten days of Ramadaan. These few days may indeed be regarded as an intensive course of spiritual education which brings immediate positive results in a person’s life during the days and nights of Ramadaan and in the coming days, until the next Ramadaan comes.
How great is the Muslims’ need to revive this Sunnah and establish it in the proper manner, as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his companions used to observe it.
How great will be the success of those who adhere to the Sunnah after the ummah has neglected it and become corrupt.
Thirdly:
The basic goal of the Prophet’s i’tikaaf was to seek Laylat al-Qadr.
Muslim (1167) narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) observed i’tikaaf during the first ten days of Ramadaan, then he observed i’tikaaf during the middle ten days in a small tent at the door of which was a reed mat. He took the mat in his hand and lifted it. Then he put his head out and spoke to the people, and they came close to him. He said: “I observed i’tikaaf during the first ten days seeking this night, then I observed i’tikaaf during the middle ten days. Then someone came and said to me that it is in the last ten days, so whoever among you wishes to observe i’tikaaf let him do so.” So the people observed i’tikaaf with him.
This hadeeth teaches us a number of things:
1- That the basic goal of the i’tikaaf of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was to seek Laylat al-Qadr and to prepare to spend that night in worship. That is because of the great virtue of that night of which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “The Night of Al‑Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months (i.e. worshipping Allaah in that night is better than worshipping Him a thousand months, i.e. 83 years and 4 months)” [al-Qadr 97:3].
2- The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) strove to seek that night before he was told when it is. So he started with the first ten days, then he observed it during the middle ten, then he continued to observe i'tikaaf during the last ten days, when he was told that it is in the last ten days. This is the utmost effort to seek Laylat al-Qadr.
3- The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) followed the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), because they started i’tikaaf and continued with him until the end of the month, because they were so keen to follow his example.
4- The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was compassionate towards his companions and showed mercy to them, because he knew that i’tikaaf was difficult for them. So he gave them the choice between staying with him or of leaving, and said: “…so whoever among you wishes to observe i’tikaaf let him do so.”
There are other aims of i’tikaaf as well, including the following:
1- Being alone with Allaah and cutting oneself off from people if possible, so that one may focus completely on Allaah.
2- Renewing oneself spiritual by focusing totally on Allaah.
3- Cutting oneself off completely in order to worship Allaah with prayer, du’aa’, dhikr and reading Qur’aan.
4- Protecting one’s fast from everything that may affect it of whims and desires.
5- Reducing permissible worldly pleasures and refraining from many of them even though one is able to enjoy them.
See al-I’tikaaf Nazrah Tarbawiyyah by Dr. ‘Abd al-Lateef Balto.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
I’tikaaf is one of the confirmed Sunnahs which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did regularly.
See the evidence for its being prescribed in the answer to question no. 48999.
This Sunnah has disappeared from the lives of the Muslims apart from those on whom Allaah has mercy. It is like many Sunnahs which the Muslims have virtually forsaken.
There are several reasons for this, including the following:
1- Weakness of faith in many hearts
2- Increased focus on worldly pleasures and desires, which leads to an inability to keep away from them even for a short time.
3- Lack on interest in Paradise on the part of many, and their inclination towards leisure and relaxation, so that they do not want to put up with the hardship of i’tikaaf even for the sake of earning Allaah’s pleasure.
Whoever understands the significance of Paradise and the greatness of its delights will sacrifice his life and that which is most precious to him in order to attain it. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The reward of Allaah is precious, the reward of Allaah is Paradise.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani, 2450.
4- Many people pay lip-service to the love of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), without acting upon it and implementing various aspects of the Sunnah, including i’tikaaf. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Indeed in the Messenger of Allaah (Muhammad) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes for (the Meeting with) Allaah and the Last Day, and remembers Allaah much”
[al-Ahzaab 33:21]
Ibn Katheer said (3/756):
This verse represents a major principle: that we should follow the example of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in word and deed in all situations.
Some of the salaf (early generations of Islam) found it odd that people did not observe i’tikaaf even the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) persisted in doing so. Ibn Shihaab al-Zuhri said: It is strange that the Muslims have given up i’tikaaf when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not give it up from the time he entered Madeenah until Allaah took him (in death).
Secondly:
The i’tikaaf which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) always observed at the end of his life is i’tikaaf during the last ten days of Ramadaan. These few days may indeed be regarded as an intensive course of spiritual education which brings immediate positive results in a person’s life during the days and nights of Ramadaan and in the coming days, until the next Ramadaan comes.
How great is the Muslims’ need to revive this Sunnah and establish it in the proper manner, as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his companions used to observe it.
How great will be the success of those who adhere to the Sunnah after the ummah has neglected it and become corrupt.
Thirdly:
The basic goal of the Prophet’s i’tikaaf was to seek Laylat al-Qadr.
Muslim (1167) narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) observed i’tikaaf during the first ten days of Ramadaan, then he observed i’tikaaf during the middle ten days in a small tent at the door of which was a reed mat. He took the mat in his hand and lifted it. Then he put his head out and spoke to the people, and they came close to him. He said: “I observed i’tikaaf during the first ten days seeking this night, then I observed i’tikaaf during the middle ten days. Then someone came and said to me that it is in the last ten days, so whoever among you wishes to observe i’tikaaf let him do so.” So the people observed i’tikaaf with him.
This hadeeth teaches us a number of things:
1- That the basic goal of the i’tikaaf of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was to seek Laylat al-Qadr and to prepare to spend that night in worship. That is because of the great virtue of that night of which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “The Night of Al‑Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months (i.e. worshipping Allaah in that night is better than worshipping Him a thousand months, i.e. 83 years and 4 months)” [al-Qadr 97:3].
2- The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) strove to seek that night before he was told when it is. So he started with the first ten days, then he observed it during the middle ten, then he continued to observe i'tikaaf during the last ten days, when he was told that it is in the last ten days. This is the utmost effort to seek Laylat al-Qadr.
3- The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) followed the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), because they started i’tikaaf and continued with him until the end of the month, because they were so keen to follow his example.
4- The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was compassionate towards his companions and showed mercy to them, because he knew that i’tikaaf was difficult for them. So he gave them the choice between staying with him or of leaving, and said: “…so whoever among you wishes to observe i’tikaaf let him do so.”
There are other aims of i’tikaaf as well, including the following:
1- Being alone with Allaah and cutting oneself off from people if possible, so that one may focus completely on Allaah.
2- Renewing oneself spiritual by focusing totally on Allaah.
3- Cutting oneself off completely in order to worship Allaah with prayer, du’aa’, dhikr and reading Qur’aan.
4- Protecting one’s fast from everything that may affect it of whims and desires.
5- Reducing permissible worldly pleasures and refraining from many of them even though one is able to enjoy them.
See al-I’tikaaf Nazrah Tarbawiyyah by Dr. ‘Abd al-Lateef Balto.
Islam Q&A
Does having a gastroscopy invalidate the fast?
Q) Does having a gastroscopy invalidate the fast?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
The gastroscope is a medical instrument that is inserted into the stomach via the mouth, and is used either to take a picture of the stomach or to take a sample for examination, or for other medical purposes, then after the procedure is complete, the instrument is removed via the mouth.
The scholars differed as to whether, if something reaches the stomach, it invalidates the fast in all cases, whether it is provides nourishment or not, or does it not invalidate the fast if it does not provide nourishment?
Three madhhabs are of the view that the fast is broken by everything that enters the stomach: the Maalikis, the Shaafa’is and the Hanbalis.
Based on that, this gastroscopy does invalidate the fast.
The Hanafis agreed with them that everything that reaches the stomach invalidates the fast, but they stipulated that it should remain in the stomach.
Based on that, gastroscopy does not invalidate the fast, because it does not remain in the stomach, rather it is removed once the procedure is completed.
See: Tabyeen al-Haqaa’iq by al-Zayla’i (1/326); al-Majmoo’ (6/317); al-Sharh al-Kabeer (7/410); Sharh Muntaha al-Iraadaat (1/488); Bidaayah al-Mujtahid (2/153).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) was of the view that the fast is not broken unless a nourishing substance reaches the stomach. He (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The more correct view is that the fast is not broken by swallowing something that does not provide nourishment, such as swallowing a pebble. End quote from Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (20/528).
Based on this view, this gastroscopy does not invalidate the fast, and this view is more likely to be the correct one, because the text only indicates that eating and drinking spoil the fast. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“and eat and drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of night), then complete your Sawm (fast) till the nightfall
[al-Baqarah 2:187].
The gastroscope is neither food nor drink, and is not akin to food or drink, because the body does not benefit from it and is not nourished by it.
But, if any kind of greasy substance is put on the gastroscope to make it easier to insert it into the stomach, or some saline solution is introduced via the gastroscope to clean it and make it easier to take images, then the fasting person’s fast is invalidated when this substance reaches the stomach, because the body will absorb it and be nourished by it, so it is like food and drink.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (6/370, 371) – when explaining that everything that reaches the stomach invalidates the fast according to the madhhab of Imam Ahmad – : If a person has a gastroscope inserted and it reaches the stomach, then this breaks the fast [i.e., according to the Hanbali madhhab]. But the correct view is that it does not break the fast unless there is any grease or the like on the gastroscope that may reach the stomach via the gastroscope. In that case it breaks the fast, and it is not permissible to use it during an obligatory fast except in case of necessity.
End quote.
In a statement of the Islamic Fiqh Council it says:
The following things are not regarded as breaking the fast: … gastroscope if it is not accompanied by introduction of fluids (solutions) or any other substance. End quote.
Majallat al-Majma’ (10/2/453-455).
To sum up: If the gastroscope is inserted into the stomach without introducing any other substances, then it does not break the fast, but if some greasy substance or anything else is introduced with it then it does invalidate the fast.
See: Mufsidaat al-Siyaam al-Mu’aasirah by Dr. Ahmad al-Khaleel, p. 39-46.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
The gastroscope is a medical instrument that is inserted into the stomach via the mouth, and is used either to take a picture of the stomach or to take a sample for examination, or for other medical purposes, then after the procedure is complete, the instrument is removed via the mouth.
The scholars differed as to whether, if something reaches the stomach, it invalidates the fast in all cases, whether it is provides nourishment or not, or does it not invalidate the fast if it does not provide nourishment?
Three madhhabs are of the view that the fast is broken by everything that enters the stomach: the Maalikis, the Shaafa’is and the Hanbalis.
Based on that, this gastroscopy does invalidate the fast.
The Hanafis agreed with them that everything that reaches the stomach invalidates the fast, but they stipulated that it should remain in the stomach.
Based on that, gastroscopy does not invalidate the fast, because it does not remain in the stomach, rather it is removed once the procedure is completed.
See: Tabyeen al-Haqaa’iq by al-Zayla’i (1/326); al-Majmoo’ (6/317); al-Sharh al-Kabeer (7/410); Sharh Muntaha al-Iraadaat (1/488); Bidaayah al-Mujtahid (2/153).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) was of the view that the fast is not broken unless a nourishing substance reaches the stomach. He (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The more correct view is that the fast is not broken by swallowing something that does not provide nourishment, such as swallowing a pebble. End quote from Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (20/528).
Based on this view, this gastroscopy does not invalidate the fast, and this view is more likely to be the correct one, because the text only indicates that eating and drinking spoil the fast. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“and eat and drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of night), then complete your Sawm (fast) till the nightfall
[al-Baqarah 2:187].
The gastroscope is neither food nor drink, and is not akin to food or drink, because the body does not benefit from it and is not nourished by it.
But, if any kind of greasy substance is put on the gastroscope to make it easier to insert it into the stomach, or some saline solution is introduced via the gastroscope to clean it and make it easier to take images, then the fasting person’s fast is invalidated when this substance reaches the stomach, because the body will absorb it and be nourished by it, so it is like food and drink.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (6/370, 371) – when explaining that everything that reaches the stomach invalidates the fast according to the madhhab of Imam Ahmad – : If a person has a gastroscope inserted and it reaches the stomach, then this breaks the fast [i.e., according to the Hanbali madhhab]. But the correct view is that it does not break the fast unless there is any grease or the like on the gastroscope that may reach the stomach via the gastroscope. In that case it breaks the fast, and it is not permissible to use it during an obligatory fast except in case of necessity.
End quote.
In a statement of the Islamic Fiqh Council it says:
The following things are not regarded as breaking the fast: … gastroscope if it is not accompanied by introduction of fluids (solutions) or any other substance. End quote.
Majallat al-Majma’ (10/2/453-455).
To sum up: If the gastroscope is inserted into the stomach without introducing any other substances, then it does not break the fast, but if some greasy substance or anything else is introduced with it then it does invalidate the fast.
See: Mufsidaat al-Siyaam al-Mu’aasirah by Dr. Ahmad al-Khaleel, p. 39-46.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Rinsing the nose and mouth when fasting
Q) Is it permissible to rinse the nose and mouth during the day in Ramadaan for one who is fasting?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
It is proven that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to al-Laqeet ibn Saburah: “Do wudoo’ well and make the water go between your fingers, and be thorough in rinsing the nose, unless you are fasting.” So he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told him to do wudoo’ well then he said: “…and be thorough in rinsing the nose, unless you are fasting.” This indicates that the fasting person may rinse his mouth and nose, but he should not be too thorough in doing so lest the water reach his throat. As for rinsing the nose and mouth, they are essential when doing wudoo’ and ghusl, because they are obligatory parts of those actions, whether one is fasting or not. End quote.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him)
Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah (15/280).
A) Praise be to Allaah.
It is proven that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to al-Laqeet ibn Saburah: “Do wudoo’ well and make the water go between your fingers, and be thorough in rinsing the nose, unless you are fasting.” So he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told him to do wudoo’ well then he said: “…and be thorough in rinsing the nose, unless you are fasting.” This indicates that the fasting person may rinse his mouth and nose, but he should not be too thorough in doing so lest the water reach his throat. As for rinsing the nose and mouth, they are essential when doing wudoo’ and ghusl, because they are obligatory parts of those actions, whether one is fasting or not. End quote.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him)
Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah (15/280).
Drinking from Zamzam is mustahabb, not obligatory
Q) I intend, if Allaah wills, to do ‘Umrah during the blessed month of Ramadaan. I am supposed to reach Makkah by land at noontime. It is well known that the pilgrim doing ‘umrah has to drink some Zamzam water after praying behind Maqaam Ibraaheem on ordinary days, but in Ramadaan I intend to fast and not break my fast. So how can I drink Zamzam water?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Drinking Zamzam water is not obligatory, rather it is mustahabb, but it is not mustahabb only after praying the two rak’ahs behind the Maqaam, rather drinking from Zamzam is mustahabb at all times.
Shaykh al-Islam said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (16/144):
It is mustahabb to drink Zamzam water and to drink one’s fill of it, and to make whatever Islamically prescribed du’aa’s one wants when drinking it.
Al-Muwaffaq said in al-Mughni:
It is mustahabb to come to Zamzam and drink from its water for the one who wants to, and to drink one's fill of it. Jaabir said, describing the Hajj of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Then he came to Banu ‘Abd al-Muttalib, who were providing water, and they gave him a bucket, and he drank from it.”
Al-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo’:
Al-Shaafa’i, his companions and others said: it is mustahabb to drink Zamzam water, and to drink a great deal of it, and to drink one's fill. It is mustahabb to drink it for whatever benefits one wants in this world and the Hereafter. If a person wants to drink it for forgiveness or healing from sickness etc, he should face the qiblah and mention the name of Allaah, then say, “O Allaah, I heard that Your Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘The water of Zamzam is for whatever it is drunk for.’ O Allaah, I am drinking it so that You will forgive me so forgive me, O Allaah,” or: “I am drinking it to seek healing from sickness, so heal me, O Allaah.” And so on. It is mustahabb to drink in three draughts as in the case of any other drink. And when he is done he should praise Allaah.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (16/138):
It is mustahabb for the pilgrim doing Hajj or ‘umrah to drink from the water of Zamzam if he is able to do so.
Based on this, if you do ‘umrah when you are fasting, there is no sin on you if you do not drink from Zamzam, and you can drink from it after you break your fast.
Secondly:
If you are traveling to Makkah for ‘umrah, it is permissible for a traveler either to break his fast or to fast, according to scholarly consensus, but they differed as to which is better. We have already mentioned in the answer to question no. 20165 that what is better is what is easier. For those for whom fasting when traveling is not too difficult, then fasting is better, and for those for whom fasting is too difficult whilst traveling, not fasting is better, especially for one who is doing ‘umrah, because he needs physical strength in order to do ‘umrah properly, with du’aa’ and proper focus and humility.
Some people who do ‘umrah make it difficult for themselves by doing ‘umrah whilst fasting, even though fasting is very difficult for them, which affects the way they do ‘umrah. It was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to break his fast on the Day of ‘Arafah.
Al-Shawkaani said:
Fasting the day of ‘Arafah is mustahabb for everyone, but it is makrooh for those who are in ‘Arafah for Hajj. The reason for that is that it may lead to the pilgrim becoming too weak to offer du’aa’ and remember Allaah (dhikr) on the Day of ‘Arafaah in that place and to do the actions of Hajj.
It was proven in al-Saheehayn that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade singling out Friday for fasting.
Al-Nawawi said:
It is makrooh to single out Friday for fasting unless that coincides with one’s habit [e.g. fasting alternate days], but if a person fasts the day after or the day before as well, or it coincides with his habits, such as if he vowed to fast the day when he was healed forever, and that happens to be a Friday, then it is not makrooh.
The scholars said: The reason why it is forbidden is that Friday is a day of du’aa’, dhikr and worship, such as doing ghusl, going to the prayer early and waiting for the prayer, listening to the khutbah and doing a lot of dhikr afterwards. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Then when the (Jumu‘ah) Salaah (prayer) is ended, you may disperse through the land, and seek the Bounty of Allaah (by working), and remember Allaah much”
[al-Jumu’ah 62:10]
And there are other acts of worship to be done on this day, so it is mustahabb not to fast on Friday, because that helps one to do these duties in an energetic manner and to enjoy them without getting tired or bored. This is similar to the situation of the pilgrim on the Day of ‘Arafah in ‘Arafah – the Sunnah is for him not to fast as stated above, for the same reason. If some one were to say: if a person fasts another day as Friday that will still make him tired and affect his worship. The answer is that by fasting an extra day he will gain reward that will make up for any shortcomings in his worship on Friday. This is the reason why it is prohibited to single out Friday for fasting.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked in Fataawa Arkaan al-Islam (p. 464) about a traveler who reaches Makkah fasting: should he break his fast in order to have more strength to do ‘umrah?
We say: when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) entered Makkah on the twentieth of Ramadaan in the year of the Conquest, he broke his fast.
It is proven in Saheeh al-Bukhaari that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not fast for the rest of the month, because he was traveling. The journey of the pilgrim doing ‘umrah does not end when he reaches Makkah, and he does not have to refrain from eating etc if he comes not fasting. Some people may continue to fast even when traveling, because fasting whilst traveling nowadays is not a hardship for the ummah, so they continue to fast whilst traveling then come to Makkah feeling very tired, and they wonder whether they should continue their fast or not, or should they delay ‘umrah until after they have broken the fast, or break the fast in order to do ‘umrah straight after reaching Makkah?
We say to them in this case: it is better for you to break your fast in order to do ‘umrah as soon as you reach Makkah, when you are still feeling energetic, because the Sunnah is for the one who comes to Makkah for pilgrimage to hasten straight away to do these rituals. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) entered Makkah for the purpose of pilgrimage he would hasten to the mosque, and he used to make his camel stop at the mosque and go in to do his rituals that he had come to do. Not fasting so that you will be able to do ‘umrah in an energetic manner during the day is better than continuing to fast and then doing ‘umrah after you break your fast at night. It was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was fasting when he was traveling to conquer Makkah, then the people came to him and said: “O Messenger of Allaah, fasting is proving too hard for the people, and they are waiting to see what you will do.” And that was after ‘Asr. So the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked for a drink of water and drank it whilst the people were looking on. So he broke his fast whilst traveling, and he even broke his fast towards the end of the day, all in order to show his ummah that that is permissible. Making oneself fast whilst traveling even though it is too difficult is undoubtedly contrary to the Sunnah, and the following words of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) apply in this case: “It is not righteousness to fast whilst traveling.”
If your fasting whilst traveling will affect your performance of ‘umrah, then it is better for you to break your fast and make that day up later on.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Drinking Zamzam water is not obligatory, rather it is mustahabb, but it is not mustahabb only after praying the two rak’ahs behind the Maqaam, rather drinking from Zamzam is mustahabb at all times.
Shaykh al-Islam said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (16/144):
It is mustahabb to drink Zamzam water and to drink one’s fill of it, and to make whatever Islamically prescribed du’aa’s one wants when drinking it.
Al-Muwaffaq said in al-Mughni:
It is mustahabb to come to Zamzam and drink from its water for the one who wants to, and to drink one's fill of it. Jaabir said, describing the Hajj of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Then he came to Banu ‘Abd al-Muttalib, who were providing water, and they gave him a bucket, and he drank from it.”
Al-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo’:
Al-Shaafa’i, his companions and others said: it is mustahabb to drink Zamzam water, and to drink a great deal of it, and to drink one's fill. It is mustahabb to drink it for whatever benefits one wants in this world and the Hereafter. If a person wants to drink it for forgiveness or healing from sickness etc, he should face the qiblah and mention the name of Allaah, then say, “O Allaah, I heard that Your Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘The water of Zamzam is for whatever it is drunk for.’ O Allaah, I am drinking it so that You will forgive me so forgive me, O Allaah,” or: “I am drinking it to seek healing from sickness, so heal me, O Allaah.” And so on. It is mustahabb to drink in three draughts as in the case of any other drink. And when he is done he should praise Allaah.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (16/138):
It is mustahabb for the pilgrim doing Hajj or ‘umrah to drink from the water of Zamzam if he is able to do so.
Based on this, if you do ‘umrah when you are fasting, there is no sin on you if you do not drink from Zamzam, and you can drink from it after you break your fast.
Secondly:
If you are traveling to Makkah for ‘umrah, it is permissible for a traveler either to break his fast or to fast, according to scholarly consensus, but they differed as to which is better. We have already mentioned in the answer to question no. 20165 that what is better is what is easier. For those for whom fasting when traveling is not too difficult, then fasting is better, and for those for whom fasting is too difficult whilst traveling, not fasting is better, especially for one who is doing ‘umrah, because he needs physical strength in order to do ‘umrah properly, with du’aa’ and proper focus and humility.
Some people who do ‘umrah make it difficult for themselves by doing ‘umrah whilst fasting, even though fasting is very difficult for them, which affects the way they do ‘umrah. It was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to break his fast on the Day of ‘Arafah.
Al-Shawkaani said:
Fasting the day of ‘Arafah is mustahabb for everyone, but it is makrooh for those who are in ‘Arafah for Hajj. The reason for that is that it may lead to the pilgrim becoming too weak to offer du’aa’ and remember Allaah (dhikr) on the Day of ‘Arafaah in that place and to do the actions of Hajj.
It was proven in al-Saheehayn that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade singling out Friday for fasting.
Al-Nawawi said:
It is makrooh to single out Friday for fasting unless that coincides with one’s habit [e.g. fasting alternate days], but if a person fasts the day after or the day before as well, or it coincides with his habits, such as if he vowed to fast the day when he was healed forever, and that happens to be a Friday, then it is not makrooh.
The scholars said: The reason why it is forbidden is that Friday is a day of du’aa’, dhikr and worship, such as doing ghusl, going to the prayer early and waiting for the prayer, listening to the khutbah and doing a lot of dhikr afterwards. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Then when the (Jumu‘ah) Salaah (prayer) is ended, you may disperse through the land, and seek the Bounty of Allaah (by working), and remember Allaah much”
[al-Jumu’ah 62:10]
And there are other acts of worship to be done on this day, so it is mustahabb not to fast on Friday, because that helps one to do these duties in an energetic manner and to enjoy them without getting tired or bored. This is similar to the situation of the pilgrim on the Day of ‘Arafah in ‘Arafah – the Sunnah is for him not to fast as stated above, for the same reason. If some one were to say: if a person fasts another day as Friday that will still make him tired and affect his worship. The answer is that by fasting an extra day he will gain reward that will make up for any shortcomings in his worship on Friday. This is the reason why it is prohibited to single out Friday for fasting.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked in Fataawa Arkaan al-Islam (p. 464) about a traveler who reaches Makkah fasting: should he break his fast in order to have more strength to do ‘umrah?
We say: when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) entered Makkah on the twentieth of Ramadaan in the year of the Conquest, he broke his fast.
It is proven in Saheeh al-Bukhaari that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not fast for the rest of the month, because he was traveling. The journey of the pilgrim doing ‘umrah does not end when he reaches Makkah, and he does not have to refrain from eating etc if he comes not fasting. Some people may continue to fast even when traveling, because fasting whilst traveling nowadays is not a hardship for the ummah, so they continue to fast whilst traveling then come to Makkah feeling very tired, and they wonder whether they should continue their fast or not, or should they delay ‘umrah until after they have broken the fast, or break the fast in order to do ‘umrah straight after reaching Makkah?
We say to them in this case: it is better for you to break your fast in order to do ‘umrah as soon as you reach Makkah, when you are still feeling energetic, because the Sunnah is for the one who comes to Makkah for pilgrimage to hasten straight away to do these rituals. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) entered Makkah for the purpose of pilgrimage he would hasten to the mosque, and he used to make his camel stop at the mosque and go in to do his rituals that he had come to do. Not fasting so that you will be able to do ‘umrah in an energetic manner during the day is better than continuing to fast and then doing ‘umrah after you break your fast at night. It was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was fasting when he was traveling to conquer Makkah, then the people came to him and said: “O Messenger of Allaah, fasting is proving too hard for the people, and they are waiting to see what you will do.” And that was after ‘Asr. So the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked for a drink of water and drank it whilst the people were looking on. So he broke his fast whilst traveling, and he even broke his fast towards the end of the day, all in order to show his ummah that that is permissible. Making oneself fast whilst traveling even though it is too difficult is undoubtedly contrary to the Sunnah, and the following words of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) apply in this case: “It is not righteousness to fast whilst traveling.”
If your fasting whilst traveling will affect your performance of ‘umrah, then it is better for you to break your fast and make that day up later on.
Islam Q&A
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
I’tikaaf of women in the mosque
Q) Can women sit for I'tikaf in a mosque in the last ten days of Ramadan?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, it is permissible for a woman to observe i’tikaaf in the mosque during the last ten days of Ramadaan.
Indeed, i'tikaaf is Sunnah for both men and women, and the Mothers of the Believers (may Allaah be pleased with them [i.e., the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] used to observe i’tikaaf with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) during his lifetime, and after he passed away.
Al-Bukhaari (2026) and Muslim (1172) narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to spend the last ten nights of Ramadaan in i'tikaaf until he passed away, then his wives observed i'tikaaf after he died.
It says in ‘Awn al-Ma’bood:
This indicates that women are the same as men when it comes to i'tikaaf.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
I’tikaaf is Sunnah for both men and women, because it was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to observe i'tikaaf during Ramadaan, and finally he settled on i'tikaaf during the last ten days, and some of his wives used to observe i'tikaaf with him, then they observed i’tikaaf after he died. The place for i’tikaaf is the mosque in which prayers in congregation are performed.
From the internet website of Shaykh Ibn Baaz.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, it is permissible for a woman to observe i’tikaaf in the mosque during the last ten days of Ramadaan.
Indeed, i'tikaaf is Sunnah for both men and women, and the Mothers of the Believers (may Allaah be pleased with them [i.e., the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] used to observe i’tikaaf with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) during his lifetime, and after he passed away.
Al-Bukhaari (2026) and Muslim (1172) narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to spend the last ten nights of Ramadaan in i'tikaaf until he passed away, then his wives observed i'tikaaf after he died.
It says in ‘Awn al-Ma’bood:
This indicates that women are the same as men when it comes to i'tikaaf.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
I’tikaaf is Sunnah for both men and women, because it was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to observe i'tikaaf during Ramadaan, and finally he settled on i'tikaaf during the last ten days, and some of his wives used to observe i'tikaaf with him, then they observed i’tikaaf after he died. The place for i’tikaaf is the mosque in which prayers in congregation are performed.
From the internet website of Shaykh Ibn Baaz.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
‘Umrah is mustahabb at any time in Ramadaan
Q) Is ‘Umrah mustahabb during the last ten days of Ramadaan?.
A) Praise be to Allaah.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) encouraged us to perform ‘Umrah in the month of Ramadaan. Al-Bukhaari (1782) and Muslim (1256) narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “ ‘Umrah in Ramadaan is equivalent to Hajj.”
This includes all of Ramadaan, not just the last ten days.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) encouraged us to perform ‘Umrah in the month of Ramadaan. Al-Bukhaari (1782) and Muslim (1256) narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “ ‘Umrah in Ramadaan is equivalent to Hajj.”
This includes all of Ramadaan, not just the last ten days.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
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