Most people do not know about this ruling and so I've posted this to remind them how serious talking during the Khutbah (Friday sermon) is.
Q) I go to Jumu’ah prayer, but every time I enter the prayer-hall of the mosque, I say salaams and the other worshippers return the greeting, even those who are reading Qur’aan. When the khutbah has begun, some worshippers come in and say salaams, and the imam return the greeting in a low voice. Is this permissible?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Those who attend Jumu’ah prayer should be quiet and listen attentively to the imam when he is preaching. It is not permissible to speak to others, even if that is to tell them to be quiet. Whoever does that has engaged in idle talk (laghw), and whoever engages in idle talk, his Jumu’ah prayer does not count.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If you say to your companion when the imam is preaching on Friday, ‘Be quiet and listen,’ you have engaged in idle talk.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 892; Muslim, 851).
This prohibition also applies to responding to a question about Islam, let alone any other kind of speech that has to do with worldly matters.
It was narrated that Abu’l-Darda’ said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sat on the minbar and addressed the people, and he recited a verse. Ubayy ibn Ka’b was next to me, so I said to him: “O Ubayy, when was this verse revealed?” But he refused to speak to me, so I asked him again and he refused to speak to me, until the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came down (from the minbar). Then Ubayy said to me: “You have gained nothing from your Jumu’ah except idle talk.” When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had finished (the prayer), I went to him and told him (what had happened). He said: “Ubayy was right. When you hear your imam speaking, then keep quiet and listen attentively until he has finished.” Narrated by Ahmad, 20780; Ibn Maajah, 1111; classed as saheeh by al-Busayri and al-Albaani in Tamaam al-Mannah, p. 338.
This indicates that it is obligatory to remain silent and listen attentively, and that it is forbidden to speak while the imam is delivering the khutbah on Friday.
Ibn ‘Abd al-Baarr said:
There is no dispute among the fuqaha’ of all regions that it is obligatory to remain silent and listen attentively to the khutbah, for those who hear it.
Al-Istidhkaar, 5/43.
Some of them held an odd opinion and said that it is not obligatory, but they have no evidence to support their view.
Ibn Rushd said, concerning the ruling on remaining silent and listening attentively to the khutbah:
With regard to those who do not regard it as obligatory, I do not know that they have any argument except that the suggestion that it is obligatory may seem to contradict the verse (interpretation of the meaning): “So, when the Qur’aan is recited, listen to it, and be silent” [al-A’raaf 7:204] – i.e., that it is not obligatory to remain silent for anything except the Qur’aan. There is some weakness in this argument, and Allaah knows best. It is very likely that this hadeeth did not reach them.
Bidaayat al-Mujtahid, 1/389.
An exception is made from that in the case of speaking to the imam, or the imam speaking to the worshippers for some important reason.
It was narrated that Anas ibn Maalik said: The people were afflicted with a drought at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and whilst the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was delivering the khutbah one Friday, a Bedouin stood up and said: “O Messenger of Allaah, our wealth has been destroyed and our children are starving. Pray to Allaah for us.” So he raised his hands [and made du’aa’]. And it rained that day and the next and the next and the next, until the following Friday, when that Bedouin – or he said, someone else – stood up and said: “O Messenger of Allaah, our houses have been destroyed and our wealth drowned. Pray to Allaah for us.” So he raised his hands… Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 891; Muslim, 897.
It was narrated that Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said: A man came whilst the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was addressing the people on Friday, and he [the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] said: “Have you prayed, O So and so?” He said, “No.” He said: “Stand up and pray two rak’ahs.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 888; Muslim, 875.
Whoever quotes these hadeeth as evidence that it is permissible for worshippers to speak to one another and that it is not obligatory to remain silent, is not correct.
Ibn Qudaamah said:
What they quote as evidence may be understood as referring only to the one who speaks to the imam or to whom the imam speaks, because that does not distract anyone from listening to his khutbah. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked him, “Have you prayed?” and he replied; and ‘Umar asked ‘Uthmaan a question, when he came in whilst he was preaching, and he answered. Thus we should understand these reports in this manner, in order to reconcile the reports. It is not correct to draw an analogy with anything else, because when the imaam speaks, he interrupts his khutbah, so he is not talking to the other person during the khutbah as such, unlike when others speak during the khutbah.
Al-Mughni, 2/85
With regard to saying Yarhamuk-Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you) to one who sneezes or returning salaams whilst the imam is delivering the khutbah, the scholars differed concerning that.
Al-Tirmidhi said in his Sunan, following the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah, “If you say to your companion…”:
They differed concerning returning salaams and saying Yarhamuk-Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you) to one who sneezes. Some scholars granted a concession allowing returning salaams and saying Yarhamuk-Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you) to one who sneezes whilst the imam is delivering the khutbah. This is the view of Ahmad and Ishaaq. But some of the scholars among the Taabi’een and others regarded that as makrooh. This is the view of al-Shaafa’i.
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (8/242):
It is not permissible to say Yarhamuk-Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you) to one who sneezes or to return salaams whilst the imam is delivering the khutbah, according to the correct scholarly opinion, because both of them involve speaking, which is forbidden when the imam is delivering the khutbah, because of the general meaning of the hadeeth.
It also says (8/243):
It is not permissible for the one who enters whilst the imam is delivering the khutbah on Friday, if he can hear the khutbah, to greet the people in the mosque, and those in the mosque should not return his greeting whilst the imam is delivering the khutbah.
And it says (8/244):
It is not permissible to speak whilst the khateeb is delivering the Friday sermon except for one who speaks to the imam for an important reason.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:
It is haraam to give salaams during the Friday khutbah, so it is not permissible for one who enters the mosque whilst the imam is delivering the khutbah to give salaams, and it is also haraam to return the greeting.
Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 16/100
Shaykh al-Albaani said:
If someone says “Be quiet!”, this is not regarded as idle talk (laghw) from a linguistic point of view, because it comes under the heading of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil. However the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) called it laghw that is not permissible. This comes under the heading of giving precedence to what is more important (namely being silent and listening to the preaching of the khateeb) over what is important (namely enjoining what is good during the khutbah). As this is the case, everything that comes under the heading of enjoining what is good comes under the same ruling as enjoining what is good – so how about if it of less importance than that? Undoubtedly in that case it is more appropriate that it not be allowed and it comes under the heading of laghw (idle talk).
Al-Ajwabah al-Naafi’ah, p. 45
Conclusion:
Those who attend Jumu’ah prayers have to be silent and listen attentively to the imam. It is not permissible to speak whilst the imam is delivering the khutbah, except in the cases indicated by the evidence, such as speaking to the khateeb or responding to him, or in cases of necessity such as saving a blind man from falling and so on.
Greeting the imam with salaam or returning the greeting of one who comes in also come under this prohibition, because there is no concession allowing one to speak with the imam except in cases of need, which does not include giving or returning greetings.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 5/140:
It is not permissible for the imam to say anything that serves no purpose, rather it should be for a reason connected with the prayer or other suitable topics. But if the imam says something that serves no purpose, that is not permissible.
If there is a need, then it is permissible. For example, if a listener does not understand something that the khateeb says in his khutbah, or if the khateeb makes a mistake in reciting a verse that alters the meaning, or if he omits a phrase from a verse, and so on.
Other reasons in which the imam may speak for a purpose include problems with the loudspeakers, in which the imam may speak to the engineer and ask him to see what is wrong.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
I would like to tag the following sisters:
1) Farhana-sketched soul
2) Life of Hijabista
3) A Voice in the Clouds
4) Diary of A Muslim Girl
5) Chasing Jannah
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Problem of cell phones ringing in the mosque
The ringing of cell phones in the masjid and at the time of praying is another growing problem. The Imam of our masjid has repeatedly adviced the brothers on this. It's not only the ringing sound but some even have music which is very distracting. So I've posted this question here and I'd like to pin it at the masjid too.
Q) Cell phone while they are good but when people bring them to the mosque and do not turn them off, start ringing during the prayers. It is very anoying and distracting. Please provide an Islamic ruling on this matter.
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Islam is keen that the Muslim’s prayer should be perfect in terms of focus and humility, far removed from anything that may distract a person from prayer. Among the things to which Islam pays attention in this regard are the following:
1 – It was narrated that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “We used to pray with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when it was intensely hot. When one of us could not bear to press his face to the ground (because of the heat), he would spread his garment and prostrate on it.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1150; Muslim, 620).
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said:
The apparent meaning is that they did that in order to remove the distraction caused by the ground being too hot.
Fath al-Baari, 1/493
2 – It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed in a shirt on which there were designs, and when he finished praying he said, “Take this shirt of mine to Abu Jahm and bring me the inbijaaniyyah (a woollen garment that was plain, with no designs) of Abu Jahm, for it distracted me from my prayer.” Haashim ibn ‘Urwah narrated from his father from ‘Aa’ishah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I used to look at its designs whilst I was praying and I was afraid that it would distract me.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 366; Muslim, 556)
3 – It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If the iqaamah for ‘Isha’ prayer is given and dinner is ready, then start with dinner.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5148; Muslim, 558)
al-Haafiz said:
al-Faakihaani said: This should be interpreted in general terms, applicable to any situation where there is a distraction that may lead to a person not being sufficiently humble and focused (in prayer).
Fath al-Baari, 2/160
4 – It was narrated that Abu Saalih al-Sammaan said: I saw Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri on a Friday, praying facing something that screened him from the people. A young man from among Bani Abi Mu’eet wanted to pass in front of him, and Abu Sa’eed pushed him in the chest. The young man looked and could not find any way to pass except in front of him, so he tried again, and Abu Sa’eed pushed him more strongly than the first time. The young man insulted Abu Sa’eed and entered upon Marwaan, and complained to him about what Abu Sa’eed had done to him. Abu Sa’eed came in behind him, and Marwaan said to him, “What is the matter with you and your brother’s son, O Abu Sa’eed?” He said, “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, ‘If any one of you is praying facing something that is screening him from the people, and someone wants to pass in front of him, let him push him back, and if he insists then let him fight him, for he is a devil.’”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 487; Muslim, 505)
Al-Zarqaani said: The phrase “for he is a devil” means that he is doing the actions of the Shaytaan, because he is insisting on disturbing someone who is praying.
(Sharh al-Zarqaani, 1/442).
5 – It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went into i’tikaaf (retreat) in the mosque, and he heard them reciting Qur’aan out loud. He drew back the curtain and said, “Each of you is conversing privately with his Lord, so do not disturb one another or raise your voices above one another when reading Qur’aan – or he said, when praying.”
(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1332)
We should note in this last hadeeth that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade the people to distract one another from prayer by their prayer or Qur’aan-reading. He forbade people to distract others from prayer by their prayer or Qur’aan-reading. He did not like the prayer or Qur’aan-reading of one person to distract another person from his prayer.
In conclusion: Islam encourages focus and humility in prayer, and encourages us to persist in that. What we see of these mobile phones in the situation you mention is something that causes people to lose the proper focus and humility in prayer, because it is a disturbance that affects the spirit and tranquility of prayer.
We advise our brothers who own these phones not to leave them switched on at the time of prayer, rather they should turn off the ringer.
Islam Q&A
Q) Cell phone while they are good but when people bring them to the mosque and do not turn them off, start ringing during the prayers. It is very anoying and distracting. Please provide an Islamic ruling on this matter.
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Islam is keen that the Muslim’s prayer should be perfect in terms of focus and humility, far removed from anything that may distract a person from prayer. Among the things to which Islam pays attention in this regard are the following:
1 – It was narrated that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “We used to pray with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when it was intensely hot. When one of us could not bear to press his face to the ground (because of the heat), he would spread his garment and prostrate on it.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1150; Muslim, 620).
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said:
The apparent meaning is that they did that in order to remove the distraction caused by the ground being too hot.
Fath al-Baari, 1/493
2 – It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed in a shirt on which there were designs, and when he finished praying he said, “Take this shirt of mine to Abu Jahm and bring me the inbijaaniyyah (a woollen garment that was plain, with no designs) of Abu Jahm, for it distracted me from my prayer.” Haashim ibn ‘Urwah narrated from his father from ‘Aa’ishah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I used to look at its designs whilst I was praying and I was afraid that it would distract me.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 366; Muslim, 556)
3 – It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If the iqaamah for ‘Isha’ prayer is given and dinner is ready, then start with dinner.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5148; Muslim, 558)
al-Haafiz said:
al-Faakihaani said: This should be interpreted in general terms, applicable to any situation where there is a distraction that may lead to a person not being sufficiently humble and focused (in prayer).
Fath al-Baari, 2/160
4 – It was narrated that Abu Saalih al-Sammaan said: I saw Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri on a Friday, praying facing something that screened him from the people. A young man from among Bani Abi Mu’eet wanted to pass in front of him, and Abu Sa’eed pushed him in the chest. The young man looked and could not find any way to pass except in front of him, so he tried again, and Abu Sa’eed pushed him more strongly than the first time. The young man insulted Abu Sa’eed and entered upon Marwaan, and complained to him about what Abu Sa’eed had done to him. Abu Sa’eed came in behind him, and Marwaan said to him, “What is the matter with you and your brother’s son, O Abu Sa’eed?” He said, “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, ‘If any one of you is praying facing something that is screening him from the people, and someone wants to pass in front of him, let him push him back, and if he insists then let him fight him, for he is a devil.’”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 487; Muslim, 505)
Al-Zarqaani said: The phrase “for he is a devil” means that he is doing the actions of the Shaytaan, because he is insisting on disturbing someone who is praying.
(Sharh al-Zarqaani, 1/442).
5 – It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went into i’tikaaf (retreat) in the mosque, and he heard them reciting Qur’aan out loud. He drew back the curtain and said, “Each of you is conversing privately with his Lord, so do not disturb one another or raise your voices above one another when reading Qur’aan – or he said, when praying.”
(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1332)
We should note in this last hadeeth that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade the people to distract one another from prayer by their prayer or Qur’aan-reading. He forbade people to distract others from prayer by their prayer or Qur’aan-reading. He did not like the prayer or Qur’aan-reading of one person to distract another person from his prayer.
In conclusion: Islam encourages focus and humility in prayer, and encourages us to persist in that. What we see of these mobile phones in the situation you mention is something that causes people to lose the proper focus and humility in prayer, because it is a disturbance that affects the spirit and tranquility of prayer.
We advise our brothers who own these phones not to leave them switched on at the time of prayer, rather they should turn off the ringer.
Islam Q&A
When In Masjid - Speaking about worldly matters in the mosque
I've been tagged by my sister-in-Islam A learning Muslimah for writing on this topic. The rules are :
1) Link back to the person who tagged you.
2) List 3 ahadith which you would like to pin up at the masjid and why.
3) Tag some of your blogger friends by linking to them and please let them know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
Since this is a Question and Answer blogsite I'll not be able to stick to the 2nd rule, I'll have to expand by giving a detailed explanation for the benefit of all Insha Allah.
Chit-Chatting has become a common scenario in the masjids nowadays, even in the Haram, so I have chosen this question below.
Q) How should one behave, specially in a masjid, when the Adhaan is being called? Are we allowed to talk worldly affairs while it is being called? Are we allowed to excange "Salaam" (greetings) while it is being called?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Haakim reported in al-Mustadrak (4/359) that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘There will come a time when people will sit in circles in the mosques and they will have no concern except this world. Allaah has no need of them so do not sit with them.’” This is a saheeh hadeeth even though al-Bukhaari and Muslim did not narrate it. Al-Dhahabi said in al-Talkhees that it is saheeh.”
This hadeeth states that this blameworthy deed is disliked, because the mosques are not built for such a purpose. Allaah commanded that mosques should be built to remember Him and to conduct prayers and acts of worship and obedience to Him, such as I’tikaaf (retreat, seclusion for devotion and worship), and different kinds of dhikr such as circles for reciting Qur’aan and seeking knowledge.
On the other hand, there are ahaadeeth that command us to repeat the words of the adhaan after the muezzin, as a mustahabb or encouraged deed, and to set an example of how one should behave when hearing the adhaan. Some people neglect this, and do not realize how much reward they are missing out on and how much they are to blame for that. What sort of hearts must they have?! They hear the remembrance of Allaah then they turn away from Him, and it has no effect on their hearts so that they may fear Him and feel compelled to listen.
One of these ahaadeeth is that narrated by Imaam Muslim in his Saheeh (no. 384) from ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “When any one of you hears the muezzin, let him say something like he says, then send blessings on me, for whoever sends blessings on me, Allaah will send blessings tenfold on him. Then ask Allaah to grant me al-waseelah, for it is a status in Paradise that only one of Allaah’s slaves will attain, and I hope that I will be the one. Whoever asks for al-waseelah for me, will be granted my intercession for him.”
As for giving the greeting of salaam and shaking hands, there is nothing wrong with this, for these are acts of obedience to Allaah. There is no conflict between doing these things and responding to the muezzin, because a person may do all of these things at once.
Muslims should beware of doing anything that may offend or disturb those who come to the mosque for worship. This includes disturbing those who are reading Qur’aan, praying or remembering Allaah in the mosque. It is an evil deed (sayi’ah) to disturb the people in the mosque by talking about worldly affairs, because this is offensive to them and distracts Muslims from doing acts of worship properly. Disturbing others is not allowed, even if it takes the form of reading Qur’aan, so how about if it takes other forms? Ahmad ibn Shu’ayb al-Nisaa'i reported in al-Sunan al-Kubra (5/32) under the heading Dhikr Qawl al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) Laa yajhar ba’dukam ‘ala ba’din fi’l-Qur’aan (Mentioning the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), None of you should compete with one another in reciting Qur’aan loudly), a report from Abu Haazim al-Timaar from al-Bayaadi, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came out and found the people praying and reciting in loud voices. He said: “The one who is praying is conversing with his Lord, so let him think about what he is saying to Him. Do not compete with one another in reciting Qur’aan loudly.” Ibn Muhayreez (may Allaah have mercy on him) is reported to have said: “Speaking in the mosque is idle talk, except for one who is praying, or remembering his Lord, or asking for help or giving help.” (Musannaf ‘Abd al-Razzaaq, part 8, Baab Kalaam ‘Ikrimah). Ibn al-Haaj said, concerning the manners of the Muslim when he sets out for the mosque: “He should intend to avoid idle talk in the mosque or talking about that which does not concern him, for there is a report that says that speaking in the mosque about anything but the deeds of the Hereafter is like fire in dry wood, it eats up hasanaat (good deeds). So he should take care to avoid that, lest he goes out to engage in trade and comes back having lost everything because of his idle talk.” (al-Madkhal by Ibn al-Haaj, part 1, al-Sunnah fi’l-Mashiy ila’l-Masjid).
And Allaah knows best. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad. Praise be to Allaah, Lord of the Worlds.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
1) Link back to the person who tagged you.
2) List 3 ahadith which you would like to pin up at the masjid and why.
3) Tag some of your blogger friends by linking to them and please let them know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
Since this is a Question and Answer blogsite I'll not be able to stick to the 2nd rule, I'll have to expand by giving a detailed explanation for the benefit of all Insha Allah.
Chit-Chatting has become a common scenario in the masjids nowadays, even in the Haram, so I have chosen this question below.
Q) How should one behave, specially in a masjid, when the Adhaan is being called? Are we allowed to talk worldly affairs while it is being called? Are we allowed to excange "Salaam" (greetings) while it is being called?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Haakim reported in al-Mustadrak (4/359) that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘There will come a time when people will sit in circles in the mosques and they will have no concern except this world. Allaah has no need of them so do not sit with them.’” This is a saheeh hadeeth even though al-Bukhaari and Muslim did not narrate it. Al-Dhahabi said in al-Talkhees that it is saheeh.”
This hadeeth states that this blameworthy deed is disliked, because the mosques are not built for such a purpose. Allaah commanded that mosques should be built to remember Him and to conduct prayers and acts of worship and obedience to Him, such as I’tikaaf (retreat, seclusion for devotion and worship), and different kinds of dhikr such as circles for reciting Qur’aan and seeking knowledge.
On the other hand, there are ahaadeeth that command us to repeat the words of the adhaan after the muezzin, as a mustahabb or encouraged deed, and to set an example of how one should behave when hearing the adhaan. Some people neglect this, and do not realize how much reward they are missing out on and how much they are to blame for that. What sort of hearts must they have?! They hear the remembrance of Allaah then they turn away from Him, and it has no effect on their hearts so that they may fear Him and feel compelled to listen.
One of these ahaadeeth is that narrated by Imaam Muslim in his Saheeh (no. 384) from ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “When any one of you hears the muezzin, let him say something like he says, then send blessings on me, for whoever sends blessings on me, Allaah will send blessings tenfold on him. Then ask Allaah to grant me al-waseelah, for it is a status in Paradise that only one of Allaah’s slaves will attain, and I hope that I will be the one. Whoever asks for al-waseelah for me, will be granted my intercession for him.”
As for giving the greeting of salaam and shaking hands, there is nothing wrong with this, for these are acts of obedience to Allaah. There is no conflict between doing these things and responding to the muezzin, because a person may do all of these things at once.
Muslims should beware of doing anything that may offend or disturb those who come to the mosque for worship. This includes disturbing those who are reading Qur’aan, praying or remembering Allaah in the mosque. It is an evil deed (sayi’ah) to disturb the people in the mosque by talking about worldly affairs, because this is offensive to them and distracts Muslims from doing acts of worship properly. Disturbing others is not allowed, even if it takes the form of reading Qur’aan, so how about if it takes other forms? Ahmad ibn Shu’ayb al-Nisaa'i reported in al-Sunan al-Kubra (5/32) under the heading Dhikr Qawl al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) Laa yajhar ba’dukam ‘ala ba’din fi’l-Qur’aan (Mentioning the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), None of you should compete with one another in reciting Qur’aan loudly), a report from Abu Haazim al-Timaar from al-Bayaadi, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came out and found the people praying and reciting in loud voices. He said: “The one who is praying is conversing with his Lord, so let him think about what he is saying to Him. Do not compete with one another in reciting Qur’aan loudly.” Ibn Muhayreez (may Allaah have mercy on him) is reported to have said: “Speaking in the mosque is idle talk, except for one who is praying, or remembering his Lord, or asking for help or giving help.” (Musannaf ‘Abd al-Razzaaq, part 8, Baab Kalaam ‘Ikrimah). Ibn al-Haaj said, concerning the manners of the Muslim when he sets out for the mosque: “He should intend to avoid idle talk in the mosque or talking about that which does not concern him, for there is a report that says that speaking in the mosque about anything but the deeds of the Hereafter is like fire in dry wood, it eats up hasanaat (good deeds). So he should take care to avoid that, lest he goes out to engage in trade and comes back having lost everything because of his idle talk.” (al-Madkhal by Ibn al-Haaj, part 1, al-Sunnah fi’l-Mashiy ila’l-Masjid).
And Allaah knows best. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad. Praise be to Allaah, Lord of the Worlds.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
Thursday, November 27, 2008
It is mustahabb to put on perfume before entering ihraam
Q) What is the ruling on putting on perfume before ihraam?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Putting on perfume after doing ghusl when entering ihraam is Sunnah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) put on perfume for his ihraam. ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: I put perfume on the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) for his ihraam before he entered ihraam. And the glistening of the musk could be seen in the parting of his hair when he was in ihraam. End quote.
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa ibn Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (22/9).
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Putting on perfume after doing ghusl when entering ihraam is Sunnah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) put on perfume for his ihraam. ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: I put perfume on the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) for his ihraam before he entered ihraam. And the glistening of the musk could be seen in the parting of his hair when he was in ihraam. End quote.
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa ibn Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (22/9).
Ruling on registering with a group that will stay overnight outside of Mina
Q) What is the ruling on staying with the groups that go for Hajj and their tents are in Muzdalifah, outside the boundaries of Mina? Are these tents an extension of Mina or not? Is there anything wrong with going with these groups? Does that affect the validity of one’s Hajj at all?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Staying overnight in Mina on the night before the eleventh and twelfth of Dhu’l-Hijjah is obligatory according to the majority of scholars, and the one who fails to do it without an excuse has to offer a sacrifice of a sheep, to be slaughtered in Makkah and its meat distributed to the poor of the city.
If a person cannot find any room in Mina, he should stay where the tents end, even if it is in Muzdalifah, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can”
[al-Taghaabun 64:16]
“Allaah burdens not a person beyond his scope”
[al-Baqarah 2:286]
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about a person who did Hajj and stayed outside of Mina: what does he have to do? What are the guidelines about staying overnight in Mina?
He replied: If a person cannot find any room in Mina, he should stay where the tents end. But if he can find room (in Mina) then he must stay there overnight.
The guidelines about staying overnight are that he should be in Mina for most of the night. But if he leaves Mina, for example to do tawaaf al-ifaadah at the beginning of the night, then he is not able to go back before dawn because of the crowds, there is no sin on him.
And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: It is obligatory to look for a place in Mina before he decides to stay in Muzdalifah. If he cannot find a place (in Mina) then he may go to Muzdalifah and stay there. He does not have to go to Mina and spend most of the night driving around, or looking for a spot on the roadside among the vehicles, because that may put him in danger. We say: If you cannot find a place in Mina, then stay in Muzdalifah, where the tents end, and you do not have to do anything so long as you looked for a place but did not find any, because Allaah does not burden any soul beyond its scope. End quote from Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (23/240, 241).
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: If the pilgrim tries hard to look for a place in Mina to spend the night there, but he does not find any, there is no sin on him if he stays outside of it, and he does not have to offer any fidyah, because of the general meaning of the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):
“So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can”
[al-Taghaabun 64:16]
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If I enjoin you to do a thing then do as much of it as you can.”
End quote from Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz (16/149).
Based on that, he must register with a group that will spend the night in Mina, or he may register with a group that will spend the night in Muzdalifah, but he should have the intention of looking for a place in Mina. If he finds a place he must stay there for half the night, but if he does not find a place there is no sin on him if he stays in Muzdalifah.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Staying overnight in Mina on the night before the eleventh and twelfth of Dhu’l-Hijjah is obligatory according to the majority of scholars, and the one who fails to do it without an excuse has to offer a sacrifice of a sheep, to be slaughtered in Makkah and its meat distributed to the poor of the city.
If a person cannot find any room in Mina, he should stay where the tents end, even if it is in Muzdalifah, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can”
[al-Taghaabun 64:16]
“Allaah burdens not a person beyond his scope”
[al-Baqarah 2:286]
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about a person who did Hajj and stayed outside of Mina: what does he have to do? What are the guidelines about staying overnight in Mina?
He replied: If a person cannot find any room in Mina, he should stay where the tents end. But if he can find room (in Mina) then he must stay there overnight.
The guidelines about staying overnight are that he should be in Mina for most of the night. But if he leaves Mina, for example to do tawaaf al-ifaadah at the beginning of the night, then he is not able to go back before dawn because of the crowds, there is no sin on him.
And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: It is obligatory to look for a place in Mina before he decides to stay in Muzdalifah. If he cannot find a place (in Mina) then he may go to Muzdalifah and stay there. He does not have to go to Mina and spend most of the night driving around, or looking for a spot on the roadside among the vehicles, because that may put him in danger. We say: If you cannot find a place in Mina, then stay in Muzdalifah, where the tents end, and you do not have to do anything so long as you looked for a place but did not find any, because Allaah does not burden any soul beyond its scope. End quote from Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (23/240, 241).
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: If the pilgrim tries hard to look for a place in Mina to spend the night there, but he does not find any, there is no sin on him if he stays outside of it, and he does not have to offer any fidyah, because of the general meaning of the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):
“So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can”
[al-Taghaabun 64:16]
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If I enjoin you to do a thing then do as much of it as you can.”
End quote from Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz (16/149).
Based on that, he must register with a group that will spend the night in Mina, or he may register with a group that will spend the night in Muzdalifah, but he should have the intention of looking for a place in Mina. If he finds a place he must stay there for half the night, but if he does not find a place there is no sin on him if he stays in Muzdalifah.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Udhiyah for the deceased
Q) Is it permissible to offer a sacrifice for the dead?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
The Muslims are agreed that it is prescribed to offer a sacrifice (udhiyah), and it is permissible to offer a sacrifice on behalf of one who has died, because of the general meaning of the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “When the son of Adam dies, all his good deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous son who will pray for him.” Narrated by Muslim. Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi and al-Nasaa’i, and by al-Bukhaari in al-Adab al-Mufrad from Abu Hurayrah. Slaughtering a sacrifice on his behalf is a kind of ongoing charity, because it benefits the person offering the sacrifice, the deceased person, and others.
And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas.
A) Praise be to Allaah.
The Muslims are agreed that it is prescribed to offer a sacrifice (udhiyah), and it is permissible to offer a sacrifice on behalf of one who has died, because of the general meaning of the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “When the son of Adam dies, all his good deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous son who will pray for him.” Narrated by Muslim. Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi and al-Nasaa’i, and by al-Bukhaari in al-Adab al-Mufrad from Abu Hurayrah. Slaughtering a sacrifice on his behalf is a kind of ongoing charity, because it benefits the person offering the sacrifice, the deceased person, and others.
And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas.
Does the proxy have to set out for Hajj from the place of the one on whose behalf he is performing Hajj?
Q) A woman from Yemen left instructions before she died telling her heirs to appoint someone to perform hajj on her behalf from her own wealth. Is it permissible for one who is living in Jeddah to perform Hajj on behalf of this woman? Can he enter ihraam from his house in Jeddah or should he go to the meeqaat of the people of Yemen, al-Saahili, and enter ihraam from there? Or does the one who is going to perform Hajj on behalf of this woman have to be from Yemen too, i.e., his departure for Hajj should be from Yemen? Does this pilgrim have to be from the same town as this woman who left this will?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
The proxy does not have to do Hajj from the same town as the one on whose behalf he is doing Hajj, and he does not have to enter ihraam from his meeqaat, rather the proxy should enter ihraam from his own meeqaat. There is nothing wrong with performing Hajj from Jeddah on behalf of a woman from Yemen, and the proxy may enter ihraam from Jeddah.
The Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas was asked about a man from Africa who wanted to delegate someone to do Hajj on behalf of his mother, and they replied:
It is permissible for the person mentioned to appoint a trustworthy person from Makkah or elsewhere to do Hajj on behalf of his mother if she is deceased or is unable to do Hajj herself, because she is elderly or sick with no hope of recovery.
And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions. End quote.
Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Qa’ood.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Ifta (11/80)
A) Praise be to Allaah.
The proxy does not have to do Hajj from the same town as the one on whose behalf he is doing Hajj, and he does not have to enter ihraam from his meeqaat, rather the proxy should enter ihraam from his own meeqaat. There is nothing wrong with performing Hajj from Jeddah on behalf of a woman from Yemen, and the proxy may enter ihraam from Jeddah.
The Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas was asked about a man from Africa who wanted to delegate someone to do Hajj on behalf of his mother, and they replied:
It is permissible for the person mentioned to appoint a trustworthy person from Makkah or elsewhere to do Hajj on behalf of his mother if she is deceased or is unable to do Hajj herself, because she is elderly or sick with no hope of recovery.
And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions. End quote.
Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Qa’ood.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Ifta (11/80)
She wore niqaab during Hajj; is there any sin on her?
Q) A couple of years back i went for the holy pilgrimage of hajj . at the time i performed the hajj wearing a nikab , it has come to my attention that its not permissable for women to cover their faces during the pilgrimage . when i did wear the nikab , i was informed by good sources that it was permissable .
A) Praise be to Allaah.
1 – Covering the face is something good for women. May Allaah bestow abundant mercy on the women who cover their faces with niqaab. Perhaps your question is based on keenness for your religion – may Allaah increase your keenness – but it is better to heed the commands of the religion, which tells women to remove the niqaab from their faces during prayer and Hajj, but especially during prayer, when it is not permissible to cover the face at all except if there are non-mahram men present. During Hajj it is permissible for women to lower the veil over their faces provided that it does not cling to their faces; this is what is called the burqa’. It is not permissible for the woman in ihraam to wear it, but it is permissible for her to lower over her face a cover which comes down from her head over her face. If the burqa’ is not available, and there are men present who should not see the woman’s face, then it is permissible for her to wear the niqaab.
It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “A man stood up and said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, what kind of clothes do you command us to wear during ihraam?’ The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Do not wear a shirt or pants or a turban or a burnous. If one of you does not have any sandals then let him wear the khuffayn (leather slippers) and cut them so that they come below the ankle. Do not wear anything that has been dyed with saffron or turmeric. Women in ihraam should not wear niqaab or gloves.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1468; Muslim, 1177).
2 – With regard to lowering a cover over the face other than the niqaab, or for fear of being seen by non-mahram men, it has been reported in saheeh reports that some of the Sahaabiyyaat (women of the Sahaabah) did that:
It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah said: “We used to go out with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when we were in ihraam. If we met the riders we would lower our garments over our faces.
(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1833; Ibn Maajah, 2935)
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:
It is not narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade the woman in ihraam to cover her face; rather he forbade the niqaab only because it is worn on the face. He differentiated between the niqaab and covering the face. Based on this, if a woman in ihraam covers her face, we say there is nothing wrong with that, but it is better for her to uncover it so long as there are no non-mahram men around her, in which case she should cover her face from them. Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 7/153
3 – With regard to the past and the Hajj that you did in the manner you describe, there is no sin on you because you were unaware. If a person does something that is not allowed during ihraam because he was unaware or he forgot, there is no sin on him, and he does not have to offer any fidyah (ransom).
It was narrated from Ya’la ibn Umayyah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he was in al-Ji’raanah and entered ihraam for ‘Umrah. The man had dyed his beard and hair with saffron, and he was wearing a jubbah (cloak). He said, “Take off your jubbah and wash off your saffron, and whatever you do in your Hajj, do in your ‘Umrah.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1697; Muslim, 1180).
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:
Similar to forgetting are cases where one is unaware or is forced to do something, i.e., if a person forgets and puts on ordinary clothes when he is in ihraam, there is no sin on him, but when he remembers, he has to take them off and put on the izaar and rida’ (ihraam garments). The same applies to perfume; if he puts on perfume, forgetting that he is in ihraam, there is no sin on him, but when he remembers, he must hasten to wash it off.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 7/222
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
1 – Covering the face is something good for women. May Allaah bestow abundant mercy on the women who cover their faces with niqaab. Perhaps your question is based on keenness for your religion – may Allaah increase your keenness – but it is better to heed the commands of the religion, which tells women to remove the niqaab from their faces during prayer and Hajj, but especially during prayer, when it is not permissible to cover the face at all except if there are non-mahram men present. During Hajj it is permissible for women to lower the veil over their faces provided that it does not cling to their faces; this is what is called the burqa’. It is not permissible for the woman in ihraam to wear it, but it is permissible for her to lower over her face a cover which comes down from her head over her face. If the burqa’ is not available, and there are men present who should not see the woman’s face, then it is permissible for her to wear the niqaab.
It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “A man stood up and said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, what kind of clothes do you command us to wear during ihraam?’ The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Do not wear a shirt or pants or a turban or a burnous. If one of you does not have any sandals then let him wear the khuffayn (leather slippers) and cut them so that they come below the ankle. Do not wear anything that has been dyed with saffron or turmeric. Women in ihraam should not wear niqaab or gloves.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1468; Muslim, 1177).
2 – With regard to lowering a cover over the face other than the niqaab, or for fear of being seen by non-mahram men, it has been reported in saheeh reports that some of the Sahaabiyyaat (women of the Sahaabah) did that:
It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah said: “We used to go out with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when we were in ihraam. If we met the riders we would lower our garments over our faces.
(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1833; Ibn Maajah, 2935)
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:
It is not narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade the woman in ihraam to cover her face; rather he forbade the niqaab only because it is worn on the face. He differentiated between the niqaab and covering the face. Based on this, if a woman in ihraam covers her face, we say there is nothing wrong with that, but it is better for her to uncover it so long as there are no non-mahram men around her, in which case she should cover her face from them. Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 7/153
3 – With regard to the past and the Hajj that you did in the manner you describe, there is no sin on you because you were unaware. If a person does something that is not allowed during ihraam because he was unaware or he forgot, there is no sin on him, and he does not have to offer any fidyah (ransom).
It was narrated from Ya’la ibn Umayyah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he was in al-Ji’raanah and entered ihraam for ‘Umrah. The man had dyed his beard and hair with saffron, and he was wearing a jubbah (cloak). He said, “Take off your jubbah and wash off your saffron, and whatever you do in your Hajj, do in your ‘Umrah.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1697; Muslim, 1180).
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:
Similar to forgetting are cases where one is unaware or is forced to do something, i.e., if a person forgets and puts on ordinary clothes when he is in ihraam, there is no sin on him, but when he remembers, he has to take them off and put on the izaar and rida’ (ihraam garments). The same applies to perfume; if he puts on perfume, forgetting that he is in ihraam, there is no sin on him, but when he remembers, he must hasten to wash it off.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 7/222
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
It is essential that the sacrificial animal be slaughtered by a Muslim with the intention of offering a sacrifice (udhiyah)
Q) In this part of the country (Vanc. ,Canada) and maybe other ares also, the farmers deal with us in the following manner. When you go to buy an animal, they quote you a per pound rate. This means that after slaughtering the animal, they weigh it and charge you a certain amount per pound. This includes the cost of the animal and the fees for using his premises (for slaughter) and the cutting and wrapping fee. For the udhiyah is this permissible? Or is it that the animal must first be purchased and then afterwards only the fees can be paid. The farmers are not willing to do this as they are afraid they may lose on the deal if they do it. I do believe that if people try hard enough they may find those who maight agree. However, I am not certain. Nonetheless, the question is, can the udhiyah be considered correct if the method of purchase mentioned above is followed?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
It is a necessary condition of the sacrifice that the animal be slaughtered by a Muslim with the intention of offering a sacrifice (udhiyah); it is not sufficient to slaughter it for the meat.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Majmoo’ (8/380): The intention is a condition of the sacrifice being valid.
There is nothing wrong with buying the animal in the manner described in the question, so long as the worker slaughters it with the intention of offering a sacrifice. That is if the worker is a Muslim; otherwise one of you should slaughter it, then the worker can cut it up.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (7/494):
It is not correct to delegate the slaughter of the udhiyah (sacrifice) to a kitaabi (i.e., a Jew or a Christian), even though meat slaughtered by the People of the Book is halaal. Because slaughtering the sacrifice is an act of worship, it is not correct to delegate it to a kitaabi, as a kitaabi cannot be involved in acts of worship that draw the Muslim closer to Allaah, because he is a kaafir (disbeliever) whose worship is not accepted. If his acts of worship are not valid when done on his own behalf, they cannot be valid when done on behalf of another. But if a kitaabi is delegated to slaughter regular meat for eating, there is nothing wrong with that.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
It is a necessary condition of the sacrifice that the animal be slaughtered by a Muslim with the intention of offering a sacrifice (udhiyah); it is not sufficient to slaughter it for the meat.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Majmoo’ (8/380): The intention is a condition of the sacrifice being valid.
There is nothing wrong with buying the animal in the manner described in the question, so long as the worker slaughters it with the intention of offering a sacrifice. That is if the worker is a Muslim; otherwise one of you should slaughter it, then the worker can cut it up.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (7/494):
It is not correct to delegate the slaughter of the udhiyah (sacrifice) to a kitaabi (i.e., a Jew or a Christian), even though meat slaughtered by the People of the Book is halaal. Because slaughtering the sacrifice is an act of worship, it is not correct to delegate it to a kitaabi, as a kitaabi cannot be involved in acts of worship that draw the Muslim closer to Allaah, because he is a kaafir (disbeliever) whose worship is not accepted. If his acts of worship are not valid when done on his own behalf, they cannot be valid when done on behalf of another. But if a kitaabi is delegated to slaughter regular meat for eating, there is nothing wrong with that.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Mistakes made when going to ‘Arafah and in ‘Arafah itself
Q) What are the mistakes that some of the pilgrims make on the day of ‘Arafah?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
It was narrated that on the day of ‘Arafah the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stayed in Namirah (which is a place near ‘Arafah) until the sun had passed its zenith (which is the beginning of the time for Zuhr), then he rode, then he stopped at the bottom of Wadi ‘Arnah (which is a wadi or valley between Namirah and ‘Arafaat), where he prayed Zuhr and ‘Asr, shortening them to two rak’ahs and joining them together at the time of Zuhr, with one adhaan and two iqaamahs. Then he rode on until he came to the place of standing, and stood there. He said, “I am standing here but all of ‘Arafah is the place of standing.” Then he remained standing, facing the qiblah, raising his hands, remembering Allaah and calling upon Him, until the sun had set completely, then he went on to Muzdalifah.
Some of the mistakes that some pilgrims make in ‘Arafah are as follows:
-1-
Some pilgrims pass you and you do not hear them reciting the Talbiyah. They do not recite the Talbiyah out loud on their way from Mina to ‘Arafah. It was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) continued to recite the Talbiyah until he had stoned Jamarat al-‘Aqabah on the day of Eid.
-2-
One of the most serious mistakes that some pilgrims make is to stop outside ‘Arafah, and they stay there until the sun goes down, then they leave for Muzdalifah. Those who stand in these places have not performed Hajj, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Hajj is ‘Arafah.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (889) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 1064). Whoever does not stand in ‘Arafah in a place that is part of it, and at the time specified for the standing, his Hajj is not valid, because of the hadeeth referred to. This is a serious matter.
There are markers that clearly indicate the boundaries of ‘Arafah, and they are not hidden except for one who is careless and negligent. Every pilgrim must look for the boundaries so that he will be sure that he is standing in ‘Arafah and not outside it.
I wish that those who organize the Hajj would announce to the people via a means that would reach all of them, in numerous languages, and tell the mutawwifeen (Hajj guides) to warn the pilgrims about that, so that the people would be aware of this issue and perform their Hajj in the proper manner.
-3-
Some people busy themselves with du’aa’ at the end of the day, so you see them facing towards the mountain by which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood, even though the qiblah may be behind them or to their right or their left. This is also ignorance and a mistake. What is prescribed for du’aa’ on the day of ‘Arafah is for the person to face the qiblah, whether the mountain is in front of him or behind him, or to his right or his left. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) only faced this mountain because the place where he stood was behind the mountain. He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) faced towards the qiblah, and because the mountain was between him and the qiblah, he had not choice but to face it too.
-4-
Some people think that they have to go to the place where the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood, beside the mountain, and stand there. So you see them putting themselves through a great deal of trouble to reach that place. They may be walking and may be unfamiliar with the routes and getting hungry and thirsty if they cannot find food and water, and getting lost, and suffering a great deal of harm because of this mistaken notion. It was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “I am standing here but all of ‘Arafah is the place of standing.”
It is as if the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was pointing out that no one should go to the trouble of standing in the place where the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood, rather people should do what is easy for them, because all of ‘Arafah is the place of standing.
-5-
Some people think that the trees in ‘Arafaah are like the trees in Mina and Muzdalifah, i.e., it is not permissible to cut a leaf or branch from them, and so on, because they think that cutting the trees has to do with ihraam, like hunting. This is a mistaken notion, because cutting trees has nothing to do with ihraam, rather it has to do with the place. Whatever trees are within the boundaries of the Haram are sacrosanct, and should not be cut and no leaves or branches may be cut from them. Whatever is outside the boundaries of the Haram may be cut, even if a person is in ihraam. Based on this there is nothing wrong with cutting the trees in ‘Arafaah… (With regard to trees that have been planted by people, they are not covered by the prohibition on cutting the trees in the Haram, but it may be haraam to cut them for another reason, namely transgressing the rights of the people who planted them, and transgressing the rights of the pilgrims too, if these trees were planted to reduce the heat and to shade people from the sun.
Based on this, it is not permissible to cut the trees that are planted in ‘Arafah, not because of the Haram, but because cutting them is a transgression of the rights of all the Muslims).
-6-
Some pilgrims think that the mountain by which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood is holy and special, so they go to it and climb up it, and seek blessings from its stones and soil. They hang pieces of cloth from its trees, and do other things that are well known. These are innovations (bid’ah). It is not prescribed to climb the mountain or to pray there, or to hang pieces of cloth on its trees, because none of that was narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Indeed, such things smack of idolatry, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) passed by a tree of the mushrikeen on which they used to hang their weapons, and those who were with him said, “O Messenger of Allaah, make for us a Dhaat Anwaat [the name of the tree] like their Dhaat Anwaat.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Allaahu akbar! These are traditions and you are following the traditions of those who came before you. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, you have spoken as the Children of Israel spoke to Moosa: ‘Make us a god as they have gods.’” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2180; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Sunnah li Ibn Abi ‘Aasim.
This mountain is not holy, rather it is like any other hills in ‘Arafah, and the valley in it. But the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood there, so it is prescribed to stand where the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood, if possible, but it is not obligatory, so no one has to make things difficult for himself by going there, for the reasons explained above.
-7-
Some people think that it is essential to pray Zuhr and ‘Asr with the imam in the mosque, hence you see them going to that place from far away so that they can be with the imam in the mosque. This causes them a great deal of difficulty and many of them lose their way, which makes Hajj too hard for them, and they crowd one another and upset one another. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said concerning the standing, “I am standing here, but all of ‘Arafah is the place of standing.” And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also said: “The earth has been made a mosque (place of prayer) and a means of purification for me.” So if a person prays in his tent in a calm and dignified manner, without being disturbed or disturbing others, and without trouble that makes Hajj too hard, that is better.
-8-
Some of them leave ‘Arafah before the sun sets, and go to Muzdalifah. This is a serious mistake, and is acting like the mushrikeen who used to leave ‘Arafah before sunset. It is also going against the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) who did not leave ‘Arafah until after the sun had set and the yellow afterglow had diminished somewhat, as it says in the hadeeth of Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him).
Based on this, pilgrims have to stay in ‘Arafah, within its boundaries, until the sun sets, because this standing lasts until the sun sets; just as it is not permissible for a person who is fasting to break his fast before sunset, so it is not permissible for the one who is standing in ‘Arafah to leave before the sun sets.
-9-
Wasting time in matters that are of no benefit. So you see people from the beginning of the day until the end engaged in conversations that may be innocent and free of gossip, or it may not be such, because they are slandering people’s honour and eating their flesh. If it is the latter then they are combining two haraam actions:
1- Eating people’s flesh and backbiting about them. This is a violation of the conditions of ihraam, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“So whosoever intends to perform Hajj therein (by assuming Ihraam), then he should not have sexual relations (with his wife), nor commit sin, nor dispute unjustly during the Hajj”
[al-Baqarah 2:197]
2- Wasting time
Even if the talk is innocent and does not include anything haraam, it is still a waste of time, but there is nothing wrong with a person passing the time in innocent conversation before the sun reaches its zenith. But after the sun has passed its zenith and the people have prayed Zuhr and ‘Asr, it is better to occupy oneself with du’aa’, dhikr and reading Qur’aan, and speaking beneficial words to one’s brothers for a break from reading and dhikr. So he can say some useful words to them about some Islamic knowledge etc., that will make them feel happy, and give them hope of the mercy of Allaah. But he should make the most of the opportunity at the end of the day and occupy himself with du’aa’, beseeching Allaah and seeking His bounty and mercy, and persist in making du’aa’, and make of lot of du’aa’ in the words narrated in the Qur’aan and saheeh Sunnah, for these are the best of du’aa’s, and du’aa’s offered at this time are more likely to be answered.
From Daleel al-Akhta’ allati yuqa’ fiha al-Haaj wa’l-Mu’tamir (Guide to mistakes made by pilgrims performing Hajj and ‘Umrah).
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
It was narrated that on the day of ‘Arafah the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stayed in Namirah (which is a place near ‘Arafah) until the sun had passed its zenith (which is the beginning of the time for Zuhr), then he rode, then he stopped at the bottom of Wadi ‘Arnah (which is a wadi or valley between Namirah and ‘Arafaat), where he prayed Zuhr and ‘Asr, shortening them to two rak’ahs and joining them together at the time of Zuhr, with one adhaan and two iqaamahs. Then he rode on until he came to the place of standing, and stood there. He said, “I am standing here but all of ‘Arafah is the place of standing.” Then he remained standing, facing the qiblah, raising his hands, remembering Allaah and calling upon Him, until the sun had set completely, then he went on to Muzdalifah.
Some of the mistakes that some pilgrims make in ‘Arafah are as follows:
-1-
Some pilgrims pass you and you do not hear them reciting the Talbiyah. They do not recite the Talbiyah out loud on their way from Mina to ‘Arafah. It was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) continued to recite the Talbiyah until he had stoned Jamarat al-‘Aqabah on the day of Eid.
-2-
One of the most serious mistakes that some pilgrims make is to stop outside ‘Arafah, and they stay there until the sun goes down, then they leave for Muzdalifah. Those who stand in these places have not performed Hajj, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Hajj is ‘Arafah.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (889) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 1064). Whoever does not stand in ‘Arafah in a place that is part of it, and at the time specified for the standing, his Hajj is not valid, because of the hadeeth referred to. This is a serious matter.
There are markers that clearly indicate the boundaries of ‘Arafah, and they are not hidden except for one who is careless and negligent. Every pilgrim must look for the boundaries so that he will be sure that he is standing in ‘Arafah and not outside it.
I wish that those who organize the Hajj would announce to the people via a means that would reach all of them, in numerous languages, and tell the mutawwifeen (Hajj guides) to warn the pilgrims about that, so that the people would be aware of this issue and perform their Hajj in the proper manner.
-3-
Some people busy themselves with du’aa’ at the end of the day, so you see them facing towards the mountain by which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood, even though the qiblah may be behind them or to their right or their left. This is also ignorance and a mistake. What is prescribed for du’aa’ on the day of ‘Arafah is for the person to face the qiblah, whether the mountain is in front of him or behind him, or to his right or his left. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) only faced this mountain because the place where he stood was behind the mountain. He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) faced towards the qiblah, and because the mountain was between him and the qiblah, he had not choice but to face it too.
-4-
Some people think that they have to go to the place where the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood, beside the mountain, and stand there. So you see them putting themselves through a great deal of trouble to reach that place. They may be walking and may be unfamiliar with the routes and getting hungry and thirsty if they cannot find food and water, and getting lost, and suffering a great deal of harm because of this mistaken notion. It was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “I am standing here but all of ‘Arafah is the place of standing.”
It is as if the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was pointing out that no one should go to the trouble of standing in the place where the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood, rather people should do what is easy for them, because all of ‘Arafah is the place of standing.
-5-
Some people think that the trees in ‘Arafaah are like the trees in Mina and Muzdalifah, i.e., it is not permissible to cut a leaf or branch from them, and so on, because they think that cutting the trees has to do with ihraam, like hunting. This is a mistaken notion, because cutting trees has nothing to do with ihraam, rather it has to do with the place. Whatever trees are within the boundaries of the Haram are sacrosanct, and should not be cut and no leaves or branches may be cut from them. Whatever is outside the boundaries of the Haram may be cut, even if a person is in ihraam. Based on this there is nothing wrong with cutting the trees in ‘Arafaah… (With regard to trees that have been planted by people, they are not covered by the prohibition on cutting the trees in the Haram, but it may be haraam to cut them for another reason, namely transgressing the rights of the people who planted them, and transgressing the rights of the pilgrims too, if these trees were planted to reduce the heat and to shade people from the sun.
Based on this, it is not permissible to cut the trees that are planted in ‘Arafah, not because of the Haram, but because cutting them is a transgression of the rights of all the Muslims).
-6-
Some pilgrims think that the mountain by which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood is holy and special, so they go to it and climb up it, and seek blessings from its stones and soil. They hang pieces of cloth from its trees, and do other things that are well known. These are innovations (bid’ah). It is not prescribed to climb the mountain or to pray there, or to hang pieces of cloth on its trees, because none of that was narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Indeed, such things smack of idolatry, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) passed by a tree of the mushrikeen on which they used to hang their weapons, and those who were with him said, “O Messenger of Allaah, make for us a Dhaat Anwaat [the name of the tree] like their Dhaat Anwaat.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Allaahu akbar! These are traditions and you are following the traditions of those who came before you. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, you have spoken as the Children of Israel spoke to Moosa: ‘Make us a god as they have gods.’” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2180; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Sunnah li Ibn Abi ‘Aasim.
This mountain is not holy, rather it is like any other hills in ‘Arafah, and the valley in it. But the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood there, so it is prescribed to stand where the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood, if possible, but it is not obligatory, so no one has to make things difficult for himself by going there, for the reasons explained above.
-7-
Some people think that it is essential to pray Zuhr and ‘Asr with the imam in the mosque, hence you see them going to that place from far away so that they can be with the imam in the mosque. This causes them a great deal of difficulty and many of them lose their way, which makes Hajj too hard for them, and they crowd one another and upset one another. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said concerning the standing, “I am standing here, but all of ‘Arafah is the place of standing.” And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also said: “The earth has been made a mosque (place of prayer) and a means of purification for me.” So if a person prays in his tent in a calm and dignified manner, without being disturbed or disturbing others, and without trouble that makes Hajj too hard, that is better.
-8-
Some of them leave ‘Arafah before the sun sets, and go to Muzdalifah. This is a serious mistake, and is acting like the mushrikeen who used to leave ‘Arafah before sunset. It is also going against the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) who did not leave ‘Arafah until after the sun had set and the yellow afterglow had diminished somewhat, as it says in the hadeeth of Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him).
Based on this, pilgrims have to stay in ‘Arafah, within its boundaries, until the sun sets, because this standing lasts until the sun sets; just as it is not permissible for a person who is fasting to break his fast before sunset, so it is not permissible for the one who is standing in ‘Arafah to leave before the sun sets.
-9-
Wasting time in matters that are of no benefit. So you see people from the beginning of the day until the end engaged in conversations that may be innocent and free of gossip, or it may not be such, because they are slandering people’s honour and eating their flesh. If it is the latter then they are combining two haraam actions:
1- Eating people’s flesh and backbiting about them. This is a violation of the conditions of ihraam, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“So whosoever intends to perform Hajj therein (by assuming Ihraam), then he should not have sexual relations (with his wife), nor commit sin, nor dispute unjustly during the Hajj”
[al-Baqarah 2:197]
2- Wasting time
Even if the talk is innocent and does not include anything haraam, it is still a waste of time, but there is nothing wrong with a person passing the time in innocent conversation before the sun reaches its zenith. But after the sun has passed its zenith and the people have prayed Zuhr and ‘Asr, it is better to occupy oneself with du’aa’, dhikr and reading Qur’aan, and speaking beneficial words to one’s brothers for a break from reading and dhikr. So he can say some useful words to them about some Islamic knowledge etc., that will make them feel happy, and give them hope of the mercy of Allaah. But he should make the most of the opportunity at the end of the day and occupy himself with du’aa’, beseeching Allaah and seeking His bounty and mercy, and persist in making du’aa’, and make of lot of du’aa’ in the words narrated in the Qur’aan and saheeh Sunnah, for these are the best of du’aa’s, and du’aa’s offered at this time are more likely to be answered.
From Daleel al-Akhta’ allati yuqa’ fiha al-Haaj wa’l-Mu’tamir (Guide to mistakes made by pilgrims performing Hajj and ‘Umrah).
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