Q) Before I converted to Islam, I got tatooed. I have recently read about a tatooed women being a cursed woman.
Does this apply to me as well? If I become engaged, should I tell my husband about this before hand, in case he does not want to become engaged to a "cursed woman"?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
The Muslim must realize that Islam erases any sins that came before it, and indeed Allaah changes them into good deeds, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful”
[al-Furqaan 25:70]
It was narrated that ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas said: When Allaah put Islam in my heart, I went to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: “Give me your right hand so that I may give you my oath of allegiance.” So he held out his hand, but I held my hand back. He said, “What is the matter, O ‘Amr?” I said, “I want to make a condition.” He said, “What is your condition?” I said, “That I be forgiven.” He said, “Do you not know that Islam wipes out whatever came before it, and that hijrah (migration for the sake of Allaah) wipes out whatever came before it, and that Hajj wipes out whatever came before it?”
(Narrated by Muslim, 121).
This hadeeth indicates that whoever becomes Muslim is forgiven for all the bad deeds that he may have done before he became a Muslim.
Secondly:
It was narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that tattooing is haraam (forbidden).
It was narrated that Abu Juhayfah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed the one who does tattoos, the one who has a tattoo done, the one who consumes riba (usury or interest) and the one who pays it, and he forbade the price of a dog and the earnings of a prostitute, and he cursed the image-makers.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5032).
Tattooing is a major sin, but if a person repents from it, Allaah will accept his repentance.
Thirdly:
Modern medicine is able to remove tattoos; the remedy exists so you can easily get rid of it, in sha Allah.
Fourthly:
The curse of the woman who does tattoos is not permanent; rather when a person repents from it, that curse is lifted. So it is a mistake for you to say that you are a cursed woman. Rather we ask Allaah to make you good and righteous.
Fifthly:
Undoubtedly the one who wants to marry you will understand this issue, especially that it was before you became Muslim. Even if it was after you became Muslim, so long as the Muslim has repented from it, he cannot be blamed or called to account for it, rather his bad deeds are changed into good deeds.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Thursday, July 17, 2008
What is the meaning of Allaah’s name al-Muqeet?
Q) What is the meaning of Allaah’s name al-Muqeet (The Ever All-Able, All-Witness)?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Ibn Jareer mentioned a number of opinions concerning the meaning of this name: al-Muqeet means al-Hafeez (the Protector), al-Shaheed (the Witness), al-Hasab (the Sufficient), the One Who is in control of all things. He thought that the last interpretation is the correct one.
Allaah is al-Muqeet, i.e., the Protector, the Witness, the One Who is Able to do all things.
Al-Muqeet is the Preserver, the Omnipotent, the Witness; He is the One Who sends down provision to His creatures and shares it out among them.
Al-Muqeet is the Sustainer; He is taking care of all living beings, for when He causes parts of them to die over time, He compensates for that. At every moment He gives them what they need to survive, until He wills to put an end to their life – then He withholds what keeps them alive, and so they die.
Some reports give the name al-Mugheeth instead of al-Muqeet. Al-Mugheeth is interpreted as meaning the Helper, for He helps His slaves at times of difficulty when they call upon Him; He answers them and saves them. It also has the meaning of the One Who responds and the One Who is called upon. Ighaathah [help] refers to actions and istijaabah [responding] refers to words, but they may be used interchangeably.
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
“He is the Helper of all His creatures, and He responds to those who are desperate.”
Sharh Asmaa’ Allaah ta’aala al-Husna by Dr. Hissah al-Sagheer, p. 246
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Ibn Jareer mentioned a number of opinions concerning the meaning of this name: al-Muqeet means al-Hafeez (the Protector), al-Shaheed (the Witness), al-Hasab (the Sufficient), the One Who is in control of all things. He thought that the last interpretation is the correct one.
Allaah is al-Muqeet, i.e., the Protector, the Witness, the One Who is Able to do all things.
Al-Muqeet is the Preserver, the Omnipotent, the Witness; He is the One Who sends down provision to His creatures and shares it out among them.
Al-Muqeet is the Sustainer; He is taking care of all living beings, for when He causes parts of them to die over time, He compensates for that. At every moment He gives them what they need to survive, until He wills to put an end to their life – then He withholds what keeps them alive, and so they die.
Some reports give the name al-Mugheeth instead of al-Muqeet. Al-Mugheeth is interpreted as meaning the Helper, for He helps His slaves at times of difficulty when they call upon Him; He answers them and saves them. It also has the meaning of the One Who responds and the One Who is called upon. Ighaathah [help] refers to actions and istijaabah [responding] refers to words, but they may be used interchangeably.
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
“He is the Helper of all His creatures, and He responds to those who are desperate.”
Sharh Asmaa’ Allaah ta’aala al-Husna by Dr. Hissah al-Sagheer, p. 246
Rulings on ijtihaad in Islam and the conditions to be met by the mujtahid
Q) What is the ruling on ijtihaad in Islam? What are the conditions to be met by the mujtahid?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Ijtihaad in Islam means striving to understand the shar’i ruling on the basis of shar’i evidence. It is obligatory for the one who is able to do it, because Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“So ask of those who know the Scripture, if you know not”
[al-Nahl 16:43, al-Anbiya’ 21:7].
The one who is able to engage in ijtihaad can find out the truth for himself, but he must have vast knowledge and study the shar’i texts, and understand the guidelines on deriving rulings and be aware of the views of the scholars, lest he fall into that which is contrary to Islam. Some people are seekers of knowledge (taalib al-‘ilm) who have only a little knowledge, but they set themselves up as mujtahids, so you see them acting on the basis of ahaadeeth which are general in meaning but have other reports which make them specific, or they act on the basis of abrogated ahaadeeth and do not know of the texts that abrogate them, or they act on the basis of ahaadeeth which the scholars are unanimously agreed are different from their apparent meanings, but they are unaware of this scholarly consensus.
Such a person is in grave danger. The Mujtahid must have knowledge of the shar’i evidence and knowledge of the basic principles (usool) and scholarly views which, if he knows them, he will be able to derive rulings based on that evidence without unwittingly going against scholarly consensus. If these conditions are met in his case, then he may engage in ijtihaad. Ijtihaad may be focused on a narrow area, so a person may research one issue of knowledge and examine it thoroughly, and become a mujtahid with regard to that issue, or he could focus on one aspect of knowledge, such as issues having to do with tahaarah (purification), which he researches and examines, and thus becomes a mujtahid in that area. End quote.
Fatwa of Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, signed by him.
Fataawa ‘Ulama’ al-Balad al-Haraam (p. 508).
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Ijtihaad in Islam means striving to understand the shar’i ruling on the basis of shar’i evidence. It is obligatory for the one who is able to do it, because Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“So ask of those who know the Scripture, if you know not”
[al-Nahl 16:43, al-Anbiya’ 21:7].
The one who is able to engage in ijtihaad can find out the truth for himself, but he must have vast knowledge and study the shar’i texts, and understand the guidelines on deriving rulings and be aware of the views of the scholars, lest he fall into that which is contrary to Islam. Some people are seekers of knowledge (taalib al-‘ilm) who have only a little knowledge, but they set themselves up as mujtahids, so you see them acting on the basis of ahaadeeth which are general in meaning but have other reports which make them specific, or they act on the basis of abrogated ahaadeeth and do not know of the texts that abrogate them, or they act on the basis of ahaadeeth which the scholars are unanimously agreed are different from their apparent meanings, but they are unaware of this scholarly consensus.
Such a person is in grave danger. The Mujtahid must have knowledge of the shar’i evidence and knowledge of the basic principles (usool) and scholarly views which, if he knows them, he will be able to derive rulings based on that evidence without unwittingly going against scholarly consensus. If these conditions are met in his case, then he may engage in ijtihaad. Ijtihaad may be focused on a narrow area, so a person may research one issue of knowledge and examine it thoroughly, and become a mujtahid with regard to that issue, or he could focus on one aspect of knowledge, such as issues having to do with tahaarah (purification), which he researches and examines, and thus becomes a mujtahid in that area. End quote.
Fatwa of Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, signed by him.
Fataawa ‘Ulama’ al-Balad al-Haraam (p. 508).
The funeral prayer is not valid without wudoo’ or tayammum
Q) Is the funeral prayer valid without wudoo’ or tayammum?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
In order for the funeral prayer to be valid, it is essential that one be in a state of purity and free from impurity, which is achieved by doing wudoo’ or by doing tayammum if water is not available or one is unable to use it, according to the majority of fuqaha’. Some scholars narrated that there was consensus on this point, because of the evidence which indicates that tahaarah (purity) is essential for salaah (prayer), and the funeral prayer is also salaah, so it is essential to be in a state of purity.
Some of the scholars are of the view that it is permissible to do tayammum if there is the fear that one may miss the funeral prayer by taking too long to do wudoo’.
As for the view that the funeral prayer may be offered without wduoo’ or tayammum, this is attributed to al-Shi’bi and Ibn Jareer al-Tabari, but it is an invalid view.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Majmoo’ (5/181): We have stated that our view is that the funeral prayer is not valid unless one is in a state of purity. What this means is that if one is able to do wudoo’, the prayer is not valid without it, and if he is unable to do wudoo’ he should do tayammum. Tayammum is not valid when it is possible to use water, even if he fears that he will run out of time and miss the prayer. This is the view of Maalik, Abu Thawr and Ibn al-Mundhir.
Abu Haneefah said: It is permissible to do tayammum for it even when water is available, if he fears that he will miss it if he takes too long to do wudoo’. Ibn al-Mundhir narrated that from ‘Ata’, Saalim, al-Zuhri, ‘Ikrimah, al-Nakha’i, Sa’d ibn Ibraaheem, Yahya al-Ansaari, Rabee’ah, al-Layth, al-Thawri, al-Awzaa’i, Ishaaq and ashaab al-ra’y, and it is narrated in one report from Ahmad.
Al-Shi’bi, Muhammad ibn Jareer al-Tabari and the Shi’ah said that it is permissible to offer the funeral prayer without being in a state of purity, even if one is able to do wudoo’ or tayammum, because it is a du’aa’. The author of al-Haawi and others said: What al-Shi’bi said is a view that is contrary to consensus, so no attention should be paid to it.
Our evidence that purification is essential is the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): “And never (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) pray (funeral prayer) [wa la tusalli] for any of them (hypocrites) who dies” [al-Tawbah 9:84]; so He called it salaah (prayer). In al-Saheehayn it is narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Offer the (funeral) prayer for your companion (sallu ‘ala saahibikum).” And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever offer the funeral prayer (man salla ‘ala janaazah) …”, and in other ahaadeeth he called it salaah (prayer). Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “When you intend to offer As-Salaah (the prayer) [idha qumtum ila al-salaah], wash your faces and your hands (forearms)” [al-Maa’idah 5:6]. In al-Saheeh, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah does not accept any prayer (salaah) without purification.” The fact that much of its purpose is supplication (for the deceased) does not cancel out the fact that it is a prayer (salaah). End quote.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
In order for the funeral prayer to be valid, it is essential that one be in a state of purity and free from impurity, which is achieved by doing wudoo’ or by doing tayammum if water is not available or one is unable to use it, according to the majority of fuqaha’. Some scholars narrated that there was consensus on this point, because of the evidence which indicates that tahaarah (purity) is essential for salaah (prayer), and the funeral prayer is also salaah, so it is essential to be in a state of purity.
Some of the scholars are of the view that it is permissible to do tayammum if there is the fear that one may miss the funeral prayer by taking too long to do wudoo’.
As for the view that the funeral prayer may be offered without wduoo’ or tayammum, this is attributed to al-Shi’bi and Ibn Jareer al-Tabari, but it is an invalid view.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Majmoo’ (5/181): We have stated that our view is that the funeral prayer is not valid unless one is in a state of purity. What this means is that if one is able to do wudoo’, the prayer is not valid without it, and if he is unable to do wudoo’ he should do tayammum. Tayammum is not valid when it is possible to use water, even if he fears that he will run out of time and miss the prayer. This is the view of Maalik, Abu Thawr and Ibn al-Mundhir.
Abu Haneefah said: It is permissible to do tayammum for it even when water is available, if he fears that he will miss it if he takes too long to do wudoo’. Ibn al-Mundhir narrated that from ‘Ata’, Saalim, al-Zuhri, ‘Ikrimah, al-Nakha’i, Sa’d ibn Ibraaheem, Yahya al-Ansaari, Rabee’ah, al-Layth, al-Thawri, al-Awzaa’i, Ishaaq and ashaab al-ra’y, and it is narrated in one report from Ahmad.
Al-Shi’bi, Muhammad ibn Jareer al-Tabari and the Shi’ah said that it is permissible to offer the funeral prayer without being in a state of purity, even if one is able to do wudoo’ or tayammum, because it is a du’aa’. The author of al-Haawi and others said: What al-Shi’bi said is a view that is contrary to consensus, so no attention should be paid to it.
Our evidence that purification is essential is the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): “And never (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) pray (funeral prayer) [wa la tusalli] for any of them (hypocrites) who dies” [al-Tawbah 9:84]; so He called it salaah (prayer). In al-Saheehayn it is narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Offer the (funeral) prayer for your companion (sallu ‘ala saahibikum).” And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever offer the funeral prayer (man salla ‘ala janaazah) …”, and in other ahaadeeth he called it salaah (prayer). Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “When you intend to offer As-Salaah (the prayer) [idha qumtum ila al-salaah], wash your faces and your hands (forearms)” [al-Maa’idah 5:6]. In al-Saheeh, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah does not accept any prayer (salaah) without purification.” The fact that much of its purpose is supplication (for the deceased) does not cancel out the fact that it is a prayer (salaah). End quote.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
It is not permissible for women to wear shoes that look like men’s shoes
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
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
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.
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