The Muslim Students' Association @ University of Houston


Some points from a question-and-answer session with
Shaikh Muhammad Naasir ad-Deen al-Albaani


produced by:
JAM'IAT IHYAA' MINHAAJ AL-SUNNAH
24 BISHOPS HILL, IPSWICH, SUFFOLK, IP3 8EN

Topics:


Women
Husband forcing alcohol on wife | Muslima's awrah in front of disbelieving women | Parents' refusal to let siblings meet
Ruling concerning Niqab/gloves | Wearing high-heeled shoes | Scarf suffices as hijab? | Advice for newly-wed
Mutah(temporary marriage)? | Greeting by opposite sex | Concerning Khimar


Changing Allah's Creation
Men's facial hair | Sex-change operations | Plucking eye-brows


Quran
Reciting Quran without wudhu | Taking Quran to land of disbelievers | Mushaf on the floor | Some Ayats explained


Wudhu & Prayer
Wudhu over bandageMissing takbeers of funeral prayer | Prophet's funeral prayer over black woman | Missing Witr prayers Staying up after Isha'Prayer in Jamah | Wiping over socks


Cant Do's
Hasty haram/halal fatawas | InnovationsStealing from dadMen & duff | Masturbation | Partaking in Christian festivals


Miscellaneous
Manner of sitting | Condition of Umrah/HajjBackbiting a disbeliever | Burying in coffins | Kiss hand of aalim
Salafee dawah w/respect to other Jamaah | Carrying stick-a sunnah? | Imam Bahaqi & picture of the Prophet!




Q: Putting the mushaf on the floor.

One has to consider whether there are any signs of
disrespect; if so, then it is fitting for the Qur'aan to
be put only in a high place, as is apt for the elevated
position of the Qur'aan in the hearts of the believers.
As for a man putting the Qur'aan in front of/between his
feet, this is doubtful, but if he puts it on the ground
in a corner away from the people, there is nothing to
suggest disrespect to the Qur'aan.

Q: What is the judgment regarding burying in coffins,
especially when the corpse has been brought from a
distant land and it is feared that the body might have
decayed/decomposed ?

First of all, Muslims must be aware that to transfer a
corpse from one land to another is against the Sunnah;
the Sunnah is for the Muslim to be buried in a graveyard
in the area where he or she died. This is because
transporting the corpse necessarily means delaying its
burial, whereas there are ahaadeeth which command haste
in burial of the corpse and speed in taking the deceased
to the graveyard, with the Prophet's (S) reason that, "If
he was righteous, it is good you are nearing him to; if
he was an unbeliever or wicked, then it is an evil you
are taking off your necks" Hence, he who dies in an area
other than his home should be buried in that area, if
there is a graveyard there. But the problem arises, as is
apparent in the question, when a man dies in a land of
Kufr - in this case, it is fitting that the nearest
(Muslim) graveyard to where he died is sought for burial,
out of necessity. However, for example, and this occurs
often, if a Kuwaiti dies in Egypt, nowadays he is then
taken to Kuwait to be buried - this is not allowed. Or an
Egyptian dies in Syria and is transported for burial,
etc, all this is against what the Prophet (S) taught with
respect to burial of the dead.

As far as the question of burial in a coffin is
concerned, where there is a fear that the body may have
decayed to disintegration such that it cannot be lifted
out of the coffin, then we say: Necessity dictates how
far you go. If the condition of the corpse is known to
the doctors by knowing the time to the minute at which
the body was placed in the coffin, and knowing how long
it takes for the body to decay, as is known by them, and
it is thought that it has most probably disintegrated,
then it can be buried as is (in the coffin), by way of
keeping away from the greater evil with the smaller evil.
However, if it is thought that the body is likely to be
virtually intact, for example if the body was put in ice
as is done medically and transported by air on a half-
hour journey from another country, then it must be taken
out of the coffin and buried. This is because burial of
the body in the coffin is not allowed. for that is the
practice of the Christians and it is not allowed to
imitate them in anything, including burial. The Prophet
(S) said, 'The Lahd is for us, and the Shaaq is for
people other than us." (Saheeh reported by Tirmidhi,
Nasaa'i, Ibn Maajah and Abu Daawood on the authority of
Ibn Abbas (see Talkis Ahkam Al-Janaa'i; p. 62) ) The
Lahd is a niche, the side of the body, in the side of the
wall of the grave, facing the Qiblah, and filled up so
that the earth is put behind the corpse only, and not on
top of it. The Shaqq is a ditch in which the coffin is
placed, and is the practice of the Christians; we are
commanded to differ from the example of the polytheists.

What is the Islamic ruling on a husband offering Khamr
(intoxicants) to his wife, and threatening to divorce her
if she refuses it, although he knows that she is regular
at her prayers?

The answer to this question is well-known: "There can be
no obedience to the created which involves disobedience
to the-Creator." (Saheeh-Haakim & Ahmad) It is not
permissible for the wife to obey her husband in
disobedience to Allaah the Exalted, and her divorce from
him is better for her; Allaah says: "But if their
intention is firm for divorce, Allaah hears and knows all
things" (Baqarah 2:227) This is especially true when the
cause for divorce from the woman is her obedience to
Allaah, and disobedience to her husband who is flouting
the commandments of Allaah. However, other issues need to
be taken into account and each case is judged by its
individual merits; if this woman is divorced from her
husband, her and her children's lives may be ruined; in
such a case, it would be possible for us to say that she
should stay with her husband, by way of choosing the
lesser of two evils. However, we do not give such a
ruling generally, for it is against the essential
principle; the matter is as Allaah says: "Nay, each man
is aware of his own self (situation)." (Qiyaamah 75:14)

Some who are seeking knowledge are very hasty in giving
rulings in matters of Halaal and Haraam, and this is a
common noticeable defect What is your advice to such
people?

We have spoken on this issue long before, and we said
that Allah the Wise has divided the Muslim community into
two types of people, the Ahl al-Dhikr (Possessor of the
message),.and those who depend on the Ahl al-Dhikir. As
Allah says to the ordinary people: Then ask those who
possess the Message if you do not know. (Anbiyaa 21:7)
The Ahl al-Dhikr, as we all know, are the Ahl-Qur'an and
the Ahl al-Hadeeth; those who know the authentic from the
inauthentic, the general from the specific, the
abrogating from the abrogated, and other such principles
of Fiqh and Hadeeth.

Hence, it is not allowed for a Muslim of the 14th century
to begin giving fatwaas on the basis of some hadeeth,
simply because he came across it in some book, although
he does not know if it is saheeh according to the
criteria of the people of knowledge of Hadeeth! On the
other hand, he knows that he is not sufficiently well-
versed in knowledge and competence in the Arabic language
to explain the meanings and ideas behind the Kitab
and; Sunnah. Therefore, anyone who has not decided to
undertake acquiring the ilm (knowledge) and persevere in
it for many years until the people of 'ilm testify that
he can guide the people and direct them towards good, it
is not permissible for him to think that he is an 'aalim
simply because he has read some ahadeeth and memorized
some aayaat. We often hear of some of them who cannot
even read the Qur'an properly, but rather make a mess of
it, and similarly with the ahaadeeth of the Prophet (S).
This is why I advise the seekers of knowledge to study
two fundamentals: a)principles of Hadeeth, and b)
principles of Fiqh.

I have mentioned before that it is not easy for one to
deduce the intended aim of the Lawgiver from any text
unless he consults as far as possible all the texts in
the Kitab and the Sunnah; I will give a clear example:
Allaah says, "Forbidden to you are dead meat, blood."
(Maa'idah 5:4) If a beginner who is studying the Qur'an
and has no knowledge of Hadeeth is asked regarding fish,
he will immediately bring this aayah as proof to clearly
forbid it since it prohibits dead meat, but were he to
look into the ahaadeeth he would know that the Prophet
(S) excepted two types of animals, fish and locusts, from
this prohibition, so he could rule accordingly.

Briefly, the student must learn these two fundamental
branches of learning to help understand the Kitaab and
Sunnah as correctly as possible.

Is there a limit to growing facial hair, since some
people have very thick hair which sometimes goes from the
chest to the neck and even all the way to the eyes?

It is not permissible for the Muslim to remove any hair
from the beard except what the Lawgiver has allowed. It
is reported from one of the companions who narrated the
hadeeth, "Leave the beard and trim the moustaches,"
'Abdullaah bin 'Umar, that he used to remove from his
beard what was below a fistful. Apart from that, trimming
the beard is against the Sunnah, whether or not the man's
beard is pleasing to him, and whether or not it is
pleasing to others, for all of Allaah's creation is
handsome, as in the saheeh hadeeth, where the Prophet (S)
saw a man with a long waist-shirt and ordered him to have
his izaar halfway up his shins; the man gave the excuse
that he had a defect in his ankles, so the Prophet (S)
said, "All of Allaah's creation is handsome." (saheeh-
Ahmad and others. This phrase is actually of Qur'anic
origin cf. Sajdah 32:7)

Really we must memorize this hadeeth well in order to
answer the misconceptions in issues like this. One who
says that "my wife has a lot of hair and I do not want to
go near her" should remember this hadeeth, and in fact
remember the saying of Allaah:

"So set your face truly to the faith, Allaah's
handiwork according to the pattern on which
he has made mankind, (let there be) no change in
the creation of Allaah." (Roum 30:30)

Also the hadeeth

"Allaah has cursed the woman who tattoos and the
one who asks for it, the woman who plucks the
eyebrows and the one who asks for it and the
woman who makes gaps in her teeth, who change the
creation of Allaah for the sake of
beauty."(Bukhari, narrated by 'Abdullah bin
Mas'ood)

These few quotes are enough as proof to show that it is
not allowed to change the creation of Allaah in any way.
On top of this, there is the clear text about the shin;
so if the man who wants to cover the defect in his shin
were to say that there is a defect in my ankle, the
defect would be attributed to the Creator:

Glorified is He and High above all that they say,
Exalted and Great. (Israa' 17:43)

Similarly, the Prophet (S) said, "Do not abuse
Time, for Allaah is Time."

Allaah says:

Your Lord does create and choose as He pleases:
no choice have they. Glory be to Allaah! And far
is He above the partners they ascribe (to him)!
(Qasas 28:68)

According to His Wisdom, Allaah has differentiated
between men and women, created man with a beard and
created women without a beard; He did not do this without
reason. Also there are among men those with thick beards,
enough for an old wise man, others have light beards and
still others have almost no beards at all, just like
women.

Do you see any lack of proportion in the creation
of the Most Gracious? (Mulk 67:3)

Allaah be cleared of blame!

Hence, it is obligatory to accept the creation of Allaah.
Also, as I recently said for the benefit of some
brothers, although this will lengthen the discussion I
will nevertheless mention it: this man, who has been
mentioned in the question, whose beard reaches up to his
eyes, what is his Islamic obligation when he stands
before the mirror? A sincere believing Muslim, when he
looks at his figure in the mirror, says: "O Allaah! As
you have made my appearance beautiful, likewise make my
character beautiful (Allaahumma kamaa hassanta khalqee,
fa hassin khuluqee. This supplication is reported in a
hadeeth on looking in the mirror, but with a non-authentic
isnad. However, it is authentically related as a
supplication at any time. See Ibn Taymiyyah's al-Kalim at-
Tayyib with Albaani's footnotes). So, would this man say:
you have not made my appearance beautiful"?! This would
be Kufr itself.

Thus, it is obligatory on the believers to believe in
Allaah really and truly, and to implement this in their
lives, and to accept fully Allaah's creation just as they
accept His laws. Just as it is not allowed to violate His
laws, similarly it is not permissible to intentionally
oppose the practice of Allaah in His creation, and you
will never find change in the practice of Allaah. (cf.
Ahzaab 33:62)

Is the hadith about wiping over the bandage authentic? If
not, what does a person with a bandage do (during
wudoo')?

The hadeeth of the bandage is not authentic, as far as I
know. As long as that is the case, the person follows the
commandments of Allaah as much as possible. Hence, if
someone has a bandage on a wound, he washes as many limbs
as possible which are required in wudoo'; apart from
that, he is excused, just as someone with an amputated
limb cannot wash all the required limbs. Allah does not
burden a soul beyond what it can bear. However, if the
hadeeth is authentic, then the bandage must be wiped.

Is carrying a stick a sunnah? Or is it a sunnah of the
khutbah only, or exclusively for the Messenger of Allaah
(S)?

It is none of these: to carry a stick is not the Sunnah,
neither generally nor during the khutbah. The hadeeth,
"To carry a stick is an example of the Prophets" is
fabricated, as I have explained in Silsilah al-Ahaadeeth
ad-Da'eefah. The Prophet (S) used to have a stick which
he would use as a sutrah while travelling or for the 'Eid
prayer when there was no sutrah at the place of prayer.
Hence, if a person needs a stick, as Allaah addresses
Moosaa in the Qur'aan:

... and what is that in your right hand, O
Moosaa! He said. It is my rod, on it I lean, with
it I beat down fodder for my flock, and in it I
find other uses.(Taa Haa 20:17-18)

or due to old age, then it is undoubtedly correct to
carry a stick. However, as for an ordinary person, it is
in no way from the Sunnah to needlessly carry a stick,
especially in an age where many people do without
walking, let alone needing to carry a stick, due to
conveyance in cars, buses etc, from the means provided by
Allaah.

Are sex-change operations allowed, i.e. to change a man
into a woman, and vice-versa?

The answer may be deduced from what has already been
said: "Allaah's handiwork according to the pattern on
which he has made mankind, (let there be) no change in
the creation of Allaah.''

Was the Prophet's (funeral) prayer (S) over the black
woman who used to sweep the mosque (related by Bukhari)
one of his exclusive acts?

No. There is nothing to prove that this was exclusive for
him. Some do think that this contradicts the prohibition
on prayer in graveyards, but this is not so, since the
prohibition covers what the Prophet (S) did not do
himself. What is prohibited is to pray
obligatory/voluntary prayers, or over a funeral, amidst
graves; this is not allowed in Islaam. As for a person
who is already buried, after some or none have prayed
over him, then Muslims can come and fulfill their
obligation by praying over him while he is in his grave,
and this is what the Prophet (S) did.

Regrettably, you do not see this sunnah implemented in
Muslim lands nowadays for two reasons: (i) the turning
away of most scholars from studying the Sunnah; (ii) very
rarely is a Muslim buried without anyone praying over
him.

However, Allaah decreed on some of us, including myself,
that we should revive this sunnah: when the French bombed
the city of Damascus and destroyed a large area of it
which is until now known as al-Hareeqah (the burnt-out
place). At one stage, there was much killing when they
attacked from all sides. We later learnt that one of our
Salafi brothers, named 'Abd al-'Aee Nawaas, was among
those killed. Hence we found his grave and we stood to
pray over him while he was in his grave.

To summarize: prayer over a dead person who is in his
grave is different from prayer over him when he is in
his bier, and from ordinary prayer towards graves - the
latter are those included in his sayings, such as, "Do
not sit on graves, nor pray towards them," or those
prohibiting prayer towards/amidst graves.

As for a person already buried, it is an established
example of the Prophet (S) to pray salaah al-janazaah
over them, as he did with the black woman. Also, some of
his Companions prayed with him, so this is clear evidence
that this action was not exclusive to him: had he prayed
alone, one could have said it was exclusive, but in this
case, some Companions prayed with him, including some who
had already prayed over her before burying her.

Is it allowed for a Muslim woman to uncover her hair in
front of a woman of the People of the Book, e.g. a
maidservant?

It is not allowed for a Muslim woman to appear in front
of a disbelieving woman, whether she is of the People of
the Book or otherwise, unless she is covered the way she
would be in front of a strange man. This is because when
Allaah allows the women to uncover themselves in front of
various categories of people, He says, "... or their
women'' (Noor 24:31). Their women indicates Muslim women
only.

Is it true that Imaam Bayhaqi drew a picture of the face
of Allaah's Messenger (S) ?

People will believe what they like! I've never heard of
this.

Is it allowed to eat the food of Christians in their
festivals? If not, what is the meaning of the aayah, The
food of those who were given the Book is lawful for you
(Maa'idah 5:6)?

It is not allowed for a Muslim to share with the
Disbelievers in celebrating their festivals. The aayah
was revealed with regard to an incident when a Jewess
gave a piece of meat to the Prophet (S); we does not have
to attend the festivals of the Disbelievers and share
their food in order to implement this aayah! This whole
issue has been fully-discussed by Ibn Taymiyyah in his
book, Iqtidaa' as-Siraat al-Mustaqeem Mukhaalafah Ashaab
al-Jaheem (Pursuing the Straight Path contrary to the
People of Hellfire).

Is it allowed to attend the celebration of Christians in
a church?

It is not allowed. It is not allowed to attend a venue of
evil, unless to change the evil if possible, otherwise
the Qur'aan is clear:

Do not sit, after the Reminder, with the people
who do wrong. (An'aam 6:68)

Is it allowed to kiss the hand of an 'aalim? Some
'ulamaa' regard this as sort of respect.

Kissing the hand of an 'aalim has a basis in the Sunnah;
however, this basis is one of allowable action, not one
of a recommended example. Nowadays in many Islamic
lands, many of the shaykhs do not know the example of the
Prophet (S) of shaking hands with his Companions: as Abu
Dhar said, "Whenever the Messenger of Allaah (S) met us,
he would shake hands with us." These shaykhs only know
how to extend their hands to be kissed; as for extending
the hand to shake, they have no idea! This sort of
kissing in place of shaking hands is not allowed. The
Prophet (S) encouraged his ummah, "Any two Muslims who
meet and shake hands before parting, their sins fall as
leaves fall from a tree in autumn."

What is the commandment regarding masturbation?

And those who safeguard their private parts,
except upon their wives or that their right hands
possess, for which they are not blamed. But those
who seek beyond that, they are the
transgressors.'' (Mu'minoon 23:5-7 & Ma'aarij
70:29-31)

As Imaam Shaafi'i says regarding this aayah, there are
only two ways to satisfy one's lusts; apart from that,
the person is a transgressor, doing injustice to himself.

What does a person do if he misses some takbeers of the
funeral prayer (salaah al-janaaah)?

When the Imaam finishes, he completes his prayer, from
the generality of his (S) saying, "Whatever you catch,
pray; and whatever you miss, complete."

What is the commandment regarding wiping over the khuffs
(moccasins, leather socks)?

Wiping over the khuffs is a mutawaatir practice; there
are many, many ahaadeeth about it. In fact, the matter is
even easier for the people, since there are ahaadeeth
which mention that the Messenger used to wipe over his
socks also. Wiping over socks, even if they are of thin
material, is supported by a large majority of Muslim
'ulamaa', including 'Umar bin al-Khattaab, as Imaam
Nawawi has mentioned in his book Al-Majmoo' Sharh al-
Muhadhdhab.

Please explain about the hadeeth of Bukhaari, "There
should be no staying up in conversation after 'Ishaa"',
especially with regard to training or Da'wah to Allaah.

Firstly, Muslims must know and implement the principle of
retiring to bed quickly after Ishaa'. However, if there
is a matter of benefit for the Muslims, then further
activity is allowed, be it regarding knowledge, training,
or politics, as long as the purpose is to gain the
pleasure of Allaah; further, the activity must be brief
in order to ensure that Fajr is prayed on time: if it is
likely that staying up late will lead to offering of the
Fajr prayer after the rising of the sun, then the hadeeth
holds absolutely, i.e. there is to be no staying up at
all.

What is the commandment regarding one who misses Witr
prayer, intentionally or forgetfully?

The ruling is the same as for obligatory prayer-. one who
has an excuse can make up for it; one with no excuse
cannot make up for it. Hence, one who misses it
intentionally has no way of making up for it, just like
obligatory prayer, whereas one who forgot or fell asleep
until after the adhaan for Fajr can pray it either before
the sunnahs of Fajr if there is time, otherwise after the
sun has risen above the horizon appreciably.

INNOVATIONS

1. The Hadeeth of 'Aa'ishah (RA) from the Messenger of
Allaah (S) that he said, "He who introduces into this
affair of ours that which is not part of it will have it
rejected."

2. The Hadeeth of al-Irbaad ibn Saariyah (RA): "I
advise you to fear Allaah and hear and obey even if an
Abyssinian slave is placed in charge of you, for every
novelty is an innovation, and every innovation is a going
astray."

All innovations in the Deen are forbidden.

As regards worldly affairs, some innovations are
good and some are bad.

Ibn Taymiyyah's rule which he extracts from these
and other proofs is that, "The basic rule in affairs of
the Deen is that all is forbidden except for a proof
which allows, and in affairs of the world, all things are
allowed except for a proof which forbids."

New things in worship are all misguidance even if
the people see it as something good, as Ibn 'Umar (RA)
said, "Every innovation is misguidance even if the people
see it as something good."

Imaam Ash-Shaafi'ee said, "He who declares something
to be religiously good has made it part of the
Sharee'ah."

THE SALAFEE DA'WA WITH RESPECT TO OTHER JAMAA'AHS

I will say a true word after which no Muslim can argue
after the truth appears to him.

Firstly, the Salafee da'wah is an ascription to what?
'Salafee' is an ascription to the 'Salaf' (pious
predecessors), so we have to know who the Salaf are and
then what this ascription means and its importance as
regards its meaning and implication.

The Salaf are the people of the first three generations
whom the Messenger of Allaah (S) declared to be good in
the authentic and mutawaatir hadeeth recorded in al-
Bukhaaree and Muslim and others from a group of the
Companions that he said: "The best of people is my
generation, then those who come after them, then those
who come after them.", i.e the first three generations.

So the Salafees attach themselves to the Salaf, and if we
know the meaning of 'Salaf' and 'Salafee' then we should
bear two things in mind.

That this attachment is not to a single person or
persons, as is the case with other Jamaa'ahs present in
the Muslim world. This is not an attachment to a person
or even tens of people, but to that which will not err,
since it is impossible that the Salaf would unite upon
error, as opposed to the people of later times, since
with regard to the later generations, there is no text
speaking in their favor. Rather, in general, they are
spoken ill of in the end of the previous hadeeth: "Then
there will come a people who give witness and their
witness is not asked for...", and in other ahaadeeth
there occurs: "A group of my Ummah will not cease to be
upon the truth..."

So this is a praise for them but a censure of the rest
since the praise is for a particular small group.
Linguistically, 'Taa'ifah' is used to refer to a single
person or more.

Thus if we understand this meaning of the 'Salafees' and
that they attach themselves to the Salaf- and that if the
Muslim clings to that which the Salaf were upon - then
here we come to the second matter:

That after this is understood, it is not possible for any
Muslim but to be a Salafee, since we have understood that
in attaching oneself to the Salaf one has attached
himself to that which cannot err. This is taken from the
hadeeth: "My Ummah will not unite upon error," and it is
not correct to refer this to the people of later ages;
those present today.

In addition to that is the ahaadeeth referring to what
happened to the previous peoples - the Jews and the
Christians - and what will befall the Muslims, regarding
splitting into sects, saying: "The Jews split into
seventy-one sects and the Christians into seventy-two,
and my Ummah will split into seventy-three sects. All of
them are in the Fire except one." The Companions said,
"Who are they, O Messenger of (S)?" He (S) replied "They
are the Jamaa'ah." This shows who is meant in the
previous hadeeth "My Ummah will not unite upon error"
since they are the saved sect, along with those who have
their outlook and follow them.

Those Salafus-Saaliheen are those whom Allaah has warned
us against opposing them or against following a way other
than theirs, saying:

If anyone contend with the Messenger even after
guidance has been plainly conveyed to him, and
follows a path other than that becoming to men of
faith, We shall leave him in the path he has
chosen, and land him in Hell - what an evil
refuge! [Sooratun-Nisaa aayah 115]

I have many times pointed out to our brothers the wisdom
of our Lord's attaching in this aayah 'the following of a
way other than that of the believers' to 'the opposing of
the Messenger', what is the wisdom in that, since even if
the aayah did not contain the part about following a way
other than that of the believers, then the first part
about opposing the Messenger (S) would have been enough
to earn the person the evil end mentioned. However, it is
not possible that the second part has no relevance, and
we seek Allaah's refuge from such a thing. Its wisdom is
shown by Imaam Ash-Shaafi'ee's using it as a proof of
Ijmaa' - meaning: 'He who takes a way other than that of
the Companions'- who are unerring - and they and those
who follow them are the Jamaa'ah whom the Messenger of
Allaah (S) declared to be the saved sect.

They are those whom it is not permissible to oppose - for
one who wishes to be saved from Allaah's punishment on
the Day of Resurrection. Therefore the Muslims have to be
aware today, who are the Muslims mentioned in this aayah?
And then, what is the wisdom in Allaah's intending the
Salafus-Saalih and those who follow them? The answer has
preceded and is, in brief, that they are the Companions
who were present when the revelation came down, and who
took it direct from the mouth of the Messenger (S). They
saw the Messenger (S) living among them following the
revealed rulings of the Qur'aan, many of whom were
explained by his (S) sayings.

However, the later peoples do not have this excellence -
that they heard the Qur'aan and the Sunnah direct from
his mouth - nor did they see how he (S) followed the
texts of the Qur'aan and the Sunnah his practice, and
from the wisdom is his (S) saying: "Being informed is not
like seeing for yourself."

So those who did not see him are not like his Companions
who saw him and heard his words directly and saw how he
acted. Today there is a very nice saying which some
people are distinguished by - but it would be nicer if
put into practice. They say in their speeches and
lectures, "that it is upon us to make Islaam take
practical shape upon the earth." However, if we do not
understand Islaam, and understand it according to the
understanding of the Salafus-Saalih, then we cannot put
this saying into practice. But those who were able to do
that were the Companions of the Messenger (S) due to the
two reasons that we have mentioned:

a) That they heard his words directly and therefore
their retention of it is better than ours;

b) Then there are affairs which need explanation
through his (S) action, and they saw that.

I will give you a very clear example. There are some
aayaahs in the Qur'aan which a Muslim cannot understand
unless he knows the Sunnah, which explains the Noble
Qur'aan, as Allaah ta'aalaa says:

WA ANZALNAA ILAIKADH-DHIKRA LITUBAYYINA LINNAASI
MAA NUZILA ILAYHIM

Allaah ta'aala's saying: AS-SAARIQU WAS SAARIQATU
FAAQTA'OO AIDEEHIMAA. (al-Maidah 5:38). Let us produce
the Seebawaih (a great scholar of the 'Arabic language of
early times) of this age and let him explain this aayah.
Language wise he will not be able to define the 'saariq'
(thief) nor the 'yad' (hand). Who is the thief whose
'yad' is to be cut? What is the 'yad' that should be cut?
He cannot answer! In the language anyone who steals even
an egg is a thief, and the 'yad' goes right up to the
shoulder. The answer lies in the aayah mentioned
previously : LNAA ILAIKADH-DHIKRA. The answer is
found in the explanation of the Messenger (S) for the
Qur'aan. That explanation is found in the practice - for
this and for many other aayaahs. He who reads the
'science of Usool' finds that there is 'General and
Particular', 'Unrestricted and Restricted' and
'Abrogating and Abrogated' texts - comprehensive words
under which come tens if not hundreds of texts, general
texts restricted by the Sunnah - and I will not prolong
this further in order to answer the rest of the
questions.

lf parents refuse permission for their daughter to
visit her sister, and she longs to see her and misses
seeing her, then is she allowed to make up a false story
to enable her to go out and visit her, or can she go
without her parent's permission?

Ans. It is not permissible for her to visit her without
their permission, just as it is not permissible for her
to lie to them. Rather she should convince them that this
visit is something ordered in the Sharee'ah. So if she
convinces them, then good, and it is not permissible for
the daughter, especially if she says that she is
following the Sharee'ah, to leave the obedience of her
parents for the like of this visit.

What is the ruling for wearing the 'Niqaab' (face-
veil) these days, and gloves? And further, if she feels
there is a chance of 'fitnah' so she wants to wear this,
but the parents refuse to let her, then what should she
do?

Ans. If their refusal only refers to her not covering her
face and hands, then she has to obey her parents in that,
but if their refusal includes more than that, then,
"There is no obedience to the creation in disobedience to
the Creator." Since covering the body except for the face
and hands is obligatory for the Muslim woman, and
covering her face and hands is not obligatory but
'mustahabb' (recommended). So if the parents do not want
her to cover her face and hands, then there is no harm in
her obeying them and no sin in it, as opposed to what
would be the case if they wished her to uncover other
than that, in which case she owes no obedience to them
since that is a sin.

What is the ruling regarding a woman's wearing a scarf
on her head?

Ans. That is not enough - she has to wear a 'khimaar'
which covers the head and chest. The scarf is not loose
fitting and does not cover enough.

Should not the shoulders also be covered by it?

Yes, that is the 'khimaar'. It is a wide cover covering
the head and shoulders. When we say that it covers the
chest, then it covers the shoulders since it is wide. But
as regards the head-scarf we often see a woman wearing it
revealing a part of the neck due to it, but the 'khimaar'
covers the neck and shoulder, and Allaah ta'aala orders
that saying:

WALYADRIBNA BIKHUMURIHINNA 'ALAA JUYOOBIHINNA

The head-scarf is as they say these days a compromise,
and there is no such thing in Islaam!

Many people hold that the khimaar' is a covering for
the face.

Ans. That is ignorance with regard to the language. The
'khimaar' is a covering for the head and the man also
wears the khimaar - putting it upon his head - the same
as for the woman. He ta'aala said:

WALYADRIBNA BIKHUMURIHINNA 'ALAA JUYOOBIHINNA

If the khimaar covered the face then He ta'aala would not
say WALYADRIBNA meaning pull/draw together, but he would
have said "let fall" [ using the verb 'sadala' ]. This is
ignorance regarding the language.

Is it permissible for women to wear high-heeled shoes?

Ans. That is not permissible. It involves resembling the
Disbelieving Women or the wicked women. It has its origin
among the Jewish women before Islaam. When one of them
wanted to attend a gathering where her lover was present,
then she would wear a pair of high shoes for him to see
her, being taller. Then after a time that became high-
heeled shoes! Further, this type of shoe changes a
woman's way of walking, causing her to tilt from left to
right and therefore the wicked and the unbelievers choose
this type of shoe. Therefore a Muslim woman following the
Sharee'ah should not wear high-heeled shoes - specially
since many times it causes her to fall.

Is it permissible to backbite or revile an unbeliever?

Ans. That is permissible since there is no
respect/inviolability for an unbeliever, unless that will
cause some problem. For example, if in reviling him to
his face or behind his back he finds out, then he may
revile the Muslims and his Deen and the Messenger (S) in
which case it is forbidden.

What is meant in the aayah LA YAMASSUHU ILLAAL
MUTAHHAROONA (Sooratul-Waaqi'ah, aayah 79), and what is
the ruling regarding taking the Qur'aan to the land of
the unbelievers?

Ans. What is referred to in the aayah is the angels, and
it is Allaah's informing us of these angels. It does not
refer to the Qur'aan but to the 'Lawhul-Mahfoo'
(Preserved Tablet). So this mushaf in the Preserved
Tablet is only touched by the Purified Ones, who are the
nearest angels. As for the mushaf which is with us, then
it is touched by the righteous, the wicked, the believer
and the unbeliever. So Allaah ta'aala does not refer here
to the people, good and bad, but to the nearest angels.

As regards travelling with the mushaf to the land of the
enemy, then it is not permissible unless it can be
protected from being handled wickedly or captured. So in
that case it is allowed to take it to their land and be
read and studied.

Reciting the Qur'aan without wudoo'?

Ans. It is preferable to recite it upon purification.

The hadeeth of the Messenger's (S) making tayammum
to reply to "as-Salaamu 'alaikum".

It is not forbidden to recite it without wudoo'.

As for the woman in her period or in after-birth
confinement, then nothing prevents her from reciting the
Qur'aan.

The hadeeth that At-Tirmidhee reported from Ibn
'Umar (R) that the Messenger (S) said: "The woman ill her
period and the junub man may not recite the Qur'aan,"
then that is a 'munkar' hadeeth, as the Imaam of Sunnah
Ahmad Ibn Hanbal says, it is not authentic.

Rather we have the hadeeth of 'Aa'ishah (R) that the
Messenger (S) said to her when she made Hajj and she had
her period: "Do everything the pilgrim does except prayer
and tawaaf." Does not the pilgrim recite the Qur'aan? So
this hadeeth is a clear proof of the permissibility of a
woman's reciting the Qur'aan whilst in her period.

Therefore it is not permissible to prevent the woman in
her periods from reciting the Qur'aan claiming that she
is not pure! If Allaah ta'aala had prevented her from
reciting as He prevented her from praying, then we would
follow that prevention and that would be the end of the
matter. But He revealed to His Messenger (S) a
distinction between Prayer and its constituent parts;
since some people say that reciting the Qur'aan is one of
the pillars of the Prayer, so why do we not make
purification a pre-condition for it as it is for the
Prayer? So we say: Not only is reciting the Qur'aan a
part of the Prayer, but also, Prayer is begun by our
saying 'Allaahu Akbar'. So, we should also say that it is
a requirement for saying 'takbeer' that we have wudoo'!
And the same goes for 'tasbeeh', 'tahmeed' etc.

We find that some of the companions preferred to
have wudoo' to touch the Qur'aan - so that shows what is
preferable - but to make it obligatory and to say that it
is forbidden for a woman in her period to touch the
Qur'aan - then that has no proof at all.

THE AAYAH MENTIONING MARYAM AND HER 'MIHRAAB'

Ans

What is meant is her private room where she prayed.

Imaam as-Syootee compiled a book "I'laamul 'Areeb
bihudoothil Mahaareeb" in which he collects texts showing
that the Mihraab (Prayer Niche) in the mosques is an
innovation.

THE AAYAH [AL-WAAQI'AH AAYAH 79] LAA YAMASSUHU ILLAL
MUTAHHAROONA

Ans.

The Book is described in the previous aayah as being
'Maknoon' (Hidden), and the Qur'aan is not hidden.

Imaam Maalik in his Muwatta in tafseer of this aayah
says: "That the best that I have seen regarding this
aayah is that it is like:

FEE SUHUFIN MUKARRAMATIN - MARFOO'ATIN
MMUTAHHARATIN - Bl'AIDEE SAFARATIN - KIRAAMIN
BARARATIN [Sooratul 'Abasa ayaat 13-16]

It is not permissible for the people to call
themselves 'mutahharoon' (made pure/purified), but rather
'mutatahharoon' (those who cleanse themselves) - as in
the aayah that Allaah loves the mutatahhareen and the
aayah concerning the people of Qubaa.

This is the saying of Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim in his
book "Aqsaamul Qur'aan".

Regarding plucking the eyebrows for beautification?

Ans. Rather we should be pleased with Allaah's creation,
as He says:

WA RABBUKA YAKHLUQU MAA YASHAA'U WA YAKHTARU
(Sooratul Qasas aayah 68)

The ruling regarding making condition before starting
Hajj or 'umrah: "Allaahumma Mahallee haithu habastanee"
(O Allaah my place is up to wherever you prevent me), and
what if this condition is not met?

Ans. It is permissible and if one does so and has to
leave ihraam then there is no sacrificial animal due upon
him if he is prevented from completion of the Hajj or
'Umrah, but he still has to make Hajj again the following
year even if it is not his first Hajj.

MANNERS OF SITT'ING:

Ans.

They should sit close together in gatherings. This
is found in many of the rulings of the Sharee'ah.

The Hadeeth of Jaabir ibn Samurah - reported in
Muslim: That the Messenger (S) entered the mosque one day
and found the Companions sitting separately and so said:
"Why is it that I find you sitting apart?"

Imaam Ahmad reports in his 'musnad' with good isnaad
from Aboo Tha'labah al-Khushanee (S) who said: "When we
travelled with the Messenger (S) and alighted at a place,
we used to disperse through the mountain passes and
valleys. So once we travelled and alighted as we used to,
so he said: "Indeed your being separate in these passes
and valleys is from the work of shaitaan." He said, "So
after that when we alighted at a place we came together
to the extent that if a carpet were to have been placed
under us we would have fitted on it."


ADVICE FOR THE NEWLY-MARRlED HUSBAND:

1. The Sunnah is to say to them in congratulations:

Baarakallahu laka wa baaraka 'alaika wajama'a
bainakuma fi kheir
and not use the congratulations of Jaahiliyyah.

2. Also from the Sunnah for the one wishing to marry is
to seek a wife whom it is thought will provide many
children, as he (S) said "Marry the beloved who have many
children, because I will vie through you with the nations
on the Day of Resurrection."

3. Family Planning/Birth Control: It is something
introduced amongst the Muslims by their enemies and it is
from the Unbelievers and weakens the strength of the
Muslims. The idol-worshipping people will perhaps fall
into this, but the Muslims should be far from it and from
this plan to weaken them.

The Muslim marries as a means of nearness to Allaah,
as the Messenger (S) said "O youths, he amongst you who
is able, then let him marry for it is better for
withholding the gaze and better for the private parts and
he who is not able - then let him fast - for it is a
shield for him."

And the Muslim is rewarded for fulfilling his desire
- as is shown in the clear hadeeth: that when a poor
companion came to the Messenger (S) and spoke of the rich
and the Messenger (S) replied "Verily there is for you in
every 'tasbeeh' sadaqah and in every 'tahmeed' sadaqah
and in every 'takbeer' sadaqah and in every 'tahleel'
sadaqah and ordering good is sadaqah, and forbidding evil
is sadaqah and repairing relations between two people is
sadaqah and in the sexual intercourse of one of you is
sadaqah." They said: "Does one of us fulfilling his
desire receive reward for it?" He (S) said "Yes, if he
did that in what is forbidden then would he not be
sinful?" They said: Yes, O Messenger of Allaah." So he
(S) said "Then likewise if he does that in what is
permissible then he receives reward."

So when the Muslim marries - he does not only fulfill
his desire but also carries out Allaah's orders.

Furthermore, by marrying he intends to increase the
side of the Ummah

Further, he intends if he is granted children to
bring them up and train them - and they will after his
death be a source of good for him. The hadeeth: "When the
son of Adam dies his actions are cut off except for
three: a recurring charity, or knowledge from which
benefit is derived or a pious son who supplicates for
him."

Further, if he has children and they die young -
then there is for him reward for that - Paradise.

Therefore the Muslim who marries and has children -
either they outlive him and make du'aa for him - or they
die before him and he is promised Paradise; hadeeth of
the Messenger (S): "There are no two [married] Muslims -
of whose children - three die except that the Fire will
not touch them - except for the oath (see Sooratul-Maryam
aayah 71 to 72) causes that." They said: "And two, O
Messenger of Allaah?" He said "And two." His Companions
said, so that we thought that if we were to say "And
one?" that he would say "And one."

So this practice is a practice of the Unbelievers
having no connection with Islaam and does not befit the
intellect of the Muslim who lives for Allaah and lives
with his children as righteous worshippers of Allaah -
and that their rewards may be written in his record and
his wife's, and that if they die early - then Allaah has
promised Paradise for the parents - and that the Fire
will not harm them.

ABOUT MUT'AH MARRIAGE:

There are many ahadeeth about the forbidding of
Mut'ah marriage in Bukhaaree and Muslim; from them: "That
the Messenger (S) forbade Mut'ah until the Day of
Resurrection."

That it was not 'Umar (R) who made it forbidden, but
he affirmed the ruling conveyed by the Messenger (S).

ABOUT THE GREETING OF WOMEN BY MEN AND MEN BY WOMEN:

That general ahadeeth are to be understood and acted
upon according to the understanding and action of the
Salaf.

That if we have a general hadeeth covering various
cases - then to act on some parts of that not acted on by
the Salaf is innovation. This is how innovations begin -
and if we wished to produce a general text to support
many innovations (we could do that). So the fact that the
Salaf did not act on something covered by a general
hadeeth shows that that was not intended, and for us to
do so would be an innovation.

An example is the ahadeeth recommending Prayer in
Jamaa'ah - this covers all Prayer, even Nafl Prayer and
the 'Sunnah Prayers' - but the Salaf had not used to
pray, for example, the rak'ahs before dhuhr in Jamaa'ah
- so to do so acting on the ahadeeth recommending
Jamaa'ah would be an innovation.

And with regard to this question - we find that the
Salaf had not used to greet the women whom they came
across. And this is also to prevent fitnah.

WHAT ABOUT WHEN VISITING A BROTHER AND THE DOOR IS
ANSWERED BY HIS WIFE - SHOULD HE GREET AND THEN STATE WHO
HE IS, ETC.?

That is from the Sharee'ah since there is no Fitnah.

A MAN'S TAKING FROM HIS FATHER'S MONEY WITHOUT HIS
FATHER KNOWING - OR A FATHER FROM HIS SON?

As regards the son's taking from his father's wealth
- then that is forbidden. As regards the father taking
from the son's - then it s permissible if he has need,
due to the Prophet's (S) saying "You and your wealth are
for your father." [Saheeh: Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, Ibn
Maajah from Ibn 'Amr: Ahkaamul Janaa'i: 170].

IS IT PERMISSIBLE FOR MEN TO STRIKE THE 'DUFF' IN
OTHER THAN MARRIAGE?

It is permissible in 'Eid as well only, and
therefore the Messenger (S) censured Aboo Bakr (R) when
he tried to prevent that on the 'Eid.

And the matter is as understood by Aboo Bakr (R) -
that it is forbidden for men or women to strike the
'Duff' at any time just as for other instruments - except
that the 'Eid and Marriage are excepted from that
forbiddance.

And so striking the 'Duff' is something haraam - but
even worse is making that 'Ibaadah (worship) as the
Soofis do.

Advice with regard to the Saved Sect - to the
Habbashshiyyeen, followers of 'al-Habashee' the heretic
innovator:

CONCERNING PRAYER IN JAMAA'AH:

Prayer in Jamaa'ah is acceptable only if he prays it
with the Muslim Jamaa'ah in the mosque - since Allaah
ta'aalaa did not only order Prayer but also added to it -
And bow down your heads with those who bow down (in
worship). [2:43] - and he is not allowed to suffice with
praying in his home and leave the Jamaa'ah of the
Muslims.

And the Messenger (S) ordered every fit and well Muslim
to pray in the Mosque and desired to burn those who
remained in their houses - as occurs in 'Saheeh al-
Bukhaaree' and 'Saheeh Muslim' from Aboo Hurairah (R). He
(S) did not burn the houses because of the presence of
women and children on whom Prayer in the mosque is not
obligatory.