Thursday, July 3, 2008

How to deal with papers on which Allaah’s name is mentioned

Q) What is the sharia's ruling about personal names found in newspapers etc that include either the prophet's name or Allah's name (Abdullah, AbdulKarim)? How may these papers be disposed of or destroyed?

A) Praise be to Allaah.

These papers on which Allaah’s name is mentioned should be kept and protected against being handled with disrespect until you have finished with them. When you have finished with them and no longer have any need of them, they should be buried in a clean place, or burnt, or kept in a place where they will be protected against disrespect, such as in a cupboard or on shelves, etc.



Fatwa of Shaykh Ibn Baaz from Fataawa Islamiyyah, vol. 4, p. 313.

Estimating the amount of interest if it is mixed with the original money

Q) My father has left for me an amount of money in an interest-based bank. I have owned the account for 21 years and I do not know if there is added interest on the original money or not. I know that my parents have added more money into this account for me, which reduces my doubt about how much interest is added. I have closed this account and taken the money, I do not know how much interest is mixed with this money, and I would not know even if I still had the account. What should I do?

A) Praise be to Allaah.

Money deposited in the bank is in fact a loan, even if it is in a savings account, and the interest paid on them is haraam riba which the texts forbid, and issue a stern warning to the one who consumes it.

In a statement of the Islamic Fiqh Council belonging to the Organization of the Islamic Conference, which was held in Jeddah in 1406 AH, it says the following:

Everything that comes by way of riba and interest is wealth that is forbidden according to sharee’ah, and it is not permissible for the Muslim – the one who deposited the money – to benefit from it for himself or for any of his dependents in any of their affairs. He must dispose of it by spending it on the public interests of the Muslims, such as schools, hospitals and the like. This does not come under the heading of charity, rather it is purifying his wealth of haraam elements.

See: Majallat al-Majma’ (9/1/667).

Based on that, you should do whatever you can to find out the amount of riba, by referring to the bank system and the way in which such interest payments are made, and ask your parents about the original amount that they put in this savings account, and the money that they deposited more recently. If you find out the precise amount of interest, then you have to dispose of it by spending it on the public interests of the Muslims. Otherwise you should work out what you think is most likely, and consult your parents with regard to that.

And Allaah knows best.


Islam Q&A

What is the secret of the number 7 and its multiples in the Holy Qur’aan and Sunnah?

Q) What is the secret of the number 7 in the Qur’aan and hadeeth?

A) Praise be to Allaah.

Undoubtedly the Qur’aan is miraculous, and there are many facets to its miraculous nature, such as linguistic, legislative, and so on. Its challenge to mankind and the jinn to produce something similar to it still stands. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say: If the mankind and the jinn were together to produce the like of this Qur’aan, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they helped one another”

[al-Isra’ 17:88].

Ibn al-Qayyim discussed the number 7 in his book Zaad al-Ma’aad fi Huda Khayr al-‘Ibaad (4/90) when he discussed the hadeeth in al-Saheehayn: “The one who eats seven dates of al-‘Aaliyah in the morning will not be harmed that day by poison or witchcraft.” He said: As for specifying the number seven, it has to do with the creation and sahr’i commands of Allaah. Allaah created seven heavens, seven earths and seven days, and man’s creation is completed in seven stages; Allaah has prescribed that His slaves should walk around the Ka’bah seven times (tawaaf) and go back and forth between Safa and Marwah seven times (saa’i), and stone the jamaraat with seven pebbles each, and the takbeeraat of Eid are seven in the first rak’ah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Instruct your children to pray when they are seven.” When the boy reaches the age of seven he should be given the choice between his parents according to one report, and according to another report, his father has more right to him than his mother; according to a third report his mother has more right to him. When he was sick, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) ordered that water from seven skins be poured on him. Allaah sent the wind against the people of ‘Aad for seven days. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked Allaah to help him by sending upon his people seven (years) like the seven years of Yoosuf – i.e., seven years of famine. Allaah likened the reward of one who gives charity to a grain that produces seven ears, in each of which are one hundred grains. The number of ears of grain seen by the companion of Yoosuf (in the dream) was seven, the number of years for which they were cultivated was seven, and (the reward for charity) is multiplied seven hundred fold or more. Seventy thousand of this ummah will be admitted to Paradise without being brought to account.

Then Ibn al-Qayyim commented: Undoubtedly this number has some special qualities that are not shared by other numbers. … Allaah knows best about His wisdom, laws and decree in singling out this number. End quote.

Based on this, the correct view is to refrain from indulging in discussion of the reason why this number is singled out for mention, except on the basis of clear, sound evidence.

For more information please see the answer to question no. 69741.

And Allaah knows best.


Islam Q&A

She did not know that if the menstruating woman becomes pure before Fajr she has to pray Maghrib and ‘Isha’

Q) I read recently that a woman must pray the previous prayer to the time of when her period stopped, or join two prayers. I did not know this before and I am 38 years old now.

A) Praise be to Allaah.

If a menstruating woman becomes pure after the time for ‘Isha’ begins, then she has to pray ‘Isha’ because she was pure during that time. She also has to pray Maghrib because it may be joined to ‘Isha’ if there is an excuse.

Similarly, if she becomes pure after the time for ‘Asr begins, she has to pray Zuhr and ‘Asr. This is what was stated in fatwas by some of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and it is the view of the majority of scholars.

But if she becomes pure after the time for Fajr, Zuhr or Maghrib begins, she only has to offer one prayer, namely the prayer at the time of which she became pure (Fajr or Zuhr or Maghrib), because these prayers cannot be joined to anything that comes before them.

Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Mughni (1/238): If the menstruating woman becomes pure before the sun sets, she should pray Zuhr then ‘Asr.

If she becomes pure before dawn breaks, she should pray Maghrib and ‘Isha’. This opinion was narrated from ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf, Ibn ‘Abbaas, Tawoos, Mujaahid, al-Nakha’i, al-Zuhri, Rabee’ah, Maalik, al-Layth, al-Shaafa’i, Ishaaq and Abu Thawr. Imam Ahmad said: Most of the Taabi’een were of this view, except al-Hasan who said that she only has to offer the prayer at the time of which she became pure. This was the view of al-Thawri and ashaab al-ra’y.

Ibn al-Mundhir narrated that ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf and ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbaas thought that the menstruating woman who becomes pure one-rak’ah before dawn should pray Maghrib and ‘Isha’, and if she becomes pure before the sun sets, she should pray Zuhr and ‘Asr together.

Because the time for the second prayer is the time for the first at the time when the excuse is applicable, so when the one who had an excuse no longer has an excuse, then he must offer the obligatory prayer, and he must offer the obligatory prayer for the second prayer too.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) favoured the view that she only has to offer the prayer the time of which she caught up with, and she does not have to join to it the prayer that came before it.

In order to be on the safe side, you should follow the view of the majority of scholars and offer the two prayers together. But if a woman offers only the prayer the time of which she caught up with, we hope that there is no sin on her. If a woman did not do that in the past because she was unaware of the ruling, she does not have to do anything, because of the general meaning of the evidence that the one who is ignorant and the one who makes a mistake are excused, and because the issue is one where there is a difference of scholarly opinion, as stated above.

See also the answer to question no. 45648.

And Allaah knows best.


Islam Q&A