Ruling on renting a house to a Hindu

My family and me live in a 2-story house. We are putting the first floor for rent. And the person who might live in the first floor is Hindu. Is it bad for a pagan to live in the same house as a Muslim?.

Praise be to Allaah.

There is nothing wrong with renting a house to a non-Muslim for him to live in, but it is haraam to rent it to anyone who is going to use it for sinful purposes such as if he is going to use it as a house of worship or a venue for sinful activities and so on. 

It is preferable to rent it to a Muslim. 

As-Sarkhasi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

There is nothing wrong with a Muslim renting out a house to a dhimmi (non-Muslim living under Muslim rule), and if the latter drinks wine in it, or worships the cross in it, or brings pork into it, there is no sin on the Muslim for any of that, because he did not rent out the house for that purpose. The sin is the action of the renter and there is no sin on the landlord for that. 

End quote from al-Mabsoot, 16/39 

It says in al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 1/286: 

If a dhimmi rents a house from a Muslim on the basis that he is going to use it as a church or a place to sell alcohol, the majority of scholars (Maalikis, Shaafa‘is, Hanbalis and the companions of Abu Haneefah) are of the view that the rental contract is invalid, because it is based on sin. But if the dhimmi rents a house to live in it for example, then he turns it into a church or a place of worship, then the rental contract remains valid, without any difference of scholarly opinion. And the landlord, and Muslims in general, should try to stop that on the basis of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, as they should also try to prevent such things in a house that belongs to a dhimmi. End quote. 

It was narrated from Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) that this is makrooh, and he was very strict with regard to selling. 

Al-Mirdaawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: al-Marwadhi narrated (from Ahmad, that he said): The property of a Muslim should not be sold (to a non-Muslim) to turn it into a place of worship in which bells are rung and crosses are set up. He regarded that as a serious matter and was strict on this point. Abu’l-Haarith said: I do not think this is right; selling it to a Muslim is preferable. Al-Khallaal said: In my opinion he should not sell it to him or rent it to him, because it is all the same. Abu Bakr ‘Abd al-‘Azeez said: There is no difference between selling and renting; if selling is not allowed then renting is not allowed. Our shaykh – i.e., Shaykh Taqiy ad-Deen – said: al-Qaadi and his companions agreed with him on this point.

End quote from Tas-heeh al-Furoo‘, 2/447 

Al-Mardaawi regarded as correct the view that it is permissible but makrooh. 

To sum up: it is permissible to rent the house to a non-Muslim for him to live in it, but renting it to a Muslim is preferable. 

And Allah knows best.

Ruling on attending Easter celebrations

I would like to no if it is haram to go to the sydney royal easter show. although it is called the easter show it really has nothing to d with easter. i like to go for the craft, fruit, animal shows, they all hav nothing to do with easter.

Published Date: 2013-12-26

Praise be to Allaah.

It is not permissible for a Muslim to take part in the festivals and innovated celebrations of the kuffaar, such as Easter, Christmas and so on, because taking part and attending is helping in this evil, and increasing their numbers, and imitating them, all of which is not allowed. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Help you one another in Al‑Birr and At‑Taqwa (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] 

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (4031); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel (5/109). 

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

It is not permissible for the Muslims to attend the festivals of the mushrikeen, according to the consensus of the scholars whose words carry weight. The fuqaha’ who follow the four schools of thought have stated this clearly in their books… Al-Bayhaqi narrated with a saheeh isnaad from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab that he said: “Do not enter upon the mushrikeen in their churches on the day of their festival, for divine wrath is descending upon them.” And ‘Umar also said: “Avoid the enemies of Allaah on their festivals.” Al-Bayhaqi narrated with a jayyid isnaad from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr that he said: “Whoever settles in the land of the non-Arabs and celebrates their new year and festival and imitates them until he dies in that state, will be gathered with them on the Day of Resurrection.” (Ahkaam Ahl al-Dhimmah, 1/723-724) 

The Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas was asked about Argentinean national celebrations and celebrations that are held in their churches such as Independence Day, and Christian Arab celebrations such as Easter. 

They replied: It is not permissible for Muslims to hold such celebrations or attend them or participate in them with the Christians, because that is helping in sin and transgression, and Allaah has forbidden that. 

And Allaah is the Source of strength. End quote from Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (2/76). 

To sum up: It is not permissible to celebrate the festivals of the kuffaar or to participate in them, whether they do any religious practices in them or limit it to play and entertainment, because just celebrating it is a haraam innovation, but attending their religious rituals is more haraam. 

The Muslim should spend this day like any other day, and not have any special food or drink on it, or do anything else to show happiness that is done by those who celebrate this festival, such as going out to parks, funfairs  and so on, so as to disavow himself of the sins of approving or taking part. 

And Allaah knows best.

Belief in the Prophets and Messengers is one of the pillars of faith, not belief in the Messengers only

In the lengthy hadith of Jibreel, when he asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about faith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned the pillars of faith, which include belief in the Messengers. As is well known, not every Prophet was a Messenger, so does this mean that it is not essential to believe in those who were Prophets but were not Messengers?

Praise be to Allah

The belief that is required is belief in both the Messengers and the Prophets, not only in the Messengers. This is one of the givens of the faith. The pillars of belief are explained in the Holy Qur’an.

Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say, [O believers], ‘We have believed in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants and what was given to Moses and Jesus and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him”

[al-Baqarah 2:136]

“Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah , the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous”

[al-Baarah 2:177].

Think about how Allah enjoined upon the believers belief in all of the Messengers and Prophets, of whom He named Ismaa‘eel (Ishmael), Ishaaq (Isaac) and the Asbaat (translated above as the Descendents), and told us that the believers do not make any distinction between any of the Prophets and Messengers; rather they believe that anyone who denies the Prophethood of one whose Prophethood was affirmed by Allah is a disbeliever, because disbelief in one of the Messengers or Prophets is disbelief in all the Messengers.

Al-Qaadi ‘Iyaad (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

The ruling on the one who reviles any of the Prophets of Allah, may He be exalted, or belittles them, or rejects the message they brought, or denies them, or disbelieves in them, is the ruling of our Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). End quote.

Ash-Shifaa (2/1097).

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

The Muslims believe in all the Prophets and make no distinction between any of them. Belief in all the Prophets is obligatory; whoever disbelieves in one of them has disbelieved in all of them, and whoever reviles any of the Prophets is a disbeliever, according to scholarly consensus. End quote.

As-Safadiyyah (2/311)

Al-‘Allaamah as-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his commentary on the verse quoted above from Soorat al-Baqarah:

From this we may understand that we should believe in all the Books that were sent down to all the Prophets, as well as in the Prophets in general and those whose names are mentioned in this verse in particular, because of their honourable position and because of the laws that they bought. What is required with regard to belief in the Prophets and Books is that we should believe in them in general terms, and with regard to those about whom more details are given, we must believe in them in detail.

Tayseer al-Kareem ar-Rahmaan (p. 67)

With regard to the famous hadith of Jibreel which was narrated by Imam Muslim (no. 8) from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him), it says in it: He said: Tell me about faith (eemaan). He said: “It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in al-qadar (the divine will and decree), both good and bad.”

What is meant here is not to restrict it to believing in the Messengers to the exclusion of the Prophets; rather the word “Messengers” here includes the Prophets too. The reason why the word “Messengers” appears on its own is that they are more well-known, based on the verses quoted above, which indicates that it is obligatory to believe in all the Prophets.

Differentiation between the Prophets and Messengers does not apply in all cases; rather when one of the two words is mentioned in the text, what is meant is both the Prophets and Messengers. A distinction between them is only made when both words appear in a single text.

And Allah knows best.

Ruling on photographs

My question is : IS the taking of PHOTOGRAPHS ALLOWED,(I know drawing pictures of living things is not allowed -but what about taking photograph's of people etc.), can you supply me with some evidence please. I need this information quickly.- Inshallah.
Jaazakala hair.

Praise be to Allaah.

Photography (tasweer) means the taking of pictures of living, animate moving beings, like people, animals, birds, etc. The ruling is that it is forbidden on the basis of a number of reports, such as the following:

'Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Those who will be most severely punished by Allaah on the Day of Resurrection will be the image-makers." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, see al-Fath, 10/382).

Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah, may He be exalted, says: 'Who does more wrong than the one who tries to create something like My creation? Let him create a grain of wheat or a kernel of corn.'" (Reported by al-Bukhaari, see Fath al-Baari, 10/385). 

'Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "Shall I not send you on the same mission as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent me? Do not leave any built-up tomb without levelling it, and do not leave any picture in any house without erasing it." (Reported by Muslim and al-Nisaa'i; this is the version narrated by al-Nisaa'i).

Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Every image-maker will be in the Fire, and for every image that he made a soul will be created for him, which will be punished in the Fire." Ibn 'Abbaas said: "If you must do that, make pictures of trees and other inanimate objects." (Reported by Muslim, 3/1871)

These ahaadeeth indicate that pictures of animate beings are haraam, whether they are humans or other creatures, whether they are three-dimensional or two-dimensional, whether they are printed, drawn, etched, engraved, carved, cast in moulds, etc. These ahaadeeth include all of these types of pictures.

The Muslim should submit to the teachings of Islam and not argue with them by saying, "But I am not worshipping them or prostrating to them!" If we think about just one aspect of the evil caused by the prevalence of photographs and pictures in our times, we will understand something of the wisdom behind this prohibition: that aspect is the great corruption caused by the provoking of physical desires and subsequent spread of immorality caused by these pictures.

The Muslim should not keep any pictures of animate beings in his house, because they will prevent the angels from entering. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or pictures." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, see al-Fath, 10/380).

But nowadays, unfortunately, one can even find in some Muslim homes statues of gods worshipped by the kuffaar (such as Buddha etc.) which they keep on the basis that they are antiques or decorative pieces. These things are more strictly prohibited than others, just as pictures which are hung up are worse than pictures which are not hung up, for how easily they can lead to glorification, and cause grief or be a source of boasting! We cannot say that these pictures are kept for memory's sake, because true memories of a Muslim relative or friend reside in the heart, and we remember them by praying for mercy and forgiveness for them.

Taking pictures with a camera involves human actions such as focusing, pressing the shutter, developing, printing, and so on. We cannot call it anything other than "picture-making" or tasweer, which is the expression used by all Arabic-speakers to describe this action.

In the book Al-I'laam bi naqd kitaab al-halaal wa'l-haraam, the author says: "Photography is even more of an imitation of the creation of Allaah than pictures which are engraved or drawn, so it is even more deserving of being prohibited… There is nothing that could exclude photography from the general meaning of the reports." (p. 42, see also Fataawa Islamiyyah, 4/355).

Among the scholars who have discussed the issue of photography is Shaykh Naasir al-Deen al-Albaani, who said: "Some of them differentiate between hand-drawn pictures and photographic images by claiming that the latter are not products of human effort, and that no more is involved than the mere capturing of the image. This is what they claim. The tremendous energy invested the one who invented this machine that can do in few seconds what otherwise could not be done in hours does not count as human effort, according to these people! Pointing the camera, focusing it, and taking the picture, preceded by installation of the film and followed by developing and whatever else that I may not know about… none of this is the result of human effort, according to them!

Some of them explain how this photography is done, and summarize that no less than eleven different actions are involved in the making of a picture. In spite of all this, they say that this picture is not the result of human action! Can it be permissible to hang up a picture of a man, for example, if it is produced by photography, but not if it is drawn by hand?

Those who say that photography is permitted have "frozen" the meaning of the word "tasweer," restriciting it only to the meaning known at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and not adding the meaning of photography, which is "tasweer" or "picture-making" in every sense - linguistic, legal, and in its harmful effects, and as is clear from the definition mentioned above. Years ago, I said to one of them, By the same token, you could allow idols which have not been carved but have been made by pressing a button on some machine that turns out idols by the dozen. What do you say to that?"
(Aadaab al-Zafaaf by al-Albaani, p. 38)

It is also worth quoting the opinion of some contemporary scholars who allow the taking of photographs but say that the pictures should not be kept: "The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or pictures." (See al-Sharh al-Mumti', 2/198).

There are many bad things involved in the making of pictures. Besides the element of imitating the creation of Allaah - which is an accusation denied by many of those who make pictures - reality bears witness to the great extent of immorality and provocation of desires caused by the prevalence of pictures and picture-making nowadays. We must remove or blot out every picture, except when it is too difficult to do so, like the pictures which are overwhelmingly prevalent in food packaging, or pictures used in encyclopaedias and reference books. We should remove what we can, and be careful about any provocative pictures that may be found.

"So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can…" [al-Taghaabun 64:16 - interpretation of the meaning]

Photographs which are essential are permitted - such as those required for identity documents, or for identifying or pursuing criminals [e.g. "wanted" posters and the like - translator's note], or for educational purposes which cannot be achieved otherwise. The principle in sharee'ah is that we should not exaggerate about what is necessary.

We ask Allaah to accept our repentance and have mercy on us, and to forgive our excesses, for He is the All-Hearing Who answers prayers. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

Ruling on taking pictures with digital cameras and video cameras

What is the ruling on taking pictures with a digital camera? What is the ruling on taking pictures with a video camera?

Praise be to Allah.

Taking pictures with a digital camera is of two types: 

1.     When the picture is a photograph or still picture. This is not permissible unless the aim is to use the picture in a permissible manner, such as pictures that are needed in order to prove identity or for a passport or driver’s license, or posting pictures of criminals so that they will be known, and other valid purposes. 

It is not permissible to take pictures just for the purpose of memory and keeping the picture, as many people do. 

See also the answer to question no. 10326 

2.     When the picture that is taken with the digital camera is a moving image, as in the case of video clips. There is nothing wrong with this, and it does not come under the prohibition. 

But it is not permissible to take pictures of anything that will help in sin or be a source of temptation, such as pictures of adorned women or places of evildoing, or places of bid‘ah and shirk by way of venerating them and telling people about them. 

See also the answer to question no. 10326 

And Allah knows best.

Source:- Islamqa.info

If a person dies in the bathroom, is that indicative of a bad end?

What is the verdict on one who dies in the bathroom whilst he is fasting in the month of Ramadan?

Published Date: 2014-12-19

Praise be to Allah.

In such cases, if a person dies in such circumstances, it has nothing to do with being praiseworthy or blameworthy in and of itself, and there is no Islamic ruling connected to that. Islamic rulings only have to do with the deeds of those who are accountable. If a person dies in a particular place, or at a particular time, or in a particular posture, that is not part of his deeds and it is not within his control, so there is no ruling that is connected to it. 

With regard to the death of one who is fasting, this is the matter concerning which there are reports which point to its virtue, not because death in this situation was within his control, but because he died whilst doing a righteous deed and his life ended with that. It is the righteous deed that is within his control and is connected to the ruling of Allah. If a person dies doing such a deed, that is a blessing granted by Allah, may He be exalted, to His slave, and it is encouraged to constantly do such deeds, in the hope that one might die doing such a thing. 

It was narrated that Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever fasts one day, seeking the Countenance of Allah, and his life ends with that, will enter Paradise.”

Narrated by Ahmad (no. 22235). Shaykh al-Arna’oot said: It is saheeh because of corroborating evidence. 

It was also narrated by al-Bazzaar in his Musnad (1/436) as follows: “If a person’s life ends with a day of fasting, he will enter Paradise.” Classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani. 

Al-Mannaawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The words “If a person’s life ends with a day of fasting” mean: if a person’s life concludes with a day of fasting, in the sense that he dies when he is fasting or after breaking his fast. 

The words “will enter Paradise” mean: with those who enter it first, or without prior punishment.

End quote from Fayd al-Qadeer Sharh al-Jaami‘ as-Sagheer (6/160) 

Muslim narrated in his Saheeh (5126) that Jaabir said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “Each person will be resurrected in the condition in which he died.” 

Ibn al-Jawzi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If a person dies in a particular condition, then his life ends with that, and in that condition he will be resurrected.

End quote from Kashf al-Mushkil min Hadeeth as-Saheehayn (1/751) 

And Allah knows best.

Source:- Islamqa.info

The calendar used by the Arabs before Islam

From a historical perspective, is there any record of the calendar that the Arabs used in Makkah and Madinah before the prohibition on postponement of the months?

Praise be to Allah

Firstly:

With regard to the postponement of the months mentioned in the verse (interpretation of the meaning): “The postponing (of a Sacred Month) is indeed an addition to disbelief: thereby the disbelievers are led astray, for they make it lawful one year and forbid it another year in order to adjust the number of months forbidden by Allah, and make such forbidden ones lawful. The evil of their deeds seems pleasing to them. And Allah guides not the people, who disbelieve” [at-Tawbah 9:37], this refers to their practice whereby they would decide that the sacred month of Muharram was not to be held sacred, and they would declare Safar as sacred instead, if they needed to do that.

This has been discussed previously in the answer to question no. 165970.

Secondly:

To sum up what has been mentioned in some books of history:

Before Islam, the Arabs used to use the lunar calendar, in which there were twelve months that were determined by the sighting of the new moon from one month to the next.

Among them there were four sacred months, during which they would refrain from fighting; they would hold their markets, such as ‘Ukaaz and others; they would go on pilgrimage to the Ka‘bah; and they would be safe on the road and at home from raids, plunder and banditry.

But despite the fact that they used the lunar calendar, they did not have any particular system for dating important events, in most cases. Rather, when it came to dating important life events, they would connect them to certain historical events, as follows:

·        The construction of the Ka‘bah by Ibraaheem al-Khaleel and his son Ismaa‘eel (peace be upon them both) – approximately 1855 BCE

·        The Year of Treason, which was the year in which Banu Yarboo‘ stole the goods that some of the kings of Banu Himyar had sent to the Ka‘bah – 461 BCE

·        The collapse of the Ma’rib Dam in Yemen – 120 BCE approx.

·        The death of Ka‘b ibn Lu‘ayy, the seventh great-grandfather of the Messenger Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – 59 BCE

·        The Year of the Elephant, which is the year in which the great Messenger Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was born – 571 CE

·        The Sacrilegious War, which was so called because the Arabs committed a grave act of sacrilege in it, when their tribes fought amongst themselves during the sacred months. This war lasted for four years, beginning in 586 CE.

·        The reconstruction of the Ka‘bah, which occurred at the time of ‘Abd al-Muttalib, the grandfather of the Messenger Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). At that time, the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was 35 years old. This means that it occurred in 605 CE, i.e., five years before the mission of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) began.

Throughout their long history before Islam, the Arabs used the names of the lunar months that were known at that time, until these names changed and throughout the Arab land began to take on the forms by which they are known now, from the end of the fifth century CE – during the era of Kilaab, the fifth great-grandfather of the Messenger Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as was stated by al-Biruni in 412 CE. During the Jaahiliyyah, the Arabs also used the solar months during some periods and in some places.

For more information, please see: al-Mufassal fi Tareekh al-‘Arab qabl al-Islam (1/5014); Murooj adh-Dhahab by al-Mas‘oodi (1/249)

And Allah knows best.

Source:- Islamqa.info

Prophet Zakariyya’s sponsorship of Maryam

In Qur'an it is mentioned that Prophet Zakaria was made kafeel for Maryam. Was there any direct relationship with them like brother/uncle etc. Here Kafeel includes what ?

Praise be to Allah

Firstly:

The scholars differed concerning the relationship between Zakariyya and Maryam (peace be upon them both). There are two views:

     That he was the husband of her sister

     That he was the husband of her maternal aunt.

See the answer to question no. 82569.

It was narrated that Zakariyya (peace be upon him) was also one of the paternal cousins of Maryam (peace be upon her), in addition to being the husband of her maternal aunt or sister. See: al-Hidaayahby Makki (2/999).

Secondly:

Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, has told us about Zakariyya’s sponsorship (kafaalah) of Maryam, as He said (interpretation of the meaning):

“So her Lord accepted her with good acceptance and caused her to grow in a good manner and put her in the care [kaffalaha] of Zechariah [Zakariyya]”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:37].

What is meant by kafaalah [sponsorship or taking care] is that he looked after her affairs and needs. Kafaalah includes taking care of the interests of the person under one’s care, spending on him, and looking after his needs.

Ibn ‘Atiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: What it means is that he took her into his care and spent on her. The kaafil (sponsor) is the one who takes care of another.

End quote from al-Muharrar al-Wajeez (1/425).

Al-Waahidi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: He took her into his care and looked after her affairs.

Az- Zajjaaj said: What is meant is that he took care of her affairs. … The kaafil is the one who sponsors a person, looks after him and spends on him..

End quote from at-Tafseer al-Baseet (5/203).

Ibn Katheer said: Here our Lord is telling us that He accepted the vow of her mother, and that He “caused her to grow in a good manner” that is, He made her good-looking and endeared her to peopler, and caused her to be in the company of the righteous among His slaves, so that she could learn goodness, knowledge and religion from them.

Hence Allah says: “and put her in the care [kaffalaha] of Zechariah [Zakariyya]”; the grammatical structure of this phrase in the original Arabic indicates that Zakariyya was made to be her sponsor or carer.

Ibn Ishaaq said: That was only because she was an orphan.

Other scholars stated that the Children of Israel were stricken by a famine, so Zakariyya sponsored Maryam and took care of her because of that.

There is no contradiction between the two views. And Allah knows best.

The reason why Allah decreed that Zakariyya should be her sponsor was because this would be in her best interests, so that she might learn a great deal of beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds from him, and because he was the husband of her maternal aunt, according to what was mentioned by Ibn Ishaaq, Ibn Jareer, and others.

It was also said that he was the husband of her sister.

At-Tafseer (2/35).

Ibn ‘Ashoor said: When Maryam was born, her father had died, and a number of the rabbis of the Children of Israel disputed over who was to sponsor her, for they were all keen to sponsor the daughter of their senior rabbi. They drew lots for that, and the lot fell to Zakariyya. What appears to be the case is that the matter of her sponsorship was delegated to the rabbis because she was dedicated to the service of the place of worship, so it was essential that she be given a righteous upbringing for that reason.

At-Tahreer wa’t-Tahreer (2/235).

Conclusion:

It was narrated that Zakariyya was one of the paternal cousins of Maryam, and he was the husband of her sister or maternal aunt. He was her sponsor (kaafil), meaning that he used to take care of her needs and look after her.

Source:- Islamqa.info

Love for the sake of Allah is one of the strongest bonds of faith

Is love for the sake of Allah and doing what is dictated thereby an act of worship that will bring one closer to Allah, may He be exalted? Is it equivalent to naafil (supererogatory) acts of worship or Hajj, as al-Hasan al-Basri said to someone: “O A‘mash, do you not know that going and putting effort into helping your brother is like performing Hajj after Hajj?” Did he say that to him by way of simply motivating him, or is the reward for it actually as he said? How can a person reach such a level with the one whom he loves for the sake of Allah that he will stand in the shade of the Most Gracious and reach a point where Allah’s love becomes due to both of them?

Praise be to Allah

Firstly:

Love for the sake of Allah is one of the strongest bonds of faith, and is one of the most important foundations on which Muslim society is based. It is the basis by means of which ties of friendship and harmony among people are attained, so that they love one another, visit one another, are sincere towards one another, intermarry, enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, thus attaining true Islamic brotherhood. Through it people find the sweetness of faith in their interactions, companionship and friendship.

Ahmad (18524) narrated from al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib, that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Indeed the strongest bond of faith is to love for the sake of Allah and hate for the sake of Allah.”

Classed as hasan by the commentators on al-Musnad; also classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Targheeb (3030).

See the answers to questions no. 173, 114926

Love for the sake of Allah is one of the greatest acts of worship and one of the best of righteous deeds.

Al-Bukhaari (13), Muslim (45), and an-Nasaa’i (5017) narrated from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, no one of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself of good.”

Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Al-Kirmaani said: It is also part of faith to hate for his brother what he hates for himself of evil.

End quote from Fat-h al-Baari (1/58).

If faith, which is obligatory, is not complete unless one loves good for one’s fellow Muslim and hates evil for him, then loving the Muslim himself and being allied with him is more important and is of a higher level.

Secondly:

Ibn Abi Dunya narrated in Qadaa’ al-Hawaa’ij (103) and in Istinaa‘ al-Ma‘roof (163) via al-Hakam ibn Sinaan: Maalik ibn Dinaar told us: al-Hasan sent Muhammad ibn Nooh and Humayd at-Taweel on an errand for his brother, and said: Tell Thaabit al-Bunaani to come to me with you. Thaabit said to them: I am in seclusion worshipping my Lord (i‘tikaaf). Humayd went back to al-Hasan and told him what Thaabit had said, and he (al-Hasan) said to him: Tell him: Do you not know that your going and striving to help your brother is better for you than performing Hajj after Hajj?

This is a da‘eef (weak) isnad. Al-Hakam ibn Sinaan is da‘eef in hadith; he was classed as da‘eef by Ibn Ma‘een, an-Nisaa’i, Ibn Sa‘d, Abu Dawood and others. Ibn Hibbaan said: He is one of those who were sole narrators of mawdoo‘ (fabricated) hadiths from trustworthy narrators, so no attention should be paid to him.

End quote from Tahdheeb at-Tahdheeb (2/367).

Even if we assume that it is sound, it may be understood as being by way of emphasising and encouraging people to go about helping Muslims with what they need.

More sound than that is the hadith of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “To go about with a brother of mine, trying to help him, is dearer to me than spending a month in seclusion (i‘tikaaf) in this mosque of mine. The one who goes about with his Muslim brother, trying to help him, until he meets his needs, Allah will make his feet steadfast on the Day when feet will slip.”

Narrated by at-Tabaraani (13646), Ibn Bashraan in al-Amaali, and others, classed as hasan by al-Albaani in as-Saheehah (906).

In az-Zuhd (746), Ibn al-Mubaarak narrated that Abu Ja‘far said:

A man came to Husayn ibn ‘Ali to seek his help, and he found him in seclusion for worship. He said: Were it not for being in seclusion, I would have gone out with you and helped you with what you need. Then the man left and went to al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali, and told him what he needed, and he went out with him and helped him. The man said: I did not like to bother you and ask for your help, but I started with Husayn and he said, Were it not for being in seclusion, I would have gone out with you. Al-Hasan said: To help a brother in faith of mine is dearer to me than secluding myself in worship for a month.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Helping Muslims with what they need is more important than secluding oneself for worship, because helping them benefits others and yourself, and doing something that benefits others and yourself is better than doing something that benefits only yourself, except when the deed that only benefits oneself is one of the obligatory and essential duties of Islam.

End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il al-‘Uthaymeen (20/180).

Thirdly:

Among the seven whom Allah will shade with His shade on the Day when there will be no shade but His are “two men who love one another for the sake of Allah, meeting and parting on that basis”, as it says in the saheeh hadith on which the scholars are agreed.

Ahmad (22002) narrated from ‘Ubaadah ibn as-Saamit that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “[Allah says:] ‘My love is due for those who love one another for My sake; My love is due for those who visit one another for My sake; My love is due for those who help one another for My sake; My love is due for those whose hearts are free of grudges and who uphold ties with one another for My sake.’”

Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami‘ (4321)

It is possible to attain these high levels by means of sincere love for one’s brother, intending it solely for the sake of Allah, cooperating in righteousness and piety on a basis of love, sincerely advising one another to do good, getting together to do acts of worship, and casting away evil and inappropriate words and deeds; and by loving for your brother what you love for yourself, hating for him what you hate for yourself, sharing his joys and sorrows, helping him to obey Allah, helping him in matters of concern to him having to do with this world or the hereafter, defending him in his absence, not hesitating to help him or any of his family members, speaking well of him, concealing his faults, not backbiting about him, and not telling lies about him; and by treating him as well as you would treat your own brother, if not better than that.

To sum up: you should treat him in all good ways that you would like to be treated yourself, in word and in deed, in his absence and in his presence.

For more information, please see the answer to question no. 199047.

And Allah knows best.

Source:- Islamqa.info

Is it prescribed to seek forgiveness (istighfaar) after naafil prayers?

Should one say "Astagfirullāh" after offering Salam at the end of every different types of unit of prayer be it Sunnah or Farḍ and be it Tahajjud or the obligatory prayers and the Sunnahs associated with them?

Praise be to Allah

Seeking forgiveness (istighfaar) after the obligatory prayers is proven to be something that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did, because of the report narrated by Muslim (1362) from Thawbaan (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: When he had finished his prayer, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to ask for forgiveness three times and say: “Allaahumma anta al-salaam wa minka al-salaam, tabaarakta yaa dhaa’l-jalaali wa’l-ikraam (O Allaah, You are al-Salaam (the One Who is free from all defects and deficiencies) and from You is all peace, blessed are You, Possessor of majesty and honour).”

The view of the majority of scholars is that this istighfaar and the praise of Allah that follows it is only to be said after an obligatory prayer, so it is not to be said after a naafil (supererogatory) prayer.

But there is a du‘aa’ for seeking forgiveness (istghfaar) that is prescribed after all acts of worship, in general terms.

Allah, may He be exalted, has enjoined it after departing from Muzdalifah in Hajj, and after praying qiyaam al-layl (voluntary night prayers), and the Sunnah indicates that it is prescribed after doing wudoo’, after gatherings of dhikr (e.g., study circles), and in other circumstances.

It is a prayer seeking forgiveness for falling short in doing the act of worship. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“…  But when you depart from 'Arafat, remember Allah at al- Mash‘ar al-Haram. And remember Him, as He has guided you, for indeed, you were before that among those astray.

Then depart from the place from where [all] the people depart and ask forgiveness of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful”

[al-Baqarah 2:198-199].

Ibn Sa‘di said in his commentary on this verse:

“Then depart from the place from where [all] the people depart” i.e., then depart from Muzdalifah, from where all the people have departed, from the time of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) until the present. What is meant by this departing was well-known to them; it meant departing and stoning the jamaraat, offering the sacrifice, circumambulating the Ka‘bah (tawaf), going between as-Safaa and al-Marwah (sa‘i), staying overnight in Mina during the days of at-tashreeq, and completing all the other rituals of Hajj.

Because the purpose of this departing was as mentioned, and the things mentioned are the last of the rituals of Hajj, Allah commanded that when finishing them, we should ask Him for forgiveness and remember Him a great deal.

So forgiveness is sought for mistakes made by the individual when doing his act of worship, and for his shortcomings therein. Remembering Allah is thanking Allah for the blessing that He bestowed upon him by enabling him to do this great act of worship.

This is what the individual should do: every time he finishes an act of worship, he should ask Allah for forgiveness for his shortcomings, and thank Him for enabling him to do it. This is unlike the one who thinks that he has done the act of worship perfectly and has done a favour to his Lord by doing it, and that it will give him high status. Such a one deserves to be despised (by his Lord) and to have his deed rejected, just as the former deserves to be accepted and enabled to do more good deeds.

End quote from Tafseer as-Sa‘di (p. 92).

 Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, praises those who focus on seeking forgiveness after praying tahajjud, as He, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“They used to sleep but little of the night,

And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness”

[adh-Dhaariyaat 51:17-18].

It was narrated from Naafi‘, that Ibn ‘Umar used to spend the night in prayer, then he would say: O Naafi‘, is dawn approaching? And he would say: No. So he would go back and pray some more, then he would say: O Naafi‘, is dawn approaching? And he would say: Yes. So he would sit and pray for forgiveness and offer supplication until dawn broke.

It says in Majma‘ az-Zawaa’id (9/346): It was narrated by at-Tabaraani and the men of its isnad are the men of as-Saheeh, apart from Asad ibn Moosaa, who is thiqah (trustworthy).

Al-Hasan al-Basri said in his commentary on the passage, (interpretation of the meaning): “They used to sleep but little of the night, And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness” [adh-Dhaariyaat 51:17-18]:

They would make their prayer lengthy and pray with energy until, when dawn approached, they would begin to pray for forgiveness.

Tafseer at-Tabari (21/510).

It is narrated in a sound report from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he offered the supererogatory Duhaa [mid-morning] prayer, then he followed it with istighfaar (prayer for forgiveness). It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed Duhaa, then he said: “Allaahumma’ghfir li wa tubb ‘alayya, innaka anta at-Tawwaab ar-Raheem (O Allah, forgive me and accept my repentance; verily You are the Acceptor of repentance, the Most Merciful)”, and he repeated it one hundred times.

Narrated by al-Bukhaari in al-Adab al-Mufrad (619) and an-Nasaa’i in as-Sunan al-Kubra (9935); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani.

This was also narrated via an Ansaari man, but ‘Aa’ishah did not name him. An-Nasaa’i regarded this isnad as more likely to be sound, as he says in as-Sunan al-Kubra (9/46). See: Tuhfat al-Ashraaf (11/398).

This offers evidence from the actions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) for this practice.

Something similar was also narrated from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him), but its isnad is da‘eef. See: It-haaf al-Khiyarah al-Mahrah  by al-Busayri, no. 1757; al-Mataalib al-‘Aaliyah by Ibn Hajar (644), and the comments of the annotator.

And Allah knows best.

Conclusion:

Seeking forgiveness is prescribed, in general terms, after doing acts of worship, because of the shortcomings that may occur. So there is nothing wrong with seeking forgiveness after offering a naafil prayer, and there is no problem if the wording is that of the usual prayer for forgiveness that is recited after offering an obligatory prayer: by saying “Astaghfir Allah, astaghfir Allah, astaghfir Allah” and so on; in fact that is preferable to other words in this case.

Source:- Islamqa.info

His mother will be angry if he does not celebrate Mother’s Day

I have a friend from one of the Arab countries, and in that country Mother’s Day is an official holiday, which he celebrates with his brothers and sisters because of their mother. Now he wants to stop doing that, but his mother will be angry because she has become accustomed to this thing and it has become a tradition in their country. He is afraid that his mother will be angry with him and will bear a grudge against him until she dies not pleased with him. He has tried to convince her that it is haraam and why, but she is not convinced because of the atmosphere in their country. What should he do? Please advise us, may Allaah bless you.

Praise be to Allaah.

Celebrating Mother’s Day is an innovated matter which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his companions (may Allaah be pleased with them) did not do. It is also an imitation of the kuffaar from whom we have been commanded to differ. Hence it is not permissible to celebrate it or to obey one's mother in that, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no obedience if it involves sin; obedience is only in that which is right and proper.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 7257; Muslim, 1840. 

He should continue to honour her and treat her with kindness, and keep trying to convince her that this celebration is a newly invented innovation. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The worst of matters are those which are newly-invented, and every innovation is a going-astray.” Narrated by Muslim, 867; al-Nasaa’i, 1578. Al-Nasaa’i’s report adds the words: “And every going astray will be in the Fire.” 

The mother is entitled to respect and honour, and upholding of the ties of kinship throughout her life, so what is the point of singling out a particular day to honour her? 

Moreover, this innovation has come to us from societies in which disobedience towards parents is widespread, in which mothers and fathers can find no refuge except old people’s homes, where they are left alone and no one visit them, and they spend their time in pain and sorrow. So they think that honouring their mothers for one day will erase the sin of their disobedience towards her during the rest of the year. 

But we Muslims have been commanded to honour our parents and uphold the ties of kinship, and we have been forbidden to disobey our parents. In our religion mothers have been given something which has not been given to them in any other religion; the mother’s rights take precedence over those of the father, as al-Bukhaari (5514) and Muslim (4621) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: A man came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: “O Messenger of Allaah, who is most deserving of my good company?” He said: “Your mother.” He said: “Then who?” He said: “Your mother.” He said: “Then who?” He said: “Your mother.” He said: “Then who?” He said: “Then your father.” 

Honouring one's mother does not come to an end even when she dies, for she is honoured in life and in death. That is done by offering the funeral prayer for her, praying for forgiveness for her, carrying out her last wishes and honouring her family and friends. 

Let us adhere to this great religion and follow its etiquettes and rulings, for in it is sufficient guidance and mercy. 

Shaykh ‘Ali Mahfouz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, explaining how this celebration (Mother’s Day) is an imitation of the kuffaar: 

Explaining the seriousness of celebrating festivals other than the Islamic Eids, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stated that some peoples or groups in his ummah would follow the People of the Book in some of their rituals and traditions, as is narrated in the hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “They will follow the ways of those who came before them, handspan by handspan, cubit by cubit, until even if they entered a lizard’s hole they will follow them.” We said: “O Messenger of Allaah, (do you mean) the Jews and Christians?” He said: “Who else?” Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim… 

Love of imitation, even if it is something that exists in people’s hearts, is forbidden in sharee’ah if the one who is being imitated differs from us in his beliefs and thinking, especially is what is being imitated is religious beliefs or acts of worship, or it is a ritual or tradition. When the Muslims became weak in this time, their imitation of their enemies became more widespread and many western traditions and customs became widespread, whether that has to do with consumer goods or attitudes and behaviour. One of these customs is the celebration of Mother’s Day. End quote. 

Shaykh Muhamamd ibn Saalih ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about celebrating Mother’s Day and he replied: 

All celebrations which differ from the Eids prescribed in Islam are innovated festivals which were not known at the time of the righteous salaf, and may also have come from the non-Muslims, in which case as well as being an innovation (bid’ah) they are also an imitation of the enemies of Allaah. The festivals which are prescribed in Islam are well known to the Muslims: they are Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, and the weekly “Eid” of Jumu’ah. There is no other festival in Islam apart from these three. All the festivals that have been invented apart from these are to be rejected because they are innovations and are false according to the laws of Allaah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever introduces anything into this matter of ours that is not part of it will have it rejected,” i.e., it will be thrown back at him and will not be accepted by Allaah. According to another version: “Whoever does any deed that is not part of this matter of ours will have it rejected.” 

Once this is clear, then it is not permissible to show any of the signs of festivity on the celebration mentioned in the question, namely Mother’s Day. It is not permissible to show joy and happiness, or to offer gifts, and so on. 

The Muslim should feel proud of his religion and adhere to the limits set by Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in this religion, which Allaah has chosen for His slaves, and he should not add anything or take anything away. What the Muslim should also do is to not to follow every new idea that comes along, rather his character should be in accordance with the sharee’ah of Allaah so that he will be a leader and example, not a follower, because the sharee’ah of Allaah – praise be to Allaah – is complete in all ways as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion”

[al-Maa'idah 5:3] 

A mother’s right is greater than having just one day in the year to be honoured, rather the mother’s right over her children is that they should take care of her and obey her, so long as it does not involve disobedience towards Allaah, at all times and in all places. 

Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 2/301 

See also question no. 10070. 

And Allaah knows best.

Source:- Islamqa.info