FATAWA FROM ALJUMUAH MAGAZINE
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Fatawas start here:
WOMEN
Q. Is it Islamically acceptable for a woman to designate an adult brother as her wali (guardian) in marriage if her father refuses a man because he is not of the same tribe or culture? What are some Islamically acceptable reasons for a wali to refuse a proposal. If a woman has reached maturity and is of college age, does she have more right over herself in choosing or refusing marriage partner for herself than her father? If she were to marry with her oldest brother, who is 40 years, as her wali, without the consent of their father because he would like her to not marry him because of his nationality or culture.
A. The purpose of the wali is to safeguard and look after the interests of the woman, and not his own interests or particular desires. Hence, if a qualified man asks for the woman and based on grounds that cannot be supported by the shari’ah, this man is refused by the wali, then this wali has wronged the woman and is not qualified for the responsibility that Allah has given him. Hence, he may be removed form that position of wali. Refusing someone solely due to nationalistic pride and jahiliyah-type cultural practices is not sufficient reason to reject a marriage proposal.
According to the Sahfi’ view, the position of wali, then, automatically falls upon the next in line. Hence, in the question being asked, her older brother would qualify as the wali. According to the Hanafi view, the position of the wali falls to the head of the community in such a case. The head of the community may then appoint her older brother, for example, as her new wali. From the evidence, they present, it seems that the Hanafi position may be the strongest. In any case, their view prevents the arbitrary dismissing of a wali by a woman. The wali is only to be removed if there is a shari’ah reason to remove him. He is not to be removed, for example, if he reuses to marry his daughter to a man that his daughter wants to marry but whom the father finds is not , for example, a pious Muslim. Hence, the removal of the wali should go through the people in authority in order to make sure that it is not resorted to unwisely or improperly.
One last point related to the question, even if the woman is of "college
age", she still may not get married without the approval of her wali
This is the strongest opinion among the scholars. Some scholars make an
exception for those women who have been previously married, stating that
they may be their own wali, but this doesn’t seem to be the strongest opinion.
Q. What is the ruling
on women wearing loose pants that do not show the shape of their legs and
are very feminine in style? Is a jilbab essential or can any clothing that
sufficiently covers the body be enough. What about women covering their
face? I have not read any Hadith that supports this action, and many Hadiths
that discourage it such as uncovering the face while at Hajj. What is that
ruling on that?
A. In many Hadiths, the Prophet (saw) has made it clear that women and men are not supposed to appear like each other. This has led some scholars to conclude that it is absolutely forbidden for women to wear any kind of pants whatsoever. However, if the pants are clearly not those for men but are specifically for women and they do not fit in such a way that they describe what is beneath them, then other scholars have argued that there is no prohibition as such against them and they may be allowed. IN any case, they may no be worn as an other garment in public, which leads us to the next part of your question.
In Surah Al-Ahzab, verse 59, Allah has ordered the believing women to wear a jilbab. A jilbab as defined in all the books of tafseer is a cloak that covers the woman’s body from the top of her head to her feel. It is also described in those books, form the scholars of the earliest generation that after that verse was revealed, the women would completely cover themselves, leaving, for example, just one eye exposed so they can se the read. Hence, this is the outer garment of the woman that she must wear when she is in front of men she is not related to.
There are not many "Hadiths that discourage" the covering
of the face. There are only those that do not allow it while performing
the Hajj, in the same way that man is not allowed to wear a head-covering
during the Hajj. The fact that the Prophet (saw) disallowed a face veil
during the Hajj is a sign that it was worn by the women at that time. Furthermore,
these is no record of the Prophet (saw) disapproving of them wearing the
face veil. Therefore, even those who say that it is not obligatory must
admit that it is sunnah and was approved by the Prophet (Saw).
Q After being criticized on the way I prayed
my salat by women from different schools of thought whose criticism often
contradicted one another, I began to read numerous books and ahadith on
the performance of salat. In studying, I learned that the person who had
taught my mother to pray by dictating the prayer for her to write down
had left out the tashahhud! I thought that I had finally learned salat
correctly, but when I performed the salat with an Afghan woman, she sharply
admonished me that I was praying like a man, and she said that women should
not straighten their backs on bowing, point their right toes to the qiblah
in tashahhud, etc. The books that I had read made no differentiation between
men and women in the performance of salat except the extent of clothing.
Insha-Allah, could you provide me with the correct way for a woman to pray?
A. The general principle is that every act of the prayer of women is exactly the same as the prayer of men unless there is some clear proof showing otherwise. In fact, the general principle is that the laws for women are exactly the same as those for men unless there is proof showing otherwise.
There is a difference of opinion among the scholars with respect to the manner in which a woman is supposed to perform the prayer. Some say that she should keep her body close together and not spread it out like men do in the prayer. However, there are no authentic reports from the Prophet (peace be upon him) stating that. There does not seem to be anything authentic of this nature from the Companions either. There are, though, some reports from the Followers stating that the woman does not extend herself in the prayer the way that men do. Such authentic reports have come from Mamar, Qatada, Ata and Ibrahim al-Nakhai. (Such reports may be found in the Musannafs of ibn Abu Shaiba and Abdul Razzaq al-Sanani.) In Sunan al-Kubra (vol. 2, p. 222), al-Baihaqi states that this revolves around the fact that women are supposed to remained covered or, that is, not expose themselves. Perhaps the best way to resolve this dispute and Allah knows best is to say that when women are not praying in the presence of non-related men, then they should pray in exactly the same manner as men. However, if there are men present, in the same way that the scholars say that she should then cover her face during the prayer, then she should not pray in that fashion. Instead of extending her body in the bowing, prostration, sitting and so forth, she should keep her body close together and not expose herself to men who may see her.
There are other differences between the prayer of men and women, although they are not concerned with the manner of performing the prayer as such. These include the following:
(1) Women are not commanded to make the adhan or iqama like men are. Furthermore, if there are men present, they should not give the adhan or iqama. However, among a group of only women, they may make the adhan and iqama if they wish.
(2) Obviously, the aurah or the parts of the body that must be covered in the prayer is different for that of men and women. When praying by herself or among women, the most common opinion concerning the aurah of the woman is that she must cover all of her body for the prayer with the exception of her face and hands. If her feet should become uncovered, there seems to be no strong evidence that this invalidates her prayer. However, it is better and safer for her to cover her feet. Furthermore, in the presence of non-related men, she should cover all of herself in the prayer.
(3) When praying in a congregation of women only, the female Imam stands in the middle of the first row and does not stand ahead of the rows by herself. Such has been authentically narrated from the acts of Aisha and Umm Salama.
(4) When the Imam makes a mistake in a congregational prayer, men would correct him by saying, Subhanallah, while women would correct him by clapping (some describe it as clapping the palm of one hand against the back of the other). This is confirmed in well-known hadith.
(5) It is neither obligatory or recommended for women to pray in the mosques. Instead, the prayers they perform in their homes are the best. Furthermore, when praying in the mosque, they are supposed to get up and leave as soon as the prayer is finished, as was the custom during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him)ó as narrated by Umm Salama and recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari. This was in order to avoid any mixing between the men and women in the mosque or outside the mosque after the prayer.
(6) In the congregational prayer, the best rows for the women are the back rows while the best rows for them are the front rows. Many argue that this is best because she is further away from men. Hence, they also say that if she is not in the view of the men, then, the best rows for her becomes the front rows, as al-Nawawi stated in his commentary to Sahih Muslim.
(7) The Friday Prayer is not obligatory upon women. If a woman performs
the Friday Prayer, then she does not pray the Dhuhr Prayer.
Q. If a woman must point her toes to the qiblah during the tashahhud and when ending salat, what should she do if pointing her toes gives her continuous pain?
A. : This is from the form or manner in which the Prophet (peace
be upon him) performed his prayer. It is not one of the necessary pillars
of the prayer. However, everyone should do his best to imitate the Prophet's
prayer to the best of his or her ability. If a person is caused undue harm
or pain by such action, then there is no problem and the prayer is not
affected if they do not perform that act.
Q. Is it permissible for a Muslim woman
living in America to go outside after Maghrib alone? And if so, please
give any authentic ahadith pertaining to the above question.
A. : I do not know of any specific hadith relating to the permissibility
or impermissibility of a single woman going outside after Maghrib. However,
the general principle is that women do not go outside and in the eyes of
the public unless there is a need to do so. The main place of the Muslim
woman where most of her responsibilities lie, where most of her concerns
should be, where her prayer is best and so forth is within the home. The
idea of going outside just to go outside and just to enjoy being outside
is a characteristics of the so-called liberated woman of the West. In actual
fact, it is simply a revival of the Days of Ignorance (Jahiliyah).
Allah says in the Quran, ì[O wives of the Prophet...] stay in your
homes and do not display yourselves like that of the times of Ignorance
(al-Ahzab 33). Commenting on this verse, al-Qurtubi wrote, The meaning
of this verse is that they should remain in their homes. Although the speech
is addressed to the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him), its meaning
applies to other women as well as long as there is no evidence to particularize
other women. In fact, the shariah is abundant with commands for
women to stay in their houses and to refrain from leaving them except due
to necessity...î It is recorded in Sahih Muslim from Aisha
that they would not leave their homes except when there was some need to
do so. Al-Tirmidhi recorded the authentic hadith in which the Prophet (peace
be upon him) said, The woman is aurah [something to be concealed
and which people should be shy to expose]. If she goes out, Satan makes
her alluring to look at.
PRAYER AND WUDHU
Q. I have a book which gives the times for the five daily prayers in my city, but it does not specify when the sunnah prayers should be performed. If, for example, the time for the Asr Prayer is 3:00 PM, should I perform the two rakat sunnah at 3:00 or before 3:00?
A. : The prayer time schedules give the beginning times for each
respective prayer. That means that the prayer itself and all of its related
prayers are to be performed after that time. Hence, if the time for the
Dhuhr Prayer begins at 1:00, then the sunnah prayers for the Dhuhr Prayer
must be performed after 1:00, and then the obligatory Dhuhr Prayer will
be prayed after them.
Q. I have read in numerous ahadith and books that salat cannot be performed between Fajr and sunrise, and between Asr and Maghrib. My book gives the earliest times that salat can be performed for example, the time for Fajr is also listed as the time for dawn. But how long after the earliest time for Fajr and Asr can Fajr and Asr be performed without being in a forbidden time?
A. From the wording of your question, there seems to be some
misunderstanding involved here. The meaning of the prohibition that is
referred to in the hadith is following: Once one has prayed the obligatory
Fajr Prayer (obviously during Fajr time), then one should not pray any
voluntary prayers afterwards until after the sun has risen. Similarly,
once one has prayed the obligatory Asr Prayer (obviously during Asr time),
then one should not pray any voluntary pray afterwards until after the
sun has set. Hence, as long as the obligatory Fajr Prayer and obligatory
Asr Prayer are prayed during their proper times, it is not possible for
them to be performed in a forbidden time. The Prophet (peace be upon him)
stated that if a person catches one rakah of the Fajr Prayer before
sunrise, he has caught the Fajr Prayer. The same was said about the Asr
Prayer. However, of course, one is not allowed to intentionally delay these
prayers until their times are almost finished.
Q. Should the two rakat of Fajr Sunnah be performed before or after the Fajr Salat?
A. : Before, as is clear from the hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari
and elsewhere.
Q. In Sahih al-Bukhari, there are ahadith on the importance of performing salat at its earliest time. But in the case of Isha, ahadith are also given which state that the Prophet (peace be upon him) often preferred to perform the Isha closer to midnight. In my locality, the earliest time for the Isha is as early as 5:30 PM during a portion of the winter. Should I perform the Isha at its earliest time or should it be better to delay it until later in the evening?
A. : Before responding to the question directly, which came from a sister, let me state the following regarding men: Men should pray in the mosque in congregation. Hence, whatever time is determined by the Imam or mosque authorities for the Isha time is the best and proper time for the men to perform the Isha Prayer. They should attend the Isha Prayer in congregation in the mosque regardless of whether the mosque decides to pray Isha early in its time or to delay it.
As for women or those who do not have access to daily congregational
prayers in the mosque, it is preferred for them to delay the Isha Prayer
as late as they can, but not beyond midnight. Midnight here does not refer
to 12:00 but it refers to the mid of the night, that is, the midway point
between sunset and dawn, as was stated by Shaikh ibn Uthaimin. It is also
wise not to delay the prayer so long that one is then too tired to perform
the prayer well and to perform its related sunnah. Hence, personal discretion
may be used to determine what is the best time for a person to perform
the Isha prayer given the factors of trying to delay the prayer as well
as performing the prayer in a proper manner without being too tired.
Q. What is the proper procedure for calling the adhan of Uthman in a prison setting? We usually call two adhans for Friday Jumu'ah and I have read in a book written by Jamaal Zarabozo titled, Friday Fiqh that one should not call the adhan of Uthman if it is not done in the same way and same reasoning that he had it done. The disagreement is that we all know what time Jumu'ah is inside the prison, because we are only allowed to have Jumu'ah at a certain time, so why should we have two adhans s opposed to one? Also, the place that we hold Jumu'ah at is not our Masjid, we only basically use this as musallah, so by this not being our Masjid, we are not making two adhans inside the Masjid. We ask that you please respond to these questions and if at all possible send along with your response any documented material that we can have and review insha'Allah.
A. If the adhan that you are going to give is to e given from the same place that you are going to pray---and not, for example, out in the "yard" where the inmates may be gathered---then you should only give one adhan as was the practice of the Prophet (saw). The adhan of Uthman is not to be given from the Masjid but where the people are gathered, like a marketplace, so that they may prepare for the Friday Prayer. The evidences and details concerning that can be found in the same work that you referred to in your question.
Q. Some brothers find it hard to renounce the world totally after their conversation to Islam especially when dealing with persons such as ourselves in the penal system. Due to our status as being incarcerated, the legitimacy of whether a brother is Muslim or not becomes more important since in this violent environment he/she may be the cause of a Muslim getting hurt, etc. Then, the question is, if a person who has made the shahadah (testimony) abandons the salah totally, is he still a Muslim or must he verbally declare his apostasy even keeping in mind what the Messenger of Allah (saw) said concerning salah being the partition between belief and unbelief.
A.There is a difference of opinion among
the scholars concerning the one who does not pray simply due to laziness
or something of that nature. The majority of the scholars do not consider
such a person an unbeliever while the minority say such a person does become
an unbeliever. Probably, the strongest opinion is that of the minority
based on the Hadith you mentioned in your question as well as many other
Hadiths. However, in you environment and given the fact that many of the
people involved are newly converted to Islam, they must be clearly shown
the gravity of their act. It must be clearly explained to them that what
they are doing is very dangerous to their religion and may take them out
of the fold of Islam. Only after this process has been undertaken and it
has been make clear to the person and he recognizes this fact can it be
said that he is an unbeliever. In any case, stating another person to be
an unbeliever is a very delicate and serious matter. Many in the prisons
do not have the knowledge and understanding to know when someone has correctly
and adequately been shown the truth and has refused it. Hence, it would
be better for you in your environment to concentrate your efforts on trying
to rectify and change the behavior of those who do not pray by clear and
convincing proofs.
CAN'T DOs
Q. I am a refugee from Africa living in the Netherlands. I want to know whether it is permissible for a Muslim person to visit a church and attend their service or not. My intention is not to change my religion. I am a good Muslim as I pray five times daily, and read the Holy Quran. The most important thing in Islam is intention and after some time, I am going to stop it. Is this permissible? We will appreciate further details.
A. : Not meaning to be impolite but I do not understand this question whatsoever. You do not state any reason why you are attending church services. Why would a Muslim enjoy attending a church and watching people committing shirk? How could Muslims sit quietly or happily while they watch people commit the greatest sin that they could commit? If a Muslim sees an evil, he is supposed to stop it. If he does not have the ability to stop it with his hand or his tongue, he must stop it with his heart and this is the weakest aspect of faith. What this referred to hadith means is that if you realize something is an evil, you will hate it in your heart. You will not like to see it and you would do your best to avoid participating in it. If a person does not have at least that much faith in his heart, it means that he has no faith whatsoever.
Other than the church services, such churches usually contain pictures and statues also. These must also be avoided. Al-Bukhari recorded that Umar said, We do not enter the churches because of the statues of pictures they contain
You stated in the question that the most important thing is intention. That is only partially true. Two conditions must be met. The intention must be good or pure but, at the same time, the act that you are performing must be legally valid. If the act is not legally valid, intention itself does not make it valid.
I advise you, dear brother, to stop attending such churches. You have no way of knowing what evil Satan may put in your heart by attending the gatherings wherein shirk is being committed. I advise you to read the Quran more and to attend the mosques more. This will, Allah willing, remove any desire or want on your part to attend any church whatsoever.
May Allah guide us all to the truth and what is best for us in both
this life and the Hereafter.
MEN
Q. I have a dilemma. I am an incarcerated Muslim youth. I am uncertain about the law governing Muslim males and jewelry. I know we cannot wear gold. My question is as Muslim men, can we wear earrings (so long as they are not gold)?
A. This question is being asked more and more by Muslims in the west. This leads one to consider the development of this phenomena as this will reflect on the proper answer to it.
This question has been asked recently in the light of the practice of western, non-Muslim men wearing earrings during the past couple of decades. Among those non-Muslim men, the earrings were originally worn to demonstrate one of two things (depending on which ear the ring was worn): either that the person was homosexual or the person wore an earring to demonstrate his toughness.
Now this practice has "matured" somewhat and men are wearing earrings in both ears as a kind of adornment or decoration. Therefore, the following matters shed light on the Islamic ruling concerning the wearing of earrings by men. First, obviously, homosexuality is forbidden and any outward show of it by any Muslim must also be considered forbidden. Second, the wearing of earrings to demonstrate how tough one is, also does not seem to be proper Islamic behavior, especially if worn around other Muslims. Muslims are taught to be humble and polite to others and not to be arrogant or proud. Third, this is a custom that has developed among non-Muslim men and is being copied by Muslim men--- that is why this question never came up before this became a fad among the non-Muslim men of the West. Therefore, it is a kind of imitation of the fads and customs of those men. The Prophet (saw) stated:, "Whoever imitates a people is one of them." (Authentically recorded by Abu Dawud). Finally, earrings are still generally considered a type of adornment for women and even in the West they were originally worn by those men who wanted to imitate women. The Prophet (saw) cursed effeminate men-those men who appear like women. (Authentic Hadiths of that nature have been recorded by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Al-Tirmidhi and others)>
Given all of the above, it is clear that Muslims must avoid this recent
fad of the non-Muslims of the West. Earrings, even if they are not gold,
should not be worn by Muslim men.
Q. I know that tit is forbidden to wear silk garments if you are a man, but what about nylon, which is man made? Please give me sunnah or legal law concerning this question.
A. Obviously, there is no stated text prohibiting
the use of nylon. One cannot make an analogy between it and silk simply
because it is man-made. Silk is considered forbidden for men because of
its luxuriousness and the fact that its qualities are befitting women rather
than men. Hence, one would have to conclude that nylon is permissible since
there is no text forbidding it and there is no cause to believe that it
is forbidden based on any prohibition of any similar items. Of course,
a man should not wear nylon clothing if such clothing is feminine.
MISCELLANEOUS
Q. I would like to get acquainted with religious principles and doctrines. I would like to know more about a man named Muhammad Ibn Abdullah called "Al-Mahdi". I know he will be coming from the family of Hasan (the Prophet's grandson), and that he "Al-Mahdi" will rule over the land and fill it with justice.
A.Obviously, this question is related to a matter of aqeeda or faith. There is no room for jurists reasoning on this matter. All that one can say about this issue is what has been stated in either the Qur'an or the authentic Hadiths of the Prophet (saw). According to Abdul Aleem Abdul Adheen's Master's thesis (al-Ahadeeth al-Waaridah fi al-Mahdi fi Meezan al-Jarh wa al-Ta'deel), there are thirty two authentic (hasan or sahih) Hadiths about Mahdi. Of these, nine of them mention the Mahdi explicitly while the others simply give a description of him. Here are a sampling of those authentic Hadiths:
Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) stated, "At the end of my nation, the Mahdi shall appear. Allah will fill the earth will rain for him; the land will bear its fruits; wealth will be given properly; the number of goats will increase and the number of the Nation will become more. He will live seven of either years (in that state)." (Related by Al-Hakim).
Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:, "The world will not pass away before the Arabs are ruled by a man of my family whose name will be the same as mine." (Recorded by Al-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud). Abu Dawud's version adds, "If only one day of this world remained, Allah would lengthen that day till He raised in it a man who belongs to me (to my family) whose name is the same as mine and whose father's name is the same as my father's, who will fill the earth with equity and justice as it has been filled with oppression and tyranny."
Abu Dawud also records the Hadith, "the Mahdi will be of my family, of the descendants of Fatima."
Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "The Mahdi will be of my stock and will have a broad forehead and a prominent nose. He will fill the earth will equity and justice as it was filled with oppression and tyranny, and will rule for seven years." (Recorded by Abu Dawud).
Ali Ibn Abi Talib (ra), narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "The Mahdi is from us, the people of the (Prophet's) Household. Allah will rectify him in one night (after he had not been pious he will become pious in one night)." (Recorded by Ahmad).
Other Hadiths also describe him as the leader of the Muslims at the time when 'Isa (Jesus) sallallahu alayhe wa sallam descends to earth.
According to numerous scholars, including Al-Shawkani and Sideeq Hasan,
the Hadiths as a whole about the Mahdi are mutawatir (transmitted in such
a way that no doubt remains about their authenticity) and cannot be denied
by Muslims.
Q. I am a member of the Muslim Students
Association in my university and for some time now we have been having
a disagreement on what constitutes the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (saw).
Is it just Hadiths passed on for the Ummah to follow, such as his sayings
and manners or does it encompass everything he ever did, such as how he
dressed (the turban and Arab clothing), how he cut his fingernails, and
tended to other personal things? Is there any flexibility in keeping your
own culture, just as long as it is within the bounds of Islam? I know a
lot of people are scared off by the Arabization of Islam, and I also know
that we are not allowed, as ordained in the Qur’an to forbid that which
is not forbidden by Allah, nor make halal that which Allah has not decreed.
Could you please address this issue, for it is very important in following
the right path.
A. A complete and full answer to this question will require many pages. However, to be as brief and concise as possible, the following may be stated:
First, if the Prophet (saw) recommended or suggested any particular action, then that action is no longer simply from his deeds but becomes part of Islamic Law and it is expected that Muslims abide by such a statement. For example, the Prophet (saw) used to wear different color clothing including white clothing. However, he, in particular, stated the superiority of wearing white clothing. Hence, Muslims should consider white a preferred color for clothing. This is no longer simply a case of an act of the Prophet (saw) but falls in the realm of what ht Prophet (saw) spoke about, which is part and parcel of what the Muslim should follow in his religion.
Second, many were the actions of the Prophet (saw) for which there is no statement form the Prophet concerning them. These acts have to be dealt with in a different manner. One has to examine them to see if concerning that act the Prophet (saw) was setting an example for his nation of followers (Ummah) or not. Below are just some of the different categories into which the actions of the Prophet (saw) may be divided:
(a) Actions which he performed naturally as a human being without any necessary intention behind them. This category would include, for example, his producing a slight snore while sleeping. Obviously, Muslims are not asked to look to the Prophet (saw) as an example for these types of actions.
(b) Actions which he performed because such action was the custom of the people of his time. This would include his riding upon a camel. Again, these types of action need not be followed by the Muslims. Some argue that if one does so out of extreme love for the Prophet (saw), he will be rewarded. However, there is no proof that they, in general, should be considered something preferable (mustahab) in the shari’ah.
(c) Actions that he performed for some worldly benefit or purpose. This would include what he followed in the way of healing and medicine. (Note again that if the Prophet made a statement about some form of medicine, then, that is not only his act but becomes of his statements which forms part of the shari’ah.) these also are not considered acts in which he is setting an example for his followers to emulate.
(d) Supernatural acts that occurred at his hand. Obviously, the Prophet’s followers are not expected to follow him in these matters.
(e) Acts that are specific for him and him alone as can be proven form confirmed evidence. This would include his marrying more than four wives. By definition, these acts are specific for him and are not to be followed by others.
(f) Actions that he performed in explanation of the Qur’an or verbal sunnah. In these acts, the Prophet (saw) is setting an example for the Muslims to follow.
(g) Actions that he performed in implementation of the Qur’an or verbal sunnah. Again, in these acts also, the Prophet is setting an example for the Muslims to follow.
(h) Actions that do not fall into any of the above categories. The greatest amount of controversy and difference of opinion is over this category of acts. In any case, if a Muslim follows the Prophet (saw) in an act that would fall under category (h), no one could find fault with him and the act is, at the very least, considered permissible in the shari’ah.