Basis for Jurisprudence and Islamic Rulings: Chapter 4
Innovations in Religion and Worship (Part 1)
49702: False report attributed to Zaynab (may Allaah
be pleased with her) about healing of disease
Question:
Nowadays there are many messages that come via
e-mail, telling of a person who was sick then Sayyidah
Zaynab (may Allaah be pleased with her) came to him in a
dream, and when he woke up he found that he had been cured
of that sickness… Then the sender asks us to send this
letter to a number of friends, and warns whoever does not
do that of many things, ending with death. How sound
is this letter?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
This report that you are asking about is nothing new,
but it has become more widely disseminated
nowadays because of the ease and speed of communication via
e-mail, combined with the ignorance of many who love
their religion.
There may be some variation in the details of these
stories, but they are all based on the same idea and all have
the same bad effect on people's minds.
Shaykh `Abd al-`Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have
mercy on him) warned against them. There follows the text
of his statement:
A note concerning a false report that is being
disseminated by some ignorant people:
Praise be to Allaah, and blessings and peace be upon
the slave and Messenger of Allaah, our Prophet
Muhammad, and upon his family and companions.
I have come across a false report that is being
disseminated by some ignorant people and people who have
little understanding of the religion of Allaah. The text of
this report is as follows:
"In the name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the
Most Merciful. Blessings and peace be upon the noblest of
the Messengers, our Master Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), and upon his family
and companions.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
`No doubt! Verily, the Awliya' [close friends] of
Allaah, no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve'
[Yoonus 10:62]
Allaah the Almighty has spoken the truth.
My Muslim brother, my Muslim sister.
A thirteen-year-old girl became very ill and the
doctor was unable to treat her. One night her sickness grew
worse and she wept until sleep overtook her. In her dream
she saw Sayyidah Zaynab (may Allaah be pleased with
her). She put some drops in her mouth, and when she woke
up from her sleep she was completely healed from
her sickness. Sayyidah Zaynab (may Allaah be pleased
with her) asked her to write this story thirteen times
and distribute it to the Muslims, to demonstrate the power
of the Creator, may He be exalted, and how it is
manifested in His signs and His creation, exalted be He above
all that they associate with Him. The girl did what was
asked of her, and this is what happened:
1 _ The first copy fell into the hands of a poor man,
who wrote it out and distributed it. Thirteen days later the
Lord willed that this poor man should become rich.
2 _ The second copy fell into the hands of a worker
who ignored it. Thirteen days later he lost his job.
3 _ The third copy fell into the hands of a rich man
who refused to write it out. Thirteen days later he lost all
the riches that he possessed.
Hasten, O Muslim brother or sister, after reading this
story, to copy it out thirteen times and distribute it to people,
so that you may get what you wish for from the
Most Generous Lord, may He be glorified and exalted.
May Allaah send blessings upon our Master
Muhammad and upon all his family and companions."
When I read this false report I thought it essential to
point out that the benefits and good things that its author
claims will come to those who copy it and distribute it, and
the bad things that will happen to those who ignore it and
do not disseminate it further, are all lies that have no
solid basis. Rather they are fabrications of the liars
and charlatans who want to divert the Muslims from
putting their trust in their Lord alone, with no partner or
associate, to bring them benefits and ward off harm from them,
as well as taking the permissible means as prescribed
in sharee'ah, and who want to make them put their trust
in someone or something other than Allaah to bring
benefits and ward off harm, and to take false means that are
not permitted or prescribed in sharee'ah, which leads
them to become attached to something other than Allaah
and to worship someone other than Him.
Undoubtedly this is one of the plots of the enemies of
the Muslims, who want to divert them away from their
true religion by any means possible. The Muslims
should beware of these plots and not be deceived by them.
The Muslim should pay no attention to this false report
and similar reports which appear from time to time.
Warnings have been issued about several of them in the past. It
is not permissible for a Muslim to copy out this and
similar reports, or to distribute them under any
circumstances. Rather doing that is an evil action and the one who
does that is committing a sin; there is the fear that he will
be punished in this world and in the Hereafter, because
this is a bid'ah (innovation) whose evil is great and
whose punishment is severe.
This report is a kind of reprehensible innovation, and
is one of the means that lead to shirk and
exaggeration concerning the Ahl al-Bayt (members of the
Prophet's household) and others among the dead, and calling
upon them instead of Allaah and seeking their help and
thinking that they can bring benefit to or ward off harm from
those who call upon them and seek their help. It is also a
kind of telling lies about Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"It is only those who believe not in the Ayaat
(proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.)
of Allaah, who fabricate falsehood, and it is they who
are liars"
[al-Nahl 16:105]
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "Whoever introduces something into this
matter of ours that is not part of it, will have it rejected."
Saheeh _ agreed upon.
All the Muslims into whose hands this letter falls
should tear it up and destroy it, and warn people against it,
and not pay any attention to any promises or warnings that
it may contain, because these are false reports that have
no sound basis and nothing good or bad will result from
that. But the one who invented it, those who copy it
out and distribute it, and those who promote it
and disseminate it among the Muslims are all
sinning, because all of that comes under the heading of
cooperating in sin and transgression which Allaah has forbidden
in His Book, where He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Help you one another in AlBirr and AtTaqwa
(virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another
in sin and transgression. And fear Allaah. Verily, Allaah
is Severe in punishment"
[al-Maa'idah 5:2]
We ask Allaah to keep us and all the Muslims safe
and sound from all evil. Allaah is Sufficient for us and He
is the best to deal with those who fabricated this report
and similar reports, and introduced into the religion of
Allaah things that have nothing to do with it. We ask Allaah
to deal with them as they deserve, for telling lies about
Allaah and disseminating falsehood, and for calling people
to the means that lead to shirk and exaggeration about
the dead, and distracting them with something that will
harm them and will not benefit them. Sincerity towards
Allaah and His slaves demands that we point this out. May
Allaah send blessings and peace upon His slave and
Messenger our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 8/346-348.
And Allaah knows best.
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49678: Does Allaah come down to the first heaven on
the night of the fifteenth of Sha'baan?
Question:
Does Allaah come down to the first heaven on the
night of the fifteenth of Sha'baan and forgive all the
people except two types, namely kaafirs and those engaged
in disputes?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
This is mentioned in some ahaadeeth, but there is
some scholarly difference of opinion as to the soundness of
those ahaadeeth. There is no saheeh hadeeth concerning
the virtue of the night of the fifteenth of Sha'baan.
It was narrated from Abu Moosa al-Ash'ari that
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "Allaah looks down on the night of
the fifteenth of Sha'baan and forgives all his creation
except a mushrik or one who harbours hatred against
the Muslims." Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 1390.
The "one who harbours hatred against the
Muslims" means one who has enmity towards a Muslim brother.
In al-Zawaa'id it says: Its isnaad is da'eef, because
`Abd-Allaah ibn Lahee'ah is da'eef (weak) and al-Waleed
ibn Muslim is mudallis.
There is also some idtiraab (weakness) in the hadeeth,
as stated by al-Daaraqutni in al-`Ilal, 6/50, 51. He said:
This hadeeth is not proven.
It was narrated from Mu'aadh ibn Jabal, `Aa'ishah,
Abu Hurayrah, Abu Tha'labah al-Khushani and others, but
the isnaads are not free of some weakness, and some of
them are very weak.
Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said:
Concerning the virtue of the night of the fifteenth
of Sha'baan there are numerous ahaadeeth,
concerning which the scholars differed, but most of them classed
them as da'eef, and Ibn Hibbaan classed some of them
as saheeh.
Lataa'if al-Ma'aazif, 261.
Allaah's descending to the first heaven does not
only happen on the night of the fifteenth of Sha'baan, rather
it is proven in al-Saheehayn and elsewhere that
Allaah descends to the first heaven every night, in the last
third of the night. The night of the fifteenth of Sha'baan
is included in this general meaning.
Hence, when `Abd-Allaah ibn al-Mubaarak was
asked about the descent of Allaah on the night of the
fifteenth of Sha'baan, he said to the one who asked him: "O
weak one! The night of the fifteenth?! He descends every night!"
Narrated by Abu `Uthmaan al-Saabooni in I'tiqaad
Ahl al-Sunnah, no. 92.
Al-`Aqeeli (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to Allaah's descending on the night of
the fifteenth of Sha'baan there are ahaadeeth which are
weak, but the reports that He descends every night are
proven and saheeh, so the night of the fifteenth of Sha'baan
is included in that, in sha Allaah.
Al-Du'afa', 3/29.
See also the answer to question no. 8907.
On this site you can also find an article by Shaykh
Ibn Baz (may Allaah have mercy on him) concerning
the ruling on celebrating the night of the fifteenth of
Sha'baan. You can find it under the heading, Periodic Topics
(under "Useful Material" on the Islam Q&A Library page).
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49675: Should he fast on the fifteenth of Sha'baan even
if the hadeeth is da'eef?
Question:
Is it permissible, even after finding out that a hadeeth
is da'eef (weak), to follow it, by way of doing
righteous deeds? The hadeeth says: "When it is halfway
through Sha'baan, spend that night in prayer and fast on that
day." The fast is observed as a voluntary act of devotion
to Allaah, as is spending that night in prayer (qiyaam
al-layl).
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
What is narrated concerning the virtue of praying,
fasting and worshipping on the fifteenth of Sha'baan (al-nusf
min Sha'baan) does not come under the heading of
da'eef (weak), rather it comes under the heading of
mawdoo' (fabricated) and baatil (false). So it is not permissible
to follow it or to act upon it, whether that is in doing
righteous deeds or otherwise.
A number of scholars ruled that the reports
concerning that were false, such as Ibn al-Jawzi in his book
al-Mawdoo'aat, 2/440-445; Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah in
al-Manaar al-Muneef, no. 174- 177; Abu Shaamah
al-Shaafa'i in al-Baa'ith `ala Inkaar al-Bida'
wa'l-Hawaadith, 124-137; al-`Iraaqi in Takhreej Ihyaa'
`Uloom il-Deen, no. 582. Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah]
narrated that there was consensus on the fact that they are false,
in Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 28/138.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said in Hukm al-Ihtifaal bi Laylat al-Nusf min
Sha'baan (Ruling on celebrating the fifteenth of Sha'baan):
Celebrating the night of the fifteenth of Sha'baan
(Laylat al-Nusf min Sha'baan) by praying etc, or singling out
this day for fasting, is a reprehensible bid'ah
(innovation) according to the majority of scholars, and there is no
basis for this in sharee'ah.
And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
There is no saheeh hadeeth concerning the night of
the fifteenth of Sha'baan (Laylat al-Nusf min Sha'baan).
All the ahaadeeth that have been narrated concerning that
are mawdoo' (fabricated) and da'eef (weak), and have
no basis. There is nothing special about this night, and
no recitation of Qur'aan [Qur'an, Quran] or prayer, whether alone or
in congregation, is specified for this night. What some
of the scholars have said about it being special is a
weak opinion. It is not permissible to single it out for any
special actions. This is the correct view. And Allaah is the
Source of strength.
Fataawa Islamiyyah, 4/511.
See also question no. 8907.
Secondly:
Even if we assume that the hadeeth is da'eef (weak)
and not mawdoo' (fabricated), the correct scholarly view
is that weak ahaadeeth should not be followed at all,
even if they speak of righteous deeds or of targheeb and
tarheeb (promises and warnings). The saheeh reports are
sufficient and the Muslim has no need to follow the da'eef
reports. Nothing is known in Islam to suggest that this night
or day is special, either from the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) or from his companions.
The scholar Ahmad Shaakir said: There is no
difference between rulings or righteous deeds; we do not take
any of them from da'eef reports, rather no one hast he right
to use any report as evidence unless it is proven to be
soundly narrated from the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in a saheeh or
hasan hadeeth.
Al-Baa'ith al-Hatheeth, 1/278.
For more information, see: al-Qawl al-Muneef fi
Hukm al-`Aml bi'l-Hadeeth al-Da'eef.
See also the answer to question no.
44877.
And Allaah knows best.
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10070: Celebrating innovated festivals
Question:
What is the shar'i ruling on celebrating festivals such
as the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), children's birthdays, Mother's Day,
Tree Week and national holidays?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly: `Eid (festival) is the name given to
something which returns (ya'ood), and is used to describe
gatherings which happen repeatedly, on a yearly, monthly or
weekly basis, etc. So an `eid includes a number of things, such
as a day which comes regularly, e.g., `Eid al-Fitr and
Friday; gatherings on that day; and actions such as acts of
worship and customs which are done on that day.
Secondly: any of these things which are intended as
rituals or acts of worship aimed at drawing closer to Allaah
or glorifying Him in order to earn reward, or which
involve imitating the people of Jaahiliyyah or any other groups
of kaafirs, is a prohibited bid'ah, an innovation which
comes under the general meaning of the hadeeth:
"Whoever innovates something in this matter of ours (Islam) that
is not part of it, will have it rejected." (Narrated by
al-Bukhaari and Muslim).
Examples of that include Mawlid al-Nabi (the
Prophet's birthday), Mother's Day and national holidays,
because in the first case there are innovated acts of worship
which Allaah has not prescribed, and because it
involves imitation of the Christians and other kaafirs. And in
the second and third cases there is imitation of the
kuffaar. But in cases where the intention is to organize work
to serve the interests of the ummah and to put its
affairs straight, or to organize programs of study, or to
bring employees together for work purposes etc., which in
and of themselves do not involve acts of worship
and glorification, then these are a kind of benign
innovation which do not come under the meaning of the
hadeeth, "Whoever innovates something in this matter of
ours (Islam) that is not a part of it will have it rejected."
So there is nothing wrong with such things, indeed they
are allowed by sharee'ah.
And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah
bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and
companions, and grant them peace.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 3/59 (www.islam-qa.com)
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47425: The best way to call those who do not pray and
to deal with innovators
Question:
What is the best way to call those who do not pray?
What about innovators?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The best way to call those who do not pray can be
summed up as follows:
1 _ Reminding them of the obligation of prayer and
that it is the greatest of the pillars of Islam after
the Shahaadatayn (twin declaration of faith).
2 _ Telling them of the stern warnings that have
been narrated concerning not praying, and the different
opinions of the scholars as to whether this constitutes
kufr (disbelief) and riddah (apostasy). Islam does not give
the one who does not pray the opportunity to live freely
among people, because in his case he must he invited to
pray, and if he persists in not praying, he is to be executed
as an apostate according to the view of Ahmad and
those who agreed with him among the salaf (early
generations of Islam); or he is to be executed as a hadd
punishment, according to the view of Maalik and al-Shaafa'i; or he
is to be detained and imprisoned, according to the view
of Abu Haneefah. But no scholar says that he is to be
left free. So it should be said to the one who does not
pray: are you happy that the scholars disagreed as to
whether you are a kaafir and whether you should be killed
or imprisoned?
3 _ Reminding them of the meeting with Allaah,
death and the grave, and what will happen to the one who
does not pray, namely a bad end and the torment of the grave.
4 _ Explaining that delaying prayer until the time for it
is over is a major sin:
"Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who
have given up AsSalaah (the prayers) [i.e. made their
Salaah (prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or by
not offering them perfectly or by not offering them in
their proper fixed times] and have followed lusts. So they
will be thrown in Hell"
[Maryam 19:59 _ interpretation of the
meaning].
Ibn Mas'ood said concerning al-Ghayy (translated
here as "Hell"): it is a valley in Hell that is very deep and
has a foul taste.
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"So woe unto those performers of Salaah
(prayers) (hypocrites),
5. Those who delay their Salaah (prayer from their
stated fixed times)"
[al-Ma'oon 107:4-5]
5 _ Explaining the serious implications of the view
that they are kaafirs, such as their marriages being
rendered invalid, it being forbidden for them to remain with
and be intimate with their wives, and the fact that they
will not be washed and prayed for after they die. Among
the texts that indicate that the one who does not pray is
a kaafir is the hadeeth in which the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Between a
man and shirk and kufr there stands his giving up
prayer." Narrated by Muslim, 82. and he said: "The covenant
that stands between us and them is prayer; whoever gives
it up is a kaafir." Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2621;
al-Nasaa'i, 463; Ibn Maajah, 1079.
6 _ Giving them some booklets and tapes that deal
with the subject of prayer and the punishment of the one
who does not pray or is careless concerning the prayer.
7 _ Forsaking and shunning them if they persist in
not praying.
With regard to innovators, the way in which we deal
with them varies according to the type of innovation
involved. We should advise them and call them to Allaah,
and establish proof against them, and refute their
specious arguments. If the innovator persists in his innovation
he should be forsaken and shunned, if it is thought that
this will most likely benefit him. We have first to be sure
that a person is an innovator before resorting to these
measures, and reference should be made to the scholars. We
should differentiate between the innovation and the one
who practices it, because he may have the excuse of
ignorance or misunderstanding. For more details please
see Haqeeqat al-Bid'ah wa Ahkaamuhu by Sa'eed ibn
Naasir al-Ghaamidi.
And Allaah knows best.
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7051: Gathering to eat and celebrate on the last day
of Sha'baan
Question:
Some families get together on the last night of
Sha'baan and make food, and some of their elders recite poems
for this occasion. What is the ruling on this getting
together to eat?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
We put this question to Sahykh Muhammad ibn
Saalih al-`Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who replied
as follows:
I think that this is closer to bid'ah (innovation), and
it should be disallowed rather than permitted, because it
is being taken as an "Eid" (regular celebration). If
it happened only once, then it is OK.
Our response is: we do not allow it.
And Allaah knows best.
Sahykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen (www.islam-qa.com)
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8907: Laylat al-Nusf min Sha'baan (the middle
of Sha'baan) should not be singled out for worship
Question:
I read in a book that fasting on the middle of Sha'baan
is a kind of bid'ah, but in another book I read that one of
the days on which it is mustahabb to fast is the middle
of Sha'baan… what is the definitive ruling on this?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
There is no saheeh marfoo' report that speaks of the
virtue of the middle of Sha'baan that may be followed, not
even in the chapters on al-Fadaa'il (chapters on virtues in
books of hadeeth etc.). Some maqtoo' reports (reports
whose isnaads do not go back further than the Taabi'een)
have been narrated from some of the Taabi'een, and there
are some ahaadeeth, the best of which are
mawdoo' (fabricated) or da'eef
jiddan (very weak). These reports became very well known in some countries which
were overwhelmed by ignorance; these reports suggest
that people's lifespans are written on that day or that it
is decided on that day who is to die in the coming year.
On this basis, it is not prescribed to spend this night in
prayer or to fast on this day, or to single it out for certain acts
of worship. One should not be deceived by the large
numbers of ignorant people who do these things. And Allaah
knows best.
Shaykh Ibn Jibreen.
If a person wants to pray qiyaam on this night as he
does on other nights _ without doing anything extra or
singling this night out for anything _ then that is OK. The
same applies if he fasts the day of the fifteenth of
Sha'baan because it happens to be one of the ayyaam
al-beed, along with the fourteenth and thirteenth of the month, or
because it happens to be a Monday or Thursday. If the
fifteenth (of Sha'baan) coincides with a Monday or Thursday,
there is nothing wrong with that (fasting on that day), so
long as he is not seeking extra reward that has not been
proven (in the saheeh texts). And Allaah knows best.
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45622: Ruling on the imam saying to the
congregation, "Pray Pray like a man bidding farewell"
Question:
What is the ruling on the imam saying, before the
first takbeer of the prayer, "Focus your hearts on Allaah"
and "Pray like a man bidding farewell"?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
It is Sunnah for the imam to straighten the rows
himself, or to tell the congregation to straighten the rows. A
variety of expressions are narrated in the Sunnah, all of
them telling the worshippers to straighten the rows, and
warning them against doing otherwise. Among the phrases
that have been narrated are: "Straighten the rows and
stand close together" and "Straighten your rows,
for straightening the rows is part of establishing prayer"
and "Straighten your rows for straightening the rows is
part of perfecting the prayer" and "Straighten the rows
in prayer for straightening the rows is part of doing the
prayer well" and "Stand straight and do not make the
rows uneven, lest that that create disharmony amongst
you" and "Straighten the rows and stand shoulder to
shoulder and fill the gaps" _ and other such phrases.
There is no need to say any of these or other phrases
if the imam sees that the rows are straight.
Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said:
But if the imam turns round and sees that the rows
are straight and solid (with no gaps), and the people
are standing in straight rows, then it seems that he should
not tell them to straighten the rows, because that has
been done _ unless he intends thereby to tell them to keep
it like that _ because these words have a meaning, they
are not just words that are to be said for no purpose.
As'ilat al-baab il-Maftooh, no. 62.
We do not know of any phrase in the Sunnah with
which the imam may encourage the worshippers to focus
more in their prayer and focus their hearts on Allaah and
the prayer, as if it were their last prayer and so on. If the
imam always says that then there is the fear that it may
come under the heading of bid'ah (innovation). There is
nothing wrong with saying such things as a reminder but
that should be done sometimes, not all the time and in
every prayer.
We know of no basis for saying "Focus your hearts
on Allaah". With regard to the phrase "Pray like a
man bidding farewell," there is a saheeh report that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said
this, but that was by way of general advice, not what the
imam should say before saying the first takbeer of the prayer.
It was narrated that Abu Ayyoob said: The Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "When you stand to pray, pray like a man bidding
farewell. Do not say anything for which you will have to
apologize. And give up hope for what other people have."
Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 4171. Classed as saheeh
by Shaykh al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah
, 401.
And it was narrated that Ibn `Umar said: The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "Pray like a man bidding farewell as if you can
see Him, for although you cannot see Him, He sees you,
and do not be concerned about what other people
possess, then you will live a rich life. Beware of any action
that requires an apology."
Narrated by al-Bayhaqi in Kitaab al-Zuhd (The Book
of Asceticism), 2/210.
It is saheeh because of the existence of
corroborating reports, as Shaykh al-Albaani said in
al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1914.
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1305: Giving certain days meaning is not permitted
Question:
What is the importance of 13th, 21st, 22nd, and27th
of the Islamic month of Rajab.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
There is nothing special about these particular days
at all. All the days of Rajab are special, with no
exception, because Rajab is one of the Sacred Months, like
Dhoo'l- Qi'dah, Dhoo'l-Hijjah and Muharram.
The thirteenth day of each month - not just Rajab - is
one of the three Ayyaam al-Beed (white days) on which it
is encouraged to fast. These days are the 13th, 14th,
and 15th of each hijri month.
Many of those who follow bid'ah (innovations) think
that there is something special about certain days and
do special acts of worship on those days, with no
sound Islaamic basis or evidence (daleel). Their deeds are
not acceptable, because they have innovated something in
the religion of Allaah without the permission of Allaah.
We ask Allaah to help us follow the Sunnah and
avoid bid'ah. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad .
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
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46665: He wants to give his wife a gift on the
anniversary of their marriage each year
Question:
Is it permissible for me to give a gift to my wife on
the anniversary of our wedding each year?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
If the husband wants to give his wife a gift, he
should give it at any time or on any appropriate occasion or
when there is a reason for doing so. He should not wait for
the anniversary of their wedding to give her a gift,
because that implies that he is taking this day as an "Eid"
(an occasion that is celebrated regularly), and there are
no annual Eids for the Muslims except Eid al-Fitr and
Eid al-Adha. These occasions _ wedding anniversaries _
came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) and his companions, and the salaf (early
generations) of this ummah and its imams, but there is no report
that they used to give gifts to their wives on these days.
And all goodness is to be found in following them.
Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on
him) was asked: is it permissible for the husband to give a
gift to his wife on their wedding anniversary each year, as
a renewal of the love between them, noting that
this anniversary will be marked only by the giving of this
gift and that the couple are not going to celebrate
this occasion?
He said:
What I think is that this should not be done, because
this year it may be just a gift, but next year it may become
a celebration. Moreover, marking this occasion with a
gift is regarded as making it an `Eid', because the Eid is
that which is repeated. Love does not need to be renewed
every year, rather it should be renewed all the time, every
time the woman sees something of her husband that
makes her happy, and every time the man sees something of
his wife that makes him happy, then the love between
them will be renewed.
Fataawa al-`Ulama' fi `Ushrat al-Nisa', p. 162.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
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34842: Ruling on erecting a monument to the
Unknown Soldier
Question:
What is the ruling on what is known nowadays as
the monument to the Unknown Soldier?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Erecting monuments to famous prominent people
who played a role in building the nation in the fields
of knowledge, economy and politics, and erecting a monument to what is known as the "Unknown
Soldier" are all actions of jaahiliyyah and a kind of
exaggeration, because we see them holding remembrance
ceremonies around these monuments on special occasions and
putting flowers on them to honour them. This is akin to
the idolatry of ancient times, and is a means that leads
to major shirk _ we seek refuge with Allaah.
It is essential to put an end to these customs so as
to preserve the belief of Tawheed (belief in the Oneness
of Allaah) and to prevent extravagance for no benefit
and so as to avoid imitating or resembling the kuffaar in
their customs and traditions in which there is nothing
good, and which rather lead to serious evil.
From Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 1/479. (www.islam-qa.com)
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34511: Ruling on burying the deceased in a coffin
Question:
A man died and left instructions that he be buried in
a coffin. What is the ruling on that?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
There is no dispute among the scholars that it is
makrooh to bury the deceased in a coffin if there is no need
for that. If there is a need for that, such as if the ground is
wet or there is the fear that he may be dug up by wild
animals, then some of the fuqaha' say that it is permissible to
bury the deceased in a coffin in that case.
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah (2/312):
Putting the deceased in a coffin was unknown at the
time of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) and the time of the Sahaabah (may
Allaah be pleased with them), and the best for the Muslims is
to follow their way. Hence it is makrooh to put the
deceased in a coffin, whether the ground is hard, soft or wet. If
the deceased left instructions that he be placed in a
coffin, those instructions should not be carried out. The
Shaafa'is said that it is permissible if the ground is soft or wet,
but according to them such instructions should not be
carried out except in such cases."
Ibn Qudaamah said:
It is not recommended to bury the deceased in a
coffin, because there is no report that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or his companions
did that, and it also involves imitating the people of this
world. And the earth absorbs his remains better.
It says in al-Insaaf:
It is makrooh to bury the deceased in a coffin, even if
the deceased is a woman. This was stated by Imam Ahmad.
Al-Sharbeeni, the Shaafa'i khateeb, said in his
book Mughni al-Muhtaaj:
It is makrooh to bury the deceased in a coffin
according to scholarly consensus, because it is bid'ah
(an innovation), unless the ground is wet or soft, in
which case it is not makrooh because that serves a purpose.
The deceased's instructions should not be carried out
except in this case. Similarly if the deceased has been burned
by fire and cannot be carried except in a coffin.
In al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah it says:
It is makrooh to bury the deceased in a coffin
according to scholarly consensus because it is bid'ah, and
his instructions to that effect should not be carried out. But
it is not makrooh if that serves a purpose, such as if
the deceased is burned and it is necessary to bury him in
a coffin.
And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
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27237: Is there such a thing as Du'aa' Kanz il-`Arsh?
Question:
I have come across a supplication called "kanjil
arushu" in some books which is recited as follows:
Lailaha illallahu subahanal malikil kuddose ,
Lailaha illallahu subahanal azizul jabbaru , Lailaha
illallahu subahanal raufi rahim.....etc
I want to know if this is a known supplication and
what are the virtues of reciting it.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
This du'aa' is not known in the books of Sunnah. It
seems most likely that it has been fabricated by some of the
Sufis in what they call al-awraad, which is a collection of
du'aa's and words that are compiled for the mureeds
(followers of a Sufi shaykh) to recite at certain times in a
certain manner and for a certain number of times.
Undoubtedly it is not permissible to follow them in the awraad
that they fabricate. "Du'aa' is an act of worship," as the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said,
and the basic principle concerning acts of worship is
tawqeef i.e., stopping at what has been narrated in sharee'ah
(and not inventing anything new).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said:
Undoubtedly dhikr and du'aa's are among the best
kinds of worship. Acts of worship are based on tawqeef
and following, not on whims and desires and innovation.
The du'aa's and dhikrs narrated from the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) are the best that
anyone can find of dhikr and du'aa', and the one who
limits himself to them will be safe and sound. The
beneficial results that they bring cannot be put into words or
fully comprehended by man. Any other dhikrs may be
haraam or they may be makrooh. They may involve shirk
which most people may not realize and which would take
too long to explain in detail.
No one has the right to prescribe for people any kind
of dhikr or du'aa' that is not narrated in the Sunnah and
make it an act of worship that people should perform
regularly as they perform the five daily prayers regularly.
Rather this is a kind of innovation in religion for which
Allaah has not given permission… As for adopting a wird that
is not prescribed in sharee'ah and dhikr that is not
prescribed in sharee'ah, this is something that is forbidden.
Moreover the du'aa's and adhkaar that are prescribed in
sharee'ah are are the best and lead to achieving all aims and
goals; no one turns away from them and adopts innovated
and invented adhkaar except one who is ignorant,
negligent or a wrong doer.
Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 22/510- 511
See also the answer to question no. 6745 which
contains more information.
And Allaah knows best.
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