Q) Recently there have appeared in the marketplace women's shoes which from the front look like men’s shoes, sandals with a separate space for the big toe, but from the back and the bottom they look like women's shoes. Is it permissible to buy them and wear them?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
If they look like men’s shoes, and if a person sees them he will think that they are men’s shoes, then it is not permissible for women to wear them. Similarly, if a man were to find shoes which looked like women’s shoes although the soles and heels looked like men’s shoes, it would not be permissible for him to wear them, because what counts is the way things look. My advice to my sisters is not to wear them, because this is a serious matter. It was reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed men who imitate women and women who imitate men.
From the fatwas of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen for al-Daw’ah magazine, issue # 1757, p. 45
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Ruling on working for or buying magazines whose content is mostly haraam, as is the case with many women’s magazines, both Arabic and western
Q) Can you please tell me what dose Islam say, about these newspapers, that are in these Muslim countries, with pictures of woman and man and other living things on them, and you will see advertisements of things which are against Islam. You can read about actors, singers and dancers and when you open these newspapers you will see a big picture of kaffir woman or a kaffir man dress in kaffir clothes. You will also find what new movies are playing. You can read about how to get your face look the best or how to get your nose look perfect. Beside these things you will find many other things that are prohibited in Islam, but on the other side you will also find news of the local city, country and the world news. You can read about sports, business, stocks that are haraam in Islam. After all this, is working in these newspaper companies Halaal or Haraam.
And in the western society you see the local Muslim news papers, where there are adds for getting people loans on low interest getting people house on low interest and Indian movies stores adds and then there is the entertainment section about dancing and music picture of half naked girls and picture of fashion that is against Islam.
The person who works for a newspaper like this, is his income halaal or haraam. I mean all the people who are involved in it, from the one who writes the news from the one who prints it, from the one who delivers it, are there income halaal or haraam.
And reading these newspapers is that halaal or haraam
The people who are doing this work are they committing a sin and the ones who are reading it too.
Then we have these newspapers in the western countries which are full of things that are totally against Islam, picture of half naked girls in them, other topics of sex, drinking, music, movies, interest, gambling and many other things which are against Islam, you think it is ok for us Muslims to buy such a newspaper which has all this information in it, they might be some good in it but 99% is evil.
Now the person who works for such a newspaper company is his income halaal or haraam? and every one who is involved in this operation does not matter what level they are at, how much they are involved in it, but they are a part of it some how, is there income halaal or haraam?
Are they committing a great sin.? Are we when buying such a product committing a sin?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Working for such newspapers and magazines whose content is mostly haraam is not permissible, and the income from such work is also haraam, because when Allaah forbids a thing He also forbids its price. It is also haraam to distribute them, read them, buy them or sell them, and anything else that has to do with them. Rather we must boycott them.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr.
And in the western society you see the local Muslim news papers, where there are adds for getting people loans on low interest getting people house on low interest and Indian movies stores adds and then there is the entertainment section about dancing and music picture of half naked girls and picture of fashion that is against Islam.
The person who works for a newspaper like this, is his income halaal or haraam. I mean all the people who are involved in it, from the one who writes the news from the one who prints it, from the one who delivers it, are there income halaal or haraam.
And reading these newspapers is that halaal or haraam
The people who are doing this work are they committing a sin and the ones who are reading it too.
Then we have these newspapers in the western countries which are full of things that are totally against Islam, picture of half naked girls in them, other topics of sex, drinking, music, movies, interest, gambling and many other things which are against Islam, you think it is ok for us Muslims to buy such a newspaper which has all this information in it, they might be some good in it but 99% is evil.
Now the person who works for such a newspaper company is his income halaal or haraam? and every one who is involved in this operation does not matter what level they are at, how much they are involved in it, but they are a part of it some how, is there income halaal or haraam?
Are they committing a great sin.? Are we when buying such a product committing a sin?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Working for such newspapers and magazines whose content is mostly haraam is not permissible, and the income from such work is also haraam, because when Allaah forbids a thing He also forbids its price. It is also haraam to distribute them, read them, buy them or sell them, and anything else that has to do with them. Rather we must boycott them.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr.
Acquiring good characteristics
Q) How can I acquire good characteristics?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
A good attitude is the characteristic of the best of the Messengers and is the best action of the righteous. It is – no doubt – half of religion, the fruit of the efforts of the pious and the practice of the devoted worshipper. Bad characteristics are lethal poison and lead to shameful consequences.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I have only been sent to perfect good characteristics.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari in al-Adab al-Mufrad (273) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (45).
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) was asked about that which will admit most people to Paradise. He said: “Fear of Allaah and a good attitude.”
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2004); he said it is saheeh ghareeb. It was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
Hence Islam paid a great deal of attention to laying down guidelines for treating diseases of the heart (i.e., spiritual diseases) and ways of acquiring good characteristics, which is regarded as one of the most important duties, because no heart will be free of sicknesses. If the heart is neglected, sicknesses will accumulate. No soul is free of inclinatons which, if they are given free rein, will lead it to doom in this world and in the Hereafter.
This kind of medicine requires profound knowledge of reasons and causes, then it needs hard work to remedy it and set things straight, in order to reach a successful outcome. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Indeed he succeeds who purifies his ownself”
[al-Shams 91:9]
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to pray for a good attitude, saying, “O Allaah, You have made my outward form beautiful so make my attitude good too.” Narrated by Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh (3/239) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel (75).
Secondly:
If a person knows what his shortcomings are he can do something to remedy them, but many people are unaware of their faults and shortcomings. A person may see the speck in his brother’s eye and not see the log in his own. The person who wants to know what his own faults are may do four things:
1. He may sit before a Shaykh who has insight into people’s faults and knowledge of the subtlety of some problems and learn from him knowledge, good attitudes and manners.
2. He may ask a sincere friend who has insight and is religiously committed to keep watch over him and take note of his actions, so that he can draw attention to whatever he dislikes of his attitude, actions, and inward and outward faults. This is what the best and greatest imams of Islam used to do. ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) used to say: “May Allaah have mercy on a man who shows me my shortcomings.”
3. He can learn about his faults and shortcomings from the lips of his enemies, because the eye of one who is resentful will always notice bad things about you. A man may benefit more from an enemy who wants to cause trouble and mentions his faults than from a friend who wants to flatter him by praising him and concealing his faults.
4. He can mix with people. Everything that he sees as blameworthy among people, he should guard against in his own self, because the believer is the mirror of his fellow believer, and in the faults of others he can see his own faults. It was said to ‘Eesa (peace be upon him): “Who taught you?” He said: “No one taught me; I saw the ignorance of the ignorant as something bad and I avoided it.”
Thirdly:
Attitude reflects how a person thinks and the way he is inside. Just as, in general, a person’s outward form cannot be beautiful if only the eyes are beautiful and not the nose, mouth and cheek, and everything must be beautiful in order for the entire outward form to be beautiful, so too there are four requirements of inward beauty which must all be met in order for one’s attitude to be good or beautiful. If all four requirements are met and balanced then a good attitude is acquired, the characteristics of which are: strong knowledge, control of anger, control of desire, and a proper balance between these three aspects.
With regard to strong knowledge, good and sound knowledge means understanding in such a way that one can see the difference between telling the truth and telling lies in speech, between truth and falsehood in beliefs, between beauty and ugliness in actions. If this strength becomes sound, there will result from it wisdom, and wisdom is the head of a good attitude.
With regard to strength of anger, its beauty is that it is used in accordance with what is dictated by wisdom. The same applies to desire; its beauty and strength should be controlled by wisdom, meaning under the control of reason and sharee’ah.
With regard to balance, it means proper control of desires and anger, under the control of wisdom and sharee’ah.
Reason is like a sincere adviser. Justice and balance is power, and it is like one who does what is dictated by reason. Anger is to be subjected to control.
The one who acquires and balances these characteristics is a man of good character in general, and from it stem all good qualities.
No one achieved perfect balance of these four characteristics except the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him); people after him vary in how close or distant they are to him in character. Everyone who is close to him in these characteristics is close to Allaah, to the extent that he is close to the Messenger of Allaah.
Fourthly:
This balance may be achieved in two ways:
1 – By the blessing of Allaah, as part of one's inherent nature
2 – By acquiring these characteristics through effort and training, i.e., pushing oneself to do the actions dictated by the desired characteristic.
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Knowledge is acquired by seeking it, and patience is acquiring by striving to be patient. The one who strives to attain good will be given it, and the one who strives to protect himself from evil will be protected. Narrated by al-Khateeb and others from the hadeeth of Abu’l-Darda’; classed as hasan by al-Albaani.
If a person wants to attain the characteristic of generosity, the way to attain that is by pushing himself to do the actions of one who is generous, which is giving away wealth. So he keeps pushing himself and persisting in that, striving against his own inclinations, until that becomes second nature and it becomes easy for him, thus he becomes generous.
Similarly, if a person wants to attain the characteristic of humility, when he is inclined to be arrogant, the way he does it is by persisting in doing the actions of the humble for a long time, striving and pushing himself until that becomes one of his characteristics, and it becomes second nature to him and easy for him.
All praiseworthy characteristics that are prescribed in Islam may be acquired in this way. Religious characteristics will never become entrenched in the soul unless the soul gets accustomed to doing all good habits, unless it gives up all bad habits, and unless it persists in doing good deeds like one who loves good deeds and enjoys doing them, and hates bad deeds and is pained by them.
This may be explained by means of examples:
The one who wants to become proficient in writing, so that this becomes one of his characteristics and writing beautifully becomes second nature to him, has no other way but to hold in his hand that which the proficient writer holds, and persist for a long time, trying to imitate beautiful hand writing, and keep on doing so until it becomes well established in him, then finally beautiful writing will become second nature to him.
Similarly, if a person wants to become a faqeeh, he has no choice but to do what the fuqaha’ do, which is to keep studying issues of fiqh until his heart develops a love of the subject.
And if a person wants to become generous and refrain from asking people, and become patient and humble, he has to keep on doing the actions of those people until they become second nature to him. He should not despair of attaining those characteristics if he fails to study for one night, for he will not be able to attain it with one night’s study. Perfecting the soul and adorning it with good deeds will not be attained by worshipping for one day, and he will not be deprived of it if he sins for one day. But slacking off for one day may lead to another day, then slowly one becomes accustomed to laziness.
Fifthly:
The likeness of the soul and the way to treat it to rid it of bad characteristics and make it attain good characteristics is that of the body, when treating it to rid it of disease and bring it good health.
Although the humours are usually in balance, the stomach may become sick due to food, drink or circumstances. Similarly, everyone is born with a balanced nature, but his parents make him a Jew, Christian or Magian, i.e., by training and teaching one acquires bad characteristics.
Just as the body is not created perfect in the first place, rather it is made perfect by rearing and food, similarly the soul is also created imperfect but with the potential to become perfect, and it can only be perfected by means of education, discipline and nourishment with knowledge. If the body is sound, the doctor’s role is to show one the way to maintain good health; if it is sick, then the doctor’s job is to restore health. The same applies to the soul; if it is pure and sound then one should strive to preserve it and bring it more strength and acquire more good characteristics; if it is imperfect then one should strive to perfect it and purify it.
Sickness that causes imbalance in the body can only be treated by its opposite, so if it is caused by cold it is treated with heat and vice versa. Similarly, bad characteristics, which are diseases of the heart, are treated by applying the opposite. So the remedy for the disease of ignorance is seeking knowledge, and the remedy for the disease of miserliness is pushing oneself to be generous, and the remedy for the disease of arrogance is pushing oneself to be humble, and the remedy for the sickness of eating too much is imposing self restraint.
Just as it is essential to put up with the bitterness of the remedy and show patience in refraining from what one desires when treating physical sickness, so too it is essential to put up with the bitterness of striving and being patient when treating diseases of the heart; rather it is more important, because one gets rid of physical sickness when one dies, but the sicknesses of the heart – Allaah forbid – may persist after death and continue forever and ever.
These examples show you the way to treat diseases of the heart, and demonstrate that the holistic way is to treat them with the opposite of whatever one is inclined towards and likes. Allah has summed up all of that in His Holy Book, when He said (interpretation of the meaning):
“But as for him who feared standing before his Lord, and restrained himself from impure evil desires and lusts.
41. Verily, Paradise will be his abode”
[al-Naazi’aat 79:40-41]
Finally:
What matters with regard to striving is fulfilling what one resolves to do. If a person resolves to give up a desire, then he must show patience and persist, because if he gets used to giving up what he resolved to do, that will lead to corruption. If it so happens that he falls short of what he resolved to do, then he must impose some punishment on himself because of that, because if he does not scare himself with that punishment, his evil inclinations will overwhelm him and he will be attracted to indulging in desires, and all his efforts will be spoiled.
Summarized and adapted from Ihya’ ‘Uloom al-Deen by al-Ghazaali (3/62-98).
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
A good attitude is the characteristic of the best of the Messengers and is the best action of the righteous. It is – no doubt – half of religion, the fruit of the efforts of the pious and the practice of the devoted worshipper. Bad characteristics are lethal poison and lead to shameful consequences.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I have only been sent to perfect good characteristics.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari in al-Adab al-Mufrad (273) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (45).
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) was asked about that which will admit most people to Paradise. He said: “Fear of Allaah and a good attitude.”
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2004); he said it is saheeh ghareeb. It was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
Hence Islam paid a great deal of attention to laying down guidelines for treating diseases of the heart (i.e., spiritual diseases) and ways of acquiring good characteristics, which is regarded as one of the most important duties, because no heart will be free of sicknesses. If the heart is neglected, sicknesses will accumulate. No soul is free of inclinatons which, if they are given free rein, will lead it to doom in this world and in the Hereafter.
This kind of medicine requires profound knowledge of reasons and causes, then it needs hard work to remedy it and set things straight, in order to reach a successful outcome. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Indeed he succeeds who purifies his ownself”
[al-Shams 91:9]
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to pray for a good attitude, saying, “O Allaah, You have made my outward form beautiful so make my attitude good too.” Narrated by Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh (3/239) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel (75).
Secondly:
If a person knows what his shortcomings are he can do something to remedy them, but many people are unaware of their faults and shortcomings. A person may see the speck in his brother’s eye and not see the log in his own. The person who wants to know what his own faults are may do four things:
1. He may sit before a Shaykh who has insight into people’s faults and knowledge of the subtlety of some problems and learn from him knowledge, good attitudes and manners.
2. He may ask a sincere friend who has insight and is religiously committed to keep watch over him and take note of his actions, so that he can draw attention to whatever he dislikes of his attitude, actions, and inward and outward faults. This is what the best and greatest imams of Islam used to do. ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) used to say: “May Allaah have mercy on a man who shows me my shortcomings.”
3. He can learn about his faults and shortcomings from the lips of his enemies, because the eye of one who is resentful will always notice bad things about you. A man may benefit more from an enemy who wants to cause trouble and mentions his faults than from a friend who wants to flatter him by praising him and concealing his faults.
4. He can mix with people. Everything that he sees as blameworthy among people, he should guard against in his own self, because the believer is the mirror of his fellow believer, and in the faults of others he can see his own faults. It was said to ‘Eesa (peace be upon him): “Who taught you?” He said: “No one taught me; I saw the ignorance of the ignorant as something bad and I avoided it.”
Thirdly:
Attitude reflects how a person thinks and the way he is inside. Just as, in general, a person’s outward form cannot be beautiful if only the eyes are beautiful and not the nose, mouth and cheek, and everything must be beautiful in order for the entire outward form to be beautiful, so too there are four requirements of inward beauty which must all be met in order for one’s attitude to be good or beautiful. If all four requirements are met and balanced then a good attitude is acquired, the characteristics of which are: strong knowledge, control of anger, control of desire, and a proper balance between these three aspects.
With regard to strong knowledge, good and sound knowledge means understanding in such a way that one can see the difference between telling the truth and telling lies in speech, between truth and falsehood in beliefs, between beauty and ugliness in actions. If this strength becomes sound, there will result from it wisdom, and wisdom is the head of a good attitude.
With regard to strength of anger, its beauty is that it is used in accordance with what is dictated by wisdom. The same applies to desire; its beauty and strength should be controlled by wisdom, meaning under the control of reason and sharee’ah.
With regard to balance, it means proper control of desires and anger, under the control of wisdom and sharee’ah.
Reason is like a sincere adviser. Justice and balance is power, and it is like one who does what is dictated by reason. Anger is to be subjected to control.
The one who acquires and balances these characteristics is a man of good character in general, and from it stem all good qualities.
No one achieved perfect balance of these four characteristics except the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him); people after him vary in how close or distant they are to him in character. Everyone who is close to him in these characteristics is close to Allaah, to the extent that he is close to the Messenger of Allaah.
Fourthly:
This balance may be achieved in two ways:
1 – By the blessing of Allaah, as part of one's inherent nature
2 – By acquiring these characteristics through effort and training, i.e., pushing oneself to do the actions dictated by the desired characteristic.
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Knowledge is acquired by seeking it, and patience is acquiring by striving to be patient. The one who strives to attain good will be given it, and the one who strives to protect himself from evil will be protected. Narrated by al-Khateeb and others from the hadeeth of Abu’l-Darda’; classed as hasan by al-Albaani.
If a person wants to attain the characteristic of generosity, the way to attain that is by pushing himself to do the actions of one who is generous, which is giving away wealth. So he keeps pushing himself and persisting in that, striving against his own inclinations, until that becomes second nature and it becomes easy for him, thus he becomes generous.
Similarly, if a person wants to attain the characteristic of humility, when he is inclined to be arrogant, the way he does it is by persisting in doing the actions of the humble for a long time, striving and pushing himself until that becomes one of his characteristics, and it becomes second nature to him and easy for him.
All praiseworthy characteristics that are prescribed in Islam may be acquired in this way. Religious characteristics will never become entrenched in the soul unless the soul gets accustomed to doing all good habits, unless it gives up all bad habits, and unless it persists in doing good deeds like one who loves good deeds and enjoys doing them, and hates bad deeds and is pained by them.
This may be explained by means of examples:
The one who wants to become proficient in writing, so that this becomes one of his characteristics and writing beautifully becomes second nature to him, has no other way but to hold in his hand that which the proficient writer holds, and persist for a long time, trying to imitate beautiful hand writing, and keep on doing so until it becomes well established in him, then finally beautiful writing will become second nature to him.
Similarly, if a person wants to become a faqeeh, he has no choice but to do what the fuqaha’ do, which is to keep studying issues of fiqh until his heart develops a love of the subject.
And if a person wants to become generous and refrain from asking people, and become patient and humble, he has to keep on doing the actions of those people until they become second nature to him. He should not despair of attaining those characteristics if he fails to study for one night, for he will not be able to attain it with one night’s study. Perfecting the soul and adorning it with good deeds will not be attained by worshipping for one day, and he will not be deprived of it if he sins for one day. But slacking off for one day may lead to another day, then slowly one becomes accustomed to laziness.
Fifthly:
The likeness of the soul and the way to treat it to rid it of bad characteristics and make it attain good characteristics is that of the body, when treating it to rid it of disease and bring it good health.
Although the humours are usually in balance, the stomach may become sick due to food, drink or circumstances. Similarly, everyone is born with a balanced nature, but his parents make him a Jew, Christian or Magian, i.e., by training and teaching one acquires bad characteristics.
Just as the body is not created perfect in the first place, rather it is made perfect by rearing and food, similarly the soul is also created imperfect but with the potential to become perfect, and it can only be perfected by means of education, discipline and nourishment with knowledge. If the body is sound, the doctor’s role is to show one the way to maintain good health; if it is sick, then the doctor’s job is to restore health. The same applies to the soul; if it is pure and sound then one should strive to preserve it and bring it more strength and acquire more good characteristics; if it is imperfect then one should strive to perfect it and purify it.
Sickness that causes imbalance in the body can only be treated by its opposite, so if it is caused by cold it is treated with heat and vice versa. Similarly, bad characteristics, which are diseases of the heart, are treated by applying the opposite. So the remedy for the disease of ignorance is seeking knowledge, and the remedy for the disease of miserliness is pushing oneself to be generous, and the remedy for the disease of arrogance is pushing oneself to be humble, and the remedy for the sickness of eating too much is imposing self restraint.
Just as it is essential to put up with the bitterness of the remedy and show patience in refraining from what one desires when treating physical sickness, so too it is essential to put up with the bitterness of striving and being patient when treating diseases of the heart; rather it is more important, because one gets rid of physical sickness when one dies, but the sicknesses of the heart – Allaah forbid – may persist after death and continue forever and ever.
These examples show you the way to treat diseases of the heart, and demonstrate that the holistic way is to treat them with the opposite of whatever one is inclined towards and likes. Allah has summed up all of that in His Holy Book, when He said (interpretation of the meaning):
“But as for him who feared standing before his Lord, and restrained himself from impure evil desires and lusts.
41. Verily, Paradise will be his abode”
[al-Naazi’aat 79:40-41]
Finally:
What matters with regard to striving is fulfilling what one resolves to do. If a person resolves to give up a desire, then he must show patience and persist, because if he gets used to giving up what he resolved to do, that will lead to corruption. If it so happens that he falls short of what he resolved to do, then he must impose some punishment on himself because of that, because if he does not scare himself with that punishment, his evil inclinations will overwhelm him and he will be attracted to indulging in desires, and all his efforts will be spoiled.
Summarized and adapted from Ihya’ ‘Uloom al-Deen by al-Ghazaali (3/62-98).
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Working in an audit firm reviewing accounts which involve riba, insurance and taxes
Q) I am working as a trainee in an audit firm. The purpose of an audit is to check the financial statements prepared by companies and report whether they present a true and fair view. In order to achieve this purpose we have to check the financial records from which the financial statements have been prepared and also the accounting process and calculations carried out by companies. These companies are involved in activities such as obtaining interest-based loans, having insurance and paying tax. Such activities exist in all kinds of companies even if their business itself is halal e.g. manufacturing companies. This means that we are obliged to check the accounting for interest, insurance and tax, without which we cannot give our report. My question is, is it lawful to perform audit?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
It is not permissible to audit riba-based accounts, because that involves approving of riba, writing it down and keeping silent about it. Muslim narrated in his Saheeh (1598) that Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed the one who consumes riba and the one who pays it, the one who writes it down and the two who witness it, and he said: they are all the same.
The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas were asked:
In the office of a legal accountant, we check the financial statements of institutions and companies, based on the company’s books, with the aim of submitting the results at the end of the financial year in the form of budgets and reports about the company’s financial situation, to be presented through the institution to a government department or bank, or to the zakaah and income departments. During the year we also keep watch on the finances of the institution to guard against tampering and embezzlement. I have a number of questions which I hope that you can answer:
(a)
In some cases, I may see details of their accounts and dealings with the banks. These accounts show debt i.e., the companies are required to produce them in order to get a loan from this bank or as the result of withdrawing more than they have in their account, which results in the bank charging interest for that, i.e. riba. The nature of our work involves showing this account with the others in the budget. That is based on the company’s books and bank accounts, and we cannot exclude it from the rest of the accounts. It has to be shown in order for the budget to be regarded as showing the real situation of the company. Is there any sin on us in that, and are we regarded as those who witness riba?
They replied:
It is not permissible for you to be an accountant because of what you have mentioned in your question, because that involves cooperating in sin and transgression. End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (15/20)
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan.
So you should look for work where you will not have to deal with accounts of riba.
With regard to insurance and taxes, if they are compulsory, then there is nothing wrong with calculating and auditing them, because the one who pays them is excused for doing so.
We ask Allaah to make easy for you the means of earning halaal provision and to bless it for you.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
It is not permissible to audit riba-based accounts, because that involves approving of riba, writing it down and keeping silent about it. Muslim narrated in his Saheeh (1598) that Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed the one who consumes riba and the one who pays it, the one who writes it down and the two who witness it, and he said: they are all the same.
The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas were asked:
In the office of a legal accountant, we check the financial statements of institutions and companies, based on the company’s books, with the aim of submitting the results at the end of the financial year in the form of budgets and reports about the company’s financial situation, to be presented through the institution to a government department or bank, or to the zakaah and income departments. During the year we also keep watch on the finances of the institution to guard against tampering and embezzlement. I have a number of questions which I hope that you can answer:
(a)
In some cases, I may see details of their accounts and dealings with the banks. These accounts show debt i.e., the companies are required to produce them in order to get a loan from this bank or as the result of withdrawing more than they have in their account, which results in the bank charging interest for that, i.e. riba. The nature of our work involves showing this account with the others in the budget. That is based on the company’s books and bank accounts, and we cannot exclude it from the rest of the accounts. It has to be shown in order for the budget to be regarded as showing the real situation of the company. Is there any sin on us in that, and are we regarded as those who witness riba?
They replied:
It is not permissible for you to be an accountant because of what you have mentioned in your question, because that involves cooperating in sin and transgression. End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (15/20)
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan.
So you should look for work where you will not have to deal with accounts of riba.
With regard to insurance and taxes, if they are compulsory, then there is nothing wrong with calculating and auditing them, because the one who pays them is excused for doing so.
We ask Allaah to make easy for you the means of earning halaal provision and to bless it for you.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Monday, July 14, 2008
It is mustahabb to recite a complete soorah after al-Faatihah in prayer
Q) After reciting soorah Faatihah in each rakaat is it permissible to recite only part of one long soorah instead of a whole one so that a few long soorahs are completed during the whole prayer instead of many short soorahs?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, it is permissible to recite part of a long soorah in prayer, instead of reciting a complete short soorah, But it is better to recite a complete soorah in each rak’ah. This is what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) usually did. Al-Bukhaari (762) and Muslim (451) narrated that Abu Qutaadah said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite al-Faatihah and another soorah in the first two rak’ahs of Zuhr and ‘Asr.” This hadeeth indicates that “reciting a short soorah in full is better than reciting an equal part of a longer soorah.” (Sharh Muslim by al-Nawawi (4/174). The words of Abu Qutaadah - “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite…” indicate that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) persisted in doing that, or that this is what he usually did. Fath al-Baari, 2/244.
It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) recited certain soorahs in certain prayers. Muslim (727) narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite ‘Say (O Muslims): “We believe in Allaah and that which has been sent down to us…’ [al-Baqarah 2:136 – interpretation of the meaning] and ‘Come to a word that is just between us and you…’ [Aal ‘Imraan 3:64 – interpretation of the meaning] in the two rak’ahs of Fajr prayer.” This hadeeth indicates that it is permissible to recite part of a soorah in a rak’ah. Nayl al-Awtaar, 2/255
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught us to recite a complete soorah, and sometimes he would recite a complete soorah over the two rak’ahs; or he would recite the first part of a soorah. As for reciting the last part of a soorah, or the middle part of a soorah, it was not narrated that he did that; and as for reciting two soorahs in one rak’ah, he would do that in naafil prayers, but it was not narrated that he did that in fard prayers. The hadeeth of Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him), “I know the pairs of soorahs that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would recite in one rak’ah. He would recite Soorat al-Rahmaan and Soorat al-Najm in one rak’ah, or Soorat al-Qamar and Soorat al-Haaqqah in one rak’ah, or Soorat al-Toor and Soorat al-Dhaariyaat in one rak’ah, or Soorat al-Waaqi’ah and Soorat al-Qalam in one rak’ah.” This hadeeth indicates that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did that, but it does not specify whether he did it in fard (obligatory) prayers or naafil (supererogatory) prayers. The hadeeth may mean either. As for reciting one soorah in two rak’ahs, he used to do that rarely. Abu Dawood narrated from a man from Juhaynah that he heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) reciting Soorat al-Zalzalah in two rak’ahs of Fajr prayer, and he said: “I do not know whether the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forgot or did he do that deliberately?” (Zaad al-Ma’aad, 1/214-215).
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “There is nothing wrong with a man reciting one verse from a soorah in an obligatory prayer or in a naafil prayer. This may be understood from the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
‘So, recite you of the Qur’aan as much as may be easy for you’
[al-Muzzammil 73:20]
But the Sunnah – which is preferable – is to recite a soorah, and the best is to recite one soorah in each rak’ah. If that is too difficult then it is acceptable to divide the soorah between the two rak’ahs.” (al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 3/104).
May Allaah help us all to acquire useful knowledge and to do righteous deeds.
And Allaah knows best. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, it is permissible to recite part of a long soorah in prayer, instead of reciting a complete short soorah, But it is better to recite a complete soorah in each rak’ah. This is what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) usually did. Al-Bukhaari (762) and Muslim (451) narrated that Abu Qutaadah said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite al-Faatihah and another soorah in the first two rak’ahs of Zuhr and ‘Asr.” This hadeeth indicates that “reciting a short soorah in full is better than reciting an equal part of a longer soorah.” (Sharh Muslim by al-Nawawi (4/174). The words of Abu Qutaadah - “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite…” indicate that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) persisted in doing that, or that this is what he usually did. Fath al-Baari, 2/244.
It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) recited certain soorahs in certain prayers. Muslim (727) narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite ‘Say (O Muslims): “We believe in Allaah and that which has been sent down to us…’ [al-Baqarah 2:136 – interpretation of the meaning] and ‘Come to a word that is just between us and you…’ [Aal ‘Imraan 3:64 – interpretation of the meaning] in the two rak’ahs of Fajr prayer.” This hadeeth indicates that it is permissible to recite part of a soorah in a rak’ah. Nayl al-Awtaar, 2/255
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught us to recite a complete soorah, and sometimes he would recite a complete soorah over the two rak’ahs; or he would recite the first part of a soorah. As for reciting the last part of a soorah, or the middle part of a soorah, it was not narrated that he did that; and as for reciting two soorahs in one rak’ah, he would do that in naafil prayers, but it was not narrated that he did that in fard prayers. The hadeeth of Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him), “I know the pairs of soorahs that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would recite in one rak’ah. He would recite Soorat al-Rahmaan and Soorat al-Najm in one rak’ah, or Soorat al-Qamar and Soorat al-Haaqqah in one rak’ah, or Soorat al-Toor and Soorat al-Dhaariyaat in one rak’ah, or Soorat al-Waaqi’ah and Soorat al-Qalam in one rak’ah.” This hadeeth indicates that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did that, but it does not specify whether he did it in fard (obligatory) prayers or naafil (supererogatory) prayers. The hadeeth may mean either. As for reciting one soorah in two rak’ahs, he used to do that rarely. Abu Dawood narrated from a man from Juhaynah that he heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) reciting Soorat al-Zalzalah in two rak’ahs of Fajr prayer, and he said: “I do not know whether the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forgot or did he do that deliberately?” (Zaad al-Ma’aad, 1/214-215).
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “There is nothing wrong with a man reciting one verse from a soorah in an obligatory prayer or in a naafil prayer. This may be understood from the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
‘So, recite you of the Qur’aan as much as may be easy for you’
[al-Muzzammil 73:20]
But the Sunnah – which is preferable – is to recite a soorah, and the best is to recite one soorah in each rak’ah. If that is too difficult then it is acceptable to divide the soorah between the two rak’ahs.” (al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 3/104).
May Allaah help us all to acquire useful knowledge and to do righteous deeds.
And Allaah knows best. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
She cannot leave her husband who does not pray
Q) My problem is my husband. He does not pray and he drinks, and I have the feeling that he is having an affair. Sometimes he travels on his own or I find pictures of him with a girl, and he tells me that he married her on one of his trips, and I believe that he is telling the truth. After a while he said that he has divorced her because the distance was too great and he couldn’t afford it. A while after that I found a negative which is clearly a picture of him with the girl but he made some excuse. The point is that I cannot leave him because we have two children and for other reasons which I believe are because of me. When I married him, about eight years ago, he was not like that, but sex was extremely important to him and I was circumcised so it took me a long time to respond to him… Now I want to make the most of this blessed month [Ramadaan] to try to guide him. I hope that you can advise me of the steps I may take especially if there are any practical ways, because speaking to him doesn’t do any good. I have tried that and it was no use. May Allaah reward you with good.?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
If your husband does not pray, then it is not permissible for you to stay married to him or to let him be intimate with you. That could be a means of guiding him, but you have to stay away from him because of his not praying. As for the ways by means of which you can try to guide him, there are many such ways, such as bringing home some tapes which speak of matters that are of concern to him, such as reminders of how quickly this life passes, the transient nature of this world, its insignificance, the dangers of following one’s whims and desires and how that leads to a bad end, reminders of death, the resurrection, Paradise and Hell, the blessings of obeying Allaah, the bad consequences of disobeying Him, the peace of mind that comes from obeying Allaah, and the sense of alienation felt by sinners. You could also put him in touch with some daa’iyahs and good people and the imaam of a mosque, and let them visit him, and try to get him to make friends with some righteous people who can help him and encourage him to do good, and explain to him the dangers of keeping company with bad people, etc.
Shaykh Sa’d al-Humayd.
A) Praise be to Allaah.
If your husband does not pray, then it is not permissible for you to stay married to him or to let him be intimate with you. That could be a means of guiding him, but you have to stay away from him because of his not praying. As for the ways by means of which you can try to guide him, there are many such ways, such as bringing home some tapes which speak of matters that are of concern to him, such as reminders of how quickly this life passes, the transient nature of this world, its insignificance, the dangers of following one’s whims and desires and how that leads to a bad end, reminders of death, the resurrection, Paradise and Hell, the blessings of obeying Allaah, the bad consequences of disobeying Him, the peace of mind that comes from obeying Allaah, and the sense of alienation felt by sinners. You could also put him in touch with some daa’iyahs and good people and the imaam of a mosque, and let them visit him, and try to get him to make friends with some righteous people who can help him and encourage him to do good, and explain to him the dangers of keeping company with bad people, etc.
Shaykh Sa’d al-Humayd.
Ruling on working in an Islamic nasheed group
Q) I have been offered a job in an Islamic nasheed group (performing at weddings and so on). What should I do? I am desperately in need of work.
A) Praise be to Allaah.
It is permissible to work in an Islamic nasheed group, if the work is free of anything that is contrary to sharee’ah and adheres to the following guidelines:
-1-
The anaasheed should be performed in front of men only; it is not permissible to perform in the presence of women, because of the prohibition on mixing, and because of the evil and corruption to which that may lead.
-2-
The songs should contain permissible words only, free from any shameless or licentious content.
-3-
The anaasheed should not be accompanied by any musical instruments or tablah drums or daffs, because of the prohibition on using musical instruments and the prohibition on using the daff for men, according to the more correct opinion. See question no. 5000, 5011, 20406 and 9290.
-4-
The anaasheed should not be accompanied by any sound effects that resemble musical instruments, whether they are done on the computer or otherwise.
Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
There may be another sin involved in that [i.e., nasheeds], which is that they may be performed in the manner of immoral songs and performed according to the rules of eastern or western music which makes the listeners enjoy it and makes them dance and behave in a foolish manner. So the aim becomes the tune and the enjoyment thereof, and not nasheed per se. This is a new error, and it is an imitation of the kuffaar and immoral people. That may lead to a further error, which is imitating them in turning away from the Qur’aan and forsaking it, and being included in the general meaning of the complaint of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And the Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) will say: ‘O my Lord! Verily, my people deserted this Qur’aan (neither listened to it nor acted on its laws and teachings)’” [al-Furqaan 25:30]. End quote from Tahreem Alaat al-Tarb (p. 181).
It is well known that Islam forbids listening to musical instruments because of the effect that musical instruments have on the heart, which may be affected by hypocrisy and forsaking the word of Allaah, so that it finds no pleasure except in these songs. It is well known that some of these sound effects have a worse effect than musical instruments, and their effect on the listener, even if it is no greater than the effect of musical instruments, is no less either. It is impossible that Islam would forbid anything because of its corrupting effects then permit something that is similar to it or worse than it.
If the sound effects have a sound that is similar to that of musical instruments, then the ruling on them is the same as the ruling on musical instruments, i.e., they are haraam.
-5-
Pictures of the munshids (“singers”) should not be put on the covers of their tapes, in an imitation of the evildoing of pop singers.
See the answer to question no. 91142.
If the work of this group is free of these haraam issues, then there is nothing wrong with you working with them.
You should remember that there are many ways of earning provision, but the matter needs effort and hard work. Seek the help of Allaah and do not feel helpless, and do not let the desire to hasten provision make you seek it by disobeying Allaah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Holy Spirit (Jibreel) has inspired to me that no soul will die until it has completed its appointed term and received its provision in full, so fear Allaah and do not be desperate in seeking provision, and no one of you should be temped to seek provision by means of committing sin if it is slow in coming to him, for that which is with Allaah can only be attained by obeying Him.” Narrated by Abu Na’eem in al-Hilyah from the hadeeth of Abu Umaamah; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, no. 2085.
We ask Allaah to make things easy for you and to bless you with good provision.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
It is permissible to work in an Islamic nasheed group, if the work is free of anything that is contrary to sharee’ah and adheres to the following guidelines:
-1-
The anaasheed should be performed in front of men only; it is not permissible to perform in the presence of women, because of the prohibition on mixing, and because of the evil and corruption to which that may lead.
-2-
The songs should contain permissible words only, free from any shameless or licentious content.
-3-
The anaasheed should not be accompanied by any musical instruments or tablah drums or daffs, because of the prohibition on using musical instruments and the prohibition on using the daff for men, according to the more correct opinion. See question no. 5000, 5011, 20406 and 9290.
-4-
The anaasheed should not be accompanied by any sound effects that resemble musical instruments, whether they are done on the computer or otherwise.
Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
There may be another sin involved in that [i.e., nasheeds], which is that they may be performed in the manner of immoral songs and performed according to the rules of eastern or western music which makes the listeners enjoy it and makes them dance and behave in a foolish manner. So the aim becomes the tune and the enjoyment thereof, and not nasheed per se. This is a new error, and it is an imitation of the kuffaar and immoral people. That may lead to a further error, which is imitating them in turning away from the Qur’aan and forsaking it, and being included in the general meaning of the complaint of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And the Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) will say: ‘O my Lord! Verily, my people deserted this Qur’aan (neither listened to it nor acted on its laws and teachings)’” [al-Furqaan 25:30]. End quote from Tahreem Alaat al-Tarb (p. 181).
It is well known that Islam forbids listening to musical instruments because of the effect that musical instruments have on the heart, which may be affected by hypocrisy and forsaking the word of Allaah, so that it finds no pleasure except in these songs. It is well known that some of these sound effects have a worse effect than musical instruments, and their effect on the listener, even if it is no greater than the effect of musical instruments, is no less either. It is impossible that Islam would forbid anything because of its corrupting effects then permit something that is similar to it or worse than it.
If the sound effects have a sound that is similar to that of musical instruments, then the ruling on them is the same as the ruling on musical instruments, i.e., they are haraam.
-5-
Pictures of the munshids (“singers”) should not be put on the covers of their tapes, in an imitation of the evildoing of pop singers.
See the answer to question no. 91142.
If the work of this group is free of these haraam issues, then there is nothing wrong with you working with them.
You should remember that there are many ways of earning provision, but the matter needs effort and hard work. Seek the help of Allaah and do not feel helpless, and do not let the desire to hasten provision make you seek it by disobeying Allaah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Holy Spirit (Jibreel) has inspired to me that no soul will die until it has completed its appointed term and received its provision in full, so fear Allaah and do not be desperate in seeking provision, and no one of you should be temped to seek provision by means of committing sin if it is slow in coming to him, for that which is with Allaah can only be attained by obeying Him.” Narrated by Abu Na’eem in al-Hilyah from the hadeeth of Abu Umaamah; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, no. 2085.
We ask Allaah to make things easy for you and to bless you with good provision.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
It is not permissible to keep embryos or fertilized eggs
Q) I married 11 years ago. We have problems regarding having children, Allah has blessed us with a daughter through IVF. We recently contacted the doctor and he told us about a new technology known as freezing the fertilized eggs and using them months or years later, the doctors puts it back into the womb. Is this halal or haram (freezing the fertilized eggs)?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
There are different kinds of fertilization, some of which are halaal and some are haraam. The halaal types include:
(i) Where the sperm is taken from the husband and the egg from his wife, and fertilization is done externally, then the embryo is implanted in the wife’s uterus.
(ii) Where the husband’s sperm is taken and injected into the wife’s vagina or uterus to fertilize the egg internally.
The Islamic Fiqh Council has stated that this is permissible. See the text of their statement in the answer to question no. 23104.
Secondly:
It is not permissible to keep eggs or embryos, and the fertilization of eggs must be limited to the required number so as to avoid having an excess of fertilized eggs. If there is an excess of fertilized eggs, they should be left without any care to die naturally.
That is because keeping embryos or eggs may lead to them being mixed with others as time goes by, either by mistake or deliberately, as has happened in many cases. Some of them may be taken and placed in the uterus of another woman, which leads to confusion of lineages, which is a serious evil which outweighs the interests which the couple may think are served by keeping embryos to save money and use for fertilization later on.
The Islamic Fiqh Council belonging to the Organization of the Islamic Conference has issued a statement on this matter. The text follows:
1- In the light of what has happened of the possibility of keeping unfertilized eggs to be used later on, when fertilizing eggs it must be limited to the required number for implantation each time, to avoid an excess of fertilized eggs.
2- If there are any extra fertilized eggs – for any reason – they should be left without medical care until they die naturally.
3- It is haraam to use fertilized eggs in another woman, and sufficient precautions must be taken to prevent using fertilized eggs for an illegitimate pregnancy. End quote from Majallat Majma’ al-Fiqh al-Islami, issue no. 7, vol. 3, p. 563.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
There are different kinds of fertilization, some of which are halaal and some are haraam. The halaal types include:
(i) Where the sperm is taken from the husband and the egg from his wife, and fertilization is done externally, then the embryo is implanted in the wife’s uterus.
(ii) Where the husband’s sperm is taken and injected into the wife’s vagina or uterus to fertilize the egg internally.
The Islamic Fiqh Council has stated that this is permissible. See the text of their statement in the answer to question no. 23104.
Secondly:
It is not permissible to keep eggs or embryos, and the fertilization of eggs must be limited to the required number so as to avoid having an excess of fertilized eggs. If there is an excess of fertilized eggs, they should be left without any care to die naturally.
That is because keeping embryos or eggs may lead to them being mixed with others as time goes by, either by mistake or deliberately, as has happened in many cases. Some of them may be taken and placed in the uterus of another woman, which leads to confusion of lineages, which is a serious evil which outweighs the interests which the couple may think are served by keeping embryos to save money and use for fertilization later on.
The Islamic Fiqh Council belonging to the Organization of the Islamic Conference has issued a statement on this matter. The text follows:
1- In the light of what has happened of the possibility of keeping unfertilized eggs to be used later on, when fertilizing eggs it must be limited to the required number for implantation each time, to avoid an excess of fertilized eggs.
2- If there are any extra fertilized eggs – for any reason – they should be left without medical care until they die naturally.
3- It is haraam to use fertilized eggs in another woman, and sufficient precautions must be taken to prevent using fertilized eggs for an illegitimate pregnancy. End quote from Majallat Majma’ al-Fiqh al-Islami, issue no. 7, vol. 3, p. 563.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Muslim woman’s hijaab in front of kaafir women
Q) What are the things that a Muslim woman may uncover in front of a kaafir woman, such as a Buddhist woman for example? Is it true that she is not allowed to uncover her face?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
The correct view is that a woman may uncover what is above the navel and what is below the knees in front of another woman, whether she is a Muslim or a kaafir. As for the area between the navel and the knees, this is ‘awrah and is to be covered in front of everyone. No woman should see this area of another woman, whether she is Muslim or non-Muslim, related to her or not related; the same applies to the ‘awrah among men (i.e., no man should see the ‘awrah of another man). A woman may see the chest, head, shins, etc., of another woman; similarly a man may see the chest, shins, and head of another man. With regard to the view of some scholars, that a believing woman should not uncover in front of a kaafir woman, this view is superceded by the more correct of the two scholarly views, because at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), Jewish women and also idol-worshipping women used to enter upon the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) for various reasons; it is not narrated that they used to wear hijaab in front of them, and they are the best and most pious of women.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz, in al-Fataawa al-Jaami’ah li’l-Mar’ah al-Muslimah, part 3, p. 830
A) Praise be to Allaah.
The correct view is that a woman may uncover what is above the navel and what is below the knees in front of another woman, whether she is a Muslim or a kaafir. As for the area between the navel and the knees, this is ‘awrah and is to be covered in front of everyone. No woman should see this area of another woman, whether she is Muslim or non-Muslim, related to her or not related; the same applies to the ‘awrah among men (i.e., no man should see the ‘awrah of another man). A woman may see the chest, head, shins, etc., of another woman; similarly a man may see the chest, shins, and head of another man. With regard to the view of some scholars, that a believing woman should not uncover in front of a kaafir woman, this view is superceded by the more correct of the two scholarly views, because at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), Jewish women and also idol-worshipping women used to enter upon the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) for various reasons; it is not narrated that they used to wear hijaab in front of them, and they are the best and most pious of women.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz, in al-Fataawa al-Jaami’ah li’l-Mar’ah al-Muslimah, part 3, p. 830
He bequeathed one-third of his wealth to his daughters as a punishment to his son for taking all the money
Q) One year before my father died, he gave to each of us – three daughters and one son – the papers pertaining to the accounts where he had deposited the money he had been saving for us; he had suffered a great deal during the years he was working abroad to save this money for us and provide us with this money. So none of us dared to withdraw any money without referring to him, out of respect for him.
Then my brother withdrew all the money in the account following an argument which arose between my brother and my sister. My father (may Allaah have mercy on him) was on the girls’ side, which made my brother (may Allaah forgive him) withdraw all the money which my father had deposited in his account then handed over the documentation. When he (my brother) found out about this will, he started court proceedings to prove the will legally invalid. When his father found out about it from the bank, he was deeply shocked, and he told him to put the money back because he needed it, as he was sick. But my brother refused to return the money, which had a bad effect on my father. My father died angry with my brother, and he had written a will leaving one-third of his money to his daughters; this will was intended as a punishment to my brother which my father wrote before he died, understanding fully what he was saying.
I myself refused to accept this will because I was not comfortable with it, and I insisted on taking only that which was due to me according to sharee’ah. I advised my sisters to ignore this will, in order to correct any mistake that my father may have made and so as to uphold good relations with my brother as Allaah enjoins upon us to do. But my many attempts did not succeed, and they went ahead and executed the will through the courts. The tears of my mother (may Allaah have mercy on her) did not succeed in deterring them from insisting on the will being executed. I also tried several times to deter my brother from entering into a dispute with my sisters in the court, in order to protect the name and reputation of our father. I asked him to consider this as a punishment in this world for what he had done to my father. But he refused to give up what he considered to be his right for any reason, and all of them accused me of not supporting the truth. I kept myself out of this dispute by appointing a lawyer to declare my objection to this matter from the outset.
I hope that you can advise me of the shar’i ruling and what my siblings’ position is according to sharee’ah. Please tell me what my duty towards them is, when they have adopted this stance towards me on this matter despite my many attempts to maintain good relations with them and honour them.
Please advise me, may Allaah reward you.
A) Praise be to Allaah.
It is unfortunate that there are many such cases among siblings, and what makes the matter even more regrettable is that the reason for this dispute is money. In fact I appreciate our sister’s good nature and wisdom, since she has preferred peace to entering into a dispute with her brother, and she has tried to contain the problem and solve it within the family. This in itself should be considered the beginning of a proper solution. As for the answer to this question, it may be answered in the following points:
Firstly:
The money which your father had saved for you and gone to great lengths for your benefit, is the due of everyone whom Allaah has decreed has a share of inheritance. Each of you has a share allotted by sharee’ah after the death of your father; none of you have the right to keep this money for himself and deny it to the rest of the heirs, because by doing so he is transgressing upon the rights of others. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“but transgress not the limits. Truly, Allaah likes not the transgressors”[al-Baqarah 2:190]
It was narrated by Abu Harrah al-Raqaashi that his paternal uncle said: “I was holding on to the reins of the she-camel of Messenger of Allaah SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A man’s wealth is not permissible except with his consent.” (Narrated by Ahmad, 20172; classed as saheeh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Irwaa’, 1761).
On this basis, what your brother did by taking this money is considered to be a haraam action, especially since he took the money when your father was still alive and he is not entitled to any of the money until after his father died. Indeed, after his father’s death he is not entitled to anything more than the share which Allaah has allocated to him in the laws of inheritance. So what your brother must do is to repent to Allaah and restore the rights of people.
Secondly:
The will which your father wrote was not acceptable according to sharee’ah, and it is not permissible for you to demand that it be executed, because a person who is designated as an heir according to sharee’ah cannot be given something in the will (wasiyyah). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has given each person his rights and no will can be made in favour of an heir.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2120; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 1722), So it is not permissible for you to demand it, even if your brother has taken your money. But you may demand what Allaah has granted you in the laws of inheritance.
Thirdly:
You should continue to advise and guide them and try to bring them together as much as you can. Remember that you will be rewarded by Allaah for that. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“There is no good in most of their secret talks save (in) him who orders Sadaqah (charity in Allaah’s Cause), or Ma‘roof (Islamic Monotheism and all the good and righteous deeds which Allaah has ordained), or conciliation between mankind; and he who does this, seeking the good Pleasure of Allaah, We shall give him a great reward” [al-Nisa’ 4:114]
Keep telling your sisters not to demand more than they are entitled to, and that demanding one-third is something that is not permitted. Try also to convince your brother, in a good way, to give your sisters that which is rightfully theirs, and to show mercy to his sisters after his father’s death instead of being a torment to them. You will undoubtedly face problems in doing that, but be patient. We ask Allaah to make you steadfast.
Fourthly:
If you are doing the right thing, it will not matter if people blame you or accuse you of being biased. Be steadfast in adhering to the truth. Finally, we call on all of you to fear Allaah and to ward off this scandalous dispute which does not make anyone happy apart from the Shaytaan, those in whose hearts is a disease and everyone who enjoys the troubles of others or is filled with malicious envy.
I ask Allaah to put things right between you. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
Then my brother withdrew all the money in the account following an argument which arose between my brother and my sister. My father (may Allaah have mercy on him) was on the girls’ side, which made my brother (may Allaah forgive him) withdraw all the money which my father had deposited in his account then handed over the documentation. When he (my brother) found out about this will, he started court proceedings to prove the will legally invalid. When his father found out about it from the bank, he was deeply shocked, and he told him to put the money back because he needed it, as he was sick. But my brother refused to return the money, which had a bad effect on my father. My father died angry with my brother, and he had written a will leaving one-third of his money to his daughters; this will was intended as a punishment to my brother which my father wrote before he died, understanding fully what he was saying.
I myself refused to accept this will because I was not comfortable with it, and I insisted on taking only that which was due to me according to sharee’ah. I advised my sisters to ignore this will, in order to correct any mistake that my father may have made and so as to uphold good relations with my brother as Allaah enjoins upon us to do. But my many attempts did not succeed, and they went ahead and executed the will through the courts. The tears of my mother (may Allaah have mercy on her) did not succeed in deterring them from insisting on the will being executed. I also tried several times to deter my brother from entering into a dispute with my sisters in the court, in order to protect the name and reputation of our father. I asked him to consider this as a punishment in this world for what he had done to my father. But he refused to give up what he considered to be his right for any reason, and all of them accused me of not supporting the truth. I kept myself out of this dispute by appointing a lawyer to declare my objection to this matter from the outset.
I hope that you can advise me of the shar’i ruling and what my siblings’ position is according to sharee’ah. Please tell me what my duty towards them is, when they have adopted this stance towards me on this matter despite my many attempts to maintain good relations with them and honour them.
Please advise me, may Allaah reward you.
A) Praise be to Allaah.
It is unfortunate that there are many such cases among siblings, and what makes the matter even more regrettable is that the reason for this dispute is money. In fact I appreciate our sister’s good nature and wisdom, since she has preferred peace to entering into a dispute with her brother, and she has tried to contain the problem and solve it within the family. This in itself should be considered the beginning of a proper solution. As for the answer to this question, it may be answered in the following points:
Firstly:
The money which your father had saved for you and gone to great lengths for your benefit, is the due of everyone whom Allaah has decreed has a share of inheritance. Each of you has a share allotted by sharee’ah after the death of your father; none of you have the right to keep this money for himself and deny it to the rest of the heirs, because by doing so he is transgressing upon the rights of others. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“but transgress not the limits. Truly, Allaah likes not the transgressors”[al-Baqarah 2:190]
It was narrated by Abu Harrah al-Raqaashi that his paternal uncle said: “I was holding on to the reins of the she-camel of Messenger of Allaah SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A man’s wealth is not permissible except with his consent.” (Narrated by Ahmad, 20172; classed as saheeh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Irwaa’, 1761).
On this basis, what your brother did by taking this money is considered to be a haraam action, especially since he took the money when your father was still alive and he is not entitled to any of the money until after his father died. Indeed, after his father’s death he is not entitled to anything more than the share which Allaah has allocated to him in the laws of inheritance. So what your brother must do is to repent to Allaah and restore the rights of people.
Secondly:
The will which your father wrote was not acceptable according to sharee’ah, and it is not permissible for you to demand that it be executed, because a person who is designated as an heir according to sharee’ah cannot be given something in the will (wasiyyah). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has given each person his rights and no will can be made in favour of an heir.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2120; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 1722), So it is not permissible for you to demand it, even if your brother has taken your money. But you may demand what Allaah has granted you in the laws of inheritance.
Thirdly:
You should continue to advise and guide them and try to bring them together as much as you can. Remember that you will be rewarded by Allaah for that. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“There is no good in most of their secret talks save (in) him who orders Sadaqah (charity in Allaah’s Cause), or Ma‘roof (Islamic Monotheism and all the good and righteous deeds which Allaah has ordained), or conciliation between mankind; and he who does this, seeking the good Pleasure of Allaah, We shall give him a great reward” [al-Nisa’ 4:114]
Keep telling your sisters not to demand more than they are entitled to, and that demanding one-third is something that is not permitted. Try also to convince your brother, in a good way, to give your sisters that which is rightfully theirs, and to show mercy to his sisters after his father’s death instead of being a torment to them. You will undoubtedly face problems in doing that, but be patient. We ask Allaah to make you steadfast.
Fourthly:
If you are doing the right thing, it will not matter if people blame you or accuse you of being biased. Be steadfast in adhering to the truth. Finally, we call on all of you to fear Allaah and to ward off this scandalous dispute which does not make anyone happy apart from the Shaytaan, those in whose hearts is a disease and everyone who enjoys the troubles of others or is filled with malicious envy.
I ask Allaah to put things right between you. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
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